ACHABAL
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has firmly rejected any alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party to expedite Jammu and Kashmir’s Statehood, saying he would rather resign than compromise his principles. Speaking in Achabal, Anantnag, he challenged those advocating a BJP tie-up to remove him instead, stressing that he will pursue rights through democratic and peaceful means, not through violence. Omar criticised those who previously celebrated the Centre’s August 5, 2019, decision on Article 370 but now claim opposition, highlighting contradictions in political narratives. He underscored his commitment to lawful, democratic struggle for Jammu and Kashmir’s rights, rejecting shortcuts that risk bloodshed, while asserting the need for consistent, principled leadership in the region.
Nagseni (Kishtwar) will have a Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV).
BANDIPORE
Bandipora has become the first district in North India, after Uttar Pradesh, to successfully store frozen semen for goats, marking a major step in modern livestock breeding. Until now, artificial insemination in goats has relied on fresh semen, which had to be used immediately and restricted the scale of breeding. Frozen semen technology removes this limitation, allowing storage, transport, and use on demand, significantly reducing the cost and difficulty of maintaining breeding bucks for farmers. The achievement comes alongside the construction of a state-of-the-art goat farm in Bandipora under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme, designed to serve as an experimental hub for mechanised milking, advanced breeding, and the introduction of high-yield Swiss Alpine goats.
In Jammu, over 1100 dengue cases have been reported so far, slightly fewer than in 2024.
LADAKH
The situation in Ladakh remains tense but is slowly stabilising after the September 24 violence in Leh that left four people dead and nearly 100 injured. The unrest began during a hunger strike by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, when protesters torched the BJP office, the Leh Hill Council building and vehicles. Police opened fire, triggering outrage across the region. Wangchuk was later detained under the National Security Act and shifted to a Rajasthan prison, prompting his wife, Gitanjali Angmo, to move the Supreme Court for his release while also alleging police torture of his associates.
The Ladakh administration has ordered a magisterial inquiry, but the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance have rejected it, demanding instead a judicial probe by a former Supreme Court judge, release of all detainees and compensation for victims’ families. Religious and community bodies, including the Ladakh Buddhist Association, have echoed these demands. While 26 detainees have been granted bail, many remain in custody, and mobile internet services are still suspended. Leaders have suspended talks with the Centre until their conditions are met.
Civil society voices argue that Ladakh’s unrest stems from mistrust of the Union Territory administration and the Centre’s failure to address demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule status. Although curfew relaxations have brought some normalcy, shops reopened and schools resumed, the political stand-off continues, with leaders insisting that only genuine dialogue and justice can restore trust in Ladakh.
In 2025 so far, five people slipped down the trees during Walnut harvesting and died.
JAMMU
A political storm is brewing in Jammu after senior BJP leader and former Mayor Chander Mohan Gupta was booked in a scandal involving alleged cow theft and Rs 97 lakh misappropriation at a local gaushala. NSUI protesters burned his effigy outside BJP headquarters, demanding a Special Investigation Team to probe what they call a cow smuggling network. The FIR, filed on a gaushala trust complaint, accuses Gupta and nine others of betraying Hindu values by “trading in the sacred.” While Gupta denies the charges, the controversy has left the BJP cornered, exposing the cracks between its politics of cow protection and the present scandal.
ANANTNAG
In a milestone for Kashmir’s freight connectivity, the Northern Railway dispatched its first automobile rake carrying 116 passenger vehicles from Manesar in Haryana to south Kashmir’s Anantnag. The train, which departed from Maruti Suzuki’s Gati Shakti Terminal at Manesar on October 1, reached Anantnag on the morning of October 3 after a 45-hour, 850-km journey, passing over the world’s highest railway arch bridge on the Chenab river. Around 80 of the cars belonged to Jamkash, and the unloading turned into a celebratory moment at the Anantnag goods shed. This follows the first cement-laden freight train that arrived in Anantnag from Punjab in August, marking the start of Kashmir’s integration into the national freight network.
HYDERPORA
Jammu Kashmir Police in Budgam have attached the erstwhile headquarters of the banned Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, founded by separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in 2004, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The three-storey building at Rehmatabad, Hyderpora, which also housed Geelani’s residence, was sealed following an FIR registered last year. Tehreek-e-Hurriyat was banned in 2023 after the deaths of Geelani and his successor Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, rendering the organisation largely defunct, with most of its leadership jailed. Authorities said the action is part of continued measures against secessionist and terrorist networks threatening India’s sovereignty and integrity, signalling firm enforcement of the UAPA in Kashmir.
