Opinion

J&K MBBS, BDS interns continue protest, seek written order on stipend hike

Srinagar, Oct 20: Protesting MBBS and BDS interns in Jammu and Kashmir have refused to call off their agitation until the government issues a formal written order on the proposed increase in their monthly stipend to 25,000. The development comes amid reports of a possible stipend hike following an announcement by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. However, the status of the proposal remains unclear in the absence of an official government order. Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, president of the All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA), said the interns would not accept verbal assurances or announcements as a substitute for formal government notification. He said the protesting interns had made it clear that they would continue their agitation until the government issued a written order confirming the revised stipend. AIMSA reiterated its stand, saying, No Written Order No End to Protest. The association said the interns would consider ending their protest only after the government formally communicates its decision on the stipend issue.

J&K CM Omar Abdullah approves doubling of MBBS, BDS Interns stipend to Rs 25,000: report

Srinagar, Oct 20: In a major development for medical and dental graduates undergoing compulsory internship in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has approved the enhancement of their monthly stipend from Rs 12,300 to Rs 25,000, with the Health and Medical Education Department directed to issue the necessary orders immediately. Quoting top government sources, news agency KNS reported that the Chief Minister has cleared the file concerning the long-awaited revision, paving the way for a substantial increase in the monthly remuneration paid to MBBS and BDS interns. The Chief Minister has approved the file for enhancement of the monthly stipend from Rs 12,300 to Rs 25,000. The Health and Medical Education Department has been directed to issue the necessary orders immediately, top government sources told KNS. Sources said the formal order was expected to be issued on Tuesday itself, but the holiday prevented its issuance. The department is now to issue the necessary notification on Wednesday, October 21. The decision will increase the monthly stipend by Rs 12,700, representing a rise of approximately 103.25 per cent over the existing amount. On an annual basis, an intern receiving the revised stipend for 12 months would get Rs 3 lakh against the earlier Rs 1,47,600, an increase of Rs 1,52,400. The decision comes against the backdrop of sustained protests by MBBS and BDS interns across Jammu and Kashmir, who have been demanding an increase in their monthly stipend to Rs 30,000. The interns had launched an indefinite strike on August 31, arguing that their stipend had remained unchanged for nearly seven years despite rising living costs and demanding hospital duties.(KNS)

People disappointed with govt on political agenda, governance: MP Aga Ruhullah

Srinagar, October 20: National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Tuesday said Kashmir had been polarised rather than normalised since 2019, alleging that Kashmiris faced hostility both within Jammu and Kashmir and in other parts of the country. Commenting on attacks on Kashmir-based buses and people outside the Union Territory, Ruhullah said, Kashmir has been polarised instead of being normalised, and I have been saying this from 2019 until now. He alleged that Kashmiris were increasingly treated as suspects and held the BJP responsible for the hostile environment. The relationship between this state and the Union was not normalised in 2019. It was made hostile, and the responsibility for that hostility lies with the BJP, he said. Ruhullah also expressed disappointment with the Jammu and Kashmir government, saying it had failed to meet people's expectations on both the political agenda and governance after two years in office. People in Jammu and Kashmir have been disappointed, unfortunately. They should not have been, he said. Questioning the government's record on Article 370, employment, reservation, electricity, students' issues and prisoners, he asked, On which parameter can we say that the government has delivered anything that we can be proud of? Referring to former chief minister Farooq Abdullah's reported remarks that the abrogation of Article 370 was wrong, Ruhullah said the focus should be on concrete steps to reverse the decision. Everyone knows that the abrogation was wrong. You know it, I know it, and most people in India know it, he said. The question is: what are we doing to reverse that decision? On protests seeking accountability from the Election Commission, Ruhullah described the demonstrations as genuine and said they could signal a revival of democratic resistance. It is a genuine protest, and it seems democracy may be starting to breathe again after being suppressed over the past 10 to 12 years, he said.

Ladakhs first medical college in Leh set to begin operations in 2027-28

Leh, Oct 20: Ladakhs first medical college in Leh is set to become operational from the academic year 2027-28, with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare granting a one-time relaxation to initiate recruitment of faculty and support staff before completion of 80 percent of the required infrastructure. Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena, described the approval as a historic milestone for the Union Territory, saying it would fulfil a long-standing aspiration of the people and expand opportunities for local youth to pursue medical education closer to home. In a statement, posted on X, the LG thanked Union Health Minister J P Nadda for taking cognisance of his request and granting the relaxation for the proposed Government Medical College at Spituk Pharka, Leh. The approval allows the UT Administration to begin staggered preparatory recruitment against 103 sanctioned regular posts, even as construction of the colleges dedicated infrastructure progresses. According to the ministrys communication, the Department of Expenditure examined the proposal on October 8, 2026, and agreed to the one-time relaxation, subject to specified conditions. The 103 posts, sanctioned by the Department of Expenditure on November 27, 2024, will be filled in phases from the academic year 2027-28, in accordance with academic requirements identified by the UT Administration. The recruitment will be undertaken on a regular basis and strictly in accordance with the approved Recruitment Rules. The ministry has also stipulated that any interim premises used to operationalise the college must remain temporary. The institution will have to shift to its dedicated infrastructure once construction is completed. The UT Administration has been asked to establish reasonable timelines for completion of the permanent infrastructure and inform the Department of Expenditure when the college shifts to the new premises. The development is expected to help address one of the key preparatory requirements for establishing a new medical college by allowing faculty and support staff recruitment to begin ahead of the completion of the infrastructure. However, the approval relates to the relaxation of recruitment-related requirements and does not, by itself, constitute permission to admit students. The proposed college will also have to meet the applicable National Medical Commission requirements and obtain the necessary permissions before admitting its first batch. The UT Administration, the LG said, would ensure all necessary arrangements to welcome the first batch of medical students and strengthen the regions long-term healthcare ecosystem.

Death toll rises to 60 in Houthi strike on Yemen training camp in deadliest attack in months

Cairo, Oct 20: The death toll from a Houthi missile strike on a government military camp in southern Yemen rose to 60 people, primarily new recruits, making it the deadliest strike since fighting in the country began escalating three months ago, Yemeni officials said Tuesday. At least a dozen people were still missing a day after the Iranian-backed rebels hit the al-Alam training camp in the southern province of Shabwa with ballistic missiles, three officials said. Monday's strike was part of a recent surge of fighting in Yemen, which started when forces from the internationally-recognised government and Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes on Houthi-held Sanaa International Airport in July, shattering a 2022 ceasefire deal that largely stopped fighting in the country's civil war. The Houthis have also fired missiles and drones on Saudi Arabia, which has struggled to counter the Houthi attacks, even with far superior US-supplied arms. The strike on the al-Alam camp hit while recruits were lining up in formation for a training session. Videos from the area circulated online and were analysed by The Associated Press and showed many motionless bodies lying on the sandy ground of the camp. More than 200 other recruits were also wounded, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media. One of the officials, from the local government, said several suffered serious injuries and were transferred to hospitals in other provinces in life-threatening condition. He said at least 15 of the recruits killed were from a single Yemeni tribe. In televised comments aired by the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya satellite news television, Shabwa governor Awad Ibn al-Wazir said the dead were new recruits from across Shabwa being trained to provide security in the province and not combat operations. These recruits have never before participated in any mobilisation or on any front, he said. They have no connection to the front lines they were (part of) a non-offensive security force. The Shabwa provincial government said in a statement Monday that the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles on the camp. The Houthis claimed the attack, saying they had killed and wounded dozens but did not provide further details. The camp, which was previously used by a militia backed by the United Arab Emirates, is located in the Jardan district, north of the provincial capital of Ataq. It sits on a crucial supply line connecting to the government-controlled province of Marib. Shabwa and Marib, along with neighbouring Hadramawt province, contain what has been dubbed the Yemeni government's triangle of power, a strategic area in which the country's oil and gas production is located. On Tuesday, authorities in Saudi Arabia issued an attack warning for the capital area in the late morning, followed by the sound of an explosion in northern Riyadh where the King Khalid International Airport is located. The airport has come under repeated Houthi attacks this month, forcing the facility to suspend its operations. The all-clear was given a short time later, and Saudi Arabia said a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis had been intercepted. Yemen first plunged into civil war in 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen and forced the government into exile. A Saudi-led coalition intervened the following year in an attempt to restore the government to power. The conflict created one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters and killed more than 150,000 people. (AP)

Women entrepreneurs can power Asias digital trade boom

Women entrepreneurs across Asia are increasingly turning to digital trade, enabling them to reach markets far beyond their local confines. This transition allows them to bypass traditional mobility challenges and limited funding opportunities. A variety of initiatives are in place to bolster women-led enterprises through training and improved financial access.

J&K Medical Interns Resume Strike Over Stipend Hike Delay, Candle Marches Tonight

Darbar Move: J&K govt orders offices to reopen in Jammu on November 2

Srinagar, Oct 20: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has ordered the annual Darbar Move of government offices from Srinagar to Jammu for the winter season of 2026-27, with offices scheduled to reopen in Jammu on November 2. According to Government Order No. 1664-JK(GAD) of 2026, issued by the General Administration Department on October 19, offices observing a five-day week will close in Srinagar after office hours on October 30, while those observing a six-day week will close on October 31. The order states that offices listed under Annexure A will move to Jammu in full, while those listed under Annexure B will operate in camp mode with limited staff. Offices moving in camp will carry 33 percent of their staff strength or 10 officials, whichever is less, unless otherwise specified. Rs 25,000 Special Move Allowance The government has fixed a uniform Special Move Travelling Allowance of Rs 25,000 for each employee moving to Jammu. The allowance will not be payable to employees who fail to move before or within the prescribed date. Non-gazetted employees moving to Jammu may also apply for advance pay, which will be recovered in instalments as per rules. Salaries for October 2026 of employees working in move offices will be drawn on October 29. The order further states that leave will not ordinarily be allowed in combination with or in continuation of the move days, except in very exceptional circumstances. Five days of Special Casual Leave will, however, be available to Kashmir-based employees who wish to avail it. Winter Secretariat to Function in Srinagar The General Administration Department will establish a Winter Secretariat at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar to ensure the continued functioning of the administration during the winter session. Each administrative department has been asked to identify one gazetted officer and four non-gazetted officials to remain in Srinagar, subject to prior approval from the competent authority. Departments have been directed to give preference, wherever feasible, to female employees and those with serious medical conditions. The order also directs administrative departments to detach staff posted from subordinate offices in Kashmir Division by October 27. Transport, Security and Medical Arrangements The Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC) has been directed to arrange sufficient buses in good condition to transport employees on October 31 and November 1. Advance ticket booking will begin on October 27 at the Civil Secretariat and JKRTC's main booking counters. Each convoy will be accompanied by a crane, two empty buses and mobile workshop facilities to address breakdowns en route. J&K Police will escort the convoys to their respective destinations and ensure precedence at the Banihal-Qazigund Tunnel and the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel. The Health and Medical Education Department will arrange medical aid facilities at Qazigund, Banihal, Ramsu, Ramban, Chenani, Udhampur and Jhajjar Kotli on the days employees travel from Srinagar to Jammu. The Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department has also been directed to establish ration counters at suitable locations near residential colonies of employees in Jammu. Office Timings in Jammu After reopening in Jammu, the Civil Secretariat and Heads of Departments located within its premises will function from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Moving Heads of Departments located outside the Civil Secretariat premises and observing a six-day week will function from 10 am to 4:30 pm. The Estates Department will provide accommodation to officers and officials moving with the Darbar Move as per past practice. Employees will not be permitted to occupy government, municipal or other residential accommodation without a proper allotment order.

AIMSA, J&K medical interns resume strike over delay in implementing stipend hike

Srinagar, Oct 20: The All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) and MBBS/BDS interns across Jammu and Kashmir have resumed their strike and announced candle marches tonight at all Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) and SKIMS Bemina over the continued delay in implementing the long-pending stipend hike. The decision, they said, follows the alleged failure of the government to honour its written assurance issued on September 8, under which interns were asked to wait for 30 days. On October 12, an AIMSA delegation again met the authorities, when OSD Peerzada Zahoor Ahmad reportedly sought another week to resolve the matter. However, on October 19, a delegation once again visited the Secretariat and met the Director General of Finance, but the issue remained unresolved, said the students. According to Dr Tasaduk, Joint Secretary AIMSA, the delegation was subjected to humiliating remarks during its interaction with the OSD, who reportedly stated that the government was doing interns a favour by providing free medical education. AIMSA strongly objected to the alleged remarks, asserting that public expenditure is funded by taxpayers and that interns legitimate demands deserve respectful consideration. Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, President AIMSA, said, We respect every officer and every institution, but we will not tolerate rude or humiliating behaviour towards medical interns. A written assurance, 30 days of waiting, another week of patience and repeated meetings have still not resulted in an implementation order. If the file regarding the stipend hike is ready, release the order without further delay. Interns deserve dignity, transparency and justicenot endless assurances. AIMSA reiterated that the protest concerns the legitimate demand for a stipend hike for MBBS and BDS interns in Jammu and Kashmir. Candle marches will be held tonight across GMCs and SKIMS Bemina, while the association has called upon the government to honour its written commitment and resolve the issue immediately, it said.

Protests can become instruments of political interests, fuel divisions: Bhagwat

Nagpur, Oct 20: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said that regime-change agitations do not resolve fundamental problems, warning that protests could become instruments of political interests and fuel divisions in society rather than delivering solutions. Addressing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanghs annual Vijayadashami Utsav gathering in Nagpur, Bhagwat cited recent upheavals in Bangladesh, Nepal, France, and Albania, asserting that forces pursuing their own interests use regime change as a means to alter political circumstances, rarely achieving intended results. They claim that changing a regime will change the situation, but that has never really happened, he said. Bhagwat claimed that a stronger India would constrain such forces, making the country a target of attempts to weaken and divide it. While some global powers want India to develop, they do not want it to become too powerful, as it could challenge their dominance, he added. Bhagwat performed shastra puja (weapon worship) at RSS Vijayadashami Utsav in Nagpur. On protests in a democracy, the RSS chief said their purpose should be to resolve problems rather than deepen social divisions. Problems will remain, and protests are inevitable in a democracy. But what should the purpose of protests be? They should be aimed at finding solutions, he said. He cautioned that protests could become political instruments when driven by objectives other than public welfare, fuelling hostility towards individuals, groups or ideologies. Bhagwat also urged political leaders, protesters and the administration to ensure that their actions did not create bitterness or divisions in society. However intense our emotions may be, we must respect the limits set by our Constitution, the norms of civilised public discourse and standards of decent conduct, he said. Bhagwat highlighted the need for greater discernment among the younger generation in consuming information. Citing concerns about the adverse effects of unchecked content, particularly on OTT platforms, he urged the government to consider appropriate regulations in the society's interest. Having experienced the adverse consequences, many countries have introduced regulations and restrictions on social media platforms, he said. In India also, society is increasingly recognising the need for such measures, particularly with regard to OTT platforms, he added. At the same time, even when information is freely accessible, the younger generation must be taught to exercise discernment and distinguish between what is appropriate and what is not, Bhagwat said. Balanced and holistic development must go beyond material comforts, he said. Science and technology can improve lives and promote rational thinking, but they are only means, not ends, he added. Development driven solely by consumerism and materialism may bring convenience at the cost of greater social and human loss, he said. Drug addiction is a serious national problem, and the government and society must timely address it and start taking measures to overcome it, Bhagwat said. Parents and elders in the society must impart this discernment to the younger generation, which must keep itself away from all influences and activities that can lead to the development of such harmful habits, he said. The recent devastating floods in Nepal can be partly attributed to the consequences of one-sided development across the Himalayan region, which spans several countries, Bhagwat said. Referring to artificial intelligence, Bhagwat said people must learn to use the technology and master it, while ensuring that ethical principles were not ignored. We can already see how many fake videos are being generated using AI. A new tool has become available for spreading false propaganda, he said. Bhagwat also stressed that national unity was based on an emotional bond rather than a transactional relationship. All of us Indians are one, and our unity is internal. It is a unity of the heart. It is not a bargain or a contract, he said. The RSS chief alleged that certain forces exploited social differences, encouraged a sense of victimhood among communities and sought to undermine faith in the country's institutions to create discontent and disorder. He noted that the country's firm policies, leadership and growing national consciousness among the younger generation had strengthened India. The RSS chief further called for a Hindu vision rooted in universal brotherhood, spirituality and humanity, saying India must develop a new model of integrated and balanced development to guide the world. Explaining the Hindu vision, Bhagwat said it was not defined by any particular form of worship, food habits, language, customs, lifestyle or political ideology. He said the Hindu spirit had the capacity to unite the world without forcing anyone to change their identity or destroying the distinctive identities of different communities. He cited the phrase Sa Prathama Sanskriti Vishwavara to describe India's civilisational tradition. He said that the RSS sought to build a well-organised, strong Hindu society, asserting that the effort was not opposed to respect for all faiths or the emotional unity of the nation.

Ladakh LG notifies LAHDC amendment regulation, paves way for councils in 8 districts

Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena has notified the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, 2026, with effect from October 19, paving the way for the creation of autonomous hill development councils in all eight districts of the Union Territory, including the newly created Sankoo district. In a post on X, Saxena said the regulation had been implemented within six days of the Union Cabinets approval on October 14 and its promulgation by President Droupadi Murmu on October 16. The amended regulation rationalises the number of constituencies in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs), replacing the earlier provision of 26 seats in each council with a minimum of seven and a maximum of 24 seats. It also provides for the nomination of four members from women and unrepresented communities to promote inclusivity and broaden participation in local governance. Saxena said the regulation would strengthen grassroots democracy, enhance local representation and promote inclusive governance across Ladakh. He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the regulation, describing it as a landmark step towards strengthening local democratic institutions in the Union Territory.

