Sopore, Jan 20: The soldier, who was injured in the encounter between terrorists and security forces in Gujjarpati area of Zaloora in Sopore, succumbed to his injuries, officials said. The encounter broke out in the area late last evening.
An official said that the operation was halted last night due to darkness. "With the first light of the day, fresh firing resumed. In the ensuing encounter a soldier was injured and was evacuated to a hospital," he said.
He said that the injured jawan succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
On Sunday joint teams of Army, CRPF and police cordoned off the Gujjarpati area during which a hideout was busted. "During the searches, the security forces' team was fired upon, leading to an encounter," the official said. (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.
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.
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.
Srinagar, March 6: Around 17 candidates from Jammu and Kashmir have qualified the Civil Services Examination (CSE)-2025, the result for which was declared by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Friday. The commission recommended a total of 958 candidates for appointment to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and various central services. Anuj Agnihotri, an MBBS graduate, has topped the civil services examination 2025, while Rajeshwari Suve M and Akansh Dhull have got the second and third ranks respectively. According to the official list released by the UPSC the 17 candidates from J&K who have figured in the final merit list include Suvan Sharma (Rank 148), Sugandha Gupta (207), Towseef Ganie (Rank 254), Ritika (Rank 456), Sooyash Shivam (Rank 572), Muneeb Parrah (Rank 581), Ghulam Din (Rank 683), Dwarka Gaadhi (Rank 721), Akash (Rank 747), Koh E Safa (Rank 763), Yasaar (Rank 811), Abhishek (Rank 820), Pankaj (Rank 856), Mohammad Ajaz (Rank 869), Azhar (Rank 886), Sarfraz (Rank 936), and Irfan (Rank 957). The results were declared after conducting the written examination in August 2025 followed by the personality tests (interviews) conducted between December 2025 and February 2026. As per the result notification issue by the UPSC, a total of 958 candidates have been recommended for appointment against 1087 vacancies reported by the government for the examination cycle. These include 180 vacancies in the IAS, 55 in the IFS, 150 in the IPS, 507 in Central Services Group A and 195 in Group B services. Of the total recommended candidates, 317 are from the general category, 104 from the economically weaker sections, 306 from other backward classes, 158 from scheduled castes and 73 from scheduled tribes. A consolidated reserve list of 258 candidates has also been published in accordance with the rules. The claims of recommended candidates regarding reservation categories will be subject to verification by the concerned authorities. The UPSC has stated that the candidature of 348 recommended candidates has been kept provisional, while the result of the two candidates has been kept withheld. The CSE is conducted annually in three stages- preliminary, Mains and interview by the UPSC to select officers of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others. The civil services (preliminary) examination 2025 was conducted on May 25 of 2025. A total of 937876 candidates applied for this examination, out of which 5,76,793 actually appeared in the test. A total of 14,161 candidates qualified for appearance in the written (Main) examination which was held in August, 2025. Of these, 2736 candidates had qualified for the personality test (interview) of the examination. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the candidates who qualified the UPSC exam. "Congratulations to all those who have successfully cleared the Civil Services Examination, 2025. Their dedication, perseverance and hard work have led to this significant milestone. Wishing them the very best as they embark on a journey of serving the nation and fulfilling the aspirations of the people," PM Modi wrote on his official X handle. "To those who may not have secured the desired outcome in the Civil Services Examination, I understand that such moments can be difficult. However, this is only one step in a larger journey. Many opportunities lie ahead, both in future examinations and in the many avenues through which you can contribute to our nation. My best wishes for the road ahead," his post on X reads. UPSC chairman Ajay Kumar announced the declaration of the result and congratulated the candidates who qualified the exam. "Congrats to all successful candidates as you begin a career of service to the nation. For those who did not make it-the learning from this journey will guide you in the paths ahead," UPSC Chairman wrote in a post on X. Among the 17 candidates from J&K who qualified UPSC exam inlcude a visually impaired candidate Irfan Ahmad Lone, a resident of Manzpora in the Naidkhai area of Bandipora.
