States

Dating apps are going offline. Do Indian singles actually want it?

The new dating economy is getting people off their phones and into the real world. But singles say chemistry, trust and even friendship are harder to manufacture than an event invitation

Morning Digest: Delhi turns into a fortress ahead of CJP protest against CEC; INDIA bloc urges President to repeal recent Assembly polls, and more

Here is a select list of stories to start the day

No meat, big money: Inside Indias lucrative boom in upscale vegetarian dining

From seven-course Thai tasting menus to eggless Japanese shokupan, restaurateurs across India are rethinking vegetarian dining, showing how premium ingredients, thoughtful menus and a focus on clean eating are attracting a broader and more loyal clientele

Jaishankar highlights shared aspirations, self-reliance in India-Africa partnership

S. Jaishankar arrived in Ethiopia on October 8 from Cte dIvoire on the final leg of his three-nation tour of African countries, which also included Ghana.

Jantar Mantar protest against CEC: Traffic diversions to be enforced at 30 key points on October 10

The traffic curbs come amid heightened security arrangements ahead of the planned demonstration, with restrictions on metro services, train cancellations and a mobile internet suspension in parts of the national capital

24-hour Internet shutdown ahead of Jantar Mantar protest, IT Ministry issues takedown advisory

Social media platforms have been instructed to take down 'content having potential implications for public order'

flydubai co-pilot intended to crash plane into Tel Aviv airport, UAE prosecutor says

The statement said the co-pilot drew inspiration from the Sept 11, 2001 attacks in the United States and used two previous flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv to familiarise himself with the flight route and the airport

Bamboo replacing poppy patches in Manipur jungles: PCCF

Bamboo plantations have been established in 255 hectares out of 307 hectares of forestland that were under poppy cultivation in three hill districts

Three CJP activists detained in Rajasthan ahead of Delhi protest

The Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) condemned the restrictions placed by the police on the movement of activists

SKUAST-K scientist turns B-grade apples, Nadru into marketable products

Srinagar, Oct 08: From the traditional Kashmiri apple to an innovative cup of Kehwa, a faculty member at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) is working to give the regions local produce a new identity through food innovation, value addition and entrepreneurship. Dr Saima Paul, a professor in the Community Science Division and a Home Scientist, has been working on transforming locally available agricultural resources into convenient, marketable and value-added food products. Her work combines food and nutrition, extension education and human development, with a strong focus on taking research beyond laboratories and into the marketplace. Her journey towards product innovation began during her tenure at a Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), where she experimented with an unconventional ideaturning the flavours of Kashmiri namkeen chai into a dip-like product. The innovation initially received encouraging feedback from her family and was subsequently subjected to sensory evaluation among colleagues and staff. The positive response encouraged her to present the product at an exhibition, where it attracted attention and appreciation. The idea received further encouragement from the university leadership, including the Vice-Chancellor, who suggested that the innovation be scientifically analysed, patented and developed into a potential startup product. With support from the universitys incubation ecosystem, Dr Saima subsequently worked on refining her products, conducting sensory evaluations and analysing their shelf life and quality before taking them towards commercialisation. From B-grade apples to Apple Kehwa One of the key innovations emerging from this journey is the development of Apple Kehwa, which aims to create value from apples that generally receive lower market value compared to premium-grade produce. Usually, A-grade apples have a ready market, while B-grade apples may not receive the same commercial value. We wanted to see how these apples could also be utilised through value addition, Dr Saima said. The apples are processed, dried and incorporated into a Kehwa formulation, creating a finished product that gives Kashmirs iconic beverage a distinctive apple-based identity. The initiative reflects a larger objectiveto ensure that Kashmirs agricultural produce does not remain confined to the sale of raw material, but is transformed into finished products with greater shelf life, convenience and market potential. Nadru gets a new identity Thesame approach has been extended to Nadru (lotus stem), a popular ingredient in Kashmiri cuisine. Instead of limiting Nadru to traditional culinary preparations, Dr Saima and her team experimented with transforming it into Nadru chips. After repeated trials, the team developed a finished product with a reported shelf life of six months or more. The product has also undergone the required food-safety processes before being taken towards the market. The innovation seeks to provide consumers with a convenient form of a traditional Kashmiri produce while simultaneously creating an avenue for value addition. From sea buckthorn to sauce Anotherarea of ongoing work is sea buckthorn, a nutrient-rich berry found in the Himalayan region, including Ladakh. While sea buckthorn is already consumed in forms such as juices and supplements, Dr Saimas team is exploring alternative ways of making the berry more attractive and convenient for consumers. The team has experimented with sea buckthorn-based sauces and other products, including a Chyawanprash-like preparation. The products are currently undergoing sensory evaluation and analysis. Commercialisation, Dr Saima said, will follow only after the products meet the necessary quality, shelf-life and food-safety requirements. Research beyond the laboratory For Dr Saima, innovation is not limited to developing a product. She believes research must eventually reach communities and demonstrate practical value. As researchers, we cannot remain confined to our books or laboratories. We have to prove that our research is authentic, valuable and capable of reaching people, she said. Through training programmes, exhibitions and extension activities, the Community Science team works with people in rural areas and encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to use locally available resources to develop small businesses. The objective is also to encourage women and young people to explore entrepreneurship, including home-based enterprises and cloud kitchens. According to Dr Saima, even a small innovation can inspire several others to take the first step towards entrepreneurship. Turning Kashmirs resources into Kashmirs brands The broader vision behind the initiatives is to create finished products from the resources available across Jammu and Kashmir and the wider Himalayan region. Whether it is apples from Kashmir, Nadru from local wetlands and agricultural areas, or sea buckthorn from Ladakh, the emphasis is on value addition, product development and commercialisation. Dr Saima said every product undergoes evaluation before commercialisation, with attention to aspects such as quality, shelf life, food-safety compliance and branding. The effort, she said, is not only about creating products but also protecting the reputation of the institution and ensuring that consumers receive safe and reliable products. Mentoring the next generation A significant part of the initiative is its potential to inspire students. As a faculty member, Dr Saima sees herself not only as a teacher and researcher but also as a mentor for students who want to transform their research ideas into enterprises. The message she wants to convey is simple: research can move beyond academic papers and laboratories and become the foundation of a viable business. If we can convert our research into a startup or an enterprise, our students can also see that possibility. They can become entrepreneurs and create their own income, she said. From apples to Kehwa, Nadru to chips and sea buckthorn to sauces, the work represents an attempt to give Kashmirs traditional resources a modern identitywhile creating opportunities for entrepreneurship, women-led enterprises and student innovation. The larger vision is to ensure that Kashmir is not known merely as a supplier of raw agricultural produce, but increasingly as a place where local resources are transformed into innovative, branded and market-ready products.

SC criticises Patna HC ruling that removing salwar does not constitute rape attempt

Shocking, says court and issues notice to accused who had been acquitted of the charges

Centre proposes tighter curbs on advertising of prescription drugs

Under the existing framework, pharmaceutical manufacturers are prohibited from advertising drugs covered under these schedules without prior government approval. However, the corresponding restriction does not explicitly cover entities involved in the retail and wholesale sale and distribution of medicines

30-Year-Old Pune Techie Electrocuted While Sleeping With Hot Water Bag

The victim has been identified as Rohan Kubadi (30), an unmarried tech professional who had been living alone in a rented apartment in Somnath Nagar for the past three months.

Traffic discipline key to easing congestion: DIG

Srinagar, Oct 09: With Srinagar facing persistent traffic congestion, the Traffic Police, Kashmir, have stressed the need for infrastructure expansion, more parking spaces and greater adherence to traffic rules to ease pressure on the city's road network. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Traffic, Kashmir, Haseeb-ur-Rehman said the regular movement of people from different district headquarters to Srinagar was contributing to the high traffic volume in the city. However, on Fridays, the traffic moves smoothly. But we cannot stop people from visiting Srinagar. Thus, there is a need to upgrade the infrastructure, the DIG told Rising Kashmir. The DIG said the government had recently announced infrastructure projects, including flyovers from Dalgate to Pandach and Batamaloo to HMT Crossing, which he said would help reduce the burden on existing roads. He also said two more flyovers were being constructed along the highway and expressed hope that such infrastructure development would ease traffic congestion. Such infrastructure development will ease out the traffic, he said. Rehma called for creating more parking spaces in Srinagar, saying the availability of adequate parking infrastructure was important for managing traffic in the city. On enforcement, he said the recently introduced e-challaning system had created a deterrent against traffic violations. Society has a vital role in creating traffic discipline. If people follow the rules, the traffic situation will improve, he said. The DIG also highlighted road safety concerns, saying rash and negligent driving and over-speeding remained the major causes of accidents in Srinagar city and adjoining areas. In some cases, the younger generation has been found in an intoxicated condition, which led to accidents. But in peripheral areas, a small mistake by the driver, such as using mobile phones while driving or over-speeding, can end up in an accident, he said. He added that, overall, rash and negligent driving remained the main cause of road accidents.

IGP Kmr felicitates Budgam Police for cracking fake job racket

Srinagar, Oct 09: Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Sujit Kumar Singh on Friday distributed commendation certificates, appreciation letters and rewards to police personnel of District Budgam in recognition of their exemplary work and contribution towards effective policing. The event was held in the presence of DIG Central Kashmir Range Rajiv Pandey. The recipients included SSP Budgam Hariprasad KK, SDPO Magam Ashrif Lissery, SHO Police Station Beerwah Mudassir Nassar, SHO Police Station Magam Khurshid Awan, and 17 other police officials. The team of Police Station Beerwah was recognised for its significant contribution in exposing a fake employment syndicate, which had been allegedly duping job aspirants. Police Station Magam was appreciated for adopting the Digital Beat Policing System, reflecting a commitment to technology-driven and citizen-centric policing. The recognition underscores the importance of professional dedication, proactive investigation and innovation in policing, while motivating police personnel to continue working towards the safety and security of the public.

