Health & Fitness

Britain planted woodland on farmland; 25 years later, it still differed from ancient woods

The Sangarmal Project

Kashmiri businessmen are out to scale new heights and contribute towards Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of making Bharat Viksit by 2047. A consortium backed by a top-notch businessman of the Valley, Mushtaq Chaya recently won Sangarmal land auction for Rs 421.75 crore. One of the biggest bids won by a group backed by a local entrepreneur in the present times. The winning of Sangarmal bid was much more than a real-estate transaction. It represented a significant vote of confidence in Srinagars economic future. The property, located in one of the citys most prominent commercial areas, lies close to Polo View, Lal Chowk, the Kashmir Golf Course and Dal Lake. Its strategic location gives it enormous potential to become a major commercial, hospitality and entertainment destination. The project is something big for Kashmir as the consortium plans to build a hotel, shops, banquets, restaurants and exclusive retail spaces there. An international mall in Kashmir. The proposed project is expected to involve an overall investment of around Rs 1000 crore, including the Rs 421.75-crore bid and approximately Rs 650 crore in construction and development. Its expected to generate 10,000 jobs and would have the parking space for nearly 5000 vehicles, largest in the City Centre. Such an ambitious project would have a tremendous effect on the local economy. Large investments create opportunities far beyond the construction site. They generate employment for architects, engineers, contractors, skilled workers, transporters, suppliers, retailers, hospitality professionals and service providers. Once operational, a major integrated commercial destination can support thousands of direct and indirect livelihoods. This is precisely the kind of economic activity that Kashmir needs. Such a process is closely aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. A developed India cannot be built by a few metropolitan centres alone. Every region, state and Union Territory must contribute to the national economic transformation. Jammu and Kashmir, with its tourism potential, human capital, handicrafts, horticulture, agriculture, renewable-energy possibilities and strategic location, has an important role to play. Kashmirs entrepreneurs can become important partners in that journey. The real measure of the new economic era, however, will not simply be the size of investments announced. It will be the number of jobs created, businesses established, young people empowered and families whose incomes rise as a consequence of economic expansion. The larger message is clear: Kashmir is entering an era in which its people are increasingly becoming stakeholders in its economic transformation. The new Kashmir is not only about roads, bridges, railways and public infrastructure. It is also about entrepreneurs taking risks, young people launching businesses, investors creating employment and local companies partnering with national players to build projects of scale. This is the Kashmir that can contribute meaningfully to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047a Kashmir that is peaceful, prosperous, entrepreneurial and confident about its future. The Sangarmal investment is not just Rs 421.75-crore bid, but it represents: the growing belief that Kashmirs greatest economic opportunities can be created in Kashmir itself, by people willing to invest in its future. For years, there was a perception that Kashmir offered limited opportunities for large-scale private enterprise. That perception is changing. The Valley is gradually seeing businesses expand into hospitality, tourism, real estate, technology, handicrafts, food processing, retail, transport, education and other sectors. Young entrepreneurs are increasingly looking beyond traditional occupations and exploring modern business models. This transformation is important because economic development cannot be sustained by government expenditure alone. Public investment creates infrastructure and an enabling environment, but private entrepreneurship creates enterprises, jobs, innovation and wealth. The participation of local entrepreneurs gives development a particularly important dimension because profits, skills and opportunities can circulate within the local economy. Sangarmal can therefore become a symbol of this new economic confidence. The project also comes at a time when Srinagarscommercial landscape is changing rapidly. The city is becoming increasingly connected to the rest of the country through major infrastructure projects, improved road connectivity and the expansion of tourism facilities. The operationalisation of major connectivity projects, including the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link, has strengthened the perception of Kashmir as an increasingly accessible destination for tourists, investors and businesses. The growth of tourism provides another major opportunity. Kashmirs natural beauty has always attracted visitors, but the modern tourism economy requires much more than traditional sightseeing. Tourists increasingly seek quality hotels, restaurants, shopping, entertainment, wellness, adventure activities and sophisticated leisure experiences. A project combining hospitality, retail and entertainment can therefore complement Kashmirs tourism potential. Sheikh Khalid Jehangir is Director of the International Centre for Peace Studies (ICPS), former Vice Chairman of JKPCC, and the BJPs 2019 Lok Sabha candidate from Srinagar. He is a regular columnist for Greater Kashmir, has worked with national and international news organizations, and has authored books on Kashmir

Monsoons Festivals

In Indian culture, both Spring and Winter are celebrated with great enthusiasm and gaiety; Spring almost all over the country and Winter in the warmer regions south of the Himalayas. However, there is another season, the advent of which is a harbinger of happiness and hope ... and that is the rainy season, or the Monsoon as it is also known. It brings happiness because it cools down the troublesome summer heat, and hope because water, especially cool water, on dry earth is always a symbol of hope. And yet, the effect of rains is felt quite differently in the hills and plains. In the hills even a light shower brings down the temperature considerably, adding a chill to the already cool air. In the plains it is an early sign of the onset of Monsoon - which is celebrated with the greatest fervour in the extremely hot and dry northern belt. After the baking temperatures of May and June followed by the itchy humidity of July, vibrant August brings the much-awaited, life-giving rains. In hot, dry, landlocked northern India, the Monsoon - coming after the terrible, relentless Summer heat - is even more welcome than Spring. It is not difficult to imagine the joy of people at the first showers the wonderful hydrating effect of the rain water on parched earth; the filling up of rivers, ponds and wells long dry; the flowering of bushes and shrubs; the sprouting of fresh new leaves; the joyful singing of birds, who have a difficult time looking for drinking water in the hot summer. And above all, the cool, refreshing breezes instead of the devastating loo winds that create desert-like conditions. The Monsoons give Nature a head-to-toe bath, as layers of dust are washed away and every tree gets a clean new look with glistening leaves. Old and young alike, long suffering under the merciless Sun, come out of their homes to meet and greet their neighbours and celebrate the rains together. The biggest Monsoon festival of North India - Teej is celebrated across Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The villages of the plains of North India present a picture of health and cheer during Teej, with everyone dressed in bright clothes and brighter smiles! Teej becomes the perfect opportunity to socialise, as the pleasant weather breathes new life into the people. The lush greenery, fresh air and cool weather inspire the village folk to gather together in courtyards and community spaces, singing folk songs to welcome the rains. Groups of village children can be seen taking rain-baths, diving into ponds with gleeful shouts and splashing in out of puddles with abandon. The menfolk express their joy by dancing the energetic bhangra to the peppy beats of the dhol, in their colourful turbans and folk dresses. The festival becomes an occasion for women to travel to their parental homes (peka in Punjabi), reunite with family and childhood friends, and spend time with their parents and siblings. The first Teej of newly-wedded young women becomes even more special as they receive a gift hamper of new clothes and bangles from their maika or peehar (parental home). Both, married women and unmarried young girls put on their best and brightest clothes saree, salwar-kameez or lehenga. Pinks, blues and yellows mix with greens and reds, the traditional Teej colours. Women and girls come out in droves, shining in their attractive attires, chattering and laughing, the palms of their hands adorned with deep red mehndi designs. On the occasion of Teej, rope swings (peeng / jhoola) are hung from strong branches of sturdy trees like mango and peepal, where women and girls take turns swinging in singles or in pairs. What a lovely scene it is: ladies adorned in finery, swinging away merrily under large shady trees, their veils (chunni / odhni) fluttering in the breeze, bangles tinkling rhythmically with the to-and-fro motion ! The days come alive with womenfolk performing lively Giddha dances while reciting traditional boliyan (couplets on village life). Bangle-sellers displaying bright, colourful glass bangles walk through villages with their portable stalls, singing Vangaan chadhaalo kudiyonmerebaba de darbaar diyaan (O girls, put on these blessed bangles). Rajasthani women in their multi-coloured striped leheriya attires and traditional jewellery can be heard singing Aayo Aayo Teej Tyohar (Teej festival has arrived !) and Aayi Sawaniye Ri Teej (The Monsoon has come !). Could any Indian festival be complete without a fair ?! Local Teej fairs (Teeyan da Mela) feature artisans offering intricate henna applications, folk music competitions, and traditional village games. And then, can there be any celebration without sweets ? Families lovingly prepare and share traditional sweets Ghevar (delicately-flavoured sweet shaped like a large disc), Gujia (deep-fried pastry filled with khoya and coconut) and Malpua (small syrup-soaked pancakes sprinkled with dry fruits). To balance the sweet flavour, there is the savoury kachaudi (a thick poori with a spicy potato filling). Not only in the plains and foothills, the Monsoons are also celebrated in mountainous Himachal Pradesh, most notably through traditional harvest and cultural fairs. The most prominent of these is the week-long Minjar Fair in Chamba, which celebrates the ripening of maize crops. Local communities mark the season with folk songs, village rituals, traditional music, and colourful processions, with people dressed in attractive folk dresses. Regional delicacies are prepared and enjoyed daily during the season. Coming after the scorching heat of the torrid summer, the rains soak and soften the cracked earth turning it soft, moist and receptive. In this way, the Monsoon plays a vital role in preparing the hard, dry farmland for the Kharif crop. Rice and maize, sown just before the Monsoon, are heavily dependent on the rains as these crops need plenty of water, especially in areas where artificial irrigation is unreliable or simply unavailable. Thus, to small farmers, the Monsoon comes like Gods gift. Perhaps it would not be wrong to say that in Indian culture, vibrant Monsoon festivals are the most awaited, as these are not just religious or cultural events; but a celebration of the rejuvenating aspect of Nature and Natures gift of life in the form of rainwater. T he author is a free-lance writer, editor and translator.

The Poverty of Economic Thought in Kashmir

Kashmir has produced generations of professionals: doctors who now run hospitals across the country, engineers who have built exceptional architecture, civil servants who occupy some of the most consequential offices in the administration. What it has not produced, in any meaningful number, is economists. This is not a complaint about missing celebrities. It is a statement about the absence of a discipline, an entire way of thinking about scarcity, policy and human behaviour, from the intellectual life of a region that has spent three decades arguing, almost entirely without data, about its own economic condition. The scale of the gap becomes clearer against the regions own institutional record. The University of Kashmirs own doctoral award lists show that in some recent years, the entire university, across every subject combined, produced very few PhDs in economics annually. This number is dwarfed by subjects such as history or sociology. This says how little institutional weight economics has carried here, even within its own flagship university. A place that debates unemployment, horticulture distress, tourism collapse and fiscal dependence almost daily has trained almost no one to study any of it with rigour. Among the handful of names that do exist, one sits well above the rest. Dr Haseeb Drabu is, without any competition, the closest thing this region has produced to a public economist in the full sense of the term. He is a man who has treated economics as a way of reading the world rather than a credential to be filed away. His career moved through banking, journalism, and eventually the finance ministry of the erstwhile state, and at each stage he argued with the fluency of someone who thinks about fiscal architecture as naturally as others think about politics. As Finance Minister, and earlier as Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, he brought an economists vocabulary, built on data and structural reasoning, into rooms long governed by administrative habit. But Dr Drabu did not emerge from a tradition of Kashmiri economic scholarship. He became the tradition itself, and a discipline that depends on one mans trajectory to justify its existence has not yet become a discipline at all. It would be convenient to place the entire blame on the state, and there is genuine substance to that charge. Decades of shutdowns, curfews and communication blackouts have made the sustained, uninterrupted work that research careers require extraordinarily difficult to sustain here. No government since 1947 has established a functioning regional economic research institution in Jammu and Kashmir, nor built a reliable body of local economic data around which scholars could build careers. There has been little institutional appetite, at any level of government, for independent economic critique of its own policy. These are real failures of governance and deserve to be named without softening. But governance failure explains only part of the picture, and stopping there lets the rest of us off too easily. Our educational institutions have taught economics largely as definitions to be reproduced in an examination hall rather as a discipline of genuine inquiry. Kashmir University has economics departments, but failed to create the ecosystem that places like the Delhi School of Economics built decades ago; connecting students to grants and internships, a pipeline that produces people who think about the economy for a living. A student finishing post-graduation in economics from Kashmir today has few such avenues left. The honest advice for such a student is to leave, and hope the region eventually calls them back, as it did to Dr. Drabu. Families here have made their own choices too, and those choices deserve honest scrutiny. For at least two generations, a capable Kashmiri students path has run through medicine, engineering, or the civil services, professions that offered visible respectability and security in a place where instability has been constant. Economics, pursued as a serious vocation rather than a fallback subject, simply did not register as a legitimate ambition in most households. Parents were not being unreasonable; they were responding rationally to genuine insecurity. But the accumulated effect of thousands of such decisions was a generation of capable minds who might have shaped this regions economy, and instead administered or treated an economy they were never trained to understand. Society reinforced the same hierarchy. The doctor one visits and the officer whose signature one needs earn visible, immediate respect. The economists contribution is often unwelcome and rarely rewarded with the same standing, in a society preoccupied with more urgent concerns. That is understandable after decades of hardship, but not a costless response. A society that fails to train people to think seriously about its own economy ends up outsourcing that thinking. So the question this region owes an honest answer to itself is : three decades into our economic crisis that has worsened the economic landscape of our state almost beyond recovery and yet our state has miserably failed to raise a single institution capable of imparting training to its people in the field of economics. This unreasonable silence has exposed the vulnerabilities of our system, which alludes to the fact that the government appears to be complicit in the collapse of our economic structure. So in a run up to build an economic citadel, this state demands an institutional infrastructure of international repute which will likely pave way for our economic revival. Malik Daniyal is an economics honours (research) graduate from Delhi University.

The Battle of Optics and Substance

Diplomacy has a body language of its own, which is seen through two distinct lenses: instant optics that capture the mood of the day, and an enduring aspect debated in the days and weeks that follow. The latter is more profound because it offers a deeper understanding of the strategic alignment behind the clasping of hands or walking in lockstep during high-stakes global events watched closely by the world through multiple prisms. This paradox represents the new dynamic of the emerging world order. Of all the places in the country, Kashmir was watching this more closely than other states and Union Territories, where the focus was primarily on trade, export, and import. Jammu and Kashmir, apart from this focus, was particularly attuned to the course of India-China talks and the direction they would take. Kashmir views these relations in several contextsincluding border defense. Although Ladakh has been geographically and politically separated from it, the psychological and geopolitical impact remains. Many Kashmiri students are studying in China. People were equally focused on how Iran made its presence felt at the summit and the kind of reception it received. Iran stood out, of course, because of the ongoing conflicts in which it is engaged with America, Israel, and the Gulf states. Jhelum continues to define Kashmirs understanding of the world view. The BRICS summit in their own country was closer to their heart and it kept on watching from its tributaries Lidder in Pahalgam to the point it falls into Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir in Uri. Third, people wondered whether the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, 2025, would figure in the declaration and in what form. They have suffered a lot and want the international community to realize and recognize their pain, and to hold the perpetrators of the Pahalgam and all other terror attacks accountable. They have made their position clear and want the global community to see and believe them as people standing firmly against terrorism and its backers. The 18th BRICS summit concluded on Sunday with powerful world leadersincluding the Chinese and Russian presidents, and more remarkably, the magnetic presence of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. It sent multiple messages to the West, particularly the US, showing that BRICS possesses the diplomatic prowess and appeal once wielded exclusively by the world superpower. Diplomacy is the art of guarding and driving national interests without succumbing to hubris. An as usual lengthy BRICS declaration gains meaning only when viewed through the bilateral and multilateral talks that world leaders held both before and behind the cameras. They suggested they were keen to foster a new world order and say goodbye to the disruptions that tampered with peace and security. Who can understand this better than the people of Jammu and Kashmir, whose territory was referenced in the declaration adopted unanimously at the summit? The declaration, read against the backdrop of summit events, has been interpreted in many ways. However, I believe there are four big takeaways. First, apart from what think tanks and diplomats have analyzed or will analyze in the days to come. One thing is clear: although the Western world watched the event very closely, its capitals and media deliberately chose not to acknowledge it as an important event of the Global South. This should spur the grouping and its member countries not to judge the success or failure of such events through a Western prism. It also calls for world-class, credible media organizations in member countries. Unfortunately, these nations have not been able to create that kind of influence and in-depth analysis. Through media and think tanks. The think tanks are weighed down by their self-drawn red lines. Second, it is paramount to understand how Indias futuristic visionagainst the backdrop of all that has been achieved in recent yearsfits into the overall growth and progress of the grouping. Prime Minister NarendraModis clarion call to the leaders was; Let us transform BRICS ambition into action and our collective strength into global solutions. This mantra is universal and represents the best way forward for a world seeking to emerge from the conflicts disrupting its geography and psychology. Third, let us be honest in acknowledging that the most star-studded meeting was between the Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister NarendraModi. It had to be, given the status of the two countries and their leaders. They are not only the most populous nations, but also two Asian giants capable of reshaping the new world order. This leads to the premise that both countries must settle their differences to give real meaning to mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest. PM Modis three mutuals mantra can form the basis for preventing differences from escalating into disputes. President Xis messaging was equally loud, clear, and reflective of the two countries roles as peace-builders in the service of humanity. He noted the growing bilateral cooperation and trade hitting new highs, while admitting: This situation has not come easily and needs to be cherished. We should draw on each others strengths, support each other, help each other succeed, and develop together. He also outlined tasks for Beijing and New Delhi, stating: In the face of the changing and turbulent international landscape, the worlds two most populous countries and important members of the Global South shoulder important responsibilities. Both sides should keep in mind the future of humanity and the well-being of the people, and work together to promote the high-quality development of greater BRICS cooperation, so as to contribute more positive energy to promoting world peace, stability, development, and prosperity. All of this will be possible only when the boundary disputes between the two countries are resolved in a spirit of mutual sensitivity, as PM Modi emphasized: Peace and tranquility in the border areas remain an essential basis for the continued development of bilateral relations. He made it incumbent upon both sides to observe existing agreements and understandings on border-related issues. The MEA statement noted: The two leaders expressed commitment to a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question, proceeding from the political perspective of their overall bilateral relations and the long-term interests of the two peoples. Finally, Kashmiri leaders met with Iranian leaders, including the President and Foreign Minister. These optics offered a clear hint of what they likely discussed: a shared commitment to peace and opposition to aggression in all its forms and manifestations.

