Srinagar, July 17: In shocking remarks, National Conference Member of Parliament Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan on Thursday said if they want to bury anybody in the earth, "nobody can save him.”
The NC MP made these remarks during a condolence meeting called by the National Conference in Handwara over the death of party leader Dr. Mustafa Kamal.
“They (R&B staff) shouldn’t think that we are silent or gentle. If we want to bury anybody in the earth, nobody can save him,” Ramzan said during the meeting, where a banner on the wall identified it as a condolence gathering.
Ramzan made the controversial statement on the same day Chief Minister Omar Abdullah cautioned against mixing politics with grief.
“If you want to do politics, then don’t come to offer condolences. You come to our home to express sympathy and then step outside to make political statements. Grief and politics should not be mixed,” the CM said, adding that he would not discuss politics during the mourning period.
At the Handwara meeting, according to a viral video shared on social media, Ramzan lashed out at staff of the Roads & Buildings Department, calling them “dacoits” and “thieves”.
“Some officers here are not right. The Executive Engineer is also among them, and we are keeping a strict vigil over them. Until today, we have forgiven him only because of his father. I know why the Executive Engineer is engaging in mischief. They are thieves, they are dacoits…” he said.
Ramzan also appeared upset over the inauguration of macadamisation works by MLA Handwara, remarking: “The MLA did not remember that he had to do anything over the past two years, during which he did nothing. The works were announced by the Deputy Chief Minister, but the MLA has come to inaugurate the macadamisation of Handwara bus stand. It was the Deputy Chief Minister who made the announcement and released the money.”
The National Conference‑led government has made it mandatory for officers to invite concerned MLAs to all official functions.
Ramzan also warned his party workers to refrain from indulging in mischief.
“I want to remind my workers, particularly contractors, that mischiefs made by you with the party will not be tolerated. You should choose only one path,” he said.
In his speech, the NC MP repeatedly slammed and mocked the MLA from Handwara, saying the NC has 50 MLAs while the Handwara MLA is not even counted.
Ramzan made the remarks at a time when the Peoples Conference headed by MLA Handwara has been invited by the National Conference to participate in the Jantar Mantar protests.
Ramzan’s statement, made at the time of the Jantar Mantar protest against a party that had been invited, has raised eyebrows in political circles.
“Such statements undermine unity efforts. At least the MP, who holds one of the seniormost positions in the party, could have waited for a few days to criticize his rival. Why cannot our political leaders shun differences for a few days for the larger cause?” asked a political leader.
When contacted, Ramzan said that he was busy in a condolence meeting. “Arrey chhodo bhai, chhodo (leave it, leave it),” he remarked when asked about his comments. (KNO)
New Delhi, May 12: A massive protest organised by the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) broke out near the Shastri Bhawan on Tuesday, against the alleged paper leak in NEET-UG this year. The exam was held on May 3, following which allegations of paper leak surfaced, triggering investigations by the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) and central agencies. Earlier, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026, and said the examination will be re-conducted on dates to be notified separately. In a statement, the NTA said the decision was taken with the approval of the Government of India in the interest of maintaining transparency and preserving trust in the national examination system.
Srinagar, Feb 12: Jammu and Kashmir recorded over 15.48 lakh traffic violation cases in 2025, with authorities collecting more than Rs 34.17 crore as penalty under the Motor Vehicles Act, the Centre informed Parliament on Thursday. The information was shared in the Lok Sabha in response to a question raised by MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal. According to the official data, 15,48,525 challans were issued across the Union Territory in 2025, while the penalty amount recovered stood at Rs 34,17,36,740. The figures further show that in 2024, a total of 15,44,105 violations were registered with a penalty collection of around Rs 43.40 crore, while in 2023, 12,38,584 challans were issued and Rs 34.56 crore was collected. For the current year, till February 8, 2026, Jammu and Kashmir has recorded 1,63,531 traffic violation cases, with revenue collection of about Rs 2.11 crore. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways stated that stricter penalties under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 are aimed at ensuring better compliance and deterrence. It also said that traffic enforcement falls under the jurisdiction of States and Union Territories. The government has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for electronic monitoring and is promoting technology-driven enforcement through Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras integrated with the VAHAN database. Awareness campaigns under the Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan are also being carried out to improve road safety.
