Islamabad, Jan 8: A leading international human rights organisation condemned the convictions and severe prison sentences issued in absentia by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Pakistan against a group of Pakistani journalists and political commentators residing abroad. The statement came after Islamabad's ATC on January 2 sentenced YouTuber Adil Raja, former army official Syed Akbar Hussain, and journalists Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakir, Moeed Pirzada, Shaheen Sehbai, and Haider Mehdi to double life imprisonment in cases linked to "digital terrorism". The cases are reportedly based on allegations that the accused used online platforms to incite, facilitate and amplify attacks against state institutions during the May 9, 2023, unrest following the arrest of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. Citing credible information, the International Human Rights Foundation (IHRF) stated that those targeted by the Pakistani court were not notified of charges or proceedings, denied access to evidence, and afforded no meaningful opportunity to appear or defend themselves. "Such actions raise grave concerns regarding due process, judicial independence, and compliance with Pakistan's constitutional guarantees and its obligations under international human-rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)," the IHRF stated. Expressing concern, the rights body stated that proceedings against the Pakistani journalists and political commentators, which took place amid wider international alarm over recent constitutional changes in Pakistan, risk undermining democratic governance and fundamental freedoms. The IHRF cited the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, who recently warned that Pakistan's hastily adopted 26th constitutional amendment seriously undermines judicial independence and raises concerns regarding military accountability and the rule of law. Similarly, the International Commission of Jurists has described Pakistan's 26th Constitutional Amendment as "a blow to judicial independence and the rule of law, warning that it increases political influence over judicial appointments and administration". More recently, the IHRF noted that several media reports highlighted further constitutional measures that critics argue curtail the Pakistani Supreme Court's constitutional role while expanding military authority and immunity -- developments that intensify concerns over institutional checks and balances. According to the IHRF, the use of counterterrorism frameworks against journalists and dissenting voices -- particularly those living in exile -- reflects a broader and troubling pattern of judicial harassment and transnational repression. "Legal processes conducted without transparency or basic procedural safeguards cannot be regarded as legitimate adjudication and risk being misused to intimidate critics beyond national borders," it stated. The rights body called on the international community -- including press-freedom organisations and relevant UN mechanisms -- to closely monitor these developments in Pakistan and engage where necessary to protect journalists facing "politically motivated persecution". (IANS)
KS News Desk Baramulla, Jan 06: Chief Education Officer (CEO) Baramulla on Tuesday said that the department will ensure full compliance with all government orders banning unauthorized private coaching by government school teachers. Responding to a question about alleged violations of the government order prohibiting teachers and lecturers from offering private tuitions, CEO Abdul Rashid reiterated that strict adherence to the ban will be enforced. Sources revealed that despite the clear prohibition on government teachers engaging in private tuitions or coaching without prior permission, some faculty members are reportedly conducting early morning classes at private coaching centres located in a well-known complex in the town. It is pertinent to mention that Deputy Commissioner Baramulla has already constituted a committee to regulate and monitor coaching centres operating in the district, with a particular focus on registration, fee structure, and basic facilities. (KNO)
KS News Desk Jammu, Jan 6: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday undertook a comprehensive review of the projects being executed by the Public Works (Roads & Buildings) Department at a high-level meeting held at the PWD Conference Hall, Gandhi Nagar here. Â On the occasion, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of R&B projects worth âč119 crore through virtual mode and also e-inaugurated R&B projects worth âč33 crore. The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, PWD (R&B) Anil Kumar Singh, Commissioner Secretary, Forest, Ecology & Environment Sheetal Nanda, Engineer-in-Chief, PWD, senior engineers, executive engineers, and representatives of BEACON, SAMPARK, NHAI and NHIDCL, besides other concerned officers. All Deputy Commissioners and field officers participated through video conferencing. During the meeting, the Chief Minister reviewed major road and bridge projects being executed by different agencies including BEACON, SAMPARK, NHAI, NHIDCL and PWD (R&B) across Jammu and Kashmir. A detailed presentation was made on rapid restoration of road connectivity, permanent restoration works, and revival of long-pending bridges, particularly in vulnerable and strategically important areas. Expressing concern over delays, Omar Abdullah sought clear timelines for each project and took stock of the status of Right of Way (RoW) issues and forest clearances. He instructed the concerned departments to expedite forest clearances