Major police reshuffle : 100 IPS, JKPS officers transferred

Srinagar, Oct 09: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday ordered a major reshuffle in the Police Department, transferring and posting 100 Indian Police Service (IPS) and Jammu and Kashmir Police Service (JKPS) officers across the Union Territory with immediate effect. According to Government Order No. 499-Home of 2026, issued by the Home Department, the transfers have been made in the interest of administration and cover several senior positions, including Inspectors General of Police (IGPs), Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs), Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs), Superintendents of Police (SPs) and officers heading specialised police units. Among the senior-level postings, Danesh Rana, IPS (AGMUT: 1996), has been appointed Managing Director of the J&K Police Housing Corporation, relieving S.J.M. Gillani, IPS, of the additional charge. Garib Dass, IPS, has been posted as Additional Director General of Home Guards, Civil Defence and SDRF, while Dr Mohd Haseeb Mughal, IPS, will take over as Director of the Sher-i-Kashmir Police Academy (SKPA), Udhampur, replacing Garib Dass. Abdul Jabbar, IPS, has been appointed Inspector General of Armed Police, Jammu, while Shahid Mehraj Rather, IPS, has been posted as Inspector General of Technical Services, J&K. Rather will also continue to hold the additional charge of Director, Police Telecommunications, until further orders. Rayees Mohammad Bhat, IPS, has been transferred as DIG CID Headquarters, J&K, while Shiv Kumar Sharma, IPS, has been posted as DIG Railways, J&K. Swarn Singh Kotwal, IPS, will assume charge as DIG Udhampur-Reasi Range, replacing Shiv Kumar Sharma, while Zahid Naseem Manhas, IPS, has been appointed DIG Armed Police, Jammu. In other significant changes, Aijaz Ahmad Bhat, IPS, has been posted as Commandant of 23 JKAP IR, while Mohd Yaseen Kichloo, IPS, has been appointed Principal of the State Training Centre, Talwara. Sanjay Kumar Kotwal, IPS, has been posted as Commandant of 18 JKAP IR, replacing Raj Singh Gouria. At the district level, Sudhanshu Dhama, IPS, has been appointed SSP Kupwara, replacing Syed Al Tahir Gillani, while Vaibhav Meena, IPS, has been posted as SSP Poonch, replacing Shafket Hussain. Neha Jain, IPS, has been appointed SSP Sopore, replacing Iftkhar Talib, while Anna Sinha, IPS, will take over as SSP Ramban, replacing Arun Gupta. Harshal Rajesh Mahajan, IPS, has been posted as SSP Ganderbal, replacing Sudhanshu Dhama. Ms Bisma Qazi, IPS, has been appointed SSP Traffic City, Srinagar, replacing Aijaz Ahmad Bhat, while H.P. Hareness, IPS, has been posted as Director of the Special Security Force (SSF), replacing Swarn Singh Kotwal. Vishnu Kumar, IPS, has been transferred as SSP Technical CID Headquarters, replacing Bisma Qazi, while Ms Arshi Aadil, IPS, has been appointed Commandant of 1 JKAP Women, replacing Ramesh Chander Kotwal. Rajeev Kumar Ambasta, IPS, has been posted as Commandant of 3 JKAP Security, while Deepak Yadav, IPS, has been assigned the post of SP Operations, JKAC. Anand Kumar Mishra, IPS, has been appointed SSP Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), J&K, while Satish Kumar, IPS, has been posted as SSP Railways, Jammu, replacing Shailender Singh. The government has also ordered extensive transfers among JKPS officers, affecting district policing, intelligence, traffic management, security, railway policing and armed police formations. Imtiyaz Hussain Mir, JKPS, has been posted as Director, CTC Letpora, replacing Shailender Singh, while Shailender Singh, JKPS, has been appointed Director, Civil Defence and SDRF, Kashmir, replacing Imtiyaz Hussain Mir. Shoket Hussain, JKPS, has been posted as AIG Welfare, Police Headquarters, replacing H.P. Hareness, while Wasim Qadri, JKPS, has been appointed SSP Security, Kashmir, replacing Sajad Khaliq Bhat. Arun Gupta has been posted as SSP Special Security Group (SSG), CID Headquarters, replacing Musadiq Majid Basu. Tahir Saleem Khan has been appointed SSP Bandipora, replacing Ajaz Ahmed Zargar, while Mohd Yousuf has been posted as SSP Railways, Kashmir, replacing Wasim Qadri. Khalil Ahmad Poswal has been appointed SSP Headquarters CID, replacing Girdhari Lal, while Girdhari Lal has been transferred as Commandant of 8 JKAP, replacing Suram Singh. Farooq Qesor Malik has been posted as Commandant of 22 JKAP IR, replacing Mushim Ahmad, while Mohd Anwar-ul-Haq has been appointed SSP ANTF, J&K. Zahoor Ahmed Wani has been posted as SP Traffic, Srinagar, while Ayaz Ahmad Sheikh has been appointed SP Special Crime Wing, Kashmir. Vivek Shekhar Sharma has been posted as Additional SP Bhaderwah, replacing Vinod Kumar, while Irshad Hussain Rather has been appointed SSP Awantipora, replacing Sajad Ahmad Shah. Among other postings, Iftkhar Talib has been transferred as SP Special Investigation Agency (SIA) Headquarters, while Mashkoor Ahmed Zargar has been appointed SP South Srinagar, replacing Shabir Ahmad Khan. Pardeep Singh has been posted as Deputy Commandant of 8 JKAP IR, Raj Paul Singh as Deputy Director, SSG, and Gawhar Ahmed Khan as Deputy Commandant of 20 JKAP IR. Shabir Ahmad Khan has been transferred as Deputy Commandant of 10 JKAP IR, while Naeem Ahmad Wani has been appointed SP Hazratbal. Syed Yasir Qadri has been posted as Vice Principal, CTC Letpora, while Sandeep Bhat has been appointed SP Headquarters, Jammu. Sajad Ahmad Sheikh has been posted as Deputy Commandant of 2 JKAP Border, while Vinod Kumar has been appointed Deputy Director, SKPA Udhampur. Pardeep Kumar has been transferred as Additional SP Samba, while Musadiq Majid Basu has been appointed SP East Srinagar. Arvinder Singh Kotwal has been posted as Staff Officer to DIG Jammu-Samba-Kathua Range, while Mohd Shafiq has been appointed Additional SP Kishtwar. Mohd Shafi Sheikh has been posted as Deputy Commandant of 4 JKAP IR, while Bikram Kumar has been appointed Vice Principal, Police Technical Training Institute (PTTI), Vijaypur. Garu Ram has been posted as Deputy Commandant of 1 JKAP Border, while Gh. Mustafa Bhat has been appointed SP Headquarters, Srinagar. Ab. Raqeeb Malik has been posted as Additional SP CID Headquarters (AWP), while Hamid Ali Banday has been appointed Additional SP Operations, Poonch. Abdul Maajid Magray has been transferred as Additional SP Shopian, while Mir Burhan-ul-Haq Kanth has been posted as Deputy Commandant of 12 JKAP Security. Sajad Sarwer has been appointed Additional SP CID CI Jammu, while Vaseem Mehmood has been posted as Additional SP Rajouri. Suresh Kumar Sharma has been appointed Additional SP SB CID Jammu, while Nissar Ahmad Darzi has been posted as Additional SP Ganderbal. Varun Jandial has been appointed SP South Jammu. The reshuffle covers key operational and administrative wings of the police establishment, including district policing, criminal investigation, intelligence, traffic, armed police, counter-narcotics, training institutions and specialised security formations. According to the government order, all transfers and postings will take effect immediately.

Piano meditation to make Kashmir debut

Srinagar, Oct 09: German piano meditation expert Jannik Boger is set to bring his music-based approach to emotional wellbeing to Kashmir early next year, using improvised melodies to help people explore stress, fear and sadness. Boger, founder of Flow Academy in Germany, believes music can create space for emotional expression and reflection, offering people an opportunity to pause amid the constant flow of thoughts and reconnect with their feelings. When I play, I dont exactly have the idea what to play, but when I play, it comes from within, Boger told Rising Kashmir in an online interview, describing how his piano sessions develop spontaneously, often beginning with melancholic tunes before moving through different emotional moods. I play some tunes which have the power to regulate the nervous system, he said. At Flow Academy, the approach centres on emotional regulation, helping people recognise and work through difficult feelings such as stress, fear and sadness. Rather than following a fixed musical composition, Boger allows the melodies to emerge in the moment, creating an experience shaped by the music and the listeners response. He said that despite cultural differences between India and Germany, people in both countries experience similar emotional challenges. There are so many differences between people of India and Germany, like food and culture, but some mental health issues, like stress, seem quite similar. Sadness and fear are something similar, he said. Boger said he had observed that around 25 per cent of people attending his piano meditation sessions cried while listening. He views such responses as possible expressions of emotions that people may find difficult to articulate. He compared the experience to someone remembering a deceased mother, with a melody bringing grief and memories to the surface. However, crying is not in itself evidence of a therapeutic benefit, and individual responses to music vary. Music-based meditation may provide an opportunity for relaxation and reflection, but it should not be considered a replacement for professional mental healthcare. Boger said he was excited to visit Kashmir and give people an opportunity to experience piano meditation first-hand. I am excited to come to Kashmir early next year, where people can experience for themselves what piano meditation is. Let people of Kashmir feel the difference themselves, how it feels to be in a different state of consciousness, how soothing it is for the brain, which is always full of thoughts, he said. The proposed visit aims to introduce local audiences to his approach to music and emotional wellbeing, allowing participants to experience the sessions and reflect on their own responses. Details of the programme, including the venue and dates, are yet to be announced.The proposed visit is part of a broader effort to promote conversations around mental health through awareness events and workshops. Mumbai-based Reetu Asrani is launching a series of mental health awareness programmes, beginning with an event featuring Boger. We are so eager to be in Kashmir. It will be a mega event, Asrani told Rising Kashmir. The initiative seeks to create opportunities for people to engage with different approaches to emotional wellbeing and mental health awareness. For Boger, piano meditation offers a way to slow down, listen and make space for emotions that often remain unspoken. His planned visit will bring that approach to Kashmir, where audiences will have an opportunity to experience the sessions and explore the relationship between music, emotions and mental wellbeing.

NMC cracks down on healthcare advertising

Srinagar, Oct 09: National Medical Commission (NMC) has introduced guidelines regulating advertisements and public communication by hospitals, medical institutions and registered medical practitioners, prohibiting misleading treatment claims, patient testimonials for professional promotion,and promotional campaigns designed to generate unnecessary medical demand. The guidelines seek to protect patients from false medical claims, safeguard patient privacy, prevent the commercialisation of healthcare and ensure that medical information disseminated through traditional and digital platforms remains factual, transparent and evidence-based. As healthcare promotion is increasingly taking place through social media, websites, influencers and digital marketing agencies, the framework makes clear that communication intended to promote a doctors professional services or a hospitals commercial healthcare services will be treated as advertising, irrespective of the medium used. Issued by the NMCs Ethics and Medical Registration Board, the Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication by Hospitals/Medical Institutions and Registered Medical Practitioners have come into force with immediate effect. Doctors and health institutions cant use third parties, advertising agencies, influencers or online platforms to carry out promotional activities that they are prohibited from undertaking directly. They remain responsible for promotional content they authorise, commission, sponsor, adopt or knowingly permit. Under the guidelines, registered medical practitioners are prohibited from soliciting patients directly or indirectly, promoting their professional services through self-advertisement, or allowing their names, photographs, voices or endorsements to be used for commercial promotion of services or products. Doctors cant advertise personal achievements; professional success rates or the number of patients treated through exaggerated claims. The rules also prohibit medical practitioners from endorsing medicines, therapeutic products, medical devices, diagnostic products or other commercial products for advertising or publicity using their professional status, whether or not they receive monetary or other consideration. The guidelines specifically bar the use of patient cases for promotional purposes, advertisements of surgical results, before-and-after photographs, celebrity patient publicity and personal success stories, except where material is published strictly for scientific or educational purposes with anonymised patient consent. They also prohibit fear-based marketing, promotion of unproven therapies and claims that create unrealistic expectations or conceal treatment risks. Doctors cant offer, receive or participate in commissions, referral fees, bonuses, rebates or other consideration linked to the referral or procurement of patients, diagnostic specimens or medical services. Advertising practices involving discounts, limited-period offers, contests, coupons, gifts, cashbacks or free procedures are also restricted where they encourage unnecessary consultations, investigations or treatment or amount to patient solicitation. Hospitals and medical institutions, however, may disseminate factual, objective and verifiable information about their names, locations, contact details, departments, facilities, diagnostic services, emergency services, accreditation status and applicable charges. A hospital website listing doctors names, recognised qualifications, specialties, registration details and availability for patient information is treated differently from paid or promotional advertising. Any institutional communication must remain factual and cannot contain guarantees of cure, unverifiable claims, inducements or promotional portrayals of individual doctors. The guidelines also impose safeguards on the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare communication. AI-generated promotional campaigns intended to advance commercial interests are prohibited. AI-generated or AI-assisted content that otherwise complies with the guidelines must carry a clear source mark stating that it originated from AI. Patient privacy is another key component of the framework. Hospitals and doctors cannot publicly share identifiable patient information, including names, faces, medical conditions, clinical images, treatment details or records, for advertising purposes except where permitted by law. The guidelines permit doctors to participate in public health campaigns, academic discussions, television and radio programmes, and educational activities, provided these do not promote their personal practice, solicit patients or use public-health communication for promotional marketing. Govt. campaigns and schemes serving the larger public interest are exempt from the guidelines. Hospitals and medical institutions found engaging in unethical advertising will be dealt with under the applicable Clinical Establishments Act, rules or relevant state legislation. The NMC said the framework is intended to regulate healthcare communication in line with the NMC Act, 2019, and existing professional conduct regulations, while preserving the dignity of the medical profession and protecting patients from commercial exploitation.

