The Nobel for IceCube and the search for neutrinos from outer space | Explained
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole has won Francis Halzen the Nobel Prize for physics by opening a window into parts of the universe that were until recently beyond our reach
Back to the future: lessons from the Asian Games for the Olympics
An Olympic medal will mean less to a player than winning a World Cup or World Test Championship. And if the games are in a country with little or no interest in cricket, it is unlikely to spread its message which is what the ICC hopes for
Eva Marie Saint, Oscar winner of Hollywood classics, dies at 102
Her representative Jeff Sanderson said Saint died of natural causes at home in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and loved ones
Here is a select list of stories to start the day
CEC Gyanesh Kumars Chhattisgarh visit postponed
Mr Kumar who is facing criticism over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the fellow ECI officials were scheduled to travel from Delhi to Chhattisgarh for the visit spanning October 7 and 8
India, Ghana discuss multilateral cooperation during EAM Jaishankars visit
Mr. Jaishankar said that he held wide-ranging discussions with his Ghanaian counterpart Ablakwa
Trump says he has call scheduled with Putin to discuss possible case of pneumonic plague in Russia
Mr. Trump said the U.S. is in very deep discussions on the topic
Rahuls protest a political drama, claims made by Congress are lies: BJP
BJP cited the ECI statement to assert that the poll panel did not receive any request from either the Congress party or any other constituent of the INDIA bloc for a meeting
Annual Report 2025-26 Part 4 : J&K Bank cuts energy use, emissions as green transition gathers pace
Srinagar, Oct 06: Jammu & Kashmir Bank has reported a decline in its operational environmental footprint during 202526, with total energy consumption falling by 4.5 per cent and combined Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions declining by 6.1 per cent, according to its Annual Report 202526. The bank reported total energy consumption of 1,53,153 GJ during the financial year, while its combined Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions stood at 22,506.07 tCO It said that the bank remains committed to increasing theuse of renewable energy and supporting the transition towards cleaner sourcesof power. As part of this approach, it said its lending programmes supportvarious central and state government initiatives, including rooftop solarinstallations under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, the report reads. It stated that the J&K Bank has set a target ofachieving operational carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by2040, subject to establishing a verified baseline, reduction pathway andstrategy for managing residual emissions. The Bank is developing acarbon-neutrality roadmap to identify and implement long-termemission-reduction opportunities across its operations. Its direct environmentalfootprint primarily comes from energy, water and materials used acrossbranches, offices and data centres, the report adds. The annual report said the bank is promoting digitalbanking, paperless processes, e-office initiatives and document-managementsystems to reduce resource consumption and improve operational efficiency. Thebank also reported a 6.3 per cent year-on-year decline in water withdrawal,with total water withdrawal reported at 143.8 KL during FY26, the reportreads. While the bank; s=\ direct=\ operational=\ footprint=\ is=\ relatively=\ modest,=\ it=\ acknowledged=\ that=\ its=\ broader=\ environmental=\ impact=\ extends=\ beyond=\ own=\ offices=\ and=\ branches. The report specifically flags the environmental implications of its financing activities, particularly in relation to climate change, resource scarcity and biodiversity loss. The bank said financed emissions are likely to represent a significant component of its broader climate impact and that it intends to progressively evaluate relevant asset classes using recognised methodologies, including the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF). For FY26, however, the bank said it had not yet undertaken dedicated greenhouse-gas reduction projects or generated/procured carbon credits, while it continues to strengthen its systems for measuring emissions and managing climate-related impacts. The report indicates a gradual shift from measuring the bank's own environmental footprint towards assessing the much larger climate impact associated with the activities it finances.
Reducing accidents :Traffic Police identifies blackspots across Kashmir
Srinagar, Oct 06: To reduce road accidents, the Traffic Police Kashmir has identified blackspots across the Valley and forwarded the list to the concerned departments for necessary action. According to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Traffic, Kashmir, Haseeb-ur-Rehman, the number of vulnerable spots is higher in peripheral areas compared to cities. We have already prepared the list of such spots and forwarded it to the concerned departments for necessary action, he said. On the blackspots, the DIG said some roads have issues related to curve designs, road engineering defects and other factors. In peripheral areas, the sharp turns in hilly areas need to be corrected, or there is a need to erect crash barriers at those places, DIG Traffic Kashmir said, adding that suggestions have been put forth to the concerned departments and measures are expected to be taken in this regard. Rehman said improving the traffic system requires a multi-departmental strategy and coordinated efforts by various agencies. Every department must get involved, including Traffic, Transport departments, SMC and, in peripheral areas, road construction agencies and others. After their involvement, the traffic system can be improved on the ground, he said. DIG Haseeb also highlighted the issue of pedestrians crossing roads at undesignated points in Srinagar. In Srinagar, people cross the roads at any point. They never follow the rules by crossing at the designated spots where zebra crossings have been made. Due to such things, the vehicular movement gets affected as it slows down the traffic, he said. Furthermore, the DIG said there was a need to decongest roads at congested places, increase parking slots and remove footpath encroachments. During my tenure as SSP Traffic, a decision was taken to come up with an alternative place for vendors. Then, Mecca Market was established as the roadside vendors were shifted to the place. But now, the number of street vendors has increased manifold, thus there should be a policy for these things, which would help to improve traffic management, he added.
Govt tightens school safety norms in J&K
Srinagar, Oct 05: The Union Territory government has amended the Jammu and Kashmir School Education Rules, 2010, making safety-related certifications mandatory for schools covering traffic compliance, building standards, fire safety and the safe handling of laboratory chemicals. The amendments were notified by the School Education Department through an order dated October 5, 2026, issued under Section 29 of the Jammu and Kashmir School Education Act, 2002. Under the amended Rule 4, schools will be required to submit a self-attested certificate confirming compliance with traffic rules, including measures taken or to be taken to ensure the safety of students. The amended rules also require schools to submit a self-attested certificate confirming that their buildings have been constructed in accordance with applicable building laws and prescribed norms, with necessary safety measures in place to prevent mishaps. Schools will also be required to certify that necessary fire-safety equipment has been installed in their buildings. In addition, where chemicals are kept in school laboratories, the concerned school will have to certify that the chemicals have been safely stored in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court and other courts from time to time. The government has also omitted several provisions under Rule 6(1), including specified sub-clauses under clauses (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e), besides removing sub-clauses (2), (3) and (4) under clause (f).
Govt approves land for mobile towers in remote areas
Srinagar, Oct 06: The Jammu and Kashmir Government, headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has approved provision of land for installation of mobile towers in underserved areas across Jammu and Kashmir, aimed at strengthening high-speed telecom connectivity in remote and border villages. Under the initiative, land has been approved for installation of BSNL mobile towers in underserved areas of Uri, Tangmarg, Karnah, Kalakote, Kralpora, Basantgarh, Khour, Latti Marothi, Banihal, Pogal Paristan, Ramsoo and Qila Darhal under the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the initiative would help extend reliable connectivity to remote and border communities and ensure that geographical location does not become a barrier to access to digital services and opportunities. The infrastructure is being developed under the USOF to expand 4G network coverage and achieve telecom saturation in areas that remain underserved. The initiative is expected to strengthen access to online education, e-governance services and emergency communications, besides improving digital inclusion for residents of rural, remote and border areas. The provision of dedicated land for telecom infrastructure is also aimed at facilitating faster deployment of mobile towers in difficult and geographically challenging locations, thereby helping bridge the digital divide across Jammu and Kashmir. The initiative reflects the Governments focus on extending the benefits of digital connectivity to communities in far-flung areas and strengthening communication infrastructure across Jammu and Kashmir.
