Srinagar, Aug 22: The School Education Department (SED) has started an exercise to rope in stakeholders including the heads of the schools and teachers to put forth an action plan for improving quality education in government-run educational institutions.

The move comes days after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah asked the department to submit a 10-point action plan which will be worked out in one year for the betterment of the children.

CM Omar Abdullah said this during his address during a day-long conference organised by Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) on National Education Policy (NEP)-2020: challenges and prospectus at SKICC Srinagar, earlier this week.

“I will start working on those 10 points within a year because I want our children to compete with the children of the whole country,” Omar Abdullah said in his address.

He said that there was no shortage of intelligence and talent in our children but they only looked for opportunities.

“Opportunity and exposure, these are the two things that are lacking here,” Abdullah said. He asked the education minister Sakina Itoo to put forth a 10-point action plan in cabinet and assured that work on the action plan will be started within a year. “Because I want our children to compete with the children of the whole country,” he said.

Following this, Directorate of School Education, Kashmir (DSEK) has invited concise, achievable and practical suggestions from all stakeholders including school heads, teachers, parents, students, community and civil society after thorough analysis at school and community level. The 10-point action plan is to be submitted to the directorate by August 25, 2025.

“Your inputs will directly form our action plan to make J&K a leader in quality education,” reads a message

The suggestions to be framed by the stakeholders must include 10 areas of concern besides gaps identified at school level as well as the realistic action to fill the gaps.

The stakeholders have been asked to put forth suggestions about how the learning, equity, safety and well-being of students will improve.

The initiative is likely to engage community members at the village level in the smooth functioning of the school and restore public ownership of the government schools.

The decision to seek 10-point action plan form stakeholders comes weeks after the School Education Department (SED) decided to hold mega Parent Teacher Meeting (PTM) in school to restore

PTMs were organised in schools to regain missing public ownership for the schools. The officials said the PTMs will bridge the missing link between the schools and the parents and will ensure proper communication with the stakeholders.

Srinagar, Aug 22: A father and his son were killed after the vehicle they were travelling in met with an accident in Rajarwani area of Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Friday.

The officials said the accident occurred when a vehicle bearing registration number JK05N-7924 collided with a dumper at Rajarwani area in north Kashmir’s Uri, resulting on spot death of two persons.

They have been identified as Abdul Latif Ganie and his son, Faizan Ahmad Ganie.

Police have taken cognizance of the incident.

Srinagar, Aug 22: Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday called for bringing facts about the “rotten meat scandal” in Kashmir in the public domain to address people’s concern and anxiety.

Addressing the Friday congregation at the Jamia Masjid here, the Mirwaiz expressed deep concern over the rotten meat scandal that shook people’s trust and created widespread anxiety for the past more than two weeks.

The authorities recently conducted raids at multiple locations as part of a crackdown on rotten and adulterated meat in the Kashmir valley, targeting vendors suspected of selling unhygienic and expired meat products.

During the operations, substantial quantities of rotten meat were seized and destroyed on the spot under the relevant sections of the Food Safety and Standards Act.

The Mirwaiz said that despite assurances in media by the authorities regarding a thorough investigation into the matter, “not much is known about its follow up – who are the people behind it, for how long has it been going on, or have any arrests been made”.

“All this needs to be put in the public domain to address people’s concern and anxiety on this matter,” he said.

He said once that is done, it is imperative that a foolproof mechanism is put in place to ensure such incidents never recur.

“There should be no leniency whatsoever with those involved in this heinous act that puts people’s health and lives at grave risk,” he said.

The Mirwaiz stressed that Kashmir needs its own regulated slaughterhouses where proper hygiene, Islamic guidelines, and food safety measures are strictly observed.

Both the government and the business community must gear up to establish these facilities, as people cannot blindly trust what comes from outside without scrutiny, he said.

The Mirwaiz also said that the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama (MMU) — the amalgam of several religious bodies — at its meeting on Thursday constituted a seven-member committee comprising jurists from all schools of thought to deliberate on the issue.

The MMU already has a Halal Certification Board, which will now be expanded and strengthened to ensure compliance with Islamic standards, he said.

“The MMU is fully willing to cooperate with the government in this matter to preserve the Islamic character of halal food and to safeguard the health and trust of our people,” the Mirwaiz said.

Srinagar, Aug 22: The mortal remains of Kashmiri MBBS student Sabha Rasool, who recently passed away in Iran, will be brought back to Srinagar tomorrow morning.

Vice President All India Medical Students Assoicaiton, Dr Mohammad Momin Khan informed that her body is being flown to New Delhi today by Mahan Air Flight W5 071, scheduled to land at 5:00 PM. From there, arrangements have been made to transport her remains to the Valley.

Sabha Rasool’s residence in Safakadal, Srinagar, will receive her mortal remains tomorrow morning, where her last rites will be performed. The news of her untimely demise has cast a pall of gloom over her locality, with relatives, friends and neighbours expected to gather to pay their last respects.

Sabha, a medical student pursuing MBBS had died in a hospital in Iran after which her family, students body and different political leaders from Kashmir had requested the government of India to facilitate the return of her body from Iran to Kashmir valley. [KNT]