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. “Hundreds 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,” said Dr Ishfaq Gowhar, a contractual faculty member. Earlier, Director Colleges J&K had acknowledged the legitimacy of the faculty’s demand, stating that while the issue was genuine, its implementation involved significant financial implications due to the large number of contractual appointments. “We are aware that they deserve salary enhancement, but the number of contractual faculty is huge and it has financial implications,” 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. “The 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,” 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 “equal work, equal pay” gets prominently featured in election campaigns, raising hopes among contractual teachers. “Promises were made and slogans echoed during elections, but once the process ended, our voices were reduced to silence. Even meeting officials now feels impossible,” 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. “This issue is not merely about salaries. It is about survival, justice and dignity in the classrooms of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
New Delhi, Jan 25: The Dental Council of India (DCI) has directed all universities and dental colleges across the country to strictly ensure a minimum of 80 percent biometric attendance for Post Graduate students before allowing them to appear in examinations. The decision has been taken to curb absenteeism among postgraduate dental students. According to a circular issued by the Dental Council of India-a statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, the decision has been taken after multiple complaints were received from dental colleges in Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh regarding non-attendance of PG students. "The matter was examined by the Grievance Sub-Committee of the DCI in its meeting held on November 24, 2025," the circular reads. It reads that after detailed discussion and deliberation, the committee recommended that all universities and dental colleges must ensure compliance with Regulation 18(a)(i) of the DCI Master of Dental Surgery Course Regulations, 2017, which mandates at least 80 per cent attendance. "The recommendation of the Grievance Sub-Committee has been approved by the Executive Committee of the Dental Council of India through circulation and has now been formally communicated for information and necessary action," the circular reads. As per the circular, all the universities and dental colleges have been directed to ensure minimum 80 per cent biometric attendance of all PG students before permitting them to appear in examinations. The order, issued by Deputy Secretary Dental Council of India Mukesh Kumar, is expected to be implemented with immediate effect across the country.
Jammu, March 10: J&K Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo Tuesday chaired a meeting to review the status of vacancies and the progress of recruitments being undertaken through the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) across various departments of the Union Territory. The meeting was attended by the concerned Administrative Secretaries, Chairperson JKSSB, Secretary JKPSC and other concerned representatives from different departments. While reviewing the progress, the Chief Secretary stressed the need for expeditious filling of all critical vacancies to strengthen governance and improve public service delivery. He called upon all Administrative Secretaries to hold regular follow-up meetings with their departments and recruitment agencies to ensure that pending issues are resolved and vacancies are filled at the earliest. He emphasized that timelines fixed for ongoing recruitment drives must be strictly adhered to, and directed that all posts received by the recruiting agencies should be advertised without delay. The Chief Secretary further advised the recruiting agencies to prepare and publish examination calendars simultaneously, enabling aspirants to have clarity regarding the schedule of examinations and adequate time to prepare. During the review, the Chief Secretary also took note of several bottlenecks affecting certain recruitments in JKPSC and JKSSB. He examined each issue in detail and directed the concerned departments to issue necessary clarifications and resolve procedural hurdles immediately so that the recruitment process is not delayed. Observing that prolonged recruitment cycles often create uncertainty for job aspirants, the Chief Secretary underscored the importance of conducting recruitment within a defined timeframe. He noted that a predictable recruitment cycle would allow applicants to plan their careers better and reduce anxiety among candidates. During the meeting, the Commissioner Secretary, General Administration Department (GAD), M.Raju presented a comprehensive overview of vacant posts across government departments. The data revealed that a total of 40,661 posts are currently vacant in different departments, including 3,808 Gazetted, 24,507 Non-Gazetted, and 12,351 Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) posts. Among major departments, Health & Medical Education accounts for a significant share of vacancies