KashmirLife

by Mir Tariq Rasool A critical exploration of Farooq Nazkis poetic synthesis, tracing his existential, philosophical, and cultural dimensions that unite tradition and modernity into a dynamic whole. The whole is always greater than the sum of its parts, Aristotle wrote. Few literary figures embody that proposition as fully as Farooq Nazki, an ocean of []

by Press Information Bureau Urban Challenge Fund introduces competitive, market-linked financing for cities, combining Central assistance, reforms, and private participation to deliver bankable, outcome-oriented urban infrastructure nationwide. What is the Urban Challenge Fund?Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) is a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs with Rs 1,00,000 crore Central []

Dr Javaid Iqbal Bhat explores the narrative purity in Roop Krishan Bhats stories, addressing displacement, illness, death, and rediscovered gratitude In the introductory pages of his new collection of short stories, Zindagi chei Kamaal, Roop Krishan Bhat, quoting Hari Krishan Koul, affirms that the art of the short story has diverged away from the story []

SRINAGAR: The closure of the vital Chadoora bridge in Budgam has entered its third month, disrupting connectivity between Srinagar, Charar-i-Sharif and Yousmarg, with residents alleging delays in the installation of a temporary Bailey bridge and facing severe hardships due to restricted movement. The bridge has remained shut to traffic since November 28, 2025, after sustaining []

SRINAGAR: Nearly 28 per cent of students in Jammu and Kashmir are not transitioning from secondary to higher secondary level, highlighting a major retention challenge for the School Education Department despite improvements at lower stages, official figures show. According to official data, the transition rate from secondary to higher secondary stands at 72.9 per cent, []

SRINAGAR: Controlled Atmosphere (CA) cold storage units across Jammu and Kashmir are helping apple growers secure better returns, with nearly 60 per cent of stored produce yet to enter the market amid expectations of stronger demand and firmer prices in the coming weeks. According to industry estimates, about 40 per cent of apples stored in []

SRINAGAR: The Kathua district administration has imposed restrictions on movement in a five-kilometre belt along the International Border and banned the movement of heavy vehicles on the old SambaKathua road at night for 60 days, citing heightened security concerns and the possibility of cross-border firing. According to an order issued by District Magistrate Kathua, Rajesh []

SRINAGAR: Power supply to several areas across Srinagar, Pulwama, Kupwara and parts of south Kashmir will be affected on February 16 and 17 due to scheduled shutdowns of key transmission lines and grid infrastructure, the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) said on Saturday. According to the Chief Engineer, Distribution, KPDCL, the shutdown of the []

SRINAGAR: The Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre has issued a public alert warning government employees against a fraudulent WhatsApp campaign offering a fake salary calculator for the proposed 8th Pay Commission. According to the advisory, fraudsters are circulating messages claiming that employees can check their revised salary by downloading []

SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday extended greetings to the people of Jammu and Kashmir on the auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri, celebrated as Herath by the Kashmiri Pandit community. In his message, the Lieutenant Governor described the festival as a symbol of spiritual tradition and communal harmony, saying it []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has granted protection to a couple who married against the wishes of their families, holding that obstructing an individuals right to choose a life partner strikes at the core of dignity. Justice MA Chowdhary passed the order on February 9 while hearing a plea filed by []

SRINAGAR: Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology, Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, informed the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly that liabilities of over Rs 1,500 crore have accrued under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Jammu and Kashmir, even as more than 1,000 non-gazetted posts in the Jal Shakti Department have been referred []

SRINAGAR: The Tourism Department has identified Sonamarg as the next major winter tourism hub after Gulmarg, with plans to expand skiing infrastructure and host competitive winter sports events in the coming years. Director Tourism Kashmir, Syed Qamar Sajad said the department is supporting initiatives to showcase Sonamargs potential for winter sports, noting that the areas []

SRINAGAR: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Saturday extended greetings to the Kashmiri Pandit community on the occasion of Hearath, while also conveying condolences over several recent bereavements in the Valley. In a statement, the Mirwaiz said the festival reflects Kashmirs long-standing traditions of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and communal harmony embedded in the regions social and []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday arrested three alleged drug peddlers in separate operations across Baramulla, Sopore and Anantnag, recovering quantities of charas, codeine phosphate and ganja, officials said. In Baramulla, police acted on specific information that a man was attempting to sell narcotics in the Janbazpora area. The suspect, identified as Riyaz Ahmad []

SRINAGAR: A man convicted in a high value cheque dishonour case fled from court premises immediately after sentencing, forcing the Chief Judicial Magistrate Srinagar to order his immediate arrest and confinement in Central Jail Srinagar. The accused, a resident of Beerwah in Budgam district, was found guilty under provisions of the Negotiable Instruments Act in []

