Baramulla, Feb 12: In a significant outreach initiative, Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Minga Sherpa, Wednesday presided over an awareness camp cum Block Divas at town hall, Kunzer. The event was organized to bring government services closer to the public, address grievances, and raise awareness about various welfare schemes.
The DC inspected the stalls set up by various departments, where officials provided detailed information about key government schemes like PM Surya Ghar (Muft Bijli Yojana), Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), Vishwakarma Scheme, PMAY and other flagship schemes.
These stalls aimed to ensure that locals could easily access the information and resources available under these schemes.
In a further effort to ensure transparency and effective communication, concerned officers briefed the local public through video screens, offering clear and visual explanations of the application processes, benefits, and eligibility criteria for each program which allowed for a more interactive and engaging experience for the public, helping them understand how to take advantage of these schemes.
During the camp, the DC interacted with the locals, listened to their concerns, and emphasized the importance of such outreach programs in addressing community issues and directed officers to ensure that grievances were resolved in a time bound manner, reiterating the administration s commitment to timely service delivery and people-centric governance.
Furthermore, Minga Sherpa encouraged the public to take full advantage of the various government schemes designed to benefit local citizens, with a particular emphasis on the PM-Surya Ghar initiative, highlighting that the scheme has been specifically introduced to help households reduce their electricity expenses by promoting the adoption of solar energy.
Later, Minga Sherpa distributed Ayush Cards, Sanction Letters, Land Passbooks and other certificates among eligible beneficiaries during the block diwas.
Camp was attended by DDC Member Nazir Ahmad Sheikh, Sub Divisional Magistrate Gulmarg Syed Altaf Hussain Musvi, Superintendent Engineer JKPDCL Dalbir Singh, Tehsildar Kunzer Syed Eyaad Qadri and other district and tehsil level officers besides large number of public of adjacent areas of kunzer tehsil.
'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.
Suhail Khan Baramulla, Jan 6: A young aerospace engineer from Sopore in north Kashmirās 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). āAbout a year ago, I conducted research on the gravity of black holes and cosmology, which has now been published in IJSR,ā 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.āIf we observe a black hole, it seems to contradict thermodynamic principles,ā he said. Using the frameworks of Anti-de Sitter space (AdS) and Conformal Field Theory (CFT), Raqeebās research proposes a theoretical model that reconciles black hole mechanics with thermodynamics. āIn this paper, I have explained how a black hole can function without violating thermodynamic laws,ā he said. He described the achievement as both personal and symbolic. āIt is a proud moment for me to represent my state, especially Sopore, on an international platform,ā 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,ā 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. āMy parents not only supported me morally but also created an environment where I could pursue my dreams freely,ā he said. He emphasized the role of family in nurturing talent. āJust as my parents supported me, it is the responsibility of all parents to help their children follow their dreams.ā āYoung people should avoid wrong practices. They must dream of a beautiful tomorrow but work hard today to make their parents proud,ā he further added.
Srinagar, Jan 8:Ā The University of Kashmir (KU) has made the biometric attendance mandatory for the students of its affiliated colleges from Academic session 2026-27. The development comes in wake of the complaints about the thin attendance of the students in various private B.Ed colleges affiliated with the Kashmir University. A circular in this regardĀ has been issued by the Assistant Registrar Dean Colleges Development Council (DCDC) of the University. "All the Chairpersons and Principals of private affiliated colleges of the University of Kashmir are hereby informed that biometric attendance for all the enrolled students and staff has been made mandatory from the year 2026-27," the KU circular reads. The Principals of all the affiliated colleges have been directed to install biometric attendance machines in their respective institutions on or before the commencement of the Academic year 2026-27 under intimation to the Dean College Development Council of the University. "The college shall also ensure proper upkeep, maintenance, and systematic preservation of all biometric attendance records for future reference and verification," it reads. The Colleges have been directed to comply with this directive "without fail." The move comes in wake of the inspections conducted last year by the DCDC of KU in various B.Ed colleges where most of the students were found absent. An official said that there were complaints about the poor attendance of the students in B.Ed colleges. "The students do not attend their B.Ed classes regularly which defeats the purpose of the course," the official said. Earlier, DCDC of KU earlier barred the B.Ed students to appear in teh semester exams for falling short of attendance. The decision was taken in wake of the surprise inspection conducted by Dean College Development Council (DCDC) in various B.Ed colleges of Kashmir in June-July month of 2025 and several students were found absent from the classes. Following this, the students were directed to attend supplementary classes to complete the recommended attendance for appearing in their exams. Also, the exam of these students was deferred by few months.
