SRINAGAR: A woman was killed when she was hit with a bullet fired accidentally by her husband from a rifle belonging to a VDC member in Surankote area of Poonch on Thursday. Whether it is a case of accidental killing or otherwise is being investigated, police said.
Quoting a police officer news agency GNS reported that an information was received through reliable sources that a 30-year-old woman identified as Rubina Kouser was killed due to bullet wounds at around 1:30 p.m. Immediately, he said, a police team rushed to the spot and arrested her husband Nassar Ahmad son of Nazir Hussain of Upper Murrah in Surankote. He said that a case has been registered and the weapon, a rifle of the VDC member, has been seized.
A police official said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the fire was fired by Nassar Ahmad and further investigations are underway if the fire went off accidentally or by design.
SRINAGAR: The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2022 has presented a grim picture of the education system in Jammu and Kashmir ranging from a dip in enrolment numbers to poor infrastructure and lack of proper sanitation facilities.
As per the ASER report, the enrolment numbers of children in the 6-14 age group has gone down from 58.3 per cent in 2018 to 55.5 per cent in 2022. This dip comes against the backdrop of the school education department claiming that they have been running campaigns across Jammu and Kashmir to increase enrolment. Also, at the national level, there has been an increase in the enlistment of students.
As per the report, 4.8 per cent of children in the 15-16 age group are not enrolled in schools in Jammu and Kashmir.
At the pre-primary level, the report states that in 2022, around 63.6 per cent of infants were registered at Anganwadi Centres. However, the enrolment improved from 31.8 per cent in 2018 to 39.4 per cent in 2022.
The report also highlighted the gender gap in grown-up children in terms of their enrolment in schools. As per the data, girls in the age group of 15-16 years usually drop out of school more than boys.
The report states that the percentage of students undertaking private tuition from up to middle school level has seen a rise from 8.8 per cent in 2018 to 13.8 per cent in 2022.
The ASER survey reveals a gap in learning outcomes among students of government and privately run schools.
“In UT, the private school children were making progress before 2022 and are still progressing. The Government school children were facing obstacles pre-pandemic but are on the move to progression,” the ASER reads.
The report states that the arithmetic level of students in government schools has seen progress over the years. Despite this, only one in four children of 8th standards in government schools can do division, compared to one in two in private schools.
The ASER report also points out that the unavailability of computers for children in schools has come down from 82.8 per cent in 2018 to 71.6 per cent in 2022.
The report revealed an increase in electricity connections in schools which rose from 31.2 per cent to 88.9 per cent in 2022.
The report underlined that the education department needs prompt help in achieving foundational skills in literacy and numeracy besides exerting pressure on grades.
“While many children have not been enrolled, the ones who have dropped, especially girls, need to be brought back,” ASER stated.
The report divulged that 30 per cent of schools in Jammu and Kashmir lack water facilities. In the matter of drinking water, the availability has increased by 15 per cent from 69.3 per cent in 2018.
Furthermore, the annual survey report revealed that around half of schools in Jammu and Kashmir have a paucity of girls’ toilets. It stated that 72.8 per cent of schools have toilets, which are being used by both girls and boys, which signifies that approximately 47 per cent of the girls have a shortage of toilets. However, it has also been seen that there is a 5 per cent increase in the facility since 2018.
The survey was conducted across 20 districts with around 10,924 households and 21,666 children in the age group of 4 to 16 years contacted. The ASER is an annual survey that delivers reliable estimation of children’s schooling status and household research all over India.
“We are trying to fill the learning gaps, and as of now, we are moving towards prosperity. With the adoption of the New Education Policy, this year has been regarded as a year of academic excellence and transformation,” Director School Education Kashmir Tassaduq Hussain said in response to the revelations made by ASER. “The National Achievement Survey has revealed that we have jumped from the 18th position to the 8th position, which is quite an accomplishment.”
He added: “This is a continuous process and we are trying and planning to improve the curriculum and infrastructural issues.”
SRINAGAR: The J&K Mechanical Engineering Graduates Association (JKMEGA) on Thursday congratulated the entire team of PW(R&B) Department for receiving Award for Meritorious Public Service on 74th Republic Day, 2023 from the Government of Jammu and Kashmir and especially to the Team Leader Shailender Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Govt, PWD J&K, under whose able administration, the department has unleashed its potential to the fullest in various fields.
