Opinion

Indian carbon market success hinges on transparent, stable design

India is set to unveil its Indian Carbon Market later this year, aimed primarily at decreasing carbon emissions from the manufacturing sector. Grounded in principles of transparency and stability, the market proposes to set price limits between Rs 600 and Rs 3,000 for each tonne of CO2-equivalent. This endeavor highlights Indias dedication to achieving clean growth and supporting global environmental objectives.

Its cool, calm, collecting: Why data centres wont cripple consumer availability of water and power

Global tech giants are investing billions in Indian data centers for digital sovereignty. These facilities are essential for India's national security and AI race. Environmental concerns about resource consumption are being addressed by new technologies. Hyperscalers are adopting innovative cooling methods to reduce water and energy use. India can achieve technological advancement and environmental sustainability simultaneously.

The ripple effect of El Nino runs from village fields to corporate boardrooms

A deficient monsoon warning flags many districts at risk across India. Reduced agricultural yields will increase food inflation and rural income pressures. Water scarcity and energy demand will intensify for businesses nationwide. Climate volatility impacts supply chains and operational risks for all sectors. Businesses must integrate climate intelligence for future resilience and profitability.

Parliament passes anti-paper leak amendment bill with stricter punishment

New Delhi, Jul 30: Parliament on Thursday passed a bill to amend the anti-paper leak law to introduce stricter punishments, with the government expressing its commitment to go the extra mile to safeguard the interests of students, who are the country's future. The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, was cleared in the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote amid a walkout by several Opposition parties of the India bloc. The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on Wednesday. According to the Bill, individuals involved in paper leaks or unfair means in exams will get jail terms for a minimum of five years and a maximum of 10 years, and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh. For organised crimes, the Bill proposes a minimum sentence of seven years and a fine not less than Rs 10 crore. Soon after the Congress-led Opposition staged a walkout before the minister's reply, leader of the house JP Nadda accused them of being irresponsible and having no respect for parliamentary proceedings, parliamentary democracy or decorum. Replying to a seven-hour discussion on the Bill, Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh criticised the Opposition for not properly reading the provisions of the Bill, which have been very diligently worked out. He also attacked the Congress and other opposition parties for staging a walkout just before he started replying to the debate. The issue is so vast and so serious here, that it cannot be left to government alone. The government is already doing its way; it will continue to do so. We call for cooperation from all sections of society...we are open to receive suggestions. We are proceeding with an open mind. We are not only ready to walk the talk, but we are in fact ready to walk an extra mile, Singh said. He accused the Opposition of being irresponsible by walking out and said, It is unfortunate that many of the members who are most vociferous in raising objections have chosen to walk out when their issues were to be responded to. The minister claimed that the Bill is comprehensive and it not only covers the issue of paper leaks but also takes a holistic view of the examination reform process. The Bill does not cover the NTA alone; it also covers other examinations, including those conducted by the UPSC, SSC and banks, Singh said. Referring to members' charge that the Radhakrishnan committee report has not been implemented, the minister said, in fact, 76 per cent of the panel recommendations have already been implemented. He also took on the Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge on his claims that 152 leaks have happened, saying the LoP has not mentioned paper leaks in Punjab and Karnataka, which are not ruled by the NDA. On the suggestion to abolish the NTA, Singh pointed out that more paper leaks have happened through state-level agencies, the state public service commissions, through state service boards and not necessarily through NTA. The minister claimed that 15 years ago, our youth were looking to leave the country. But, today, many of them are looking to come back now. Singh also listed a host of measures taken by the government in not just providing job opportunities to the youth but also creating an atmosphere to promote the culture of entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities. He also listed out steps taken to increase seats in medical colleges and said the government has made earnest efforts to liberate medical education from management quota. The amendment bill seeks to empower all the state governments and Union Territories administrations to designate any court of session to be a special fast-track court to try offences under the proposed law. It also provides that the proceedings in such courts are continued on a day-to-day basis and the trial is completed within three months from the date of filing of the charge sheet. The Bill also empowers the central government to constitute a special task force for investigation of any offence. The 2024 law was brought in when the government faced raging paper leak controversies. Before this legislation, there was no specific substantive law to deal with unfair means adopted or offences committed by various entities involved in the conduct of public examinations by the central government and its agencies. Earlier, participating in the debate, members of several Opposition parties attacked the government over the police action against the agitating students and no accountability fixed for it, even as ruling party members claimed the BJP regime was sensitive to the issues raised by students.

Kashmir witnesses bumper crop of almonds this year

Srinagar, Jul 30: Kashmir has witnessed a bumper crop of almonds this year due to favourable weather conditions. We are fortunate that the weather this year was very favourable so far as almond cultivation is concerned. In previous years, weather factors led to reduced production. But by God's grace, favourable weather this year resulted in good production, Riyaz Ahmad Shah, Chief Horticulture Officer Pulwama, told PTI. He said the almond growers are satisfied that this year, comparatively, there is a significant increase in production compared to the last two or three years. However, their demand is that the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments should give as much attention to almond farming, he said. Shah said timely advisories to orchard owners by the horticulture department also helped the farmers in improving the produce of the almonds. We ensured they received technical advice on time regarding recommended practices from the Agricultural University. We communicated details about timely pesticide sprays and fertiliser application. All these factors, combined with the hard work of the almond orchard owners, contributed to this success, and they deserve the credit, he added. Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, an almond grower, said the produce has improved this year compared to last year, but the yield has been gradually decreasing over the past three decades. The yield of almonds was very high in Kashmir earlier. I remember very well that from Awantipora, Tral, Beerwah, to Mattan and the Karewa area around there were only almond trees everywhere. Around 20 to 25 truckloads of almonds were sent daily from here to outside markets, Bhat said. He said almonds from Pulwama used to go to Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai for further distribution all across India. Bhat said climate change has drastically affected the almond crop over the years. The weather became unpredictable; sometimes droughts occurred, and sometimes there were heavy rains. The weather lost its natural balance, and the biggest impact of this was on the almond trees, he said, adding that the almond trees began to dry up due to dry spells and intense heat that reached up to 36 degrees Celsius. The farmers shifted their attention to other crops like apples, which flourished, he said. Bhat claimed that there was neglect from official stakeholders, which led to a shrinking of land under almond cultivation. The field staff of SKUAST or the horticulture department never visited the villages to advise farmers on how to manage these almond orchards, unlike the way they currently focus on apple farming, he claimed.

J&K official suspended, dismissal proceedings initiated over bribery case

Jammu, July 30: A Jammu and Kashmir government employee has been suspended, and disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against him for his dismissal from service for allegedly accepting a bribe for issuing an income certificate to a villager, officials said. The action was taken after a citizen approached the deputy commissioner's office with a complaint that he had to pay money to obtain his income certificate, officials said. A citizen came to the DC Office yesterday with one line. I had to pay to get my income certificate. We verified it. The complaint was prima facie true. The official concerned has been suspended. The proceedings to dismiss the official from service have been initiated, the district magistrate said on X. Deputy Commissioner Jammu Rakesh Minhas ordered the immediate suspension of Amit Kumar, a multi-tasking staff (MTS), posted in the R S Pura tehsil and currently deployed at Suchetgarh. According to the order, Kumar has been placed under suspension pending inquiry and attached with the office of the assistant commissioner (general), deputy commissioner's office, Jammu, during the suspension period. In a message to the public, Minhas said revenue services such as income certificates, domicile certificates, ration cards, fard and other revenue documents are citizens' entitlements and no government official is authorised to demand money for providing such legal services. Anyone asking for money is stealing from you, the deputy commissioner said, urging people to report any instance of bribery. He assured citizens that complaints would be treated confidentially and acted upon promptly. Complain, and you will be heard. Your name stays anonymous. The action will be public. Do not pay. Do not adjust. Do not let it go. One complaint moved an entire system yesterday. Yours can too, Minhas said.

ANTF Kashmir nabs Punjab-based drug peddler with 100 grams of heroin in Srinagar

Srinagar, July 30: Continuing its sustained drive against drug trafficking and the illicit narcotics trade, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) Kashmir has apprehended a Punjab-based drug peddler and recovered 100 grams of heroin from his possession at Lasjan, Nowgam, Srinagar. Officials said that acting upon specific information regarding the movement of a drug peddler carrying narcotic contraband, a team of ANTF Kashmir launched a targeted operation at Lasjan, flyover adjacent to Peaks. During the operation, one individual identified as Love Preet Singh, son of Balbir Singh, resident of Sunder Nagar Mustafa Abad, Batala, Amritsar, Punjab, was apprehended. Heroin-like substance weighing 100 grams has been recovered from the possession of the apprehended individual. The recovered contraband has been tested on spot through Drug Detection Kit and the result arrived positive for Heroin. In this connection, Case FIR No. 13 of 2026 under section 8/21 NDPS Act stands registered at Police Station ANTF Kashmir, and further investigation has been taken up to ascertain the source of the contraband, its intended destination, and the wider network involved in its transportation and distribution. Officials said the arrest and recovery mark another significant step by ANTF Kashmir towards disrupting interstate drug trafficking networks and preventing the flow of narcotic substances into the Valley. ANTF Kashmir reiterated its commitment to continuing strict and sustained action against drug traffickers and their networks, with particular focus on identifying the source and forward linkages of narcotic consignments. Further investigation is in progress.

Srinagar police attach properties worth over Rs 1 crore under NDPS Act

Srinagar, July 30: Continuing its sustained and relentless crackdown against drug trafficking under the Nasha Mukti Jammu & Kashmir Abhiyan, Police in Srinagar has attached two immovable properties worth approximately Rs 1.05 crore belonging to notorious drug peddlers, reaffirming its commitment to dismantling the financial infrastructure of narcotics networks operating in the district. Police spokesperson said the first attached property comprises a residential house along with the land underneath, situated at Pamposh Colony, Palpora, Noorbagh, Srinagar, belonging to Aqib Mushtaq Kenu son of Mushtaq Ahmad Kenu resident of Pamposh Colony, Palpora, Noorbagh, Srinagar. The property, having an approximate market value of Rs 50 lakh, has been attached under Section 68-F of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, in connection with FIR No. 48/2022 registered at Police Station Safakadal under Sections 8/21/29 of the NDPS Act. The accused is presently on bail granted by the Hon'ble Court. He said the second attached property comprises a three-storeyed residential house along with two commercial shops and the land underneath, situated at Pathar Masjid, Zainakadal, Srinagar, belonging to Altaf Ahmad Najar alias T.K. Khan son of Late Ghulam Qadir Najar resident of Pathar Masjid, Zainakadal, Srinagar. The property, with an approximate market value of 55 lakh, has been attached under Section 68-F of Chapter VA of the NDPS Act, 1985, in connection with FIR No. 32/2021 registered under Sections 8/21 of the NDPS Act at Police Station Kral Khud. The accused is also under preventive detention under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act, 1988, vide Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir Order No. DIVCOM/K/127/2025 dated 15.07.2025, and is presently lodged in preventive detention. Both properties were identified during investigation as having been acquired through proceeds generated from illicit narcotics trafficking. The attachment proceedings were carried out after obtaining due approval from the Competent Authority (SAFEMA), New Delhi, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter VA of the NDPS Act, ensuring strict adherence to all legal and procedural safeguards. The attachment operations were executed by duly constituted Police teams Srinagar, with the properties falling within the jurisdiction of Police Post Noorbagh and Police Station M.R. Gunj, respectively. These actions form part of J&K Police's sustained strategy to strike at the economic backbone of drug trafficking networks by depriving offenders of assets amassed through the proceeds of crime. By targeting illegally acquired properties, J&K Police aims to deter those engaged in narcotics trafficking and reinforce the rule of law, he added. Police reiterated its unwavering commitment to making society drug-free under the Nasha Mukti Jammu & Kashmir Abhiyan. They urged the general public to continue supporting the police by sharing credible information regarding drug trafficking and other criminal activities so that strict legal action can be taken against those involved.

JKBOSE assures resolution of PMSSS portal mismatches after students raise concerns

Banihal, Jul 30: The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) on Thursday assured students that it is actively working to resolve PMSSS portal verification issues after concerns were raised by candidates whose revised marks from the Higher Secondary Part-II Division Improvement Examination (Bi-Annual) 2025 had not been reflected online. The issue came to light after dozens of students from the Jammu division complained that they were unable to complete their applications under the Prime Minister's Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) because the portal was rejecting their forms due to a mismatch between their revised marks and the records available online. Parents said many students, despite improving their scores in the improvement examination, feared losing the scholarship as Thursday was the last date for submitting applications. Responding to the concerns, JKBOSE Director Academics Dr Parveen Singh said the Board has already resolved more than 200250 PMSSS portal mismatch cases through continuous coordination with the PMSSS authorities in New Delhi. He explained that the discrepancies primarily arose because the PMSSS portal verifies candidates' credentials against the data initially uploaded by JKBOSE. Subsequent changessuch as corrections in students' or parents' names, revised marks after re-evaluation or improvement examinations, and the addition of practical marksresulted in verification mismatches. JKBOSE has been continuously coordinating with the PMSSS authorities under the directions of the Chairman to update records and clear pending cases, Dr Singh said. He appealed to students whose issues are yet to be resolved to immediately approach their respective JKBOSE offices so that their cases can be taken up on priority. Dr Singh also pointed out that the admission calendar has been compressed this year following the Supreme Court's directions to complete engineering and higher education admissions by August 15, making timely disposal of pending cases crucial.

Prioritise apple trucks on NH-44; last year's losses remain unrecovered: Traders

Sahitya Akademi publishes works on Lal Ded, Habba Khatoon and Rupa Bhavani in multiple languages: Union Tourism Minister

New Delhi, July 30: The Sahitya Akademi has undertaken translation and publication of works relating to iconic Kashmiri women poets and mystics, including Lal Ded, Habba Khatoon and Rupa Bhavani, in several Indian languages, the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, informed the Rajya Sabha today. Replying to a question regarding preservation of Kashmirs literary heritage, the Minister stated that Sahitya Akademi undertakes literary translations in 24 Indian languages recognised by it. The Akademi has published the Hindi translation of the classical verses of Lal Ded under the title Lalleshwari Ke Vakh, edited by Radhavallabh Tripathi and translated into Hindi by Adwaitvadini Kaul. A monograph on Lal Ded has also been published in English, Hindi and Urdu. A monograph on Habba Khatoon has been published in English, Hindi, Tamil and Urdu, while a monograph on Rupa Bhavani has been published in English. The Minister further stated that Gyan Bharatam, a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Culture, provides an institutional framework for the survey, documentation, conservation, digitisation, research and dissemination of India's manuscript heritage. Research and academic engagement under the Mission are undertaken through collaboration with centres, universities, scholars, experts and institutions, with support and assistance extended as per the applicable guidelines and approved provisions of the Mission. As part of this initiative, financial grants were released to Gyan Bharatam Centres in Jammu & Kashmir during the last two financial years. A grant of 16.55 lakh was released in 2024-25, while 28 lakh was released in 2025-26.

Iltija Mufti urges Home Minister to probe alleged misuse of ED, NIA in J&K politics

Parliament passes bill that makes insult to Vande Mataram criminal offence

New Delhi, Jul 30: Parliament on Thursday passed a bill criminalising insult to national song Vande Mataram amid din after a brief debate as the opposition raised slogans against the donation theft issue at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was passed by a voice vote after two members spoke on the bill. The bill seeks to make insult to Vande Mataram a criminal offence. Minister of State for Home Nityananda Rai, who piloted the bill in the lower House, said it was an important measure to give Vande Mataram status on par with the national anthem Jana Gana Mana. He said previous Congress governments should have given Vande Mataram its due status but did not as they indulged in appeasement politics. Rai ended his brief statement in Lok Sabha with Vande Mataram chant. Amendments moved by opposition members, including DMK's A Raja, were rejected by voice vote. Raja later tore some documents and hurled them towards the Well. Rajya Sabha had on Wednesday passed the bill. Amid sloganeering after the passage of the bill, Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day.

NH-44 to remain closed on July 31 for slope stabilisation work near Ladha, Samroli

Ramban, Jul 30: The District Administration, Udhampur, has ordered a complete suspension of traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) on July 31 to facilitate slope stabilisation and restoration work on the vulnerable UdhampurChenani stretch near Ladha, Samroli. The order was issued by the Additional District Magistrate, Udhampur, following a request from the Project Director, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), PIU Ramban, who reported that continuous rainfall since July 18 has triggered repeated landslides, mudslides and the falling of loose debris along the affected hillside, posing a serious threat to commuters as well as personnel engaged in restoration work. According to the order, although two-way traffic has recently been restored after widening the valley-side carriageway, permanent slope stabilisation and widening of the hill-side carriageway require the deployment of heavy machinery to remove overhanging debris. The work cannot be carried out safely while traffic is in motion. Invoking powers under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, the district administration directed that vehicular movement on NH-44 shall remain completely suspended on July 31, 2026, to enable the NHAI to undertake intensive debris clearance, slope stabilisation and other restoration works for the safe and early reopening of the highway. The administration has instructed the Senior Superintendents of Police of Udhampur and Ramban, the Superintendent of Police (Traffic), NHW Ramban, and other field agencies to ensure proper traffic regulation, diversion arrangements and strict enforcement of the order. The NHAI has also been directed to deploy adequate manpower, machinery and equipment, maintain close coordination with the district administration, police and traffic authorities, install warning signs and barricades at vulnerable locations, and keep emergency response teams, ambulances and disaster management resources on standby throughout the operation. The District Information Officer, Udhampur, has been asked to disseminate information about the traffic suspension through print, electronic and social media so that commuters can plan their journeys accordingly. Authorities have appealed to the public to avoid travelling on the affected stretch of NH-44 on July 31 and cooperate with the temporary restrictions in the interest of public safety and the expeditious completion of the restoration work.

Single protest may not yield results; we didn't wait for August 5 to press our demand: CM Omar Abdullah

Ganderbal, Jul 30: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that a single protest would not yield meaningful results, asserting that the party's campaign for the restoration of statehood is a sustained political effort rather than a one-day event. Speaking to reporters after reviewing various developmental works in his home constituency of Ganderbal, Abdullah said the National Conference took its protest to Delhi knowing that one demonstration alone would not secure the desired outcome. We took our protest to Delhi knowing fully well that we would not get anything from the first one. A promise was made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir regarding the restoration of statehood, and that promise remains unfulfilled, he said. The Chief Minister said the NC did not wait for August 5 to register its protest and had consistently raised the issue through every available democratic platform. We passed a resolution in the Legislative Assembly, ensuring that the voice and mandate of the people reached New Delhi formally. A single protest or symbolic political demonstration will not yield results. We did not sit quietly waiting for August 5 to raise our voice; we have used every available platform, including the Assembly, to make New Delhi understand what the people of Jammu and Kashmir genuinely want, Abdullah said. Responding to a question on the situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the Chief Minister expressed concern over reports of violence and civilian casualties. We are all concerned. We can only hope that peace prevails there as well, he said.

MLA Pulwama Waheed Para thanks housing ministry for approving Rs 18.96 crore Water Supply Scheme for Pulwama Town

Pulwama, Jul 30: Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Pulwama, Waheed Ur Rehman Para, today expressed his sincere gratitude to the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir and Commissioner Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department (H&UDD), Ms. Mandeep Kaur, for according Administrative Approval to the much-awaited Water Supply Scheme for Pulwama Town. Describing the project as a major milestone in addressing one of Pulwamas most pressing civic issues, the MLA said that ensuring a reliable supply of safe drinking water has remained one of his foremost priorities since assuming office. Waheed Para said that for the past two years, he has consistently pursued the matter with the government and concerned departments through sustained follow-ups to secure approval for a long-term, high-capacity water infrastructure project capable of meeting the growing needs of Pulwama town. Under Government Order No. 61-JK (HUD) of 2026, Administrative Approval has been granted for the project at an estimated cost of 18.96 crore (1,896.31 lakh) under the Urban Development Sector (DULBK) Capex Budget. The project is expected to significantly improve drinking water supply and provide lasting relief from the persistent water scarcity faced by residents.

