States

SUPCON and Certis Sign Strategic Cooperation Agreement to Advance Robotics in Security Operations

SUPCON and Certis Sign Strategic Cooperation Agreement to Advance Robotics in Security Operations

Trump says he slipped away from Air Force One in Turkey due to threat

I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane I think that they would be more likely to go for, said U.S. President Donald Trump

Morning Digest: Peace in border is of utmost importance , says India on reports of Chinese incursions; Centre set to refer FCRA Bill to JPC, and more

Here is a select list of stories to start the day

Trump says Iran options are let Tehran fail economically or hit them really hard

We control their money, what they had, which is a lot; they had a lot, and we have total control of it; Im their banker, said Donald Trump, referring to frozen Iranian assets

On the drawAugust 12, 2026

West Asia war LIVE: U.S. helicopter fired on ship that tried to break Iran ports blockade

This was the third time the United States, in a months-long war against Iran, has forcibly halted a vessel since reinstating the ports blockade on July 14

Gen Alpha students storm DM office in Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh, over road construction

The students numbered over 200 along with at least 50 parents who participated in the protest were from villages and hamlets of Chandupur gram panchayat located in the Kurara block of Hamirpur district

ED arrests Bijnoriya in Nexa Evergreen money laundering case

Mr. Bijnoriya, one of the principal architects and operators of Nexa Evergreen Group, has been accused of carrying out fraudulent operations along with another partner in the firm

Maharashtra snake bite deaths: Fadnavis orders cancellation of licence of tribal residential school

The CM also said that the official who had inspected the school earlier and had submitted a report, should be placed under suspension

Calcutta High Court says custodial interrogation of Abhishek Banerjee not required in cases registered against him after May 4

During the hearing, the court asked the State whether any FIR has been lodged against Abhishek Banerjee before May 4 and additional solicitor general S.V. Raju confirmed the court that there were no cases before that

Don't wait for job, create one: Bandipora womans journey from 20 sheep to 500

Bandipora, Aug 11: When Mumtaza started her livestock venture in 2020, she had just 20 sheep and a simple determination to build something of her own. Today, that modest beginning has grown into a thriving sheep farm with nearly 500 animals, a journey she says was made possible by hard work, family support and timely guidance from the Animal Husbandry Department. For Mumtaza, the journey did not begin with a big business plan. It began after her education, when a government job failed to come her way. I didnt wait for a job. I thought, why not do something on my own? she recalls. With the support of her family, husband and in-laws, she decided to step into livestock farming. The Animal Husbandry Department provided her with a sheep unit, while officials continued to visit the farm and guide her whenever needed. What started with 20 sheep gradually expanded through persistence and reinvestment. Today, Mumtaza proudly looks after nearly 500 sheep. But for her, the real success of the farm is not measured only by the number of animals. The farm has also become a source of livelihood for others. People are employed for cleaning the farm, removing manure, feeding the animals and carrying out other daily tasks. I didnt just create employment for myself; I also created opportunities for others to earn a livelihood, she says. Behind the numbers is a story of a woman who chose to move forward when opportunities seemed limited. Mumtaza believes that women, particularly those who spend most of their time confined to household responsibilities, should also look beyond the kitchen and explore the opportunities available through government schemes. Where women are often confined to household work, they should come forward and take advantage of government schemes. They should do something for themselves, for their families, and also create employment opportunities for others., she says. Her message to other women is simple: Do not be afraid to start. Come forward. Take advantage of government schemes, just as I did. Leave your hesitation behind, work hard, and move forward. For Mumtaza, the rewards of her hard work have gone far beyond financial independence. The income from the farm helped her educate and support her children and gave her family a better future. And then came a blessing she considers among the most precious achievements of her life she was able to perform Umrah twice through the earnings of her work. From a small flock of 20 sheep to nearly 500, Mumtazas story is not merely about livestock farming. It is about refusing to wait for an opportunity and instead creating one. Her journey also highlights how government support, when combined with individual determination and family encouragement, can help women turn small beginnings into sustainable livelihoods. Today, she has a message for women across Jammu and Kashmir: There are many schemes available today. Go, take advantage of them and start your own work. The beginning may be small, but if you keep working hard, you can achieve great things. Mumtazas 20 sheep were once just a beginning. Five hundred today stand as a reminder that sometimes, all it takes to change a life is the courage to take the first step.

Trump, Modi will resolve Russia sanctions: U.S. official

White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro comment comes days after Senate passed a Bill authorising U.S. President to impose 100% tariffs on top five purchasers of Russian oil

LG Sinha to lead Tiranga Rally in Sgr today

Srinagar, Aug 11: The stage is all set for the massive Tiranga Rally in Srinagar on Wednesday (August12, 2026), with the Traffic Police issuing an advisory for motorists and identifying three designated parking places. The rally will commence from the lawns of the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) and culminate at the Botanical Garden.As per officials, the rally is expected to be led by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, with nearly 20,000 participants expected to takepart. According to details, theme-based selfie points will be installed at SKICC and the Botanical Garden to encourage participants to capture and upload photographs. NCC volunteers have been asked to facilitate participants at these selfie points. Theme-based colouring of tree trunks along the rally route will be undertaken, and the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) will install the National Flag on electric poles along the route. Officialshavealso directed organisers to sensitise participants about adherence to the National Flag Code and called for organising a Shikara Tiranga Rally in Dal Lake as part of the celebrations. Meanwhile, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Anshul Garg, directed all concerned departments and stakeholders to ensure overwhelming participation in the rally. He called upon officers to ensure that participants reach SKICC well in advance to facilitate the smooth conduct of the event. The Div Com stressed the need for foolproof security arrangements at all venues and along the designated rally route. He directed the constitution of a committee comprising officers from SMC, Police, and the Sainik Welfare Department to monitor strict compliance with the Flag Code during the event. The Div Com also directed en masse participation in Har Ghar Tiranga and celebration of the National Song. Tiranga rallies are being organised across all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir from 9 August to 17 August 2026, while 14,03,496 National Flags have been requisitioned by districts for distribution across Jammu and Kashmir to facilitate large-scale participation in the campaign. In view of the Tiranga Rally, traffic movement along Boulevard Road from Lalit Ghat to Kralsangri will remain restricted for five hours on 12 August. According to an advisory issued by the Srinagar Traffic Police, the restrictions will remain in force from 5 AM to 10 AM to facilitate the movement of VIPs, dignitaries, and participants and to prevent congestion on roads. The advisory, issued by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Traffic City Srinagar, Ajaz Ahmad Bhat, stated that participants have been directed to park their vehicles only at designated locations. Official vehicles will be parked at the Botanical Garden, while participants can use the parking facility near Barista at Lalit Ghat and at Makai Point towards Kralsangri. The Traffic Police warned that vehicles parked along roadsides or at unauthorised locations will be towed. Motorists travelling towards Nishat, Shalimar, and Harwan have been advised to use the DalgateRainawariHazratbal route instead of Boulevard Road. Similarly, motorists travelling from Harwan, Shalimar, Nishat, and adjoining areas towards Lal Chowk have been advised to take the ForeshoreHazratbal route instead of the NishatBoulevard Road axis. Those travelling from Gulab Bagh, Zakura, Naseembagh, Habak, and adjoining areas towards Lal Chowk have been advised to use the Habak DargahKhanyar route instead of Foreshore Road. The Traffic Police stated that emergency vehicles would be allowed to take the shortest available route. Citizens requiring assistance have been asked to contact the Traffic Police Control Room on 103.

All venues fully secured for Independence Day: IGP Kashmir

Srinagar, Aug 11: Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir Zone, V.K. Birdi, on Tuesday said all venues designated for the Independence Day celebrations across Kashmir have been fully secured, with elaborate security arrangements put in place to ensure peaceful and smooth conduct of the national event. Addressing reporters after visiting Balidan Stambh at Pratap Park, Birdi described Independence Day as he people's celebration and said the responsibility of the police and other security agencies is to provide a safe and secure environment for the public to participate in the festivities. August 15 is the people's function. The role of the police and security agencies is to organise and secure the celebrations. We want people to participate wholeheartedly and celebrate the occasion in a peaceful atmosphere, the IGP said. The main Independence Day function in the Valley will be held at the historic Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, where Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will hoist the National Flag, inspect the ceremonial parade and take the salute. The event is expected to witness participation from senior civil and police officers, security personnel, students, cultural groups and members of the public. Officials said Bakshi Stadium has been placed under a comprehensive multi-layered security cover. Anti-sabotage teams, assisted by bomb disposal squads and sniffer dog units, have been conducting extensive sanitisation exercises at the venue and surrounding areas. Access to the stadium will be strictly regulated through designated entry gates, with visitors required to undergo identity verification, baggage screening and frisking before entry. Security arrangements have also been strengthened at all district headquarters and other venues hosting official Independence Day functions across Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir Police, Central Armed Police Forces and other security agencies have been deployed in adequate strength, with Quick Reaction Teams positioned at strategic locations to respond swiftly to any emergency. A network of CCTV cameras has been activated at key venues, while drones will provide real-time aerial surveillance to monitor crowd movement and enhance situational awareness. Additional personnel have been deployed for rooftop security, area domination exercises and round-the-clock patrolling in vulnerable locations. Authorities have intensified vehicle checking and frisking at major entry and exit points, while nakas have been established across Srinagar and other districts. Security has also been enhanced around vital installations, government offices, airports, railway stations, bus terminals and crowded public places. Officials said surveillance and intelligence gathering have been further strengthened, with security and intelligence agencies working in close coordination to maintain constant vigil and respond promptly to any potential threat. Additional checkpoints have also been established along major highways and strategic routes leading to Srinagar and district headquarters. The heightened security measures come as Jammu and Kashmir prepares to celebrate Independence Day, with officials expressing confidence that the elaborate arrangements will ensure peaceful, secure and incident-free celebrations across the Valley.