RAJOURI
A government school teacher in Rajouri was suspended for alleged misconduct with a female student, triggering protests. Senior officials, including Manjakote Tehsildar Jazia Qazmi, rushed to the school to pacify the situation. Chief Education Officer Rajouri issued the suspension order against Ajaz Ahmed under the Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees (Conduct) Rules, attaching him to the zonal education office, Khwas. Officials said the allegations are serious, affecting the teacher’s integrity and the institution’s reputation. An inquiry has been ordered to ensure a fair investigation, with authorities emphasising the need to prevent the accused from influencing the process.
RAMBAN
Dr Girdhari Lal Manhas, a gynaecologist at SDH Banihal, was arrested for allegedly molesting a pregnant woman during a prenatal check-up. Banihal Police booked him under FIR 105/2025 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Following a complaint by the victim, the Health and Medical Education Department suspended Dr Manhas with immediate effect, pending inquiry, and attached him to the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu, during the suspension period.
KASHMIR
Jammu and Kashmir recorded only five killings in September 2025, the lowest for the month in at least 25 years. The deaths included two militants and three security personnel, with no civilian casualties. This follows a year-to-date toll of 112 deaths since January, comprising 53 civilians, 20 security personnel, 38 militants, and one unidentified individual. Historical data show September was previously among the deadliest months, with over 300 killings annually in the early 2000s, gradually declining to single digits in recent years. January, February, and June 2025 recorded three, three, and four deaths respectively, while May was the deadliest month with 43 fatalities, including 25 civilians. The trend marks September 2025 as the most peaceful September since 2000, highlighting a sustained reduction in violence over the past two decades.
SRINAGAR
People’s Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti has urged the Army, police, and CRPF to stop occupying and fencing public playgrounds in Kashmir, warning that depriving youth of these spaces could worsen drug abuse, unemployment, and social frustration. During visits to Tabela Ground in Chhattabal and MET Ground in Barzulla, she highlighted that these grounds, used for decades for sports, weddings, funerals, and community gatherings, are being converted into security installations or memorials. Mufti called on the Director General of Police and the Army Corps Commander to preserve these spaces for public use, stressing that restricting access could alienate the youth and stifle social cohesion. Criticising the government, she warned that converting playgrounds for other purposes risks choking an entire generation and urged authorities to maintain recreational grounds, asserting that safeguarding them ensures hope, opportunity, and belonging for Kashmir’s youth.
SRINAGAR
The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court will form a three-judge Special Bench to hear a petition challenging a government notification that declared 25 books on Kashmir’s history as “forfeited” under Section 98 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. Petitioners, including Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Kapil Kak, Dr Sumantra Bose, Dr Radha Kumar, and Wajahat Habibullah argue the order is arbitrary, unreasoned, and fails to cite specific content justifying forfeiture. The notification alleges the books promote secessionism, glorify terrorism, and radicalise youth. Advocates contend it reproduces statutory language without grounds, violating legal precedents requiring demonstrable links between content and alleged harm. The list includes works by scholars such as Sumantra Bose, Arundhati Roy, and Victoria Schofield, published by leading presses. The case seeks to set aside the August 5 notification for lack of reasoned justification.
JAMMU KASHMIR
The Election Commission of India has indicated that by-elections for Nagrota and Budgam Assembly seats will likely be held alongside the Bihar Assembly polls in the first half of November. Nagrota fell vacant after BJP leader Devender Singh Rana’s death, while Budgam was vacated by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who retained Ganderbal in 2024. Observers have been appointed, and electoral rolls revised. Nagrota, a BJP stronghold, may see a direct BJP-NC contest, while Budgam is expected to witness a triangular fight among NC, PDP, and the People’s Alliance for Change. The Assembly currently has 88 members.
DELHI
Mithun Manhas, born in 1979 in Jammu, has been elected the 37th president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), becoming the first person from Jammu and Kashmir to hold the post. A former Delhi captain and the first J&K player in the IPL, he played 157 first-class matches, scoring 9,714 runs with 27 centuries. After retiring in 2017, Manhas transitioned into administration, reviving the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) and improving infrastructure and player development. Known for his grassroots focus and leadership skills, he now assumes the powerful BCCI presidency, emphasising domestic growth and representation, marking a historic moment for Indian cricket and his home state.
