Agriculture in Jammu Kashmir, once the backbone of the region’s economy, now contributes just 20% to its Gross Value Added (GVA), marking a dramatic decline from 28% fifteen years ago. The sharp downturn in the sector has triggered growing concerns about food security, rising inflation, and unchecked land conversion, even as government-backed reports push for diversification to salvage what remains of the agrarian landscape. According to the 2023–24 Economic Survey of J-K, the primary sector—including agriculture, horticulture, forestry, and allied activities—is steadily shrinking due to a combination of extreme weather, poor infrastructure, and rapid repurposing of farmland for industrial and infrastructure projects. The result has been a growing reliance on food imports from outside t...

Police in Rajasthan’s Kota city have registered a case of abetment to suicide after the death of an 18-year-old student from Kashmir, who was preparing for the NEET medical entrance exam. The student, Zeeshan Jahan, was found hanging in her rented accommodation in Mahaveer Nagar on Sunday evening. A resident of Anantnag in south Kashmir, she had returned to Kota last month for self-study and was not enrolled in any coaching institute at the time. Her family, who reached the city on Tuesday, told police that she had been under considerable mental stress and was undergoing treatment for depression. According to investigating officials, Jahan was speaking with her relative Burhan moments before the incident. The relative sensed something was wrong and immediately alerted a stud...

Danishwar Hameed The District Administration Kulgam today initiated a demolition drive at Laroo Crossing to facilitate the widening of National Highway 444 (NH-444). The officials said that the move aims to improve road connectivity and ease traffic congestion along this critical stretch of the highway. According to officials, the affected families were compensated prior to the operation, ensuring a smooth and transparent process. The demolition drive was conducted under the supervision of Naib Tehsildar Kulgam, Nasir Ahmad Mantoo, who oversaw the proceedings to ensure adherence to legal and procedural norms. The district administration reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing developmental projects with fairness and accountability, emphasizing that such initiatives are essenti...