Jammu, Mar 6: An officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Jammu, Squadron Leader Neha Devi’s journey is one of discipline, motherhood and belief beyond limits.

“Neha Devi joined the Air Force Academy in July 2013, nearly 10 kilograms overweight. Within a year, through relentless effort, she transformed herself and was commissioned in June 2014 – fitter, stronger, sharper,” said PRO Defence Jammu Lt Col Suneel Bartwal.

By 2017, structured running and strength training became part of her identity. Even during COVID, when organised training paused, she adapted with home workouts and remained consistent.

In 2021, she ran her first Airtel Delhi half marathon (virtual edition) and secured third position in her age category, continuing to feature among top finishers in the years that followed.

In 2023, she finished 6th overall in Station Cross Country (10 km) and third overall in the Station Unity Run (21 km), being the only female participant in both events.

In January 2024, she became pregnant. “What motivated her deeply was the realisation that many women hesitate to strength train or exercise during pregnancy due to fear or social conditioning. She wanted to change that narrative,” Pro Defence Jammu stated.

Under medical supervision, she continued controlled workouts. At four months pregnant, she secured 2nd position in the TCS 10K (virtual). In September 2024, she delivered a healthy baby girl via C-section.

Recovery, PRO Defence Jammu said, was slow and painful – walk to jog, jog to run. But her mission was clear: motherhood should not limit a woman’s potential.

“While breastfeeding her daughter – exclusively for six months and continuing thereafter she made it a daily commitment to dedicate 40-60 minutes to gym sessions or home workouts. Balancing night feeds, official duties and recovery, she rebuilt herself patiently,” PRO Defence Jammu said.

Within 15 months postpartum – completely self-trained, she achieved half marathon (VDHM 2025) – 1hour 35 minutes; Kashmir Marathon 2025 1 hour 40 minutes (securing 8th position overall in female category including international athletes); full marathon (Adani Marathon 2025) – third in Defence category (3-hour 42 minutes); 100 km ultramarathon – 9-hour 52 minutes.

On January 24, 2026, at the 24-hour stadium run in New Delhi, she completed her first 100 km in 9 hours 52 minutes – missing national qualification by just 22 minutes. Within days, she competed in the Indian Navy half marathon on February 2, 2026, where she secured first among the three Services and finished 4th overall in the Women’s Open category clocking 1 hour 32 minutes, 50 seconds missing the podium by just 43 seconds.

“Missing the national mark by 22 minutes is not a setback, it is a signal. With structured training, scientific support, and professional coaching, we may soon see her wearing the tricolour and representing India on the international stage,” said Lt Col Bartwal.

“Today, beyond being an officer, athlete, and mother, she serves as an ambassador of youth and women in Jammu, inspiring young girls to train, to believe, and to break stereotypes. Motherhood does not limit potential, it multiplies it,” PRO Defence Jammu said.

Jammu, Mar 6: Strengthening passenger amenities in the Jammu Division, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Jammu Vivek Kumar Friday, inaugurated a newly constructed escalator between Platforms 2 and 3 at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Railway Station.

Senior divisional officers and railway employees were present on the occasion.

The newly installed escalator, as per a statement issued, is expected to greatly facilitate the movement of thousands of passengers and pilgrims who visit the station daily, particularly the elderly, differently-abled persons, women and children.

The facility will make it easier for passengers to move between platforms, especially those travelling with heavy luggage.

Katra Railway Station witnesses a large influx of devotees throughout the year who travel to pay obeisance at the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi.

With the addition of this escalator, passengers will experience improved convenience and reduced physical strain while navigating the busy station premises. Officials said the escalator will also help in better crowd management on the platforms and save valuable time for passengers during train arrivals and departures.

After the inauguration, the Divisional Railway Manager conducted a detailed inspection of the station premises and reviewed various passenger facilities.

He issued directions to the concerned officials to maintain high standards of cleanliness and continue efforts to further improve amenities for travellers.

Speaking on the occasion, DRM Vivek Kumar said that providing world-class facilities to passengers remains the top priority of Indian Railways.

“The installation of this escalator at Katra Railway Station will make the travel experience of pilgrims undertaking the Vaishno Devi Yatra more comfortable and convenient,” he said.

Railway authorities reiterated their commitment to continuously upgrade infrastructure and passenger facilities to ensure a smooth and pleasant journey for devotees and other passengers visiting the important pilgrimage destination.

Jammu, Mar 06: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo today chaired a meeting to review the district-wise performance of Mission YUVA across Jammu and Kashmir, assessing progress on key parameters of Culture, Capital, Capacity and Connectivity aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and employment generation among the youth.

The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism; Vice Chancellors of Universities; Director, IIM Jammu; Commissioner Secretary, Planning; Secretary, Labour & Employment; DG, Codes; Managing Director, JKRLM; Director, Employment; Director, Colleges; Convenor, UTLBC and other concerned officers.

Deputy Commissioners participated in the meeting through video conferencing from their respective districts.

The meeting reviewed the status of awareness initiatives under Udyam Jagriti 4.0, establishment of institutional mechanisms including Project Management Units (PMUs), Small Business Development Units (SBDUs), Business Help Desks (BHDs) and engagement of Motivators and Yuva Doots. Progress regarding application processing, loan sanctioning, enterprise incubation and ecosystem development under the Mission was also assessed.