When the Mountains Speak

There was a time when a cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir was spoken about as an extraordinary event,something sudden, localized and difficult to predict, but ultimately rare. Today, that description is becoming increasingly uncomfortable. The frequency with which we are witnessing flash floods, landslides, washed-away bridges and overflowing streams across the region should make us pause. Official figures indicate that J&K witnessed over 35 cloudburst incidents during the summer of 2026 alone. It resulted in tragic loss of life alongside severe damage to roads, homes and agricultural land. While historical data gaps make it difficult to label every event unprecedented, we cannot dismiss what we are witnessing as simply another bad weather season. Something is changing. For those of us who have spent decades studying Kashmirs ecology, water bodies and climate vulnerability, the warning signs are impossible to ignore. HAZARD MEETS VULNERABILITY The first mistake we can make is to view a cloudburst merely as a rainfall problem. A cloudburst is a meteorological event, but a disaster is born when atmospheric extremes collide with human decisions on the landscape. The same volume of rain produces vastly different outcomes depending on forest cover, stream room, slope stability and whether construction has been allowed in natural drainage paths. Hazard becomes disaster when exposure meets it. We cannot control where a storm cell forms.But we can decide where and how we build, how we manage watersheds, protect wetland and warn our people. That is where governance enters the climate conversation. Kashmirs cryosphere is altering rapidly. Snow patterns are erratic, glaciers are retreating. Warming atmosphere holds more moisture, thereby releasing it in intense and localized bursts. Combined with the complex interplay between the Indian summer monsoon and Western Disturbances, atmospheric dynamics are altering the background conditions under which extreme weather occurs. But land-use change remains the real multiplier. Development that ignores ecological carrying capacity is deferred disaster. When vegetation is stripped from fragile slopes and roads are cut without proper drainage, we convert mountain corridors into pathways for erosion. LESSONS FROM THE HIMALAYA Our high-altitude lakes and glacial systems are vital hydrological buffers. Under changing climate dynamics, they also present potential risks downstream. The catastrophic event of August 26, 2026, near the Nepal-Tibet border offered a sobering lesson for the entire Himalayan region. An estimated 1.2 million cubic meters of ice and rock collapsed into a glacial lake, releasing a peak surge roughly five times the normal peak monsoon flow. The resulting torrent swept 32 kilometers downstream in under 45 minutes, destroying 14 bridges and devastating settlements. While satellite sensors detected the initial collapse within 8 minutes, administrative transmission delays meant downstream warnings arrived 38 minutes later leaving a local survival window of less than 7 minutes. Where local communities acted immediately on informal upstream alerts, lives were saved. And where the system relied on top-down processing, tragedy followed. The lesson for Jammu and Kashmir is clear. An early warning system that ends on a departmental dashboard without last-mile community action is an incomplete safeguard. A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR KASHMIRS RESILIENCE To prevent future extreme weather events from turning into human catastrophes, Jammu and Kashmir must shift from post-disaster relief to proactive resilience across four core pillars: Integrated Governance: Establish a dedicated J&K Water & Climate Resilience Authority to break institutional silos, unifying climate science, disaster management, land-use planning and infrastructure design under a single regulatory umbrella. Surveillance & Early Warning: Deploy a Mountain Hazard Early Warning Network that integrates real-time sensors for glacial lake levels, rainfall and seismic activity with direct-to-community emergency alerts to achieve a 5-minute last-mile warning window. Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: Institute mandatory climate and geomorphological audits, ensuring that all future mountain highways, bridges and culverts are engineered to withstand flash surge discharges exceeding historical thresholds (designed for flows >2,000) Community & Ecosystem Defense: Invest in nature-based solutions to protect wetlands, alpine meadows and natural river corridors, while systematically building and training a corps of Community Resilience Volunteers across high-risk mountain districts. TEN IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES FOR ACTION Establish a Scientific Event Inventory: Systematically map and document every cloudburst and flash flood using spatial and hydrological data. Map Hazard Corridors: Delineate floodplains, debris-flow pathways and landslide-prone slopes, enforcing strict building restrictions within these zones. Monitor High-Altitude Lakes: Pair satellite surveillance with ground verification to continuously track expanding glacial lakes and unstable moraines. Strengthen Last-Mile Warnings: Ensure emergency alerts reach remote villages, schools, shepherds and tourist sites instantaneously in simple language. Mandate Climate Risk Screening: Subject all public works, mountain highways and tourism infrastructure projects to multi-decade climate vulnerability audits. Protect Natural Infrastructure: Formally classify forests, alpine meadows, wetlands and floodplains as essential protective defense assets. Institutionalize Local Preparedness: Train and equip village-level disaster response volunteers across all vulnerable mountain districts. Enforce Carrying Capacities: Set strict limits on vehicle traffic, construction, and waste generation in ecologically fragile high-altitude tourist zones. Build a Spatial Risk Database: Centralize environmental, geological and climate data into a dynamic spatial map accessible to local planners. Shift from Relief to Resilience: Reallocate public funds from repetitive post-disaster rebuilding toward proactive catchment restoration and slope stabilization. WE STILL HAVE A CHOICE We cannot prevent every cloudburst or stop every landslide, but we can control our exposure. The true cost of a disaster is never just the bill for repairing a road.But it is measured in lost lives, ruined crops, displaced families and compounding economic inequality. Relief asks how quickly we can respond after the damage is done. Resilience asks how intelligently we can build before the storm arrives. Kashmirs mountains have always spoken through their rivers, forests, glaciers, and lakes. The cloudbursts of 2026 are their clearest warning yet. The only remaining question is whether our governance systems are finally prepared to listen. Mutaharra A W Deva, Certified Independent Director from Indian institute of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Corporate affairs Government of India.

Chile validated as first South American country to eliminate dog-transmitted rabies

Chile has become the first South American country to eliminate dog-transmitted rabies to humans, according to the World Health Organization

Britains wasps are unusually scarce this summer, leaving researchers struggling to find them

Centre proposes easier norms for faster drug rollout

India's government plans to streamline drug approval processes for domestic use. Applicants can now start studies after intimating the drug regulator. Import license processing timelines for new drugs will be halved to forty-five days. This move aims to improve the ease of doing business in the sector. However, certain high-risk drug categories will retain existing stringent requirements.

In 2016, a Montana researcher found a rock; scans later revealed a dinosaur's finest feather

BRICS Summit a success, we forged consensus in midst of a polarised world: Jaishankar

New Delhi, Sep 14: The BRICS Summit took place in the backdrop of a very polarised world and we forged a consensus in the midst of it, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday, as he described the mega event hosted under India's chairship a success. Interacting with mediapersons here, he also spoke about what was definitely the toughest issue of the day, the West Asia conflict, saying, We were able to get out a statement to which everybody agreed. The BRICS members adopted a joint New Delhi Declaration on Saturday after overcoming sharp divisions between the UAE and Iran regarding the West Asia conflict while notably omitting direct mention of the US for its attacks on Iran. The negotiations on the text of the declaration went down to the wire as both Iran and the UAE hardened their positions initially. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the adoption of the declaration at the end of the opening day's deliberations in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other top leaders of the bloc. The BRICS Summit was taking place in a very polarised world there were two major conflicts, big divides and very strong opinions and interests. Even in the midst of this polarisation, we actually forged a consensus. If you look at it, the toughest issue of the day was the West Asia conflict. But we were able to get out a statement to which everybody agreed, Jaishankar said. A statement urging peace, security, stability, long-term understanding, smooth flow of global trade, of supply chains, of energy, and protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, he added. Jaishankar said it wasn't just that we were able to negotiate an understanding in a polarised world, the entire atmosphere and ethos, and the mood of the summit which ended Sunday was such that there were very open and comfortable conversations. Leaders met, who perhaps in other circumstances may not have met. So they met in the course of this summit. And it actually ended up contributing a lot to the global conversation on important issues, Jaishankar said, without naming any country. Several bilateral meetings were held on the sidelines of the summit hosted at the Bharat Mandapam complex. Strategic affairs experts said the bilateral meeting between the Abu Dhabi crown prince and the Iranian president was also significant, pointing to the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Jaishankar said the whole nation and indeed the world saw the success of the BRICS India Summit yesterday. As many as 32 delegations had come for the summit 11 from BRICS member states, 10 partners, four regional bodies and seven international organisations, he added. Noting that it signified the strong convening power of Modi's India, as most of the delegations were represented at the head of state or the head of government level, Jaishankar cited the names of presidents of Russia, China, Iran, South Africa, Indonesia, Egypt, as well as the Abu Dhabi crown prince and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali of Ethiopia. And all of them, as you also would have seen from the footage and coverage of the event, had very strong personal rapport with Prime Minister Modi, he said. The summit had its own agenda, which was focused on the economy, development and technology for the Global South, he underlined. Standing up for the Global South that was a very strong message which came out. And the two themes, the two sessions... The first session was on reform, the second was on resilience. And these were uniting themes, themes where countries tended to come together... That was part of the reason why we saw the consensus, Jaishankar said. He also acknowledged the grouping's stand on terrorism and the leaders condemning the Pahalgam terror attack. I also want to say that the consensus was very noteworthy on one issue terrorism. The BRICS was very clear that any act of terrorism is criminal, and it explicitly recognised the unacceptability of the Pahalgam attack of April 2025. They condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and emphasised the zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism, and rejected double standards in countering it. Overall, I would say the prime ministers message of dialogue, diplomacy and development resonated around the world, Jaishankar said. In conclusion, he said, Many people said it (the summit) won't happen. It did happen. It happened in New Delhi, and it happened under Prime Minister Modi's leadership.

Army commander visits Akhnoor sector in Jammu, reviews operational readiness

Jammu, Sep 14: The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, on Monday visited forward areas in the Akhnoor sector here to assess the existing security dynamics and review the operational readiness of the units, the Army said. The Army Commander commended the troops for their relentless resolve and formidable spirit in safeguarding the Nation, the Northern Command said in a post on X. Lt Gen Sharma encouraged all ranks to pursue excellence in operational capability, remain vigilant, responsive and combat-ready at all times, it said.

Salal Dam spillway gates to open from September 15 for silt flushing

Ramban, Sep 14: The Salal Power Station authorities have issued an advisory to the general public of Reasi district and villages located upstream and downstream of the Salal Dam, warning of a likely rise and fluctuation in the water level of the Chenab River due to the opening of the dams spillway gates for reservoir silt flushing. According to a public notice issued by the Office of the General Manager (Incharge), Salal Power Station, Jyotipuram, the spillway gates of Salal Dam will be opened from September 15, 2026, at 6 pm for silt flushing. The authorities said the discharge in the Chenab River is expected to remain high during the process, which may result in fluctuations in water levels both upstream and downstream of the dam. People living in villages upstream of the dam, including Dharan, Thanpal, Arnas, Sai, Lanjian, Narloo, Gari and Salmot, and downstream areas including Gujjar Kothi, Siyad Baba, Bidda, Kachhi Khera, Talwara, Nambla, Vijaypur, Bara Dari, Patta, Kashi Patta, Jedhi, Panasa, Babber, Chumndian, Dera Baba Banda Bahadur and Seri, have been advised to remain alert. The Salal Power Station has specifically advised the public not to enter or go near the Chenab River, and said that movement of people, vehicles and cattle or other animals into the river could be dangerous during the silt-flushing operation. The authorities have urged residents to exercise extreme caution and keep away from the riverbanks to avoid any untoward incident. The notice cautioned that anyone violating the advisory or entering the river area during the period would do so at their own risk and responsibility, and that the Salal Power Station management would not be responsible for any consequences. The advisory has also been circulated to the Deputy Commissioner Reasi, police authorities, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, CISF, Tehsildars, Fisheries Department, District Information Office and concerned police stations for necessary action and wider public awareness.

Cement moves by rail from Kathua to Anantnag in first for Jammu division

Jammu, Sep 14: In a first for Jammu railways division, cement has been loaded and transported from one station to another, marking a significant milestone in internal freight traffic in Jammu and Kashmir. The first consignment was dispatched on Monday from Shaheed Captain Sunil Kumar Choudhary Kathua railway station to Anantnag goods shed following sustained efforts by the business development unit (BDU) of Jammu division, officials said. Around 66 tonnes of cement, comprising approximately 1,320 bags, were loaded in one BCN wagon. The consignment was booked by Ganpati Cement in Kathua. Railway officials said this is the first instance of a new traffic like cement being moved internally within Jammu Division. Earlier, cement consignments meant for the Kashmir Valley were transported by road. The new origin-destination pair is expected to provide an economical, safe and faster mode of transporting construction material to the Kashmir Valley, besides boosting freight revenue of the Railways and promoting environment-friendly transportation. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Uchit Singhal said the development marked a new milestone in rail freight transportation in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, cement was received only as inward traffic at major rail complexes like Shaheed Captain Tushar Mahajan Station, Kathua and Anantnag. As a result of the continuous efforts and robust logistics of Jammu Division, for the first time, outward loading of cement has been successfully started from here, he said. Singhal said the development reflected growing confidence among the industrial fraternity of Jammu and Kashmir in the railway network and would give fresh impetus to economic activity in the region. He said the Jammu division would make efforts to connect more traders and organisations with the Railways so that it becomes a more economical, reliable and eco-friendly transportation option for the trading community.

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DRI busts Pakistan-origin imports, seizes over 362 MT dry dates in Nashik

New Delhi, Sep 14: In a significant crackdown on attempts to circumvent Indias prohibition on imports from Pakistan, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), has seized more than 362 metric tonnes of Pakistan-origin dry dates. Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers intercepted 13 containers of dry dates imported by a Mumbai-based firm at CFS Ambad, Nashik. The consignments had arrived from Jebel Ali, UAE, with import documents declaring the UAE as the country of origin. Preliminary investigation revealed a carefully orchestrated transshipment arrangement designed to conceal the Pakistan-origin of the goods. The dry dates were initially shipped from Karachi Port, Pakistan, to Jebel Ali Port, UAE, in one set of containers aboard one vessel. At Jebel Ali, the goods were merely transshipped and transferred to another set of containers and loaded onto a different vessel for onward shipment to India through entities operated by Pakistani nationals. Following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Government of India, in the interest of national security, imposed a complete prohibition on the direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, with effect from 2 May 2025, vide DGFT Notification No. 06/2025-26 dated 2 May 2025. In response, DRI, under Operation Deep Manifest, has been consistently identifying, intercepting and seizing Pakistan-origin goods attempted to be imported into India through third-country routing. The seizure underscores DRIs sustained resolve to identify, disrupt and dismantle sophisticated networks seeking to circumvent trade prohibitions through misdeclaration, transshipment and manipulation of documentation, thereby safeguarding national security and straightening supply chain integrity.

NHM employees extend strike for another 72 hours across J&K

Jammu, Sep 14: The Jammu and Kashmir National Health Mission Employees Association (JKNHMEA) has extended its ongoing peaceful protest/strike for another 72 hours across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, beginning September 15. In a formal communication addressed to the Mission Director, National Health Mission, J&K, the Association said the decision had been taken due to the continued pendency of its long-standing demands and the absence of a concrete, time-bound resolution from the authorities. The Association said the extended protest would remain completely peaceful, democratic and constitutional, with participating employees directed to maintain discipline and uphold public order. The employees also reiterated their willingness to engage in dialogue with the government and expressed hope that meaningful and time-bound measures would be initiated to address their genuine grievances. The communication, issued by the Joint Coordination Committee of the J&K National Health Mission Employees Association, said the extension would remain effective for 72 hours from September 15. The Association has also forwarded the communication to senior authorities, including the Union Ministers for Health and Family Welfare and Labour and Employment, the Lieutenant Governor of J&K, the Chief Minister, and the Ministers for Health and Medical Education and Labour and Employment in the Union Territory. The continued agitation is expected to further affect health services, particularly in rural and remote areas of Jammu and Kashmir, where NHM employees form an important part of the healthcare workforce.

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Sunil Sharma listens to public issues in Ramban under public outreach programme

Ramban, Sep 14: Leader of Opposition in the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma accompanied by BJP District President Neelam Langeh, and other senior leaders, met several delegations from Ramban as part of the BJPs ongoing mass public outreach programme across Jammu & Kashmir. During the interactions, Sharma held detailed discussions with representatives from different sections of society and patiently heard their grievances, concerns and demands. He assured the delegations that their issues would be taken up with the concerned authorities and directed that necessary steps be taken to ensure their resolution at the earliest. Sharma said that the concerns raised by the people of Ramban would be strongly highlighted by the BJP during the ongoing Assembly Session. He reiterated that the BJP remains committed to raising the voice of the common people and ensuring that their legitimate concerns receive due attention. The people of Ramban have raised several important issues concerning their day-to-day lives and development. We will strongly raise these matters in the Assembly and continue to pursue them with the concerned authorities until they are addressed, Sharma said. He further said that the BJP would continue to stand firmly with the people of Jammu & Kashmir and oppose policies and decisions that are against their interests. BJP will remain the strong voice of the people of J&K. We will continue to expose the anti-people policies and misgovernance of the NC Government and will fight for the rights, development and welfare of every section of society, Sharma asserted. Sharma assured the delegations that the BJP would remain accessible to the people and would continue its public outreach efforts to understand their problems and take them up at the appropriate forums.

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Gold slides Rs 500 as oil surge, strong US dollar weigh on bullion

New Delhi, Sep 14: Gold began the week on the back foot, falling Rs 500 to Rs 1,55,400 per 10 gram in the national capital on Monday as a sell-off in global markets gathered pace amid a sharp rise in crude oil prices and the US dollar. The yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity had closed at Rs 1,55,900 per 10 gram on Friday. However, silver bucked the trend and held steady at Rs 2,34,600 per kilogram (inclusive of all taxes), according to local traders. Globally, spot gold declined USD 57.22, or 1.3 per cent, to USD 4,291.71 per ounce and silver tumbled nearly 3 per cent to USD 62.82. Gold slipped back to around USD 4,300 per ounce and silver eased to USD 64, marking their third consecutive weekly loss as investors priced in a probable Fed rate hike, Akshat Siddhant, Lead Quant Analyst at investment platform Mudrex, said. Higher oil prices have added to inflation worries, putting further pressure on demand for gold and silver, he said. Crude oil surged to USD 103 a barrel, a fresh four-month high, after Saudi Arabia shut its East-West pipeline following drone attacks, reversing the losses recorded on Friday, Siddhant added. Meanwhile, the oil spike is also complicating the interest-rate outlook, with the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) forecasting three 25-basis-point Federal Reserve rate increases by March 2027. ANZ expects geopolitical developments in West Asia and elevated energy costs to add to inflation, but said persistent geopolitical uncertainty could simultaneously strengthen gold's safe-haven appeal. The bank retained its 12-month gold price target of USD 5,400 an ounce, pointing to recovering gold-backed ETF holdings and speculative positions, institutional demand in China and rising investor participation in India, as factors supporting investment demand for the metal.