Sajad Lone questions extra cable charges for smart meter installation

Srinagar, Oct 20: Peoples Conference president and MLA Handwara Sajad Gani Lone on Tuesday criticised the Jammu and Kashmir government over alleged charges being imposed on households for additional cable required during smart meter installation, accusing the government of burdening consumers, particularly those from economically weaker sections. In a statement, shared on X, Lone claimed that the company installing smart meters was providing only four metres of cable per household, comprising two metres for input and two metres for output connections. He alleged that households requiring additional cable were being asked to pay for it, with consumers in some cases having to spend between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000 to get smart meters installed. Lone said the cost could be higher for households located farther from electricity poles, as they would require longer cables. He questioned the arrangement, alleging that poorer households were being forced to bear additional expenses to secure electricity connections and warning that consumers could face disconnection if the required installation was not completed. Here is another shocker of a gift for the people of J & K especially for the poorer sections of the society. The smart metering is in process. The company issues a cable for connection to each household measuring not more than 4 meters. (2 meters for input and 2 meters for Sajad Lone (@sajadlone) October 20, 2026 Targeting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Lone also referred to the National Conference's promise of providing 200 units of free electricity to eligible households, alleging that the commitment had not been fulfilled despite two years having passed. He recalled the criticism of smart metering during the election campaign, saying consumers were now facing additional expenses associated with the installation process. Those who queued up to vote have to pay to get the smart meter installed, Lone said, according to the statement.

Jio Platforms' anchor book draws record Rs 2.5 lakh crore in bids ahead of IPO

New Delhi, Oct 20: Jio Platforms has allotted shares worth Rs 8,109.85 crore to 212 anchor investors at the top end of its price band, after institutional demand for the offering exceeded Rs 2.5 lakh crore, more than 30 times the amount available in the anchor book, according to a stock exchange filing and people familiar with the matter. The allotment of 7.24 crore shares at Rs 1,119 apiece comes ahead of the initial public offering that opens for public subscription on Wednesday. The strong demand underscores institutional investor interest in what is expected to be India's largest IPO, although the extent to which it translates into broader public demand will become clearer once the offer opens. Life Insurance Corporation of India received the largest allocation, worth Rs 499.98 crore, accounting for 6.17 per cent of the anchor portion. New World Fund Inc was allotted shares worth Rs 486.27 crore, followed by the Government of Singapore at Rs 340.93 crore, SBI Focused Fund at Rs 315 crore and BNP Paribas Financial Markets - ODI at Rs 303.25 crore. Domestic mutual funds received 2.489 crore shares worth Rs 2,784.96 crore, representing 34.34 per cent of the anchor book, through 95 schemes across 25 fund houses. Life insurers and pension funds received 97.4 lakh shares worth Rs 1,089.95 crore, or 13.44 per cent of the total. Both categories exceeded the allocations reserved for them under the red herring prospectus dated October 14, which earmarked 33.33 per cent of the anchor portion for mutual funds and 6.67 per cent for insurers and pension funds. Global investment firms participating in the anchor book include BlackRock, Capital Group, Fidelity, T. Rowe Price, Schroders, JPMorgan Asset Management, Franklin Templeton and Janus Henderson. Sovereign and public investment institutions include the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and the Monetary Authority of Singapore, alongside other long-term institutional investors. Some large overseas and domestic institutions bid for allocations worth USD 750 million to more than USD 1 billion each, people familiar with the matter said. Jio Platforms is seeking to raise about Rs 30,213 crore through a fresh issue of up to 27 crore shares, at a price band of Rs 1,065 to Rs 1,119 apiece. The offering values the company at around USD 108 billion, according to the offer documents. The IPO will open on October 21 and close on October 23. The company will use the proceeds partly to repay debt at its telecom subsidiary, with the remainder earmarked for general corporate purposes. Reliance Industries Ltd, controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, will retain a majority stake in Jio Platforms after the listing. Jio Platforms has grown into one of the world's largest mobile operators by subscriber numbers since Reliance entered the telecom market a decade ago. The business has expanded beyond mobile connectivity into broadband, digital entertainment, cloud and enterprise services, making it the central part of Reliance's push into India's digital economy. The company had 533.3 million subscribers as of June 2026 and carried nearly 60 per cent of India's data traffic, according to reported company figures. The listing will give public-market investors direct exposure to a business that has so far operated as a subsidiary of Reliance Industries. Its scale and the breadth of institutional participation make the offering a closely watched test of investor appetite for large Indian equity issuances. The anchor book, which allows institutional investors to receive shares before the public subscription period, represents about 27 per cent of the total IPO. Demand exceeding 30 times the anchor allocation, alongside subscriptions at the top of the price band, provides an early indication of institutional appetite for the offering. However, strong anchor demand does not guarantee similar enthusiasm from retail investors or ensure gains after listing. Investors will weigh Jio's subscriber base and opportunities in digital services against competitive pressures, regulatory risks, capital requirements and its ability to translate scale into sustained revenue and profit growth, analysts said. The offering also provides a measure of the Indian market's capacity to absorb a transaction of this size, with domestic mutual funds, insurers and pension funds accounting for nearly half of the anchor allocation. The public subscription will offer a clearer indication of whether that institutional confidence extends across the wider investor base.

SMC Commissioner reviews winter preparedness

Srinagar, Oct 19: Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Dr. BasharatQayoom, today chaired a review meeting at the SMC Central Office, Karan Nagar, to assess the Corporations preparedness for snow clearance and dewatering operations ahead of the winter season. The meeting was attended by Joint Commissioner, R&E, Joint Commissioner, Works), Joint Commissioner, Superintending Engineer, City Drainage Circle, and other officers of the Corporation. The Commissioner reviewed a comprehensive deployment plan for manpower and machinery across all municipal wards to ensure timely and efficient snow clearance. He directed the concerned officers to prioritise key public routes, particularly those connecting hospitals, ration depots, shrines, and government institutions, to ensure uninterrupted accessibility during snowfall. Highlighting SMCs operational capabilities, the Commissioner reviewed the availability of snow clearance machinery, advanced dewatering systems, and mobility support to facilitate a swift and effective response to winter-related challenges. Emphasising the importance of seamless inter-departmental coordination, the Commissioner directed the Snow Monitoring Committee and the 247 Control Room to remain fully operational and responsive. He stressed that public grievances must be addressed promptly and that immediate action should be taken on reports concerning snow accumulation, blocked roads, and other winter-related disruptions. Reviewing dewatering preparedness, the Commissioner directed that all permanent dewatering stations be maintained in optimal working condition. He further stressed the need for the timely deployment of high-capacity mobile pumps in vulnerable and low-lying areas to mitigate waterlogging during rainfall, snowmelt, and adverse weather conditions. The Commissioner also underscored the importance of advance planning, field-level monitoring, accountability, and effective coordination among all concerned wings to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of essential civic services throughout the winter season. Dr.Basharat underscored the Corporations focus on operational readiness, rapid-response capability, and uninterrupted civic service delivery, directing all concerned officers to ensure end-to-end preparedness, real-time field coordination, and swift mobilisation of resources. He emphasised that every municipal ward must be equipped to respond effectively to snow-related disruptions and waterlogging, ensuring safer mobility, accessible essential services, and minimal public inconvenience throughout the winter season.

KU, IMHANS organise intl workshop on digital wellbeing, neurodiversity inclusion across Asia- Africa

Srinagar, Oct 19:The Department of Psychology, University of Kashmir (KU), in collaboration with the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS), Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, began a week-long international workshop on Digital Wellbeing and Inclusion for Neurodiversity at the Main Campus. The workshop is being organised under the European Commission-sponsored project Digital Transformation for Neurodiversity Inclusion in Africa and Asia (AAN-DI). It aims to strengthen international research collaboration and explore how digital technologies can improve wellbeing and promote social and educational inclusion for neurodivergent individuals across Asia and Africa. The programme brings together researchers, experts and participants from Kenya, Finland, Ethiopia and India, along with project consortium partners, the Department of School Education, J&K, and IMHANS J&K. Speaking at the inaugural session, Vice-Chancellor KU, Prof. Nilofer Khan highlighted the importance of inclusive education, mental health awareness and the responsible use of technology in addressing the needs of neurodivergent individuals. She said, universities have an important role in promoting research and collaboration to make digital spaces more accessible and supportive. She added that the University is exploring opportunities to establish further collaborations with national and international organisations, to strengthen research in neurodiversity and related areas. Such partnerships, she said, would provide KU researchers and academicians with greater opportunities for academic exchange, exposure to global research practices and the utilisation of their expertise to address emerging challenges and develop inclusive solutions. Prof. Hazel Miseda, Vice-Chancellor, Great Lakes University of Kisumu, emphasised the role of universities in promoting digital wellbeing and neurodiversity through inclusive education, research and institutional collaboration. Dean, School of Education &Behavioural Sciences, KU, Prof. Touseef Rizvi, spoke about the importance of creating supportive environments in educational institutions and society. Prof. Aziz-ud-din, IIT Bombay, also shared his views on the subject and noted the role of research, technological innovation and collaboration in developing inclusive approaches to neurodiversity. Prof. Showkat Ahmad Shah, Project Principal Investigator, KU, and organising secretary of the workshop, provided an overview of the programme and its objectives. Prof. Susannah OtienoLeppnen, Principal Investigator, University of Jyvskyl, Finland, presented an overview of the AAN-DI project. Earlier, in her welcome address, Head, Department of Psychology, KU, Prof. HumeraShafi, highlighted the importance of the workshop in advancing research and awareness around neurodiversity. The week-long workshop will feature technical sessions on various areas such as baseline survey tools for the assessment of neurodiversity, the biological understanding of neurodiversity, and the use of artificial intelligence for detecting neurodevelopmental issues. It will also include a sensitisation programme for teachers from the Department of School Education J&K, blended mobility research presentations by participants from Kenya, Finland, Ethiopia and India and a visit to IMHANS J&K. The event proceedings were conducted by Dr. AsmaNabi, faculty, Department of Psychology KU, who also proposed the vote of thanks.

Massive traffic jams in Srinagar areas irk commuters

Srinagar, Oct 19:Commuters faced a tough time on Monday due to massive traffic jams in city centre areas in absence of regulation of vehicular movement. Traffic jams were compounded amid rush of students towards examination centres in city centre areas. Commuters were stranded for a long time amid traffic jams on Maulana Azad Road, Residency Road, Sonwar, Jawahar Nagar, Hari Singh High Street. There was total chaos due to traffic jams on city centre roads. Traffic Police had failed to devise a route plan to facilitate smooth vehicular movement amid matriculation exams, said Abdul Hamid, a commuter. What added to the traffic mess was the non-functioning of traffic lights at various intersections. What is the logic of installing these intelligent traffic lights when traffic is regulated manually. Traffic system must be streamlined to ensure relief to commuters, Mehrajuddin, a commuter said. Commuters said traffic jams can be detrimental as ambulances and fire-brigade vehicles are frequently stuck. Recently Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, chaired a meeting of the Multi-Disciplinary Committee (MDC) on Traffic Management to review the implementation of a comprehensive action plan aimed at easing traffic congestion, improving urban mobility and strengthening road safety in Srinagar. The Chief Secretary had emphasised that systematic parking management, effective enforcement, safer road infrastructure and timely emergency response must remain central to the administration's efforts to make urban travel safer, smoother and more convenient for the people.

Athwas India XI seal final berth with 3-wicket win

Srinagar, Oct 19:Athwas India XI secured a thrilling three-wicket victory over Royal Goodwill Cricket Club in Semi-Final 1 of the Khyber Red Premier League Season 3, successfully chasing down a target of 154 runs to book their place in the grand finale. As per a statement issued, batting first, Royal Goodwill CC were bowled out for 153 runs in 18.2 overs. Nasir Bashir led their batting effort with an impressive 73 off 39 balls, Athwas India XIs Yash Garag delivered a match-defining bowling performance, claiming five wickets for just nine runs in 3.2 overs. Tripuresh Singh also made a significant contribution with three wickets. In reply, Athwas India XI chased down the target in 19.4 overs, losing seven wickets. Tripuresh Singh contributed a valuable 35 runs off 21 balls, while Asif Rasool added 26 runs off 27 deliveries to Royal Goodwill CCs first-innings total. For Royal Goodwill CC, Vaibhav Mali picked up three wickets for 29 runs, while Sajad Dar claimed two wickets. The high-stakes encounter was graced by the presence of Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Akshay Labroo, adding significance to the occasion. The match witnessed an extraordinary response from cricket fans, with more than 10,000 spectators turning up to witness the contest, underlining the growing popularity of the Khyber Red Premier League across Jammu & Kashmir. Irfan Ahmad Guju, Owner of Athwas India XI and Founder of IA Multi Ventures Private Limited, who was also present to back his team, said, We are committed to promoting sports in Kashmir and providing a platform to talented youth who lack access to opportunities. Organised by Red FM, the Khyber Red Premier League has emerged as a major platform for cricketing talent, bringing together leading players and passionate fans. The tournament also supports the broader vision of youth engagement through sports and a drug-free Kashmir, encouraging young people to channel their energy into positive and constructive activities. With this victory, Athwas India XI have taken a significant step towards the title, setting the stage for an eagerly anticipated grand finale of Khyber Red Premier League Season 3.

Vidarbha seize control, J&K collapse to 7/4

Srinagar, Oct 19:Vidarbha seized control of their Ranji Trophy Elite clash against Jammu and Kashmir after taking a 45-run first-innings lead before reducing the hosts to 7 for four at stumps on Day 2 at Sher-i-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar on Monday. After bowling out J&K for 260 on the opening day, Vidarbha responded with 305 in 73 overs, powered by opener Ravikumar Samarths 143 off 202 balls and a fighting 64 from Rajneesh Gurbani. Samarth anchored the innings with 17 fours and a six, while Gurbani struck 10 boundaries and a six in his 104-ball knock to help Vidarbha establish a valuable lead. Their contributions proved decisive as J&Ks bowlers struggled to contain the visitors scoring. Umar Nazir and Sunil Kumar led the J&K bowling attack, claiming four wickets each. Nazir finished with figures of 4 for 56, while Sunil returned 4 for 73. Umran Malik and Abid Mushtaq picked up a wicket apiece. J&Ks second innings, however, began disastrously as Vidarbhas pace attack ripped through the top order, leaving the hosts reeling at 7 for four after five overs. Yawer Hassan was dismissed for a duck, followed by nightwatchman Umran Malik and Lone Nasir, who also failed to open their accounts. Kawalpreet Singh, who had starred with a 96 in the first innings, was the fourth batter to depart, bowled for four. Vidarbha pacer Nachiket Bhute did the bulk of the damage, claiming three wickets for just six runs, while Yash Thakur picked up one wicket. At Stumps, Qamran Iqbal was unbeaten on one, with captain Paras Dogra on other side, as J&K trailed Vidarbha by 38 runs with six wickets remaining. The hosts face an uphill task on Day 3, with their middle and lower order needing to produce a substantial recovery to prevent Vidarbha from tightening their grip on the match.

France empowers mayors to impose partial curfews after riots and looting

New Delhi, Oct 19: French Prime Minister Sbastien Lecornu has authorised local mayors to impose partial curfews in some areas to protect residents and businesses following a weekend of riots and looting, the BBC reported. Announcing the measures after an emergency cabinet meeting in Paris, Lecornu said the government was determined to prevent further violence. He warned that a state of emergency could be imposed if the unrest continued. The Prime Minister said people wanted to know how such violence had erupted in the country. He also announced that 200 investigators would begin examining video footage of the weekends violence, including recordings posted online, to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. The unrest began last month with student protests over school conditions but later widened to include broader grievances. More than 500,000 people took to the streets on Saturday, with demonstrations turning violent in several places. Buildings were set on fire and shops looted. The violence continued on Sunday, when police arrested more than 350 people in Paris, with at least five shops reportedly looted. Interior Minister Laurent Nuez admitted that police had lost control in some cities and acknowledged a lack of anticipation by the authorities. He offered to resign, but President Emmanuel Macron wants him to remain in office, according to the BBC. Lecornu also criticised the political far-left, accusing it of attempting to fuel disorder ahead of next Aprils presidential election. The Justice Minister is expected to provide further details on measures to prevent a recurrence of the violence. The governments latest steps come amid growing concerns over public order and the effectiveness of the police response to the unrest.

Vicky Shaw hails KGC elections, calls for focus on junior golfers

Srinagar, Oct 19:Chairman PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), Kashmir Chapter, Vicky Shaw, also a prominent golfer, welcomed the holding of elections at the Kashmir Golf Club (KGC) after a gap of 14 years, describing the move as a step in the right direction for the revival of the historic institution. Shaw, a prominent and senior golfer said the election of an executive committee would help KGC address its administrative concerns and improve facilities, including fairways, greens and the restaurant. He thanked Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the government for initiating the process, saying an elected body would give the club greater autonomy in managing its affairs. Shaw also highlighted the strong bond among members of the golfing fraternity, citing the participation of 94-year-old golfer Mohammad Amin in the voting as an example of the communitys enduring association with the club. Emphasising the need to nurture young talent, he welcomed the junior coaching programme for boys and girls and said sustained training could help Kashmir produce champions in the sport. He said improved infrastructure and opportunities for junior golfers could open doors to professional careers, adding that the governments support would be crucial in restoring KGCs reputation.

Qatar to announce new regional defence partnership amid Gulf tensions

New Delhi, Oct 19: Qatar will soon announce a new defence partnership with regional countries as it seeks to strengthen security cooperation amid continuing tensions in the Gulf, Qatars Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said. Speaking at the Global Security Forum in Doha, Sheikh Saoud said Qatar had reviewed its defence capabilities, with a focus on air defence, counter-drone measures, cybersecurity and water security, Al Jazeera reported. Emphasising cooperation among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, he said collaboration with the United States had strengthened regional defence capabilities. He claimed that more than 90 percent of attacks during the Iran war had been prevented through shared expertise and decades of military investment. Warning of further economic repercussions from disruptions to Gulf energy supplies, Sheikh Saoud said the impact had yet to reach its peak. We havent reached the peak with respect to energy, he said, cautioning that the consequences could become more severe in the coming days and months. He said instability in the Gulf threatened energy supplies and international trade, potentially disrupting supply chains between the East and the West. It could also affect Gulf investments in Europe and the US, as well as financial assistance provided by Gulf countries to other nations. Qatars Ras Laffan industrial complex, a major liquefied natural gas (LNG) production hub, was damaged in Iranian attacks in March, according to the report. On relations with Tehran, Sheikh Saoud said Qatar had maintained communication with Iran despite attacks on its territory and differences over the regional conflict. Referring to the two countries shared gasfield, he said they had enjoyed a relationship of trust before the attacks. We never stop our communication, he said, adding that contacts continued at different levels and that the two sides had reached a common understanding.

