Jammu, January 22
Jammu University (JU) today agreed to give 20 per cent concession in the ensuing annual examination to protesting college students, who had been demanding some relief in view of the academic loss due to the Amarnath land agitation.

The Jammu University authorities held the second round of talks with student leaders today and agreed on 20 per cent concession in the examination, besides assuring the students that no extra burden would be put on them and the exams would be held as scheduled.

“We are happy that the varsity has recognised the loss of studies suffered by students. The second round of talks were successful and we are content with the final outcome,” said state secretary of the ABVP Suresh Mangotra.

According to the earlier pattern of examination, the students have to attempt one question out of two each from all five units in the curriculum.

The accord says that now the students have to attempt one question from the first unit. They will have a choice with regard to the remaining four units, making the first unit compulsory.

Now, the students will have to answer questions in at least three units, including the first that is compulsory, to attempt five questions.

The students had been protesting for the past over two months.

The earlier round of talks between the agitating students and the authorities concerned could not yield any solution.

The meeting was chaired by dean academic affairs BPS Sehgal in which a seven-member committee, including the dean student welfare, controller examination, director quality assurance and principals of four degree colleges in the Jammu region and students’ representatives, participated.

Sehgal said, “We have reached an agreement with the students and they have agreed to go back to their classes from tomorrow.”

“The pattern of the question paper will remain the same. The students will have to attempt one question from the first unit, which is compulsory. From the rest of the four units, they will have a choice to attempt any four questions,” he said.

Jammu, January 22
The Centre may have cleared 18 new polytechnic colleges for the strife-torn state, but industrialists here feel that it will not be of much help in providing employment to the youth.

Former chairman of the Federation of Industries Annil Suri said mere setting up of polytechnic colleges would serve no purpose unless courses were introduced as per the requirement of the industry. “What the students are being taught in these colleges are outdated syllabus, which have not been upgraded for years. The government has opened so many Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), but we don’t get good mechanics and electricians here. Most of them are from states like Bihar and Orissa,” he said.

Suri also stressed on the training of teachers employed in these polytechnics and institutes. He said industry-academia interaction was also significant as it would go a long way in helping the industry get the youth with required skills.

Similarly, the president of the Association of Small Scale Industries, Gangyal, Tejwant Singh Reen, rued that the government had imposed various conditions on the industry regarding employment. “We are supposed to recruit 90 per cent of our employees from the state, but there is a shortage of skilled labour here. In such a scenario, if we don’t fulfil the condition our incentives are being held up. Some industrialists have also moved court over the issue and got the stay, but it is no solution. We have asked the government to make the ratio 50:50 instead of 90:10. We are ready to provide 100 per cent employment to the local youth, provided they have the required skills.”

He said a number of polytechnic pass-outs approach him for job, but all they want was a white-collar job, which was not possible in the industry.

He added that they wanted to employ the local youth for jobs requiring computer and accounting skills.

Kuldeep Jamwal, general secretary, Association of Industries, IGC, SIDCO, Samba, also opined that the polytechnic pass-outs lacked practical knowledge. Jamwal said the polytechnic colleges should be upgraded as per the latest standards. 

Jammu, January 22
The Army's recruitment rally evoked an overwhelming response in Samba district today, with over 40,000 youths turning up from 10 districts of the Jammu region for collecting tokens to fill 5,000 vacancies.

As many as 9,596 of the youths were issued tokens. The rally began with a physical fitness test. "Though over 40,000 youths have applied, we will recruit only 5,000 of them," Brig KD Malhotra, deputy director-general (DDG), recruitments, Punjab-J&K, said as he threw open the recruitment rally in Samba today.

The aspirants will also undergo a psychological test this time.

Kishtwar, January 22
Helicopter service, which was started today to connect the remote areas of Kishtwar with district headquarters, is cheaper than the traditional mode of transportation available in these inaccessible areas of one of the most backward district of the country.

As there is no road connectivity in this belt comprising a 
population of more than 60,000, mules and horses are only mode 
of transportation. Interestingly, majority of the passengers, who used inaugural helicopter service, have rarely travelled in the vehicles, as there is no mode 
of transportation except mules and horses.

“For reaching Warwan or Dacchan we have to pay between Rs 1,200- Rs 1,500 to owner of the mules. It takes more than 36 hours to reach our native place,” Zahir Saddiqui, a resident of Warwan said adding that the helicopter service was not only cheaper but it also save time.

The state government, which started helicopter service with the collaboration of the Indian Air Force, has fixed fare for Marwah and Warwan Rs 1,000 per passenger and Rs 800 for Dacchan.

DC, Kishtwar, Sudershan Sharma told The Tribune that on the first day six helicopter sorties took 125 passengers to Nawapachi, Inshan and Dacchan and brought back 
105 passengers from different locations to the district headquarters. He said for the people of these areas, which remain cut off for more than six months, helicopter service was like a dream come true, as biggest problem of inhabitants of these areas was non-connectivity with rest of the world.

The DC said, “Helicopter service will also help in keeping a check on the functioning of various government departments in these inaccessible areas.” He informed that helicopter service would be available till March.

As these inaccessible areas remained cut off from the district headquarters, most of the government officers, including educational institutes and health centres, are defunct.

Jammu, January 22
Two days after the state Assembly witnessed uproar over terms and language used during the swearing-in ceremony of the new MLAs, the BJP today sought a debate whether the format prescribed for the oath requires any modification or change.

