SHALIMAR
Kashmir’s fragrant Mushkbudji rice, once on the verge of extinction, is now poised for international markets after drawing exceptional praise from global buyers. SKUAST-K VC Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai said the aromatic short-grain variety impressed experts at an international rice exporters meet with its distinctive fragrance, grain quality and culinary richness. Traditionally grown in Anantnag’s Sagam and Panzgam belt, Mushkbudji declined in the 1980s but was revived through conservation efforts and farmer partnerships. Now selling at Rs 25,000 per 100 kgs, the heritage rice has regained prominence, and its upcoming export marks a major milestone in its aromatic journey.
The Special Mobile Magistrate (Traffic) in Srinagar disposed of 2,10,117 traffic challans and recovered Rs 7.07 crore in fines between September 2024 and November 2025.
KUPWARA
A federal investigator, CBI probe into the alleged custodial torture of Constable Khursheed Ahmed Chowhan at the Joint Interrogation Centre, Kupwara, has confirmed that he suffered multiple injuries, including a fractured foot, caused by blunt force trauma consistent with torture to extract a confession. The agency has charge-sheeted Deputy SP Ajaz Ahmad, SI Reyaz Ahmad Mir, SPO Jahangeer Ahmad Beigh and five other policemen, all of whom were arrested on August 20. Testimony from SI Manzoor Ahmad Sheikh and medical records from multiple hospitals, along with CCTV footage and a forensic report by a Multi-Institutional Medical Board, collectively corroborate that Chowhan was subjected to sustained assault between February 20 and 26, 2023.
A senior BSF Punjab Frontier official said the force has neutralised 255 Pakistan-sent drones used for smuggling heroin and weapons in 2025 and has now intensified surveillance as the fog season approaches
SOURA
Doctors at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar have achieved a rare medical milestone by performing an 11-hour surgery to remove a holocord intramedullary spinal cord tumour in an 18-year-old girl, a procedure experts describe as among the most complex spinal operations ever attempted in the region. Led by neurosurgeon Dr Abrar Ahad Wani and supported by the high-risk neuro-anaesthesia team headed by Dr Zulfikar Ali, the operation involved a 17-level laminoplasty and the meticulous extraction of a tumour running almost the entire length of the spinal cord. Dr Wani said the surgery demanded extreme precision, continuous focus and perfect coordination, as even a millimetre of error could have caused severe neurological deficits. The patient, from a humble background, received the entire treatment free of cost and is showing encouraging post-operative recovery. Her family said she had been in unbearable pain and losing strength until the intervention gave her “hope again”. SKIMS Director Prof M Ashraf Ganie praised the teams for their skill and dedication, saying the feat reflects the institute’s commitment to advanced and equitable healthcare. The success reinforces SKIMS’ standing as the Valley’s leading centre for complex neurosurgical procedures.
Srinagar Police have been recognised by the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) after tracing and recovering nearly 900 stolen or lost mobile phones worth Rs 3.5 crore in just over two years.
KANGAN
The lone Kashmiri killed in the recent Red Fort blast, 27-year-old Bilal Ahmad Sangoo of Baba Nagri, had left the Valley in 2019 to support his impoverished family by driving an auto-rickshaw in Delhi. As the only dependable earner for his ageing parents and siblings, he worked long hours while managing rising medical expenses at home. His planned return this winter, and a wedding arranged only weeks earlier, had offered his family their first sense of stability in years. After the blast, repeated attempts to reach him failed, and his brothers were eventually summoned to Delhi for DNA confirmation before bringing back his body. The village, where many youth work outside Kashmir out of compulsion, was devastated as Bilal was laid to rest. His death has heightened anxiety among migrant families and left his household with no income, prompting appeals for urgent government support.
The Power Development Department has proposed a 20 per cent surcharge on electricity consumed during morning and evening peak hours in Kashmir, a move now before the JERC for approval.
PUNJAB
Kashmir’s mutton dealers have alleged rampant harassment on Punjab highways, saying livestock trucks bound for the Valley are being stopped, obstructed, and forced to pay hefty “cattle fare” charges despite not purchasing any animals in the state. Wholesale Mutton Dealers said the extortion has become systematic, inflating costs and delaying supplies in a region that consumes vast quantities of mutton but relies almost entirely on imports. Drivers are “routinely confronted” at multiple checkpoints, they said, urging Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab authorities to act immediately to ensure safe transit and prevent further disruption of meat availability.
DELHI
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi, seeking urgent Central assistance to address Jammu and Kashmir’s widening revenue deficit. The fiscal strain follows reconstruction after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, heavy Monsoon rains, cloudbursts and landslides, along with a steep fall in GST share and tourist inflow. Omar, who presented a Rs 1,12,310 crore budget for 2025-26, flagged mounting rehabilitation costs and infrastructure losses. The Government expects Central aid as departments prepare Revised Estimates for 2025-26 and the 2026-27 budget due in March.
