Health & Fitness

Scientists turn human poop into concrete that gets 42% stronger

In 1989, Britain began reintroducing red kites after persecution left fewer than 10 breeding pairs

Creation in pairs

Allah (SwT)s creation embodies a universally applied principle---Creation in Pairs. It is One and Only Allah (SwT) Who is beyond possessing a pair, a likeness or an equal, otherwise the principle of pairs holds in all things, as ordained: Glory to Allah, exalted beyond all, Who created pairs in all things that the earth produces, as well as their own selves (human kind) and many other things of which you know nothing (36:36) There are three examples of pairs as noted in the Holy Verse: pairs produced by the earth, pairs of selves (human kind) and many other created pairs of which we have no knowledge Pairs produced by the earth may be listed as: similar pairs that differ in their physical and chemical characteristics e.g. metals and nonmetals, biologically opposed pairs--the male and the female sexes of plants and animals and physically opposed pairs, these include: electrically opposed pairs--positively and negatively electrically charged ions and magnetically opposed pairs--the poles of a magnet referred to as North and South respectively. Pairs of selves (human kind): e.g. could be--men and women (opposite partners) complimentary personality traits: cruel/compassionate, brave/cowardly, generous/miserly and traits which are similar but subject to opposite value judgements: barbarism/courage, hypocrisy/consideration. Many other created pairs of which we have no knowledge: Turkish scholar--Dr. Haluk Nurbaki in his treatise VERSES FROM GLORIOUS KORAN AND FACTS OF SCIENCES speculates that some of the created pairs could be-- processes of energy emission and absorption which physics and astrophysics have recognized in recent times and forces of attraction and repulsion--gravitation counterbalanced by centrifugal forceif the opposite between these forces did not exist, all planets would either fall in their respective suns or be flung into outer space. It emerges thus that Divine Shaping of Pairs is mandatory for maintaining Universal Balance.

The Child Behind the Adult

We live in a generation that talks about mental health more openly than ever before. We have learned the wordsanxiety, depression, trauma, attachment, emotional neglect, burnout, people-pleasing, boundaries. We know how to identify symptoms, name patterns and sometimes even recognise them in ourselves. And that is progress. But perhaps there is something more important than learning the name of a wound. Perhaps we need to learn how to understand where it came from. Because before there was an anxious adult, there was a child who was trying to feel safe. Before there was an adult who could not trust people, there may have been a child who learned, very early, that trusting someone came with consequences. Before there was a perfectionist constantly terrified of failure, there may have been a child who discovered that mistakes changed the way people looked at them. Before there was someone who struggled to express their emotions, there may have been a child who was repeatedly told to stop crying, stop being sensitive, stop making a fuss. We often meet people at the end of their story and judge them for the behaviours they have developed, without ever asking about the beginning. A teenager becomes withdrawn, and everyone asks, Why dont you talk to anyone? A child becomes angry, and the adults ask, Why are you behaving like this? Someone becomes excessively sensitive, and we tell them they need to toughen up. Someone becomes desperate for reassurance, and we call them needy. Someone becomes distant, and we call them cold. Someone becomes obsessed with achievement, and we praise their ambition without wondering why failure feels unbearable to them. We see the behaviour. We rarely see the child who learned it. Psychology has increasingly shown us how deeply our early environments can influence the way we understand ourselves and the world around us. Childhood does not simply pass through us as a collection of memories. Our relationships, experiences and environments can help shape the ways we regulate emotions, understand relationships, respond to stress and perceive our own worth. A child is constantly learning. Not only from what we tell them, but from what we repeatedly show them. They learn whether love is consistent or conditional. Whether mistakes are safe. Whether emotions are welcomed or punished. Whether asking for help brings comfort or humiliation. Whether conflict means temporary disagreement or the threat of abandonment. Whether they are allowed to be childrenor whether they have to become adults too soon. And children are remarkably adaptive. They adapt to survive the environments they are given. The problem is that sometimes the very adaptations that helped a child survive can follow them into adulthood. The child who learned to stay quiet to avoid conflict may become an adult who cannot express what they need. The child who learned to monitor everyones moods may become an adult who constantly reads between the lines of every message and every silence. The child who learned that being useful earned affection may grow into an adult who feels guilty whenever they put themselves first. The child who was never allowed to fail may grow into someone who would rather not try than risk being imperfect. And then, years later, we look at that adult and ask, Why are you like this? Perhaps that is the wrong question. Perhaps the better question is: When did you first learn that you had to be this way? This does not mean that every mental-health difficulty begins in childhood. Human psychology is far more complicated than that. Genetics, biology, temperament, relationships, social circumstances, trauma, ongoing stress and countless other factors shape us throughout our lives. Childhood is not a sentence. It is a foundation. And foundations can be repaired. There is another uncomfortable truth we sometimes avoid: parents are often raising children while carrying their own unfinished childhoods. A parent who never learned how to regulate anger may struggle to teach emotional regulation. A parent who grew up believing that vulnerability was weakness may unknowingly teach the same lesson to their child. And so, without anyone consciously intending it, wounds can travel from one generation to another. That is why understanding our childhood should not become an exercise in blaming our parents for everything that went wrong. It should become an exercise in understanding. Because there is a difference between saying, My parents ruined me, and saying, Something happened in my childhood that shaped the way I learned to protect myself, and now I want to understand it. The second one gives us something the first does not. It gives us agency. Perhaps this is where our modern conversation about mental health needs to go next. We have become remarkably good at naming our struggles. But knowing the label is not the same as healing the wound. Calling someone anxiously attached does not tell us what they are afraid of losing. Calling someone a people-pleaser does not tell us why disappointing others feels so dangerous. Calling someone a perfectionist does not tell us what they believe will happen if they fail. Calling someone emotionally unavailable does not tell us what vulnerability once cost them. A label can describe a pattern. Understanding asks why the pattern had to exist in the first place. And perhaps that is what we owe ourselvesand the children growing up around us. Instead of only asking children, Why are you behaving this way? perhaps we should sometimes ask, What are you trying to tell me through this behaviour? Instead of immediately correcting an angry child, perhaps we should wonder what the anger is protecting. Instead of dismissing a teenager who suddenly withdraws, perhaps we should ask what made connection feel unsafe. Instead of telling a sensitive child to grow up, perhaps we should teach them that having feelings does not make them weak. Because one day, that child will become an adult. And we may meet them again years laterin the form of someone who cannot trust, cannot rest, cannot ask for help, cannot accept love, cannot forgive themselves for making mistakes, or cannot believe they are worthy without constantly proving it. And when that happens, perhaps we should remember: There is still a child somewhere inside that adult. A child who once learned how the world worked from the people closest to them. A child who did not have the vocabulary to explain what was hurting. A child who could not leave. A child who could only adapt. And perhaps healing begins when the adult finally turns back toward that childnot with shame, but with understanding. We cannot rewrite our childhood. We cannot go back and give ourselves every conversation, apology, hug, boundary or reassurance we needed. But we can learn. We can notice the patterns. We can question the beliefs we inherited. We can seek help. We can choose differently. And perhaps most importantly, we can make sure that the children who come after us do not have to spend their adulthood healing from the childhood we gave them. Because maybe the goal of understanding mental health is not simply to become better at identifying what is wrong with people. Maybe it is to become curious enough to ask what happened before the symptoms appeared. To look beyond the behaviour. Beyond the diagnosis. Beyond the label. And to remember that sometimes, behind the adult we are struggling to understand, there is simply a child who learned to survive the only way they knew how. Baiza Mushtaq, alumna GK School of Communication

Law and Intangible Heritage

The book Intangible Cultural Heritage under National and International Law: Going beyond the 2003 UNESCO Convention published in 2020 is edited by Marie Cornu, Anita Vaivade, Lily Martinet and Clea Hance is based on the Osmose project initiated in 2014 to study the legal regimes established in different countries to safeguard the ICH. The editors and their team coordinated an international study on the ICH in about 26 countries. A comprehensive questionnaire was circulated among informed members in these countries to elicit information regarding the comprehension and negotiation of the pertinent national laws and how these national laws were modified, or may be retained, in light of the provisions of the UNESCO convention of 2003. After collecting the responses to the questionnaire, the editors have categorized, commented and expanded on the responses under several broad heads like environment and the ICH, interaction between the national and the international laws, the national and international tools for the safeguarding of the ICH, and, importantly, the judicialization of the ICH. All complexities involved in the institutionalization of laws at the local, national and international levels about the ICH are put forward in a transparent manner without prejudice or unconditional bolstering of the clauses of the UNESCO Convention. This is the first such comprehensive study on the connection between the international legal framework and the national legal instruments for safeguarding the ICH. The UNESCO convention of 2003 on the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) is an important milestone in the discussion on the global ICH. There was a tacit recognition of the fact in organization of the Convention that cultural diversity and heritage are an equivalent of the environmental biodiversity. Both are sine qua non for the material and spiritual welfare of the human beings. A community loses its bearings without the notion of heritage. Soon after the convention, the member states of the United Nations ratified the convention. Subsequent to the ratification, measures as envisioned in the convention were thought about, deliberated at the national level and sought to be put into practice. India also became a signatory to the UNESCO convention of 2003 and ratified the convention in 2005. The 2003 convention provided a broad framework about the nature, definition, implications and the necessity of the safeguarding of the ICH. To that end, following the convention, an inter-governmental committee for the safeguarding of the ICH was constituted at the international level under the aegis of the UNESCO, which in turn led to the creation of inventories at the national level, and the procedure for inscription in the list of the ICH. There is already a procedure for the inscription of the ICH item in the UNESCO, however, now, after the ratification of the 2003 convention by member states of the United Nations, inscription processes were initiated at the nation level. To say that the member states ratified the UNESCO convention does not imply that prior to the Convention there was no mechanism in place to safeguard the ICH. The different nation states had created mechanisms to protect the intangible cultural heritage. The Convention reenergized efforts in this direction, and provided a clear and comprehensive framework to understand the nature and implications of the ICH, in addition to providing an international legitimacy to the notion of the ICH by instituting discussion on a prestigious global platform. In different countries the nomenclature was variegated and often confusing. In some countries, the term, cultural heritage was used, in others the terms like, folklore or even folk culture or popular culture were used. A colorful array of terms and expressions were used to discuss the heritage elements and those who practiced these aspects of the heritage. In some countries the term heritage holders was used for the communities dealing with a particular heritage, in others the expression used was the living communities. The UNESCO convention of 2003 for the first time clubbed all these words, phrases and terms together, and used the umbrella term Intangible Cultural Heritage. No doubt there were linguistic and cultural problems in merging the divergent usages, however, countries since the ratification have tried to bring their nomenclatures in line with the widely accepted intangible cultural heritage, and then branching away from it to create sub sets. An important dimension that the book discusses is the judicialization of the ICH before and more so after the UNESCO 2003 Convention. The terrain of the ICH is not devoid of the tedious lawsuits. The interests of the heritage holders and the evolving laws about animals and environment have often clashed, resulting in the bitter litigation process. Hence, some rituals which are part of the heritage of a community are often seen at odds with the evolving dynamics of the animal rights. For example, to give just one instance, among scores of others from the 26 countries studied by the editors, bull fighting may be a longstanding game associated with some communities in Europe, but in the contemporary discussion about animal rights, the game is seen as an anathema, an eyesore to those who plead for the rights of the animals, especially in the scenarios where the threat of physical violence is patent. Same applies to cockfighting. There are several such case studies, where the notion of heritage has had a head on collision with the current delimitation of the rights of animals. Some of the ICH have met with stiff resistance when it comes to their inscription in the inventories at the national level. A number of inscriptions have been challenged and had to be removed from the inventories. The inventories, by the way, are at the local level as well, in some countries. The ICH and the mechanisms to protect it is a fraught territory with contesting claims of the stakeholders and the legal machinery. The judicialization is no debilitating bar to the rich inventories that have been created hitherto. The field of the ICH is vast and heterogenous, with the scope to nurture traditions that have stood in good stead of the communities they are a part of, in shaping their identities, perspectives on life and the world and lending a sense of stability and continuity. The book is a good resource for scholars of different fields like heritage studies, humanities, anthropology, history, law etc. With the presentation of actual comparative case studies from countries that have ratified the Convention, the understanding of the ICH becomes clearer. In Kashmir, the need for sound legal instruments to safeguard the ICH is needed more than ever before, for the threat of extinction to the ICH is imminent, with an emergent and striking cultural gap between generations. A legal instrument can provide the pivot for identifying and creating the perimeters of the ICH, with an assurance of transference of the same to the future generations. Dr. Javaid Iqbal Bhat, Associate Professor, South Campus, UoK