Karnataka Chief Minister leaves for Delhi ahead of GST Council meeting
Sources said the visit could also provide an opportunity for Mr. Shivakumar to meet senior Congress leaders and discuss pending issues
58% of Srinagar in poor, very poor environmental zones
Srinagar, Oct 06: Nearly six out of every 10 parts of Srinagar assessed under a new Environmental Quality Index now fall in the poor or very poor environmental quality categories, a fresh study has found. The study, Quantifying the environmental impacts of urban expansion in Srinagar City, Jammu & Kashmir, India through remote sensing and geostatistical analysis, by Amjed Ali, Kheraj and Arshad Ahmed, examined the city's environmental transformation between 2001 and 2021 using satellite and geospatial datasets. Published in GeoJournal in 2026, the research developed an Environmental Quality Index (EQI) combining three key indicators land-surface temperature (LST), vegetation cover (VC) and PM2.5 to assess how urbanisation has altered environmental conditions across Srinagar. The detailed EQI classification shows that the combined share of areas falling into the poor and very poor categories expanded to 58.3%, indicating what the researchers describe as widespread environmental degradation. The deterioration, however, has not occurred uniformly across Srinagar, the study reads. It identifies the central and southwestern parts of the city as particularly affected, with these areas witnessing stronger increases in surface temperature, vegetation loss and pollution. The researchers link the deterioration in these corridors to urban congestion, transportation infrastructure and industrialisation. The findings show that Srinagar's environmental problem is increasingly becoming a question of where people live and how intensely their neighbourhoods have urbanised. Srinagar's changing land-use pattern forms the backdrop to the environmental changes. The study's land-use analysis shows a marked expansion and densification of built-up areas between 2001 and 2021. Several areas that previously had relatively more open or less-developed land experienced increased construction, while existing urban areas became increasingly dense, the study reads. The researchers describe this as a combination of urban infill and outward expansion, driven by population pressure and economic activity. The environmental contrast between central and peripheral Srinagar is particularly significant. The Srinagar's environmental deterioration is not simply a citywide rise in one pollutant or one temperature indicator. Instead, the study identifies a convergence of three pressures more heat, less vegetation and more fine particulate pollution in areas experiencing intensive urbanisation. The researchers developed the EQI using a framework linked to the United Nations' sustainable-development approach. The index combines changes in PM2.5, LST and vegetation cover and classifies environmental conditions into five categories: Very Good, Good, Moderate, Poor and Very Poor, the study reads. A higher EQI value represents a higher level of environmental deprivation. The study's spatial analysis therefore provides a picture of where environmental stress is concentrated, rather than relying solely on citywide averages. Its findings have implications for urban planning in Srinagar, particularly as construction continues to expand into previously open and vegetated areas. The researchers call for integrated urban planning, green infrastructure development and pollution-control strategies, linking their recommendations to Sustainable Development Goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities. The study also highlights an emerging environmental inequality within Srinagar-- areas undergoing greater urbanisation are experiencing substantially greater environmental stress, while less densely developed peripheral areas retain comparatively better vegetation conditions. For Srinagar, the message from the 20-year satellite record is stark: the environmental cost of urban growth is no longer confined to the loss of open spaces. It is being reflected simultaneously in the city's heat, vegetation and air-quality indicators. And with 58.3% of the assessed area now classified as poor or very Poor, the researchers' findings suggest that the environmental consequences of urban expansion have become a citywide planning challenge rather than a problem limited to isolated pockets.
NDA wins 34 of 42 Silchar Municipal Corporation seats
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma says the outcome reflects the importance people attach to development, peace, connectivity, empowerment and better governance
Decadence rarely arrives with a single dramatic event. It settles slowly into public life, becoming visible in broken systems, abandoned responsibilities and the normalisation of decline. In Kashmir, the signs of this decay are no longer difficult to see. They are present in overcrowded hospitals, unsafe roads, failing drainage, irregular public services, shrinking civic spaces and an administration that often responds to crisis only after public anger has intensified. The Valleys predicament is not simply about a shortage of funds or the difficulty of governing. It is also about the failure to preserve standards. Roads are repaired only after they become dangerous. Public buildings are maintained only after deterioration becomes impossible to ignore. Encroachments continue until traffic and civic life are paralysed. Water supply, waste management and public transport remain issues that are discussed repeatedly but addressed inadequately. This cycle has continued for decades, producing not reform but resignation. The most damaging consequence of such decadence is that citizens begin to accept what should never be accepted. A pothole becomes a permanent feature of the road. A delayed service becomes an ordinary inconvenience. An absent official becomes part of the system. When people lose the expectation of timely and honest governance, accountability weakens further. Institutions no longer feel compelled to perform because public frustration rarely translates into sustained corrective action. In the past, political instability and administrative disruption have certainly affected Kashmirs development. But these cannot become permanent explanations for every failure. A society cannot remain trapped in the language of excuses. Every government inherits problems, but it also inherits the responsibility to establish measurable priorities, enforce rules and report outcomes. Announcements are not substitutes for delivery, and inaugurations cannot conceal poor maintenance. The decay is also social. Public property is damaged, rules are ignored, corruption is tolerated when it serves individual interests, and civic responsibility is often treated as somebody elses duty. Yet citizens cannot be blamed for all that has gone wrong. Responsible citizenship grows when institutions are fair, services are reliable, and law is applied equally. People are more likely to respect systems that respect them. Kashmir now needs more than new projects and periodic campaigns. It needs an institutional culture that values maintenance as much as construction, prevention as much as reaction and service as much as publicity. Departments must be judged by results, not files moved or promises made. Public representatives must remain answerable between elections, and citizens must demand records, timelines and outcomes. Decades of decadence can be reversed, but not through slogans. It will require discipline, transparency and a willingness to confront failure without disguising it. Kashmirs future depends on whether decline continues to be managed or finally challenged.
About 76% voter turnout in Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll
Election officials said the figure is expected to increase as voters who entered polling stations before 5 p.m. were allowed to exercise their franchise
For a common citizen in Kashmir, illness is often followed by a second fear: where to seek treatment. Government hospitals remain the main refuge for thousands who cannot afford private care, while private hospitals have emerged as an alternative for those seeking shorter queues, quicker consultations and specialised services. Yet, between the two systems lies a widening gap that reflects not only the state of healthcare but also the deeper economic inequalities in the Valley. Government hospitals carry the greatest responsibility. They serve patients from remote villages, overcrowded towns and disadvantaged families. Their doctors and paramedical staff often work under immense pressure, managing large patient numbers with limited infrastructure. Despite these constraints, public hospitals remain indispensable. They provide subsidised treatment, emergency care and specialised services that would otherwise remain beyond the reach of ordinary families. But overcrowding, shortages of medicines, delays in diagnostic tests, inadequate sanitation and a lack of sufficient beds continue to burden the public system. A patient may spend hours, sometimes an entire day, waiting for a consultation or investigation. Families from far-off districts are often compelled to stay in Srinagar for days because essential services are concentrated in a few major hospitals. This is not merely an administrative inconvenience; it is a serious public health concern. Private hospitals, on the other hand, have introduced better facilities, faster services and, in some cases, advanced medical technology. They have helped expand healthcare capacity in the Valley and reduced pressure on government institutions. However, their services remain unaffordable for a large section of the population. Hospitalisation, diagnostic tests, surgeries and even routine consultations can impose a heavy financial burden. For many families, private treatment means borrowing money, selling assets or postponing care until the condition becomes critical. The answer is not to pit government hospitals against private hospitals. Kashmir needs both, but with stronger regulation, accountability and coordination. The government must invest in public hospitals, fill vacant posts, modernise equipment and ensure the availability of medicines. At the same time, private hospitals must be monitored to prevent arbitrary charges and ensure transparency in billing and treatment. A healthy society cannot be built on a system where quality care is available only to those who can pay. The government must treat healthcare as a public responsibility, not merely as a service sector. Kashmirs hospitals need resources, reform and compassion. Above all, every patient must be treated with dignity, whether they enter a government ward or a private hospital.