Omar Abdullah defends Delhi protest, says one protest may not yield results

IUST hosts national conference on innovative pedagogies in higher education

J-K DGP orders attachment of properties of five Pakistan-based terrorists

Srinagar, Jul 30: Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat has ordered the attachment of properties belonging to five notorious terrorists currently operating from Pakistan as part of the Jammu and Kashmir Police's continued crackdown on terror networks and their support infrastructure, officials said today. They said the action targets terrorists who have crossed over to Pakistan and are involved in orchestrating terror-related activities in Jammu and Kashmir. In a related development, the J&K Police has also secured Proclamation Proceedings against Mohd Qasim, a top operative of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), who is also operating from Pakistan. Police said Qasim's property had already been attached in March 2026 under the relevant legal provisions as part of efforts to dismantle the financial and logistical networks of terrorists operating from across the border.

Altaf Bukhari invites more leaders to Apni Party, announces campaign on people's basic issues

Iranian strike hits Chinese firm's building, killing a worker, Kuwait's military says

Cairo, Jul 30: Kuwait's military says an Iranian strike has hit a building for a Chinese firm, killing a worker. The strike severely damaged the building in northern Kuwait, the military said on Thursday morning without elaborating. The attack came after Jordan's air defences shot down five missiles launched from Iran. Jordan's state-run Petra news agency said no casualties were reported. The US military said earlier it had completed a heavy wave of strikes against Iran, conducted in response to an earlier Iranian missile attack on a US base in Jordan. Central Command said in a social media post that the US had struck dozens of targets belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, including military command centers as well as missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance and defence sites.

MLA Sheikh Khursheed protests at PDD Handwara over power disconnections

Member Legislative Assembly (MLA) Langate, Sheikh Khursheed Wednesday staged a protest in the premises of Power Development Department (PDD) Division Handwara after electricity connections of several consumers were reportedly disconnected in Gonipora village of Handwara over pending electricity bills. Addressing the media, MLA Sheikh Khursheed expressed concern over the disconnection of power supply to poor families and urged the PDD authorities to adopt a humane approach while recovering pending dues. The economically weaker sections should not be subjected to hardships, he added. While referring to the BJP office functioning from the Fisheries Department premises in Handwara, Khursheed alleged that the office has electricity dues of around Rs 5 lakh pending with the PDD. I am unable to comprehend why the PDD has failed to recover electricity dues from the BJP office being run from Fisheries hut Handwara. I demand equal enforcement of electricity regulations and no individual or organisation should be treated differently under the law, he added. Later authorities disconnected electricity of BJP office Handwara over non-payment of electricity dues.

The digital orchard: Smart irrigation in Kashmirs high density apple farms

In Kashmirs high-density apple orchards, success is increasingly being determined not just by how much water is available, but by how precisely it is managed. As weather patterns become more unpredictable and water availability more uncertain, orchardists are finding that every irrigation decision, from when to switch on a pump to how long the water is delivered, can influence tree health, fruit quality and ultimately the seasons entire harvest. Precision is becoming the new standard for apple cultivation. Unlike traditional apple orchards, high-density plantations contain more trees per hectare and are designed for intensive production in a shorter period of time. This makes the need for precise irrigation even more essential, because even small inconsistencies in water can alter tree health and fruit output. And because the margin for error is much smaller, the need for reliable and well-managed systems is much greater. Although they yield faster returns, high-density orchards also represent a greater financial investment, as initial establishment costs would include specialized planting material, support systems, drip irrigation infrastructure and site preparation. This would make unpredictable weather more consequential than in traditional orchards. Automation is the central part of a broader shift towards smart orchard management. Increasingly, tools such as soil moisture sensors, weather stations, drones and mobile-controlled irrigation systems are being introduced to help farmers make data-driven decisions throughout the growing cycle. These technologies address more than just convenience. It allows farmers to respond more quickly to changing field conditions while reducing the time they spend operating infrastructure manually. Pumps can be scheduled around the specific crops requirements, valves can be managed remotely, and farmers can receive updates on their devices without needing to visit every field. In high-yield apple orchards, where irrigation timing directly correlates with fruit quality and output, this kind of control is becoming more valuable. With digital irrigation and real-time monitoring giving farmers greater visibility over their routine operations, they are then free to focus more on high-value farm work such as pruning or pest management. In a labor-intensive sector such as this, freeing up time and manpower can also help orchardists address workforce shortage issues and time management. The growth of smart irrigation in Kashmir is being driven through collaboration between researchers, technology companies, the government, and growers. Government-backed horticulture programs and subsidy schemes for these high-density plantations have accelerated adoption across Kashmir. Initiatives such as the High-Density Plantation Scheme ushered in the replacement of traditional orchards to high-density plantations through financial assistance and the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) helped to promote drip irrigation, fertigation and other precision practices. As these farmers invest in modern orchards, the demand for technologies that reduce labor requirements and simplify management is also growing. Academic institutions, such as Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST-Kashmir), continue to study innovative precision irrigation practices and provide technical support to orchardists. At their agri-tech labs, researchers produced an AI-powered robotic sprayer, with built-in detection capabilities, which lowers overall costs as well as runoff. Multinational companies, such as Jain Irrigation, have helped to expand the adoption of smart drip and micro-irrigation systems in the region. Its NutriCare fertigation system allows growers to automate the delivery of nutrients, ensuring trees receive consistent input while reducing manual intervention. Building upon this growing ecosystem, Acres of Ice, an IoT-based climate-tech company, is developing FlowNet, an automated pump and valve controller, designed for micro-irrigation systems. Powered by battery and solar backup, it allows orchardists to remotely schedule irrigation, monitor pumps through a mobile application and receive performance updates without needing to visit the field. Oftentimes, these organizations and universities will also form partnerships to bring low-cost, efficient tools straight to the farmer. As Kashmirs apple industry continues to transition towards high-density cultivation, smart irrigation could become as fundamental as the orchards themselves. Combining generations of traditional horticultural knowledge with digital tools, growers can make more informed decisions, use water more efficiently and build orchards better equipped for an increasingly unpredictable climate. Technologies such as FlowNet represent a small part of this broader shift, one that seeks not to replace the experience of the orchardists, but to give them better control of one of their most valuable resources.

NIT Srinagar gets full-time director after over two years

Srinagar, Jul 30: Ending a prolonged wait for regular leadership, the Ministry of Education has appointed Prof Anurag Misra, Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Jammu, as the new Director of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar. According to an order issued by the Department of Higher Education on July 29, the appointment has been made by the President of India in her capacity as the Visitor of the National Institutes of Technology (NITs). Prof Misra has been appointed on a tenure basis for five years from the date he assumes charge or until he attains the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier. The Ministry has directed the Director of IIT Jammu to relieve Prof Misra at the earliest to enable him to take charge at NIT Srinagar. It has also instructed the Director-in-Charge of NIT Srinagar, Prof Binod Kanaujia, to hand over charge to the newly appointed Director. The appointment fills a key academic and administrative position that had remained without a full-time incumbent for more than two years. On Tuesday, Kashmir MP Mian Altaf raised the issue once again in the Parliament, reminding the House how he took up the issue with the former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. In December last year, the Union Ministry of Education informed Parliament that NIT Srinagar had been functioning without a regular Director since the premature departure of the last appointee. Responding to a question by National Conference MP Mian Altaf Ahmad in the Lok Sabha, the Centre said a regular Director had been appointed in May 2023 for a five-year term but returned to his parent institution after serving only eight months due to administrative reasons. Since then, the institute had been functioning under interim leadership, with the additional charge of Director being assigned to the head of another National Institute of Technology to ensure smooth functioning. The Centre had also informed Parliament that a Search-cum-Selection Committee had been constituted under the provisions of the NITSER Act, 2007, and that interviews of shortlisted candidates had already been conducted, indicating that the appointment process was in its final stages.

Weather to stay cloudy till August 5; no major rainfall likely in Kashmir: MeT

Ajinkya Rahane Announces Retirement From International Cricket, Says 'Time to Move On'

Ajinkya Rahane has announced his retirement from international cricket, ending a remarkable career that included India's historic Test series victory in Australia in 2021.

No major rain spell expected in Kashmir, heavy showers likely in Jammu: MeT

Srinagar, Jul 30: The Kashmir Valley is unlikely to witness any major spell of rainfall over the coming days, although intermittent light rain and brief showers will continue, while the Jammu division is expected to receive heavy rainfall with the risk of flash floods, landslides and mudslides, Director of the Meteorological Department Mukhtar Ahmad said on Thursday. Ahmad said weather conditions would remain largely stable across the Valley, while rainfall activity would be more pronounced in Jammu. Overall, there is no significant weather activity expected in the Kashmir Valley. The weather will remain cloudy, with intermittent light rain and brief showers at some places. It will neither be completely clear nor continuously wet. These conditions are likely to continue until around August 5, he said. He said widespread rainfall activity was expected on Thursday, with brief showers likely across the Valley and different districts of Jammu. Today... there will be a spell of widespread rainfall activity, especially across the Valley and different districts of Jammu division. Most places are likely to receive brief showers, while a few locations may witness intense showers, Ahmad said. According to the MeT Director, the Jammu division could witness another heavy spell of rain during the early hours of Friday, with additional spells likely between August 23 and August 34. Heavy rainfall is expected in the Jammu division, especially during late-night and early-morning hours. This may lead to landslides, mudslides and shooting stones, he said. He cautioned that isolated intense showers could also trigger flash floods in vulnerable areas. Advising farmers, Ahmad said routine agricultural activities need not be suspended. Farmers can continue their routine work, including spraying, field preparation and fertiliser application, he said. He also urged travellers and transporters to exercise caution, particularly in the Jammu region. Travellers, commuters, tourists and transporters should plan their journeys keeping the weather forecast in mind, Ahmad said, adding that people travelling through the Chenab Valley, the Pir Panjal region and the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway should remain alert to the possibility of landslides and mudslides and follow advisories issued by the administration and traffic authorities. On temperatures, Ahmad said daytime and night-time temperatures are likely to rise gradually over the next two weeks before beginning to decline later in August. This pattern is likely to continue until around August 20... After that, temperatures will gradually decline, marking the onset of autumn, which is expected to begin gradually after August 20, he said.

Landslide near Akchamal shuts KargilLeh highway

Kargil, July 30: Traffic on the KargilLeh National Highway (NH-1) remained suspended on Thursday after a massive landslide triggered by heavy rainfall blocked the road near Akchamal in Kargil district. Officials said heavy rain caused a large volume of mud, rocks and debris to slide onto the highway, completely blocking vehicular movement along the strategic route. Road clearance operations have been launched, with men and machinery pressed into service to restore connectivity. However, traffic will remain suspended until the debris is cleared and the highway is declared safe for movement. Authorities have advised commuters and transport operators to avoid travelling on the KargilLeh highway until further orders and to check the latest traffic updates from the concerned authorities before undertaking any journey. The closure is expected to affect the movement of passengers and essential supplies between Kargil and Leh until restoration work is completed. [KNT]

EOW books four in cheating, fake cooking company scam

Srinagar, Jul 30: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir of Crime Branch J&K has filed a charge-sheet in FIR No. 77/2022 under Sections 420 and 120-B IPC the Hon'ble Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, against four accused persons in a cheating case, officials said on Thursday. The officials said that the accused have been identified as Mohd Amin Bhat, son of Mohd Afzal Bhat, resident of Khanyar, Srinagar;Khalid Hussain Khan, son of Ghulam Hassan Khan, resident of Gasiyar Hawal, Srinagar;Anil Kumar Maheshwari, son of Ganpat Lal, resident of A-38, Satiya Nagar, Ward No. 09, Jhotwara, Jaipur, Rajasthan; and Shashank Kumar, son of Surinder Singh, resident of B-50, Uddai City, Pallapurram-2, Modipurram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. The case originated from a complaint alleging that Mohammad Amin Bhat of Khanyar, Srinagar, along with Khalid Hussain Khan, Area Sales Manager, and Anil Kumar Maheshwari, Regional Sales Manager of M/s Assured Agro Food Industries, induced him to invest Rs. 15 lakh as a security deposit for the supply of cooking oil. The accused represented that the company was a manufacturer of cooking oil and assured delivery of stock within a week. However, no stock was supplied, an official spokesperson said in a press statement. Accordingly, he said, a probe has been ordered to investigate the allegations and during investigation, it was established that the accused persons, acting in conspiracy, cheated the complainant on the pretext of supplying mustard oil. Enquiries with the Registrar of Companies, Rajasthan, revealed that no company by the name of M/s Assured Agro Food Industries was registered. Investigation further disclosed the involvement of the company's purported owner, Shashank Kumar of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. On completion of investigation, the charge-sheet has been presented before the competent court for judicial proceedings, the spokesperson said. The Crime Branch has advised the public to remain vigilant against such economic frauds and report any suspicious activities to the SSP, EOW Kashmir. Victims may also lodge complaints through email at sspeow-kmr@jkpolice.gov.in

Northern Railway extends cancellation of three train services on BanihalBudgamBaramulla section till August 14

Banihal, Jul 30: Northern Railway has extended the cancellation of three passenger train services operating on the BanihalBudgamBaramulla section till August 14, 2026, in view of the continuation of scheduled track maintenance works. According to a fresh notice issued by the Office of the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Jammu, the previously suspended train services will continue to remain cancelled from July 31 to August 14 (JCO) to facilitate pre-BCM high-temperature destressing of Long Welded Rails (LWR) in the BanihalBaramulla section. The services whose cancellation has been extended are:Train No. 74615: BanihalBaramulla;train No. 74632: BaramullaBudgam; and train No. 74628: BudgamBanihal The extension means that the 10:50 a.m. BanihalBaramulla passenger train, a key service for daily commuters, students and office-goers travelling between Banihal and various stations in the Kashmir Valley, will also remain suspended during the extended period. Railway officials said the extension is necessary to complete the planned track maintenance and rail destressing works aimed at ensuring the safety and reliability of train operations. Passengers have been advised to make alternate travel arrangements and check the latest train schedules before commencing their journey.

US launches strikes on Iranian targets day after it foiled missile attack on American forces

Baghdad, Jul 30: The US military said early Thursday it had completed what it described as a heavy wave of strikes against Iran conducted in response to an earlier Iranian missile attack on a US base in Jordan. US Central Command said in a social media post that over the span of two hours they struck dozens of targets belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, including military command centres as well as missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance and defense sites. The new strikes came hours after US President Donald Trump vowed to hit Iran very hard after it targeted a base in Jordan that hosts US troops. Iranian state media said two people were injured in attacks on the island of Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz and that explosions were also reported in Khuzestan province to the northwest. Elsewhere, drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at the Egyptian port of Damietta, according to British maritime security firm Ambrey. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strikes on a US-owned floating storage facility and a Greek-owned tanker. No injuries were reported. The flare-ups on multiple fronts after several days of relative calm raised the risk of a return to all-out war. It also underscored the difficulty of winding down a five-month conflict that has jolted the world economy and is unpopular among Americans. The fighting was also likely to add to concerns that the U.S. is further drawing down already diminished stockpiles of sophisticated munitions needed to defend its bases and allies. Egypt, a close US ally and regional mediator, is one of the only countries in the Middle East to have been spared direct military action during the war. A strike by Iran or its allies, if confirmed, would mark a significant widening of the conflict. Asked during an Oval Office event if Iran was responsible for the strikes on the natural gas vessels, Trump responded: It's a little more of the same. In the meantime, we're going to be hitting them very hard because it's our turn to hit them, he added. Saudi Arabia had accused the Iraqi militias of firing drones against its oil facilities over the past two days. An umbrella group of Iraqi militias initially denied the allegations, while another Iran-backed group the Houthi rebels in Yemen said they had attacked Saudi energy facilities as part of a separate but related conflict. Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman met separately on Wednesday with Trump and Vice President J D Vance, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly. The White House and Vice President's office did not respond to requests for comment. Before the latest eruption, mediators had expressed optimism about bringing the U.S. and Iran back to the negotiating table. An interim agreement collapsed in recent weeks over renewed fighting in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global energy supplies that Iranian attacks have again effectively closed. A regional official said mediators are still trying with both sides to restore calm and get the ceasefire back on track. He gave no details on whether progress was being made and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door diplomacy. Regional countries will continue to push to de-escalate the situation, said an Arab official, adding that prospects for successful mediation were slim as both sides continue to launch attacks on the other and have shown no inclination to stop. We're in a very bad place right now, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe an internal assessment of the situation. The renewed hostilities sent oil prices spiking. Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 7.3 per cent to USD 88.093 a barrel.

PM Modi extends Global Tiger Day greetings, reaffirms commitment to conservation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday extended greetings to wildlife enthusiasts on the occasion of Global Tiger Day, highlighting Indias success in tiger conservation and reaffirming the countrys commitment to science-based conservation and sustainable development. In a post on X, the Prime Minister said India was proud to be home to nearly 70 percent of the worlds tiger population, attributing the achievement to the countrys long-standing tradition of living in harmony with nature and the collective efforts of its people. Greetings to all wildlife enthusiasts on Global Tiger Day. The people of India are proud of the fact that we are home to almost 70% of the global tiger population. Indias tiger conservation efforts are inspired by our centuries-old culture of living in harmony with nature and powered by the collective will of our people. We also reaffirm our commitment to science-based conservation, community participation and sustainable development that strengthens tiger conservation, PM Modi said. The Prime Minister also praised the contribution of forest personnel, scientists and conservationists in protecting the countrys tiger population. The efforts and dedication of our forest personnel, scientists and conservationists have also played a key role in tiger protection. In that spirit, India remains committed to empowering local communities and reducing human-wildlife conflict, PM Modi added.

SKUAST-K steps up FPO expansion drive in Budgam

More than 200 farmers participated in a major Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) mobilisation drive in Budgam on Tuesday as Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) stepped up efforts to strengthen farmer collectives under the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-supported Jammu and Kashmir Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP). The programme, organised by the Ashtar Valley Farmer Producer Organisation Cooperative Ltd., Arigam, Khansahib, focused on expanding FPO membership and promoting collective farming enterprises as a means to improve farmers incomes, enhance market access and ensure sustainable agricultural growth. Addressing the gathering, Director Extension and Dean, Faculty of Horticulture, SKUAST-K, Prof. (Dr.) Raihana Habib Kanth, said Farmer Producer Organisations are emerging as key institutions for transforming the agricultural sector by enabling farmers to collectively access quality inputs, modern technologies, institutional credit, value-addition facilities and organised markets. She urged farmers to actively join producer organisations and take advantage of the opportunities created under the IFAD-supported JKCIP. She also reaffirmed SKUAST-Ks commitment to providing technical support, capacity building and extension services to strengthen farmer-led institutions across Jammu and Kashmir. Head, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Budgam, Prof. Bilal Ahmad Lone, highlighted the importance of adopting scientific farming practices, collective marketing and continuous skill development to improve farm productivity, profitability and rural livelihoods. Dr. Mohammad Iqbal Bhat, Coordinator, Upscaling Collectivisation Component, JKCIP, SKUAST-K, outlined the projects strategy for building strong, self-reliant and commercially viable farmer organisations. He said expanding farmer participation and increasing membership are essential to creating sustainable producer collectives capable of effectively addressing challenges related to production, aggregation and marketing. The event brought together officials associated with the JKCIP collectivisation programme, FPO development officers from several districts, scientists, extension experts and members of the Ashtar Valley Farmer Producer Organisation. An interactive session was also held during the programme, during which farmers sought information on FPO membership, governance mechanisms, business planning and market opportunities. Experts addressed their queries and encouraged eligible farmers to join producer organisations to benefit from collective farming and improved market linkages. The mobilisation drive forms part of SKUAST-Ks ongoing efforts under the JKCIP to expand and strengthen farmer-owned institutions with the objective of enhancing agricultural competitiveness, improving market integration and increasing farm incomes across Jammu and Kashmir.

LIC hands over Rs 12,207 Cr dividend cheque to Centre

Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) on Wednesday handed over a dividend cheque of 12,207.25 crore to the Government of India, representing the Centres share of the dividend approved by shareholders at the corporations Annual General Meeting held on July 27. The cheque was presented by LIC Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director R. Doraiswamy to Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Sanjay Lohiya, was present on the occasion along with LIC Managing Directors Ratnakar Patnaik and R. Chander, and N.S. Raghava, Zonal Manager (In-Charge), Northern Zone. The dividend payment follows shareholder approval at LICs Annual General Meeting held on July 27, 2026. LIC said it is completing 70 years since its incorporation and continues to maintain its position as the market leader in Indias life insurance sector. As of March 31, 2026, the corporation had an asset base of 59.03 lakh crore, underscoring its dominant presence in the countrys insurance industry. The corporation said the dividend payout reflects its continued financial strength and commitment to delivering value to its shareholders, including the Government of India, its majority stakeholder.

