Srinagar, Feb 12: Over 30 students from Jammu and Kashmir have been suspended from a private university in Rajasthan after they protested against its failure to secure mandatory approvals for a nursing course, a students’ body said on Thursday, seeking Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s intervention.

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association informed said 33 students of Mewar University in Chittorgarh were suspended following a peaceful demonstration against the absence of recognition from the Rajasthan Nursing Council and the Indian Nursing Council for the B.Sc Nursing programme.

More than 50 Kashmiri students are enrolled in the course, which remains unapproved by the statutory bodies, putting their degrees, registration and future employment at risk, the Association said.

“The university had repeatedly assured students that approvals would be obtained. Last year, the Registrar gave a written commitment. No progress has been made,” Nasir Khuehami, National Convenor of the Association said.

He said that instead of addressing the students’ concerns, the administration resorted to punitive action. “Suspending students for a peaceful protest is aimed at silencing dissent. Running a professional course without statutory approvals is a serious regulatory failure.”

The Association has urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take up the matter with the Rajasthan government. It has also appealed to Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma to intervene and ensure that either approvals are secured or students are transferred to a recognised institution without academic loss. (KNS)

Srinagar, Feb 12: CPI(M) MLA from Kulgam, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, on Thursday said that Kashmiri Pandit employees deployed with the Assembly should be granted a holiday in view of Mahashivratri.

“The employees posted at the Assembly have to work round the clock. They should be given a holiday on Monday in view of Shivratri,” Tarigami said.

Meanwhile, MLA Eidgah Mubarak Gul also urged the government to make all necessary arrangements in Pandit colonies.

He also demanded the release of their relief on the occasion of Shivratri.

Srinagar, Feb 12: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Thursday clarified that regulation of websites, digital platforms and online news channels does not fall within the mandate of the Information Department, even as it disclosed that 28 rebuttals against fake news and misinformation have been issued since April 2025.

Replying to a written question by MLA Sh. R.S. Pathania the government informed the House that the Directorate of Information & Public Relations (DIPR) has established a dedicated Media Monitoring Cell to track fake or misleading news on a real-time basis.

The department said that whenever fake or misleading content is detected, rebuttals or fact-check clarifications are issued through official press releases and the social media handles of the DIPR.

However, it categorically stated that regulation of websites, digital platforms, including online news channels and Fact Check Units (FCUs), is not under the purview of the Information Department.

“As many as 28 rebuttals regarding fake news/misinformation have been issued by the DIPR from 1st April 2025 to 31st January 2026. Twenty were issued through press releases and eight through official social media handles,” the reply said.

The government further informed that all departments have designated Nodal Officers to monitor department-specific fake news and upload details on a dedicated portal for coordinated response.

It also clarified that the imposition of fines on organizations or individuals found spreading fake news does not come under the mandate of the Information Department.

The House was told that the department neither recognizes nor authorizes any private Fact Checking Unit and does not verify or grade private FCUs before granting any authorization.

In view of the growing influence of new and social media platforms, the government said that suitable provisions have been proposed in the Draft New Media Policy-2026 to create a regulatory framework covering new and social media along with print media.

The draft policy is currently under inter-departmental consultation for finalization.

On cyber security preparedness, the government stated that comprehensive and multi-layered measures have been undertaken based on inputs from the Information Technology Department.

Mandatory security audits have been conducted for websites and web applications hosted on the State Data Centre and NIC Mini Data Centre, while redundant websites have been decommissioned or DNS de-mapped.

Cyber security governance has been institutionalised through monthly review meetings chaired by the Chief Secretary, formation of an Information Security Steering Committee under the Secretary, IT Department, and nomination of Internal Security Officers and Technical Experts across departments and districts.

The government further informed that Cyber Crisis Management Plans have been prepared by all departments and regular capacity-building initiatives, cyber drills, awareness programmes and mandatory courses on the iGOT platform are being conducted across the Union Territory.