Srinagar, Oct 21: An executive delegation of the Private Schools Association Jammu & Kashmir (PSAJK), District Anantnag Chapter, Wednesday met Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) Naseer Ahmad Wani. The delegation was led by Vice President South Kashmir Dr. Zulfiqar Ahmad who was accompanied by President PSAJK Dr. Baba Nazrul Islam. During the meeting, the delegation apprised DSEK of the key bottlenecks faced by private schools and emphasized the need for holistic academic development, streamlined administrative procedures, digitalisation, and capacity-building initiatives to strengthen the educational ecosystem of J&K. The delegation highlighted the need for PARAKH dashboard training and systematic upskilling of private school teachers in accordance with educational zone-wise requirements. It urged the Directorate to facilitate teacher training through DIETs, Resource Centres (RCs), and Cluster Resource Centres (CRCs), enabling private school teachers to benefit from the same capacity-building opportunities available to their government-sector counterparts. The initiative, the delegation stressed, would contribute significantly towards improving foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes in line with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The delegation also raised concerns over the repetitive collection and submission of data and documents by private schools, despite the availability of institutional information on the U-DISE portal. It advocated greater reliance on existing digital databases and the elimination of redundant paperwork. The delegation proposed that, wherever necessary, data verification and collection should be undertaken at the zonal level at intervals of six months, ensuring that administrative requirements do not disrupt academic schedules or classroom activities. DSEK Naseer Ahmad Wani appreciated the concerns and constructive suggestions put forward by the PSAJK delegation and assured that appropriate steps would be considered to do away with outdated, unproductive, and cumbersome administrative practices. He encouraged school leaders to remain passionate and committed to the welfare of students and the parent community, reiterating that both government and private institutions share the common responsibility of imparting quality education to the younger generation. The delegation expressed its gratitude to the DSEK and the Government of Jammu & Kashmir for recognising the private education sector as an important knowledge partner in the educational ecosystem. It appreciated the DSEK's to engage with stakeholders and acknowledge the contribution of private schools towards expanding educational opportunities and strengthening academic outcomes across the Union Territory. The delegation further reiterated that effective coordination between government and private schools, supported by systematic teacher training, digital governance, and reduced administrative duplication, would help realise the goals of NEP 2020 and improve Jammu & Kashmir's overall educational performance, particularly in foundational literacy and numeracy. The PSAJK delegation commended the efforts of the Education Department and the UT Government in advancing educational opportunities and working towards fulfilling the aspirations of millions of students, parents, and other stakeholders. The Director appreciated the proactive engagement and keen interest demonstrated by the PSAJK Anantnag executive body and assured the delegation of continued support and cooperation in addressing genuine concerns and advancing the shared mission of quality education for the younger generation of Jammu & Kashmir. The delegation also included District President Ishfaq Ahmad, District General Secretary Suhail Ahmad, Hilal Ahmed Bhat ( Zonal President Dooru), Shahista Muzaffar (Zonal President Anantnag), Saima( Executive Member) Libni Latoo( Executive Body Member cum spokespersonAnantnag), Fayaz Ahmed ( Zonal President Shangus) Farooq Ahmed ( Executive Body Meber) Mohammad Shafi ( Advisor PSAJK Anantnag).