CII J&K holds awareness session on Govt incentives for women entrepreneurs

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), J&K, through its Women Leadership Panel in collaboration with the Skills Panel, organised an awareness and educational programme titled Catalysing Women-Led Growth: Incentives, Policies & Opportunities in J&K at Countryside Resorts & Banquets, Lasjan, Srinagar, to familiarise aspiring women entrepreneurs with government schemes, financial incentives and institutional support available for business development. The programme brought together policymakers, industry experts, institutional leaders, entrepreneurs and aspiring businesswomen to enhance awareness about government policies, financial assistance, skilling initiatives, incubation support and market opportunities aimed at promoting women-led enterprises across J&K. The technical session featured presentations by Chief Executive Officer, Rural Business Incubation Centre (SKUAST-K), Jameel Khan; Principal, Kashmir Government Polytechnic, Dr. Shafquat Ara; Mission YUVA representative Aliya; and Founder and Director of KMPL and KMGI, as well as Convenor of the CII J&K Skills Panel, Uffair Aijaz. The speakers discussed government support mechanisms, entrepreneurship development, skill enhancement, incubation facilities, market access and the need for stronger institutional collaboration to build sustainable enterprises. Welcoming the participants, Convenor, CII J&K Women Leadership Panel, Haya Qazi, stressed the need to create greater awareness about the wide range of government schemes and policy interventions available for women entrepreneurs. She said women in J&K are making significant contributions in sectors such as handicrafts, tourism, food processing, education and services, but many remain unaware of the institutional support available to establish and expand their businesses. She said the programme was designed to bridge this information gap by connecting aspiring entrepreneurs with experts, government initiatives and ecosystem enablers. Delivering the special address, Chairman, CII J&K, Iqram Shafi, reaffirmed the industrys commitment to strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Union Territory through industry-government partnerships, innovation and skill development. He emphasised that empowering women entrepreneurs is critical to achieving inclusive economic growth, fostering innovation and generating sustainable employment opportunities. Speaking during the session, Uffair Aijaz highlighted the importance of skill development, industry mentorship and market-oriented training in improving the competitiveness of women-led enterprises. He urged aspiring entrepreneurs to make full use of the support mechanisms available through government and industry institutions. CII J&K member Adnan Shah also addressed the gathering and assured participants that the industry body would continue organising similar programmes to support emerging entrepreneurs and strengthen the startup ecosystem in the Valley. The interactive session witnessed enthusiastic participation from women entrepreneurs, startups, students, professionals and representatives from industry and academia. Participants engaged directly with the expert panel, seeking guidance on financing options, government incentives, market linkages, business registration, mentorship opportunities and incubation support. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Co-Convenor, CII J&K Women Leadership Panel, Ridha Rashid, who thanked the speakers, participants and organisers for making the event a meaningful platform for promoting women-led entrepreneurship and encouraging greater participation of women in the regions economic development.

CU Srinagar, DBU Punjab ink pact to hold regular job fairs in J&K

In a significant development, Cluster University (CU) Srinagar has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Desh Bhagat University (DBU) Punjab to hold regular job fairs, nationwide virtual recruitment drives and industry-oriented skill development programmes. The move comes days after CU Srinagar and DBU Punjab organised a mega job fair at Amar Singh College, Srinagar. The move has come as a major push to strengthen campus placements and expand employment opportunities for youth in Kashmir. Addressing media persons in Srinagar, Vice Chancellor CU Srinagar Prof. Mubin Muhammad said the MoU was signed following the successful conclusion of the universitys mega job fair where around 900 candidates were either selected or shortlisted for employment. He said 5,237 candidates registered for the job fair, which saw participation from 62 companies representing sectors including banking, finance, healthcare, information technology and business services. He said 470-475 candidates secured jobs on the spot while 442 were shortlisted for technical interviews for specialised positions such as junior engineers, mechanical engineers and nursing professionals. He said the latest MoU between the two universities was a major milestone as the agreement would make job fairs a regular feature in Jammu and Kashmir through collaboration between the two universities. He said that under the agreement, students of Cluster University Srinagar will also be able to participate in virtual job fairs organised by Desh Bhagat University across the country, allowing them to attend recruitment drives remotely without travelling outside J&K. The collaboration will ensure our students remain connected with employment opportunities throughout the year. Whenever Desh Bhagat University organises a job fair, our students will be able to register and interact virtually with recruiters, he said. He said that MoU also provides for industry-specific workshops for students and faculty to align academic training with industry requirements and improve the employability of graduates. Prof. Mubin said participating companies would continue mentoring candidates who were not selected during the last recruitment drive by providing guidance for future hiring processes. He said the last job fair was one of the largest open recruitment drives held in J&K and the university deliberately opened participation to all youth from the J&K rather than limiting it to its own students. The drive also attracted registrations from Kashmiri students studying in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other states, he added. The Vice Chancellor said recruiters appreciated the quality of candidates. The highest package offered during direct recruitment was Rs 4.8 lakh per year. The shortlisted candidates for specialised technical positions were offered packages of up to Rs 12 lakh per annum, including overseas opportunities in the nursing sector, VC CU Srinagar said. He said the university would continue organising similar recruitment drives in the future, with the newly signed MoU providing a long-term framework for expanding employment opportunities for students across Jammu and Kashmir.

J&K Bank posts net profit of Rs 424 Cr for Q1

Delivering another quarter of steady financial performance, J&K Bank today posted a net profit of Rs 424.18 Cr for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. The Bank announced the financial results after the Board of Directors approved the quarterly numbers in a meeting held today at the Banks corporate headquarters. Continuing its strong growth trajectory, the Banks advances grew by 25% YoY to Rs 130503 Cr during the quarter while the deposits increased by 17% year-on-year to Rs 173420 Cr. Consequently, the Banks total business registered a healthy growth of over 20%, crossing the historic milestone of Rupees Three Trillion and at Rs 303923 Cr as on June 30, 2026. Speaking on business growth, MD & CEO said, Crossing the landmark milestone of Rs 3 trillion in total business marks another defining moment in the Banks transformation journey. It reflects not merely scale but the deep trust of our customers and the consistent execution of our growth strategy. As we move forward, we shall continue to pursue balanced, customer-centric and technology-led growth while expanding our presence across the country and creating enduring value for all stakeholders. During the quarter, the Banks Net Interest Income (NII) increased 2% to Rs 1497 Cr from Rs 1465 Cr recorded in the corresponding period last year, while Net Interest Margin (NIM) stood at 3.28%. Operating Profit of the Bank grew by 4.5% year-on-year to Rs 703 Cr, while the Cost-to-Income Ratio improved to 58.90% from 60.75%, demonstrating continued operational efficiency. The Banks Yield on Advances also improved to 8.56% sequentially. Commenting on the quarterly performance, MD & CEO Amitava Chatterjee said, Driven by robust business expansion and continued improvement in asset quality, we have begun the financial year with our core business fundamentals remaining strong while witnessing sequential growth in deposits in first quarter for the first time in last 6 years. Yet the industry-wide phenomenon of elevated funding costs and sluggish low-cost deposit mobilisation pressured margins, weighing on profitability during the quarter. However, this quarters performance should be placed in the context of our long-term strategic journey rather than viewed solely through the prism of short-term profitability. The choices we have made over the past one year or so were deliberate, disciplined and future-oriented, with a clear focus on accelerating business growth, strengthening our liability franchise and reinforcing the balance sheet. These strategic investments position the Bank to deliver stronger and more sustainable value over the medium to long term, he added. Continuing its consistent focus on strengthening the balance sheet, the Bank further improved its asset quality during the quarter. On a sequential basis, Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA) declined to 2.37% from 2.50% as on March 31, 2026, while on a year-on-year basis, it improved from 3.50% recorded during the corresponding period of the previous financial year. Net Non-Performing Assets (NNPA) also improved sequentially to 0.60% from 0.64% recorded in the previous quarter. The Bank maintained a healthy Provision Coverage Ratio (PCR) of 90.53% as against 90.09% recorded last year, reflecting a prudent provisioning policy and conservative approach towards risk management. On the improvement in asset quality, MD & CEO Amitava Chatterjee said, The sustained improvement in our asset quality reflects years of disciplined underwriting, robust credit monitoring, focused recovery efforts and a strong risk management framework. With gross slippage ratio for the (annualised) June quarter below 0.5%, our endeavour remains to build a resilient balance sheet that supports quality credit growth while preserving long-term financial stability and safeguarding stakeholder interests. The Banks Capital Adequacy Ratio (CRAR) improved to 16.67% YoY as against 15.98% recorded last year, remaining comfortably above the regulatory requirement. Commenting on the Banks capital position, MD & CEO said, Our strong capital base coupled with the approvals we have for further capital raising provides us adequate headroom and flexibility to support the next phase of our growth journey. It equips us to seize emerging opportunities, meet evolving customer aspirations and sustain profitable expansion while maintaining prudent capital cushion to tide over any future challenges.

Power engineers oppose 11 kV self-certification policy, cite public safety risks

The Jammu and Kashmir Electrical Engineering Graduates Association (JKEEGA) has sought the immediate withdrawal of S.O. 193 of 2026, contending that the governments decision to enhance the notified voltage limit for self-certification of electrical installations from 650 volts to 11 kV could compromise public safety, weaken statutory oversight, and undermine the role of the Electrical Inspection Wing. The association has also called for the notification to be kept in abeyance until a comprehensive technical, legal, and safety review is undertaken. In a detailed representation addressed to the Additional Chief Secretary, Power Development Department, JKEEGA stated that the recently issued notification, which implements provisions under the Central Electricity Authority (Measures Relating to Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations, 2023, appears to have been issued without a comprehensive technical impact assessment, structured stakeholder consultation, or any demonstrable evaluation of the safety implications associated with permitting self-certification of electrical installations up to 11 kV. The association said the issue was deliberated extensively during separate meetings of its Guidance Councils in Kashmir and Jammu, chaired by General Secretary Er. Pirzada Hidayatullah and President Er. Sachin Tickoo, respectively. Following detailed technical discussions, both councils unanimously adopted resolutions opposing S.O. 193 and resolved to seek its immediate withdrawal and a comprehensive review. Copies of the resolutions have also been submitted to the government for consideration. According to the representation, electrical installations operating at 11 kV constitute high-voltage systems that involve significantly greater risks to human life, public property, and the integrity and reliability of the electricity network. JKEEGA argued that such installations require rigorous and independent statutory scrutiny by the Electrical Inspection Wing to ensure compliance with prescribed safety standards. It cautioned that extending the scope of self-certification to 11 kV would substantially reduce independent statutory oversight and weaken the safeguards envisaged under the Electricity Act, 2003, and the CEA Safety Regulations, 2023. The engineering body further maintained that no material has been placed in the public domain to indicate that the enhancement of the notified voltage threshold from 650 volts to 11 kV was preceded by any comprehensive technical feasibility study, safety audit, risk assessment, or comparative analysis of regulatory practices followed by other states. It said a policy decision having far-reaching implications for public safety and regulatory governance should have been preceded by a transparent consultative process involving all stakeholders, including the Electrical Inspection Wing, Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL), Jammu and Kashmir Power Transmission Corporation Limited (JKPTCL), engineering associations, technical experts, and consumer representatives. JKEEGA also expressed concern over the practical implications of the notification, observing that certification of high-voltage installations under the revised framework would largely depend upon Chartered Engineers possessing the prescribed qualifications and experience. Given the limited availability of such professionals in the Union Territory, the association apprehended that statutory certification may become concentrated in the hands of only a few individuals, leading to avoidable administrative, technical, and ethical concerns while simultaneously diminishing the institutional role of the Electrical Inspection Wing. While acknowledging that improving the ease of doing business is a legitimate policy objective, the association asserted that it cannot override the paramount considerations of public safety, statutory oversight, and regulatory accountability, particularly in matters involving high-voltage electrical infrastructure. The representation also highlighted a comparative review of the regulatory framework adopted by several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, West Bengal, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh. According to JKEEGA, these states have exercised caution while implementing the discretion available under the CEA Regulations and have retained comparatively lower notified voltage thresholds to ensure continued independent statutory oversight over high-tension electrical installations. The association further pointed out that neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, which has topographical and climatic conditions similar to Jammu and Kashmir, has retained the notified voltage threshold at 440 volts, demonstrating that the CEA Regulations do not prescribe a uniform national threshold of 11 kV. In its representation, JKEEGA urged the government to immediately withdraw S.O. 193 of 2026, suspend its implementation pending a comprehensive technical, legal, and safety review, and constitute a high-level committee comprising representatives from the Power Development Department, Electrical Inspection Wing, KPDCL, JPDCL, JKPTCL, JKEEGA, technical experts, and other stakeholders to examine the implications of the notification. It also sought a comparative assessment of the regulatory frameworks followed in other states before introducing any policy that substantially expands the scope of self-certification. Furthermore, the association requested that any future policy concerning electrical safety and statutory inspection be formulated only after meaningful consultation with all stakeholders and due consideration of technical, legal, and public safety aspects. Reiterating its support for reforms in the power sector, JKEEGA stated that it remains firmly committed to constructive and progressive changes. However, it maintained that such reforms must be founded on sound technical principles, stakeholder participation, statutory compliance, and the paramount consideration of public safety. The association appealed to the government to initiate a transparent, inclusive, and technically informed consultative process to evolve a balanced and consensus-based policy. The association expressed hope that the concerns raised by the engineering fraternity would receive due consideration. However, it warned that if the notification continues in its present form without meaningful stakeholder consultation, JKEEGA would be constrained to register its protest through all lawful, peaceful, and democratic means available under law in order to safeguard public safety, preserve the statutory role of the Electrical Inspection Wing, and protect the legitimate interests of the engineering fraternity. Copies of the representation have also been forwarded to the Advisor to the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary of the Union Territory.

J&K Congress mourns demise of Senior Office Secretary Muhammad Saleem

The Jammu and Kashmir Congress on Wednesday condoled the demise of its senior office-bearer and Office Secretary, Muhammad Saleem, describing him as a dedicated party worker whose contributions would be remembered. In a condolence message, the party said Saleem was a kind, humble and noble-hearted person whose sincerity, dedication and commitment to the Congress and the people earned him respect across the organisation, as per KNS. The Congress leaders said his sudden demise had deeply saddened party leaders and workers and created a void that would be difficult to fill. Expressing solidarity with the bereaved family, the party prayed for eternal peace to the departed soul and strength and patience for his family, friends and all those who knew him. The party also prayed that Almighty Allah forgives his shortcomings and grants him the highest place in Jannat-ul-Firdous. Meanwhile, PCC President Tariq Hameed Karra, AICC General Secretary & CLP Leader GA Mir besides a number of senior Congress leaders attended the last rites of Mohammed Saleem Khan. Karra termed his death a great loss to the party HQ ,as he was an important bridge of communication with the party cadres. He shared the grief of the bereaved family members and prayed for peace to the departed soul. AICC General Secretary and CLP Leader G A Mir has deeply condoled the sad demise of Saleem and described his untimely demise a great loss to the Congress family and his own family. He described him as an asset to the party. He prayed for peace to the departed soul and shared the grief of the bereaved family. Former Minister and Ex PCC President Peerzada Mohammed Sayeed MLA has also deeply condoled the untimely demise. Prof Soz condoles demise Former Union Minister, Prof Saifuddin Soz has expressed grief over the passing away of Muhammad Saleem Khan of the Congress Party, saying the untimely demise was quite shocking. His absence will mean a vacuum in the Congress Party Office at Maulana Azad Road, Srinagar. He was a person who always had a smile on his face. He served the Congress party with dedication, saif Prof Soz. Saleem Khans demise is a great loss to the J&K Congress Party. I offer my condolences to the bereaved family. May God rest his soul in peace and give fortitude to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss, he added.

Dried branch of Chinar tree at Bagh Ali Mardan poses risk to commuters

Commuters have expressed concern over dried branch of a Chinar tree near Main Mill Stop, Bagh Ali Mardan Khan area saying it poses risk to them. They said the area witnesses heavy movement of people including students and the decayed branch poses risk to them. The branch can fall at any time and cause serious injuries or even loss of life and damage to property if not attended to promptly, said Pir Jan Mohammad, a concerned citizen. Concerned authorities should inspect the tree and arrange for immediate removal of the dried branch in order to safeguard the lives and property of the general public, he added.

University of Kashmir enters new era of academic autonomy with UGC Category-I Status

In a landmark achievement that underscores its sustained pursuit of academic excellence, the University of Kashmir (KU) has been accorded the prestigious Category-I status by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under the UGC (Categorisation of Universities for Grant of Graded Autonomy) Regulations, 2018. According to an official communication issued by the UGC Secretary, Prof. Shyama Rath (D.O. No. 91-1/2024(SU-1)/142186), the decision was approved during the Commission's 598th meeting held on July 6, 2026, making the University eligible for enhanced academic, administrative, and financial autonomy available to India's top-performing higher education institutions. The University shall now be eligible for all the benefits as stipulated under Clause 4, i.e., Dimensions of Autonomy for Category-I Universities, of these Regulations, the UGC communication states. Expressing her delight over the achievement, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nilofer Khan described the recognition as a defining moment in the University's journey towards academic excellence. The grant of Category-I status by the UGC reflects the University's sustained academic progress and our collective commitment to quality. I sincerely thank our Hon'ble Chancellor, Shri Manoj Sinha, Pro-Chancellor, Mr. Omar Abdullah, and Minister for Higher Education, UT of J&K, Ms. Sakina Itoo, for their continued guidance and support in strengthening higher education in Jammu and Kashmir. I also congratulate our students, scholars, faculty and non-teaching staff, whose dedication and unwavering commitment have made this recognition possible. We will utilise the enhanced autonomy to further expand academic opportunities, research, innovation, and institutional collaborations, she said. Prof. Khan further noted that the Category-I status would significantly enhance the University's global academic footprint by enabling collaborations with leading international universities, facilitating the engagement of foreign faculty, admitting international students, and offering new Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programmes in accordance with UGC regulations. She said the enhanced autonomy would further strengthen research, innovation, interdisciplinary learning, and internationalisation initiatives. The recognition follows the University's outstanding performance in the NAAC Re-accreditation Cycle (2025), in which it secured an A++ Grade with a CGPA of 3.68the highest accreditation score in the University's history. Under the UGC Regulations, Category-I status is conferred on universities that achieve a NAAC score of 3.51 or above. With this recognition, the University of Kashmir will enjoy greater flexibility to introduce new academic programmes, revise curricula, promote interdisciplinary education, establish research and innovation ecosystems, forge national and international collaborations, and undertake a range of academic and administrative initiatives with minimal regulatory approvals. The conferment of UGC Category-I status marks a significant milestone in the University's evolution as a centre of academic excellence and innovation, while reinforcing its commitment to the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and positioning it among the country's leading institutions of higher learning. CM Omar Abdullah congratulates KU Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has congratulated the University of Kashmir on being accorded the prestigious Category-I status by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under the UGC (Categorisation of Universities for Grant of Graded Autonomy) Regulations, 2018, describing the achievement as a landmark milestone for higher education in Jammu and Kashmir. Congratulating the Vice Chancellor, faculty, students and the entire University fraternity, the Chief Minister said the recognition is a testament to the Universitys sustained commitment to academic excellence, quality research and institutional development. He said the achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of generations of educators, researchers, scholars and students who have contributed to building the Universitys reputation as one of the countrys leading centres of higher learning.

5 women among 9 injured in Muthi accident

Nine persons, including five women, sustained injuries when a mini-bus suddenly overturned at Muthi dream city area in Jammu outskirts on Wednesday. All the injured were immediately shifted to Government Medical College (GMC) hospital Jammu where their condition was stated to be stable. Though passengers and eyewitnesses alleged that the accident occurred due to rash and negligent driving, yet the Police said that the case was registered and an investigation was underway to ascertain the cause of the accident. The injured have been identified as Rajni, 32, wife of Raj Kumar, resident of Purkhoo camp; Vikram, 33, son of Rajinder Kumar, resident of Patoli Brahmana; Rinku, 30, son of Satpal; Ikhlaq Hussain, 20, son of Mohd Lat, Irfan, 20, son of Abdul Razaq; Avantika, 18, daughter of Radhay Sham all residents of Purkhoo camp; Subi, 27, daughter of Somdas Shivgotra, resident of Patoli Brahmana; Sahil Singh, 19, son of Rakesh Singh and Riya Sharma, 25, daughter of Kuldeep Kumar, both residents of Purkhoo camp.

