Year: 2017

Amid bandh call, civil secretariat to reopen in Jammu today

Editor

Amid a bandh call, the civil secretariat and other offices will reopen in the winter capital here on Monday to continue the pre-Independence ‘Durbar move’ tradition started by Dogra ruler Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1872. Authorities have made elaborate arrangements to maintain law and order as the Durbar offices will reopen amid the strike call given by some organisations against the alleged failure of the PDP-BJP coalition government on all fronts. “Apart from normal arrangements, this time we have prepared a contingency plan to maintain law and order by deploying…

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Today interlocutor arriving in Srinagar, Resistance Group keep doors Shut

Editor

Separatists reject dialogue offer, refuse to meet Sharma or participate in ‘futile’ exercise New Delhi’s representative for sustained dialogue Dineshwar Sharma is set to begin his visit to Kashmir on Monday as the region awaits some early progress in the latest talk process. Sharma, who will arrive in Srinagar tomorrow, has already expressed readiness to talk to anyone “willing to talk to him” – that includes the possibility of talking to separatists. A former chief of Intelligence Bureau, Sharma was named the representative for talks by Home Minister Rajnath Singh…

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Who’s ‘Sabotaging’ Kashmir’s power import capacity?

Editor

Despite availability of funds and New Delhi’s nod, 2 major transmission projects grounded It appears that a certain section of bureaucracy derives pleasure from restricting Kashmir’s capacity to import power. How? At current, the peak demand for power in Kashmir Valley is more than 1700 MW. But the existing transmission system has the capacity to import only 1250 MW. In 2006, under the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme, then Congress-led UPA government in New Delhi approved construction of several grid stations across the state to enhance its transmission and supply capacity.…

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Exam staff in trouble for ‘Facilitating’ copying, several centers shifted after complaints

Editor

Despite roping in the district administration and the police, the menace of copying in examination continues in Kashmir, forcing authorities of the School Education department to shift some examination centers. An official said that the department is expected to order suspension of staff deputed for the exam duty in centers where reports of copying prove to be authentic. The department, the official said, received complaints of copying at higher secondary school Kelar, a designated exam centre for Class 12 students. Later, the authorities shifted the exam centre to higher secondary…

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115 Militants active in south Kashmir, 80 killed in 6 months: Army

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Around 80 militants have been killed in south Kashmir in the past six months and around 115 militants are still active in the region, a top Army official has said. “There are around 115 militants in south Kashmir and out of them, 99 are local and 15-16 are foreign militants. The actions that we have taken in past 6-7 months, we have killed nearly 80 militants including top leadership. As soon as the number of militant decreases, the situation will improve,” General Officer Commanding of the Army’s Victor Force, Major…

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Engineering degrees secured since 2001 via correspondence invalid: Supreme Court

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In a major setback to thousands of students who pursued engineering studies through correspondence courses offered by deemed universities in the last 16 years, the Supreme Court declared on Friday that the degrees were invalid, putting them at risk of losing jobs obtained on the basis of the certificates. A bench of Justices A K Goel and U U Lalit noted that the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) did not approve distance learning programmes in engineering studies and the approval granted by…

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Friday prayers at Jamia after 5 weeks, Mirwaiz slams Govt for ‘Linking liquor with Tourism’

Editor

Govt’s promotion of un-Islamic ways unacceptable: Mirwaiz Hurriyat (M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Jamia Masjid chief cleric warned the government that promoting tourism through “un-islamic ways isn’t acceptable to the people of Kashmir.’’ Mirwaiz was delivering the sermon on the occasion of congregational prayers at the Masjid which were allowed after five weeks. “We all want that more and more tourists visit Kashmir. No one is against the promotion of tourism. But promoting tourism through un-islamic ways is totally unacceptable to us,” he said. During his Friday speech, Mirwaiz said…

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Nov 6 Jammu bandh call gets support

Editor

Lambasting the PDP-BJP coalition regime for allegedly betraying people of Jammu in general and unemployed youth in particular, Team Jammu today called for a strike on November 6 to lodge a protest against “discriminatory policies” of the present dispensation. “Every section of society is bearing the brunt of the discriminatory policies being propagated by the coalition but the youth are the worst victims. Selection lists of the J&K Public Service Commission and other recruitment bodies are glaring example of discrimination against qualified and deserving youth of the Jammu region,” Zorawar…

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Stop ads if papers print ‘Anti-National’ articles: Centre to State

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The home ministry told the state government that some publications were publishing “highly radicalised content”. The ministry of home affairs has asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to stop advertising in local newspapers that allegedly publish “anti-national articles”. Without naming any newspaper, the ministry has told the state government that some publications were publishing “highly radicalised content glamorising terrorists and anti-national elements”. The Centre has written to the Mehbooba Mufti-led government in the state to deal strictly with such newspapers. In a letter dated October 18, 2017 and addressed to…

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Talks only meaningful when held with resistance leadership: Joint Civil Society

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Joint Civil Society (JCS) today said the engagement of the nominated representative of Government of India can only be meaningful if and when unconditional talks are held with Joint Separatist Leadership. “We the members of Kashmir civil society have witnessed with distress hindrances to the process of resolution of Kashmir dispute sought to be facilitated by nominating Dineshwar Sharma as a representative of Government of India. Unfortunately the terms of reference for the proposed dialogue have not been specified,” the Joint Civil Society said in a statement. “Needless to state…

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