Jammu, Feb 3: Minister for Education and Social Welfare Sakina Itoo on Tuesday said that the restoration of statehood and special status remains a core and consistent demand of the National Conference.
She said that the party has been raising the issue since the formation of the Omar Abdullah-led government.
Talking to reporters, Sakina Itoo said they have always demanded the restoration of statehood and special status for Jammu and Kashmir.
"Our MLAs protested for it because it is a genuine demand. From the day this government was sworn in, we have raised this issue at different stages," she told reporters here.
She said the democratic authority of the elected government has been weakened over time.
“Our powers have been curtailed, and the rights of our youth have been taken away,” she said.
Asked about demands for separate divisions for Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley, the Minister said there was no such demand from the people.
“The National Conference has always stood for a united Jammu and Kashmir. We believe in unity,” she said.
Sakina Itoo said they also want Ladakh to be reunited with Jammu and Kashmir, and a full-fledged Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh state restored, "as it existed earlier.”
On the BJP’s demand for setting up a National Law University (NLU) in Jammu, Itoo voiced strong concerns, warning against regional discrimination in education.
"Muslim students from Kashmir study in Jammu, but medical colleges were closed on regional lines. Tomorrow, the BJP could do the same with the Law University saying Muslim students cannot study there and only Hindu students can. That could even lead to the cancellation of the university,” she said.
She said establishing the Law University in Kashmir would be a better and more inclusive option.
“Thousands of students from Jammu are already studying in Kashmir in MBBS, engineering and universities. Kashmir has never objected to this and will never do so,” she said.
She said the party manifesto and mission are clear to ensure people of Jammu and Kashmir live together in harmony, whether Muslim, Sikh or Hindu.
"This was the vision and slogan of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah: Hindu-Muslim-Sikh unity,” she added.
Suhail Khan Baramulla, Jan 6: A young aerospace engineer from Sopore in north Kashmir’s 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). “About a year ago, I conducted research on the gravity of black holes and cosmology, which has now been published in IJSR,” 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.“If we observe a black hole, it seems to contradict thermodynamic principles,” he said. Using the frameworks of Anti-de Sitter space (AdS) and Conformal Field Theory (CFT), Raqeeb’s research proposes a theoretical model that reconciles black hole mechanics with thermodynamics. “In this paper, I have explained how a black hole can function without violating thermodynamic laws,” he said. He described the achievement as both personal and symbolic. “It is a proud moment for me to represent my state, especially Sopore, on an international platform,” 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,” 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. “My parents not only supported me morally but also created an environment where I could pursue my dreams freely,” he said. He emphasized the role of family in nurturing talent. “Just as my parents supported me, it is the responsibility of all parents to help their children follow their dreams.” “Young people should avoid wrong practices. They must dream of a beautiful tomorrow but work hard today to make their parents proud,” 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 – 64001 from Jammu and 17621 from winter zone areas of Jammu have registered for class 11th examination while 70117 students—56423 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 17: Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi on Saturday strongly condemned PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti’s statement suggesting that if religious places are to be “profiled”, 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. “Let 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,” 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. “We 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,” 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. “AIP stands for dignity, equality and justice for all. We will oppose any attempt that targets places of worship, whichever religion it belongs to,” he said.
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.
JAMMU, Feb 03: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday said that Jammu and Kashmir has a rich legacy of pluralism and coexistence. He was speaking during the flag-off ceremonye of J&K Road Transport Corporation (RTC) buses to major religious destinations of different faiths across the country from MA Stadium, Jammu. "These services reflect the commitment of the government to strengthening bonds of mutual respect and understanding among different communities," he said. Omar Abdullah emphasized that facilitating access to places of worship of all faiths reinforces the spirit of unity and shared cultural heritage of the region. Minister for Transport Satish Sharma and Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam, Managing Director J&K RTC Abdul Rashid War and other concerned were also present on the occasion. The special bus services will operate to prominent religious sites including Shahdra Sharief, Jawalaji, Namgyal Monastery (McLeod Ganj), Shri Anandpur Sahib, Ajmer Sharief and Our Lady of Graces, Sardhana, enabling devotees from Jammu and Kashmir to undertake pilgrimages with greater ease and affordability. The Chief Minister also appreciated the efforts of the Transport Department and J&K RTC for initiating people-friendly services. "Such initiatives not only promote spiritual well-being but also encourage inter-state connectivity and tourism," he said Minister for Transport Satish Sharma said that J&K RTC remains committed to providing safe, reliable and affordable transport facilities, and assured that the department will continue to expand services based on public demand.
Jammu, Feb 03: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Tuesday informed the JK Legislative Assembly that no assessment was carried out to evaluate the losses suffered by tourism stakeholders in 2025. In a written reply to a question raised by MLA Lal Chowk, Ahsan Pardesi, the minister in-charge of Tourism, Omar Abdullah, said that the department has not conducted any assessment regarding the financial losses suffered by tourism stakeholders in 2025. Kashmir’s tourism industry incurred heavy losses after a deadly attack in the meadow of Baisaran near Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, in which 26 people-mostly tourists-were killed.
Jammu, Feb 1: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Sunday hailed the Budget 2026-27 as pragmatic which he said will prioritize economic acceleration, create future-ready infrastructure, sustain growth momentum, chart path to $5 trillion economy milestone within few years and comprehensive fiscal strategy will balance growth ambition with social welfare. He expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on development of ecologically sustainable mountain trails in J&K UT and said that the initiative will generate fresh employment opportunities and invigorate our tourism industry with renewed vigor. "Budget for 2026-27 emphasizes accelerating economic expansion, strengthening infrastructure, advancing manufacturing capabilities across 7 strategic sectors, while maintaining a steadfast commitment to welfare," LG Sinha said. He said budget will have a transformative impact in burgeoning industries, renewed momentum for semiconductor advancement through India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0, and a substantial stride toward diminishing India's reliance on other countries for rare earth elements with specialized rare earth zones. The Lieutenant Governor observed that with Artificial Intelligence, job creation and service sector enhancement taking center stage, India's competitive edge will strengthen across every economic domain, while this progressive financial blueprint will establish the foundation for comprehensive sectoral expansion and global prominence. "Budget 2026-27 charts the path to a $5 trillion economy milestone within a few years and presents our ambitious vision to achieve developed economy status in less than 2 decades. The budget also promises unprecedented empowerment for youth, women, and farmers. With manufacturing, infrastructure, MSMEs, healthcare, urban advancement, electronics and supply networks forming the core of the future strategy to maintain the country's economic momentum, I believe we will be able to expand domestic production and ensure substantial employment generation," LG Manoj Sinha said.