Pesticides in breast milk? The unasked question in Kashmirs orchards

Srinagar, Oct 09: As chemical pesticides remain part of crop protection in Kashmirs apple-growing belt, an important environmental health question remains unanswered: are women who work in or live near orchards exposed to pesticides that can be detected in their breast milk? Research conducted in other parts of India has found pesticide residues in breast-milk samples collected from nursing mothers. However, comparable published evidence establishing the presence and concentrations of such residues among lactating women in Jammu and Kashmir was not identified in the literature reviewed for this report. The gap is significant for a region where horticulture supports thousands of farming households and women participate in a range of agricultural activities, including pruning, picking, sorting and handling harvested produce. Although these activities do not necessarily involve direct pesticide application, exposure may occur through contact with recently treated plants, contaminated surfaces or soil, spray drift and other environmental pathways. The extent of such exposure depends on the chemicals used, application practices, protective measures and the time elapsed since spraying. The absence of local breast-milk data means that the nature and extent of this potential exposure remain uncertain. Studies elsewhere in India detect pesticide residues Several peer-reviewed studies have investigated pesticide residues in human breast milk across India. A study published in Environmental Pollution in 2021 analysed 81 breast-milk samples collected from Kolkata and Nadia in West Bengal. Researchers detected organochlorine pesticides and selected newer compounds, including pyrethroids and neonicotinoids. Most of the substances investigated showed higher average concentrations in samples from Kolkata than in those from Nadia. In Assam, a study published in Science of the Total Environment in 2011 reported residues of DDT and HCH in breast milk collected from Dibrugarh and Nagaon. Another study, published in the same journal in 2013, analysed 53 breast-milk samples from Punjab and reported several pesticide compounds, including DDT and its metabolites, HCH isomers, endrin, endosulfan, cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos. Research published in Environmental Pollution in 2009 also documented persistent organochlorine compounds in breast milk collected from Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. The findings establish that selected pesticide compounds and their metabolites can be detected in human milk. However, the studies examined different populations under different conditions and cannot be used to estimate the prevalence of pesticide residues among mothers in Jammu and Kashmir. Nor do they establish that the same compounds or concentrations occur in Kashmiri women. Kashmirs horticultural sector warrants investigation The question assumes particular relevance in Kashmir, where apple cultivation is an important source of income and agricultural chemicals are used to protect crops against pests and fungal diseases. A study published in the Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology in 2010 cited estimates of approximately 7,750 metric tonnes of fungicides and 3,186 metric tonnes of insecticides used annually in Kashmirs orchards. These are historical estimates and should not be treated as current consumption figures without verification against more recent official records. Pesticide-use figures alone cannot establish the level of exposure experienced by farmers or their families. The risks associated with individual chemicals differ, as do the ways in which they enter the environment and human body. For orchard workers, relevant exposure factors include pesticide handling, the use of protective equipment, the interval between spraying and returning to treated areas, and contact with treated crops. Residential proximity to orchards, dietary sources and drinking water may also be relevant. A local investigation would need to account for these factors rather than assume that orchard work is the sole source of exposure. Why breast-milk monitoring matters Certain persistent pesticides, including some organochlorine compounds, can remain in the environment for long periods and accumulate in fatty tissues. Some may subsequently be detected in human breast milk. Other pesticides have different chemical properties and may break down more rapidly. Their presence in breast milk cannot be assumed simply because they are used in agriculture. Scientists would therefore need to identify the chemicals currently used in Kashmirs horticulture and select a suitable laboratory testing panel. Samples would need to be analysed using validated methods, with results reported alongside laboratory detection limits and appropriate quality controls. A study could compare samples from lactating women directly involved in orchard work with those from women who live near orchards but do not handle pesticides, as well as women from areas with less direct horticultural exposure. Researchers could collect information on agricultural activities, pesticide-handling practices, protective equipment, residential location, diet and drinking-water sources. This would help examine whether detected residues are associated with particular exposure patterns. The findings would establish a baseline for the study population, although a cross-sectional study alone could not prove that orchard work caused a particular residue concentration. Detection does not automatically mean harm The detection of pesticide residues in breast milk does not, by itself, establish that a concentration is harmful to an infant. Health risks depend on the chemical, the concentration, the duration and route of exposure, and the available toxicological evidence. Public-health communication must therefore avoid equating the presence of a residue with a confirmed health effect. Breastfeeding should not be discontinued solely because of general reports about environmental pesticide contamination. Women concerned about a specific or substantial exposure should seek advice from qualified healthcare professionals. The more immediate priority is to reduce avoidable exposure among agricultural workers through appropriate protective equipment, adherence to product-specific safety instructions, observance of re-entry intervals and improved pesticide management. Integrated pest management, which combines pest monitoring, preventive measures and targeted chemical treatment, could also help reduce unnecessary pesticide applications. A research gap that needs attention For Jammu and Kashmir, the central question remains unresolved. The studies reviewed for this report do not establish whether pesticide residues are present in the breast milk of women working in the regions orchards, how frequently they might occur or which compounds warrant particular attention. Addressing the gap would require collaboration among agricultural scientists, public-health researchers, environmental laboratories and relevant government departments. Any study involving lactating women would also require ethics approval, informed consent, reliable laboratory procedures and safeguards for participants privacy. Alongside biological monitoring, authorities could improve records of pesticide use and strengthen environmental monitoring to help researchers identify locally relevant exposure pathways. For a region whose agricultural economy depends heavily on horticulture, measuring potential exposure is an important step towards understanding the wider environmental implications of pesticide use. Studies from other Indian states provide a basis for asking the question. Only systematic testing in Jammu and Kashmir can establish what, if anything, is present in the breast milk of women living and working around its orchards.

World Mental Health Day :PTSD haunts over 24% Kashmiri adults

Srinagar, Oct 09: A systematic review of research on civilians in Kashmir has found that between 15.9 and 24.5 per cent of adults in community-based studies experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or probable PTSD. As October 10 is observed as World Mental Health Day, the figures paint grim picture of Kashmirs mental health graph. Published in Frontiers in Psychiatry on September 15, 2026, the review examined 16 quantitative studies published between 2006 and 2025, bringing together evidence on the prevalence of PTSD, associated risk factors and the relationship between traumatic experiences and lasting psychological distress. The review, authored by Tamkeen Sakeena of the University of Nottingham, Aneeza Pervez of the University of Cambridge and Cecilie Lolansen of the University of Nottingham, highlights a substantial mental health burden among civilians. The researchers did not calculate a single prevalence rate for Kashmir because the studies differed considerably in their populations, sampling methods, study quality and tools used to assess PTSD. Their findings were synthesised narratively rather than combined into one overall estimate. The results nevertheless point to recurring patterns of trauma-related distress across community surveys, clinical populations and groups exposed to particularly severe experiences. Up to 49.8% of college students meet the screening threshold, the research notes. Among selected populations, the review found higher screening-based estimates of probable PTSD. These included up to 49.8 per cent among college students and up to 40 per cent among children in individual studies. The figures require careful interpretation. They represent the proportions meeting specified screening thresholds for probable PTSD, not necessarily people whose condition was confirmed through a clinical diagnosis. Nor can these estimates be applied to all college students or children in Kashmir, according to the study. The review found that PTSD prevalence and symptom severity varied according to exposure, population characteristics and assessment methods. In one study involving conflict-related amputees, 66 per cent met criteria for PTSD following structured clinical assessment, illustrating the substantial psychological burden reported in a particularly vulnerable group. The authors noted that the evidence base included community surveys as well as studies involving children, orphans, healthcare professionals and people seeking clinical treatment. These populations are not directly comparable, making distinctions between screening results and confirmed diagnoses essential, they stressed. The research states that one of the reviews key findings was a pattern linking greater exposure to traumatic events with higher PTSD prevalence or more severe symptoms. Studies included in the review associated repeated or cumulative exposure to conflict-related experiences with elevated trauma-related distress. A large population-based survey using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire reported an increase in probable PTSD as the number of traumatic events increased, the study notes. A similar pattern was reported among college students, where greater cumulative exposure was associated with a higher likelihood of meeting the screening threshold. The review also found that symptoms could persist years after exposure. The authors discussed prolonged insecurity, repeated disruption and everyday social and economic stressors as relevant factors when interpreting the persistence of psychological distress. However, the predominantly cross-sectional nature of the evidence limits the extent to which researchers can establish how symptoms change over time or determine the precise contribution of individual factors, the research states. Women, children and poorer groups face greater vulnerability. The review identified higher PTSD prevalence or symptom severity among women and people experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage, including unemployment and lower socioeconomic status, the research reads further. Children affected by family loss or violence were another vulnerable group. Studies involving orphaned children reported substantial psychiatric morbidity, including PTSD, while research on children exposed to terrorist violence found elevated trauma-related behavioural symptoms compared with non-exposed controls, the study states. Healthcare professionals reported secondary traumatic stress linked to occupational exposure, suggesting that the psychological effects of traumatic events may extend beyond people directly affected. The researchers also found that PTSD frequently occurred alongside depression, anxiety and substance misuse, highlighting the overlapping nature of mental health difficulties among affected populations. Despite identifying recurring patterns, the authors highlighted important limitations in the available evidence. Study quality varied, assessment instruments differed, and most research used cross-sectional designs that could not adequately track symptoms over time. The review calls for more consistent assessment methods, longitudinal research and studies combining quantitative evidence with detailed accounts of people's experiences. It also points to the need to explore community-based mental healthcare and task-sharing approaches, in which trained non-specialist workers help deliver support under appropriate professional supervision. The authors argue that the scale of need exceeds the capacity of conventional specialist-led care alone. The findings underline the importance of treating mental health as a sustained public health concern rather than viewing psychological distress only as an immediate response to a traumatic event.

