Rajouri, October 19
The state Education Department has identified 5,103 children from various parts of the district to bring them back to the classrooms under the state government's ambitious project 'Talash'.

The children were identified in a survey conducted by the State Education Department under the Directorate of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA), a flagship scheme of the Government of India.

The Department of School Education implemented project 'Talash' in June. A household survey was conducted as part of the project to identify "Out of School Children (OOSC)" for the universalisation of elementary education mission up to 14 years.

“Within two months, our teams have identified 5,103 children who have some or other reasons for not going to schools in the far-flung areas of Rajouri district. These children include those who never went to school, others who dropped out owing for some reason such as financial constraint or militancy and even those children who had never got enrolled in schools before," said an official.

A senior official of the department said, “The ZEOs have been instructed to constitute committees in all 15 zones for smooth enrollment of these children in local schools and the process is on.”

The department has also made arrangements to impart education in abridged courses to the children who never went to school. Earlier this year, the government had chalked out a strategy to compile block and tehsil level database of schoolchildren. The aim was to use the same to formulate a strategy to contain school dropout rate. The enumerators were sent door-to-door in every nook and corner of the state to find out the actual number of children without education facilities.

Jammu, October 19
Despite claims of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) of having launched a major drive against adulterated milk in the city, milk vendors continue to dupe residents. In most areas people complain that vendors are selling low quality milk despite having increased the price, but quality is a major concern for the consumers here.

Recent tests reveal that water added to milk is the most common form of adulteration, which not only reduces the nutritional value but contaminated water also poses great risk to the health of the consumers.

Studies show that glucose and skimmed milk products (SMP) are mixed to earn profit at the cost of the heath of the common man.

"Items like paneer, dahi and ghee from any shop taste different. The administration needs to take samples to know the quality of the milk products," said Anil Sharma, a resident of New Plot area.

Recently the JMC had announced to introduce computerised mobile testing labs to check samples on a daily basis. Till now the JMC was dependent on the lab, which takes days for the results, including finding the use of synthetic products. The new mobile labs will give results in a few minutes, allowing greater ability of the staff to impose a fine on the dairy owners.

Health Officer Dr Vinod Sharma said regular checks are conducted but quality is difficult to monitor as thousands of tonnes of milk is consumed in the city everyday. “We follow a strict policy against adulterators, but people should approach us so that action could be taken,” DR Sharma said.

Jammu, October 19
Accusing senior police officers of turning hostile towards them allegedly under "political pressure", the parents of a dowry victim today demanded that the accused should be arrested and a challan be produced before the court to bring the accused to book.

"Even after one year since the death of my daughter who was brutally killed by her in-laws, the police has failed to produce a challan in the court. Only two persons were arrested, while the police officers, who are working under the influence of a cabinet minister, have not arrested the others," Shah Mohammad, the father of a woman who was allegedly set on fire by her in-laws for dowry, told reporters here.

Flanked by his wife, Nazira Bibi and his eldest son Shah Mohammad, who is himself an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) in the police, he accused senior police officers of shielding the accused under "political pressure".

Giving details of the incident, Shah Mohammad said his daughter Safia Bibi was married to Mohammad Saleem of Channi Rama, Malik Market in Jammu on March 25, 2006. Several items were also given to the family in dowry.

“We arranged the dowry items under difficult circumstances. After the wedding, the in-laws of my daughter started harassing her on one pretext or other and started demanding dowry in form of cash and vehicle," the father of the deceased said.

"We tried to fulfill all their wishes but they did not stop harassing her," he alleged.

Thereafter, they also assaulted and tortured Safia, Shah Mohammad alleged. "They continued to torture her and they (father-in-law and mother-in-law) set her on fire on the intervening night of September 13 and 14, 2011, with kerosene. Her husband, brother-in-law and sister-in-law remained mute spectators to the murder and made no attempt to save her," the father alleged. He said the police arrested only the father-in-law and mother-in-law who were bailed out on October 25, 2011.

“Safia was admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, and later to Ludhiana but she succumbed to burn injuries on October 29, 2011. We approached senior police officers, including IGP, Jammu Zone and SSP Jammu several times but in vain. No arrest was made in this regard till date," he alleged.