KGC revival plan focuses on junior golfers, coaching academies: Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani

Srinagar, Oct 19:Advisor to Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani said the government aims to revive the historic Kashmir Golf Club within a year and a half, with a focus on upgrading infrastructure, promoting golf among youngsters and developing future players. Speaking on the sidelines of the clubs 26th AGM and elections, Wani said the elected body would manage the clubs affairs, while the government would extend financial support and help improve facilities and players skills. He said Rs 2 crore had already been sanctioned for the reconstruction of the clubhouse, adding that efforts would be made to make golf more accessible to children through academies and structured training. There is a lot of scope for professionalism in golf. Our aim is to train children so they can compete at higher levels, Wani said. Highlighting the governments broader sports promotion agenda, he said Jammu and Kashmir had hosted a large-scale Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) tournament this year and was also working to promote marathons and winter sports. Wani said the government was exploring the installation of snow-making machines to extend the skiing season and considering additional ski lifts at Gulmarg to attract more enthusiasts and strengthen its position as a winter sports destination. He added that the government was committed to expanding sports infrastructure beyond district headquarters to block and educational levels to encourage greater participation among children.

Kashmir Golf Club holds AGM after 14-year gap

Srinagar, Oct 19:The Kashmir Golf Club held its 26th annual general meeting (AGM) and elections on Monday after a gap of 14 years, with the exercise aimed at restoring the historic club to its former glory and putting an elected executive body in place to manage its affairs. Haris Handoo, Secretary of the Royal Springs Golf Course (RSGC) and Administrator of the Kashmir Golf Club (KGC), said the clubs previous AGM was held in 2012. Since the elected government took office in 2024, it was decided that an elected body should be put in place, Handoo said. The election is being held to elect four members to the clubs 10-member executive committee. Five members will be nominated by the clubs president, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while the Chief Secretary will head the committee. Handoo said the formation of the executive body would enable club members to prioritise development works, improve maintenance and upgrade facilities at the historic venue. Kashmir Golf Club needs to be restored to its pristine glory. It is one of the oldest golf clubs in India, second only to Kolkata, he said, adding that the focus would be on improving the turf and other club facilities. The government has already sanctioned Rs 2 crore under the CAPEX budget for the construction of a new club building, Handoo said. The club has 525 permanent members, and officials were expecting around 60 per cent voter turnout. Voting and the announcement of results were scheduled for the same day. Handoo, who was assigned the additional charge of KGC administrator, said the election was being conducted under the control and supervision of the government, with senior member Justice Muzaffar Jaan appointed as the returning officer. He expressed hope that the club could regain its former standing within a year, with an elected body taking responsibility for identifying priorities and overseeing its functioning. Once the reins are handed over to the members themselves, they will be able to decide the priority works and how the club should be maintained, he said. Handoo added that golfing activities at KGC had diminished since the establishment of the Royal Springs Golf Course. The club recently hosted a caddies tournament, and efforts would be made to revive its independent golfing activities and organise more tournaments. He said the aim was to ensure that the historic club continued to live up to its reputation and function as an active golfing venue. Following the conclusion of elections, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani felicitated the newly elected members of the Executive Committee of Kashmir Golf Club (KGC) at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), Srinagar. Chief Minister, president of the Club, had nominated Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani to preside over the Annual General Meeting of the Kashmir Golf Club. Former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah, MLA Gulmarg Pirzada Farooq Shah, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo who is the chairman of the Executive Committee and other club members were present on the occasion. Congratulating the newly elected members, the Advisor described Kashmir Golf Club as a prestigious institution with a distinguished place in the history of golf in the country. He noted that the elections, held after a gap of 14 years, marked an important step towards strengthening the clubs administration and restoring its facilities. The Advisor also announced that funds amounting to Rs 2 crore have been earmarked for rebuilding the clubhouse.

3 detained in Tiger Shroff firing case, 1 linked to Bishnoi gang aide: Police

New Delhi, Oct 19: Three people, including a minor, have been detained in Rajasthans Kota in connection with the firing at Bollywood actor Tiger Shroffs car in Mumbai, with one of them allegedly in contact with an associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, police said on Monday. The suspects were detained at Kota railway station from the Pune-Jaipur Superfast Express in a joint operation involving Mumbai Police, Rajasthan Police and railway police. They were allegedly planning to flee to Nepal, Kota Superintendent of Police Tejaswani Gautam said at a press conference. Gautam said one of the suspects was in contact with Anil Pandit, an alleged associate of the Bishnoi gang, which claimed responsibility for Sundays attack in an unverified social media post, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. According to NE India Today, police sources said the suspects had allegedly received Rs 50,000 in advance for the attack. Two of them are from Haryana and one from Bihar. Their identities have been established and they are being questioned to determine their individual roles in the shooting. Earlie, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Mumbai Police had obtained important leads and would soon arrest those involved in the firing as well as their handlers. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Fadnavis said such acts would not be tolerated and assured that the police would track down everyone involved in the incident.

DC Ganderbal reviews 460 cases under Mission YUVA

Ganderbal, Oct 19: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ganderbal, Shreya Singhal, today chaired a meeting of the District Level Implementation Committee (DLIC) to review the progress achieved under Mission YUVA and consider beneficiary cases under the scheme. During the meeting, the committee took up 308 fresh cases of nano-entrepreneurs, 94 cases requiring verification for completion of units, and 58 improvement cases under the Nano Entrepreneur Scheme, taking the total number of cases under consideration to 460. The Deputy Commissioner reviewed the progress of implementation and emphasised the need for proper scrutiny and verification of beneficiary cases in accordance with the prescribed guidelines. She stressed that all concerned departments and financial institutions must ensure timely processing of cases and extend the requisite support to eligible beneficiaries. The DC underscored the importance of effective coordination among the departments concerned to facilitate the establishment and completion of nano-enterprise units, address deficiencies in pending cases and ensure that the benefits of Mission YUVA reach eligible youth. The concerned officers were directed to maintain close follow up on the cases under different categories and ensure timely action in accordance with the schemes provisions. The meeting was attended by the Additional District Development Commissioner Ganderbal, General Manager, District Industries Centre; Assistant Commissioner Revenue; Sub Divisional Magistrate Kangan; representatives of educational institutions; District Social Welfare Officer; Employment Officer, officials from JKEDI and NABA RD; NRLM representatives, representatives of J&K Bank; Lead District Manager; Director JKRSETI; and other concerned officers and officials.

Hoteliers Club seeks better infrastructure, aggressive promotion for winter tourism

Srinagar, Oct 19: The Jammu and Kashmir Hoteliers Club has called for improved infrastructure, reliable essential services and an aggressive promotional campaign to attract tourists to the Union Territory ahead of the winter season. At a meeting of the Clubs office-bearers held at Radisson Collection, Rajbagh, Srinagar, under the chairmanship of its president, Mushtaq Ahmad Chaya, members discussed challenges confronting the hospitality sector and measures to strengthen tourism during the coming winter months. The meeting highlighted the need for uninterrupted electricity, reliable water supply, improved road connectivity and better winter tourism facilities at major destinations, particularly Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg. Expressing concern over frequent power cuts in Sonamarg, members said the area was reportedly experiencing outages lasting six to eight hours daily. They stressed that reliable electricity supply was essential to maintain hospitality services and ensure tourist comfort during the winter season. The Club also called for the installation and operationalisation of gondola facilities in Sonamarg to enhance its appeal as a winter tourism destination. Members emphasised the need to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of ski lifts and other winter tourism infrastructure to improve visitor facilities and attract more tourists. Concerns were also raised over recurring disruptions in road connectivity and water supply in Gulmarg during winter. The Club urged the authorities to prioritise road maintenance, ensure an uninterrupted water supply and facilitate smooth movement of visitors in the popular tourist destination. Members said the decline in tourist arrivals during the previous season and recent months had adversely affected tourism-related businesses, underlining the need for timely intervention to support the sectors recovery. Abdul Wahid Malik, Honorary Secretary General of the Club, stressed the need for coordinated efforts to revive tourism and support hospitality businesses that had suffered losses in recent seasons. He called for a comprehensive marketing strategy, including promotional campaigns and roadshows in major domestic markets and selected international destinations, to restore tourist confidence and attract more visitors to Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting underscored the importance of close coordination among the administration, tourism authorities and industry stakeholders to ensure a successful winter tourism season. Members said infrastructure improvements, better visitor facilities and sustained promotional efforts were essential to position Jammu and Kashmir as a year-round tourism destination. The Jammu and Kashmir Hoteliers Club reiterated its commitment to promoting responsible and sustainable tourism and working with the government and other stakeholders to strengthen the industry, protect the regions natural heritage and generate long-term economic benefits for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The selective lens of history

Advocate Sunil Sethis recent analysis in Greater Kashmir, NC and Congress: History of political misadventures, rightly demands a painful, honest reckoning with Jammu and Kashmirs past. He correctly asserts that when short-term power overrides democratic integrity, institutional damage endures for generations. The historical trajectory he charts, from the forced reversals of the 1975 Accord to the catastrophic manipulation of the 1987 elections, consists of undeniable blunders for which the National Conference and Congress must answer. Yet, an honest reckoning cannot be selective. If history demands true political accountability rather than convenient explanations, the lens of scrutiny must turn with equal force towards the BJP. The present establishment routinely treats its own record as an exception to the rule. However, for over two decades, BJP has embedded itself within the regions political matrix, engaging in the exact brand of opportunistic accommodations and realpolitik it decries in its predecessors. While new highways, tunnels, and road networks are visible achievements, they serve as a glossy facade. Beneath this manufactured normalcy, Jammu and Kashmir remains caught in a volatile, evolving conflict marked by shifting security threats, unprecedented societal crises, and a total democratic deficit. Central to the current establishments narrative is its routine bragging over record-breaking tourist footprints. Conflating recreational footfall with genuine, structural peace is a deceptive illusion. Tourists visit under the heavily armed protection of omnipresent security cordons, passing through a landscape dotted with bunkers and checkpoints. Tourism is a commercial transaction facilitated by temporary stability; it is not an indicator of a resolved political conflict or a reconciled populace. The region has witnessed a shivering increase in targeted assassinations specifically designed to engineer demographic fear. Elusive, untraceable hybrid cells have systematically executed vulnerable populations, including minority Kashmiri Pandits, grassroots political workers, and non-local migrant laborers. Simultaneously, strategic stabilization of the past has disintegrated with dramatic, violent reactivation of the Jammu division. Highly trained foreign mercenaries have systematically shifted the theater of conflict utilizing the rugged terrains of Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch, and Kathua to launch lethal operations. From regular ambushes on security installations to the brutal attack on pilgrims in Reasi, Jammu is effectively boiled all over again, proving that valley containment has simply pushed a lethal conflict into previously cleared territories. Beyond the immediate threat of gunfire lies an unprecedented socio-economic catastrophe: J&Ks worst-ever drug influx. There has been a lethal surge of high-potency synthetic opioids, primarily intravenous heroin, locally known as Chitta. Driven extensively by cross-border drone smuggling networks that use narco-terrorism to fund insurgent infrastructure, this epidemic has swept up an estimated 1 to 1.35 million users. It is systematically hollowing out an entire generation of youth, tearing the social order apart far faster than the UTs limited rehabilitation infrastructure can manage. The BJP cannot distance itself from the very matrix of power it claims to have dismantled. The partys own record is defined by the politics of contradiction. In 1999, under the Vajpayee-led NDA, it readily inducted Omar Abdullah, the premier face of the dynastic order it lambasts, into the Union Cabinet. In 2015, the quest for power culminated in a highly contradictory coalition with PDP, for which the BJP willfully shelved its foundational demands under a mutually convenient Agenda of Alliance. The ultimate irony manifested when, after placing harsh curbs on these regional dynasts post-August 2019 and branding them as untrustworthy, the Prime Ministers Office invited these very same untrustworthy leaders for political consultations in New Delhi. This exposes a recurring truth: when it suits BJP, yesterdays adversary instantly becomes todays indispensable partner. SethiJi is entirely correct that political accountability concerns whether decisions taken by those exercising power strengthened or weakened the institutions entrusted to them. Congress and the National Conference must face historical scrutiny for their past conduct. However, BJP cannot escape the consequences of its own governance since 1999, 2015, and the post-2019 era of direct rule. When a state boasts of record tourist numbers but cannot guarantee the safety of pilgrims on its hills, and when it showcases infrastructure while its youth are destroyed by an unchecked drug epidemic, it is not an erasure of the conundrum. It is merely the continuation of political experimentation by different means. History demands symmetric accountability, and the current rulers of New Delhi are as much a part of this boiling conundrum as the dynasts they seek to replace. Lalit Aditya Pandit, Kashmiri Pandit Activist, Columnist, Journalist with JK Patrika.

Autumn Silk cocoon auction market commences in Srinagar

Srinagar, Oct 19: The Autumn Silk Cocoon Auction Market for Kashmir Division commenced today at the Sericulture Complex, Srinagar, marking an important occasion for the sericulture sector and providing a platform for cocoon growers to market their produce in a transparent and competitive environment. The market was inaugurated by Ajaz Ahmad Bhat, Director Sericulture J&K in presence of departmental officers, cocoon growers from various districts of Kashmir Division and buyers from within and outside the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Autumn Silk Cocoon Auction Market reflects the departments continued commitment towards strengthening the marketing infrastructure for silk cocoons, facilitating better linkages between cocoon growers and buyers and promoting a more organised and remunerative marketing system for the sericulture community. The participation of buyers from within and outside the Union Territory is expected to encourage healthy competition, enhance market access for local cocoon growers and contribute towards improving returns from silkworm rearing. The auction market also provides an important opportunity for growers to bring their produce to an organised marketplace, interact directly with buyers and benefit from a transparent auction-based mechanism. The initiative forms part of the departments broader efforts to strengthen the entire sericulture value chain, from silkworm seed production and cocoon rearing to marketing and silk production, thereby, supporting rural livelihoods and creating sustainable economic opportunities for farmers associated with the sector. Later, Director Sericulture J&K, visited the Central Organization for Training in Sericulture (COTS) Mirgund to review the progress of Late Autumn Rearing 2026 and assess the functioning and progress of the newly established Silkworm Crop Improvement Laboratory. During the visit, the Director took stock of the ongoing rearing activities and reviewed the research and technological interventions being undertaken to improve silkworm productivity, strengthen breeding programmes and enhance the overall performance of the sericulture sector in the Union Territory. The visit also included a review of the construction and operationalisation of modern laboratory facilities established to strengthen research and crop improvement activities. The newly established Silkworm Crop Improvement Laboratory is intended to support scientific experimentation, breeding-related studies, evaluation of silkworm genetic material, and technology-driven interventions aimed at improving the quality and productivity of silkworm crops. The Director emphasized the importance of translating scientific research and technological advancements into practical benefits for silkworm rearers and the wider sericulture community. He stressed the need for sustained efforts in research, germplasm conservation, breeding and the adoption of improved rearing technologies to enhance productivity, improve cocoon quality, and strengthen the competitiveness of Jammu and Kashmirs sericulture sector. The inauguration of the Autumn Silk Cocoon Auction Market at Srinagar, coupled with the review of ongoing rearing activities and research initiatives at COTS Mirgund, reflects the departments integrated approach towards strengthening both the marketing and technological dimensions of sericulture. Through improved market access, scientific crop improvement, modern laboratory infrastructure, and sustained institutional interventions, the Sericulture Development Department, J&K, continues to work towards enhancing cocoon production, supporting the farming community, and advancing the growth of the sericulture sector across the Union Territory.

India-New Zealand trade pact effective from today

New Delhi, Oct 19:India's free trade agreement with New Zealand will come into force on October 20, allowing 100 per cent of Indian goods, including leather, footwear, apparel and textiles, to enter the country at zero import duty in the island country. The agreement, which will come into force at 12:01 am on October 20 in India, will also open a 1.4-billion Indian market for New Zealand goods. Besides, it will expand opportunities for services, professionals, students and agricultural cooperation and facilitate foreign direct investments of USD 20 billion over the next 15 years from New Zealand to India. Announcing the move, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the pact aims to increase bilateral trade in goods and services from about USD 2.4 billion to around New Zealand dollar 7 billion or about Rs 35,000 crore, by 2030. Flagging off heavy earthmoving and construction equipment maker JCB India's small excavator, which will be exported to New Zealand under the trade pact, Goyal said the company exports 25 per cent of its total production to different countries from India. I am giving them a target to increase it to 50 per cent. New Zealand is now the 140th export destination for them, he said. New Zealand is giving 100 per cent duty-free market access from Tuesday itself. It covers all tariff lines or product categories and 100 per cent of India's current exports to New Zealand. This is the first FTA for India where it receives full duty-free access across all tariff lines from entering into force. Elimination of import duty would remove the existing tariff disadvantage of pre-FTA rates of up to 10 per cent faced by Indian exporters in the New Zealand market. The major sectors that would benefit include fruits and vegetables; coffee, tea, cocoa and spices; cereals; processed foods; textiles and clothing; leather and footwear; pharmaceuticals; engineering goods; marine products; plastics and rubber. India's exclusion list primarily includes products considered sensitive from a domestic perspective. The major categories are dairy products (milk, cream, whey, yoghurt, cheese); animal products (other than sheep meat); vegetable products such as onions, chana, peas, corn, almonds); sugar and artificial honey; animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils. The list also includes arms and ammunition; gems and jewellery (Precious metals and finished jewellery products); copper and copper articles (cathodes, cartridges, rods, bars, coils); and aluminium and aluminium articles (ingots, billets, wire, rods, bars).

