Kangri still keeps Kashmir warm during winter

Besides woolens, one thing that Kashmiris think of while making preparations for combating the chilling cold of winter is kangri, an earthen bowl encased in an exquisitely woven wicker basket. Kashmir experiences harsh winters, with temperatures as low as -8 degree celsius, but Kashmiris have traditionally used kangri and pheran for fighting against the cold. The kangri, or kanger as it is locally known, is filled with embers and held against the body under a pheran, an overgarment unique to Kashmir, for providing warmth. Kashmiris call the kangri a mobile…

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Govt re-examining demand for a milder AFSPA in J&K and Northeast

The government is now re-examining the long-pending demand to make the iron-fisted Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which gives military personnel special rights and immunity in “disturbed areas” like Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, “more humane” and less open to misuse. Sources say several rounds of high-level discussions have already been held between the defence and home ministries on the “need to remove or dilute at least some provisions” of the AFSPA in line with Supreme Court judgments on “extra-judicial killings” and recommendations of expert committees over the…

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J&K has hydro power potential of 16475 MW

Jammu and Kashmir has a potential to produce 16,475 MW of hydro power as per the assessment made by Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh told Legislative Council here today. In a written reply to the question of BJP MLC Vikram Randhawa in the Council, Singh said out of total, 11,283 MW of hydro power can be produced on river Chenab, followed by 3,084 MW on river Jehlum and 1,608 MW on Indus river. A total of 3,263.46 MW has been harnessed on three western rivers from…

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Flaw in UIDAI’s SMS service lets anyone with your Aadhaar number trace your bank info

In light of media reports about access to a specialised Aadhaar website being sold for as little as Rs 500, an SMS flaw in UIDAI’s service has become apparent that allows anyone who has your Aadhaar number to figure out your bank details. The flaw resides in a USSD service that UIDAI publicly shared in December last year. First reported by Gadgets.NDTV, the service allows anyone to check if their bank account has been linked to their Aadhaar number, as has been mandated by the authority. To find whether an…

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Kishtwar facing ecological imbalance due to development of power projects: Legislative Council Panel

The Committee on Petition of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council today said that Kashtiwar district is is facing brunt of ecological imbalance and negative effects of development process due to the Power Projects on the Chenab Basin. According to an official spokesperson, the meeting of the Legislative Panel Committee on the petition was held here today under the Chairmanship of MLC, Saif-ud-din Bhat to examine the issues relating to a petition of BK Thakur on behalf of people of Marwah-Dachchan and Kishtwar on Chenab Valley Power Projects (CVPP). The meeting…

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Two more die of Swine Flu at SKIMS, toll rises to 27

Two more patients died of Swine Flu at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura, taking the death toll to 27 this season. Sources at SKIMS told Kashmir Post that a woman hailing from central Kashmir’s Budgam district died of H1N1 on Tuesday. “She was a case of comorbidities and also tested positive for H1N1 influenza earlier in the week,” they said. Another male patient from Ganderbal died of influenza on January 7 due to H1N1 at the hospital. With the fresh deaths, the death toll due to H1N1 influenza…

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428000 kanal land under illegal possession of forces in J&K: Mehbooba Mufti

More than 21,400 hectare (428000 kanals) of land are under unauthorised occupation of army and other government forces in Jammu and Kashmir, the state legislative assembly was informed on Wednesday. In a written reply, chief minister Mehbooba Mufti informed the House that over 18,846 hectare (376920 kanal) are under unauthorised occupation of the forces in Kashmir division, including Ladakh. She added that over 2,555 hectare (51100 kanal) of land are under unauthorised occupation of the army in Jammu division. The chief minister maintained that this was in addition to thousands…

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Three scholars take to arms in Kashmir during last two years

The newest recruit to the militant cause in Kashmir has a rare academic qualification. Before being suspended, he was a PhD scholar in applied geology at Aligarh Muslim University. Mannan Wani, a resident of Tekipora village in Kupwara district, appeared in a militant avatar in a photograph that went viral on social media recently and shows him posing with an assault rifle. “It is clear what has happened,” his brother Mubashir Wani, an engineer, told Kashmir Post, referring to the photograph. He said Mannan came home in October last year…

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Only India will help develop Kashmir: Mehbooba Mufti

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday urged the people of the state to respect India as a nation and not to distance itself from the rest of the nation. While addressing the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Mehbooba said that the state’s development will be hindered if it did not show faith in the Indian constitution. While addressing the state assembly here, Mufti asked, “If we don’t believe in the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, if we don’t believe in the country’s constitution, then what do we believe…

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GST not viable for J&K’s economy: KCCI

The implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has not gone down well with the businessmen in Kashmir who are seeking its roll back in the present form. They complained that their concerns were never considered by the state and the central government before its extension to JK which, they said, has affected their already fledgling business. Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) president, Javed Tenga said GST implementation in Jammu and Kashmir was not a “well-thought-out” and not good for state’s economy. “It was implemented here in…

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