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United News of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
J&K Cabinet sends sub-committee draft on reservation policy to law department
Srinagar, June 18 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet has sent the draft of its sub-committee on rationalisation of the reservation policy to the law department, government sources said today. The Cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here. While there is no official word from the J & K government about the decisions of the Cabinet, government sources said the report of the sub-committee was presented before the Cabinet which sent it to the law department for legal opinion. 'The report will be examined by the law department first,' the sources said. The three-member sub-committee to review the policy, comprised education minister Sakina Itoo, forest minister Javed Ahmad Rana, and science and technology minister Satish Sharma submitted their report to the government earlier this month. The amended reservation policy that was introduced last year in March by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had met with protests by the Open Merit candidates, who claimed that despite being 70% of the UT's population, they got less than 30% of the share in government jobs and scholarships. The Lieutenant Governor amended the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004 which enhanced reservation from 43% to 70% in government jobs. The jump was because the ST status was given to the Pahari community. Later J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah formed the sub-committee to examine the contentious policy. The committee formed in December last year was given six months time. UNI MJR SSP
The Print
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
National Conference's promise is ‘hanging by a thread': PDP intensifies attack on reserve issue
Highlighting that lieutenant governor administration's 2023 amendment raised quotas to 70 per cent and slashed the open merit share to just 30 per cent, the opposition party said it is a move that the National Conference leaders once vowed to challenge, but now seem increasingly unsure how to make headway. The PDP in its monthly newsletter 'Speak Up' said that Jammu and Kashmir has been for months consumed by one of the most explosive policy battles in recent memory: the radical overhaul of reservation. Srinagar, Jun 17 (PTI) The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday cornered the National Conference government on the issue of reservation in Jammu and Kashmir and said intervening decisively on the matter is a test for the ruling party as its promise of dignity, fairness and local empowerment is 'hanging by a thread'. The PDP said the fallout of the change has been swift as from gateway exams to job notifications, the streets and social media is 'filled with frustration'. 'Civil service aspirants, student groups and community leaders across the Valley say the system is rigged, favoring some groups while ignoring others entirely. Official data tells the story: Kashmir received just 14.7 per cent of ST certificates, while Jammu got 85.3 per cent,' the PDP's newsletter said. Escalating its attack, the PDP said the National Conference leaders scrambled to respond caught in this backlash. Referring to Srinagar Lok Sabha MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, the opposition party said, 'One of their MPs even joined student protests, breaking with the party's usual caution.' The PDP said the government formed a Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by Education and Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo and promised remedies, but the same department told the high court to dismiss the public interest petition challenging the imbalance. 'Today, a six-month policy review report sits on Omar Abdullah's desk, but it has yet to see the light of day,' the newsletter added. The PDP said the 'vacuum' is now being filled by voices like the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), whose newly released 15-point proposal calls for a caste-based socio-economic census, restoration of a 60:40 merit-quota ratio, clearer EWS rules and sub-categorization within reserved groups. 'Open Merit candidates preparing for NEET-PG and JKCCE warn that this is more than a quota issue. It is a social fault line, and one that could deepen if ignored,' the newsletter said. The PDP has always stood firm on a simple principle: justice must be rooted in equality, where merit is not sacrificed at the altar of identity, it said. The PDP said the arbitrary expansion of reservation has turned competitive exams into a numbers game, pushing open-category youth to the wall. When policy rewards identity over individual effort, it does not uplift the marginalized. It divides communities and breeds resentment, the party added. The PDP said the National Conference 'came to power promising dignity, fairness and local empowerment'. 'Today, that promise is hanging by a thread. Mixed signals in court, opaque policy reviews, and prolonged silence from leadership are fueling a dangerous cynicism…If the party fails to intervene decisively, it risks being remembered not for reform but for regression,' the opposition party added. The PDP said this is no longer just a policy debate, it is a test of leadership. And in that test, the youth of Kashmir are watching closely, the newsletter said. PTI SSB AS AS This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
Kashmir school timings changed as mercury rises
Owing to an early heatwave in Kashmir, the education authorities on Thursday announced a change in the school timings across the Himalayan valley, to be implemented from Monday. The schools falling under Srinagar municipal limits will function from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm instead of 9 am. The other schools across Kashmir will function from 9 am to 3 pm instead of 9:30 am. The announcement came after education minister Sakina Itoo urged the school education authorities to change the timings and avoid morning assemblies under direct sunlight. 'I have received calls from parents that kids feel dizzy during morning assemblies. We need to take care of children's health,' she told the media. Kashmir has been experiencing heatwave since Sunday as the temperature in Srinagar has reached 32° Celsius, some 7° above normal. On Wednesday, the day temperatures were recorded 6-8° above normal with the gateway into south Kashmir at Qazigund witnessing the highest of 33.2° Celsius, some 8.6° above normal. On Thursday, the Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) issued an order for new timings for schools across Kashmir. The school timings in Kashmir usually change from June.
