Bandipora, Oct. 29 -- Long known across Kashmir as a bastion of traditional knowledge or 'ilm', north Kashmir Bandipora district has in recent years found itself lagging in the race for modern, innovative education hampered in part by its relative remoteness and a narrow, congested highway that often discourages specialised educators from venturing here.

Now, challenging this status quo is the Dubai Grand International School (DGIS), which has set up a branch in the Sonerwani village of Bandipora, aiming to blend the district's historic legacy of learning with contemporary, creative teaching methods.

For years, students and educationists in Bandipora have voiced concern over the gap between the district's rich intellectual history and t...