Everton, Crystal Palace complete Johnson-McNeil swap deal

Johnson has signed a four-year contract with Everton, while McNeil has agreed a deal with Palace until 2030

Beyond an alliance, the case for a Congress-SP merger

The Oppositions revival may require a bold act of political reunification

The Mecca Pact and the rise of strategic hedging

The agreement between Saudi Arabia, Trkiye and Pakistan could end decades of externally guaranteed West Asian security arrangements

No path to peace: On Israels rejection of peace plan

Israels rejection of peace plan shows its intent to subjugate Gaza

In the way: On the Tribunal Reforms Bill 2026

The government should not be able to remove tribunal members at will

Hyperpolitics: CJP protests and its aftermath

The internalised algorithmic rationality of Instagram and YouTube generated a burgeoning corpus of edgy yet entertaining political content that served to mobilise huge swarms of GenZ

Indian fencers add seven more medals on Day 2 of U-23 Commonwealth Fencing

Competing across the senior individual events in womens Sabre, womens Epee, and mens Foil, India added one gold, two silver, and four bronze medals to its growing tally on Monday night

Former AIADMK IT wing secretary Singai G. Ramachandran joins TVK

Mr. Ramachandran is the son of former AIADMK Singanallur MLA Singai Govindarajan

Woman employee dies after falling into lift shaft at biryani outlet in Pallavaram

Police are examining whether a technical malfunction, including a possible failure of the lift cable or safety mechanism, caused the accident

T.N. govt. allocates 828.36 crore for MLACDS

The amount sanctioned will be used for implementing the select list of works that fall under the ambit of the scheme for all 234 Assembly segments, with each Assembly segment getting 3.54 crore

Health inspectors death: family says DMO ignored her condition

Uniforms given to students of govt. school in Royapettah

Stella Maris College conducts anti-drug awareness walk

Fifty years ago | India played badly and lost Ramaswami

Two held for offering Ministers post to TVK MLA from Vellore for 8 crore

Delhi High Court to examine suspension of social media accounts over copyright strikes

Malviya Nagar B&B inferno: over 500 buildings sealed for fire safety violations

Ruckus in House; CAG reports on AAP tenure to be referred to PAC

Delhi Assembly repeals B&B law; new policy to allow deemed approval within seven days

2007 law governing such facilities to make way for new legislation proposing self-certification and self-renewal framework, cut registration time, says Industries Minister; three other Bills also cleared

B.Tech spot admission in Kerala made more student-friendly

Applicants can report at any of the 12 government and aided colleges for the admission process on August 13

Kerala requests Centre to reduce waiting period for domestic cooking gas supply during Onam

Since there is additional demand during Onam, the undue waiting period enforced will adversely affect families, Minister Anoop Jacob said in a letter to Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri

Another tiger death reported in A.P.s Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve; official suspended

Though the animal died in September 2025, the field staff did not inform the higher officials about it and disposed of the carcass, says Deputy Director Project Tiger, Atmakur

Delhi Fire Services to buy newskyliftsafter Palam fire

Nations Cup was a great success, now determined to win World Cup: Salima Tete

India head into the World Cup on the back of winning the FIH Nations Cup in New Zealand, and Tete believes the momentum from that success can propel the team to another medal-winning campaign on the biggest stage, the World Cup, to be held at jointly hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30

Chennai is a vibrant, resilient city, says senior AAI official

Motorcycle-borne duo snatches chain from woman in Egmore

The Economics of Kindness: Do Helpful Communities Grow Faster?

Progress is often measured through economic growth, development, and prosperity. Equally important, though less visible, is kindness, a quality that cannot be measured easily but plays a vital role in strengthening people, communities, and societies. Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan School of Management, Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, and Stanford's Centre for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education are studying how trust, kindness, cooperation, empathy, and compassion contribute to well-being, stronger organisations, and stronger societies. International institutions such as UNESCO MGIEP and research initiatives such as Baringa's Economics of Kindness are also examining these connections. Evidence from leading universities and international institutions supports this view. Harvard professor Tyler VanderWeele has studied human flourishing and the role of social bonds, purpose, and community in a good life. Researchers at Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre have examined links between kindness, trust, generosity, helping behaviour, and happiness. Nobel Prize-winning MIT economists Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo have shown how understanding people's lived experiences can lead to better economic decisions and public policy. Stanford researchers have also explored how compassion, trust, and positive social bonds can influence leadership, cooperation, and organisational performance. The economic value of kindness becomes clearer when we look beyond money. People exchange much more than goods and services. They also exchange time, knowledge, skills, advice, encouragement, and support. A peer-reviewed study published in Marketing Theory examined how communities can create value through non-monetary exchanges, including bartering, donating, and sharing. Such activities can meet practical needs while also strengthening trust, belonging, and community well-being. Everyday life provides countless examples. A neighbour helping another person with a task, a colleague sharing useful knowledge, a volunteer giving time to a community project, or someone offering help to a stranger may appear to be small acts. Individually, they may have little financial value. Collectively, however, such actions can create stronger social bonds and make cooperation easier. They build an invisible network of trust that can support communities in daily life and times of need. India offers a useful example through Amul, widely recognised as the world's largest farmer-owned dairy cooperative. Its model brings millions of dairy farmers into a cooperative system where production, processing, and marketing are organised through shared institutions. The experience offers a simple economic lesson: when individuals pool their efforts, share responsibilities, and build trust, they can create value at a scale that may be difficult to achieve alone. It shows how cooperation can turn individual participation into collective economic strength. Kindness also has a place in tourism and hospitality. Visitors often remember not only what they see but also how they are treated. Courtesy, honesty, helpfulness, and respect can shape experiences and influence whether people return or recommend a place to others. For businesses and communities, positive social bonds can therefore contribute to reputation, customer loyalty, and long-term value. The same principle applies to agriculture, manufacturing, handicrafts, services, and small enterprises. Producers, suppliers, customers, and partners depend on reliable social bonds. When people trust one another, they may spend less time dealing with uncertainty, delays, and extra steps. Baringa's Economics of Kindness research highlights this connection between trust and economic efficiency. Modern behavioural economics offers another important insight. People do not always act only according to financial self-interest. Research has shown that fairness, reciprocity, trust, social norms, and concern for others can influence decisions. People may cooperate even when there is no immediate financial reward, particularly when they believe others will also behave fairly. Kindness is also connected with health and well-being. Research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has examined links between helping others, physical health, longevity, and well-being. Oxford researchers have studied the relationship between helping behaviour, generosity, trust, and life satisfaction. UNESCO MGIEP highlights kindness and empathy as qualities that can encourage social connection, cooperation, and sustainable development. The Mental Health Foundation in the United Kingdom has also examined the role of kindness in supporting community well-being and reducing social isolation. This body of evidence suggests that economic progress cannot be understood through financial measures alone. Income and productivity remain important, but so are health, social bonds, trust, purpose, and social connection. Oxford University Press has also highlighted the idea of a meaningful economy, where progress is judged not only by financial results but also by whether people are able to live healthy, purposeful, and fulfilling lives. The growing interest in kindness is not limited to economics. Psychology, public health, leadership, education, marketing, and organisational research are all examining related questions. Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Oxford, UNESCO, and other institutions approach the subject from different perspectives. Their work points towards a shared understanding that social bonds and trust can influence how well individuals, organisations, and communities function. As artificial intelligence and digital technologies continue to change work and daily life, human qualities may become even more important. Machines can process information, identify patterns, and perform many tasks efficiently. However, qualities such as empathy, honesty, judgment, communication, and trust remain central to human cooperation. Technical progress and human values therefore do not have to compete. They can complement each other. Kindness does not mean giving up responsibility, fairness, or good judgment. It can exist alongside clear standards, accountability, and respect for others. A balanced approach recognises that people can be considerate and helpful while also making responsible decisions and maintaining high standards. This balance allows kindness to become a practical part of everyday life rather than simply an ideal. The broader question, therefore, is not whether kindness alone can make an economy grow. No single quality can determine economic success. The more important question is whether trust, cooperation, generosity, and mutual respect can create conditions in which people work together more effectively. The growing body of evidence suggests that they can. The Economics of Kindness offers a broader way of thinking about prosperity. Wealth matters, but so do the social bonds that allow people to create, share, and use it effectively. A society where people trust one another may find cooperation easier. A workplace where people are treated with respect may encourage stronger teamwork. When people are willing to help one another, cooperation becomes easier and shared efforts can become more effective. The larger lesson is simple: kindness may not appear as a separate figure in an economic report, but its effects can be felt in many parts of life. It can strengthen trust, improve well-being, support cooperation, and make collective efforts more effective. Progress, therefore, may be measured not only by what societies produce or earn, but also by how people treat one another while building that future. (The author is a columnist. Feedback: bakshisuhaib094@gmail.com )