Congress politics of accusation and deceit .... Attempt to malign the Election Commission
Congress has called the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls a plot to that the party's own 1993 record with Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan weakens its claim to defend the Commission's independence. Rahul Gandhi and his party have found a new villain to prove that they are still relevant as opposition. It is the Election Commission of India. They say the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls is a plot. They call it vote chori. They say it robs citizens of their vote. Some of them even want the Chief Election Commissioner to resign. It is a loud campaign. It is also a short-sighted one. Congress is the last party that should lecture anyone on the independence of the Election Commission. Its own record tells a different story. The man who scared them Go back to 1990. T. N. Seshan became Chief Election Commissioner. He did what few before him had dared. He enforced the Model Code of Conduct without fear. He cracked down on booth capturing. He stopped ministers from using government machinery to win votes. He made photo identity cards a reality. Politicians hated him. Every party felt the heat. But it was the Congress government at the Centre that acted. In 1993, the government of P. V. Narasimha Rao changed the structure of the commission. It had always been led by one man. Now it would have three members. The two new commissioners had equal powers. Decisions would be taken by majority. Look at the timing. Seshan was at the peak of his influence. The government was tired of being told no. Seshan saw the move for what it was. He went to the Supreme Court. The court upheld the new structure in 1995. The three-member commission stands to this day. Congress may call this reform. Most people who watched at the time called it an attempt to clip the wings of a strong umpire. The party that now cries foul Now compare that with today. Congress leaders speak as if they have always been guardians of the commission. They call it a puppet. They compare their struggle to the fight for freedom. They demand resignations. Where was this love for institutions in 1993? When an independent chief election commissioner became inconvenient, Congress cut him down to size. When the commission does a routine job today, Congress screams conspiracy. That is the definition of double standards. What SIR really is Let us be clear about what this exercise is. The revision of electoral rolls is not new. The law requires it. Its purpose is simple. Remove the names of the dead. Remove duplicate entries. Remove people who have moved elsewhere. Add new voters who are eligible. India is a vast country. People migrate for work. They marry and change homes. They die, and their names stay on the list for years. Any honest clean-up will remove many names. That is not a scandal. That is the job. The commission has said again and again that a wrongly deleted voter can apply to be added back. Booth Level Officers are available in every area. Online portals are open. Citizens can check their entries and correct them. So ask the Congress a plain question. If your voters are being deleted, where are the names? Where are the cases? Show them to the commission. Show them to the courts. A slogan is not evidence. What about those bogus voters, the Guspethias who were crying on the top of their voices, standing at the India-Bangladesh border, crying that we want to go back & we have voted in India several times but now we have to go back as the things have changed & more than 180 km of open borders will be sealed soon. Everyone saw those long queues of Guspethias patronised by TMC & Congress waiting to go back... The question they cannot answer Here is the biggest hole in their argument. They say names are being deleted to help the BJP. But how would the commission know who votes for whom? The voter list has no column for party choice. There is no tag that says Congress voter. The ballot is secret. That is the whole point of it. To delete opponents on purpose, someone would have to know who they are. Congress has never explained this. It cannot. The theory falls apart the moment you think about it for a minute. Voters are not fooled The public is not buying it. Talk to ordinary people, and you hear the same thing. They want clean rolls. Fewer fake names mean a fairer contest. That helps every honest party. Many voters have already fixed their own entries. They went to the Booth Level Officer or used the online portal. They found it slow at times, but it worked. They do not feel like victims of a plot & are not buying Congress's baseless allegations. Assam is a good example. The state saw the same claims from Congress. Once the Election Commission explained the process, the allegations lost their force. Union Minister Pabitra Margherita made the point well when he said Assam had rejected Congress on SIR. Baseless attacks on institutions, he said, had become part of a political culture. People are tired of it. Every time Congress loses, it finds a new reason. First it was the voting machines. Now it is the voter list. Never once does it ask what went wrong in its own campaign, its own organisation or its own message. The cry that lost its meaning Democracy is in danger, Congress says it before every election and after every defeat. Each time, the words mean a little less. Democracy was in real danger when the Emergency was imposed in 1975. Newspapers were censored. Opposition leaders were jailed. Courts were pressured. That was done by a Congress government. The party has no right to use the language of democratic crisis whenever it wants a headline. A mature opposition would do the hard work. It would send its workers door to door. It would find real errors and file real complaints. It would go to court with names and numbers. That is how a serious party behaves. Shouting vote chori from a stage is not the same as proving it. What the BJP believes Those are reasonable demands. The BJP has no problem with them. We want every eligible Indian to vote. We also want every fake name gone. No Guspethias to do bogus voting. What we reject is the idea that any clean-up of the rolls is an attack on democracy. It is the opposite. A dirty voter list is what weakens democracy. A clean one protects it. On appointments, the law of 2023 set up a selection panel that includes the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and a Union minister. The Leader of the Opposition has a seat and a voice at the table. That is a long way from the old practice, under which the government of the day simply picked the chief. Congress used that old practice for decades and never once complained. Consistency is the test Institutions do not survive because they are free from criticism. They survive because they are judged by one standard, no matter who is in power. Congress fails that test. It cut down a strong commissioner when it held the Centre. Now it attacks the commission because it lost elections. It praises the umpire when it wins and abuses him when it loses. If Congress truly cares about the Election Commission, it should start with honesty. Admit what happened in 1993. Bring evidence, not slogans. Fight elections with ideas and work on the ground. Until then, its outrage will sound exactly like what it is. It is a party looking for someone to blame. (The author is a spokesperson for the BJP. For feedback or further correspondence, the author can be reached at: abhijeetjasrotia5@gmail.com.)
From Graduates to Global Careers at the J&K GCC Summit 2026
You may already know about it. The Department of Labour and Employment, Government of J&K is working closely with IIM Jammu to organise a benchmark event, the J&K GCC Summit 2026, where 55 panellists interact with leading government officials and other stakeholders over two days to find out the optimal path to make J&K an emerging destination for GCCs. But what are GCCs? The earlier BPOs were outsourced, but Global Capability Centres are fully owned in-house centres that companies build to centralise many core business operations, including technology, R&D, corporate processes (HR, payroll, you name it) and so on And no, they are not data centres. While data centres are physical infrastructure-based, GCCs are intrinsically human capital-based and thats where the phenomenal story builds. GCCs hold the key to build employment in a way to current industry can. So should J&K promote GCCs? But before you ask that no-brainer question, perhaps you should ask, does J&K have the talent to support GCCs? Well, ask what Jammu and Kashmir exports, and most people will name apples, saffron, walnuts and handicrafts. The list leaves out the export that costs the Union Territory most: its graduates. Every year engineers, accountants, analysts and designers trained here take their first jobs in other States. They do well there. Their salaries are spent there too. The figures explain the pattern. The Mission YUVA Baseline Survey 2024-25, drawing on the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2023-24, places youth unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir at 17.4 per cent against a national rate of 10.2 per cent. More than 3.6 lakh educated young people were registered with the Union Territory's employment exchanges in September 2025. Talent is in surplus. Private employers of scale are in short supply. The Global Capability Centre sector addresses that shortage directly. India's GCC workforce is projected to grow by 84 per cent to about 3.46 million professionals by 2030. A growing share of it will be based outside the metropolitan clusters. The Mission YUVA baseline itself identified high-skilled, knowledge-sector enterprises as the route to better-paying jobs. Capability centres are among the largest employers of that kind in India. The roles are more varied than is commonly assumed. Capability centres hire for finance and accounting operations, data analytics, software engineering, cybersecurity, human resources services, customer experience, legal process work and healthcare data management. Many of these roles are open to commerce, science and humanities graduates after focused training. The sector can therefore absorb a far wider section of our graduates than engineering alone would suggest. Mission YUVA, the Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan, is the J&K Governments principal instrument for this work. It was conceived by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir in collaboration with IIM Jammu, NABARD, J&K Bank and other financial institutions. It aims to create 1.37 lakh enterprises and 4.25 lakh jobs over five years. By May 2026, it had received more than 1.07 lakh applications, sanctioned 25,000 cases and disbursed over 1,100 crore. The target for 2026-27 alone is 50,000 enterprises. The Mission was built for entrepreneurship. Its machinery serves employment at scale equally well. Twenty district-level Small Business Development Units and 80 Business Help Desks give it a presence in every district. Its app and portal track outcomes enterprise by enterprise. The same infrastructure can match a capability centre's hiring requirement to candidates, track their training and verify their placement. There is a second link that is easy to miss. A centre of 500 people needs caterers, transport operators, facility managers, security services and IT support vendors. Each is an opening for a Mission YUVA enterprise. Every capability centre that comes to Jammu and Kashmir therefore creates two streams of opportunity: salaried jobs inside the building and local businesses around it. But to make it happen, the Department of Labour and Employment, J&K Government is working on four lines of work with the sector. First, training will start from a stated requirement. When an employer specifies the skills and numbers it needs, the Department will convene the universities, the Skill Development Department and the ITI network to deliver them against a fixed cohort size and date. The upgrade of ITIs under PM-SETU allows part of that network to prepare technicians for the IT infrastructure, network operations and facilities roles that surround every centre. The Department's district employment and counselling centres will add guidance on capability centre careers, so that students choose courses with these roles in view. Second, internships will be designed as recruitment, with a defined project, an assigned supervisor, a formal assessment and a stated expectation of conversion to employment. Third, the Department will build a register of professionals from Jammu and Kashmir who now work in capability centres elsewhere in India and overseas. Many would consider returning if the work were here. They are the fastest route to the experienced managers a new location needs most. Fourth, the sector offers the clearest route to formal employment for educated women who cannot relocate for work. Mission YUVA was built to address unemployment that weighs most heavily on young people and on women. Placement in capability centres will carry the same priority. As the Administrative Secretary of the Department of Labour and Employment in J&K, I am presenting the Summit Report at the Valedictory Session of the J&K GCC Summit 2026 on 10 October. My request to every GCC investor and employer present is specific: tell us the roles, the numbers and the dates. The Department will build the pipeline to match. Success will look like a graduate in Anantnag or Rajouri who chooses a global career and stays home to pursue it. (The writer is Secretary, Labour and Employment Department, Government of Jammu and Kashmir)
