The Indian army chief General Bipin Rawat said on Friday that “some control has to be exercised on” Valley madrasas and masjids for they are “incorrectly” informing students and spreading disinformation among the youth of Kashmir. 

“What is being incorrectly informed to them (youth of Kashmir) is through the madrasas and the masjids. Some control has to be exercised on them. That is what we are looking at – can these be brought under control?” the army chief was quoted as saying at his annual press conference while responding to questions about radicalisation in Kashmir, the print.in reported Friday.

Taking a hard line on the education system of the state of Jammu & Kashmir, General Rawat came down strongly on government-run schools as well, claiming teachers were “misleading” students, the report said.

“(Among) those picking up guns, there will be one odd Ph.D. scholar. But you don’t see a terrorist coming out of Burn Hall (an elite missionary school in Srinagar). Most come from schools where there is a lot of disinformation and the education being given is wrong,” Rawat was quoted as saying.

Rawat said the education system of the state needed a major revamp, and made a case for opening more “CBSE schools”, the report added.

“You will be surprised that in the government schools in Kashmir, teachers are teaching something that should not be taught. You will find two maps, one is a map of India and the other of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. What is the need for that? What does this mean to a child’s mind?” the army chief was quoted as saying.

Terming it a “basic grassroots problem”, Rawat said education in government schools was wrong, since teachers themselves had been brought up in the same environment, the report said.

“(Among) those picking up guns, there will be one odd Ph.D. scholar. But you don’t see a terrorist coming out of Burn Hall (an elite missionary school in Srinagar). Most come from schools where there is a lot of disinformation and the education being given is wrong,” Rawat was quoted as saying.