REGIONAL

Jammu Kashmir Waqf Board has issued guidelines for schools falling under its jurisdiction in order to take reformative measures under National Education Policy 2020. The Board stated that there shall be no homework for upto class 2nd and no school bags for nursery and UKG. According to a circular, the Waqf Board has issued the instructions for daily, monthly and annual timetable and schedule of activities to be undertaken by the schools. As per the circular daily timetable shall have 6 periods (time slots) of 30 minutes each for teaching subjects. “05 periods for compulsory subjects, like English, Maths, Science, Social Science and Urdu and 6th period to be utilized for teaching of optional subjects, like Computers, Kashmiri, Arabic, Islamiyat, Sufi Saints Literature; on rotational b...

The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has quashed the detention of a Bandipora youth lodged in Agra jail under the Public Safety Act (PSA). The detainee, Ashiq Hussain Teli, son of Ghulam Nabi, a resident of Watrina Bandipora, presently residing at Khoshal Colony Tulibal Sopore, who is a ‘Cook’, is presently lodged at Central Jail Agra in the Indian northern state of Uttar Pradesh. He was arrested by police in Bandipora in January 2022 where he was working as a ‘Cook’ at a local restaurant. Police claimed that he was arrested on charges of stone-pelting. Advocate Bashir Ahmed Tak argued that the detaining authority has not attributed any specific allegation against the detainee. He contended that the detainee was arrested in old cases and on charges of ‘fake’ stone-pelting...

To keep pace with latest state of the art technology coupled with empowering consumers with transparency, KPDCL will register all prospective consumers applying for new connection on prepaid basis. In a statement, issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a spokesperson said with this major step towards better reforms, consumers who are applying for new connections shall be provided smart meters with prepaid functionality for bill payment. The statement reads the consumers applying for new connection have to apply online at on KPDCL website www.kpdcl.jkpdd.net. “The consumer shall deposit the security and first prepaid recharge corresponding to sanctioned load to energize the smart meter. LG has already launched the Smart Bill Sahuliyat APP(PWA), SMART BS on February2...

An Anti-Land Encroachment Policy, which would formally define a Negative Land List and give the administration the ability to evict state land holders from their current land possessions, is likely to be implemented by the LG Manoj Sinha-led administration, reported Ziraat Times. Official quoted by Ziraat Times said that the policy would aim to retrieve about 6 lakh kanals of state land which is still under the use of people of Jammu Kashmir. "The policy has been finalised and is now being forwarded to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for concurrence and approval. Low-income social groups of J&K who have built their small houses on state land, have no other land, or are dependent on a small piece of such land for their livelihood may be exempted from eviction and could be regul...

Amid forecast for isolated very light rain and thunderstorm in the next 24 hours and fairly widespread precipitation thereafter till April 21, night temperature recorded a rise on Saturday, officials said. A meteorological department official here told GNS that Srinagar recorded a low of 9.1°C against 9.0°C on the previous night and it was 1.5°C above normal for the summer capital. Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 6.2°C against 6.0°C on the previous night and it was 0.3°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir. Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of 4.6°C against 3.6°C on the previous night and it was 1.8°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Kokernag recorded a low of 10.6°C against 9.4°C on the previous night and it was 4.5...

At least eighty persons were injured after a footbridge collapsed during Baisakhi celebrations in Udhampur district on Friday afternoon, officials said. They told  that that a steel footbridge collapsed at Beni Sangam in Bain village in Udhampur when a large chunk of locals were over it in connection with Baisakhi festival celebrations in the area. The injured persons have been evacuated from the site to a nearby hospital, where all of them are said to be responding well to the treatment, the official said.

Baisakhi, marking the beginning of the Sikh New Year, was on Friday celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety in the Kashmir valley, with the devotees thronging different gurudwaras to offer prayers. The main function was held at Gurudwara Chati Patshahi in the Rainawari area of the city, which was attended by a huge number of Sikh devotees. The celebrations by the members of the Sikh community were also held in various districts of the valley. The festival of Baisakhi, which is mainly celebrated in the north Indian states of Punjab and Haryana, marks the beginning of the Sikh new year. It is also a commemoration of the formation of the Khalsa Panth of warriors under Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. Cutting across faiths and religious lines, the Army personnel stationed across Kas...

On Friday, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference in a statement said that the prolonged house arrest of its chairman and Mirwaiz of Kashmir Mohammad Umar Farooq since August 2019, even in the holy month of Ramzan despite appeals from all quarters for his release, barring him from his religious obligations as the Mirwaiz is greatly regrettable. It defies the authorities to claim that "all is well now" in "Naya Kashmir," Hurriyat said. Not only that the repeated closure of the historic and central Jama Masjid Srinagar by the authorities also belies these claims, it added. Hurriyat said that not allowing juma tul Vida (last Friday of Ramzan) prayers at the historic Jama masjid, on such an important religious day when lakhs of namazis from all over the valley traditionally pray at the M...

Massive rallies were held in parts of Central Kashmir on ‘Youm-e-Qudas’ in which thousands of people participated and expressed solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine. After Friday congregational prayers, people carried out a massive protest rally in Central Kashmir’s Budgam. It was later joined by thousands of others. Both Shias and Sunnis were seen at the rally. The rally was organized by Anjuman-e-Shari Shian. The biggest rally was held in Magam town of Budgam in which thousands of female protesters participated. Locals told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that this rally was organized by ‘Tanzeem-ul-Makatib’ and ‘Jammu Kashmir Shia Association. Protesters were carrying banners and placards that read, “Palestine needs more hands to help them; to pray for them, ...

Ninety percent of the houseboats need immediate repairing but owners are struggling to get permission even for carrying out repairs. With the result, the houseboat builders are staring at joblessness in the face of High Court guidelines prohibiting any further increase in number of houseboats in Dal and Nigeen lakes. Abdul Khaliq Najar, a well-known craftsman told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that he has made over 50 houseboats but for the last few years, he is facing almost no or little work. He cited non-availability of timber for constructing new houseboats and lack of permission for repairs for dwindling of his livelihood. Najar said his forefathers have been doing the woodwork but it is for the first time he is facing such situation. “There will be no houseboat...