KashmirLife

SRINAGAR: A major tragedy was averted on Thursday after a passenger bus caught fire on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway near the Karol area of Ramban district. According to officials, the incident occurred while the bus was travelling on the highway when flames suddenly erupted from the vehicle, triggering panic among passengers. The driver immediately stopped []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has quashed criminal defamation proceedings against Vineet Jain, Managing Director of Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd., holding that a Managing Director cannot be prosecuted for a newspapers publication in the absence of specific allegations linking him to editorial decisions. The court also ruled that mistakenly identifying an []

Additional Sessions Court issues NOC for one-year passport renewal in JKCA funds case, clarifies order does not permit foreign travel without prior approval from the trial court

SRINAGAR: Police in south Kashmirs Shopian district on Thursday attached a residential house worth Rs 23,79,669 belonging to an alleged drug trafficker in connection with a narcotics case, officials said. According to officials, the attached property belongs to Abdul Hamid Thoker, son of Abdul Raheem Thoker, a resident of Nusipora Keegam, and was identified during []

SRINAGAR: The third edition of the Chinar Book Festival will begin in Srinagar on July 18, bringing together readers, writers, publishers and artists from across the country for a nine-day literary and cultural event, organisers announced on Thursday. Organised by the National Book Trust (NBT) under the Ministry of Education, the festival will be held []

SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has revised the procedure governing the constitution and sittings of Special Benches, directing that such benches, when constituted in addition to the regular roster benches, shall ordinarily convene during the second half of Friday on their first date of sitting. The directions have been issued through []

SRINAGAR: The Government Railway Police (GRP) Katra has ordered a reshuffle of 11 officers, including Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors, and appointed three Additional Station House Officers (SHOs) with immediate effect in the interest of administration and the smooth functioning of the force. The transfers were ordered by Senior Superintendent of Police, Railways Katra, Sanjay Kumar Kotwal, []

SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said political leaders should not use condolence visits as a platform for politics, saying those who come to offer condolences to his family on Mustafa Kamals demise should refrain from making political statements outside. Speaking to reporters, CM Omar said those who wish to do politics need not []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board Chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi on Thursday said the National Conferences (NC) scheduled protest at Jantar Mantar on July 20 would not restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Instead, she described it as an attempt by the NC to divert peoples attention from its failures. Statehood will not return through a []

SRINAGAR: The Meteorological Department Srinagar (MeT) has forecast a fresh spell of widespread rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir from July 19, with peak weather activity expected on July 21 and 22, while warning of heavy rainfall, flash floods, landslides and waterlogging in vulnerable areas. Director MeT, Mukhtar Ahmad said that the weather is expected to []

SRINAGAR: The 15th batch of pilgrims undertaking the annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026 departed from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu during the early hours of Thursday under multi-layer security arrangements, officials said. A total of 5,201 pilgrims left for the twin base camps in Kashmir in a convoy of 191 vehicles. Of []

SRINAGAR: The District Administration, in coordination with Chenani Police, has retrieved eight kanals of prime state land from the possession of a known drug peddler in Jammu and Kashmirs Udhampur district as part of the ongoing Nasha Mukt Jammu and Kashmir Abhiyan. Officials said the land, measuring eight kanals under Khasra No. 315, is situated []

SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Karan Singh on Thursday appealed to Ladakhi activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his indefinite hunger strike, expressing concern over his deteriorating health. In a statement issued from New Delhi, Karan Singh urged Wangchuk to resume a normal diet, warning that continuing the prolonged fast could endanger his life. Wangchuk []

SRINAGAR: Ladakh on Wednesday exported its first consignment of fresh apricots to the United Arab Emirates, marking the start of what the administration says will be the regions largest-ever international export programme for the fruit. A five-metric-tonne shipment of fresh apricots was flagged off by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. The export follows a memorandum []