Gurnoor could be Indias X-Factor in Bumrahs absence: Maharoof

When the Offence is the Architecture

TECHNOLOGY & NATIONAL SECURITY At 11:16 pm on 23 July, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre sent GitHub a notice numbered 11072601011432. It gave the platform three hours to disable three repositories belonging to BitChat, an open source messaging app that moves encrypted text between nearby phones over Bluetooth. Similar notices went to Google, told to pull BitChat, Briar and Bridgefy from the Play Store, and to Apple. MediaNama reported that telecom operators received parallel directions to block Bluetooth-enabled messaging apps and related URLs. The following day, officials informed those same companies verbally that they need not comply. Nothing was withdrawn on paper. Read the notice and one thing stands out. It names no unlawful post, no account, no message. It objects to how the software is built: no registration, no phone number verification, no central logging, no operator from whom subscriber records can be demanded. The offence is the architecture. That same architecture, communication that survives the loss of infrastructure, is a capability the Indian state is currently paying to acquire. An order against a property The notice was issued under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act read with Rule 3(1)(d) of the 2021 intermediary rules, and referenced Sections 43, 84B and 84C of the IT Act alongside provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The Internet Freedom Foundation called it unconstitutional, arguing that Section 79 sets the conditions under which a platform keeps its safe harbour and hands the government no independent power to block, a reading the group traces to the Supreme Court in Shreya Singhal. IFF also invoked Anuradha Bhasin, noting that a three hour deadline issued near midnight leaves no room for the proportionality assessment the court required. There is a blunter problem. Deleting a repository does not delete the application from a phone that already carries it, and a serverless mesh keeps forwarding messages regardless of what GitHub hosts. What the takedown actually removes is the source code, which is the part outside researchers can inspect. The same property, procured In October last year, the Indian Army signed its first contract for indigenously designed software-defined radios, developed by DRDO and produced by Bharat Electronics. The Armys own account of the purchase highlighted mobile ad hoc network capability, which is mesh networking under a military name. Each radio is a node and a router. The network forms itself, heals around losses, and keeps working when fixed infrastructure is gone. The property that the home ministry described as an impediment to lawful interception is, in a different building in the same capital, a procurement requirement. This is less hypocrisy than an unexamined split, and the line falls on who happens to be holding the device. The technology does not know the difference. Chatroo, twice Jammu and Kashmir has recorded roughly 449 internet suspensions since 2012 on the SFLC tracker, more than any other part of India. In late January, mobile internet was cut across three areas of Kishtwar district, Chatroo among them. On 1 August, a cloudburst tore through the Chatroo belt before dawn, blocking the Kishtwar to Sinthan highway and sweeping away vehicles and shops. In mid-July, between those two events, the administration suspended landline, mobile and broadband services across the whole of Doda for five days, and local reporting noted that UPI payments went down with the network. The union territory has recorded 35 cloudbursts this summer with 31 deaths, concentrated in the Chenab valley, and power and communication were affected in several of the areas hit. This is the part of India where a phone-to-phone relay needing no tower has the clearest civilian case, and the part most likely to be inside a shutdown when that case arises. The precedent is the product The durable output of 23 July is not the fate of one messaging app. It is a template. If the objection is that a protocol has no operator to compel, the same reasoning reaches offline payment tools, self-hosted servers and any future protocol designed to work without permission. IFFs second demand matters most: publish every direction issued under Section 79(3)(b), Rule 3(1)(d) and the Sahyog portal, with reasons recorded for each. An order sent in writing and cancelled by telephone cannot be counted, challenged or appealed. Enforcement without a record is enforcement without a ceiling. There is an uncomfortable parallel. In April, the Cyberspace Administration of China had Apple remove BitChat from its store there, citing rules covering services with social mobilisation capability. India reached the same conclusion about the same application three months later through a different statute. Researchers who study platform regulation have long argued that blocking mechanisms converge on similar reasoning whatever the political system housing them. The case for the notice The counter argument deserves a hearing. Mesh messaging is genuinely attractive to organised crime and to armed groups, and in a region with an active insurgency the inability to attribute a message is no abstraction for the officer investigating it. Lawful interception has a statutory basis and a real purpose. Security researchers have publicly criticised Bridgefys cryptography, so official suspicion of the category is not invented. The reply is that the notice fails on its own terms. It disables no mesh and removes no installed app. It reaches only the artefact that allows public scrutiny of the code, and it does so through an instrument the Supreme Court has read narrowly. A capability-based ban that leaves the capability intact buys nothing except precedent. Interception powers already exist under Section 69, with procedure attached. Reaching for the safe harbour clause instead trades review for speed. Bottom Line India is building a state that assumes connectivity for governance and disconnection as an instrument of order. Mesh networking sits precisely on that contradiction, which is why it drew a midnight order and an informal retreat inside eighteen hours. The government has not said the notice was wrong. It has said, off the record, that nobody needs to obey it. The reasoning survives, available for the next protocol that answers to nobody. Kashmir, which loses its networks to administrators and to weather alike, will be among the first to learn what that costs. (The author studies Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA. He is interested in emerging technologies and innovation, and can be reached on LinkedIn at @arssh-kumar14)