JKSA condemns attack on Kashmir-bound bus in Ludhiana

Srinagar, Oct 19: The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Monday expressed serious concern over the reported stone-pelting attack on a Delhi-to-Srinagar passenger bus in Doraha, Ludhiana district, Punjab, late Saturday night. The Association has taken up the matter with the Punjab Chief Ministers Office (CMO), seeking urgent intervention, accountability, and measures to ensure the safety of Kashmiri passengers travelling through the state. JKSA National Convenor Nasir Khuehami, as per a statement issued, said that several miscreants and goons allegedly attacked the Kashmir-bound bus around 11 PM while it was travelling towards Srinagar. According to the bus driver, Ishfaq Ahmad, the attackers resorted to stone-pelting and smashed the vehicles window panes while passengers, including women and children, were asleep inside. Khuehami strongly condemned the incident, describing repeated attacks on Kashmir-bound vehicles as a serious concern requiring immediate intervention by law-enforcement agencies. He urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation, identify those responsible, and initiate strict legal action against the perpetrators. Following the incident, Khuehami took up the matter with the Punjab Chief Ministers Office, including the Media Adviser and Spokesperson, Baltej Pannu and others, and sought their immediate intervention to ensure swift action. The Association also flagged the incident with the Punjab Chief Secretary and DGP Punjab, seeking their intervention to ensure accountability and strengthen security measures for Kashmiri passengers travelling through the state. Pannu assured Khuehami that the state government had taken serious note of the incident and that no one would be allowed to intimidate, harass, or target Kashmiri bus drivers or passengers anywhere in Punjab. He reiterated the governments commitment to zero tolerance towards such incidents and assured that strict action would be taken against anyone found involved. Pannu also directed the concerned police authorities, including the Commissioner of Police Ludhiana, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), and the Superintendent of Police (Investigation), to intervene and ensure prompt action in the matter. Following the intervention, SP Investigation Khanna, Rakesh Kumar Yadav, informed Khuehami that an FIR (No. 0343) had been registered at Doraha Police Station under Sections 324(4) and 125 of the BNS in connection with the incident. He added that multiple police teams had been constituted to identify and apprehend those responsible, while further investigation and legal proceedings were underway. Khuehami said, Why should Kashmiris fear for their safety while travelling through different parts of the country? A passenger bus carrying ordinary citizens, including women and children, was allegedly targeted while people were asleep. Such incidents are deeply disturbing and must not be taken lightly. The authorities must ensure accountability and send a clear message that violence and intimidation against Kashmiri passengers will not be tolerated.

Ethics is not optional in civil service

A civil servants authority is borrowed. It comes from the people, through the Constitution, and it is held in trust for their welfare. The moment it is used to humiliate rather than to serve, it stops being authority and becomes mere power. The controversy now unfolding in Jammu and Kashmir should be read in that light. A senior IAS officer stands accused of verbally abusing a junior woman officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) in an official review meeting, an allegation he disputes. The facts are for the governments inquiry to establish. But the episode points to something larger that anyone who deals with government will recognise: a drift, in parts of the civil service, from welfare towards power, and from service towards authority. Most officers do not behave this way. The concern is a culture that allows some of them to, without consequence. The irony is hard to miss. Since 2013, the main examination for the IAS has carried a compulsory 250-mark paper, Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude, and the JKAS examination carries the same paper. Since 2014, the conduct rules for All India Services officers have required them to maintain high ethical standards, responsiveness to the public, particularly the weaker sections, and courtesy and good behaviour. Ethics is not optional to enter the civil service. It cannot become optional once an officer is inside it. We must remember what these services are for. Being an IAS or JKAS officer is not about making reels, building a social media image or enjoying the trappings of a chair. It is about executing authority for peoples welfare. Indias highest examination does not hand anyone absolute power; it hands them a trust, held on behalf of the farmer, the unemployed graduate and the young person waiting on a government scheme for a loan. I have sat through many meetings and review sessions in my own work. What I have always felt is that the review meeting has quietly become a theatre of hierarchy rather than a tool of governance. Targets are read out, numbers are questioned, and too often the loudest voice in the room is mistaken for the most competent one. Juniors learn to stay silent, and silence is the most expensive thing a government can buy, because it hides problems until they become failures. This is not a Kashmiri problem alone; an officer in any state will recognise the room. This is where the decline hurts the people most. An officer who rules a meeting through fear will not hear the truth about why loans are stuck, why a scheme is failing or why a village has been left out. When authority replaces ethics inside the office, welfare is the first casualty outside it. An office that cannot protect the dignity of its own officers will not protect the dignity of the citizen waiting at its door. Yet within hours, the debate on this episode split along familiar lines: IAS versus JKAS, outsider versus native, Kashmiri versus non-Kashmiri. Some voices on social media began demanding that the officer be sent back, as if people from elsewhere are somehow less human and we are above them. Some of the anger has a real context, since control over IAS officers in the Union Territory rests with the Lieutenant Governor rather than the elected government. But this reaction is intellectual bankruptcy, and it lets the real wrong slip away. I am not making an argument of IAS versus JKAS. If a Kashmiri secretary spoke this way to a junior from Bihar or Rajasthan, the act would be exactly as wrong; so would a JKAS officer humiliating a clerk or a patwari (village revenue official). Every human has a morality and a conscience, and as Immanuel Kant reminded us, persons have dignity, not a price, and must never be treated merely as a means. Abuse does not change its character with the abusers domicile or the victims cadre. To make it a question of origin is tribalism wearing the clothes of outrage. None of this is to deny that senior officers work under real pressure. Flagship schemes come with hard targets, reviews are relentless, and a secretary answers for every lag in every district. Frustration in a review meeting is understandable. But pressure may explain a raised voice; it never justifies abuse. What Kashmir needs, and what Indias bureaucracy needs, is professionalism: the discipline of disagreeing on facts without attacking persons, and of using authority as a responsibility rather than a weapon. Even when a junior speaks out of turn, the answer is a written record and due process, never public humiliation. It also means a person needs to be assigned the job he or she is capable of doing. Managing people is a skill, not a privilege of seniority, and postings should weigh temperament and conduct as seriously as batch and seniority. Juniors, in turn, need a way to report humiliation without fearing for their careers. So let the inquiry be impartial, let its findings be made public, and let accountability follow the facts, whatever cadre they point to. But the larger task is ours. Ethics has to be adopted, not as a paper to be cleared or a rule to be cited, but as the everyday practice of power in the service of people. The question before us is not where an officer comes from. It is whether he, or she, governs for the welfare of the people. On that question, there must be a single standard, applied to everyone. The author works with a bank on rural self-employment and writes on public policy and development.

Former J&K cadre IPS officer Ram Prakash passes away in Chandigarh

Srinagar, Oct 19: Former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Ram Prakash, who belonged to the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir cadre and was widely remembered in police and administrative circles for his professional integrityincluding an epic face-off with the then Chief Minister Ghulam Mohammad Shahpassed away in Chandigarh on Sunday. He had been unwell in recent times. Prakash served the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir during a period marked by political flux and challenges to law and order. As a senior IPS officer of the J&K cadre, he held various key field and supervisory assignments across the region. Colleagues and contemporaries recalled him as an officer known for uprightness and a willingness to uphold professional norms.

A Union Territory in its own Home

You are bloody sh*t. I can always talk to you like this. There is something particularly revealing about those words, allegedly uttered by a senior IAS officer during an official meeting in Jammu and Kashmir. Not merely the vulgarity, not merely the public humiliation of a junior colleague, but the assertion that he can speak that way because he is her boss. It is the language of a hierarchy that has begun to mistake authority for entitlement and subordination for submission. The video of the exchange involving a senior IAS officer has understandably triggered outrage. The reported threats of suspension and dismissal, following the junior officers objection to his language, make the incident even more disturbing. An officer responsible for implementing government programmes may be questioned about performance, targets and accountability. But when a review meeting descends into personal insults and threats, the question is no longer simply whether a subordinate has done her job. It is whether the administration itself understands the limits of power. Yet the most important question raised by this incident goes beyond the conduct of one officer. It concerns the peculiar position in which Jammu and Kashmir finds itself today: governed by an elected Chief Minister, but without the full authority that a state government would ordinarily exercise over its administration. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has publicly stated that he took up the matter with the Chief Secretary and directed that the JKAS officer face no retaliatory action. He has also made an important distinction between Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory and what it would mean to have a state government with the corresponding administrative powers. Had Jammu and Kashmir been a state, he observed, the officer could have been attached to the General Administration Department pending an inquiry into his conduct. That is the heart of the matter. In a full fledged state, an elected government operates within a different constitutional and administrative framework, with greater authority over the functioning of its administration, subject to the applicable service rules and the Unions powers. In Jammu and Kashmir, the distribution of powers is different. The Lieutenant Governor and the Union government retain significant authority over services, particularly the IAS cadre, while the elected government remains responsible for governance and public delivery in areas entrusted to it. This creates an extraordinary imbalance. The Chief Minister is answerable to the people for the functioning of the government, but does not enjoy the same degree of control over the IAS officers whose conduct can directly affect that functioning. The public expects accountability from the elected leadership, yet important administrative levers remain outside its full command. Responsibility without corresponding authority is not meaningful democratic empowerment. It is a structural contradiction. Imagine the same incident unfolding in a state where the elected government has the relevant authority to initiate an immediate administrative response. The Chief Minister would not have to publicly explain the limitations of his control or rely on another authority to ensure that a junior officer is protected from retaliation. The competent state authorities could consider attaching the senior officer pending inquiry, subject to the applicable rules, while the facts were established. That difference is not cosmetic. It changes the relationship between elected representatives, the bureaucracy and the people they serve. And in Jammu and Kashmir, the consequences are particularly sensitive. Local officers are expected to implement policies, respond to public grievances and understand the regions administrative realities. JKAS officers bring years of local experience and institutional knowledge. They are not lesser public servants, nor are they meant to function as a permanently subordinate class within their own administration. The IAS is an all India service, and officers from outside Jammu and Kashmir have an entirely legitimate role in its governance. The problem is not where an officer comes from. It is whether the administrative structure permits anyone to behave as though coming from a particular cadre confers superior human worth or unquestionable authority over local officials. The perception that local officers can be humiliated while those exercising power remain beyond the effective reach of the elected government is damaging in itself. When such incidents occur, they reinforce a sense that Kashmiris are expected to carry the burden of administration without possessing an equal voice in how that administration is controlled. This is not about denying the importance of an all India service. It is about insisting that its members operate with the same professional accountability expected of every public servant. No cadre should become a shield against scrutiny. No posting should be interpreted as permission to disregard the dignity of colleagues. And no local officer should have to calculate whether objecting to misconduct might endanger an entire career. There is also a gendered dimension that cannot be ignored. Women in public service should not have to choose between professional dignity and professional survival. When a woman objects to being addressed in degrading language, her objection should not automatically be recast as indiscipline. The appropriate response is to establish the facts, assess the conduct of everyone involved and ensure that no one is punished for raising a legitimate grievance. A woman officers dignity is not conditional upon the goodwill of her superior. The applicable service rules already establish expectations of professional conduct. The All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, require officers to maintain integrity, devotion to duty and conduct becoming of a member of the service. Administrative disagreements must be addressed through established procedures, not threats issued in anger. If misconduct is established, proportionate action must follow through the competent authority, with due process for everyone concerned. The wider record of investigations involving the officer in case makes scrutiny of his conduct and the exercise of official authority especially important, although allegations in separate cases must not be confused with proof of guilt in this incident. Ultimately, restoring statehood is about much more than a constitutional label or a political slogan. It is about restoring the relationship between democratic responsibility and administrative power. An elected government must have the institutional capacity to govern effectively, hold officials accountable within the law and protect the dignity of the people and public servants it represents. Jammu and Kashmir cannot indefinitely be expected to function as a democracy in which the elected leadership answers for administrative failures while important powers over the administration remain elsewhere. The question raised by this incident is therefore larger than one officers alleged words. It is whether Jammu and Kashmir will continue with a system in which local officers can feel vulnerable before an entrenched hierarchy, and an elected Chief Minister must publicly acknowledge the limits of his own authority. A government office is not a personal fiefdom. A senior designation is not a licence to humiliate. And Kashmiri public servants are not second class citizens in their own homeland. Jammu and Kashmir needs full statehood not merely so that its elected government can exercise power, but so that power can be made answerable to the people in whose name it is exercised. Adv Shriya Handoo, Research Head, Spokesperson, JKNC

Committed to fight for restoration of Articles 370, 35A, statehood: NC

Srinagar, Oct 19: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah Monday presided over a workers convention in the Arwah area of Beerwah constituency. The convention was organised by Beerwah MLA Dr Shafi Ahmad Wani. The convention, as per a party statement, was attended by Provincial President Showkat Ahmad Mir, Central Zone President and Chadoora MLA Ali Mohammad Dar, Budgam District President Ghulam Nabi Bhat, block presidents, constituency presidents, mohalla presidents, delegates and party workers. Addressing the convention, Dr Farooq reiterated the National Conferences unwavering commitment to fight for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmirs special constitutional status, Articles 370 and 35A, and full statehood. He said that before the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, the Supreme Court, in two earlier hearings, had upheld the provisions permanent status and described it as a permanent provision of the Constitution of India. He asserted that the National Conference would continue its struggle for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmirs constitutional rights and special status. Highlighting the historic contributions of the National Conference, Dr Farooq said that the partys revolutionary and historic initiatives had paved the way for land reforms, enabling poor and marginalised farmers and cultivators to acquire ownership rights over land. He said that it was also due to the National Conference that the light of education reached every household in Jammu and Kashmir, with the literacy rate rising from 6 per cent to nearly 82 per cent today. He added that the partys role in establishing and strengthening fundamental, constitutional and democratic institutions, as well as essential infrastructure, remained unforgettable. Dr Farooq Abdullah said that repeated attempts and conspiracies had been made over the past several decades to weaken the National Conference, but with the unwavering support of the people and the grace of Almighty Allah, the party had overcome every challenge. He asserted that as long as the people stood firmly with the National Conference, no force could undermine its political strength. Targeting the PDP, Dr Farooq Abdullah said that the hardships endured by the people of Jammu and Kashmir over the past several years were a consequence of the PDPs actions. He said that the National Conference had announced unconditional support to the PDP in 2014 and warned it against bringing the BJP to Jammu and Kashmir, cautioning that the party would wreak havoc in the region. However, he said, the PDP ignored the warning and pushed the state towards destruction. Had the PDP not brought the BJP to Jammu and Kashmir, Article 370 would not have been abrogated, he added. He described the Supreme Courts 2024 judgment on Article 370 as entirely wrong, arguing that the same court had upheld the provision on two earlier occasions and stated that it had acquired permanent status under the Constitution of India. Almighty Allah is watching everything. We need only to exercise patience and restraint. Oppression may last for a while, but it cannot continue forever. Allah will certainly bring oppression to an end, and injustice will be eradicated, he said. The winds of change have begun to blow, and they are gathering speed. Dr Farooq Abdullah said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were seeking their rightful due. He recalled that promises had been made regarding delimitation, elections and the restoration of statehood following the elections. Where have those promises gone? Why has statehood still not been restored even after two years? he asked. He said that, in January this year, National Conference Members of Parliament had met the Union Home Minister in New Delhi, where the latter had assured them that business rules would be provided immediately to clarify the respective powers of the Lieutenant Governor and the elected government. However, he said, even after ten months, the promised business rules remained nowhere in sight. He said those in power are relying on false promises and deception. Allahs justice may be delayed, but it is never denied. These circumstances will not last forever, and the people of Jammu and Kashmir will certainly receive their rightful due, he said. He stressed the need for party workers to remain united, strengthen their ranks and foil the nefarious designs and conspiracies of their adversaries. Speaking about the current development scenario, Dr Farooq Abdullah said that the government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was utilising all available resources to accelerate development across Jammu and Kashmir despite the most challenging circumstances. He said that every possible effort was being made to provide relief to the people. The initiation of several development projects in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir, including Beerwah constituency, reflected a new phase of progress, he added. In his address, Beerwah MLA Dr Shafi Ahmad Wani highlighted the ongoing development initiatives in the constituency. He said that substantial funds had been released for various projects and that numerous works had been initiated to improve local infrastructure and public amenities. He asserted that Beerwah was moving towards a new phase of development and reaffirmed his commitment to resolving all pending issues faced by the constituency. At the conclusion of the convention, party leaders reiterated their commitment to public service, inclusive development and the protection of Jammu and Kashmirs constitutional rights. They expressed confidence that the National Conference would continue to enjoy the support of the people in the future. Youth National Conference Zonal President Raees Ahmad Matoo and Zonal Secretary Mohammad Ashraf Matoo were also present on the occasion.

Ladakh and Delhi Should Forge Strategic Solidarity

It is absolutely clear that the Centre will not give Ladakh what it has not given to Jammu and Kashmir after the two regions were separated from each other in August 2019. This separation followed the reorganization of the State, through which they had been tied together since the era of the Dogra rulers. The talks between the Ladakh leadership and the Centre have not reached a fair conclusion, and it does not seem that a mutually acceptable draft will be ready anytime soon. This reality stems from the way negotiations have shaped up in recent months. Attempts to untangle the contentious issues have proved futile so far. It is a given that negotiations of this naturewhere local aspirations are weighed against overall national security concerns and strategic objectivestake time. There is no scope for rushing through things when high national stakes are involved. The International Dimension Usually, Ladakh is viewed as a region cradled between borders with China and Pakistan, alongside the Pakistan-occupied territories of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir that acceded to India in October 1947. However, it has other international dimensions that are rarely spoken of. The Pakistani invasion of Jammu and Kashmir in October 1947 and the subsequent war that lasted well into 1948 affected Ladakh just as much as Kashmir. Its international dimensions have surfaced time and again. There are at least two recorded facts in post-independence history that highlight this: The 1999 Kargil War: This conflict demonstrated how Pakistan, after declaring itself a nuclear power in May 1998, mounted intrusions into this side of the Line of Control (LoC). International powers were keenly interested in the outcome and counseled restraint. While the United States saw the flare-up in Kargil as a sign of Kashmir becoming a flashpoint for an Indo-Pak nuclear war, Ladakh at the time was part of the Kashmir Division within Jammu and Kashmirdespite being ethically, geographically, and topographically an altogether different entity. The 2020 Standoff: More recently, China gathered its troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in AprilMay 2020 and instigated the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020. The impact of this is still felt today, even though attempts continue to relegate the episode to the margins of history. During the tense military standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh, which lasted for over four and a half years, the United States and other Western nationswith their own strategic goals against Chinaoffered support and intervention, much like they did during the Kargil War. India spurned these offers, stating it was capable of handling the crisis on its own, and it ultimately did so. Ongoing Geopolitical Challenges This success, however, has not kept the region out of the international spotlight. The Galwan Valley clashes left lasting imprints on the mountains. Furthermore, any doubts about Chinese intentions following the renewed China-India bonhomie in October 2024 were cleared when Beijing declared that it does not recognize the so-called Union Territory of Ladakh and made several uncharitable remarks. India challenged the Chinese contention and replied in an appropriately suitable diplomatic language, but that does not change how China views this region and its positioning. The best answer to all these international and strategic concerns can be provided by the Centre alone. The Ladakh leadership knows well that only the Centre can handle a crisis of such magnitude, which also occasionally reflects on the internal situation. Therefore, it is incumbent upon them to draw a line regarding their demands. These calls for an understanding of real-time issues may be defined by mutual trust, but the fact remains that robust strategic solidarity is a national security necessity to meet the challenges strewn across the border. The changing global geopolitical order has created a whirlpool of challenges for India. These cover all regions, especially border areas sharing a hostile neighborhood. These shadows on strategic regions cannot be wished away, whether in the North-East, Kashmir, or Ladakh. Strategic solidarity must be unconditional. Lessons from Recent Unrest A fair assessment of the ongoing talks can be traced to what happened on September 24, 2025, when an unfortunate incident left four dead and several others wounded. It was only after violence hit the streets of Leh that the gravity of the situation was fully understood. There was a lesson in that: unfortunate incidents tend to occur when vested interests exploit the public gaps created by delaying the dialogue process. There should be a greater understanding of these issues, and they must be responded to with a sensitive narrative. If sensitivity and strategic necessity are fundamental requirements, then the peoples aspirations should be taken on board in a timely manner. The talks should move beyond the technicalities that Buddhists in Ladakh should simply be satisfied because they were given the UT status they had agitated for over decades. Indeed, it was a failure on the part of the Ladakhi leadership, particularly the Buddhists, that they did not clarify what specific powers they expected alongside UT status. They were simply interested in achieving UT status for two primary reasons: To showcase themselves as the ultimate paragons of Indian nationalism. To secure a secession from Kashmirwhich at the time was a hotbed of terrorismand present it as an act of nationalism. Conversely, Kargil and its population were viewed as a different people due to their strong ties with Kashmir, essentially owing to religious affinity, as both Kargil and Kashmir are overwhelmingly Muslim-majority areas. The Path Forward UT status was thought to be the best way to achieve these local objectives, and the Centre delivered exactly what it was asked for. The demands for statehood, the Sixth Schedule, and other constitutional safeguards for their land, culture, and traditions were only flagged after leadership realized that the administration within the UT setup did not match their expectations. They began weighing the pros and cons of whether they were better off with the state of J&K or under the current UT system. Now is the time to move on. The leadership should sit down together and draft a roadmap that upholds strategic solidarity. There should not be a selective approach. The path forward must be completely in sync with local aspirations and national security necessities.

