Srinagar, Sep 22: Prominent personalities including activists, traders, retired officers, doctors, and academicians formally joined the BJP at Church Lane, Srinagar. The joining program was held in the presence of J&K BJP General Secretary (Organization) Ashok Koul.

J&K BJP General Secretary Anwar Khan, Secretary Mudasir Wani, Media Co-Incharge & Joining Program Incharge Adv. Sajid Yousuf Shah, Social Media Incharge Sajad Raina, Co-IT Incharge Sartaj Majeed, along with District Presidents and other senior leaders were present.

Among the prominent new entrants were Principal GDC Kulgam (Retd.) Aijaz Ahmad, Municipal Councillor Pulwama & Political Activist Aijaz Dhobi, Bashir Ahmad (Former Sarpanch), Ex-District Secretary PDP Shiraz Bhat, Ghulam Nabi (Sub Inspector Retd.), trader associations, businesspersons, and several others. Hundreds of their enthusiastic supporters also embraced the BJP during the joining program.

While welcoming the new entrants, BJP General Secretary (Org) Ashok Koul said, “BJP is committed to empowering every section of society in Jammu and Kashmir. The joining of such prominent personalities reflects the trust people have in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and in the BJP’s vision for a peaceful and developed Kashmir.”BJP State General Secretary Anwar Khan and Adv. Sajid Yousuf Shah, BJP State Media Co-Incharge and Program Incharge laid stress that the new joinings were a result of central leaderships role, it said.

Bandipora, Sep 22: Wular Lake, India’s largest freshwater lake, has witnessed a significant rise in migratory bird arrivals this year, with the Asian Water Bird Census 2025 registering more than three lakh birds—a fourfold increase from last year’s count of 75,000.

An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that this is just the beginning of their arrival. By late October, the numbers are expected to rise further as more migratory birds continue to reach Wular Lake, he said.

The official said the surge reflects the success of conservation and restoration measures undertaken in recent years. “Cleaning, desilting, habitat restoration, and the installation of CCTV monitoring have greatly improved the ecological conditions of the lake, making it a more suitable environment for migratory birds,” he added.

The census data shows that the highest numbers were recorded among species such as Northern Shoveller, Mallard, and Gadwall. Other species, like Pintail and several rare migratory birds, were also spotted in large flocks. Wular Lake has become a preferred wintering ground for these birds, many of which travel thousands of kilometres from Central Asia, Europe, and Siberia.

Bird enthusiasts from across India have been flocking to Bandipora to observe the spectacle. “This year, the diversity and sheer number of birds is unlike anything we have witnessed before,” said a birder who travelled from Ganderbal to the lake.

The Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA), set up by the Jammu and Kashmir government, has played a key role in these developments. Officials said that apart from bird counts, the focus is also on ensuring sustainable livelihoods for local communities that depend on the lake.

In recent years, Wular has also recorded rare sightings, including that of the Great Bittern in November 2024, a species seldom seen in South Asia. Such sightings underline the ecological importance of the lake as a habitat for globally significant bird populations.

Wular’s revival is not limited to avian life. The return of the lotus stem, locally known as nadru, after decades, is being seen as another indicator of the improving health of the lake.

Widely used in Kashmiri cuisine, nadru is prized for its taste and delicate flavour, which locals attribute to the high-quality water and unique conditions of Wular. Its comeback has provided both ecological and economic benefits, boosting the incomes of households involved in harvesting and selling the delicacy.

Experts say that sustained conservation efforts are crucial to maintaining this trend. With bird numbers crossing three lakh this year, Wular Lake is once again emerging as a thriving ecological and cultural hub in Kashmir—(KNO)

Srinagar, Sep 22: The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has ordered the constitution of a committee to oversee the promotion process of Civil Judges (Junior Division) to Civil Judges (Senior Division) on adhoc basis.

An order issued by registrar general as per news agency Kashmir News Corner — KNC, Hon’ble Chief Justice has nominated Justice Sanjay Parihar and Justice Shahzad Azeem to conduct the interviews of eligible candidates who fall within the consideration zone for promotion.

The process will be carried out under Rule 7(c) of the J&K and Ladakh Judicial Service Rules, 2025. The list of candidates shortlisted for the promotion interviews has been annexed with the order.

Srinagar, Sep 22: Eight faculty members from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar have secured a place in the prestigious Top 2% Global Scientists List 2025, compiled annually by Stanford University, USA. The recognition is considered one of the most credible indicators of global research excellence and academic impact.

The distinguished faculty members who featured in the list include Prof. MF Wani (MED), Prof. MA Shah (Physics), Prof. Bashir Ahmed Mir (Civil), Dr. Neeraj Gupta (EED), Dr. Vijay Kumar (Physics), Dr. Sandeep Samantaray (CED, Dr. Pravan Kumar Katiyar (M&ME), and Dr. Sandeep Rathee.

The ranking is based on the Updated Science-Wide Author Databases of Standardized Citation Indicators, prepared by a team of experts led by Prof. John P.A. Ioannidis at Stanford University. The latest version (Version 8), published on 19 September 2025, uses data updated to August 1, 2025, from Scopus and covers citation records until the end of 2024.

The database evaluates scientists on the basis of multiple parameters, including citations, h-index, co-authorship-adjusted h-index, career-long impact, and single-year performance. It also accounts for self-citations, retracted papers (based on the Retraction Watch database), and provides field-specific percentiles across 22 broad scientific domains and 174 subfields.

In his message, Director NIT Srinagar, Prof. Binod Kumar Kanaujia, congratulated the faculty members for bringing laurels to the institute. “Featuring in the World’s Top 2% scientists is a matter of immense pride for NIT Srinagar. This achievement not only highlights the individual excellence of our faculty but also strengthens the institute’s global reputation in academics and research,” he said.

Registrar NIT Srinagar, Prof. Atikur Rehman, also hailed the recognition, calling it a reflection of the institute’s growing academic vibrancy. “The inclusion of our eight faculty members in this global list demonstrates the high-quality research ecosystem at NIT Srinagar. It will inspire our students, research scholars, and young faculty to pursue innovative work and strive for excellence,” he said.

The single-year ranks focus on research impact within a specific year. In contrast, the career-wise ranks provide a comprehensive evaluation of the scientists’ research impact across their entire academic career. The rankings are conducted jointly by Stanford University and scientific publisher Elsevier.