Sufi View of Paradise and Immortality

Nothing is annihilated in its reality, although its sensible form may be effaced. This immortality of forms is a grace of Allah. (Fusus al-Hikam Fas Ilyasiyah) Secularist, agnostic and atheistic objections to the idea of afterlife are well known but Sufi understanding of the latter is not so well known. Exposing oneself to the Sufiystical/metaphysical view dissolves these objections. Let us have a glimpse of them. Other world is better described as higher world and the two worlds here and there are ultimately not separated. The Beyond can be within though too deep to be accessed ordinarily. None of us not even among atheists is ready to go for certain sins. It means all of us live lives with some consciousness of sin that costs us exile from heaven that is the serenity of spirit that accompanies clear conscience. Dreyfus and Kellys All Things Shining shows how there remain a lot of entry points to certain space that partakes of Heaven a fulfilled or meaningful life is the life giving shade of heaven we all seek here open for those who don t know God as believers know Him. The world is indeed a ravishing bride or houri that chooses to unveil before all who care to see. Dostoveskyean insight This very garden is the Garden of Eden is shared by saints of all traditions. How challenging it is to feel this when one strolls in ones garden. Darshan or deedar of a saint or prophet is a vision of Heaven. It is prophets, saints, sages, artists messengers of love and beauty that invite us to exchange the hell of our own making for the Heaven. Heaven is accessible here and now, albeit partially, to all. And if we havent found a semblance of heaven here, we cant get it there. It isnt a deal with insurance company that you pay premiums for life here and get returns there. Every moment is, to transpose Renans metaphor for nation, a plebiscite for heaven or hell. God has ordained self determination. Ibn Abbas has said God has kept paradise here and one who doesnt enter it here cant enter it in afterlife either. Hafiz says: Passing beyond Lifes pains and pleasures, I have reached a spot, Where there is neither heaven nor hell! The mystics dont demand any compensation in some other world; here and now he sees the face of the Beloved and unties all the knots and is liberated from all the fetters: Thy glory is manifest without a veil even today: I am wondering why there is the promise of tomorrow. In Hadi Hasans Golden Treasury of Persian Poetry edited by M S Israeli we read lines from Hafiz: The two worlds are but one blaze of His lustrous face:/ this is my exoteric comment to thee, and the esoteric as well. [When I am getting paradise in cash today why should I trust the hermits words and hid paradise of tomorrow?] Imperishable walls of Heaven are built of love as, in Hafizs words, Perishable is every edifice save the edifice of love which is imperishable. It is in this context that we can comprehend what Ibn Arabi has to say on immortality and Heaven. For Ibn Arabi God/ the Real/ Being is our Origin and End to whom/which is return and what is indestructible is the Face of God/the Real. It means that the fellowship of God is being in ones home. But people have fuzzy and fantastic notions and even doubts about heaven, our real home. If a man succeeds in being loyal to himself or divine image on which he is created, he enters what has been called terrestrial paradise. Sheikh s Nr ad-Dn Ahmad (Schuon) writes: What is paradise? It is the inward nature of pure Existence; to be in conformity with that nature is to be carried by the wave of becoming toward beatitude. To be in conformity with Existence is to submit; to submit ourselves to the celestial law, to conform to our own essence, the essence by which we exist and which is the innermost nature of things. Without Existence we would not be; how can we reasonably revolt against it and set ourselves against that by which we are, that, which makes us to be ourselves? The essence of Existence is blissful; opposition to that essence- the idolatry of contents or of accidents-leads us away from Beatitude and encloses us in the blind alley of our own contingency and in the measureless hell of our own absurdity. Schuon has beautifully expressed the idea of immortality that informs Ibn Arabi and the chapter on Jonah in Fusus al-Hikm in the following lines. A man sees a beautiful garden, but he knows: he will not always see this garden, because one day he will die; and he also knows: the garden will not always be there, because this world will disappear one day. And he knows also: this kinship with the beautiful garden is the gift of destiny, because if a man were to find himself in the middle of a desert, he would not see the garden; he sees it only because destiny has put him, man, here and not elsewhere. But in the innermost region of our soul lives the Spirit, and in it is contained the garden, as it were, like a seed; and if we love this gardenand how is it possible not to love it since it is of a heavenly beauty?we would do well to look for it there where it has always been and always will be, that is to say in the Spirit; maintain yourself in the Spirit, in your own center, and you will have the garden and in addition all possible gardens. Similarly: in the Spirit there is no death, because here you are immortal; and in the Spirit the relation ship between the contemplator and the contemplated is not only a fragile possibility; on the contrary, it is part of the very nature of the Spirit and, like it, it is eternal. . . . Whatever you are in the Spirit now, you will remain so after death; and whatever is yours now in the Spirit, will be yours after death. Before God there is neither being nor ownership except in the Spirit; whatever was outward must become inward and whatever was inward will become outward: look for the garden in yourself, in your indestructible divine Substance; then this will give you a new and imperishable garden. Whatever you love outwardly is to be found in the Divine Name; therefore attach yourself to it, dwell in it, and live in it. The holy invocation is the seed of our eternity. In the Supreme Name we are at the Center and at the Origin and we are already in a certain way in the place which by the Grace of God is destined for us in Paradise. This is why we must, already down here, be in our predestined place in Paradise and we must be so wholeheartedly and as much as we can and this ceaselessly; because we are made for Beatitude since knowledge of God and free will, that is to say Truth and Love, are our very nature. Garden. Thus Schuon makes clear, that whatever experience we cherish every trot in a garden, every smile from the loved one, beauty of our youth and vibrancy of childhood is eternally etched or fixed for us and will be with us. Whiteheads contribution to immortality debate is to ground this insight more rationally. Whitehead has referred to basic insights or initial intuitions or feelings of mankind calling for explanations or justifications. Our desire for immortality is one of these initial intuitions, or persistent dreams, or impulses. If we begin with this fundamental impulse of the human spirit, the question is not disputing their truth on this or that so-called scientific ground or explaining it away but how to express it. So those who believe in heaven arent risking their hope on a mere speculation. For Ibn Arabi the Real alone is and constitutes the reality of everything manifest and unmanifest and is the object of all perception, imagination and conception. Fleeing to God (through the discipline of senses and transcendence of desiring self) for Ibn Arab is merely a way of expressing the flight from ignorance to knowledge and is not a flight away from one thing towards another, since there is nothing in existence but God.

Surrogate asks the Supreme Court to intervene over care for a sick baby

A California couples surrogate who refused their wishes to have an abortion is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in a custody dispute over the 4-week-old child who was born with a serious heart defect

IFFJK-2026, Rang-e-Cinema

On a pleasant September evening, the Sher i Kashmir International Convention Centre on the banks of Dal Lake was bathed in bright lights. The occasion was the opening of the International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir, celebrated as Rang e Cinema. For anyone watching the venue decorated with colourful banners and filled with delegates, the message was unmistakable. Kashmir was once again opening its doors to the magical world of cinema. For me, the venue brought back a deeply personal memory. Five years ago, in the aftermath of August 5, 2019, I spent nearly four months detained inside this very building before being moved to the MLA hostel. Sitting in that same hall among filmmakers, musicians, and artists from across India and abroad, I could not help reflecting on how much the atmosphere has shifted. The gathering saw Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Dr Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, and several governors sharing space with creative minds. It felt less like a routine state function and more like a sincere attempt to rebuild an old cultural bond. Inevitably, my mind travelled back to another September 7, thirteen years ago. In 2013, maestro Zubin Mehta stood at the historic Shalimar Bagh, conducting the Bavarian State Orchestra for the Ehsaas e Kashmir concert. The melodies of classical western masters floated across the lake towards the Zabarwan hills. The setting was magnificent and the music was unforgettable. However, the Valley outside was gripped by strikes, curfews, and intense tension. It remained a restricted gathering, held behind heavy security cordons for an invited audience. The contrast in 2026 could not be sharper. This festival brings over one hundred and thirty films from more than forty countries across Srinagar, Jammu, and Gulmarg. During the opening function, lively performances by young artists, including singer Palak Muchhal, showed abundant creative energy. Yet, as the final notes faded, an old question returned. Will this major gathering leave behind an enduring film movement, or will it remain another grand event that fades from memory? To answer that honestly, we must recall the loss of our local cinema heritage. Decades ago, Srinagar had bustling cinema theatres where families gathered, young people discussed ideas, and visual storytelling flourished. When militancy erupted, those halls closed down and most never opened again. Those abandoned buildings are not merely closed commercial properties. They represent a broken link in our social life. A society without public cultural spaces loses its ability to engage with fresh artistic ideas and develop local talent. Kashmir has long been celebrated as an extraordinary shooting location. Generations of Indian film directors have captured our snow clad mountains, clear streams, and lush meadows to add romance to their songs. But there is a vital difference between serving as a picturesque outdoor location and becoming a genuine film destination. A true film hub needs local technicians, sound recordists, camera operators, editors, and modern post production studios. It must generate steady employment for electricians, carpenters, drivers, and costume makers. If outside crews arrive, shoot scenes, pack their bags, and leave, the local community gains very little. The real success of this festival should therefore be measured by what happens after the red carpets are rolled up. If a young Kashmiri girl who attends a directing masterclass this month receives practical guidance next month, the festival has succeeded. If a local youth with an original script finds production funds and mentorship, the initiative has worked. Our youth do not lack imagination or storytelling ability. What they lack is an institutional setup that converts raw passion into viable professional careers. The administration must establish year round creative labs, script development grants, and regional film funds to support local independent projects. A flourishing film trade will also directly support our economy and tourism. Independent films, international documentaries, and digital series shot in Kashmir can showcase the authentic culture and daily life of the region to global viewers. More importantly, it gives our people the confidence to tell their own stories in their own mother tongues, rather than letting others define their identity. As I left SKICC that evening, the contrast between the two September evenings remained with me. In 2013, Zubin Mehtas music travelled across the waters of Dal Lake from Shalimar against a backdrop of uncertainty and heavy security. In 2026, Rang-e-Cinema unfolded at SKICC amid a gathering that included political leaders, filmmakers, artists, administrators and citizens, with cinema from dozens of countries arriving in Kashmir. The distance between those two evenings is not merely thirteen years. It is a measure of how much the circumstances around Kashmir have changed. Spectacles can produce pleasant headlines for a few days, but strong institutions transform societies for generations. The true triumph of the festival will not be judged by the presence of famous stars or the number of official speeches. It will be achieved when a local youth from a humble village stands up on a world stage and proudly says that their creative journey started right here. Only then will Rang e Cinema truly blossom into a permanent cultural movement, ensuring that the lights never go out. Hopefully, this time, the lights will not go out when the festival ends. Dr. S. Bashir Ahmad Veeri is a serving legislator from South Kashmirs Bijbehara constituency and writes occasionally on public policy and governance.

The geography of illusion

Vladimir Putins recent assertion that Russian forces are advancing every day across the entire line of contact in Ukraine is less a military assessment than a political performance designed for domestic consumption. The speech, delivered at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, contained contradictions so glaring they undermine its own credibility. Most notably, Putin claimed that Russian troops are now 12 km from the circle road of Sumy, despite stating in June that they were only 10.5 km away. The Sumy claim collapses under minimal scrutiny. First, Sumy has no ring road or circle road to speak of, a geographical fiction that OSINT analysts and Ukrainian military commands have repeatedly pointed out. Second, even by Putins own arithmetic, Russian forces have not advanced toward Sumy but have retreated 1.5 km farther from it over two months. Third, independent mapping projects such as DeepState place Russian positions roughly 17 km from Sumys administrative border, with the front line in that sector essentially static since May 2025. This is not an isolated slip. Putin has also claimed the capture of settlements like Sviatohirsk that do not appear on any verified control map, prompting Ukraines Center for Countering Disinformation to accuse him of compensating for the lack of victories on the front with fictitious geography. To understand why such claims ring hollow to anyone following the war, it helps to grasp what the line of contact actually is. Military analysts describe the zero line as a 20 to 40 km deep kill zone where drones, artillery, and mines make sustained movement nearly impossible. Buildings in towns across this belt are reduced to ruins, civilians have long fled, and vehicles and tanks are destroyed almost instantly upon entering. Resupply often happens by drone, and pockets of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers can be interspersed within the same ruined landscape. In such an environment, declarations of daily advances across the entire line are militarily meaningless. Russian offensive assessments from August 2026 confirm that gains remain slow and limited, with advances measured in square kilometers per day and no operational breakthrough achieved. In some sectors, Ukraine has even recaptured territory, with OSINT data showing Russia lost more ground in parts of the front in 2026 than it gained. If the claims do not reflect reality, why repeat them? The answer lies in audience. Putins rhetoric is not aimed at soldiers in the trenches, who know the war is a merciless meat grinder, nor at international negotiators, who rely on verified intelligence. It is aimed at Russians at home, many of whom are growing restless as Ukrainian drone strikes reach deep into Russian territory, hitting logistics hubs, refineries, and even energy infrastructure near Moscow, St. Petersburg, Siberia, and the Arctic. Reports of fuel queues and economic strain compound the pressure. By insisting that the end is near, Putin attempts to offer a horizon of relief to a population facing the wars domestic costs. Yet this narrative is not new. Similar promises were made in early 2022 when a rapid capture of Ukraine was expected. The repetition now signals not confidence, but the need to manage expectations and quell dissent. Serious military analysts, intelligence agencies, and open-source mappers all agree: the front is largely stagnant, Russian advances are incremental at best, and some Ukrainian counter-pressure is yielding results. Putins Vladivostok speech, with its invented ring roads and retreating advances, is propaganda calibrated for civilians, not a credible account of the battlefield. In a war where information is a weapon, geography itself has become another front line, one where facts, not fiction, will determine the outcome. Ruvaid Wani is a Journalist based in Kashmir who writes about geopolitics and warfare.

'Our own artists will emerge': Farooq Abdullah hails inaugural IFFJK

Srinagar, Sep 10: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday hoped that the youth of Jammu and Kashmir will take advantage of the first International Film Festival held in the Union Territory to establish a Bollywood-like industry here. I believe this is a very wonderful thing that has happened. And I hope that our boys and girls will take advantage of this. From here, our own artists will emerge, writers will emerge, music directors will come up, and film directors will be made. Our youth will come forward in everything, Abdullah told reporters. When asked how much connection with Bollywood can be expected in the future, the three-time chief minister said, I believe we ourselves will become Bollywood.

Ladakh constitutional safeguards, UT-level elected body under discussion: Chief Secretary Kundra

Leh, Sep 10: Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra on Thursday said the Centre and representatives of Ladakh are moving towards a framework for constitutional safeguards for the region under a special provision in Article 371 and the formation of a Union Territory-level elected body vested with legislative, executive and financial powers. Kundra made the announcement after a sub-committee meeting with representatives of the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), where discussions focused on taking forward progress made in earlier rounds of dialogue. Explaining the proposed political architecture, Kundra said the panchayat would remain the foundational unit, followed by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs), with the proposed UT-level body above them. Speaking to reporters here, the chief secretary noted that the Centre was not seeking to impose any political model on Ladakh and wanted to proceed only after consulting and deliberating with stakeholders and people of the Union Territory. It was discussed that for providing constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, a special provision under Article 371 would be made, which could provide safeguards for the people here. And what would the safeguards be? The basis of the democratic movement that has started here is that safeguards should be provided for the land of the people of Ladakh, their culture, their environment and their natural resources, all these things, Kundra said. Now the process of discussion and negotiations is continuing. The next meeting is scheduled for October, and we hope that by the next meeting an advanced draft of the Constitutional Amendment Bill will be ready, he added. The representatives were also briefed on the parliamentary process involved in the constitutional amendment and the legislation required for details regarding the proposed bodys powers. So, from the UT administration and the Ministry of Home Affairs, we are making every effort so that the aspirations of the people, their democratic aspirations, can be fulfilled, he added. Briefing reporters on the ongoing political dialogue, Kundra said the previous meeting on July 3 had decided to take the process forward on the understanding that such a body would be constituted. There was a discussion about whether there should be direct elections from constituencies to this body or indirect elections through the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC). All those who attended from the Apex Body and the KDA were of the view that there should be direct elections from constituencies, and there was agreement on this issue, he said. Kundra said the dialogue was aimed at addressing the aspirations of the people of Ladakh, particularly their demand for protection of land, culture, heritage, mineral resources, environment and jobs. As far as jobs are concerned, a reservation process has already been provided. This is a unique reservation system for Ladakh, and there is no similar reservation system anywhere else in the country, he said. For the remaining issues, the Centre has conveyed that constitutional protection would be provided, he said. There are therefore some questions regarding the relationship between the LAHDC and the UT-level bodywhat powers would fall within the jurisdiction of the LAHDC and what powers would fall within the jurisdiction of the UT-level body, he said. A list of eight to ten such questions was shared with the leaders at the meeting, who were asked to deliberate on them, consult among themselves and with the people before conveying their views to the government, Kundra added. He stressed that the exercise involved a Constitutional Amendment and not an ordinary law and, therefore, required the requisite parliamentary majority and political consensus. A constitutional amendment requires a majority. Therefore, there has to be political consensus across political parties, including among the Members of Parliament who will be involved in the process, he said. Kundra said the process would essentially have two stages, with major provisions incorporated through the constitutional amendment, followed by detailed legislation and regulations for Ladakh. He said the proposed amendment would have to undergo the full parliamentary process. He said legal drafting of the constitutional amendment bill would follow only after consensus was reached on the underlying principles. The central government does not want to impose any model that is not acceptable to the people. The intention is to move forward only after consultation and deliberation among everyone, he said. Urging patience in the process, the chief secretary said haste could result in an arrangement that might subsequently prove difficult to change.

