1,500 non-local NIT students left for home

Around 1,500 non-local engineering students of the National Institute of Technology (NIT)-Srinagar on Tuesday vacated their hostel rooms and left for their homes. The students said they were asked by the authorities to appear for the examinations “if they remain inside the campus”. “Our administration told us to appear for the exams as we were staying in the hostels. But we have not prepared for our examinations as we have been busy protesting,” a student, who did not wish to be named, told IANS. “The exams will be re-scheduled for…

Read More

Two youth shot dead in Handwara after trooper molests student, strike called for tomorrow

Geelani, Malik, Mirwaiz call for strike tomorrow against Handwara killings Two youths were shot dead and scores are feared injured after protests spurred as an Indian army trooper molested a girl student in Jammu and Kashmir’s Handwara town. The youth Muhammad Iqbal, who is a resident of Bomham in Kupwor district, received a bullet wound in his face and was admitted to district hospital. Doctors said he was dead on arrival. Another youth, Naeem Qadir Bhat, who is a local from the police district, has also been killed. He also…

Read More

Separatist shutdown call affected normal life in Kashmir

The shutdown has been called by separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik and others in protest against alleged harassment of Kashmiri students in educational and professional institutions outside the valley. Escalating the ongoing tension, Kashmir valley today witnessed a complete shutdown on the issue of attacks on Kashmiri students outside the state. Shops, public transport, other business establishments and educational institutions remained closed. The shutdown has been called by separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik and others in…

Read More

BRO vandalizes forests under garb of road widening in Bandipora

Border Roads Organization (BRO) has been vandalising forest areas in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district for past several months under the pretext of road widening, with forest department in deep slumber. BRO is undertaking the road widening of 84 kilometre Bandipora-Gurez road through the forest areas of Bandipora and Gurez range rich with forest habitation including prized Deodar, Kail and Fir trees. Locals and eyewitnesses said that BRO was felling trees from the forest area that too a regenerative forest area in broad day light as forest department has failed to…

Read More

BoG takes stock of situation on NIT Srinagar Campus

The Board of Governors of National Institute of Technology (NIT) met here today and took stock of the situation following the recent unrest on the campus following clashes between local and outstation students last week. During the meeting which was presided over by M J Zarabi, Chairman of the Board of Governors of NIT Srinagar, it was decided that attempts be made to restore normalcy at the earliest and academic activity be brought back on track, official sources said here. The sources said the eight members of Governing Board, also…

Read More

NIT Row: Why double standard?

Initiate action against non-local students too Gowhar Naz National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar was founded as a Regional Engineering College (REC) in 1960 and was under the control of Government of Jammu Kashmir till 2004. In 2004, REC was renamed and taken over by central government’s Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). Admission to the said college began to be based on a national examination, open to students from outside Jammu Kashmir that gradually changed the composition of students in the institute. Nearly 3000 students currently study at the…

Read More

New traffic diversion plan leads to chaos in Srinagar

The road from Bemina to Lal Chowk, via Batamaloo, remained choked on the first working day of the week as the new traffic diversion plan formulated in the wake of ongoing Jehangir Chowk- Rambagh flyover construction works came into effect today. The Bemina-Batamaloo road was jammed with passenger busses and private vehicles during the morning rush hour. The 5 km journey from Bemina, a major residential neighbourhood on the city outskirts, to Jehangir Chowk took nearly an hour as traffic moved at a snail’s pace. Two major bottlenecks were witnessed…

Read More

Three day Jammu fest from tomorrow

The Dogra Sadar Sabha today said the Jammu festival this year would showcase the Dogra culture of the region to make the city residents and tourists aware about different traditions of the community. Dogra Sadar Sabha president Gulchain Singh Charak said the April 13-15 festival would be organised in association with the Tourism Department. “The annual event will showcase history, heritage, culture and age old tradition of peaceful co-existence and communal harmony among different sections of society in Jammu,” Charak told reporters. During the celebrations this year, a procession presenting…

Read More

Solina shopkeepers stage protest, close shops against delay in compensation

Shopkeepers under the banner of Traders Coordination Committee, Solina Bazar, Rambagh Monday protested and observed complete shutdown against the delay in promised compensation. Scores of traders from Solina Bazar gathered around at 10 am at Rambagh Bridge. They staged protest against the district administration for failing to release the compensation. They blocked Rambagh Bridge which resulted to traffic jam for one and a half hour on the route. A group of Shopkeepers said, “Soon after the construction was started on the flyover. We were promised monthly 10,000 for each Shopkeeper…

Read More

Travel trade fraternity hails Farooq Shah’s appointment as Secretary Tourism

Travel trade fraternity has hailed Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for appointing Farooq A Shah as Secretary Tourism. The tourism fraternity also congratulated Farooq Shah for taking over the reins of tourism in J&K as its Secretary. In a statement, President TASK Mohammad Ibrahim Siah welcomed Farooq Shah’s posting as Secretary Tourism saying his experience has always helped tourism sector. “Tourism is a fragile sector which needs to be headed by an experience person. We believe Farooq Sahab is the right man to protect tourism sector and also promote it nationally…

Read More