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Jammu Kashmir witnessed a landmark event with its first Braille Qur'an conference, aimed at empowering the region's 75,000 visually impaired individuals. Held at Banihal, this two-day conference was jointly organized by the J-K Handicapped Association, Madrasah Noorul Qur'an from Maharashtra. The event underscored the pressing need for educational upliftment among J-K's visually impaired population, who have had limited access to both religious and secular education. Maulana Fareed from Madrasah Noor-ul-Qur'an highlighted the increase in the visually impaired population from 58,000 in 2011 to 75,000 in 2016, stressing that many remain uneducated and unemployed. Maulana Muzamil, a teacher at the same institution, lamented the lack of initiatives in J&K for Qur'anic education...

Bhat Yasir Several residential houses in the Boniyar tehsil of Baramulla district have developed cracks after two back-to-back earthquakes struck the Kashmir Valley. The earthquakes, with magnitudes of 4.7 and 4.8 on the Richter scale, occurred on Tuesday morning in Jammu and Kashmir, causing widespread panic as residents rushed outside their homes. Both quakes had their epicenters in Baramulla, occurring at depths of 5 and 10 kilometers, respectively. Local residents reported that several houses in the villages of Trikanjan, Ijara, Mahura, Niloosa, Qazipora, Pehlipora, Ahtishampora, Limber B, and Nowshera within Boniyar tehsil have developed cracks. The Tehsildar of Boniyar confirmed these reports, stating that they are currently compiling information on the damaged houses....

In the Dachna area of Salamabad in Uri, located nearly 60 kilometers from the district headquarters of Baramulla in north Kashmir, massive protests have broken out against relentless gypsum mining activities. On Saturday, a large number of men and women from the village took to the streets, blocking the movement of bulldozers that have been mining gypsum under the cover of darkness. The protests began last night, with residents of Dachna and nearby villages continuously demonstrating to demand the closure of gypsum mines in the area. The villagers argue that the ongoing mining operations are severely affecting their health and environment. “There has been an increase in respiratory ailments, largely due to gypsum mining. Our hospitals have seen a rise in such cases,” a local resid...

The Kashmir valley has experienced significant deviations in weather patterns, with a substantial rainfall deficit during the week of 12th July to 18th July 2024. As per Indian Metrological Department, during this period, the Kashmir region experienced an even more severe shortage, receiving 85.85% below-normal rainfall. The district-wise analysis, as accessed by The Kashmiriyat, for the Kashmir region revealed that Anantnag had an 81% below-normal rainfall for the week and 57% below normal for the season. Similarly, Budgam experienced a 93% weekly deficit and a 61% seasonal deficit, Bandipora had a 92% weekly deficit, and Baramulla reported a 56% weekly  deficit. Ganderbal faced a 41% deficit, Kulgam had a 74% seasonal deficit, Kupwara saw a 99% weekly and 53% seasonal deficit, Pulw...

Meer Irfan Amid the heated online debate between factions of Sunni-Shia youth, prominent clerics from the Kashmir valley have asked the public to desist from targeting the practices and beliefs of fellow Muslims. The debate initially flared up online among a few anonymous individuals from both communities. Over time, the hostility spread rapidly, both online and offline. Such heated arguments have been recurring issues due to longstanding historical differences and are very common during Muharram. Significant progress has been made in recent years with efforts by youth from both Shia and Sunni communities, guided by religious clerics, to foster dialogue and understanding. However, this year, comments from a social media influencer have intensified emotions on both sides. A vide...

In the first seven months of this year, fourteen soldiers and a Village Defense Guard have been killed in militant attacks in Jammu Kashmir. Additionally, up to July, at least twenty soldiers and two policemen have been injured in militancy-related incidents. Here are some notable incidents since January where soldiers faced casualties or injuries: January 12: In the Krishna Ghati Sector of Poonch, militants attacked a forces convoy, but all soldiers escaped unhurt. An army soldier was killed while performing an operational task in a forward area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. January 18: An army soldier, Agniveer Ajay Singh, was killed and two others were injured in an IED blast in the Nowshera Sector of Rajouri district. April 24: In an encounter in Ranji Forest...

A fire incident in old Srinagar city on Monday resulted in the devastating destruction of a mosque, 20 shops, and 7 houses. The blaze, which originated at a mosque in Bohri Kadal area, quickly spread from the mosque's top wood floor to nearby residential structures. This marks the second recent fire to affect the mosque; previously, only its top story was damaged, but this time all three stories suffered complete destruction. Locals said that significant financial losses, estimated in crores of rupees, with at least 7 houses and approximately 20 shops completely gutted. One fire department officer sustained injuries and is currently in stable condition after receiving hospital treatment. "Deeply saddened by the fire incident that took place in Bohri Kadal Sri...

A video has gone viral across social media platforms, claiming that Kashmiri Pandits are being prevented from constructing a house in the Verinag area of Anantnag district in south Kashmir. The video, widely shared by users on Instagram and X, asserts that a Kashmiri Pandit had "mustered" the courage to rebuild his house in the area after leaving Kashmir during the 1990 exodus. However, it is alleged that local Muslims resorted to violence and did not allow the construction to proceed. Some users even claimed that this incident is a reaction to the recent election results, in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to secure a majority on its own. https://twitter.com/shallakaul/status/1798734814545424528 "This happened with a Kashmiri Hindu family who dared to go back to ...

The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) has announced a significant increase in the pass percentage for the Class 12 board exams, reaching 74% this year, up from 65% in 2023. Tis marks a notable increase from the 65% pass rate in 2023, reflecting the dedication of students and educators in the region. This year, a total of 93,340 students appeared for the exams across various streams, including Science, Commerce, Arts, and Vocational courses. Examinations were conducted from March 6 to March 28, 2024, for soft zones, and from April 8 to May 11, 2024, for hard zones. Students can now access their results on the official JKBOSE website. Female students have outperformed their male counterparts once again, with a pass percentage of 77%, compared to 72% for boys. This...

Exit polls, many of which are still in the process of being announced , appear to predict a win for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the general election across India. Most polls predict that the NDA will win more than 350 seats. The Lok Sabha elections, which began on April 19, ended earlier on Saturday (June 01). Exit polls are conducted after the ban lifts on such surveys and depend on voters’ accounts. According to numbers put out by NDTV after a ‘poll of polls’ counting, the NDA is likely to win 365 seats, while the INDIA alliance 142, and others 36. Looking at the recent history of the exit polls conducted in India, there have been several notable instances where exit polls have been wildly off the mark, resulting in major surprises when t...