The e-Security Assessment and Management (eSAM) portal has also been launched to strengthen monitoring and inventory management of cyber assets, the reply added. (KNC)

Srinagar, Feb 12: Stressing that the regularisation of daily wagers is a humanitarian concern, Bhartiya Janta Party MLA Sham Lal Sharma on Thursday said the government must stand by its commitments and provide a clear roadmap for addressing their long-pending issues.

Speaking to reporters, Sharma said that regularisation of daily wagers is a human issue and a necessary step, adding that everyone heard the Chief Minister on the floor of the House stating that preparing a manifesto was a mistake and that he would not prepare one again.

He, however, said that manifestos are prepared by every political party during elections and serve as a sankalp patra, a document of commitment to the people. “A manifesto reflects the promises made to the public, and those commitments should be respected,” he said.

Sharma further stated that even apart from the manifesto, the concerned minister had committed to clearing the pending wages of daily wagers and assured that they would be regularised. “It was said that the process would be carried out in a phased manner, but there is no certain or clear answer yet,” he added.

Expressing solidarity with the daily wagers, Sharma said they are helpless and uncertain about their future. “We stand shoulder to shoulder with them and will continue to support their genuine demands,” he said. (KNC)

Srinagar, Feb 11: Jammu and Kashmir has recorded more than a 50% deficit in winter precipitation for the second consecutive year, with the shortfall more acute in the Kashmir Valley, the government informed the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.

Replying to a question by National Conference MLA SajadShaheen, the government cited India Meteorological Department (IMD) data showing that the Union Territory received 50.11% less precipitation than normal between October 2024 and February 2025.

The deficit deepened the following winter, with precipitation during October 2025 to February 2026 falling 54.33% below normal.

“The government is continuously monitoring the precipitation in the form of snow and rain in the catchment areas of Jammu and Kashmir and some concerns on its adequacy are being observed,” the government reply said, adding that the deficit has been “more acute in the Kashmir division.”

Winter snowfall is critical to the region’s water cycle as it replenishes rivers and reservoirs that sustain the drinking water supply, irrigation and hydropower generation during summer.

The government acknowledged that reduced snowfall “significantly impacts hydropower generation by resulting in lower water inflow.”

Outlining mitigation measures, Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs Javed Ahmad Rana said the Agriculture Production Department is adopting “long-term policy interventions and climate-resilient strategies to address recurring snow-deficit winters.”

These include expansion of micro-irrigation systems, promotion of water conservation, diversification toward less water-intensive crops and preparation of district-level crop contingency plans under schemes such as the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP).

“In anticipation of water stress, the Jal Shakti Department has initiated contingency measures for 2026–27, including deployment of water tankers in shortage-prone areas, regulated distribution, strengthening of lift water supply schemes and reinforcement of diversion bunds and intake structures to tap minimal water levels,” the minister said.

He added that the department is prioritising water-scarce zones, upgrading infrastructure, intensifying leakage control and setting up district-level control rooms to ensure “judicious use of water.”

For irrigation, authorities are implementing an irrigation scheduling calendar, carrying out desilting works and enforcing “warabandi” to ensure equitable water distribution among farmers.

On the power front, the government admitted that the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation (JKPDC) has not developed any specific action plan in response to snow-deficit assessments.

However, it said the corporation has initiated an Early Warning System for vulnerable hydropower projects and is preparing a Disaster Management Plan for the Baglihar Hydroelectric Project.

On long-term climate response, the government said the revised State Action Plan on Climate Change is at an advanced draft stage, proposing 20 adaptation strategies in agriculture and 15 in the water sector. “The Forest Department has planted over 2.21 crore saplings in the past two years,” the House was told.

The IMD is also set to strengthen forecasting infrastructure in the Union Territory with plans for four new Doppler weather radars and 34 additional automatic weather stations and snow gauges in remote districts.