Srinagar, Jun 28: In a significant development, the School Education Department (SED) is set to roll out the Annual Transfer Drive (ATD)-2026 for its entire teaching fraternity.

The development marks the third consecutive implementation of the department’s “structured transfer mechanism” after its successful execution in 2023 and 2024.

As part of the exercise, the department has placed the Draft Transfer Policy-2026 in the public domain for a period of 15 days, inviting comments, suggestions and objections from stakeholders and the general public before its final notification.

The draft policy has also been uploaded on the official websites of the School Education Department, ensuring transparency and public participation in policy formulation.

“The proposed policy seeks to establish a transparent, fair and accountable framework for transfers and postings of teachers, masters, lecturers, headmasters, principals, Zonal Education Officers (ZEOs), Chief Education Officers (CEOs) and equivalent officers across Jammu and Kashmir,” reads the draft proposal of the policy.

“It emphasises equitable deployment of staff, particularly in remote and underserved areas, while ensuring uninterrupted academic functioning and prioritising students’ interests.”

According to the draft, transfers will ordinarily be processed through a dedicated Online Transfer Portal, with the annual transfer schedule to be completed before the commencement of each academic session.

The draft however, reads that offline transfers may also be carried out in exceptional administrative circumstances with the approval of the competent authority.

The policy introduces a zonal tenure system by classifying schools into five zones based on accessibility.

“Employees posted in Zones I, II and III will ordinarily serve three years in a school, while those in Zones IV and V will have tenures of two years and one year respectively,” it reads.

“Staff completing service in inaccessible Zone-V areas will receive preference for postings in more accessible locations.”

To address staffing imbalances, the policy provides for the rationalisation and redeployment of surplus staff based on pupil-teacher ratios, enrolment, subject requirements and institutional needs.

It also stipulates that no rationalisation exercise should completely deplete teaching staff from any institution or adversely affect classroom instruction.

The draft identifies five categories of transfers—general, mutual, administrative, compassionate and special rotational transfers as well.

“Compassionate transfers may be considered in cases involving severe medical conditions, benchmark disabilities, widowhood, safety concerns and other humanitarian grounds, subject to documentary verification,” it reads.

Special provisions have also been proposed for government-employed spouses, employees nearing retirement, women employees, single parents, widows, divorcees and persons with benchmark disabilities.

“Employees aged 58 years and above would ordinarily not be posted to the most difficult Zones IV and V, while inter-cadre transfers have been provided for under specified conditions, including marriage and exceptional medical or security grounds.

As per the draft policy, a Transfer Assessment Matrix (TAM), an online point-based merit system has been introduced that assigns weightage for service in difficult areas, age, disability, spouse posting, outstanding academic performance, teacher awards, serious illness, retirement proximity and caregiving responsibilities to determine transfer priority objectively.

The draft further lays down an indicative annual transfer calendar, with publication of vacancies in April, submission of applications in May, publication of merit lists and disposal of representations in June, followed by issuance of transfer orders during June and July.

The policy also proposes a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism at the institutional, district and Union Territory levels to ensure timely disposal of transfer-related complaints, with representations to be ordinarily decided within 15 days.

However, the proposed policy will not apply to Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) and RegularisedRehbar-e-Taleem (RReT) teachers, whose appointments are school-specific, unless separate government orders are issued.

An official said the ATD has been reintroduced after the successful implementation of similar exercises in 2023 and 2024, with the objective of making teacher transfers more transparent, equitable and technology-driven while strengthening accountability in the SED.

Srinagar, Jun 28: Nearly one in every two J&K women living in urban areas now carries excess weight, according to the latest National Family Health Survey – 6 (NFHS-6).
In just five years, the percentage of women who are either overweight or obese has increased by 7 percent, signaling a growing lifestyle health crisis brewing unnoticed.
The survey reported that 48.7 percent of urban women aged 15-49 years have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 kg/m² or above. 
This puts them in the overweight or obese category. 
BMI is a measurement tool that uses a mathematical formula based using a person’s height and weight to estimate total body fat. 
It helps assess potential health risks associated with excess weight.
In rural areas of J&K, although obesity is a rising concern as well, the figures are much lower than urban areas. 
Rural women with excess weight are 33.3 percent of the population. 
The rural-urban combined prevalence among women has climbed to 36.7 percent, according to NFHS-6 data, pertaining to 2023-24 period. 
It was 29.4 percent in the previous NFHS-5 (2019-21).

