KS News Desk
Baramulla, (Gulmarg), March 10: From wee hours on Monday snowfall at Gulmarg proclaimed that remnants of Winter chill are still in command to thrill visitors at the famous high altitude tourist destination.
But the Khelo India Winter Games witnessed a change in climate after a sunny inaugural day.
The perseverance & passion of athletes raised the visual warmth over white snow turf as all the scheduled games were officiated according to the fixture to foster real winter sports spirit.
Hundreds of players coming from across the country battled over the title in different domains of snow sports including Vertical Ski Mountaineering, Snowboard Gaint Slalom and Sprint.
Some undisputed champions of previous Khelo India Winter Games again proved their mettle to lay a solid & strong claim for medals and had been exceptionally successful in their endeavor.
Manoeuvring in the Winter Games at Kangdoori, Siddhartha Gadekar from Pune Maharashtra was crowned with Gold Medal in Vertical Ski Mountaineering event for men today adding to his medal kitty from Sunday.
While celebrating yellow metal, he divulged that consistent endurance training got him the result he wanted. He expressed gratitude to KIWG authorities for the platform & unique opportunity to help athletes to display latent potential.
Gadekar eyes international sports events and hopes to carry current performance forward to do better in upcoming events.
Shardul Thapliyal and Himanshu Singh both from Himachal Pradesh clinched Silver and Bronze in the same event respectively.
Tenzin Dolma from Himachal Pradesh secured Gold in today's Vertical Ski Mountaineering of womens category, the first medal for her in KIWGs.
As an Ultra Trail Runner, Dolma didn't find the competition challenging since the endurance she had developed over the period showered her with desired rewards.
In the same event, Natasha Mahar from Himachal Pradesh improved from yesterday's performance to win silver while Manek Gunjiyal of Uttarakhand who had won Gold in Womens Snowboarding Slalom on Sunday had tough luck today and had to settle for bronze. Gunjiyal was one of the gold medallists from KIWG-2024.
She knows the slopes of Gulmarg like her home, that is what is the magic of success.
While speaking regarding her perseverance, she said that dry practice and training during snow period helps her to build stamina which is essential at high altitude field of action.
In the Nordic Ski Sprint, ITBP sent all other participants to cleaners while wresting all three medals in the event. The ITBP players Kulsum Rana, Selma Soreng & Anjana Devi obtained Gold, Silver & Bronze respectively.
The Nordic Ski Sprint for men saw medals raining for the Army as the athletes including Manjeet, Shubam Parihar and Sunny Singh took away Gold, Silver and Bronze medals respectively leaving others high and dry amid the snow.
Competing against thirty other participants in Snowboard gaint Slalom event, Zubair Ahmad Lone from J&K, glided the slopes fiercely to clinch Gold Medal, while Kulvinder Sharma and Karan Sing of Army settled with Silver and Bronze.
Similarly, in Alpine Gaint Slalom Category Women, Himachal Pradesh had triple whammy to celebrate all three medals with Anchal Thakur, Tanuja Thakur and Suhani Thakur taking home Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively amid the huge applause of spectators and supporters.
In the Men's Category of Alpine Giant Slalom, Sunil Kumar from Army, Atul Bhat from ITBP and Yogesh Kumar from Himachal Pradesh achieved Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively.
It would be entertaining to watch which among these teams would be dominating the final medal tally of KIWGs.
Similarly, in Alpine Gaint Slalom Category Women, Himachal Pradesh had triple whammy to celebrate all three medals with Anchal Thakur, Tanuja Thakur and Suhani Thakur taking home Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively amid the huge applause of spectators and supports.
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 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, 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 Kashmir’s 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 government’s 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. “As 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,” 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 government’s 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.
Srinagar, Feb 28: Real Kashmir Football Club (RKFC) is set to play its maiden match of the newly rebranded Indian Football League (IFL) against Dempo Sports Club in Goa on Sunday. The Kashmir-based club is the only team from J&K participating in the I League over the past several years. The I-League, one of India’s top-tier football competitions, has been renamed as the Indian Football League from this season. Addressing a pre-match press conference, RKFC head coach Ishfaq Ahmad said the team is prepared for a challenging contest against a strong opponent. “Dempo Sports Club has a long history of playing quality football. They usually perform very well, especially on their home ground. We are expecting a competitive and exciting game,” Ishfaq said. He acknowledged that the weather conditions in Goa may pose a challenge for the visiting side. “The temperature here is quite hot and not ideal for football, particularly for teams coming from cooler regions. However, our players are well prepared to overcome these challenges and we are hopeful of putting up a good performance,” he added. The coach also welcomed the return of competitive football in the country, noting that both the Indian Super League and the Indian Football League have resumed after a prolonged gap. Owned by Arshad Shawl, RKFC has been working steadily to promote and strengthen football in Jammu and Kashmir. The squad features a mix of talented local players along with national and international recruits. RKFC player Mohammad Inam described Dempo as a tough opponent but expressed confidence in the team’s preparations. “This is our first match of the season and it is an away game. The weather is also quite different from what we are used to. Still, we are determined to play good football and hope not to disappoint our supporters,” he said. He also appealed to fans back home to continue supporting the team and follow their journey through social media as the season begins. The match is scheduled to begin at 4 pm and will be live on various channels.