He also alleged that the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) City East, Jammu, Shamsher Singh Sambyal called him in his office and threatened him not to follow the case otherwise he (Shah Mohammad) would face serious consequences.

"As part of delaying tactics, the department constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the case on June 25 and directed it to furnish a report within a month but no arrest has been made so far," he alleged.

The SDPO City East has refuted the allegations leveled by the family and said that Shah Mohammad never visited his office. "The investigation is on and we are trying our best to solve the murder case. The father wants an inquiry to be conducted according his way which is not possible.

Our reports will be based on facts and there is no question of getting influenced by any political leader," the SDPO said.

Jammu, October 19
Hundreds of students from various engineering colleges today locked the main gate of the University of Jammu and staged a demonstration against the decision of University to abolish "supplementary" examination.

The protestors, comprising students of Semester-I and II of engineering courses from the Government College of Engineering and Technology (GCET), Model Institute of Engineering and Technology (MIET) and Mahant Bachittar Singh College sat in front of the main gate of the university and demanded that the notification be revoked immediately. “We have been protesting for the past one week but the authorities have turned a deaf ear to our demands. The Jammu University as well as the college authorities didn't mention any such rule in the admission brochure.

If any student fails to qualify in all subjects in a particular semester, he or she will have to wait for a year instead of six months to clear the paper," they rued.

The protest continued for half an hour and the students didn't allow any vehicle to enter the main gate. Later, the dharna was lifted.

Manoj K Dhar, Controller of Examinations, JU, said the decision to abolish supplementary examination system was taken by the University Council. "Earlier, we used to conduct supplementary examination for each semester which resulted in lot of confusion. The University Council finally decided to do away with this practice and it was decided that if any student fails to qualify the examination, he or she would be allowed to appear in the paper after one year during the third semester," the Controller said.

The Jammu University or the college authorities didn't mention any such rule in the admission brochure. If any student fails to qualify in all subjects in a particular semester, he or she will have to wait for a year instead of six months to clear the paper
— engineering student, ju

We used to conduct supplementary examination for each semester which resulted in lot of confusion. The University Council finally decided to do away with this practice. The order was implemented in August 2011 to streamline the system. If a student fails to qualify the examination, he or she would be allowed to appear in the paper after one year during the third semester
— manoj k dhar, Controller examinations, Ju

Jammu, October 19
Streetlights installed in several localities of the city remain glowing throughout the day with no consideration being given to shut them. At some places, shopkeepers have even diverted these lights towards their showrooms.

Most of these were installed by the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) for the benefit of commuters as there is no dedicated streetlighting in the city.

The misuse of electricity is rampant in most of the commercial hubs and government offices as nobody seems to bother about it.

“It is the duty of local inhabitants to switch on and off the lights in case of residential areas but people are seldom concerned about their duty,” said JMC commissioner KL Khajuria.

“At some places, shopkeepers have diverted these lights towards their shops, depriving commuters of the benefit for which these were installed. Action should be taken against them,” said Naresh Sharma, a resident of Gandhi Nagar.

Power sector is a major headache for the state. With the use of electricity increasing every year, the state had to divert crores of rupees to keep the power supply stable.

Another worry is the high transmission and distribution (T&D) losses, which have reached nearly 72 per cent from 40 per cent five years ago.

Jammu, October 19
Aspirants of Elementary Teachers Training (ETT) have warned of intensifying their stir due to the failure of the state government to conduct examinations for Special Batch of 2008-10.

The aspirants had issued September 28 deadline to the J&K State Board of School Education (JKBOSE) demanding that the remaining papers for Elementary Teachers Training (ETT) Special Batch of 2008-10 be conducted at the earliest. The aspirants rued that the future of more than 20,000 aspirants was at stake.

Sources said, the school education board after conducting two papers of Special Batch of 2008-10 session, had stopped the examination process without intimating the reason either to the students or to the ETT college administration. They said the respective college managements failed to explain the reason behind the move.

Sources said differences surfaced among private ETT colleges after the JKBOSE authorities questioned the validity of admissions in some of the colleges. Sources said ETT colleges whose admissions were cancelled by the board had approached the court to obtain a stay over the examination of ETT 2008-10 Special Batch.

