The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Centre urged to increase coaches, trains in Kashmir Majid Jahangir Tribune News Service Srinagar, July 13 The railway authorities here have written to the Centre to increase the number of trains as well as coaches to cater to the heavy rush of commuters. The rush has increased to such an extent that commuters can be seen travelling on the roof of the trains. The heavy rush is being witnessed since the train service was extended up to Banihal on June 27. It is worrying for the railway authorities as well as the local administration as it can prove fatal as the train passes through the 11-km tunnel which connects Qazigund and Banihal. It is the longest tunnel in the country and second longest in Asia. “Since June 27, we have been updating the railway authorities in Delhi about the situation everyday and keeping in view the heavy rush we have also sent a formal request for increasing the number of coaches of each train from 8 to 12 and also increase the number of trains,” said a senior railway official in Kashmir. “After the rail link was extended up to Banihal the number of commuters that travel every day through train is above 20,000. The number was 9,000 before the train plied between Baramulla in north to Qazigund in south Kashmir,” he added. Presently three trains make 14 trips between Baramulla in north Kashmir and Banihal in Jammu region every day and they halt at 16 railway stations. At almost all major stations there is huge rush of commuters. Chief Operation Manager, Northern Railways Jamsheed Khan, said the railway authorities have been monitoring the situation regularly as the train in Kashmir has become the most popular mode of commuting after the rail link was extended up to Banihal. “We are privy to the situation. Keeping in view the huge rush, we are considering increasing the number of coaches shortly,” Khan said. “We are looking at various other possibilities too to ensure that people in valley have a happy train journey,” he added.
	24,000 aspirants to appear in SET this year Bismah Malik Tribune News Service Srinagar,July 13 After a gap of two years, the state government would be conducting the State Eligibility Test (SET) on August 18 for determination of eligibility for lectureship in the colleges and universities of the state. Around 24,000 candidates from the state have applied for the examination. “Out of 24,000 candidates, 14,000 are from the Valley and 10,000 are from the Jammu region. The test will be conducted at two major centres, University of Kashmir and University of Jammu. We will also conduct the SET at various sub-centres in Jammu and Srinagar. The number of sub-centres will depend on the accommodation being offered by the two main centres,” said GM Rather, coordinator, J&K SET. Rather said the examination would offer an alternative platform to the candidates seeking jobs as lecturers (assistant professors) in state colleges and universities. “Usually it is the National Eligibility Test (NET), conducted by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which determines the eligibility criterion for applying to the posts of lecturer (assistant professor) in colleges and universities of the country. This time around, the state government has revived the SET which will provide an alternative platform to apply for these posts in state colleges. The last SET was conducted in 2010 with the University of Jammu as the nodal agency. The University of Kashmir has been given charge this year,” Rather said. The SET will be conducted on the pattern of the NET, with a candidate having to appear in three papers of objective type pattern. One of the papers will be based on general knowledge and the other two will be based on the subjects the candidates choose. Though happy with the government’s decision of conducting the SET, aspirants expressed apprehensions over the online application process, especially when the website of the University of Kashmir has crashed three days ago. Officials of the Information Technology Department of the university, however, said all the data, including examination registration numbers and admit cards, had been retrieved after the server crash.
	More Rajouri girls opt for technical courses? Ranjit Thakur Rajouri, July 13 The Industrial Training Institute (ITI), Rajouri, has received an overwhelming response from girls for admission to technical courses. Over 1,600 students so far have applied for different technical courses, including a majority of girls. The number of girls pursuing technical courses in remote areas here was dismal earlier. The Industrial Training Institute (ITI), Rajouri, Principal, Mandeep Dogra, said, This year we have received over 1,600 admission forms in which the number of girls is quite high than the previous years.” It is a sign that education for girls in the trouble-torn state is coming back on track. It is being given more importance than before, he said. “We have special courses for girl students like interior decoration and designing, fashion technology, software applications, computer operator and programmer, cutting and sewing, information technology, electronics mechanic etc,” he added. The response of girls in technical courses was very low over previous years which forced the Department of Technical Education to stop these courses, but things are changing for the better now, he added. “We have fully-equipped infrastructure for these courses where students will get proper training during these courses, we have 300 vacant seats in 16 courses,” principal said. “Most famous courses in industrial training institute is motor mechanics, AC and refrigerator repairs, plumber and mechanical engineering in these courses have had an overwhelming response each year and cut of list goes also very higher,” Mandeep Dogra said.