NTPHC Monbal lacks staff, people suffer

Kupwara, Oct 19: Residents of the Haril area have expressed strong resentment over the lack of staff at the New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC), Monbal, resulting in severe hardships for inhabitants of over 50 villages. The hospital caters to several upper reaches and remote villages, including Lahikote, Changdi, Monbal, Bandi, Malikpora, Utroosa, Kelshan, Londa, Haril, Jahama and Sheikhpora. However, it is facing a staff shortage, causing difficulties for residents. Residents alleged that the hospital, established two decades ago, had never been a priority for the authorities. We belong to a heavy snow-bound area, and due to the accumulation of several feet of snow and the lack of specialist doctors at NTPHC Monbal, we are forced to carry our patients on makeshift cots, walking several kilometres to reach Haril, from where we board passenger vehicles to reach Qalamabad or Handwara hospitals for treatment, said Nazir Ahmad War, a local resident of Haril. Residents said a dental surgeon used to visit the hospital a few days a week, but a replacement had yet to be appointed following his transfer. Residents also complained about the lack of basic facilities such as X-ray, ECG and USG services, which affects the smooth functioning of the hospital. They said that although they had been pressing for the appointment of specialists, including a gynaecologist, for years, their demands had gone unaddressed. We requested the authorities several times to make this hospital functional round the clock, but to no avail, said Salam Din, a local resident. Residents have urged Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Langate, Sheikh Khursheed, to look into the matter so that their suffering can end and they can heave a sigh of relief.

CIVIC Foundation holds youth leadership roundtable in Srinagar

Srinagar, Oct 19: The Civic Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), in support of the Watson Institute and Western Union Foundation, hosted a regional co-design roundtable in Srinagar. The gathering brought together civil society members, academics, journalists, activists, artists, historians and youth from across Kashmir, including Bandipora, Kupwara and Srinagar, to shape a youth leadership initiative rooted in local solutions and sustainable economic models. The roundtable served as the official consultation for the upcoming CIVIC Youth Leadership Fellowship, a one-year initiative designed to equip young Kashmiris with participatory leadership skills, conflict mediation and practical tools to address urgent community challenges. Rather than relying on temporary grants or conventional tourism models, the fellowship emphasises building permanent, self-sustaining micro-enterprises and local economic capacity. Speaking at the event, Sajad Rasool, Director of CRDF and a Fellow at the Watson Institute, highlighted the crucial role of youth in driving local economic autonomy while safeguarding the regions natural and cultural heritage. Storytelling and documented grievances open long-overdue conversations, but storytelling alone cannot pay a young persons monthly bills, said Sajad Rasool. Young Kashmiris need permanent, community-rooted institutions. Through this fellowship, our goal is to empower youth to create dignified, self-sustaining livelihoods that protect our fragile environment, our waterbodies, forests and biomass, while reviving our rich language, oral histories and traditional crafts. During the three-hour interactive session, participants engaged in asset-mapping exercises that linked personal heritage and cultural memory directly to economic opportunities. Discussions highlighted systemic challenges, including environmental degradation, the loss of traditional architecture, biomass burning and language decline, alongside promising local assets.

Vanishing farmland

Kashmir is slowly losing its ability to feed itself. Cultivable land in Jammu and Kashmir is barely 4.4 percent of the total geography; mountains, forests and rough terrain make up the rest. Yet this small stretch of fertile ground is exactly what we are covering with housing colonies, shopping complexes and roads, or turning into orchards. The numbers tell the story. Paddy acreage fell from 1,62,309 hectares in 2012-13 to 1,32,641 in 2024-25, a loss of nearly 5.93 lakh kanal. Satellite studies show the Valleys farmland shrank by about 28 percent between 1992 and 2015. Kashmir now grows perhaps half of what it eats. The rest comes from Punjab and Haryana. Rice imports rose from 3.74 lakh tonnes in 2022-23 to 4.86 lakh tonnes in 2024-25. A staple we once grew in plenty now depends on trucks, highways and open supply routes. Anyone who remembers a blocked highway in winter knows how fragile that is. Farmers should not be blamed. A grower who earned

Mission Director, J&K NHM reviews maternal and child health services at SKIMS Medical College Hospital

Srinagar, Oct 19:The Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM), Jammu and Kashmir, Athar Aamir Khan, visited SKIMS Medical College, Bemina, on October 19, 2026, and chaired a meeting to discuss issues related to maternal and child health services to further strengthen patient care at the institution. The meeting was attended by Principal, SKIMS Medical College, Bemina, Prof. (Dr.) Fazl Q. Parray; Medical Superintendent Dr. Shafa Deva; various Heads of Departments and faculty members of SKIMS Medical College Hospital, Bemina; and NHM officers, including Dr. Jitendar Mehta, Programme Manager; Dr. Mushtaq, Programme Manager; and Dr. Bisma, Programme Manager. During the meeting, the Medical Superintendent presented a detailed overview of issues and requirements related to maternal and child health services, highlighting areas requiring attention and support to improve the quality of patient care. Athar Aamir Khan assured the institution of all possible support from NHM to address the identified issues and strengthen healthcare delivery, particularly in maternal and child health. Following the meeting, the Mission Director, accompanied by the SKIMS Medical College team and NHM officials, conducted a detailed inspection of the Critical Care Block being constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM). During the inspection, he reviewed the progress of the ongoing construction work and issued strict directions to the executing agency to expedite the work and ensure timely completion of the project. The Mission Director also inspected the Labour Room, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Gynaecology Ward to assess the existing facilities and review requirements for improving service delivery. He interacted with patients and concerned staff and reiterated NHMs commitment to extending all possible assistance to strengthen maternal and child healthcare services and ensure better patient care. The visit underscored the importance of coordinated efforts between NHM and SKIMS Medical College, Bemina, in strengthening healthcare infrastructure, improving service delivery and ensuring quality healthcare for mothers, newborns and children. Principal, SKIMS Medical College, Bemina, Prof. Fazl Q. Parray, thanked Athar Aamir Khan, Mission Director, NHM, for his concern for the healthcare system and expressed gratitude.

DC Srinagar visits UPHC Lal Bazar, presides over registration camp for senior citizens

Srinagar, Oct 19:Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Akshay Labroo on Monday visited the Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) Lal Bazar and presided over an awareness cum registration camp for senior citizens aged 70 years and above under the Vay Vandana Scheme. The programme on Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme was a part of District Administrations outreach efforts to ensure maximum coverage of eligible senior citizens aged 70 years and above under the scheme providing additional health support of Rs 5 Lakh over and above the existing cover aimed to strengthen senior citizen health security. The DC was accompanied by Chief Planning Officer, Fayaz Ahmad Dar, IAS Probationer, Aakash Garg, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tahir Sajad, Tehsildar Eidgah, mohamamd Iqbal Zargar, ZMO Zadibal, Dr Rubeena Aziz, ZMO SR Gunj, Dr Shafqat Medical Superintendent Government Gousia Hospital, Dr Zahida Gul and other District Officers. On the occasion, the Deputy Commissioner led an Awareness-cum-Registration Camp on Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme of Government organized by Zonal Medical Officer, Zadibal which witnessed enthusiastic participation from elderly residents from Lal Bazar, Mandibal, Nowshahra, Botshah Mohalla,, Baghwanpora and other adjoining areas. The participants were sensitised about the benefits and advantages of the scheme and the process for registration. Addressing the gathering, the DC highlighted the significance of the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card and urged all eligible senior citizens aged 70 years and above to enrol under the scheme. He said the initiative aims to strengthen healthcare security for the elderly by providing health coverage of Rs 5 lakh and reducing the financial burden of medical treatment, thereby ensuring greater access to healthcare and promoting dignity, well-being and a better quality of life in their later years.

Extended power curtailments return to haunt Ganderbal residents

Ganderbal, Oct 19:With the onset of the pre-winter chill, long and unpredictable power curtailments have returned to haunt residents of Ganderbal district. The erratic electricity schedule has left shopkeepers, students and households struggling to manage their daily routines. Residents in the main towns of Beehama and Kangan, as well as rural areas including Haripora and Gund, report experiencing extended power cuts lasting for hours at a stretch. According to local business owners, operations have been hit hard during peak evening hours, forcing many to rely heavily on expensive diesel generators or battery inverters. We aren't even into peak winter yet, and the power grid is already collapsing. The unpredictable and extended power cuts make it impossible to plan work or studies, said Mohammad Shafi, a resident of Haripora. Locals said the newly announced curtailment schedule has caused anger among consumers. Students preparing for upcoming examinations are among the worst affected, with their study hours routinely interrupted by evening power cuts. Officials in the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) attribute the recent curtailments to a widening gap between power demand and peak availability across the Valley. An official said load-shedding and forced grid curtailments were being carried out to prevent overloading at key receiving stations during peak hours. Consumers have urged the Power Department to ensure a minimum curtailment schedule so that people do not face hardships.

Ex LG Puducherry Kiran Bedi participates in Dhruv Tara Asmita 2026 hosted by Northern Command

Udhampur, Oct 19: Regional AWWA, Northern Command, hosted Dhruv Tara Asmita 2026 in Udhampur the other day, under the guidance of Shinei Sharma, regional president AWWA, Northern Command. The event brought together Army wives and Veer Naris to share their experiences of overcoming adversity, pursuing their goals and forging their own identities, said PRO Defence Jammu Lt Col Suneel Bartwal. Asmita 2026 featured 7 inspiring speakers who shared their real-life stories of courage, resilience and determination. The speakers included two Veer Naris, one cancer warrior, a mother of a special child and three entrepreneurs. Their experiences highlighted sacrifice, perseverance, overcoming adversity and the power of self-belief. Dr Kiran Bedi, Indias first woman IPS officer and former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, graced the occasion as the chief guest. Her address encouraged the audience to approach lifes challenges with confidence and conviction. Shinei Sharma thanked the distinguished guests and commended the speakers for their courage and determination. In her address, she highlighted the importance of platforms such as Asmita in helping women recognise their potential and draw inspiration from one another. Dr Kiran Bedi and Shinei Sharma felicitated the participants and Veer Naris as a mark of appreciation and respect. Asmita 2026 concluded with a message that every womans voice deserves to be heard and every aspiration deserves an opportunity to take flight. The event reaffirmed AWWA Northern Commands commitment to creating opportunities for women to grow, lead and shape their own futures, said Lt Col Bartwal.

Rana takes stock of concerns of land-sinking victims of Sunjwan-Barmini in Jammu

Jammu, Oct 19:Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology and Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, on Monday held a public outreach programme in the Sunjwan-Barmini area of Jammu district to listen to public grievances and assess the difficulties faced by the residents, particularly families affected by the land-sinking incident. The land-sinking incident in the Sunjwan area in August 2026 reportedly damaged 15 houses and displaced dozens of families, forcing them to relocate to safer places. The incident severely affected the lives of the residents, making continued administrative support and access to essential services imperative. Accompanied by senior JKNC leaders Abdul Gani Teli, Vijay Lochan, Shamma Akhter and others, the Minister interacted with the affected families, heard their concerns and reviewed the challenges they continue to face following the incident. During the interaction, the affected families raised issues concerning basic amenities, drinking water supply, land-related matters and the assistance required at their temporary places of settlement. Taking cognisance of their concerns, Rana reviewed matters pertaining to the Forest Department, particularly those relating to land. He assured the families that their genuine grievances would be examined and addressed through the appropriate authorities. The Minister also took serious note of complaints regarding the irregular supply of drinking water. He directed the concerned officers to ensure an adequate, regular and uninterrupted supply of potable water to the residents, with focus on families displaced by the land-sinking incident. Emphasising the importance of essential services and basic amenities, he instructed the concerned departments to work in close coordination and take prompt action to resolve the issues highlighted during the programme. He stressed that families living in temporary settlements must not be left to face avoidable hardships due to gaps in service delivery. Rana directed the officers to maintain regular coordination, prioritise the issues raised by residents and ensure timely intervention wherever required. He underscored the need for continued engagement with the public to assess ground-level challenges and facilitate effective solutions.

Minor dies as load carrier plunges into gorge in Neel

Ramban, Oct 19:A 12-year-old boy died after a mini load carrier skidded off the road and plunged into a gorge near Barmuji in the Neel area of Tehsil Ramsu in Ramban district on Monday evening. According to sources, the accident involved a Tata Mobile load carrier bearing registration number JK19A-1612. The vehicle reportedly skidded off the road and plunged into a gorge, leaving the minor boy critically injured. The injured boy was immediately shifted to Sub-District Hospital (SDH), Banihal, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. The deceased was identified as Rivzan Ahmed Bhat, 12, son of Abdul Rasheed Bhat and a resident of Gogwani village in the Neel area. Police took custody of the body and handed it over to the bereaved family after completing the requisite medico-legal formalities. Meanwhile, sources said that the driver allegedly fled the scene following the accident. Further details regarding the circumstances of the incident and the whereabouts of the driver were awaited. The tragic incident has plunged Gogwani and the adjoining Neel area into mourning, with residents expressing grief over the untimely death of the young boy.

Searches on in Chenab for 2 missing in Ramban, Doda

Ramban, Oct 19:Search operations were underway on Monday to trace two persons, including a woman, who reportedly went missing after allegedly jumping into the Chenab river in separate incidents in Ramban and Doda districts. Police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and other rescue personnel are involved in efforts to locate the missing persons. In the first incident, Mohammad Imran, son of Imtiaz Ahmad Rather and a resident of Rajgarh tehsil in Ramban district, reportedly went missing after allegedly jumping into the Chenab river on Saturday. Police, the Quick Response Team (QRT) Ramban and SDRF personnel have been conducting searches to trace him. According to preliminary information, his mobile phone was recovered from a stone near the river and taken into police custody as part of the investigation. Sources said an alleged suicide note reportedly referred to harassment, a disputed allegation involving Rs 9 lakh and financial issues. The contents of the note and the circumstances surrounding the incident have not been independently verified. He had also reportedly posted something on Facebook before the incident. In a separate incident in Doda district, a 2425-year-old woman, identified as Priya Devi, wife of Vijay Kumar and a resident of Balwana village in Thathri tehsil, reportedly jumped into the Chenab River from Barshalla Bridge on Sunday. She went missing following the incident, and efforts were initiated to trace her. The circumstances leading to both incidents remain unclear. Search and rescue operations were continuing, while the whereabouts of both persons remained unknown at the time of filing this report.

Indian Army imparts training to SDRF, Civil Defence personnel at Rajouri

Rajouri, Oct 19: Aimed towards strengthening Civil Defence preparedness and in line with the governments vision of strengthening and modernising the Civil Defence network, the Indian Army conducted the Train with Your Army initiative under the theme Sashakt Nagrik, Surakshit Rashtra (Empowered Citizens, Secure Nation). White Knight Corps, under the aegis of Northern Command, conducted this three-day residential training camp at the Corps Battle School, Sarol, Rajouri in coordination with the Civil Defence Organisation and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Jammu and Kashmir. The camp trained fifty participants, comprising sixteen SDRF personnel and thirty-four Civil Defence volunteers from Jammu, Doda, Samba, Akhnoor, Sunderbani, Nowshera and Rajouri. The training covered hybrid warfare, drone threats, air raids, information warfare, cyber threats, survival techniques and emergency response procedures, the army further said. Practical demonstrations and hands-on training enhanced the participants understanding of emerging threats and their preparedness to respond effectively to emergencies. The camp culminated on Monday with outstanding trainees being felicitated by Major General Manoj Kumar Ruria, General Officer Commanding, Ace of Spades Division. The Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri Dr Devyansh Yadav; DIG Civil Defence Anita Sharma, DIG Police Rajouri Poonch range Sandeep Wazir, Station Commander Brig Atul Choudhary and other representatives of the district administration attended the closing ceremony. The initiative reaffirmed the Indian Armys commitment to strengthening civil - military cooperation, enhancing community preparedness and building national resilience, PRO Defence Jammu stated. By equipping Civil Defence volunteers and SDRF personnel with essential skills to address emerging threats and emergencies, the initiative underscored the importance of a well-prepared citizenry in ensuring a safer and more resilient nation, the army further stated.