VR Sharma, Joint Secretary (Examination), BOSE, said, "The ETT institutes are responsible for the prevailing scenario. The examination process will be resumed only when the stay in the court is vacated," he added.

Jammu, October 19
Extending its support to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) and the state government for road widening and raising facilities for pilgrims enroute the Amarnath Cave Shrine, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today demanded stern action against separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani for his remarks on the Amarnath Yatra.

It also questioned the locus standi of separatist leader in Kashmir and blamed the Centre and the state government for their “soft approach” towards “anti-national” elements in Kashmir.

“We failed to understand as to why the Centre and the state government had provided Geelani Z-plus security as he has no locus standi in Kashmir. We condemn his statement wherein he had called for protests after Eid if the SASB and the state government constructed road to the cave shrine,” Ramkant Dubey, VHP state president, said.

Dubey said the board was constructing a road for raising facilities for pilgrims visiting Jammu and Kashmir from various parts of the country. “His statement reflects communal mindset and strict action must be initiated against him. We extend full support to the SASB and the state government which had undertaken widening of road between Baltal and the cave shrine on the directions of the Supreme Court,” the VHP leader said.

He warned that the VHP activists would launch nation-wide agitation if any attempt was made to stop the development activities enroute the Amarnath Cave Shrine.

Katra, October 19
Chandan Kumar of Jammu entered the final of the All-India Devotional Song Competition as the event entered third day last evening.

Yesterday, the event was inagurated by chief guest Reasi Deputy Commissioner Nirmal Sharma.

While Chandan Kumar bagged the first position, Abhindan Khajuria of Hira Nagar and Sarabjeet Singh of Digaina Jammu shared second position jointly and third position was shared by Arun Slain of Jammu and Varun Singh of Chandigarh jointly among 13 auditioned participants.

The competition was adjudged by panels of experts in music, including Prof Anupama Sharma, Lecturer, Music Government Degree College Parade, Parveen Saberwal and Dr Usha Bhagati.

Sharma extended Navratra greetings to the organises.

She said the All-India Devotional Song Competition was a platform for new singers as the programme was known all over the India and abroad.

Katra, October 19
A 10-day folk theatre workshop organised by Sangam theatre group Reasi concluded at Government Higher Secondary School Sajroo in tehsil Mahore of Reasi district concluded today.

The workshop was organised under the aegis of JK Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL) Jammu to promote local culture through theatre.

Twenty five students drawn from different schools in the area participated in the event.

At the concluding ceremony, students performed Karkan and Horen folk theatre.

Mohammad Akram Khan, director, Sangam theatre group, said on the occasion that Karkan and Horan folk are the only living traditional art forms of this area, through which history has been passed on from one generation to another though effective narratives.

Ashok Dogra, principal, JKAACL, in his address, said the objective behind showcasing the cultural heritage of the Dogra region was to promote it. He thanked the Sangam theatre group for holding such a programme in this far-flung area for the benefit and promotion of upcoming artists.

Jammu, October 19
Government College for Women, Parade, has organised a two-day programme on the theme “Science for Shaping Future of India” in collaboration with the Jammu Chapter of the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA).

As a part of the ISCA centenary celebrations, the Science Club of the college organised an inter-college poster making competition on the first day. An inter-college symposium along with plenary lectures by experts in different scientific fields on the theme would be held tomorrow. About 33 students from different colleges of Jammu participated in the poster making competition.

Prof MK Jyoti, Head, Department of Environmental Sciences, Central University of Jammu, was the chief guest on the occasion. Pragya Khanna, organising secretary, said the results of the competition would be announced tomorrow.

Dr Hemla Aggarwal, college principal, appreciated the efforts of students and said such programmes were meant to build a network of young minds across the nation to spread awareness.

Katra, October 19
The Hassaya Vayang Manch, Katra, organised a Hassaya Vayang Competition at Durga Bhawan, Katra.

The Additional Chief Executive Officer, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, MK Bhandari, was the chief guest while Major Mangalam was the Guest of Honour on the occasion. As many as 18 persons participated in the competition. The competition was judged by Dr Chander Mohan, Shashi Bhushan and Mohan Lal. Audience, including residents of Katra and Vaishno Devi, enjoyed the event. Moreover, a cultural programme based on the theme of devotional songs was also held on the premises of Government Higher Secondary School, Katra.