In a statement JKMEGA said that be it online billing mode via JKPWDOMAS, Regularization at various levels in Engineering cadre, Restructuring of the system by bringing more transparency and accountability, Re-organization etc. It is a superlative demonstration of the leadership and dedication towards the service of society, public deliverance and for engineering cadre.
“We at JKMEGA take this opportunity to thank Shailender Kumar (Principal Secretary to Govt, PWD) and his entire team of HRM for initiating the process of eradicating the menace of adhocism in the department,” said the statement.
“We humbly request that in the ongoing Re-organization of the R&B Department, due consideration be given to the demands put forth by the JKMEGA for proper utilization of Mechanical cadre and paving way for budding Mechanical Engineers to embrace the Government service providing mechanism. The Mechanical Engineering being the backbone of modern civilization and main component of establishment of incubation centers across different sectors has tremendous requirements in Health, Horticulture, Agriculture and its allied sectors, Ropeway Projects, Hydro Power Projects, Transportation, Material Testing, Electro-Mechanical Machinery and what not. We sincerely hope that the reorganization shall mark the beginning of new era of mechanization in service deliverables of the department and ensure fullest utilization of Mechanical Cadre in every sector,” said JKMEGA in a statement.
SRINAGAR: Body of teenage girl who had jumped into the river Jhelum in Khanpora area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on December 31, was retrieved after 26 days on Thursday.
Quoting an official the news agency KNO reported that the girl had jumped into river Jehlum near Khanpora bridge in Baramulla.
He said that following the incident, a massive search operation was launched, however, there was no trace of her.
The official said after 26 days her body was retrieved today near Veerwan area of the district.
He said after medico-legal formalities the body was handed over to legal heirs for last rites.
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved a mega Rs 39-crore project with an avowed objective of exploring the huge floriculture potential keeping in view the varied agro-climate and ecological conditions in the Union Territory for giving boost to flower production.
“The project is expected to provide direct employment to 2000 besides creation of 330 new enterprises”, Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department said.
He said Jammu and Kashmir has long been known for its rich and diverse agri-ecozones, making it an ideal location for growth of a thriving floriculture industry. Abundantly endowed with natural wealth and scenic splendor, the UT is completely conducive for cultivation of a wide range of flowers. The aesthetic value of flowers, their increasing use in the social events and potential of generating more money are attracting prospective entrepreneurs towards floriculture industry.
Splendid gardens and parks in J&K are being enjoyed by the tourists from across the globe.
However, despite this potential, the sector has not been able to make a significant contribution to the horticulture economy in the region so far. The main reasons for this are the small number of growers and enterprises, lack of aggregation platforms and weak post-harvest and branding efforts. And, to fill up these gaps the J&K government recently approved this ambitious project to boost commercial floriculture in the region.
aromatic flower and bulb/seed production. It also aims to produce over 27 crore ornamental nursery plants and 4000 L of aromatic oils worth Rs 4.8 crore annually (from 5th year) and undertake skilling of 4000 growers in cluster mode. The total outlay of the project is Rs. 39.03 crore.
Overall, the new project represents a major step forward for the floriculture industry in J&K. With a focus on cluster-based area expansion, technology upgrades, post-harvest and marketing efforts, the project has the potential to help establish a sustainable and profitable floriculture industry in the region. It is hoped that this project will help to create new opportunities for growers and entrepreneurs, and will contribute to the overall economic development of J&K.
“Promotion of Commercial Floriculture in UT of J&K” is one among the 29 projects, which were approved by the Jammu and Kashmir administration after being recommended by the UT Level Apex Committee for holistic development of Agriculture and allied sectors in UT of J&K. The prestigious committee is being headed by Dr Mangala Rai, Former DG ICAR and has other luminaries in the field of Agriculture, Planning, Statistics & Administration like Ashok Dalwai, CEO NRAA, Dr. P. K Joshi, Secretary, NAAS, Dr. Prabhat Kumar, Horticulture Commissioner MOA & FW, Dr. H. S Gupta, Former Director, IARI, Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department apart from the Vice Chancellors of the twin Agriculture Universities of the UT.