Jammu railway division to install desktop simulator to train loco pilots for emergencies

Jammu, Sep 10: Northern Railway's Jammu Division is set to install a state-of-the-art desktop simulator that will allow loco pilots to practise handling emergencies such as brake failures, signal failures, dense fog, landslides and sudden obstructions on tracks, officials said. The workplace-based training facility is aimed at enhancing the technical skills, operational preparedness and decision-making abilities of loco pilots by exposing them to a range of simulated real-world situations without the risks involved in live train operations, they said. The simulator will enable loco pilots to virtually experience challenging operational conditions, including dense fog, heavy rain, landslides, signal failures and other adverse situations. It will also provide hands-on practice in signalling, braking techniques and locomotive operations, helping improve their technical proficiency and confidence in handling trains under difficult circumstances, officials said. A key feature of the facility will be the simulation of emergency situations such as brake failure, overshooting and sudden obstructions on the track, allowing loco pilots to practise taking quick and safe decisions. The simulator will also facilitate repeated training without the consumption of fuel or other resources required to operate a real locomotive, making it a safe, economical and environment-friendly training tool, officials said. The facility is expected to make regular training, refresher courses and skill-development programmes for new and existing loco pilots more effective. It will also help loco pilots identify operational shortcomings and work towards improving their skills, they added. The Jammu division has also recently been organising awareness programmes focusing on the mental health and welfare of loco pilots. Railway officials said strengthening training infrastructure through the simulator is an important step towards ensuring safe and efficient train operations. The initiative is expected to enhance the confidence and preparedness of loco pilots and further strengthen passenger safety. The Jammu division is continuing its efforts towards achieving the Indian Railways' Safety First objective.

DGP Nalin Prabhat visits joint security post at Doda-Kathua-Udhampur trijunction

Jammu, Sep 10: Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat on Thursday visited a joint temporary operating base manned by personnel of the Special Operations Group (SOG), Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and CRPF at the Doda-Kathua-Udhampur trijunction, officials said. Prabhat was accompanied by IG Jammu zone, Tejinder Singh; DIG Doda-Ramban-Kishtwar range, Sargun Shukla; DIG Udhampur-Reasi range, Shiv Kumar Sharma; and SSP Doda, Kartik Shrotriya during the visit, they said. He was briefed on operational readiness and assessment of the security situation in the district by the SSP. The visit comes amid heightened security operations in the region. There are reports of suspicious armed movement in the Billawar area of Kathua district, prompting security forces to launch a cordon-and-search operation, they said. The operation was underway in Billawar after locals reportedly spotted suspicious armed men, officials said. The operation is being conducted by the SOG of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, they said.

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IGP Kashmir reviews security landscape, counter-terrorism grid in Kulgam and Shopian

Srinagar, Sep 10: Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir Zone Sujit Kumar today visited twin districts of South Kashmir including Kulgam and Shopian to comprehensively assess the security landscape, counter terrorism grid, crime mitigation efforts, and general law & order scenario. On his visit, IGP Kashmir was accompanied by Deputy Inspector General of Police, South Kashmir Range Javed Iqbal Mattoo. During the visit, IGP Kashmir chaired security and crime review meetings in both districts, attended by respective Senior Superintendents of Police along with other senior and jurisdictional gazetted police officers. The SSsP of Kulgam and Shopian presented comprehensive briefings outlining the prevailing security situation, status of anti terror operations, counter insurgency grids, crime prevention strategies, and steps taken to uphold public order. Reviewing operational preparedness, Sujit Kumar emphasized the imperative need for robust, proactive intelligence gathering, close inter agency coordination, and swift, decisive responses to neutralize emerging security challenges. Sujit Kumar instructed field formations to sustain pressure on terrorist ecosystems and maintain zero tolerance against inimical elements attempting to disturb peace and public order. As part of the tour, IGP Kashmir also visited rural Sub-Division D.H. Pora in district Kulgam, where he held an interactive session with local jurisdictional supervisory officers, station house officers, and jawans of Special Operations Group.

Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project head meets Director NHPC, briefs him on key developments

Srinagar, Sep 10: Head of Project (HOP), Sawalkot Hydroelectric Project, Satnam Singh met Director (Personnel), NHPC, Paresh Rasiklal Ranpara, in Jammu on Thursday and briefed him on significant developments in the progress of flagship project. The Sawalkot HE Project, set to become the largest hydropower utility in Jammu & Kashmir, took a major step forward with the opening of the much-awaited technical bid for its main construction works, worth Rs 5,129 crore, on September 9, 2026. Ranpara, who concluded his three-day visit to the Jammu region on Thursday, reviewed several projects being executed by NHPC on standalone basis and with NHPC-led joint venture, Chenab Valley Power Projects Limited (CVPPL). In a meeting held at NHPC's Regional Office in Jammu, the HOP briefed Ranpara on key developments and progress made on the project, while flagging pertinent issues requiring consideration of NHPC management and redressal on priority. Ranpara assured full support on the merits and cooperation of higher management for the progress of project going forward. A brief one-on-one meeting followed, during which Singh discussed the broader energy landscape as well as project-specific matters, in a cordial and constructive exchange. On behalf of the project, Singh felicitated Ranpara with a specially designed Sawalkot Project memento and extended his invitation to visit the Sawalkot project headquarters.

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Amit Shah chairs 3rd Governing Body meeting of NIDM, calls for disaster-resilient villages and cities amid climate change

New Delhi, Sep 10: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah today chaired the third meeting of the Governing Body of the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by the Union Home Secretary, Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University, Member and Head of Department of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Director General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Executive Director of NIDM, and senior officials from several Central Ministries and State Governments. Addressing the meeting, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi there has been a comprehensive transformation in both the approach and methodology of disaster management over the last 12 years. The Modi Government has completely transformed the entire disaster management system, set the goal of Zero Casualty and taken the country towards achieving this objective. We have also successfully faced several disasters with Zero Casualty, which is a major achievement. Shah said that earlier disasters were viewed only from the perspective of relief and rehabilitation. Today, we have entered a new era based on three pillars - risk reduction, early warning systems and Zero Casualty. This is a matter of pride for all of us. He said that in this direction, the Whole of Government approach is increasingly becoming an integral part of our work culture. Whenever a disaster occurs, all government departments actively respond. Now, with the strength of new research, we should take this process forward with greater speed and ensure continuous monitoring. Just as a Whole of Government approach has been adopted in dealing with disasters, we must also move forward with a Whole of Government approach to further strengthen the disaster management system. Union Home Minister said that along with the transformation in the approach to disaster management, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also laid special emphasis on environmental protection. He said that ultimately environmental protection is the most effective means of preventing disasters. Environmental protection, risk reduction, resilience and a broad national vision are enabling India to gradually emerge as a model for the world. Initiatives such as Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), Pro-Planet People and the International Solar Alliance (ISA) are making an important contribution to disaster prevention. Shri Shah said that the Zero Casualty approach should not be applied only at the site of a disaster. Zero Casualty can also be achieved by preventing disasters from occurring in the first place. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned a safe and balanced world, going beyond the conventional approach of world leaders. Amit Shah said that there was a time when the predecessor of NIDM, the National Centre for Disaster Management was lying almost inactive in a corner of Krishi Bhawan. However, in 2003, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee took the historic decision to give it a new lease of life. Keeping in view the wide scope of the subject and the need for coordination among various agencies, it was decided to bring the institution under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has played a significant role in revitalizing the institution. NIDM has emerged in its present form with a transformed and strengthened role before the country. Union Home Minister said that the relevance and significance of both NIDM and NDMA are going to increase further in the coming days. The number of disasters is likely to increase due to global warming and climate change. At the same time, new types of disasters may also emerge due to new applications of science and their expanding areas of use. Keeping all these aspects in mind, the two institutions share responsibilities ranging from policy-making to training and implementation. In some areas, both institutions are also working together. Amit Shah directed all stakeholders to constitute a dedicated cell in their respective departments for implementation of the agenda. He said that departmental heads should conduct a review meeting of the cell at least once every three months and accord priority to this subject. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that NDMA and NIDM should study research being undertaken across the world in the field of disaster management and make efforts to implement its findings in India in accordance with local requirements. The Department of Agriculture should focus on permanent preparedness to deal with locust swarm attacks originating from the Pakistan side. He said that the best practices being adopted in other countries to deal with such attacks should be implemented in India. Shah added that seriousness should be ensured in disaster management training and priority should be given to those who are genuinely committed to the subject in disaster management training programmes. Union Home Minister said that NIDM and NDMA should jointly issue guidelines for the entire country. These guidelines should clearly specify what should and should not be done in the event of each type of disaster and how it should be done. NIDM should undertake the training component while the NDRF, State Disaster Response Forces (SDRFs) and other concerned agencies should work together to implement these guidelines on the ground. Amit Shah said that it is extremely important to prepare a document, through research, identifying the causes of disasters. Effective prevention and rescue measures can be developed on this basis. After every disaster, a joint team of NDMA and NIDM should be constituted, including the NDRF and SDRF. These four institutions should jointly study the causes of the damage and prepare a detailed report. Amit Shah said that NIDM has emerged as a national centre for research, innovation, policy support, training and departmental cooperation. We need to further strengthen these four pillars and explore new horizons. There are still unexplored areas in research, innovation, training, policy support and departmental cooperation that we should seek to address in the coming days. He said that NIDM has already taken steps in this direction. There is a need to take knowledge and best practices beyond departmental silos. In the coming days we must develop the habit of working in a coordinated manner, rising above departmental boundaries. Union Home Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided that the distribution of disaster funds should also be carried out through a scientific process. The allocation under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) has increased nearly fourfold, while the allocation under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) has increased nearly threefold. Around 2.5 lakh crore has been spent in this sector over the last 11 years, which is a major achievement. The Disaster Management Act was amended after 20 years. The concept of Urban Disaster Management Authorities was introduced and such authorities have also been established. The process of creating digital disaster databases at the national and state levels has begun. The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) has been accorded statutory status. In addition, the 16th Finance Commission has provided for 2 lakh crore for this period. Amit Shah said that the mobile application that has been developed needs to be widely promoted through primary, secondary and higher education. The Government is making every possible effort to strengthen NIDM. Recently, four acres of land have also been allocated for the institution. NIDM is working towards developing itself as a world-class model institution, and both its campuses are functioning smoothly. Shri Shah said that while enhancing international cooperation is undoubtedly commendable, our priority must continue to focus on the five lakh villages of the country. Keeping this priority in mind, there should be no objection to learning as much as possible from the world and enabling the world to learn as much as possible from us. He stated that the Modi government's goal is to create disaster-resilient villages and cities, and we must move forward by prioritizing this objective. Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah said that a provision should be made for at least one top-level meeting of NIDM to be held every year so that the meetings are meaningful and outcome-oriented and effective implementation of the decisions taken is ensured. He said that through this institution, we must transform knowledge into capacity, capacity into preparedness and preparedness into outcomes, so that together we can achieve the goal of Zero Casualty.

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Union Minister reviews preparations for Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 with States, UTs

New Delhi, Sep 10: The meeting reviewed preparations for the nationwide campaign, which will be observed from 17th September to 17th October 2026. This years theme, Swachhata Mein Sahbhag, Swachh Bharat, Viksit Bharat, underlines the role of cUnion Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Power Manohar Lal, today chaired a high-level meeting with State Urban Development Ministers, Principal Secretaries, Urban Development and State Mission Directors to review the preparedness of States and Union Territories for Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2026.ollective participation and shared responsibility in advancing the vision of a Swachh and Viksit Bharat. The key focus areas of SHS 2026 include transformation of Cleanliness Target Units (CTUs) and high-footfall public places; Swachh Paathshala -Yuva for Swachhata; SafaiMitra Suraksha Evam Samman Shivirs; Jan Bhagidari for Swachhata; and Swachhata se Samriddhi, with a focus on circular economy and Waste-to-Wealth initiatives. During the meeting, States/UTs were briefed on the key focus areas of the campaign and the need to undertake coordinated action across the nation. Emphasis was laid on ensuring extensive citizen participation, effective implementation at the local level and visible cleanliness outcomes during the campaign period. States Departments should take a lead in ensuring cleanliness drives across each office premises, tourist spots and water bodies. In his remarks, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal, called upon Citizens to begin the Swachchata hi Seva campaign from their own homes on 17th September. He urged citizens to clean their homes themselves, and thereafter light a Diya in their homes in the evening, symbolising a clean home, healthy family and positive energy; while also representing a commitment to sustain the cleanliness achieved. He said that the campaign should be taken forward in the spirit of Seva Sankalp, with the objective of making cleanliness a sustained people-led commitment rather than a month-long activity. Referring to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Minister said that the campaign begins on 17 September, the Prime Ministers birthday, and seeks to connect his spirit of service and resolve with the cause of cleanliness. Recalling the Prime Ministers message in Mann Ki Baat, Manohar Lal said that when keeping a place clean becomes the resolve of its people, the change goes beyond cleanliness and transforms the very identity of that place. He emphasised that the endeavour should therefore be to make Swachhata a collective resolve of citizens. The Minister emphasized that 25th September, the birthday of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, should mark cleanliness drives across all segments of society, with particular focus on inclusivity and social welfare. In particular, States were urged to undertake extensive planning and advocacy activities leading up to 1st October, for nation-wide Shramdaan for Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath, where State Education and Sports Departments were asked to engage youth and sportspersons for Swachchata activities at scale. The Minister appealed to all Ministers, MPs/MLAs, Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Ward Councillors, Commissioners, Eminent personalities of each State to lead this nation-wide Shramdaan from their respective areas/constituencies and ensure mass mobilisation for the same. He also urged all municipalities to engage Residential Societies and RWAs by organising inter-ward and inter- RWA Swachchata Competitions to further bolster their efforts, and promote key Swachchata messaging in prominent RWA locations. On 2nd October, or Swachch Bharat Diwas, Special Council meetings and special cleanliness drives would be organised by the ULBs at Public places to share the message of Mahatma Gandhi, and conduct advocacy drives on Solid Waste Management Rules. In addition, tree plantation activities would be conducted under Ek Ped Maa ke Naam. The meeting also highlighted the importance of ensuring the welfare, safety and recognition of sanitation workers through SafaiMitra Suraksha Evam Samman Shivirs, including linkages with eligible welfare schemes, preventive health check-ups and provision of safety gear. It was emphasized that these Shivirs be organised recurrently across the year for maximum impact. The Minister further urged States to organise Special Swachchata Programmes on 7th October, to mark the completion of Honble PMs 25 years of Public Service. States/UTs were also advised to undertake effective and innovative advocacy and outreach with Jan Bhaagidaari, sports events, playing spiritual/soulful songs and Swachchata Anthems, around SHS 2026 and ensure regular reporting of activities undertaken during the campaign; and take pro-active measures to ensure that the Campaign translates to measurable outcomes on the ground and strong behaviour change in every citizen of the Nation. While the campaign officially ends on 17Th October, States were urged to carry the Swachchata momentum forward throughout the year.

