KashmirLife

SRINAGAR: Experts at a Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme organised by Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag on Tuesday called for strengthening psychiatric services, improving early detection of mental health conditions and expanding community-based care to address emerging challenges across age groups in Kashmir. Organised by the Department of Psychiatry under the theme Lived Experiences Heard: []

SRINAGAR: Senior National Conference leader and Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Wednesday reiterated that he would resign from both the party and Parliament on November 3, saying his position had remained unchanged since he first announced the decision. Speaking to a national news channel, Ruhullah said he saw no reason to reconsider his []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir authorities have restricted the movement of goods carriers on the JammuSrinagar National Highway (NH-44) on October 31 and November 1 in view of the annual Darbar Move from Srinagar to Jammu. According to the traffic advisory, the movement of up heavy and medium motor vehicles (HMVs/MMVs) carrying goods from Jakheni []

SRINAGAR: Omar Abdullah has handed over Finance, Revenue, Power Development and Law as four new ministers join the Cabinet. Every minister from the previous council has lost at least one department, while Satish Sharmas portfolios have been distributed among three ministers. A day after four National Conference legislators were sworn in at Lok Bhawan, Lieutenant []

SRINAGAR: India has invited Pakistans Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, to attend the inaugural meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisations (SCO) civilisational dialogue forum, scheduled to be hosted by New Delhi next month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proposed the forum during his visit to Tianjin for the SCO summit last []

SRINAGAR: Ahead of chilling winters, more than 600 Megawatts (MW) power deficit is looming over Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in November 2026. An official informed that during peak solar and non-solar hours, both the regions are likely to face a power deficiency of 623 MW in the month of November. The official figures projecting []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has transferred two Junior JKAS officers and posted them as Tehsildars in Jammu and Doda districts with immediate effect. According to Government Order No. 61-JK(Rev) of 2026, issued by the Revenue Department on October 28, Manpreet Kour has been posted as Tehsildar Mandal in Jammu district, while Sumit Kumar []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has allocated departments to eight ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, with all portfolios not assigned to any minister remaining with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The portfolio allocation was notified by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, according to an official order listing the departments assigned to each minister. []

SRINAGAR: Two House Committees of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly will get new chairpersons following the induction of their heads as ministers in the Omar Abdullah-led government. Senior National Conference leaders Ali Muhammad Sagar and Mir Saifullah, who were heading the Committee on Government Assurances and the Committee on Public Undertakings respectively, have ceased []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir secured the Overall Team Trophy in both Wushu and Taekwondo at the 70th National School Games, winning 22 medals across the two disciplines, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Wednesday. Congratulating the young athletes, Omar said their performance demonstrated the regions growing sporting potential and reflected their dedication and hard work. []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has dismissed a plea by an accused seeking permission to examine additional defence witnesses in a Rs 10 lakh cheque dishonour case, holding that he could establish his defence through original or certified copies of land sale deeds without producing all the people associated with the transactions. []

SRINAGAR: The Consulate General of India in Jeddah has confirmed round-the-clock assistance for Indian nationals, including Umrah pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia due to flight disruptions, following an intervention by Baramulla MP Er Rashid, the Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) said on Wednesday. AIP chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi welcomed the Consulates response, but called for []

SRINAGAR: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a 3 per cent increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for central government employees as part of the July 2026 revision. The latest increase follows the Cabinets approval in April of a 2 per cent hike in Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief (DR) for central government employees and pensioners, []

SRINAGAR: Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma on Wednesday claimed that internal differences within the National Conference (NC) would lead to a split in the party and the eventual fall of the Jammu and Kashmir Government. Reacting to protests following the recent oath-taking ceremony, Sharma said a section of the party was opposed to dynastic politics []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has directed all departments and government organisations to facilitate the installation of upgraded cyber security systems on computers and other devices connected to the National Informatics Centre Network (NICNET) and the Jammu and Kashmir State Wide Area Network (JKSWAN). The General Administration Department (GAD) issued the instructions through Circular []

SRINAGAR: Traffic Police City Srinagar has announced traffic restrictions on parts of Boulevard Road on Thursday, October 29, in view of the J&K Police Cycle Race-2026, titled Pedal through Paradise. According to the advisory, the race will follow two routes: from Lalit Ghat (Police Golf Course) to Nagbal Chowk via Foreshore Road, and from Lalit []

SRINAGAR: The Ladakh Bench of the Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has dismissed a petition filed by villagers of Chutuk challenging trial court orders that allowed additional defendants to be impleaded in a civil suit over the distribution of more than 300 kanals of non-cultivable village land. Justice Sanjay Parihar, in an order dated []

