Jammu, May 23
After registering their supremacy in Class XII examinations, girls again outshone boys in the Class X examination results which were declared by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) here today.

The results witnessed a cut-throat competition, as a record 173 students, including 114 girls, made it to the merit list of 20 top positions.

The performance of government-run institutions, however, remained dismal. Only one student from a government school managed it to make it to the merit list, notwithstanding the School Education Department’s repeated claims that strict measures had been taken to improve education standards in the government institutions.

As many as 49,533 students comprising 26,804 boys and 22,729 girls appeared in the Class X examination this year. Of them, a total of 16,546 boys and 14,390 girls successfully qualified the examination.

The overall pass percentage stood at 62.44 per cent with 61.71 per cent boys and 63.31 per cent girls qualifying the examination.

The first position was shared by two students- Afreen Khalid Kohli of Christ School, Poonch, and Jay Vikas of Brahmrishi Bawra SVP Higher Secondary School, Udhampur, who scored 97.20 per cent marks, respectively.

The second position was again shared by two students- Gursheen Kour of SD Tara Puri Public Higher Secondary School, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, and Shantanu Kumar of Shiksha Niketan High School Gandhi Nagar, as they both scored 96.80 per cent marks.

Ananya Chouhan of Knit Talab Tillo, Jammu, Annie Vaid of JK Montessori School, Talab Tillo, Gunwant Singh of Christ School, Nowshera, and Parul Verma of Budding Flower High School, Dewal, shared the third position by securing 96.60 per cent marks.

The fourth position was shared by three students who scored 96.20 per cent marks, while the fifth position was shared again by four students with 96 per cent marks.

Two students- Anchal Gupta of Montessori Nargis Dutt Senior Secondary School, RS Pura, and Shubam Pandit of Vishwa Bharti Public Higher Secondary School, Akalpur, shared the sixth position by scoring 95.80 per cent marks.

The seventh position was shared by three students who scored 95.60 per cent marks. Similarly, four students shared the eighth position with 95.40 per cent marks.

Five students scored 95.20 per cent marks and clinched the ninth position. A total of eight students shared tenth position by scoring 95 per cent marks.

Meanwhile, the private schools that registered strong performance in the Class X results celebrated the day with great enthusiasm. The position holders, along with their parents went, to their respective schools and greeted teachers and other staff members for their success.

“I was expecting good rank in the merit list. I am very happy with the results and the credit goes to my teachers, father and God who helped me in achieving first position. I would love to be a doctor in the Army and will prepare for the medical competitive examination conducted by Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC),” Jay Vikas, the topper, told The Tribune.

The first-position holder Afreen Khalid Kohli, who belongs to Poonch, said: “Although I was expecting good marks, I never really expected that I would top the examination. The credit of this success goes to my parents and teachers who always encouraged me to work harder. At present, I am taking coaching in the non-medical stream and my aim is to make to the IIT. My uncle, who had qualified the IIT-JEE, is my inspiration. I also aspire to crack the civil services examination.”

Chinmey Jyoti, founder of Brahmrishi Bawra SVP Higher Secondary School, Udhampur, said, “We are pleased with the results and the credit goes to the hard work of staff and students. With firm belief, I can say that we are on the path of achievement of the mission for which this institution was established.”

Batote, May 23
With the completion of the link roads being constructed under the Pradhanmantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) in the Batote Niabat area of Ramban district, many new Gulamarg like enchanting virgin tourist spots will be open to the tourists and nature lovers soon.

This was stated by Ramban MLA Ashok Kumar Dogra during an extensive tour of remote hill panchayats of Dhalwas, Kadma and Sawni of his constituency. He was thanked and felicitated by villagers for the laying of a link-road network, electrification and the new water-supply schemes through his Constituency Development Fund. The villagers also felicitated the MLA for getting the Sawni panchayat declared as a backward area.

He also reviewed the damages caused to the buildings due to the recent earthquakes there. He has demanded the issuance of relief, free ration etc. to the quake victims of Ramban district at par with those of Doda and Kishtwar districts. He also directed the officials to upgrade Girls Middle School at Sawni under the RMSA.

Dogra also reviewed the progress in the construction of the various link roads being constructed under the PMGSY and NABARD.

