KashmirLife News

SRINAGAR: The government has said that Jammu and Kashmir received a total of Rs 2,847.16 crore in refinancing support from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) over the last five years, underscoring sustained institutional credit flow to the rural economy. Replying to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha on December 15, []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as one of the largest beneficiaries of the Centres Capacity Building for Service Providers (CBSscheme, with more than 16,300 people trained and certified in tourism and hospitality related skills since 2020, according to data tabled in the Lok Sabha. The Union Territory also received over Rs 46 crore under []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir features marginally in the Centres newly launched NAVYA vocational training initiative, with Baramulla being the only district from the Union Territory selected under the scheme aimed at skilling adolescent girls in aspirational regions, Parliament was informed on Monday. The NAVYA programme, short for Nurturing Aspirations through Vocational Training for Young Adolescent []

SRINAGAR: Financial fraud linked to Unified Payments Interface and other digital payment platforms has risen sharply over the past five years, with losses exceeding Rs 3,600 crore and reported incidents running into several lakhs annually, the Union Finance Ministry acknowledged in Parliament on Monday, underlining the growing risks accompanying Indias rapid shift to digital payments. []

SRINAGAR: Independent MP from Baramulla, Engineer Rashid, on Monday urged the Central Government to announce a comprehensive development package for Jammu and Kashmir, citing prolonged suffering and neglect of key sectors in the region, especially North Kashmir Speaking in the Parliament, Rashid said that the region has suffered for decades and there is a need []

SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today expressed hope that the maiden edition of the Jammu Marathon, scheduled to be held on March 29, 2026, will emerge as one of the iconic events on the Indian running calendar. He was speaking at the official launch of the Jammu Marathon at a ceremony held at Hari Niwas []

SRINAGAR: Indian banks wrote off non-performing assets worth nearly Rs 8.9 lakh crore between the financial years 2013 14 and 2019 20, with public sector banks accounting for the bulk of the write offs, the Union Finance Ministry informed the Lok Sabha on Monday, reviving concerns over the scale of stressed assets in the banking []

SRINAGAR: Just 13 young artists from Jammu and Kashmir have been approved for scholarships under the central Award of Scholarships to Young Artists in Different Cultural Fields scheme over four batch years, despite dozens of applications from the Union Territory, official data tabled in the Lok Sabha shows. According to the Ministry of Cultures reply, []

SRINAGAR: One Special Operation Group (SOG) personnel who was critically injured during ongoing encounter between militants and security forces in the Udhampur district of Jammu Kashmir, succumbed to his injuries on Monday late evening, officials said. Official sources said that an SOG personnel identified as Amjad Pathan who was critically injured earlier, has succumbed to []

SRINAGAR: Power supply to several areas in Jammu will remain disrupted on December 16 due to scheduled maintenance work, officials of the Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) said on Monday. According to the Chief Engineer (Distribution), JPDCL Jammu, electricity supply to Hatli, Maroli, Mehtabpur, Khanyara, Dhukkat, Sawala and adjoining areas will remain affected from []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government has terminated the services of 103 firemen in the Fire and Emergency Services (FES) Department after an inquiry and an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) investigation found large-scale irregularities in the 2020 recruitment process. According to Government Order No. 608-Home of 2025, dated December 15, the decision follows the findings of []

SRINAGAR: Bishimbar Nagar area of Srinagar is grappling with an acute water shortage, with locals alleging severe mismanagement and unchecked use of motors by nearby hotels, leaving residential households struggling for basic water needs. Inhabitants of the area said potable water is supplied barely three times a week and that too for just about an []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said that the vote chori issue is being raised by the Congress and that the INDIA bloc has no involvement in it. Speaking to reporters, CM Omar said that every political party has the freedom to set its agenda as they wish. He added that []

SRINAGAR: Police in south Kashmirs Pulwama district arrested two persons and recovered a substantial quantity of a cannabis-like substance during routine naka checking near a petrol pump in the Marvel area of Kakapora. Officials said a police party noticed two suspicious individuals coming from paddy fields towards the main road. One of them was carrying []

SRINAGAR: The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned to January 7, 2026, the hearing on a petition challenging the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA), Daily Excelsior reported. A Bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria deferred the matter due to paucity of time. The plea has been []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government has revised the schedule for budget discussions of several departments. According to an official order issued by the Finance Department, the budget discussion for the Science and Technology Department has been rescheduled from December 8 to December 17, to be held from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The discussion []

SRINAGAR: The government is reportedly preparing to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and introduce a new legislation for rural employment titled the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025. A copy of the proposed bill states that it aims to establish a []

SRINAGAR: A labourer lost his life on Monday after sustaining critical injuries while working at a stone quarry in the Panthachowk area of Srinagar on Monday, officials said. An official said that the deceased has been identified as Bhar Din Bali, son of Roshan Din Bali, a resident of Kari Ramban, aged around 40 years. []