Floods damage cremation grounds in Rajouri, residents seek restoration

The recent devastating floods have left a trail of destruction across Rajouri district, severely damaging public infrastructure, residential areas and essential community facilities. Among the worst affected are cremation grounds situated along river banks, leaving local residents worried over the conduct of last rites in the event of any death. According to reports, several cremation grounds across the district have suffered extensive damage due to the flash floods as cremation grounds are always built alongside river. While some have been partially damaged, others are feared to have been washed away completely as swollen rivers eroded large stretches of land. One of the worst-hit cremation grounds is located in Kheora area of Rajouri town, where the flash floods of July 19 caused massive damage to the only cremation facility serving the locality. The platform and surrounding area have been badly affected, rendering the ground unfit for use. Residents of Kheora have appealed to the government and district administration to undertake immediate restoration of the cremation ground. They said the damaged facility has created a serious problem for the local population, particularly in the event of any death before restoration work is completed. The locals said that if the cremation ground is not repaired at the earliest, bereaved families will be left with no option but to carry the mortal remains nearly 15 kilometres to another cremation ground for performing the last rites, causing immense hardship during times of grief. Residents urged the administration to treat the restoration of cremation grounds as a priority, stating that such facilities are an essential public utility and should be made functional without delay. Notably, cremation grounds are places where members of the Hindu and Sikh communities perform the last rites and cremation of the deceased. The damage to these facilities has added another dimension to the hardships being faced by flood-affected families across Rajouri district.

2,120 houses under PMAY-U 2.0 among 45,982 houses sanctioned for J&K: Centre

45,982 houses, including 2,120 under PMAY-U 2.0, have been sanctioned for Jammu and Kashmir so far. Out of these, 43,907 houses have been grounded, while 35,961 have already been completed. Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu has shared this information in Rajya Sabha in reply to a question by Jammu and Kashmir Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and MP Sat Sharma. Sat Sharma, while raising important issues concerning the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) 2.0 in Jammu and Kashmir, sought details from the Union Government regarding housing for urban residents, migrant workers and middle-class families. J&K BJP president asked about the number of houses sanctioned for Jammu and Kashmir under PMAY-U 2.0, the progress towards achieving housing saturation in the Union Territory, the provision of Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs) in industrial areas like Samba and Bari Brahmana and measures taken to simplify the Interest Subsidy Scheme for middle-class families purchasing apartments. Replying to the question, Sahu stated that the Centre had encouraged the J&K government to submit more proposals to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries received housing benefits under the scheme. The Minister further informed that 336 housing units were already converted into Affordable Rental Housing Complexes in Jammu and Kashmir. Under PMAY-U 2.0, according to the Union Minister, a separate affordable rental housing vertical has also been introduced and the J&K government has been encouraged to submit proposals for developing rental housing for migrant workers and other eligible beneficiaries. Regarding the Interest Subsidy Scheme, the central government clarified that eligible EWS, LIG and MIG families could avail interest subsidy for purchasing or constructing houses through the PMAY-U 2.0 portal. It also clarified that ownership of land was not mandatory for purchasing approved ready-built or under-construction apartments. Sat Sharma said that the government's reply reflected the Centres commitment to ensuring affordable housing for every deserving family. He said these initiatives would benefit thousands of families in Jammu and Kashmir by making home ownership easier and strengthening urban housing infrastructure across the Union Territory.

Jammu, Reasi, Udhampur witness fresh spell of heavy rains

Fresh spell of heavy showers on Wednesday lashed Jammu, Reasi and Udhampur districts leading to rise in water levels in Tawi and Chenab and other streams and nullahs. The surge in water level remained well below the alarming level. After the rain stopped, the situation turned to normal by evening. However, the Met department has predicted continued wet spells, particularly during late evening and morning hours. As per Met department forecast, on July 30 also, scattered rain showers, with the highest chances over the Jammu region, are anticipated. The met department has cautioned that although prolonged rainfall is not expected, there remains a very high risk of flash floods due to intense localised downpours and isolated cloudburst events cannot be ruled out, with the possibility of landslides and shooting stones in vulnerable hilly areas. Between July 31 to August 2, intermittent rain showers are expected. In a related incident, in wake of incessant rains, a house collapsed in Malhotra Mohalla of old Jammu city, however, there was no loss of life in the incident. Police said that the old house was being used as a godown. The house cum godown was in a decrepit situation. This morning at around 8.30 am amid heavy downpour, it caved in. Though the owner suffered the loss of goods stored in the godown yet no loss of lives was reported, Police said. The owner, joined by the local inhabitants, said that the locality, like many other areas of old Jammu city, housed several old and crumbling structures, many belonging to the pre-1947 era. They pose a persistent threat to the inhabitants and the passers-by. Several times, we have approached the concerned authorities including Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) in this connection yet no action has been taken so far. Many among such structures are custodian houses. The government should allow their renovation or take desired steps to ensure safety of inhabitants, they maintained. Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), in view of the heightened risk of dengue and chikungunya, has asked the citizens to remain vigilant against the stagnant water in and around their homes. JMC Commissioner Dr Devansh Yadav has appealed to citizens to support the Corporations campaign to maintain clean surroundings and report areas prone to water stagnation to prevent the vector borne diseases. Meanwhile, the Police along with NDRF and SDRF teams continued a search operation on Wednesday to trace the missing youth. The youth, identified as Ravi, along with his two friends, late Monday evening had gone to Tawi riverfront area, when he went missing.

Wushu, Kabaddi Championship concludes at Indoor Stadium Handwara

The two-day My Youth My Pride Wushu and Kabaddi Championship concluded on Wednesday at the Indoor Stadium Handwara in Kupwara district, bringing together 120 boys and girls across two disciplines. The championship, as per an official statement, drew strong participation from young athletes who competed in Wushu and Kabaddi events over both days. Organisers reported high enthusiasm throughout, with competitors demonstrating technical skill, discipline and sportsmanship across every round. The closing ceremony was attended by Ajaz Hassan, Incharge, Indoor Stadium Handwara, who distributed medals and certificates to winners and participants. Speaking at the ceremony, Ajaz Hassan appreciated the efforts of participants, coaches, officials and organisers who made the championship a success. He urged the young athletes to keep training and to take part in more competitions in pursuit of excellence in sports. The championship was organised under the My Youth My Pride initiative, which promotes sports participation, fitness and youth engagement across the region. The organisers reaffirmed their commitment to creating further opportunities for young athletes in the district.

U-17 Subroto Cup Football Tournament 2026 kicks off in Baramulla

Following the successful conclusion of the Under-15 Boys Inter-District Provincial Level Subroto Cup Football Tournament 2026, the Under-17 Boys Inter-District Provincial Level Subroto Cup Football Tournament 2026 commenced on Wednesday at St. Joseph's School, Baramulla, under the aegis of the Directorate of Youth Services & Sports, Jammu & Kashmir, with DYSS Baramulla serving as the host district. The championship, as per a DYSS statement was formally inaugurated by the District Youth Services & Sports Officer (DYSSO), Baramulla, Mushtaq Ahmad Pampori, in the presence of Mubeen Ahmad Khan (PEM), Shabir Ahmad Thoker (PEM), and Showkat Ahmad Waza (PEM) Convener of the Tournament, along with officials, technical staff, coaches, and participating teams. A total of eight districts out of ten are participating in the prestigious Under-17 provincial football championship, providing a competitive platform for young footballers to showcase their talent and sportsmanship. The opening day's first session witnessed six thrilling encounters with Bandipora defeating Anantnag by 4-0, Baramulla registering a commanding 8-0 victory over Shopian, Srinagar outclassing Kulgam by 9-0, Ganderbal and Budgam playing out a hard-fought draw. Srinagar continued their impressive run by defeating Anantnag 4-2, and Baramulla and Budgam shared points after their match ended in a draw. The tournament is expected to witness intense competition in the coming days as participating districts strive to secure the coveted provincial title and earn qualification for the next stage of the prestigious Subroto Cup Football Tournament 2026.

Four Ball Tournament 2026 concludes at RSGC

The Royal Springs Golf Course (RSGC) successfully concluded its much-anticipated Four Ball Tournament 2026 (Partners by Choice), one of the club's flagship golfing events, after five rounds of exhilarating match-play competition that showcased exceptional golfing talent, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Played on a knockout basis, the tournament, as per a statement, brought together 66 of the Club's leading golfers, competing in 31 highly competitive matches over five rounds. The event witnessed several thrilling encounters, with many matches extending into extra holes and a number being decided through sudden-death playoffs, underlining the high standard of golf and the competitive spirit displayed by the participants. The championship was deservedly claimed by Adnan Rah and Hamza Shah, who demonstrated remarkable consistency, composure, and teamwork throughout the tournament. In a keenly contested final, the champion pair defeated Shabir Ahmad Bhat and Mushtaq Tramboo on the 17th hole, securing victory by 2 up after an impressive display of precision golf and strategic play. The finalists also earned widespread appreciation for their outstanding performance, resilience, and determination, making the championship match a fitting conclusion to an exciting tournament that captivated members and spectators alike. Congratulating the winners, the Secretary of Royal Springs Golf Course, along with the Tournament Committee, commended the champions for their exceptional partnership, consistent performance, and competitive excellence. They also applauded the runners-up for their spirited challenge and praised all participants for upholding the highest traditions of the game through exemplary sportsmanship, discipline, and camaraderie. The Secretary, RSGC, further acknowledged the efforts of the tournament committee, officials and course maintenance staff whose dedication ensured the smooth and successful conduct of the championship. The Four Ball Tournament 2026 once again reinforced Royal Springs Golf Course's reputation as one of the region's premier golfing venues, providing members with an outstanding platform to compete, foster friendships, and celebrate the spirit of the game. The tournament concluded on a high note, adding yet another memorable chapter to the Club's rich sporting legacy and leaving members eagerly anticipating next year's edition.

Kashmir Super League 2026 | Sanctorum North United FC becomes 4th franchise

The Khyber Cement Kashmir Super League (KSL) 2026, powered by Athwas Retail & Athwas Hyundai, continues to attract some of the Valley's most progressive institutions, with Sanctorum North United FC officially joining the league as its fourth franchise. The franchise agreement, as per a statement, was formally signed by Shakir Ashraf on behalf of Sanctorum, marking the institution's entry into Jammu & Kashmir's premier corporate franchise-based football league. Sanctorum has earned a strong reputation for its commitment to quality education and youth development. Beyond academics, the institution has made grassroots football development an integral part of its vision by identifying, nurturing, and creating opportunities for talented young footballers, particularly from North Kashmir, where access to professional coaching, competitive exposure, and scouting opportunities has traditionally remained limited. Welcoming the new franchise, representatives of the Kashmir Super League said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to empowering young footballers and strengthening the region's football ecosystem. Institutions like Sanctorum understand that sports play a vital role in shaping young minds. Their dedication to grassroots football aligns perfectly with the vision of the Kashmir Super Leagueto provide a professional platform where local talent can showcase its abilities and aspire to play at the national level. The inclusion of Sanctorum North United FC further strengthens the league's mission of bringing together corporate institutions and football development, ensuring that talented players from every corner of Jammu & Kashmir receive opportunities to compete on a professional stage. The Khyber Cement Kashmir Super League was launched to transform the football landscape of Jammu & Kashmir through a professional franchise-based model. Its inaugural edition proved to be a landmark success, attracting widespread public support, providing national exposure to local footballers, and creating new pathways for talented players. Most notably, two players from the league earned selection to the Indian National Football Team, underlining KSL's growing impact on Indian football. Building on that success, the 2026 season promises to be bigger and more competitive, featuring six franchise-based teams and some of the finest footballing talent from across the Union Territory. The Khyber Cement Kashmir Super League 2026, powered by Athwas Retail & Athwas Hyundai, is scheduled to kick off in August at the TRC Ground, Srinagar, further strengthening its vision of making Kashmir a major destination for professional football while inspiring the next generation of players.

RSGC gears up for 5th J&K Open, prize purse raised to Rs 1 crore

The Government of Jammu & Kashmir, through Jammu & Kashmir Tourism together with the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (DP World PGTI), the official sanctioning body of mens professional golf in India, on Wednesday jointly announced the fifth edition of the J&K Open. The tournament will be staged at the spectacular Royal Springs Golf Course in Srinagar from August 4 7, 2026. The total prize purse, as per a statement issued, for the event has been raised from INR 50 lakh to INR 1 crore. The J&K Open 2026 is supported by event title partner J&K Tourism and host venue Royal Springs Golf Course. The tournament is also supported by DP World PGTIs Umbrella Partner and global smart logistics provider DP World alongside Tour Partners Axis Bank, Amul, Amrutanjan Enerlyte, Campa, Air India Maharaja Club and Kalyani. The field is set to feature leading Indian professionals, including 2026 DP World PGTI Order of Merit leader Saptak Talwar, Veer Ahlawat, Om Prakash Chouhan, Manu Gandas, defending champion Shaurya Bhattacharya and Angad Cheema, to name a few. The tournament will also feature 14 foreign players from nine different countries. The foreign countries being represented at the event include the USA, Japan, Czech Republic, Canada and Malaysia, to name a few. Rashid Raina, Deputy Director Tourism (Kashmir), Government of Jammu & Kashmir, said, The Government of J&K is proud to support the J&K Open 2026 golf tournament at the iconic Royal Springs Golf Course, one of India's finest golfing venues. The tournament not only reinforces Jammu & Kashmir's reputation as a leading destination for golf tourism but also highlights our commitment to promoting high-quality sporting events that contribute to tourism growth and economic development. We are confident that the championship will attract widespread attention, further elevate the profile of Kashmir on the national sporting calendar and create memorable experiences for players and visitors alike. Amandeep Johl, CEO, DP World PGTI, said, The DP World Professional Golf Tour of India is delighted to return to the majestic Royal Springs Golf Course for the J&K Open 2026, a tournament that has become one of the most eagerly awaited stops on our schedule. We thank the Honourable Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir Shri Omar Abdullah, Government of Jammu & Kashmir and J&K Tourism for their invaluable support in bringing this event back to Srinagar. J&K Open 2026 sets the tone for an exciting second half of the season. Jammu & Kashmir has consistently demonstrated its ability to host world-class sporting events, and the Robert Trent Jones II Designed Royal Springs Golf Course provides a championship venue that is admired by players for both its outstanding playing conditions and breathtaking surroundings. We look forward to a highly competitive week that will showcase India's leading golfing talent while further strengthening Jammu & Kashmir's position as one of India's premier golf destinations. Jammu and Kashmir is home to some of the top tourist destinations in the country. Kashmir, a valley where streams, lakes, flowers and fruits abound, is a place bestowed with the beauty of four seasons. The Valley presents a different view each season: The spectral spring, the sprawling summer, the crisp winters and the rustling autumn. Jammu, bestowed with enthralling scenic beauty amidst the proud mountain ranges exhibits all the qualities that make it a sought-after tourist destination. The tournament is part of J&K Tourisms great initiative of promoting golf tourism in the region. J&K is blessed with some spectacular golf courses such as Jammu Tawi Golf Course, Royal Springs Golf Course (Srinagar), Pahalgam Golf Course (Lidder Valley) and Gulmarg Golf Club. These courses provide a mesmerising experience to golfers. The Royal Springs Golf Course is ranked among the most beautiful courses in Asia. The course designed by Robert Trent Jones II has taken full advantage of the undulating foot spurs of the Zabarwan Mountains that descend onto the shores of the famed Dal Lake. The 6445-metre course, at a par of 72, offers a challenge to all levels of players. The course designer has crafted out of the natural setting a combination of aesthetic delight and golfing pleasure. About DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (DP World PGTI): The DP World Professional Golf Tour of India serves as the official governing and sanctioning body for mens professional golf in India and is a recognised member of the International Golf Federation and the International Federation of PGA Tours. DP World PGTI also enjoys a strategic alliance with the DP World Tour (European Tour). DP World PGTI events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. Global logistics leader DP World is the Title Partner and Official Umbrella Partner of the DP World PGTI. The DP World PGTI is led by its president, Padma Bhushan Kapil Dev, an iconic sporting legend who continues to inspire athletes and audiences nationwide.

Ramban Police promotes 24 constables, 17 followers

Ramban, Jul 29:District Police Ramban has granted in-situ promotions to 41 personnel, including 24 Selection Grade Constables and 17 Followers, in recognition of their dedicated service after completing nine years of satisfactory service. The promotions were approved during a meeting of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) held at the District Police Office (DPO), Ramban, under the chairmanship of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ramban, Arun Gupta. The meeting was attended by the Additional Superintendent of Police, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters), and the Accounts Officer, DPO Ramban, who are members of the committee. After examining the service records of all eligible officials, the committee cleared the in-situ promotions to the next higher pay level in accordance with the prescribed rules. Congratulating the promoted personnel, SSP Arun Gupta said the recognition of their sincere service would further motivate them to discharge their duties with greater dedication, professionalism and integrity. He urged them to continue serving the public with honesty and commitment while upholding the highest traditions of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The SSP reiterated that District Police Ramban remains committed to the welfare and timely career progression of its personnel, adding that such measures help boost morale and encourage excellence in public service.

Sopore residents demand upgrading road and drainage infrastructure

Sopore, Jul 29:The Residents of Sher Colony in North Kashmir's Sopore today alleged that absence of a proper road and drainage system has turned their daily lives into a constant struggle. According to the residents, the main road passing through the locality has remained in a severely dilapidated condition for years. The residents alleged that despite repeated requests to Municipal Council Sopore, the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department and other concerned authorities over the past three decades, their grievances have failed to receive the attention. We have approached every concerned department time and again, but our repeated pleas have yielded no tangible results. Even today, we continue to live without basic civic amenities, the residents said. The residents further added that the absence of a functional drainage system has affected the school going children the most, results in stagnant water accumulating across the locality creating unhygienic conditions and increasing the risk of waterborne diseases. Appealing for urgent intervention, the residents urged the District Administration Baramulla, the Municipal Council Sopore and the R&B Department to immediately undertake the construction of the road and establish a proper drainage system in the locality.

Committee on Estimates reviews functioning of Health & Medical Education department

Srinagar, Jul 29:The Committee on Estimates of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly today convened a meeting under the Chairmanship of Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurezi) to review the overall functioning of the Health and Medical Education Department, with emphasis on strengthening healthcare delivery and assessing the availability of medical manpower across the Union Territory. The meeting was attended by members of the Committee including Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Balwant Singh Mankotia, Ali Mohammad Dar, Javid Hassan Beigh, Irshad Rasool Kar, Sajad Shaheen, Sunil Bharadwaj and Pyare Lal Sharma. Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education, M. Raju, Director SKIMS, Managing Director, National Health Mission, Principals of various Government Medical Colleges, Secretary, J&K Legislative Assembly, Manoj Kumar Pandita, besides other senior officers of the Health and Medical Education and Legislative Assembly were also present. During the deliberations, the Committee undertook a comprehensive review of the departments functioning, focusing on healthcare infrastructure, availability of human resources, quality of service delivery and the effectiveness of administrative mechanisms across Jammu and Kashmir. The Committee sought detailed information regarding the sanctioned strength of doctors in all District Hospitals, Sub-District Hospitals and Medical Blocks across the Union Territory. It directed the department to furnish district and block-wise data on the sanctioned posts of doctors to facilitate a detailed assessment of healthcare staffing. To evaluate the existing human resource scenario in the health sector, the Committee further called for block-wise details of filled and vacant posts in these health institutions for the last five years. The information will enable the Committee to examine trends in manpower deployment, identify critical gaps and recommend appropriate measures for improving healthcare services across Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking during the meeting, Chairman Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi reiterated the need for timely availability of accurate data to support evidence-based planning and policy interventions aimed at enhancing the efficiency, accessibility and quality of public healthcare services across J&K. He directed the Health department for immediate posting of doctors in rural and underserved areas. The Chairman also called for timely interventions like installation of CCTVs to enhance status of security and monitoring mechanisms in public health institutions. With a focus on strengthening administrative accountability, the Committee also sought information on the measures taken by the Health Department to implement online/Biometric Attendance systems for employees working across healthcare institutions in Jammu and Kashmir.