Capitalism and the Human Cost of Growth

Capitalism is often praised as the engine of modern prosperity. It is credited with innovation, efficiency, competition, and growth. It has built industries, created wealth, expanded consumer choice, and transformed the scale at which human ambition can operate. But capitalism, like all economic systems, is not merely a machine for generating output. It is also a system for distributing power, opportunity, and risk. And that is where its deepest contradictions become visible. In theory, capitalism rewards hard work, imagination, and enterprise. In practice, it often rewards those who already possess capital, connections, and access. It promises mobility, but too often reproduces hierarchy. It speaks the language of freedom, yet can produce forms of dependency that are less visible but no less severe than the old systems it replaced. For millions across the world, capitalism is not experienced as a grand ideology but as a daily pressure: the pressure to earn, to compete, to consume, to keep up, and to remain employable in an economy that seldom pauses to ask whether human beings can sustain its pace. That tension between promise and reality is the reason capitalism remains one of the most debated ideas of our time. Its defenders point to its record of innovation and wealth creation. Its critics point to inequality, exploitation, precarious labor, corporate domination, environmental destruction, and the reduction of human life to market value. Both sides have evidence. Both sides are also incomplete if they ignore the moral and social consequences of how capitalism actually behaves when left unchecked. The modern economy has produced unprecedented wealth, but the distribution of that wealth tells a different story. A small section of society increasingly controls a disproportionate share of resources, while large numbers of people live with stagnant wages, insecure work, rising debt, and shrinking social protections. The gap is not only economic; it is psychological and political. When people see prosperity accumulate at the top while their own circumstances remain fragile, trust in institutions erodes. The system may continue to grow, but social confidence begins to decay. That is one of capitalisms central problems: it can generate wealth faster than it generates fairness. It can reward efficiency without guaranteeing dignity. It can make markets more dynamic while making lives more uncertain. In many places, the worker has become more productive, the consumer more exposed, and the citizen more powerless. People are told that success is available to everyone, yet the conditions required to reach itquality education, healthcare, secure employment, housing, and stable public infrastructureare often distributed unequally from the start. This is not an argument against enterprise or private initiative. A functioning economy needs entrepreneurship, investment, and innovation. Public systems alone cannot create prosperity without productive activity and risk-taking from individuals and businesses. The issue is not whether markets should exist, but what kind of markets they should be and what moral limits they should observe. Capitalism without restraint does not naturally produce justice. It produces concentration. It produces winners and losers. And left entirely to its own logic, it often mistakes profit for progress. The problem becomes sharper when capitalism spreads into every corner of life. Education becomes a commodity. Healthcare becomes a business calculation. Housing becomes an investment vehicle. Culture becomes content. Even attention becomes monetized. In such an environment, human needs are increasingly filtered through price, and the public good is measured in return on investment. What cannot be priced is often neglected; what can be monetized is often exploited. This is how a system built to improve material life ends up narrowing the meaning of life itself. There is also a moral fatigue that accompanies prolonged market competition. When everything becomes a contest, the weak are told to adapt, the unsuccessful are told to try harder, and the privileged are told their advantage is simply the result of merit. That story is comforting to those who benefit from it, but it is too neat to explain reality. No society begins from a level playing field. Family background, geography, social identity, inherited wealth, and institutional access all shape outcomes long before individual effort enters the picture. Capitalism often celebrates merit while quietly ignoring the conditions that make merit possible. This is why the debate over capitalism cannot remain purely technical. It is not enough to ask whether markets are efficient. We must also ask whether they are humane. We must ask whether economic growth is improving the lives of ordinary people or merely enlarging the fortunes of those already at the top. We must ask whether competition is encouraging excellence or simply normalizing anxiety. We must ask whether the economy serves society, or society exists mainly to serve the economy. The most troubling feature of contemporary capitalism is not wealth itself but its social consequences when wealth is treated as the highest value. Once profit becomes the central measure of worth, ethical limits begin to weaken. Workers become costs to be minimized. Communities become consumer bases. Nature becomes raw material. Public responsibility becomes an obstacle. In that climate, the market may remain efficient, but the society around it becomes more brittle. The environmental crisis is perhaps the clearest example of capitalisms unresolved contradiction. A system built on endless growth collides with a world of finite resources. The logic of expansion is difficult to reconcile with ecological limits. Businesses are rewarded for producing more, selling more, and consuming more, even when the planet cannot absorb the consequences indefinitely. If capitalism is to remain viable in the long run, it must adapt to the reality that the Earth is not an infinite warehouse. Growth without responsibility is not prosperity; it is delay in the language of progress. The labor market is another area where capitalisms glamour fades under scrutiny. Flexible employment may sound efficient in policy discussions, but for workers it often means instability, low bargaining power, and insecurity. Gig work, contractual labor, short-term hiring, and weakened unions have changed the nature of employment in many economies. The worker today is expected to remain adaptable, available, and productive, often without the protections that earlier generations fought hard to secure. This is not the freedom capitalism once promised. It is flexibility imposed from above and insecurity absorbed from below. Yet capitalism is not a single fixed reality. It has different forms, and the harshest outcomes are not inevitable. Countries that combine markets with strong public institutions, social safety nets, labor protections, and regulatory oversight have shown that capitalism can be moderated. When guided by democratic values and public accountability, it can coexist with more equitable outcomes. The question, therefore, is not whether capitalism should be abolished in some abstract sense, but whether it can be disciplined enough to serve human dignity rather than dominate it. That requires political courage. It requires governments willing to regulate monopolies, protect labor, tax extreme wealth fairly, invest in public goods, and prevent markets from becoming instruments of predation. It requires a public conversation that does not treat inequality as an unfortunate side effect but as a structural issue. It requires a renewed sense that economic policy is not separate from moral purpose. A society cannot be judged only by its stock markets or its corporate profits. It must also be judged by the security, health, and dignity of its ordinary people. For Kashmir, and for societies like ours, the discussion has an added layer of urgency. In regions already marked by unemployment, uncertainty, migration, and uneven development, unregulated capitalism can deepen frustration rather than solve it. When the young see wealth concentrated in a few hands while opportunities remain limited, the promise of meritocracy begins to ring hollow. If economic growth does not translate into meaningful livelihoods, then the language of development becomes another form of disappointment. This is why capitalism must be judged not by how loudly it praises freedom, but by how fairly it distributes that freedom. A system is not successful merely because it produces wealth. It is successful if it allows people to live with dignity, security, and hope. Without those, prosperity is only a statistic. The real challenge before us is to retain capitalisms strengths without surrendering to its excesses. We need markets, but not markets without conscience. We need competition, but not competition that crushes the vulnerable. We need enterprise, but not at the cost of equality, justice, and the public good. The task is not to choose between capitalism and morality. The task is to make capitalism answer to morality. If that does not happen, capitalism will continue doing what it often does best: generating enough wealth to celebrate itself, while leaving too many people to bear the cost of its excesses. That may be a successful economy in narrow terms, but it is not a healthy society. And a society that confuses the two will eventually have to reckon with the difference. ( The author is a post doc fellow associated with an international NGO and is based in Qatar)

The Price of Unsafe Food

Food adulteration is not a petty marketplace trick. It is a direct attack on public health, a betrayal of consumer trust, and a moral indictment of a system that too often looks away while unsafe products move freely from production units to shop shelves and, ultimately, to our homes. In any society that values health and dignity, food should be the safest thing people encounter in daily life. Yet in ours, it has become one of the most uncertain. The menace is especially disturbing because it hides in plain sight. It does not always arrive in a form that looks contaminated or suspicious. Sometimes it is milk diluted beyond reason, spices stretched with fillers, oils adulterated with inferior substitutes, or sweets and bakery items prepared with substandard ingredients. Sometimes it is fruit ripened with chemicals, paneer made under unsafe conditions, or packaged products whose labels promise purity while their contents tell another story. The danger lies not only in what is obviously fake but in what is cleverly disguised. That is what makes adulteration such a dangerous and modern form of fraud. It exploits trust. It feeds on habit. It counts on the consumers inability to verify every item bought at the market or served at the table. People buy what they need, eat what they can afford, and assume the state has done its job. When that assumption fails, the consequences are not merely financial. They are medical, social, and in some cases irreversible. The health effects of adulterated food are often underestimated because they are not always immediate. Unlike a visible accident or a sudden infection, the damage from unsafe food may build slowly. It can weaken immunity, disrupt digestion, damage the liver and kidneys, trigger allergies, aggravate chronic illness, and, over time, create serious health complications. For children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people already living with medical conditions, the threat is even greater. What appears to be an everyday purchase can become a long-term hazard. The public outrage that occasionally follows a raid or media report is understandable, but outrage alone does not solve the problem. The real issue is structural. If adulteration continues year after year, then it is not because people do not know it exists. It is because enforcement is inconsistent, penalties are weak, and accountability is too often delayed until the damage is already done. A few isolated inspections cannot substitute for a functioning food safety regime. What is needed is not ceremonial action but serious governance. Food safety departments must conduct regular, surprise, and scientifically backed inspections. Samples must be tested frequently, results should be transparent, and offenders must face consequences strong enough to deter others. Repeat violations should not be treated as minor technical lapses. Businesses that knowingly sell adulterated food should risk suspension, heavy fines, and prosecution where warranted. The message must be unmistakable: poisoning the food chain is not a business model, it is a crime. At the same time, the food supply chain itself needs scrutiny. Adulteration does not begin only at the point of sale. It can start at procurement, during storage, in transit, or at the stage of processing. Poor sanitation, fraudulent labeling, weak supervision, and the use of cheap substitute ingredients all contribute to the problem. If the system allows unsafe products to move through multiple hands without checks, then the failure is not only individual but institutional. This is also why the fight against adulteration cannot be left to consumers alone. It is unreasonable to expect every household to detect every impurity in every item it buys. Yet awareness still matters. Consumers should be encouraged to read labels carefully, demand receipts, report suspicious products, and be cautious of unusually cheap goods that promise premium quality. Schools, community groups, local bodies, and health departments should run sustained awareness campaigns so that people know how adulteration works and how to protect themselves from it. But awareness should never become an excuse for state inaction. The burden must not be shifted onto consumers while the market remains largely unchecked. The responsibility of ensuring safe food lies first with regulators, then with manufacturers, distributors, and sellers. A citizen should not need laboratory skills to know whether the milk being sold is genuine or the spice mix on the shelf is safe. Safety should be built into the system, not outsourced to the consumers suspicion. There is also a deeper ethical question here. Food is not like any other product. It is tied to life itself. To adulterate food is to profit from vulnerability. It is to deceive families trying to feed their children, workers buying meals on the way home, patients following dietary instructions, and elderly people depending on basic nutrition. In that sense, food adulteration is not merely commerce gone wrong. It is a betrayal of the social contract. The poor are usually the first and worst victims. Those with greater purchasing power can often shift to expensive brands, specialty stores, or imported products. Those with limited means must depend on whatever is available and affordable. This is why adulteration is also an issue of inequality. It punishes the people with the least protection, the least choice, and the least ability to challenge the system. A society that tolerates that reality is accepting a two-tier standard of safety: one for the privileged, another for everyone else. The response must therefore be broad, coordinated, and sustained. Government agencies must treat food adulteration as a public health emergency, not a periodic nuisance. Food testing infrastructure must be strengthened. Laboratories must be better equipped. Inspections must be more frequent. Data should be shared publicly so that the market knows it is being watched. Licensing systems should be tightened so that only accountable businesses remain in operation. The goal should not be to create fear for honest traders, but to make dishonesty unprofitable and impossible. The media also has a major role. It must keep this issue in public view beyond the occasional headline. There is value in reporting enforcement failures, exposing patterns, and forcing authorities to answer uncomfortable questions. Public attention is one of the few pressures that can keep a routine problem from being normalized. When adulteration disappears from discussion, it gains space to spread. When it is repeatedly exposed, it becomes harder to hide. Civil society, too, must not remain passive. Resident associations, traders groups, educational institutions, and consumer forums should press for safer markets and greater accountability. Food safety is not an abstract policy issue. It touches every home, every child, every kitchen, and every meal. That makes it a shared responsibility, even if the primary obligation rests with the state. The real tragedy is that adulteration has become familiar. We have heard about it enough times to be alarmed, but not enough times to demand a permanent solution. That is how dangerous habits survive: through repetition, fatigue, and resignation. But resignation is not an option. No community should have to wonder whether its milk is pure, its spices are authentic, or its sweets are safe to eat. No family should have to bargain with uncertainty every time it shops for food. This is where policy must meet morality. Safe food is not a luxury, and it is not a privilege. It is a basic right, inseparable from the right to health and dignity. Any government that cannot enforce that right is failing in one of its most basic duties. Any market that rewards adulteration over honesty is failing its consumers. And any society that learns to live with this failure is quietly normalising harm. The time for token action is over. The state must move from occasional raids to sustained enforcement, from warnings to consequences, from reactive outrage to preventive regulation. Food adulteration must be treated with the seriousness it deserves, because the cost of delay is measured not only in money but in illness, suffering, and avoidable loss. If the food on our table cannot be trusted, then something deeper has gone wrong. Correcting that wrong must become a priority, not a slogan. The purity of food is not a narrow consumer issue; it is a test of governance, ethics, and public responsibility. And until that test is passed, the danger will continue to sit quietly at the centre of everyday life. (The author is a social activist, researcher and educationist)

