JAMMU
The Jammu and Kashmir government terminated the services of four employees including Dr Nisarul Hasan, a medical doctor, Abdul Majid Bhat, a cop, Farooq Ahmad Mir a school teacher, and Ghulam Muhammad Rather, a laboratory attendant employed in the Higher Education Department. Dismissals were under Article 311 of the Constitution of India. The dismissals were prompted by concerns about potential collaborations compromising regional stability. Lt Governor Manoj Sinha stated that the government had already terminated 55 employees for their involvement in separatist activities and militancy. While Bhat was recently arrested as part of a drug cartel, the teacher was said to have been active during the last unrest. Rather’s daughter had married a Pakistani militant and he had visited him twice in Pakistan. Nisar’s termination coincided with his promotion to Assistant Professor at the Government Medical College, Srinagar.
Various investigating agencies have seized 500 properties for being proceeds of terror funding.
LONDON
Kashmir multimedia journalist Ahmer Khan received the Rory Peck Trust Martin Adler Prize in London for his outstanding work on migration, religion, human rights, and various crises in South Asia. The jury praised Khan, previously nominated for the Emmy Awards for his reporting and impactful storytelling. He earned the award for his video The Hunt for India’s Stolen Children, investigating human trafficking in East India. The Rory Peck Trust Martin Adler Prize acknowledges excellence in freelance journalism. He was nominated by British newspaper The Guardian, which had commissioned the story.
Kishtwar administration received the award for mainstreaming around 2,000 ‘out-of-school’ children (OoSC).
DELHI
Senior IAS officer Atal Dulloo, Secretary in the Department of Border Management, has been prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre, signalling his potential appointment as the new Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir. Dulloo, the sole local contender for the position, brings significant regional expertise to the role. This strategic move aligns with the upcoming retirement of the current Chief Secretary, AK Mehta, on November 30, 2023. Dulloo has served Jammu and Kashmir from the position of an SDM in Ladakh and early this year when he was sent on a second central deputation, he was Additional Chief Secretary for Agriculture. Barring five years, he has served Jammu and Kashmir for his entire service career.
The frontier Kupwara district has recorded 37,010.299 metric tons of walnut production this year, making it the highest across all districts of Kashmir.
SRINAGAR
Kashmiri journalist Fahad Shah, editor of the now-defunct news portal The Kashmir Walla, has been granted bail after nearly two years in detention. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court criticised the government for resurrecting the case after Shah had been granted bail twice by different courts. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) welcomed Shah’s release but urged the dismissal of all charges against him and the lifting of the ban on his publication, The Kashmir Walla. Arrested in February 2022 for an article published in 2011, Shah has to face trial for charges under FERA. Early this year, the portal stopped working as the server access was blocked in India. Soon, the landlord asked the journalists to vacate the premises.
Kishtwar Saffron was granted a Grade-1 Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
BEERWAH
In a gruesome incident of its kind, a brother killed his brother in a Budgam village. Residents of Sail Village in Beerwah had fought over some issues. Sameer Ahmad Rather, the victim, was found dead behind his residence on November 20. Following an investigation, Sameer’s brother, Aqib Ahmad Rather, confessed to the crime, revealing that a confrontation between them occurred on the night of November 19-20. Aqib was arrested, and essential evidence, including the weapon used in the assault, was recovered. The motive of the murder is still not known.
Doctors at the Addiction Treatment Facility in District Hospital Shopian noted that 90-95 per cent of patients seeking treatment for drug abuse were opioid addicts, mainly heroin users.
BARAMULLA
The Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested two brothers, Mohammad Qasim Bhat and Nisar Ahmad Bhat, for their involvement in “solemnising” fake marriages. The accused allegedly defrauded a man of Rs 1,50,000 under the pretext of arranging a marriage. The victim reported the fraudulent activity to the police, leading to the arrest of the accused. A case was registered, and an investigation ensued. There are various gangs in operation across Kashmir offering young girls in marriages. After nikkah, they disappear with jewellery and cash.
Jammu and Kashmir integrated all 17 functional Mandis on eNAM, with the state’s eNAM trade increasing to over Rs 300 crore this year. The event aimed to raise awareness and facilitate the registration of CA stores for eNAM trade.