with 2,497 Gazetted, 8,088 Non-Gazetted and 2,712 MTS posts, while other departments with substantial vacancies include Agriculture Production, Power Development, Finance, Revenue, Forest, Public Works (R&B) and Youth Services & Sports. While reviewing the recruitment being undertaken by the JKSSB for Non-Gazetted and MTS posts the Chairperson SSB, Vikas Kundal revealed that since 2019 the Board has received 46,744 posts, out of which 9,260 were withdrawn, leaving 37,484 posts for recruitment. The Board has already completed selections for 32,956 posts, including 27,449 selections pertaining to this period. He further added that at present, 10,035 posts remain under different stages of recruitment with JKSSB. These include 2,532 posts yet to be advertised, 4,768 posts at the examination stage, 1,258 at the selection stage, and 1,477 posts under live advertisements awaiting completion of the recruitment process. Meanwhile the Secretary, JKPSC, Bashir Ahmad Dar apprised the meeting about the status of posts referred to the JKPSC for recruitment. He divulged that at present, 1,745 Gazetted posts are under process with the Commission out of these, against 1,573 posts selection schedule has already been drawn, while 172 posts are yet to be scheduled due to certain procedural issues. He also gave out that a recruitment timeline has been worked out by the Commission for filling these posts. As per the schedule, 630 selections are targeted for completion by March 2026, 476 during April–May 2026, 158 during June–July 2026, and 309 during August–September 2026. Additionally department-wise analysis shows that the highest number of posts with JKPSC pertains to Health & Medical Education (872 posts) followed by School Education (470 posts), General Administration (170 posts) and Higher Education (129 posts), among others. The meeting was informed that all departments have shared the latest status of advertised posts, vacant positions and posts proposed to be referred to recruiting agencies. It was resolved that all clear vacancies without legal or procedural issues will be referred to the respective recruiting agencies at the earliest for timely recruitment.
Srinagar, July 17: In shocking remarks, National Conference Member of Parliament Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan on Thursday said if they want to bury anybody in the earth, "nobody can save him.” The NC MP made these remarks during a condolence meeting called by the National Conference in Handwara over the death of party leader Dr. Mustafa Kamal. “They (R&B staff) shouldn’t think that we are silent or gentle. If we want to bury anybody in the earth, nobody can save him,” Ramzan said during the meeting, where a banner on the wall identified it as a condolence gathering. Ramzan made the controversial statement on the same day Chief Minister Omar Abdullah cautioned against mixing politics with grief. “If you want to do politics, then don’t come to offer condolences. You come to our home to express sympathy and then step outside to make political statements. Grief and politics should not be mixed,” the CM said, adding that he would not discuss politics during the mourning period. At the Handwara meeting, according to a viral video shared on social media, Ramzan lashed out at staff of the Roads & Buildings Department, calling them “dacoits” and “thieves”. “Some officers here are not right. The Executive Engineer is also among them, and we are keeping a strict vigil over them. Until today, we have forgiven him only because of his father. I know why the Executive Engineer is engaging in mischief. They are thieves, they are dacoits…” he said. Ramzan also appeared upset over the inauguration of macadamisation works by MLA Handwara, remarking: “The MLA did not remember that he had to do anything over the past two years, during which he did nothing. The works were announced by the Deputy Chief Minister, but the MLA has come to inaugurate the macadamisation of Handwara bus stand. It was the Deputy Chief Minister who made the announcement and released the money.” The National Conference‑led government has made it mandatory for officers to invite concerned MLAs to all official functions. Ramzan also warned his party workers to refrain from indulging in mischief. “I want to remind my workers, particularly contractors, that mischiefs made by you with the party will not be tolerated. You should choose only one path,” he said. In his speech, the NC MP repeatedly slammed and mocked the MLA from Handwara, saying the NC has 50 MLAs while the Handwara MLA is not even counted. Ramzan made the remarks at a time when the Peoples Conference headed by MLA Handwara has been invited by the National Conference to participate in the Jantar Mantar protests. Ramzan’s statement, made at the time of the Jantar Mantar protest against a party that had been invited, has raised eyebrows in political circles. “Such statements undermine unity efforts. At least the MP, who holds one of the seniormost positions in the party, could have waited for a few days to criticize his rival. Why cannot our political leaders shun differences for a few days for the larger cause?” asked a political leader. When contacted, Ramzan said that he was busy in a condolence meeting. “Arrey chhodo bhai, chhodo (leave it, leave it),” he remarked when asked about his comments. (KNO)