Omar pitches J&K as GCC destination

Jammu, Oct 09: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday called upon industry leaders to explore Jammu and Kashmir as an emerging destination for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), emphasising that the government is committed to creating a competitive, business-friendly ecosystem that attracts investment, fosters innovation and generates meaningful employment. We have to make Jammu and Kashmir a place that is competitive, a place that is attractive to do business, a place where you can make money, and a place where we can compete with the Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities around the country, the Chief Minister said while addressing the inaugural session of the J&K GCC Summit 2026 at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu. He addressed the gathering virtually from New Delhi. The two-day summit, themed Unlocking J&Ks GCC Potential for Building Growth Ecosystem and Catalysing Investment, brings together representatives of government, industry and academia to explore opportunities for developing Jammu and Kashmirs presence in Indias expanding GCC ecosystem. Highlighting the evolution of GCCs in India, the Chief Minister said that what began as call centres and business process outsourcing operations had evolved into centres of innovation, talent, capability and enterprise. The story of GCCs in India is a story of evolution, as is the story of Jammu and Kashmir, he said, and added that the transformation of GCCs demonstrated how capabilities and value addition could create new economic opportunities. Drawing a parallel with Jammu and Kashmirs own journey over the past three to three-and-a-half decades, Omar Abdullah said the fact that the region was now being discussed as a potential destination for GCC investments reflected a significant change in the opportunities being explored. Acknowledging that Jammu and Kashmir continued to face a perception challenge arising from its past, he said the government was working to address it through investments across industry, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism and other emerging sectors, including GCCs. The Chief Minister said Jammu and Kashmir need not replicate the growth trajectories of established GCC hubs such as Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai, but could learn from their experiences and position itself to compete with Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Coming late to the party is disappointing, but it is not always disadvantageous. We can learn from the experiences of others. We dont have to reinvent the wheel. We just have to use it better, CM Omar observed. He pointed out that the rising cost of doing business in larger cities had created opportunities for emerging destinations. Jammu and Kashmir, he said, could explore this space by building on its inherent advantages and offering an attractive environment for businesses to establish and expand their operations. Underscoring the importance of educational institutions in developing a skilled workforce, the Chief Minister highlighted the presence of a strong network of higher education institutions in Jammu and Kashmir, including IIM Jammu, IIT Jammu, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, the University of Jammu, the University of Kashmir and the Islamic University of Science and Technology. These institutions, he continued, were producing talented and well-educated young people who were often compelled to seek employment opportunities outside the region, including in the GCC sector, because of limited opportunities at home. He said the establishment of GCCs in Jammu and Kashmir could help retain local talent, create quality employment and connect the regions educated youth with emerging opportunities in the technology-driven economy. The Chief Minister said the success of the summit should not be measured by an immediate target of establishing a large number of GCCs, but by the creation of a foundation for sustainable growth. Wed be quite happy to have one, first GCC. One will lead to five. Five will lead to ten. And the story will grow from there, he said, stressing that the government wanted investors to choose Jammu and Kashmir on the strength of its business potential rather than out of sympathy for its past challenges. Emphasising that commercial viability would remain central to attracting and retaining investment, Omar Abdullah said businesses would continue to operate in a destination only as long as it made economic sense for them. The Chief Minister highlighted the governments efforts to improve the business environment, including the passage of comprehensive Ease of Doing Business legislation during the recent session of the Legislative Assembly, which received the assent of the Lieutenant Governor and has become law. He said the legislation was intended to make doing business in Jammu and Kashmir easier, adding that its implementation on the ground would be critical. The government, he said, would learn from experience and undertake further improvements wherever required. Describing the summit as an opportunity for the government to learn from industry leaders and established GCC ecosystems, he said the deliberations would help identify the measures needed to make Jammu and Kashmir a more attractive destination for investors. He said the government was keen to build sustained engagement with NASSCOM and other industry stakeholders, and invited companies to explore the regions potential. Pointing to Jammu and Kashmirs climatic conditions and connectivity by road, rail and air, Omar Abdullah said the region had inherent advantages that could be developed into a compelling proposition for businesses considering new locations. I am just going to assure all of you that whatever we can do in the government to make your journey easier, to ensure that youre able to establish here easily and also profitably, please rest assured that at the highest levels in the government, we are committed to making your journey easy, he said. Expressing hope that the summit would mark the beginning of a long-term association between Jammu and Kashmir and the GCC industry, he said emerging technologies could open up opportunities for new destinations, including the Union Territory. The Chief Minister thanked the participating industry leaders and delegates for their engagement and appreciated IIM Jammu for organising the summit. He expressed hope that the two days of deliberations would translate into tangible outcomes and meaningful investment opportunities on the ground. The inaugural session was attended by Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; Ram Niwas Sharma, Commissioner Secretary, Higher Education Department; Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, Secretary, Department of Labour and Employment; Rajesh Nambiar, President, NASSCOM; Rajendra Singh Pawar, Chairman, NIIT; and Prof. B.S. Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu, among other representatives from government, industry and academia. With participation from approximately 45 organisations, over 55 industry leaders and more than 300 delegates, the J&K GCC Summit 2026 seeks to strengthen engagement between policymakers, industry and academia and identify pathways for translating Jammu and Kashmirs potential into investment, innovation, employment and sustainable economic growth.

Winter Tourism Needs Planning, Not Just Promotion

Winter has never been merely a season in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a landscape of possibility. Snow-covered mountains, frozen streams, traditional food, handicrafts and the promise of adventure can attract visitors from across the country and beyond. Yet winter tourism must be approached as more than a campaign of attractive images and promotional slogans. It requires careful planning, reliable infrastructure and a clear commitment to the safety and dignity of both visitors and local communities. The UT already possesses the natural assets needed for a vibrant winter tourism economy. Gulmarg remains the principal attraction, but the potential extends to Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Doodhpathri, Gurez, Sinthan, Rajouri, Poonch, Bhaderwah and other high-altitude areas. Diversifying destinations can reduce pressure on established tourist centres and distribute the economic benefits of tourism more evenly. It can also create new opportunities for communities that remain outside the conventional tourism circuit. However, the expansion of winter tourism cannot be separated from the realities of difficult terrain and harsh weather. Road closures, slippery stretches, avalanches, power disruptions and limited medical facilities can quickly turn a holiday into a crisis. Before destinations are promoted aggressively, authorities must ensure that roads are maintained, traffic advisories are timely, rescue systems are functional, and communication networks remain available. Tourists should not be encouraged to travel into vulnerable areas without accurate information about weather and road conditions. Safety must also be strengthened at established winter destinations. Skiing, snowboarding, snow rides and other activities require trained personnel, certified equipment and proper regulation. Unauthorised operators, unsafe vehicles and arbitrary pricing can damage the regions reputation while putting lives at risk. A transparent licensing system, regular inspections and visible emergency arrangements should be treated as essential, not optional. The economic purpose of winter tourism must not be reduced to hotel occupancy. Local transporters, guides, artisans, shopkeepers, homestay owners, pony handlers, food vendors and young entrepreneurs should all have a meaningful stake in the sector. Skill development, microfinance and responsible local partnerships can ensure that tourism income reaches ordinary households rather than remaining concentrated in a few commercial centres. Environmental protection is equally important. Fragile mountain ecosystems cannot withstand unregulated construction, careless waste disposal and unchecked vehicular movement. Carrying-capacity assessments, waste management, renewable energy solutions and strict building norms must accompany every expansion plan. Winter tourism can become a powerful engine of employment and regional development. But its success will depend not on the number of visitors alone, but on whether the region can offer them safety, authenticity and responsible hospitality. Jammu and Kashmir must sell an experience, not merely a season, and protect the very environment that makes winter tourism possible.

The Unseen Barrier between Talent and Opportunity

There is a barrier in Kashmir that many people feel, but cannot easily describe. It is not about a lack of talent, effort, or ambition. It exists in how people connect with each other. It is the absence of strong and meaningful connections. Many individuals in Kashmir study, work hard, and carry hope for a better future. Still, progress often slows at certain points. Progress is not shaped by what people know alone, but also by who they are connected to. This barrier can shape how opportunities reach people. It can also influence how quickly individuals move forward in their journeys. In simple terms, networking is about building meaningful connections where people share ideas, support, and guidance. It is simply about connecting with people in a genuine way. It is about access built on trust and respect. Research from leading institutions such as Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of Oxford shows a clear pattern. People who are part of strong networks often find it easier to move forward. Their opportunities may increase, and their growth can become more steady. Skills are important, and connections help those skills reach the right places. Over time, these connections can also create new paths that may not have been visible earlier. Kashmir has a strong record of talent. Every year, young people from the region succeed in fields such as technology, healthcare, education, and entrepreneurship. Their discipline and dedication are clear. Many continue to grow steadily, while others experience a pause that is difficult to explain. Often, individuals depend on familiar circles of family, friends, or close contacts. These circles provide support and stability. In addition, wider connections can offer new exposure. When networks grow, possibilities often grow with them. Expanding circles of interaction can also bring fresh ideas and different ways of thinking. Another important point is the availability of spaces where people can connect with purpose. In many parts of the world, institutions create environments that encourage interaction and collaboration. Programs at Columbia University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology bring individuals together to exchange ideas and support one another. These systems are organised and consistent. In Kashmir, similar opportunities are emerging, and expanding them can further strengthen connections. Creating more such spaces can help people feel more comfortable engaging with others. The importance of networking becomes clearer when we observe how opportunities move. Many roles and collaborations are connected to referrals and personal contacts. When people are connected, information reaches them more easily. When connections are limited, some opportunities may not reach everyone. This shows the importance of building wider networks so that information can move more freely. It also ensures that opportunities are shared more evenly. The journey of Sundar Pichai reflects how talent can grow further through the right educational and professional environments. After studying at IIT Kharagpur, he went on to Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania before joining Google