MUMBAI
A contingent of 780 female students from various universities and colleges in Jammu and Kashmir visited the Mumbai Naval Base and Naval Dockyard as part of the “College on Wheels” initiative. The students had the opportunity to explore India’s naval prowess, including a visit to the heritage hall and close encounters with naval vessels like INS Vikrant, INS Deepak, and INS Visakhapatnam. They received detailed briefings on the intricacies of naval vessels, explored a submarine, and visited the historic Gateway of India. The initiative aimed to provide hands-on learning experiences beyond traditional classrooms. They are travelling on a special train, JK Gyanodaya Express, that takes them to Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, with the aim of imparting hands-on knowledge about the cultural wealth and heritage of India.
Following a tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) conducted a safety audit of six under-construction tunnels in Jammu and Kashmir – Maroge, Digdol, and Panthyal.
JAMMU
The newly established Jambu Zoo at Nagrota on the outskirts of Jammu city last week welcomed Tiger and Tigress from Chennai, Tamil Nadu and Lion and Lioness from Gujarat. Besides these majestic wild animals, recent additions have been flightless birds Emu in a separate enclosure. The Zoo is home to big cats and other wild animals, native to the flora and fauna of Jammu and Kashmir. It has been relocated to a vast area from the Manda Zoo and wildlife sanctuary.
The High Court-appointed Amicus Curiae is visiting 33 villages around Wullar Lake to assess conservation, management, and tourism development, as directed by the court.
KARGIL
More than 24 years after the Kargil war, the army defused at least 336 unexploded ordnances (UXO) in Kurbathang. On November 17, the Army destroyed 132 unexploded shells in the area. The remnants of the Kargil war that took place in 1999 still haunt the local population as unexploded shells are frequently found hither and thither. In April 2023, a minor boy was killed and two others injured in the area when they found an unexploded shell and started fiddling with it. The area was reportedly a firing range for the Army years ago. Meanwhile, at Nagrota, the War Wounded Foundation (WWF) presented 10 modified scooters to battle-wounded soldiers which would make them independent in their day-to-day movements and help them to start new ventures. There were 110 disabled soldiers present at the WWF rally.
LADAKH
In a development that can take Ladakh’s superfood, Sea buckthorn to new heights, the desert berry has got Geographical Indication (GI). A powerhouse of Vitamin C and countless other minerals and anti-oxidants, it grows in the wild and is the main plant that is adding to the desert’s green cover. Ladakh annually harvests around 600 tons of the berry. This is the fourth product from Ladakh to get the tag. Sea buckthorn is consumed as juice, squash, and a long list of wellness and beauty products. The region has been desperately seeking a mechanical harvester but to no avail. Now the farmers spread a cloth at the base of the plant and beat the bush. Thorns make the harvest challenging. Currently, the primary processing of the organic berries is done in Ladakh and the pulp is sent to these firms for value addition. Every part of the plant, including fruit, leaf, twig, root and thorn, has been traditionally used as medicine, nutritional supplement, fuel and fence and therefore, sea buckthorn is popularly known as Ladakh’s gold mine.
JAMMU
Senior theatre director of Jammu and Kashmir and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, Mushtaq Kak passed away at Sidhra, Jammu. The 62-year-old Kak has directed more than 100 plays and acted in many Hindi movies. He was fighting cancer for over a year. Kak was earlier associated with Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts, New Delhi, as the artistic director and was selected for the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi award for 2015. Andha Yug, Malika, Pratibimb, Maha Brahmin and Alladad were his major works.
DODA
Authorities have not been able to find anything substantial while investigating the horrific road accident in which 39 passengers were killed and 19 survived injured when the Jammu-bound bus skidded off the road near Assar. The police have booked the owner of the bus for flouting the traffic rules. However, the major decision is that all the passenger vehicles in the region will have to install CCTV cameras. The move aims to enhance safety measures and monitor transportation activities closely.
REASI
A primary school teacher in Reasi was suspended after a video showing him in an inebriated state while on duty surfaced online. A video of highly intoxicated Dalair Singh, the teacher on duty at a school in Dharidhar village of Chassana, had gone viral on social media. Taking serious note of the video, the chief education officer of Reasi ordered Singh’s immediate suspension and also ordered an inquiry into his conduct, the official said.