As many as 16 government and private institutions of Katra and its surroundings participated in the competition. Sham Kesar, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association, Katra, lauded the efforts of teachers of the institutions concerned who prepared the cultural items with great devotion.

Among others, principal of the host institution Tripta Devi, Tehsildar Gian Chand, senior headmaster of Government Girls High School, Katra, Harish Dubey, and a large number of locals witnessed the event.

Katra, October 19
The Navratra Festival 2012 being organised by Shree Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and the J&K Tourism Department in collaboration with various local organisations entered the third day on Thursday. An attractive shobha yatra-cum- cultural procession reflecting various facets of rich cultural heritage of the state was taken out from Asia crossing Katra last evening.

The chief guest District Development Commissioner, Reasi, Nirmal Sharma, lit the sacred jyoti before the start of colourful procession.

The procession passed through main locations of the town and culminated at Higher Secondry School, Katra. Various tableaux depicting traditional Kud by Khem Raj & party, Ladkhi dance, a Dogra joint family, Itarsi band and various scenes from the holy Hindu scriptures Ramayana and Mahabharata were the main attraction of the procession. The tableaux were tastefully decorated much to the delight of the residents.

Additional SP, Katra, Mohan Lal, Executive Engineer, PWD, Deputy Director Tourism, Tehsildar Reasi, and members of Navratra Festival Committee were present on the occasion.

In another event, artists of the Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, enthralled thousands of pilgrims, including local residents with cultural performances based on colourful folk dances and songs at Government Higher Secondry School, Katra.

Jammu, October 19
International wrestler Leon of England got the better of wrestler Manish of Haryana in a tough bout to lift the third Mission Dosti International Wrestling Competition held at Mathwar today.

Leon dominated the bout from the onset as Manish found it tough to tackle the techniques of the formidable opponent.

The winner wrestler was awarded a cash prize of Rs 31,000 from Sham Lal Sharma, Health Minister, who was the chief guest on the occasion. Sanjeev Verma, Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, and Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, were the Guests of Honour.

Indian wrestlers fought well by winning their maximum bout but the wrestlers of Pakistan failed to make any impact as they lost all their bouts without putting up any resistance against their respective opponents.

Meanwhile, international wrestlers from Ukraine, England, Pakistan and India participated in the competition.

Jammu, October 19
The Churchill Brothers and the Jammu Sports notched up emphatic wins over their respective opponents to move into the ongoing Senior Division Football League Tournament being organised by the Jammu wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Football Association (JKFA) at GGM Science College Football Ground here today.

In the first match, the Churchill Brothers dispatched the Mussa Club by 5-1 goals with utmost ease. The Churchill Brothers opened its account through Adonis Mattoo with a fine goal in the 10th minute. 10 minute later, Rohit Sandhu scored a beauty in the 10th minute to make it 2-0 for the Churchill Brothers.

The Mussa Club forwards were clueless on the brilliance of the Churchill Brothers team, which played as a well-knit unit. Meanwhile, Moon Stephen scored the third goal in the 45th minute followed it up with another in the 50th minute. With 0-4 down, the writing was on the wall for the Mussa Club.

In the meantime, Rahul Sambyal scored his first and team’s fifth goal in the 56th minute. The Mussa Club finally managed to reduce the margin through Harmanjeet Singh in the dying moments. In another match, the Jammu Sports toppled the Young Star Club by a solitary goal. Vivian of the Jammu Sports scored the all important goal via penalty kick in the 13th minute.

The matches was officiated by Kamal Kumar, Saudaghar Mattoo, Sanjay Kumar and Amardeep Singh. The tournament is being held under the overall supervision of Surinder Singh Bunty, Resident Secretary JKFA, Jammu wing, and organising secretary of the tournament.

Jammu, October 19
Akhnoor Block dispatched RS Pura block by 1 inning and 1 point in a summit clash to clinch the U-16 girls’ kho-kho title yesterday in the inter-block district-level PYKKA competitions in multi-disciplines which concluded at different venues here.

Earlier, in the semifinal matches played, Akhnoor block defeated Dansal block. In Kabaddi, Akhnoor block beat Marh block by 29-14 points. — TNS