Peoples Conference - Riddled With Conflicting Narratives
The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference presents one of the more intriguing contradictions of contemporary Kashmir politics. Its chairman, Sajad Gani Lone, is articulate, politically experienced and often forceful in raising issues in the Legislative Assembly and outside it. Yet the larger political journey of the Peoples Conference raises an unavoidable question: what exactly does the party stand for beyond the political positions articulated by its leader at a particular moment? This question assumes importance because political credibility is built not merely by attacking one's opponents but by maintaining consistency in one's own political journey. In the case of the Peoples Conference, its alliances, constitutional positions and political narratives have changed considerably over time. Sajad Lone has travelled through markedly different phases of Kashmir politicsfrom separatist politics to participation in democratic elections, cooperation with the BJP, participation in the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, withdrawal from that alliance, and subsequently attempts to construct another political front. Political evolution is neither unusual nor inherently objectionable. Democracy allows leaders to reconsider earlier positions. The difficulty begins when successive changes are not connected by a sufficiently clear and consistent political philosophy. That is perhaps the central problem confronting the Peoples Conference today. A Party Increasingly Identified With One Leader The Peoples Conference has increasingly become synonymous with Sajad Lone himself. He is its most recognisable face, principal strategist and dominant public voice. This gives the party visibility, but it also creates a structural weakness: political organisations need an identity larger than the personality of their leader. The 2024 Assembly election illustrates the limits of the party's electoral reach. Lone won Handwara with 29,812 votes against National Conference candidate Chowdry Mohammad Ramzan's 29,150a margin of only 662 votes. Lone simultaneously contested Kupwara, where the result was substantially different. PDP candidate Mir Mohammad Fayaz secured 27,773 votes, National Conference candidate Nasir Aslam Wani received 17,976, while Lone finished third with 7,457 votes. These results do not diminish Lone's individual political importance. But they provide useful perspective when assessing claims about the Peoples Conference emerging as a major alternative political force across Kashmir. The political challenge is therefore not merely expanding the party geographically. It is converting the visibility of Sajad Lone into a sustainable organisation with an identifiable second line of leadership and a coherent programme capable of surviving independently of its chairman's personal interventions. From BJP Cooperation to Post-2019 Constitutional Politics Perhaps the most difficult aspect of Lone's political narrative concerns his relationship with the BJP. The Peoples Conference participated in the PDP-BJP coalition era, and Lone himself served as a minister in that government. Cooperation between parties of different ideological persuasions is entirely legitimate in a democracy. Coalition politics often requires accommodation. But political history cannot simply disappear when circumstances change. The same political leader who had once worked within a governmental arrangement involving the BJP subsequently emerged as a strong critic of the constitutional changes undertaken by the BJP-led Union Government in August 2019. Again, changing one's position is politically permissible. The question is whether the transition is adequately explained. A voter is entitled to ask: what principle governed the earlier cooperation? What changed subsequently? Which political convictions remained constant through both phases? Without clear answers, political evolution risks appearing less like ideological development and more like adjustment to changing circumstances. The Gupkar Experiment And Its Collapse After August 2019, the Peoples Conference joined other Kashmir-based parties in the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration. The alliance brought together political organisations with substantial historical differences around opposition to the constitutional changes affecting Jammu and Kashmir. But that political unity did not last. Following the District Development Council elections, Lone withdrew the Peoples Conference from the alliance, citing a breach of trust between partners. The episode is significant because it demonstrates a recurring problem in Lone's politics: alliances are constructed around immediate political objectives but subsequently become difficult to sustain when electoral interests collide. There is nothing inherently wrong with leaving an alliance when political confidence disappears. Yet repeated alliance formation and dissolution eventually raises a larger question about political strategy. Is the objective to build a durable political alternative, or merely to construct temporary arrangements against whichever political adversary dominates at a particular moment? Another Alliance, Another Fracture The same difficulty became visible again with the creation of the People's Alliance for Change. In 2025, the Peoples Conference joined Hakeem Yasin's Peoples Democratic Front and the Justice and Development Front in announcing a new political arrangement intended to provide an alternative to established political forces. The alliance was politically interesting because its constituents came from substantially different backgrounds. Lone acknowledged ideological differences while arguing that common ground could nevertheless permit cooperation. That proposition was reasonable. But the durability of the experiment soon came into question. Disagreements emerged around the Justice and Development Front and its relationship with former Jamaat-e-Islami figures. Subsequently, the JDF withdrew from the alliance amid disagreement surrounding the Budgam by-election. Thus another political arrangement intended to represent an alternative encountered serious difficulties before it could mature into a stable political platform. The pattern deserves examination. The Peoples Conference joined the Gupkar alliance and left it. It subsequently participated in another alternative political alliance, which itself encountered an early fracture. When political formations repeatedly emerge and unravel, the problem cannot always be explained entirely by the conduct of alliance partners. At some stage, questions must also be asked about the political architecture upon which such alliances are being constructed. Article 370 Versus Statehood Sajad Lone has recently positioned himself as a particularly strong critic of the National Conference's emphasis upon restoration of statehood. He has argued that Article 370 and Article 35A cannot simply disappear from the constitutional conversation and has accused the National Conference of attempting to reduce the larger post-2019 constitutional question to statehood. That argument deserves democratic consideration. But it also invites scrutiny of Lone's own roadmap. If Article 370 is the principal constitutional objective, what precisely is the realistic institutional mechanism through which the Peoples Conference proposes to restore it? Political criticism is comparatively easy. Political alternatives require details. What legislation does it propose? What parliamentary strategy does it envisage? What constitutional route does it advocate? How does it propose to create national political support for that objective? Without answers to these questions, Article 370 risks becoming another rhetorical instrument rather than a defined political programme. The National Conference can legitimately be questioned about the distance between its 2024 manifesto and subsequent emphasis upon statehood. But the Peoples Conference cannot establish itself as an alternative merely by demonstrating contradictions in the National Conference. It must explain its own constitutional strategy. The 'Amicable Divorce' Narrative Perhaps one of Lone's most striking interventions has been his suggestion of an amicable divorce between Jammu and Kashmir regions. This raises profound questions about the consistency of the Peoples Conference's constitutional narrative. If the political objective is restoration of the constitutional position that existed before August 2019, then what exactly is the territorial entity whose constitutional position is sought to be restored? If Jammu and Kashmir should separate politically or administratively, how does that proposition coexist with arguments based upon restoration of the historical constitutional identity of the former state? The two ideas are not necessarily impossible to reconcile, but reconciliation requires detailed explanation. This is precisely where provocative political formulations can become problematic. A dramatic phrase can dominate headlines for several days. But political parties seeking governmental responsibility have to think beyond headlines. The relationship between Jammu and Kashmir regions involves history, demography, constitutional arrangements, economic interdependence and complex political interests. It cannot easily be reduced to the language of divorce. Opposition Cannot Become an Ideology Sajad Lone has emerged as one of the more vocal critics of the Omar Abdullah government. He has raised issues concerning reservation, Article 370, statehood, police verification and the controversial 1987 Assembly election. Most recently, Lone questioned regional disparities in EWS certificates. Reporting on the Assembly proceedings records his argument that approximately 92 per cent of EWS certificates had gone to Jammu and around 8 per cent to Kashmir, while other poverty indicators suggested a different regional distribution. These are legitimate matters for legislative scrutiny. But raising questions and building a political alternative are two different things. The Peoples Conference cannot define itself permanently by what is wrong with the National Conference. Being anti-NC is not an economic programme. Criticising Omar Abdullah is not an employment policy. Questioning statehood politics is not a constitutional roadmap. Raising reservation concerns is not by itself a comprehensive youth policy. A party aspiring to become an alternative government ultimately has to explain what it would actually do differently. The Lone-Centric Political Model The deeper difficulty may therefore lie in the highly personalised nature of the Peoples Conference. Lone's political interventions frequently generate attention because he is capable of framing issues sharply. But the dominance of one individual also means that each new statement can effectively become the party's political narrative. That creates instability. Institutional political parties normally develop positions through manifestos, resolutions, policy documents and collective leadership. Their ideology provides continuity even when individual leaders modify rhetoric. Where the leader and the party become virtually indistinguishable, however, every change in emphasis by the leader risks becoming a change in the perceived identity of the organisation itself. This is why the Peoples Conference requires more than aggressive opposition politics. It requires institutional depth. The Electoral Reality The 2024 results also counsel political perspective. Lone retained Handwara, but only by 662 votes. In Kupwara, where he simultaneously sought election, he finished third with 7,457 votes against the winner's 27,773. Those figures are factual electoral results, not a prediction about the party's future. They nevertheless demonstrate the scale of