August 2023 | Page 7 of 20

Heat Wave Tightens Its Grip on Kashmir Valley

August 23, 2023August 23, 2023 Editor

Severe heat wave conditions have been consistently reported since the beginning of the summer season in Kashmir and the mercury touched 34.6 degrees Celsius in Srinagar on Tuesday. Other areas of J&K also recorded high temperatures even as the Meteorological Department predicted respite in heat wave from August 25 onwards. This year, May and June saw early and unprecedented heat conditions across J&K. May, June, and July months were the warmest. Though heat wave over large parts of north and central India is an annual phenomenon in May, the maximum temperatures in…

Supreme Court seeks clarification on whether constituent assembly speech on Article 370 is binding

August 23, 2023 Editor

The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed doubts that the Constituent assembly debates or a speech by one of its “weighty” members could represent a “commitment by the Dominion of India to the state of Jammu & Kashmir” regarding perpetuity of the latter’s special status under Article 370, observing that such an inference would be difficult to be accepted as a legal principle. “Can we say that a speech made by an individual member of the Constituent Assembly, howsoever weighty, represents a binding commitment of the Dominion of India to the…

Rise in Eye Flu Cases: Over 8,800 Cases Reported in Kashmir in the Last 2 Weeks

August 23, 2023 Editor

Conjunctivitis cases have increased in Kashmir as more than 8829 confirmed cases of the ‘Eye Flu’ have been reported from different parts of the Valley during the past two weeks. According to official information from the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK), 8829 cases of conjunctivitis, commonly known as the “eye flu” have been recorded from different areas of Kashmir during the past two weeks. Anantnag has reported the most infection cases – 1565, followed by Baramulla with 1415, Srinagar 1104, Pulwama 1439, Budgam 1004, Shopian 821, Kupwara 567, Kulgam…

Supreme Court expresses surprise over Argument that Article 370 Ceased to exist in 1957

August 23, 2023August 23, 2023 Editor

Democracy provisions If J&K is an integral part of India, then surely there have to be provisions of the democratically elected government of the country… DY Chandrachud, CJI The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed surprise over an argument that once the Constitution of J&K came into existence in 1957, Article 370 ceased to exist and only governing document became the Constitution of the erstwhile state. “The net consequence will be that the application of the Constitution of India will be frozen to the state of Jammu & Kashmir after 1957.…

Supreme Court suggests Expert Panel to study Carrying Capacity of Himalayan Region

August 22, 2023 Editor

The Supreme Court on Monday mooted constituting an expert committee for conducting a “complete and comprehensive” study on the carrying capacity of the Himalayan region in the country, where unplanned development has caused devastation in recent times, terming it a “very important issue”. The carrying capacity is the maximum population size that an ecosystem can sustain without getting degraded. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud was hearing a plea seeking an assessment of the carrying capacity and master plans for the Indian Himalayan Region spanning 13 states…

G N Azad’s remarks on Muslims are ‘Reprehensible’ and ‘Echo RSS-BJP Ideology’: Mehbooba Mufti

August 21, 2023 Editor

BJP Government should take a lesson from Mishal Malik’s Nomination into Pakistan Interim Government” The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti has termed the recent statement of Ghulam Nabi Azad on Indian Muslim as highly regrettable and said that it echoes the ideology and narrative of RSS BJP against the Muslims of the Country. Azad had said that all the Muslims in India were essentially Hindus who had converted to Islam only some time back. Mufti said that Azad’s remarks were “dangerous and divisive” and that they “resemble the…

Kashmir’s Tulip Garden Recognized as Asia’s Largest by World Book of Records

August 21, 2023August 21, 2023 Editor

Kashmir’s Tulip Garden: A Blooming Wonder Recognized Globally Nestled amidst the serene beauty of the Zabarwan mountain range, at an impressive altitude of 5,600 feet, lies Srinagar’s magnificent Tulip Garden. This natural marvel, cradled on the foothills of the Zabarwan range and overlooking the picturesque Dal Lake in Siraj Bagh, is not merely a garden; it’s an enchanting canvas painted with a riot of colors, a mesmerizing spectacle that has captivated hearts worldwide. But the tale of this garden goes beyond its inherent beauty; it’s a story of recognition, accolades,…

Is High Blood Lead Level Threating our Children, our Future?

August 20, 2023August 21, 2023 Editor

By : Javed Mir Trustee Peoples’ Environment Council (PEC) The trajectory of a society’s progress is intrinsically linked to the well-being of its younger generation. The critical nexus of children’s health and education holds the key to our societal and economic prosperity—both in the present and the future. However, a silent threat looms over this foundation. The presence of lead, an insidious toxin, in our water, food, and air poses a grave risk to the health and educational performance of our children. A revealing study sheds light on a stark…

Mehbooba Mufti accuses J&K Admin of ‘Hooliganism’ in terminating Kashmiri employees

August 20, 2023August 20, 2023 Editor

Selectively terminating Kashmiri employees by wrongfully dubbing them as terrorist sympathisers & pro ISI has been normalised, Mehbooba wrote PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on August 20 slammed the Jammu and Kashmir administration for selectively terminating Kashmiri employees from service by labelling them as “terrorist sympathisers”. Ms. Mehbooba’s reaction comes a day after the Jammu and Kashmir Bank sacked its chief manager Sajad Ahmad Bazaz for allegedly being a “threat to the security of the State”. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the former chief minister wrote, “Selectively…

Rahul Gandhi visits Pangong Lake, raises concerns over China’s activities

August 20, 2023 Editor

Raking up India-China border issues, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said people of Ladakh have been affected in a big way as their grazing land has been occupied by the neighbouring country. Gandhi asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that no one entered the Indian side of the line of actual control was untrue and can be confirmed by anyone in the area. “Here, the concern is of course the land that has been taken away by China. People have been affected in a big way because their…