	Valley shuts down on Martyrs’ Day Tribune News Service Srinagar, July 13 A shutdown was observed in the Valley on Martyrs’ Day on the call of hardline and moderate factions of the Hurriyat Conference. Most of separatist leaders were placed under detention at their houses today. Restrictions were also imposed on civilian movement in parts of the old city where 22 martyrs of 1931 are buried. The shutdown affected local businesses as markets were closed in most parts of Srinagar. Markets at Lal Chowk, the commercial heartland of the city, and its adjoining areas were shut throughout the day. Restrictions were also imposed in several parts in the old city, including Nowhatta and Khanyar. These areas are closest to the graveyard where 22 men, who were shot dead during a protest outside the Srinagar Central Jail in 1931 while protesting against former ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, are buried. Their graveyard at Khwaja Bazar in the old city, was heavily guarded as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed paid tribute here. Omar Abdullah said, “The sacrifice of the martyrs to free the society from autocracy and lay an edifice for democracy and human dignity is one of the richest chapters of the history of Jammu and Kashmir”. “The best way to pay tribute to the martyrs is to help create equitable and palatable environment for everyone to grow and develop in a democratic atmosphere,” he said. Speaker, Legislative Assembly, Mubarak Gul and cabinet ministers Abdul Rahim Rather, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Peerzada Mohammad Sayed, Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Chaudhary Mohammad Ramzan were also present. The sacrifice of the martyrs to free the society from autocracy and lay an edifice for democracy and human dignity is one of the richest chapters of the history of J&K. The best way to pay tribute to the martyrs is to help create an equitable environment for everyone to grow and develop in a democratic atmosphere — Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister Chief Minister Omar Abdullah pays tributes
	Army calls off search operation in Kupwara Tribune News Service Srinagar, July 13 The search operation in Kupwara district was called off yesterday evening after the Army failed to track down the militants, who were involved in attacking an Army patrol, which left a soldier dead on Wednesday morning. The operation was launched in the wee hours on Wednesday in Kawari Khurahama, Lolab, 120 km from here. The Army had specific inputs about the presence of three to four militants in the Lolab forest area. During the search operation, the Army troops came under heavy fire from the hiding militants, in which sepoy Govind Singh of 31 Rashtriya Rifles was critically injured. He was later shifted to 92 Base Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The militants managed to flee from the spot. “We could not establish any contact with the militants, so we called off the search operation on Friday evening. During the search operation, an AK-47 rifle was seized,” said a source.
	Head constable beheaded in Handwara Tribune News Service Srinagar, July 13 Suspected militants beheaded a policeman in north Kashmir on Saturday. Head constable Sonaullah Zargar, 48, a resident of Hardoona, Vilgam Handwara, was posted at the District Police Lines in Srinagar. He had come back from a vacation a few days ago. “Head constable Zargar had gone to a nearby forest area of Hangalpora with his wife to collect firewood this morning. The couple was intercepted by some unidentified militants in the forest,” said SSP, Handwara, Mohammad Aslam. “They took Zargar along and let off his wife. They beheaded Zargar three kilometers from the spot where from he was abducted,” he added. His wife informed the police after which the body was recovered from the forest area. “Police has cordoned off the area and the hunt for the militants is on,” SP said.
	Police to crack down on drug peddlers at Lakhanpur Ravi Krishnan Khajuria Tribune News Service Jammu, July 13 The police has decided to crack down on drug peddlers as the abuse of prescription drugs is taking a heavy toll on youth of the state. “The abuse of prescription drugs has assumed alarming proportions in Rajouri, Kathua and Samba districts and in some parts of Jammu district. As a result, we are going to tighten the noose around drug peddlers, who bring these drugs from Pathankot and Sujanpur,” said a top police officer. He said the police had decided to “choke” Lakhanpur - the gateway to J&K, from where the drug peddlers enter with stocks of prescription drugs. “We would increase our deployment at Lakhanpur. Furthermore, flying squads on the Jammu-Pathankot highway would be going for random checks to catch hold of drug peddlers with consignments. We have also decided to deploy policemen in civvies around educational institutions and tutorials where drug peddlers sell psychotropic drugs to students on exorbitant rates,” he said. The officer divulged that a similar crackdown on disgruntled chemists and druggists in the state had an effective impact. “After we took action against chemists and druggists selling prescription drugs to addicts, the malpractice subsided. But since there is no check on the sale of psychotropic drugs in neighbouring Punjab, drug peddlers bring drugs from Pathankot and Sujanpur,” he said. The psychotropic drugs which are being smuggled into the state include anti-depressants, sedatives, cough syrups and painkiller injectables, said the officer. He divulged that the menace had assumed serious proportions in the border district of Rajouri. The drug addicts include school and college students, many of whom belong to affluent families, who in a bid to derive pleasure are fast becoming a spent force before they can start their lives, said the officer. He said the drug de-addiction centre of Police Hospital in Jammu could also be utilised in freeing youth from the clutches of drugs. Renowned psychiatrist Dr Jagdish Thappa said the drug abuse had spread its tentacles far and wide and even young girls from affluent families were falling prey to it. “In a fast-paced life, working parents, who usually don’t have time to look after their children, splurge money on them, which in turn gets misused,” he said.
	Secretariat fire: Samples sent to forensic lab for probe Tribune News Service Srinagar, July 13 The authorities yesterday started formal investigations to ascertain the exact cause of blaze after a major fire gutted a two-storeyed wooden annexe on the Civil Secretariat premises on Thursday. Director, Forensic Science Laboratory, J&K, Inayat-ul-lah Khan said eight samples were collected by their team from the spot where fire had taken place. He said studying the samples would take some time after which the report would be submitted to the authorities concerned. “Our team of scientists will study the eight samples in detail….We will be investigating the possible cause of fire,” Khan said. Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khandey said “The cause of fire is being investigated by the police, FSL and Fire and Emergency Services.” The fire destroyed official records of the departments of Technical Education, Higher Education, Forest, Accounts and Treasury. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the spot on Thursday. The government on Thursday ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. An official said the inquiry will be conducted by Secretary, General Administration Department, the report on which would be filed within 15 days. The Damage The fire destroyed official records of the departments of Technical Education, Higher Education, Forest, Accounts and Treasury