Haryana extends service security cover to four more categories of contractual employees
Haryana plans startup push in every district, eases approvals service
Eligible children living in CCIs to be covered under Ayushman Bharat
Govt funds Rs 35-lakh bionic limbs for Panipat child
In Hisar, Congress split out in the open
Father threw 5-year-old daughter into canal, body found 25 km away in Punjab
Govt at war with its own children, says Singla
Day after honour killing in Faridkot, father among 5 arrested
Protesting farmers free toll plazas, torch effigies
Police action regrettable, hold dialogue: Punjab BJP ex-chief
Bhupinder Hooda Accuses BJP of Turning Haryana into a Hub for Paper Leaks
Chandigarh, July 22: Former Chief Minister of Haryana and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda targeted the central government on Wednesday over the NEET paper leak and examination system. He accused the BJP of transforming Haryana into a hub for paper leaks and claimed that instead of taking action against the culprits, the government is providing ... Read more Bhupinder Hooda Accuses BJP of Turning Haryana into a Hub for Paper Leaks
Respect students' voice, don't use force: Param Vir Chakra awardees urge govt
Param Vir Chakra winners Bana Singh and Yogendra Singh Yadav support students protesting NEET paper leaks. They urge the government to engage in dialogue rather than using force against the youth. The war heroes believe listening to students is crucial for a strong democracy. They emphasize that these young people represent the nation's future and deserve respect. The veterans advocate for addressing student grievances and building trust with the youth.
Haryana Police blocked farmers marching to Delhi to protest a proposed India-US trade agreement. Farmers were prevented from reaching Kisan Ghat and held protests at border points. Key farm leaders were detained by police in Haryana and Delhi. The standoff ended after negotiations and promises of farmer releases and meetings. The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha called for nationwide protests against various proposed trade agreements.
Hi-impact targeting tech for Su-30 from Chandigarh lab
CSIO-made Optical Module Clears Flight Tests, Set To Boost Strike And Surveillance Capabilities
Retired PEC employee loses Rs 4.5 lakh in cyber fraud
Man held with 10.32g heroin in Sector 38
Oxygen pipe theft prompts security upgrade at Civil Hospital
Tikkar Taal to get mountaineering centre: Saini
2 more held in Rs 83L crypto fraud
12 entry-exit checkpoints, 50 IRB personnel to strengthen district security
CM urges voter enrolment, reviews welfare schemes in Pinjore
Panchkula mayor denies Rs 200cr recarpeting scam charge
Sends Rs 10-Crore Defamation Notice To Complainant
Dabwali farmers plug canal after 15-acre cotton washout
Man found hanging in Fatehabad hotel room
Rain triggers landslide in Pathankot, waterlogs Amritsar
SAD for student dialogue, points to Punjab paper leaks
US deal: SKM calls for national protests
Arunachal SIR draft roll sees 19% deletion, Chandigarh 12%
Draft electoral rolls for Arunachal Pradesh and Chandigarh were published Tuesday. Arunachal Pradesh saw 19% of its electors removed from the draft list. Chandigarh registered a deletion rate of 12.81% from its electoral rolls. Electors were removed primarily due to permanent shifting and untraceability. Claims and reinclusion requests can be filed until August 20.
Teachers organisations meet to oppose mandatory TET
US scholarship winner who championed Sikh studies in New Jersey dies in accidental firing
Barnala gunfight ends in gangsters arrest
Eminent Sikh scholar Prof Gurnam Singh conferred Gurmat Sangeet
CM launches portal to boost jobs for technical students
HP Congress protests police action against students protesting NEET paper leak
Patiala checks illegal fee for property registration
Relief for taxi operators, vehicle life extended to 15 years
Kandela khap backs Jantar Mantar stir, seeks Pradhans resignation
Sukhu urges Congress cadre to strengthen party ideology
Nod to upgrade helipads at 5 govt colleges of Haryana
Work has begun on Gurgaon metro extension: Centre
Faridabad police face rights probe
Haryana targets full wastewater reuse
Minor canal breach submerges cotton crop in Sirsa dist
Shambhu stir snowballs into traffic nightmare on adjoining roads
Tiffin meets mobilise Haryana BJP cadre
5 trains diverted, 1 rescheduled due to road under bridge work in Haryana
Moga police station blast: 17 held; IED, Glock seized
Cloudburst hits Kangra; 3 injured, 18 homes damaged
FIR against father, uncles for killing 20-year-old over love marriage
Farmers Receive Positive Assurance on Two Key Demands: Sarwan Singh Pandher
Chandigarh, July 21: Sarwan Singh Pandher, a leader of the Farmers Labor Struggle Committee, announced that a minister from Haryana has assured them that discussions will be held with the Union Agriculture Minister in the coming days. A letter regarding this matter will be provided within 8 to 10 days, paving the way for dialogue. ... Read more Farmers Receive Positive Assurance on Two Key Demands: Sarwan Singh Pandher
No allegation that Punjab CM Mann exhorted protesting crowd in 2020: SC
The Supreme Court questioned the allegations against Bhagwant Mann and others. There was no specific charge that Mann exhorted the protesting crowd. The court fixed July 30 for hearing the Chandigarh administration's appeal. This appeal challenges the High Court's order quashing the FIR. The High Court had found no prima facie case against the AAP leaders.