the organisational task confronting any attempt to transform the Peoples Conference into a broad political alternative. Media visibility and electoral penetration are not synonymous. A politician may dominate political conversation without his organisation possessing corresponding geographical depth. The real test for the Peoples Conference therefore lies outside television studios, press conferences and Assembly exchanges. It lies in organisational expansion, cadre development, constituency-level leadership and the ability to present voters with a recognisable political programme. From Reaction to Proposition Sajad Lone undoubtedly possesses political experience and the ability to raise uncomfortable questions. A competitive democracy benefits when governments face rigorous scrutiny. But scrutiny alone cannot constitute an alternative government. The Peoples Conference must eventually answer a simple question: What is its positive political proposition for Jammu and Kashmir? If it supports restoration of Article 370, it should articulate the constitutional roadmap. If it wants statehood, it should explain where that demand stands relative to Article 370. If it believes Jammu and Kashmir regions should reconsider their political relationship, it should explain the constitutional, economic and social consequences. If it seeks alliances, it should articulate the ideological minimum binding those alliances together. If it wishes to replace the traditional political parties, it must offer something more substantial than criticism of those parties. And if it wants to become a genuinely broad political organisation, it must develop an identity extending beyond Sajad Lone himself. The central difficulty confronting the Peoples Conference is therefore not the absence of political activity. Nor is it the absence of an articulate leader. It is the absence of sufficient continuity between its different political phases. From engagement with the BJP to participation in the Gupkar alliance; from leaving that alliance to constructing another; from demanding restoration of the pre-2019 constitutional arrangement to discussing an amicable divorce between Jammu and Kashmir; and from challenging traditional political parties to struggling to broaden its own electoral footprintthe Peoples Conference has travelled through several political narratives. Political positions can change. Alliances can change. Strategies can change. But a political party seeking enduring public confidence requires one element that cannot constantly change: a clearly identifiable political compass. Sajad Lone's greatest political challenge, therefore, may not be defeating the National Conference, the PDP or any other opponent. It may be convincing the electorate that beneath the changing alliances, confrontational statements and shifting political circumstances lies a consistent political project. Until that clarity emerges, the Peoples Conference risks remaining a party with a highly visible leader and many political narrativesbut without one sufficiently settled narrative defining exactly where it wants to take Jammu and Kashmir. (Advocate Sunil Sethi is BJP J&K Chief Spokesperson, and Altaf Thakur is BJP J&K Spokesperson)
J&K GCC Summit 2026: The Arithmetic of a Capability Centre
Ask the chief financial officer of a Global Capability Centre what it costs to run. The answer begins with people. Salaries and benefits take the largest share of a centre's annual budget. Rent and technology account for most of the remainder. Plant and machinery barely feature. That simple fact should shape how Jammu and Kashmir competes for the sector. And that simple fact is what the J&K Government is going to position at the J&K GCC Summit 2026, being organised by Government of J&K and IIM Jammu. A capability centre is a ten-year commitment to recurring cost. The location decision turns on what the centre will cost to run in its fifth and eighth years, discounted to today. The one-time cost of setting up is a minor line in that calculation. We have 55 investors from the worlds leading Fortune 500 GCC and GCC-enabling companies and Indias leading multinationals descending at IIM Jammu on 9-10 October for the Summit. And each one of them perhaps already knows that a capital subsidy, however generous, only addresses the smallest part of the problem. A subsidy is easy to announce, and it makes good PR. But what moves a location decision is sustained relief on recurring cost. That means employment-linked support for each professional hired and retained, a defined share of payroll cost reimbursed for a limited period, lease rental assistance, electricity duty exemption, stamp duty relief on leases and a grant for each candidate trained and placed. Outcome-linked support also has a fiscal property that capital subsidies lack. Its cost rises only when jobs rise. The exposure of the exchequer is therefore bounded by success and can be budgeted year by year against verified employment. A capital subsidy is paid at the start, whatever happens afterwards. Recovering it from a centre that underperforms is slow and uncertain. Retention is the second variable. Here Jammu and Kashmir holds a structural advantage. Consider an illustrative centre of 500 professionals. At an annual attrition rate of 20 percent it must replace 100 people every year. At 10 percent it replaces 50. Over a decade, the difference is 500 replacements, equivalent to rebuilding the entire centre once over. Each replacement carries the cost of recruitment, training and months of reduced productivity. Professionals who work in Jammu and Kashmir are, for the most part, working where their families live. The pull of a marginally better offer across town, which drives much of the churn in metropolitan clusters, operates with far less force here. Add office, talent and utility costs well below metropolitan levels, and the Union Territory has a cost position that rests on its own fundamentals. The competition is real. At least eight States have notified dedicated GCC policies, from Karnataka, which moved first, to Haryana in May 2026. Tamil Nadu addresses the sector through a dedicated framework and Andhra Pradesh through its IT policy. Their incentive menus vary widely. So do the thresholds at which benefits begin. A Union Territory without an existing GCC base cannot borrow a threshold designed for a mature cluster. It must set thresholds that a first entrant can realistically meet. J&Ks GCC Policy has been drafted and will be showcased to the prospective GCC multinationals that are attending the J&K GCC Summit. These multinationals will benchmark J&K against the above expected benefits. Be that as it may, we should assess support for the sector in J&K against five rules. First, pay for outcomes. Support from the J&K Government should be attached to jobs created and sustained, payroll actually paid and candidates actually placed, each verified against EPFO and ESIC records. The exchequer should pay for delivery and only after it. Second, setting a horizon. Every incentive should reduce over time and end on a known date, so that a centre's economics is tested on its own profitability rather than continuing purely because of support. Third, avoid paying twice. A Union Territory instrument should fill the gaps left by Central and Union Territory schemes already in force for industry and skilling, chiefly on operating and lease cost and not vice versa. Fourth, weigh the return. At an illustrative average salary of 10 lakh a year, a centre of 500 professionals pays 50 crore in salaries every year, much of it spent locally. It pays stamp duty on its leases. Its local spending and the consumption of its employees generate GST. It supports a comparable number of indirect jobs in facilities, transport and hospitality. For a Union Territory working to strengthen its own revenue base, a sector whose spending stays local is fiscally attractive. Fifth, publish the ledger. The incentives paid and the jobs verified against them should be disclosed every year. Transparency is the cheapest way to sustain public confidence in industrial incentives. But then, the caveat is that no incentive can compensate for an unclear approval timeline, a building that is yet to be built or a talent pipeline that falls short of an employer's requirement. And that is where the J&K Government is ensuring that investors, and not just from the GCC ecosystem, are provided clear approval timelines, assessed and industry-ready talent pool and infrastructure that is plug-and-play ready than bare land. As I mentioned earlier, the J&K GCC Summit 2026 at IIM Jammu on 9 and 10 October gives the Union Territory a rare opportunity to hear from operators what actually can work for us to be considered as the emerging destination for GCCs. Join the conversation and give us your inputs on what may work. Well, this is a first step, and we hope one that goes a million miles. (The writer is Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department, Government of Jammu and Kashmir)
Lolab gets 10 new water supply schemes
Srinagar, Oct 6: Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs Javed Ahmed Rana on Monday e-inaugurated 10 water supply schemes in Lolab constituency, completed at a cost of Rs 35.64 crore and aimed at benefiting 5,662 households across various villages. The schemes, executed by the Jal Shakti PHE Division Kupwara, are intended to strengthen drinking water infrastructure and improve access to safe, reliable and sustainable water supply in the constituency. Speaking on the occasion, Rana said the Omar Abdullah-led government was committed to strengthening basic infrastructure and improving delivery of essential public services. He said access to safe and reliable drinking water was fundamental to the well-being and dignity of every household and added that the government had accorded priority to expansion, augmentation and timely completion of water supply schemes across Jammu and Kashmir. Rana said the e-inauguration of the 10 schemes marked an important step towards strengthening the water supply network in Lolab and providing improved drinking water facilities to thousands of households. Our objective is not merely to create infrastructure but to ensure that every completed scheme delivers the intended benefits to the people, he said, adding that the government would continue to adopt a people-centric approach to ensure reliable and sustainable access to essential services. The inaugurated schemes include WSS Khabuth Dar Mohalla, costing Rs 1.08 crore and covering 93 households in Maidanpora; WSS Dever Anderbugh, costing Rs 3.50 crore and benefiting 1,400 households in Dever and Anderbugh; WSS Gangbugh, costing Rs 3.77 crore and covering 450 households in Sogam; and WSS Krusen, costing Rs 4.67 crore and benefiting 626 households in Krusen. MLA Lolab Qaisar Jamshaid Lone thanked Rana for his support and attention towards the development of the constituency. He said several villages would, for the first time, witness piped water supply, describing it as a significant milestone and the fulfilment of a long-standing public demand.
Forest rights groups seek FRA implementation
Srinagar, Oct 6: A delegation of the National Alliance on Community Forest Resources & Minor Forest Produce (NACM), along with members of the Jammu & Kashmir Climate Action Group, called on Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather and submitted a memorandum seeking his intervention for effective implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA-2006) in the Union Territory. The delegation comprised representatives from Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. The members apprised the Speaker of various issues and concerns related to the implementation of the Forest Rights Act in J&K. The delegation urged the Speaker to intervene and facilitate necessary measures for effective implementation of FRA-2006, stating that the legislation has contributed to transforming rural livelihoods in states where it has been implemented. The members also apprised Rather of the issues being faced by communities dependent on forest resources and sought his support in taking up the matter with the concerned authorities for appropriate consideration and resolution. The delegation emphasised the need for addressing the concerns of forest-dependent communities and ensuring that the provisions of the legislation are effectively implemented in the UT. Rather assured the delegation that he would take up the matter with the concerned authorities and seek appropriate intervention to address the issues raised by them. He further assured the members that their concerns would be conveyed to the concerned quarters for due consideration in accordance with the applicable provisions and framework.