DRM lays foundation stone for new integrated control office

Jammu, Oct 19: To further strengthen operational efficiency and safety in Jammu Railway Division, the foundation stone for the new Integrated Control Office was laid on Monday, October 19, 2026, at Jammu Tawi railway station. The foundation stone for the new control office was laid by Vivek Kumar, IRSSE, Divisional Railway Manager, Jammu. On this occasion, Akshay Kumar Marantu, Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Jammu, along with senior officers from all departments were also present, said Raghvender Singh, Public Relations Inspector (PRI), Jammu Railway Division of the Northern Railway. This new control office is being built with the concept of bringing the controls of all departments under one roof. This integrated control will house controls of all departments including Operating, Engineering, Signal & Telecommunication and Electrical, which will lead to better coordination and greater efficiency in train operation, monitoring and management, Singh shared. The new control office will be equipped with modern facilities and latest technology. It will prove to be a milestone in meeting the growing traffic requirements of Jammu Division and for its future expansion, Singh said.

Curtailed flying hours end at Srinagar Airport; evening flights to resume

Srinagar, Oct 19:After witnessing curtailment in flying hours for almost seven months, owing to runway repairs, the Srinagar International Airport is set to see resumption of extended hours for flight operations. This essentially means that late evening flights, which were restricted at the airport since April this year, will soon become functional. An official at the Srinagar Airport, said they have already received the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), regarding lifting of time restrictions of flight operations. The NOTAM, in the aviation sector, is a communication to all the operating airlines and airport handling agencies. The airlines operating to this region have been informed that numbers of hours for which they can operate to and from Srinagar have been increased. Resumption of evening flights will start with implementation of the Winter Schedule from October 25, said the official. During the runway repair period between April and October this year, flights were allowed to operate between 8 am to 5pm at the Srinagar Airport, resulting in almost 25 to 30 daily arrivals, down from almost 50 flight arrivals seen prior to April. Although the number of flights are expected to increase due to lifting of curbs on flying hours, smooth functioning of evening flights during winter months, depends on runway visibility. Earlier, in a statement issued, the airport spokesperson made an announcement regarding withdrawal of operational restrictions and commencement of winter schedule at Srinagar International Airport. Srinagar International Airport wishes to inform passengers and stakeholders that the previously imposed restrictions on airport operational hours, limiting operations to 8 am to 5 pm, have been withdrawn. Consequently, the restriction on airport operations beyond 5 pm no longer applies, and operations can be planned as per the applicable schedule, subject to operational requirements, said the statement. The Winter Schedule 2026 will come into effect from October 25, 2026. Airlines are in the process of filing slots for late-evening flights to and from Srinagar, which is expected to enhance flight connectivity and provide greater flexibility to passengers during the winter season, it said. The advisory urged passengers to check the latest flight status and timings with their respective airlines before proceeding to the airport. Earlier this year, a proposal to shut the airport for two weeks in October was scrapped, bringing relief to travellers. In the last few years, daily arrivals and departures at the Srinagar Airport have at times even touched 70 flight movements. The number of flights had drastically reduced after the sharp decline in tourist influx post Pahalgam attack last year. Besides the runway repairs, for which the flying hours were restricted, a larger expansion plan is also in the pipeline, under which there would be a terminal expansion. As a part of this, various passenger amenities will also get a boost. Meanwhile, trade and tourism players have welcomed the lifting of curbs in flying hours. Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Javed Tenga said an increase in flying hours, will benefit tourists as well as local travellers. The resumption of normal flying hours at the airport was long-awaited and it is a welcome step. Not only will the tourists have ample number of flight options for coming to Srinagar, local travellers who would find it difficult to plan their journey due to limited number of flights, can now utilise the better connectivity between Srinagar and other destinations, Tenga said.

Jammu Railway Division to develop warehouses at Anantnag, Pampore; invites tenders

Jammu, Oct 19: Jammu Railway Division has invited tenders for the development and operation of state-of-the-art warehouse and storage units through private investment near Anantnag and Pampore railway stations. Railway officials assert that the significant initiative has been taken with the objective of making logistics facilities in the Kashmir valley world-class and giving new momentum to local trade. This scheme has been implemented for a long-term period of 25 years under the Railway's Cargo Related Facility (CRF) Policy dated February 14, 2026, which provides a golden opportunity for a permanent business partnership with the Railways for investors. According to officials, the initiative will bring benefits at multiple levels. In view of the ongoing apple season in Kashmir and the famous saffron production of Pampore, the availability of storage facility right next to the station will allow orchardists and traders to keep their produce safe, prevent it from getting spoiled and store it till they get the right market price. Warehouses near the railway station will save a lot of loading-unloading cost and time and products will be able to reach the big markets of the country directly through rail faster and cheaper, they maintain. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM), Jammu, Uchit Singhal, while highlighting the move, asserts, The development of warehouses in Anantnag and Pampore is a big gift for the local products of Kashmir. This scheme will not only increase the freight carrying capacity of the Railways, but will also provide a permanent solution to the problem of cold chain and safe storage for perishable products like apples and saffron. We appeal to private investors to participate enthusiastically in this long-term and profitable scheme of 25 years and become partners in building a Viksit Bharat as well as Viksit Jammu and Kashmir, Singhal says, adding, It is also a highly profitable scheme for private investors. The long lease period of 25 years will ensure stable and long-term returns on their investment. Along with this, new employment opportunities will be created in the Valley and the local economy will be strengthened. According to officials, this facility will be provided at three railway stations in Jammu Division, which includes Bari Brahmana, Anantnag and Pampore in the first phase. Interested investors, they say, can become a part of this beneficial scheme by submitting their tender on http://www.ireps.gov.in .

Railway Board offers special concessional fare on round-trip booking in JPP-RCS trains

Jammu, Oct 19: In a significant decision to make parcel and cargo transportation more affordable, accessible and industry-friendly across the Jammu Railway Division and the entire region, the Railway Board has initiated a special concessional freight on round-trip booking in Joint Parcel Product - Rapid Cargo Service (JPP-RCS) trains. The biggest benefit of this facility, according to railway officials, will be seen in the ongoing apple season in Kashmir. The Kashmir valley is currently witnessing a bumper arrival of apples. This new facility has been started under Freight Marketing Circular number 26/2026 issued by the Board. Railway officials maintain that under this new and streamlined system, if any aggregator, trader or logistics service provider makes advance booking of parcel coaches for both directions through JPP-RCS trains, he will have to pay only 1.5 times the normal rate (JP Scale) as total round-trip freight. That is, full freight for one side and a massive 50 percent discount on the return trip. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM), Jammu Railway Division, Uchit Singhal asserts, This scheme is a game-changer for our business customers. Round-trip freight of only 1.5 times, i.e. 50 percent discount on the return trip, will lead to a huge reduction in transportation costs. Especially in view of the apple season in Kashmir, this facility will prove to be a boon for orchardists, fruit growers and aggregators. For the convenience of traders, according to officials, the entire booking and payment process will be completed at once at the originating station itself, freeing them from repeated paperwork and saving valuable time. This scheme has been implemented with immediate effect on all JPP-RCS routes in the country and is being operated as a pilot project for a period of one year. With this new concessional rate, Kashmiri apples and other fruits and vegetables can be transported to Jammu, Delhi, Mumbai and other major markets of the country in a highly economical, fast and safe manner, which will directly benefit orchardists and traders and reduce logistics costs by about 25 percent, Singhal points out. The Jammu Railway Division administration has appealed to all traders, industry associations, Chambers of Commerce and cargo aggregators to make maximum use of this highly economical and time-bound service of the Railways.

Ease of Doing Business Act gets all-round welcome amid calls for environmental safeguards

Srinagar, Oct 19:The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) will constitute a joint committee comprising representatives of the business community, citizens groups, environmentalists and experts to examine concerns over certain provisions of the newly assented Jammu and Kashmir Ease of Doing Business Act, 2026, even as business leaders at a stakeholder deliberation on Monday strongly backed the legislation, describing it as a long-awaited intervention to address bureaucratic delays and facilitate investment. The decision was taken at a marathon consultative meeting, presided over by KCCI President Javid Ahmad Tenga, which brought together business leaders, environmentalists, civil society representatives and professionals to discuss the legislation's implications for investment, building permissions, land use and environmental protection. While industry representatives broadly welcomed the Act as a long-awaited measure to address bureaucratic delays, experts raised concerns over its interaction with existing planning laws, building regulations, seismic zoning and environmental safeguards. Participants agreed that procedural simplification should not compromise planned urban development, public safety or the Valley's fragile ecology. Welcoming the participants, Tenga said the business community had consistently sought an end to unnecessary bureaucratic delays and red tape. The Ease of Doing Business Act is a welcome step in this direction, as it seeks to address many of the difficulties entrepreneurs have been facing while obtaining permissions and carrying out their business activities. The majority of the provisions of the Act have been welcomed by the business community, he said. However, he said certain provisions required detailed examination through constructive dialogue. Our objective is not to oppose the legislation or dilute its purpose of facilitating business and investment. We want the Act to achieve its intended objectives while ensuring that the concerns raised by experts and citizens are properly considered. Economic development, environmental protection and planned urban growth must go hand in hand, Tenga said. However, certain provisions have raised concerns among some stakeholders, and we believe these issues need to be examined through constructive dialogue rather than allowing differences to persist. It is in this context that KCCI has decided to constitute a joint committee comprising representatives of the business community, the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC), the Environmental Policy Group (EPG) and experts from relevant fields. The committee will deliberate on the specific provisions that have been questioned and provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to present their views and examine the implications. The Act was introduced in the Legislative Assembly by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on September 28 and passed the following day. Its provisions include time-bound approvals, elimination of redundant No Objection Certificates (NOCs), self-certification and deemed approvals, subject to applicable statutory conditions. Former FCIK President Syed Shakeel Qalander presented a point-by-point response to the apprehensions raised by the GCC and EPG, referring to the provisions and safeguards contained in the Act. He traced the industrial communitys decades-long efforts, particularly through FCIK, to replace discretionary bureaucratic controls with transparent, time-bound and accountable administrative procedures. He said repeated permissions, overlapping regulatory requirements and prolonged delays had often left otherwise viable projects financially distressed even before commercial production began. Qalander maintained that procedural simplification should not be confused with exemption from substantive legal obligations, asserting that the industrial community had neither sought nor would support any relaxation compromising environmental protection, public safety or planned development. He urged stakeholders to assess apprehensions about possible misuse against the actual provisions of the Act rather than allow them to undermine the objective of administrative reform. On building permissions and development controls, he proposed a joint committee to examine the proposed amendments to the Unified Building By-laws, 2021, and issues concerning construction in residential and other sensitive localities. Genuine deficiencies, wherever established, should be collectively taken up with the government for appropriate correction, he said. Aijaz Rasool presented the concerns raised by the EPG, emphasising the need to ensure that administrative simplification did not weaken regulatory oversight in environmentally sensitive areas and established residential neighbourhoods. Former judge Khaliq-uz-Zaman presented the GCC's perspective, clarifying that the group was not opposed to facilitating industry but wanted safeguards against possible misuse of certain provisions. A GCC member and former chief town planner raised concerns over Section 22, saying its implementation could permit departures from established planning parameters, including Floor Area Ratio (FAR), building heights, ground coverage and other development controls. Hakim Iftikhar said Section 30(2) needed to be read alongside Section 22 to understand the legislation's overriding effect. While welcoming the protection afforded to specified environmental laws under Section 30(4), he called for comparable clarity regarding Master Plans, urban and regional planning laws, development-control regulations and building-safety provisions. He also flagged the Schedule III provision concerning residential buildings up to 24 metres in height without prior permission, saying the exemption's scope needed to be clarified. Manzoor Ahmad Tak and Touseef Ahmad Bhat stressed the importance of protecting the Valley's fragile ecology. Touseef said industrial facilitation should translate into tangible public benefits, including employment and responsible business practices. GCC member Iftikhar Drabu advocated an amicable resolution of ecological concerns, while writer and international development professional Arjimand Hussain Talib cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions without examining the Act in its legal and administrative context. He suggested that industry and citizens jointly identify genuine deficiencies and distinguish them from differences of interpretation. Industrial consultant Sayyed Parvaiz Qaisar, drawing on his experience of providing consultancy services to more than 9,000 projects, said procedural complexities, repeated clearances and prolonged delays had forced many aspiring entrepreneurs to abandon projects midway. He cautioned against speculation before the government notified the Act's rules and operational guidelines. Kashmir Small Scale Industrial Association President Syed Fazal Illahi cited the requirement introduced by the Industries and Commerce Department in 2017 for departmental permission to induct partners into a business, despite the arrangement being governed by partnership law. He said the requirement had resulted in delays lasting months and sometimes years. FCIK President Shahid Kamili said industrial organisations had never sought permission to violate Master Plans, environmental regulations or other legitimate safeguards. Entrepreneurs, he said, wanted timely decisions and predictable procedures rather than discretionary concessions. He also highlighted operational difficulties faced by enterprises after establishment, arguing that reforms must address hurdles affecting businesses throughout their functioning. Industrial Estate Lassipora representative Sheikh Nisar Ahmad and the president of the Industrial Estate Association, Anchidora, Anantnag, also highlighted delays in routine approvals that consumed time and resources and disrupted business operations. Syed Afaq Qadiri, president of the Integrated Handicraft and Textile Park, Zakoora, linked the need for administrative facilitation to unemployment and the migration of skilled youth. Representatives of the educational sector, including G.N. War and Nazrul Islam Baba, said reforms envisaged under the Act addressed longstanding demands to reduce multiple regulatory requirements faced by educational institutions. KCCI Secretary General Faiz Ahmad Bakshi supported the legislation's objective but stressed that environmental safeguards must remain paramount. He said Jammu and Kashmir could not afford to lose agricultural land. J&K Hoteliers Club President Mushtaq Ahmad Chaya described the legislation as a positive step and cautioned against opposing it merely for the sake of opposition, saying specific concerns should instead be taken up with the government. Gowhar Maqbool acknowledged that several of his earlier apprehensions had been addressed through explanations offered by industrial representatives, underlining the value of direct engagement between stakeholders. Former KCCI president G.M. Dug highlighted regulatory difficulties confronting the tourism sector and called for examining how the Act could help tourism enterprises become more competitive and self-sustaining. The meeting was attended by KCCI Senior Vice President Umar Nazir Tibetbaqal, Junior Vice President Farooq Amin, Joint Secretary General Akib Chaya, executive committee members Ashiq Hussain Shangloo, Fayaz Punjabi, and G M Dug, KHAROA President Gowher Maqbool, Afaq Qadri, Nasrul Baba, Tauseef Ahmad Bhat and other trade and industry representatives. The proposed committee will examine the contentious provisions of the Act, amendments to the Unified Building By-laws, 2021, and associated land-use concerns, with the aim of identifying areas requiring clarification or additional safeguards. Participants said the forthcoming rules and guidelines would be crucial in determining how the legislation operates on the ground.

Centre amends Ladakh Hill Councils structure, electoral provisions

Srinagar, Oct 19:The Centre has amended the legal terminology, administrative structure and electoral provisions governing the Autonomous Hill Development Councils in Ladakh to align them with the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which led to the creation of the Union Territory of Ladakh. Under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, the number of elected seats in each council will be determined by the Ladakh administration, with a minimum of seven and a maximum of 24 seats.The administration can nominate up to four members from among women and non-represented communities, subject to the one-sixth limit of the population, the regulation states. The sitting Lok Sabha member representing Ladakh will be an ex-officio member of the councils constituted for each district. Each council will have a term of five years from the date appointed for its first meeting, unless dissolved earlier. The term can be extended if holding elections is considered impracticable. The regulation also replaces references to the state and governor with the Union Territory of Ladakh and Administrator, respectively. It provides that the State Election Commission for the Union Territory of Ladakh will have the superintendence, direction and control over council elections and electoral rolls. Election disputes can be taken directly to the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh through election petitions filed within 45 days of the declaration of results. The regulation defines the district areas covered under the Act to include Leh, Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Kargil, Zanskar and Drass, along with any newly created districts. The councils will have the powers of panchayats at the district level and will be deemed to be district-level panchayats for exercising powers and performing functions under the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989. Meanwhile, the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), one of the two bodies engaged in talks with the central government on Ladakhs demands, has objected to the governments recent decision to amend the legal terminology, administrative structure and electoral provisions governing the Autonomous Hill Development Councils in the Union Territory. KDA co-chairman Sajad Hussain Kargili termed the development as deeply problematic amid the ongoing talks between Ladakh leaders and the Ministry of Home Affairs. At a time when talks are ongoing to negotiate a settlement for Ladakh, including demands for constitutional status and stronger protections for the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDCs), it is deeply problematic that the government has chosen to make substantial changes to the composition, powers and functioning of these Councils without consulting the people and stakeholders of Ladakh, Sajad Kargili, co-chairman of KDA, wrote on X. These changes directly affect the institutions through which local self-government is exercised, making consultation especially important when the future of Ladakhs political and constitutional arrangements remains under discussion, he said, adding, The government is effectively changing the institutional framework that these negotiations are meant to address, while giving the Union Territory administration greater control over the composition and functioning of the Councils. This raises serious questions about the governments commitment to the ongoing dialogue and whether the eventual settlement will secure meaningful autonomy for Ladakh or leave its representative institutions subject to executive discretion, Kargili said.