Srinagar, Jan 8: The Director of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) has pulled up the officers vested with the powers of Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) as their additional assignment, for indulging in administrative works, beyond their domain. As per the order issued by the Director School Education Kashmir Naseer Ahmad Wani, the officers having additional DDO powers, have been reprimanded for going beyond their role of duties. "It has come to the notice of the DSEK that many officers of the department vested with DDOs powers are affecting transfers and doing administrative works having no authority to do so," the order reads. As per the order, all these DDOs holding charge in additional capacity have been asked to utilise the powers for the purpose of drawing and disbursing salary and other financial matters within the limits of the authority. "The officers shall not exercise any administrative powers particularly with respect to the transfer of staff," it reads. The DSEK has warned of disciplinary action in case of violation of the order by any officers. "Any deviation from the instant order shall be viewed seriously and invite disciplinary action," it reads.
Baramulla, Jan 9: Deputy Commissioner Baramulla on Thursday said that the situation caused by the landslides on Ur-Baramulla was temporary and would be resolved once the excavation process of the road is completed. The statement comes amid the concerns over recurring landslides on the UriāBaramulla road due to ongoing road widening project being executed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). Talking to Kashmir Square, Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Minga Sherpa said that such issues are common during the construction of hill roads and should not be viewed as an unusual development. āThere is no major issue. Whenever a hill road is constructed or widened, such problems are recurrent,ā he said. He further said that the slopes usually take time to stabilise after excavation. "The excavation process affects the natural stability of the hillside and it generally takes one to two years for slopes to fully stabilise," he said. Minga Sherpa said several slope stabilisation measures are already in place to minimise risks. āGrouting has been done and protective walling has also been constructed at several points,ā DC Baramulla told Kashmir Square. He further said that around 200 metres of excavation work is still pending on the stretch and the remaining cutting work is expected to be completed within a month. āOnce the excavation is finished, the BRO and concerned agencies will carry out full-fledged slope stabilisation measures. After that, such incidents will not occur again,ā he said. Over the past few weeks, the UriāBaramulla road, a vital link connecting the border town of Uri with Baramulla district witnessed intermittent traffic disruptions due to landslides triggered by excavation work, raising safety concerns among commuters. The BaramullaāUri National Highway remained closed on Thursday after another landslide struck the stretch - the third such incident reported in the last 20 days, causing severe inconvenience to commuters. A fresh landslide hit the highway on Thursday afternoon, forcing authorities to immediately halt traffic movement on the route as a precautionary measure. It was the third such incident in just 20 days on the BaramullaāUri National Highway, following two earlier slides that also triggered full traffic halts and diversions through alternate routes. Only emergency vehicles were allowed to pass, while all routine traffic was stopped to avoid any untoward incident. An official said the road clearance operations were launched soon after the incident, with personnel and machinery mobilised to remove debris and stabilise the affected area. "The highway was made motorable again from the evening hours," he said. The closure of the main BaramullaāUri National Highway compelled authorities to divert vehicles through the dilapidated KhadniyarāGantamulla road.
Srinagar, Jan 9: Deputy Commissioner, Bandipora, Indu Kanwal Chib on Friday reviewed the progress of the under-construction non-motorable Wullar Walkway (Phase-I) during a site visit undertaken in view of the slow pace of execution. The project, being executed by the R&B Department Bandipora, has an allotted cost ofĀ ā¹18.76 crore and has achieved about 40 percent physical progress so far. On the occasion, the Deputy Commissioner assured that all feasible assistance from the District Administration Bandipora would be extended to expedite the project. Later, the Deputy Commissioner also visited the Nature Eco-Tourism Park (Delta Park) being developed by the Wular Conservation and Management Authority. The progress of works at the park was reviewed, and it was informed that the project is expected to be completed by the end of the next financial year. The Deputy Commissioner was accompanied by Coordinator, WUCMA, Altaf Hussain; Executive Engineer, R&B; Tehsildar Hajin; and other concerned officers. Ā DC Bandipora also visited Hajin Tehsil and inspected the progress of digitisation of revenue records. During the visit, the Deputy Commissioner carried out a comprehensive review of the digitisation process being undertaken in the Tehsil. She assessed the progress achieved so far and examined the status of digitisation of revenue records. The DC observed that digitisation of land records is a vital reform aimed at ensuring greater transparency, accuracy, and efficiency in land records management. The Deputy Commissioner emphasized that complete and error-free digitisation is essential for creating a reliable and accessible digital land database.Ā The DC directed the concerned officers to expedite the remaining digitisation work in a time-bound manner and ensure that proper verification and validation mechanisms are strictly followed before finalisation of records.Ā The Deputy Commissioner further emphasized strengthening coordination among field functionaries and technical teams to address challenges arising during the digitisation process.