Chandigarh University Student Develops E-Commerce Platform to Promote Heritage Products of Indian Artisans
Extensive security for a farmers' march caused a massive traffic jam on Tuesday. Traffic was diverted from the Amritsar-Delhi GT Road to the Ambala-Chandigarh National Highway. This diversion led to significant congestion on the Lehli-Lalru stretch for several hours. Thousands of commuters, including office-goers and students, were severely affected by the prolonged delays. Emergency services also faced difficulties navigating through the heavily congested highway.
Intelligence, self-reliance biggest lessons from Kargil: Ex-Army Chief
Shambhu border sealed as farmers head to Delhi to oppose India-US trade deal
Farmers marched towards Delhi to protest the proposed Indo-US trade agreement. Police barricaded the Shambhu border, preventing many from reaching their destination. Protesters voiced concerns about potential impacts on Indian agriculture and dairy sectors. They demanded transparency and consultations regarding the trade deal. The Desh Bachao Morcha called for the government to make agreement details public.
The illusion of governance in J&K
The recent call by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to organise public protests for the restoration of statehood presents one of the most unexpected moments in the history of Indian democracy. It is expected in a democratic regime that generally citizens protest against governments when they realise their aspirations are not being fulfilled. Contrary to a democratic essence, in Jammu and Kashmir the elected government is preparing to exercise the constitutional right of protest to assert more constitutional power. This reversal of roles compels us to ask a fundamental question: if a government itself must protest to secure the powers necessary to govern, who is actually governing, and who truly represents the people? The strength of democracy lies not just in conducting elections but in ensuring that elected representatives have the authority to represent their voters. Elections create governments, but governance often requires the institutional capacity to translate public mandates into policy. When this ability is significantly constrained, democracy begins to operate more as a procedural exercise than as a system of actual representation. The demand for restoring statehood is often discussed as a constitutional or political issue. However, it is a social question because it is associated with the relationship between citizens, state and political authority. Ideally, democracy survives only when citizens believe that their elected representatives effectively articulate and protect their interests. Representation is not just about occupying elected office; it is about possessing the authority to make political decisions that reflect the public mandate. The present situation in Jammu and Kashmir exposes a contradiction between electoral legitimacy and governing authority. The people have elected a government expecting it to address their aspirations. However, the government itself publicly acknowledges that it lacks the adequate powers to fulfil the peoples expectations. They are expected to receive support from the very citizens who elected them to join protests for the restoration of statehood. This creates a paradox rarely evident in representative democracies, even among the weak democracies of South Asia. Generally, citizens protest when they start to realise their governments fail to represent them. Here, the government plans to protest because it lacks adequate authority to represent its citizens within the existing constitutional framework of India. The situation creates a paradox for the people of Jammu and Kashmir; it may gradually reshape their understanding of democracy itself. Citizens may start asking uncomfortable but legitimate questions. If their elected government cannot represent their aspirations, who truly represents them? If ministers become protesters themselves, where should citizens direct their expectations and demands? Such questions reveal a deeper crisisnot necessarily of democracy as an ideal, but of democratic representation in practice. Political representations often depend upon both legitimacy and authority. In Indian democracy, legitimacy comes from elections, while authority comes from constitutional structure that equip elective governments to govern. When the elected government experiences a lag between authority and legitimacy, representative government begins to lose its substantive meaning. Government structurally may exist, legislative assemblies continue to function, and ministers continue to hold office. However, citizens increasingly perceive that actual political authority lies elsewhere. This is what may be described as the illusion of governance. The structure of democracy remains visible. Elections are conducted. Cabinets are formed. Policies are announced. Administrative machinery functions. However, many citizens may feel that the governments ability to determine the larger political future of the region remains limited. Governance therefore appears to exist structurally while remaining incomplete politically. The