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Degraded quality of education, spiraling unemployment, and increasing health-related concerns are worsening woes in Kashmir valley and have resulted in an increased number of suicides in the region. As of 2020, as per the National Human Rights Commission, suicide has claimed the maximum number of lives in Kashmir after militancy, reported Indian Asian News Service. (IANS) The rate of suicide is said to have increased by 26 times, from 0.5 per 100,000 before insurgency broke out, to 13 per 100,000. A study by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, aka Doctors Without Borders) reveals an alarming 400 per cent increase in the suicide rate. In 2021, 586 people attempted suicide in Kashmir. The figure stood at 20 in Jammu. As per the report, central Kashmir’s Budgam district and north Ka...

Months after the curtailment of ration quota, the Jammu Kashmir admin has called for a re-verification of ration card holders in Kashmir. In an official communication, of which a copy is available with The Kashmiriyat, the Directorate of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs has directed all Assistant Directors to re verify the ration card holders in PHH and AAY schemes within a stipulated period of time. "Time to time, this Directorate  issued clear cut instructions to you vide communications referred to above, directing therein to get the AAY/PHH rationees verified within the stipulated time period, ensuring that all ineligible beneficiaries / ration cards are weeded out and only genuine beneficiaries are receiving the ration under the scheme, being devised for poorest of the p...

The Supreme Court of India is hearing the petitions challenging the abrogation of Articles 35A and 370 for the third day on Tuesday. Challenging the abrogation at the hands of central Government on August 05, 2019, more than twenty petitions have been filed in the Apex court of India. A Five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court led by CJI DY Chandrachud is hearing  the petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution. After having delayed the hearing of petitions for several months, the court in July agreed to hear the case on day to day basis. Senior Advocate and Parliamentarian, Kapil Sibal representing the Jammu Kashmir National Conference, on first two days challenged the August 05 decision arguing that over the years, the Article 370, that g...

Over 13 Lakh people are using drugs in Jammu Kashmir and most of them are above 18 years of age. As per a report of Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment an estimated 13.50 lakh people are drug users in Jammu Kashmir and most of them are in the age group of 18 to 75 years. In its report presented to both the Houses of the Parliament today, the Standing Committee comprising of 27 Members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha has mentioned the estimated number of current drug use among children aged 10-17 years and adults 18-75 years based on the projected population in 2018, reported Daily Excelsior. About 10-17 years age group, the Committee has mentioned that estimated 1,68,700 children are drug users in Jammu Kashmir and they are taking Cannabis, Opioids, Sedatives, Cocain...

On day one of the hearings of the petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A, Advocate Kapil Sibal representing MP north Kashmir, Mohammed Akbar Lone argued that the abrogation was completely illegal. Government of India abrogated the Articles 380 and 35a on August 05, 2019 and the erstwhile state was demoted into a union territory. Kashmir was out under months' long lockdown and an internet ban was put in place. Several petitions were filed in the Supreme court, however, the court recently agreed to hear the petitions on day-to-day basis starting August 02. Kapil Sibal argued that only the constituent assembly of the state of Jammu Kashmir that ceased to exist in 1956 had the power to repeal the article that provided special status to Jammu Kashmir. The five b...

Nearly ten thousand women have gone missing from Jammu Kashmir since 2019, Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra told Rajya Sabha. The Indian Parliament was informed that 9765 women the categories above and below 18 have gone missing from their homes in Jammu Kashmir since 2019. This information was revealed by Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The figures from the report state from 2019 to 2021 are disturbing for Jammu Kashmir. In these three years, there were 1148 cases of missing girls below the age of 18 and 8,617 women aged above 18 women have gone missing. As per reports, there is no trace of these women so far. Figures accessed by The Kashmiriyat show an upward spike in the missing reports of women...

Shabir Ali Following a gap of over three decades, the streets of Srinagar reverberated with 'Ya Hussain' Slogans on the eighth day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Muharram marks the martyrdom anniversary of Imam e Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet who was martyred by the forces of Yazid in Karbala Iraq along with his companions on the 10th day of Muharram on the 61st Hijri year. Eyewitnesses told The Kashmiriyat that though the admin had granted permission from 6 A.M, devotees started reaching Guru Bazar as early as 4 A.M. Police and paramilitary troopers were deployed across all streets in Srinagar. Throughout the way from Guru Bazar to Dalgate where the procession ended, Sunni Muslims had installed stalls for the Shia devotees who recited Nouhas...

The Jammu Kashmir administration has permitted 8th Muharram procession in Srinagar's Dal gate area after a gap of over three decades. According to an order, of which a copy was accessed by The Kashmiriyat, the admin has given conditional permission which includes the procession being taken out from 6 A.M to 8 A.M on the traditional route. "Whereas, an application was received from Yaadgar-i-Hussaini Committee seeking permission for taking out Muharram procession on 8th Muharram-1445 from Guru Bazar to Dalgate via Budshah Kadal and M.A Road, Srinagar," read the order. Whereas, the matter was taken up with the Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar vide this office No. DMS/Jud/Muharram/2023/486 dated: 11-7-2-023 for comments. Whereas Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar v...

Amid frequent wet spells in the ongoing month, Jammu and Kashmir has reported 15 cloudburst incidents in the month of July while the Meteorological department (MeT) is preparing data to see whether the incidents have witnessed an upward trend. According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Jammu and Kashmir has received excess rainfall of 27 per cent since June 01, 2023 to July 19, 2023 as the frequent rainfall has been reported in the Union Territory from last month. Deputy Director MeT, Dr Mukhtar Ahmad told KNO that although the complete data has not been prepared but so far in this month, a total of 15 cloudburst incidents have been reported in July alone. “It will be premature to speak whether such incidents have witnessed an upward trend as the data has not been f...

The Fair Price Shop owners have alleged Tehsil Supply Officer's (TSO) rude behavior and grave mismanagement in Food Circle Pattan in Baramulla district. In this regard, Fair Price Shop Owners, an important factor involved in the food supply system, has written a letter to the Director Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Kashmir, "exposing the malpractices" of Pattan's food supplies sector, a local Newspaper Tameel Irshad reported. In the letter to Director Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Kashmir, Fair Price (FP) Shops Dealers Association, Pattan has lodged a complaint against the concerned TSO Pattan Shabir Ahmed Khan, saying that the said TSO has adopted arbitrary procedures in the area. "He has tarnished the image of the department and undermined the entire adminis...