SRINAGAR: The Government of Jammu Kashmir has reported significant progress on the four-laning of National Highway 44, with special focus on the BanihalRamban section, one of the most geologically sensitive and strategically important stretches in the Union Territory. The update, provided in response to a legislative query by MLA Sajad Shaheen, outlines the ongoing construction, []

SRINAGAR: The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has launched a comprehensive program for the conservation and restoration of Srinagars historic water bodies, including Dal Lake, Nigeen Lake, Anchar, Brari-Nambal, Gilsar, Khushalsar, and Echnambal. The initiative was detailed in response to an unstarred question by MLA Mubarik Gul and reflects ongoing efforts by the Housing and []

SRINAGAR: A five-year-old boy died after falling from a height inside his residence in the Bemina area of Srinagar on Saturday, officials said. An official said that the minor sustained critical injuries in the fall and was rushed to SMHS Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. The deceased was identified as Daniyal Sheikh, son []

SRINAGAR: The Government of Jammu Kashmir has confirmed that JK Cements Limited (JKCL) is currently undergoing a strategic disinvestment process, following an Administrative Council decision dated 19 October 2021. The process has been delayed due to ongoing legal proceedings at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Chandigarh, where JKCL was admitted into the Corporate Insolvency []

SRINAGAR: Security forces foiled a cross-border narcotics smuggling attempt along the RS Pura sector of the Indo-Pak International Border, recovering more than four kilograms of heroin believed to have been dropped by a Pakistani drone. Officials said the seizure was made during a coordinated operation carried out by the Border Security Force and Jammu Kashmir []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday paid tribute to the security personnel who lost their lives in the Pulwama terror attack of 2019, honouring their courage and dedication. In a post on X, the Office of the LG stated, Humble tributes to the valiant martyrs who laid down their lives in []

by Aruba Qayoom Teaching, once revered as a noble calling, now faces insecurity, contractual exploitation, merit concerns and declining classroom engagement, raising questions about educational quality, teacher dignity and the future of learning. The profession of teaching is one of the finest professions in the world. Our elders did not view education merely as employment []

SRINAGAR: The Unified Media Operations Center for Hajj at the Saudi Ministry of Media has introduced a new unified welcome identity for pilgrims, developed in collaboration with the Pilgrim Service Program. The initiative represents a coordinated effort by the Ministries of Hajj and Umrah, Culture, and the Saudi Tourism Authority to improve the experience of []

Kashmir carries a basketful of challenges that strain its very heart, observes noted cardiologist Dr Nisar Ahmad Tramboo in conversation with Syed Shadab Ali Gillani. Afreen Ashraf distils the discussion. KASHMIR LIFE (KL): How fragile is the heart, and how difficult is it to treat it? DR NISAR AHMAD TRAMBOO (NAT): Treating heart disease can []

SRINAGAR: At least 61 percent seats remain unfilled in Government Degree Colleges of Jammu and Kashmir due to lack of student enrolmentsraising a question on functioning of higher education department. The official figures reveal that the total admissions during the previous session stood at 45,438 with officials claiming that it was higher than the enrolment []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Friday announced that dialysis facilities at Sub District Hospital (SDH) Tral in Pulwama district will be operational within the next two months. Replying to MLA Rafiq Ahmad Naik, Health Minister Sakina Itoo said the government is committed to strengthening dialysis services across all SDHs and CHCs, aiming to []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather on Friday called on the government to review the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, to empower the Food Control Organisation and give more authority to food safety officers. During Question Hour, the Speaker told Minister Sakina Ittoo that while the Act has known weaknesses and []

SRINAGAR: To manage the expected rush during Holi, Northern Railway will run special reserved trains from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to New Delhi and Varanasi, officials said on Friday. According to the officials from Jammu Division, special train numbers 04081/04082 will run between New Delhi and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, while train numbers []

by KL News Desk The Epstein files detail decades of sexual abuse, investigations and elite associations, triggering political fallout, legal scrutiny and global questions about power, accountability and institutional failure. The saga of Jeffrey Epstein, once a relatively obscure financier and now a central figure in one of the most consequential criminal investigations and political []

SRINAGAR: The Government of India has informed the Lok Sabha that while the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Vijaypur in Jammu division is fully functional, the AIIMS at Awantipora in Kashmir division is still under construction. Replying to unstarred Question No. 2466 in the Lok Sabha, raised by MP Abhishek Banerjee, Union []

SRINAGAR: The Government of India on Friday informed the Lok Sabha that three complaints of sexual harassment at workplace have been reported from Jammu and Kashmir in Government offices and affiliated departments since the launch of the SHe-Box portal in August 2024. Replying to Unstarred Question No. 2490, raised by MP Sudama Prasad, Union Minister []

SRINAGAR: The Government of India on Friday informed the Lok Sabha that Jammu and Kashmir has three State Drug Testing Laboratories funded under the centrally sponsored scheme for strengthening the drug regulatory system in the country. Replying to Unstarred Question No. 2504, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said the []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu Kashmir Government on Friday said that there is presently no proposal to further enhance the widow pension under the Integrated Social Security Scheme (ISSS), Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) or under the National Social Assistance Programme. In response to an unstarred question (AQ No. 1314) raised by MLA Dr Devinder []

