Author: Web Desk

Inside Jammu & Kashmir’s Reservation Crisis For thousands of aspirants studying late into the night across the Valley and beyond, one question lingers, What remains of open merit if it is reduced to a statistic? For now, the answer remains unsettled, suspended between legislative intent and lived reality.

A New Blueprint for Jammu & Kashmir The recent three-day visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Jammu & Kashmir (February 5–7, 2026) signals more than just a routine security audit; it is a calculated pivot toward “saturation development” and economic integration. For a region that has gone through decades of strife, the Home Minister’s focus on infrastructure, hydropower, and digital connectivity suggests that the Centre is now betting on economic prosperity as the ultimate antidote to instability. During his visit, the Home Minister made it clear that J&K is no longer just a peripheral concern but a national…

These foundational principles – Economy, Ecology, and Equity – are not merely aspirational, but serve as the guiding framework for policy formulation and implementation. While notable progress has been achieved across sectors, the Government remains conscious of the need for sustained and focused efforts to ensure balanced, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable development. Manoj Sinha Lieutenant Governor, Jammu & Kashmir The economy has demonstrated encouraging momentum in recent years. The Union Territory is presently recording an annual nominal growth rate of around 11 percent (2024-25). GST revenue collection has shown steady growth from Rs. 8064 Cr. in 2023-24 to Rs. 8586…

Court Orders Appearance of 3 NRIs in 2020 CIK Case Advocate Syed Shabir Bukhari In a case registered more than four years ago, the Court of the Additional Sessions Judge (TADA/POTA), Special Judge designated under the NIA Act at Srinagar, has issued proclamation orders under Section 82 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) against Mubeen Ahmad Shah of Buchwara Srinagar, Aziz-ul-Hassan Ashai alias Tony Ashai of Jawahar Nagar Srinagar, and Rifat Wani of Trehgam Kupwara, after observing that the accused have remained unavailable to face investigation and trial proceedings. The case pertains to FIR No. 07/2020, registered on 9 September…

Mir Sarwar: An Ambassador of Kashmiri Talent in Indian Cinema Hailing from a historical place in Srinagar, Pandrethan, which has its connection to Lal Ded, Habba Khatoon and Mehjoor, Mir Sarwar, a Kashmiri born actor, has successfully scripted (and continues to script) his career in Indian cinema as an actor, director and producer. Known for his powerful performances in the films like Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) , Dishoom (2016) , Jolly LLB 2 (2017), Mir Sarwar is among the Kashmiri pool of talent who have set an example outside their home State of Jammu and Kashmir. He has turned heads through…

The infrastructure is in place. Digitisation has expanded, modern technology is readily available, but the people who actually conceive, shape, and produce programmes are missing. Zahoor Zahid A.S. Bokhari (Ahmed Shah Bokhari), popularly known by his pen name Patras Bokhari, was the first Indian Director General of All India Radio (AIR). He led the organization during a critically important six-year period from 1941 to 1947, which included the years of the Second World War and the transition toward Independence. He succeeded Lionel Fielden and played a decisive role in consolidating and indigenizing the broadcasting system in India. While Lionel Fielden…

“End all debates and decide things purely on a scientific basis. And apply remedy on a scientific basis.” Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference MLA Sajjad Lone has been very vocal against the reservation policy. The current reservation policy is being used as a tool to exclude Kashmiri-speaking population from power structure and reorder the social supremacy in the Union Territory (UT), he said. “Attempts are being made to change the social supremacy by disempowerment. It looks like reordering through the current reservation policy. After 20 years, very few Kashmiri-speaking people will be seen in the Secretariat of J&K,” the JKPC…

Kashmiri Pandits are an integral part of Kashmiri society and they are ambassadors of Kashmir wherever they are settled. Sajjad Bazaz Every year in the month of January, social media relives one of the darkest happenings in the history of Kashmir that took place on January 19, 1990. This was the fateful day when we witnessed mass migration of the Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) from the Kashmir Valley. With the onset of militancy in 1988 and gaining momentum by the end of 1989, the then state government collapsed and Governor’s rule was imposed. On January 19, 1990, a quarter of a…

Dr. Upendra Kaul Persecution of Kashmiri Pandit (KP) community is not a story of the early nineties. Dr. Upendra Kaul, popularly known as U Kaul, who himself is a Kashmiri Pandit, traces the community’s history back to the first human settlements in the Valley over 4,000 years ago. Quoting historical evidence he has come across, Dr. Kaul says Kashmiri Pandits are Saraswat Brahmins, one of the oldest ethnic groups of the Indian subcontinent. Even as he is a medical doctor by profession, Dr. Kaul’s love for his historical roots can be traced from his regular columns appearing in cross sections…

Is Silence on Lead Toxicity a Slow Suicide for the Next Generation? Umair Ashraf Walk into any hospital ward in Kashmir today. The first thing you notice is the cleanliness–the smooth, glossy, freshly painted walls that reflect a sense of hygiene. It’s the same in our schools, with their vibrant yellow buses and brightly painted desks. Even in maternity wards, where newborns take their very first breath, the environment feels sterile and safe. But there is a dark irony here: that very “shine” we associate with safety might be the very thing quietening the potential of the next generation. This…