Rajbagh silk factory gets new development push
Srinagar, Oct 06: Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary, on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for construction of Caf House and renovation of existing Guesthouse at Government Silk Weaving Factory Rajbagh, a unit of Jammu and Kashmir Industries Limited. MLA, Lal Chowk Sheikh Ahsan Ahmed Pardesi, Commissioner Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department Vikramjit Singh besides others were present on the occasion. The project is being executed by the J&K Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Limited (JK SICOP) and aims to enhance the overall ambience of the premises while creating additional facilities for the visitors and stakeholders. The initiative is also expected to generate additional revenue for Jammu & Kashmir Industries Limited (JKI), thereby contributing towards its financial sustainability and institutional revival. During the event, the Deputy Chief Minister visited the JKI showroom within the premises of Government Silk Factory, which showcased a wide range of products made from renowned mulberry silk and local wool which is integral to the region's cultural and textile heritage. While appreciating the quality, design and originality of the products, the Deputy Chief Minister commended JKI for its efforts in preserving traditional skills, especially those related to the world-famous Kashmiri mulberry silk. Speaking on the occasion, MLA Lal Chowk highlighted the importance of preserving and upgrading the infrastructure of the Government Silk Weaving Factory, Rajbagh, given its significance in promotion of the regions traditional silk industry and preservation of Jammu and Kashmirs rich textile heritage. Commissioner Secretary Industries and Commerce highlighted that the employees of any organization plays a vital role in shaping its future. He stressed upon the JKI employees to work with integrity and a sense of responsibility which will directly contribute to the progress of our industries and the prosperity of our society.
Darakhshan Andrabi honoured with Sheikh-ul-Aalam Award
Srinagar: Chairperson of the Jammu & Kashmir Waqf Board, Dr Syed Darakhshan Andrabi, has been honoured with the Hazrat Sheikh-ul-Aalam Award 2026 by Kashmir Markaz-e-Adab-wa-Saqafat (KMAS), Charar-e-Sharief, for her contribution to the propagation of the Rishi-Sufi ethos and development of spiritual shrines across J&K. The award was presented in the presence of scholars, members of the J&K Waqf Board and representatives of KMAS. The organisers recognised Andrabis efforts towards preserving and strengthening Kashmirs spiritual and cultural heritage, besides her role in the restoration, development and upgradation of shrines across the Union Territory. Expressing gratitude for the honour, Andrabi said the Rishi-Sufi tradition represents a profound expression of Kashmirs spiritual heritage and carries a message of peace, compassion, tolerance, brotherhood and harmony. She said serving the Sufi shrines of J&K was not merely an administrative responsibility but a commitment to preserving the spiritual legacy of the region. Andrabi said the shrines associated with Awliya, Rishis and Sufi saints should be maintained with dignity while preserving their historical and architectural character. She said her vision was to combine heritage conservation with modern amenities, cleanliness and improved facilities for pilgrims while retaining the spiritual ambience of the shrines. She also highlighted the teachings of Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani and other spiritual figures of Kashmir, saying their message transcended religious and social boundaries and remained relevant to peaceful coexistence. Andrabi dedicated the award to those involved in preserving and serving Kashmirs spiritual heritage and reiterated her commitment to the conservation, development and dignified upkeep of Sufi and spiritual shrines across J&K. Representatives of KMAS appreciated her contribution to promoting the Rishi-Sufi ethos and preserving the regions spiritual and cultural heritage.
Greener classrooms take shape in Drass
Drass, Oct 6: At around 3,300 metres above sea level, Drass is known for its extreme winters, but a new initiative at a government school is exploring how locally relevant materials and sustainable technologies can help communities adapt to the harsh climate. Government Middle School, Throngous, recently became the site of a collaborative project aimed at improving the thermal performance of classrooms through passive insulation. The initiative brought together venture-building organisation Enviu and its venture The Good Felt, along with STRAWCTURE ECO, Samakhya Sustainable Alternatives, rZamba, the Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter and Villgro. The classrooms were insulated using straw-based panels, natural pastoral wool and recycled polyester textile fibre. The intervention is intended to help retain heat, reduce energy loss and provide a more comfortable environment for students and teachers during the winter months. The project also demonstrates how materials that are often treated as waste can be repurposed for local infrastructure needs. Agricultural residue, wool and recycled textile waste have been brought together as insulation materials, linking the needs of the education and construction sectors with the principles of a circular economy. The Good Felt, developed through Envius programme, converts post-consumer polyester textile waste into felt that can be used for applications including thermal insulation. Beyond the school, the initiative points to possibilities for developing local skills, employment and entrepreneurship. Agricultural residues, wool and other natural fibres available in the region could potentially become inputs for new products, while local enterprises could participate in construction, installation, maintenance and emerging supply chains. The project also places emphasis on developing solutions with local communities rather than simply introducing technologies from outside. Organisers say local knowledge, traditional practices and existing skills can complement modern technology, design and markets to create solutions suited to Drass. The insulated classrooms were handed over on August 18 in the presence of school staff, students, members of the local community, rZamba representatives and officials associated with the Ladakh administration based in Drass. However, the project's actual impact remains to be assessed. Data on indoor temperatures, classroom comfort, attendance, learning outcomes and black carbon mitigation is not yet available. The coming winter is expected to provide an opportunity to assess whether the insulation delivers the intended benefits under actual cold-weather conditions. For a region whose communities depend on agriculture, livestock, tourism and local enterprises, the initiative carries a broader significance beyond the school building. It suggests that climate-resilient infrastructure can also become a platform for local economic opportunities by making use of materials, skills and resources available within or around the region. The experience at Throngous also highlights the possibility of developing sustainable infrastructure without disconnecting it from the character and needs of the place. Rather than seeking to replicate models from elsewhere, such approaches can combine local resources and knowledge with new technologies and markets. For Drass, where the severity of winter shapes everyday life, such experiments could offer lessons for future construction and community infrastructure. Their success, however, will ultimately depend on evidence from the ground and whether the model can be sustained, replicated and linked to local livelihoods. The initiative thus places the focus not only on surviving the cold, but on using local resources and knowledge to build more resilient and sustainable futures for the communities that live in it.
Govt rules out closure of J&K PSUs
Srinagar, Oct 6: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Tuesday ruled out any move to shut down public sector undertakings (PSUs) in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the government would instead examine the reasons behind their financial losses and fix accountability. Addressing reporters, Choudhary said financial deficits could not be a reason to shut down institutions that form part of Jammu and Kashmirs heritage. If India goes into a deficit, will you shut down India? If J&K goes into a financial crunch, will you shut down J&K? Will you lock up Lakhanpur or Qazigund? he asked. He said some PSUs were established with great difficulty during the time of Sheikh Abdullah and should be protected. We will have to find the causes and reasonshow these PSUs went into deficit and who was responsible. The accountability of officers and leadership under whom they went into deficit should be fixed, he said. The Deputy Chief Minister said the government was looking for ways to revive and run PSUs rather than closing them. As I stand before you, there is no policy to shut down any PSU of Omar Abdullahs government, he said, adding that committees had also been constituted to examine the functioning of certain undertakings and explore ways to make them viable. Highlighting the potential of local products, Choudhary said the government needed to explore better marketing avenues for products manufactured by J&Ks PSUs. He also referred to the quality of products available at the J&K emporium, saying local clothing and handicrafts could compete with major brands if properly marketed. On the CAG report, he said the government would examine its findings before taking any decision. The CAG report has come. We will see what is there and what is not. There will be comments, discussion and debate, and after that a conclusion will be drawn, he said. On the industrial sector, Choudhary said the governments new industrial policy was at the final stage and was being framed after taking into account concerns raised by industrialists and chambers. He said the previous policy had faced criticism over discrimination, pick-and-choose practices and bottlenecks. Our attempt is to plug those bottlenecks and lapses so that people can benefit from the industrial policy in the right way, he said. Choudhary said the Industry Department had worked extensively on the new policy under the direction of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The new industry policy is at the final stage and will come before you. What happened behind will not happen in front. This is our attempt, he said. Commenting on the ongoing controversy involving the Election Commission of India and proceedings before the Supreme Court, Choudhary said the matter was already before the court and he would not comment extensively on it. However, he said that if allegations regarding manipulation of voter lists were established, it would be a serious development for Indian democracy. If the voter lists have been tampered with, the Supreme Court has taken notice and the result will come out, he said. Choudhary invoked the sacrifices made during Indias freedom struggle, saying the Constitution and democratic system were built through the sacrifices of people across communities. He said the country could not be divided on religious lines and stressed that no one should be allowed to undermine the Constitution. Responding to criticism from opposition parties that the Omar Abdullah government had failed to fulfil even 10 per cent of its manifesto promises, Choudhary hit back at the opposition. He questioned the seriousness of opposition parties in raising public issues in the Assembly and said the legislature remained the appropriate platform for debate on government policies and resolutions. If they had come to the Assembly, they should have spoken about peoples issues, he said, adding that issues raised inside the House should be addressed through democratic debate rather than political drama.
