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A heroin addict in Kashmir spends an average of nearly 90,000 rupees on the drug every month, the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Kashmir (IMHANS) said in its latest survey. In its survey, IMHANS has pointed out that in the previous financial year, over 21,000 follow-up patients and 2,000 new patients had turned up at the Drug E-addiction Center at SMHS, while in ’22, the number of new users has gone past 3000 and follow-up patients beyond 38000. The report added that nearly 75 percent of the patients at the DDC are users of injected heroin, with many diagnosed with Hepatitis B, C, and in some cases HIV. In a startling revelation, it has come to the fore that eight percent population in Jammu Kashmir is addicted to drugs with experts suggesting that the “only percent...

People in Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh will soon have 'new safety messaging' with 'warning sounds' and 'auto-readout alerts' to warn them about emergency situations, an official said. The feature is the consequence of a Cell Broadcast Alert System (CBAS), successfully conducted by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) recently. "The tests have been conducted. These trials have resulted in a unique alert system that differentiates itself from the regular SMS tones... It has a separate tone, not a normal SMS tone. The audio is high," Additional Director General (ADG) Telecom, Jammu Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Surendra told PTI. The high-pitched audio alerts are designed to capture people's attention swiftly, enabling rapid responses to incidents such as earthquakes, flash floods, terroris...

The Supreme Court of India has concluded hearing a bunch of petitions challenging the Article 370 abrogation on Tuesday afternoon. The arguments that began on August 02 on a day-to-day basis were being heard by a five-bench constitutional bench of the Supreme Court led by the Chief Justice of India, DY Chandarchud. During the arguments, several renowned lawyers including Gopal Subramaniam, Dr. Dhawan, Adv. Dave, Advocate Kapil Sibal among others argued that the Government of India's abrogation of Article 370 was unconstitutional, while the government argued that the Article abrogation was must to bring Jammu Kashmir at par with the rest of India. The hearings on Day 15 began on a fiery note when the defendants and petitioners argued over the affidavit filed by petitioner number 1 ...

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the High-Level Committee established to examine the operation of the Jammu Kashmir Service Selection Board (JKSSB) to submit its findings within ten days. After hearing an argument, a panel led by Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi ordered the JKSSB not to move further with the hiring process for the different positions it had advertised. The selection process has been put on hold while the admin considers its findings and suggestions regarding the High-Level Committee's study of the board's operation, the court said. The court stated, "The Review Committee shall submit its report within a period of ten days from the date of passing of this judgment. The Review Committee shall be established pursuant to Government Order No. 487-JK (GAD) of ...

A major scam allegedly involving crores of rupees has surfaced in the Health Department of Jammu Kashmir. Sources told The Kashmiriyat that authorities of the Government Medical Colleges of Doda, Rajouri, Srinagar and G B Pant Hospital in Srinagar have been accused of "swindling" public funds. They said that the officials posted at the aforementioned hospitals had made several purchases without without the availability of funds for the purpose. As per the sources, the hospital officials have been accused of making the purchases from VIGGO Medical Devices India without provision of funds-creation of liability. "The purchases have been brought into effect without the availability of funds," they said. In this regard, The Jammu Kashmir admin, under the order number 683- JK (HME) o...

"Ends cannot justify means," the Chief Justice of India told the Union government on Thursday, as the Centre commenced defending the abrogation of Article 370 on what was the 10th of the hearing of the Article 370 matter. During the hearings, the Solicitor General of India spoke about the history of the formation of states and argued more than 60 states of India had their own constitution while many others had not signed the treaty of merger with India. "The argument that Jammu Kashmir was the only state to do so is untrue," the solicitor general of India argued. Pertinently, the Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta spoke in detail about the history of Jammu Kashmir, which the five bench constitutional bench heard patiently, however, at the end the Judges remarked that they were ...

On Day ten of the hearings of the petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370, the Supreme Court of India is set to hear the defendants (the government lawyers) on Thursday. Earlier at least eighteen petitioners argued to the five-bench constitutional bench of the apex court led by the Chief Justice of India that the abrogation of the Article was unconstitutional. Pertinently on 5 August 2019, the central Government abrogated the Articles 35A and 370, that provided special status of Jammu Kashmir following which the valley was put under months' long curfew. Communication was snapped and thousands including three former chief ministers were arrested. The regional parties including those in Jammu have been since then demanding a restoration of the special status of Jammu Kas...

A five-bench judge of the Supreme Court of India is set to hear the bunch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 for the eight day today. ALSO READ: ‘Who set up your client’: CJI dismisses PIL seeking validity of Article 370 abrogation Starting with senior Advocate Kapil Sibal and at least five others including Kashmiri lawyer Zafar Shah have presented their arguments so far on the behalf of several petitioners claiming that Union government's decision to do away with article 370 was "unconstitutional and illegal." Pertinently, a five judge constitutional bench of the supreme court led by DY Chandrachud, the Chief Justice of India, started hearing around 18 petitions on August 04. Advocate Dave on Thursday argued that Article 370 had ‘achieved its life’ and could th...

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...