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Shivering cold grips Kashmir
College exam pattern set to undergo major changes
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Apple growers demand grading facilities
Three months on, Mir Behri residents await bridge
Frequent power cuts irk consumers in north Kashmir
18 schoolchildren from Valley to visit NASA
Exams next week but no books yet
VC exhorts students to follow Imam’s footsteps
‘Release Rafiq’ campaign intensifies at university
Farmers get subsidy of
Rs 14 lakh
Gujjars to launch campaign
Minister reviews power scenario
Students return from educational tour
DoP to host children as 'special guests'
Srinagar to host cycling race
One killed, 9 hurt in road accidents
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Shivering cold grips Kashmir
Srinagar, November 16 The minimum temperature in Leh was recorded at minus 11.6 degrees Celsius, an official of the state Meteorological Department said. The day temperature in Leh was 10.4 degrees Celsius. In the adjoining Kargil district in Ladakh region, the mercury fell to minus 4.8 degrees Celsius, the official said. The maximum temperature in Kargil was recorded at 11.6 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature in Ladakh region usually hovers many degrees below the freezing point in winter months and sometimes it falls to minus 20 degrees Celsius. The region remains cut off from the rest of the state as heavy snow along the Srinagar-Leh road shuts the access to the mountainous Ladakh. The administration here has already ordered restrictions on the movement of vehicles on the Kargil-Zanskar, Srinagar-Zojila-Kargil, Kupwara-Machil, Kupwara-Tangdhar and Bandipora-Gurez roads for the next two days as a precautionary measure in view of the snow forecast. In Srinagar, the mercury fell to minus 1 degree Celsius during the night and the maximum temperature during the day was recorded at 17.3 degrees Celsius, the official said. In Gulmarg resort of north Kashmir, the night temperature fell to a freezing minus 2.7 degrees Celsius while the Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir recorded a chilling minus 3.3 degrees Celsius during the night. The maximum day temperature in Gulmarg was recorded at 11.8 degrees Celsius and in Pahalgam it was recorded at 17.2 degrees Celsius. The frontier Kupwara town in north Kashmir also recorded a cold night with mercury falling to minus 1.6 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature in the south Kashmir’s Qazigund town was recorded at minus 2.2 degrees Celsius, the official said. The Kashmir valley is gearing up for a harsh winter which is set to begin next month. Residents have already switched to their winter wear to escape the shivering evening cold. The state Meteorological Department also issued a forecast of snow and rain in Kashmir and Ladakh region in the next 24 hours. The department said light snow and rainfall is expected to occur during the next 24 hours as Western disturbances have approached the region. Snow, rain predicted
Forecast of snow, rain in Kashmir and Ladakh region in the next 24 hours Leh records coldest night of the season Administration orders restriction on movement of vehicles on various roads for the next two days as a precautionary measure |
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College exam pattern set to undergo major changes
Srinagar, November 16 In a major relief to over 1 lakh students in 50 affiliated colleges of Kashmir University, the segregation of each subject into two papers (A&B) has been done away with. Now, students will have to appear in a single paper for each subject of study. This will reduce the number of core subjects of study from eight to five. This decision will also ensure that students have to appear only in one paper for each subject. In order to ensure regular attendance of students in the colleges of the Valley, around 25 per cent of overall marks weightage for each year has been given to internal assessment, which includes regular attendance in colleges. Sources said steps have been taken to monitor the attendance of students in the colleges which have been not up to the mark, especially in the degree colleges located outside Srinagar. “It is true that in the absence of any effective monitoring, students would miss more than 50% of classes and eventually pass the annual examinations since the class attendance was not taken into consideration in annual marks weightage,” said Prof Shumaila Khan, a lecturer at Government College for Women, MA Road. Meanwhile, students said attendance of teachers should also been brought under the purview of new laws, as even many permanent faculty members are not regularly present in the colleges. “Though there is some relaxation in terms of number of examination papers we appear in, however, that also means that we will have to appear for both A and B papers of a particular subject together as they have been merged into one paper. It means students will have to work harder while teachers will have a convenience in marking the answer sheets,” said Sahil, an MBA student at Islamia College for Science and Commerce. Relief for students
The segregation of each subject into two papers has been done away Now, students will have to appear in a single paper for each subject This will reduce the number of core subjects of study from eight to five |
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Apple growers demand grading facilities