MLA, Secy higher education inaugurates gazebo huts at GDC Uri
Srinagar, Oct 6: MLA Uri Dr Sajjad Shafi and Secretary Higher Education Shafqat Iqbal on Tuesday inaugurated newly constructed gazebo huts at Government Degree College (GDC) Uri. In a statement issued here, it said that the dignitaries also launched the colleges official website and magazine, marking an important step towards strengthening digital connectivity and providing a platform to showcase the academic, cultural and creative achievements of the institution. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sajjad and Shafqat Iqbal appreciated the efforts of the college administration, faculty members and students in promoting academic and co-curricular activities. They emphasized the need for modern facilities and a conducive campus environment to support the overall development of students. The newly constructed gazebo huts are expected to provide students with additional spaces for interaction, relaxation and academic engagement on the college campus. The college administration expressed gratitude to the visiting dignitaries for their presence and support, stating that such initiatives would contribute towards strengthening educational infrastructure and academic activities at GDC Uri.
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Govt orders inquiry against GMC Baramulla CMO
Srinagar, Oct 6: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has initiated a departmental inquiry against Dr Azmat Gowhar Khan, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Government Medical College (GMC), Baramulla, over allegations concerning his association with a private healthcare company. As per Government Order No. 719-JK(HME) of 2026, dated October 6, the Health and Medical Education Department has appointed Abdul Gani Raina, In-charge Chief Medical Officer, Baramulla, as the Inquiry Officer to inquire into the charges against Dr Khan. The government has also appointed Khursheed Ahmad Damnoo, Accountant, GMC Baramulla, as the Presenting Officer to present the department's case during the inquiry. The inquiry has been ordered under Rule 33(4) of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956. The Inquiry Officer has been directed to conduct the proceedings in accordance with the prescribed rules and provide the charged officer full opportunity of hearing, defence and cross-examination. According to the order, the inquiry will examine whether Dr Khan's directorship in M/s Clinnova Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. from May 23, 2020, to June 12, 2020, amounted to a violation of Rule 10 of the J&K Government Employees (Conduct) Rules, 1971. The inquiry will also examine Dr Khan's claim that his association with the company was inadvertent and arose in the backdrop of a matrimonial dispute, and that there was no mala fide intent. The Inquiry Officer has been tasked with scrutinising the authenticity of documents submitted by Dr Khan in support of his defence and examining the draft articles of charge, statement of imputations, gist of evidence and verification reports of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Drug Control Officer. The proceedings will include recording of oral and documentary evidence presented by both sides. The charged officer will be given an opportunity to inspect documents, cross-examine witnesses and present his defence. The government has directed the Inquiry Officer to ensure compliance with Rule 34 of the J&K CCA Rules, 1956, and principles of natural justice. The inquiry will also determine whether the alleged lapse amounted to deliberate misconduct or was a technical or procedural violation without mala fide intent. The Inquiry Officer has been directed to submit a reasoned report within 30 days of his appointment, clearly stating whether the charges are proved, not proved or partly proved, along with recommendations for appropriate departmental action under Rule 30 of the J&K CCA Rules, 1956.
Govt panel revokes Dr Syed Maqbools suspension
Srinagar, Oct 06: Four months after his suspension over allegations related to cardiac procedures and claims under PMJAY-SEHAT insurance scheme, the J&K Government on Tuesday revoked the suspension of Dr Syed Maqbool Ahmad Shah, Associate Professor of Cardiology at GMC Jammu. The Health and Medical Education Department in an order said, in terms of Rule 31(3) of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956, and as per the recommendations of Suspension Review Committee, the suspension of Dr. Syed Maqbool Ahmad Shah is hereby revoked and the officer is reinstated in service with immediate effect. The order said consequent upon revocation of suspension, the said cardiologist has been directed to report for duties forthwith at his original place of posting, i.e., GMC Jammu. The period of suspension shall be decided separately, upon conclusion of the departmental proceedings, in accordance with the provisions of the applicable service rules, the order said. Earlier in July this year, the Government had constituted a high-level inquiry committee to conduct an audit and data analysis of cardiology cases performed at GMC Anantnag under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY)/AB PM-JAY SEHAT scheme. It was tasked to examine findings of an earlier expert committee and carry out a comprehensive review of cardiology procedures undertaken under the flagship health scheme. The panel scrutinized the findings and recommendations of the expert committee besides examining the written statement of defence and supplementary submissions submitted by the cardiologist. On June 20, the cardiologist was suspended by the government following allegations levelled against him in a departmental memorandum; however, the doctor had then termed the accusations as fabricated. The cardiologist was also attached in the office of Government Medical College, Jammu. Later, the government started its preliminary inquiry.
Parents seek revised school timings in Kashmir
Srinagar: With daylight hours gradually shortening and morning temperatures dipping across the Kashmir Valley, parents of school-going children have urged the School Education Department to revise school timings across the Valley, saying the existing schedule is becoming increasingly difficult for students. Parents from several districts said children are being forced to leave their homes during the early morning hours when temperatures remain low, making it difficult for them to wake up on time, have breakfast and prepare for school. Ghulam Ahmad Dar, a parent from Baramulla district, said the changing weather conditions and shorter daylight hours had made the existing school schedule inconvenient for students. Due to the reduced day time and changing weather conditions, our children are finding it difficult to reach school on time. The government should consider changing the school timings across the Valley, Dar said. He said the early morning cold was particularly difficult for younger students, who have to wake up early and wait for school buses. The students find it difficult to wake up during the early morning hours. They often have to leave home without having their breakfast properly. The school timings should be adjusted according to the prevailing weather conditions, he said. Parents also pointed out that several students, particularly those attending private schools, are required to leave their homes early in the morning to reach their institutions on time. Gousia Jan, a parent from Srinagar, said the government should take a uniform decision on school timings in view of the changing weather conditions. She referred to the decision of the School Education Department in the Jammu division to revise school timings and questioned why a similar measure had not been announced for the Kashmir division. The school timings change every year as the weather changes. Parents are unable to understand why the government is not taking a decision on revising the timings in Kashmir despite the changing weather conditions, Jan said. She said children had to wake up very early in the morning and prepare for school while temperatures remained low. During the early morning hours, it becomes very difficult for children to get ready for school. Some students leave their homes without proper breakfast or even having their tea. The timings should be changed so that children can prepare for school comfortably, she said. Parents said the issue was particularly important for younger children who have to travel considerable distances to reach their schools. They urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to take into account weather conditions, reduced daylight and the difficulties faced by students while travelling during the early morning hours. The parents have appealed to Education Minister Sakina Itoo and the School Education Department to review the existing school schedule and announce revised timings for educational institutions across the Kashmir division.
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If 100 collected in MDR causes more than 100 of economic value to disappear elsewhere, the payment system ends up better funded and the country poorer
Flyover works trigger traffic snarls in Srinagar
Srinagar, Oct 6: The ongoing construction of two flyovers along key stretches of Srinagar has led to prolonged traffic congestion, leaving commuters, patients, students and office-goers stranded for hours and raising concerns over traffic management in the affected areas. The two flyovers - one coming up between Tengpora and Moominabad on the bypass and another at the Parimpora-Shalteng junction have narrowed available road space and disrupted the movement of vehicles, resulting in frequent traffic snarls during peak hours. Commuters said the congestion has become a daily ordeal, particularly for those travelling towards hospitals, educational institutions and government and private offices. Sometimes it takes us hours to cross a stretch that would normally take 15 to 20 minutes. The situation becomes worse during peak hours, said a commuter. Patients and their attendants have also expressed concern over delays in reaching hospitals, saying traffic jams along the routes can prove particularly difficult for those travelling for medical treatment. People travelling for medical emergencies cannot afford to remain stuck in traffic for hours. There should be proper traffic regulation at these points, especially during busy hours, said Manzoor Ahmad, a local of Bemina area. Students and office-goers have also complained that the congestion is affecting their daily schedules. They alleged that adequate deployment of traffic personnel is not visible at several points where traffic bottlenecks develop. There should be sufficient traffic personnel at the vulnerable points to regulate the movement of vehicles. Merely putting barricades and diversions in place will not solve the problem, said Faisal Ahmad, a local of Rainawari area. Amid growing concerns over the situation, senior traffic police officers a few days ago visited the Parimpora and Tengpora flyover sites to assess the traffic situation and review measures to ease congestion. The inspection was led by IGP Traffic J&K Suliman Choudhary, IPS, and DIG Traffic Haseeb Ur Rehman, IPS, along with other senior traffic officers. A traffic official said that cops remain deployed on the stretch to maintain the smooth traffic on the highway.
