J&K’s Dragon boat and Sea kayaking team has bagged two gold, four silver and two bronze medals in a national competition held at H2o Water Sports Centre in Mumbai. 
The men’s team won two gold medals in 500-meter and 200-meter race and the women team bagged two silver medals in the 500-meter and 200-meter events. Sea kayaking players won two silver and two bronze medals in 5 kms event. The medal tally fetched the team the overall Championship trophy. Player Ishfaq Ahmad was selected for the Indian Dragon Boat team while Umar Rafiq was nominated as Chief Coach of the Indian team to represent the country in the Asian Dragon Boating Championship which is scheduled to be held in Thailand from February 7.
NEW DELHI
India’s New and Renewable Energy Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah sanctioned Rs 30 crore for state police to install over 500 solar photovoltaic power plants (1.4 MW) at training centres, battalion headquarters, offices and police stations. The police will contribute eight crore rupees to the year long project. Last year Rs 30 crore were sanctioned by him for setting up of around 65 power plants (1 MW) in the major health centres of the State. Over 20,000 solar home lights were also sanctioned for distribution in the far-flung areas of the State at a total project cost of Rs 23 crore.
BONIYAR
The first reaction of chief minister Omar Abdullah to the murder of Altaf Sood by CISF in Boniyar was that killers cannot get the benefit of the AFSPA. A month later, the first response to the crisis by CISF is that they have invoked the AFSPA for getting their five detained members out of police lockup. Government of India counsel Karnail Singh Wazair pleaded before the Sessions Court in Baramulla that CISF men were deputed in a disturbed area. He has also pleaded that the security-men can not be prosecuted unless the state government gets permission from the central government.
BHOPAL
Jammu girl Sakshi Khorana was adjudged second runner-up in the recently concluded beauty contest “Miss Glory of India-2012” organised by Aman Gandhi Films Production in MP. A final year student of BSc Aviation from Mumbai University, Sakshi did her schooling from Model Academy. She has won Taiwa Miss North 2010 pageant and represented Jammu in Miss Best Hair Style in Winter Queen Contest held at Manali in 2009 and finished second runner-up.
JAMMU
Newspaper reports from Jammu suggest that the studio complex of Radio Kashmir Jammu (RKJ) is being renovated and repaired every year. This process has been done five times in seven years. The routine plea is that it is leaking and needs repairs. The studio complex comprises seven huge studios and a control room. Refurbished in May 2011 and then in December 2011 when the officials suggested its repairs again in January 2012, it has alarmed the DG All India Radio who is flying with engineers to understand the secret! Plot for a mystery thriller?
HABAKADAL
Panun Kashmir ideologue Dr Agnishekhar was awarded for his fourth poetic collection Jawahar Tunnel. A day after the government announced the award, he rejected it to protest “the exodus and ethnic cleansing” of Kashmiri Pandits. The drop scene came a day later, when the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages made public Agnishekhar’s application seeking consideration of his book for the award. He even expressed happiness for the honour by the academy later. “If Dr Shekhar had to refuse this purely literary award, which was announced a year back, he should not have competed for the prize in the first place,” a spokesman of the Academy said.