SRINAGAR: Here is the complete text of the speech that Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha delivered on January 26, 2023 in Jammu after unfurling the national flag:
Republic Day Address by Hon’ble Lt Governor Shri Manoj Sinha ( English)
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#Manoj #Sinhas #Republic #Day #Speech( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )
Anantnag: On Thursday, the employees of PDD took lead, risked their lives in order to restore power supply in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district including the villages Palpora, Damhall, Ara-Koshipora, Hakura in no time. Pertinently, the employees have not been provided any safety gear by the department.
Meanwhile, the people of Palpora Ara Koshipora Damhal and Hakura, in Anantnag district hailed the efforts of PDD employees particularly casual labors who worked tirelessly during incessant snowfall and made it possible to restore the power supply in their respective areas.
The said employees of the PDD fall under the jurisdiction of Palpora, Ara-Koshipora, Damhal and Hakura and were led by JE Shiraz Ahmad.
The locals thanked the bravery and dedication of the linemen of PDD for serving people by risking their own lives and climbing electric poles during the heavy snowfall, fixing the electric lines only to make lives of common people comfortable.
Talking to our Correspondent Sheikh Nadeem, residents of the area said that the PDD employees including grid staff of the Department have done a commendable job despite heavy snowfall to restore power supply. The field employees of the PDD Dept ensured the restoration of electricity to all villages.
“We are thankful to the PDD department officials especially to the employees who are on toes to restore electricity within no time,” the residents said.
SRINAGAR: Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Thursday said that Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a new dawn of development from the last three years.
Addressing a gathering on the eve of Republic Day at SK Stadium here, Advisor Bhatnagar highlighted the works and developmental projects carried out by the LG led administration.
As per the news agency KNO, he said that in the last three years, J&K is witnessing a new dawn from the last three years in terms of development, peace and progress.
He said that the incumbent administration is giving priority to the health sector and many initiatives have been taken to ensure better healthcare to the people.
“In this regard, the government has come up with two AIIMS Institutes in J&K at the cost of Rs 4000 crore. The AIIMS in Kashmir to be completed by 2025 while 15 medical colleges and other related institutions have also come up in the UT,” he said.
He added that in the field of medical education, 2100 seats have been increased.
Several schemes have been launched to benefit the farmers in the Union Territory, he said adding that under the different schemes, the farmers are being assisted.
He said 33000 farmers have provided Rs 56 crore under one of the schemes.
The development has taken pace and in the PM Gram Sadak Yojhna, J&K has been ranked 3rd from 21th rank this year.
The road length for macadamization has been increased from 2200 kilometers to 3500 kms while a record 8000 kms will be macadamized this year.
Several other initiatives have been taken up by the government, he said, adding that the international flights have started while Kashmir will be connected with Kanyakumari through rail by next year.
SRINAGAR: The Property Tax in the Urban Local Bodies of Jammu and Kashmir will be levied from April 1, 2023 as decision in this regard has been approved by the government.
However, what can be termed as some relief to the targeted tax payers, the Property Tax will be levied at half of the proposed formula for the same.
According to the reports appearing in th media the approval has been granted to the proposal with the direction that the proposed Property Tax, which will take effect on April 1, 2023, shall be levied at half of the proposed formula.
Jammu and Kashmir has one of the highest unemployment ratios in India. To overcome joblessness, the government initiated job fairs and invited a lot of companies to hire the unemployed. In 23 fairs, 9743 unemployed youth offered their services to 205 participating companies but only 623 got jobs, reports Fahd Khan
Jobless: A huge crowd of boys and girl job-seekers in a job fair in Srinagar’s mini-indoor stadium in late 2022. KL Image: Hilal Shah
Amid an all-time high unemployment rate and joblessness, Jammu and Kashmir government’s much-hyped job fairs have provided jobs to around six per cent of the participants in 2022 in Kashmir. Lack of technical and communication skills was termed to be the key deficits preventing them from getting hired.
The observation of skill deficit raises doubts about the working of the skilling system, which is apparently a top governance priority.
Background
The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) had highlighted the skyrocketing of the unemployment crisis in the past few years. Till mid-January 2023, it stood at 14.8 per cent, which is the sixth highest in the country. Though the survey outcomes had its own factors including Covid19, it generated a lot of debate over the state of joblessness.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Department of District Employment and Counselling Centres in collaboration with some non-governmental organizations hosted a number of job fairs across Kashmir’s 10 districts. It brought potential human resources face-to-face with potential employers from the private sector.