SIR in Delhi: disposals of Form 7 nearly six times those of Form 6
According to the weekly constituency-wise forms disposal report, only 569 Form 6 applications were disposed of between August 31 and Oct. 4
Indian research can shape the world
National laboratories need to be liberated from insularity; the bulk of our national labs are currently poorly accessible to researchers, students and companies outside their walls
Four persons held for murder in Tiruttani
Twenty-five years of leadership, an India transformed
Prime Minister Narendra Modis 25 years in leadership reflect Indias transformation and its rising national ambitions
There is no G-2 yet in U.S.-China relations Washington and Beijing may manage their tensions, but their strategic competition remains entrenched
Break the chain: On leprosy in India
India must focus on cutting transmission of leprosy
Five Left groups back call for October 10 protest against CEC in Delhi
Incomplete civic works hit monsoon readiness in some areas across Chennai
Deputy Mayor says alternative monsoon preparedness measures have been proposed in many areas, such as Besant Road, Ganesapuram, Perungudi, and Sholinganallur. Corporation Commissioner G.S. Sameeran says all culverts across 44 canals have been desilted, and end-to-end desilting has been completed in major waterways such as the Kodungaiyur, Padikuppam, and Trust Puram canals
Vellore police hands over missing phones to owners
The cybercrime team had been monitoring the missing mobile phone handsets through their IMEI number at periodical intervals
CM Samrat Choudhary directs officials to submit detailed report on flood damage in Bihar
He instructed that the Disaster Management Department must obtain assessments of flood damage and rehabilitation costs from all relevant departments and submit a report at the earliest.
Burglars decamp with 30 sovereigns of gold, 5 lakh in Ranipet
The rear door of the house was also damaged
T.N. records highest Southwest monsoon temperatures in the last nine years
An analysis by the Regional Meteorological Centre found that the State registered a mean temperature of 29.45C between June and September this year, which is nearly 1.21C above the 2018-25 average
Shree Cement plans 6,700 crore investments in A.P.: Minister
The company plans to expand its operations in Andhra Pradesh, with proposed investments in Kadapa, Palnadu and Anakapalli districts, it is expected to create employment and livelihood opportunities for around 3,000 people, says Industries and Commerce Minister
Need proof to act against cops over extortion allegation: CM
Shillong, Oct 6: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday reacted to KSUs allegation that police personnel were collecting money from trucks along Shillong By-Pass at Mawkhanu and Thangsalai, saying the government will not allow illegal activities but action needs proof. Authorities need to work on specific proofs, the government cannot act on allegations alone, [] The post Need proof to act against cops over extortion allegation: CM first appeared on Highland Post .
AR constable injured, after rifle allegedly misfires
Process for 6th Pay panel underway
Shillong, Oct 6: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday said the state government has initiated the process to set up the 6th Pay Commission. The process has started. I expect that within a week or two we should be able to formally announce the Chairman as well as the members of the Committee, Sangma [] The post Process for 6th Pay panel underway first appeared on Highland Post .
Minister inspects Bheemunipatnam-Narsipatnam road widening works
What Dickens understood about revolution and modern politics has forgotten
The collapse of an unjust order does not guarantee that what follows will be more just. Grievance can become vengeance; the crowd that rises against arbitrary power can itself begin to exercise power arbitrarily
ASHA workers seek 15,000 monthly remuneration
Accredited Social Health Activists affiliated to the All India United Trade Union Centre staged a protest in front of the Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officers office in Karwar on Tuesday as part of a State-wide protest week, demanding a minimum monthly remuneration of 15,000 and timely payment of incentives and honorarium
Earthquake of magnitude 5.1 strikes State of Uttarakhand in India, EMSC says
Earthquake tremors were also felt in New Delhi
Karnataka to have dedicated single-window interface to promote international tech partnerships
Karnataka focused on building sustained relationships rather than pursuing individual investment transactions, says Priyank Kharge
In 25 years, has Modi made lasting changes?
The question is whether the changes will outlast him and whether he leaves behind a philosophy that will guide the future
MP youth delegation concludes Karnataka visit under Yuva Sangam Phase VII
Earthquake tremors felt in Delhi-NCR
New Delhi , October 6 : Earthquake tremors were felt across the Delhi-NCR region on Tuesday, with the epicentre of the quake located in Uttarakhand, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS). The NCS said an earthquake of magnitude 4.9 struck Chamoli in Uttarakhand at 10:22 pm IST. Further details regarding any damage or casualties are awaited. Meanwhile, earlier in the day, an earthquake of magnitude 4.5 struck Assams Nagaon district in the early hours of Tuesday, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS). The earthquake occurred at 4:23:47 am IST at a depth of 33 kilometres, the NCS said in a post on X. The epicentre of the earthquake was located at latitude 26.428 North and longitude 93.060 East, according to the NCS. (ANI)
SP decides not a field a third candidate for the Rajya Sabha election
The focus is on the Assembly election, Akhilesh Yadav says, with the party preparing to contest all the Assembly seats
KBN University gives priority to holistic development of students: Ashfaq Ahmed
ECI says Opposition MPs Parliament Annexe meet demand could not be accepted
Poll panel says protocol requires meetings with politicaldelegations to be held at its premises; offers to receive memorandum through senior-most officer on duty
Man arrested for throwing acid at 24-year-old woman in Delhis Jafrabad
DGP calls for peaceful, transparent, impartial conduct of local body polls
Reviewing a preparedness meeting, Harish Kumar Gupta says officials should complete preparations in advance as the election process would be completed within a short period after notification
Delhi CM, L-G launch initiatives to strengthen health care
Bypolls held in five Assembly seats, one Lok Sabha constituency
Highest voter turnout of 86% in Madurantakam seat; West Bengal CEO got 97 official complaints on polling day; Congress seeks cancellation of W.B. bypolls due to alleged voter intimidation, booth capturing
The protest that wouldnt end: Inside Rahul Gandhis daylong siege of Akashvani Bhawan
After police appeared to have broken up the Oppositions march against the Election Commission of India, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi improvised by turning the All India Radio campus in the national capital into the unlikely centre of an all-day sit-in that lasted well past sunset
Cabinet approves five commissionerates for Bengaluru; former officers express concern
Former senior police officers have questioned whether a civic structure can be directly replicated in policing, arguing that crime, law and order, traffic management and emergency mobilisation do not necessarily follow municipal boundaries
Delhi: 263-crore drain approved to tackle waterlogging in four constituencies
Worker electrocuted to death in Theni
Prime accused in DMK functionary murder case hacked to death in Dindigul
Watchman gored to death by Indian Gaur in Theni
Watchman gored to death by Indian Gaur in Theni
Watch: Tamil Nadu bypolls wrap up with high turnout and minor booth glitches
Tamil Nadu concluded crucial assembly bypolls for the Madurantakam and Dharapuram constituencies on October 6, 2026, following the resignations of sitting AIADMK legislators K. Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama to join the ruling TVK party.
Watch: Tamil Nadu bypolls wrap up with high turnout and minor booth glitches
Tamil Nadu concluded crucial assembly bypolls for the Madurantakam and Dharapuram constituencies on October 6, 2026, following the resignations of sitting AIADMK legislators K. Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama to join the ruling TVK party.
No one size fits all, says Environment Minister at Pre-COP31 climate summit meetings
Local studies and assessments, Bhupender Yadav says, are key to identifying emerging challenges, mitigation and adaptation measures, and the resources needed
Delayed stormwater drain work at busy Tirunelveli Junction causing hardship to people
Corporation Commissioner says as several utility lines passed through the busy Tirunelveli Junction, the contractor has been asked to take utmost care while executing the work
Delayed stormwater drain work at busy Tirunelveli Junction causing hardship to people
Corporation Commissioner says as several utility lines passed through the busy Tirunelveli Junction, the contractor has been asked to take utmost care while executing the work
MCC worker attacked while flex banners
Amid persistent use of unapproved fuels by industries, CAQM directs expansion of cameras
ED detains former KPSC chief Sahukar, KPSC member Geetha after fresh raid
Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde offers prayers at Puttaparthi
Fire at Berry Alloys factory in Vizianagaram, one worker injured
Francis Halzen Wins 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for Groundbreaking Neutrino Research
Stockholm, October 6: Belgian-American physicist Francis Halzen has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for his pioneering contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos originating from astrophysical sources. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the award on Tuesday, recognising Halzen for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino [] The post Francis Halzen Wins 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for Groundbreaking Neutrino Research appeared first on The Voice Of Sikkim .
Rahul, Priyanka and other Opposition MPs detained from Akashvani Bhawan
Anti-ragging guidelines drawn up, State informs Kerala HC
The Division Bench of Chief Justice had previously directed the State to issue guidelines based on the draft Kerala Prohibition of Ragging (Amendment) Bill, until it was enacted
Union Cabinet congratulates PM Modi on 25 years of continuous leadership
The Cabinet resolution listed initiatives aimed at empowering women, encouraging startups, expanding opportunities for youth, supporting farmers and vulnerable tribal communities, also noting that over 25 crore people had been lifted out of poverty