Taking note of the progress achieved so far, the Chief Secretary impressed upon the Deputy Commissioners to take earnest steps towards completing the institutional framework in their districts. He directed them to ensure that SBDUs and BHDs become fully functional at the earliest and that Motivators and Yuva Doots are onboarded in a time-bound manner to ensure effective implementation of the Mission across the Union Territory.

Emphasising the need to expand outreach, the Chief Secretary asked the concerned departments to further intensify Udyam Jagriti initiatives in colleges and among Self Help Groups (SHGs). He stressed that aspiring entrepreneurs should receive proper mentoring, counselling and handholding support so that they are able to translate their ideas into viable enterprises.

Reviewing the role of financial institutions in supporting the Mission, the Chief Secretary observed that loan sanctions amounting to around Rs 1,200 crore and disbursements of nearly Rs 964 crore indicate encouraging progress. However, he advised the banks to maintain a steady pace of 150–200 loan disbursements per day so that legacy pendencies are cleared and annual targets under the Mission are achieved in a timely manner.

He also emphasised the importance of periodic review and output tracking of enterprises established through these loans, so that their progress is closely monitored and necessary guidance is provided to ensure the sustainability and success of these ventures.

The Chief Secretary further underscored the need to address gaps identified in incubation centres established in higher educational institutions. He asked the concerned department to share the detailed assessment criteria used for evaluating these institutions so that corrective measures can be taken to strengthen the incubation ecosystem and ensure optimal utilisation of the facilities.

Additionally, he advised the Deputy Commissioners to encourage local businesses and enterprises to onboard themselves on the ONDC seller platform, enabling them to expand market access, promote their products and strengthen their businesses through digital commerce.

Earlier, Secretary, Labour & Employment, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, in his detailed presentation, highlighted the district-wise status of Mission YUVA implementation across Jammu and Kashmir. He apprised the meeting of the progress achieved under the four pillars of Culture, Capital, Capacity and Connectivity, while also identifying areas requiring greater focus by the respective districts.

He also outlined the gaps observed in incubation centres established in higher educational institutions, particularly in terms of governance structure, start-up success, infrastructure, networking and funding patterns, while highlighting the strengths and best-performing institutions.

Further, he demonstrated the weak-performing blocks and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in certain districts where greater efforts are required in capacity building of applicants to enable them to effectively utilise bank credit and establish sustainable enterprises.

The Chief Secretary was informed by Director, Employment, Harvinder Singh, that the ongoing Udyam Jagriti 4.0 awareness campaign has achieved substantial outreach across the Union Territory, covering 95 percent of Panchayats and reaching 2,51,352 individuals so far. He added that the Mission YUVA mobile application has recorded 2,20,928 downloads, reflecting a 47 percent increase during the last one month.

The meeting was further informed that the campaign’s focused outreach initiatives have yielded encouraging results. Around 47,672 students have been covered through college-level engagements, while 1,97,400 women associated with Self Help Groups (SHGs) have been reached through targeted awareness programmes.

These efforts have resulted in 1,937 SHG credit applications and facilitated handholding support to 6,281 sanctioned applicants, registering significant growth over the previous month.

Regarding institutional strengthening, the meeting was apprised that 187 posts have been filled out of 367 sanctioned positions under SBDU/BHD recruitment, while 180 posts remain vacant. Officials informed that 28 percent of these posts have been filled since the last Apex Committee meeting, increasing the number from 90 to 187.

Similarly, under Motivator empanelment, 582 motivators have been empanelled out of 1,000 sanctioned positions, including 65 Lakhpati Didis, while 418 positions are yet to be filled.

It was also informed that 13 out of 20 districts have completed the establishment of SBDU centres, while the remaining centres in Jammu, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Reasi, Samba, Udhampur and Anantnag are at various stages of completion. All 20 SBDU centres are expected to become operational by March 20, 2026.

The meeting was further informed that Mission YUVA has recorded steady growth in registrations, applications and loan disbursements over the past months. As of March 6, 2026, the number of registrations has reached 1,83,306, while 72,037 applications have been received under the scheme.

Out of these, 56,167 applications have been verified by SBDUs, while 50,743 have been approved by District Level Implementation Committees (DLICs). Banks have sanctioned 18,093 loans, out of which 15,192 loans have been disbursed, resulting in the establishment of 3,187 enterprises, with 2,053 more currently under implementation.

The meeting was also informed that applications for neo-innovative enterprises have witnessed significant growth, increasing from 119 on January 19, 2026 to 364 by February 4, 2026, marking nearly a threefold increase within a short span.

Under the Mission’s five-year incubation target of 500 innovative enterprises, all 14 incubation centres have been onboarded, while 80 percent of these centres have already conducted InnovateX 1.0 awareness events. In addition, three evaluation committees have been empanelled for the Innovation and Sustainability Challenge.

Out of the 364 applications received, 86 have been shortlisted by the expert panel, while 30 applications have progressed to the final selection stage. The Selection Committee is expected to finalise the ventures for incubation by March 25, 2026.

While reviewing the overall progress, the Chief Secretary emphasised that Mission YUVA is a transformative initiative aimed at fostering entrepreneurship, generating employment opportunities and building a vibrant start-up ecosystem for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir. He called upon all stakeholders to work in close coordination to achieve the objectives of the Mission in a time-bound manner.