ACB arrests ASI for accepting bribe in Reasi

Jammu, Sep 10: The Jammu & Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has successfully trapped and arrested Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Talib Hussain, stationed at Police Post Talwara in District Reasi, in a bribery case, officials said. They said a case under FIR No. 08/2026, Section 07 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, was registered against the accused public servant at the ACB Police Station in Udhampur. ASI Hussain, acting as the Investigating Officer (I.O.), demanded illegal gratification from a complainant in exchange for presenting a charge sheet (challan) against accused individuals in a court of law. Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the ACB to seek legal action. Upon receiving the complaint, the Bureau conducted a discreet verification that corroborated the officer's demand for a bribe. Subsequently, a specialized trap team led by an officer of Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy. SP) rank was constituted. During the operation, the ACB team successfully caught ASI Talib Hussain red-handed while he was demanding and accepting a bribe amount of Rs. 5,000 from the complainant. The arrest was executed on the spot in accordance with due legal process. The bribe money was recovered directly from the accused's possession in the presence of independent witnesses associated with the trap team.. Further investigation into the case is currently ongoing, officials said and added, The incident marks the second successful trap operation laid by the ACB at Police Post Talwara, District Reasi, in the year 2026.

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PM Modi lauds ISRO, its scientists for India's space success and global recognition

New Delhi, Sep 10: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday heaped praise on the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for its contribution to the country's space journey, saying the global trust in the agency is the result of the dedication and hard work of generations of scientists, engineers and technicians. The prime minister's commendation of ISRO and its scientists came days after nine employee associations of the agency wrote to its chairman seeking an official clarification on the proposed transfer of its manufacturing and operational functions to private entities. The associations, in the letter dated September 4, also raised questions about ISRO's future role and the consequences for serving employees and future recruitment. Virtually addressing the first International Space Summit, being held in Paris, PM Modi said ISRO, which stands at the heart of India's space research journey, has earned global admiration for its excellence and cost-effective missions. He said ISRO's capabilities serve farmers and fishermen, weather forecasting, disaster management and navigation, and more than 430 satellites from 34 countries have travelled to space aboard Indian rockets. ISRO's technologies and partnerships serve not only India, but the wider world. Behind this global trust is the dedication and hard work of generations of Indian scientists, engineers and technicians. Working day and night, they have built ISRO's global reputation mission by mission, success by success, and given India a place of pride among spacefaring nations, he said. Modi said Chandrayaan-3 made India the first nation to land near the lunar south pole and the Aditya-L1 is unlocking the secrets of the Sun. Last year, an Indian visited the International Space Station. Looking ahead, we aim to establish an Indian space station by 2035 and send an Indian to the Moon by 2040. In all these efforts, our guiding principle has been clear: their benefits must reach all humanity, he said. The prime minister also said that alongside ISRO, India's private space sector is also surging in a big way. The energy of enterprise is joining the excellence of ISRO, he said.

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SC seeks response of Centre on PIL seeking safeguards for minors accessing social media

New Delhi, Sep 10: The Supreme Court on Thursday sought responses from the Union ministries of electronics and information technology as well as law and justice on a plea seeking safeguards for minors accessing social media and to ensure no such platform enters into a contract with a child below 18 years of age. A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notices to the two ministries on the plea filed by NGO Just Rights for Children Alliance. We need some safeguards in India, the bench said after taking note of brief submissions by senior advocate HS Phoolka, who appeared for the NGO. The plea seeking directions to the Centre to take appropriate steps to inform the digital platforms including social media intermediaries that any contract entered into by them with any child below the age of eighteen years is void ab-initio (invalid from the moment of creation) and that any steps taken in furtherance thereof shall be immediately suspended. The plea sought enforcement and protection of the fundamental rights of children below 18, who, despite their statutory incapacity to contract under Section 11 of the Indian Contract Act are currently permitted to independently create and maintain accounts and access social media and other digital platforms without an effective, uniform and enforceable mechanism to safeguard their legal incapacity and constitutional rights in the digital environment. The plea said it is a settled principle of law that a minor lacks contractual capacity and that a contract entered into by a minor is invalid at the outset. The continued exposure of children to contractual and data-driven digital ecosystems without meaningful age-assurance and parental safeguards is not a mere regulatory deficiency, but raises grave constitutional concerns, exposing a particularly vulnerable class to foreseeable and serious harms, including online grooming, sexual exploitation, trafficking, behavioural manipulation and profiling, misuse of personal data, cyberbullying and exposure to age-inappropriate content, it said. Such unregulated exposure threatens the childs right to life, dignity, privacy, safety, healthy development and overall well-being, and consequently calls for an urgent judicial intervention to ensure that the digital environment does not become a domain where the statutory and constitutional protection accorded to children is rendered illusory, it said. The petition contended that despite strict penal provisions prohibiting the dissemination and storage of Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material, internet platforms have failed to deploy automated content-filtering tools and age-verification mechanisms. The plea contended that platforms such as Facebook and Snapchat (India) permit users to create accounts from the age of 13 while Indian law treats persons below 18 as minors. The PIL, filed through advocate-on record Sakthom Meheshwari, sought directions to amend the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, or frame specific guidelines, to ensure that no digital platform enters into a contract with a child below 18 without the consent of the parent or lawful guardian, subject to identity verification/e-KYC of the parent or guardian. Issue a writ, order or direction, directing respondent to issue guideline/advisories to digital platform(s) including social media intermediaries mandating that, wherever a minor is permitted to access or use any digital platform(s), such access or use shall be subject to a legally recognised mechanism of parental or lawful guardian involvement, including verification/e-KYC of the identity and authority of the parent or guardian, commensurate with the nature and risk of the service, it said.

Not a single Kashmiri Pandit employee is homeless: Omar Abdullah on accommodation protests

Omar defends Tanvir, says Vande Mataram compliance is statutory

Srinagar, Sep 10: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday defended his party colleague and chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq over his remarks on poverty in Kashmir, while saying that the singing of the full version of Vande Mataram at government functions was now a statutory obligation. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah also said he hoped the festival would pave the way for more film shoots in the region and create new employment opportunities for local youth. On the prospects of films being shot in Kashmir, Abdullah said the development would boost tourism while opening up jobs for young people. Hopefully, films will be shot here. It will certainly give a boost to tourism, but it can also start a new process of employment here, he said. Abdullah said the government wanted local youth to acquire skills that could help them find work in the film industry. I said on the very first day that our effort is that our local boys and girls should take courses in camera work, production and other such areas, so that when films are shot here, they get an opportunity to work in them, he said. The Chief Minister was also asked about a protest by Kashmiri Pandit employees over accommodation. Which Kashmiri Pandit is without accommodation? Abdullah asked, asserting that not a single one of them is homeless. Wherever accommodation has been made available, it has been allotted to them. So which Kashmiri Pandit employee is without accommodation? he said. If there is even one or two people who need accommodation, tell us. Everyone else has been allotted accommodation, Abdullah added. On the controversy over the singing of the complete version of Vande Mataram at the film festival, amid objections from Congress leaders, Abdullah said the government was bound by law. Either they should have stopped this in Parliament. But the law has been made, he said. He argued that the presence of the Lieutenant Governor, governors and the Acting Chief Justice at a government function meant that the national anthem would necessarily be played, and said the legal framework now also covered the national song. This is not just for Jammu and Kashmir; it is across the country. Wherever there are Congress governments, this will also happen at government functions, Abdullah said. If it does not happen, those who do not stand can face legal action. So what does Congress want? That Kashmiris should be put in jail on this pretext? he asked. Abdullah, however, made it clear that the National Conference's position on Vande Mataram as a party remained unchanged. As a party, we have never adopted Vande Mataram and we will not adopt it in the future either. But we have to fulfil our legal and statutory obligations, he said. He added that if the Congress disagreed with the law, it could repeal it if it returned to power at the Centre. Turning to the controversy over remarks by Tanvir Sadiq on poverty among Kashmiris in the past, Abdullah rejected calls for an apology or clarification. What did Tanvir say that was historically incorrect? Walter Lawrence wrote about it in his book, Abdullah said. He said several historians had written about the poverty and exploitation prevalent in Kashmir under the old agrarian system. And this is not the first time Tanvir has said this. Hardly any senior National Conference leader, from our president to the general secretary and others, has not spoken about a time when Kashmiris were so poor that they had to borrow a pajama from the mosque to come into the city, he said. This is not Tanvir's own thinking. It is a historical fact, Abdullah said. He said Sadiq's intention had been to highlight how Kashmir had emerged from that poverty and progressed to a point where families could educate their children and produce doctors and engineers. So the BJP and PDP are playing the same game together. They take up one common issue and run with it. They have a common agenda, Abdullah alleged. Tanvir does not need to apologise for this. Nor does he need to give any clarification. There is no need for anyone in my party to apologise over this. Tanvir has said nothing wrong, he said. On the BRICS summit scheduled in Delhi, Abdullah said he would wait to see how the meeting develops, while noting the participation of countries including Russia, China, South Africa and Brazil. On the J&K Cabinet meeting, Abdullah said the government would continue its regular business. We hold at least one Cabinet meeting every month. The governance agenda cannot stop, he said, adding that there would be nothing earth-shattering in the meeting.

Omar Abdullah says Kashmir film festival could open new employment opportunities through film shoots

Coxon's kill us all warning joined by six more AI insiders over four days

Srinagar, Sep 10: Former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher Jacob Coxon's warning that people building advanced artificial intelligence earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade has been joined by six other current and former researchers from leading AI laboratories, with seven people in all voicing serious concerns about the risks of AI over the past four days. Coxon, who announced his resignation from Anthropic two days ago after three years of pretraining research at OpenAI and Anthropic, warned that the companies developing increasingly powerful AI systems were racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives. Since then, or around the same four-day period, researchers and former researchers from Anthropic, OpenAI and Google DeepMind have made their own stark assessments, ranging from the possibility of human extinction to fears that AI development is advancing at a pace that leaves humanity little room for error. Evan Hubinger, Anthropic's alignment science lead, directly endorsed Coxon's warning. Jacob is correct herewe really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans! Hubinger wrote. Samuel Marks, Anthropic's scalable oversight lead, offered another stark assessment of the risks perceived by people working in AI. AI developers believe their technology could cause human extinction (or similarly bad outcomes), Marks wrote. This could happen in the next few years. Former Google DeepMind research scientist Alex Turner also backed Coxon's assessment. I left Google DeepMind in June. Jacob is right: many researchers believe they are building something that could kill everyone on the planet, Turner wrote. It was literally my day job to think about how to stop that. The warnings are not confined to former employees or researchers who have left the companies. OpenAI chief scientist Jakub Pachocki called for extreme caution as machine intelligence continues to advance. This is a time that calls for extreme caution, Pachocki wrote. I am concerned no one is prepared for the consequences of a continued rapid rise in machine intelligence. OpenAI researcher Jason Wolfe similarly warned of a range of potentially disastrous outcomes, while stopping short of assigning a probability to extinction. I don't know what my probabilities are on literal extinction, but I think there are a number of ways AI could go poorly for humanity, Wolfe wrote. At the current frankly terrifying pace humanity will be quite lucky if we manage to find and stay on the narrow path between all the bad outcomes. Former Google DeepMind senior research scientist Jonathan Richard Schwarz raised concerns about another consequence of the AI race the concentration of technological power. I left DeepMind after 7 years (and since rejected offers to join the other two) due to severe concerns about the concentration of power these labs represent, Schwarz wrote. What is currently happening in this field is deeply unhealthy for society. The seven warnings, including Coxon's, have emerged over a period of just four days from people with direct experience of some of the world's leading frontier AI laboratories. Their concerns are not identical. Coxon has focused on the possibility of self-improving superintelligence and an AI race that he believes is moving too quickly. Hubinger and Marks have explicitly raised the prospect of extinction, while Pachocki and Wolfe have warned about the consequences of rapid advances in machine intelligence. Schwarz has highlighted the concentration of power within the industry.

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Suspense Over: Chinese President Xi to Visit India for BRICS Summit

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Iran-backed Houthis seize Al-Makha, close in on strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait in Red Sea

Srinagar, Sep 10: The situation in the war-torn Middle East continues to deteriorate as Iran-backed Houthis, in the latest development, have taken control of the strategic Red Sea city of Al-Makha and, making matters even worse, are closing in on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, one of the most important straits in the world, Reuters news agency reported, citing three unnamed Yemeni government sources. There was no official confirmation from the internationally recognised government, the news agenecy reported. Citing unnamed sources, Reuters reported that t he Houthis are nearing complete control of other coastal cities that sit directly along the strait as they push to take over the whole Yemeni Red Sea coast. Pertinantly, over the past week, fighting has escalated across Yemen, spilling beyond the countrys border into Saudi Arabia, where the Iran-backed group has targeted oil installations and wounded dozens of people.