Srinagar, June 28: J&K Peoples Conference President and MLA Handwara, Sajad Lone Sunday launched a fierce political offensive against the National Conference government over what he describes as a deeply compromised outsourcing regime in Jammu and Kashmir, promising explosive disclosures within a week. In a statement directed squarely at the ruling party, Lone declared, "To my friends in NC please be ready to answer a range of questions on Outsourcing. As promised within a week we will put every fact about outsourcing in the public domain." While stopping short of holding NC responsible for originating the outsourcing policy, Lone made the party's complicity unmistakably clear. "Agreed NC didn't start it. We knew that from Day 1. But you didn't stop it either. You went along with it. And in fact encouraged it," he stated, leaving no room for the ruling party to distance itself from the consequences of a policy it inherited but chose to sustain and expand. Lone then made his most serious allegation, one that goes beyond policy failure into the territory of outright wrongdoing. "Outsourcing is prone to corrupt collusion. And that corrupt collusion I can see very clearly," he said, signalling that his upcoming disclosures are backed by concrete information rather than political conjecture. Adding a documented dimension to his offensive, Lone revealed that he had formally raised a Starred Question before the General Administration Department during the last Assembly session, demanding full disclosure on the government's outsourcing activities. The question, a photograph of which he shared publicly, sought information on the total number of outsourced jobs across the government sector, the names and addresses of every outsourcing company currently engaged by the government, the total payments made to these companies across all departments, whether standardised salary guidelines exist for outsourced workers, and a complete department-wise breakdown of outsourced positions. The government responded only partially, and Lone pointed out that it chose to stay completely silent on the two most revealing and consequential parts of his question. It failed to respond to part (f), which asked, "What is the government's objective in outsourcing jobs? Does the government see outsourcing as means to reduce costs or as means to improve efficiency?" It equally avoided part (g), which asked, "Will government as a policy encourage or discourage outsourcing of government jobs?" Lone underlined the gravity of this silence, saying, "That remains unanswered and the devil is in the details," making clear that a government unwilling to state its own policy objectives on outsourcing has questions far bigger than administrative gaps to answer.
Srinagar June 5: Minister for education Sakina Itoo on Friday took a dig at former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti saying that "they still behave as if they are in power." In a post on X, Sakina Itoo mocked at Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti saying "Some people seem to be suffering from political amnesia." "They still behave as if they are in powereven though they lost office in 2018 and have since been repeatedly rejected by the people," Itoo in her post on X said. The remarks came hours after Mehbooba Mufti along with MLA Tral Rafiq Ahmad Maik and MLA Pulwama Waheed Ur Rehman Parra visited AIIMS Awantipora to "understand the progress being made on the project and engage with the concerned agencies on the ground." She convened a meeting with the officers and reiterated her commitment to supporting every effort aimed at the early completion of this important healthcare institution. Later in her post on X, Mehbooba Mufti said "Mufti sahab envisioned & laid the foundation for AIIMS Awantipora in 2015 & today I’m delighted to see his dream come to fruition." "Much progress has been made on this crucial institution - a project initiated by the PDP over a decade ago. AIIMS Awantipora has the potential to emerge as one of the leading centres of healthcare, medical education and research in J&K," the post reads. "Request Union Health Minister @JPNadda ji to kindly expedite completion of this vital institution so that quality healthcare services can reach the people of J&K at the earliest," it reads. Meanwhile, Sakina Itoo said the elected government today wass led Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. "Yet one wonders in what capacity former rulers are conducting reviews of the AIIMS Awantipora project," Sakina Itoo said. "More importantly, who is signalling them to undertake such exercises? Which power centre in Delhi is directing these actions?" the post reads. She said that it was ironic that those because of whom the AIIMS project moved at a painfully slow pace are now trying to claim ownership of its progress. "The fact is that the project is moving towards completion because of the focused efforts, monitoring and commitment of the present government under the leadership of CM Omar Abdullah," Sakina Itoo said. She said the people of Jammu & Kashmir are wise enough to distinguish between those who delayed development and those who are ensuring its delivery.