ACB arrests two govt officers for accepting bribe against disbursement of loan

Srinagar, Sep 14: Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (JKACB) on Monday trapped and arrested two field officers of J&K Women Development Corporation for demanding and accepting bribe against release/disbursement of a sanctioned loan amount of Rs 3 lakh under the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) scheme. The spokesperson said that Anti-Corruption Bureau received a written complaint alleging that Owais Ahamd Khan, a Field Supervisor of the Jammu & Kashmir Womens Development Corporation (JKWDC) had demanded illegal gratification from the complainant for facilitating the release/disbursement of a sanctioned loan amount of Rs. 3.00 lakh under the WEP (Women Entrepreneurship Platform) Scheme. As the complainant was unwilling to pay the bribe, thus approached the ACB and lodged a written complaint. Upon receipt of the complaint, the allegations were verified and the verification prima facie established the demand of illegal gratification. Accordingly, Case FIR No. 15/2026 under Section 7, Section 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 & Section 61(2) BNS, was registered at Police Station ACB Srinagar, and investigation was taken up. The spokesperson said that a trap team was constituted to lay a trap. During the trap proceedings, the accused public servant, namely Owais Ahmad Khan, Field Supervisor, JKWDC, was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting illegal gratification from the complainant in lieu of facilitating the release/disbursement of the sanctioned loan amount of Rs. 3.00 lakh. During the course of the trap proceedings, another public servant, namely Meiraj- ud-din Sheikh, Field Supervisor, was also arrested on spot for his alleged involvement in the commission of the offence. The exact role and involvement of the said accused is being ascertained during investigation, spokesperson said. He added the tainted bribe money was recovered from the possession of the accused in the presence of independent witnesses. Both accused persons were subjected to medico-legal formalities and have been lodged in Police Station Shaheed Gunj, Srinagar, for safe custody. Further investigation in the case is in progress, spokesperson added.

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LoP Sunil Sharma visits Ramban; extends support to protesting NHM employees, daily wagers

Banihal, Sep 14: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Leader of Opposition (LOP) in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma, visited Ramban district on Monday and extended his support to striking National Health Mission (NHM) employees and dailywage workers, assuring them that their long-pending grievances would be raised in the Legislative Assembly. The visit came as the indefinite strike by NHM employees entered its sixth consecutive day in the district, severely affecting healthcare services at various hospitals, primary health centres and community health units where NHM doctors, nurses and paramedical staff are deployed. The ongoing agitation has disrupted routine healthcare services, including outpatient care and other essential medical activities, particularly in rural and remote areas dependent on NHM personnel. Addressing the media during his visit, Sharma said the BJP had undertaken a political outreach programme to highlight the grievances of common people and workers, irrespective of their political affiliations, religious beliefs or caste. Common people face immense difficulties in bringing their genuine grievances to the notice of the authorities. The Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to stand as their voice, he said. Sharma assured the protesting NHM employees that the party would strongly pursue their demands, including regularisation of services, job security and revision of wages, and take up the issues on the floor of the Legislative Assembly. He also stated that matters falling under the purview of the Central Government would be pursued with the concerned authorities. The striking NHM employees have been seeking regularisation, pay parity with permanent health staff, job security and the timely release of pending stipends and other dues. The BJP leader also criticised the administration for allegedly failing to address the concerns of daily wagers and contractual employees, accusing it of overlooking the difficulties faced by workers who have been awaiting resolution of their demands for a long time.

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DGP Nalin Prabhat reviews ongoing anti-terror operations in J-Ks Poonch

Poonch, Sep 14: Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat, accompanied by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu Zone Tejinder Singh, reviewed the ongoing security and counter-terrorism operations in Poonch district, with particular focus on the threat posed by Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists. According to a post shared by District Police Poonch on X, the senior police officers took stock of the ongoing operations being conducted in the district and reviewed the security situation in areas considered vulnerable to terrorist movement. The top police officials were briefed about the latest developments, operational preparedness and coordination among different security agencies on ground. The visit assumes significance in view of recent attempts of infiltration and movement of Pakistan-based LeT terrorists in the Pir Panjal region.

Kahmiri Pandits mark Balidan Diwas in Jammu; reiterate 'genocide' recognition, homeland demands

Jammu, Sep 14: Displaced Kashmiri Pandits on Monday observed 36th 'Balidan Diwas' here, paying homage to members of the community and security personnel who lost their lives to violence and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The community reiterated its demand for legal recognition of the violence against and displacement of Kashmiri Pandits as genocide and called for the establishment of a separate homeland in the Valley under direct Union protection. The programme was organised by Panun Kashmir, a representative body of migrant Kashmiri Hindus, with participants wearing black armbands as a mark of remembrance. A Veer Jyoti, dedicated to the memory of community members and security personnel who laid down their lives, was lit and later taken to the sacred Bhadrakali Temple at Thalwal, on the outskirts of Jammu, where it was installed as the Amar Jyoti. We have been observing this day since 1990 to honour the martyrs and reaffirm our commitment to continue the struggle till the achievement of our goal, which is enactment of a genocide bill and separate homeland as enshrined in the Margdarshan Resolution adopted by the community following mass migration from the valley in early 1990, Panun Kashmir chairman Tito Ganju told PTI. He said the community was not only paying homage to those who lost their lives to terrorism after 1990, but also remembering those who, it believes, suffered during what it describes as seven waves of persecution in Kashmir over the past 700 years. For the past 36 years, there has been a gross violation of our fundamental rights... Our struggle is also about safeguarding the constitutional rights, particularly the rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 19 and 21, Ganju said. He reiterated Panun Kashmir's demand for reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir and a separate homeland for displaced Kashmiri Hindus, saying legislative and executive control in the proposed homeland should remain with pro-India elements. Without a separate homeland, we believe there is no other way forward, he said. He also called for the enactment of the genocide bill, proposed by the organisation in 2020, stating that the absence of statutory recognition has reduced the issue to a matter of narrative interpretation rather than acknowledgement of a crime of the highest legal order. The failure to name genocide has resulted in a lack of accountability and guarantees against recurrence, he claimed. He said the Constitution places the responsibility on the State to ensure that victims are given priority, which has still ot been achieved to this day. Ganju also raised concerns over the security of Kashmiri Pandit employees working in the Valley under the prime minister's employment package. He said the recent threats against employees demonstrated that security concerns remained despite an overall improvement in the situation. Our children who are there are effectively hostages. Imagine the kind of trauma they must be going through, he said, adding that the government measures aimed at rehabilitation would not succeed unless the security environment changed fundamentally. These experiments will not succeed unless there is a separate homeland, and no one can offer a better solution than the victims themselves, he said. Calling for continued resistance, he said, Struggle is the only option we have. If we had not struggled, this chapter would have been closed long back. Chairman of the Jammu State People's Movement, Col (Retd) Ajay Raina linked the Kashmiri Pandits' demand for a separate homeland with the Jammu region's demand for statehood. We want the two demands to come together -- the demand of the Kashmiri Pandits (for separate homeland) and our demand for a separate state of Jammu, because neither side can truly move forward without the other, he said. He said a strong Jammu would also be important for the security of Kashmiri Pandits returning to the Valley. Panun Kashmir convenor Agnishekhar said September 14 had a particular significance for the community, linking the observance to the killing of Kashmiri Pandit leader Tika Lal Taploo in the Valley on September 13, 1989. He said the day was meant not only to remember the martyrs but also to reflect on the circumstances that led to their killings and displacement of the community. We remember why they were killed, who killed them, what the purpose was and what the intent behind it was. Our struggle is rooted in confronting that intent, he said. He said the community wanted conditions in which Kashmiri Hindus and Sikhs who identify with India and Indian civilisation could return to the Valley and live with security and dignity.

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Opposition parties plan to corner govt in 10-day J&K autumn assembly session from Sep 21

Srinagar, Sep 14: The 10-day autumn Session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, beginning here on September 21, is expected to be stormy as opposition parties plan to corner the Omar Abdullah government over issues like job outsourcing, rising unemployment, and the ruling party's failure to fulfil electoral promises. The BJP, the main opposition party in the J-K Legislative Assembly, said the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-led National Conference government has failed on all fronts. We will raise the issues about the public in the Assembly. There is an outsourcing scam, corruption is continuing unabated, and the Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies' polls are being delayed unnecessarily, BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur told PTI. Thakur said his party MLAs will remind the government of its unfulfilled promises made during the 2024 assembly elections. People were promised 200 units of free electricity. Development works have come to a standstill after the elections, Thakur said. PDP MLA from Pulwama Waheed Para said his party will focus on unemployment, outsourcing, the lopsided reservation policy, and regularising daily wagers in government service. The Session's duration is short, and we will try to raise the maximum number of public issues, especially the electoral promises made by the National Conference on both the governance and political fronts, Para said. National Conference spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said his party will present its progress report to the people. The issues of the people are of paramount importance to us. The government is doing its best to fulfil its electoral promises. We do not claim that we have done everything, but we certainly are on the way to fulfil them, Dar said. He said he expects the opposition party to play a responsible role in the Legislative Assembly and not create a sensation. Parliamentary democracy envisages that the opposition asks questions about public issues and the government is answerable. We will do our part with sincerity, he said. According to the provisional calendar issued by Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Abdul Rahim Rather, the Session will begin with obituary references on September 21, followed by government business the next day. The House will discuss private members' bills on September 24, followed by private members' resolutions the next day. On September 28, the House will again discuss private members' bills, followed by government business on September 29 and 30.

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High Court issues notice to J&K govt in PIL seeking appointment of Advocate General

Srinagar, Sep 14: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Monday issued a notice to the government on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the immediate appointment of a regular Advocate General for the Union Territory. A bench comprising Chief Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Justice Rajnesh Oswal issued the notice to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir through its Chief Secretary and law secretary by October 21, the next date of hearing. The PIL, filed by advocate Harsh Dubey through counsel Kannu Karan Prasher, in Jammu, seeks a direction to the competent authority to take immediate steps for filling the constitutional post of Advocate General, which has remained vacant for a considerable period. During the virtual hearing, the Court observed that the post of Advocate General should, ideally, be filled by the next date of hearing. The petitioner, a practicing advocate before the High Court, stated in the plea that he has no personal interest in the matter and is approaching the Court in public interest, given that the continued vacancy of the constitutional office has affected the administration of justice and the discharge of statutory functions attached to the post. The petition draws attention to an earlier order dated June 4, 2025, passed by the High Court in Shri Nav Durga Jhaleri Mata Trust v. UT of J&K & Ors (WP(C) No. 1433/2025), in which the Court had already taken note of the prolonged vacancy and observed that it was rendering Section 92 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 which contemplates a role for the Advocate General in matters relating to public charitable and religious trusts practically inoperative. The petitioner also highlighted that the vacancy has affected the functioning of the Jammu & Kashmir Advocates' Welfare Fund Trustee Committee, since the Advocate General serves as its ex-officio Chairperson under the Advocates' Welfare Fund Act, 2001 and the notification constituting the Committee (S.O. 466 of 2022). The petition seeks directions to the respondents to initiate and complete, within a reasonable time frame fixed by the Court, the process contemplated under Section 79 of the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, for appointment of an Advocate General. It also seeks directions for the smooth functioning of the Advocates' Welfare Fund Trustee Committee, and for the respondents to place on record an affidavit disclosing the reasons for the continued vacancy and the steps taken so far. The petitioner has clarified that the plea does not seek the appointment of any particular individual to the post, and is confined to seeking expeditious action in accordance with law.

If situation in J&K has improved, its benefits should reach people: Tanvir Sadiq

Srinagar, Sep 14: Senior National Conference leader and MLA Tanvir Sadiq on Monday said the BRICS summit was an important development, but argued that any improvement in the situation in Jammu and Kashmir must translate into tangible benefits for its people. Sadiq was responding to questions about the BRICS summit and recent statements by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, including his remarks on the situation following the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A in 2019. If we are only talking about the BRICS summit, then it is a good thing that economies from different parts of the world have come together, and that it happened in India, Sadiq said. However, he said the summit should not be used in isolation to assess the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. But if you are relating it to how the situation has been in Jammu and Kashmir, then if the situation has improved, I would like to raise that point again: its dividend should reach the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he said. Sadiq said those who had contributed to the improvement in the situation should be the beneficiaries of its gains. The benefits that come from this dividend should go to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the people who have participated wholeheartedly, he said. He also argued that the administration should respond to public demands if the situation in the region was indeed normal. If the situation has become better and people today come out on the roads and make their demands, then those demands should be fulfilled, Sadiq said. The NC leader also questioned whether the concerns and expectations of Jammu and Kashmirs elected government were being adequately addressed by the Centre. Where the BRICS summit is important, the BJP and the government in Delhi also need to see whether the representation and the sentiments of their elected government in Jammu and Kashmir are being fulfilled, he said. Sadiq said the Centre had yet to deliver on commitments made to Jammu and Kashmir, despite two years having passed since the current elected government took office. Because it has been two years now, and what was promised to us by this very government in Delhi has still not been fulfilled, he said. I feel that while other things are important, this is also very important, Sadiq added.

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Imran Reza Ansari urges accountability over Brari Nambal landfilling

Srinagar, Sep 14: Former minister and senior political leader Imran Reza Ansari has urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to take strict action over alleged landfilling at Brari Nambal, saying partial demolition of the structures would not be enough to address the damage caused to the waterbody. In a statement, Ansari said the action at Brari Nambal risked becoming an eye wash if it ended with partial demolition alone. Referring to a report by Greater Kashmir, he said landfilling had allegedly continued for nearly 15 days. The bigger question is: who brought the material, who carried out the filling, and how was it allowed to continue? he asked. Ansari called for identification of those responsible, removal of the entire filling and restoration of the waterbody at the encroachers cost. He also demanded a proper investigation into the alleged violation and said that wherever offences were established, FIRs and prosecution should follow. Partially demolishing what was built after allowing the damage to happen is not enough. We need accountability for the original act as well as for any failure of monitoring, he said. Ansari stressed the need to protect Kashmirs remaining lakes, wetlands and other waterbodies for future generations. We need to keep something for our generation. Our children deserve to inherit clean lakes, wetlands and water bodies, not filled-up land and concrete, he said, adding that the remaining natural water systems must be protected from further destruction. He further said that protecting waterbodies and enforcing existing laws did not require statehood, but required political will, administrative seriousness and responsible citizenship. Quoting the Quran, Ansari said, And We made from water every living thing. (Quran 21:30) Water is a trust and a source of life. Protecting it is not merely an environmental responsibility; it is a moral responsibility, he said. Ansari urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take cognisance of the matter.

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Chowdhary Ramzan flags J&K development gaps, invites parliamentary panel for on-ground assessment

Chandigarh, Sep 14: Member of Parliament Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan on Monday highlighted development gaps and infrastructure challenges facing Jammu and Kashmir during a meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Standing Committee in Chandigarh and invited its members and senior Central government officials to visit the Union Territory for an on-ground assessment. During the meeting, which reviewed the overall development scenario of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, Ramzan raised issues relating to connectivity, public infrastructure, essential services and the need for greater investment and institutional support for Jammu and Kashmir. He stressed the need for a focused assessment of the challenges facing the Union Territory and stronger infrastructure to address its development requirements. Ramzan also invited the committee members and senior officials of the Government of India to visit Srinagar and Jammu to assess the functioning of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) system, particularly foodgrain storage and distribution arrangements. The invitation was accepted by the committee members and concerned officials, who expressed their willingness to visit Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest. The date and programme of the proposed visit will be finalised separately. Senior officials, including secretaries, CMDs, directors and other officers from the Government of India, Punjab, Haryana and the Chandigarh administration, attended the meeting, which took stock of infrastructure, public services and other key areas of development.

Will take up NHM employees issue with CM, health minister: G.A. Mir

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JKMSA seeks revision of stipends, remuneration for PG, senior resident doctors

Srinagar, Sep 14: The Jammu and Kashmir Medical Students Association (JKMSA) has sought a comprehensive revision of stipends for postgraduate (PG) residents and remuneration for senior resident doctors in government medical institutions across Jammu and Kashmir. In a representation addressed to the Health Minister, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, the association urged the government to review the existing remuneration structure, citing disparities with other major government and apex medical institutions. The association also extended its support to the demands raised by the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of Jammu and other resident doctors' associations across the Union Territory. JKMSA said postgraduate and senior resident doctors form an indispensable part of the healthcare system, providing round-the-clock patient care, emergency and casualty services, intensive care, operation theatre duties, labour room services and specialist consultations. It said resident doctors also undertake clinical documentation, teaching, supervision and other responsibilities alongside their medical training. The association said the existing remuneration structure needed a comprehensive review in the interest of resident doctors' welfare, equitable compensation, recruitment and retention of qualified doctors, quality of postgraduate medical education and uninterrupted patient care. Seeks parity with other medical institutions In its representation, JKMSA cited remuneration benchmarks from several medical institutions, including the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), AIIMS Jammu, Government Medical College Chandigarh and Government Medical College Jammu. According to the figures cited by the association, PG residents at SKIMS receive approximately Rs 80,000 per month in the first year, Rs 85,000 in the second year and Rs 88,00090,000 in the third year. The representation puts senior resident remuneration at SKIMS at approximately Rs 1.30 lakh per month, while the corresponding figure for AIIMS Jammu is stated to be around Rs 1.40 lakh. It also cites senior resident remuneration of approximately Rs 1.40 lakh to Rs 1.50 lakh per month at Government Medical College Chandigarh. For Government Medical College Jammu, the association listed the current monthly stipends as Rs 64,000 for first-year PG residents, Rs 68,000 for second-year residents and Rs 72,000 for third-year residents. Senior residents, it said, receive Rs 94,000 per month. The association said these figures highlighted the remuneration differences faced by resident doctors in the region and reinforced the need for a rational and time-bound review. It added that the figures could be verified against applicable official orders and pay structures during the government's review. Cites NMC regulations JKMSA also referred to the Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, notified by the National Medical Commission (NMC), stating that postgraduate students are entitled to stipends on a par with those paid to postgraduate students of state or Central government medical institutions in the state or Union Territory where the institution is located. The association urged the government to assess the prevailing stipends across Government Medical Colleges Jammu and Srinagar, SKIMS, AIIMS Jammu and other applicable government medical institutions, and rectify any disparities in accordance with the relevant NMC requirements. The representation further highlighted the clinical responsibilities shouldered by PG residents and senior residents, including emergency duties, inpatient care, intensive care, operative procedures and other essential medical services. JKMSA said a fair and uniform remuneration structure would help improve resident doctors' welfare while strengthening the healthcare delivery system across Jammu and Kashmir.

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Nutrition is crucial for the growth and development of children, particularly undernourished kids. A recent study found that nutritional supplements help replenish nutrients lost in children.