Anantnag, November 16 The farmers say their produce can fetch more money if it is graded by professionals. “The farmers grade their produce themselves and due to lack of expertise they are unable to fetch the price they deserve for their produce,” said Rauf Ahmad, a trader from Shopian Fruit Mandi. He says if the government intervenes and assigns the job of grading the produce to professionals, they can fetch more price. “Normally, a box of apples fetches not more than Rs 1,000 and that too when the market is doing very well. However, if the apples are packed after proper grading, the same box of apples can fetch double the amount,” said Mohammad Yaqoob, a trader from Kulgam Mandi in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. Traders and farmers say packaging remains a concern of the Horticulture Department but it has failed to address the issue. “Our counterparts from Shimla get good rates for their apples despite the fact that quality of their apples is no match to that of ours. This is only because their produce is packaged beautifully,” said Iqbal, a farmer from the Sallar area of Bijbehara. The farmers said they might have moved to cardboard boxes from the traditional wooden ones but that’s not enough. “We want the government to provide us plastic boxes on subsidised rates. The plastic boxes are stronger and appeal the buyers.” The planning and marketing wing of the Horticulture Department maintains they are taking steps to make the farmers capable of grading their produce properly through camps and other means. “There is no Grading Act in force as of now. Hopefully, we will have a proper Grading Act in future. However, for the time being, we are focusing on making the growers capable of grading their produce in a professional manner,” said Nisar Ahmad, Information Officer, Planning and Marketing wing. |
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Three months on, Mir Behri residents await bridge
Srinagar, November 16 "We were promised that the bridge would be constructed by Muharram as the first 10 days of this holy month are very important for us. Besides a number of religious functions, we take out processions on Muharram 6 and 9. But the bridge has not been repaired to date. The residents have made make-shift arrangements for pedestrians but even a bike cannot get through," said Nasir Ahmad, a resident of Mir Behri. A wooden footbridge had collapsed at Mir Behri in August during protests over the drowning of two minor siblings. While several persons, including the police and government officials, had got injured during the bridge collapse, locals have been demanding proper road connectivity since then. Mir Behri is located in the interiors of the Dal Lake and is an island of sorts. It connects to the main city through a road near Rainawari. The wooden bridge, according to the government, had collapsed due to excessive load as the protesters, police and government officials were standing over it at the same time. However, the residents, on the other hand, had claimed that the bridge was in ramshackle condition and had not been repaired for the past 10-12 years. Another resident of the area, Ghulam Hassan, alleged that the government was only doing 'lip service'. "The government is merely doing lip service and 500 families living in the area continue to suffer. The worst-hit are the students as they have to leave early in the morning," he said. Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) vice-chairman Irfan Yasin said the tendering process had been completed and the area would get a new bridge soon. He said besides the bridge, the area would get a diversion. Yasin said the earlier wooden bridge had to be dismantled first. "The diversion would be completed in Muharram only and work on the bridge will be completed soon," he added. |
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Frequent power cuts irk consumers in north Kashmir
Kupwara, November 16 The situation in Baramulla district is no different. Consumers told The Tribune that frequent and unscheduled power cuts had become the order of the day and in spite of repeated pleas, the Power Development Department (PDD) had done nothing to improve the situation. “Electricity is playing hide and seek and often we don’t get power for hours together. Unscheduled power cuts have become a routine since the first week of November,” said Aijaz Ahmad of Kupwara. Students taking examinations of Kashmir University and the JKBOSE claimed that they were the worst sufferers of erratic power supply. They maintained that the erratic power supply in north Kashmir had badly affected their studies. “We are forced to study under candle light. We are unable to perform to the best of our ability in examinations due to the uneven power scenario, which affects our preparations,” a group of students said.Thousands of students are appearing in the final year and Class XII examinations conducted by Kashmir University and the JKBOSE, respectively, in the Valley. Residents of Handwara and Baramulla said they were forced to pay the power tariff according to the curtailment schedule but electricity was not being provided in accordance with the schedule. They said frequent cuts in power supply had become a routine matter and the situation becomes worse during the night hours. Consumers of Lolab villages, including Darpora Maidanpora, Charkote, Muqam Haytpora, Lalpora, Krusan and Dardpora, complained the villages often grope in the dark as electricity supply gets snapped from 7 pm to 11 pm. They threatened not to pay the power tariff if the power supply to the affected villages was not improved. “We will not pay tariff if power is not provided according to the curtailment schedule. The department charges us tariff according to the curtailment schedule but we are hardly provided power for around four hours in 24 hours,” Mohd Ashraf, a Lolab resident, said. People of many other remote villages in Kupwara and Handwara complained of low-voltage. “The voltage is even low than the candle light. Many a times the power supply is snapped for long durations,” said Hilal Ahmad.
