High alert sounded in Delhi after intel flashes Jaish threat

The national Capital has been put on the high alert after intelligence agencies were made aware of a message on a WhatsApp group, believed to be run by Jaish-e-Mohammed, which said that the militant outfit plans to strike sensitive locations in Delhi to avenge the killing of its commander in Jammu and Kashmir last month. The Intelligence Bureau on Tuesday circulated a letter, dated November 13, asking the intelligence wings of security forces to maintain “high priority alert” and “activate intelligence” in light of the message. Hindustan Times has a…

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India lower than Bangladesh, Nepal on World Bank’s 1st Human Capital Index; Finance Ministry rejects report

The World Bank on Thursday released its first report on Human Capital Index (HCI), which placed India at the 115th position, lower than Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Singapore topped the poll after it was highly rated for its universal healthcare system, education exams results and life expectancy figures, as per the HCI released by the World Bank. It is followed by South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Finland. The report ranked 157 economies on parameters like child mortality, health and education. In a statement, the Finance Ministry said…

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Share admission details of poor students: SHRC to Private schools

State Human Rights Commission chairman Justice Bilal Nazki (retd) has issued notice to leading private schools of Kashmir directing them to provide admission details of students belonging to financially weaker backgrounds. In the notice, the schools have been asked to file the detailed compliance report before the commission within two weeks as to what procedure they are following during the admission process. The SHRC direction comes in response to the petition filed by the chairman of the International Forum for Justice, Ahsan Untoo. The petitioner has also urged the commission…

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J&K Govt seeks to push through development agenda

The Jammu and Kashmir government is set to approach the government of India for “special consideration” of some major administrative and developmental matters, including construction of a tunnel on the Mughal Road as well as restoration of induction quota for local civil servants in central services, in its bid to “accelerate the governance agenda” in the restive state. A top source said the governor’s administration has finalised a “list of matters”— pending approval from the central government for the past many years—to be taken up at various top levels in…

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Strange tale of ‘Zakir Musa’ Al Qaeda’s chief in Kashmir

In the summer of 2017, Zakir Musa, the Hizbul Mujahideen’s 23 year old commander, broke ranks with Kashmir’s most influential insurgent group to establish the Ansar Ghawzat-Ul-Hind. Few had heard of the fledgling new outfit, but the Ansar’s parent organisation was instantly recognisable — Al Qaeda. Yet the news, which ought to have rung alarm bells in the Indian security establishment, passed largely unremarked upon. In the 18 months since it was formed, the Ansar Ghawzat-Ul-Hind is yet to be associated with a single encounter with Indian security forces. Yet…

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After performing poll duty promised one month salary still awaited

Over one lakh government employees, who had discharged duties in the just-concluded urban local bodies elections, feel cheated as the much-publicised promise of giving them one-month additional salary as “election duty incentive” is unlikely to be fulfilled. Instead of releasing the additional salary, an amount of Rs 1,200 has been sanctioned in favour of some employees who were engaged in the civic elections in Kathua district as an “election duty incentive”. Sources said the authorities had sanctioned Rs 1,200 in favour of presiding officers and Rs 750 for polling officers.…

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