Hindustan Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Schools, colleges to open tomorrow in Jammu and Kashmir
As life has returned to normal following the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, education minister Sakina Itoo said all educational institutions, except those in border areas, will open in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. 'All schools and colleges will reopen from tomorrow in non-border districts of Jammu as well as Kashmir,' she said on Monday. In border areas, police are busy clearing the unexploded shells, village after village and have cautioned people against returning home till the dangerous munitions are cleared. The educational institutions had closed from 9 May as the situation deteriorated amid escalating India-Pakistan conflict involving drones, missiles and long-range weapons. On 7 May, India had targeted terror infrastructure at nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Pakistan used heavy artillery to target villages in border areas. The authorities had closed all schools, colleges and universities as a precautionary measure. All the examinations to be conducted by universities were also postponed.
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Business Standard
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Operation Sindoor LIVE updates: Rajnath Singh reviews security situation with CDS, 3 service chiefs
On Thursday, a blackout was enforced in several districts of Punjab, including Pathankot, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Mohali, and Chandigarh. Catch all the latest updates here New Delhi The Chandigarh administration activated an air raid siren on Friday morning, urging residents to stay indoors. 'An air warning has been received from the air force station of a possible attack. Sirens are being sounded. All are advised to remain indoors and away from balconies,' an officia statement issued by the Chandigarh administration said. Missile strike intercepted by Indian air defence in Jammu On Thursday evening, Pakistan launched eight missiles targeting Satwari, Samba, RS Pura, and Arnia in Jammu and Kashmir, all of which were intercepted by Indian air defence systems, according to defence sources. Drone activity reported over Jammu, Pathankot, Jaisalmer Indian forces also detected Pakistani drones and munitions over Jammu city, Pathankot, and Jaisalmer, with air defence and counter-drone systems actively engaging the threats. Defence sources liken attack tactics to Hamas-style rocket assault Defence sources likened the situation in Jammu to Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which featured 'multiple cheap rockets', and assessed that the Pakistan Army was acting in a similar manner to Hamas — a group designated as a terrorist organisation by several countries. Operation Sindoor was India's response to Pahalgam terror attack India had launched Operation Sindoor in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, including one Nepali national, in Baisaran Valley. In the aftermath, diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan were downgraded, leading to rising tensions. Following another attack on May 7, Pakistan responded with intense artillery shelling along the Line of Control (LoC), particularly in border regions of Jammu and Kashmir, causing the deaths of 16 civilians. Schools closed in border states amid security concerns Schools and colleges in border states like Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan will remain closed for the coming few days in view of the escalating military tensions with Pakistan. All schools, colleges, and universities in the Union Territory will remain closed for two days as a precautionary measure. 'All schools, colleges and universities in Jammu and Kashmir will remain closed for two days on Friday and Saturday,' PTI quoted UT Education Minister Sakina Itoo as saying. 1:22 PM We welcome govt's commitment to safeguarding national security: CII "CII extends its unequivocal support to the government and Indian Armed Forces for the decisive and strategic execution of Operation Sindoor. This mission underscores India's unwavering commitment to national security and sends a strong message that acts of terror will not be tolerated at any cost but will be met with resolute countermeasures," CII President Sanjiv Puri said. "India's response to the reprehensible terrorist attack at Pahalgam is a reminder that India will protect its sovereignty, and security of its 1.4 billion citizens," Puri added. 1:06 PM Rajnath Singh reviews security situation with CDS, 3 service chiefs The meeting was attended by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi. India last night neutralised Pakistan military's attempt to hit military stations in Jammu, Pathankot, Udhampur and some other locations with missiles and drones. 12:39 PM Air raid siren testing to be carried out in Delhi's ITO The civil defence directorate will carry out testing of an air raid siren installed atop the multistorey Public Works Department building in ITO on Friday afternoon, according to an official statement. The testing will begin at 3 pm and will be carried out for a period of 15-20 minutes, it said. 12:19 PM Centre debunks Pak's claim of attack on Jalandhar post The government on Friday dismissed claims a drone attack in Punjab's Jalandhar by certain social media handles as "fake news". The Press Information Bureau's (PIB) Fact Check Unit foundthe video claiming to be that of a drone attack in Jalandhar pertained to a farm fire. 11:46 AM BSF foils infiltration bid, kills seven terrorists in Jammu The Border Security Force on Friday said it has killed seven terrorists who were trying to infiltrate from across the India-Pakistan International Border in Jammu, and also destroyed a Rangers post. The infiltration bid was supported by fire from Pakistan Rangers post Dhandhar, a BSF spokesperson said. 11:33 AM 'Pakistan will pay for its sins': J-K Cong slams Pakistan for targeting Jammu The Jammu and Kashmir Congress on Friday hit out at Pakistan for targeting Jammu and other areas in the region with missiles and drones on Thursday night, saying the neighbouring country 'will have to pay for its sins'. Ravinder Sharma, the chief spokesperson of the J-K Pradesh Congress Committee, said that the party strongly condemns Pakistan's escalatory actions in Jammu city and other areas the previous night. 11:26 AM Air siren sounded in Chandigarh, residents advised to stay indoors The Chandigarh administration on Friday sounded a fresh air raid siren, appealing to people to remain indoors. 'An air warning has been received from the air force station of a possible attack. Sirens are being sounded. All are advised to remain indoors and stay away from balconies,' an official statement issued by the Chandigarh administration said.