Baramulla, Feb 20: The Chinar Open Winter Games 2026, a flagship initiative of the Indian Army, concluded amidst the breath taking snow clad landscapes of Gulmarg in Baramulla district. The event was organised under the aegis of Dagger Division Baramulla of Chinar Corps. The event was a vibrant celebration of sportsmanship, community spirit and youth empowerment. The games provided a versatile platform for the youth of Kashmir to showcase their talents and channelise their energy into competitive and constructive pursuits. This edition witnessed record-breaking participation of 660 skiers-- 166 girls and 494 boys, reflecting the growing enthusiasm for winter sports across the region and the steady rise in women participation. The event featured an exhilarating line up of winter sports competitions, ranging from high adrenaline skiing races and thrilling snowboarding events to graceful skating performances. The participants tested their abilities against some of the region’s finest athletes, drawing large and enthusiastic crowds of locals, tourists and sports enthusiasts. Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command graced the occasion and interacted with participants, organisers and members of the local community. He lauded the exceptional organisation of the Games and commended the high standard of sportsmanship displayed by the young athletes. He appreciated the initiative as a meaningful endeavour to channelise the aspirations of Kashmir’s youth towards constructive Nation building activities and reaffirmed the Army’s steadfast commitment to fostering peace, progress and opportunity through sports. Beyond the excitement of the competitions, the games reinforced the Indian Army’s enduring bond with the people. These initiatives highlighted Indian Army’s contribution towards promoting sports, nurturing young talent and developing Gulmarg as a premier winter sports destination. "The event stood as a testament to Kashmir’s rising sporting culture and growing prominence of Gulmarg as a hub of winter sports in India," the handout reads.
Bulawayo, Jan 28: India moved to the top of the Group 2 points table with a convincing win over Zimbabwe in the ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup. Meanwhile, Pakistan also took a step towards the semifinals with a solid win over New Zealand. The Group 2 standings after the recent fixtures have set up an enticing contest between India and Pakistan on Sunday. Pakistan proved they are a force to be reckoned with at the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup with a comprehensive eight-wicket win over New Zealand. In a dominant all-round display, Pakistan chased down a modest target of 111 inside 17.1 overs. The big win kept Pakistan in the hunt for a semi-final spot. Though they are currently third in the standings, behind England and India, they have notched a healthy net run rate of +1.484, which may come in handy if there’s a logjam at the top of the table. Electing to field first, Pakistan pacers made the most of the seaming conditions at the Harare Sports Club. Ali Raza got the ball rolling as he trapped Marco Alpe's leg before the wicket. While Raza claimed three wickets for 36 runs in seven overs, Abdul Subhan produced a match-winning spell of 4/11 from his quota of 6.3 overs. For New Zealand, opener Hugo Bogue notched the highest score - a quickfire innings of 36, which included six fours and two maximums. However, the Pakistan bowling attack ensured that the Black Caps didn't have any partnerships going. In the second innings, rising star Sameer Minhas led the chase with a second straight half-century in the competition. Minhas scored an unbeaten 76 and took Pakistan over the finish line with an emphatic six down the ground. India rode on a splendid century from Vihaan Malhotra to register a whopping 204-run victory over Zimbabwe to reclaim their top spot in Group 2 standings. After being asked to bat first, Indian openers Aaron George and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stitched together a quick-fire 44-run opening stand. George's departure didn't deter Sooryavanshi as he continued with the onslaught to bring up his half-century. Zimbabwe clawed back some initiative, sending the 14-year-old and Vedant Trivedi back in the hut within the space of five overs. Malhotra and Abhigyan Kundu then settled into a fine batting rhythm to steer India clear of any potential danger. The former fired India's first century at the tournament, while Kundu's 61 off 62 deliveries set India on the course for a big score. Khilan A. Patel's 12-ball 30 added to the late fireworks as India finished with 352/8 from their 50 overs. Chasing a daunting total, Zimbabwe lost their openers, Nathaniel Hlabangana, Dhruv Patel, and Brendon Senzere early in the chase. Kian Blignaut and Leeroy Chiwaula attempted to rebuild the Zimbabwean innings, with the latter also bringing up a resilient half-century. But Ayush Mhatre and Udhav Mohan snapped up three wickets each, helping India curtail the Zimbabwe challenge to 148 after a lower-order collapse. The victory means only three teams from Group 2, India, England, and Pakistan, remain in the hunt for the semi-finals spots, with a huge bearing on Sunday's blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan. (IANS)