SRINAGAR: Prof Ahsan Ul Haq Qurashi, Professor of Chemistry at Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has been awarded the Chartered Chemist (CChem) designation by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), UK, in recognition of his professional competence, scientific expertise and commitment to continued development in chemical sciences. Prof Qurashi was previously elected []

SRINAGAR: Jammu Police have arrested the main accused in an alleged Rs 4.10-crore fraud involving promises of securing jobs through the Railway Board recruitment process and arranging tenders for the supply of drinking water bottles to Northern Railway. The case is being investigated under FIR No. 262/2026 registered at Police Station Channi Himmat, police said. []

SRINAGAR: The Government has introduced an annual concessional toll pass for eligible owners of non-commercial vehicles living within 20 kilometres of a National Highway fee plaza, with charges fixed at Rs 1,500 or Rs 3,000 depending on the location of the toll plaza. The new provision will come into effect on November 1, according to []

SRINAGAR: Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) will be allowed in both directions on October 28, subject to favourable weather and road conditions, while commuters have been advised to avoid night travel due to the risk of shooting stones, landslides and ongoing road construction. According to the Traffic Police Headquarters, traffic movement on NH-44 []

SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office to four new ministers on October 27, 2026, as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expanded his Council of Ministers. The four National Conference legislators include veterans Ali Mohammad Sagar and Mir Saifullah, who returned to the cabinet, and Shameema Firdous and Altaf Ahmad Wani (Altaf Kaloo), []

SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullahs Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani on Tuesday acknowledged resentment and disappointment among National Conference (NC) legislators following the cabinet expansion, saying every MLA aspires to become a minister, but Jammu and Kashmirs Union Territory status poses its own challenges. Talking to media persons here, Wani said it was natural for legislators []

SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir at a Unified Headquarters (UHQ) meeting at Lok Bhavan, Srinagar, directing security agencies to intensify efforts against infiltration, terrorist networks and their sources of logistical and financial support. Sinha stressed the need for close coordination among security agencies, saying real-time []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has issued a roster of Administrative Secretaries who will remain available at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar during November 2026, with designated officers assigned duties in four weekly slots from November 2 to 27. The roster was issued through Government Order No. 1681-JK(GAD) of 2026, dated October 27, by []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir were trailing Baroda by 610 runs at stumps on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match after the hosts posted 616 all out in their first innings at the Reliance Stadium in Vadodara on Tuesday. Jammu and Kashmir finished the day at 6 without loss in four []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) has facilitated 34 compassionate appointments in long-pending cases under SRO-43, providing relief to eligible families of deceased employees. The cases predated the implementation of the Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme (RAS)-2022 and had remained pending due to the need for relaxation in the prescribed age and educational qualification criteria. []

SRINAGAR: Power supply to several areas of Kashmir will be affected by scheduled shutdowns of transmission and distribution lines on October 28, October 31 and November 3 and 7, the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) has announced. According to the Chief Engineer, Distribution, KPDCL, the shutdown of the 220 kV ZainakoteAlusteng transmission line (Circuits []

SRINAGAR: National Conference Additional General Secretary and former minister Ajay Kumar Sadhotra on Tuesday welcomed the expansion of the Council of Ministers in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the move reflected Chief Minister Omar Abdullahs resolve to strengthen public outreach and make governance more responsive to peoples needs. In a statement, Sadhotra said the expansion was []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Governments Finance Department has constituted a committee to expedite the processing and resolution of cases involving government employees seeking coverage under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), with a mandate to coordinate eligibility approvals, General Provident Fund (GPF) allotments and the transfer of accumulated pension funds. According to a government order, []

SRINAGAR: The Government of Indias Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered the transfer of two senior IAS officers of the AGMUT cadre from Jammu and Kashmir to the Delhi segment with immediate effect. According to an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on October 27, 2026, Ashwani Kumar, a 1992-batch IAS officer, and []

SRINAGAR: The Special Crime Wing of Crime Branch Kashmir has filed a charge-sheet against a man accused of allegedly cheating 12 residents of Kashmir of Rs 16.78 lakh by luring them into investing in a purported foreign exchange (Forex) investment scheme that promised substantial returns within a short period. The charge-sheet has been submitted before []

SRINAGAR: Police in south Kashmirs Anantnag district have apprehended six suspected drug peddlers in separate operations and recovered contraband substances from their possession, officials said on Tuesday. The recoveries included around 2 kg of a ganja-like substance, 114 grams of a charas-powder-like substance and smaller quantities of substances suspected to be charas. Cases have been []

SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday chaired the first Cabinet meeting following the reshuffle of the Jammu and Kashmir Government, with the allocation of portfolios to newly inducted ministers likely to be among the key issues under discussion. The meeting began at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar, hours after four National Conference legislators were []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has permitted a woman to present two additional witnesses in her divorce proceedings after she alleged that her husband had contracted another marriage during the subsistence of their marriage, observing that the evidence could have a bearing on the outcome of the case. Justice Sanjay Dhar, while []