On a brighter side, excess weight has decreased in men in J&K over the five years. 
NFHS-6 shows 27.1 percent of men aged 15-49 years carry excess weight, a decline from 31.7 percent in NFHS-5. 
However, one in four men in J&K still remains overweight or obese.
The concern extends beyond body weight and body shape.
Prof S M Saleem Khan, faculty and former head Social and Preventive Medicine at GMC Srinagar believes that J&K is transitioning from infectious to lifestyle diseases at an “overly accelerated pace”. 

“Without immediate population-wide interventions focused on diet, exercise, and routine NCD screening, we will face a massive burden of premature morbidity and escalating healthcare costs,” he said.
NFHS-6 has already shown the evidence of this growing burden: 13 percent of women aged 15 years and above in J&K now have blood sugar levels above 140 mg/dl or are taking medication to control diabetes. 
This is a leap from 8.7 percent recorded five years ago.
Among men as well, the prevalence has also risen significantly. 

From 8 percent in NFHS-5 to 11.3 percent in NFHS-6 – more than one in every nine adult men now has high blood sugar.
Corresponding with the average weight, among urban women 14.6 percent have high blood sugar compared with 11.9 percent rural women. 
Among men 14.3 percent in urban areas have high or very high blood sugar, compared to 10.3 percent rural men.
At the other end of this spectrum is under-nutrition: approximately 9.5 percent of both women and men have a BMI below 18.5 kg/m².
This figure is almost double the levels reported in the previous survey.

The figures of under-over weight combined point to a “double burden of malnutrition” in J&K.
Health experts blame changing food habits, declining physical activity, increased dependence on processed foods, longer sedentary hours and rising stress levels for the excess body weight among the population. 
Excess weight is among the strongest risk factors for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke and chronic kidney disease.

Srinagar, June 28: The Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today launched the Directorate of Rural Sanitation’s “Shubham–Shivam” campaign at Baltal base camp. The Lieutenant Governor said the campaign is a massive step to achieve a sustainable, clean and zero-landfill Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra. Along with a slew of eco-innovations, the Lieutenant Governor also unveiled the new website, pilgrimage anthem, logo, and mascot.

“The true backbone of this initiative is our incredible sanitation team. I am grateful for Karmyogi volunteers, whose relentless dedication will keep the base camp and both the tracks clean in the days ahead. They are the real heroes turning our zero-waste vision into reality, preserving the environment and the profound spiritual dignity of the Shri Amarnath Ji pilgrimage,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

He also stated that all the innovative initiatives of Directorate of Rural Sanitation rest on devotion and discipline, and they must be carried out conscientiously and responsibly by every stakeholder. The Lieutenant Governor said that the vision of Shubham–Shivam sends a clear message to every pilgrim, every langar, and every service provider on this journey that preservation of ecology and all its natural resources are a sacred duty.

“A clean, sustainable, zero landfill Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra is a firm declaration that despite the harshest geographical conditions, ensuring cleanliness is our collective responsibility. An outstanding example of this commitment is the “Trayambakam” mobile application. It is a simple, intuitive, and useful tool through which any pilgrim can send a photo of waste or litter at a location and ensure immediate action.

The circular economy initiatives are also highly commendable. The “Swaha” utensil bank, where steel plates and cups are used against a small security deposit, conveys to every pilgrim that convenience and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.

The “Amarnath Seva Cafe” turns waste collection into an act of service and participation. Exchanging collected plastic for tea and snacks is not only a transaction but it signals that true devotion to Baba Barfani manifests through active participation in keeping the pilgrimage clean,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

He also announced the regulatory framework including four way segregation, a complete ban on single use plastic, and prescribed sanitation standards for each langar and camp to lay a strong foundation for environmental protection.

