January 2026 | Page 3 of 8

Kashmir Braces for Snow and Rain: Back-to-Back Western Disturbances Set to Hit J&K (Jan 22–28, 2026)

January 22, 2026 Editor

Kashmir is set to experience widespread rain and snowfall from today (Jan 22), as two back‑to‑back Western Disturbances grip Jammu & Kashmir. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings of heavy precipitation, possible highway disruptions, and avalanche risks, with peak activity expected on Jan 23 and again on Jan 27. By: Javid Amin | 21 January 2026 A Region Poised for Winter Extremes Kashmir, the picturesque Himalayan valley known for its dramatic landscapes and winter tourism, is bracing for another intense spell of winter weather. Beginning January 22, 2026,…

Editors Guild Flags Curbs on Journalists in Kashmir, Warns of Shrinking Press Freedom

January 22, 2026 Editor

Editors Guild Warns Against Repression of Journalists in Kashmir By: Javid Amin | 21 January 2026 Police summons of reporters revive fears of intimidation, self-censorship, and democratic backsliding in India’s most sensitive region Journalism Under the Scanner Once Again The Editors Guild of India (EGI) has issued a strongly worded statement condemning what it describes as the “continued repression of legitimate journalistic activity” in Jammu and Kashmir, warning that the repeated summoning of journalists by police risks normalising intimidation and undermining the foundations of a free press. The statement follows…

JKPSC KCS Mains Result Row: Kashmir Bar Alleges Regional Bias, Merit Undermined

January 22, 2026January 22, 2026 Editor

JKPSC KCS Mains Row: Kashmir Bar Association Rejects Results, Alleges Regional Bias in Civil Services Recruitment By: Javid Amin | 21 January 2026 Outrage erupts in Kashmir after JKPSC KCS Mains results reveal a stark regional skew, triggering protests, legal threats, and renewed debate over merit, transparency, and representation in Jammu & Kashmir’s recruitment system. A Result That Reignited an Old Wound Competitive examinations in Jammu & Kashmir are rarely just about marks and rankings. They often become mirrors reflecting deeper anxieties about power, representation, and fairness between the Union…

After Terror Hideout Bust, Detentions Rock Kishtwar: Inside Operation Trashi-I

January 21, 2026 Editor

Kishtwar Terror Hideout Busted: Detentions Follow Deadly Encounter in Chatroo Forest By: Javid Amin | 20 January 2026 A Quiet Forest, a Violent Discovery The dense forests of Kishtwar, long regarded as both a geographical buffer and a security blind spot in Jammu and Kashmir, once again emerged at the center of counter-terrorism operations after security forces uncovered a well-fortified militant hideout in the Chatroo forest belt. What initially appeared to be a routine search operation has now expanded into a full-scale security crackdown, with several individuals detained for questioning…

Kashmir Continues to Freeze as Winter Storms Loom, IMD Warns of Snowfall and Rainfall

January 21, 2026 Editor

Severe Cold Wave Grips Kashmir as IMD Predicts Snowfall and Rainfall By: Javid Amin |20 January 2026 Kashmir in the Grip of a Relentless Cold Wave Kashmir continues to endure an intense cold spell as winter tightens its grip across the Valley. Sub-zero night temperatures have become routine, freezing water bodies, hardening the ground, and disrupting daily life. Srinagar, the summer capital, has repeatedly recorded temperatures well below freezing, underlining the severity of the ongoing cold wave. The harsh conditions coincide with Chilai Kalan, Kashmir’s traditional 40-day period of extreme…

Unity of Jammu and Kashmir Non-Negotiable, Says Omar Abdullah | Bifurcation Not in Jammu’s Interest

January 21, 2026 Editor

Unity of Jammu and Kashmir Non-Negotiable: Omar Abdullah’s Political Line in a Time of Regional Churn By: Javid Amin |20 January 2026 A Familiar Debate in a Changed Political Landscape The question of Jammu and Kashmir’s unity has resurfaced yet again—this time against the backdrop of a deeply altered constitutional, political, and emotional landscape. At a National Conference (NC) convention held in Jammu, former Chief Minister and NC vice-president Omar Abdullah delivered a forceful rejection of demands seeking the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir. His words were unambiguous: the unity…

Attack on Khamenei Will Trigger All-Out War, Iran Warns US After Trump Calls for New Leadership

January 20, 2026 Editor

Attack on Ayatollah Khamenei Means Full-Scale War, Iran’s President Warns US After Trump’s Regime-Change Remarks By: Javid Amin | 19 January 2026 A Red Line Drawn in Public Tensions between Iran and the United States escalated sharply after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a stark warning that any attack on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would result in an “all-out war” with the United States. The warning followed remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested that it was “time to look for new leadership in Iran,” a statement that…

NLU Debate in Jammu and Kashmir Rekindles Regional Divide Over Equity and Development

January 20, 2026 Editor

NLU Debate Reignites Regional Divide in Jammu and Kashmir: Education, Equity and the Politics of Place By: Javid Amin | 19 January 2026 When a University Becomes a Political Flashpoint The proposal to establish a National Law University (NLU) in Jammu and Kashmir should, by any objective measure, have been a moment of collective optimism. NLUs are among India’s most prestigious educational institutions, shaping future judges, policymakers, constitutional lawyers, and legal scholars. For a region long plagued by conflict, educational migration, and limited access to elite institutions, an NLU promised…

Carry Your Own Water: The True Cost of Every Resource in a World of Easy Abundance

January 19, 2026 Editor

Carry Your Own Water: Understanding the True Cost of Every Resource in Modern Life By: Javid Amin | 19 January 2026 When Effort Disappears, Value Follows Modern life is defined by convenience. Water flows at the turn of a tap. Money moves with a swipe of a finger. Food arrives at our doors with minimal effort. Electricity hums silently through wires, and time seems endlessly consumed by notifications, meetings, and entertainment. In this landscape of abundance, something subtle but profound has occurred: the disappearance of effort has diminished our sense…

Eight Soldiers Injured in Kishtwar Encounter as Security Forces Intensify Operation

January 19, 2026January 19, 2026 Editor

Eight Soldiers Injured in Encounter With Militants in J&K’s Kishtwar By: Javid Amin | 18 January 2026 Drones, sniffer dogs deployed as security forces intensify anti-terror operation in Chenab Valley At least eight soldiers were injured in an ongoing encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Friday, as security forces launched a major counter-terror operation in the forested terrain of the Chenab Valley region, officials said. The encounter broke out during a cordon and search operation (CASO) after security forces received specific intelligence inputs about the presence…