Kashmir Reader

Seeks Special OTS for stressed borrowers SRINAGAR: A delegation of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCC&I), led by President Javid Ahmad Tenga and comprising Past President A.M. Mattoo , Vice President Farooq Amin and Ashiq Hussain Shangloo, has raised a series of concerns with Jammu & Kashmir Bank over regional credit deployment, interest []

SRINAGAR: The Centre has forwarded a set of development demands raised by Baramulla Lok Sabha member Engineer Rashid concerning North Kashmir to the concerned Union ministries for appropriate action, Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) said on Friday. The development demands were originally submitted by Er Rashid to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman through a letter dated []

SRINAGAR: Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Mohammad Umar Farooq has expressed serious concern over reports regarding the proposed Tantra Silence programme in Gurez and called upon the concerned authorities to immediately take note and stop exploitation of Kashmirs religious, cultural and social ethos. In a post on X, Mirwaiz said:The concern raised by @MehboobaMufti deserves immediate attention! []

SRINAGAR: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Saturday said that the existing reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir is unjust and needs to be reviewed and rationalised. He said there is a need for a judicious reservation policy based on the population ratio to ensure fair and equitable representation of different sections of []

SRINAGAR: The Voluntary Medicare Society (VMS), Bemina, Srinagar, observed World Spinal Cord Injury Day 2026 by organising an awareness rally and an auditorium programme, including a wheelchair distribution camp, with a focus on spinal cord injury prevention, rehabilitation, inclusion and empowerment. The programme also marked the beginning of Spinal Week, being observed by VMS from []

MANASBAL(GANDERBAL): The Wullar Manasbal Development Authority (WMDA), in collaboration with a local school, Delight Public School, Kulpora, Manasbal on Saturday held a series of awareness camps and sanitation drive in the catchment areas of Manasbal lake to raise awareness among people and stakeholders about conserving the famous water body and ill effects of pollution. During []

INDORE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that the system has captured the entire country and it does not want students to raise questions. Speaking at his youth outreach programme Chhatron ki Goonj at Indore in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, he said only students can remove hatred from the country and not the Andhbhakts, referring []

KATHMANDU: Nepal government has formed a seven-member expert panel to investigate what triggered last months devastating floods, which killed more than 1,400 people and left over 6,000 missing, an official said on Saturday. The panel would also examine the possible role of climate change in the disaster. Flash floods originating near the Nepal-Tibet border on []

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that developed nations produce six times more per capita carbon emissions than India, yet developing countries are often unfairly blamed for climate change. Inaugurating an international conference on environment and climate, the prime minister also said that the country is working at a fast pace on []

SRINAGAR: Kashmirs chief preacher Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Saturday sought Chief Minister Omar Abdullahs intervention to stop a spiritual and meditation event facilitated by self-styled godman Swami Dhyan Sumit in the Union Territory. Expressing concern over reports on the Tantra in Silence programme scheduled in Gurez Valley from September 24 to 27, the Mirwaiz called []

Ramban: Four personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) were injured after their vehicle overturned on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway at Seri in Ramban district on Saturday. An official said that the accident occurred when the vehicle was travelling from Srinagar towards Jammu and lost control before overturning near Seri. He said the four personnel []

Bats for credit push, ULI adoption Srinagar, Sep 18: Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Rohit Jain, convened a meeting with the Zonal Heads of major banks operating in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir here on The Deputy Governor, in his opening remarks, highlighted the important role played by the banks in []

Over 250 delegates participate; Nasir Aslam Wani Chief Guest, Salman Sagar Guest of Honour SRINAGAR: The Green Valley Educational Institute (GVEI) on Friday inaugurated the 5th edition of the Green Valley Model United Nations (GVMUN) at the school, bringing together delegates from different schools and institutions across the valley, to engage in discussions on global []

Dr. Darakhshan Andrabi vows modernization, preservation SRINAGAR: Dr. Syed Darakhshan Andrabi, Chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board, formally assumed management of the historic Dargah-e-Faiz Panah Mir Syed Taj-ud-Din Hamdani (RA) at Nowhatta, Srinagar, on Friday. Accompanied by senior officials, she paid homage at the revered shrine before taking control on behalf of the []

Raises recruitment scams, paper leaks; seeks LoP Rahul Gandhis intervention SRINAGAR: A delegation of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), led by National Convenor Nasir Khuehami, met with Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera in New Delhi to discuss critical issues affecting students and youth from Jammu and Kashmir. The nearly two-hour meeting focused on []

SRINAGAR: Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) on Friday urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to urgently resolve the genuine and long-pending issues of NHM employees and veterinary interns. AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, in a statement issued here, said NHM employees, including ASHAs, ANMs, nurses, paramedics and other frontline workers, have played a significant role []

