Kashmir Reader

SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Israel was against the countrys policy and not a good sign for Mahatma Gandhis India. She called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a criminal who is afraid of visiting many countries lest he be arrested. I think our []

Srinagar: The Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam Farooqis office on Thursday announced that Sadaqat-ul-Fitr for the year 2026 has been fixed at 80 per individual. The Grand Muftis office in a communique, emphasized that Zakat-ul-Fitr is compulsory for every Muslim, including men, women and infants. The parents must discharge the charity []

Srinagar: Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Thursday urged graduates of the University of Kashmir to stay away from drugs, use social media responsibly and respect diversity, saying success in life depends on character and discipline. Addressing the 21st convocation of the university, VP Radhakrishnan, said students must be prepared to face challenges beyond academics []

Srinagar: School Education Department on Thursday kept its order of Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) in abeyance till further orders. SED Secretary in an order said, The Government order regarding the designation of JKBOSE/State School Standards Authority (SSSA) as nodal agency for conducting TET is hereby kept in abeyance, till further orders. Earlier, in the previous []

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said border villages in the region are no longer symbols of conflict but have emerged as symbols of connection, as the government partners with the Centre to promote tourism in these areas. Addressing the 21st convocation of the University of Kashmir, CM Omar,, said his []

Bandipora: At least 13 shops were damaged in a fire that broke out in the main market of Bandipora during the wee hours of Thursday, officials said. An official said fire tenders from Bandipora and nearby areas rushed to the spot soon after the blaze erupted. Personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and []

Jammu: A 20-year-old boy was found dead in mysterious circumstances at his home in the Mendhar area of Poonch district on Thursday. Officials said that during the night hours of Wednesday, a youth was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his home. The deceased has been identified as Wajid Ali (20), son of Mohd []

Srinagar: Economic Offences Wing Kashmir of Crime Branch J&K on Thursday said that it has registered a formal case against two individuals for their alleged involvement in a large-scale fraud related to procurement of medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. In a handout, the CBK said that []

JERUSALEM: In a historic address to the Knesset, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday described the Gaza Peace Initiative as a path towards just and durable peace in the region even as he delivered a powerful message of solidarity with Israel, asserting that terrorism anywhere threatens peace everywhere. Modi said like Israel, India has a []

Inspects 4th Bridge Tawi, warns of strict action against illegal mining violations JAMMU: Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary, on Wednesday reiterated the Governments firm commitment to a zero-tolerance policy against illegal mining across Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that strict action will be taken against violators as well as the negligent officials. During an inspection of []

Take onsite stock of preparations to augment facilities for pilgrims SRINAGAR: In connection with the upcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra-2026, the Deputy Commissioner(DC) Srinagar, Akshay Labroo along with Senior Superintendent of Police, Sundeep Chakravarthy visited the Yatra Transit Camp at Pantha Chowk to take onsite stock of the preparations being undertaken for the smooth and []

Expresses gratitude to Punjab CM, administration SRINAGAR: Noted Social and student rights activist Er. Ehtisham Khan, Co-founder of The Purpose (NGO), has welcomed the reported administrative action and inquiry initiated in connection with the recent developments involving Kashmiri Muslim students at CT University, Punjab. The matter, which had caused widespread concern among students and their []

BUDGAM: District Administration Budgam on Wednesday organized a warm farewell function in honour of the outgoing Deputy Commissioner, Dr. Bilal Mohi-ud-Din Bhat, on his transfer to district Anantnag as the Deputy Commissioner. The function was attended by the Additional Deputy Commissioner Budgam, Assistant Commissioner Revenue (ACR) Budgam, Chief Planning Officer (CPO) Budgam, all Sub-Divisional Magistrates []

KULGAM: Shahzad Alam on Wednesday assumed charge as Deputy Commissioner Kulgam. Soon after taking over charge, the Deputy Commissioner chaired an introductory meeting with district and sectoral officers at the Conference Hall mini-secretariat Secretariat. During the meeting, he interacted with officers and reviewed the overall functioning of various departments. Emphasising coordinated efforts and responsive governance, []

SRINAGAR: Handicrafts & Handloom (H&H) department inaugurated 2-day Trainee Products Sale at Kashmir Haat here on Wednesday. During the sale,Craft products like hand-knotted woollen carpets, GI-tagged Pashmina shawls and stoles, Crewel curtains, Sozni embroidered shawls, Zari & Aari embroidered suits, tweed cloth, Chain Stitch rugs and cushion covers, tapestry, Gabba and Namda products, papier mch []

Handed over for preservation AWANTIPORA: Police in Awantipora have successfully recovered 694 antique coins from the Pinglish area of Tral during a routine operation. The recovered items are believed to be of significant historical and archaeological value. The recovered antique coins were kept in safe custody under the supervision of the SHO Police Station Tral, []