Addressing a press conference here today, state BJP spokesperson Ramesh Arora expressed his ire for not letting BJP MLA from Jammu East Ashok Khajuria take oath in the name of Mata Vaishno Devi. He also condemned Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for leaving the Assembly just after he and a few other MLAs took the oath.

Arora also resented the schedule of Rajya Sabha elections. He said, “It is clear that the Election Commission’s decision to conduct biennial elections to Rajya Sabha in three phases for four seats instead of one phase will favour the Congress and the NC and will not be a healthy trend.” He said if elections were held in a single phase, it would enable the other parties to participate and win through the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote.

Srinagar, January 22
An incident of firing at the house of two candidates in the recently held Assembly election in the Beijbehara area created panic in its vicinity even as no one had been hurt. The police said it was an accidental fire from the rifle of the PSO posted at the house for the security of the couple who unsuccessfully contested the recent elections from two constituencies of Anantnag district.

The reports here said panic gripped Pazalpora locality of Beijbehara township the other day, with the people suspecting firing due to some militants.

These added that after some time it had been revealed that it was a “deliberate attempt” at the behest of the two candidates, Nazir Ahmad and Raja Begum, to seek more security cover.

The police had arrested the PSO, Irfan Ahmad, in this connection, sources here said.

He was posted at the residence of Nazir Ahmad, who contested as a candidate of the Forward Bloc from the Shangus constituency.

His wife Raja Begum had also unsuccessfully contested from the Beijbehara constituency in the recently concluded Assembly elections.

However, the police officers in Anantnag said it was an accidental fire, which hit the ceiling of the house. The PSO on duty had been changed while adequate security was in place for the candidates, the police said.

Meanwhile, the Awami National Conference has expressed concern over the withdrawal of security cover to its candidates.

A spokesman of the party here said the security to its candidates was being withdrawn while personnel from the “irrelevant” political parties were being provided adequate security cover.

In case of any physical harm in the absence of security cover the responsibility would be that of the government, the spokesman added.

Srinagar, January 22
Security has been tightened in Srinagar in the light of Republic Day celebrations in Bakshi Stadium.

However, a relief for the common man has been an evident decline in random search operations in the city.

Hurriyat (G) led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for a bandh and asked people to observe January 26 as a black day, a biannual announcement made by separatists for August 15 and January 26.

The security forces say intelligence inputs on the militant movement is not worrisome but they are taking all measures to secure the stadium even though CRPF troops are permanently housed there.

Officials are also expecting a bigger assembly of civilians this time compared to that on August 15 last year. The Amarnath land controversy was raging on in the valley that time and it had resulted in an embarrassingly low participation.

But a good participation in elections and the installation of the NC-led government, the party which emerged victorious in all eight seats of Srinagar, has made officials anticipate a good crowd and hence concern for better security. " We believe people's participation in a number not seen in many years," a police official said.

Leh, January 22“Leh district has shortage of 57 sanctioned doctors causing the remote areas of the district, which remained cut off in winter, deprived of doctors, said executive councillor for health Dorjey Mutup in the general council meeting conducting to review the developmental activities of the district.

He said Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) had already written to the state government and to improve the health services in the remote areas, adding that proposal about the enhancement of stipend to the Amchi, traditional health healers, had also sent to the government.

The Durbuk constituency in Changthang region, Dorjey Stanzin alleged that LAHDC was ignoring Durbuk block in developmental activities, he said most of the medical aid centre in block were shortage of para-medical staffs.

Another dominating sector in the general council meeting today was on the education sector. Commenting on the recent bi-annual board result of secondary and higher secondary schools results, executive councillor for education Tsering Nurbo said, “Top priority of LAHDC is given to the education sector and to improve the standard of education, councillors in their respective constituency are allotting funds from their developmental funds to conduct residential tuition during the winter vacation.”

Nurboo also added, career counselling at the block level in the memory of late Bakula Rinpoche, who was the political and religious leader, had been conducting from the last year.

When the general council meeting reviewed the availability of essential commodities during the winter, the Congress councillor from the Chushot constituency, Ghulam Abbass Abidi, alleged that medicine and flour in the ration stores were rotten while many remote areas were yet not got the kerosene oil.

The developmental activities under the border development projects in Indo-China and Indo-Pakistan border areas also discussed in the meeting. It was also informed that out of Rs 3.70 core project fund allotted for the development of the Indo-Pak border areas, 46 per cent have been spent by ending December and while 38 per cent of the total allotted funds of Rs 8.34 lakh have been spent during the period.

Jammu, January 22
The government has suspended three health officials for allegedly violating the model code of conduct during the recent Assembly poll, officials in the department said here.

Three employees of the Health Department- head pharmacist Akbar Malik of Rajouri hospital, junior pharmacist Shabir Malik and Riyaz Ahmed of Darhal hospital- were suspended yesterday for allegedly campaigning for some candidates during their office hours in Rajouri district, they said.

Acting on a complaint, the Election Commission of India had ordered a probe against the trio. The probe panel found them guilty of violating the model code of conduct and indicted them, they said. — PTI 

Jammu, January 22
The vice-chancellor of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, Dr B Mishra, has said that integrated efforts should be made to exploit natural resources for providing livelihood security to hill farmers.

Dr Mishra said this while inaugurating the ICAR-sponsored 21-day winter school on “conservation farming through efficient use of resources to sustain livelihood of dry land farmers of northwest Himalayas” on the varsity’s Chatha campus .

The VC added the hill farmers should be provided with supplementary subsidiary enterprises like beekeeping, poultry and dairy silkworm rearing etc.