NISHAT
Srinagar karting sensation Atiqa Mir, 11, has created history by becoming the first Indian and Asian female racer selected for the Formula 1 Academy’s prestigious Discover Your Drive programme, a global initiative aimed at identifying and developing young female motorsport talent.
Atiqa, who began professional karting at the age of seven, has emerged as one of India’s brightest young racing prospects through a series of strong performances in domestic and international competitions. The daughter of former racer Asif Mir, she has been competing successfully against male drivers, including in highly competitive European karting circuits. Her selection is being seen as a landmark achievement for Indian motorsport and Jammu and Kashmir. The programme will provide mentorship, exposure and development opportunities to help promising drivers progress towards professional motorsport careers, including pathways linked to Formula One.
Jammu and Kashmir generates about 1,557 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, but processes only 1,027 tonnes, leaving a gap of nearly 530 tonnes per day, with 352 tonnes still ending up in landfills.
KISHTWAR
Jammu and Kashmir Police have registered a criminal case against several Army personnel, including the Commanding Officer of the 17 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), following an alleged assault on police personnel and damage to government property at Atholi Police Station in Kishtwar.
According to the FIR, the incident occurred on June 24 after a dispute reportedly linked to the seizure of a private vehicle belonging to an Army official for alleged traffic violations. The FIR names Colonel N Arun Gandhi, Major Vikash Sharma, Naib Subedar Shankar Gurkhe and four other Army personnel, besides 30 to 40 unidentified soldiers.
Police alleged that soldiers entered the police station premises by scaling the main gate and boundary wall and assaulted police personnel on duty. Station House Officer Amrit Kotach and SDPO Vijay Kumar Bhagat were among those allegedly attacked. A Special Police Officer sustained serious injuries, while several other policemen were also reported injured.
The case has been registered under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including attempt to murder, rioting, criminal trespass, assault on public servants and offences related to damage to government property.
The Army confirmed that the matter is under examination and said it will fully cooperate with the legal process and the ongoing joint investigation.
The proposed Kirthai-II hydroelectric project on the Chenab River has received in-principle forest clearance, with its installed capacity revised downward from 930 MW to 820 MW and 197 hectares of forest land approved for diversion.
SRINAGAR
Qul FruitWall Farm Installations Pvt Ltd (QUL) and Koppert Biological Systems have signed a strategic partnership agreement in Srinagar to promote biological agriculture and sustainable horticulture across North India and the Himalayan region. Formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding, the collaboration builds on more than three years of joint work involving field demonstrations and farmer outreach programmes. The partnership envisages the establishment of a North India Centre of Production to strengthen local capabilities in biological agriculture and support region-specific horticulture solutions. The two organisations will focus on biological crop protection, pollination technologies, soil health, regenerative agriculture and farmer education.
The Cabinet approved the construction of PM Ekta Malls in Jammu and Srinagar at an estimated cost of Rs 255 crore, with projects coming up at the Rail Head Complex, Trikuta Nagar (Rs 125 cr), and Kashmir Haat (Rs 130 cr).
SRINAGAR
The Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet has approved the Social Welfare Department’s response to queries raised by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on proposed reservation reforms. The MHA had sought data and justification for reducing the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota from 10 per cent to 3 per cent and the Residents of Backward Areas (RBA) quota from 10 per cent to 7 per cent. In its reply, the government said the standalone EWS population was relatively small and many beneficiaries were already covered under other reserved categories. The reduction in RBA quota was attributed to the exclusion of Ladakh following the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir, which significantly altered the category’s population base.
The Government has submitted a Rs 998.76-crore proposal to the Central Water Commission for the extension, renovation, and modernisation of the historic Ranbir Canal and its distribution network.
SOURA
In a rare international medical collaboration, doctors at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) have saved the life of a three-year-old Kashmiri boy suffering from Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare and potentially fatal immune disorder. With no suitable donor available within the family, doctors traced a matched unrelated donor through a Germany-based bone marrow registry. Stem cells donated by a man in Poland were transported to Srinagar, where SKIMS specialists successfully performed the transplant.
The case carried special significance as the child’s parents had lost a daughter to the same disease after a donor could not be found. Doctors said the transplant; the first matched unrelated donor (MUD) transplant performed at SKIMS, marks a major milestone for the institute and places it among a handful of centres in India capable of carrying out such procedures. The child has recovered well and been discharged. SKIMS has called for greater public participation in stem cell donor registries to help save more lives in the future.