in a coordinated manner, stressing that procedural delays should not become an excuse for missing deadlines. The Chief Minister expressed displeasure over missing of timelines in several projects, directing the executing agencies to identify bottlenecks and address them immediately. He emphasized that slow pace of work defeats the purpose of infrastructure development and causes avoidable inconvenience to the public. Emphasizing that special attention be given to public interest, Omar Abdullah directed agencies, particularly NHAI and NHIDCL, to ensure proper maintenance of existing roads where tunnel and major highway works are underway. He further directed all executing agencies to take up the issue of forest clearances with the concerned Forest Department on a regular basis wherever new projects or works are proposed to be started, strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act (FCA). The Chief Minister stressed that early and continuous engagement with the Forest Department is essential to avoid delays at later stages of project execution. The meeting also reviewed major achievements under Capital Expenditure (Capex) and the performance of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) for the year 2025â26. The Chief Minister stressed optimal utilization of funds and urged departments to ensure outcome-based planning and execution. Expressing concern over the growing traffic congestion in urban centres, the Chief Minister instructed the department to prepare well-thought-out and technically sound Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for flyovers and road projects in the twin cities of Srinagar and Jammu. Highlighting the importance of durability and climate resilience, the Chief Minister directed that all road projects must mandatorily include proper drainage systems. âWithout adequate drainage, rainwater damages roads and shortens their life. Drainage must be an integral part of every road project, not an afterthought,â he instructed. The Chief Minister concluded by reiterating that infrastructure development remains a key priority of the government, and directed all executing agencies to work in close coordination, maintain high quality standards, and ensure that projects translate into real and visible improvement in connectivity and public convenience. Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated the renovated Conference Hall and allied facilities at the PWD Guest House, Gandhi Nagar. On the occasion, he also distributed appreciation letters among the engineers.
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. 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.
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 AprilâMay 2026, 158 during JuneâJuly 2026, and 309 during AugustâSeptember 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.
Jammu, Jan 18: Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Transport, Youth Services & Sports, Information Technology, ARI & Trainings, Satish Sharma Sunday said that the remarkable achievements of Jammu and Kashmirâs youth are a powerful testament to what can be accomplished through fair opportunities, modern infrastructure and unwavering government support. Addressing the gathering during the SRIJAN initiative conference, the Minister stated that the success of young athletes clearly demonstrates that with the right ecosystem in place, the UT youth are capable of overcoming every challenge and competing confidently at national and international platforms. Highlighting the core focus areas of the SRIJAN programme, Satish Sharma said "the initiative is playing a transformative role in strengthening the sports landscape of the Union Territory by expanding grassroots sports infrastructure across Jammu, Kashmir and other regions. This is being done by ensuring transparent, merit-based selections free from any bias; integrating sports with education and skill development; promoting greater participation of girls and enhancing inclusivity and establishing sports as a dignified and sustainable career option with viable livelihood opportunities, he said0. He reaffirmed the governmentâs firm commitment and said that sustained efforts were underway to create international-standard sports facilities, including modern cricket stadiums in Jammu and Srinagar. He also highlighted the strengthening of Khelo India Centres, promotion of traditional sports such as Dangal and enhanced collaboration with the Union Ministry to transform Jammu & Kashmir into a national sports hub. âAs Sports Minister, I assure our athletes that the government stands firmly with them. Our focus is not only on infrastructure creation but also on nurturing talent, discipline and confidence among the youth,â he said. The Minister lauded the determination, resilience and dedication of young sportspersons, describing them as the living legacy of the SRIJAN mission. He urged them to continue training with passion, remain disciplined and dream fearlessly, assuring them of full institutional support at every step of their journey. Satish Sharma expressed hope that the conference would serve as the foundation of a new era where every talented child, from the mountains of Kashmir to the plains of Jammu, is provided an equal opportunity to shine on the global stage. He concluded by reiterating the governmentâs resolve to make sports a powerful vehicle for youth empowerment, social inclusion and regional pride in Jammu and Kashmir. Director General, Youth Services and Sports, Anuradha Gupta and prominent persons from different fields and states along with senior officers of the Youth Services and Sports Department, were also present on the occasion.
