Author: Web Desk

On paper, the theme of this year’s World Health Day—“Together for Health: Stand with Science”—sounds both timely and inspiring. It calls for unity, evidence-based action, and a collective commitment to improving global well-being. But on the ground, especially in regions like Kashmir, these ideal raises an uncomfortable question: Are we truly standing with science, or merely invoking it when convenient? Dr. Fiaz Maqbool Fazili A routine day in one of our major hospitals offers a telling glimpse. Overcrowded corridors, anxious families moving from one department to another, repeated investigations, unclear communication, and overburdened staff trying to manage more than the system was ever…

Ayub Javaid The political landscape of Pulwama is a fascinating study of transition, resilience, and transformation. From the foundational governance of veteran political giants to the aspirations of a new digital-age generation, this constituency has evolved through decades of regional turbulence, shifting loyalties, and renewed hope. At the heart of this sweeping historical narrative lies a legacy that stretches from the visionary, early development-focused era of the late KhawajaSonaullah Dar to the newly elected young leader, Waheed ur Rehman Parra, who now carries the massive weight of public expectation. To understand Pulwama’s present, one must trace its journey back to…

A Critical Analysis of the Supreme Court’s Landmark Judgment decided recently by Hon’ble Supreme Court of India on 18-05-2026 in a case titled as Syed Iftikhar Andrabi v/s National Investigation Agency, Jammu (2026 INSC 503) Advocate Syed Shabir Bukhari  “The history of liberty is the history of procedural safeguards.” Felix Frankfurter The Supreme Court of India, in its recent landmark judgment Syed Iftikhar Andrabi v. National Investigation Agency, Jammu (2026 INSC 503), has once again reaffirmed one of the most cherished principles of constitutional democracy: “Bail is the Rule, Jail is the Exception.” At a time when prolonged incarcerations, delayed trials, and stringent anti-terror legislations often overshadow the fundamental rights of individuals, the judgment serves…

Dr Noour Ali Zehgeer For some time now, a growing concern has been echoing in cities and villages across the country—the rising prices of petrol and diesel. This concern isn’t limited to motorists; it impacts every citizen who consumes everyday goods and services. When petrol becomes more expensive, the impact goes beyond just the petrol pump; it reaches transportation, food, construction materials, agricultural costs, and household budgets. Therefore, it’s not enough to consider the rise in petrol prices merely an economic phenomenon. It’s also a social, political, and policy issue, involving the government, the market, and citizens. In a developing…

The answer does not lie in cutting down trees indiscriminately, nor in ignoring the suffering of vulnerable citizens. The solution lies in evidence based environmental governance that protects human health while preserving ecological stability for future generations. Dr Muslim Ahmad Shah  (Indian Institute of Forest Management, Ministry Of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Govt. of India.)  [evsmuslim@gmail.com] Every year, as white cotton like fluff begins floating through the air from trees such as the Russian Olive and similar cotton producing species, public anxiety rises sharply. Streets, parks, rooftops and even homes become covered with drifting fibers, while many people complain of sneezing,…

Understanding Kashmir’s Environment and Its Growing Threats Dr Touseef Ahmed SPOC ESRAG Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group For centuries, Kashmir has been celebrated as a terrestrial paradise—a land of shimmering lakes, lush meadows, snow-capped peaks, and dense coniferous forests. The very identity of Kashmir is intertwined with its natural environment. However, this fragile ecosystem is under siege. A combination of climate change, unplanned urbanization, and resource mismanagement is pushing the region toward an ecological tipping point. The Environmental Tapestry of Kashmir The Kashmir Valley, nestled in the western Himalayas, hosts a remarkable diversity of ecosystems. The Dal and Wular lakes…

Founder of Human Rights movement, pioneer of workers movement and trade unions in Jammu & Kashmir, Hridai Nath Wanchoo was a social activist who selflessly worked for the downtrodden. He would do documentation on his old Remington typewriter for nights together sipping tea and discussing Kashmir. He suffered from severe joint pains in hands and legs, which would get intense in winter but this would not stop his passion for helping sufferers. Jazim Bazaz Hridai Nath Wanchoo was born in a family of academicians and technocrats on 24th May 1925 at Maliyar, Habba Kadal, Srinagar. His father Keshav Nath Wanchoo was…

He was a man whose heart knew no divisions, whose words spread harmony, whose actions reflected compassion. He was a soul devoted to peace. Zahoor Zahid It was an unusually cold evening. Uncertainty hung in the air like a shadow. Black clouds covered the sky, and an unexplainable unease gripped my heart. I had never imagined that a storm of such terrible magnitude was about to descend upon us, a storm that would shake our very consciousness. Then came the news of the cold-blooded assassination of Lassa Koul in Srinagar. I could not believe what I had heard. Without wasting a moment,…

“Kashmir is reduced to statistics. It becomes a number in discussions about normalcy and peace, and a number in discussions about violence.Once you become a number for an officer or a government, your human value disappears. You become either a body bag or a prisoner number.” From the paddy fields of Naira in Pulwama to the corridors of power and international platforms such as the Climate Conference in Paris, his journey has been anything but ordinary. Beginning as a journalist, evolving into an activist, and eventually earning a place in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, he has steered challenges, controversies, and even…

It’s an underground market operating clandestinely where trading/investing of shares and commodities available at BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) & NSE (National Stock Exchange) is done without actually buying or selling these products. Sajjad Bazaz Let me share a local (Kashmiri) investor’s ordeal. He is an ardent investor in the stock market and has multiple stocks in his investment portfolio. During his over a decade of experience in the stock market investment, he learned the art of calculating risks in the market and would always try his level best to hedge his investment against any unforeseen eventuality. His associates in the…