Year: 2015

Youth Cong demands probe into mass copying charges

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JKSSB Exam Expressing concern over allegations of mass copying during examination carried out by the J&K Services Selection Board for graduate-level posts, the state unit of Youth Congress today demanded a time-bound enquiry into the matter and the guilty to be booked under the law. “We demand cancellation of examination that was conducted at all centres except two on December 25, besides a time-bound enquiry to be conducted into the matter and the guilty to be booked under the law,” Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Youth Congress President Pranav Shagotra told…

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Govt aims to make Tulip Garden a ‘major tourist attraction’

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In a bid to woo tourists throughout the year, the government is seriously mulling to make Tulip Garden in Srinagar as an all-season attraction, officials said on Tuesday. If all goes as per the plan, Tulips would bloom twice a year at the Tulip Garden situated on the foothills of Zabarwan mountains, overlooking the famous Dal Lake here. “A tourist should have something to enjoy throughout the year. We plan to integrate Botanical Garden with the Tulip garden to make it an all-season attraction for tourists,” said Director Floriculture, Talat…

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As Wular dies, conservation project is race against time

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One of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia, Wular Lake has shrunk to nearly half its original area in the last few decades due to administrative apathy, extensive pollution, siltation and encroachment. The lake in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district is dying a silent death. The lake faces environmental threats including the conversion of large parts of catchment areas into agriculture land, siltation, rampant willow plantation, encroachment, untreated sewage, solid waste and weed infestation. Wular covered an area of 217.8 sq km which included 58 sq km of associated marshes in…

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Modi: Reducing the Art of Diplomacy to What Matters Most

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Modi: Reducing the Art of Diplomacy to What Matters Most Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai                             December 30, 2015 “The most difficult thing in any negotiation, almost, is making sure that you strip it of the emotion and deal with the facts.” SenatorHoward Baker There’s a lot to be surprised about in the recent visit by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Lahore.  The summer-long problems at Kashmir’s Cease-fire Line, persistent efforts by the BJP to usurp political…

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Geelani asks youth to keep off revelry

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Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani today appealed to the youth to refrain from celebrations on New Year, asking them not to “express their slave mentality”. In a statement, Geelani commented on the planned celebrations at the Gulmarg meadow resort and other places and said: “Islam is not against recreational activities, but has placed limits on it.” “It is not appropriate for any Muslim to cross these limits,” he said. Earlier, another hardline separatist leader Asiya Andrabi, who heads an all-woman group Dukhtaran-e-Millat, had termed the New Year celebrations as…

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2015 the year that was

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2015 was an important year for Jammu and Kashmir. New Government formation following state assembly elections, Amarnath yatra were conducted during the year while continuing to retain morale ascendancy over the terrorists, despite the dynamics of Pak’s involvement in the state, border issues and other internal developments. Internal Development of the State. Own counter terrorist grid continued to maintain dominance and deny any space to terrorists. Synergised hard-intelligence based joint ops with the JKP and CAPF have been the hallmark of these ops. During the year in various successful ops,…

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Leh council turns to RSS for UT demand

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The newly elected Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, has sought help from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to intensify its stir for union territory (UT) status to Ladakh as BJP leaders are hesitating to openly support of its long-pending demand. Realising the importance of the RSS, the LAHDC has decided to approach its leaders to get long-pending issues addressed through direct intervention of the Centre. During their first visit to Jammu after the landslide victory of the BJP in the cold desert, the LAHDC delegation headed by Chief…

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Over 77 lakh pilgrims visited Vaishno Devi shrine so far this year

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Ahead of the New Year eve, Vaishno Devi shrine has started witnessing a heavy rush of pilgrims and it is expected to last at least till the first week of January. So far, the number of pilgrims who have visited the shrine this year has crossed 7.71 million-mark. Over 25,000 pilgrims today left Katra for the shrine. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) is expecting at least 50,000 to 60,000 yatris on December 31. They will be released in batches to ensure that there was no congestion at…

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Can’t be taken for granted anymore, says Kashmir’s business community

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Kashmir traders’ groups have said they have sent a clear message with their boycott of the pre-Budget meeting with the Finance Ministry that they cannot be taken for granted anymore and be swayed by false assurances. Traders said they boycotted Monday’s meeting in protest against the government’s “failure” to suitably rehabilitate victims of last year’s floods, but there were other reasons that had led to resentment among the business community. “We expressed our disappointment by boycotting the meeting. The government is only playing politics and fooling us through false promises.…

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Ladakh on road to all-year connectivity

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Centre invites global bids for 14.08-km-long Zojila tunnel, set to be the longest in South-East Asia To meet the long-pending demand for an all-weather road to Ladakh, the Centre has taken the first step for construction of South-East Asia’s longest Zojila tunnel connecting Kashmir’s Sonmarg with the Gumri area in Kargil district. For the execution of the project, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, headed by Nitin Gadkari, has invited international bids for Expression of Interest. The bids will be opened on January 14 next year. The 14.08-km-long…

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