World Mental Health Day: We Need to Listen Beyond the Words

They say it at the breakfast table, in office meetings, on WhatsApp, during family gatherings and even in the therapists waiting room. They say it because explaining everything feels exhausting. They say it because they do not want to worry their parents. They say it because they have children to raise, deadlines to meet, bills to pay and responsibilities that do not pause simply because the mind is struggling. And sometimes, they say it because they have tried to speak before and discovered that nobody was really listening. This World Mental Health Day, observed on October 10, the World Health Organization has chosen a theme that deserves more than a social-media post or a ceremonial conversation: Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change. It is a powerful reminder that people who have experienced mental-health difficulties are not merely recipients of care. Their experiences are a form of knowledge. Their stories can tell us where systems fail, where stigma persists, where families struggle and what meaningful recovery actually looks like. As a mental health counsellor, I increasingly find that one of our biggest problems is not that people have nothing to say. It is that we have become poor listeners. We listen selectively. We listen while preparing our response. We listen for the information we need rather than the emotion beneath the words. We listen until we find an opportunity to give advice. A young person says, I don't think I can handle this anymore, and someone immediately responds, You are young; you have your whole life ahead of you. A woman says, I feel completely exhausted, and she is told, Every woman has to manage the home and work. A man says, I am not doing well, and someone reminds him that he has a family depending on him. An elderly parent says, I feel lonely, and the family assumes that providing food, medication, and a television is the same thing as providing companionship. We often respond to distress by correcting it rather than understanding it. Mental health does not work that way. A person does not always need an immediate solution. Sometimes they need the safety of being able to tell the truth without being judged, corrected, compared or dismissed. This distinction matters enormously in India, where emotional suffering still exists within a complicated web of family expectations, social reputation, gender roles, economic pressures and cultural ideas about resilience. We have begun talking about mental health more openly, but talking about mental health and understanding it are not the same thing. There is a danger in turning mental-health awareness into another fashionable vocabulary. We know words such as anxiety, depression, trauma, burnout and narcissism. We use them frequently on social media. But sometimes we use them without understanding what they mean. A difficult day becomes depression. A disagreement becomes gaslighting. Feeling nervous before an examination becomes an anxiety disorder. And genuine suffering can consequently become either trivialised or sensationalized. Mental health is neither a trend nor a personality accessory. It is part of human health. The World Health Organisation estimates that nearly one in seven people globally were living with a mental disorder in 2023, with anxiety and depressive disorders among the most common. At the same time, most people experiencing mental-health conditions do not receive effective care. India has its own enormous challenge. The National Mental Health Survey of India found a current prevalence of mental morbidity of 10.6 percent among the surveyed population, while treatment gaps for different mental disorders ranged from approximately 70 to 92 percent. For common mental disorders, the treatment gap was estimated at 85 percent. Behind these numbers are people. A mother who does not tell anyone that she has been experiencing panic attacks because she fears being called unstable. A college student who believes that asking for counselling means admitting failure. A father who has been grieving for years but thinks that crying would make him appear weak. A professional who is functioning brilliantly at work while privately struggling to get through the day. A caregiver whose own exhaustion remains invisible because everyone is focused on the person who is ill. Statistics help us understand the scale of the problem. Lived experience helps us understand its texture. That is why this year's World Mental Health Day theme is particularly significant. For too long, mental-health systems have been designed around people rather than with them. Professionals, institutions, governments and organisations decide what people need, and then invite them to participate after the important decisions have already been made. But a person who has lived through depression, addiction, psychosis, trauma, suicidal thoughts or prolonged institutional care possesses knowledge that cannot always be acquired from a textbook. There is a difference between knowing what depression is and knowing what it feels like to wake up every morning and have no emotional energy for a life you once enjoyed. There is a difference between studying anxiety and knowing what it means to live with a body that constantly behaves as though danger is approaching. There is a difference between reading about stigma and experiencing the moment when someone you love begins treating you differently after learning about your diagnosis. Lived experience is not a substitute for professional expertise. Nor should personal experience be romanticised. But it is another form of expertise, and our mental-health systems become stronger when these forms of knowledge meet. This also requires us to rethink what we mean by recovery. Recovery is not always a dramatic transformation. It may be getting out of bed. Returning to work. Calling a friend. Taking medication consistently. Setting one boundary. Going back to college. Learning to live with a painful memory without allowing it to dictate every decision. It may simply mean having a life in which one's diagnosis is only one part of one's identity. We must also stop measuring mental health exclusively through crisis. We tend to intervene when something becomes visibly wrong. When a child stops attending school. When an employee collapses from burnout. When a marriage reaches breaking point. When substance use becomes impossible to hide. When a person reaches a point of crisis. But prevention begins much earlier. It begins when schools teach emotional literacy alongside academic literacy. It begins when workplaces understand that psychological safety is not a corporate slogan but a condition for sustainable performance. It begins when parents learn that a child's emotional world deserves as much attention as grades. It begins when men are allowed to acknowledge fear, loneliness and vulnerability without being told that these emotions threaten their masculinity. It begins when women are not expected to carry the emotional labour of entire families simply because they are women. It begins when older people are not treated as burdens once they stop being economically productive. And it begins when we understand that asking someone, How are you? should not be a ritual question. We should be prepared for the answer. This is especially important in an age of unprecedented connectivity. We have more ways to communicate than any previous generation, yet many people feel profoundly unheard. Social media has made visibility easier but vulnerability more complicated. We can broadcast our lives to thousands of people while being unable to tell one person sitting next to us that we are struggling. Artificial intelligence is now entering this emotional landscape as well. People increasingly turn to digital tools for information, companionship, reflection and even emotional support. Technology can potentially expand access, particularly where professional services are scarce. But it cannot become an excuse for withdrawing from human relationships and human responsibility. A chatbot can respond at midnight. A mental-health professional can provide structured care. But neither should replace the importance of a friend who notices that your voice has changed, a parent who asks twice, a colleague who says, You don't seem like yourself, or a community that does not abandon someone when they become difficult to understand. Technology may help us scale support. Humanity determines whether that support feels like care. We must also become more careful about the language we use around mental illness. Words can either open doors or close them. Calling someone crazy, weak, attention-seeking or unstable may appear casual to the speaker, but such language can become another barrier between a suffering person and the help they need. And there is another misconception we must confront: seeking professional help does not mean that a person has failed to cope. Sometimes counselling is not about fixing what is wrong with us. It is about creating a space where we can examine what has happened to us, understand our patterns, develop healthier ways of coping and make choices with greater clarity. Mental health also cannot be separated from the circumstances in which people live. Loneliness, unemployment, financial insecurity, violence, discrimination, relationship breakdown, caregiving responsibilities, displacement, chronic illness and social isolation can all affect psychological well-being. The WHO itself describes mental health as existing on a continuum shaped not only by individual factors but also by family, community and structural circumstances. Therefore, telling people simply to be positive is not mental-health care. Sometimes positivity becomes another demand placed upon people who are already struggling. What we need is compassion without condescension, professional care without stigma and communities that understand that vulnerability is not the opposite of strength. This year's theme asks us to listen to lived experience. But listening must not become another performative exercise. We cannot invite survivors to tell their stories merely to make an event more emotional and then ignore what those stories demand of us. We cannot ask people with lived experience to speak about institutional failures while refusing to change those institutions. We cannot celebrate resilience while leaving the conditions that caused the suffering untouched. Listening must lead to action. It means involving people with lived experience in designing mental-health programmes. It means making services more accessible and affordable. It means strengthening community-based care. It means training healthcare workers to recognise psychological distress. It means creating safer schools and workplaces. It means respecting confidentiality and dignity. It means treating people with mental-health conditions as citizens with rights, not problems to be managed. Most importantly, it means changing our idea of what a mentally healthy society looks like. A mentally healthy society is not one in which nobody struggles. It is one in which people do not have to hide their struggle to remain accepted. It is one in which a young man can say, I am scared, without being mocked. It is one in which a woman can say, I need help, without being told that she is failing her family. It is one in which an adolescent can say, I am overwhelmed, and an adult listen before delivering a lecture. It is one in which an elderly person can say, I am lonely, and someone makes time to sit beside them. It is one in which a person living with mental illness is not reduced to a diagnosis. And perhaps most importantly, it is one in which we understand that listening is not passive. Real listening changes what we do. If someone tells us that a service is inaccessible, we change the service. If a survivor tells us that a system made them feel powerless, we examine the system. If a patient tells us that they felt judged, we ask how care can become more compassionate. If a family tells us that they do not know how to support someone, we educate the family rather than blaming them. The greatest lesson of this year's World Mental Health Day may therefore be deceptively simple: listen to people before designing solutions for them. Not every person wants to be rescued. Many want to be understood. Many want to participate in decisions about their own lives. Many want their identity to extend beyond their diagnosis, their trauma or the worst thing that ever happened to them. As a mental health counsellor, I believe we need to make room for that complexity. Because behind every diagnosis is a human being. Behind every statistic is a life. Behind every crisis is a story that often began much earlier. And behind many apparently ordinary faces is an emotional world we may know nothing about. Perhaps the next time we ask someone, How are you?, we should pause long enough to hear the answer. Perhaps we should listen without immediately fixing. Perhaps we should ask again when the first answer sounds rehearsed. Perhaps we should learn to recognise that silence can sometimes be a language too. World Mental Health Day should not be just another date on the calendar when buildings turn green, social media fills with inspirational quotations and conversations about mental health trend for twenty-four hours. It should remind us that mental health is not an annual campaign. It is the invisible foundation beneath how we learn, work, love, parent, lead, grieve, recover and live. And if we truly want real voices, real change, then perhaps the change begins with something profoundly ordinary and profoundly difficult: We listen. Not to reply. Not to diagnose. Not to judge. But to understand. Because sometimes, being genuinely heard is the first place from which healing becomes possible. (The Author is Co-founder, Bharat Dialogues, National President, WICCI Media Council. For Mental health related Queries call 24x7 Toll-Free Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline Kiran (1800-599-0019). Reach the columnist for counselling at: poojapriyamvada@outlook.com)

Strengthening Justice and Protection for SC and ST Tribes: A Constitutional Guarantee

A just and inclusive society is built on the assurance that every citizen can live with dignity, equality and security. For the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), this commitment finds concrete expression through strong constitutional safeguards, effective laws and responsive institutions. The Government of India has, therefore, continued to strengthen the legal and institutional framework for preventing atrocities, protecting victims and ensuring timely access to justice. Two key legislations form the foundation of this framework: the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, commonly known as the PCR Act, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, popularly known as the SC/ST (PoA) Act. Over the years, these laws have been strengthened through legislative amendments, enhanced relief and rehabilitation provisions, special judicial mechanisms, grievance-redressal systems and financial assistance to States and Union Territories. A Stronger Legal Framework for Justice The SC/ST (PoA) Act, 1989 has evolved significantly to respond more effectively to the challenges faced by communities vulnerable to caste-based atrocities. A major step in this direction came through the amendments that came into force on January 26, 2016. The amendments provided for Exclusive Special Courts for the speedy trial of offences and the appointment of Exclusive Special Public Prosecutors. Several new forms of atrocities were also incorporated into the Act, thereby widening the legal protection available to SC and ST communities. Equally important was the insertion of a dedicated chapter dealing with the rights of victims and witnesses. The responsibilities of State Governments towards victims, their dependants and witnesses were strengthened, recognising that justice must extend beyond the registration and trial of a case to the protection, dignity and rehabilitation of those affected. The SC/ST (PoA) Rules, 1995 were subsequently amended on April 14, 2016. These amendments strengthened the relief and rehabilitation framework, enhanced the prescribed relief for 47 offences of atrocities and emphasised timely disbursement of financial assistance to victims and their dependants. Ensuring Timely Access to Justice Further important changes were introduced through the amendment of the SC/ST (PoA) Act on August 20, 2018. The amendment removed the requirement of a preliminary enquiry before registration of a First Information Report in cases under the Act. It also removed the requirement of prior approval for the arrest of a person accused of committing an offence under the Act. The objective was clear: procedural requirements should not become an impediment to the registration, investigation and prosecution of offences involving atrocities against SCs and STs. The SC/ST (PoA) Rules, 1995 were also amended on June 27, 2018, further strengthening relief provisions in cases involving death, injury, rape, gang rape, acid attacks, damage to property and other offences covered by the law. These reforms underline an important principle that the law must not only be strong on paper but must also be accessible and responsive when a victim seeks protection and justice. Strengthening Exclusive Special Courts for Speedy Trial As reported by States and Union Territories, 217 Exclusive Special Courts have been established in 15 States and Union Territories for trial of offences under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The Act also provides for designation of Courts of Session as Special Courts in districts where the number of cases is relatively lower, with the concurrence of the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court. The establishment and strengthening of Exclusive Special Courts is aimed at facilitating speedy trial and effective disposal of cases under the Act and ensuring that victims have access to specialized judicial mechanisms. Taking Grievance Redressal Closer to Citizens Legal protection is meaningful only when citizens are aware of their rights and can access appropriate assistance. Keeping this in view, the National Helpline Against Atrocities (NHAA) on SCs and STs was launched on December 13, 2021 subsequently renamed SAMBAL. The Toll-Free 1800-202-1989 and short code HELPLINE 14566, is designed to create greater awareness about the provisions of the SC/ST (PoA) Act and facilitate access to information, guidance and grievance-redressal mechanisms. It provides an important avenue for individuals affected by atrocities to understand their legal rights and the remedies available to them. By strengthening awareness and accessibility, the helpline complements the broader institutional framework for protection and justice. Strengthening Implementation on the Ground The effectiveness of any legislation ultimately depends on its implementation. The Government has therefore issued Scheme Guidelines after consultations with stakeholders and concerned Ministries and Departments to facilitate the effective implementation of the PCR Act, 1955 and the SC/ST (PoA) Act, 1989. The guidelines provide a structured framework for extending assistance to States and Union Territories and strengthening measures relating to prevention, protection, relief, rehabilitation and awareness. The Government has also responded to practical challenges arising during implementation. For instance, questions had arisen regarding the authority responsible for providing relief to victims or dependants who had migrated from one State or Union Territory to another. To bring clarity and uniformity, a clarification issued on June 20, 2025 established that the relief amount prescribed under the SC/ST (PoA) Rules shall be provided by the State or Union Territory in which the FIR has been registered under the Act. Such measures are important because the protection available under the law must remain effective even when victims or their dependants move across State or Union Territory boundaries. The clarification facilitates timely disbursement of relief and strengthens consistency in implementation. Central Assistance with a Focus on Victims and Social Inclusion The Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the implementation of the PCR Act, 1955 and the SC/ST (PoA) Act, 1989 provides financial support to States and Union Territories for strengthening enforcement mechanisms, providing relief and rehabilitation to victims and promoting social integration. Since 201415, Central Assistance of These figures represent more than financialallocations and beneficiary numbers. They reflect the Government; s=\ continuing=\ effort=\ to=\ ensure=\ that=\ victims=\ receive=\ support=\ when=\ they=\ need=\ it=\ and=\ social=\ harmony=\ is=\ encouraged=\ through=\ measures=\ promote=\ equality=\ integration. Justice, Dignity and Equality at the Centre The strengthening of the SC/ST (PoA) Act and Rules, establishment of special judicial mechanisms, enhancement of relief and rehabilitation provisions, creation of a national helpline, issuance of implementation guidelines and sustained Central financial assistance together constitute a comprehensive approach towards the protection of SC and ST communities. Our commitment is not limited to responding to atrocities after they occur. It is equally about prevention, awareness, institutional accountability, timely relief, rehabilitation and creating conditions in which every citizen can live with dignity and without fear. The Constitution of India guarantees equality, dignity and justice to all citizens. Protecting these values requires continuous vigilance, effective implementation and close cooperation between the Centre, States and Union Territories. The Government will continue to work towards strengthening these mechanisms, addressing implementation challenges and ensuring that legal safeguards translate into meaningful protection on the ground. For SCs and STs, justice must not merely be a constitutional promise it must be experienced as a lived reality of dignity, security, equality and opportunity. (The Author is Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment. Courtesy: PIB)