Yemen's Houthi rebels seize more key islands in southern Red Sea, tighten grip on shipping routes

Cairo, Sep 14: Yemen's Houthi rebels captured more strategic islands in the southern Red Sea, Yemeni government and Houthi officials said on Monday, strengthening their control of a major maritime shipping route. The rebels deployed fighters on the islands of Greater Hanish and Lesser Hanish 160 kilometres north of Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to two government officials and a Houthi official. The Houthis took over the islands after hundreds of government-allied forces withdrew from the archipelago, said the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to journalists. The capture of the islands came after the rebels last week seized the port city of Mokha and the island of Mayun, located inside Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. (AP)

Mexico brought bison back after 160 years; they are now restoring desert grasslands

Scientists built a sponge pulling water from dry air; yields 1.72L per kg/day

Bigg Boss 20: Salman Khan praises Kashmiri contestant Qazi Tauqeer

Srinagar, Sep 14: Salman Khan showered full praise on Kashmiri contestant Qazi Tauqeer, during the latest episode of Bigg Boss 20, saying, Theres only one rockstar amongst you all. Qazi Touqeer, the entire week you played quite well. Although, this season, Big Boss 20, receives mixed reaction- mostly criticism- ove an underwhelming cast, however Fame Gurukul 2005 winner, Qazi Touqeer has emerged as one of the shows most talked-about contestants, earning overwhelming praise from host Salman Khan during the seasons first Weekend Ka Vaar. Let me tell you guys, no matter how many stars exist in this house, theres only one rockstar amongst you all. Qazi Touqeer, the entire week you played quite well. Salman Khan said on Tauqeer's performance. Putting the spotlight on Qazi, Salman later asked Qazi, Tell me one thing: you got everything in life so soon; you became a rockstar, did a show with Arijit Singh, you won the show. Arijit is doing so well right now. You got this platform now, but what did you do in the last 20 years? Qazi replied, I did a lot of live shows. Further, Salman further said Qazi Tauqeer that people initially wondered how he sang and now hey cannot stop praising you now. The bollywood superstar said people appreciate Tauqeer's humor and performance. Furthermore, comparing Qazi's struggle with Hollywood actor John Travolta and bollwood actor Bobby Deol, Salman Khan said that even the biggest stars today, went through a bad phase, but they never gave up. Everyone faces ups and downs, and during the downtime, you have to work 10 times harder, he said, adiing that Sometimes in life, you get a few things very quickly, and you lose them also quickly. A good thing about the bad times is that it ends, and when you take good times for granted, as I do sometimes, it also ends. I know that during the bad times, keep working hard, as Qazi Touqeer did. He achieved so much, then he lost it, but he didnt stop working. Through all your struggles and challenges, the biggest effort was to stay mentally strong, which a lot of people cant do. So people should learn this from you, the host added. Bigg Boss 20 contestant Qazi Touqeer is a singer who rose to fame after participating in the singing reality show Fame Gurukul in 2005. He went on to win the show, reportedly receiving the highest number of votes recorded for a singing reality show at the time. It was during Fame Gurukul that Qazi met Arijit Singh and the two went on to become close friends.

Fighting in Yemen intensifies as Houthis launch more attacks on Saudi Arabia

Aden, Sep 14: The conflict in Yemen intensified on Sunday, as government forces launched attacks against Iran-backed Houthi rebels along the Red Sea and Houthis fired into neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which supports Yemen's government. The Yemeni government vowed to send more forces to the Red Sea coast and one official conceded a painful defeat last week when Houthis captured the port city of Mokha and an island on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial shipping alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation -- especially Houthi attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure and its shipping in the Red Sea -- adds pressure on global oil supplies and prices, and that could give Iran leverage in its war with the United States. As Yemen risks descending into another civil war, the United Nations estimated that more than 80,000 people in the impoverished country have been displaced by the fighting since the start of September. One woman said a mortar shell fell nearby as she fled in the middle of the night from the town of Khawkha in Hodeida province along the Red Sea, shortly before it was captured by Houthis. I saw with my own eyes cars and buses burning, and bodies of children and women were lying on the road in a horrific scene, said the woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern for her and her family's safety. Houthis claim attacks against Saudi Arabia Saudi authorities sounded sirens Sunday afternoon in the southern city of Abha and Khamis Mushait province, warning residents to take shelter from potential incoming fire. Both areas were repeatedly attacked by the Houthi in recent weeks. The Houthis claimed to have used drones and missiles to target Saudi Arabia, including a military base just over the border with Yemen. Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree didn't provide evidence or say when the attack occurred. The Saudi civil defence overnight said a projectile fell in a different area near the border with Yemen along the Red Sea, injuring two people and damaging a mosque and several other buildings. The statement blamed the Houthis. Saudi Arabia did not announce any new attacks targeting the Houthis. The Houthis are targeting Saudi oil infrastructure and shipping as part of a recently declared blockade, but they have said they do not intend to threaten other countries' commercial shipping. Yemen says 500 soldiers killed as it vows to fight back The National Resistance, a government-allied force that had controlled coastal areas, said more than 500 government fighters were killed on the west coast over the past four weeks -- its first comprehensive toll. It also said more than 1,000 Houthis had been killed in Hodeida and Taiz provinces. A spokesman for the Houthis didn't respond to a request for comment. Yemen is home to over 40 million people who fear a return to the civil war that began more than a decade ago and killed 150,000, bringing many others to the brink of famine. Yemen's internationally recognised government and Saudi Arabia have been battling the Houthis for 12 years. A ceasefire that began in 2022 had mostly halted the fighting. A senior government official in Yemen said its forces will return to the Red Sea coast and fight back. People fleeing the Houthi advance told The Associated Press they saw forces withdrawing and urging people to run. Sultan al-Arada, a member of the ruling presidential leadership council, described the collapse of government forces in the port city of Mokha and elsewhere on Yemen's west coast as painful and regrettable. He said in the televised interview aired late Saturday that forces are currently regrouping and will return to the battle. On Sunday, Rashad al-Alimi, who leads the presidential council, sought to downplay the defeats as incidental, according to comments published by the country's state-run SABA news agency. The government, he said, will remain clear and fixed on the goal of retrieving (state) institutions and of reclaiming sovereignty over all national territories. On Sunday, the Yemeni military said it launched airstrikes on Houthi positions in Mokha, the coastal town of Dhubab and elsewhere in Taiz province. The rebels reported strikes by the Saudi-backed forces in Taiz province and artillery shelling in Saada province, a Houthi stronghold on Yemen's northern border with Saudi Arabia. The advance puts Houthis closer to a major US base in Djibouti The Houthis' advance puts them just 32 kilometres from the US military base in Djibouti, on the other side of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. It's the main US base in Africa and one of several foreign military bases in Djibouti, including those of China, France and Japan. The small Horn of Africa nation is already seeing the arrival of displaced Yemenis making the perilous water crossing. More than 2,000 Yemenis have reached Djibouti, the International Organisation for Migration said Sunday. Djibouti's Economy and Finance Minister Ilyas M Dawaleh, said on X that the country's navy, coast guard and other specialized agencies were conducting rescue operations and providing emergency assistance. Yemenis displaced by fighting worry about their survival The UN migration agency said Sunday that more than 82,000 people in Yemen have been displaced since the beginning of September. The displaced people are in a very bad condition, said Ahmad al-Masawi, the director of the Al Salam camp in the southern port city of Aden, who appealed to international organisations for assistance. They left their homes quickly without any clothing or anything. They are crammed in camps, houses and even on roads. Hussein Haydara sat outside a shelter at the camp in a white undershirt, as his children waited to be assigned to a tent. He worried about how far the shelter is from schools, hospitals and markets, and wondered how they will survive the next weeks or months. Haydara had fled his home in Hodeida once before, when the Houthis took it over in 2015. But this time feels more precarious. With the first displacement, we had time to plan things but this time we were forced to escape all of a sudden. One could hardly take their children and the lightest stuff possible, he said.

Kashmiri Pandit group demands time-bound return roadmap

Srinagar, Sep 14: The Kashmir Policy & Strategy Group, chaired by senior advocate Ashok Bhan, organised a web meeting on the eve of Kashmiri Pandit Balidan Divas, with participants calling for a time-bound roadmap for the communitys return and rehabilitation in Kashmir. According to a statement issued by the group, the meeting was attended by intellectuals, former bureaucrats, academicians, media personalities, social and womens rights activists, representatives of community organisations, overseas diaspora representatives and youth. The participants paid tributes to Kashmiri Pandits who, according to the statement, were killed by militants and discussed the displacement of the community from the Valley. The meeting also discussed the impact of the communitys 37-year displacement, including loss of life, destruction, demographic changes and disruption of cultural and social ties. According to the statement, participants reiterated their resolve to return to Kashmir, with emphasis on security, dignity, equality and participation in the social and economic life of the region. The group called on the Government of India to formulate a comprehensive and time-bound Return, Rehabilitation and Restitution Roadmap in consultation with representative Kashmiri Pandit organisations. It said such a framework should address security, voluntary return, property restitution, housing and livelihood opportunities, as well as the protection of temples and cultural heritage. The participants also called for measurable targets, designated institutional responsibilities and periodic public review of the implementation of any such roadmap. The meeting concluded with a call to translate the communitys demand for return into a structured policy framework, the statement said.

Travellers to Mahanpur, Bhoond areas in Kathua peeved over absence of public washrooms

Travellers, tourists and local residents have expressed concern over the lack of proper public washroom facilities in Bhoond and Mahanpur areas of Kathua district, causing significant inconvenience to people travelling through these important locations. Bhoond and Mahanpur are two important stopping points where passenger buses, matadors (mini-buses) and other small vehicles regularly halt during their journeys. A large number of passengers, including tourists, women, children and elderly people, stop at these locations for rest and refreshments. However, despite being regular stopping points for public transport and private vehicles, proper public washroom facilities are reportedly not available, creating considerable inconvenience for travellers. Passengers point out that the absence of clean and accessible toilets becomes particularly problematic during long journeys. Women, elderly persons and families travelling with children are among those facing the greatest inconvenience. Mudasar Ali, a social activist from the Bani area, while expressing concern over the lack of basic sanitation facilities at these important stopping points, urged the concerned authorities to take immediate action. Bhoond and Mahanpur are regular stopping points for buses, matadors and other vehicles. Thousands of passengers and tourists travelling through these areas face inconvenience due to the absence of proper public washrooms. The authorities should establish clean and properly maintained toilet facilities at both locations, he said. Airing the grievance of local inhabitants, Mudasar said that the availability of basic sanitation facilities was essential not only for the convenience of travellers but also for maintaining cleanliness and promoting tourism in the region. He appealed to the district administration and concerned departments to take the matter seriously and ensure that proper public washrooms were constructed and regularly maintained at Bhoond and Mahanpur at the earliest.

Pittantak Loha

Pittantak Loha Ingredients, Preparation, Ayurvedic Properties, Indications & Dosages REFERENCE Bhaishajya Ratnavali, Vataraktarogadhikar Chapter 27 Verse 64-67 Abstract ... Read more The post Pittantak Loha appeared first on Planet Ayurveda .

Two killed, seven injured as Matador overturns near Reasi

Reasi, Sept 14: Two people were killed and seven others injured after a passenger Matador overturned near the Bakkal Tunnel area of Reasi district on Monday, officials said. An official said that the Matador, bearing registration number JK14B-2973, was travelling from Bakkal towards Reasi when it overturned on the road near the tunnel. He said two persons died in the accident, while seven others sustained injuries and their identities are being ascertained. Police and rescue teams have reached the spot and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital for treatment, the official said. Meanwhile, police have initiated necessary proceedings.(KNO)

Here's why you need to try out surmai at this restaurant in Mumbai

Add a squeeze of lemon, some chutney on the side, and you can immerse yourself in a typically Mumbai-style seafood indulgence.

Indulge in this delicious menu in Mumbai that celebrates Nordic cuisine

Finland chef Toni Toivanen explores a collaborative menu with a Worli fine-dine that freely moves between Nordic sensibilities, Japanese precision, and Indias diverse flavours and ingredients

'A proud moment for Indian cricket': PM Modi, President congratulate Indian women's T20 cricket team for winning Asia Cup

New Delhi, Sep 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu on Monday congratulated the Indian women's cricket team for winning the T20 Asia Cup Championship, with both terming the triumph a proud moment for Indian. Harmanpreet Kaur-led Team India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in Dubai on Sunday to lift their record-extending eighth Asia Cup title. A proud moment for Indian cricket! Congratulations to the Women's team on winning the Asia Cup, Modi said in a post on 'X'. The prime minister said the confidence of the players, their consistency and remarkable spirit were on full display throughout the tournament. May this triumph inspire millions of youngsters across the country to play more and shine, he said The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, also expressed pleasure over the victory, saying that the girls in blue are a source of inspiration for our youth, especially our daughters. They are a source of great inspiration for our youth, especially our daughters. I am sure, they will script many more inspiring chapters of success and excellence, she said in a post on X. My heartiest congratulations to all the members of Team India on winning Women's T20 Asia Cup Championship 2026. They played superbly as a team throughout the tournament, winning all the matches. They have done the country proud, the President said.

Trump downplays need to check AI development, says he doesn't want to cede edge to China

AI has become a major election-year issue in the US as some of the country's largest companies seed small towns with a national network of computing warehouses

18-year-old girl dies of gunshot under mysterious circumstances In Reasi

Reasi, Sep 14: An 18-year-old girl died of a gunshot injury under mysterious circumstances at her residence in Panassa area of Thakrakote block in Reasi district late last night. Officials said that the deceased has been identified as Priyanka Devi, daughter of Kapoor Singh, resident of Panassa, Thakrakote. As per initial reports, the girl allegedly shot herself dead at her house. The exact circumstances leading to the incident are yet to be ascertained. Police have taken cognizance of the incident and started investigation.(GNS)

Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen claim new attacks on Saudi Arabia

Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen overnight claimed new attacks on neighbouring Saudi Arabia, as Yemen's Saudi-backed government described the rebels' swift advance along the Red Sea coast as a painful development in a new front in the Iran war. The Houthis' capture of a key port city and an island on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial shipping alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, in recent days has alarmed markets and Yemeni civilians who fear a return to devastating civil war. Overnight, the Houthis claimed more attacks with missiles and drones on Saudi Arabia, which supports Yemen's internationally recognised government that's been fighting the rebels. A Houthi military spokesperson, Brig Gen Yahya Saree, claimed in a statement that they targeted a military base in Sharurah province in Saudi Arabia's Najran region. He didn't provide evidence or say when the attack occurred. The Saudi civil defence overnight said a projectile fell in al-Tawwal governorate near the border with Yemen along the Red Sea, injuring two people and damaging a mosque and several other buildings. The statement blamed the Houthis. It also said sirens went off in Sharurah province but didn't report casualties or damage. There was no Saudi statement on Sunday on any new attacks targeting the Houthis, who have been hitting Saudi oil infrastructure and shipping as part of a recently declared blockade. While the rebels have said there is no threat to other commercial shipping, markets remain wary, and oil prices have risen again. A senior government official in Yemen said its forces will return to the Red Sea coast and fight back, after people fleeing the Houthi advance told The Associated Press they saw forces withdrawing and urging people to run. Sultan al-Arada, a member of the ruling presidential council, described the collapse of government forces in the port city of Mokha and elsewhere on Yemen's west coast as painful and regrettable. Al-Arada, also governor of central Marib province, said in the televised interview aired late Saturday that forces are currently regrouping and will return to the battle in one form or another. On Friday, a senior military official with Yemen's internationally recognised government blamed lack of coordination between Yemen's army and multiple allied militias, saying it gave the Houthis a priceless opportunity. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't allowed to speak to the media, also said they were stunned that the Saudi air force didn't act to prevent the capture of Mokha, about 80 kilometres from the strait. The rebels' rapid advance has been a major setback both to Yemen's internationally recognised government and Saudi Arabia, which have been battling the Houthis for 12 years. The latest escalation threatens a 2022 ceasefire. The advance also puts the Iran-backed rebels just 32 kilometres from the US military base in Djibouti, on the other side of the Bab el-Mandeb. It's the main US base in Africa and one of several foreign military bases in Djibouti, including those of China, France and Japan. The small Horn of Africa nation is already seeing the arrival of Yemenis making the perilous crossing of the strait. More than 2,000 people have reached Djibouti, the International Organisation for Migration said Sunday. Djibouti's Economy and Finance Minister Ilyas M. Dawaleh said on X that the country's navy, coast guard and other specialised agencies were conducting rescue operations and providing emergency assistance.

Worlds water cycle speeding up, raising flood and drought risks: Study

Climate change is accelerating the movement of water through the atmosphere, potentially intensifying rainfall extremes while worsening water stress in vulnerable regions, a new IIT Kharagpur study has found. Published in the Journal of Hydrology, the study by Prof. Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath and his research team documents a widespread increase in atmospheric water vapour and projects further increases through the end of the century. It examines atmospheric moisture changes between 1980 and 2020 and uses CMIP6 climate models to assess future trends. The future water cycle is not simply a story of a wetter world. It is a story of a more energetic and uneven atmosphere, where some regions may experience increasingly intense rainfall while others face growing water stress, Prof. Kuttippurath said. The researchers found a clear increase in total column water vapour (TCWV), particularly over tropical oceans and major monsoon regions. By 2100, atmospheric moisture could increase by approximately 518 mm under the SSP2-4.5 scenario and 728 mm under the high-emissions SSP5-8.5 pathway. But a wetter atmosphere will not necessarily mean a wetter world everywhere. A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, and when that moisture converges into storms and monsoon systems, it can provide additional fuel for intense rainfall, cloudbursts and flooding. In contrast, regions experiencing moisture divergence, declining soil moisture or changes in atmospheric circulation could face greater drying and drought risks. The study identifies significant changes across climate-sensitive regions including the HimalayaTibetan Plateau, Amazonia, Central Africa, the Sahel, Sahara and western Pacific. The HimalayaTibetan Plateau, the Third Pole, is of particular concern because changes in atmospheric moisture could affect precipitation, snow and glacier processes and river discharge, with implications for water resources supporting millions of people downstream. The researchers say the uneven response could create a future of hydrological whiplash more intense wet extremes in some regions and periods alongside prolonged drying and water stress in others. Water vapour is emerging as a critical link between global warming and future climate extremes, said S. Sarkar, lead author of the study. Understanding where atmospheric moisture is increasing and where it is becoming limited is essential for anticipating future risks to water, ecosystems and society. Indias monsoon risk The findings have particular implications for India. The study records increasing atmospheric moisture over major monsoon regions, with TCWV rising by up to about 0.16 mm per year over parts of the Indian monsoon domain. The increase does not automatically mean higher seasonal rainfall. However, greater atmospheric moisture can provide additional fuel for intense monsoon systems, potentially increasing the ingredients for episodes of very heavy rainfall and flooding. For India, which is already dealing with combinations of extreme heat, intense rainfall, floods and drought, the researchers say understanding changes in atmospheric moisture will be increasingly important for climate-risk planning. The contrast between emissions pathways is also significant. Under SSP5-8.5, atmospheric water vapour and associated radiative effects are projected to increase substantially more than under SSP2-4.5, indicating stronger water-vapour feedback and greater intensification of the hydrological cycle. The study calls for better representation of regional moisture processes and land-atmosphere interactions in climate models, alongside adaptation strategies that account for both extremes. As the researchers put it, future water security cannot be addressed by preparing for floods and droughts separately: climate change may increasingly bring too much water, too little water and sometimes both.