Chief Secretary assesses progress of RIDF projects worth over Rs 4,300 crore

Srinagar, Jul 29: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) constituted for reviewing the implementation of NABARD projects being executed under various tranches of the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF). The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department; Additional Chief Secretary, Public Works (R&B); Additional Chief Secretary, Finance; Director General, Resources; Chief General Manager, NABARD; and senior officers from Health, Jal Shakti and other concerned departments. The Chief Secretary impressed upon the concerned departments to maintain a ready shelf of projects complete in all respects, including Administrative Approval and Technical Sanction, so that the same can be submitted to NABARD immediately upon the opening of a new RIDF tranche or receipt of sanction, thereby ensuring timely appraisal, approval and commencement of works without any avoidable delay. The Chief Secretary emphasised that RIDF has emerged as one of the most significant sources of institutional finance for strengthening rural infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir. He observed that the successful implementation of these projects is vital for improving rural connectivity, irrigation facilities, agricultural productivity, drinking water infrastructure, horticulture, fisheries and other essential public services. He further instructed the departments to closely monitor the physical and financial progress of each project, conduct periodic field inspections, strengthen inter-departmental coordination and ensure compliance with NABARD guidelines. The executing agencies were also advised to maintain the highest standards of quality, transparency and accountability during project implementation. On this occasion the Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, Shailendra Kumar underscored the need for regular monitoring at all administrative levels so that the benefits of RIDF investments reach efficiently to the intended beneficiaries. He suggested constitution of District level monitoring Committees under the respective Deputy Commissioners for time-bound implementation of such projects here. A detailed presentation was made by CGM, NABARD informing the Committee that 908 projects sanctioned under RIDF Tranches XXVIII to XXXI involve a cumulative loan assistance of Rs 4,303.08 crore, against which an amount of Rs 2,301.48 crore has been disbursed so far. Additionally out of the total sanctioned projects, 157 projects have been completed, while 751 projects are presently under execution.

People rue lack of basic facilities at NTPHC Sarmarg, demand 247 services

Kupwara, Jul 29: Nestled in the foothills of Bangus Valley, the residents of Sarmarg were hopeful of improved healthcare after their health facility was upgraded to a New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC) but even after seven years, it continues to lack the most basic infrastructure and services causing immense hardships for the locals. The upgradation had initially raised hopes of better healthcare access for over a dozen villages but nothing has changed during last seven years. Following upgradation of our hospital to NTPHC, we were told that residents will get a fully equipped centre with adequate staff and services but the centre continues to operate from a two room old building, putting both patients and staff at risk, a local told Greater Kashmir . Although a doctor was posted here a year ago but without proper support and facilities, the presence of a single doctor has not made much difference. Our hospital still lacks diagnostic facilities and medical staff, forcing patients to visit Associated District Hospital GMC Handwara by travelling over 25 KMs for treatment, he added. The hospital also doesnt have an ambulance forcing us to hire private cabs to carry patients to other hospitals, Bilal Rasheed, a youth from the village told this correspondent. Administrative confusion also add to the woes of locals here. The locals said that, despite being geographically part of Rajwar and under Zachaldara tehsil, Sarmarg has been placed under Medical Block Ramhall, which has no direct road connectivity with the village. We have time and again requested that our village be realigned with Medical Block Rajwar, so that we are not left out but after numerous representations to the concerned authorities, nothing has changed, they added. Residents have demanded that the health facility be made operational 247 with full staff and infrastructure, including an ambulance and diagnostic services. They urged the concerned authorities to take immediate action to address the long-pending issues and make the NTPHC fully functional in the true sense. Block Medical Officer (BMO) Vilgam, Ghulam Raheem, told Greater Kashmir that only local representative can allocate funds for construction of new building for NTPHC Sarmarg. Regarding round the clock services at NTPHC Sarmarg, he said that the discretion of making it operational 24*7 lies with higher officials. Meanwhile Peoples Conference Chairman and MLA Handwara Sajad Gani Lone when contacted said that the present dispensation has miserably failed to provide better healthcare facilities for the people living in rural areas. Not only people of Sarmarg are suffering, Sub District Hospital (SDH) Kralpora is facing the same human resource crunch putting people to severe hardships, he said adding that he will take up the issue of NTPHC Sarmarg with the Health Department.

Amarnath Yatra: Chari Mubarak taken to Pahalgam for Bhoomi Pujan ceremony

Anantnag, Jul 29:The annual rituals associated with the Amarnath Yatra formally commenced on Wednesday as the saffron-robed silver mace of Lord Shiva, popularly known as the Chhari Mubarak, was taken from Srinagar to Pahalgam for the traditional Bhoomi Pujan ceremony. Amid chants of Vedic hymns, a group of sadhus led by Mahant Swami Deependra Giri, custodian of the holy mace, carried the Chhari Mubarak from the Dashnami Akhara temple complex in Srinagar after offering prayers. The procession reached the historic Gauri Shankar Temple in Pahalgam, where the Bhoomi Pujan was performed in the presence of sadhus and members of the Kashmiri Pandit community. Speaking on the occasion, Giri said the commencement of the Chhari Mubarak rituals marks the beginning of the centuries-old traditions associated with the annual pilgrimage to the holy Amarnath cave shrine. On its return journey, the holy mace halted at the ancient Martand Temple in Mattan for the customary holy bath before being taken back to its abode at the Dashnami Akhara in Srinagar later in the day. Giri expressed satisfaction over the smooth conduct of this years pilgrimage, adding that more than 4.25 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the Amarnath cave shrine so far. Earlier, the group was warmly received by Deputy Commissioner Anantnag, Dr Bilal Mohudin and SSP Anantnag Amol Ashok Nagpure. The 38-day Amarnath Yatra began on July 3 and will conclude on August 28, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan, when the Chhari Mubarak will undertake its final ceremonial journey to the holy cave shrine.

Restoration of Statehood, Article 370 must be pursued through dialogue: Altaf Bukhari

Srinagar, Jul 29:Apni Party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Wednesday asserted that the constitutional and political rights Jammu and Kashmir lost on August 5, 2019, cannot be restored through protests or confrontation, but only through dialogue, consultation and a well-defined roadmap involving the Government of India and the people of the Union Territory. Addressing reporters after a joining programme at the party headquarters in Srinagar, Bukhari said August 5the day Article 370 was abrogated and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union Territoriescontinues to be a dark day for Jammu and Kashmir. August 5 is a dark day for Jammu and Kashmir, and it will remain a dark day until our rights are restored, Bukhari said. He, however, stressed that confrontation would not help achieve the restoration of these rights. The rights lost on August 5, 2019, cannot be retrieved through protests or confrontation, but through consultation and a clear roadmap, he said. Bukhari said the Government of India must engage directly with the people of Jammu and Kashmir to address their genuine aspirations and bridge the prevailing trust deficit. We firmly believe that the Government of India and the people of Jammu and Kashmir need to engage in dialogue, he said, adding that consultation was the only sustainable way to resolve political issues and restore public confidence. The Apni Party president reiterated that his party would support any political formation that raises genuine issues concerning the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We will always support any party that raises genuine demands such as the restoration of statehood, Articles 370 and 35A, the release of prisoners, creation of employment opportunities and other pressing public issues, he said. Responding to a question on PDP president Mehbooba Muftis recent remarks at Jantar Mantar, where she appeared to justify the use of force against Kashmiris before later issuing a clarification and apology, Bukhari said the matter should now be treated as closed. Since Mehbooba Mufti has apologised for her offensive remarks at Jantar Mantar, the matter should end there, he said. Asked about the BJPs electoral strategy during the 2024 Assembly elections, Bukhari alleged that the party had sought votes from Hindu voters in the Jammu region by invoking religious sentiments. The BJP had persuaded Hindu voters in the Jammu region in the name of religion during the 2024 Assembly elections. However, it appears that a dominant majority of Hindus in Jammu now realise that such politics is harmful to the larger interests of Jammu and Kashmir, he said. Earlier, the Apni Party welcomed a number of political and social leaders and activists from Sopore into its fold during a function at the party headquarters. Speaking on the occasion, senior Apni Party leader and Chairman of the partys Parliamentary Affairs Committee Mohammad Dilawar Mir described Sopore as a town of immense historical and political importance and said its lost stature needed to be restored. Sopore has long been a place of historical and political significance in Jammu and Kashmir. Its importance must be restored, Mir said. He said the youth had a crucial role in restoring Sopores historical identity and political significance. The biggest challenge before us is to ensure a better future for our younger generation. It is our collective responsibility to safeguard their future and create opportunities that enable them to build a better and more prosperous life, he said. The leaders and activists who joined the Apni Party included Mohammad Ramzan Malik, Irshad Ahmad Ganai, Javaid Mohammad Mir, Mohammad Hussain Wandru, Mubashir Ahad Wani, Hilal Ahmad Sheikh, Firdous Ahmad Mir and Rifaz Ahmad Lone, along with their teams and associates. The joining programme was attended by Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir, General Secretary Rafi Ahmad Mir, Chief Spokesperson and State Secretary Muntazir Mohiudin, Media Advisor Farooq Andrabi, State Youth President and Spokesperson Yawar Dilawar Mir, District President Kupwara Raja Manzoor, District President Baramulla Shabir Ahmad Shah, District Vice President Baramulla Shabir Ahmad Lone, Provincial Youth President Kashmir Jibran Dar, Zonal President Sopore Zubair Ahmad Rawa, Nissar Ahmad Pandith, Showkat Ahmad Dar, Rizwan Bukhari, Liyakat Kaboo, Ilyas Nazki, Firdous Ahmad, Owais Ahmad Wani, Ghulam Mohammad Dar and other party functionaries.

Mehbooba seeks Govt job for children of martyred Beerwah policeman

Srinagar, Jul 29:Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday visited the family of Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi at Lolpora in Beerwah, Budgam, to offer condolences and urged the government to provide suitable government employment to his children. Qureshi laid down his life in the line of duty, and Mufti said his sacrifice must be honoured not only through tributes but by ensuring the welfare of his family. She appealed to the administration to provide government jobs to his children so they could live with dignity and financial security. A martyrs sacrifice must be honoured not only with tributes but by standing firmly with those he leaves behind, Mufti said during her visit. She was accompanied by PDPs Beerwah in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Khan. Earlier in the day, the PDP president visited the flash flood-affected areas of Beerwah, where she met families and traders who suffered heavy losses in the recent disaster. Interacting with the affected shopkeepers, Mufti expressed solidarity with those who lost their livelihoods and called for immediate rehabilitation measures. She urged the government to hand over the vacant Municipal Building to the affected traders so they could safely store whatever merchandise and belongings they had managed to salvage from the floods. Mufti also demanded that the administration identify suitable land without delay for the construction of a new commercial complex to rehabilitate the displaced shopkeepers. Calling for adequate compensation for the affected families, she said the governments response must focus on restoring livelihoods rather than limiting relief to announcements. Relief must go beyond announcements. It must restore hope, she said. The PDP chief said timely rehabilitation, financial assistance and permanent infrastructure were essential to help the affected families rebuild their businesses and resume normal life.

Mubarak Gul-led Rural Development Society celebrates Parents' Day, honours distinguished personalities

Srinagar, Jul 29:The Rural Development Society (RDS), led by its founder and senior National Conference leader Haji Mubarak Gul, on Wednesday celebrated its 49th Parents' Day at Tagore Hall, Srinagar, with a call for preserving moral values, strengthening family bonds and promoting social responsibility. The function, attended by National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah as the chief guest, concluded with the presentation of the Mader-e-Meharban Awards and other honours to distinguished personalities for their outstanding contributions in different fields. Addressing the gathering, Dr. Farooq lauded the Rural Development Society and Mubarak Gul for their sustained public service through initiatives promoting respect for parents, environmental stewardship, water conservation, plantation drives and anti-drug awareness. He said such initiatives are essential for building a resilient and socially conscious society and instilling values of compassion, responsibility and civic duty among younger generations. Dr. Farooq urged parents and teachers to ensure children remain connected to their mother tongues, particularly Kashmiri, saying language and culture are the cornerstones of identity. He cautioned that societies which neglect their linguistic and cultural heritage eventually lose their distinct identity. Emphasising the importance of family values, he said Islam places extraordinary emphasis on serving and respecting parents and described their blessings as the greatest source of success in both this world and the hereafter. He appealed to the younger generation to uphold these values with sincerity and devotion. Expressing concern over the growing menace of drug abuse, Dr. Farooq described narcotics as one of the most serious threats facing the Valley's youth. He said the challenge cannot be addressed by the government alone and called for a collective effort involving parents, teachers, religious scholars, civil society and community leaders. Drugs do not merely destroy individuals; they dismantle families, weaken society and rob generations of their future, he said. Recalling his tenure as Chief Minister from 1996 to 2002, Dr. Farooq said one of his earliest decisions was to introduce the Kashmiri language and moral education in schools to reconnect younger generations with their cultural and ethical roots. He added that every religion teaches compassion, humanity and mutual respect, while Islam also advocates harmony among followers of all faiths. Referring to the recent Jantar Mantar protest, Dr. Farooq said it represented a significant democratic expression and reflected the people's commitment to unity and constitutional rights. He said the participation of people from different regions, religions and generations reaffirmed Jammu and Kashmir's pluralistic ethos and demonstrated that attempts to divide society on communal lines would not succeed. The politics of division has limits, but the politics of unity has limitless strength, he said. The programme was attended by office-bearers of the Rural Development Society from all three regions of Jammu and Kashmir, members of civil society, religious scholars, intellectuals and prominent citizens.

ISRO maps over 2,000 glaciers, 3,219 glacial lakes in Ladakh: Centre

Srinagar, Jul 29: The Government of India has mapped more than 2,000 glaciers and 3,219 glacial lakes in Ladakh using satellite and geospatial technologies as part of a comprehensive initiative to strengthen disaster management and climate monitoring in the Union Territory, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Replying to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, said the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and other government agencies are using advanced satellite-based technologies to monitor glaciers, glacial lakes, snowfall, water resources and landslide-prone areas across Ladakh. According to the minister, a database of more than 2,000 glaciers in Ladakh has been generated using satellite data collected between 2020 and 2023. In addition, changes in the extent of more than 1,000 glaciers over the past two decades have been mapped to assess long-term climatic and environmental changes. The minister said an inventory of 3,219 glacial lakes, each measuring more than 0.25 hectares, has been prepared under the National Hydrology Project of the Ministry of Jal Shakti. He informed the House that satellite-based Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risk modelling has also been carried out for high-risk glacial lakes, including Katkar and Suru, to strengthen disaster preparedness and early risk assessment. The government has also undertaken daily satellite-derived snow cover mapping across the Indian Himalayan region, including Ladakh, from 2019 until September 2025 to monitor seasonal snow conditions and water availability. As part of broader environmental mapping, 4,912 wetlands in Ladakh have been identified and mapped in collaboration with the University of Jammu, Dr Singh said. He further informed Parliament that satellite imagery is being used to monitor around 41 waterbodies larger than five hectares. The information is made available through the Bhuvan Waterbody Information System, under which periodic monitoring has been carried out since 2012. The minister also said ISRO is regularly updating Ladakh's landslide inventory using satellite imagery to support hazard assessment and disaster mitigation efforts. The information was provided in response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1808, highlighting the Centre's increasing reliance on space-based technologies for environmental monitoring, climate resilience and disaster risk management in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region.

Six Years of NEP 2020

When the Union Cabinet approved the National Education Policy on 29 July 2020, India received its most ambitious educational reform framework in more than three decades. The policy proposed universal school participation by 2030, a 50 per cent gross enrolment ratio in higher education by 2035, foundational literacy, multidisciplinary universities, vocational exposure, flexible academic pathways, greater use of technology and stronger institutional autonomy. Six years later, NEP 2020 has clearly changed the language, structure and direction of education. However, its ultimate success will depend not on the number of frameworks issued, but on whether students learn better, teachers receive adequate support and institutions become more capable and equitable. The first major achievement is that a reform architecture now exists. The 5+3+3+4 curricular structure has formally recognised the educational importance of children between the ages of three and six. Vidya Pravesh, Balvatika, NIPUN Bharat, new curriculum frameworks, competency based assessment, the Academic Bank of Credits and four year undergraduate programmes have moved educational reform beyond general declarations. The challenge is that institutional adoption is still uneven. A new structure cannot transform education when classrooms lack trained teachers, suitable materials, academic counselling or administrative capacity. Recent school data show both progress and unfinished work. UDISE+ 2025-26 reports that India now has approximately 1.027 crore schoolteachers, an increase of 8.3 per cent over 2022-23. The reported pupil teacher ratio has improved to 10 at the foundational stage, 12 at the preparatory stage, 17 at the middle stage and 21 at the secondary stage. Secondary school dropout declined from 13.8 per cent in 2022-23 to 7 per cent in 2025-26, while secondary gross enrolment rose to 71.7 per cent. These are important gains. Yet only 51.9 per cent of students were retained through the secondary stage, and the country still had 1,00,843 single teacher schools. National averages, therefore, conceal serious local shortages and regional disparities. Learning outcomes remain the most important test. ASER 2024 showed a recovery after the disruption caused by the pandemic, but only 48.8 per cent of rural Class V children could read a Class II text. In other words, more than half of the children assessed in Class V had not reached a basic reading standard expected three years earlier. This is not merely a school problem. Weak foundational learning later affects mathematics, science, comprehension, employability and confidence. The next stage of implementation must make regular diagnostic assessment, remedial teaching and support based on the actual ability of children part of normal schooling rather than temporary campaigns. Higher education presents a similar combination of expansion and uneven quality. AISHE 2023-24 recorded 4.50 crore students in higher education, compared with 3.42 crore in 2014-15. The gross enrolment ratio reached 30 per cent, up from 23.7 per cent, but it remains far below the NEP target of 50 per cent by 2035. Female gross enrolment reached 31.2 per cent. The corresponding figures for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students increased to 27.8 and 22.8 per cent respectively. These improvements show that access has widened. However, access cannot be treated as an achievement in isolation. Students require qualified faculty, functioning laboratories, libraries, research support, fair assessment and credible degrees. Flexibility is among the most visible contributions of NEP 2020. By June 2026, the government reported that 170 universities had adopted the National Credit Framework, 2,469 institutions had joined the Academic Bank of Credits and 153 universities were offering biannual admissions and multiple entry and exit options. SWAYAM had expanded to more than 18,580 courses, recording over 6.1 crore enrolments. These platforms can widen access, facilitate academic mobility and support lifelong learning. Yet flexibility must not become academic fragmentation. Students need proper guidance so that credit accumulation leads to a coherent qualification and genuine intellectual depth rather than an unrelated collection of courses. The policys promise of digital education also requires closer attention to inequality. UDISE+ 2025-26 found that 69.9 per cent of schools had computer access and 67.4 per cent had internet connectivity. This represents substantial progress, but it also means that roughly one third of schools still lacked internet access. Only 58.2 per cent had ramps with handrails. Technology cannot produce inclusion when students lack devices, reliable connectivity, accessible content or academic support in Indian languages. Artificial intelligence should strengthen teaching and research, but institutions must also protect privacy, originality, academic integrity and independent thinking. Vocational education is another area where intent must be matched by implementation. Skill courses, internships and certificates have expanded, but employability cannot be created through course titles alone. Institutions need trained instructors, equipment and sustained partnerships with industries, banks, hospitals, startups, local enterprises and public organisations. Internships should involve real assignments, supervision and evaluation. Communication, problem solving, teamwork, ethical judgement and digital competence should be developed throughout an academic programme rather than added as a placement exercise in the final semester. Teachers remain the central agents of reform. They are being asked to manage multilingual classrooms, use digital tools, conduct continuous assessment, teach students with different learning levels and adopt new curricula. These expectations are reasonable only when teachers receive subject specific training, mentoring, manageable workloads and professional security. Universities must also reduce excessive dependence on temporary faculty and protect teaching and research time from avoidable administrative paperwork. The next six years should therefore focus on outcomes. Governments must publish state implementation plans with budgets, timelines and measurable indicators. School systems should prioritise early childhood education, foundational learning, proper teacher deployment and secondary retention. Higher education should focus on faculty recruitment, research capacity, student counselling, employability and transparent institutional autonomy. Public funding must support classrooms, laboratories, libraries, digital access and research rather than expecting institutions to implement reforms through instructions alone. NEP 2020 has given India a valuable direction. Six years of implementation have produced new structures, digital platforms and measurable gains in access. The unfinished task is to convert them into consistent learning and opportunity across every district and institution. India has built the roadmap. It must now ensure that every student and teacher can actually travel on it. Dr. Brajesh Kumar Tiwari, Associate Professor, Atal School of Management, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (The views expressed are personal.)