SRINAGAR: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday welcomed the expansion of the Jammu and Kashmir Council of Ministers, expressing hope that the newly inducted ministers would work to address public grievances and ease peoples difficulties. Describing the Cabinet expansion as a positive development, Abdullah said the ministers would make efforts to resolve issues faced []

SRINAGAR: Newly inducted Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet Minister Mir Saifullah on Tuesday said he would work to fulfil the expectations of the National Conference leadership and address public grievances, describing his elevation to the Council of Ministers as the fulfilment of a long-standing ambition. Speaking to reporters after taking oath at Lok Bhawan in Srinagar, []

SRINAGAR: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu and Kashmir, has suspended the operating licence of Packaged Drinking Water at Kakan Maran in central Kashmirs Budgam district over alleged violations of food safety standards. The action was taken on Tuesday after an inspection by a Food Safety Officer identified shortcomings in water quality testing, monitoring []

SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has restored a trial court decree recognising a woman as the daughter of a deceased landowner and upholding her claim to a share in his property, ruling that the appellate court wrongly dismissed her suits on grounds of limitation and failure to establish paternity. Justice Shahzad []

SRINAGAR: Police have arrested two alleged domestic helpers and recovered gold ornaments worth around Rs 45 lakh in connection with a theft at a house in Khanyar area of Srinagar, officials said on Tuesday. The case came to light on October 25, when Police Station Khanyar received a complaint from Basharat Hussain, son of Gh []

For generations, Punjab was where Kashmiris went to trade, study and heal. Today, those who make the journey travel with caution, struggle to rent rooms and stay wary of drugs and hostility, reports Asrar Syeed Historically, the neighbouring state of Punjab was a place Kashmiri artisans, shawl weavers, and traders travelled to frequently. For most []

SRINAGAR: Police in south Kashmirs Kulgam district have recovered the entire Rs 9.5 lakh allegedly stolen from a woman through an ATM card exchange fraud and arrested two women accused of receiving the proceeds, while the two alleged main perpetrators remain absconding. The case is registered as FIR No. 254/2026 under Sections 303(2) and 318(4) []

Analysis of nine sub-watersheds in the north-western Himalaya identifies fault-controlled river networks, ongoing uplift and erosion-prone terrain, offering new evidence to inform geological hazard assessment and water-resource planning. SRINAGAR: A study of the Poonch Basin in Jammu and Kashmir has found that active tectonic processes are significantly shaping its valleys, river networks and landscape. The []

by Iftikhar Hakim The government promises decongestion, resilient cities and GIS-based Master Plans, but building-rule amendments and Ease of Doing Business provisions raise concerns over planning safeguards, environmental protection and disaster resilience. Jammu and Kashmirs cities and towns face mounting pressures from unplanned growth, traffic congestion, inadequate infrastructure, environmental degradation and increasing exposure to natural []

SRINAGAR: A 73-year-old tourist from Haryana died after being shifted to SMHS Hospital in Srinagar following a complaint of chest pain, officials said. The deceased, identified as Mahipal Singh, a resident of Gharaunda in Karnal district, was staying with his wife and friends at Houseboat on Dal Lake. He was initially taken to Khyber Hospital []

SRINAGAR: Jammu Kashmir Police have cautioned people against a cyber fraud in which a senior citizen was allegedly cheated of Rs 1.62 lakh by a scammer impersonating a Jal Board official and threatening to disconnect the victims water supply over an unpaid bill. According to a cyber safety advisory shared by the police, the fraudster []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is set to expand and reshuffle his two-year-old Council of Ministers on Tuesday, with four National Conference leaders expected to join the government as it moves towards filling the available ministerial positions. The reshuffle follows the resignation of the existing ministers, paving the way for Omar Abdullah []

SRINAGAR: Traffic movement on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) remained very slow over the past 24 hours due to single-lane stretches, uneven road surfaces, vehicle breakdowns and the movement of nomadic herds, the Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police said on Monday. In its advisory issued for October 27, the Traffic Police Headquarters said slow movement []

SRINAGAR: A 22-year-old Border Security Force (BSF) woman constable, identified as Savita Devi, died in a road accident in the Panjtilla area of Jammu and Kashmirs Samba district while she was heading home on her scooty. Devi was reportedly on leave when her scooty collided with an unidentified vehicle, resulting in her death. Police have []

SRINAGAR: Secretary Tourism, Avny Lavasa, on Monday said that issues related to electricity supply, snow clearance and other requirements would be taken up with the Ganderbal district administration to ensure smooth tourism activities during the upcoming winter season in Sonamarg. Talking to reporters here Lavasa said, representatives of the Hotel and Market Association met her []