Another Life Lost on Our Roads

A tragic road accident near the stone quarry at Achabal on Tuesday has once again brought into sharp focus the fragile state of road safety on Kashmirs roads. A bike rider lost his life, and four others were injured in the collision, leaving behind grief, shock and familiar questions that too often follow such incidents. According to officials, an Ignis car collided with a motorcycle near the stone quarry on Tuesday. The motorcycle rider, Rayees Ahmad Gadda of Harhama, Sangam, and pillion rider Akash Rasool Bhat sustained injuries in the crash. Rayees was later declared brought dead at SDH Achabal, while the other injured were referred to GMC Anantnag for specialised treatment. The details are still being investigated, and police have taken cognisance of the incident. But even before the inquiry is complete, one fact is already beyond dispute: another preventable tragedy has been added to the long list of road mishaps that keep claiming lives and maiming families across the Valley. Every such accident is not just a police case or a news brief. It is a story of shattered households, medical expenses, lost earnings and enduring trauma. For the bereaved family, the loss is irreversible. For the injured, the road to recovery may be long and uncertain. And for the larger society, each accident should serve as a warning that indifference on the roads is no longer acceptable. Road safety is a shared responsibility. Drivers must exercise caution, maintain speed discipline and respect the vulnerability of two-wheelers and pedestrians. Motorcyclists, too, must ensure helmet use and alert riding. But individual responsibility alone cannot solve a problem of this scale. What is needed is stricter enforcement, visible policing at accident-prone stretches, and sustained public awareness rather than seasonal reminders after each crash. Authorities must also examine whether the stretch near Achabal needs better signage, speed-calming measures and improved traffic regulation. Many accidents occur not because roads are inherently unforgiving, but because rules are ignored until tragedy forces attention. The death of Rayees Ahmad Gadda should not be reduced to a passing headline. It should prompt a deeper reckoning with the casual way road safety is often treated. If this loss is to mean anything beyond grief, it must translate into firmer enforcement, greater caution and a renewed public commitment to protect life on the road.

State govt. issues guidelines for Advance Medical Directives

No new schemes or fiscal consolidation measures in the Budget, says Palaniswami

JSPM seeks demographic audit of Jammu, submits memorandum to panel

Jammu, Aug 11: The Jammu State Peoples Movement (JSPM) has submitted a memorandum to the High-Level Committee examining demographic changes in Jammu, seeking a comprehensive and independent demographic audit of the region. A delegation led by JSPM Chairman Col Ajay Raina submitted the memorandum, titled Memorandum on Demographic Change in Jammu Province (19472026): Implications for National Security, Governance and Regional Identity. The delegation included Ashwani Sharma, Shivani Vaid Sharma, Vir Vikram, Dr Vikas Padha and Rajinder Kumar Sharma. The memorandum brings together historical developments, legislative and administrative decisions, demographic trends, migration patterns and issues concerning land and settlement in Jammu. JSPM said demographic changes in Jammu should not be viewed only as a statistical issue, citing the regions proximity to the International Border and Line of Control, its strategic role as the main land corridor to Kashmir and the presence of military and other key infrastructure. The organisation urged the committee to examine the cumulative impact of migration, rehabilitation policies, land-use changes, alleged encroachments on state and forest land, urban expansion and settlement patterns along strategically important areas. It also sought an examination of whether these developments have altered the demographic character of parts of Jammu and their possible impact on political representation, resource allocation, regional identity and national security. A key concern raised in the memorandum was the alleged occupation and subsequent regularisation of state and forest land. JSPM called for independent verification of land records and transactions linked to the former Roshni Act. The memorandum cited figures of approximately 5.71 lakh kanals in Jammu Division and 33,392 kanals in Kashmir Division in connection with land transferred or regularised under the scheme. The group also submitted data claiming that more than 12,000 kanals of state and forest land had been encroached upon in and around Jammu city, including areas near protected wildlife zones. JSPM further urged scrutiny of settlement patterns along national highways, riverbeds, khads and nallas, as well as areas near military installations and other sensitive infrastructure. The memorandum also raised allegations regarding the presence of Rohingyas and Bangladeshi nationals, undocumented migration and changes in settlement patterns around Jammu city. However, JSPM said such claims should be verified through official records and should neither be treated as established facts nor dismissed as political allegations. The organisation clarified that it did not question the constitutional right of Indian citizens to reside anywhere in the country in accordance with law, nor did it seek to view demographic changes through a communal lens. It called instead for an impartial, evidence-based assessment of the issue. JSPM proposed that the demographic audit should use Census data, revenue and land records, migration statistics, satellite imagery, land-use data and public consultations. The organisation said the objective was not to seek predetermined conclusions but to ensure that concerns relating to Jammu were examined objectively in the interests of national security, constitutional governance, social harmony and balanced regional development.

Srinagar gears up for I-Day celebrations

Srinagar, Aug 10: Elaborate arrangements are being put in place across Srinagar for Independence Day celebrations, with the main Union Territory-level function scheduled to be held at Bakshi Stadium, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg said on Monday. Speaking to reporters, Garg said that preparations for the August 15 celebrations are being carried out on multiple fronts, including the participation of parade contingents, cultural programmes and illumination of important government and public buildings in the national Tricolour theme. As usual, the 15th August UT-level event is being organised in Srinagar at Bakshi Stadium. Different arrangements related to parade contingents, cultural programmes and illumination of buildings on the Tricolour theme are being carried out, the Divisional Commissioner said. He said preparatory meetings have already been held with various security agencies to ensure smooth and peaceful conduct of the Independence Day celebrations. Garg added that rehearsals by different contingents of the armed and security forces are currently underway at Bakshi Stadium as part of the preparations for the main event. The Divisional Commissioner also appealed to people across Kashmir to participate in the August 15 celebrations and become part of the national event. I would like to appeal to our people to participate in the August 15 programme and become a part of this national event, he said. Meanwhile, preparations are also underway for the Har Ghar Tiranga programme scheduled to be held on August 12. Garg said that Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah are expected to participate in the event. He said a colourful Tricolour-themed rally will be organised from the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) to the Botanical Garden in Srinagar at 7 am on August 12. The administration is making coordinated efforts with concerned departments, cultural teams, security agencies and other stakeholders to ensure that the Independence Day and Har Ghar Tiranga programmes are conducted smoothly and attract wide public participation.

SKUAST-K to hold agri-innovation programme at GDC Uri

Srinagar, Aug 10: The Rural Business Incubation Centre (RBIC) of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir (SKUAST-K), with support from NABARD, will organise a one-day interactive ideation programme at Government Degree College (GDC) Uri on Tuesday. The program encourages innovation, entrepreneurship and rural startups among students. Titled From Grassroots Problems to Scalable Startups: RBIC Idea Resonator on Agri & Rural Innovation, the programme aims to provide young students and rural youth with a platform to identify local challenges and develop innovative business ideas around agriculture and rural development. According to the organisers, RBIC functions as a launchpad for agri-business and rural startups by identifying, nurturing and scaling grassroots innovations and business ideas. The centre emphasises engaging young innovators, particularly those with a strong understanding of local challenges, through workshops and ideation programmes. The initiative at GDC Uri is aimed at strengthening problem-solving skills among students and equipping them with basic tools to transform innovative ideas into viable business projects. It will focus on design thinking, understanding market needs and planning prototypes, while also helping identify promising ideas at an early stage. The programme will also create a pathway for selected participants to access RBICs incubation programmes, mentorship clinics and funding opportunities. The organisers said GDC Uri, being an important educational institution in the border sub-division, can play a significant role in shaping the career and economic aspirations of local youth. The initiative is expected to help students translate their academic knowledge into practical business ventures and explore entrepreneurship as an avenue for employment generation. Notably, RBIC can provide grants of up to 5 lakh to selected innovators to help them validate their ideas and develop them into viable commercial enterprises. The ideation programme will invite problem statements and innovative ideas under four broad themes- AgriTech, FoodTech and Digital Innovations, Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Farming, Agriculture and Livestock Sector Innovations, and Handicrafts and Rural Enterprises.