He directed the senior engineers of the PMGSY and PWD(R&B) to expedite the construction of the Dhalwas-Sawni link road. The Forest Department has given clearance to this road, along with the Chanderkot-Sawni and Kunfer-Sarthi link roads.

He hoped that with the convergence of the Dhalwas-Sawni, Kartheen Nallah-Sund Gali, Maitra-Balihoat-Kriya and Sanasar-Kriya link roads, besides the latter two link roads at Sawni, the picturesque spots of Kasmar in Sawni, Ladadhar, Shankpal and Surnikund would be soon teeming with tourists. 

Rajouri, May 23
Taking stern action against absentee employees of different government departments, Rajouri District Development Commissioner (DDC) Faqir Chand Bhagat has today suspended 35 government employees and stopped salary of nine on finding them absent from duty without intimation.

Speaking to The Tribune, Bhagat said, ”We had already constituted three committees in various areas of Rajouri to monitor the working of employees in different government departments, with the motive to streamline the system.”

The committees has found 35 government employees of various departments, including 15 teachers and masters from the Education Department, two employees from Youth Sports and Services, two from the Technical Education Department, one from Social Welfare, two from Horticulture, eight from the Health Department, three from Agriculture and two from Animal Husbandry were absent from duty.

Not only this, the DC has also stopped salary of nine more employees found absent from duty, including three from Youth Sports and Services, four from the Education Department and one from the Technical Education Department.

Jammu, May 23
Beware when you venture out in the searing heat wave sweeping the plains and dry land areas of Jammu because you just might end up with a ‘chemical locha’ (hormonal disturbance) in the brain.

With mercury hovering at least eight notches above normal this summer, the sweltering heat wave across the Jammu region has started to take a toll on mental health of the people.

“Extreme weather conditions, especially scorching and unbearable summers, can cause stress, which in turn causes disequilibrium of neurotransmitters,” Dr Jagidsh Raj Thappa, a renowned psychiatrist told The Tribune.

Apprehensive, restless and illiterate people are more prone to such disorders, he added.

Dr Thappa said extreme weather conditions could cause stress, which in turn can cause dopamine, 5HT, gaba, nor epinephrine, epinephrine and serotonin imbalance in the brain.

He said once in the grip of hormonal disturbance, a patient needs medication to come out of it.

“Getting impatient and provoked at trivial issues is a form of stress due to extreme weather conditions. For instance, people are more prone to losing their mental balance in summers and start arguments on minor issues,” he said.

Dr Manu Arora, a senior psychiatrist at the Jammu’s lone government psychiatric hospital, has called it the summer depression.

“Heat wave conditions coupled with rampant power cuts and erratic water supply lead to anxiety among people and some fall prey to mental disorders. Though they are not serious, they still need treatment,” he said.

Such disorders are caused due extreme weather conditions.

On an average, 100 patients visit the hospital OPDs daily, complaining about varied forms of mental disorders. 

Jammu, May 23
In a bunch of the Letters Patent Appeals filed against the judgement dated April 10, 2013, wherein the Single Judge had quashed the entire selection list of teachers in Rajouri district, the Division Bench of the J&K High Court of Judicature at Jammu upheld the quashing of the list on the ground that the selection committee was constituted in contravention and in opposition to the statutory Rule 6 (6) of the J&K Civil Services (Decentralisation and Recruitment) Rules, 2010. The Division Bench comprised of Justice Mohd Yaqoob Mir and Justice Tashi Rabstan. "The J&K State Services Selection Board is directed to constitute a district-level selection committee in accordance with Rule 6 (6) of the rules and finalise the process of selection and appointment within eight weeks," held the Division Bench.

Vide advertisement notice dated November 12, 2010, the applications were invited from eligible candidates for filing up of 295 posts of teachers in Rajouri district. The process culminated with the selection of the appellants and some of them were appointed. The respondents (writ petitioners), after participating in the process of selection, failed to make the grade and challenged the entire process of selection and appointment. Finally, the Single Judge quashed the selection and consequent appointments with the direction to initiate fresh selection process and conclude the same within a period of eight weeks. 

Katra, May 23
It seems that the district administration is taking all possible measures to bring transparency and efficiency in the implementation of its programmes. The administration today launched an e-muster rolls programme in order to avoid corruption and plug loopholes in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

Reasi Additional District Development Commissioner Rajinder Singh Tara launched the programme at a workshop organised to sensitise the Panchayati Raj Department field functionaries about proper implementation of the MGNREGS and other poverty alleviation schemes.

