Srinagar, Feb 8: Ruling party Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Baramulla constituency Javid Baig on Saturday defended Article 370 in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly saying that abrogation of the Article led to unrest and militancy in the J&K UT.
He said that Article 370 was a bridge between J&K and the Government of India.
He however engaged in a heated exchange with Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma who said that Special status did not exist in the constitution.
“If anyone can show me the words special status in the Constitution of India, I am ready to face any punishment,” Sharma said amid noisy scenes in Assembly.
MLA Baramulla Javed Hassan Baig however argued that Article 370 and Article 35A were constitutional guarantees that protected Jammu and Kashmir’s internal autonomy and dignity.
“It was the erosion of these assurances that weakened trust and triggered alienation. That erosion, not Article 370, created the circumstances that later fuelled unrest and militancy,” he said.
He asked the Opposition, including the Leader of the Opposition not to attribute decades of violence and suffering solely to the region’s constitutional position.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir paid the price for broken promises made through Acts of Parliament and the Constitution of India,” he said.
During his speech, Baig also condemned rising polarisation and hatred, warning that communal narratives were deepening social divisions across the country.
"It is a dangerous trend. Politics rooted in hate can yield nothing but alienation for Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh alike," he said.
Baig said that confrontations can only give bitterness, deprivation and a politics that divides instead of offering unity.
“If someone says they hate me, the reason is obvious—I am Kashmiri and I am Muslim. Beyond that, there is no difference; we are all Indians,” he said.
Referring to Budget, Baig countered the Opposition’s claims that Jammu and Kashmir was being “propped up” entirely by central funding.
"Central grants were not unique to J&K but part of a national fiscal framework applicable to all states and Union Territories. The Centre’s share of tax devolution is 39 per cent across the country. Central Sponsored Schemes account for around 12 per cent, while J&K’s own tax collection stands at about 18 per cent and borrowing at 15 per cent,” he said.
Baig said that J&K witnesses higher central spending because of its strategic location bordering China and Pakistan.
“No one says the Centre is doing a favour when it invests in border infrastructure elsewhere. Why should J&K be taunted for the same?” he said.
About the fragile economy of J&K, MLA Baramulla said the J&Ks dependence on tourism and horticulture made it highly vulnerable to political instability.
"There is a need for sustained investment in education and human resource development. Discrimination against Kashmiri students and workers outside the UT would undermine economic integration. How can our youth prosper when they are viewed with suspicion and contempt in their own country," he said.
Baig while referring to the remarks of Opposition MLAs on treasury benches, he said that politics of hatred will only push us towards further ruin.
"Yesterday opposition MLAs said that ruling party MLAs are good for nothing but i must tell them that Ignorance is not the most dangerous thing but arrogance is," he said.
Suhail Khan Baramulla, Jan 6: A young aerospace engineer from Sopore in north Kashmirâs Baramulla district is proving that dedication and ambition can propel one to global heights. Munaf-ul-Raquib who holds a B.Tech in Aerospace Engineering, has gained international recognition for his research on black holes and cosmology. Munaf-ul-Raquib revealed that his paper on the thermodynamics of black holes was recently published in the International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR). âAbout a year ago, I conducted research on the gravity of black holes and cosmology, which has now been published in IJSR,â he said. He said that since his research was published in the international journal, he has been receiving opportunities from various countries to participate in research dialogues. Raquib added that in the coming months he is scheduled to participate in international conferences in Paris on April 16 and later in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Sopore aerospace engineer noted that he is also participating in various conferences across different countries. Speaking about his research, Munaf-ul-Raquib addressed a fundamental paradox in astrophysics: how black holes can appear to violate thermodynamic laws, particularly concerning entropy.âIf we observe a black hole, it seems to contradict thermodynamic principles,â he said. Using the frameworks of Anti-de Sitter space (AdS) and Conformal Field Theory (CFT), Raqeebâs research proposes a theoretical model that reconciles black hole mechanics with thermodynamics. âIn this paper, I have explained how a black hole can function without violating thermodynamic laws,â he said. He described the achievement as both personal and symbolic. âIt is a proud moment for me to represent my state, especially Sopore, on an international platform,â he said. Raqeeb shared that Astrophysics was his childhood dream, and his grandfather encouraged me immensely. "After my grandfather passed away during the Covid-19 pandemic, my parents continued to champion my aspirations. My parents left no stone unturned in helping me pursue my dreams,â he said. He said that his academic path included taking the JEE and later the AME CET entrance exams, through which he secured a seat in aerospace engineering at the Nasik Research Centre. âMy parents not only supported me morally but also created an environment where I could pursue my dreams freely,â he said. He emphasized the role of family in nurturing talent. âJust as my parents supported me, it is the responsibility of all parents to help their children follow their dreams.â âYoung people should avoid wrong practices. They must dream of a beautiful tomorrow but work hard today to make their parents proud,â he further added.