“Directorate of Rural Sanitation’s official logo, featuring Lord Shiva and 34 tridents arranged around him, reminds us that protecting this holy land and its environment is our shared duty. The pilgrimage anthem “Swachhta Dharma Hamara” will surely resonate in pilgrims’ hearts in the same way as Baba’s blessing and the echo of these mountains remain with them long after the journey ends. I extend my best wishes to the thousands of workers who will operate on these difficult routes in the coming days. Let us resolve today that Baba Amarnath’s sacred pilgrimage will be an unparalleled experience for pilgrims from across the country and abroad,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

K.N. Rai, Member, Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board; Nalin Prabhat, DGP J&K; S.J.M.Gillani, Special DG Coordination PHQ; Dr. Mandeep K Bhandari, Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor and CEO Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board; Anshul Garg, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; Rahul Yadav, Managing Director JKPDCL and Nodal Officer for Baltal Axis; V K Birdi, IGP Kashmir; Jatin Kishore, Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal; Anoo Malhotra, DG Rural Sanitation J&K and other senior officials attended the launch ceremony.

Srinagar, June 28: Dr Karan Singh on Sunday visited the revered shrine of Charar-e-Sharief in central Kashmir along with his daughter, Dr Jyotsna Singh, where he offered a chaadar and a donation.

According to the statement, the shrine’s priest prayed for Dr Singh’s health and well-being and recalled that several generations of his family had visited the shrine. The statement quoted Dr Singh as saying that his father had tied a green ribbon at the shrine while praying for the birth of a son and later returned to untie it after his birth.

Dr Singh expressed happiness over the reconstruction of the shrine, which was destroyed in a fire in 1995, leaving only the sacred grave intact.

Talking to reporters, Dr Singh said that the recent visit of Dr Farooq Abdullah to the Kheer Bhawani shrine and his own visit to Charar-e-Sharief reflected Kashmir’s centuries-old tradition of interfaith harmony and coexistence.

Baltal, June 28: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday visited Amarnath Yatra Base camp at Baltal in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district and reviewed the arrangements made for the pilgrimage. At the base camp, the LG interacted with the senior officers of Civil Administration, J&K Police, Central Armed Police Forces and all other stakeholders involved in ensuring best of arrangements for devotees.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a review meeting at the Baltal Base Camp to assess preparations for the upcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra. The meeting focused on security arrangements, infrastructure, healthcare, sanitation, transportation, and other essential facilities to ensure the smooth, safe, and hassle-free conduct of the annual pilgrimage.

“Today I visited Baltal base camp and chaired a meeting to review the preparations for the upcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra. Together with senior officials, I examined the infrastructure, security measures, and overall arrangements to ensure that all preparations are complete. I have instructed all the stakeholder departments to make certain that all amenities are in place and that devotees of Lord Shiva are welcomed into an environment that is safe, comfortable, and well-organized. My priority is that every pilgrim can enjoys the spiritual journey and leave with a truly enriching and fulfilling experience. The sacred Yatra is a moment of faith, and shared joy. I want the arrangements to reflect that spirit, ensuring that Teerth Yatris are well cared for,” LG Manoj Sinha said.

Principal Secretary to the LG, Dr Mandeep Kumar Bhandari; Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat; DG Coordination Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gilani; IGP Kashmir, V K Birdi; DIG CKR, Rajiv Panday; Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg; Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal Jatin Kishore; SSP Ganderbal Sudhanshu Dhama; Director Health Services Kashmir; besides senior officials of civil and police administration were present.

Notably, Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB) and the Jammu and Kashmir Administration has made elaborated arrangements for smooth conduct of Amarnath Yatra including seamless registration, convoy movement, camping facilities, medical facilities, upgrading the tracks, providing power and water supply and mobile phone connectivity.

The annual pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas will commence from July 03.