TULMULLA
For thousands of Kashmiri Pandits who gathered at the Mata Kheer Bhawani shrine in Tulmulla last week, the annual mela was as much about memory and belonging as it was about faith. Among them were two sisters, one from the United States and the other from Mumbai, who broke down on entering the shrine, recalling stories their late mother had told them about Kashmir and the temple she never stopped calling home.
Across the shrine grounds, similar emotions played out as families from across India and abroad reunited with a homeland many had not seen for decades. Seventeen-year-old visitors met relatives for the first time, while elderly devotees revisited homes and neighbourhoods left behind during migration. “This is the place our mother always spoke about,” one of the sisters said, standing beside the sacred spring. Others echoed the sentiment, describing the pilgrimage as a return to their roots rather than a religious visit.
The mela also witnessed gestures of communal harmony, with local Muslims assisting pilgrims throughout the day. Amid prayers and rituals, a common refrain emerged: the desire of many displaced Kashmiri Pandits to return to the Valley with dignity, security and a sense of permanence.
KASHMIR
A viral video showing a tourist driving an SUV through the Jhelum River has once again exposed the growing problem of reckless tourism in Kashmir. What may have been intended as a social media stunt raises serious questions about civic responsibility, environmental awareness and respect for public spaces. Rivers are not adventure tracks, and actions that risk pollution, damage fragile ecosystems and encourage imitation by others cannot be dismissed as harmless fun. The incident also highlights weak enforcement of regulations in ecologically sensitive areas. Unless authorities act firmly, such displays of entitlement and disregard for the environment may become increasingly common under the guise of tourism.
LANGATE
Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid was released on a five-day interim bail to attend the Chehlum of his late father, Khazir Mohammad Sheikh, according to the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP). Rashid, who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in a terror funding-related money laundering case, will meet relatives, supporters and well-wishers during the mourning period.
The development comes days after Rashid expressed his intention to resign from the Lok Sabha, citing his prolonged incarceration and inability to effectively serve constituents. However, the AIP has said any decision on his resignation will be taken only after consultations with people across the Baramulla constituency. Rashid had defeated Omar Abdullah by over two lakh votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
KARGIL
A political and administrative crisis has deepened in the Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Council (KAHDC), with the ruling National Conference-Congress alliance locked in a bitter power struggle that is now affecting governance and development works. The dispute stems from a rotational power-sharing agreement under which Congress was to take over the post of Chief Executive Councillor after two-and-a-half years. However, incumbent CEC Dr Mohammad Jaffar Akhoon of the National Conference has refused to step down, prompting 16 councillors to move a no-confidence motion against him.
The crisis has escalated further with Dr Akhoon announcing plans to seek disqualification of Ladakh MP Mohammad Hanifa Jan under the Anti-Defection Law, alleging he joined the National Conference after winning as an Independent candidate.
With the no-confidence motion pending and rival factions trading accusations, council functioning has been severely affected. Leaders warn that delays in approving development projects and capital expenditure could result in the loss of Ladakh’s short working season, particularly in remote areas such as Drass and Zanskar.
LADAKH
Ladakh is reinforcing its commitment to conservation-led tourism through stricter wildlife protection measures and new eco-tourism initiatives. Days after authorities seized a tourist vehicle for allegedly chasing an endangered Tibetan Gazelle inside the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, the administration advanced plans for a Black-necked Crane Festival to promote conservation, sustainable tourism and local livelihoods. The vehicle was intercepted near Hanle for reckless off-road driving in a protected area, with legal action initiated under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Tourism Secretary Sanjit Rodrigues said activities disturbing wildlife would not be tolerated. Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra reviewed preparations for the proposed 2026 festival, directing officials to prioritise conservation, community participation, birdwatching infrastructure and training local nature guides. The festival aims to attract birdwatchers and researchers while ensuring local communities benefit from wildlife-based tourism. Together, the initiatives reflect Ladakh’s policy of encouraging tourism that protects, rather than exploits, its fragile ecosystems.
MUMBAI
Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn will star in Chauhaan, an action thriller set against the backdrop of the Kashmir unrest, with the film scheduled for a theatrical release on October 1, 2027. Directed by Neeraj Yadav and produced by Jio Studios and Colour Yellow Productions, the teaser was unveiled last week on the birth anniversary of Devgn’s late father, Veeru Devgan. Set in Pulwama in 2018, the film portrays Devgn as a law enforcement officer confronting unrest in Kashmir. The teaser generated widespread discussion online over its closing dialogue and the film’s depiction of the crisis, drawing mixed reactions from viewers.
