Day: October 29, 2025

No Title for Trespass: J&K CM Blocks Land Regularisation Bill

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No Title for Trespass: J&K CM Blocks Land Regularisation Bill

Landlines and Lifelines: Who Owns Kashmir’s Shelter Rights? By: Javid Amin | 28 October 2025 In the autumn session of the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly (J&K LA), a private member’s bill stirred a vortex of legal, political and human-rights issues. Moved by Waheed ur Rehman Para of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the legislation sought to grant ownership rights to residents who have built homes on government land—State land, ‘kacharai’ land, common land and ‘shamilat’ land.But the bill was rejected by the ruling coalition in the Assembly, led by…

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The Push for Hindi: How Jammu & Kashmir’s Language Policy is Redrawing Cultural Lines

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The Push for Hindi: How Jammu & Kashmir’s Language Policy is Redrawing Cultural Lines

The Policy Shift By: Javid Amin | 28 October 2025 The Jammu & Kashmir government is taking firm steps to increase the use of Hindi in official correspondence and administration, signaling a new linguistic direction in the Union Territory’s governance framework. This move aligns with the Jammu & Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020, which recognizes Hindi as one of the five official languages alongside Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri, and English. While officials describe it as a push for inclusivity and modernization, linguists and cultural observers warn that the growing preference for…

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Free Power Only After Rooftop Solar Panel Installation in J&K – Why Linking the Two Makes Sense

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Free Power Only After Rooftop Solar Panel Installation in J&K – Why Linking the Two Makes Sense

In a bold policy move, the administration of the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) region has announced that the promised 200 units of free electricity for the poorest households will be delivered only after rooftop solar panel installation on those homes. According to official responses in the local Assembly, the benefit will apply exclusively to families under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) category—some 2.22 lakh such families. The installation will be under the national scheme PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSG) via its Utility-Led Aggregation (ULA)/RESCO model. On the face…

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Waheed Para Flags Regional Bias in Caste Certificate Distribution in Jammu & Kashmir

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Waheed Para Flags Regional Bias in Caste Certificate Distribution in Jammu & Kashmir

PDP MLA Raises Alarm Over Unequal Implementation of Reservation Benefits By: Javid Amin | 28 October 2025 Srinagar, October 2025 — A fresh political debate has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir after PDP MLA Waheed Para exposed what he described as a “deep regional divide” in the issuance of caste and social category certificates across the Union Territory. In a pointed intervention during the Legislative Assembly session, Para cited official figures provided by the Revenue Department, revealing striking differences between Jammu and Kashmir divisions in the granting of Scheduled Caste…

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