Under the new system, the process of enrolment and attendance of the workers of the MGNREGS will be recorded online. The Panchayati Raj department will record data relating to work measurement and quantum of work done by individual workers through a software specially designed for the online monitoring of the scheme at the state and central levels.

Officials claimed this system will check inaccuracy of records at the village and panchayat levels. All block-level officers have been provided a special training to know how to work on this new system.

Rajinder Singh Tara said, "An additional 100 people have been engaged to strengthen the implementation of the scheme. Mechanisms for grievance redressal and social auditing have also been introduced. The e-muster rolls will help in streamlining and implementation of the MGNREGS."

The workshop aimed at creating awareness about proper implementation of the MGNREGA and other poverty alleviation programmes among field workers as BDOs, DPOs and engineers.

Assistant Development Commissioner Joginder Singh Rai said the panchayat-level field workers would play an important role in implementation of various rural development schemes. Hence, more such interactive sessions of the field-level functionaries would be organised in future to sensitise them.

Jammu, May 23
Activists of the Pahari Students Samaj Front (PSSF) have sought the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for themselves. They today staged a protest in support of their demand. The activists blocked the road and raised slogans against the authorities. The protest has affected traffic near Doodadhari Temple at Shastri Nagar.

PSSF state spokesperson Zeeshan Kazmi alleged that a decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting wherein it was decided to give the ST status to seven communities.

He claimed that the authorities had provided the ST status to the Gujjar community and left the Pahari community.

“The authorities are not serious for granting us the ST status and they are befooling us. The PG hostel for the Pahari students lacks power and water facilities and the student community is facing several hardships,” Zeeshan said.

He further said the authorities had earlier decided to construct a hostel for the Pahari students at Bantalab but nothing significant had been done so far. 

Doda, May 23
Senior Congress leader and former minister Ghulam Muhammad Saroori has criticised the Omar Abdullah-led government for ignoring the constituencies of Congress members.

Addressing party workers at Thathri in Doda district, Saroori alleged that the National Conference had ignored destruction caused by a recent earthquake in the Doda region.

He said the Congress must reconsider their partnership with the NC and the party should fight the 2014 Assembly elections on their own.

“Our party cadres are upset as the NC has tried to feed pockets where it has influence instead of ensuring the overall development of the state. Autonomy is publicity stunts to lure the people to vote for the party. I call it an emotional blackmail of the common masses,” he said.

Saroori said it had been observed that the government started various special police recruitment drives in the NC dominating constituencies in the past five years. It had deceived its ally by assuring them that recruitment rallies would also be done in the Congress-led constituencies. 

Jammu, May 23
The J&K State Sports Council, which had recently proposed a draft for improving games in the state, is still struggling to convince its affiliated bodies to constitute sports units in all the districts.

Former Minister for Youth Services and Sports RS Chib had announced the constitution of District Sports Councils in a bid to strengthen sports at the grass-roots level. The decision in this regard was taken by the J&K State Sports Council in its 52nd meeting in April 2011 under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, who is also the president of the organisation. Deliberations also took place in this regard in the 128th meeting of the standing committee in July last year.

Sources said initially, the authorities had decided to constitute District Sports Council in 10 districts but at the same time, it was also imperative for the state sports council to press its affiliated bodies to constitute district sports associations in order to ensure participation of sportspersons from far-flung areas.

District Sports Councils have been constituted in Anantnag (Islamabad), Budgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Pulwama, Doda, Kathua, Poonch, Rajouri and Udhampur.

The sources said out of 48 affiliated associations, only a few had constituted their units in every district of the state while the rest of the associations were yet to initiate any step in this regard.

They said many of the associations who had constituted their district units had not conducted elections for a long time and they hardly took any pains to conduct competitions at the district level, which had deprived budding sportsperons of opportunities to prove their worth.

“Another irony is that the decision taken in the meeting related to giving financial powers of up to Rs 1 lakh per annum for District Sports Councils was just an announcement. The in charge managers at MA Stadium, which is the main activity centre for sportspersons, are getting a meagre Rs 5,000 to spend on repair and other necessary works then how can the councils be entitled to such an amount,” said a source.

