Month: October 2025

Budgam By-Election 2025: 19 Candidates in the Fray as Battle for Central Kashmir Heats Up

Editor
Budgam By-Election 2025: 19 Candidates in the Fray as Battle for Central Kashmir Heats Up

A Crowded Field for a Symbolic Battle By: Javid Amin | 20 October 2025 The political landscape of Budgam, one of central Kashmir’s most politically sensitive constituencies, is witnessing a surge of activity ahead of the November 11, 2025 by-election.A total of 19 candidates have filed their nominations by the October 20 deadline, signaling a high-stakes and potentially transformative electoral contest. The bypoll, set against a backdrop of shifting alliances and growing voter assertion, has become a litmus test for public sentiment in post-Article 370 Jammu & Kashmir. The seat…

Read More

Javid Tenga Re-elected President as KCC&I Charts Bold Economic Agenda

Editor
Javid Tenga Re-elected President as KCC&I Charts Bold Economic Agenda

Kashmir Chamber Reaffirms Commitment to Trade, Transparency, and Transformation By: Javid Amin | 20 October 2025 KCC&I Elects New Leadership at 91st Annual General Meeting The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCC&I) convened its adjourned 91st Annual General Meeting (AGM) today at Hotel The Kabo, Srinagar, reaffirming its commitment to the business community of Jammu and Kashmir. The event marked a pivotal moment in the Chamber’s legacy of economic advocacy and institutional leadership. Presided over by Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad Wani, Chairman of the Election Commission for the 2025–27 term,…

Read More

Budgam By-election 2025: JKNC vs PDP — Agha Vs Agha in Kashmir’s Political Heartland

Editor
Budgam Assembly By-election 2025: A Battle of Legacies and Political Resurgence

Budgam Assembly By-election 2025: A Battle of Legacies and Political Resurgence By: Javid Amin | 19 Oct 2025 Why Budgam Matters in 2025 The upcoming Budgam Assembly by-election is not just another contest in the political calendar of Jammu & Kashmir—it is a symbolic clash between legacy and resurgence, between an established bastion of power and an aspirational comeback. Budgam, located in the heart of central Kashmir, has long been a political fortress of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC). The by-election was necessitated after Omar Abdullah vacated the…

Read More

Omar Abdullah Vows to Revoke Public Safety Act After J&K Statehood Restoration

Editor
Omar Abdullah Vows to Scrap PSA After J&K Statehood Restoration

Omar Abdullah Vows to Scrap PSA After J&K Statehood Restoration By: Javid Amin | 18 October 2025 A Defining Promise for Post-UT J&K In a politically charged statement, Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, has vowed to revoke the Public Safety Act (PSA) immediately after the restoration of statehood. The announcement, made during a press conference in Srinagar on October 18, 2025, has sent ripples across political and civil society circles. It is one of the most direct commitments by any mainstream leader in J&K in recent years…

Read More

Congress Keeps ‘All Options Open’ for J&K Bypolls

Editor
Congress Keeps 'All Options Open' for J&K Bypolls

Party weighs alliance dynamics and statehood push ahead of November elections By: Javid Amin | 18 October 2025 The Jammu & Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) has announced that it is exploring “all possible options” for fielding candidates in the upcoming Assembly by-elections for Budgam (Kashmir) and Nagrota (Jammu), scheduled for November 11, 2025. While the statement may sound routine, insiders and analysts view it as part of a larger recalibration of Congress’s political strategy in the Union Territory — one that balances coalition arithmetic with grassroots revival under its…

Read More

Electrifying U-Turn: Omar Abdullah’s Prepaid Meter Push Sparks Public Outrage

Editor
Electrifying U-Turn: Omar Abdullah’s Prepaid Meter Push Sparks Public Outrage

Where Has the Free Electricity Promise Gone? By: Javid Amin | 17 October 2025 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s government is under fire after announcing a full-scale rollout of prepaid smart electricity meters across Jammu & Kashmir — a move sharply contrasting with his 2024 election promise of providing 200 units of free electricity per month to poor households. The announcement has unleashed a wave of anger and disillusionment, with opposition parties branding it a “betrayal of the poor” and civil society groups accusing the administration of “digitalizing hardship under the…

Read More

J&K’s Roads Claim More Lives Than Anywhere in the Country: A Deep Dive Into a Growing Public Safety Crisis

Editor
J&K’s Roads Claim More Lives Than Anywhere in the Country: A Deep Dive Into a Growing Public Safety Crisis

A Deadly Road Reality in Jammu & Kashmir By: Javid Amin | 16 October 2025 Every year, the picturesque valleys and rugged mountains of Jammu and Kashmir attract millions of tourists, yatris, and pilgrims. But beneath the scenic beauty lies a grim reality: J&K’s roads are among the deadliest in the country. A recent study has revealed that the Union Territory records nearly double the national average in road accident fatalities, outpacing many larger states with far denser populations. Between 2019 and October 2024, 4,899 lives were lost and 40,065…

Read More

Omar Abdullah Urges PM Modi: ‘Restore Statehood to Solve J&K’s Challenges’

Editor
Omar Abdullah Urges PM Modi: 'Restore Statehood to Solve J&K’s Challenges'

On the first anniversary of the NC-led government, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made a direct and passionate appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. By: Javid Amin | 16 October 2025 A Direct Appeal to Delhi On the first anniversary of his government, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made a pointed and emotional appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Union Government to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking at a town hall event in Srinagar, Omar declared: “We…

Read More

The Digital Danger Lurking in Kashmiri Homes: How Screen Addiction is Rewiring Childhood

Editor
The Digital Danger Lurking in Kashmiri Homes: How Screen Addiction is Rewiring Childhood

A Silent Crisis in Kashmiri Households By: Javid Amin | 16 October 2025 The phrase “The Digital Danger Lurking in Kashmiri Homes” has rapidly emerged as a powerful lens through which journalists, educators, and psychologists are examining a growing—and deeply concerning—crisis: the unchecked rise of digital addiction among children and teenagers in the Kashmir Valley. What began as a tool of connection during lockdowns and political disruptions has quietly evolved into a force reshaping childhood, family dynamics, mental health, and even cultural continuity. As per features in Kashmir Observer and…

Read More

Darbar Move Returns: Omar Abdullah Revives 147-Year-Old Tradition in Jammu and Kashmir

Editor
Darbar Move Returns: Omar Abdullah Revives 147-Year-Old Tradition in Jammu and Kashmir

A 19th-Century Tradition Reborn — A Step Toward Restoring Identity and Balance By: Javid Amin | 16 October 2025 In a landmark decision that blends history, symbolism, and politics, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has officially announced the revival of the Darbar Move, the 147-year-old biannual tradition of shifting the seat of government between Jammu and Srinagar. The decision, approved by the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet in September 2025 and signed off by the Lieutenant Governor, restores one of the most distinctive administrative customs in India — one that was discontinued…

Read More