Passion &continuous learning drive long-term growth SRINAGAR: The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar hosted distinguished alumnus Dr. Raju Pakalapati, a 1989 pass-out of the Department of Chemical Engineering, for an alumni lecture that drew participation from over 100 students on campus. The lecture is part of the Life Beyond Classroom (LBC) series, organised by []

GANDERBAL: In a sustained and proactive drive against illegal mining, Police in Ganderbal has intensified its action across the district. During the course of action, Police Teams seized eight vehicles including five Tractors and three Tippers involved in the illegal extraction and transportation of minor minerals across the district. These vehicles were found transporting illegally []

Emphasizes Ikhlaq in Ramzan SRINAGAR: Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir, Dr. Molvi Muhammad Umar Farooq, delivered a sermon at Masjid Abu Bakr (RA), Zoonimar, in connection with the blessed month of Ramzan, expressing concern over the decline in social conduct and the growing culture of verbal hostility in society. Emphasizing Ikhlaq (noble character), Mirwaiz stated that Ramzan is not []

Srinagar The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday activated dedicated 247 helplines to assist residents of the Union Territory returning from Iran. According to an advisory, the decision follows an advisory released by the Embassy of India in Tehran on February 23, 2026. The helplines are aimed at facilitating information-sharing and providing assistance to J&K []

Jammu: Security forces on Wednesday recovered arms and ammunition including IEDs were recovered by security forces in Kasbalari Mendhar area of Poonch. Officials said that security forces during routine patrolling recovered a suspicious black bag. With atmost care during the inspection of bag, 1 large IED weighing 4.5 Kg, small IED, 2 Chinese grenades, one []

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir will be the last region in the country to enforce the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) guidelines, Education Minister Sakina Itoo said on Wednesday, a day after the School Education Department (SED) issued the formal order. Speaking to reporters, Itoo, said, We are not implementing the TET orders immediately. J&K will be []

Gulmarg: Jammu and Kashmir Sports Minister Satish Sharma on Wednesday defended the use of artificial snow for winter sports, countering BJP criticism by saying the practice aligns with global standards and is essential for hosting high-level competitions. Minister Sharma said artificial snow is widely used at leading winter sports destinations worldwide to ensure consistency amid []

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump began his State of the Union address on Tuesday, a speech where he plans to declare his policies have the job market and domestic manufacturing booming hoping to convince increasingly wary Americans that the economy is stronger than many believe and that they should vote for more of the []

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump declared during Tuesdays State of the Union that were winning so much, saying hed sparked a jobs and manufacturing boom at home while imposing a new world order abroad hoping that offering a long list of his accomplishments can counter approval ratings that have been falling. His main objective was []

Takes onsite review of planned fencing & allied works along Old Zaina Kadal, Aali Kadal, new Zaina Kadal bridges & dev of connecting road at Bulbulanker SRINAGAR: Deputy Commissioner(DC) Srinagar, Akshay Labroo on Tuesday undertook an extensive onsite visit to various areas of Shahr-e-Khaas (Old City) to review the progress of ongoing developmental works and []

Promotes eco-friendly healthcare practices under Kayakalp, NQAS initiatives GANDERBAL: Minister for Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare and Education, Sakeena Itoo on Tuesday led a plantation drive at District Hospital Ganderbal to promote ecofriendly practices and reinforce quality healthcare standards under the Kayakalp and National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) programmes. The Minister planted saplings within []

Dr. Farooq, Omar lead party functionaries in offering Fatiha, tributes SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Farooq Abdullah and Vice President &Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday led party leaders and workers in offering floral tributes and Fatiha at the Mazar-e-Anwar of the partys stalwart and former General Secretary, Sheikh Nazir Ahmad on []

SRINAGAR: Director Agriculture, Sartaj Ahmad Shah on Tuesday inaugurated the sale of highquality vegetable seedlings at the Kitchen Garden Scheme, Lalmandi, Srinagar. The initiative aims to promote kitchen gardening, encourage self-sufficiency in fresh vegetables among urban and peri-urban households, and support sustainable agricultural practices in the region. The event underscores the departments ongoing efforts to []

SRINAGAR: The Department of Handicrafts & Handloom is organizing a two-day Trainee Products Sale at Kashmir Haat, popularly known as Numaish Gah, commencing from February 25, 2026. Craft products made by trainees in 432 Training Centres across 10 districts of Kashmir Division will be showcased, including hand-knotted woollen carpets, GI-tagged Pashmina & Kani shawls and []

HAJIN: As part of its women empowerment initiative under the Civic Action Programme, the 45th Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Tuesday launched a one-month tailoring course for women in Baharabad village of Hajin area in Bandipora district. The CRPF has been providing continuous support for womens empowerment in Jammu and Kashmir []

SRINAGAR: Projects Today introduced AI-Driven business opportunity platform to strengthen Indias project ecosystem. The new positioning brings project lifecycle context, tenders and L1/order updates, and stakeholder intelligence into one convenient workflow helping organisations engage the right projects at the right time. The upgraded platform introduces an AI-enabled evolution focused on practical outcomes, including BOQ []