Addresses teachers convention at Udhampur, hails then CM Dr. Farooq Abdullahās decision of introducing ReT scheme KS News Desk Udhampur, Jan 5:Ā Minister for Education, Social Welfare, Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo Monday addressed the One Day Convention of Teachers here, underscoring the pivotal role of teachers in shaping a progressive and enlightened society. Director School Education Jammu Naseem Javaid Choudhary, ACR Udhampur, Joint Director School Education Udhampur/Reasi, DSWO Udhampur, CMO Udhampur, CEO Udhampur, other senior officers of Education department and large number of teachers were also present on the occasion. Speaking to a large gathering of educators, the education minister lauded teachers as the true architects of building progressive society, stating that their contribution goes far beyond classrooms and textbooks. āTeachers play a decisive role in nurturing responsible citizens and strengthening moral and intellectual fabric of societyā, she said. The education minister called upon teachers to adapt to evolving educational challenges and adopt innovative teaching methods to meet the aspirations of the younger generation. She stressed that continuous professional development and value-based education are essential to keep pace with changing times. She lauded the teachers for their contribution to education sector and said that under the visionary leadership of then Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, the revolutionary step of introducing Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) scheme was initiated which changed the dynamics of school education sector in J&K. Ā She added that due to ReT scheme, students of far-flung areas, who couldnāt afford to move to cities for educational purposes, received education in their respective areas. She highlighted that the teachers need to be acknowledged for their contribution to the society, adding that the large number of IAS, IPS and JKAS officers have studied from government schools for which their teachers need to acknowledged. She emphasised the need to reform and strengthen the teacherāstudent relationship saying the mutual respect, trust and understanding must form the foundation of all educational institutions. She highlighted that some positive reforms need to be initiated for improving student-teacher relationship in educational institutions. She reiterated the governmentās commitment to improving the education sector and assured that sustained efforts are being made by the Omar Abdullah led government to upgrade infrastructure, enhance teaching standards and promote holistic learning across educational institutions of J&K. Addressing the gathering, Director School Education Jammu said the government has worked tirelessly from last one year for the development of education sector, particularly the change of Academic session, timely updation of seniority lists, conduct of DPCs and other related issues have been solved and some are under active consideration of the government. He highlighted that various reformative steps for the betterment of education sector are under process of the government, which will significantly improve the educational standards across Jammu and Kashmir. On the occasion, various teachers spoke and lauded the efforts of Government, especially education minister for various path breaking initiatives in education sector. They expressed gratitude to Minister for various decisions like change in academic session, regularisation of CPWs, posting of Principals and other teachers in various schools which was long pending issue, availability of textbooks in schools, timely updation of seniority lists as well as regular conduct of DPCs at all levels. On the occasion, the teachers also put forth some demands before the minister like provision of leave salary to teachers at the time of retirement, restoration of Old Pension Scheme (OPS), withdrawal of teachers from non teaching assignments in other departments like Census, Surveys and others as well as timely disbursement of dues for Mid Day Meal (MDM) scheme. On the sidelines of the Convention, the education minister distributed sewing machines among women beneficiaries of Social Welfare department. Ā She also distributed bicycles among school children for their outstanding performance in various National sports championships and academic activities.
Houseboats float in silence as tourists skip lakes, prefer Gulmarg, PahalgamRehan Qayoom MirSrinagar, Jan 3: Once the pride of Kashmir s tourism and a floating symbol of its charm, Srinagar s houseboats, often called the jewel in the crown are quietly sinking into neglect as visitors are bypassing the lakes.Houseboat owners said that occupancy has dropped to as low as 10 15 percent this winter, leaving most rooms empty, heaters off and livelihoods adrift."We are watching the rush in Gulmarg and Pahalgam on television. But here, our boats are empty, said Ghulam Nabi, a houseboat owner from Dal Lake. It feels like tourists have forgotten that Srinagar exists, he added.Notably, despite a packed tourist season in Gulmarg and Pahalgam, where hotels are running full, Dal and Nigeen lakes narrate a different story.The charm of the floating hotels, once popular with couples, filmmakers and other people from different parts of the world has faded amid changing travel trends and the winter chill."Tourists are preferring snow-covered resorts, which could be one of the reasons for the emptiness of Dal Lake," said a houseboat owner. Running a houseboat in winter is costly, with high expenses for heating, frozen water pipes and maintenance, said Manzoor Ahmad, who has been in the business for over decades. When guests don t come, it s a double loss. Pertinently, Srinagar s houseboats have long been the face of Kashmir s tourism, offering visitors a unique experience of living on the serene Dal and Nigeen lakes.Once numbering over 3,000, only around 750 remain operational today due to decades of restrictions on repairs, declining water quality and shifting tourist preferences. (KNO)