Jammu, Nov 19: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta on Wednesday acknowledged that some people are unhappy with what they see as “imbalanced” representation in the ongoing dialogue with the Centre but expressed hope that all issues would be resolved through discussions.

He lauded the Jammu and Kashmir Police for busting a white-collar terror network and averting major attacks in the country and suggested stern action against those found involved in such conspiracies.

Speaking to PTI Videos, Gupta said the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) had prepared a 29-page draft proposal of their demands as a follow-up to the last meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sub-committee.

“The MHA had asked them to prepare a draft proposal of their demands. It is natural that when we sit together, many things will come out of it,” the lt governor said.

However, he admitted that some people were upset with the “imbalance” in representation in the talks with the Centre. “I have given my report to the MHA, which is directly handling the matter, so let them sit and discuss it,” he said.

Former president of the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), Tondup Tsewang Chhospa, had recently voiced concern over what he termed an “imbalance in the composition of Ladakhi representatives” holding talks with the Centre on the region’s key demands like statehood and safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

Chhospa said the majority of representatives in the ongoing talks were from the Muslim community, while the Buddhist community was under-represented. He warned that such an “imbalance” could limit the chances of the Buddhist community’s cultural, social and regional perspectives being adequately reflected in the dialogue process.

On the draft proposal seeking general amnesty for climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and others detained following the September 24 violence in Leh, which left four people dead and several injured, Gupta said it would be inappropriate for him to comment due to the ongoing talks between the Centre and Ladakh representatives.

Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act, while dozens of youths were detained and later granted bail in Leh.

“The case against Wangchuk was filed on the basis of certain evidence. Once discussions happen, we will see what results come. It would be wrong to make any comment at this stage,” Gupta said.

He said the government had invited the agitating groups for talks, but “some people did not want the dialogue to take place.” However, he added that the initiation of talks was a welcome step and he was hopeful of a positive outcome.

Gupta praised the security agencies for recently busting a white-collar terror network allegedly run by a group of doctors, and also expressed sympathies with the families who lost their loved ones in the Delhi blast on November 10.

“Some people are trying to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere, but our agencies are alert. We will maintain peace in Ladakh,” he said.

LG Gupta said those involved in radicalisation should not be spared and strict action must be taken against them.

He welcomed the prompt action by police in Kashmir against radical elements and their supporters, adding that “some people are still trying to spoil the environment in the valley.”

He also expressed confidence that tourism in Ladakh would rise this winter, and said the region was fully prepared for the upcoming All India Winter Games and North Zone games.

At the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council, chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah on November 17, Gupta said the focus was on addressing issues related to river waters.

“The home minister was of the opinion that these issues should be resolved through mutual discussion instead of moving to courts,” he said.

New Delhi, Nov 19: The national capital woke up to a dense blanket of toxic smog on Wednesday morning, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) touching 392 at 9 am in the “very poor” category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Air quality showed no improvement from Tuesday, when the AQI was recorded at 341 at 7 am and 374 at 4 pm.

Several parts of the city remained shrouded in a thick layer of smog, reducing visibility and raising health concerns. At the Indira Gandhi International Airport (T3), the AQI was recorded at 342.
As per CPCB classification, an AQI between 0-50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 ‘severe’.

As of 9 am, AQI levels in other major cities were: Ahmedabad 168, Bengaluru 76, Chennai 94, Jaipur 188, Hyderabad 121, Patna 130, Pune 185, Lucknow 166, and Mumbai 162, as per CPCB.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Delhi government to file an affidavit detailing the nature of the equipment and its efficiency in measuring the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital.

A bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justices Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria ordered, “Let GNCTD file an affidavit explaining the nature of equipment being used and their efficiency to gauge AQI monitors. Please bring it the day after tomorrow.”

Senior advocate and amicus curiae Aparajita Singh, who was assisting the bench on the issue, said that water sprinkling took place around pollution monitoring stations to skew the AQI readings in Delhi. She placed on record news reports about water sprinkling around pollution monitoring stations.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Central government, stated that sprinkling of water is occurring across the city. “Political parties are spreading such videos,” she said.

Amicus further told the bench that instances of stubble burning were being undercounted. Giving a solution to the issue, she said that farmers should be given equipment for disposing it the stubble. The apex court also asked the Centre to devise a long-term solution to address the issue of air pollution.

It directed the Chief Secretary of Punjab and Haryana to ensure that the directions to curb stubble burning issued by the CAQM in its report dated November 13 are implemented.

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for one of the petitioners, submitted that air pollution had increased this year and stated that construction activities should be stopped in the national capital.

The bench, however, was not satisfied with the advocate’s suggestion and stated in its order, “The restriction to be imposed on activities in Delhi in a graded manner, taking into consideration AQI standards, has been finalised by experts in the field based on scientific data. We do not possess the expertise to deal with the same. We are, therefore, not inclined to act on the submission of Sankaranarayanan that all activities be stopped in Delhi. A large chunk of the population depends on the various activities for their livelihood in the capital.”

The bench has now listed the matter relating to air pollution for November 19.

Meanwhile, in view of the deteriorating air quality in the national capital, the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) III was implemented on November 11 across Delhi by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). The measures aim to control emissions through stricter restrictions on construction, vehicular movement, and industrial operations.

Under GRAP-III, curbs include a ban on most non-essential construction activities, restrictions on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers, suspension of classes for students up to Class 5 with a shift to hybrid or online learning, curbs on industrial operations dependent on non-clean fuel, and a ban on non-emergency diesel generator sets.

New Delhi, Nov 19: New Delhi will host the 7th Meeting of the National Security Advisers (NSAs) of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) in New Delhi on November 20, 2025. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval will chair the meeting, welcoming his counterparts from Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Seychelles will attend as an Observer State, while Malaysia has been invited as a Guest.

The Ministry of External Affairs said the meeting will provide “an opportunity to review activities under different pillars of cooperation and discuss the Roadmap and Action Plan for 2026.”

This will include progress on key security areas:
• Maritime Safety and Security
• Countering Terrorism and Radicalization
• Combating Transnational Organized Crime
• Cyber Security and Protection of Critical Infrastructure
• Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)

Recalling previous engagements, the MEA noted that the 6th NSA meeting was held in Mauritius in December 2023, followed by the signing of the Founding Documents in Sri Lanka in August 2024. Deputy National Security Advisers of CSC countries have also met regularly, with the last meeting held virtually in July 2024.

Highlighting the objective of the platform, the MEA underlined that “the CSC was formed to promote closer cooperation between Member States on vital security matters and to strengthen partnership for enhancing regional security in the Indian Ocean region.” The upcoming meeting in New Delhi is expected to reinforce regional collaboration and shape the security roadmap for 2026