SRINAGAR: At least nine people, including a police officer and a paramilitary personnel, were killed in fresh clashes between security forces and protesters in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), as unrest over political representation intensified ahead of the July 27 legislative elections. The violence erupted on Tuesday in the Poonch region, where supporters of the banned Jammu []

Over 20 dog-bite cases reported at SDH Chadoora alone as residents demand urgent action to curb rising attacks

SRINAGAR: Police in Ladakh have solved a major burglary case within 72 hours of its reporting by arresting three accused and recovering the entire stolen property, including premium smartphones and cash, officials said on Wednesday. The case relates to a burglary at Mobile Planet, a mobile phone outlet located at Japa Complex near the Old []

Backyard poultry initiative aims to boost rural livelihoods, nutrition and organic egg production among tribal families

2.40 lakh SHG women have already crossed Rs 1 lakh annual household income; departments asked to prepare convergence plans and expand livelihood opportunities

New platforms 6 and 7 commissioned under redevelopment project; railway says move will ease congestion, improve train handling capacity

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Sakina Itoo on Wednesday announced that the government has approved the placement of 786 Assistant Professors, Librarians and Physical Training Instructors (PTIs) to Academic Pay Level-11 (Academic Grade Pay Rs 7,000) under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS). Delighted to share that we have approved the placement of 786 Assistant []

SRINAGAR: The University of Kashmir has announced summer vacation for all affiliated private colleges in the Kashmir Division from July 21 to August 2, 2026. According to the university, the vacation will be observed by all affiliated private colleges across the Kashmir Division during the notified period. The university, however, directed that members of the []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has directed the immediate and strict implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 across all government offices, departments and public sector undertakings in the Union Territory. In a circular issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) on July 15, 2026, the government instructed all Administrative Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners, []

Lieutenant Governor says AI is transforming jobs, education and governance, urges rapid reskilling, ethical innovation and safeguards against deepfakes

Kashmir likely to witness thunderstorms and gusty winds; landslides, mudslides and shooting stones feared in vulnerable areas

SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and Pulwama MLA Waheed Ur Rahman Para on Wednesday criticised the Jammu and Kashmir Government over the delay in road macadamisation, alleging that public suffering had intensified despite thousands of crores being allocated to the Roads and Buildings (R and B) Department. Thousands of crores have been allocated to []

SRINAGAR: Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Moulvi Mohammad Umar Farooq on Wednesday expressed deep anguish over the reported deaths of civilians and police personnel in the continuing unrest across the Line of Control (LoC), particularly in Rawalakot and Poonch, and urged the Government of Pakistan, local authorities and protesters to restore peace through dialogue. Deeply saddened and pained by []

SRINAGAR: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has ordered the closure of the Red Fort to the public from July 15 to August 15, 2026, in view of preparations and security arrangements for the Independence Day celebrations. The order, issued by the ASI on July 9, stated that the monument will remain closed to all []

by Faisal Kawoosa AI simulations expose hidden inequities in Srinagars new building bylaws, demonstrating why predictive policy testing should precede implementation. As a data analyst, my everyday workspace is built around system architectures, algorithmic validation, and combinatorial verification. I am not a town planner, an urban designer, or a civil engineer. However, what I know []

SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has refused to quash criminal proceedings in a 14-year-old cheque dishonour case, holding that an accused who participates in the trial without objection cannot challenge the order taking cognisance at the stage of final arguments on the ground that the magistrate failed to conduct a mandatory []

SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday reviewed the facilities and services at the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu for the ongoing Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra, stating that the pilgrimage has crossed the three lakh pilgrim mark in just 12 days and directing officials to ensure seamless arrangements for devotees. During his visit, the []

SRINAGAR: Taking serious note of an acute shortage of life-saving anti-haemophilia medicines at Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has directed the authorities to immediately restore the supply of Factor-VIII and Emicizumab, observing that no haemophilia patient should suffer for want of these essential medicines. The court []