Chief Sports Officer, J&K State Sports Council, MS Baba said, “The non-constitution of district sports bodies is a serious issue and the sports council is fully aware of it. We have asked sports associations on various occasions to constitute a district body but to no avail,” Baba said.

Jammu, May 23
The Metro Programme Jammu-2013 will start with a debate competition on “Adventure Games - a Pleasure or Pain” at KL Sehgal Hall tomorrow. The event is organised by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation North Zone Committee in collaboration with the Mountaineering Association of J&K.

The debate competition will be followed by a seminar on ‘Adventure Tourism’ to be held at the same venue.

State director WWF CM Seth, Jammu Director Tourism Soujanya Sharma, and Poonam Sharma, a lecturer at Central University will deliver lectures.

On the spot painting competition, an adventure film show and a talk on personality development of children through adventure games will be conducted on Saturday at Sprawling Buds, School, Chinore, Jammu.

A sport climbing competition wherein climbers from Delhi are likely to compete will be organised on Sunday at Sprawling Buds School.

Most of the members of the IMF North Zone Committee headed by its chairman S Bhattacharjee have already arrived at Jammu to supervise the programme. Shawetica Khajuria, a local member of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation North Zone Committee, is an organising secretary of the programme. 

jammu, May 23
The Barnoti Zone bagged top honours in the U-17 boys’ kabaddi in the Inter-Zonal Tournament being held at Hiranagar.

In the U-14 age group, the Hiranagar Zone defeated the Lakahnpur Zone and in the girls’ section, the Kathua Zone had last laugh against the Lakhanpur Zone.

In kho-kho, the Sallan Zone beat the Hiranagar Zone in the U-17 boys’ category. The Sallan Zone beat the Billawar Zone in the U-17 girls’ kho-kho event.

MLC Subash Gupta was the chief guest and he distributed trophies among winners. In his address, he said the government had taken initiatives to create conducive atmosphere for the sportspersons of the state.

He said the emphasis was upon raising advanced sports infrastructure and training of the sportspersons at national and international institutes during the past few years.

Jammu, May 23
Rupali Sharma of the Royal Club clinched a gold medal in the epee event in the senior girls’ category of the 12th District Jammu Fencing Championship held at Indoor Sports Complex, MA Stadium, here today. She defeated Diksha Pandey.

Anchal Gupta and Gazal Gupta of the Friends Club shared a bronze medal each. In the boys’ section, Sahib got the better of Bisham Singh of the Royal Club while Ravi Sharma and Shubam Sharma of JK Montessori School had to be contended with the third slot.

In the senior men’s foil event, Ranchan Sabharwal of the Friends Club bagged a gold medal and Dushyant Magotra of Jammu clinched a silver medal. Ranvijay and Vehal Singh bagged a bronze medal each.

In the U-17 boys sabre final, Amit Manhas of JK Montessori fetched a gold medal while Vansh of Delhi Public School finished second. The third place was shared by Arakshit of Jammu and Shubam of the Royal Club.

A total of 95 fencers are competing in the two-day championship in different age groups. —TNS

Jammu, May 23
A 10-day skydiving course and parasailing event has been organised at Air Force Station, Jammu, for officers and their families with an aim to promote adventure as an effective human resource development tool in the Indian Air Force (IAF).

“The ongoing aero adventure sports for air warriors are being conducted by the Directorate of Adventure as a part of the silver jubilee celebrations of 130 Helicopter Unit,” said the Station Commander, Air Force Station, Jammu, Group Captain Sridhar.

The parasailing activity was conducted by Squadron Leader A Singh, a qualified parasailing instructor, under the guidance of Director of Adventure Wing Commander Vasant Raj.

Parasailing is conducive for mass participation and is open to women, men and children subject to fulfillment of certain physical requirements. A person between the age limit of 12 to 80 years with a good fitness level and weighing between 35 and 85 kg can participate in the activity. Depending on favourable conditions, the sailor can be launched up to 300 ft in the air, which in special conditions can be extended up to 600 ft.

The parasailing activity received a huge response and a total of 41 launches were carried out between May 19 and May 23.

The ongoing basic skydiving course was started with 31 air warriors, including three women officers, under the command of Vasant Raj and his parajumping instructors Warrant Officer Ravi Yadav and Sergeant Surinder.

The training was being supervised by the Principal Director of the Directorate of Adventure Air Comodore HN Bhagwat who has more than 2,500 jumps to his credit.