Acharya Vasugupta: The Sage Who Gave Kashmir Shaivism Its First Voice

Every great civilisation has moments when an idea becomes larger than the age in which it is born. In the intellectual history of Kashmir, Acharya Vasugupta represents one such moment. More than a millennium ago, he articulated a vision that became the starting point for one of Indias most sophisticated philosophical traditionsKashmir Shaivism. Yet Vasuguptas importance deserves to be understood precisely. He was not the author of the entire philosophical system that later came to be known as Kashmir Shaivism. The elaborate doctrines of the 36 tattvas, Pratyabhijna, Spanda, the various upayas and the aesthetic philosophy associated with Abhinavagupta emerged through generations of thinkers. Vasuguptas distinctive place lies earlier: he stands at the foundational moment when the central Shaiva insight was expressed as a direct path of recognition and spiritual practice. His name is inseparably associated with the Shiva Sutras, a compact collection of aphorisms that opened a new chapter in Kashmiri thought. In remarkably few words, the text addresses questions that remain fundamental: Who are we? Why do we experience ourselves as limited? What is the relationship between the individual and the universe? And how can that limitation be overcome? The answers were not presented simply as doctrines to be believed. They were framed as invitations to experience. Vasuguptas precise dates remain uncertain, and the accounts of his life combine history with sacred tradition. He is generally placed around the late eighth or early ninth century CE. Kashmirs traditional accounts remember him as the sage to whom the Shiva Sutras were revealed. According to one celebrated tradition, Lord Shiva appeared to Vasugupta in a dream and directed him towards a rock on Mount Mahadeva, where the sacred teachings were revealed. Another account holds that the aphorisms were inscribed upon the rock itself and discovered by the sage. Whether understood literally or symbolically, the story expresses the extraordinary status attributed to the text. The Shiva Sutras were regarded not simply as the product of philosophical speculation but as a revelation of a truth that could be directly realised. What Vasugupta Actually Gave the Tradition The most important contribution associated with Vasugupta is the form in which the teaching was transmitted. The Shiva Sutras are not a systematic philosophical treatise. They do not proceed through long arguments or attempt to define every element of a complete metaphysical system. Instead, they offer terse propositions designed to provoke recognition. Their opening declaration is famous: Chaitanyam Atma Consciousness is the Self. The significance of the statement lies not merely in the doctrine it expresses but in the direction it gives to spiritual inquiry. The seeker is asked to begin with the most immediate fact available: the experience of being aware. For Vasugupta, the search for the ultimate does not have to begin somewhere outside the individual. It begins with examining the very nature of the Self. This gives his teaching an important experiential quality. The individual ordinarily identifies the Self with the body, personality, memories, desires and circumstances. Vasuguptas teaching turns that assumption around. These are changing aspects of experience; the deeper Self is that through which experience is known. The spiritual task is therefore not the acquisition of a new identity but the recognition of an identity that has been obscured by limitation. This is the distinctive seed that later thinkers would develop into the philosophy of Pratyabhijna, or recognition. Vasugupta did not, however, provide the elaborate philosophical formulation later associated with Utpaladeva and Abhinavagupta. His contribution was more foundational and direct: he placed recognition at the heart of spiritual practice. That distinction matters. From Revelation to Practice Another distinctive feature of the Shiva Sutras is their practical orientation. The text moves repeatedly from metaphysical insight towards transformation. It deals with meditation, mantra, breath, concentration, perception and states of awareness. Its concern is not simply to explain reality but to show how a seeker might break through the ordinary limitations of experience. This makes Vasugupta different from a philosopher who merely constructs an abstract system. His teaching asks the reader to test the proposition within experience. If the Self is fundamentally free, why do we experience bondage? If the divine is present in all existence, why do we experience separation? If the deepest reality is present here and now, what prevents us from recognising it? These questions are implicit in the structure of the Shiva Sutras. The answer lies in limitation. Human beings habitually identify themselves with a contracted sense of individuality. Kashmir Shaiva thought would later analyse these limitations with considerable technical sophistication, but Vasuguptas contribution was to establish the spiritual problem in experiential terms. The problem is not that the divine has disappeared. It is that recognition has been obscured. That is a crucial distinction. Liberation therefore becomes less a journey towards a distant goal and more a recovery of what is already present. The Early Vision of Spanda Vasuguptas name is also closely connected by tradition with the early Spanda teaching. Spanda is frequently translated as vibration, although the term should not be confused with a physical vibration. It points towards the subtle dynamism or pulsation of ultimate realitythe fact that the supreme principle is not a lifeless abstraction but possesses the inherent power to manifest, perceive and act. This provided an important bridge between transcendence and the world. If Shiva is ultimate reality and Shakti is the power of manifestation, then creation is not something fundamentally outside the divine. The changing universe is related to the unchanging source through this dynamic power. The Spanda Karikas, traditionally connected with Vasuguptas lineage, developed this insight. The exact historical relationship between Vasugupta and the text remains a matter of scholarly discussion, and it is therefore safer to speak of the Spanda tradition as belonging to the intellectual circle and lineage associated with him. What matters philosophically is that this early teaching prevented the Kashmir Shaiva vision from becoming a static doctrine of transcendence. Reality is dynamic. The divine is not merely beyond the world; it expresses itself through the world. This would become one of the most fertile ideas in the later development of Kashmir Shaivism. The Foundation and the Edifice After Vasugupta, the tradition expanded dramatically. Somnanda composed the Shivadristi. His disciple Utpaladeva developed the Ishvara Pratyabhijna, giving philosophical precision to the doctrine of recognition. Centuries later, Abhinavagupta brought together multiple streams of Kashmir Shaiva thought and produced a synthesis of extraordinary scope. It is tempting, therefore, to attribute the whole architecture of Kashmir Shaivism to Vasugupta. That would obscure his actual achievement. Vasugupta laid the foundation; the later masters built the philosophical edifice. His achievement was to establish a vocabulary and spiritual orientation from which subsequent generations could work. The Shiva Sutras supplied the compressed foundational insight. The Spanda tradition explored the dynamism of that insight. Later philosophers supplied increasingly elaborate metaphysics, logic and theology. Seen this way, Vasuguptas importance becomes clearer, not smaller. He was the point at which a powerful spiritual intuition became a transmissible philosophical tradition. Why That Contribution Matters Today This distinction also makes Vasugupta more relevant to the present. The modern world is filled with elaborate systems for describing reality. Science, technology, psychology, economics and artificial intelligence constantly expand our capacity to measure and manipulate the external world. Vasugupta begins somewhere more elementary. He asks us to examine the experiencing subject itself. That question has acquired new urgency. Modern life is increasingly organised around the construction of identity. Professional profiles, social-media personas, biometric data, online reputations and algorithmic recommendations all contribute to the ways in which individuals are represented and understood. Yet none of these representations necessarily answers the simplest question: who is the person behind them? The Shiva Sutras approach this problem from an entirely different direction. Instead of adding another description of the self, they ask us to investigate the basis of selfhood. That is a distinctive contemporary relevance. The second concerns attention. Our age has developed an extraordinary machinery for capturing attention. Notifications, feeds, advertising and recommendation systems continually compete for a persons mental space. The issue is no longer simply having too much information; it is retaining the ability to determine where ones attention goes. Vasuguptas insistence on disciplined awareness therefore acquires a new significance. His teaching can be read as a reminder that attention is not merely an economic commodity; it is an element of freedom. A person who cannot direct attention freely is vulnerable to every external demand. A person who can observe thought without immediately becoming captive to it has begun to recover a degree of inner autonomy. This is not a claim that Vasugupta anticipated the digital age. He could not have. His relevance is that he identified a human problem that technology has intensified without creating: the tendency to lose ourselves in the movements of the mind. There is also a deeper contemporary challenge. Humanity now possesses unprecedented technological power. Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, digital networks and automation are transforming what human beings can do. But increased capability raises a corresponding question: what kind of person should possess that capability? Vasuguptas philosophy does not provide a technological policy manual. It offers something more fundamentalthe insistence that outer power and inner understanding are not the same thing. A civilisation may become increasingly powerful without becoming increasingly wise. That distinction may be one of the most important reasons to revisit Indias philosophical inheritance today. A Beginning, Not a Conclusion Vasuguptas legacy should therefore not be measured only by the doctrines that later came to bear the name of Kashmir Shaivism. His more distinctive contribution was to establish the first great doorway into that tradition. He took an ultimate philosophical question and turned it into a question of immediate experience. He presented the Self not as an object to be discovered somewhere beyond life, but as the starting point of inquiry. He connected metaphysical insight with spiritual practice. And through the Shiva Sutras, he provided later generations with a remarkably compressed set of teachings from which an entire philosophical world could unfold. Somnanda, Utpaladeva and Abhinavagupta would deepen, systematise and expand that world. They would develop its logic, metaphysics, theology, aesthetics and psychology. But the foundational gesture remained Vasuguptas. More than a thousand years later, its force has not disappeared. At a time when people are surrounded by competing definitions of who they are, when attention has become a commodity and when technological power is advancing faster than reflection about its consequences, Vasuguptas question is strikingly direct: Before we attempt to master the world, have we understood the one who experiences it? That question takes us back to the opening of the Shiva Sutras and to the sage at the beginning of the Kashmiri tradition. Vasugupta did not provide the final word on Kashmir Shaivism. He did something perhaps more consequential. He opened the first door. (The Author is a columnist, a public intellectual and a noted legal eagle)

AIP seeks crop insurance, hailstorm relief for growers

Pulwama, Oct 9: While visiting different areas of Pulwama and Shopian in South Kashmir, Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi expressed concern over the vulnerability of farmers and orchardists to recurring weather-related losses and questioned the prolonged delay in implementing crop insurance in Jammu and Kashmir. In a statement, Nabi demanded an immediate assessment of hailstorm damage, timely compensation for affected growers and a time-bound insurance framework covering all major crops, including fruits, vegetables, saffron and cereals. Why must farmers suffer every season while crop insurance remains a distant promise? The government must explain the delay and announce a definite timeline for implementation, Inam said. Referring to the pending implementation of the weather-based insurance scheme for horticultural crops, he urged the Union Government and J&K administration to resolve outstanding issues without further delay. Farmers need affordable insurance, transparent coverage and timely settlement of claims. Compensation after losses is necessary, but a comprehensive crop insurance mechanism is essential to protect their livelihoods, he added.

Yudhvir Sethi holds janata darbar in Jammu east

Jammu, Oct 8: Jammu East MLA Yudhvir Sethi on Friday held a Janata Darbar at Pandit Prem Nath Dogra Bhawan in Kachi Chawni, Jammu, to hear public grievances and ensure their timely redressal. A large number of residents from different parts of the constituency attended the programme and raised issues related to civic amenities, development works and other public concerns requiring intervention by the concerned departments. Sethi gave a patient hearing to the residents, took note of their grievances and interacted with officials to initiate steps for resolving the issues at the earliest. Several matters were taken up on the spot, with directions issued for necessary follow-up. Addressing the gathering, Sethi said public service and grievance redressal remained among his top priorities. Jan Seva and resolution of public grievances are our priority. Every citizen who approaches us with a genuine concern deserves to be heard and receive a timely response, he said. The MLA emphasised that regular interaction with residents was essential to identify ground-level issues and ensure effective delivery of development and welfare measures. He said the Janata Darbar provided a direct platform for people to raise their concerns. Sethi directed the concerned officials to maintain coordination and follow up on the issues raised during the programme, stressing the need for efficient and transparent delivery of public services. He reiterated his commitment to continued public outreach and assured residents that their genuine grievances would be pursued with the concerned authorities for early resolution.

