REGIONAL

The admin of Jammu and Kashmir has frozen the boundaries of Districts, Tehsils, Municipalities, Towns, Revenue Villages, and other Administrative units till the completion of Census 2021. A notification issued by Planning, Development, and Monitoring department in this regard reads, “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (iv) of rule 8 of the Census Rules, 1990 and in supersession of earlier notifications issued on the subject, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir hereby freezes the boundaries of Districts/Tehsils, Municipalities, Towns, Revenue Villages and other Administrative units in the whole Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir w.e.f 01.01.2024 till completion of Census, 2021”.(GNS)

Former Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday courted a major controversy after he said that all Indian Muslims were Hindus first. Addressing a gathering of workers the former Congress leader said, "All Indian Muslims were Hindus first who converted to Islam later." He said, Islam has come to our Hindustan only a few years back but Hinduism is very old. So 10-20 people must have come from outside in the army of Mughals and the rest are converted from Hindus." Pertinently Islam came to Kashmir long before the Mughals did. The first Mughal emperor to invade Kashmir was Akbar and Islam had arrived in the valley at least 300 years earlier at the hands of Abdul Rahman popularly known as Bulbul Shah e Kashmir. He further said, "In Kashmir, all Muslims were converte...

While reacting over the installation of Smart Meters, former Cabinet Minister and three-times legislator from central Kashmir’s Budgam Ruhullah Mehdi Thursday said that this administration believes in ‘coercion and intimidation’ and has been imposed on the people of Valley. Ruhullah Mehdi was reacting after the locals from Haknipora village of Budgam blocked the road and staged a protest against the installation of Smart Meters. “These things (installation of Smart Meters) can’t be imposed. These are peoples’ decisions and their involvement is inevitable. The current administration believes in force,” he said. Ruhullah Mehdi as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust said that the installation of Smart Meters is a welcome step but the economic condition of the people should be impr...

The Jammu Kashmir High Court on Thursday observed that the crimes against women were on the rise and the respect was declining for women. Hearing a rape case, the Division Bench of J-K High Court, comprising Justice Sanjay Dhar and Justice Rajesh Sekhri upheld the life imprisonment of a man accused of raping his granddaughter. Bodh Raj of Jammu had been convicted by a trial court in 2013 for committing rape on his 1-year-old granddaughter in 2011. "Shiver runs down the spine to know that a maternal grandfather has gratified his animated passion and sexual lust by ravishing his one-year-old granddaughter," recorded the Bench. It observed that crimes against women, particularly rape, had been on the increase as of late. "It is unfortunate that respect for women in our country is on ...

Mild earthquake tremors were felt in Rajouri district of Jammu Kashmir on Thursday, According to the National Center for Seismology (NCS): 3:49 am epicenter: mountainous area of Rajouri, according to the NCS. No significant damage was reported anywhere, as per the reports received by The Kashmiriyat. The depth of the earthquake was 10 kilometers below the surface, at a latitude of 33.33 degrees north and a longitude of 74.20 degrees,.

A non-local resident was held with a pistol in Regal chowk Summer capital Srinagar district on Thursday. A senior police officer told the news agency Kashmir Scroll that Lakesh Badia Yogi son of Kishore Badia resident of Sankost West Bengal was held with in Regal Chowk Srinagar. " One person namely Lokesh Kumar of Alipurdauar West bengal a/p Elahibagh Soura caught with pistol on a joint naka at Regal chowk in wee hours. He had stolen this pistol same night from the house of a registered license holder. FIR 31/2023 registered at PS Kothibagh," Police said. He said that further investigation has been taken up the officer said.(KS)

LG Manoj Sinha has said that the contract to hold Jammu Kashmir Service Selection Board exams will be taken from fraud accused Aptech services. In an interview with a digital news house, LG Manoj Sinha said, that Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) would now conduct the the JKSSB examinations and the process expected to commence in September 2023. Pertinently, the JKSSB candidates have been holding protests from months against the exam-conducting agency Aptech that had been hired by the JK admin for filling up vacancies in government departments. In December 2022, exams, including those for filling Sub Inspector and Junior Assistant posts were also cancelled by the High Court amid allegations of paper leak and fraud. "We began discussions with the law enforcement and technical expe...

The Supreme court of India is hearing the petitions challenging Article 370 abrogation for day 7 on Thursday. Today Advocate Dushyant Dave will continue his arguments that he began on Wednesday after senior advocate Dr. Dhavan. Earlier, advocates Kapil Sibal, Zaffar Shah and Gopal Subramaniam challenged the abrogation of the articles that granted special status to Jammu Kashmir. The Central Government has told the court to not consider rolling back the government decision to abrogate Article 370 as it would be against national interest. Smriti Irani, union minister told the Parliament that people of Kashmir will not get back Article 370. Throughout the hearings that begun on August 02, various politicians, lawyers, civil society members have visited the supreme court to partici...

The Jammu Kashmir administration has started preparing for elections to Urban local bodies and village panchayats, whose terms are ending on November 15 this year and January 9, 2024, respectively, Indian Express reported. The Chief Electoral Officer on July 28 had issued notification for revision of electoral rolls for all the municipalities including both the Municipal Corporations at Jammu and in Srinagar. The last municipal elections were last held in Jammu Kashmir in September 2018. The region has a total of two municipal corporations, 19 municipal councils and 57 municipal committees. A total of 75 lakh voters have been registered after summary revision of electoral rolls, as per the report. Sources in the Election Commission said that they are prepared to conduct the ...

Former J-K chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said “idea of India" was on trial while referring to the hearing the petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370. Speaking to the press reporters in New Delhi where the former Chief Minister has reached to hear the ongoing said she was very happy that Supreme Court will be hearing this (petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370). “It is not just a legal issue for me, it is an emotional issue for the people of Jammu Kashmir. We are extremely thankful to the lawyers who have given voice to the voiceless people of Jammu Kashmir," Mehbooba Mufti said. She said that the arguments going on in the SC have “exposed” the ruling party BJP that has “misused their majority in the Parliament to subvert the Indian Cons...