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18 schoolchildren from Valley to visit NASA
Srinagar, November 16 The students from the Green Valley Educational Institute, Srinagar, were part of a group of 100 children, which participated in NASA Astronomy Olympiad-2012, conducted by Orange Group of Education, New Delhi. Eighteen students from different classes of the school topped in the test and have also been awarded gold and silver medals, school officials said. NASA will host the students for 11 days where they will also get a chance to interact with the scientists of the space agency. The NASA trek is an educational and cultural tour of USA. It provides an opportunity to students to work together, gain and share knowledge and get trained in the world’s best possible infrastructure and facilities under the supervision of eminent scientists.
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Exams next week but no books yet
Kupwara, November 16 Teachers and parents said the delay in procurement of books had affected the preparation of students for the upcoming examinations,. To achieve the universalisation of education at primary and upper primary level, the JKBOSE authorities have been providing books at free of cost to the students, including poor students especially from rural areas of Kashmir since past few years. Students said they were unable to prepare for the upcoming examinations due to non-availability of books. “We are unable to prepare for examinations in mathematics, science and social science due to non-availability of books. The board authorities are yet to provide books and examinations are slated to begin next week,” a group of students of Government Middle School, Ticker, near Kupwara, complained. They appealed the authorities concerned to provide them the books without further delay. “We appeal the authorities to make the books available at the earliest. The JKBOSE has provided Urdu, English and books on general knowledge but books on rest of the subjects are yet to be provided by them,” one of the students said. Teachers said that due to non-availability of books, they were unable to teach the students in schools. “We are unable to take classes due to non-availability of books. The books are not available at book shops in markets also,” said Nazir Ahmad, a teacher. Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Handwara Mohd Yaqoob said they had forwarded a requisition of books to the JKBOSE and were expecting the delivery soon. When contacted Renu Goswami, secretary of the broad, said she would have to ascertain the fact of the matter from the officials. “I will have to ascertain the facts about the delivery of books to schools. In case, some books have not been delivered to students, we will make them available as early as possible,” she said. |
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VC exhorts students to follow Imam’s footsteps
Srinagar, November 16 The debate & seminar wing, in collaboration with the IUST students’ union, organised the seminar titled ‘Contribution of Iman Hussain in Building Human Values’. Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor IUST, Prof A R Trag, said “Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) is a pioneering example of courage, righteousness and steadfastness. By sacrificing his life, he upheld the true meaning of Islam. He showed to all that it was better to lay down one’s life than to budge before tyranny, injustice and falsehood. He introduced a new phase into the Islamic history.” He said that Hazrat Imam Hussain’s upbringing played up a major role in framing him as one of the pious followers in the Islamic history. “He was brought up in the pious company of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The guidance which Imam Hussain (RA) received throughout his life was the reason that he proved to be an exemplary figure with utmost virtues and qualities. In fact, he infused a new spirit into the humanity,” the VC said. The VC urged the students to follow the footsteps of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) in every sphere of life. “The way Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) spent his life teaches us that we should always leave individual differences aside and should work together towards helping the poor, the needy, the widows, orphans and should also contribute towards building a prosperous society,” he added. Trag highlighted the importance of 10th of Muharram saying that many important and landmark events have occurred on this day. Registrar of the university, Prof Abdul Gani Rather said Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) remained firm on the fundamental teachings of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). He was a true reflection of ideals of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and inherited all the qualities of the beloved messenger of Allah. Head of the Department of Arabic, Dr Abdul Majeed Andrabi, Dean School of Technology, Prof KKS Jamwal and Head of the Department of Islamic Studies, Dr Showkat Hussain also spoke on the occasion. Students from various departments also participated in the seminar. Shafaqat Hassan, Asima Andrabi and Karaar Hussain bagged first, second and third positions respectively.