PULWAMA
Kashmir has produced its first scientifically authenticated batch of lavender honey, marking a major shift in a crop long cultivated only for essential oil. In Pulwama’s Arihal, young beekeepers are now harvesting monofloral honey from fields transformed by the Purple Revolution under the CSIR Floriculture Mission. Scientists at CSIR-IIIM confirmed the honey’s purity through advanced pollen analysis, DNA barcoding, and chemical profiling, establishing that more than 61 per cent of its pollen comes from lavender. This pilot batch of about 120 kilograms positions India alongside established producers such as France and Italy and offers farmers a new high-value product. It sells at Rs 12000 a kilogram, which is more than 10 times the normal honey. Nearly 180 farmers across south and north Kashmir have taken up lavender, many integrating beekeeping with floriculture for the first time.
JAMMU
The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court delivered two significant family-related rulings last week, each underscoring personal autonomy and the limits of criminal liability within domestic spaces. In the first verdict, a division bench of Justices Sanjay Parihar and Sanjeev Kumar upheld the acquittal of a husband and his parents in a decade-old case of alleged abetment of suicide, holding that occasional taunts about childlessness, even if proven, do not meet the threshold of intentional instigation required under Section 306 of the Ranbir Penal Code. The court stressed that contemporary women are aware, independent and resilient, and that an ordinary, prudent person would not be driven to suicide merely for being called childless. Citing the “double presumption of innocence” that follows an acquittal, the bench found no credible evidence of dowry demand, cruelty or coercion. In the second ruling, Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi reaffirmed that the consent of families, communities or clans is irrelevant once two adults choose to marry. Hearing a plea from a couple facing threats for marrying of their free will under Muslim law, the court held that adult choice in marriage is protected by Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution and cannot be subordinated to ideas of honour or group norms. It directed the state to provide them security and verify their marital claims, asserting that constitutional liberty must prevail over societal pressures.
JAMMU KASHMIR
The Democratic Progressive Azad Party suffered a major jolt as two of its senior-most faces, former ministers Jugal Kishore Sharma and Abdul Majid Wani, returned to the Congress along with hundreds of supporters. Former MLCs Subash Gupta and Brij Mohan Sharma also rejoined the party at a function in Jammu marking the 108th birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi. All four leaders had left the Congress in 2022 to join Ghulam Nabi Azad’s newly created party, but their homecoming reflects the rapid erosion of the DPAP following its poor showing in last year’s Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, where it failed to win any seat. The leaders were received back by Congress general secretary and Jammu and Kashmir in-charge Syed Naseer Hussain, PCC president Tariq Hameed Karra and AICC general secretary GA Mir. Sharma and Wani, who had unsuccessfully contested the last Assembly polls from Vaishno Devi and Doda, accused the rival side of promoting religion-based politics and said the Congress alone upholds secular values and internal democracy. Their return completes a larger trend, as many prominent Azad loyalists such as Tara Chand, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Ghulam Mohammad Saroori and Taj Mohiuddin have already drifted back to the Congress.
KATRA
Protests by Sangh Parivar-affiliated groups have erupted in Jammu over the first admission list of the Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Institute of Medical Excellence, where 42 of 50 selected MBBS students are Muslims from Kashmir. The VHP, Bajrang Dal, and other Hindu groups, backed by BJP MLA RS Pathania, are demanding that the list be scrapped, admissions for 2025–26 be paused, and the college be granted minority status so seats can be reserved for Hindu students. They allege bias by JKBOPEE and argue that an institute funded by Vaishno Devi shrine donations should not be “dominated” by Muslims. Officials maintain that admissions followed NEET merit and NMC guidelines, and that religion-based reservations are not legally permissible. Protests have continued at the Katra campus, with demonstrators insisting on a fresh admission process and a re-evaluation of rules to ensure greater Hindu representation.
JAMMU
The State Investigation Agency raided the long-shut Jammu office of the Kashmir Times and claimed the recovery of some arms and ammunition, including a revolver, AK-series cases, live rounds, and grenade levers, during searches linked to an FIR accusing the newspaper of spreading secessionist ideology and engaging in activities “against the country”. They also raided the residence of promoters. Editors Anuradha Bhasin and Prabodh Jamwal have categorically rejected the allegations, calling them “bizarre”, “baseless”, and aimed at silencing an independent media outlet. Journalist bodies such as DIGIPUB and CPJ condemned the action, demanding transparency and cautioning that such raids weaken democratic accountability. Political parties, including the National Conference and the PDP, termed the move a pressure tactic, while Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Singh Choudhary said action should be taken only where wrongdoing is proven.