When attendancebecomes the goal

Every morning, the gates open and the campus begins to breathe. Corridors fill with hurried footsteps. The canteen stirs before the first lecture. Students settle beneath old trees, greet familiar faces, continue conversations left unfinished the previous day, and slowly disperse towards their classrooms. From a distance, it is a reassuring picturea thriving institution where young minds gather with a shared purpose: to learn. But appearances, especially in education, can be profoundly deceptive. Ask students why they came that morning and the first answer is almost instinctive: to attend classes, to study, to build a future. Stay with the question a little longer, however, and a different answer quietly emerges. They came because their attendance has fallen to seventy-three percent. Dropping below seventy-five may cost them their examination eligibility. They came, quite simply, to protect a number. That number has acquired extraordinary significance. Many students know their attendance percentage with greater certainty than they remember yesterdays lecture. This is not because attendance matters to them more than learning. It is because the institution has taught them that it does. Every institution reveals its priorities not by what it proclaims, but by what it consistently rewards. We speak of curiosity, critical thinking and intellectual growth as educations highest ambitions. Yet the consequences attached to attendance are immediate, measurable and unavoidable, while learning remains difficult to recognise and even harder to quantify. Faced with that imbalance, students respond exactly as any rational person would: they begin paying closest attention to the thing that carries the greatest consequence. This is why the debate surrounding attendance has always missed the more important issue: not whether attendance policies should exist but what their growing importance reveals about our classrooms. Somewhere along the way, attendance ceases to support learning and quietly becomes its substitute. Institutions established to cultivate minds have increasingly found themselves counting the numbers. There is, after all, a profound difference between inviting someone into a classroom and compelling them to enter it. One is earned through relevance, inspiration and intellectual engagement. The other depends upon regulation. A system that must consistently enforce what it cannot naturally attract has already answered the question it refuses to ask itself: the question of whether they are really offering what they are meant to offer. People rarely need to be persuaded to return to places that genuinely enrich them. Nobody monitors attendance at conversations that matter, books that absorb us, or teachers whose words continue to shape us long after the lesson has ended. We return willingly because they offer something we are afraid to miss: ideas that resonate, perspectives that deepen our understanding, and skills that help us navigate the world with confidence. The evidence that many classrooms fail to do this is visible every afternoon, in plain sight. When lectures end and classrooms empty, the campus does not. Benches remain occupied. Lawns continue to host conversations. Students linger for hours, debating ideas, discussing careers, sharing anxieties about the future, or simply trying to make sense of the lives they are preparing to lead. The same student who appeared detached inside a lecture hall often becomes remarkably engaged outside it. Their attention has not disappeared; it has simply shifted to spaces that feel meaningful. This observation challenges one of the most persistent assumptions about todays studentsthat they have become indifferent to learning. They have not. The capacity to be curious, to question, and to commit still exists. What has diminished is their confidence that the classroom will reward that curiosity. The problem is not an unwillingness to learn; it is a growing disbelief that learning, in its truest sense, is what the institution is offering. The structural reasons for this are worth naming. The first is the collapse of relevance. Too often, knowledge is delivered without any visible connection to the world students are preparing to enter. The bridge between academic ideas and lived experience is left unbuilt. Students are expected to construct that bridge themselves or, as many eventually do, to stop believing it exists at all. The second is invisibility. In a classroom of sixty students, only a handful become truly known. They answer questions, occupy the front rows, and are remembered by name. The rest move quietly through semesters without once being directly addressed, intellectually challenged, or genuinely seen. An institution that fails to engage all of its students does not merely lose their attention; it gradually erodes their belief that their presence matters. The third is the narrowing of what teaching has come to mean. There is a profound difference between a teacher who instructs and one who shapes. Instruction transfers information. Shaping cultivates judgement, confidence and the capacity to think independently. The former prepares students to reproduce answers; the latter prepares them to confront a changing world. Students recognise that difference remarkably quickly and they respond accordingly. Yet what makes this situation worth examining is not the disengagement itself, but what persists despite it. Students still come, sitting through classrooms that no longer inspire their imagination. That is not apathy; apathy would simply stay away. They arrive carrying something no institution can manufacture: hope. They come with energy and a willingness to learn, however cautious, however already disappointed. They hope these institutions will help them make sense of the world, equip them to navigate its complexities, and offer some clarity about who they might become. These are the very hopes upon which the idea of education rests. When those hopes go unmet, the withdrawal is rarely dramatic. Students do not revolt; they quietly lower their expectations. They attend because they must, participate because they are expected to, and disengage because they no longer expect to learn. The body remains present long after the mind has found somewhere else to be. There is a quality that distinguishes a classroom that merely functions from one that truly educates: in the latter, students do not want to leave. Not because attendance is compulsory, but because something meaningful is unfolding before them. The real measure of an institution is not how many students it can persuade to enter through its gates each morning. It is whether, once inside, it gives them a reason to keep walking towards the classroom. An undergraduate student, Anieqa Farraz is part of the current batch of GK School of Communications. anieq

Jantar-Mantar, another perspective

As a follow up of the agreement reached between the agitating students at Jantar-Mantar and the government of India recently, some pertinent and important questions have arisen that need answers. These answers have to come from the government, the leaders of the agitators of Jantar-Mantar, New Delhi, the political class of the nation, the civil society and the parents of the agitators. The way things were let loose by the organisers at the venue of the agitation and especially during the Sansad-Chalo march on 20 July 2026, they have disturbed the very edifice of decency in public life, importance of moral values in society and also the public order. In a democracy like India where diversity is a part of our civilization and culture, difference of opinion is a fact of life. We have existed despite and inspite of all these differences and diversity and marched ahead for the last thousands of years as a great civilization. When we got freedom from the British colonial rule in 1947, we chose parliamentary democracy and also adopted the constitution that showed us the way to run the chosen democracy and the democratic way of life. However, though unfortunately, some politicians and their families after 1947 took it for granted to be in the government for all the times to come. The Congress led this notion successfully for a long time. The first family of Congress party, the Nehru-Gandhi family, took it as its entitlement to be in the government on a permanent basis. This false notion also travelled to other regional parties in the country in their own context. Congress always treated the intermittent rule by parties other than it at the Centre as a time-gap arrangement. This theory of time-gap arrangement was for the first time seriously challenged by the BJP in and after 2014. The whole fuss among the parties in opposition and particularly the Congress is about the continuation of the Modi-led NDA-BJP government at the Centre for the third time continuously coupled with the establishment of same governments in most of the states in the country. The opposition, due to its own shortcomings, has failed to convince the general masses of the country about its genuineness in public life and has consistently failed to win elections in a row. Frustration in this regard has led it, and particularly the Congress party, to adopt means that are socially, politically and morally unethical and unconvincing. The first thing the opposition led by the Congress did over the last 12 years was to resort to oral diarrhea and using unparliamentary language that it adopted as a means to embarrass the government in power. Its statements, speeches, public behavior, role in the parliament and interactions with the government and in the media created a number of questions about the standards that it has set for itself. A number of times their leaders had to apologize in courts for their baseless statements issued against the Prime Minister and the other ministers in the cabinet. Its spokespersons on debates and discussions in the media followed their leaders and stooped extraordinarily low in their presentations. This scenario over the last more than a decade has definitely impacted the social fabric of the country; and mostly negatively. Gone are the days when editors in charge of news and views would scrutinize the matter and take extra care about the content that would be published, broadcast or telecast on their domains. Live debates have become a big social nuisance in addition to creating noise pollution. Entertainment media, which includes TV channels and films in particular, has also added to this indecency and unbecoming conduct that is exhibited on a daily basis on them which families throughout the nation watch willingly and unwillingly. TRP has taken control of reason, logic, ethics, tradition and morality. This scenario has further worsened the family and social standards in general. Protests, their content and outbursts and the kind of demonstrations held at Jantar-Mantar and outside were reflective of this social and family degradation at large. The upbringing of children by their families and also their schooling were brutally exposed bringing shame to the society. The demonstrators assembled there made it sure to put on record their indecent behaviour, ugly utterances and naked invectives against men, women, institutions and the government. They didnt spare even the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, his late mother and his international acquaintances and friends notwithstanding the hard fact that he was elected for the third time as Prime Minister by virtue of the peoples mandate and was a highly recognized figure internationally. It was stunning to note that besides the boys, some young girls in their fit of agitational craze at Jantar-Mantar used filthy language which even hardened criminals desist to use. They went berserk with their ugly body language, offensive overtures, vulgar dances and participation in violent acts against the police and the administration who were performing on the ground in line of their duty. Those protesters who had no relation whatsoever with the NEET and paper leaks were in command on 20 July 2026 on different routes to the parliament to damage public and private property. An internal report of the police suggests that criminals and anti-social elements with the background of serious crimes joined the protests and received patronage of the organisers of the event. According to an official report submitted by the Delhi Police to the government, an analysis of 2,873 participants at the July 20, 2026 Parliament protest march revealed that 989 individuals had prior criminal records involving heinous offenses, including 101 murder accused and others booked for robbery and assault. The following detailed break up is highly disturbing in this context for anyone concerned. The details include: Murder-101, Attempt to murder-62, Dacoity/Robbery-284, Rape-61, POCSO-6, Molestation of women-25, Arms Act-229, Snatching-135, Kidnapping-19, NDPS-67 and other IPC/BNS & Special laws-1884. Police stated that no permission was granted for the Parliament march, leading to clashes that injured 118 police personnel. Law enforcement agencies also said that the presence of these individuals involved in rioting on 20 July 2026 is being scrutinized to determine if external criminal elements infiltrated the demonstration to trigger violence, attack police, and vandalize vehicles. Meanwhile, student cases without a criminal history are reportedly being reviewed or dropped amid separate legal scrutiny. Surprisingly, the organisers of the agitation, the CJP, publicly pressed for dropping of all FIRs against individuals which under the circumstances seems unlikely to happen. Sonam Wangchuk, who already left for Ladakh is on record suggesting that the peaceful agitators need not to be booked by the police. However, he chose to be silent about the violent ones against whom the police have moved as per the law of the land. The fact of the matter is that this is not an end in itself. The way things moved during the month of July 2026 even after the end of the agitation raises a number of doubts about the future course of events. Forces, in and outside the country, bent upon disturbing the advance march of India and the Indian society need only an excuse to play their games. The course correction so far as reform in educational policy and NEET system is concerned was tried to be bulldozed when the Congress and some other opposition parties in parliament opposed the very introduction of the Bill to deal with the issue. But they know it better that the treasury benches can bulldoze their very opposition to it by passing the Bill on their own strength. The forces that are hell bent upon to make anarchy in the country, abuse in the parliament and indecency on roads the new normal need to be told categorically that it cant happen whatsoever be the cost. The government of the day is required to take the necessary corrective and decisive action forthwith. Damage is already done; the society needs to have a deep introspection, so the families as well. This is clearly the responsibility of all the organs of the society to respond to the historical call that awaits resolution for the generations to come. The author is a senior BJP & KP leader, Human Rights Defender and a columnist.

A place where time slows down

There are places in Kashmir that attract tourists with excitement. And then there are places that quietly call to the heart. Yemberzalwari, tucked away in the Zainageer belt of Sopore in Baramulla district, belongs to the second kind. Around 18 kilometres from Sopore and about 38 kilometres from Baramulla district, this small mountain village remains hidden behind thick forests and high ridges, almost as if it has chosen silence over fame. It does not try to impress anyone. It simply exists, wrapped in nature, history and faith. My first visit to Yemberzalwari is one I will remember for a long time. The road climbed gently through evergreen forests, each bend opening another marvelous view.The tall Deodar and Pine trees stood motionless, their branches touching the sky. Murmuring mountain streams slipped gently over stones.The cool breeze carried the fragrance of pine, damp earth and wild herbs. For a while I stopped speaking. Some places ask for words, others ask for silence, and Yemberzalwari belongs to the latter. The village breathes with nature. Walnut, apple and pear trees grow around homes, while colourful wildflowers spread across the meadows. Birds sing from the branches and bushes and whisper of flowing water follows visitors through the forest paths. Time seems to move slowly in this mountain homelet, alllowing one to notice small things that often go unseen in everyday life. The most fascinating treasure of Yemberzalwari is a limestone cave. A short walk of nearly 200 metres through the forest leads to its entrance. Hidden beneath the mountain, the cave is both mysterious and beautiful. Its natural rock formations, shaped drop by drop over countless years, leave visitors wondering how patiently nature creates its finest works. An explorer who surveyed the cave some years ago could cover only about 150 metres of one passage during an hour-long exploration. Much of the cave still remains untouched, keeping its secrets safely beneath the mountain. That mystery itself becomes part of the experience.Yet Yemberzalwari is not remembered only for its landscapes. Its mountains also carry stories of devotion. Local people lovingly point towards a dark rocky height known as Muqdam Saeben Waer. They believe that Hazrat Sultan-ul-Aarifeen Sheikh Hamzah Makhdoom (RA) came here and gathered a wild vegetable called Wopal Hakh. This is a simple story, but this quietly speaks of a saint whose greatness rested in humility and whose life remained close to nature. The elders of the village also narrate that two of his devoted disciples, Hazrat Sheikh Ahmad Chogali (RA) and Hazrat Khawaja Hassan Qari (RA), spent long periods in meditation among these mountains. They lived with very little, surviving on wild grasses and herbs while dedicating themselves to prayer and remembrance of Allah. Whether one comes here as a traveller or a believer, the silence of these hills seems to preserve the memory of those forgotten days. Even today, standing there, one feels that the mountains have learned how to pray. What touched me equally was the warmth of the people. Their hospitality comes naturally. Their smiles are unforced, their words gentle and their lives simple. They still preserve values that many places are slowly losingkindness, respect and contentment. A visitor is welcomed not as a stranger but as someone expected. When I returned home, I realised I had carried back more than photographs. I had brought with me the coolness of mountain air, the murmur of forest streams and the quiet wisdom of a place where nature and spirituality continue to walk together. This picturesque village reminds us that the soul of Kashmir is not found in her famous destinations. It still lives in her forgotten villages, where every stone,every winding path and every tree tells a story. Khursheed Dar writes on Kashmiri sufism, culture and society.

An apology must answer a question

Every human being makes mistakes. No one, however wise or experienced, is immune from error. Civilisations have advanced not because people stopped making mistakes, but because they learnt to acknowledge them, correct them and move forward. That is why an apology occupies such an honoured place in every moral tradition. It is not merely a social courtesy; it is an act of accountability. Yet, not every apology achieves that purpose. There are apologies that heal wounds, restore trust and bring closure. There are others that merely seek to silence criticism or defuse a controversy without addressing its substance. The difference between the two lies in one simple question: What exactly is the apology for? This question assumes particular importance when the apology comes from a public figure. Unlike ordinary citizens, political leaders do not speak in a purely personal capacity. Their words often reflect the policies they defended, the decisions they implemented and the principles by which they governed. Consequently, when they apologise, the public is entitled to know precisely what they regret. The recent controversy surrounding the statement of a senior PDP leader at Jantar Mantar brings this issue into sharp focus. The reported remarks comparing police action against protesters in Delhi with the security response to stone-pelting incidents in Kashmir during the years of militancy generated widespread criticism. Initially, it was suggested that the statement had been misunderstood. Later, an apology followed. The apology undoubtedly deserves appreciation to the extent that it recognises the value of public accountability. In an age where many public figures refuse to admit even the most obvious mistakes, an apology is preferable to stubborn silence. Nevertheless, the apology leaves an important question unanswered. What exactly was being apologised for? Was the apology confined to the manner in which the statement was expressed? Was it intended to withdraw the comparison itself? Or did it signify a reconsideration of the policies that were defended and implemented when the speaker occupied constitutional office? These are not questions born of political hostility. They arise naturally from the very purpose of an apology. An apology that does not identify the wrong leaves the listener uncertain about its meaning. If the error was one of language, that should be stated. If the error lay in the comparison, that should be acknowledged. If the regret extends to the underlying policy, that too should be expressed with equal clarity. Otherwise, the apology remains suspended between words and intention, inviting more speculation than understanding. This is not merely a political issue. It is a philosophical one. The primary function of an apology is to restore truth before it restores relationships. Before forgiveness can begin, there must first be clarity. The injured personor, in the case of public life, the public itselfis entitled to know what wrong has been recognised. Without that clarity, an apology risks becoming an instrument of convenience rather than an expression of conscience. Many people avoid apologising because they believe it diminishes authority. The opposite is often true. It is not the apology that weakens a leader; it is the refusal to confront the truth. A leader who acknowledges an error demonstrates confidence in moral principles rather than dependence upon political infallibility. Citizens rarely expect perfection from those who govern them. They do, however, expect honesty. History offers countless examples of leaders who have apologised for governmental actions committed decades earlier. Such apologies carry moral weight because they identify the specific act being regretted. They do not merely say, I am sorry. They say, in effect, This was wrong, and this is why it was wrong. That specificity transforms apology from a public relations exercise into an act of moral responsibility. Public office carries with it a special obligation. Decisions taken in government affect not one individual but entire communities. Therefore, any subsequent expression of regret inevitably invites questions about those decisions themselves. That is neither unfair nor unreasonable. Accountability cannot be separated from authority. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the political decisions taken during those difficult years is a matter of legitimate public debate. What is beyond debate, however, is that an apology should tell the public, with unmistakable clarity, what exactly is being regretted. The issue, therefore, is larger than one political party or one political leader. It concerns the standard by which we judge public apologies. A sincere apology should leave fewer questions than existed before it was made. It should illuminate rather than obscure. It should close the gap between action and accountability instead of widening it. For the people of Jammu and Kashmir, these questions carry a special significance. Ours is a society that has lived through decades of violence, militancy, counter-insurgency, political upheaval and immeasurable human suffering. Every public statement on those years inevitably touches old memories and deep emotions. Precisely for that reason, public discourse must aspire to the highest standards of honesty and clarity. If an apology is offered, it should leave no room for doubt about what is being acknowledged and what is being regretted. History may continue to debate the compulsions of governance and the necessity of difficult decisions, but an apology should not itself become another subject of interpretation. Its purpose is to bring clarity where there is confusion, truth where there is doubt, and reconciliation where there is hurt. An apology is not a confession of weakness. It is a declaration that truth matters more than pride. But for truth to prevail, an apology must do one thing above all elseit must answer the question that the controversy itself has raised. Only then does an apology cease to be a political response to public criticism and become what it is truly meant to be: a moral act of courage. Farooq Ahmad Khan is an Advocate practising before the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

Disease Audit

Every other day we have a news story about one or the other disease impacting people in Kashmir, in numbers. We have been pursuing the rise of different cancers in Kashmir and that is a very alarming situation. Then we have cases of Hepatitis B. We have a number of cases that call for a renewed, and urgent, attention towards the problem. Needless to say that diseases like Hepatitis B are embedded in certain factors that can be addressed only at the societal level. A deep and widespread awareness campaign, a sensitisation that reaches every family and each individual, an alarm that is raised with high pitch in the concerned departments everything needs to be done. Then we have pulmonary diseases that affect a good number of people in Kashmir. So, cumulatively we are under a tremendous burden of diseases that consume lives, livelihoods and all the savings people keep aside for their children or for a rainy day. And once disease strikes ruin knocks at the door. In this scenario there are two option. Treat each disease separately, follow each patient individually. In this case we have to develop infrastructure, get the latest diagnostic equipment, make sure we have the best of human resource. Not just that, we have to ensure that the facilities are available at the lower rungs of healthcare and not just in the tertiary care hospitals. While this option can never be dropped, as we need to keep adding to our healthcare infrastructure, there is another option. This option is to nip the evil in the bud. A comprehensive health audit that reflects clearly why there is a rising burden of these disease. A graphic presentation of which diseases hit us more, why, and what is the spatial and demographic distribution of such diseases. If this study is conducted professionally, and the problem is looked at not just medically, but from other perspectives as well, we can have better outcomes. After all we have reasons that dot in areas like societal, economic, and environmental.