Psy-STEM workshop concludes in Bandipora

A six-day Psy-STEM workshop organised by Government College for Women (GCW), M.A. Road, Srinagar, in collaboration with NIT Srinagar under the Jammu and Kashmir Science, Technology and Innovation Council (JKST&IC)-sponsored Research and Extension Programme, concluded in Bandipora district on Sunday. The workshop was conducted simultaneously at Nadim Memorial Boys Higher Secondary School, Kaloosa, and Government Higher Secondary School, Shagund, under the initiative Psychology Driven STEM Learning to Build Scientific Temper in the Border Villages of Kashmir. The programme aimed to equip teachers and students with experiential STEM learning methods integrated with psychological principles, with a focus on scientific temper, critical thinking, problem-solving and innovation. In his message, NIT Srinagar Director Prof. Anurag Misra said such initiatives were important for taking contemporary STEM education beyond conventional classrooms and promoting practical learning. Integrating psychology with STEM can help students learn through curiosity, experimentation and problem-solving. Such outreach programmes are vital for nurturing scientific temper and innovation among students, he said. NIT Srinagar Registrar Prof. Atikur Rehman said the institute remained committed to strengthening academic and community outreach programmes in collaboration with educational institutions. GCW M.A. Road Principal Prof. Yasmeen Farooq said the initiative reflected the colleges focus on innovative and interdisciplinary education. Our endeavour is to connect psychological understanding with STEM learning so that students develop not only technical skills but also confidence, creativity and scientific thinking, she said. The inaugural session was attended by Deputy Commissioner Bandipora Indu Kanwal Chib, who stressed the importance of nurturing scientific temper among teachers and students. She also emphasised the effective functioning of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) and encouraged students to participate in STEM-based innovation. The workshop was conducted with the support of the District Administration Bandipora and coordination of Chief Education Officer Bandipora Rafeeq Ahmad Mir. The programme was led by Principal Investigator Dr Eshrat Ara, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, GCW M.A. Road, and Co-Principal Investigator Dr Dinesh Kumar Rajendran, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, NIT Srinagar. During the workshop, parallel sessions covered Psy-STEM integration, basic sensors and block programming, Arduino and ESP32 applications, robotics, drone technology and 3D printing. Modules on problem-solving, examination anxiety management, metacognition and developing a scientific mindset were also conducted. A total of 30 teachers and 150 students were trained across the two venues. The resource team included Dr Parsa Sarosh, Assistant Professor, Department of Electronics, GCW M.A. Road; Abid Fayaz, CTO, Koshur Scientist; Ajaz Hussain, Faculty, Robotics, MSME Srinagar; and Haripriyan K., Drone Engineer, Aramvisai Pvt. Ltd., along with trained master trainers and facilitators associated with the project.

SKUAST-K PhD Scholar Bushra Naaz brings National Recognition at NBEC-2026

In a landmark achievement for SKUAST-K, Bushra Naaz, PhD scholar under the mentorship of Dr Ajaz Ahmed Malik, Head, KVK, Ganderbal has been declared a winner at the National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition (NBEC) 2026, held in Bengaluru. The 2026 edition received an overwhelming response, with over 3,200 registrations from 34 States and Union Territories, making it one of the most competitive national platforms for science-driven entrepreneurship. After successive rounds of screening, mentoring, pitching, and evaluation on parameters such as scientific validity, novelty, feasibility, business potential, team strength, and clarity of articulation, only the most promising student advanced to the Grand Finale. Her pioneering research on plant-based meat analogues stood out for its scientific depth, translational potential, and entrepreneurial promise. In recognition of this breakthrough, Bushra Naaz received a Rs 1 lakh award, presented in the presence of Dr. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Executive Chairperson of Biocon, and other eminent figures from Indias biotechnology ecosystem. Vice Chancellor SKUAST-K, Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganai congratulated both Bushra Naaz and Dr. Ajaz Malik, stating that the achievement is a proud moment for SKUAST K and aligns with our vision to be counted among the top universities in the country. It exemplifies how our scholars and faculty are not only contributing to academic excellence but also translating research into innovation and entrepreneurship. Such recognitions strengthen our resolve to position SKUAST K at the forefront of national and global scientific leadership, he said.

Centre rolls out incentive scheme to push domestic PNG connections

The Centre has introduced a new incentive scheme to accelerate the expansion of domestic Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections, offering City Gas Distribution (CGD) entities additional access to lower-priced domestic gas for every incremental household connection. The Incentive Scheme for Promotion of Domestic PNG Connections was launched on August 18, 2026, and came into effect on September 1. The scheme is aimed at increasing the number of active and billed domestic PNG connections while encouraging CGD companies to expand their networks into new areas. According to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), authorised entities are currently developing City Gas Distribution networks across 309 geographical areas covering the mainland of the country. As of August 18, India had 1.74 crore domestic PNG connections. Under the new scheme, a minimum connection threshold has been fixed for each geographical area. CGD entities that add billed domestic connections beyond the prescribed threshold during the performance period will receive an additional allocation of 200 Standard Cubic Metres (SCM) of domestically produced Administered Price Mechanism (APM) gas for every incremental connection. The government said the cheaper APM gas would partly replace costlier Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) currently sourced by CGD entities for their Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) transport operations. The resulting reduction in gas procurement costs is expected to improve the economics of domestic PNG expansion. The scheme is expected to reduce the payback period on capital invested in a domestic PNG connection from around 10 years to nearly three years, creating a stronger commercial incentive for companies to connect more households. The scheme will be implemented in two tranches over six months. PNG expansion is also being supported through regulatory and infrastructure measures. An Accelerated Approval Framework under the Natural Gas and Petroleum Products Distribution Order, 2026, provides for faster approvals and uniform Right-of-Way charges for laying pipelines. The Centre has also encouraged states to reduce VAT on natural gas to 5 per cent, with several states having already adopted the lower rate. A nationwide National PNG Drive 2.0 was conducted from January 1 to June 30, 2026, to accelerate domestic connections, while a unified digital portal for applying for and tracking PNG connections is also being developed. The government said PNG provides households with continuous metered supply without the need to store or replace LPG cylinders and produces fewer pollutants than conventional cooking fuels.

SKUAST-K Bio-Enzyme course concludes, students pitch waste-to-wealth ideas

A week-long certificate course on Bio-Enzyme Entrepreneurship, jointly organised by the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) and the Bio-Enzyme Entrepreneurs Academy of India, Bengaluru, concluded at the universitys Shalimar Main Campus. Organised by the SKUAST-K Innovation and Incubation Entrepreneurship Centre (SKIIE), the course combined classroom sessions, practical demonstrations and field visits to landfills, waste-collection sites and fruit mandis. The programme provided students, farmers and rural entrepreneurs with practical exposure to bio-enzyme production, value addition, waste management and marketing, with a focus on converting agricultural and kitchen waste into useful and marketable products. The concluding session featured pitch-deck presentations by student innovators, who showcased business ideas based on bio-enzyme technology and waste-to-wealth models. A total of 10 ideas were received, covering eco-friendly cleaning products, organic fertilisers and waste-recycling solutions for campus and community applications. A jury evaluated the ideas on originality, feasibility, market potential and environmental impact, and appreciated the participants preparation and clarity of presentation. Addressing the valedictory session, Naveed Bhat, CEO, SKIIE, thanked the Vice Chancellor of SKUAST-K for supporting the collaborative programme with the Bio-Enzyme Entrepreneurs Academy of India and congratulated the participants on completing the course. Bhat said the ideas demonstrated the potential to convert agricultural and kitchen waste into value-added, eco-friendly products and encouraged participants to take their concepts towards commercialisation. He also assured continued support from SKIIE to participants seeking incubation for further development of their ideas. The programme concluded with an emphasis on waste-to-wealth entrepreneurship, sustainable resource utilisation and innovative waste-management solutions.

Walnut harvest deaths revive debate over high-density plantations in Kashmir

Seven people have died after falling from towering walnut trees during the ongoing harvest season in Kashmir, renewing concerns over the safety of traditional orchards and reviving a debate over replacing ageing trees with high-density plantations. The recurring accidents have highlighted the risks faced by workers who climb tall walnut trees to harvest the crop, with growers saying the traditional orchard system is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. The deaths have also brought renewed attention to long-standing problems in Kashmirs walnut sector, including ageing trees, declining productivity and restrictions on the felling of existing trees. Walnut traders and growers have increasingly called for a shift towards high-density plantations, arguing that newer varieties can provide better returns while making orchard management and harvesting easier. It is high time to shift to high-density walnut plantation, said Haji Bahadur Khan, president of the Dry Fruit Association of Kashmir. Khan said many of the regions walnut trees had become old and were no longer providing the yields that farmers could expect from newer varieties. Ageing trees and low productivity have necessitated their replacement, Khan said, arguing that growers needed greater flexibility to rejuvenate their orchards. He said that GST and cheaper imports from Chile, California and other countries had reduced the demand for local produce. Bilal Ahmad, a walnut farmer from south Kashmirs Shopian district, said traditional walnut trees also posed challenges because of the amount of land they occupied. Traditional walnut trees occupy a large space and their yield is also low, Ahmad said, adding that high-density plantations could allow farmers to grow more trees on smaller plots and potentially improve returns. The push for high-density cultivation, however, faces a legal hurdle. Walnut trees in Kashmir are protected under the Jammu and Kashmir Preservation of Specified Trees Act, 1969. The law requires government permission for their felling and places restrictions on cutting healthy or fruit-bearing trees. Growers say the restrictions can make it difficult to remove old or unproductive trees and replace them with newer varieties, even when the existing trees have become less commercially viable. Traditional walnut varieties can take more than a decade to begin bearing fruit and require considerable space as they mature. High-density varieties can start producing in about four to five years and can be planted at closer intervals, potentially allowing farmers to obtain higher yields from smaller holdings. For growers, the debate is therefore not only about improving productivity but also about reducing the risks associated with harvesting from increasingly tall and ageing trees. The recent deaths have added urgency to those concerns, with traders and farmers calling for a policy that would allow gradual orchard rejuvenation while protecting the interests of growers. The sector needs a transition towards modern plantations, Khan said, stressing that replacing ageing trees was becoming increasingly important for the future of walnut cultivation in Kashmir. The challenge for the authorities, growers say, is to balance the protection of walnut trees with the need to modernise orchards and make harvesting safer and economically viable.

CIK carries out raids in Shopian, Kulgam, Kupwara

Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) on Sunday conducted coordinated searches at multiple residential locations in Shopian, Kulgam and Kupwara districts as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged dissemination of radical and anti-national content on social media platforms, officials said. The searches were carried out in connection with FIR No. 05/2026 registered at Police Station CIK Srinagar under Sections 505 and 153-A of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 13 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Investigators seized digital devices and other electronic material during the operations. The items have been sent to a forensic laboratory for detailed examination, officials said. Official sources said CIK teams, assisted by other security agencies, searched residential premises including a house in Naidgam in Shopian and another in Ladgoo Rambhama in Kulgam. The operations were conducted in the presence of an Executive Magistrate. The raids form part of CIKs continuing probe into online activity alleged to carry radical and anti-national narratives, including the glorification and projection of individuals associated with terrorism and extremist viewpoints that investigators say could influence or radicalise impressionable minds. Officials said the forensic examination of seized devices is expected to yield digital evidence relating to communications, social media activity, account details and other material relevant to the case. Investigators are examining whether the alleged dissemination of radical content was confined to a limited set of persons or involved a wider network, and which platforms and accounts were used. The searches come a day after the National Investigation Agency conducted searches at multiple locations in a separate LeT-linked cross-border conspiracy case. CIK has, through 2025 and 2026, registered and pursued several UAPA cases over alleged misuse of social media to circulate secessionist or terror-glorifying material, seize devices and send them for forensic analysis. Sundays operation, officials said, continues that line of work amid heightened scrutiny of how extremist narratives are propagated online in Jammu and Kashmir.

J&K scans 7.29 crore revenue records, digitises 99.4% Jamabandis

Jammu and Kashmir has made significant progress in digitising land and revenue records, with 7.29 crore revenue documents scanned and 99.4 percent of Jamabandi records digitised across 6,844 villages, according to the latest government figures. The data also highlights an expansion of digital governance and welfare delivery, with a growing number of public services being brought online and wider coverage reported under food security and social-assistance schemes. Under the IT reforms programme, e-Office has been implemented at the Secretariat, offices of Heads of Departments and district levels, while e-Office 2.0 is being rolled out at tehsil and block levels. According to the figures, more than 45,953 users across 430 organisations have been onboarded, while 1,710 services are currently available online. Over 70 lakh digital documents have also been delivered through the system. Around 114 services under the Public Services Guarantee Act (PSGA) have been integrated with auto-appeal provisions. The DigiLocker ecosystem has 188 services and 35.50 lakh registered users, while around five lakh digital transactions are being recorded daily through 942 Common Service Centre (CSC) touchpoints. The 3K Samadhan App is receiving around 300 grievances daily, with a reported disposal rate of 94 percent. More than 40 IT initiatives have also been undertaken in collaboration with BISAG-N. In the land-record digitisation drive, map digitisation has reached 94.23 percent, with 6,544 of the 6,850 identified sheets digitised. A total of 6,455 villages, or 93.4 percent, have been mapped, of which 5,700 have undergone ground-truthing. Sub-parcelisation has been completed in 1,925 villages across 20 districts. The government has also brought 881 revenue courts online through the Revenue Court Case Management System (RCCMS). Drone surveys have been undertaken in 4,368 villages, of which 3,091 have been verified. Under the SVAMITVA scheme, 58,265 property cards have been distributed across 1,491 villages. On the social-inclusion front, 25.69 lakh families, covering 103.88 lakh beneficiaries, have been enrolled under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Meanwhile, 16.61 lakh households, representing 67.84 lakh beneficiaries, are receiving free ration under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). The figures underline the administrations ongoing push towards technology-driven governance, particularly in land administration and delivery of essential public services.

J&Ks peak power demandrises to 3,325 megawatts

Jammu and Kashmirs peak electricity demand has crossed 3,300 megawatts (MW), reaching 3,325 MW in 2025-26, while the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC), which oversees the electricity sector in J&K and Ladakh, has projected a slower increase in demand over the next three years. The figures are part of JERCs examination of the business plan and tariff proposal of the J&K Power Transmission Corporation Limited (JKPTCL) for the three years from 2026-27 to 2028-29. JKPTCL had projected a faster increase in electricity demand, using an annual growth rate of 3.08 per cent. On that basis, it had estimated peak demand at 4,033 MW in 2026-27, 4,154 MW in 2027-28 and 4,278 MW in 2028-29. JERC has instead adopted a lower annual growth rate of 1.97 per cent after examining actual figures reported by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). According to the actual CEA data cited by the Commission, peak electricity demand in J&K and Ladakh increased from 3,076 MW in 2021-22 to 3,137 MW in 2022-23, 3,181 MW in 2023-24, 3,236 MW in 2024-25 and 3,325 MW in 2025-26. In simple terms, the highest amount of electricity required in the region increased by 249 MW over five years. Peak demand is the maximum electricity requirement recorded at a particular time. It is important for the transmission system because power lines and substations need enough capacity to carry electricity during the hours when consumption is at its highest. The CEA figures also show that the region did not always have enough electricity available to meet its peak requirement. In 2021-22, peak demand was 3,076 MW while peak supply was 2,826 MW, leaving a gap of 250 MW. The shortfall declined to 170 MW in 2022-23 and 48 MW in 2023-24. The gap widened sharply in 2024-25, when demand reached 3,236 MW but only 2,836 MW was met, leaving a shortfall of 400 MW, or 12.4 per cent. The situation improved in 2025-26, when peak demand of 3,325 MW was fully met, according to the actual CEA figures cited by JERC. JERC said JKPTCL had based its original forecast on the CEAs Load Generation Balance Report. The Commission pointed out that actual figures were also available in the CEAs monthly Executive Summary on the power sector and found these figures more appropriate for calculating the recent demand trend. Based on the actual figures, the Commission calculated a compound annual growth rate of 1.97 per cent for peak demand over the five-year period. It has therefore taken 3,325 MW, the 2025-26 peak, as the base figure for future planning. Using that growth rate, peak demand would rise to around 3,391 MW in 2026-27, 3,457 MW in 2027-28 and 3,525 MW in 2028-29. This is significantly lower than JKPTCLs original projection of 4,278 MW by 2028-29. The difference between the two estimates is around 753 MW. JERC also noted that the peak demand recorded during 2026-27 up to the time of its assessment was 3,063 MW, below the 3,325 MW peak recorded in the previous financial year. Despite this, the Commission retained 3,325 MW as the base figure because the overall trend in peak demand during the preceding five years remained upward. For the common consumer, the numbers point to a simple trend: J&K is using more electricity than it did five years ago, particularly during periods of highest consumption, but the electricity panel does not expect demand to rise as rapidly as JKPTCL had estimated. The difference is important for the transmission network. JKPTCL is responsible for carrying electricity through the high-voltage network to different parts of J&K and ensuring that transmission infrastructure is capable of handling the maximum load. If demand increases, more capacity may be required in the form of transmission lines, substations and associated equipment. But building infrastructure far ahead of actual requirements can also lead to higher costs. This is why demand forecasting plays an important role in deciding the pace and scale of investment. The recent figures also show that rising demand by itself does not automatically result in a power shortage. In 2025-26, the region recorded its highest peak demand in the five-year period considered by JERC and still managed to meet the entire requirement at peak. At the same time, the 400-MW shortfall in 2024-25 shows how quickly a gap can emerge when available supply is unable to keep pace with demand. JERCs decision therefore provides JKPTCL with a more conservative basis for planning its transmission requirements during the current three-year period. The Commission has not said that demand will fall; rather, it expects the increase to be more moderate than the transmission utility had projected. The final trajectory will also depend on how electricity consumption develops across homes, businesses, industry and other sectors, as well as on the availability of power and the capacity of the transmission network to deliver it when demand peaks. For now, the central figure is clear: J&Ks peak electricity requirement has reached 3,325 MW, and JERC expects it to increase to around 3,525 MW by 2028-29 under the approved growth assumption.

