#JammuAndKashmir Archives | Page 4 of 23

Jammu & Kashmir’s Economy Under Acute Stress in 2025

October 30, 2025 Editor

Jammu & Kashmir Economy 2025 | Tourism, Transport, Horticulture in Crisis By: Javid Amin | 29 October 2025 A Region in Economic Freefall The union territory of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) is experiencing what can only be described as a deepening economic crisis in 2025. Once heralded as the “Paradise on Earth” with a booming tourist economy, vibrant horticulture (especially apples) and a thriving informal trade network, the region now finds many of its key sectors reeling from a cascade of shocks.From air and road transport disruptions to landslides, from…

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

October 29, 2025 Editor

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…

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

October 29, 2025 Editor

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…

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

October 29, 2025 Editor

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…

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

October 29, 2025 Editor

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…

‘Silence Is Complicity’: Ruhullah Challenges Omar Abdullah Over Cross-Voting Mystery in Rajya Sabha Polls

October 27, 2025 Editor

People Deserve to Know Who Cross-Voted”: Ruhullah Challenges Omar Abdullah’s Silence By: Javid Amin | 26 October 2025 Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, the National Conference (NC) Member of Parliament known for his blunt style, publicly demanded full disclosure from party chief Omar Abdullah on Friday, escalating internal tensions after the controversial Rajya Sabha vote that handed the BJP one seat beyond its legislative strength. “If you know who cross-voted, say it. People deserve to know. Silence is complicity,” Ruhullah wrote on social media in response to Omar’s earlier statement claiming all…

‘Manifesto = Bundle of Lies’: Tarun Chugh’s Broadside at NC in Jammu & Kashmir

October 24, 2025October 24, 2025 Editor

Tarun Chugh blasts NC manifesto as “bundle of lies” | J&K politics 2025 By: Javid Amin | 23 October 2025 A Scathing Attack in the Midst of Political Jostling In a sharp political intervention, Tarun Chugh, national general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its in-charge for Jammu & Kashmir, accused the NC of failing to deliver a single promise from its manifesto. Chugh described the party’s electoral commitments as nothing but a “bundle of lies”. This accusation comes at a time of heightened tension in J&K’s political…

NC Courts PDP to Secure Rajya Sabha Sweep in J&K — Land Rights at the Center of the Deal

October 23, 2025 Editor

A New Equation in Old Rivalries By: Javid Amin | 22 October 2025 The political chessboard of Jammu & Kashmir has once again shifted. The National Conference (NC), led by Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has reached out to its long-time rival, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), for crucial support in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. The goal is straightforward — to secure a clean sweep of all four Rajya Sabha seats from the Union Territory. But beneath the surface, the talks signal something more profound: the…

Faith, Faction, and the Ballot: Three ‘Aga’ Candidates Lock Horns in Budgam Bypoll 2025

October 22, 2025 Editor

With NC, PDP, and BJP fielding Aga candidates, the contest transcends party lines—testing loyalties, legacies, and the future of Shia representation. By: Javid Amin | 21 October 2025 An Unprecedented Political Triangle in Central Kashmir The upcoming Budgam Assembly by-election, scheduled for November 11, 2025, has taken an extraordinary turn — not because of its high-profile parties, but because of its unusually personal political dynamics. For the first time in Kashmir’s electoral history, three prominent candidates from the same Shia clerical lineage — all bearing the title “Aga” — are…

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

October 19, 2025 Editor

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…