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Assets worth over Rs 6.22 crore attached in six NDPS cases: Srinagar Police

Srinagar, Sep 10: Intensifying its crackdown on drug trafficking and the financial networks of narcotics offenders, Srinagar Police has attached and frozen immovable assets worth Rs 6.22 crore acquired from the proceeds of illicit narcotics activities in six separate NDPS cases, officials said on Thursday. In a press statement, an official spokesperson said that t he properties, attached or frozen under Section 68-F of the NDPS Act, 1985, include residential houses and land located in different parts of Srinagar, police said. In the latest action, Police Station Nigeen attached an immovable property comprising a double-storeyed residential house along with land, valued at approximately Rs 1.10 crore, at Danihama, Hazratbal, the statement said. The property belongs to Mubashir Ashiq Teeli, son of Ashiq Hussain Teeli, a resident of Saderbal, Hazratbal, presently at Danihama, Hazratbal, and was attached under Section 68-F(1) of the NDPS Act in connection with FIR No. 24/2026 under Sections 8/21 of the NDPS Act registered at Police Station Nigeen, it said. During investigation, the spokesperson said, the property was identified as illegally acquired and linked to proceeds of drug trafficking activities, following which the competent authority ordered its attachment in accordance with law. In another action, Police Station Zakura attached an immovable property comprising a residential house and land, valued at approximately Rs 1.14 crore, at Mulphaq Abu Baker Colony, Hazratbal. The property belongs to Zubair Ahmad Rather, son of Mohd Shaban Rather, a resident of Lariyal, Tral, presently residing at Abu Baker Colony, Mulphaq, and is linked to FIR No. 44/2026 under Sections 8/20 of the NDPS Act registered at Police Station Zakura. Police said the property was identified during investigation as illegally acquired and linked to proceeds of drug trafficking. The attachment was carried out under Section 68-F(1) of the NDPS Act, 1985. Earlier, Police Station Shalteng froze an immovable property valued at approximately Rs 1 crore belonging to accused Mohd Altaf Dar, son of Ghulam Ahmad Dar, a resident of Dilawar Colony, Mujgund, Srinagar, during investigation of FIR No. 76/2025 under Sections 8/20 of the NDPS Act. The property comprises a single-storey residential house along with 11.5 marlas of land and was frozen under Section 68-F of the NDPS Act after being found to have been acquired from the proceeds of illicit drug trafficking. In another major action, Police Station Ahmad Nagar attached an immovable property valued at approximately Rs 2.2 crore belonging to accused Owais Ahmad Mir, son of Ghulam Hassan Mir, a resident of Baghaat Shoora, Srinagar. The property comprises a double-storey residential house, including a hall on the second floor, along with approximately 10 marlas of land at Baghaat Shoora. It was attached under Section 68-F(1) of the NDPS Act following confirmation by the Competent Authority, SAFEMA, Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue, New Delhi. Police said investigation established that the property had been acquired through proceeds of illicit narcotics trafficking. Meanwhile, Police Station Lal Bazar attached a drug-linked immovable property comprising a double-storey residential house along with 3.5 marlas of land, having an estimated market value of more than Rs 35 lakh. The property belongs to Waseem Ahmad Langoo, son of Farooq Ahmad Langoo, a resident of Sheikh Colony, Lal Bazar, and is linked to FIR No. 52/2023 under Sections 8/20 of the NDPS Act. The property was attached under Section 68-F of the NDPS Act after investigation established that it was liable for attachment under the relevant provisions of law, police said. Police Station Shalteng also froze another immovable property belonging to accused Riyaz Ahmad Bhat, son of Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, a resident of Panzinara, Srinagar, during investigation of FIR No. 87/2025 under Section 8/20 of the NDPS Act. The property comprises a single-storey residential house along with six marlas of land, valued at approximately Rs 43 lakh. It was frozen under Section 68-F of the NDPS Act after being found to have been acquired from the proceeds of illicit drug trafficking. Police said that the latest actions---carried out by Police Stations Nigeen and Zakura, along with earlier property attachment/freezing proceedings by Police Stations Shalteng, Ahmad Nagar and Lal Bazar--- reaffirm Srinagar Polices commitment to dismantling not only the operational networks of drug traffickers but also the financial infrastructure that sustains the illicit narcotics trade. With these actions, Srinagar Police has attached or frozen immovable properties collectively valued at over Rs 6.22 crore in six separate NDPS cases. The sustained action reflects the zero-tolerance approach of Srinagar Police towards drug trafficking and its efforts to target the financial networks supporting narcotics activities, police said. Srinagar Police reiterated that stringent legal action will continue against drug peddlers, traffickers and their associates, including identification, attachment and freezing of movable and immovable properties acquired from the proceeds of illicit narcotics activities, strictly in accordance with law.

Civil Society Shopian demands upgradation of District Hospital, warns of indefinite hunger strike

NHM employees begin 72-hour strike; talks with govt remain inconclusive

7th standard Pulwama girl writes debut Hindi book

MSD inaugurates 2.5 lakh sq ft tech centre in Hyderabad

Global biopharmaceutical company MSD has opened a new technology centre in Hyderabad. This facility will enhance the company's digital, data, and AI capabilities. The centre supports MSD's global Human Health business operations. Telangana's minister highlighted Hyderabad's evolving life sciences ecosystem.

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Mounjaro sales soar 502% as India's GLP-1 drug market expands rapidly

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iKure bags USD 1.8 Million from global investors to expand primary healthcare in India

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Security forces launch cordon-and-search operation in Batamaloo, Srinagar

SC notice to Centre on PIL seeking uniform, time-bound probe for child kidnapping cases

New Delhi, Sep 10: The Supreme Court on Thursday sought a response from the Centre and the states on a PIL seeking a uniform nationwide mechanism for the investigation of kidnapping and abduction cases involving children, including time-bound probes, specialised investigating procedures and dedicated courts for speedy trials. A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notices to the Centre, the states, Union Territories, Union ministries of Education, Law and Justice and Home Affairs, and the Law Commission on the plea filed by advocate and petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. The petition, filed through advocate-on-record Ashwani Kumar Dubey, referred to systemic failures in the handling of cases involving missing, kidnapped and abducted children and seeks judicial intervention to ensure prompt and coordinated action by investigating agencies.

JMC demolishes 20 shops at Satwari Chowk, shopkeepers allege no prior notice

Jammu, Sep 10: The Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) on Thursday demolished around 20 shops at Satwari Chowk, triggering anger among shopkeepers who alleged that the decades-old commercial establishments were demolished without any prior information or notification. The shops, according to the affected shopkeepers, had been operating at the location for around 50 years, with the occupants claiming that they had been regularly paying monthly rent to the municipal authorities. Angry shopkeepers alleged that the demolition was carried out without giving them adequate notice or information, leaving them with little opportunity to remove their belongings or make alternative arrangements. The action comes against the backdrop of the long-pending issue of rehabilitation of shopkeepers affected by development works in the Satwari area. The UT Cabinet had earlier approved a rehabilitation and resettlement scheme for shopkeepers and open-space kiosks affected by road widening at Nai Basti, Satwari Chowk. A JMC official, however, said that the affected shopkeepers would be relocated to another site within six months. The assurance has failed to convince the affected traders, who termed the claim a white lie, saying they had heard assurances of rehabilitation earlier as well but continued to face uncertainty over their livelihood. The issue of rehabilitation of Satwari shopkeepers has been raised repeatedly by traders' bodies. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry has previously stated that affected shopkeepers had been paying rent to the municipal authorities and had sought alternate sites and rehabilitation. [KNT]

Bus driver found dead inside vehicle in Budgams Magam

Magam, Sep 10: A 47-year-old bus driver was found dead inside his bus near Jamkash Vehicles in the Chichlora area of Magam in Budgam district on Thursday, officials said. An official said that the driver was found unconscious inside his bus near Jamkash Vehicles at Chichlora along the Narbal-Tangmarg Road. The official said he was soon shifted to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead on arrival. The deceased was later identified as Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh (47), a resident of Gamroo, Bandipora. Meanwhile, an investigation has been initiated in the matter. (KNO)

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Jammu NCB tracks down, re-arrests escaped drug peddler from Punjab

Jammu, Sept 10: The Jammu unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau has re-arrested a drug peddler who had escaped from its custody three days ago, an official said on Thursday. The accused was arrested in Punjab's Jalandhar in a coordinated operation by the agency, J-K Police and Punjab Police, an NCB spokesperson said. Aqib Bashir, a resident of Kakapora in Pulwama district, escaped from NCBs custody in Narwal on the intervening night of September 6-7. The NCB had earlier arrested him with 522 grams of heroin from a passenger bus in Samba district on September 3. The NCB, in close coordination with Jammu and Kashmir Police and Punjab Police, has successfully traced and re-arrested Bashir, a notorious drug trafficker who had fled from the NCBs custody in Jammu, the spokesman said. After fleeing from Jammu, he said the accused reached Jalandhar via Pathankot. He initially hid in a forest area near the Narwal fruit mandi. To conceal his identity, he clean-shaved, changed his clothes and altered his appearance, he said. The accused used his contacts in Jalandhar to seek shelter and evade the search teams. Intelligence inputs and field efforts helped the agencies track his location. Bashir was arrested when he was preparing to move towards Delhi or another state, the spokesman said. Bashirs arrest was part of a month-long operation by the NCB in the Jammu division, which exposed two distinct routes used by narcotic smugglers to push heroin into J-K from Pakistan through the Uri sector and indirectly via Punjab. In four interceptions carried out over the past month, along with a linked recovery in Punjab, the NCB has seized 6.920 kg of heroin and arrested six accused.

Regional healthcare hubs emerge as new investment hotspots

Investment is shifting to regional hospital hubs like Jaipur and Vadodara. These markets offer growth opportunities and lower operating costs for investors. Health insurance penetration is also increasing significantly in these areas. Single-specialty segments like IVF and mother-child care are driving deal activity. Regional hospital brands are expected to scale through clusters and strengthen networks.

16 sheep killed, 17 injured in leopard attack in Chadoora Budgam

Budgam, Sep 10: Sixteen sheep were killed and 17 others injured after a leopard attacked a flock in the Chadoora area of Budgam district during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. Imtiyaz Ahmad Chopan, owner of the flock, said that he believed a leopard had attacked his sheep, though the animals identity is yet to be confirmed. He said the animal entered the livestock enclosure in Badipora village of Chadoora during the night and attacked the flock. We depend on livestock for our livelihood, and the incident has caused significant financial losses for us, he said. Chopan appealed to the government and concerned departments to provide immediate assistance and compensation for the loss of livestock. Meanwhile, locals also urged the Wildlife Department to inspect the site and take necessary measures to prevent further attacks in the area.(KNO)

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Flight carrying Zelenskyy to Norway delayed in Moldova because of drone incursion

Moldova, Sep 10: A flight scheduled to carry Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from Moldova to Norway was delayed when authorities closed Moldova's airspace because of a drone incursion, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday. Moldovan police said a Russian drone crashed on Tuesday in a sunflower field on the outskirts of a village in Riscani district, which caused four fires to break out but no injuries. On Wednesday, government spokesperson Dumitru Ciorici said Moldova had closed its airspace on Tuesday afternoon to protect aircraft flying over the country at the time, delaying three departures, including the one carrying Zelenskyy. Moldovan authorities confirmed the drone came down and exploded 160 km from Chisinau International Airport. The airspace restrictions were lifted and Zelenskyy's plane took off later than scheduled. The drone that entered Moldovan airspace on Tuesday crossed into neighbouring Romania, a NATO member, where it was tracked through several northeastern counties. The ministry said two F-18 aircraft of the Spanish Air and Space Forces were raised to track its trajectory before it reentered Moldovan airspace. On Wednesday, Moldova's police said explosives experts discovered fragments of the drone that featured a propulsion system and characteristics similar to a Geran-type drone, which Moscow has used extensively in its full-scale war in Ukraine. Investigations identified the point of impact, where an explosion occurred and a crater of considerable size was formed, police said, adding that specialists are continuing investigations to determine the type and mass of the explosive payload. Ukraine neighbours both Romania and Moldova, and since Russia's full invasion in 2022, both countries have reported dozens of drone incidents.

WHO chief meets JP Nadda, praises India's health gains in maternal, child care and TB fight

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised India's health sector progress. He highlighted advancements in maternal and child health initiatives. India's Ayushman Arogya Mandirs bring health screenings closer to communities. ASHA workers support mothers and children from conception through adolescence. Discussions also covered India's efforts to end tuberculosis and strengthen regulations.

Anthropic researcher resigns, says AI could kill us all by end of decade

Srinagar, Sep 9 : A researcher who has worked on AI pretraining at both Anthropic and OpenAI has warned that people building advanced artificial intelligence earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade, as he announced his resignation from Anthropic and accused the two companies of racing towards self-improving superintelligence. Jacob Coxon, who said he had spent the past three years conducting pretraining research at the two AI companies, made the remarks in a series of posts on X after announcing his resignation from Anthropic on Wednesday. The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade, Coxon wrote. This is not a marketing stunt. He claimed that executives and senior researchers often express greater concern about the potential risks of AI privately than they do in public. If anything, many executives and senior researchers will couch their phrasing in the press to sound sensible - but I hear the same people express fear privately, he wrote. No other human activity poses this level of danger. Coxon said his decision to leave Anthropic was driven by what he described as the irresponsible race among leading AI companies to develop increasingly powerful systems. I resigned from Anthropic today, he wrote. I spent the last three years doing pretraining research at both OpenAI and Anthropic. Neither company is acting responsibly. They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives. He urged people not to underestimate what advanced AI systems could eventually be capable of. Do not underestimate the power of this technology, Coxon wrote. These will soon be superhuman systems that can hack anything, revolutionize any field overnight, and acquire real power and resources. According to Coxon, the apparent contradiction between AI researchers fearing the technology and continuing to build it can be explained by differences in how the risks are perceived within the two companies. At OpenAI, many have not deeply internalized the civilizational stakes, he claimed. At Anthropic, the stakes are well-understood, but they are locked in a race to get there first. He said the belief that other companies or countries might not act responsibly was contributing to the race. They believe no one else will act responsibly, so they must do it themselves, despite the risk, Coxon wrote. Coxon criticised the decision to push ahead with what he called the AI endgame, arguing that such a potentially consequential process should not be controlled by private companies. Accepting this race and entering the endgame is a hubristic gamble that should not be launched from a private companys Slack, he wrote. He also questioned whether AI companies should be attempting to rapidly solve alignmentthe problem of ensuring increasingly capable AI systems remain aligned with human interestswhile simultaneously accelerating their capabilities. Attempting to speedrun alignment should require extraordinary confidence that there are no better trajectories available, Coxon said. Despite his warnings, Coxon said he remained hopeful that AI companies and governments could coordinate to slow the race. I am optimistic about the potential for coordination, he wrote, arguing that recent incidents could make agreements between US AI laboratories more viable. However, he warned that the world was not currently on course to prevent a global race for increasingly powerful AI. I dont feel like were on track to prevent a global race, Coxon wrote, saying that avoiding such a scenario might require costly actions such as a temporary ban on improving model capabilities. He ended by directly challenging researchers working at AI laboratories to reconsider their role in developing increasingly capable systems. If you are a lab researcher, I urge you to consider what the next few years will actually feel like, Coxon wrote. Do you want to kick off a superintelligent RL run without a rigorous understanding of its mind? he asked, referring to reinforcement learning. Should you put your head down because its happening anyway - or take this moment to call for different conditions? he added.