NHIDCL floats fresh bids for Rs 3,567 Cr Singhpora-Vailoo tunnel

The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has floated fresh bids for the Rs 3,567.51-crore Singhpora-Vailoo twin-tube tunnel project on National Highway-244, with work expected to begin in the next financial year. The tender was issued on September 10. Bids can be submitted until October 26 and will be opened on October 27. NHIDCL General Manager Raghu Nath Sharma said the re-tendering followed official communication approving the project from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). We re-tendered the Singhpora-Vailoo tunnel soon after receiving the official communication to proceed, Sharma told Greater Kashmir . The bidders will have to quote rates based on site visits and design parameters. We expect work on the project to begin in the next financial year, he said. The tunnel will bypass the snowbound Sinthan Top and provide an all-weather road link between south Kashmir and the Chenab Valley. It will also provide an alternative route to NH-44. The Singhpora-Vailoo project forms part of the wider NH-244 corridor linking Anantnag with Kishtwar, Batote and Chenani. The corridor also includes the 4.5-km Sudhmahadev-Dranga tunnel, for which NHIDCL floated a separate tender a few weeks ago. The Singhpora-Vailoo package covers 38.611 km and will be executed in Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode. It comprises two unidirectional tunnel tubes - a 10.331-km left tube and a 10.363-km right tube - besides approach roads and associated structures. The project will connect Chatroo in Kishtwar district with Vailoo in Anantnag district. The eastern approach from Chhatroo to the tunnel portal will cover 17.088 km, while the western approach towards Vailoo will extend 11.160 km. The eastern portal near Singhpora will be located at about 2,243 metres above sea level, while the western portal at Gadole will be at around 2,404 metres. Each tunnel tube will have a nine-metre carriageway, footpaths and emergency facilities. The two tubes will be connected through 20 cross-passages, each 6.1 metres wide and 18.5 metres long, at intervals of about 500 metres to facilitate emergency evacuation. As part of the tunnels standard safety and operational requirements, it will have a semi-transverse ventilation system, fire detection and firefighting systems, CCTV surveillance, emergency communication, traffic control, lighting, drainage and waterproofing. Fire hydrants will be installed every 250 metres as part of the firefighting arrangements. The package also includes 21 major and minor bridges, viaducts and viaduct-cum-bridge structures, with the longest viaduct measuring 1,345 metres. The approach roads will be two-lane roads with paved shoulders, supported by more than 54 km of roadside and catch drains for surface-water management. The stipulated construction period is 60 months, followed by 120 months of maintenance. Land acquisition for the Singhpora-Vailoo approach roads has been completed on both the Kashmir and Jammu sides, with more than half of the compensation already disbursed. Land acquisition for the Sudhmahadev-Dranga project has also been completed, while compensation is being processed. The Singhpora-Vailoo project was approved in 2017 and reaffirmed in 2021, but implementation was delayed. The previous tender was scrapped in 2024 after security clearance was denied to the lowest bidder, a joint venture between Transrail Lighting and Azerbaijan-based EVRASCON. The fresh tender has revived hopes in the Chenab Valley and south Kashmir, where the project has been awaited for years. The Singhpora-Vailoo tunnel is a lifeline. We have been waiting for it for a decade, but every time our hopes were dashed. We hope work begins now without any further delay, said Advocate Sheikh Nasir, president of the Kishtwar Bar Association. For the 4.5-km Sudhmahadev-Dranga tunnel, social activist Ishtiyaq Ahmad Dev of Doda said the deteriorating condition of the existing road had made the project necessary for safer travel. Once completed, the two tunnel projects are expected to strengthen the NH-244 corridor and provide a more reliable year-round road link between the Kashmir and Chenab Valley regions.

Operation Gadol 4th anniversary commemorated

The Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police jointly commemorated the fourth anniversary of Operation Gadol, the September 2023 counter-terrorism operation in the Gadol forests of Kokernag in south Kashmirs Anantnag district, with a wreath-laying ceremony and a Chinar plantation drive at the 19 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion Headquarters in Larkipora. The ceremony was held in remembrance of the four personnel who laid down their lives during the operation Colonel Manpreet Singh, KC (P), SM; Major Aashish Dhonchak, SC (P), SM; DSP Humayun Muzzammil Bhat, KC (P); and Sepoy Pardeep Singh, SC (P). Officials said their courage, leadership and devotion to duty continue to inspire both the security forces and the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The event was attended by SSP Anantnag Amod Ashok Nagpure and Commanding Officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles Colonel Rohit Rattan, along with officers and other ranks of the Army and J&K Police. Floral tributes were paid to the four martyrs during the wreath-laying. Officials described the commemoration as a reaffirmation that the sacrifices of September 2023 have not faded from institutional memory. The ceremony served as a solemn reaffirmation that the sacrifices made during the operation continue to be remembered with the deepest respect and gratitude, officials said. As a lasting tribute, four Chinar saplings were planted near the main gate of the battalion headquarters, now known as Colonel Manpreet Singh Dwar. Officials said the four trees stand together as a living memorial to all four fallen personnel. The Chinar, closely tied to the landscape and heritage of Jammu and Kashmir, was chosen for its association with strength, resilience, longevity and continuity across generations. The Chinar Corps, in a separate statement, said it stood in solemn remembrance of its fallen heroes. Their sacrifice shall never be forgotten, their legacy shall never fade, and their courage shall continue to inspire all who serve the nation, the statement said. Operation Gadol was launched in mid-September 2023 after specific intelligence on the presence of terrorists in the densely forested higher reaches around Gadol in Kokernag. A joint column of 19 Rashtriya Rifles and J&K Police, led from the front by the battalions commanding officer, established contact in difficult, cliff-and-forest terrain. In the opening burst of fire from a well-concealed position, Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Aashish Dhonchak, DSP Humayun Muzzammil Bhat and Sepoy Pardeep Singh were fatally hit. Colonel Singh, of the Sikh Light Infantry and then commanding 19 RR, was a Sena Medal awardee who had earlier declined a peace-station posting to remain with the battalion in south Anantnag. DSP Bhat, from the Police Special Operations Group and the son of a retired senior police officer, was a young father. All four were later decorated posthumously Colonel Singh and DSP Bhat with the Kirti Chakra, and Major Dhonchak and Sepoy Pardeep Singh with the Shaurya Chakra among the rare instances of two Kirti Chakras and two Shaurya Chakras arising from a single operation.

Prof Romshoo elected NASI Fellow

Prof. Shakil Ahmad Romshoo, Vice-Chancellor, Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), has been elected as Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI), the countrys oldest science academy, established in 1930. The prestigious Fellowship recognises Prof. Romshoos sustained contributions to Earth and Environmental Sciences and adds to the recognition of his scientific work. He will be formally inducted into the Academy during the 96th annual session of NASI at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, in December 2026. Prof. Romshoo has made significant contributions to glaciology, hydrology, climate change and remote sensing, with particular emphasis on understanding climate-change impacts on Himalayan glaciers and water resources. To mention, Prof. Romshoo is already an elected Fellow of the prestigious Indian Academy of Sciences, besides being a Fellow of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing and the Indian Society of Geomatics. He is also a recipient of the prestigious J. C. Bose Fellowship and several international, national and state-level awards and honours.

MLA Javid Baig calls for overhaul of education system

Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Baramulla Javid Hassan Baig Sunday said the existing curriculum must be drastically reduced and children should be equipped with practical and vocational skills to prepare them for an increasingly challenging employment landscape. In his address during a day-long conference organised by the J&K Teachers Forum (JKTF), Baig called for a fundamental overhaul of the education system saying the country was facing a serious mismatch between the number of educated youth entering the job market and the employment opportunities available to them. He said India has a very large young population, with around 70 crore people below the age of 30, while thousands of graduates enter the job market every year with limited employment opportunities. Every year, 50,000 graduates leave our colleges, and we cannot give more than 8-10 percent employment, Baig said. He stressed that the issue required a serious rethink of existing education and economic policies. The MLA questioned whether merely framing policies and repeatedly discussing their implementation would be sufficient when the economy was unable to absorb the growing number of educated young people. He also raised concerns over growing disparities in access to quality education, saying the education system had developed multiple layers in which children from affluent families have access to elite institutions while a large majority study in comparatively under-resourced schools. The education system should not be confined to academic qualifications alone but there should be greater emphasis on vocational and traditional skills, he said. I would like my eighth or tenth child to know about carpentry, handicrafts and he should know about knitting, he added. He said traditional crafts and skills associated with Kashmir should also be incorporated into the education system so that children could acquire skills that could help them earn livelihoods beyond conventional white-collar employment. Baig also questioned the relevance of an excessively lengthy syllabus, saying it should be substantially reduced to provide space for practical learning. If I get a chance in my life, I will tell you to reduce this syllabus to 30 percent, he said. He added that students should be given greater exposure to practical skills rather than being burdened with excessive academic content. The MLA also highlighted the role of teachers in transforming the lives of students, recalling how teachers had influenced his own life despite the absence of adequate infrastructure and facilities during his childhood. He said teachers could change the destiny of children even when the system failed to provide adequate support. There are so many teachers here. You cannot do anything. You cannot change the system that is inside it. Meaningful educational transformation will require changes at the systemic level, he added. He also spoke about the growing competition in professional education, particularly medical education, saying students from India were increasingly pursuing medical training abroad while employment opportunities for qualified professionals remained limited. Baig urged teachers and education stakeholders to look beyond conventional approaches and critically examine the long-term consequences of the policies being advocated. He called for a broader debate on the future of education, employment and the younger generation. The challenge before policymakers is not merely to educate children but to ensure that the education they receive are equipped to survive and succeed in the real world, he added.

Government, private school children have same aspirations, educational goals: JKTF

The representatives of Jammu and Kashmir Teachers Forum (JKTF) Sunday called for equal focus on the interests and future of students across the education system saying there was no divide between children studying in government and private schools as both have the same aspirations, values and educational goals. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a Teachers Conference at Dak Bungalow Baramulla, a senior representative of the JKTF said teachers in both government and private schools ultimately share the same responsibility of shaping the younger generation. All the teachers, whether they belong to private or government schools, have the same values. Our children belong to government schools as well as private schools. They all have the same mission and the same goal, he said. The statement comes amid continuing discussions over issues concerning private schools, including fee hikes. The Forum representatives said the government should intervene wherever an increase in fees was found to be unreasonable or unjustified. If there has been a fee hike, the government should look into it. If there has been an irresponsible or irrelevant hike, the government should look into it, the representative said. The JKTF representative said the Baramulla conference was organised not merely as a Teachers Day event but also as a platform to discuss issues confronting the education sector and recognise teachers for their contribution. Teachers representing all 18 educational zones of Baramulla district were part of the programme, while clerical and CPW staff associated with the department were also felicitated for their services. The Forum said a committee had been constituted under its leadership to identify teachers deserving appreciation through surveys conducted across different zones. The representative said the organisation would continue to take up issues concerning teachers with the government and press for their resolution. Among the major concerns raised during the conference was the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), which he described as a burning issue for teachers. The Forum also demanded that the large number of vacancies in the Education Department be filled as early as possible. There are around 30,000 vacancies in the Education Department. They should be filled, he said. The Forum also flagged the in-charge system, saying that teachers were being entrusted with responsibilities without receiving corresponding promotions in official records. Transfer-related issues concerning regularised Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers were also highlighted during the conference. The representative said many such teachers had already completed 20 to 25 years of service and that their concerns needed to be addressed. He further pointed to difficulties faced by teachers in correcting official records and dealing with admission-related issues, saying that teachers often have to approach the department for changes in records maintained on government portals. Beyond service-related demands, the Forum said its conference also sought to strengthen the role of teachers in shaping students beyond academics. The representative said teachers were being sensitised so that they could, in turn, guide students towards development, patriotism, nationalism and other positive values. Today's children should be given the right direction and shown the right path, he said. He stressed that teachers have a crucial role in ensuring that students are guided towards positivity. He said the JKTF would continue organising such programmes while ensuring that academic time of students was not affected. The Forum also called for a positive approach within the education system, saying teachers should focus on identifying students who need additional attention and work towards ensuring that no child is left behind.

Prayers, protests mark day 4 of search as minor drowned in Bandipora remains untraced

With moist eyes, hands are being raised in prayers both silent and loud, seeking the recovery of a 14-year-old boy who drowned in the Madhumati stream in Kaloosa of north Kashmir's Bandipora district on Thursday. On Sunday, rescue efforts were intensified, with the SDRF, police and local volunteers putting in every effort to fish out the body of Momin Ahmad Ganie of Ganie Mohalla in Kaloosa. Momin was swept away by the raging waters of the Madhumati on Thursday evening when he and his friend were on a cycling trip neaby his home. Momin drowned after he spotted a cricket ball floating on the water's surface. After chasing it for some distance, collecting it and throwing it towards his friend, Momin slipped and fell into the water. Before his friend or his sister, who was some distance away, could react, Momin was nowhere to be seen. Ever since, Momin's mother has not left the riverbank. She has been waiting for her only son, among four sisters, to return. Those visiting the spot join in prayers, asking for divine intervention and hoping the family can find closure. Locals recall Momin, a fourth-standard student at a local government school, as a bright student who excelled in studies, with an energy that lit up the faces around him. On Friday, local women staged a sit-in, asking the administration to ramp up the rescue and recovery operation, with local MLA Nizamuddin Bhat also putting in efforts to cut a crate and lower the water level in the Madhumati, aiding rescuers in the search for Momin's body. Former MLA Usman Majid also visited the site, urging the administration to recover the minor's body sooner. Notably, Hamza Sheikh, a volunteer rescue swimmer, also arrived in Bandipora on Friday, aiding the search efforts. Pertinently, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), which diverts water from the Kishanganga river in Gurez, which then discharges into the Bonar Nallah and Madhumati, has been turning off the turbines during the day to help with the recovery efforts. However, Momin remains untraced.

Multi-agency contingency response rehearsal held at Baramulla Railway Station

Police in Baramulla conducted a Contingency Response Rehearsal at Railway Station Baramulla to assess and further strengthen the preparedness, coordination and response mechanism of various security and emergency response agencies during a simulated contingency situation. The rehearsal, as per a statement, was conducted under the supervision of SP Operations Baramulla and witnessed active participation of SOG Baramulla, CRPF units including 53 Bn with K9 Team and 2nd Bn, OCAPS Baramulla, 52 RR, BSF 31 Bn, RPF, GRPF, Police Station Baramulla, Police Post Delina, SDRF Baramulla, Fire & Emergency Services, GMC Baramulla, MI room DPL Baramulla, BSD/AST/PSK9, SDRF Baramulla along with other concerned personnel. The exercise focused on inter-agency coordination, mobilisation, communication, response preparedness, evacuation and emergency management, besides assessing the effectiveness of the existing contingency response mechanism at the railway station. The rehearsal also provided an opportunity to identify operational gaps and areas requiring improvement, enabling participating agencies to further enhance their readiness and ensure a coordinated and timely response to any unforeseen situation.

Mirwaiz, Aga Hassan, Imran Ansari call for dialogue, restraint during meet with Iranian FM

Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Mohammad Umar Farooq, along with Aga Syed Hassan and Molvi Imran Raza Ansari, met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi and exchanged views on the grave situation confronting the region, the need for restraint and diplomacy, and the importance of safeguarding unity within the Muslim Ummah. During the interaction, the delegation, as per a statement, conveyed solidarity with the people of Iran and expressed deep concern over the loss of innocent lives, destruction of homes and infrastructure, and the climate of fear and insecurity created by war. They also referred to the continuing devastation in Palestine and the loss of life and instability in Lebanon, saying the widening cycle of conflict had created an extremely serious situation across the region. Mirwaiz said that at such a critical moment, wisdom, restraint and statesmanship were needed more than ever. War only multiplies human suffering. However serious the differences may be, endless confrontation cannot resolve them. Ultimately, even the most difficult disputes have to return to dialogue, engagement and negotiation, he said. He stressed that the present conflicts must not be allowed to deepen sectarian divisions within the Muslim world. At a time when Muslims in many parts of the world are already facing Islamophobia, insecurity and uncertainty, he said political rivalries and sectarian differences should not be permitted to further weaken the Ummah. Our differences must never overcome the larger bonds of faith, brotherhood and shared humanity. The suffering of people in Iran, Palestine, Lebanon and elsewhere should bring us closer in compassion and responsibility, not push us further apart, Mirwaiz said. He recalled the historic association of Iran with Srinagars Jama Masjid, including the commemorative gathering held there following the passing of Imam Ruhollah Khomeini (RA) in 1989. He also recalled Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khameneis historic visit to Kashmir in the early years following the Islamic Revolution, when he addressed the Friday congregation at Jama Masjid in the presence of Shaheed-e-Millat Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq (RA), stressing the message of the Quran, brotherhood and Shia-Sunni unity. On the occasion, Mirwaiz presented Foreign Minister Araghchi with a specially crafted walnut-wood souvenir depicting the historic Jama Masjid Srinagar, symbolising the enduring cultural and spiritual bonds between the people of Kashmir and Iran. Referring to the wider regional and global situation, Mirwaiz said South Asias own experience had demonstrated the heavy human cost of prolonged tensions and unresolved disputes and had reinforced the need for sustained engagement and dialogue. He said India, with its legacy of Mahatma Gandhis philosophy of Ahimsa, could play a constructive role in encouraging restraint, diplomacy and peaceful engagement at a time of growing international tensions. The grave challenges facing our world cannot be settled through ever-widening wars. Confrontation will only aggravate them. Human dignity has no sect or nationality, and every innocent life is precious. We must remain on the right side of history on the side of justice, humanity and peace, Mirwaiz said. The delegation expressed hope that the present crisis would not widen further and that diplomacy, dialogue and reconciliation would prevail over confrontation.