Srinagar, Jan 12: The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) will declare the result of class 10th and 12th examination on January 14 of, 2026 (Wednesday), minister for education Sakina Itoo said on Monday. Minister for education Sakina Itoo said the government has decided to declare the result of both the classes-10th and 12th on the same day. "We understand that students have been waiting for the results. So we decided that result of both the classes will be declared on Wednesday (January 16 of 2926)," Sakina Itoo said. She said the meeting of the Result Declaration Committee (RDC) will be convened by the Secretary JKBOE along with the members-Director School Education (DSE) Kashmir and Jammu division besides the joint secretaries as well. "We will give the administrative approval to the result instead of getting approved by the chairman," she said. The announcement comes amid the delay in appointment of chairman JKBOSE as the position is lying vacant for the last one year. "After declaration of the results, we will also appoint the permanent chairman for JKBOSE as well," education minister said. An official from JKBOSE said the class 1oth result will be declared on Wednesday morning followed by the declaration of result of class 12th students in late afternoon on the same day. As per the official figures, 94783 students- 68804 from Kashmir and 25,224 students from winter zone areas of Jammu division besides 660 students from Kargil and 95 from Leh district registered for the class 10th JKBOSE examination this year. Also, the examination for class 11th and 12th students was scheduled from November 19 and November 8 of 2025 respectively. Approximately, 81622 students â 64001 from Jammu and 17621 from winter zone areas of Jammu have registered for class 11th examination while 70117 studentsâ56423 from Kashmir and 13694 from winter zone areas of Jammu have registered for class 12th examination.
'Results likely to get delayed in absence of Chairman' Jammu, Jan 7: The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) on Wednesday said the result of the class 10th examinations will be declared soon after the appointment of the Chairman of the Board. The statement comes amid the uncertainty about the declaration of the results by JKBOSE. In an official handout issued here, JKBOSE has advised students not to pay heed to fake links and websites announcing declaration of class 10 results. "Result of class 10th will be declared within few days soon after the appointment of new Chairman," the statement reads. The JKBOSE has stated that the results of annual examination of class 10 of Kashmir valley and winter zone areas of Jammu Division are almost ready. "But its approval by Result Declaration Committee headed by BOSE Chairman is a pre- requisite before its declaration. In absence of the Chairman the results are likely to get a little delayed," it reads. The JKBOSE officials have advised the students to wait for the formal declaration on the official website of the Board- www.jkbose.nic.in. "Students should not get misled by scamesters and fake narratives circulated by some mischievous elements, whose sole aim is to create confusion in the innocent student community," the statement reads.
