Kashmir Reader

Srinagar: An unidentified body was recovered from a water canal in the Baba Demb area of Srinagar on Thursday morning, eyewitnesses said. An eyewitness said that the body was found wrapped in a bathtub and floating in the canal, following which locals informed the police. He said that soon after receiving the information, a police []

Srinagar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir of Crime Branch J&K has filed a chargesheet in a cheating case involving a fake cooking oil company. The CBK said that the chargesheet in FIR No. 77/2022 has been filed before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar under Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC against []

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a USD 22.5 billion renovation of Washington Dulles International Airport that will end the use of the widely disliked people movers, the mobile lounges that have been used for decades to shuttle travellers to and from the main terminal. In place of the people movers, the airport will []

Says Kashmiriyat remains strongest antidote to communal politics Asserts pluralistic ethos far stronger than attempts to fragment society Warns drug menace greatest threat to valleys youth Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said the historic Jantar Mantar protest marked a defining moment in J&Ks democratic journey, decisively exposing the []

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill to make insult to national song Vande Mataram a criminal offence. The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was passed with a voice vote. As soon as the House convened in the post-lunch session, following two back-to-back adjournments earlier in the day, []

Srinagar: Several legislators from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at the Civil Secretariat here and apprised him of various developmental issues and public concerns pertaining to their respective constituencies. Among those who met the Chief Minister were Member of Legislative Assembly Kathua Dr Bharat Bhushan, MLA []

Defining moment in universitys academic journey: VC Nilofer Khan Srinagar: In a landmark achievement that underscores its sustained pursuit of academic excellence, the University of Kashmir (KU) has been accorded the prestigious Category-I status by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under the UGC (Categorisation of Universities for Grant of Graded Autonomy) Regulations, 2018. According to []

Says recognition reflects Kashmir Universitys academic excellence Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has congratulated the University of Kashmir on being accorded the prestigious Category-I status by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under the UGC (Categorisation of Universities for Grant of Graded Autonomy) Regulations, 2018, describing the achievement as a landmark milestone for higher education in []

Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday expressed concerns over the repeated disruptions on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, calling for immediate steps to ensure that horticultural produces reach markets without delay. In a statement, Mehbooba expressed deep concern over the growing distress among Kashmirs fruit-growing community as repeated disruptions on the national highway, []

Srinagar: In a significant step towards strengthening transparency, digital governance and quality service delivery under Mission POSHAN, the Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo on Wednesday launched the QR Code-based Anganwadi Centre (AWC) initiative in Jammu and Kashmir. The initiative marks a major milestone in leveraging digital technology to make Anganwadi Centres more accessible, transparent and accountable []

Submissions open till Jul 30; festival scheduled from Sep 7 to 10 Srinagar: The 1st International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK) 2026 has evoked an enthusiastic response from filmmakers across the globe, with 875 film submissions received from around 50 countries so far, reflecting the growing international interest in the J&K Governments flagship []

NEW DELHI:In a no-holds-barred attack, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah had authorised police excesses against student protesters, triggering a massive uproar in the Lok Sabha during a debate on the bill to amend the anti-paper leaks law. Gandhi also took an oblique dig at the BJP and []

Jammu: At least nine people were injured after a passenger vehicle overturned in the Muthi Dream City area of Jammu on Wednesday, officials said. An official said that the accident occurred in the Muthi Dream City area, leaving nine passengers injured. He said the accident took place after the passenger vehicle overturned. Locals, along with []

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has announced a uniform building permission fee for the entire Union Territory. The order was issued on 29 July 2026 by the Housing and Urban Development Department. As per the new rules, the fee for houses and housing colonies has been fixed at 80 rupees per square metre. For []

Kulgam: Security forces on Wednesday recovered arms and ammunition during a joint search operation in the TantryporaSursnoo orchard area of south Kashmirs Kulgam district. Sources said that acting on specific intelligence shared by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, a joint search operation was launched by Kulgam Police, the 34 Rashtriya Rifles and the 18 Battalion []

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday closed a criminal case against former prime minister Manmohan Singh in a coal block allocation case while setting aside a summoning order passed against him. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana accepted the CBIs closure report giving a clean chit []

Srinagar: MeT on Wednesday said J&K will experience more rain, and that there was significant rainfall in the past 24 hours. Samba received the highest at 87 mm, followed by Katra with 71.2 mm, Udhampur with 65 mm and Jammu with 52 mm. The MeT Centre Srinagar has forecast more wet weather across J&K over []