Cabinet expansion after LGs return: Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar, Oct 19: National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah on Monday said the long-awaited expansion of the Council of Ministers would take place after Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha returns to the Valley, bringing renewed attention to the pending reshuffle in the Omar Abdullah-led government. Speaking to reporters in Budgam, Abdullah said the LGs return would pave the way for the exercise. The LG was not well and is out of J&K. When the LG comes, there will be an expansion of the cabinet, he said. The statement comes three days after CM Omar-led government completed two years in office without undertaking a major Cabinet reshuffle. The expansion has been under discussion for several months, with the CM previously indicating that he would consult Abdullah before taking a final decision. CM Omar had earlier said that a decision on the expansion would follow the GST Council meeting and consultations with the NC president. The latest statement by Abdullah indicates that the exercise is now expected after the LGs return, although no specific date has been announced. Under Section 53(1) of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the Council of Ministers cannot exceed 10 percent of the total strength of the Legislative Assembly. With 90 elected members, the council can have a maximum of nine members, including the Chief Minister. The present council comprises six members: CM Omar, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, and Ministers Sakeena Masood Itoo, Javed Ahmed Rana, Javid Ahmad Dar and Satish Sharma. This leaves room for three additional ministerial appointments. The anticipated expansion has triggered speculation over the induction of experienced legislators and a possible reshuffle of existing portfolios. The position of Congress, an electoral ally of the NC, remains another factor in the political calculations surrounding the expansion. Congress has so far declined to join the government, opting to support it from outside until the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The NC had offered the party a ministerial berth, but Congress has maintained its position on statehood. Separately, Abdullah said the elected government was functioning on a double-edged sword, citing uncertainty over the division of powers between the LG and the elected dispensation. Referring to the delimitation exercise, he said assurances had been given that elections would follow delimitation and that statehood would subsequently be restored. The assurances were given to us, but the BJP is not keeping its promises, he said. He also recalled that NC MPs had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in January to discuss the business rules intended to clearly define the respective powers of the LG and the elected government. It has been ten months since that meeting, but the business rules have still not been framed, he said. Abdullahs remarks underline the continuing political debate over the functioning of the elected government under the Union Territory framework, even as the administration prepares for a possible restructuring of its Council of Ministers. About reports that Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi could resign from Parliament on November 3, Abdullah said the decision rested with the MP himself. If Ruhullah wants to resign, he is free to do so. It makes no difference, he said. He did not elaborate further on the reported resignation or the circumstances surrounding it. Abdullah also expressed concern over the attack on a Kashmir-bound passenger bus in Haryana, saying CM Omar Abdullah had sought strict action against those responsible and compensation for the damage caused. He said the incident required immediate attention from the authorities, warning that attempts to disturb peace could have wider consequences if not addressed promptly. Abdullah said the CM had urged the Central Government to take cognisance of the matter and ensure that such incidents did not recur. The attack has triggered concern in Jammu and Kashmir, with political leaders calling for accountability and adequate protection for passengers travelling outside the Union Territory.

Blaze in Bani? Fire tender from 155 kms away Kathua F&ES station will arrive to extinguish it!

Jammu, Oct 19: Fire destroys 40 houses in Warwan area of Kishtwar. 8 houses gutted in Warwan blaze. Screaming headlines from Warwan and any other place across Union Territory create trepidation among thousands of inhabitants of Bani tehsil headquarters spread across over 33 villages in Kathua district as a dreadful thought crosses their mind It may happen to us even, anytime! They, in particular, share empathy with the Warwan inhabitants, who in the past few years have witnessed such destruction, a number of times. Comparative empathy is not out of place. Reason being, both Warwan in Kishtwar district and Bani tehsil in Kathua district remotely placed treacherous areas, do not have a fire station or even a locally stationed fire tender a demand being made and ignored for long now. If for Warwan in Kishtwar district, fire tender comes traversing a distance of over 80 kms from Kokernag in Anantnag district of Kashmir, in Bani tehsil of Kathua district, the distance even stretches further to around 155 kms. In case of any fire or emergency incident in Bani tehsil, Fire and Emergency Services station in district headquarter Kathua, situated at around 155 kms away, is the nearest available station to respond to (emergency) situation or deploy even fire tender. And this is not mere allegation by the inhabitants; the assertion has come straight from the horses mouth. Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES), J&K, itself, has made this admission in response to an application filed under Right to Information (RTI) Act by a social activist of the area, Mudasar Ali, regarding fire and emergency services and availability of fire tenders in Bani tehsil of Kathua district. As per reply furnished by the Director, F&ES, J&K on October 7, 2026, in response to Mudasar Alis RTI application registration number FIREE/R/2026/60027 dated August 31, 2026, there is no Fire & Emergency Services Station presently established or stationed in tehsil Bani, district Kathua. No fire tender of this department is presently stationed or deployed in tehsil Bani. Accordingly, no fire tender registration number, date of deployment or operational status is applicable, the Directorate mentioned in response to a query regarding details of fire tenders, fire service vehicles presently deployed or stationed in Tehsil Bani. When asked if no fire tender is permanently stationed in tehsil Bani, what is location of the nearest Fire & Emergency Services Station from which fire tenders are dispatched to Bani during emergencies, the Directorate has replied that F&ES Station Kathua is the nearest Fire and Emergency Services Station to Tehsil Bani, being situated at a distance of approximately 155 kms from Bani. In case of any fire or emergency incident in tehsil Bani, F&ES Station Kathua is the nearest available Fire and Emergency Services Station for responding to the emergency, it has been maintained. F&ES Station Kathua is responsible for responding to fire calls received from tehsil Bani and for deployment of available fire-fighting resources in case of any fire emergency, as per operational requirements and availability of resources, the Directorate F&ES, J&K informs. In response to a query about details of the number of fire incidents reported in tehsil Bani during the financial years 2021-22 to 2025-26, year-wise and the number of fire tenders dispatched in response to such incidents, if such information is maintained, the Directorate mentions that as per the report furnished by the in-charge, F&ES Station Kathua, no fire tender was deputed for any fire incident in tehsil Bani during the period from April, 2021 to April, 2026. However, F&ES Station Kathua has attended a number of deployments relating to fire-safety arrangements in tehsil Bani from time to time, as required, it has been stated. However, as per the reply, a proposal for establishing 102 new Fire and Emergency Stations is presently under consideration, which also includes the proposal of Fire and Emergency Station Bani and is under process. No fire station or fire tender has been sanctioned and made operational at Bani as on date (October 7, 2026). The proposal for establishment of a Fire and Emergency Services Station at Bani is, however, presently awaiting government sanction, reads the reply to a query about any Government order, sanction order, proposal, correspondence, inspection report or other official communication regarding establishment of a Fire Station in Bani; deployment or provision of a fire tender in Bani; construction or provision of infrastructure for Fire and Emergency Services in Bani. Himanshu Gandotra, Deputy Director, Command Officer, Fire and Emergency Services, Samba-Kathua, as per the Directorates reply, is the designated authority for arranging and coordinating fire-fighting services in district Kathua including tehsil Bani in case of any fire or emergency. Social activist and applicant under RTI Act, Mudasar Ali points out that the residents of Bani tehsil in district Kathua have long been demanding for the establishment of a fire service station in the area. The residents allege that despite repeatedly highlighting the issue over the years, there has been no positive response from the government so far. The locals maintain that during recent years, they have suffered property losses worth crores, due to the absence of a fire service station. Despite several fire mishaps reported frequently in the sub-region, the government has failed to set up even a single fire station, leaving the population exposed and helpless, they lament. Had there been a fire station in our area, the damage could have been less, Mudasar Ali asserts. Bani is a snow-bound and hilly region, where more than 90 percent of the houses are made of wood and tin sheetsmaking them highly vulnerable to fire incidents.

LG Sinha, CM Omar greet people on Dussehra

Srinagar, Oct 19:Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday extended his heartiest greetings and best wishes to the people on Vijayadashmi, which will be celebrated on Tuesday. In a message, LG Sinha said: On the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami, I extend my heartiest greetings and best wishes to all. The festival of Vijayadashami, celebrated in various parts of the country as Dussehra and Durga Puja, symbolises the triumph of Good over Evil, Truth over Untruth and Dharma over Adharma. The life of Maryada Purushottam Bhagwan Shri Ram exemplifies these timeless virtues and inspires us to lead a virtuous life. May this Vijayadashami, Dussehra, and Durga Puja bring peace, happiness and prosperity to all. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah extended warm greetings to the people of Jammu and Kashmir on the auspicious occasions of Maha Navami and Dussehra. In his message, CM Omar said these festivals embody the timeless values of truth, righteousness and the triumph of good over evil. He expressed hope that the auspicious occasions would bring peace, prosperity and happiness to the people and further strengthen the bonds of communal harmony and brotherhood in J&K. The CM called upon people to draw inspiration from the spirit of these festivals and reaffirm their commitment to mutual respect, unity and peaceful coexistence.

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Asias resilience masks a growing jobs challenge as AI reshapes work

The Asia-Pacific region has shown resilience despite energy shocks and trade restrictions, with the IMF projecting 4.8% growth. While some economies are adapting to oil shocks, challenges persist, including high fuel prices and public finance sustainability. Many Asian economies face structural issues, including job creation for young populations with underemployment. The impact of AI on labor markets is reshaping skills and knowledge work demands among employers.

US blinks on Russia, India less fluttered

Trump's decision to waive tougher sanctions against Russia aims to ensure US diesel supply until the midterm elections. The waiver, however, is unlikely to significantly impact Russian diesel exports due to damaged refinery capabilities. Furthermore, shipping lines may still face disruptions from ongoing conflicts in the region. India's situation remains complex as it benefits from reduced risks of US tariffs while navigating the oil market.

...Because of the Left bookstall wreckers

Recently, West Bengal has seen a noteworthy rise in the dismantling of left-wing bookstalls by the government. Paradoxically, this move has sparked interest in important works by authors like Bhagat Singh and Che Guevara among younger readers. While book reading in many regions is declining, this situation could foster a renewed awareness of significant historical figures and their contributions.

India can achieve Viksit Bharat and Net Zero without trade-offs

India can achieve its Viksit Bharat 2047 ambition alongside its net-zero 2070 target, with green investments boosting growth, energy security and future industries without hurting spending on health and education.

Our common aspiration

Vijayadashami represents the victory of goodness over evil, as seen in various cultural narratives. Ram's defeat of Ravan and Jesus Christ's resurrection reflect similar themes of righteousness triumphing over darkness. Additionally, Michael's defeat of Satan in Christian scripture parallels these tales. Different cultures emphasize the idea that arrogance and injustice ultimately lead to destruction. The stories resonate with a profound human belief in the enduring nature of hope and courage.

LoP Sunil Sharma thanks PM Modi as Centre approves Rs 475.41 crore for upgradation of 10 ITIs in J&K

Jammu, Oct 19: Leader of the Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma, today expressed his gratitude to Honble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary for the approval of investment plans worth 475.41 crore under the PM-SETU scheme for the upgradation of ten Government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across Jammu and Kashmir. The approval by the National Steering Committee marks a significant step towards strengthening the skill development ecosystem in the Union Territory, enhancing vocational training infrastructure and creating better employment opportunities for the youth. Under the approved plan, the Jammu cluster will receive an investment of 240 crore, with ITI Jammu designated as the hub institute and ITIs at R.S. Pura, Nowshera, Samba and Kathua functioning as linked institutes. The Srinagar cluster will receive 235.41 crore, with ITI Srinagar as the hub institute and ITIs at Ganderbal, Kangan, Budgam and Charar-i-Sharief as linked institutes. The proposed upgradation will focus on modern workshops, advanced machinery and equipment, improved instructor training and industry-aligned courses to ensure that young people acquire skills relevant to the evolving needs of the job market. Expressing his appreciation, Sunil Sharma said, I sincerely thank Honble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Union Minister Shri Jayant Chaudhary for this landmark approval. The investment of 475.41 crore will give a major boost to skill development in Jammu and Kashmir and open new avenues of opportunity for our youth. By strengthening our ITIs and aligning vocational training with industry requirements, this initiative will help our young people become more skilled, employable and self-reliant. He further stated, The equal focus on the Jammu and Srinagar clusters reflects a commitment to ensuring balanced development across the Union Territory. Whether it is a young man from R.S. Pura or a young woman from Budgam, our youth must have access to quality vocational education and skills that can translate into meaningful employment and entrepreneurship. Highlighting the expansion of skill development infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir, Sunil Sharma noted that the number of ITIs in the Union Territory had increased from 35 in 2014 to 56 at present, while seating capacity had risen from approximately 3,800 to over 12,400. The expansion of ITIs and the substantial increase in training capacity reflect the growing emphasis on skill development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The focus must now remain on quality training, industry participation and ensuring that these institutions become effective gateways to employment and economic empowerment, he added. Sunil Sharma also expressed his gratitude to Honble Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha for his continued support and efforts towards strengthening skill development and vocational education in Jammu and Kashmir. At the same time, the Leader of the Opposition urged the Omar Abdullah-led government to ensure the timely release of the UTs matching share, wherever applicable, and complete all requisite administrative and procedural formalities without delay. The Centre has taken an important step by approving this major investment. The UT administration must now act with urgency and ensure that no young person is deprived of these opportunities because of administrative delays. Timely implementation is essential to translate this approval into modern training facilities, industry-ready skills and sustainable employment for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, Sunil Sharma said.

KDA co-chairman questions centres move to amend LAHDC framework without consultation

Leh, Oct 19: Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) co-chairman Sajjad Kargili on Monday questioned the Centre's move to amend the legal framework governing the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs), claiming that the changes were introduced without consulting local stakeholders. Kargili said the decision raised doubts over the central government's commitment to ongoing talks on Ladakh's constitutional safeguards and political future. On October 16, the Centre amended provisions governing the Councils through the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation. Under the amended framework, published in the Gazette of India, the number of elected members in each Council will be determined by the Ladakh Administration, ranging from seven to 24. The administration may also nominate up to four members from among women and unrepresented communities, subject to the prescribed limit. The regulation also makes the Ladakh MP an ex-officio member, places Council elections under the Union Territorys State Election Commission, and provides for election disputes to be taken to the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. At a time when talks are ongoing to negotiate a settlement for Ladakh, including demands for constitutional status and stronger protections for the LAHDCs, it is deeply problematic that the government has chosen to make substantial changes to the composition, powers and functioning of these Councils without consulting the people and stakeholders of Ladakh, the KDA leader said on X. He said these changes directly affect the institutions through which local self-government is exercised, making consultation especially important when the future of Ladakhs political and constitutional arrangements remains under discussion. The KDA, along with the Leh Apex Body, is jointly spearheading an agitation in support of various demands, including constitutional safeguards and a Union Territory-level legislative assembly and governing body with meaningful legislative, executive, financial, and budgetary powers for Ladakh and have held several rounds of talks with the Centre since 2021. The government is effectively changing the institutional framework that these negotiations are meant to address, while giving the Union Territory Administration greater control over the composition and functioning of the Councils, Kargili said. This raises serious questions about the government's commitment to the ongoing dialogue and whether the eventual settlement will secure meaningful autonomy for Ladakh or leave its representative institutions subject to executive discretion, he said.

Folk theatre artist Rayees Wathori earns national recognition

Srinagar, Oct 19: Kashmiri folk theatre artist and cultural activist Ravice Rashid, popularly known by his stage name Rayees Wathori, has been conferred the prestigious Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2025 in the Folk Theatre category for Bhand Pather of Jammu and Kashmir, bringing national recognition to the regions rich theatrical heritage. The award, instituted by the Sangeet Natak Akademi under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, recognises Wathoris contribution to preserving and promoting Bhand Pather, Kashmirs traditional folk theatre form known for its satire, humour and social commentary. Wathori received the award in New Delhi from Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Government of India, in the presence of Vivek Agarwal, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Dr Sandhya Purecha, Chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi; Anwar Khan Manganiyar, Vice-Chairman and Raju Das, Secretary of the Akademi. The ceremony was also attended by other distinguished guests, eminent artists and cultural activists. Through his sustained engagement with folk theatre, Wathori has contributed to keeping Kashmirs traditional performing arts alive and relevant for future generations. His recognition marks a proud moment for Jammu and Kashmir and highlights the cultural significance of Bhand Pather as an enduring expression of the regions identity, creativity and heritage.

GOC Northern Command reviews operational preparedness in forward areas of north Kashmir

Srinagar, Oct 19: General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Northern Command Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma on Monday visited north Kashmir and reviewed operational preparedness of units deployed in forward areas. The Army Commander lauded the troops for their professionalism and operational acumen. He emphasised rigorous training, innovation and technology-driven capability enhancement to strengthen readiness for operations, especially in the wake of forthcoming winter season and the associated challenges.

Srinagar airport withdraws 5 pm operational cut-off ahead of winter schedule

Srinagar, Oct 19: Srinagar International Airport has withdrawn the restriction limiting its operational hours to 8 am to 5 pm, allowing flights beyond 5 pm to be scheduled in line with applicable timings and operational requirements. The decision comes ahead of the Winter Schedule 2026, which will take effect on October 25. Airlines are currently filing slots for late-evening flights to and from Srinagar, a move expected to improve connectivity and offer passengers greater flexibility during the winter season, an airport spokesperson said in a statement. With the restriction withdrawn, the earlier cut-off for operations beyond 5 pm no longer applies. Flight operations will be planned according to the applicable schedule, subject to operational requirements. The airport has advised passengers to check the latest flight status and departure timings with their respective airlines before leaving for the airport.

Stones pelted at Srinagar-bound bus in Ludhiana's Khanna; no one injured

Ludhiana, Oct 19: A Delhi to Srinagar bus was attacked with stones near Doraha in Punjab, barely a day after another bus of the same company was targeted in Haryana. The incident took place on Sunday night when the bus was passing through Doraha in Khanna, said police. A stone thrown from the roadside smashed a windowpane, sending panic among passengers. However, no one was injured. As soon as the information reached the police, a police team rushed to the spot and the bus was escorted safely out of Khanna. Khanna Superintendent of Police (Investigation) R K Yadav said an FIR has been registered at the Doraha police station and CCTV footage from nearby dhabas, petrol pumps and toll points is being scanned to trace the miscreants. The police are treating the case with extra seriousness because the bus belongs to the same transport company whose vehicle was attacked in Haryana's Karnal on Saturday. Both incidents involve the same operator. We are probing whether there is a link between the two attacks, Yadav said. The police said the Doraha stretch of GT Road has witnessed similar incidents in the past, where trucks and buses have been pelted with stones, often by miscreants taking advantage of darkness and isolated spots. The back-to-back attacks have raised questions over the safety of night-time inter-state passengers, especially on the busy Delhi-Jammu-Srinagar route. Investigation is underway to ascertain whether the attack was a case of mischief, extortion, rivalry or a targeted attempt. The bus resumed its journey to Srinagar after a brief halt under police escort. A Jammu and Kashmir-bound bus was pelted with stones following a dispute in Haryana's Karnal district, leaving a passenger and a dhaba employee injured on Saturday. The incident drew a reaction from Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who said his office had taken up the matter with the Haryana government.