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‘Release Rafiq’ campaign intensifies at university
Srinagar, November 16 A three-day campaign, which will be carried out on the varsity campus, aims to collect the signatures of faculty members and students who support ‘Release Rafiq’ campaign. Sources in the university said the signatures were being collected by a group of activists (KU students) who are moving around the campus and visiting various departments to raise awareness about the issue. “So far we have collected more than 1,500 signatures of students and teachers in the university. If things go well, we will extend this campaign to KU affiliated colleges and satellite campuses in north and south Kashmir districts as well,” a student activist said. He added that students would carry banners, placards to inform people about the full-fledged students’ campaign. He added that the former vice-chancellors of the University of Kashmir, Prof Wahid Qureshi and Prof Riyaz Punjabi, during their respective tenures had confirmed that Muhammad Rafiq Shah was in Delhi on the day when pre-Divali blasts occurred in 2005. “Rafiq’s ailing parents alone cannot fight this battle. These should be solid support behind them in the perusal of this cause and all students are willing to lend their support,” he added. Mehmooda Begum, Rafiq’s mother, had sought his release by filing an online petition to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The matter has even been brought to the notice of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. |
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Farmers get subsidy of Rs 14 lakh
Srinagar, November 16 “Authorised dealers displayed their machinery equipments and other tools at the mela. Farmers of Khansahib purchased three tractors, six tillers, 80 irrigation pump sets, 40 foot sprayers and 18 poly green houses. An amount of Rs 14 lakh will be provided to farmers as subsidy component to purchase such equipments.” an official said. Speaking on the occasion, Sub Divisional Magistrate Khansahib Mushtaq Ahmad advised the farmers to take benefits from Kisaan Welfare Schemes launched by the Agriculture Department. Chief Agriculture Officer Budgam Mushtaq Ahmad Parray was also present at the mela. —TNS
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Gujjars to launch campaign
Srinagar, November 16 ABGM president Ishfaq-Ur-Rehman Poswal said the political parties of the state had deliberately ignored the second largest community (Gujjars) of the state while announcing names of the candidates for the LC polls scheduled on December 3 under the panchayat quota. He asserted that despite the boycott calls from different quarters, the panchayat elections were made successful by the Gujjar community throughout the state. He claimed that 40 per cent panches and sarpanches in Poonch, Rajouri, Kupwara, Baramulla, Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama districts were from the Gujjar-Bakerwal communities. Poswal appealed all the panches and sarpanches of the Gujjar communities and all the other tribes to untidily face the challenge and ‘teach a befitting lesson to all political parties by electing right persons for their representation and by fully taking part in the forthcoming elections.’ “The ABGM will launch a campaign in favour of the candidates of its choice and motivate the panches and sarpanches belonging to the Gujjar community in particular and all the other tribes of the state to vote in favour of such candidates who fulfill their aspirations,” he added.