consequences extend beyond constitutional debates. Democracy ultimately depends upon public trust. Citizens participate in elections because they believe that political participation can produce meaningful outcomes. If that belief shrinks, democratic participation itself begins to lose its transformative potential. The implications are particularly significant in Jammu and Kashmir because the region is characterised by extraordinary social diversity. Jammu and Kashmir is not a homogeneous ethnic society. It comprises multiple linguistic, religious, regional and cultural communities whose coexistence depends upon shared democratic institutions rather than a single collective identity. In such a context, representative institutions become the principal mechanism through which diverse aspirations are reconciled. Any perceived weakening of those institutions therefore affects not only governance but also the broader sense of political belonging. The chief ministers decision to mobilise public protests can certainly be viewed as a legitimate democratic strategy. Every citizen, including elected representatives, possesses the constitutional right to peaceful protest. Therefore, the symbolism cannot be ignored. When the head of an elected government must rely upon public mobilisation to demand the powers necessary to govern, it inevitably raises questions about the nature of political authority in the region. The issue, therefore, extends beyond the restoration of statehood. It concerns the meaning of democratic governance itself. Can democracy be considered fully representative when elected governments possess electoral legitimacy but limited governing authority? Can citizens continue to trust in the effectiveness of representation if their representatives themselves acknowledge institutional constraints? These questions deserve careful public reflection because they concern the future of democratic confidence in Jammu and Kashmir. Electoral rituals are not enough for democracy. It demands institutions capable of making elected governments legitimate in their actions towards the people who elected them. If not, representation becomes symbolic instead of substantive. But the statehood debate is not only a constitutional one. It is a matter of putting back the integrity of representative democracy. The focus for the people of Jammu and Kashmir is not just on elections but on their ability to generate governments which can govern. However, until this lack of legitimacy is addressed in a meaningful way, many citizens will feel they are living in a form of illusion of governance that involves the presence of governments, but the ability to fully represent citizens is not assured. The author is teaching sociology at UILS, Chandigarh, University, Punjab.
PM Modi Approves Projects Benefiting 12 Districts: Punjab BJP Chief Dhillon
Chandigarh, July 21: Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Keval Singh Dhillon announced on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent visit to Jalandhar marked a significant achievement for the states infrastructure. Projects worth over 5,470 crores will directly benefit 12 districts through modern railway stations, new rail services, expressways, and greenfield highways. Dhillon emphasized ... Read more PM Modi Approves Projects Benefiting 12 Districts: Punjab BJP Chief Dhillon
UT eases rules for govt house allottees
Maloya man held for theft at Sector 42 temple
Students rally for Wangchuk, seek accountability over exam leaks
Farmers block road over power cuts, say paddy fields drying up
Cong protests over law & order, civic issues in Mohali
New walking tracks coming up in Sector 46 parks
Four die after entering well to rescue calf in Jhajjar village
Mayor pitches for longer tenure, showcases Dadumajra transformation at nat'l meet
Draft electoral roll for Chandigarh to be published today
Minister orders suspension of inspector, ASI over dowry case probe
ED wraps up 3-day search op in illegal mining probe
Weapons symbol of justice, self-defence, says Gargaj
Farmers assemble at Beas, march to Delhi for July 21 rally against proposed IndiaUS trade deal
Kejriwal, Mann condemn action against Jantar Mantar protesters
Dhami reviews preparations for Miri Piri Khalsa march
Himachal cabinet approves 7,500 govt jobs, raises honorariums
Centre rules out runway expansion at Shimla and Kullu airports
Rain triggers flash floods, disrupts traffic in Himachal
After PMs claims, Sonipat MP seeks answers on sports facilities
Governor attends 44th AGM of Haryana Scouts & Guides
Haryana Police trace 281 missing persons in 6 months
Haryana pushes 21 of 28 deregulation reforms to improve ease of doing business
Haryana nod to Rs 2,892cr plan to modernise 60 ITIs
Haryana sets deadlines for key Ayush projects, Hisar college to be inaugurated on Aug 15
Haryana clears Rs 360cr infra push, gives nod to Gurgaons 2nd waterworks
Monsoon set to intensify in Haryana, rain likely during July 21-24
Husband strangles wife, dies by suicide in Hisar village
Narnaund murder case: Hisar court awards life term to 5, acquits 11
Farmers to participate in Delhi meeting against US trade deal
Amritsar, Jalandhar lead Punjabs PM10 reductions