SRINAGAR: Buoyed by his role in the recent Rajya Sabha election and Assembly by-elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) has given a key role to Leader Sunil Kumar Sharma in the election management of Assam, scheduled to go to polls next year. The BJP has appointed Sharma as co-incharge of elections for Assam, which will go []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said that the legal process must be allowed to take its course in the Pahalgam terror attack case, asserting that it is the court which will ultimately decide who is guilty and who is innocent. Reacting to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filing the chargesheet []

SRINAGAR: Jammu Kashmir, along with Ladakh, continued to experience cold conditions, even as cloud cover offered minor relief to night temperatures. Several areas in the Kashmir Valley recorded near-freezing or sub-zero minimum temperatures overnight. In the Kashmir region, Srinagar registered a low of 1.9C, while Qazigund and Pahalgam settled at 2.2C each. Kupwara recorded 1.6C, []

by Aamir Manan Deva The egg controversy exposes Indias acceptance of permissible risk, regulatory compromise over precaution, divergence from global standards, and eroding public trust in food safety governance India is not debating eggs per se; it is debating the degree to which it is willing to quietly normalise risk. The contemporary controversy surrounding nitrofuran []

SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor of Jammu Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, on Monday paid homage to Bharat Ratna Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his death anniversary. In a post on X, the Office of the JK Lieutenant Governor wrote, Humble tribute to the great unifier of India, Bharat Ratna Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Ji, on his Punyatithi. Humble tribute to []

SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to file its chargesheet in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack on Monday, as the 180-day statutory deadline under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) since the first arrests is set to expire. They said that, chargesheet in RC-02/2025/NIA/JMU (Pahalgam Terror Attack Case) is to be filled []

SRINAGAR: A Sub-Inspector of the Jammu and Kashmir Police sustained injuries after being assaulted by a group of miscreants near Bakshi Nagar Police Station in Jammu late on Sunday evening, according to a Daily Excelsior report. The incident occurred at around 8:30 pm when Sub-Inspector Nitin Khajuria, posted at Bakshi Nagar Police Station, was on []

SRINAGAR: A minor fire incident damaged parts of an under construction residential house at Shah Wilayat Colony in the HMT area of Srinagar on Sunday evening, officials said, adding that the situation was swiftly brought under control with no injuries reported. Fire and Emergency Services officials said they received a call about the incident at []

SRINAGAR: The Forest Rights Coalition Jammu and Kashmir has welcomed the Union Territory governments decision to shift the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 from the Forest Department to the Tribal Welfare Department, describing it as a corrective step that addresses a long-standing structural contradiction in forest governance. The Coalition said the move, which []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu district administration on Saturday demolished multiple allegedly illegal structures, including residential buildings linked to suspected drug peddlers, as part of an intensified crackdown on narcotics and land encroachment, while police in Kathua arrested a person with heroin, officials said. In Jammu city, the demolition drive was carried out in Narwal Bala village []

SRINAGAR: Concerns over drinking water safety have intensified across the Kashmir Valley after authorities banned the sale of a packaged water brand in Srinagar following laboratory confirmation of bacterial contamination, even as multiple food products remain under scrutiny in the wake of recent public health scares. The Food Safety Department has prohibited the sale, storage, []

SRINAGAR: One of Jammu and Kashmirs most troubled infrastructure ventures, the 850-megawatt Ratle Hydroelectric Power Project in Kishtwar, has been pushed into renewed uncertainty after its executing agency alleged sustained political interference, warning that continued disruptions could force it to halt work or even exit the project. Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), which []

SRINAGAR: Engineers and policymakers on Sunday called for translating energy conservation awareness into measurable outcomes, warning that unchecked technical and commercial losses could undermine both power availability and sustainable development in Jammu and Kashmir. The message emerged from a one-day technical seminar, Save Energy, Sustain the Future, organised by The Institution of Engineers (India), Jammu []

SRINAGAR:The University of Kashmirs highest decision-making body has cleared a wide-ranging set of academic and administrative proposals, including the launch of multiple five-year integrated masters programmes, the establishment of an Institute of Nursing and Paramedical Sciences at the Kupwara campus, and revisions to admission and degree regulations in line with the National Education Policy 2020. []

SRINAGAR: Superintending Engineer, Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), Shabir Ahmad Khan, today clarified that the power distribution wing has no authority to waive electricity bills or grant exemptions, stating that all billing is done through a centralised online system and payments collected go directly to the government treasury. Addressing concerns over electricity bills and []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday arrested nine persons for their alleged involvement in illegal mining activities at Padgampora in Awantipora area of south Kashmir, officials said. A police team from Police Station Awantipora, led by the station house officer and functioning under the supervision of the sub divisional police officer Awantipora, conducted the []