Ganderbal, Oct 15: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the government was preparing a project to strengthen tourism infrastructure in Sonamarg and introduce adventure and winter sports activities to attract visitors throughout the year. During his visit to Ganderbal, the Chief Minister said the opening of the Z-Morh tunnel had changed Sonamarg's tourism prospects by making the destination accessible during winter, creating opportunities for year-round tourism. “Earlier, Sonamarg would remain closed during winters and people could not reach there. There was little scope for developing winter tourism infrastructure. Now that the tunnel has been built and Sonamarg is accessible throughout the year, we are preparing a project for its development,” he said. CM Omar said the government was looking at introducing rafting during summer and skiing and skating during winter to make Sonamarg a major destination for adventure tourism. He said efforts would be made in coordination with local MLA Mehar Ali to develop new tourist attractions and improve facilities for visitors. Referring to the proposed development of Tragbal and Mohanmarg as tourist destinations, the Chief Minister said the projects had earlier received approval and funds had also been released. However, he said the projects could not move forward because of delays in obtaining necessary clearances and were subsequently cancelled. “Sometimes we face difficulties in getting forest, environmental and wildlife clearances. But we will follow the required procedures and work towards developing new tourist destinations,” he said. The Chief Minister also spoke about development works in Ganderbal, saying projects worth nearly Rs 60 crore had been inaugurated or taken up, including a major bridge across the Jhelum costing around Rs 40 crore. He said work on the bridge was progressing and the government was targeting completion by December next year. Omar said road projects, a new school building and infrastructure at the fruit and vegetable market had also been taken up. He said traders at the fruit market had raised demands for expansion and construction of a grade separator, which would be discussed with the National Highways Authority of India. On concerns over deaths in the power canal in Ganderbal, Omar said the government would approach the Power Development Corporation to seek funds for fencing along the canal. He also acknowledged traffic congestion and other infrastructure problems in the district, saying development needs and environmental protection would have to be balanced. The Chief Minister said the government remained committed to addressing public concerns and carrying forward development projects across Ganderbal. (KNS)
Srinagar, Oct 12: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Akshay Labroo, on Monday conducted an on-site inspection of the construction work of District Circuit House, Srinagar at Bemina. He also inspected the progress of ongoing works on the Additional Accommodation Block of the Zila Sainik Welfare Bhawan at Batamaloo. During the visit, the DC was accompanied by Additional Deputy Commissioner Mir Imtiyaz Ul Aziz, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Aadil Fareed, Chief Planning Officer Fayaz Ahmad Dar, IAS Probationer Sai Kiran, Superintending Engineer R&B North Shabir Ahmad, Superintending Engineer R&B South Tatheer Manzoor, SDM West Seerat Baji, SDM East Zubair Ahmad ACR Umar Gulzar, Executive Engineer R&B, Fareed Khan, Executive Engineer R&B, Abdul Qayoom, Executive Engineer, KPDCl 3rd, Abrar Hussain, Executive Engineer, Water Works, Aijaz Rafiq, Tehsildar South, Sajad Rasool, Tehsildar North, Syed Shahid and other concerned Officers. At the construction site of the District Circuit House at Bemina, the Deputy Commissioner took stock of the progress of ongoing works and reviewed various components of the project, aimed at augmenting cost effective accommodation & reasonable facilitation amenities in the District. On the occasion, the DC underscored the significance of the facility in strengthening cost effective accommodation and facilitation infrastructure in Srinagar and improving the availability of suitable accommodation for public, official and other designated purposes. The DC directed the concerned executing agency to expedite the pace of work while ensuring strict adherence to prescribed quality standards and stipulated timelines, stressing that all components of the project must be completed in a time-bound manner without compromising on quality. Later, the Deputy Commissioner also reviewed the progress on the construction of the Additional Accommodation Block at Zila Sainik Welfare Bhawan, Batamaloo aimed to enhance the accommodation capacity of the facility and strengthen the delivery of welfare services to eligible beneficiaries, particularly the wards of ex-servicemen and martyrs who visit or temporarily reside in Srinagar for educational purposes. During an interaction with Officers and Officials of Zila Sainik Welfare Bhawan, the DC was informed that more than 40 percent of the civil works had been completed, with the ground floor completed and work underway on the first floor. The DC stressed the need for expeditious execution of the remaining works, directing the concerned Officers to ensure timely completion of the project so that the facility can be made functional at the earliest. He emphasized that the timely completion of the Accommodation Block would enhance facilities for beneficiaries and contribute to the more effective delivery of welfare services to the wards of ex-servicemen