India sends fresh tranche of relief material, equipment aboard C-17 to flood-ravaged Nepal

India on Wednesday sent a fresh tranche of humanitarian aid comprising 35 tonnes of relief material and equipment onboard a C-17 transport aircraft to flood-ravaged Nepal, officials said. The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal climbed to 1,365 on Wednesday as more bodies were recovered from the affected areas, according to authorities. The first tranche of relief material was sent by India hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his Nepalese counterpart Balendra Shah on August 26, the day flash floods struck the Himalayan nation. Since then, New Delhi has sent multiple consignments, including relief supplies and essential medicines, besides deploying an Indian tunnel rescue team, who are continuing to work alongside the Nepalese Army, and a forensic team to aid in the identification of mortal remains of the victims. India on September 3 night had dispatched its sixth tranche of over 21 tonnes of essential relief supplies on board two military transport aircraft to flood-ravaged Nepal. In continuance of the efforts from India for helping Nepal in HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) work, a C-17 transport aircraft of the IAF departed today, carrying 35 tonnes of relief material and equipment, a defence official said. On Wednesday, rescue teams continued to search for 5,326 people, including at least 589 foreign nationals, who remain missing, according to a Nepal Police news bulletin. Rescue teams recovered 363 bodies from Chitwan district, 226 from Nawalparasi East, 222 from Nawalparasi West and 197 from Nuwakot. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka on Wednesday handed over USD 1 million to Nepal for the ongoing humanitarian and relief efforts following the devastating floods in the Himalayan Nation. The Sri Lankan Ambassador to Nepal, Ruwanthi Delpitiya, met Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal on Wednesday and handed over the contribution. Ambassador Delpitiya reiterated, on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, deep sympathy and solidarity with the people of Nepal and extended heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in the disaster, according to an official statement. The financial assistance is intended to support the ongoing humanitarian, relief and recovery efforts of the Government of Nepal and assist communities affected by the floods and landslides, the statement added. The handing over of the contribution further reflects the close and longstanding bonds of friendship, solidarity and cooperation between Sri Lanka and Nepal. Sri Lanka remains committed to standing with Nepal and its people in times of need and strengthening the enduring relations between the two countries. The USD 1 million contribution will support ongoing humanitarian assistance and relief operations for people affected by the floods. The Government of Sri Lanka will continue to remain engaged with the Government of Nepal and explore appropriate avenues to support ongoing relief and recovery efforts. The massive flash flood originating in Tibet swept through central Nepal on August 26, devastating several towns and villages, washing away critical bridges and crippling a dozen hydropower projects, as it gushed downstream, affecting multiple districts. The Bhotekoshi River, which flows south from the Himalayan border region, carried the floodwaters downstream, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects.

Sanjay Aggarwal re-elected FADA J&K Chairperson

Sanjay Aggarwal has been unanimously re-elected as Chairperson of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), J&K, for the 2026-28 term at the federations 62nd Annual General Meeting held in New Delhi. His re-election marks an unprecedented fourth consecutive term and reflects the confidence of the automobile dealer fraternity in his leadership. Aggarwal, Founder and Managing Director of Jammu Motors Pvt Ltd, has around three decades of experience in the automobile sector. He has also served as Co-Chair of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industrys Jammu Chapter and is associated with CII, Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Jammu Automobile Dealers Association. During his previous terms, FADA J&K took up several issues affecting automobile dealers, including vehicle scrappage policy, used-car regulation, taxation, road tax exemptions for hybrid and CNG vehicles, green tax, trade certificates, EV charging infrastructure, parking, banking and finance, regulatory compliance and ease of doing business. Under Aggarwals leadership, the association has also sought stronger coordination between automobile dealers, government departments, financial institutions and automobile manufacturers. Speaking after his re-election, Aggarwal thanked members for their continued trust and support. I am deeply honoured and humbled by the confidence placed in me by the automobile dealer fraternity of J&K. This responsibility is not merely recognition of the work done in the past, but a renewed commitment to work even harder for the growth and welfare of the entire dealer community, he said. During his fourth term, he said FADA J&K would focus on ease of doing business, reducing regulatory challenges, digitalisation and transparency in government processes, and creating a sustainable business environment for automobile dealerships.

DC Anantnag visits medicinal, aromatic plants germplasm bank at Verinag

Deputy Commissioner Anantnag Dr Bilal Mohiuddin Bhat on Wednesday visited the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Germplasm Bank established by the Agriculture Department under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) at Verinag and reviewed the facilities and activities being undertaken there. The Deputy Commissioner was accompanied by Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr Muzammil Maqbool, Chief Planning Officer Tawseef Ahmad, Chief Agriculture Officer Syed Shahnawaz and other concerned officers and field functionaries. During the visit, Bhat inspected various facilities and demonstration plots at the germplasm bank, including those dedicated to lavender, rosemary, lemongrass and other medicinal and aromatic plants. He took stock of the cultivation and preservation of different plant varieties and reviewed the overall progress of the project. The Deputy Commissioner also inspected the Controlled Conditions Mushroom Unit and the Mushroom Compost Making Unit established at the facility. He appreciated the Agriculture Departments efforts in establishing and developing the germplasm bank and stressed the importance of promoting medicinal and aromatic plants as a means of supporting sustainable agriculture and generating livelihoods. Briefing the Deputy Commissioner, Chief Agriculture Officer Syed Shahnawaz provided an overview of the facilities, activities and initiatives being undertaken at the germplasm bank. He said all the facilities had been developed under HADP and described the project as an example of the programmes implementation. Bhat called for more innovative agricultural initiatives and directed the concerned officers to explore the possibility of establishing similar projects under HADP and JKCIP at other suitable locations across the district. He said Anantnag has significant potential for diverse crops and modern farming practices, which could contribute to bioconservation while also creating self-employment opportunities for local youth. The Deputy Commissioner urged the Agriculture Department to encourage farmers and unemployed youth to establish modern and sustainable units focused on plants with high market demand and commercial value.

Mission YUVA accelerates youth enterprise push across J&K

The Apex Committee of Mission YUVA (Youth Upliftment and Vibrant Advancement) met under Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, and reviewed the milestones achieved since the last Committee meeting held in May 2026, with particular focus on the four broad dimensions of the Mission including Culture, Capital, Capacity, and Connectivity through digital commerce and market access. The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Finance; Managing Director, J&K Bank; Commissioner Secretary, Planning; Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce Department; Director, IIM Jammu; Commissioner Secretary, Education; Secretary, Rural Development Department; Managing Director, JKRLM; representatives from Universities, SKUAST, NABARD and other key stakeholders. Deputy Commissioners from all districts participated in the deliberations through video conferencing. Reviewing the progress, the Chief Secretary took a detailed appraisal of the Missions performance across its various components and underscored the importance of sustaining the momentum generated on the ground. He emphasised the need for close coordination among departments, financial institutions, training institutions and field-level functionaries to ensure that the expanding application base translates into viable and sustainable enterprises, meaningful employment opportunities and long-term economic empowerment of the youth. The Chief Secretary also reviewed the district-wise progress through the Deputy Commissioners and stressed the importance of continued field mobilisation, effective handholding of applicants, timely processing of cases and stronger convergence among the institutions associated with Mission YUVA. He called for maintaining the focus on women and youth participation, strengthening the training and mentorship ecosystem and leveraging digital platforms to expand market access for locally created products and services. The Apex Committee also reviewed the institutional mechanisms put in place for field-level implementation and took stock of the emerging requirements for further strengthening the Missions delivery architecture. The Chief Secretary appreciated the progress achieved since the May review and called for continued efforts to convert the Missions growing outreach into sustainable enterprises, stronger entrepreneurial ecosystems and wider livelihood opportunities for the youth across Jammu and Kashmir. Presenting the latest progress, Secretary, Skill Development Department, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, highlighted the substantial expansion of the Missions footprint since the previous review, noting that the programme has continued to gain traction at both the institutional and grassroots levels. He apprised the meeting that under the mission youth mobilisation continued gaining momentum with female participation rising sharply. He revealed that under the Cultural Mobilisation and Public Awareness component, the average daily application intake has increased by 39 per cent over the last three months, rising from 280 to 390 applications per day. A particularly significant feature has been the growing participation of women with female-led applications increasing by 76 per cent, from 91 to 160 applications per day, while 78 per cent of all female applications are being driven by Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Sustained field-level awareness has consequently increased the overall female share of applications from 27 per cent to 31 per cent. The Missions mass youth mobilisation campaign (Yuva Jagriti 5.0) has so far reached 88,300 individuals, marking a 42 per cent increase since the last Apex review. It was also divulged that the ongoing Business Hackathons, launched on August 15, 2026, have also emerged as a major platform for entrepreneurial mobilisation, reaching 18,000 students across more than 255 educational institutions. More than 1,300 innovative business ideas have already been generated, with the campaign continuing until September 16, 2026. Additionally it was highlighted that the total application intake has increased by 37 per cent, rising from 1,04,067 on May 15 to 1,42,196 as on September 7, 2026. SBDU verifications have risen by 34 per cent to 80,965, while DLIC approvals have increased by 39 per cent to 75,791. Moreover the loan sanctions have grown by 53 per cent, reaching 1,992 crore across 37,171 sanctioned accounts, while disbursements have reached 1,826 crore across 32,665 accounts, also registering 53 per cent growth. The meeting was informed that commercial banks are presently processing around 2,800 applications every month, while the final sanction rate has recovered strongly from 23 per cent in July to 40 per cent in August, indicating improved processing efficiency and conversion across the financial funnel. The programme has simultaneously translated financial support into actual enterprise creation, with 13,597 new enterprises now fully operational across J&K, representing a 58 per cent surge since May. Another 6,777 enterprises are currently in the Work-In-Progress (WIP) stage, with WIP report submissions increasing by 70 per cent. The Mission has also witnessed a substantial expansion in its Capacity Building and Business Mentorship component as the trained individuals has increased by 73 per cent since the last review, with 36,474 student/entrepreneur certifications completed so far. The mentorship framework has recorded an especially notable expansion, with enterprise mentorship completion increasing seven-fold (700 per cent) since the previous review. As many as 2,645 entrepreneurs have been mentored by 482 onboarded mentors, strengthening the handholding ecosystem for emerging entrepreneurs beyond the initial stages of enterprise establishment. The number of J&K merchant storefronts onboarded on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has grown by an extraordinary 329 per cent since May, reaching 9,266 digital stores. Significantly, 2,067 dedicated Mission YUVA youth stores have now been fully onboarded on ONDC, providing young entrepreneurs, including those from rural and semi-urban areas, direct access to the national digital marketplace. It is needless to say that the Mission YUVA, through its integrated approach to mobilisation, finance, skills, mentorship and market connectivity, is emerging as a comprehensive platform for enabling young people of J&K to move from aspiration to enterprise and from enterprise to sustainable livelihood.

Floating cinema draws huge crowds as IFFJK brings cinema to Dal Lake

Cinema has found an extraordinary setting in Kashmir, as the tranquil waters of world-famous Dal Lake have been transformed into a floating theatre during the first International Film Festival of J&K (IFFJK). In a setting where the lake, mountains and city lights come together, audiences are experiencing films on a large floating screen, with the banks of Dal Lake serving as an open-air auditorium. The initiative has emerged as one of the most distinctive attractions of the four-day festival that began on September 07, giving the celebration of cinema a setting deeply connected with Kashmirs visual and cinematic heritage. The Floating Cinema opened on the first day of the festival with the screening of the evergreen 1961 film Junglee. The screening drew audiences to the lakefront, creating a memorable spectacle as a classic Hindi film played out against the waters of Dal Lake. As the screen lights up over the waters of Dal Lake, families, visitors, film enthusiasts from different parts of the country and abroad and curious onlookers have been turning up along the banks, making the screenings a lively public experience. The experience goes beyond conventional film viewing, allowing audiences to watch cinema while surrounded by the very landscapes that have inspired filmmakers for generations. The initiative also reflects IFFJKs effort to take cinema beyond traditional theatre spaces and bring it into public and culturally significant settings. On Wednesday, the Floating Cinema featured the timeless Kashmir Ki Kali, bringing to the waters of Dal Lake the infectious energy and charisma of Shammi Kapoor at his energetic best, alongside the effortlessly graceful and captivating Sharmila Tagore. The film, remembered for its romance, music and vibrant performances, offered audiences an opportunity to revisit one of Hindi cinemas most beloved classics in a setting that feels naturally connected to its story. The nostalgia will continue on the concluding day on September 10 with the screening of Yash Chopras Kabhi Kabhie (1976), another celebrated classic associated with the cinematic tradition of Kashmir. With films being projected over the waters and audiences gathered along the lakefront, Dal Lake has become more than a backdrop to the festivalit has become a part of the cinematic experience itself. The Floating Cinema brings together three enduring elements of Kashmirits landscapes, its association with Hindi cinema and its love for storytellingcreating an experience that is as much about the place as it is about the films being screened.

J&K veterinary interns strike enters 3rd day

Protest demonstrations staged by veterinary interns in Jammu and Kashmir entered their third consecutive day on Wednesday, with protesting students boycotting non-essential services to press for an immediate revision of their monthly internship stipends. Organised under the banner of the Jammu & Kashmir Veterinary Students Association (JKVSA), interns from the Sher-e-Kashmir Universities of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST)-Kashmir assembled outside main campus blocks clad in uniforms, carrying placards and raising slogans demanding parity and financial justice. Protesters highlighted a severe pay gap compared to veterinary interns across other premier institutions in India. Currently, veterinary interns at SKUAST receive a monthly allowance of 6,000. Protesting students pointed out that the current figure fails to cover basic transportation, living and field posting expenses. In contrast, peer institutions offer significantly higher monthly stipends. We are required to carry out 24/7 emergency duties, clinical rotations and livestock field visits in remote districts, paying travel costs out of our own pockets, said JKVSA President Saqlain Rashid. How can we manage basic survival on a Rs 6,000 allowance when interns in other states draw up to Rs 23,500? Student representatives noted that university leadership submitted a formal proposal for a stipend enhancement to the Finance Department as early as 2023. However, despite multiple assurances and official communications from the Veterinary Council of India (VCI), the file remains unapproved. Demonstrating interns warned that unless the government issues a formal, written order approving a stipend hike, they will escalate their agitation into an indefinite strike, halting emergency clinical services and ambulatory livestock duty across university facilities. The protesting students urged the Agriculture Minister Javed Ahmad Dar to look into the grievance for redressal.

Salvatore International School receives PSAJK recognition for educational excellence

Srinagar, Sep 9: Salvatore International School (SIS), Sumbal, Shilvat, Bandipora, was felicitated on Wednesday at a prestigious event organised by the Private Schools Association of Jammu & Kashmir (PSAJK) at the University of Kashmir, under the leadership of PSAJK President Nazrul Islam Baba. The school was honoured for its exemplary contribution to education as a woman-led institution. The event, as per a statement, was graced by Sakina Itoo, Cabinet Minister for Health & Medical Education, School Education, Higher Education and Social Welfare, Government of Jammu & Kashmir, and MLA from D.H. Pora, who attended as the Chief Guest. She was joined by MLA Saifudin Bhat, MLA Salman Sagar, Prof. Neelofer Khan, and Director School Education Kashmir Mr Nasir Wani, along with several other dignitaries from the education and administrative fraternity. The award was received on behalf of Salvatore International School by its Chairperson, Ms Haya Qazi. In a short span since its establishment, SIS has carved a distinct niche for itself, earning recognition for consistent excellence in academics, sports, participation and achievement in Olympiads, and a strong focus on life-skills education for its students. Speaking on the occasion, dignitaries lauded the role of women-led educational institutions in shaping the future of the region, and commended SIS for setting a benchmark in quality education in North Kashmir.