SRINAGAR: Dr. Ashfaq Ahmad Kailam on Friday officially assumed charge as the Director of Animal Husbandry Department (AHD), Kashmir, at the departmental headquarters Gawkadal, Srinagar. Upon his arrival at the Directorate, Dr. Kailam was warmly received by the senior officers, technical experts, and administrative staff from across the division. The officers extended their congratulations and []

SRINAGAR: A delegation from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Northern Region, led by its Chairman Puneet Kaura, called on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday. The delegation, comprised of Iqram Ali Shafiee, Chairman, CII J&K UT Council; Siddhant Choudhary, Vice Chairman, CII J&K UT Council; Rachna Jindal, Regional Director, CII Northern Region, and Khurshid []

SRINAGAR: Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Mohammad Umar Farooq has expressed deep sorrow over the demise of Abdul Rouf Kawoosa, son of the late Ghulam Qadir Kawoosa of Nishat. Mirwaiz visited the bereaved family in Nishat and conveyed his heartfelt condolences and solidarity, particularly to the deceaseds brothers, Naseer Ahmed Kawoosa and Imtiaz Ahmed Kawoosa as well []

SRINAGAR: Cluster University of Srinagar (CUS) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT) J&K for National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQ F)-aligned skill development for a preiod of three years. The MoU will strengthen digital skilling, employability and emerging technology readiness among learners. The collaboration will use the NIELIT []

SRINAGAR: Cluster University of Srinagar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rapture Biotech to strengthens industryacademia linkages across biotechnology and allied life sciences. The agreement will create pathways for student skill development, research, training and career advancement. Both institutions will align academic learning with current industry requirements. The initiative supports employability, innovation and applied []

We spend enormous amounts of public money on research projects, laboratories, conferences, publications, and institutional infrastructure. Much of this work is valuable. But shouldnt we also ask a simple question: What problem did this research solve? What changed because of it? Who benefited? Did it improve a process? Did it create a product? Did it []

A childs mental health and general development are significantly influenced by their parenting style. Authoritative parenting is generally seen to yield the best results. This makes sense, given that the impact of this parenting style has positive effects on children and typically results in happy and well-balanced adults. However, growth is also influenced by elements []

Honble Madam Minister, Ms Sakeena Itoo Minister for Education, J&K A quiet crisis is unfolding in our education system. You will not find it in inspection reports or departmental dashboards, but it is happening in plain sight. Our schools are slowly transforming into administrative offices that just happen to have classrooms attached to them. Today, []

KOLKATA: Mamata Banerjee once made rebellion her political weapon, breaking away from the Congress to build the TMC, but 28 years on, after weathering a string of revolts, she finds that weapon turned inward, striking at the very party identity she created and made synonymous with her political journey. The Election Commissions interim decision to []

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat on Friday congratulated the newly selected candidates for the Jammu and Kashmir Police (Gazetted) Services, saying that wearing the police uniform carries immense responsibility and comes with challenges, including risks to life. Addressing the newly selected candidates on the sidelines of a function []

Ganderbal: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday flagged off the annual Harmukh-Gangbal Yatra from Naranag in Kangan, marking the commencement of the pilgrimage to the sacred Gangbal Lake. Speaking to reporters after flagging off the yatra, LG Sinha,said a large number of devotees from Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country had arrived []

NEW DELHI: Eight Bangladeshis were among nine people sentenced to life imprisonment by a NIA court in Hyderabad in a 2019 human trafficking case involving Bangladeshi women, officials said on Friday. The court on Thursday also imposed a fine of Rs 1.37 lakh on the convicts, with a further sentence of three-month simple imprisonment in []

Srinagar: Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir of Crime Branch J&K has arrested a notorious fraudster involved in a multi-lakh land and property fraud case. In a handout, the CBK said that the accused has been identified as Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Dar, son of Abdul Khaliq Dar, resident of Jawalapora, Samson Budgam. The arrest was executed in []

Jammu: A birthday celebration turned fatal in Jammu after a man was allegedly murdered over cake-smearing, with police arresting the accused within hours. In a handout , the police said that police Post GMC Jammu informed Police Station Janipur that one person namely Pawan Nair alias Sameer was brought to GMC Jammu in an injured []

Rajouri: In a major breakthrough, police have busted a logistic support module linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Rajouri and arrested three persons for allegedly harbouring and facilitating movement of terrorists. An offficial said that during further investigation in case FIR No. 95/2026 of Police Station Dharamsal, Rajouri, it has emerged that three accused persons, all []

GENEVA: Rivers across the world experienced one of their driest years in decades in 2025, with below-normal flows recorded in more than a third of the worlds river basins, the World Meteorological Organisation said on Thursday. The UN agencys State of Global Water Resources report said terrestrial water storage including groundwater, lakes, vegetation, ice []