For Kashmir artisans, the Valleys beauty is both inspiration and inheritance

Srinagar, Jul 29:Its a garden in a carpet, fruits in wood, flowers in waste paper, Chinars in copper, and a landscape on a shawl.Kashmiri artisans cannot divorce their art from the scenic, poetic, and spiritual nature of the region's people.They use mountains, lakes, flowers, and the spiritual aura of Kashmir to craft their art through shawls, carpets, papier-mch, wood carvings, and pottery.Sufism is a very powerful force in Kashmiri arts.Even one of the colours used in Kashmiri shawls is called Sufiana rang, and the very name refers to the connection of craftwork, music, and mysticism in the region. The name Kashmir has existed for over 23 centuries.It has been a favourite destination for poets, travellers, and historians.Their writings provide an understanding of the culture from which the craft of Kashmir originated.The 14th-century Persian poet Hafez of Shiraz described the challenge of portraying Kashmirs beauty as being akin to Farhad drawing a stream of milk from Mount Bisutun for his beloved Shirin.The 16th-century poet Urfi Shirazi went further, inviting those who believed Kashmir to be paradise to come and see that paradise itself had come to Kashmir. The Mughal Emperor Akbar named it Bagh-e-Khass, which translates to Chosen Garden, while the revered saint Syed Ali Hamadani (RA), who was instrumental in the diffusion of Islam and Persian culture in Kashmir, had previously named it Bagh-e-Sulieman or the Garden of Solomon.In his Tuzuk, Mughal Emperor Jahangir showed appreciation for the roses, narcissus, tulips, and various other kinds of flowers present in the Valley during the spring season.The French traveller Francis Bernier, who visited Kashmir in the 17th century, recorded Jahangirs desire to exchange all his provinces for Kashmir. Such accounts were not just praises for scenic beauty.They reflected the environment in which Kashmiri artistic traditions developed.The Valleys visual language found its way into the hands of artisans.Flowers became motifs.The cypress, or boyet, became a distinctive design element, particularly in the corners of shawls. Patterns were passed from one generation of craftspeople to another, preserved through memory, practice, and painstaking observation.The artisans work was therefore both inheritance and innovation.In the weaving culture of Kashmir, motifs are passed down from one generation to another, but the craftspeople inject a personal twist into them.The shawl, carpet, or embroidered cloth made could include a vocabulary of designs created hundreds of years ago but nevertheless made by human hands.There is a spirituality to creation that is just as essential. The mystical poet of Kashmir, Lalla Arifa, who is a very much living part of the culture of the region through her poems, spoke of shedding conventions in search of truth.Her famous lines, Dance then, Lalla, clothed but by the air. Sing then, Lalla, clad but in the sky conjure the notion of spiritual liberation that fits within the larger framework of Kashmirs artistic heritage.Persian mystic poet Rumi wrote about how music is a veil from which ultimate truths are unveiled. In Kashmir, where the spiritual art form of Sufiana music was born, the concept of how melody can transcend the tangible world has a home.The same tension between the visible and invisible runs through the regions crafts. An artisan begins with raw material Pashmina fibre, wool, wood, clay, paper, or metal - but the finished object carries something that cannot easily be measured: memory, imagination, and inherited knowledge.Pottery, perhaps the most elemental of crafts, embodies that paradox. Omar Khayyam, in his Rubaiyat, imagined the potters clay speaking to the hand that violently pounds it: I was once like thee so treat me well.This vessel is the study of the relationship between the creator and his creation, questioning whether the potter is the creator, the merchant, or even the purchaser of the pot.The potters of Kashmir are well aware of this relationship.Pottery is moulded by hand, fired by the flames, and reborn out of creativity.Using one of the most humble materials in existence, its creation requires patience, accuracy, and toughness.The same spirit runs through Kashmirs wider artistic tradition. Allama Iqbal refers to Kashmir as Iran-e-Saghir or Little Iran due to its strong connections to Persian and Central Asian culture.Iqbal mentions his spirit as being from Hijaz, his body from the garden of Kashmir, and his art from Persia.Kashmir has an artistic vocabulary which shows the influences of all these aspects.Persian, Central Asian, and indigenous cultures have merged in Kashmir, giving rise to art forms which are both indigenous and part of a larger culture. However, for Iqbal, the beauty and creativity of Kashmir also carried a warning.In a poem written in Nishat Bagh, he lamented the condition of Kashmiri artisans, saying they created fine art while remaining unaware of their own egos, weaving silken garments for the wealthy while living in tatters themselves.That contradiction remains central to any understanding of Kashmirs handicrafts.The extraordinary beauty produced by artisans has often existed alongside economic hardship and uncertainty for the people who create it. However, the instinctive drive to create lives on.As per Ghani Kashmiri, one of Kashmir's finest poets, the creative instinct is in the genes of Kashmiris. Thus, it comes as no surprise that he incorporates the imagery of clay, beauty, and creation in his poetry.This indicates that creativity is impossible without association with the Valleys natural environment and the sentiments that run through its people.Poetry is inborn in Kashmir.In a land of such visual splendour, inspiration comes even to ordinary people, let alone poets.This is how one can explain the variety of arts in Kashmir. The Kashmiri artist manages to make art out of the snowy peaks, the hills in the Valley, the flowers growing in the meadows, roses and narcissus, green grass, and lakes and rivers.Water lilies from the Wular Lake and lotuses from the Dal Lake enter into their imagination.Various hues of the sky, clouds, rain, and snow manage to enter into the design of the fabric.The sound of the running rivers and spring waters becomes, through the skill of poets and musicians, a metaphor of harmony and creativity. Even the mountains, as Ghani Kashmiri puts it, do not keep quiet anymore: They continue conversing in sweet tones even when it gets dark at night. It is the never-ending conversation between nature and man that makes the Kashmiri handicrafts unique in their own right.The beauty of the Valley is not only copied but interpreted by the artisan.A carpet becomes a garden captured in silk, a shawl becomes a landscape carried on the shoulders, a carved walnut wooden panel brings the geometry of leaves and flowers into a home, papier-mch turns fragile paper into objects of intricate colour and form, and pottery gives earth a human shape. Behind each object is a chain of knowledge the designs remembered by craftspeople, the techniques learned from parents and teachers, the patience required to repeat a movement thousands of times, and the instinct to know when the work is complete.This aspect has always been acknowledged within Kashmiri literary traditions.Saadi Shirazi, the great 13th century Persian poet, writes, The Nightingale in the grove sang of nothing if not the bloom. This can just as easily apply to the Kashmiri craftspeople: What would they craft their hands into without the mountains, flowers, lakes, colours, and tales?The answer lies in the crafts themselves.The Kashmiri artisan is not merely making a product for the marketplace.The artisan is continuing a conversation that stretches across generations between nature and imagination, faith and form, tradition and innovation.Now, the task is to make sure that this heritage is economically sustainable for those who inherit it.As stressed by Iqbal, weaving for the rich people and living in poverty is a sad fact which makes it clear that the craft tradition cannot be sustained only by aesthetics. The future of Kashmirs artistic traditions is tied to the dignity, livelihoods, and recognition of its craftspeople.For centuries, poets have struggled to describe Kashmir.Abul Fazl wrote in the Akbarnama that the praises of its beauty could not be contained within the narrow limits of language, Hafez compared the task of portraying it to an almost impossible feat, and Urfi imagined paradise itself travelling to Kashmir to witness its beauty.The artisans of Kashmir have found another answer.They do not try to describe the Valley using words.They weave it, chisel it, paint it, mould it, and decorate it with embroidery in fibre, wool, wood, paper, and clay to keep something alive of what centuries of poets have attempted to express through their words.And that perhaps could be the reason why the crafts of Kashmir have survived for ages, because in every pattern lies not only the talent of a craftsperson, but also an age-old belief that beauty needs to be pondered over and recreated.

Srinagar-Jammu NH open for 2-way traffic

Ramban, Jul 29:The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained open on Wednesday for the scheduled Amarnath Yatra convoy and two-way movement of Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and heavy vehicles. However, traffic continued to move at a slow pace due to bottlenecks at the landslide-affected Dewal area in Udhampur district and other vulnerable stretches along the highway. Traffic officials said vehicular movement remained sluggish because of the single-lane carriageway and the uneven, undulating road surface at Dewal, where restoration work is still underway after extensive damage caused by recent heavy rains and landslides. Slow movement was also reported on the single-lane stretch between Marog and Kishtwari Pather, while the breakdown of a few vehicles between Ramban and Banihal further affected the smooth flow of traffic. The Dewal stretch continues to be the most critical bottleneck on the highway after heavy monsoon rains triggered a major landslide last week, washing away a portion of the carriageway and forcing the closure of the highway. The disruption had left hundreds of passenger vehicles and trucks stranded on both sides before the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) restored traffic through a temporary single-lane alignment. Since then, traffic has been regulated carefully while restoration and strengthening works continue. In view of the India Meteorological Department's forecast predicting another spell of rainfall over the coming days, the Traffic Police advised commuters to undertake journeys on the highway only after confirming the latest road status from the Traffic Control Units (TCUs) at Jammu, Ramban, and Srinagar. Travellers have also been urged to follow official traffic updates issued through the J&K Traffic Police's social media platforms. Authorities said that owing to the extensive damage at Dewal and the resulting congestion on the narrow temporary carriageway, inter-district movement of local commuters towards Srinagar will not be permitted after the cut-off time of 1 pm from Nagrota, Jammu, following the passage of the Amarnath Yatra convoy. The restriction will be enforced after verification of valid photo identity cards, which commuters have been advised to carry during travel. Private vehicle owners travelling towards Srinagar have been advised to use the old Jawahar Tunnel road to avoid screening and delays at Lamber, Banihal. Similarly, commuters heading from Jammu to Batote, Doda, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, and adjoining areas have been advised to use the Patnitop route instead of the Nashri corridor. Passengers and operators of LMVs have also been advised to travel only during daylight hours, as night travel continues to remain risky due to shooting stones, the possibility of fresh landslides, and ongoing highway construction works between Ramban and Banihal. Temporary traffic restrictions may also be imposed during the movement of Amarnath Yatra convoys. Meanwhile, goods carriers transporting fresh fruits, vegetables, and livestock have been directed to follow the traffic advisory issued by the Traffic Police Headquarters, as heavy vehicles continue to be regulated on an alternate-day basis. Fruit growers and transporters carrying perishable produce from Kashmir towards Jammu have been advised to load and park their vehicles before 9 am at designated locations between the Navyug Tunnel and Levdoora to facilitate smooth movement during the downward convoy schedule. Authorities appealed to motorists to drive cautiously, cooperate with traffic personnel, and avoid unnecessary travel during periods of heavy rainfall, as restoration work on the damaged Dewal stretch is still in progress and weather conditions remain unpredictable.

Downpour batters Kulgam, Bandipora

Srinagar, Jul 29:Less than four hours after intense rainfall triggered flash floods in north Kashmirs Bandipora district, another heavy downpour battered south Kashmirs Kulgam, damaging houses, orchards and standing crops besides sweeping away cowsheds and a cow.The flash floods struck Dardgund village in Devsar area late Tuesday night after heavy rainfall caused Nallah Sadhnag to swell suddenly, sending torrents of muddy water through the village.. The gushing waters washed away two cowsheds and killed a cow. Floodwaters entered residential areas, damaged paddy fields, orchards, and vegetable gardens, and left behind mud, stones, and debris across farmland.Residents said the flooding occurred suddenly, leaving them little time to move cattle or save their belongings.It was around 10 pm that torrents of water suddenly swept through the village. Within a blink of an eye, we lost everything. Our cowshed was washed away and our paddy crop also suffered extensive damage, said Bashir Ahmad Lone, a farmer.He said a cow belonging to Waseem Ahmad Lone also died in the floods.All our household belongings were washed away. We had no time to save anything, said Abdul Ahad Mir, a local. The affected families appealed to the administration to assess the losses and provide compensation at the earliest.Teams from the SDRF, police and district administration immediately reached the village and launched rescue and relief operations.The teams evacuated villagers from houses to safer locations, an official said.The official said debris was being cleared and damage to houses, cattle sheds, orchards, and agricultural land was being assessed.Deputy Commissioner, Kulgam, Shahzad Alam, who visited the affected village, said the losses would be assessed before compensation is finalised for affected families. He directed concerned departments to expedite restoration of damaged roads, drinking water supply and electricity infrastructure, while asking officials to remain alert amid the prevailing weather conditions.Immediate relief, including cash assistance and food kits, was provided to affected families.MLA Devsar Peerzada Feroze, who also visited the area, assured residents that their losses would be taken up with the government. Houses have also been damaged besides crops and livestock. We did provide some immediate relief, though it is not enough. I will take up the issue with the Chief Minister so that the affected families are duly compensated, Feroze said.The Kulgam incident followed flash floods in Aloosa area of north Kashmirs Bandipora district on Tuesday evening after intense rainfall caused local streams and irrigation canals to overflow.The heavy downpour triggered panic among residents as muddy waters entered paddy fields, kitchen gardens and residential compounds. No casualties were reported.Independent weather forecaster Faizan Ahmad said the flash floods in Bandipora and Kulgam were triggered by intense downpours and not necessarily by cloudbursts. A cloudburst is about 100 mm of rain in an hour. But even lower amounts of intense rainfall over a short period can trigger flash floods in mountainous terrain, he said.Ahmad said torrential rains and cloudburst events can both occur during the ongoing wet spell, but every flash flood is not caused by a cloudburst.Several incidents during the current and even previous spells appear to be linked to intense localized rainfall rather than cloudbursts, he said.The incidents came as the Meteorological Centre Srinagar forecast unsettled weather across Jammu and Kashmir through August 4, with intermittent spells of rain and thundershowers expected at many places.Torrential rains have already been lashing parts of Jammu division, particularly Doda, Kishtwar, Samba, Katra, Udhampur and Jammu. Brief intense showers were also reported at isolated places in Kashmir since Tuesday evening.There is no forecast of any major widespread weather activity, and the rainfall will largely remain localized, Director Meteorological Centre Srinagar Mukhtar Ahmad said.He said Kashmir is likely to receive generally light to moderate rainfall, while parts of Jammu division could witness intense showers between July 30 and 31, with peak activity expected during the night of July 30. The MeT has warned that intense rainfall may trigger more flash floods due to sudden rises in streams and nallahs, besides landslides, mudslides, shooting stones and rockfalls across vulnerable areas of Jammu and Kashmir.It advised residents, tourists, travellers, and transporters to avoid streams, nallahs, and landslide-prone areas and follow advisories issued by the administration.

How the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme could make India a global electronics manufacturing hub

India's new Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme prioritses scale and exports. This strategy aims to build a robust electronics manufacturing ecosystem. Domestic value addition naturally follows sustained manufacturing growth and scale. The government expects significant production and export figures by FY31. This policy shift focuses on total economic value creation within India.

How AI is helping pharma prevent drug recalls, counter fakes and improve patient safety

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the pharmaceutical sector by significantly reducing the instances of drug recalls. By improving supply chain efficiency, AI ensures that medicine stocks are adequately maintained, facilitating prompt deliveries.

CRPF vehicle hits Chinar tree in Sheikhpora Budgam, 3 jawans injured

Budgam, Jul 29: Three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured after their vehicle crashed into a Chinar tree in the Sheikhpora area of Central Kashmir's Budgam district on Wednesday. Officials told the news agencyKashmir News Observer (KNO) that the accident occurred after the driver reportedly lost control over the vehicle, causing it to crash into the roadside Chinar tree. They said three CRPF personnel sustained injuries in the incident. One of the injured personnel, was shifted to a hospital in Srinagar for advanced treatment, while the other two were admitted to a nearby hospital and are stated to be under medical care. Meanwhile, local residents, along with police personnel, immediately rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. Eyewitnesses said the rescuers helped evacuate the injured CRPF personnel, who were trapped inside the damaged vehicle, before shifting them to hospitals for treatment.

PM FB post issue: Meta writes to govt, outlines rigorous safeguards for posts by prominent accounts

New Delhi, Jul 29: Meta wrote to the government on Wednesday outlining the specifics of enhanced and rigorous safeguards it has now implemented for content posted by the Prime Minister and other prominent accounts, according to sources. Meta has informed the IT Ministry that posts by the Prime Minister and prominent accounts will have additional oversight on the platform and that multiple checks will take place at levels of senior company officials, sources said, citing the social media firm's communication to the ministry. Meta team is likely to meet government officials later this week or early next week over the Prime Minister's Facebook post issue, sources added. An email sent by PTI to Meta seeking comments did not elicit a response. The government on Tuesday summoned a top Meta executive after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent post addressing India's youth and promising stringent measures against paper leaks was briefly restricted by Facebook, and although the US-headquartered social media giant blamed it on a technical glitch and apologised, the IT Ministry had found the explanation inadequate. Prime Minister Modi's Instagram post of July 23, later shared on Facebook, marked his first direct selfie video aimed at engaging with the youth and underscoring the government's commitment to crack down on paper leaks amid students' protests, was restricted briefly by Meta on Facebook. Following this, the global head of public policy of Meta (Facebook and Instagram) was summoned by the IT Ministry. IT Secretary S Krishnan on Tuesday said that while Meta has apologised and admitted that they have made a mistake, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) is not happy with the explanation given and is seeking more details from the company. It is good that they have apologised and admitted what they did was a mistake. But we are not happy with the explanation...it is not adequate, and we are seeking more details, Krishnan had said. Meanwhile, sources had said Meta has told the government that a glitch in its automated content filters caused the removal of Prime Minister Modi's Facebook post for a brief while. According to a Meta spokesperson, the content was removed in error and has since been restored on the platform. IT Ministry sources had said on Tuesday that Meta's explanation to the government, citing a technical glitch in the automated content filters, was ot reasonable, and that the matter was ot settled and done. They further said that if indeed a glitch in the automated system caused the error, then Meta, being a technology company, must hasten to improve its tools. Meta officials, it is learnt, attributed the error to AI-powered automated content filters that were reviewing shared posts and subsequent content that circulated following the original post by the Prime Minister. Sources had said that Meta claimed that its automated filters inadvertently ended up briefly removing the original post itself.

Iran resumes missile attacks as US and Saudis strike Tehran-backed militias in Iraq

The flare-up on multiple fronts, after several days of relative calm, raised the risk of a return to all-out war. It also underscored the difficulty of winding down a five-month conflict that has jolted the world economy and is unpopular among Americans.

Residential house acquired through proceeds of drug trafficking attached in Shopian: Police

Srinagar, July 29: As part of its continued crackdown on narcotics-related activities, Police in Shopian have attached a residential house valued at Rs 18,76,665/- belonging to Nazir Ahmad Lone son of Rishi Lone resident of Kathohallan. Officials said the property was identified as having been acquired through proceeds generated from the illegal trade of drugs and narcotics. They said accordingly, the said property has been attached in connection with FIR No. 27/2025 of Police Station Keller. The attachment proceedings were carried out in the presence of duly constituted police team, Executive Magistrate, Lambardar and Chowkidar, ensuring full compliance with all legal procedures and maintaining transparency. J&K Police reiterated its firm commitment to eradicating the menace of drugs by targeting both offenders and the financial assets generated through illicit activities. The police urged general public to come forward with any information regarding drug trafficking or related activities.

Lok Sabha passes anti-paper leak Amendment Bill; govt says open to learning from experiences

New Delhi, Jul 29: Lok Sabha on Wednesday approved a bill to amend the anti-paper leak law with stricter punishment with government asserting that the measure was taken as it is open to learning from experiences. The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the House by Union minister Jitendra Singh on July 27, days after large-scale student protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party forced Dharmendra Pradhan to resign as the education minister. Speaking in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Singh said the government acted swiftly in the NEET paper leak case, and as many as 52 FIRs have been lodged since the anti-paper leak law came into force in 2024. The amendment bill indicates that the government is open to learning from experience, he said, noting that the rate of suicide related to paper leaks has also reduced over the last few years. Singh criticised Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, stating that he lacks knowledge of parliamentary norms and the functioning of the government. Expressing disappointment over sloganeering by the opposition parties during the passage of the bill, the minister said, Instead of debating it seriously and offering suggestions, attempts are being made to politicise it. I am surprised by the behaviour of the leader of opposition..., he said. Immediately after the passage of the bill, Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day On Monday, Singh introduced the bill to amend the anti-paper leaks law with stricter punishment of up to 10 years in jail and Rs 50 lakh fine amid protests and sloganeering by the Opposition demanding a response from the government over the police crackdown on students during the CJP-led July 20 protest march to Parliament. Protests by opposition parties over the NEET issue led to daily disruption of proceedings in the first week of the Monsoon session of Parliament. The 2024 law was brought in when the government faced raging paper leak controversies. Before this legislation, there was no specific substantive law to deal with unfair means adopted or offences committed by various entities involved in the conduct of public examinations by the central government and its agencies. The Act aimed to prevent unfair means in the public examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the railways, banking recruitment examinations and the National Testing Agency (NTA), among others. Responding to Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi's remarks alleging that on innocent children atrocities and oppression were inflicted, Singh said, utmost restraint was exercised and it was made sure that casualties do not happen. According to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, investigations into paper leak cases are to be completed within two months. The bill says that individuals involved in paper leaks or unfair means in exams will get jail terms for a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 10 years, and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh. For organised crimes, the bill proposes a minimum sentence of seven years and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore. The amendment bill seeks to empower all the state governments and UT administrations to designate any court of session to be a special fast-track court to try offences under the proposed law. It also provides that the proceedings in such courts are continued on a day-to-day basis and the trial is completed within three months from the date of filing of the charge sheet. It also empowers the central government to constitute a special task force for investigation of any offence, if necessary.