Elected govt remains deprived of full powers even after 2 years: Dr Farooq Abdullah

The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah Sunday said the Union Government must take serious and meaningful measures to address the growing sense of alienation, disappointment and distrust among the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that although elections were held in J&K, the elected government has remained deprived of full powers even after two years, which is contrary to democratic, constitutional and moral principles. Dr Farooq, as per a party statement, said that the decisions taken on August 5, 2019, were a major mistake by New Delhi, and the sooner the Central Government rectifies this mistake, the better it will be for the unity, integrity and democratic system of the country. He said that the Centre will eventually have to restore Jammu and Kashmirs special position, and the National Conference will continue its struggle for this demand until it is achieved. The party, he said, will continue to raise the issue of restoration of J&Ks constitutional and democratic rights in every Assembly, Parliament and other appropriate forum. Expressing strong resentment over the continued extension of the Union Territory system in Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Farooq said that the people had given a mandate through their votes to an elected government to run the affairs of the region and address their problems and difficulties. However, New Delhi has imposed an undemocratic system over the elected government, creating hurdles in its efforts to provide relief to the people and resolve their day-to-day issues. He said that the demand for restoration of statehood is being pursued precisely to enable the J&K government to serve the people more effectively and reduce, to the extent possible, the multiple difficulties confronting them. He made it clear that demanding restoration of statehood in no way means that the National Conference has abandoned its demand for restoration of special status. Our party will continue, under all circumstances, to struggle for restoration of the constitutional rights that the people of Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed under the Constitution of India. We will not hesitate to make any sacrifice for this cause, he said. Dr Farooq said that despite the toughest challenges, hurdles and constraints, the present National Conference government is making every possible effort to provide relief to the people, strengthen the infrastructure for development and ensure the delivery of essential and basic services. He said that National Conference legislators are also continuously available in their respective constituencies, listening to peoples grievances and making every possible effort to address them. He reiterated that the National Conference remains firmly committed to its basic and principled position and said that Safeguarding the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir remains the partys foremost priority.

India complete junior Asia Cup hockey hat-trick, qualify for World Cup

Sanika Chandrakant Manes early strike proved decisive as India qualified for the junior women's hockey World Cup by winning the AHF Junior Asia Cup title for the third time in a row after defeating China 1-0 in a closely fought summit clash, here Sunday. Sanika struck in the 17th minute as the defending champions retained their continental crown. The title clash began with nervous energy on both sides, with neither team able to establish control in the early exchanges. China enjoyed greater possession and looked to put India under pressure, but the defending champions remained composed, soaking up the pressure and working hard to negotiate the opening phase without conceding. As the quarter wore on, Indias defensive structure grew stronger, ensuring the hosts were unable to create a clear-cut opening. India, however, made their first real opening count. Two minutes into the second quarter, Sanika showed excellent awareness and intelligent off-the-ball movement to sneak in behind a Chinese defender and position herself just five metres from goal. She got her stick to a long slap-push into the Chinese circle and produced a deft deflection that beat goalkeeper Xu Mengjiao to put India ahead. China came closest to restoring parity when they earned the only penalty corner of the match. However, their direct effort was ruled out after the ball entered the goal above the permitted height of the backboard, much to the relief of the Indian contingent and the disappointment of the home crowd. India then came close to doubling their lead just two minutes before half-time when captain Khaidem Shileima Chanu found space for a shot on target, but the Chinese goalkeeper reacted sharply to palm the effort away. India took their slender 1-0 advantage into the break, setting up a tense second half. China resumed with renewed intent and came close to an equaliser seven minutes into the third quarter. A well-worked move saw a Chinese attacker overlap from the baseline before sending a dangerous cut-back into the area in front of goal, but Indias defence read the danger perfectly and intercepted the pass before it could reach its intended target. The final quarter turned into a test of Indias defensive resolve. The defending champions stayed disciplined, compact and alert around their circle, closing down spaces and repeatedly frustrating the hosts attacking moves. China pressed for the equaliser in the closing stages, but India held their shape and defended their slender advantage with composure to seal a memorable 1-0 victory and lift the trophy. India finished the tournament unbeaten. After topping the Elite Pool with three wins and a draw, they thrashed South Korea 5-1 in the semi-finals before edging China 1-0 in the final to successfully defend their title and become three-time champions. Hockey India announced a prize of Rs 3 lakh for each player and Rs 1.5 lakh for every member of the support staff.

PM meets 15 world leaders

New Delhi, Sep 13:Prime Minister Narendra Modi held 15 sit-down bilateral meetings with heads of states or heads of governments in the last three days on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. Government sources said on Sunday that in addition to these bilateral deliberations, the prime minister also had pull-aside meetings with various world leaders and leaders of international institutions. The leaders with whom Modi had the bilateral meetings included Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Modi also had bilateral meetings with his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, Vietnamese counterpart Le Minh Hung, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Philippines Ferdinand R Marcos Jr and Uganda's Vice President Jessica Alupo, besides others. India hosted the BRICS Summit on September 12-13 and it was attended by the leaders of the 11 member countries and 10 partner countries of the grouping, besides some international organisations.

BRICS Beyond Borders, Blocs

New Delhi, Sep 13:Prime Minister NarendraModi on Sunday sought to project BRICS as a platform through which the Global South can have a greater voice in shaping international solutions, saying the grouping's credibility had grown because the experiences and concerns of developing countries were being heard and addressed collectively. From my personal experience, I can say that the Global South countries confidence in BRICS has grown, because within BRICS: Their voices are heard. Their experiences are respected. And solutions are developed not for them, but together with them, PM Modi said. His remarks came as India has increasingly sought to position itself as a voice for the developing world and use groupings such as BRICS to promote a more inclusive model of global growth. The PM said the strength of BRICS lay in its diversity and cooperation, with member countries rooted in different realities but able to advance together. We may be rooted in different realities, but together, we rise through cooperation, and blossom for humanity, he said. PM Modi said India had initiated the BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal to connect small enterprises with knowledge, finance and new markets. The BRICS Urban Mobility Hub had also been established to facilitate the sharing of best practices among cities, he said. The PM said BRICS' wider objective was to ensure that the benefits of solutions developed within the grouping were not restricted to its members. Building on these four pillars, through BRICS we have sought to promote inclusive global growth, he said. We believe that the benefits of solutions developed within BRICS should not remain confined to BRICS alone. They should be made adaptable and accessible to meet the needs of the Global South, PM Modi said. He also linked India's approach to development with its civilisational view of the environment, saying nature had traditionally been accorded the status of a mother. In Indian civilisation, nature has been accorded the status of a mother, the PM said. For centuries, we have believed that development and the environment are not alternatives to each other, but are complementary. He said BRICS had similarly emphasised the need to strike a balance between human development and the environment. This is the foundation of Sustainability. It is also our responsibility towards future generations, PM Modi said. He said the grouping had made progress on several fronts. For Smart Grids and Energy Storage, BRICS had established the BRICS Digital Centre of Excellence, which, the PM said, would help make clean-energy systems more reliable, efficient and accessible. The Centres of Excellence for Agro-Ecology and Regenerative Agriculture would connect traditional knowledge with modern science, he said. PM Modi said principles developed for community-based climate adaptation would make indigenous knowledge an important foundation for climate action. He said these initiatives were part of BRICS' effort to promote inclusive growth and make cooperation within the grouping relevant to countries beyond its membership. The PM again stressed that solutions emerging from BRICS should be adaptable to the needs of the wider Global South rather than remaining confined to the bloc. He said the growing confidence of Global South countries in BRICS was rooted in a sense of participation rather than one-way policymaking. Their voices are heard. Their experiences are respected. And solutions are developed not for them, but together with them, PM Modi said. He said the diversity of the grouping should remain central to its identity and cooperation should drive its future. May our diversity remain our identity, our cooperation become our inspiration, and our progress serve the cause of all humanity, the PM said.

Shaping a New Global Order

As we are aware that India, Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa came together in 2006 to form BRICS & since then, the grouping has emerged as an important stage for some of the worlds fastest-growing and most influential countries. Spread across Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America, these nations bring together vast populations, large economies, rich natural resources and considerable geopolitical stature. Their growing role reflects the broader shift in global economic and political power beyond the traditional centres of influence. These countries have unique strengths in different sectors like , Brazil is a major agricultural and resource power, Russia is influential in energy, defence, and geopolitics, India is a fast-growing economy with a large young population and expanding technological capabilities, China is a global manufacturing, trade, and technological powerhouse and South Africa provides an important gateway to the African continent. Together, the original five gave BRICS considerable influence in global trade, finance, development, and international diplomacy, while providing a stronger voice for the Global South. Today, BRICS has expanded beyond these five and represents an even larger share of the worlds population and economy. It has created major ties among these nations to enhance cooperation on economic, political, and social issues.This bloc represents 40% of the worlds population and a large portion of global GDP growth. India is a main and founding member of BRICS initiatives. It has hosted BRICS multiple times, and all these summits have been very sensitive and crucial for countrys political and geopolitical growth. India represents the most populous and a rapidly growing nation, advocating for reforms in global governance, greater representation of developing countries, and equitable global economic rules. BRICS holds great significance for India as it provides a stage to engage with other major emerging economies, fostering a better understanding of geopolitical influence. It supports India in key areas such as securing a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, as well as ensuring food, energy, and supply chain security amidst global crises. Furthermore, BRICS help India to shape rules in emerging sectors like artificial intelligence, cyberspace, biotechnology & other allied things. The platform offers India increased diplomatic clout and stronger global partnerships, along with opportunities for enhanced trade and investment with member countries. It also provides support in addressing global economic challenges and regional security issues, while boosting Indias aspirations as a global leader and a reformer of international institutions. Hosting BRICS will change Indias role in the world order, politics, and trade in presence of existing challenges of global governance dominated by Western powers, promoting a multipolar world order. It strengthens South-South cooperation and offers an alternative development sample and enhances Indias strategic autonomy and bargaining power in international trade and diplomacy. Also it encourages diversified trade routes and partnerships, reducing dependency on Western markets. Indias growing influence within BRICS and the Global South contrasts with Pakistans geopolitical alignments, potentially shifting regional power dynamics. BRICS focus on stability and economic cooperation could persuade Pakistan to engage constructively in South Asian issues. Since, India strengthens its position through BRICS, it is likely to impact security and trade relations in the region where it is much needed. Thus, BRICS serves as a vital stage for India to assert its global role, drive reforms in international governance, and build economic and strategic partnerships aligned with its growth and geopolitical goals. The evolution of this grouping could reshape global power structures and significantly influence regional dynamics, including India-Pakistan relations too. It strengthens South-South cooperation and offers an alternative development sample and enhances Indias strategic autonomy and bargaining power in international trade and diplomacy.

Beyond the New Delhi Declaration

The success of Indias BRICS presidency should not be measured merely by the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration. Declarations are important diplomatic instruments, but their real value lies in what they enable beyond the conference hall. For India, the larger dividend of its BRICS leadership lies in diplomacy, security, bilateral engagement, economic opportunities, institutional reform and, importantly, in strengthening its voice in shaping the emerging international order. India assumed the BRICS chair at a particularly turbulent moment. The international system is witnessing geopolitical rivalry, wars, protectionism, sanctions, fragmented supply chains, technological competition and growing dissatisfaction with the existing architecture of global governance. Against this backdrop, New Delhi had the difficult task of keeping an increasingly diverse BRICS together while ensuring that Indias own strategic and developmental interests remained firmly on the agenda. The outcome, therefore, needs to be assessed on a wider canvas than the summit declaration. A significant diplomatic gain One of the most important gains for India is the continuing effort to place terrorism firmly at the centre of the BRICS security agenda. The condemnation of the 22 April 2025 Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu & Kashmir at the BRICS level was particularly significant. India had argued that condemnation of terrorism must be a matter of principle, not diplomatic convenience. The BRICS consensus gave political weight to that position. For New Delhi, this is more than a symbolic statement. Cross-border terrorism affecting Jammu & Kashmir has long been one of Indias central security concerns. India has consistently maintained that terrorism cannot be compartmentalised according to political convenience and that there can be no distinction between good and bad terrorism. The significance of raising the issue in BRICS is that Indias security concerns are thereby located within the larger international struggle against terrorism rather than treated merely as a bilateral India-Pakistan issue. The next step must be practical. BRICS cooperation should produce stronger mechanisms against terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation, safe havens and terrorist networks. India should continue to press for international accountability of those who sponsor, facilitate or finance terrorism. The Pahalgam reference thus represents an important diplomatic gainbut its real value will depend upon whether political condemnation evolves into sustained multilateral action. An institutional legacy Perhaps the most consequential institutional idea associated with Indias presidency is the strengthening of the BRICS Troikathe previous, current and incoming presidencies. BRICS has grown substantially in membership and ambition. Its agenda now covers political and security cooperation, trade, finance, technology, health, agriculture, climate, energy and people-to-people relations. Such expansion makes continuity increasingly important. The annual change of chairmanship can otherwise produce discontinuity. An initiative launched by one presidency may lose momentum under the next. A stronger Troika can preserve institutional memory, coordinate priorities and ensure that important initiatives survive changes in leadership. For India, the strategic advantage is obvious. New Delhis influence need not end when its chairmanship ends. It can continue to participate in the institutional steering process and help ensure that priorities launched under its presidency are carried forward. The proposed use of a digital mechanism to track decisions, responsibilities and implementation can complement the Troika. This could transform BRICS from a largely summit-driven grouping into a more continuous institution. The Troika also has geopolitical significance. An expanded BRICS brings together countries with very different political systems, economic interests and foreign-policy orientations. India and China remain strategic competitors even as dialogue improves; Russia has a distinct relationship with China and the West; Iran and the Gulf countries have complex regional interests. BRICS therefore requires managed diversity, not artificial uniformity. Indias vision of the Troika can help preserve BRICS as a platform for a multipolar and inclusive world rather than allowing it to become an anti-Western bloc. The real success of a presidency is not merely how effectively a country conducts its year in office, but how much of its vision survives after it leaves office. If the Troika becomes an effective continuity mechanism, Indias institutional legacy could extend well beyond 2026. The China dividend The BRICS platform has also provided India with valuable diplomatic space for high-level engagement with China. The meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping is important not because it resolves the complex India-China relationship, but because sustained dialogue is indispensable to managing it. Indias interests require peace and tranquillity along the border, greater economic balance, protection of national-security interests and continued diplomatic communication. China, meanwhile, remains an important economic and geopolitical power whose influence cannot be ignored. BRICS gives both countries a multilateral setting in which engagement can take place without requiring either side to abandon its larger strategic position. For India, the objective should be neither confrontation for its own sake nor premature normalisation. It should be competitive coexistence with safeguards, reciprocity and respect for Indias sovereignty and security interests. Russia and strategic autonomy The Russia dimension is equally important. Indias relationship with Russia has historically rested on strategic trust, defence cooperation, energy, nuclear power and space. In the present geopolitical environment, however, the relationship requires diversification and modernisation. BRICS provides India with an additional platform to broaden the relationship into trade, technology, energy, connectivity and industrial cooperation. At the same time, Indias Russia policy reinforces the larger principle of strategic autonomy. New Delhis relationships with Russia and the United States, Europe, Japan, Australia and other partners demonstrate that India does not view international relations through the prism of exclusive alliances. That autonomy is becoming increasingly valuable in a fragmented world. The Global South dividend The most enduring political gain from Indias BRICS presidency may be the strengthening of its claim to leadership of the Global South. India has repeatedly argued that emerging and developing economies deserve greater representation in institutions such as the United Nations Security Council, the IMF and the World Bank. BRICS provides an important coalition-building platform for that objective. But Indias aspiration should go beyond rhetorical leadership. It should seek practical partnerships in development finance, food and energy security, health, climate resilience, digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, agriculture and capacity-building. Indias advantage is that it can speak simultaneously to the developed world and the developing world. It has relationships with Washington and Moscow, Brussels and Beijing, Tokyo and the Gulf, while retaining strong political and economic links across Africa, Latin America and Asia. This gives New Delhi the possibility of becoming a bridge power in an increasingly divided international system. Rhetoric to economic opportunity Economic cooperation is another major area in which India can secure tangible gains. During its chairmanship, India has promoted greater intra-BRICS trade, services, MSME access to finance, resilient supply chains and diversification of global value chains. The Jaipur Consensus and guiding principles for MSME credit are examples of efforts to move towards practical economic cooperation. The discussion on greater use of national currencies and cross-border payment mechanisms is also important. India should approach this issue pragmatically. BRICS need not create a common currency to reduce transaction costs or improve financial resilience. Interoperable payment systems, local-currency settlement and compatible financial infrastructure could themselves generate significant benefits. Indias experience with digital public infrastructure gives it an opportunity to contribute technologically as well as politically. Technology as the new instrument of influence Indias digital transformation is another under-appreciated BRICS asset. Digital public infrastructure, fintech, artificial intelligence, digital health, agriculture technology and affordable technological solutions can become important instruments of Indias development diplomacy. For many developing countries, the Indian model is attractive precisely because it seeks scale and affordability rather than dependence on expensive infrastructure. If India succeeds in making its digital platforms, standards and institutional expertise useful to BRICS partners, it will gain not only commercial opportunities but also standards-setting power. That is a subtler and potentially more durable form of geopolitical influence. A multilateral summit that multiplies bilateral gains One of the practical advantages of hosting BRICS is that a multilateral summit creates multiple bilateral opportunities. India can use the BRICS network to deepen relations in trade, investment, energy, connectivity, education, technology, tourism and culture with member and partner countries. The significance of these bilateral conversations should not be underestimated. In contemporary diplomacy, multilateral platforms often function as accelerators for bilateral negotiations. A successful presidency therefore produces a multiplier effect: one multilateral platform generates many bilateral conversations and potential partnerships. Legal and institutional diplomacy Indias BRICS presidency has also expanded into less traditional areas of diplomacy, including judicial and legal cooperation. The BRICS Justice Ministers engagement on mediation and arbitration, for example, has sought to strengthen capacity-building, institutional reform and cooperation in alternative dispute resolution. For a rapidly expanding trading and investment relationship among BRICS countries, predictable and efficient dispute-resolution mechanisms can have considerable economic significance. Indias legal institutions, universities and professional bodies can thereby become part of a broader network of Global South institutional cooperation. The strategic message The larger strategic message of Indias BRICS presidency is perhaps best captured in three propositions: India can convene without aligning; lead without dominating; and cooperate without surrendering strategic autonomy. This is particularly important because BRICS itself is not homogeneous. Its members have different political systems, economic models and strategic priorities. Its expansion gives it greater geographical weight but simultaneously makes consensus more difficult. Indias success should therefore not be judged by whether BRICS becomes a counterweight to the West. That would be too narrow and ultimately contrary to Indias interests. New Delhis greater objective should be a more representative, multipolar and inclusive international order, in which BRICS is one important pillar but not an instrument of confrontation. The unfinished task The real test begins after the summit. India must ensure that its BRICS initiatives do not remain confined to declarations, seminars and working groups. The next phase must focus on implementationgreater trade and investment, interoperable payment systems, technology partnerships, resilient supply chains, energy cooperation, development finance and mobility of skilled professionals. Similarly, the commitment to combating terrorism must translate into stronger cooperation against terrorist financing, radicalisation and transnational networks. And the Troika must become more than a ceremonial arrangement. It should be empowered to monitor implementation, preserve institutional memory and carry forward the priorities of successive presidencies. India should also continue using BRICS to build support for reform of the global governance architecture while maintaining constructive relations with the United States, Europe, Japan, Australia and other partners. Beyond the Declaration The New Delhi Declaration is therefore only one measure of Indias BRICS success. The deeper gains lie in the diplomatic space India has created with China and Russia; the reaffirmation of its strategic autonomy; the strengthening of its Global South credentials; the internationalisation of its technological and developmental experience; the opportunity to expand trade and investment; the elevation of terrorismincluding the Pahalgam attack in Jammu & Kashmirwithin the BRICS security discourse; and the possibility of institutionalising continuity through the Power Troika. Indias greatest BRICS dividend may ultimately be neither economic nor diplomatic in isolation. It is the gradual transformation of convening power into agenda-setting power. In a fractured world, countries that can bring competing interests to the same table acquire influence disproportionate to their formal power. India has demonstrated that capacity. The challenge now is to convert it into enduring institutions, measurable outcomes and a sustained voice in shaping the international order. The true success of Indias BRICS presidency will not be what was written in the Declaration at New Delhi, but what the world does with the ideas, partnerships and institutions that India leaves behind. Author is a noted Senior Advocate in the Supreme Court and a geo political analyst.