3,175 landless households still await land under PMAY-G

Srinagar, August 11: As many as 3,175 rural landless households in Jammu and Kashmir are still awaiting allotment of land for construction of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), the Centre informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Replying to a question raised by MPs Benny Behanan and Anto Antony, Union Minister for Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that 3,673 landless beneficiaries had been identified as eligible for assistance under PMAY-G in Jammu and Kashmir. Of these, 498 beneficiaries have already been provided land, while the remaining 3,175 beneficiaries are yet to be allotted land by the Union Territory administration. According to the minister, Jammu and Kashmir has been allocated a target of 3,41,644 houses under PMAY-G. Of these, 3,34,597 houses have been sanctioned and 3,26,860 have been completed. However, 14,784 houses remain incomplete against the allocated target. Providing details of landless households across the country, Chouhan said that as of August 6, 2026, around 5.62 lakh rural landless households had been identified as eligible under PMAY-G. Landless beneficiaries are accorded priority under PMAY-G, the minister said. Of the 5.62 lakh identified landless beneficiaries, around 3.26 lakh households have either been provided land or assistance and had houses sanctioned by the respective State Governments and Union Territory administrations. However, approximately 2.36 lakh households are still awaiting allotment or provision of land. The Centre has also approved Phase-II of PMAY-G, under which an additional two crore rural houses are to be constructed by March 2029. The minister further informed the Lok Sabha that, as of August 6, 2026, around 1.05 crore houses remained incomplete against the overall targets under the scheme. State-, Union Territory- and district-wise details have been provided in Annexure-II of the governments reply. Chouhan said that State Governments and UT administrations are the primary implementing authorities for the scheme at the ground level. Citing reports received from the States and UTs, he said delays in completion of houses were attributed to several factors, including unwillingness of beneficiaries, permanent migration, disputed succession in cases involving deceased beneficiaries, delays in allotting land to landless beneficiaries, delays in updating credit confirmation through State Integrated Financial Management Information Systems (IFMIS), elections to Parliament, Assemblies and Panchayats, and the unavailability of building materials. He said that the Union Government has taken several measures to accelerate the construction of houses and achieve PMAY-G targets across the country. These measures include timely allocation of targets, release of adequate funds to States and UTs, regular reviews of progress, monitoring and supervision through a dedicated dashboard, regular workshops with State and UT authorities, and rural mason training programmes. The minister said these measures were aimed at addressing implementation bottlenecks and expediting the completion of houses under PMAY-G.

Maternity pay row : J&K doctors body seeks HC order implementation

Srinagar, Aug 11: The issue of maternity pay for resident doctors in Jammu & Kashmir has once again come to the limelight after the J&K High Court quashed an order denying salary and allowances to resident doctors during maternity leave, observing that motherhood cant be penalised. The Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors Network (IMA JDN) J&K has requested Health Minister Sakina Itoo, demanding immediate implementation of the High Courts directions and the release of pending salaries and allowances to eligible resident doctors. Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, Co-Convenor, IMA JDN J&K, said that the organisation had been continuously following up with senior officials regarding the issue. We were in continuous follow-up with the higher authorities regarding this matter. Despite our repeated efforts, concerns regarding the non-payment of salaries to resident doctors on maternity leave continued. The High Courts order has now clearly addressed the issue, Khan said. He questioned why some Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) in J&K are still withholding or delaying the salaries of doctors who have availed maternity leave despite the directions of the High Court. Dr Rakesh Koul, Convenor, IMA JDN J&K, and Dr Burhan Ali, General Secretary, IMA JDN J&K have also supported the demand for immediate implementation of the Courts directions. They urged the concerned authorities to ensure that resident doctors are not subjected to financial hardship for availing maternity leave adding that maternity leave is a constitutional right. IMA JDN J&K has urged the Health and Medical Education Department and the administrations of concerned GMCs to implement the High Court judgment in letter and spirit and ensure that all affected resident doctors receive their legitimate salary and allowances without further delay. The organisation maintained that maternity leave is a legitimate entitlement and that resident doctors shouldnt face financial hardship, discrimination, or professional disadvantage for exercising this right. The association further emphasised that the High Courts directions should be followed uniformly across all Government Medical Colleges in Jammu & Kashmir. Court orders must be implemented. Justice cannot remain on paper, they said. Last month, the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh had quashed a government communication that denied pay and allowances to Senior Residents and Tutors during maternity leave, holding that maternity benefits are a constitutional right and not an act of state charity. The court had also called the Finance Department's communication a blatant administrative overreach and remarked that in its attempt to reduce public expenditure, the department had ignored constitutional safeguards protecting motherhood. The HC had then also issued directions to the Health and Medical Education Department to release full salary and allowances to the petitioners not only for the maternity leave period but also for the extended residency period corresponding to the leave available.

Govt completes drone mapping of 4,497 villages

Srinagar: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has informed the Lok Sabha that drone surveys have been completed in all 4,497 villages notified under the SVAMITVA Scheme in Jammu and Kashmir, with 81,305 property cards prepared and distributed to property owners in 2,130 villages across the Union Territory. Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh provided the information in a written reply to a question raised by Tangella Uday Srinivas in the Lok Sabha. According to the Ministry, 4,497 villages have been notified under the SVAMITVA Scheme in Jammu and Kashmir and drone surveys have been completed in all these villages. A total of 81,305 property cards have been prepared, with around 81,305 cards distributed to property owners in 2,130 villages. In the Union Territory of Ladakh, 232 villages have been notified under the scheme and drone surveys have been completed in all 232 villages. The Ministry said 18,788 property cards have been prepared in Ladakh, of which 15,623 have been distributed to property owners. Property cards have been prepared for 225 villages. The SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) Scheme is aimed at providing a Record of Rights to property owners in rural inhabited areas. Under the scheme, rural inhabited land is demarcated using drone surveys and Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) technology to prepare high-accuracy maps of village abadi areas. The Minister said these maps help in reducing property-related disputes by clearly demarcating property boundaries and creating a Record of Rights. The scheme also provides for ground verification and the resolution of objections and disputes by competent authorities before property cards are issued. This ensures transparency and fair demarcation of properties, the Minister said. The Ministry has also conducted an impact evaluation of the SVAMITVA Scheme through the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, to assess its impact on bank loan uptake. According to the Minister, the study found a substantial increase in the amount of bank loans availed against properties for which SVAMITVA property cards had been issued. As per information available with the Ministry, 11,147 loans amounting to Rs 1,713 crore have so far been disbursed on the basis of SVAMITVA property cards. the Ministry clarified that it has not conducted any study on the impact of the SVAMITVA Scheme on the own-source revenue of Panchayats or Gram Panchayat property tax, as these matters fall under the jurisdiction of State Governments. The Minister said that under Article 243H of the Constitution of India, the legislature of a State may, by law, authorise a Panchayat to levy, collect and appropriate taxes, duties, tolls and fees. He further said that local government is a State subject under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. As a result, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj does not maintain data relating to the own-source revenue or property tax of Panchayats. At the national level, drone surveys under the SVAMITVA Scheme have been completed in 3.30 lakh villages out of 3.38 lakh villages across the country. The Ministry said 3.24 crore property cards have been prepared for 1.97 lakh villages, while around 2.72 crore property cards have been distributed to property owners. The Ministry also said it does not maintain data on the number of Gram Panchayats that have utilised SVAMITVA records for the assessment and collection of property tax, as these functions are the responsibility of respective State Governments and Gram Panchayats. The Centre has also not issued any separate guidelines for integrating SVAMITVA records with the property tax administration of Gram Panchayats. Local Government being a State subject, the Ministry has no separate proposal to expand the use of SVAMITVA data specifically for strengthening the own-source revenue of Gram Panchayats. The Minister said the geospatial data and property records generated under the SVAMITVA Scheme can be utilised by respective State Governments and Gram Panchayats to strengthen their revenue sources.

Tiranga bike rally held in Shopian

Shopian, Aug 11: J&K Police, in collaboration with the District Administration Shopian, organised a Tiranga Bike Rally on Tuesday as part of the celebrations ahead of Independence Day 2026. The rally was flagged off from the District Police Lines Shopian and proceeded towards the main town, with personnel from J&K Police, CRPF and the civil administration participating in the event. Deputy Commissioner Shopian and SSP Shopian led the rally and participated along with other senior officers, police personnel and civil administration officials. The participants carried the Tricolour and raised patriotic slogans, creating an atmosphere of national pride and enthusiasm. On the occasion, officers highlighted the Tiranga as a symbol of unity, freedom, dignity and justice and urged citizens, particularly youth, to uphold these values and contribute towards a peaceful and harmonious society. J&K Police and the district administration reiterated their commitment to promoting patriotism, public participation and community engagement, and appealed to people to participate in the upcoming Independence Day celebrations.