Jammu railway division to get new integrated control office

Jammu, Oct 19: Jammu Railway Division is set to enhance operational coordination and efficiency with the construction of a new Integrated Control Office (ICO) here, which will bring the control units of all departments under one roof, an official said. The foundation stone for the ICO was laid by Divisional Railway Manager, Jammu Vivek Kumar at Jammu Tawi on Monday, a railway spokesperson said. This new office is being built to bring the controls of all departments, including operating, engineering, signal and telecommunication and electrical, under one roof for better coordination and greater efficiency in train operation, monitoring and management, the spokesperson said. The ICO will be equipped with modern facilities and latest technology, he said. It will prove to be a milestone in meeting the growing traffic requirements of Jammu Division and for its future expansion, he added.

Gold climbs Rs 400 to Rs 1.5 lakh per 10 gm as festive buying elevates demand

New Delhi, Oct 19 (PTI) Gold prices climbed Rs 400 to Rs 1.5 lakh per 10 grams in Delhi on Monday as improving festive demand and firm global trends lent support to the precious metal ahead of Dussehra. The 99.9 per cent pure metal gained Rs 400 to Rs 1,50,300 per 10 grams, inclusive of all taxes, from Fridays closing level of Rs 1,49,900 per 10 grams, according to local traders. Silver, however, remained steady for the second straight session at Rs 2.15 lakh per kilogram. Gold prices moved higher in the domestic market on Monday, supported by a positive

Railways plans two warehouses in Kashmir to boost farm produce transport

Jammu, Oct 19: The Northern Railway has invited tenders for setting up two warehouses near Anantnag and Pampore railway stations in Kashmir to boost trade, improve storage facilities and facilitate faster transportation of local produce to major markets, officials said. With these, Jammu and Kashmir will have three such warehouses, including one at Bari Brahmana on the outskirts of Jammu city, they said. The Jammu railway division has invited private investors to develop and operate the facilities under the Railways Cargo Related Facility (CRF) policy for a lease period of 25 years, officials said. The warehouses are expected to benefit apple growers and saffron traders by providing storage facilities near railway stations, reducing loading and unloading costs and minimising post-harvest losses. Uchit Singhal, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu, said the initiative would strengthen freight transportation and improve storage facilities for perishable agricultural produce. The tenders are available on the Indian Railways E-Procurement System (IREPS) portal, officials said. On October 13, the division had also invited tenders for developing a modern warehouse and storage facility at Bari Brahmana near Jammu, making it the first such project under the CRF policy in the division. The three proposed facilities at Bari Brahmana, Anantnag and Pampore are expected to create employment opportunities and strengthen the regions logistics infrastructure.

ACB files chargesheet against postal assistant in Rs 6,500 bribery case in Bandipora

Srinagar, Oct 19: Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau on Monday filed a chargesheet against public servant (MTS) working in postal department for demanding and accepting illegal gratification in lieu of release of subsidy component of a loan case availed by complainant under PMEGP scheme. Officials said that a complaint was received at P/S ACB Baramulla against Mudasir Ahmad, Postal Assistant, posted at sub post office Bandipora for demanding illegal gratification, for release of subsidy component in favour of complainant who had availed financial assistance with KVIC Pampore for the activities of his business unit situated at Bandipora and in this connection, pending amount of Rupees 1,75,000/- as subsidy was due to him, subject to physical verification with geo tagging to be conducted by the alleged suspect public servant, upon which a discreet verification was conducted, which resulted in the registration of a formal case at Police station ACB Baramulla vide FIR No.05/2025 U/s 7 P.C Act 1988. They said that during the course of investigation, the accused was caught red handed while demanding and accepting the bribe money amounting to Rs 6500/- from complainant, following which the accused was arrested and taken into custody. Finally the investigation of the case was closed as proved and the necessary sanction for launching prosecution against accused public servant was accorded by competent authority after due consideration of material placed on file against him. Accordingly, the chargesheet of the case has been presented before the Honble court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption Baramulla on 19.10.2026 against the accused Mudasir Ahmad Najar, Postal Assistant, posted at sub post office Bandipora for trial and judicial determination, officials added.

Poland PM Donald Tusk to visit India from Oct 21 to 23, hold talks with PM Modi

New Delhi, Oct 19: Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk will visit India from October 21 to 23 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the two leaders set to review bilateral ties and discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Monday. Tusk shall be accompanied by Andrzej Domanski, Minister of Finance & Economy and a large business delegation. This would be PM Tusks second visit to India in his capacity as the Prime Minister of Poland, the first being during his earlier tenure in 2010. Prime Minister Tusk has also visited New Delhi in 2017 for the India-EU Summit in his capacity as President of the European Council. The MEA said that Tusk will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi on October 22, 2026 during which both leaders shall review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, which was elevated to a Strategic Partnership during the visit of PM Modi to Poland in August 2024. They will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. PM Donald Tusk will also travel to Bengaluru, where he will engage with various business stakeholders including from the IT and space sectors. An India-Poland Business Forum shall be held on October 22 in New Delhi and October 23 in Bengaluru. The visit will provide the opportunity to further strengthen the India-Poland Strategic Partnership and advance cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including trade and investment, defence, emerging technologies, renewable energy, education, culture and people-to-people ties. It would also serve to deepen the India-EU strategic partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

UT-level conference on anti-human trafficking held in Srinagar

Cabinet expansion will take place when LG returns: NC president Farooq Abdullah

Police arrest 5 drug peddlers in Awantipora and Anantnag, contraband substance recovered

Srinagar, Oct 19: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday arrested 05 drug peddlers in Awantipora & Anantnag and recovered contraband substances from their possession. A police spokesperson said that in Awantipora, a police party of Police Post Toll Plaza during naka checking at K. Koot Crossing intercepted a suspicious person. During his search, approximately 67 grams of a charas like substance was recovered from his possession. He has been identified as Jabber son of Sabir, resident of Mohalla Gayaspur Bisalpur Pilibhit Uttar Pradesh. He has been arrested and accordingly, a case vide FIR No. 242/2026 under relevant sections of law has been registered at Police Station Awantipora and investigation has been initiated. Similarly, in Anantnag, a naka party of Police Station Aishmuqam, during naka checking at Brad Bridge, intercepted a suspected person travelling from Hapatnar towards Salia. Upon search, 274 grams of charas were recovered from his possession. The accused was identified as Manzoor Ahmad Mir, son of Wali Mohd Mir, resident of Awanpora. Accordingly, FIR No. 91/2026 under Sections 8/20 of the NDPS Act was registered at Police Station Aishmuqam, and further investigation is underway. Meanwhile, a naka party of Police Station Aishmuqam, during naka checking at Budreshan, intercepted a Vehicle (Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza) bearing registration No. JK03G/5052, proceeding from Hassannoor towards Aishmuqam. During the search of the vehicle, approximately 9 grams of charas were recovered. The occupants were identified as Arif Ahmad Bhat, son of Mohd. Maqbool Bhat, and Ishan Ahmad Raina, son of Mohd. Ibrahim Raina, both residents of Laripora, Pahalgam. Accordingly, FIR No. 92/2026 under Sections 8/20 and 29 of the NDPS Act was registered at Police Station Aishmuqam, and further investigation has been taken up. Moreover, a police party from Police Station Achabal, during night area domination, apprehended a drug peddler, Mudasir Ahmad Bhat, son of Ali Mohamad Bhat, resident of Nunwani Thajiwara, near Iron Bridge, Nunwani. Approximately 14 grams of a charas were recovered from his possession. Accordingly, FIR No. 112/2026 under Sections 8/20 of the NDPS Act was registered, and the accused was arrested. Further investigation is underway, spokesperson said. J&K Police urged general public to cooperate with the police and share any information regarding drug peddling or related activities for timely action.

India rejects OIC's resolution featuring J&K

New Delhi, Oct 19: India on Monday strongly trashed an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) resolution on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, and said the grouping has allowed itself to be misused by Pakistan for its igoted agenda. New Delhi, in a strong reaction, said the references to India by the OIC are malicious, biased and false, and have been orchestrated by Pakistan. We categorically reject the anti-India references in the resolutions of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Baghdad on October 17-18, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The references to India are malicious, biased and false, and have been orchestrated by Pakistan. We are disappointed that the OIC has once again allowed itself to be misused by Pakistan for its bigoted agenda, it said. The MEA said the OIC has o locus standi whatsoever to comment on matters that are strictly internal to India. The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India. Politically motivated propaganda can never alter this reality. Over the past years since the abrogation of Art 370, Jammu and Kashmir has seen significant economic growth and benefits accruing directly to its people through infrastructure development, tourism and connectivity, it said. This, the MEA said, is in stark contrast to the situation in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir where Islamabad has unleashed violence, repression and brutality on civilian protesters, killing scores of them, including women and children. The MEA said that o amount of media blackout has been able to hide these grave violations of human rights. The only issues related to Jammu and Kashmir that remain to be addressed are Pakistan vacating from areas under its illegal and forcible occupation and ceasing its continued support to cross-border terrorism, it said in a statement. The MEA described other fabricated and hostile references against India in the OIC resolutions including insinuations related to Islamophobia as nothing but a desperate attempt by Pakistan to divert international attention from its own appalling record of minority persecution and sectarian violence. The OIC's repeated endorsement of patently malicious propaganda and narratives peddled by Pakistan raises serious questions about its credibility and integrity. We hope its members would do better and reform this organisation, it added.

Woman jumps from window after finding young son hanging at home in Reasi

A 45-year-old woman was injured after jumping from a window upon seeing her son hanging at their home in the Mahore area of Jammus Reasi district on Monday, officials said. An official said a heart-wrenching incident occurred in Baggodas village of Mahore tehsil, where a young boy was found hanging at his home during the intervening night of October 18 and 19. He said the boys mother, upon seeing her son hanging, jumped from a window of the house and sustained serious injuries. The deceased was identified as Mohd Farooq (20), son of Shabir Ahmed, a resident of Baggodas village. His mother was identified as Basso Begum (45). The woman was shifted to Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu by family members, where she is undergoing treatment. Meanwhile, police have taken up the matter for investigation and further details are awaited(KNO)

J&K Police, SDRF and Fire Services conduct emergency drill in Pulwama

Nature-based activities reduce loneliness: study

Srinagar, Oct 19: A programme that brought lonely adults together for group activities in parks, gardens and other natural spaces was associated with a sustained reduction in loneliness over a year, although it did not significantly improve their overall health-related quality of life, a randomised controlled trial in Spain has found. The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health Europe , tested a programme called Friends in Nature (FiN) among 320 adults experiencing loneliness in 12 socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the Barcelona metropolitan region. Participants had a median age of about 63 years, and 80% were women. The researchers compared two approaches: nine weeks of facilitator-led group sessions combining outdoor activities and peer support, and a control group that received individual guidance and recommendations for nearby nature-based activities. At the three-month assessment, loneliness had declined by 10.5% across both groups. The average reduction on the loneliness scale was 0.73 points, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two approaches. The researchers reported that reductions in loneliness continued to increase through the 12-month follow-up. However, neither approach produced a significant improvement in health-related quality of life. Results suggest that both NBSP (Nature-based social prescribing) pathways alleviated loneliness but did not change HRQoL, the authors wrote, referring to nature-based social prescribing an approach that connects people with community activities to support their health and wellbeing. The findings suggest that simply making people aware of outdoor activities may help, while structured group programmes could offer additional benefits to some individuals. Participants in the Friends in Nature programme were placed in groups of eight to 10 people, supported by two facilitators with health or social care backgrounds. They attended weekly two-hour sessions for nine weeks, combining group discussions and activities with visits to places such as gardens, parks, riversides and coastal areas. Activities included identifying plants and wildlife, nature-based art and discussions inspired by photographs. The facilitators encouraged participants to share their experiences of loneliness, develop common interests and support one another. The aim was to build social connections, a sense of belonging and confidence in managing loneliness. By contrast, participants in the control group received a 30-minute motivational interview and recommendations for nature-based activities in their neighbourhoods. An important finding was that the structured programme appeared to work better for people who started with greater loneliness and lower emotional wellbeing. The researchers found a statistically significant interaction between the intervention's effectiveness and participants' baseline emotional wellbeing, suggesting that those experiencing greater emotional difficulties could benefit more from facilitated group activities. The study also highlighted the importance of keeping participants engaged. Early dropout rates were lower in the group programme than in the control group 14% compared with 28%. Researchers noted that disappointment with the assigned study approach was a particularly common reason for participants leaving the control group before the three-month assessment. Only one adverse event was reported in the intervention group: a participant sprained an ankle during a nature walk. The authors said nature-based social prescribing could help connect healthcare services with community resources to address loneliness. They emphasised that interventions should be tailored to people's needs, motivations and preferences, rather than relying on a single approach. NBSP offers a pathway to bridge healthcare systems with nature-based community resources to alleviate loneliness, they wrote. The researchers cautioned that loneliness is a complex social condition shaped by factors including economic and social inequalities. They called for further research into how different approaches can be combined and adapted to the needs of diverse populations. The study was funded by the European Commission's Horizon 2020 programme.

97,500 students appear for Class 10 exams across J&K: BOSE secretary

Missing Kokernag labourer found dead in Punjab; family demands probe

Jammu-Basohli bike ride flagged off to promote tourism, drug-free society

Jammu, Oct 19: Jammu Divisional Commissioner Vikas Kundal on Monday flagged off the Jammu-Basohli Bike Ride from the Tawi River Front here, marking the start of the three-day Basohli Utsav aimed at promoting the regions cultural heritage, scenic beauty and tourism potential, while advocating a drug-free society. Around 30 bikers carrying the national flag were participating in the ride, with more riders expected to join the convoy en route, an official spokesperson said. The bike ride is among the activities being organised as part of Basohli Utsav-2026, scheduled from October 19 to 21, to celebrate the regions distinctive cultural identity and promote its tourism potential. Kundal said the festival provides a platform to showcase Basohlis vibrant cultural traditions, artistic legacy and rich heritage. The ride would further strengthen efforts to highlight Basohli, in Kathua district, as an attractive tourist destination, he said. Emphasising the role of youth in nation-building, Kundal appreciated the initiative for promoting a positive and healthy outlook among young people. He urged the youth to stay away from drugs and other social evils and channel their energy towards constructive activities, sports and nation-building. Such initiatives would give an impetus to tourism in Jammu and Basohli by showcasing the regions picturesque landscapes, natural beauty and cultural attractions, the divisional commissioner said.

Mehbooba Mufti seeks Amit Shahs intervention to revive J&Ks cultural sector

Srinagar, Oct 19: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene for the revival and strengthening of Jammu and Kashmirs cultural sector, seeking dedicated funding for local programming on Doordarshan and Akashvani, particularly DD Kashir. In a letter to Shah, Mehbooba called for sustained institutional support for the regions artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers and other cultural practitioners, stressing the need to preserve Jammu and Kashmirs rich artistic and cultural heritage. She said artists were not merely performers but custodians of the regions heritage and cultural ambassadors who contribute to Indias composite cultural identity, peace and national integration. Mehbooba sought adequate and dedicated funding to enable DD Kashir and Akashvani Kendras to regularly commission and broadcast quality programmes showcasing local languages, folk traditions, music, literature, theatre and cinema. She also urged the Union Ministry of Culture and other central cultural institutions to introduce special programmes and financial initiatives to create sustained opportunities and ensure dignified livelihoods for local artists. Supporting our artists and strengthening our cultural institutions is not merely a cultural responsibility; it is an investment in Indias cultural unity, national integration and the preservation of our rich civilisational heritage, she wrote. Mehbooba has also forwarded copies of the letter to the Union Ministers for Information and Broadcasting and Culture, seeking coordinated intervention to strengthen cultural institutions and ensure that Jammu and Kashmirs artists receive greater recognition, resources and platforms to showcase their work.

Srinagar gears up for Dussehra as thousands expected to attend celebrations

Fisheries casual employees seek regularisation, release of pending wages

Mehbooba Mufti slams CM Omar Abdullah over felling of Chinar trees

Srinagar, Oct 19: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday criticised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over the felling of centuries-old Chinar trees, saying saplings could not compensate for the loss of Kashmirs natural and cultural heritage. In a post on X, Mufti said a Chinar takes generations to attain its full stature and argued that centuries of heritage could not be replaced through plantation drives. The irony is staggering, she said, alleging that Omar Abdullah, while serving as Commerce Minister in the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, had been associated with a ban on Kashmiri Toosh shawls. Mufti drew a parallel between the alleged impact on Kashmirs traditional shawl heritage and the present concerns over Chinar trees, describing the latter as part of the regions living heritage. First a blow to Kashmirs woven heritage, now a threat to its living heritage, she said, adding that Kashmirs traditions and heritage should not be dismantled. The comments follow Omar Abdullahs remarks during his visit to Ganderbal on October 15, when he said Chinar trees were obstructing road widening along the BeehamaKheer Bhawani stretch and suggested that some trees might have to be removed, with eight to ten Chinars planted at alternative locations.

One dead, three injured as rocks slide during road constructionin J&K'sPoonch

Poonch, Oct 19 : One person was killed and three others injured after rocks reportedly slid during ongoing construction work on the Sawjian-Gulmarg road in Poonch district on Monday. According to sources, a large rock slid onto workers engaged in construction work on the road leading from Sawjian towards Gulmarg, killing a labourer working with the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) and seriously injuring three others. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Further details are awaited.

Elderly Woman Found Dead With Slit Throat at Home in Pulwamas Parigam

Missing Kokernag labourer found dead in Punjab; family stages protest, alleges murder

Srinagar, Oct 19: The body of a labourer from Kokernag who had been missing for several days was found dead in Punjab and has reached his home, officials said on Monday. Officials told GNS that a missing report was lodged on September 26 regarding Aijaz Ahmad Dar, son of Abdul Majeed Dar, resident of Darpora, Hallpora, Gadool Kokernag, aged 28-29 years, who had left home for labour work. According to the family, Dar had first gone to Srinagar about 20 days ago and stayed there for around 10 days before leaving for Ludhiana, Punjab in search of work. The family said they were in regular telephonic contact with him for about a week, after which his phone was switched off and contact was lost. On October 17, locals of Hallpora along with the family members staged a protest over his continued disappearance, expressing apprehensions about his safety and demanding immediate efforts to trace him. The protest ended peacefully after intervention and assurance from SDPO Kokernag and SHO Police Station Kokernag. Today, the body of the missing youth was recovered in Punjab and later brought to his native village in Kokernag. Soon after the body reached home, family members along with locals staged a protest outside Police Station Kokernag, alleging that he was murdered and demanding a thorough investigation into the case. Police has assured that the case will be taken to its logical conclusion. The protesters dispersed peacefully after police assurance.(GNS)