A cinematic renaissance

I was a college going student in Delhi in 2012 when the Hindi film Jab Tak Hai Jaan had hit the cinema theaters. There was visible excitement in the air among the audiences because it was a Shah Rukh Khan film directed by the legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra. However, what had caught my attention then was that the film had been partly shot in Kashmir because the legendary filmmaker had a deep and undeniable love for the valley. I had not visited Kashmir then and my forays into Kashmir were mostly through books and textual sources and most importantly through the cinematic lens. In that sense, I was visibly excited to see Kashmir come alive on the silver screen time and again. For instance, I can never forget Anushka Sharmas dreamy portrayal of a happy-go-lucky girl serenading along the Dal Lake in Kashmir from the film. The iconic song Jiya Re became the hit that it did back in the day because Kashmirs scenic locales provided a perfect backdrop for it. Another film that I can recall that made me an indelible impression on my mind was filmmaker Vishal Bharadwajs Haider. In my opinion, this film had holistically depicted Kashmir for what it truly was: a paradise lost much like John Miltons masterpiece of the same name. The depiction of the river Jhelum as the river of life and death in the film has remained etched in my mind until today. The film was a visual treat for anybody and everybody. Again, the scenic locales of Kashmir accentuated Shahid Kapoors performance in the film and his soliloquy described the plight of the average Kashmiri like no other film had in the past. Similarly, Alia Bhatts portrayal of a young girl who found her freedom in captivity in the film Highway greatly resonated with me. Her zest for life found expression while she walked around Aru Valley in Kashmir. Much like Imtiaz Alis films, this film redefined the meaning of cinema for me, and enabled me to better understand myself. However, from a cinematic standpoint, the use of the mountainous terrain acted like a metaphor giving the lead protagonist the opportunity to navigate lifes barriers and aim for the top. Salman Khans Bajrangi Bhaijaan too depicted Kashmir as jannat or heaven. The song Bhar do Jholi picturised on the legendary singer Adnan Sami at the Charar-i-Sharif shrine in Kashmir had a transcendental quality attached to it, transporting us to a spiritual reality that we can only aspire to reach in our quotidian existence. Art of Film Appreciation These films are just among the many that have been shot in Kashmirs picturesque valleys in recent years and I have had the privilege of viewing them on the silver screen. These films talk to the audience the way no other platform can. Cinema has a language and vocabulary of its own and the silver screen weaves its own magic every time. While the enduring love for Kashmir has brought filmmakers to Kashmir almost on a routine basis since the 60s and 70s, with films like Junglee (1961), Kashmir ki Kali (1964) and Aradhana (1969) among others being shot in the valley, film making has now inspired a new generation of people like me to study, learn and understand the culture and history of this region. This engagement is likely to benefit Kashmir, especially the local people in several ways. If films are shot in Kashmir, they are likely to become a source of considerable revenue for the state exchequer and the people. Kashmirs portrayal on screen is likely to bridge the gap and make us aware of the realities of the people living in the valley and beyond. Thus, the arrival of filmmakers into the region will come to provide Kashmir with a platform to become a raconteur in its own right and provide its own perspective to a larger audience. Since films bring people together and watching a film is often a richly rewarding collective experience for most, the audience who may have had a clichd understanding of the region may become a muse and may come to assimilate with the local population albeit for a fleeting moment when they may come to engage with specific characters on the screen. If a film is engaging and visually appealing, the spectator could become visibly engrossed with the process of watching the film and the film may become a deeply entrenched part of his identity as well. This is the beauty of cinema as the audience gets transported back in space and time on almost every single occasion. Therefore, the very act of filmmaking enables the translation of vision into action through concerted effort as characters come alive on screen. Putting Kashmir at the Centre of Filmmaking It is now the right time to make Kashmir the protagonist again and bring filmmakers to the valley. Kashmir has recently organised its first international film festival and this is the step in the right direction. The smooth conduct of the film festival transformed Kashmir into a world-class destination for filmmakers and cinema lovers alike. The floating screen on the tranquil waters of the Dal Lake was a win-win in any case for it is distinct and unique. Incidentally, such innovations provide Kashmir with the rare opportunity to demonstrate its own richness and serenity while providing the viewer with a serendipitous experience. However, on a closing note such film festivals should provide more actionable outcomes. Their conduct should lead to the creation of a film ecosystem in Kashmir with film studios and film education institutes coming up in the region. Such film festivals should be organised on a regular basis and this line-of-effort should not remain a one-off event. Such attempts will ensure that Kashmir comes to the foreground in the realm of filmmaking and does not remain relegated to being a pretty backdrop in films. It is possible that a new generation of Kashmiri filmmakers will be born out of this movement and a new cinematic renaissance will have its genesis in Kashmir in the years to come. Author is a political analyst based in New Delhi.

Sand, Stone and the Sustainability Dilemma

Jammu and Kashmir is beginning to face a construction-material crisis at a time when demand for roads, bridges, housing, hospitals, schools, drainage systems and other infrastructure is rising. Restrictions on quarrying operations and curbs on the extraction, lifting and transportation of mining material have created difficulties for ongoing development works. The Government has valid reasons for tightening control over the extraction of sand, gravel, stone and other minor minerals. The regions rivers, mountains and fragile ecosystems cannot be treated as unlimited sources of construction material. Yet the emerging shortage exposes a deeper problem: development needs and natural-resource management have not evolved together. Construction cannot continue without material and mining cannot continue without ecological limits. The challenge is therefore not to choose between development and the environment but to create a system in which both can coexist. What we are witnessing may only be the beginning. If the gap between demand and legally available material widens further, construction costs could rise, government projects could face delays, contractors could come under pressure and transportation costs could increase. Prolonged shortages could also create incentives for illegal extraction. The issue must therefore be seen not as a temporary supply disruption but as a warning about how Jammu and Kashmir plans and sustains its development. There is no question that indiscriminate mining has consequences. Excessive extraction from riverbeds can alter river systems, disturb sediment transport and damage aquatic and riparian ecosystems. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Changes sustainable sand-mining framework recognises these risks and emphasises scientific assessment of extraction and replenishment. This principle should become central to Jammu and Kashmirs mining policy. A blanket approach in which all extraction is either permitted or prohibited is unlikely to work. Some areas may be ecologically unsuitable for mining while others may support controlled extraction if scientific limits are respected. The region therefore needs regulated and transparent mining rather than unrestricted extraction or restrictions that make legitimate material unavailable. The present crisis also reflects how resources were used in the past. For decades, sand, gravel and stone were largely treated as commodities that could be extracted whenever demand increased. The question of how much nature could sustainably provide often received less attention than the immediate need for construction. Development was measured through roads built, buildings completed and projects commissioned but not always by the natural resources consumed to achieve them. Had Jammu and Kashmir adopted a stronger culture of conservation, efficient use and recycling earlier, pressure on natural sources could have been lower. This is not an argument against development. The region needed development and continues to need it. The issue is the model of development. A finite resource cannot be treated as unlimited without eventually creating a crisis. Natural construction material is also ecological capital. Once a river system is seriously disturbed or a quarry is exhausted, replacing that resource is not straightforward. Sustainable development requires us to calculate not only what we need today but what must remain available tomorrow. Environmental protection, economic activity and social wellbeing must therefore be considered together. A practical way forward is to establish clearly identified and scientifically assessed quarrying zones where extraction can take place under strict annual limits, environmental safeguards and continuous monitoring. Riverbed mining should be based on replenishment studies rather than arbitrary estimates. At the same time, Jammu and Kashmir must reduce its dependence on virgin construction material. One of the biggest opportunities lies in construction and demolition waste. Old buildings, damaged structures, road reconstruction and urban redevelopment generate large quantities of concrete, masonry and asphalt that can potentially be processed and reused after meeting engineering standards. Japan provides an important example through its Construction Material Recycling Law, which promotes the sorting and recycling of specified construction materials. The lesson is not that a foreign law can simply be copied but that construction can be treated as a circular system. Material from an old structure need not automatically become waste; it can become a resource for the next structure. Jammu and Kashmir could establish construction-material recycling facilities near major urban centres and require large government projects to examine the use of recycled aggregates wherever technically appropriate. Road projects should similarly assess how much existing material can be reclaimed and reused while excavated material from tunnels, drainage works and other infrastructure projects should be evaluated for possible reuse rather than automatically sent to dumping sites. International experience also shows that construction waste can become an important resource. The European Union has increasingly emphasised the recovery and recycling of construction and demolition waste. Jammu and Kashmir can adopt the same principle on a scale suited to its own needs. Government tenders could require major contractors to submit material-management plans showing the source of aggregates, expected consumption and proposed handling of construction waste. Manufactured sand and other technically suitable alternatives should also receive greater attention where they can safely substitute for naturally occurring river sand. The objective should be to diversify the supply base and reduce dependence on a limited number of natural sources. Such measures would not only reduce pressure on rivers and quarries but could also create new local industries, employment and investment in recycling and material processing. The Government must also improve coordination between development departments and agencies regulating mining. A project should not reach the execution stage before authorities ask where its required construction material will come from. Before major infrastructure projects are tendered, material availability should be assessed alongside land, finance and technical approvals. A regional construction-material dashboard could provide information on legal quarry capacity, available stocks, expected demand and alternative sources. Strategic stockyards for critical public works could help projects withstand temporary supply disruptions if they are tightly regulated to prevent hoarding and artificial price manipulation. The construction industry must also accept responsibility. Contractors, builders and consumers cannot demand unlimited access to natural resources while leaving the environmental consequences entirely to the Government. The sector should minimise material wastage, adopt efficient construction practices and increase recycling wherever technically possible. Government procurement can accelerate this transition by encouraging projects that demonstrate resource efficiency and responsible sourcing. Over time, every major project should have a material footprint just as it has a financial cost. If a building requires a certain quantity of aggregate, planners should ask whether that quantity can be reduced, substituted or partly recovered from recycled material. This would bring sustainable development out of policy documents and into everyday construction. The immediate responsibility, however, remains with the Government. Restrictions may be necessary to protect the environment but restrictions without adequate alternatives can create another problem. If legal material becomes difficult to obtain while demand remains unchanged, prices will rise and illegal mining may become more attractive. The answer is not to abandon environmental restrictions but to build a reliable legal supply system alongside them. Environmentally suitable extraction zones should be identified, scientific assessments completed, legitimate permissions streamlined and monitoring strengthened while alternatives such as recycled aggregates and manufactured sand are developed. Most importantly, resource availability should become part of infrastructure planning from the beginning rather than an issue considered only after a project has been sanctioned. Jammu and Kashmir is therefore at a crossroads. The present shortage may appear to be a problem of quarries, permits and transportation but its implications are much larger. If the response is simply to open more sources and extract more material, todays construction crisis could become tomorrows ecological crisis. If restrictions continue without a dependable legal supply chain, development itself could suffer. Neither extreme is sustainable. Jammu and Kashmir needs a carefully managed construction-material economy based on scientific extraction, strict action against illegal mining, recycling, alternative materials, efficient construction and long-term planning. The crisis now emerging should not be dismissed as a temporary inconvenience. It is an opportunity to correct a development model that has depended too heavily on natures apparent abundance. Judicious use in the past could have eased the pressure we face today. The lesson for the future is clear: Jammu and Kashmir must build, but it must also preserve the natural foundation on which that development depends. Peerzada Mohsin Shafi hails from Anantnag and is an infrastructure columnist

Lets make Srinagar cleaner, greener!

Surrounded by forests and dotted with water bodies, Jammu and Kashmirs summer capital Srinagar was known for fresh air till few years ago. In 2023, Srinagar ranked 4th in a city-wise survey on air quality across the country. In the latest Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2026, Srinagar has obtained 26th rank as per new parameters for measuring air quality. Though it is a matter of concern, it throws a challenge for improving air quality. Srinagar scored 162.6 points while Delhi, which has been topping the countrys worst air quality, has secured the 21st rank with 172 points. The assessment of air quality is based on several parameters including measures to address road dust management, solid waste management, vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, construction waste, demolition waste and other emission sources. Srinagar is grappling with solid waste management of over 600 metric tonnes per day. The problem is compounded by legacy waste of 11 lakh tonnes which has accumulated over decades at Achan landfill site. With rise in temperature, a pungent smell emanating from the landfill site engulfs entire Srinagar and causes air pollution. The National Green Tribunal has passed a slew of directions to ensure scientific garbage disposal at Achan. The J&K Government recently approved a Rs 361-crore 800-TPD Integrated Solid Waste Management project at the site to put in place a mechanism for scientific collection, segregation, processing and disposal capacity. It has been observed that Air quality in Kashmir deteriorates in Autumn and Winter due to temperature inversions and topography. Kashmir is bound by Pir Panjal and Greater Himalayan mountain ranges which lock the valley and prevent air masses from escaping, resulting in a rise in air pollutants. Temperature inversion in Autumn and Winter restricts vertical mixing of air and triggers build-up of haze primarily comprising dust PM10 and PM2.5 and smoke mostly black carbon. The PM2.5 concentration in Srinagars air on January 9, 2023 reached 28.2 g/m, which is 5.6 times over the World Health Organisations air quality values. A byproduct of temperature inversions in Kashmir is a build-up of hazean aerosol mixture composed of fine particles found in smog, smoke, and dust. The trapped aerosols absorb and scatter incoming sunlight, creating a layer of poor visibility. Srinagar is the largest contributor of smog, smoke, and other human-caused aerosols in Kashmir. Rising air pollution levels even caught the attention of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Americas civil space programme and it released a satellite picture of Kashmir Valley shrouded by haze in 2022. Experts have been attributing prevalence of haze and smog to crop burning and temperature inversion phenomenon. As per a study Black carbon in contrasting environments in India: Temporal variability, source apportionment and radiative forcing, air quality is deteriorating fast in ski resort Gulmarg in north Kashmir and Srinagar in central Kashmir due to increased human and mechanical interventions. Black carbon (BC) is a component of particulate matter (PM) in air that is produced by incomplete combustion of carbon-containing materials such as gasoline and coal, as well as biomass or biofuels. It absorbs incoming solar energy making it the second significant contributor to global warming, along with CO2, methane, and volatile organic compounds. As per a study published in Lancet, around 10,000 deaths in J&K annually upto 2019 are attributed to air pollution. Pollutants trapped in smog are harmful for the respiratory system of humans, especially young and old children besides people with underlying diseases. Smog lowers the working of lungs and leads to an increase in respiratory ailments. In the last several years, there has been a spurt in respiratory diseases in Kashmir due to air pollution. A study published in Nature Scientific Reports suggests that air quality in Srinagar deteriorates significantly, particularly during winter, where the level of PM2.5 touches a peak value of 348 g/m against the Indian permissible limit of 60 g/m. The haze, laden with high black carbon and particulates induces irritation of the pulmonary tract resulting in frequent coughing, sneezing especially among children and elders. Pollution from cement factories, macadam plants, brick kilns besides emission from old diesel vehicles and burning of solid waste also contribute to deteriorating air quality. The air of Srinagar was so clean that Britishers set up Chest Diseases Hospital over a hillock Rustam Giri at Dalgate in 1880. The hospital was a sanatorium where Tuberculosis patients were supposed to inhale fresh air as there were no anti- biotics available at time to cure these patients who visited the hospital from different countries. Now the same hospital is filled up with patients from Kashmir mainly to treat respiratory ailments due to rising pollution levels. Though under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), several measures are underway to reduce air pollution in Srinagar, more efforts are needed. Government needs to undertake massive plantations in Srinagar by creating green zones, reducing dust cover, and installing covered garbage bins. There is a need to shift to non-conventional clean energy sources like electric vehicles, and electric hamams, incentivising use of public transport to reduce vehicle emissions. Scientific measures to harness renewable energy must be explored to overcome energy shortages. This will subsequently reduce biomass and coal burning. Awareness programmes should be organised to disseminate information about harmful effects of air pollution due to burning of stable, firewood and garbage. Let the government and stakeholders join hands and take measures to make Srinagar greener and cleaner. Let us and our future generations breathe a fresh lease of air. Author is Executive Editor, Greater Kashmir

Indias BRICS moment

New Delhis turn at hosting the BRICS summit has arrived at an unusually fraught moment, and the joint declaration that emerged from Bharat Mandapam on Saturday reads less like a routine communiqu and more like a document straining to hold together a bloc pulled in several directions at once. Between a war in Ukraine that refuses to end, an Iran conflict that has drawn in the United States and Israel, and simmering hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, the leaders gathered in India had no shortage of crises to address and precious little consensus on how to address them. For India, though, the summit was never only about the text of a shared statement. It was about the delicate art of being everything to everyone. Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his opening remarks to insist that BRICS was not against anyone, a line clearly aimed at Washington and European capitals watching from the sidelines. That reassurance matters, because Indias foreign policy has always protected its strategic autonomy: deepening trade and defense ties with the West while keeping old friendships with Moscow and Tehran intact. Xi Jinpings visit - his first to India in seven years - and his sit-down with Modi carried real symbolic weight, coming five years after a deadly border clash pushed the relationship to its lowest point in decades. That the two sides are now talking about restoring transport links and closing a trade gap that runs past $100 billion is a modest but genuine sign of thaw, even if the underlying military standoff in the Himalayas is far from resolved. The test for India now is whether it can convert this summits talk of the Global South as a rule-shaper into something more durable than a slogan. Multipolarity is an easy word to say at a podium. Building the institutions, currencies, and trust required to make it real is a far longer project - one India has only just begun. That is Indias real advantage at BRICS: a scale large enough to matter to both East and West, and the discipline to use it for peace abroad without losing sight of its interests at home.