Ladakh hosts first Black-Necked Crane Festival

Leh, Aug 11: The nations first Ladakh Black-Necked Crane Festival 2026 was inaugurated in Ladakh, celebrating the unique high-altitude bird and the revered State Bird of the Union Territory. The festival brings together conservationists, researchers, wildlife experts and environmental stakeholders from India and abroad, including representatives associated with the United Nations, as well as experts from Bhutan, which is home to a significant population of Black-Necked Cranes. The event seeks to place the conservation of the Black-Necked Crane at the centre of wider efforts to protect Ladakhs fragile high-altitude ecosystems while strengthening the role of local communities in conservation and sustainable development. The festival is being organised with active participation from local communities and focuses on strengthening the linkages between wildlife conservation, sustainable livelihoods and community-led eco-tourism. The initiative aims to ensure that conservation efforts also create meaningful livelihood opportunities for people living in and around important crane habitats. A special attraction of the festival was a scintillating dance performance by schoolchildren dressed as Black-Necked Cranes. The performance sought to spread awareness among the younger generation about the importance of protecting the species and preserving its natural habitat. Speaking on the occasion, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena described the Black-Necked Crane as much more than a bird, saying it represents peace and serves as an ambassador of life sustainability in Ladakhs high-altitude ecosystems. He said the species also represents a vital bridge between nature and the well-being of local communities, underlining the need for a conservation model in which ecological protection and community development move together. The festival also provides a platform for experts and researchers to exchange knowledge and experiences on the conservation of the Black-Necked Crane, its habitat and the challenges faced by high-altitude ecosystems. The participation of experts from Bhutan assumes particular significance given the countrys sizeable Black-Necked Crane population and its experience in community-based conservation and eco-tourism. The festival also highlights the importance of responsible tourism in ecologically sensitive areas of Ladakh. Through community participation and awareness, the initiative seeks to promote tourism practices that generate economic opportunities while reducing pressure on fragile natural habitats. The Lieutenant Governor said the initiative is guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modis call for conserving precious wildlife and their habitats. He emphasised the principle of generating more value from nature, with less pressure on nature as a guiding approach for Ladakhs sustainable development. The Black-Necked Crane, scientifically known as Grus nigricollis, is closely associated with the high-altitude wetlands and grasslands of the Himalayan region. In Ladakh, the species holds considerable ecological and cultural significance and has emerged as a symbol of the regions unique biodiversity. The first Ladakh Black-Necked Crane Festival is expected to further strengthen awareness about the species while encouraging greater cooperation among government agencies, conservationists, researchers and local communities.

BJP suspends Pulwama district chief over extortion FIR

Srinagar, Aug 11: The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has suspended its Pulwama district president, Er. Syed Showkat Gayoor, from all official positions following the registration of an FIR alleging extortion against him. The suspension was ordered by J&K BJP president Sat Sharma on the recommendation of party chief spokesperson and disciplinary committee chairman Advocate Sunil Sethi. Sethi said the allegations were serious and warranted immediate disciplinary action, while stressing that the suspension should not be seen as a verdict on the criminal case. While the law will take its own course and every individual is entitled to due process, the BJP has an equally important responsibility to uphold its organisational values and ethical standards, Sethi said. He said any office-bearer facing serious allegations could not continue in a responsible organisational position until the matter was examined through the partys disciplinary mechanism. Sethi said the action was aimed at protecting the credibility and reputation of the party and maintaining public confidence. He added that the disciplinary proceedings would be conducted in accordance with the BJP constitution and established procedures, giving Gayoor an opportunity to present his case. The party believes in both accountability and natural justice, Sethi said, adding that an appropriate decision would be taken after completion of the disciplinary process. Following Sethis recommendation, Sharma approved Gayoors immediate suspension from all official positions, including that of Pulwama district president. The BJP said the action reflected its policy of maintaining organisational discipline and zero tolerance towards conduct that could adversely affect its public image.

NC, Apni Party urge govt to ease pressure on youth

Srinagar, Aug 11: Apni Party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari and National Conference chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq on Tuesday called for an end to what they described as unnecessary harassment and police summons of Kashmiri youth, urging the authorities to build greater trust with the younger generation. Bukhari, speaking to reporters after a workers convention at Wailoo Tangmarg, urged the authorities to allow young people to participate freely in August 15 celebrations and not subject them to unnecessary harassment. He said the youth had endured hardships over the years and deserved an opportunity to lead peaceful and dignified lives. Even those who may have been involved in activities in the past have suffered enough over the years and should be given an opportunity to move forward, Bukhari said. Responding to questions about security threats, he said people must remain vigilant as attempts could be made to disturb the prevailing peace. Our enemy will certainly try to disrupt the prevailing peace and calm, but with our vigilance and collective resolve, we have to foil any such attempt, he said. Bukhari said his partys strategy for restoration of J&Ks statehood remained the same as adopted in 2020, when it chose dialogue with New Delhi to protect the exclusive rights of people over land and jobs. On the pending Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies elections, he alleged that the National Conference government was reluctant to hold the polls and empower people at the grassroots level. Meanwhile, Tanvir Sadiq, speaking to the media at the National Conference headquarters, also urged the LG administration to place greater trust in Kashmiri youth and stop unnecessarily summoning people, particularly youngsters, to police stations. Sadiq said such practices create fear and apprehension, particularly when people are living peacefully with their families and earning their livelihoods. He said young people should be allowed to live and work without unnecessary fear or harassment, stressing that rebuilding public trust required greater confidence in citizens. Referring to remarks made by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti in Delhi, Sadiq said statements such as Banta Hai should not be used as a basis to target or suspect Kashmiri youth. He also appealed to people not to pay heed to rumours or create panic, clarifying that there had been no decision to increase electricity tariffs. On infrastructure, Sadiq said road macadamisation had been affected by the Iran-US war but the work had now resumed. He said roads and lanes across Srinagar would be macadamised in phases and reiterated the governments commitment to improving civic infrastructure and connectivity.

Mamata Banerjee protests deeply hurtful remarks against Netaji by BJP MP

Slogans are also raised against the TMC chairperson at Shyambazar, where she participated in the protest; this is the second time the former West Bengal CM has been called a thief at her public events

Private college hikes fees, stops defaulting students from attending classes

A professor denies allegation that the students were asked to pay the increased fee upfrontat a short notice; students register a complaint with University of Madras and the Chief Ministers Cell

Assembly panel seeks Russian Poplar phase-out

Srinagar, Aug 11: The J&K Legislative Assemblys Estimates Committee on Tuesday called for a time-bound phase-out of Russian Poplar in the Union Territory, citing concerns over its impact on local biodiversity and public health, and stressed the need for large-scale plantation of indigenous species. The committee, headed by Chairman Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurezi), met to examine the Action Taken Report submitted by the Forest, Ecology & Environment Department on issues related to forest conservation, community rights and infrastructure in J&K. During the meeting, Gurezi said forests were not just trees but the lungs of J&K, besides being a source of livelihood for people and a legacy for future generations. We cannot afford to treat this as routine file work, he said, stressing the need for urgent action to protect and restore forest areas. The chairman directed the department to expedite replantation on land diverted for National Highways, PMGSY, PWD and NHAI projects. He also called for a massive plantation drive in deforested areas across J&K. Taking serious note of tree felling and its role in soil erosion and landslides during rains, the committee directed the department to undertake scientific afforestation on vulnerable slopes to safeguard lives and property. On Russian Poplar, Gurezi expressed concern over what he described as its impact on local biodiversity and health. He directed the department to phase out the species in a time-bound manner and replace it with indigenous varieties such as Chinar, Deodar and Kail. The chairman also stressed the importance of protecting community rights and ensuring that local people benefit from forest resources. J&Ks timber and forest wealth belongs to the people of J&K, he said, directing the department to ensure sustainable use of forest resources and curb illegal smuggling of poplar, deodar and pine. He further called for ensuring that benefits reach local communities and tribal families under the Forest Rights Act, 2006. The committee also reviewed the condition of deteriorating trees in major tourist destinations, including Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Yusmarg, and directed the department to undertake immediate replantation. It also called for stronger measures to check poaching and man-animal conflict in the Union Territory. Emphasising public participation in forest conservation, the chairman directed that Gram Sabhas be held in all constituencies across J&K. He asked the Commissioner Secretary, Forest, Ecology & Environment, to finalise comprehensive guidelines for conducting Gram Sabhas at the Panchayat level to ensure direct public involvement in forest conservation, protection and sustainable use of resources. The meeting was attended by members of the Estimates Committee, including Balwant Singh Mankotia, Ali Mohammad Dar, Javid Hassan Baig, Mushtaq Guroo, Irshad Rasool Kar, Sajad Shaheen and Pyare Lal Sharma. Commissioner Secretary Forest, Ecology & Environment Sheetal Nanda, Commissioner Secretary Tribal Affairs G. Prasanna Ramaswamy, PCCF HoFF Forest Department, Chairman J&K PCC, PCCF Wildlife Department, MD JKFDCL, VC LCMA and other senior officers were also present.

