Winter Vacations for Schools in Kashmir to Start in Early December 2025: A Detailed Analysis of the Announcement by Education Minister Sakina Itoo By: Javid Amin | 19 November 2025 Winter in Kashmir is not just a season — it is an experience that shapes the daily rhythm of life. As temperatures drop sharply across the Valley, the annual conversation around winter school vacations becomes not only expected but essential. In 2025, the Education Department of Jammu & Kashmir has taken a proactive step by announcing the winter break for…
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Nowgam Police Station Blast: 9 Dead, 29 Injured — A Catastrophe Rooted in Mishandling of Explosives Linked to the Red Fort Terror Case
Nowgam Police Station Blast: Inside the Deadly Srinagar Explosion That Killed 9 and Injured 29 — A Full Report By: Javid Amin | 15 November 2025 A Tragedy Born In A Room Full Of Explosives The explosion that ripped through Nowgam Police Station in Srinagar was not just another accident. It was a tragedy born of a massive security miscalculation—an explosion so powerful that bodies were flung up to 300 meters away, vehicles were mangled beyond recognition, and an entire police station was left in ruins. This was not a…
Read MoreChoked Streets, Blocked Crossings: How Srinagar’s Traffic Jams Are Crippling Daily Life
Choked Streets, Silent Lights — Why Srinagar’s Traffic Jams Are Getting Worse (Analysis & Solutions) By: Javid Amin | 02 November 2025 Every morning and evening, Srinagar — the summer capital that pours itself along the Jhelum — locks up. Commuters inch along tightly packed lanes, schoolchildren arrive late, shop owners lose customers, ambulances crawl at critical moments, and tempers fray. The causes are many: an explosion in vehicle numbers, narrow historic streets, repeated failures of signal infrastructure, chronic encroachments and intermittent manual traffic controls at major junctions. This article…
Read MoreDarbar 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 MoreTrash Tower: Srinagar’s Achan Landfill Exposes Urban Decay and SMC’s Biggest Test
Trash Tower: Srinagar’s Ugly Truth and the SMC’s Test By: Javid Amin | 04 October 2025 The Stench of Neglect On a damp Friday morning, drizzle fell softly over Srinagar’s Achan landfill, but it brought no comfort.Instead of freshness, the air was thick with the stench of decay that drifted across neighborhoods — Nowshehra, Lal Bazaar, Soura, and Eidgah. Children waiting for school buses covered their noses with handkerchiefs. Shopkeepers sprayed cheap room fresheners into the air. Windows were shut tight despite the humidity. What was once a quiet stretch…
Read MoreLike Nimrat Kaur, Enjoy a Shikara Boat Ride on Your Next Trip to Kashmir
Like Nimrat Kaur, Experience a Shikara Boat Ride on Dal Lake, Kashmir 2025 By: Javid Amin | 03 October 2025 Bollywood Glam Meets Kashmiri Charm The viral video of Bollywood actress Nimrat Kaur drifting across Dal Lake in a traditional shikara boat has rekindled fascination with Kashmir’s timeless waterways. In the clip, she sits composed in a rust-orange suit, the soft hum of oars, the lake’s mirrored surface, and the snow-dusted mountains in the distance. She quotes Amir Khusro, “If there is paradise on earth, it is this, it is…
Read MoreBeyond the Rotting Orchards: Kashmir’s Silent Crisis of a Generation Adrift
Kashmir’s Dual Crisis: Apple Orchards Rotting & A Generation’s Values Eroding | Expert Analysis By: Javid Amin | 17 September 2025 A Season of Ruin in the Valley of Plenty The scent of decay hangs heavy in the crisp autumn air of Kashmir. It’s a poignant, sweet-sour smell that speaks of loss. In orchards that stretch across the valley floor and climb the gentle Himalayan slopes, a bounty is turning to mush. Piles of once-prime apples—the iconic Trew, American, and Maharaji varieties—lie discarded, their vibrant reds and greens fading into a uniform, melancholic brown.…
Read MoreKashmir Flood Alert 2025: Jhelum River Crosses Danger Mark Again — Why 11 Years of Projects Haven’t Secured the Valley
Big Projects, Little Relief: Kashmir’s 7th Close Flood Call Since 2014 By: Javid Amin | 04 Sep 2025 A Valley on Edge — The Seventh Flood Scare Srinagar, September 4, 2025 — As the Jhelum River surged past danger marks at Sangam and Ram Munshi Bagh this week, residents of Kashmir held their breath. Sirens blared, mosque loudspeakers echoed warnings, and families in low-lying areas scrambled to move valuables to higher floors. For many, the unfolding crisis felt like déjà vu — the haunting shadow of September 2014 returning once…
Read MoreJhelum Recedes, Kashmir Breathes Easier After a Night of Anxiety
Jhelum Recedes: Kashmir Flood Scare 2025 Ends, But Questions Over Preparedness Remain By: Javid Amin | 28 Aug 2025 A Night of Fear, A Morning of Relief For the people of Kashmir, the night of August 27–28 was one of sleepless anxiety. Heavy rainfall had swollen the Jhelum River to levels unseen in nearly a decade. At Sangam in South Kashmir, the water level rose to 23.99 feet, well past the flood declaration mark of 21 feet. At Ram Munshi Bagh in Srinagar, too, the water crept beyond alert levels.…
Read MoreKashmir Valley Flood Watch 2025: Rising Waters, Rising Fear in Srinagar as 2014 Nightmare Haunts Residents
Kashmir’s Rain-Soaked Wounds By: Javid Amin | 28 Aug 2025 The Kashmir Valley, often called “Paradise on Earth,” is once again battling the fury of nature. Relentless rains have pushed rivers and nallahs close to critical levels, sparking widespread fear and anxiety, especially in Srinagar city. For many residents, the downpour is not just about water—it’s about memory. The 2014 floods, which devastated Srinagar and left entire neighborhoods submerged, still haunt collective memory. Now, as the Jhelum River swells and tributaries surge, people fear history may be repeating itself. River…
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