Reaffirm readiness to meet defence pact obligations ISLAMABAD: Pakistans defence minister Khawaja Asif has said on Thursday that the country is fully prepared to meet its obligations under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement after Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone near Mecca. Asif made the remarks while speaking to []

NPCI circular offers no advantage to foreign credit cards NEW DELHI: The Finance Ministry on Thursday dismissed allegations that US pressure influenced the decision to levy a 0.4 per cent Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on select UPI payments, saying the latest NPCI guidelines do not offer any advantage to international credit cards over RuPay on []

NEW DELHI: India remains firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people and will continue to pursue diversified sources based on evolving market dynamics, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday, while reacting to legislation passed by the US House of Representatives that could enable steep tariffs on major buyers of []

SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday released a book titled Journal of the Waypoints, based on the Kashmiri poetry of acclaimed multilingual poet Dr Satish Vimal. The book, authored by eminent writer, translator and poet, Mushtaque B. Barq, features forty selected Kashmiri poems of Dr Vimal, translated into English and critically elucidated by Barq, []

Says open merit youth losing opportunities SRINAGAR: Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) on Thursday said that the continued delay in rationalising Jammu and Kashmirs reservation policy was causing a growing loss of opportunities for Open Merit aspirants, who have already waited for nearly two years for a final decision. Nearly two years of the Omar Abdullah []

Presides over Thana Diwas BARAMULLA: As part of the ongoing public outreach and community policing initiatives, DIG North Kashmir Range, Dr Vinod Kumar-IPS presided over Thana Diwas at Police Station Bomai, Zaingeer, in PD Sopore, where he interacted with a large gathering of people from different walks of life. The programme witnessed participation of respectable []

Srinagar: The Jammu & Kashmir National Health Mission Employees Association (JKNHMEA) on Thursday announced extension of its ongoing peaceful protest/strike by another 72 hours across the Union Territory. In a communication addressed to the Mission Director, National Health Mission, J&K, the association said the extended strike will commence from September 18, 2026. The association said []

Anantnag: Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and BJP leader Sunil Sharma on Thursday said that if the government has no authority to take decisions, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah should dissolve the Assembly. Speaking to reporters, Sharma, if the government has no authority and is only taking salaries, it would be better []

Srinagar: Health and Medical Education Minister Sakeena Itoo on Thursday appealed to National Health Mission (NHM) employees to call off their ongoing strike and resume their duties, assuring that the government would examine their concerns and make every possible effort to address issues falling within its purview. Speaking to reporters in Pampore Itoo said the []

Srinagar: Peoples Conference chairman and MLA Sajad Lone on Thursday questioned the J&K Assembly Secretariat for not informing him about the status of his resolution seeking discussion on the alleged rigging of 1987 Assembly elections. Lone said he had submitted two resolutions for the upcoming autumn session one concerning the recent power tariff hike []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu & Kashmir National Conference Additional General Secretary and MP Chowdry Mohammad Ramzan on Wednesday said Omar government is committed to ensure balanced development across all regions of Jammu and Kashmir and is working tirelessly for the welfare, prosperity and well-being of the people. He made these comments while interacting with public delegations, []

Udhampur: Two terrorists have been killed in an encounter with security forces in Maljata area of Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Thursday. Officials said that arms and ammunition have been recovered from the possession of the slain terrorists, whose identity is yet to be ascertained. Search operation by joint team of []

Jammu: A pigeon believed to have flown from Pakistan was recovered in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district. They said that the pigeon was found carrying a ring tied around its leg and is suspected to have crossed over from across the border. This is the fourth such incident reported from the Hiranagar sector in recent []

WASHINGTON: ( The US House of Representatives passed a bill that would authorise President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Russia and steep tariffs on its trading partners in oil and gas, including India and China. The Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, passed by the US Senate last month, was []

NEW DELHI: Indias foreign ministry said on Wednesday that it had summoned the top Pakistani diplomat in New Delhi to lodge a strong protest over what it said was unacceptable and unprofessional conduct of Pakistani naval units at sea that led to a collision with a unit of the India navy. The Union Ministry of []

NEW DELHI: NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Ashok Kumar Lahiri on Wednesday defended the governments decision to impose merchant charge on UPI transactions saying that the government has to find ways of sustaining businesses without having to give subsidy. Quoting ancient Indian teacher and philosopher Chanakya, who had said a ruler should collect taxes from citizens []

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to raise the wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to Rs 25,000 per month from Rs 15,000, a move expected to extend social security benefits to more than 51 lakh additional employees. The wage ceiling revision comes after 12 []

Cites unfair trade practice NEW DELHI: The government has ordered cab aggregators to stop providing advance tipping options even before booking a ride as the practice is misleading and unfair, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said on Wednesday. The secretarys comment comes a day after the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) slapped a Rs 10 []