Srinagar issues on priority : Javed Rana

Srinagar: Cabinet Minister Javid Rana on Tuesday said the issues concerning Srinagar city are among the governments priorities, asserting that necessary directions have been issued to the concerned departments to address pending public grievances. Speaking to reporters, Cabinet Minister Javed Rana said discussions were held on various issues raised by senior National Conference leaders, including Sagar, Salman Sagar and General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, with some of the concerns already addressed and directions issued for resolving the remaining matters. Some of the issues have been addressed, while for the other issues, the department has been instructed to take necessary decisions, Rana said while speaking to reporters. He further said that the government plans to undertake a visit to the area after Independence Day, most likely during the last week of August, to take stock of the situation on the ground and review the progress of developmental works. The city of Srinagar is in our priority. All the issues related to water and other concerns will be resolved on priority, the minister said. Responding to questions regarding complaints of muddy or contaminated tap water being supplied in parts of Srinagar, Rana said such complaints are being continuously monitored by the concerned department. He said complaints regarding water quality and supply are received from different areas from time to time and the department takes corrective measures wherever problems are reported. These complaints keep coming. It is a continuous process and the department is involved in it. Wherever there are complaints, they are fixing them, Rana said. The minister maintained that the department has the necessary capacity and is working to improve water supply services, assuring that people would be provided better and more reliable water supply. His remarks came amid concerns raised over visuals circulating from parts of Srinagar showing discoloured water coming from taps, including complaints from areas around educational institutions and residential localities. Asked about reports alleging extensive deforestation in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in connection with ongoing construction and development projects, Rana rejected the claim that the Union Territory has emerged as the worst-performing region in the country on forest loss. What you are saying, this news is not correct. You read the record of last year, he said. Rana said the government had also presented relevant data before the Legislative Assembly and maintained that the available official record should be examined before drawing conclusions about the extent of deforestation in Jammu and Kashmir.

China, Indonesia navies to hold drills in sensitive waters to east of Taiwan

The exercise will focus on communication drills and at-sea replenishment, aiming to enhance the joint operational capabilities of the two navies, deepen practical cooperation, and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability, says Chinas Defence Ministry

Car bomb kills Haftar intel chief in eastern Libya

Fawzi al-Mansouri was assassinated on August 10, 2026 when an explosive stuck to his car detonated as he was leaving a local mosque at night, the statement said

Nongkseh SSCC sign off with 7-0 rout of Mumbay FC in Durand Cup 2026

Shillong, Aug 11: Nongkseh SSCC finished their Durand Cup 2026 campaign in style with a dominant 7-0 win over Mumbay FC in a Group E fixture, played here today at the JN Stadium . Hardy Cliff Nongbri (11P, 79) and Dawancha Carlos Challam (76, 81) both struck twice, while Kitboklang Pale (41), Chesterpaul Lyngdoh (56) [] The post Nongkseh SSCC sign off with 7-0 rout of Mumbay FC in Durand Cup 2026 first appeared on Highland Post .

Fresh probe into hurried cremation of R.G. Kar victim after CMs intervention

The new case includes allegations of criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence

Christ University V-C conferred NCC honour

Har Ghar Tiranga from August 13 to 15 in Visakhapatnam

K.M. Basheer case: witness identifies victims bike parts and helmet in court

Sajir, an auto-rickshaw driver, who is also the 12th witness in the case, also identified the number plate produced before the court

AI-powered cameras to trigger alerts if level crossing gates remain open

Cameras will provide live video feeds to Station Master of the nearest railway station and control room; move aimed at preventing accidents at crossings

Finance Commission chairman Arvind Panagariya advises Kerala to make good policy choices

He says the Vizhinjam international seaports ability to boost the economy can be exploited better with some imaginative thinking

Brittas moves privilege motion against BJP MP over lungiwala slur

The expression was not an inadvertent remark but a deliberate personal reference that invoked a derogatory stereotype about South Indians, Brittas said

Vijayawada-bound flight lands safely after technical snag, lands safely later

Labourers deaths put spotlight back on construction site safety

6.51 lakh electors flagged for scrutiny in Meghalaya SIR

Shillong, Aug 11:Election authorities in Meghalaya have identified 6,51,644 electors for further scrutiny during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) BDR Tiwari said on Tuesday. The CEO has directed officials to ensure the process is followed properly before any decision is taken. Of the total, 2,22,786 electors fall [] The post 6.51 lakh electors flagged for scrutiny in Meghalaya SIR first appeared on Highland Post .

Over 23,000 posts vacant in 28 Central health institutions: Health Ministry

The 18 AIIMS institutions, which have 4,850 sanctioned faculty posts in 2026-27, have 1,645 vacancies, or about 34% of the sanctioned strength. The data furnished by Minister Anupriya Patel also show a decline in the number of sanctioned posts in some institutions

Turkiye's Kurdish region greets conditional PKK pardon with relief, joy and doubt

Lawmakers on August 10 voted overwhelmingly in favour of the legislation that is aimed at advancing a peace effort between the Turkish state and the Kurdistan Workers' Party

Food safety violations found at quick commerce warehouse, Indira Canteens

Tamil Nadu government urged to disclose its stand on Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill

Ukraine says Russia fired North Korean missiles in deadly attack

The allegation comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned without providing evidence that Moscow was receiving more ballistic projectiles and troops from its ally Pyongyang

Teen girl mauled by leopard in Baramullas Kreeri

Baramulla, Aug 11 (KNO): A 13-year-old girl was injured after being attacked by a leopard in the Kreeri area of north Kashmirs Baramulla district on Tuesday evening, officials said. An official told the news agencyKashmir News Observer (KNO) that the leopard attacked the girl in the Kokothal area, leaving her injured. She was immediately shifted to a hospital for treatment. He said the condition of the teenager was not immediately known. The girl was identified as Hadiya Mushtaq (13). Earlier, an eight-year-old boy, Aahil Fayaz, was injured in a leopard attack in Wagila Wagoora village of Kreeri. The repeated attacks have triggered concern among residents, who have urged the Wildlife Department to intensify search operations and take immediate measures to capture the leopard.(KNO)

High Court orders KHADC to reinstate Syiem of Mylliem

Shillong, Aug 11:The Meghalaya High Court has directed the Executive Committee of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) to reinstate Paiem Ainam Manik Syiem as the full-fledged Syiem of Hima Mylliem. The order was passed by Justice Wanlura Diengdoh while hearing a petition filed by Ainam Manik Syiem challenging his suspension by the KHADC. [] The post High Court orders KHADC to reinstate Syiem of Mylliem first appeared on Highland Post .

TLPS 2025: Meghalaya stresses practice-based learning for FLN

Shillong, Aug 11: The Meghalaya findings of the Teaching and Learning Practices Survey (TLPS) 2025 were presented at an Evidence Convening at the Asian Confluence Centre here, bringing together government officials, education leaders and practitioners to discuss classroom practices and foundational learning. Anchored by the Language and Learning Foundation with support from Tata Trusts, and [] The post TLPS 2025: Meghalaya stresses practice-based learning for FLN first appeared on Highland Post .

HITO urges MPCC chief to raise Khasi IOA issue in Parliament

Shillong, Aug 11:The Hyniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization (HITO) has urged state Congress President Vincent H. Pala to take up the non-fulfilment of the Instrument of Accession (IOA) of the Khasi States in Parliament. In an open letter, HITO appealed to Pala, a former Union Minister, to ask Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to speak on [] The post HITO urges MPCC chief to raise Khasi IOA issue in Parliament first appeared on Highland Post .

East Jaintia Hills to host 3-day recruitment drive

Shillong, Aug 11:The Meghalaya State Skill Development Society (MSSDS), in collaboration with the Directorate of Employment & Craftsmen Training (DECT), is organising a state-wide recruitment drive to connect young job seekers with over 10,000 employment opportunities in India and abroad. As part of the initiative, the drive in East Jaintia Hills District will be held [] The post East Jaintia Hills to host 3-day recruitment drive first appeared on Highland Post .

35 Garo Hills farmers send 15 MT bananas to Patna

Shillong, Aug 11:In a first for the district, 35 banana farmers from North Garo Hills have collectively marketed 15 metric tonnes of raw banana to Himalayan Traders, Patna, through Dijako Agro Producer Company Limited with support from Meghalaya New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (MNREDA). The consignment was facilitated under a Farmer-Aggregator-Bulk Buyer model aimed [] The post 35 Garo Hills farmers send 15 MT bananas to Patna first appeared on Highland Post .

Rs 16.5 cr water

Mawkyrwat, Aug 11:Residents of Jakrem and Mawbasa in South West Khasi Hills will soon get better drinking water supply and road connectivity with foundation stones for two projects laid on Tuesday. Mawkyrwat MLA Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar laid the foundation stone for the Jakrem A&B Water Supply Scheme, sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs 15.05 [] The post Rs 16.5 cr water & road projects launched in SWKH first appeared on Highland Post .

Stan Ventures Founder & CEO Pradeep Kumaar Rajarathinam Donates 2 Crore to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund

Stan Ventures Founder & CEO Pradeep Kumaar Rajarathinam Donates 2 Crore to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund

Vande Mataram gets legal protection as President Signs Law

State Bank of India returns to dollar debt market, bankers see strong demand