Indian Air Force airlifts GATE aspirants, teachers in J&K

While the Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed due to heavy snowfall, Indian Air Force airlifted students on the orders of Governor Satya Pal Malik.

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Indian Air Force airlifts GATE aspirants, teachers in J&K
Indian Air Force airlifted 189 students of Jammu and Kashmir, stranded due to heavy snowing for GATE exam from Srinagar to Jammu on 08 Feb 19.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) airlifted as many as 319 GATE aspirants on Friday, February 08 and Saturday, February 09, 2019 while the Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed due to heavy snowfall. As flights were cancelled and roads were blocked, Governor Satya Pal Malik gave directions to the administration to make immediate alternative travel arrangements for stuck students in Srinagar and Delhi. Hence the arrangements were made for several students including GATE aspirants who took the exam on February 10, 2019.

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"Due to heavy snowfall, the valley was cut off from the rest of world due to closure of national highway and cancellation of flights. In view of above, state authorities in coordination with Indian Air Force arranged an aircraft to airlift the students appearing for GATE examination," one of the officials said.

The IAF launched the special sorties of C17 Globemaster and came into assistance of GATE aspirants, the locals and tourists who were stuck in the twin capitals due to the closure of Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the only all weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country owing to the recent heavy snowfall, a defence spokesman told PTI.

The Indian Air Force took to Twitter to informing about the airlift:


School children and teachers were also airlifted


The spokesperson informed that a total of 319 students appearing in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) on February 10 onwards were airlifted from Srinagar airport to Jammu airport on Friday and Saturday.

While 179 students were airlifted from Srinagar to Jammu, 180 civilians struck in Jammu were airlifted to Srinagar on Friday, the spokesman said.

Similarly, he said 179 persons comprising of 140 students and 39 locals and tourists were airlifted to Srinagar to Jammu on Saturday.

"The students were specially relieved by this humanitarian concern of the armed forces and conveyed their special thanks to them for this timely effort which in long way will shape up their career in times to come," the spokesman said.

GATE 2019: Results

As per the schedule, the GATE 2019 result will be out on March 16.

About GATE:

The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is an all India examination that primarily tests the comprehensive understanding of various undergraduate subjects in engineering and technology.

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The exam is conducted for admissions into post-graduate programmes in Indian institutes of higher education with financial assistance provided by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and other government agencies.