SRINAGAR: Ten people were killed and about a dozen others injured when gunmen opened fire during a Jewish holiday event at Sydneys Bondi Beach on Sunday, Australian officials said, according to Reuters. Eyewitnesses told ABC News that around 50 gunshots were heard during the attack, which occurred roughly two hours earlier. Police said one of []

SRINAGAR: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravinder Raina on Sunday visited Changoo village in Dooru area of Anantnag to offer condolences to the family of Gul Mohammad Shah, a Forest Department employee who lost his life while performing firefighting duties. Raina expressed solidarity with the bereaved family and paid tribute to the deceased for []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir governments online public grievance redressal platform, JK Samadhan, has recorded over 1.02 lakh grievances in 2025, with more than 88,000 complaints successfully resolved, officials said, reflecting an overall disposal rate of 86.27 percent. An official said that the data was presented during a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu Kashmir Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has issued a directive prescribing stringent procedures and safeguards for the environmentally compliant disposal of seized, rejected, and expired food items across the Union Territory. The order, issued by the Commissioner, Food and Drugs Administration, Jammu Kashmir emphasises that improper disposal of food products poses serious []

SRINAGAR: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a comprehensive chargesheet against 17 accused persons, including four Chinese nationals, and 58 companies in connection with a massive transnational cyber crime syndicate that allegedly siphoned off more than Rs 1,000 crore through digital frauds and shell companies, officials said on Sunday. The investigation revealed that []

SRINAGAR: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravinder Raina, who is on a visit to various areas of Kashmir on Sunday, said that the people of the Valley are grappling with multiple problems and challenges, stressing that it is the responsibility of the opposition to act as a vigilant watchdog. Speaking during his interactions, Raina []

SRINAGAR: At least three persons were injured in a road accident near Middle School Wangipora, Sumbal area of Bandipora district of north kashmir on Sunday after a truck collided with a load carrier. Reports said that the accident involved a truck bearing registration number JK02AS-7981 and a load carrier bearing registration number JK01R-7991. The collision []

SRINAGAR: Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Chadoora, Ali Mohammad Dar, on Sunday lodged an official complaint against the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Chadoora, alleging humiliation and disrespect. Speaking to media persons after filing the complaint, Dar said, As you know, an incident took place yesterday in which the SDM misbehaved with me. I have lodged a []

SRINAGAR: At least six United Nations peacekeepers from Bangladesh were killed and seven others injured in a drone attack on a UN base in Kadugli, the capital of Sudans South Kordofan State on Saturday, Reuters reported. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the strike, a []

SRINAGAR: The Meteorological Department Srinagar has forecast partly to generally cloudy weather across Jammu and Kashmir over the coming days, with the possibility of light snowfall at isolated higher reaches, particularly in North and Central Kashmir. Director Meteorological Department, Mukhtar Ahmad said that on December 14 and 15, the weather is expected to remain partly []

SRINAGAR: Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir, Molvi Mohammad Umar Farooq, expressed deep concern over the arrest of individuals in connection with decades-old cases during the recent Friday congregation at Jama Masjid Srinagar. He said the ongoing detentions have created anxiety and uncertainty, particularly for those and their families who have long since disengaged from past conflicts. Highlighting the plight []

SRINAGAR: The higher reaches of Tulail Valley in north Kashmirs Gurez sector in Bandipora experienced fresh snowfall on Sunday, leading to a noticeable drop in temperatures across the region, officials said. The snowfall began during the early hours and continued intermittently, largely confined to the upper elevations of the Tulail sector. Lower areas of Gurez []

SRINAGAR: Cold conditions intensified across Kashmir overnight, with minimum temperatures plunging sharply at most locations, according to data compiled by Kashmir Weather. Srinagar recorded a minimum of minus 2.9 degrees Celsius, down from 2.0 degrees Celsius a day earlier. The temperature at Srinagar airport fell sharply to minus 4.0 degrees Celsius from 0.6 degrees, while []

SRINAGAR: In a major milestone for tertiary healthcare in South Kashmir, the Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag has successfully started cochlear implant surgeries, offering renewed hope to children born with severe to profound hearing loss. The latest procedure, the third such surgery at the institution, was performed by the Department of ENT, marking a significant []

by Peerzada Mohsin Shafi Nehabihos SwedenKashmir reflections use language, daily life and honest comparisons to urge Kashmiris to preserve culture, rethink education, improve public behaviour and adopt mindful, compassionate practices at home. Nehabiho, the woman behind the Instagram handle @nehabiho, has managed to carve out a unique space for herself in the vast landscape of []

SRINAGAR: Two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed on Saturday after a suspected ISIS militant opened fire on a joint USSyrian patrol in central Syria, officials said, in one of the deadliest attacks on US personnel in the country in recent months, according to BBC report. US Central Command later confirmed the fatalities, []