GANDERBAL: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has re-opened the online application portal for the Common University Entrance Test (UG) 2026. This window is being provided to facilitate students who were unable to complete their registrations during the initial application periods in January and February. The NTA has stated that it received multiple representations from []

SRINAGAR: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) organised Seed Capital Fund Challenge (Agrithon 1.0) under the Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project for Jammu & Kashmir (JKCIP), funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) at Shalimar campus. The Seed Capital Fund Challenge was conducted with the objective []

SRINAGAR: The Inter-State Youth Exchange Programme organised by Mera Yuva Bharat, Srinagar, concluded today at SCERT Bemina, Srinagar, marking the culmination of the five-day youth engagement initiative. The programme brought together youth delegates for structured cultural interactions, dialogue sessions and outreach activities aimed at promoting inter-state understanding and constructive youth engagement. During the exchange, participants []

Major boost for Kashmirs aviation infrastructure Modern terminal to serve 10 million passengers Cultural heritage integrated into design Eco-friendly features for sustainability goals Enhancing tourism & economic growth New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved the development of the Civil Enclave at Srinagar International []

Jammu: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approving the development of the Civil Enclave at Srinagar International Airport proposed at an estimated cost of Rs.1,677 crore. In a post on X, the Lieutenant Governor said: J&K Skies Soar: dawn of a bold aviation era. I am []

Rolls out 84.41 crore multi-sector development works to transform Ganderbal Ganderbal: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of major development projects worth 84.41 crore in Ganderbal Constituency, marking a significant stride towards strengthening infrastructure, healthcare, water supply, sanitation, education and road connectivity across the district. The projects, spanning multiple []

Warns against ignoring govt advisory Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday urged students from Jammu and Kashmir studying in Iran to follow the Union governments advisory and return home while commercial travel remains operational. In its latest advisory, the Embassy of India asked its citizens to leave Iran by available means of transport, including []

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will consider during the second part of the Budget session a private members resolution moved by PDP MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para seeking mandatory use of the Kashmiri language in official work across the Kashmir division and identified Kashmiri-speaking areas. Budget session of the legislative assembly will resume on []

Jammu: In a major boost to rail connectivity within Jammu and Kashmir, a 20-coach Vande Bharat Express will operate between the twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar from March 1, officials said The premium train service which has been running between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar for the past over eight months, []

480 posts referred to JKPSC Jammu: More than 1,000 posts of doctors are currently vacant across Jammu and Kashmir, according to figures shared by the Health and Medical Education Department. Kashmir division accounts for 797 of these vacancies comprising 24 senior consultants, 253 consultants, 458 medical officers and 62 dental surgeons while Jammu []

Srinagar: The Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, UT of J&K has advised the School Education Department that the in-service teachers with more than five years of service left must have to clear the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) within two years failing which they may face to quit their service or shall be liable []

Srinagar): In a major boost to rail connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir, direct train services between Jammu and Srinagar will commence from March 1, officials said on Tuesday. The move is expected to ease passenger travel and significantly strengthen transport links between the Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley. An official said the Vande Bharat []

JAMMU: The mother of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief Udey Bhanu Chib on Tuesday condemned his arrest, terming it unjustified and politically motivated, while the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) asserted that no action would deter its workers from continuing their fight against wrong policies of the BJP government. Rajni Bala, mother of []

WASHINGTON: A trio of Senate Democrats is calling for the government to start refunding roughly USD 175 billion in tariff revenues that the Supreme Court ruled were collected because of an illegal set of orders by President Donald Trump. Sens Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire are []

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday celebrated a major milestone in Indias renewable energy journey, with 30 lakh households installing rooftop solar systems under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana. In a post on X, the Prime Minister described the achievement as commendable and praised citizens for adopting solar power. A commendable []

SRINAGAR: Deputy Commissioner(DC) Srinagar, Akshay Labroo along with the Principal, Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, Prof. Iffat Hassan Shah today inspected commissioning of 10 MVA Receiving Station for Associated Hospitals under GMC. Administrator GMC Srinagar, Mohammad Ashraf Hakak, Additional Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Mir Imtiyaz Ul Aziz, Chief Planning Officer, Fayaz Ahmad Dar, Chief Engineer []

Highlights Ramzans spiritual significance, emphasizes inclusivity, unity SRINAGAR: Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir, Dr. Molvi Muhammad Umar Farooq on Monday laid the foundation stone of Masjid Bilal at Shah Hamdan Colony, Habak, in the presence of local residents, ulema, and community members. Congratulating the people for this noble initiative, Mirwaiz described the construction of a mosque as one of []

Calls for strengthened environmental safeguards SRINAGAR: Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Faz Lul Haseeb, on Monday conducted a comprehensive inspection of the Achan Dumping Facility to assess ongoing solid waste management operations and ensure strict adherence to scientific processing and disposal standards. During the visit, the Commissioner undertook a detailed review of the entire waste []