SRINAGAR: Gold prices declined by Rs 983 to Rs 1,41,274 per 10 grams in futures trade on Wednesday as uncertainty surrounding the situation in West Asia weighed on investor sentiment. On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), gold contracts for August delivery fell by Rs 983, or 0.69 per cent, to Rs 1,41,274 per 10 grams, []

SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has quashed the preventive detention of an Anantnag resident booked under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA) for alleged repeated illegal sand extraction, holding that violations of mining laws and related criminal offences, however serious, do not by themselves constitute activities prejudicial to the []

SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has officially nominated forty judicial officers from the 2020 batch to participate in an upcoming Pre-Appointment Induction Training Programme for Civil Judges (Junior Division). According to an official order issued by the Office of the Registrar General at Srinagar under order number 1050 of 2026/RG, the []

SRINAGAR: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu and Kashmir, has ordered the immediate closure of two paneer manufacturing units in south Kashmirs Pulwama district after inspections revealed serious violations of food safety and hygiene regulations, officials said. The action was taken following a specific complaint, which led a team of Food Safety Officers to []

SRINAGAR: A former sarpanch was killed after a boulder rolled down a hillside and struck his car on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Ramban district on Wednesday, police said. The deceased was identified as Mohammad Iqbal Tantray, former sarpanch of Seri village in Ramban district. According to police, the incident occurred near Trishul Morh while []

SRINAGAR: The 14th batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu in the early hours of Wednesday, with 6,251 devotees departing for the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam under multi-layer security arrangements. According to the Joint Police Control Room (JPCR), 2,985 pilgrims proceeded via the shorter Baltal route, []

SRINAGAR: A joint search operation by security forces led to the busting of a militant hideout in Garha, Sawjian sector of Mandi tehsil in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said on Wednesday. Officials said that during the operation, forces recovered 246 rounds of PIKA rifle ammunition that were hidden inside the hideout. []

Body returned to GMC mortuary after missing man contacts relatives; police restart identification process

Haj Committee appeals to eligible pilgrims to apply before July 20 as response remains far below expectations

Flash floods, landslides and mudslides wreak havoc across several districts as experts warn of rising climate vulnerability in the Himalayas

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has declared leprosy a notifiable disease across the Union Territory with immediate effect, making it mandatory for all government and private healthcare institutions to report every diagnosed case to the designated health authorities. The decision, approved on the orders of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, was notified by the Health []

Month-long training camp at Gindun Sports Stadium to prepare national squad for Japan Asiad

SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has issued Order No. 1067 of 2026/RG, announcing the comprehensive reconstitution of the Honourable Judges Committees as part of a significant administrative overhaul. The extensive restructuring has been authorised by the Honourable Chief Justice (A) of the High Court, who also reserves the power to assign []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has ordered a fresh administrative reshuffle in the Agriculture Production Department, assigning new charges to officers with immediate effect in the interest of administration. According to Government Order No. 318-JK (APD) of 2026, dated July 14, 2026, a total of 27 high-ranking officers have been given new postings and []

12 food business operators fined Rs 17,000 for hygiene violations during special inspection drive

SRINAGAR: The Government of Jammu and Kashmirs Jal Shakti Department has formally issued a public notice inviting objections to the proposed draft of the Jammu and Kashmir Engineering (Gazetted) Service Recruitment Rules. Issued on July 13, 2026 by Hitesh Gupta, Additional Secretary to the Government, the notification gives all concerned stakeholders a strict seven-day window []

Party calls former minister's death a major loss to J&K politics, extends condolences to Abdullah family

SRINAGAR: More than two-thirds of the drinking water supply schemes damaged by the recent cloudburst in the Awoora-Pahalgam belt continue to remain defunct, leaving thousands of consumers across south Kashmir dependent on water tankers as authorities struggle to restore the flood-ravaged infrastructure. The cloudburst and the ensuing flash floods crippled 79 drinking water supply schemes []