SC rejects J&K plea challenging quashing of FIR against Olympic judge Bilquis Mir

New Delhi, Jul 29: The Supreme Court has dismissed a Jammu and Kashmir administration petition challenging the quashing of an FIR in a corruption case against Bilquis Mir, India's first female judge for kayaking and canoeing at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The petition was moved before the apex court challenging the Jammu and Kashmir High Court's last July order quashing the FIR filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) against Mir. The high court had delivered a scathing rebuke to authorities saying it seems that the people at the helm of affairs are leaving no stone unturned in harassing such talented people. The Jammu and Kashmir administration had moved the top court requesting for condoning delay in filing the appeal against the high court order and exemption from filing a certified copy of the judgment. While condoning the delay in challenging the high court order, a division bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M Pancholi dismissed the petition on merits. Having heard learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, we are not inclined to entertain this petition. Hence, the special leave petition stands dismissed, the order dated July 27 said. In the strongly-worded 20-page order last year, Justice Sanjay Dhar of Jammu and Kashmir High Court had said it was alarmed to note that the ACB has even tried to go into the issue as to whether the answer scripts of Mir in her graduate examination have been properly evaluated by the examiners. This attitude of ACB clearly smacks of wreaking vengeance upon the petitioner (Mir). The present case appears to be nothing but a witch-hunt launched against the petitioner by vested interests, the court had said. Invoking Section 528 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which deals with the inherent powers of the high court to prevent the abuse of the legal process and to secure the ends of justice, the court said the continuance of criminal proceedings against Mir in these circumstances would be nothing ut an abuse of process of law and quashed the FIR. Justice Dhar, in his judgement, had referred to a February 16, 2024, letter from vice president of Indian Olympic Association to the chief secretary highlighting the achievements of the petitioner by conveying that selection of Mir to officiate at the Olympics is a matter of pride for the country as a whole and Jammu and Kashmir in particular. The court had also referred to the communication that it is a celebration and triumph for all women of India that she has achieved what no one else has in over a hundred years of the Olympics. Coming down heavily on authorities, the court had said this country has produced very few sports personalities and coaches of the level of Mir and instead of honouring them and celebrating their achievements, it seems that the people at helm of affairs are leaving no stone unturned in harassing such talented people. No surprise that even after more than 75 years of Independence, this country has failed to develop a sporting culture, as a consequence whereof, we have failed to produce sportsmen/women of international standards in proportion to our population, it had said. The court had said the attitude of ACB in criminalising non-acquisition of a technical qualification by Mir speaks volumes about the manner in which we are treating our sporting heroes.

Yak population in Ladakh's Nubra rises 20 pc, authorities push for conservation

Nubra, Jul 29: The yak population of Nubra valley in Ladakh has registered a 20 per cent increase, with authorities calling for efforts to promote yak rearing as a sustainable source of livelihood, officials said Wednesday. Yak is one of the most important livestock species found in Ladakh, particularly in the high-altitude regions above 3,000 metres in Nubra valley and Changthang region, they said.. There is importance for preserving the yak as a symbol of Nubra valley's heritage. We appreciate the 20 percent increase in the yak population, Deputy Commissioner (Nubra) Mukul Beniwal said. Beniwal emphasised the need to promote yak rearing through incentives, strengthen market linkages for yak wool and develop yak-based products as a sustainable source of livelihood and economic tourism for local communities. Describing the yak as an integral part of Nubra Valley's identity and traditional way of life, the authorities emphasised that continued support for yak husbandry would not only help preserve the region's unique heritage but also provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for tribal communities living in the remote Himalayan region. An awareness-cum-technology demonstration programme on yak husbandry was held at the Yak breeding farm in Nubra with the deputy commissioner calling yak conservation vital for preserving the unique cultural and ecological heritage of the region. Senior scientist on conservation of Yak, Dr Mukhtar Hussain highlighted various technologies developed for scientific yak husbandry and conservation. He also underlined the importance of regular vaccination to prevent disease outbreaks among yak populations. Block Veterinary Officer, Nubra, Dr Motup Angmo informed the gathering about the increase in the yak population and stressed the need for registration and tagging of yaks to enable herders to avail benefits under various government schemes. More than 135 yak herders from Diggar Tangyar, Khema, Khunru, Khardong, Khalsar, Largab, Waris Fastan, Hunder Dok, Turtuk and Bogdang villages participated in the programme, officials said. As part of the event, 200 bags of cattle feed, 100 tarpaulins, 100 solar lights, mineral mixture and veterinary medicines were distributed among the yak herders under the STC scheme.

Govt introduces uniform building permission fee across J&K

Srinagar, July 29: In a significant move aimed at ensuring uniformity and transparency in the building permission process, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved a common building permission fee structure for the entire Union Territory, bringing all Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils, Municipal Committees and Development Authorities under a single policy framework. According to an order issued by the Housing and Urban Development Department on Tuesday, the revised fee structure will be applicable uniformly across J&K and has come into effect from July 29, 2026. As per the new notification, residential houses and housing colonies will attract a building permission fee of 80 per square metre, while commercial and institutional buildings, including shops, offices, industrial units, hospitals, schools and other public establishments, will be charged 270 per square metre. For mixed-use buildings comprising both residential and commercial components, the government has fixed the fee at 150 per square metre. However, religious structures have been completely exempted from payment of the building permission fee. The government has also introduced a uniform debris and construction waste management charge. Under the revised norms, residential projects will be required to pay 3,000, whereas commercial, institutional and other non-residential buildings will have to deposit 10,000 towards waste management. The order further stipulates that any construction undertaken without obtaining prior permission will attract a compounding fee equivalent to 40 per cent of the prescribed building permission fee, in addition to the regular charges, for cases eligible under the relevant provisions. Officials said the fee will be calculated on the total approved built-up area of the proposed construction and will be collected exclusively through the Online Building Permission System (OBPS) to ensure transparency and ease of compliance. The government has also made it clear that no Urban Local Body or Development Authority will be permitted to revise or alter the notified fee structure without obtaining prior approval from the Housing and Urban Development Department. The decision is aimed at eliminating disparities in fee structures across different urban areas, streamlining the building approval process, and establishing a transparent, uniform and citizen-friendly regulatory mechanism throughout Jammu and Kashmir. (KNC)

Ensure timely transport of horticultural produce, Mehbooba says amid Srinagar-Jammu NH disruption

Srinagar, Jul 29: People's Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday expressed concerns over the repeated disruptions on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, calling for immediate steps to ensure that horticultural produces reach markets without delay. In a statement, Mehbooba expressed deep concern over the growing distress among Kashmir's fruit-growing community as repeated disruptions on the national highway, triggered by landslides and adverse weather, continue to obstruct the timely dispatch of horticultural produce to markets across the country. The present situation demands an extraordinary administrative response. Apples and other fresh produce cannot remain stationary for days without affecting quality, market competitiveness and growers' earnings, she said. The burden of a natural disaster should not be compounded by the absence of a specialised transport strategy for one of Jammu and Kashmir's most vital economic sectors, the PDP chief said. Every harvesting season represents a year of patience, investment and hope for our orchardists, she said. Today, many growers are anxiously watching truckloads of their produce remain immobilised because the Valley's road connectivity has been severely affected. The administration must recognise that this is not merely a traffic management issue but an economic emergency, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said. She called for immediate steps to ensure that horticultural produce reaches markets without further delay, and that all safe alternatives, including the Mughal Road for suitable commercial vehicles, should be actively considered. Mehbooba said Kashmir's fruit industry generates livelihoods for lakhs of people, from orchard owners and labourers to transporters, commission agents and packaging workers. Any prolonged disruption in the supply chain sends financial shockwaves across the rural economy, particularly during the peak marketing season, she asserted. The party urged the authorities to establish a dedicated operational framework for the evacuation of horticultural produce, involving traffic management agencies, civil administration and transport authorities, so that commercial consignments carrying perishable fruit receive planned and uninterrupted passage whenever road conditions permit.

Lok Sabha Passes Anti-Paper Leak Amendment Bill 2026 Amidst Opposition Criticism

New Delhi, July 29: The Lok Sabha passed the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 by voice vote on Wednesday. Following extensive discussions, the proceedings of the House were adjourned until 11 AM on Thursday. During the debate, Union Minister Jitendra Singh launched a sharp attack on the opposition, particularly targeting the ... Read more Lok Sabha Passes Anti-Paper Leak Amendment Bill 2026 Amidst Opposition Criticism

Delhi Police registers FIR over abusive posts against PM, seeks X account details

New Delhi, Jul 29: Delhi Police has registered an FIR against several social media handles for allegedly posting derogatory, malicious and defamatory content targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought complete details of account holders from X, official sources said on Wednesday. The case was registered by the Special Cell's Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit, which also issued notices to X and directed it to remove or disable access to identified posts and preserve all related electronic records for investigation, the sources said. X, formerly Twitter, has been directed to remove or disable access to the content within three hours of receiving the notices while ensuring that all relevant data, logs and subscriber information are preserved, they said. The FIR against seven to eight handles has been filed under Sections 351(3) (criminal intimidation), 353(2) (circulating false information, rumours, or alarming news-including via electronic media) and 356(2) (whoever defames another person) of the BNS. The case follows a complaint alleging that objectionable content aimed at constitutional authorities was being circulated on the social media platform. Some social media posts under scrutiny were uploaded during and after the July 20 Sansad Chalo protests spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party in which abusive language was used against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and security personnel. During the clashes at the protest, at least 65 protesters and over 200 police personnel sustained injuries, officials maintain. The notices to X, under the relevant provision of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), seek complete subscriber information of the accounts, including names, addresses, contact details, email IDs, and login and logout records with date and time stamps. Police has also sought any additional information that may assist the investigation and asked the platform to preserve the relevant data for evidentiary purposes, he added. According to the notices, the complaint alleges that derogatory, malicious and defamatory content was circulated on X targeting constitutional functionaries. Investigators are examining whether the posts attract offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and other applicable provisions of law, the source said. In a parallel exercise, the IFSO issued Intimation to Intermediary for Disabling Access to Unlawful Information notices under the rules of the IT Act, Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules, 2021, directing X to disable access to several identified URLs, according to one of the notices. The notices state that the content hosted on the platform allegedly contained false, manipulated and objectionable material intended to defame public personalities. One notice refers to an FIR registered by the Special Cell under various sections and their sub-sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, alleging that circulation of the content had caused serious harm to the reputation, dignity and public image of the prime minister and had the potential to disturb public order and fuel unnecessary controversy, the sources said. Police said the investigation is underway and further action will be taken based on the digital evidence and information received from the social media platform.

Rajya Sabha takes up discussion on bill to make insult to 'Vande Mataram' criminal offence

New Delhi, Jul 29: Rajya Sabha on Wednesday took up a discussion on a bill to make insult to the national song Vande Mataram a criminal offence, notwithstanding noisy protests by opposition parties who later staged a walkout from the House. As soon as the House convened in the post-lunch session, Deputy Chairman Harivansh urged protesting members to maintain discipline and decorum. When the Chair took up the discussion over the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 -- which was listed for consideration and passing in the list of business, the opposition parties started protesting and sloganeering seeking a response from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over alleged police force against NEET paper leak demonstrators in the national capital. They also raised slogans demanding his presence in the House. Amid protests by the opposition, the Deputy Chairman continued the House proceedings and called members, whose names were received for speaking in the discussion. Meanwhile, the opposition parties continued to raise their demand and later staged a walkout from the House when Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale was speaking on the proposed legislation. The bill seeks to make desecration of or disrespect towards the country's national symbols, including the national flag, the Constitution, and the national anthem, a criminal offence, with a provision of up to three years' imprisonment.

IFFJK receives overwhelming global response; 875 film entries received from around 50 countries

Srinagar, Jul 29: The first International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK) 2026 has evoked an enthusiastic response from filmmakers across the globe, with 875 film submissions received from around 50 countries so far, reflecting the growing international interest in the J&K Governments flagship cinematic initiative. The film submission window for the festival will remain open till tomorrow i.e; July 30, 2026, providing filmmakers with the final opportunity to register their entries for participation in the inaugural edition of the festival. The IFFJK, organised by the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) in collaboration with National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), is scheduled to be held from September 7 to 10, 2026. The festival aims to establish Jammu & Kashmir as a vibrant destination for cinema, creativity and cultural exchange while providing a prestigious platform for filmmakers from across the world to showcase their work. The encouraging response from both national and international filmmakers underscores the growing confidence in Jammu & Kashmir as an emerging hub for film production, cinematic excellence and creative collaboration. The diversity of submissions received from around 50 countries is expected to enrich the festival with a wide spectrum of storytelling traditions, artistic perspectives and innovative filmmaking. The four-day festival will feature screenings of selected films, interactive sessions, masterclasses, panel discussions and cultural engagements, offering opportunities for filmmakers, industry experts, students and cinema lovers to exchange ideas and explore new avenues of collaboration. The IFFJK is envisioned as a significant step towards promoting artistic excellence, strengthening cultural dialogue and showcasing the rich heritage, scenic grandeur and creative potential of Jammu & Kashmir before a global audience. The festival also aims to promote the culture of Jammu & Kashmir through Cinema, promote artistic excellence, cultural exchange, and cinematic innovation by exhibiting and recognising outstanding films from around the world. It also envisions to contribute to the understanding and appreciation of film cultures of different nations within the context of their social and cultural ethos, besides promote friendship and cooperation among the people of the world through the medium of cinema. Pertinent to mention, the curtain raiser ceremony of the festival was held on July 17, 2026, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah formally launching the first-ever international film festival of Jammu & Kashmir and inviting filmmakers, artists, producers and cinema enthusiasts from around the world to participate in the landmark event.

Omar Abdullah declares lowest assets among India's 31 Chief Ministers: ADR

Srinagar, Jul 29: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has declared the lowest assets among all 31 Chief Ministers in the country, with total assets worth 55 lakh, according to an analysis of election affidavits released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The report, based on the self-sworn affidavits filed by the Chief Ministers during their most recent Assembly elections, found that Omar Abdullah is one of only two Chief Ministers with declared assets of less than 1 crore. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has declared assets worth 85 lakh, while Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma's assets stand at around 1 crore. The ADR analysis also noted that Omar Abdullah has not declared any immovable property in his election affidavit. In contrast, the average assets of the country's 31 Chief Ministers stand at 118.07 crore, with their combined declared wealth amounting to nearly 3,660 crore. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar emerged as the wealthiest Chief Minister, with declared assets worth 1,413 crore. He was followed by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu (931 crore), Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay (648 crore) and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu (332 crore). These four are the only Chief Ministers with declared assets exceeding 100 crore. According to the report, 15 Chief Ministers have declared assets between 11 crore and 49 crore, while only Omar Abdullah and Suvendu Adhikari have assets below 1 crore. On liabilities, 11 Chief Ministers have declared dues exceeding 1 crore. D K Shivakumar tops the list with liabilities of 265 crore, followed by Pema Khandu with 180 crore and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with 16 crore. Among the neighbouring states, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has declared assets worth 7.81 crore and liabilities of 22.42 lakh. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has assets of 5.80 crore and liabilities of 74.82 lakh, while Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has declared assets worth 5.31 crore and liabilities of 1.20 crore. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has declared assets of 1.97 crore and liabilities of 30.35 lakh. The ADR report analyses the financial, criminal and educational backgrounds of all serving Chief Ministers using information disclosed in their election affidavits.

August 5 a black day, Apni Party will fight until Article 370, statehood are restored: Altaf Bukhari

Amarnath Yatra: 'Chhari Mubarak' taken to Pahalgam for annual rituals

Srinagar, Jul 29: Rituals for 'Chhari Mubarak', age-old traditions associated with the annual Amarnath Yatra, formally began on Wednesday, Mahant Deependra Giri said. 'Chhari Mubarak', the saffron-robed silver mace of Lord Shiva, was taken from its abode at Dashnami Akshara here to Pahalgam in Anantnag district for the bhoomi pujan ritual. Chanting Vedic hymns, a group of sadhus led by Giri, custodian of the holy mace, left for Gauri Shankar Temple, Pahalgam, where the bhoomi pujan of the holy mace will be held, Girri said. He said the holy mace will stop at Martand temple in Mattan area for a holy bath on its return journey to the abode here later in the day. Giri expressed satisfaction that more than 4.25 lakh pilgrims have performed the Yatra this year. The Amarnath yatra, which began on July 3, will end on August 28 coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.

Schools in Doda closed today due to heavy rain; online classes to continue

Doda, Jul 29: Authorities have ordered the closure of all government and private schools across Doda district on Wednesday as a precautionary measure in view of the prevailing adverse weather conditions caused by continuous rainfall. Authorities have ordered the closure of all government and private schools across Doda district on Wednesday as a precautionary measure in view of the prevailing adverse weather conditions caused by continuous rainfall. The order, however, said that online classes will continue as per the prescribed schedule in all schools across the district. Officials advised students and parents to follow the instructions issued by the district administration and school authorities.

Pentagon ties new casualty category for renewed US-Iran fighting to end of 'Operation Epic Fury'

Washington, Jul 29: The Pentagon said a new, separate category was created in its official casualty system to account for those killed and wounded in the renewed US-Iran fighting because Operation Epic Fury, the military's name for combat operations against Tehran, has ended. The Defence Casualty Analysis System, or DCAS, has removed the four soldiers killed and dozens of troops wounded in the latest exchange of fire from its official Iran war tally and placed them in a new category called Overseas Operations. The overall total of wounded from the conflict now stands at 642 troops, between the figures listed under Operation Epic Fury and those listed in the new category in the Pentagon's online system. A Pentagon official said Tuesday that because Operation Epic Fury has concluded, the military has decided to classify casualties tied to the latest strikes in the new category. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters, would not offer a date for the formal end of the operation. That characterisation raises questions about properly counting the impact to US service members after the US military carried out nearly two weeks of consecutive strikes against Iran in a bid to gain control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by striking neighbouring countries in the Middle East that host US forces. After a few days of paused hostilities and efforts by mediators to get both sides back to negotiations, US Central Command said Tuesday that it intercepted multiple ballistic missiles fired at American troops in the region. The US and Iran had agreed to a tenuous ceasefire in April and signed an interim deal to end the war in mid-June before strikes began again this month when Iran attacked ships in the crucial shipping route. After the four soldiers who were killed this month were removed from the Iran war death toll in the online system, Pentagon spokespeople said last week on social media that it was not an effort to hide the growing human cost of the conflict but rather the result of anomalies and temporary data disruptions that were being resolved imminently. On Sunday, those troops appeared by name in the new Overseas Operations category. Three soldiers were killed after a base in Jordan was struck July 17 by Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, and one died in Iraq a day later during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters at a White House briefing in May that the operation had concluded, saying that we achieved the objectives of that operation. When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before Congress last week, he didn't argue that the Iran war had concluded and even offered lawmakers some cost estimates for the conflict that ran through Sept 30.

US military says American and Saudi forces struck sites used by Iran-backed militias in Iraq

Washington, Jul 29: American and Saudi forces struck sites used by Iran-backed militias in Iraq to carry out attacks in recent days, the US military said Tuesday. US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours, US Central Command said in a statement, using an acronym for Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. It said the Revolutionary Guard and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further US military response. Saudi Arabia said earlier Tuesday that it for a second day shot down drones fired by Iran-backed militias in Iraq, which had attempted to target petroleum facilities in the nation's eastern region. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered security agencies to investigate after the Saudis alleged a similar attack on Monday.