Month: November 2018

Four rebels, army soldier killed in encounter in Shopian

Editor

One army soldier and four militants were killed in an encounter between militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian early on Tuesday. The operation was launched by army and police at Nadimarg village based on inputs about the presence of militants. A police officer said the search operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired on the forces, who retaliated. According to sources, one para commando and four militants were killed in the gunfight that is still on. Three soldiers were also injured in the shooting. There…

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After making 3000 Cr Statue of Unity, India seeks aid for vaccine price hike

Editor

This will certainly add fuel to the ongoing debate over the Statue of Unity, the 182 metre-high iron statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat, which was inaugurated on his birth anniversary by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently. According to a report in The Telegraph, an upcoming price hike is likely to raise India’s budget for a key vaccine by less than Rs 100 crore and the government has been forced to seek help of an international donor. And this has happened just after the country became home to the…

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High alert sounded in Delhi after intel flashes Jaish threat

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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

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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

Editor

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

Editor

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

Editor

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

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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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Lawyer Deepika Rajawat dropped by Kathua rape and murder victim’s family

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The family of the eight-year-old Kathua rape and murder victim has decided to drop their lawyer Deepika Rajawat as she has “barely been available at the court hearings”, the victim’s father has said. Those close to the family said he has moved an application in the Pathankot court in Punjab, where the case was earlier shifted. It said that Rajawat shall not represent them and the power of attorney was being withdrawn. The father told reporters on Wednesday here that so far the case has been heard 100 times by…

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Nine phase panchayat elections from tomorrow, Little buzz across Valley, poll activity minimal

Editor

Against the backdrop of boycott call by separatists, terror threats and major logistical challenges in snowbound areas, J&K is set to go for the nine-phase panchayat poll from Saturday amid tight security arrangements. The panchayat elections are being held in J&K after a gap of seven years. The last elections were conducted in 2011 and the panchayats had completed their five-year term in 2016. “As many as 47 blocks — 26 in the Kashmir division and 21 in the Jammu division — mainly in snowbound parts of the state will…

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