Srinagar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir, formerly Crime Branch Kashmir, has secured the conviction of a man for fraudulently securing a job in the police by using a fake qualification certificate. In a handout, the CBK said that a court in Srinagar convicted Nazir Ahmad Malik, son of Abdul Aziz Malik, resident of Budgam, []

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Tuesday ahead of Sen Lindsey Grahams funeral, with the two leaders discussing ways for Ukraine to produce its own powerful weapons and other ideas that could help in its ongoing war against Russia. The sit-down in the Oval Office, which was closed to the media, []

Addresses 77th State-Level Mega Job Fair; hands over appointment letters Advocates regular campus recruitments, stronger startup ecosystem Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday reaffirmed his governments commitment to expanding employment opportunities for the youth, saying that while government jobs alone are not the solution to unemployment, it is the governments responsibility to create more []

Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday chaired a high-level review meeting on Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) at the Civil Secretariat here and directed all departments to significantly accelerate the pace of expenditure, emphasizingthat timely utilization of available funds is critical for infrastructure development, public service delivery and sustained economic growth. The Chief Minister underscored the []

Addresses 77th State-Level Mega Job Fair in Srinagar Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday addressed aspiring youth and representatives from leading industries at the 77th State-Level Mega Job Fair, held at Amar Singh College, Srinagar. Organised by Desh Bhagat University, Punjab & Cluster University, Srinagar in collaboration with NIELIT, Nations Development Association (NDA) and []

LG visits SKIMS, meets injured pilgrims CM Omar deputes Sakina Itoo to oversee treatment Gund (Ganderbal): At least 39 Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra pilgrims were injured after a bus carrying devotees skidded off the road near the S-Mode at Hariganiwan in the Gund area of central Kashmirs Ganderbal district along the Srinagar-Leh National Highway on []

Srinagar: A fresh batch of 3,029 Amarnath pilgrims, including 30 foreign male devotees, reached the Baltal base camp on Tuesday after departing from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu under tight security arrangements, officials said. The 21st batch left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas at 2:45 am in a convoy of 151 vehicles, comprising 57 buses, []

Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday apologised for her remarks made at Jantar Mantar that appeared to be justifying the use of force against Kashmiris, saying she meant to say that security forces have an excuse in the valley due to militancy. If the remarks have hurt the people, I apologise, []

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday slammed PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti for not apologising for her remarks at Jantar Mantar, where she allegedly justified the use of force against Kashmiris. Earlier this week, Mufti appeared to defend past usage of pellet guns in the Valley, saying it was different in Kashmir []

Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday announced that her party would hold peaceful protests at district headquarters across Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 to press for the restoration of Article 370 and resolution of the Kashmir issue. The Centre revoked J-Ks special status by abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution []

Srinagar: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the concerned Administrative Secretaries to review the progress achieved under the next phase of the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) programme and assess the implementation status of the identified deregulation and compliance reduction reforms across Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting was convened to evaluate []

Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said those who claimed for five days that PDP president Mehbooba Muftis controversial video was AI-generated should also express regret, saying she herself had now clarified that the remarks were made by her. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function in Srinagar, Omar,said there was a []

Baramulla: The Directorate of School Education Kashmir has directed all educational institutions and offices in North Kashmir to install complaint boxes to strengthen transparency and grievance redressal. As per a circular issued, by the Office of the Joint Director North, a copy of which lies with GNS states that all Chief Education Officers, Zonal Education []

Srinagar: National Conference chief spokesperson and Zadibal MLA Tanvir Sadiq on Tuesday accused PDP president Mehbooba Mufti of attempting to deflect criticism over her recent remarks by throwing her own MLA under the bus, and demanded an unconditional apology from her to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. In a post on X, Sadiq,, alleged []

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has summoned Metas global head of public policy after the social media company removed Prime Minister Narendra Modis Facebook post addressed to the youth, sources said on Tuesday. According to sources, the global head of public policy of Meta (Facebook and Instagram) has been summoned []

Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday expressed regret for her remarks at Jantar Mantar during Cockroach Janta Party(CJP) protests , clarifying that she had intended to say Bahana Banta Hain but instead slipped and uttered only Banta Hain. Addressing the media here, the former Chief Minister expressed regret over the comments []

Baramulla: Baramulla Police on Tuesday said they have arrested two men for allegedly gang raping a young woman and recording the assault on video, following a sustained investigation that relied on technical evidence and human intelligence. Addressing a press conference, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Baramulla, Gurinderpal Singh, said the survivor approached Police Station Baramulla []

Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said Jammu and Kashmirs youth are the architects of Indias future and that skills, innovation and confidence, not degrees alone will determine success in the rapidly changing world. Addressing students during the Mega Job Fair at Amar Singh College here, the Lieutenant Governor, said the initiative was an []

Srinagar: Chief Minister has expressed deep concern over the road accident at Gund in Kangan area of Ganderbal, in which several Amarnath pilgrims returning to Srinagar after performing the Yatra were injured. Taking note of the incident, the CM directed that the injured be provided the best possible medical care. He has also deputed Health []

Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday visited SKIMS Soura to enquire about the health of the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims who were injured in a bus accident in Ganderbal district earlier in the day. The Lieutenant Governor, interacted with the injured pilgrims and their attendants, enquired about their condition and wished them a speedy recovery. []

*Sheikh Anees* Gund:- Around 30 Amarnath pilgrims were injured after a Yatra bus carrying nearly 50 devotees skidded off the road at the S-Mode near Hariganiwan in the Gund area of Ganderbal district along the Srinagar-Leh National Highway on Tuesday morning, officials said. The pilgrims, hailing from Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh, were []

Stresses creation of comprehensive digital health records for every citizen SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Monday chaired a meeting in Srinagar to review the progress of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) in Jammu and Kashmir. The focus was on key components such as digital health solutions, their adoption, and impact on grassroots healthcare []

Announces Rs. 529 lakhs new Academic-cum-Library Block for College SRINAGAR: Minister for Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare and Education, Sakeena Itoo on Monday announced the construction of Academic Block with Library at GDC (Women) Zakura at an approximate cost of Rs. 529.02 lakhs. The Minister made this announcement during her visit to Government Degree []

To ignite social entrepreneurship in J&K SRINAGAR: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, through its Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship Centre (SKIIE), joined hands with the IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) to organise Spark Social, a high-impact outreach seminar under the 14th Tata Social Enterprise Challenge (TSEC) 2026. The event, held at SKUAST-K []

Mehboobas remarks unmask PDPs mindset SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Additional General Secretary and Rajya Sabha Member Parliament Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan Monday said the JKNC will continue its peaceful democratic movement until the Centre fulfils its promise of restoring statehood. Interacting with party leaders and office-bearers at the party headquarters, he said the []

To strengthen international academic collaboration AWANTIPORA: Expanding its efforts to strengthen international academic collaborations, the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), Kashmir, on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Paderborn University, Germany. The collaboration has been established between the Department of Philosophy, IUST, and the Centre for the History of Women Philosophers []

Imposes Rs 62,000 fine under Food Safety &Standards Act SHOPIAN: The Court of adjudication under the Food Safety and Standards Act was convened today by the Adjudicating Officer (Additional Deputy Commissioner) Shopian, Dr. Zakir Hussain Faaz during which 12 cases related to violations of food safety norms were disposed of. During the proceedings, a total []

SRINAGAR: Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Cooperatives and Election Department, Javid Ahmad Dar on Monday chaired the 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Jammu and Kashmir Horticultural Produce, Marketing and Processing Corporation (JKHPMC) at the Civil Secretariat, here. The Annual General Meeting unanimously adopted the audited accounts of the Corporation []

SRINAGAR: The Agriculture Department Kashmir, under the Jammu & Kashmir Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP), organised a One-Day Training Programme at the Directorate of Agriculture Kashmir, Srinagar, to strengthen technical capacity and ensure effective implementation of project interventions. The programme was hosted by Chief Agriculture Officer, Srinagar, Ajaz Ahmad Mir, and []

Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said that only Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah can take a decision on the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The decision on restoration of statehood can be taken by only two persons the prime minister and the home minister. That is []

It should empower boatmen, pony owners, artisans, homestay families, local youth Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday addressed the Ethical Tourism Conclave organized by the Tourist Trade Interest Guild, J&K, underscoring the imperative of developing a tourism model that is responsible, sustainable, and inclusive. In his keynote address, the Lieutenant Governor extended heartfelt congratulations []

NEW DELHI: BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan, who resigned as Union education minister following students protests over NEET row, was welcomed by some BJP leaders in the Parliament complex on Monday with a traditional cap and stole amid slogans like Pradhan Zindabad. Opposition MPs at the same time shouted slogans like Chor Chor, Paper Chor and []

NEW DELHI: Opposition MPs, including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, protested in the Parliament House complex on Monday over alleged police brutality against student protesters during the agitation on the NEET paper leak issue and demanded Home Minister Amit Shahs apology. Carrying placards and a large banner, several MPs protested in front []