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Minister reviews power scenario
Srinagar, November 16 While concluding his week-long tour of the Valley, Khan reviewed supply of essential commodities and power at the divisional-level officers’ meetings of the departments concerned. “He also inspected the progress of the upcoming power projects and other power-related infrastructure,” an official spokesman said. He stated that proper care should be taken to check power pilferage. He asked the authorities concerned to ensure collection of power tariff in time to achieve the targets. The minister directed PDD authorities to ensure scheduled power supply to the consumer. “The people should not face any inconvenience on account of power during winter and any negligence in this regard would be viewed seriously,” he said. “While reviewing the stock and supply of essential commodities, the minister was apprised by the CA&PD officers that adequate stocks of food grains are available in the Valley. Besides adequate ration stocks, including rice, atta, wheat, sugar, K-oil and LPG cylinders, have been already stocked in hilly areas of Gurez, Karnah, Keran and Machal to cater the ration requirements of the local people,” he said.
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Students return from educational tour
Srinagar, November 16 As part of the 10-day tour, the students from various schools of south Kashmir visited various places of historical importance like Red Fort, Tajmahal and Sikander Fort at Agra, an Army official said. “They also got an opportunity to visit the Fatehpur Sikri, Hawa Mahal, Amer Fort, Jal Mahal and Jantar Mantar at Jaipur. In Ajmer, they visited Pushkar Mandir, Pushkar Lake and Dargah Sarif,” he added. On their return, the children, parents and teachers of the schools were felicitated today at a function in Shar-e-Shali in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. |
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DoP to host children as 'special guests'
Srinagar, November 16 Chief postmaster general J&K circle John Samuel said all the post offices in the state would receive schoolchildren as 'special guests' during the current fortnight ending November 30. He said the initiative was aimed at helping the schoolchildren to learn about the functioning of the post offices. The DoP had also organised a stamp design competition for schoolchildren on November 14. Samuel said the children would get a chance to know about the working of postmen through the initiative. They could see various postal stamps and special covers issued by the department. He urged the principals of the schools to be in touch with the post masters concerned and plan visits to the post offices. |
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Srinagar to host cycling race
Srinagar, November 16 Addressing a press conference here, Minister for Medical Education, Technical Education and Sports R.S. Chib said the international cycling race will be held here on December 4. The race, covering 160 km in seven rounds to and fro, will kick off from the Royal Spring Golf Club to the University of Kashmir Hazratbal. About 250 delegates of different countries are participating in the event, the minister added. He said the event would be held as a part of the J&K Sports Council’s golden jubilee celebrations under the auspices of the International Cycling Federation (ICF). Speaking on the occasion, ICF managing director Aqil Khan said the day-long event would be telecast live from Doordarshan Kendra, Srinagar, and broadcast on 20 national and international channels and Radio Kashmir.
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One killed, 9 hurt in road accidents
Srinagar, November 16 Mohammad Ramzan Hajam, a resident of Bemina locality of the city, got injured when a car at the national highway hit him near his residence, a police spokesman said. Hajam was shifted to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. A case has been registered at the Parimpora police station, the spokesman said. Seven passengers were injured when their cab collided with a truck at Sanat Nagar, on outskirts of the city. The police spokesman said all the injured were shifted to a hospital for the treatment. In north Kashmir’s Sopore town, a passenger cab and a motorcycle collided near Lalad crossing. Two men identified as Showkat Ahmad and Aadil Ahmad, both residents of Lalad, injured in the accident. They were hospitalised, the spokesman said.
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The Kashmir division is in the grip of a shivering cold with Leh town in the remote Ladakh region witnessing the coldest night of the season as mercury there plunged nearly 12 degrees below the freezing point.
While the bridge connecting Mir Behri with main road over the Dal Lake had collapsed during protests earlier this year, residents of the area comprising 500 households are still awaiting the construction of the same. The residents, a majority of whom belong to the Shia community, say they are facing a lot of problems even as the Muharram month started today during which they hold several religious functions.
Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) today organised a seminar to highlight the role and contribution of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) towards building human values and virtues.