Srinagar, Jan 8: Contractual faculty members working in government degree colleges of Jammu and Kashmir Higher Education Department (HED) have expressed strong resentment over what they term as a glaring disparity in salaries, demanding revision of their pay in line with University Grants Commission (UGC) norms and regularisation of their services. The faculty, many of whom hold PhDs and are qualified through NET, SET and JRF, said they have been denied UGC-recommended pay scales despite discharging academic responsibilities equivalent to their regular counterparts. âHundreds of highly qualified scholars have been pushed into silent suffering. For years, we have been assured that our pay revision is under consideration, but nothing has materialised so far,â said Dr Ishfaq Gowhar, a contractual faculty member. Earlier, Director Colleges J&K had acknowledged the legitimacy of the facultyâs demand, stating that while the issue was genuine, its implementation involved significant financial implications due to the large number of contractual appointments. âWe are aware that they deserve salary enhancement, but the number of contractual faculty is huge and it has financial implications,â he earlier said. Dr Gowhar pointed out that contractual lecturers, who form the backbone of the higher education system, continue to work on a fixed monthly honorarium of Rs 28,000, which has remained unchanged for nearly a decade. âThe irony is that a Class IV employee with a Class 10 qualification draws a salary exceeding Rs 50,000, while doctorate-holding teachers engaged in teaching, mentoring and academic research are paid a fraction of that,â he said. He added that institutions such as SKUAST-K, University of Kashmir and Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) have implemented revised UGC pay scales, but the Higher Education Department has failed to extend similar treatment to its contractual faculty. Dr Gowhar said the demand for âequal work, equal payâ gets prominently featured in election campaigns, raising hopes among contractual teachers. âPromises were made and slogans echoed during elections, but once the process ended, our voices were reduced to silence. Even meeting officials now feels impossible,â he said. He said contractual faculty were not seeking privileges but dignity, fairness and recognition for their service. The faculty appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Education Minister to intervene and take concrete steps towards addressing their long-pending demands. âThis issue is not merely about salaries. It is about survival, justice and dignity in the classrooms of Jammu and Kashmir,â he said.
Srinagar, Jan 17: Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi on Saturday strongly condemned PDP Chief Mehbooba Muftiâs statement suggesting that if religious places are to be âprofiledâ, the process should start with temples and Hindu priests, instead of mosques and Imams. Inam Un Nabi said AIP was categorically against profiling of any religious place, irrespective of faith or community and such statements only deepen mistrust and polarisation in society. âLet it be Masjids and Imaams or temples and priests, profiling of religious institutions is unacceptable. AIP rejects it completely. Had the issue involved only temples or priests, AIP would have shown the same resentment and protest as we do for Masjids and Imaams,â he said. The AIP spokesperson said faith is a matter of personal conscience and religious belief and it should not be dragged into a culture of surveillance or administrative interference. âWe do not want policing of faith. The role of the administration is to ensure peace and law and order, not to monitor religious identity or religious spaces,â Inam Un Nabi added. He appealed to all political parties to act responsibly and avoid statements that pit one community against another, stressing that Kashmir has a long history of communal harmony which must be protected. âAIP stands for dignity, equality and justice for all. We will oppose any attempt that targets places of worship, whichever religion it belongs to,â he said.
Srinagar, Feb 8: Ruling party Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Baramulla constituency Javid Baig on Saturday defended Article 370 in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly saying that abrogation of the Article led to unrest and militancy in the J&K UT. He said that Article 370 was a bridge between J&K and the Government of India. He however engaged in a heated exchange with Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma who said that Special status did not exist in the constitution. âIf anyone can show me the words special status in the Constitution of India, I am ready to face any punishment,â Sharma said amid noisy scenes in Assembly. MLA Baramulla Javed Hassan Baig however argued that Article 370 and Article 35A were constitutional guarantees that protected Jammu and Kashmirâs internal autonomy and dignity. âIt was the erosion of these assurances that weakened trust and triggered alienation. That erosion, not Article 370, created the circumstances that later fuelled unrest and militancy,â he said. He asked the Opposition, including the Leader of the Opposition not to attribute decades of violence and suffering solely to the regionâs constitutional position. âThe people of Jammu and Kashmir paid the price for broken promises made through Acts of Parliament and the Constitution of India,â he said. During his speech, Baig also condemned rising polarisation and hatred, warning that communal narratives were deepening social divisions across the country. "It is a dangerous trend. Politics rooted in hate can yield nothing but alienation for Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh alike," he said. Baig said that confrontations can only give bitterness, deprivation and a politics that divides instead of offering unity. âIf someone says they hate me, the reason is obviousâI am Kashmiri and I am Muslim. Beyond that, there is no difference; we are all Indians,â he said. Referring to Budget, Baig countered the Oppositionâs claims that Jammu and Kashmir was being âpropped upâ entirely by central funding. "Central grants were not unique to J&K but part of a national fiscal framework applicable to all states and Union Territories. The Centreâs share of tax devolution is 39 per cent across the country. Central Sponsored Schemes account for around 12 per cent, while J&Kâs own tax collection stands at about 18 per cent and borrowing at 15 per cent,â he said. Baig said that J&K witnesses higher central spending because of its strategic location bordering China and Pakistan. âNo one says the Centre is doing a favour when it invests in border infrastructure elsewhere. Why should J&K be taunted for the same?â he said. About the fragile economy of J&K, MLA Baramulla said the J&Ks dependence on tourism and horticulture made it highly vulnerable to political instability. "There is a need for sustained investment in education and human resource development. Discrimination against Kashmiri students and workers outside the UT would undermine economic integration. How can our youth prosper when they are viewed with suspicion and contempt in their own country," he said. Baig while referring to the remarks of Opposition MLAs on treasury benches, he said that politics of hatred will only push us towards further ruin. "Yesterday opposition MLAs said that ruling party MLAs are good for nothing but i must tell them that Ignorance is not the most dangerous thing but arrogance is," he said.