SRINAGAR: The Government of Jammu and Kashmir will take up the question of raising monthly honoraria for Anganwadi workers, helpers and cook-cum-helpers with the Government of India, the Social Welfare Department told the Legislative Assembly in reply to a starred question. The department said Jammu and Kashmir currently follows the national 90:10 funding pattern and []

SRINAGAR: The government has disclosed that a large majority of forest rights claims filed under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 in Jammu and Kashmir have been rejected, with official figures showing 39,898 claims turned down against 6,097 accepted across districts. Data tabled in the Assembly by []

SRINAGAR: Farmers in the forest-fringe villages of Samba Assembly Constituency are battling mounting crop losses as troops of rhesus macaques raid fields and orchards, turning cultivation into a daily struggle and pushing many cultivators into distress. Unlike the Valley districts of Kashmir, where such incidents remain limited, the crisis has become more acute across parts []

SRINAGAR: The Anti-Corruption Bureau on Friday reportedly apprehended an officer in Bemina Srinagar in connection with an alleged bribery case. Sources said the accused was caught by ACB Srinagar at Bemina Chowk and later taken to the Police Station for further legal formalities. A case has been registered at Police Station ACB under FIR No. []

SRINAGAR: Official records tabled in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly show land measuring 688 kanals 17 marlas in Tehsil Bahu and a further 579 kanals in Tehsil Jammu South remain under illegal encroachment, while authorities have reclaimed 140 kanals and 11 marlas since January 2025, the House was told on Friday. The reply said []

SRINAGAR: Former Forest Minister and former Member of the Legislative Assembly from Devsar, Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad Shah, died in Jammu on Friday afternoon following a prolonged illness. He had been under medical care for some time and passed away in the city. A prominent political leader from the Devsar constituency, Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad Shah was []

SRINAGAR: Serious concerns over abnormally low tendering dominated proceedings in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Friday, with members across party lines warning that awarding public works to contractors quoting 60 to 80 per cent below scheduled rates was compromising quality and fuelling corruption in engineering departments. The issue surfaced during the debate on []

SRINAGAR: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Friday said there is a need to review the functioning and rules governing the mining sector in Jammu and Kashmir, acknowledging concerns raised by legislators during the Assembly session. Speaking to reporters outside the Legislative Assembly here, the Deputy Chief Minister expressed gratitude to members who flagged various []

SRINAGAR: The Special Operations Group and other security forces on Friday carried out a flash cordon and search operation at Lal Chowk in Srinagar as part of intensified security measures in the city centre. Officials said multiple hotels and lodges in and around the busy commercial hub were checked during the operation. Security personnel collected []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government has said it is operationalising a revised State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC), proposing 58 mitigation strategies and 98 adaptation actions across priority sectors, in response to concerns over the Union Territorys vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather events. The disclosure came in response to a cut []

SRINAGAR: The Office of the Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO), Kulgam, has issued a safety advisory, restricting all types of vehicular movement over the Brazloo Bridge until further notice. According to the advisory, officials have urged the public to strictly adhere to the restrictions in the interest of safety. The directive comes in view of []

by Ishfaq Gani Mir Rising marriage age in Kashmir reflects economic insecurity, rigid social norms, and emotional strain, creating loneliness, demographic shifts, and an unspoken but deepening social crisis In Kashmiri society, marriage has never been merely a personal milestone; it has traditionally been a social institution woven deeply into family structure, community continuity, and []

Halting south Kashmir railway alignments protected orchards, livelihoods, and trust, emerging as a key confidence-building measure that balanced development goals with local consent and economic security In a region where development projects often arrive as fait accompli, the decision to halt the proposed railway alignments through south Kashmirs orchard belts stands out as a rare []

SRINAGAR: Former National Conference leader and ex-Food Minister Qamar Ali Akhoon, a veteran political figure from Kargil, passed away on Friday, evoking widespread grief across Jammu and Kashmirs political landscape. National Conference legislator Tanveer Sadiq informed the Legislative Assembly about Akhoons demise. Following the announcement, members of the House expressed deep sorrow and paid tribute []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday confirmed that it purchased 133 luxury vehicles in the financial year 2024-25, asserting that the acquisitions were made strictly in line with prescribed norms. In a written reply to BJP MLA Ranbir Singh Pathania, Transport Minister Satish Sharma stated that the State Motor Garages Department acquired []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has informed the Assembly that there is currently no proposal either to regularise or enhance the monthly honorarium of need-based Academic Arrangement faculty engaged in Government Degree Colleges, citing recent directions of the High Court that bar fresh academic arrangements against clear vacancies and mandate recruitment only through the []