Left parties condemn curbs on Jantar Mantar protest

Srinagar, Oct 9: Five Left parties have condemned the restrictions imposed by Delhi Police ahead of the October 10 mobilisation against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI), terming the measures an infringement of citizens fundamental right to peaceful protest. In a joint statement, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, CPI (ML)-Liberation, Revolutionary Socialist Party and All India Forward Bloc alleged that the restrictions, including the denial of permission for the proposed demonstration, extensive barricading and prohibitory orders, were aimed at preventing people from participating in the mobilisation. The parties also expressed concern over reports of 57 Metro stations being closed, trains heading to Delhi being cancelled, people being placed under house arrest in different parts of the country and students being detained. They further alleged that offices of student organisations were under surveillance. Describing the measures as an attack on constitutional rights, the parties said the restrictions were also causing inconvenience and harassment to ordinary citizens. They urged the Delhi Police and the Union government to stop intimidating prospective participants and refrain from arbitrary detentions. The Left parties demanded that authorities remove obstacles to the mobilisation and allow people to proceed to Jantar Mantar to participate in the proposed peaceful demonstration.

Budgam police arrest three more in fake job scam

Budgam, Oct 9: Budgam Police have arrested three more persons in an alleged fraud syndicate accused of cheating people on the pretext of providing government jobs, securing educational admissions outside Jammu and Kashmir and offering lucrative business opportunities, taking the total number of arrests in the case to five. The newly arrested accused have been identified as Zahoor Ahmad Bhat of Watpora, Bandipora; Imtiyaz Ahmad Bhat of Kaloosa, Bandipora; and Saleem Ali Bhat of Plan, Bandipora. Police said Zahoor Ahmad Bhat had emerged as a key alleged conspirator during the investigation. Questioning of the accused is underway to establish their individual roles, ascertain the alleged modus operandi of the network and identify other persons who may be involved in the case. Earlier, police had arrested Jehangir Ahmad Dar and Firdous Ahmad Bhat in connection with the investigation. According to police, the alleged syndicate cheated unsuspecting people by promising government employment, admissions to educational institutions outside the Union Territory and profitable business deals through fictitious business entities. The accused allegedly claimed links with senior government officials and political figures to gain victims trust and induce them to pay substantial sums of money. Police said the investigation is focused on tracing financial transactions, identifying additional victims and associates, and determining the full extent of the alleged fraud. Further arrests and recoveries may follow as the investigation progresses. Budgam Police have advised the public to verify claims relating to government jobs, educational admissions and business opportunities through authorised channels. People who believe they have been targeted by similar frauds have been urged to report the matter to their nearest police station.

Sikh groups rally for Punjabi language

Srinagar, Oct 9: Members of the Sikh community in Kashmir have called for official recognition, restoration and promotion of the Punjabi language in Jammu and Kashmir, urging the government to take concrete measures to safeguard the linguistic, cultural and educational rights of Punjabi-speaking people. The demand was raised by Sikh youth activists, scholars and representatives of various community organisations at separate gatherings in Srinagar on Friday. While Sikh youth assembled at Lal Chowk to express solidarity with the Jammu Punjabi Morcha, members of the community from different walks of life gathered at Gurdwara Shaheed Bunga Sahib in Baghat Barzulla to press for the languages due recognition and institutional support. The gatherings were attended by representatives of the All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee, Punjabi Sahit Sabha, Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Akali Dal and other organisations, besides community leaders and youth activists. Speaking at Lal Chowk, Sardar Angad Singh Khalsa said Punjabi was an integral part of the communitys cultural identity, history and heritage, and that its official recognition deserved priority consideration by the government. Punjabi is an integral part of our cultural identity, history and heritage. The demand for its official recognition is genuine, and the government should consider it on priority. The removal of Punjabi from the list of official languages has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Punjabi-speaking community, he said. Tejveer Singh, president of the J&K Youth Empowerment Society (YES), extended support to the Jammu Punjabi Morcha and urged the government to address the concerns of Punjabi-speaking people. Language is not merely a means of communication, it represents our history, traditions and collective identity. We urge the government to listen to the sentiments of the Punjabi-speaking people and take appropriate steps to promote and protect the language, he said. At Gurdwara Shaheed Bunga Sahib, community representatives, including Jagmohan Singh Raina, Ajeet Singh Mastana, Dara Singh, D.P. Singh, Dr Rekhi and Mangat Singh Jugnu, highlighted the historical, religious and cultural significance of Punjabi, particularly for the Sikh community. They called for Punjabi to be given its due place in Jammu and Kashmirs educational and administrative framework and demanded effective measures to promote its teaching in schools and other educational institutions. The community members stressed that the preservation of Punjabi was essential to safeguarding Jammu and Kashmir's pluralistic identity and longstanding tradition of communal harmony. They maintained that all languages deserved equal respect and institutional support. The participants urged the government to initiate meaningful dialogue with community representatives and take concrete steps towards the recognition, preservation and promotion of Punjabi in Jammu and Kashmir.

HC strikes down Madhya Pradeshs 27% OBC quota law, calls it unconstitutional

The High Court judgment came after years of hearing on a number of petitions filed by students from unreserved categories, who had challenged the Amendment Act of August 2019

HC confirms bail in minors kidnapping case

Srinagar, Oct 9: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has made anticipatory bail granted to two men accused of allegedly facilitating the kidnapping and illegal confinement of a minor girl absolute, observing that the prosecution had not pointed out any violation of their interim bail conditions. Justice M. A. Chowdhary passed the order while allowing the bail application of Satpal Sharma, 59, and Balwant Raj, 44, in connection with an FIR registered at Police Station Ransoo in Reasi district under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. According to the complaint, the mother of a 16-year-old girl reported her missing after she failed to return home from school on April 23, 2026. Three days later, Sharma allegedly informed the family that the girl had been seen at Bhambla market with Rohit Kumar, the main accused. Police alleged that Rohit had kidnapped the girl after her family refused his marriage proposal. The investigating agency further accused Sharma and Balwant Raj of facilitating the offence by arranging hotel accommodation and assisting Rohit's movements. The prosecution relied on hotel registers, statements of hotel staff, a UPI transaction, call detail records and the victim's identification of the applicants during a test identification parade. Police also alleged that Balwant Raj had asked hotel staff to remove his mobile number and personal details from their records. Opposing the bail plea, the prosecution argued that the applicants had knowingly aided the main accused. The defence maintained that they had helped recover the girl and argued that merely arranging accommodation did not establish abetment. The victims mother told the court that she had no objection to the applicants being granted bail. Justice Chowdhary noted that the applicants had received interim bail on June 24 and no violation of its conditions had been established before the court. The court made the interim bail absolute, directing the applicants to cooperate with the investigation, not leave Jammu and Kashmir without the concerned SHOs permission and refrain from tampering with evidence. They must furnish personal and surety bonds of Rs 50,000 each. The court clarified that its observations were confined to the bail application and did not determine the merits of the case.

Trump says Russia to immediately supply diesel to U.S. after talks with Putin

The surprise announcement comes against the backdrop of a U.S. law seeking to impose steep tariffs against top purchasers of Russian oil and gas

Andrabi condemns assault on Kashmiri youth in Delhi

Srinagar, Oct 9: Chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board, Dr Syed Darakhshan Andrabi, has condemned the alleged assault on Kashmiri youth Fahim Nazir in New Delhi, calling for an impartial investigation and legal action against those found responsible. In a statement, Andrabi said expressing admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not a crime and that political differences could never justify violence. Fahim Nazir is a son of Kashmir and a son of India. The Prime Minister is the Prime Minister of the entire nation, and being his fan or expressing admiration for him is certainly no crime, she said, adding that such incidents were unacceptable in a democracy. Andrabi said no political affiliation gave anyone the right to take the law into their own hands and urged the authorities to establish the facts surrounding the alleged assault. Today, it is Fahim Nazir; tomorrow, it could be someone else. We cannot remain silent when a young Indian is allegedly assaulted for expressing his views, she said. She called on the authorities to ensure an impartial inquiry and take legal action against anyone found responsible.

Apple orchards draw tourists in Ganderbal

Ganderbal, Oct 9: Apple orchards in the Haknar area of Ganderbal are emerging as an attraction for tourists during the ongoing harvest season, with visitors stopping to taste freshly plucked apples, witness harvesting and purchase locallymade apple-based products directly from growers. Located along the route to Sonamarg, the orchards offer tourists an opportunity to experience Kashmirs apple harvest up close while enjoying the natural surroundings and interacting with local farmers. Besides fresh apples, visitors are showing interest in locally produced items such as apple juice, apple cider vinegar and other products, providing orchard owners an opportunity to promote their produce and earn additional income. Farmers in Haknar said apple production had been satisfactory so far and expressed hope that this year's crop would be better than last year's. They described the harvesting period as crucial for orchardists and said a favourable season would bring renewed optimism to the farming community. For many visitors, the orchard experience has become a memorable part of their Kashmir trip. Tourists said the taste and aroma of freshly harvested apples, along with the hospitality of local residents, made the visit special. A tourist from Pathankot in Punjab, who was travelling towards Sonamarg after arriving in Srinagar, said he stopped after noticing the apple harvest underway. He praised the taste of the green and red apple varieties and said freshly prepared apple juice had added to his experience. He also purchased apple cider vinegar and gulkand, describing the products and their prices as satisfying. Another tourist, Monika Puri from Jalandhar in Punjab, said her first visit to Kashmir had become memorable after she tasted freshly plucked apples in an orchard. She said the taste and fragrance of Kashmir-grown apples were distinct from those she had sampled elsewhere, includingHimachal Pradesh. Puri encouraged more tourists to visit local orchards during the harvesting season, saying such visits offered a chance to enjoy Kashmir's natural beauty while supporting local growers and businesses. She added that promoting orchard visits and encouraging tourists to purchase locally made products could help strengthen livelihoods and motivate farmers and other local entrepreneurs. The growing interest in orchard visits is adding a seasonal attraction to the tourism experience in Ganderbal while giving local growers an opportunity to showcase Kashmir's apple varieties and diversify their income.

Two trekkers rescued in Ganderbal

Ganderbal: Two boys from Srinagar were rescued by a joint team of police and security forces on Friday morning after they lost their way while trekking in the forest area towards Tarsar-Marsar near Rayil in Gund, Ganderbal district. The boys, both from Srinagar identified as Huzair and Minaan, were traced around 89 am following a nightlong search operation involving police, SDRF, Army, CRPF and local guides. Under the supervision of SSP Ganderbal, SDPO Kangan and SHO Gund, police and security forces launched a nightlong search after the boys lost their way while trekking in the forest. The boys sought help through emergency helpline 112 and contacted the SHO Gund. A joint team comprising Gund Police, SOG, SDRF, Army, CRPF and local guides subsequently launched the rescue operation. According to officials, the boys had gone trekking towards the forest area when they lost their way. They reportedly contacted the emergency helpline 112 and also informed the SHO of Gund Police Station, seeking assistance. After their rescue, the boys were brought to Gund Police Station, where police officials were counselling them. The parents of the rescued boys expressed gratitude to Ganderbal Police and the participating teams for their efforts in locating their children. Another parent, Gauhar, said the boys had gone towards Sonamarg for an outing before heading into the forest for trekking. After losing their way, they contacted the emergency helpline and local police for assistance. He thanked SSP Ganderbal, SDPO Kangan, SHO Gund, SOG, SDRF and the Army for their coordinated efforts in tracing the boys. The parents also stressed the need for proper permissions, preparation and guidance before undertaking trekking activities in mountainous areas, saying adventure trips should be carried out with adequate safety arrangements.