Arrangements finalised for Veshaw Literary and Trade Festival 2026

In preparation for the upcoming two-day Veshaw Literary and Trade Festival-2026, Deputy Commissioner Kulgam, Shahzad Alam, today convened a meeting of senior officers and concerned stakeholders at the DC Office, Kulgam, to finalize the arrangements for the successful conduct of the festival. The meeting was attended by ADC Viqar Ahmad Giri, ACR Reyaz Ahmad Shah, ACD Bilal Ahmad Kamgar, CPO Malik Suheel, Principals of Degree Colleges, Chief Education Officer, Executive Engineers of Jal Shakti and R&B Departments, Tehsildars, Executive Officers of urban local bodies and other district and sectoral officers. During the meeting, a detailed discussion was held on various aspects pertaining to the arrangements for the two-day literary-cum-trade festival. The DC fixed the department-wise responsibilities for the preparations and issued necessary directions for ensuring timely completion of all assigned responsibilities. The DC directed the concerned departments to work in close coordination and ensure that all requisite arrangements, including venue management, sanitation, drinking water, power supply, traffic regulation, security, public convenience and other essential facilities, are put in place well in advance for the smooth, impactful and hassle-free conduct of the literary programmes and other activities scheduled as part of the festival.

Srinagar Film Festival can open new doors for J&K women: Poonam Gupta

Jammu, Sep 9:J&K BJP Mahila Morcha State General Secretary Poonam Gupta said that the International Film Festival being held in Kashmir is a welcome initiative that can open new doors of dreams, creativity and opportunities for the daughters and women of Jammu and Kashmir. Poonam Gupta, as per a party statement, said that Jammu and Kashmir has immense talent among its women and girls, who have the ability to excel in different fields of art, culture, cinema, music, photography, writing and other creative activities. Such talent needs platforms where it can be recognized, encouraged and connected with wider opportunities. She said that the Film Festival can serve as an important platform for local women to interact with filmmakers, artists and other creative professionals from different parts of the country and the world. It can help them learn new skills, understand the changing opportunities in the film and entertainment industry and gain confidence to pursue their dreams. Poonam Gupta said that women of Jammu and Kashmir have always shown courage, talent and determination in every field. From education and sports to entrepreneurship, art and public service, the daughters of J&K are making their presence felt. The growing cultural activities in the region can further encourage them to come forward and showcase their talent. She added that women also need opportunities beyond traditional career choices. The film and creative industries offer possibilities in acting, direction, filmmaking, editing, photography, music, writing, animation, costume designing, technical work and many other areas. Events like the Film Festival can help create awareness among women about these emerging avenues. Poonam said that the Film Festival is also important for Kashmir's tourism and local economy. Such events can attract visitors, promote local culture and provide business opportunities to women working in hotels, restaurants, transport services, handicrafts, artisan activities and other local enterprises. She said that Jammu Kashmir has a rich cultural heritage and extraordinary natural beauty, along with a talented and energetic community of women. Combining these strengths can give Jammu and Kashmir a greater place on India's cultural and creative map. Poonam welcomed the International Film Festival and expressed hope that it would become a regular platform for discovering and promoting local womens talent. She said that when the daughters and women of J&K get opportunities to dream, create and thrive, the entire society moves forward. The Film Festival, she added, can become one such meaningful step towards a more confident, creative and opportunity-filled Jammu and Kashmir.

NHM employees stage 72-hour protest at SDH Sopore

Hundreds of employees working under the National Health Mission (NHM), including doctors and paramedic staff, staged a 72-hour-long protest at the premises of Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Sopore, which commenced on Wednesday, pressing for the resolution of their long-pending demands, including job security, salary revision and social security benefits. The protesting employees raised slogans in support of their demands and expressed disappointment over what they described as the prolonged delay in addressing issues concerning their service conditions and welfare. The employees said they have been rendering their services in the health sector for years and have played an important role in strengthening healthcare delivery, particularly at the grassroots level. Despite their continued contribution, they alleged that their concerns regarding employment security, remuneration and social protection remain unresolved. During the protest, the employees demanded a concrete policy for their job security, revision of their salaries in accordance with their responsibilities and experience, and extension of appropriate social security benefits. The protesters urged the concerned authorities to initiate meaningful dialogue with their representatives and take immediate steps to address their grievances. They warned that failure to consider their demands seriously could lead to further agitation. However, the ongoing strike by NHM employees at SDH Sopore has adversely affected healthcare services, leaving patients and attendants to face considerable inconvenience. With a number of employees participating in the protest over their long-pending demands, routine hospital work has been disrupted, resulting in delays in services and difficulties for patients seeking medical care. The employees appealed to the administration and health authorities to intervene at the earliest, saying that a satisfactory resolution of their long-pending issues would not only provide relief to the workforce but also help ensure uninterrupted healthcare services for the public. BMO Sopore, Dr. Zulfikar, said that on the first day of the 72-hour-long protest by NRHM employees, which began today, healthcare services at Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Sopore were managed smoothly. He said that the hospital administration made necessary arrangements to ensure that patients did not face major inconvenience. However, the BMO cautioned that if the protest continues for a longer period, it may have an impact on healthcare services at the hospital.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq calls for greater support for youth facing mental, emotional stress

Srinagar, Sep 9:A one-day Seerah seminar on The Seerah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the Challenges Facing Todays Youth was held on Wednesday at the Auditorium of Islamia Higher Secondary School, Rajouri Kadal, Srinagar, under the auspices of Anjuman Nusrat-ul-Islam. Students from various private educational institutions participated in the programme and presented their views on contemporary challenges confronting the younger generation. Presiding over the seminar, Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Mohammad Umar Farooq, as per a statement, congratulated the participating students, teachers and organisers, saying that encouraging young people to think, research and speak on serious issues was essential for building a confident, responsible and socially conscious generation. Mirwaiz said that todays youth face unprecedented pressures arising from social media, constant digital distraction, materialism, instant gratification, moral confusion and growing mental and emotional stress. He cautioned against allowing influencers, trends and algorithms to determine ones identity, ambitions and understanding of success. Material achievement, he said, cannot be the only measure of a successful life. Young people should recognise their own abilities and purpose rather than blindly imitate lifestyles projected on screens. True success, he said, must also be measured by character, knowledge, meaningful relationships, service and the good one contributes to society. Mirwaiz placed special emphasis on the disturbing rise in suicides, particularly among young people, saying that every such loss should deeply concern society. He said no examination, failed relationship, rejection, unemployment, financial difficulty or temporary setback should ever lead a young person to believe that life has lost its value. He stressed that mental and emotional distress must be approached with compassion rather than stigma. Families, schools, religious institutions and society at large must create spaces where young people can speak openly about anxiety, loneliness and despair, and receive timely counselling, medical support or other professional help where required. Mirwaiz further said that the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema Jammu & Kashmir (MMU), which is scheduled to meet on September 15, will also take up the growing concern over suicides, particularly among young people. Mirwaiz said the Seerah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) provides young people with enduring lessons of patience, resilience, moral clarity, self-discipline, purpose and hope. He urged them to use technology without becoming controlled by it, to think independently, remain rooted in their values and become a source of positivity and service in society. He also appreciated the students who presented papers at the seminar, saying that their willingness to research, reflect and speak publicly on important issues was itself an encouraging sign for the future. In the competition, Farhan Khan of Crescent Public School, Naseem Bagh, secured the first position. The second position was jointly secured by Zainab Hameed of Motherland School, Nowhatta, and Mohammad Kamil of Green Valley Educational Institute, Illahi Bagh. The third position was jointly secured by Sheikh Mohammad Usman of R.P. School, Alamdar Colony; Aiman of Greend Land School, Hawal; and Tayyiba Jan of Islamia Higher Secondary School, Rajouri Kadal. On the occasion, a special Seerah edition of the Anjuman Nusrat-ul-Islam magazine was also released by Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir in the presence of teachers, students and other participants. The programme concluded with prayers for the protection, guidance and well-being of the younger generation and for their growth into people of knowledge, character, confidence and service to society.

Delhi Public School Budgam celebrates 18th Founders Day

Delhi Public School, Budgam celebrated its 18th Founders Day on 7th September, 2026, with great fervour and grandeur. The theme was From Vision to Legacy, marking eighteen glorious years of educational excellence. The celebration was graced by eminent statesman and academician Professor Saifuddin Soz as Guest of Honour, along with Founder Chairperson Mrs. Mumtaz-un-nisa Soz, Director Salman Soz, Principal Mrs. Glory George, and other dignitaries, PTA members, parents, staff and students. The programme commenced with a Welcome Address by Principal Mrs. Glory George, followed by Diya Lighting Ceremony and felicitation of dignitaries. A documentary chronicling the 18-year journey of DPS Budgam was screened. The cultural programme featured Kashmiri Rouf, a soulful Qawwali by Class 9th, delightful dance performances by junior school students, and a speech on 'Vision' by a student representative. The highlight was the play The Halogen Family, conceptualized by Dean Mehfooz Aslam, where elements of the periodic table came alive to convey a message on environmental conservation. The school felicitated staff for 10 and 15 years of service and meritorious students for their achievements. Prof. Soz and Mrs. Mumtazunnisa Soz shared memories of the school's journey, while Director Salman Soz lauded the entire DPS family and reaffirmed his commitment to excellence. The programme concluded with a Vote of Thanks.

Dr Farooq Abdullah hails J&Ks 98.43% literacy rate

Srinagar, Sep 9: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President, Dr Farooq Abdullah, in his message on the occasion of International Literacy Day, said that education and literacy are the foundations of any civilized, progressive and dignified society. As per a party statement issued, he said that only an educated society can better understand its rights and responsibilities and, while meeting the challenges of a changing world, achieve the goals of progress and prosperity. Dr Farooq Abdullah said it is highly encouraging and a matter of pride that Jammu and Kashmir, just last week, achieved the target of full literacy by attaining a literacy rate of 98.43 percent under ULLASNBSK. He said this achievement is the result of the collective efforts of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, teachers, students and all institutions working towards the promotion of literacy. The educational awareness and literacy success we are witnessing today has its foundations in the pioneering efforts of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah decades ago. Today, the light of education kindled by him has spread far and wide and the fruits of his struggle and efforts are visible to all, he said. He accorded special importance to the establishment of educational institutions and promotion of education in Jammu and Kashmir, recognising education as a fundamental means of social transformation, empowerment and eradication of backwardness. He said that since its inception, the National Conference has regarded education as a fundamental pillar of social and economic development. The steps taken during the tenure of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah to establish educational institutions, create opportunities for the common people and eradicate educational backwardness ushered in a new era of awareness in the society of Jammu and Kashmir. The National Conference has always maintained that education should not remain confined to privileged sections of society; rather, every child, including those from poor, middle-class, remote and backward areas must have equal access to quality educational opportunities. Dr Farooq Abdullah said that the present government, headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, is also taking several measures to strengthen the education sector and provide better educational opportunities to the younger generation. The government is focused on improving the infrastructure of government educational institutions, enhancing educational facilities, promoting quality education, strengthening skill development and vocational education, and creating better opportunities for students. The National Conference President also described the passage of the Private Universities Bill during the last Assembly session as an important development in the education sector. He said the legislation would help expand the higher education sector in Jammu and Kashmir, create new educational opportunities, promote healthy competition in education and provide students with greater choices.

GDC Ganderbal organises awareness programmeon World Literacy Day

The Department of Education and Sociology, Government Degree College (GDC) Ganderbal, organised an awareness programme to mark World Literacy Day on Tuesday in the College Conference Hall. The programme was organised with the objective of sensitising students about the importance of literacy as a fundamental human right and a matter of dignity, while highlighting its crucial role in building an educated, empowered and sustainable society. The programme commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Shaheena Akhter, Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of Education, who highlighted the significance of education in empowering individuals and bringing about positive social transformation. She stressed that education not only enhances knowledge and skills but also enables individuals to become responsible and active members of society. The keynote address was delivered by Principal GDC Ganderbal, Dr. Rafiq Ahmad, who highlighted the importance of learning and knowledge in human life. Referring to the first revelation of Allah to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he cited the word Iqra, meaning to read, emphasising the profound importance attached to knowledge and learning. Dr. Rafiq Ahmad also spoke about the challenges faced by individuals deprived of educational opportunities. He observed that illiteracy can limit a person's ability to access information, employment opportunities and essential services, thereby affecting individual dignity as well as social and economic development. As part of the programme, around 18 students delivered speeches highlighting different dimensions of literacy and its relevance in contemporary society. The students emphasised that literacy is not merely confined to the ability to read and write; rather, it equips individuals with the ability to understand information, make informed decisions, access opportunities and participate meaningfully in social and civic life. The speakers also underlined the need to create a culture that values lifelong learning. They encouraged students to contribute towards educational awareness and support initiatives aimed at extending the benefits of education to disadvantaged sections of society. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Soubiya Yousuf, who expressed gratitude to the Principal, faculty members, students and all those who contributed to the successful conduct of the event.

Woodlands House school celebrates 60-years of excellence

Woodlands House School celebrated 60 years of excellence and a glorious legacy of education on the eve of Founders Day. The occasion was marked by a series of vibrant programmes showcasing the schools rich heritage, achievements and cultural spirit. The celebrations were graced by Former Chief Minister & National Conference President, Dr Farooq Abdullah, Advisor to CM, Mr Nasir Aslam Wani & Director Education, Mr Naseer Ahmad Wani, along with other distinguished guests. The event was also attended by the schools Management Mr. Riki Singh, Chairman; Mrs. Amteshwari Singh, Chairperson; and Directors, Mr. Farid Singh and Mr. Viraj Singh. A special highlight was the presence of several alumni, who returned to their alma mater and shared cherished memories of their school days. The landmark celebration paid tribute to the vision of the Founder, Mrs Rup SP Singh, and reaffirmed the schools commitment to nurturing generations of students with knowledge, values and excellence.