Srinagar, Jan 22: Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the outcome of the Civil Services (Judicial) Mains Examination. In a post on X, Altaf Bukhari alleged regional imbalance, lack of transparency and possible communal considerations in the selection process. Bukhari said that only 13 candidates from the Kashmir Valley were shortlisted for the viva voce stage out of a total of 124 candidates, while the remaining 111 candidates belong to the Jammu division. He described the figures as âdeeply disturbingâ and said they raise legitimate questions about the fairness of the evaluation process. He said that candidates from the Valley who failed to qualify have alleged serious irregularities and lack of transparency in the declaration of results. âGiven the stark regional imbalance reflected in the shortlist, these concerns cannot be brushed aside and must be subjected to a fair and impartial investigation,â Altaf Bukhari said. Referring to the political climate in Jammu and Kashmir, the JKAP chief said that the situation is particularly worrying at a time when mistrust prevails between the two regions. He recalled that during the 2024 Assembly elections, political discourse was polarised along religious lines, with the BJP allegedly communalising politics in Jammu and the National Conference responding in a similar manner in the Valley. âWhile both parties may have gained electorally from this polarisation, the real cost was paid by the secular fabric and social harmony of Jammu and Kashmir,â he said. Bukhari alleged that such tendencies have continued beyond electoral politics and are now affecting institutions and merit-based processes. He cited the recent controversy surrounding the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), Katra, where, he claimed, the merit-based selection of MBBS students was communalised. He alleged that the revocation of permission for the MBBS course at SMVDIME, allegedly under political pressure, had harmed the larger public interest of Jammu and Kashmir and further deepened communal fault lines. Drawing a parallel, Bukhari said the outcome of the Civil Services (Judicial) Mains Examination also appears to be clouded by similar considerations, as reflected in the âdisproportionate and highly skewedâ shortlist. "At a time when mistrust prevails in both regions, the only responsible course is to keep the results in abeyance and initiate a transparent, independent inquiry," he said. Altaf Bukhari urged the J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to ensure that the results of the Civil Services (Judicial) Mains Examination remain on hold "until a fair and thorough inquiry is conducted."
Srinagar, Jan 19: Awami Itihaad Party (AIP)has welcomed former Chief Justice of India, Justice DY Chandrachudâs statement that Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam accused of instigating Delhi riots and languishing in jail since five years should have been released on bail. In a statement, AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi said, âEx-chief justice of Indiaâs statement is a ray of hope for hundreds of Kashmiris languishing in jails since years together who have been booked under UAPA and their trials are undergoing at very nominal pace." He said that former CJIâs statement must act as a catalyst to wake up the conscience of judiciary and other institutions and all Kashmiri political prisoners should be released. âThere is no justification to keep Engineer Rasheed two-time MLA and now an elected MP still in jail, who is about to complete seven years in Tihar," he said. He said that engineer Rasheed has been victimized only for his political belief and the fact is, current government has failed to silence him for speaking for the rights of people of Jammu and Kashmir. His continuous detention is murder of justice and democracy âIt is constitutional and moral duty of the judiciary to free Engineer Rasheed from the Tihar jail, especially when former chief justice of India Justice DY Chandrachud has confessed that even few years in detention violates the rights of a person like Shahjehan Muhammad Umar Khalid," he said.