IGP Kashmir praises security arrangements for Urs

Budgam, Oct 9: Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Sujit Kumar on Friday reviewed security and law-and-order arrangements at Charar-i-Sharief in Budgam district during the annual Urs of revered Sufi saint Sheikh Noor-ud-DinNoorani (RA). Speaking to reporters outside the shrine, Kumar said he had visited the shrine to pay his respects and assess the arrangements in place for the religious gathering, which witnessed the participation of a large number of devotees. He said the Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF were working in close coordination with the shrine management committee to ensure the smooth and peaceful conduct of the Urs. The IGP also appreciated the efforts of the civil administration, ambulance services and Fire and Emergency Services in facilitating the gathering and ensuring necessary arrangements for devotees. Congratulating the people of Jammu and Kashmir on the occasion, Kumar said he had prayed for peace, tranquillity and prosperity across the Union Territory, while also seeking blessings for the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

Balance Tourism and Ecology: Rana

Surankote, Oct 9: Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology, Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, on Friday stressed the need to balance tourism development with environmental protection, saying eco-tourism initiatives must preserve the regions natural heritage while creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities. He made these remarks while inaugurating the Wildlife Eco-Tourism Hut on Mughal Road in Surankote, Poonch district,a facility aimed at promoting responsible tourism and raising awareness about wildlife conservation. Constructed by the Department of Wildlife Protection under the UT Capex Budget at an estimated cost of 1.87 crore, the facility is expected to attract tourists and nature enthusiasts to the picturesque Mughal Road, known for its scenic landscapes, lush green surroundings and rich ecological diversity. Rana emphasised that tourism infrastructure should complement the regions natural assets without compromising its fragile ecosystems. He underscored the importance of ensuring that local communities benefit from the economic opportunities generated by nature-based tourism. The newly inaugurated facility is expected to enhance the tourism experience for visitors, promote awareness about wildlife conservation and encourage environmentally responsible practices. The initiative is also expected to generate livelihood opportunities through tourism-related activities, giving fresh impetus to tourism development in Surankote and the wider Poonch district. The project forms part of efforts to strengthen eco-tourism infrastructure while supporting conservation and sustainable economic development in Jammu and Kashmir.

Comply with changes in AEE notification, candidates told

BRICS in a fragmented world order, a test of relevance

Despite diplomatic consensus at the New Delhi summit, BRICS faces internal tensions and imbalances

Hyderabads common mobility pass fails to hit the mark

Priced at 8,500 a month, the new pass allows unlimited travel on Metro Rail and RTC buses within the ORR limits but excludes MMTS and last-mile services. Commuters say affordable fares, feeder connectivity and coordination among transport agencies are essential for seamless travel

Breakfast scheme brings more students to schools in Telangana

Increased enrolment, enhanced attendance, no complaints of hunger and more energy among students throughout the day were some of the key factors that emerged as focal points in the Telangana schools after the introduction of the breakfast scheme this academic year, according to a survey in Kodangal constituency by Third Vision Research and Services

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day to be celebrated on October 10

Pallium Indias celebration will bring together patients, families, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and volunteers

Indias WorldSkills medals reflect patient investment

Skill-Ex is the investment in the people behind Indias medal-winning performance at the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, China

Beyond forms: On the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature

The Nobel for Anne Carson celebrates experimentation and imagination

Chennai Metrowater to hold open house meetings on Saturday

Such meetings were held every second Saturday of the month to redress complaints

Audit of more than 120 public parks in Bengaluru finds accessibility gaps

When it comes to sanitation, only 29.5% have toilets, of which 61% are accessible. Only 5.4% have handwashing facilities, and 10.9% have drinking water

ISDR conference explores emerging trends in dental science

Inaugurating the conference, Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar called for making quality dental care accessible and affordable, particularly in rural areas, through outreach programmes and rural healthcare mechanisms

Lions Clubs International conducts camps in Chennai

Faeces in school water tank: two boys behind the act, but no malicious intent, says SP

Man convicted on charges of sexually assaulting minor girl near Chennai

Three persons arrested for cheating job seekers with fake work-from-home offers

Further investigations are under way to ascertain whether more people were involved and identify other victims who may have been cheated in a similar manner

Karnataka HC stays probe into FIRs against two BJP booth-level agents in Form 7 row

NIA files chargesheet against 4 in Kishtwar terror attack case, traces conspiracy to Pakistan

The 535-page chargesheet details the conspiracy and the role of the three dead terrorists, including Saifullah, commander of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammad, in the attack.

BJP says Rahuls account of INDIA bloc meeting with President politically motivated

While Congress leader says he was shocked that the President did not deny the Oppositions vote theft allegation, BJPs Sudhanshu Trivedi says Rahul Gandhi twisted what had occurred

Kerala Postal Circle launches Assured Next Day Delivery service

Speed Post articles to be delivered next day in six Municipal Corporations of Keralam

HC imposes costs on School Education department for delay in filing appeal

TVK allies hail byelection victory, says its an endorsement of governments performance

Alliance leaders including Thirumavalavan and Manickam Tagore congratulate the party on its electoral success

Awareness safety drive held for fishing boat owners

568 projects proposed under UDF governments 100-day action plan implemented, says Keralam Chief Minister

Satheesan announces the governments second mission christened Janasparsham -- a File Adalat lasting from October 15 to December 31 to dispose of pending files

MLA, officials review public grievances in Visakhapatnam

Sribharat urges Gadkari to take up Visakhapatnam Beach Road development

Hek criticises Sniaw

Shillong, Oct 9: Pynthorumkhrah MLA Alexander Laloo Hek of the Bharatiya Janata Party has reacted negatively to Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhars choice of words when speaking about the BJP legislator. The row goes back a few days when Hek said that certain National Peoples Party (NPP) members are willing to join the saffron party. [] The post Hek criticises Sniaws choice of words first appeared on Highland Post .

CoMSO slams Govt over AG row, asks what is it hiding

Shillong, Oct 9: The Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) has hit out at the Conrad Sangma government for failing to act against Advocate General Amit Kumar despite opposition from the legal fraternity. CoMSO General Secretary Balkarin Ch. Marak called Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangmas conduct deeply disappointing and unacceptable, saying assurances given to lawyers [] The post CoMSO slams Govt over AG row, asks what is it hiding first appeared on Highland Post .

Karnataka HC notice to govt. on BDAs plan to construct new building for its headquarters by demolishing existing one

YSRCP seeks transparency in GVMC ward delimitation, electoral rolls

Left parties stage protests across Visakhapatnam, demand removal of CEC

Alvas Nudisiri Virasat to be held from January 6 to 10

NEEPCO records highest ever profit

Shillong, Oct 9: North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) recorded its highest-ever profit after tax of Rs 769.08 crore in the financial year 202526 and now accounts for nearly one-third of the power generation capacity in the North East. NEEPCO highlighted its financial achievements, power generation capacity, upcoming infrastructure projects and Corporate Social Responsibility [] The post NEEPCO records highest ever profit first appeared on Highland Post .

Judicial academy holds outreach on clean air in Byrnihat

Shillong, Oct 9: Amid rising concerns over air pollution in Byrnihat circle, the Meghalaya State Judicial Academy (MSJA) held a one-day outreach programme on Right to Clean Air: From Statistics to Action. The programme was held on Friday at the Multipurpose Hall, Byrnihat, under the aegis of the High Court of Meghalaya in collaboration with [] The post Judicial academy holds outreach on clean air in Byrnihat first appeared on Highland Post .

Care Hospitals strengthens stroke, cardiac care

The first-of-its-kind Artis zee Bi-Plane Cath Lab allows doctors to see blood vessels from two different angles during a procedure and provides advanced 3D and CT-like imaging ensuring greater precision

DDMA holds safety training for Puja committees

Shillong, Oct 9: the District Disaster Management Authority, East Khasi Hills, conducted a training and capacity-building programme for volunteers and Durga Puja committees at the Meghalaya Bharat Scouts & Guides premises ahead of the festivities. The programme aimed to strengthen safety, preparedness and coordinated emergency response. Traffic Police briefed participants on traffic management and road [] The post DDMA holds safety training for Puja committees first appeared on Highland Post .

Meghalaya MSMEs sign MoUs with global buyers

Shillong, Oct 9: Meghalaya MSMEs signed MoUs with international buyers for overseas supply on the second day of the Reverse Buyer Seller Meet 2.0 at State Convention Centre, here. Organised by the Commerce and Industries Department, the meet brought over 300 entrepreneurs from all 12 districts face-to-face with 32 domestic and international buyers. MSMEs showcased [] The post Meghalaya MSMEs sign MoUs with global buyers first appeared on Highland Post .

Tell what we need to know

Shillong, Oct 9: Accuracy over noise, ground over desk that was the message at the first Hill Myna Media Conclave 2026 held on Thursday at Moreau Institute, Shillong. Organised by Hill Myna Magazine under the theme On-Ground Reporting in Northeast India, the conclave brought together journalists, officials, students and young writers to debate ethics, [] The post Tell what we need to know: DC calls for grounded journalism first appeared on Highland Post .

Russian strikes across Ukraine kill 3 people as Kyiv struggles to counter escalating attacks

One man was killed, and five people were wounded in Russian strikes on Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region in the morning hours, said Mykhailo Semikin, the head of the regional military administratio

Talks with Iran can only succeed without threats, President says

Diplomatic efforts to end the seven-month conflict, which began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, have been at an impasse since the summer

DIPR conclave charts roadmap for responsive public information service

Shillong, Oct 9: The Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) on Friday held its second conclave to chart a roadmap for a more responsive and coordinated public information service. The conclave, held at the State Guest House here, under the theme Strengthening DIPR: Building a Responsive, Connected and Future-Ready Information Service, built on the [] The post DIPR conclave charts roadmap for responsive public information service first appeared on Highland Post .

How can a police officer aver that accused will abscond because he is a North Indian? questions Madras High Court

Justice N. Ramesh says such an averment is not appreciated and that a persons place of origin cannot be a reason for apprehending that he may flee

Repeal recent Assembly polls, INDIA bloc urges President

Memorandum alleges large-scale vote theft, demands resignation of CEC, suspension of SIR, and return to paper ballots; Rahul Gandhi says sustained Opposition pressure could bring down the government

AIADMK likely to face another crisis after decline in vote share

Following AIADMKs recent setback in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypoll, detractors may raise questions about Edappadi K. Palaniswamis leadership around the time of the partys Foundation Day on October 17

Brain-dead mans organs gives new lease of life to four people

More train halts sought at Tadepalligudem railway station

Mr. Srinivas has appealed for the halting of Vande Bharat and Garib Rath Express trains at Tadepalligudem station.

Assault on child: child rights panel registers case

The commission has sought details from the Parassala Station House Officer and the district child protection officer following media reports that the child was beaten up after she deleted WhatsApp from her mothers phone

Literature nurtures imagination, independent thought: actor Brahmanandam

Supreme Court rejects A.P. government plea to restore 34% quota for Backward Classes in local bodies

The top court says data from a unified family survey were insufficient to justify the enhanced reservation in the absence of a specific empirical assessment of backwardness and representation in local bodies

The other Nana Patekar: A life shaped by classical music

When the arc lights dimmed, Nana Patekar retreated into a world of raags, poetry and enduring artistic friendships.

Before CJP, 400 former BSF personnel were denied permission to protest in Jantar Mantar

Police told the former BSF personnel, who wanted to protest against their dismissal from service, that hunger strikes were unlawful and that a two-day continuous agitation is not permitted

CB-CID arrests DCB Inspector at Thanjavur

Saudi authorities say three killed in Houthi-claimed attacks on Riyadh airport

The attacks on October 8 were the deadliest in Saudi Arabia since the kingdom and allied forces in neighbouring Yemen launched a major military offensive against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels last weekend