J&Ks Sajid Dar joins elite FIFA Coach Educator Developer Panel

Srinagar, Sep 9:Jammu & Kashmir football has achieved a landmark moment as Sajid Yousuf Dar joins the elite panel of FIFA Coach Educator Developers, becoming the first Coach Educator Developer from North India to deliver on the FIFA Coach Education platform. As per a statement issued, Dar is among just four AIFF Coach Educator Experts in India entrusted with the responsibility of developing and mentoring the next generation of coach educators under the FIFA Coach Educator Development Pathway Project. Together, the four experts have played a key role in developing 16 Coach Educators from across the country. The four-day final module of the FIFA Coach Educator Development Pathway Project, organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), concluded in Bengaluru on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. The final module was conducted from September 5 to 8 as part of FIFAs wider initiative to strengthen coach education and create structured pathways for the professional development of coach educators. The AIFF was selected by FIFAs Technical Development Division to implement the Coach Education Programme for its Member Associations. The project, which commenced in 2022, incorporated a combination of e-learning, online and on-site modules, individual mentoring and continuous professional support. The objective of the programme is to provide sustained support to coach educators, enhance their technical and educational competencies, and establish a structured pathway for their professional growth. The final module in Bengaluru was led by four AIFF Coach Educator Experts Sajid Dar, Shakti Chauhan, Shekhar Kerkar and Parthasarathi Thulasi. The programme brought together 16 participants from different parts of India: Altafuddin Ahmed Syed, Kundan Chandra, Pradhyum Reddy, Deepak CM, Derryl Dsouza, Dinesh Nair, Gumpe Rime, Jeddy Almeida, Joshuah Vaz, John Kenneth Raj, Mario Aguiar, Uttam Singh Negi, Prashant J Singh, Shafeeq Hassan Madathil, Shailesh Karkera and Shakti Singh. As part of the programme, FIFA Expert Oscar Gonsalves was appointed to support and guide the participants throughout the assessment process. AIFF Head of Coach Development Vivek Nagul was also present in Bengaluru and extended his support to the programme.

6th Gateball Coaching Camp concludes in Srinagar

Srinagar, Sep 9: The 6th Gateball Coaching Camp 2026 concluded at New R.P. School, Zakura, with more than 70 boys and girls participating in the camp, which also featured selection trials for the XII International Open Gateball Tournament 2026 scheduled to be held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, in November. As per a statement issued, athletes from DPMS Gasoo, V.B. Higher Secondary School Rainawari, Legends Schools and New R.P. School took part in the camp organised by the J&K Gateball Union under the aegis of the Indian Gateball Union (IGU). Bashir Ahmad, Principal, New R.P. School, was the chief guest at the concluding ceremony and distributed medals and appreciation certificates among the participants. Members of the association, Muskan Naseer, Miftah Qayoom, Rizwana, Anjum Nisa, Insha Nazir and Arfa Reyaz, were also present on the occasion.

Women leaders have shaped Kashmirs cultural, educational fabric: VC KU

Vice Chancellor Kashmir University, Prof. Nilofer Khan, Wednesday said women leaders, particularly in Kashmir, have played a foundational role in shaping the regions cultural, educational and social fabric. Addressing the Women Edupreneurs Connect 2026, organised by the Private Schools Association Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) at the MERC Auditorium, Prof. Khan called for greater opportunities for women to lead and innovate in the education sector. She said the initiatives like Women Edupreneurs Connect 2026 are aimed at empowering women and are vital for building progressive, inclusive and future-ready educational institutions across J&K. These visionary women have not only enlightened society through their leadership, but their dedication has played a transformative role in shaping generations, she said, She further added that women in Kashmir have historically contributed significantly to the development of society. Referring to the legacy of 14th-century mystic poet and spiritual reformer Lal Ded (Lalleshwari), Prof. Khan said the wisdom of women had helped take Kashmiri society from an earlier era to an enlightened present. She said Lal Deds Vakhs played a foundational role in shaping Kashmiri literature and cultural consciousness while promoting spiritual and moral values, self-realisation and interfaith harmony. Prof. Khan highlighted the contribution of women at KU and said that women including teaching and non-teaching faculty, scholars and students had played a pivotal role in taking the institution to its present position. She said that the university recently achieved NAAC A++ accreditation and attained UGC Category-I status, which, she said, placed it among Indias leading higher educational institutions with enhanced academic, administrative and financial autonomy. Prof. Khan said the varsity was committed to creating an enabling ecosystem for women entrepreneurs by supporting them through different stages, from idea development and pre-incubation to incubation. She also said the universitys Directorate of Lifelong Learning, NewGen and the Centre of Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship were providing training, mentorship and support to women seeking to establish entrepreneurial ventures. 3,380 women have been empowered through women empowerment programmes conducted by the Directorate of Lifelong Learning during the last five years, she said. She added that 261 women had been trained through certificate programmes in community health, with several subsequently working at the mid-level in the health sector. She added that the varsity recently incubated women innovators and provided them seed funding to establish startups. Prof. Khan also recalled the contributions of women educators and social reformers, including Padmashree Mehmooda Ali Shah, Begum Zafar Ali, Atika Bano and Professor Neerja Mattu, for advancing girls education, social reform and womens empowerment. She further added that minister for education Sakina Itoo, who was present at the event, was a perfect role model and inspiration for women seeking to bring positive change to society, citing her contribution in social welfare, healthcare, school education, higher education and other priority sectors. The VC congratulated PSAJK for recognising women education leaders of J&K and called for a collective effort to create an educational and social environment where women could dream, innovate and lead with confidence. She stressed that the development of both government and private educational institutions was essential for preparing the younger generation to meet future challenges. Earlier in his address, president Private Schools Association J&K (PSAJK) Nazrul Islam Baba said the initiative was conceived as the beginning of a broader movement to recognise the contribution of women in education. Women Edupreneurs Connect is our humble attempt to celebrate their success, recognise their leadership and provide them with a platform where they can connect, learn, collaborate and inspire one another, he said.

JU Kabaddi Tournament advances to knockout stage

Jammu, Sep 9: The Inter-Collegiate Kabaddi (Men) Tournament 20262027, being organised by the Directorate of Sports and Physical Education, University of Jammu, at the Gymnasium Hall, University of Jammu, witnessed another action-packed day of intense competition as the tournament entered its fourth day. The day, as per a statement, featured high-energy and closely fought encounters, with participating teams putting up an impressive display of strength, speed, agility, endurance and tactical execution. The players showcased excellent teamwork, coordination and determination while maintaining the true spirit of discipline, fair play and sportsmanship throughout the matches. The competitive nature of the encounters kept the spectators thoroughly engaged. The tournament is being conducted under the supervision of Dr Daud Iqbal Baba, Director, Directorate of Sports and Physical Education, University of Jammu, whose guidance continues to strengthen the organisation of sporting activities at the University level. The championship provides a valuable platform for talented players from affiliated colleges to compete at a higher level and demonstrate their sporting potential. The tournament has now reached a crucial stage, with the participating teams competing for a place in the final stages of the championship. The Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches are scheduled to be conducted tomorrow, promising further exciting and competitive Kabaddi action.

41 NoCs not fair: Government moves to ease approval process for private schools

Srinagar, Sep 9:The Jammu and Kashmir government is set to rationalise the approval process for private schools, with Education Minister Sakina Itoo saying the requirement of as many as 41 No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) is cumbersome and unfair. Speaking at the Women Edupreneurs Connect 2026, organised by the Private Schools Association Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) at the MERC Auditorium of the University of Kashmir, Itoo said the government had decided to reduce the number of approvals required for opening or extending private schools. When I was a minister in 2008, two to four NOCs were required to open a school or seek an extension. Today, I found that 41 NoCs are being sought, she said. The minister said the existing system requires applicants to approach numerous government offices and can take six months or even longer, creating difficulties for private school operators, particularly in matters relating to land and regulatory approvals. Imagine how many offices you have to go to. It is not a small thing to take 41 NOCs, Itoo said. She said the government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, had decided that the existing arrangement needed to be changed and that only essential and mandatory approvals would be retained. Earlier, we had to take three NOCs, which were more necessary and mandatory. We will take those, but remove the rest, she said. According to Itoo, the proposal has already been approved and is now at the final stage. The file is already approved. The order will have to be brought to the Assembly first, where it will be passed, and then the order will come, she said. The proposed changes are aimed at reducing the regulatory burden on private educational institutions and making the approval process less time-consuming. At the event, Itoo also spoke about the role of women in education and entrepreneurship, saying women in Jammu and Kashmir were increasingly occupying important positions despite facing social and professional challenges. Our sisters are very intelligent. They have so much talent, but they also have a lot of difficulties, she said, referring to criticism and social restrictions faced by women pursuing professional careers. The minister said women continued to face disproportionate scrutiny over their work and professional choices. We still live in a male-dominated society. Even today, we are criticised and our work is targeted, Itoo said. Urging women not to be discouraged by criticism, she said, We should never be afraid. We should not back down. It is okay if we are criticised, but we have to move forward. Itoo also cautioned against the misuse of social media, saying mobile phones had made it possible to damage a persons reputation within a very short time. If you want to defame someone, you can do it in two minutes. People are ready to do it, she said, while urging women to remain focused on their work despite online criticism. The minister assured women entrepreneurs and educationists of government support and said she would be available to intervene on issues requiring attention at her level. She also called upon private educators and women working in the education sector to take a more active role in addressing substance abuse among young people. Itoo said teachers and school administrators were in regular contact with large numbers of children and were therefore well placed to identify early signs of addiction and provide counselling. Today, in Indian society, a disease of addiction has spread which is destroying our generations, she said. Urging educators to focus on prevention and early intervention, she said, If you see anything like this in a child, you should definitely check it. The minister stressed that timely counselling could play an important role in protecting young people and said women educators had a significant role in shaping the future of children. Itoo also urged organisers of similar programmes to provide more opportunities to women participants to speak about their experiences and concerns rather than limiting discussions to ministers and senior officials. Some of you are very capable and can speak better than us. You should also get a chance to come here and tell us those things so that we can listen and work on them in the future, she said. The event was attended by MLAs Said Ud Din Bhat and Salman Ali Sagar, University of Kashmir Vice-Chancellor Prof Nilofer Khan, PSAJK chairman Baba Nazrul Islam, Director School Education Kashmir, CEO Srinagar and other officials, besides representatives of private schools.

Own goal hands Athwas India XI 1-0 win over New JK United

Srinagar, Sep 9: Athwas India XI FC secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over New JK United FC in their Kashmir Super League Season 2 encounter on Wednesday, with the decisive goal coming through a own goal by New JK United defender Talib during the end moment of the game. The match, as per a statement, remained closely contested for most of the game, with both sides creating opportunities and battling hard for control. However, neither team could find the breakthrough in regulation time as the contest appeared headed for a draw. In the final minutes, New JK Uniteds Talib inadvertently put the ball into his own net, handing Athwas India XI FC a crucial 1-0 victory. The late setback was a tough result for New JK United FC, who had competed strongly throughout the match. Athwas India XI, meanwhile, held their composure in the closing stages. The victory will provide Athwas India XI FC with valuable momentum as the Khyber Cement Kashmir Super League Season 2 progresses. The league continues on Thursday with United Elegant FC taking on Swift Strikers FC in another eagerly awaited fixture.

In Defence of the Cluster University

There is understandable affection for Kashmirs historic colleges. S.P. College, Amar Singh College and Government College for Women are part of the Valleys educational history and have shaped generations of students. But that affection should not force us into a false choice between preserving our colleges and retaining the Cluster University. We need both. The criticism of the Cluster model raises legitimate questions about administration, autonomy and academic performance. But these concerns do not, by themselves, establish that the University is an unnecessary layer. The more important question is: what has the Cluster University added to higher education in Srinagar that individual colleges could not easily provide on their own? The answer is significant. Created in 2016 by bringing together five existing colleges, Cluster University Srinagar was intended to pool their resources and create a larger, multidisciplinary academic institution. Its mandate went beyond conventional undergraduate teaching to include postgraduate, integrated, professional and research programmes. Today, the University offers programmes across the sciences, humanities, social sciences, management, technology, education and other emerging fields. The Cluster University did not simply create another office. It created another level of education. That distinction is at the heart of the debate. A college may provide excellent undergraduate education. A university can provide something more: postgraduate study, doctoral research, specialised teaching, interdisciplinary programmes and the institutional scale needed to sustain research and new disciplines. Cluster University Srinagar has steadily moved in that direction, including the development of research and doctoral programmes. For students, this is not a minor administrative change. It means a wider academic horizon: more subjects, more pathways and more opportunities to move from undergraduate study towards advanced learning and research within one broader academic ecosystem. The suggestion that becoming part of a university necessarily destroys a colleges identity is equally questionable. St. Stephens College and Lady Shri Ram College remain distinctive and highly regarded institutions within the University of Delhi. They have retained their names, traditions, academic cultures and internal structures while operating within a larger university framework. Being part of a university does not mean ceasing to be a college. The same principle can apply in Jammu and Kashmir. Our constituent colleges can retain their identities while developing distinctive academic strengths within the Cluster University. S.P. College can build on its scientific tradition; Amar Singh College can strengthen its humanities and liberal-arts profile; other constituent institutions can develop their own areas of excellence. That is not institutional dilution. It is specialisation within a larger academic ecosystem. There is another misconception worth challenging. Autonomy and university membership are not opposites. The Cluster Universities Act itself envisages constituent colleges as important institutional units and provides for their participation in university governance. The answer, therefore, is not to assume that college autonomy requires dismantling the University. It is to ensure that the university structure actually allows meaningful participation and decision- making at the college level. The larger question is what kind of higher education Jammu and Kashmir needs. The answer cannot be a return to a system in which colleges are largely confined to traditional undergraduate education. Young people today need access to postgraduate study, professional programmes, technology, interdisciplinary learning, research and new fields of knowledge. The Cluster model was created precisely to widen that academic horizon. This is also consistent with the broader direction of higher-education policy. The National Education Policy 2020 calls for multidisciplinary universities and higher-education clusters while also emphasising institutional autonomy and stronger research. Scale and autonomy are not contradictory goals. The case against the Cluster University therefore needs to demonstrate more than administrative inconvenience. It needs to demonstrate that the academic gains created by the University could be achieved better through fragmentation into separate institutions. That case has not yet been made. Of course, the University should be judged honestly. Student services, infrastructure, faculty strength, research output and administration all matter. But there is a crucial distinction between saying the Cluster University has problems and saying the Cluster University has no purpose. The first may be true. The second does not follow. We should not measure the success of a university by the number of offices it has created, but by the opportunities it creates for students. On that measure, Cluster University Srinagar has already expanded the educational landscape beyond what the earlier college structure offered. The debate, therefore, should be reframed. The choice is not between historic colleges and the Cluster University. It is between a fragmented higher-education system and one in which our existing institutions can grow together. Our historic colleges should retain their identity, character and traditions. But they should also be part of a larger academic enterprise capable of taking students from undergraduate education to postgraduate study, research and new fields of knowledge. The Cluster University was conceived to expand the possibilities of our colleges, not to diminish them. Its real test is not whether it has replaced the old institutions, but whether it has enabled them to do more. On that measure, the story is far from over. We do not need fewer academic ambitions. We need a university system large enough to realise them. That is the idea worth defending. Jammu and Kashmir does not have to choose between preserving its educational legacy and building its academic future; the Cluster University gives us an opportunity to do both. Dr. Rutba Peerzada teaches in P.G Department of Political Science, Cluster University of Srinagar.