Officials who arranged these events revealed a total of 9743 unemployed youth participated in 23 job fairs that were organized across 10 Kashmir districts in 2022. Of them, only 623 were provided with on-spot placements. Officials said a total of 205 local and national companies participated in these recruitment rallies.
Srinagar hosted two major events and 2900 youth participated along with 67 local and national companies. Eventually, 25 candidates got on-spot placements, officials said.
In the Pulwama district, one job fair was held that attracted the participation of 213 candidates. At the end of it, nobody got a job order.
In Budgam, two fairs were organised in which 381 youth participated, of whom only 20 got placements. A total of 13 local and national companies participated in the event.
In Ganderbal, only one event was organised in which nine youths out of 900 got on-spot placements. Eleven companies participated in the event.
Anantnag hosted two fairs in which 28 youths got placed among 1211 who participated.
In the adjoining Kulgam district, nine job fairs – the highest among all the districts – were conducted in only 474 got placements among the 3117 youth who had participated. A total of 31 local and national companies participated in the event.
In the Shopian district, two job fairs got 13 people recruited among the 450 youth who had participated.
In Baramulla and Bandipore districts, two job fairs each were organised in which 52 youth from the former district got placed out of 325 total participants while just two received placements in the latter district out of a total of 246 participants.
No job fairs, however, was organised in Kupwara.
As many as 211 youths were recommended for skilling and as many as 3928 on-spot registrations were made on the state employment portal.
Rozgar Mela’s
Apart from these Job Fairs that the Department of District Development and Counselling organised, many similar Job Fairs were organized by non-governmental organizations in view of the surge in the unemployment rate.
In one of such event that the Goodwill Non-governmental organization hosted at Indore Stadium Srinagar, more than 20 MNC’s including local companies participated.
Thousands of youths across Kashmir had thronged the venue to get themselves enrolled in the mega recruitment drives that were being organized both by the government and the NGOs. Some of the companies that participated in the event included SBI Life, HDFC, Jio Care, Tata Motors, Peaks Auto, Kashmir Motors, Himalayan Motors, Shuhul Motors, Ashoka Leyland, LIC, Wishfin, KY Motors, Exide NEO and Fair Deal Motors. Many people even got recruited by US-based companies and are working from home right now.
Problems
Government claims notwithstanding, all these job-linked events provided jobs to only six per cent of the total participants. Many youths who had participated in these fairs alleged that despite aspirants possessing higher qualifications and skills, they were not recruited as the companies didn’t have enough vacancies. As per the participating youth, the low salary was also one of the reasons for them not taking up jobs for which they had to move out of Jammu and Kashmir.
Skill proved to be a major setback for the participating youth not getting jobs in the mega recruitment drives. Many youths claimed that despite coming from far-flung areas with the hope of getting jobs, they were offered loans by participating insurance and banking companies.
In a video on social media, a girl who had participated in an event is heard saying: “With a master’s degree and four diplomas, I had very little hope of getting a job in this event. What more qualifications should I possess to get a job? Even we can’t start our own business as banks provide loans against property only or they charge huge interest rates. Even some companies seek experience for jobs. How come an unemployed youth is experienced when he is never provided with a job? Even we don’t have such an exposure here in Kashmir, where we are trained at the grassroots level to start our own businesses”.
“Many of the jobs being provided in these events are routine basic jobs, “one insider said, talking in anonymity. “Jobs being offered are an insurance agent or marketing persons which one can easily get without participating in these events. There were many schemes like this earlier as well.”
The average salaries fixed during the job fairs were Rs 10000. Whether those who got jobs are satisfied and continuing it is the question to be asked.
Officials Speak
“Most of the companies recruit candidates based on their skills only but the majority of the people who had participated couldn’t meet the required criteria set by these companies,” a senior official in the Directorate of Employment said: “To keep up the pace in today’s world and to get hired by companies, one should possess both communication and technical skills which our youth mostly lack.”
The officer said they were shocked to see that in one of the recruitment drives at the University of Kashmir, only one could make it up to the interview. “The reason being the communication barrier,” an official at the District Employment and Counselling Centre said.
“We mostly deal with the sale and services of automobiles, most of the students were either overqualified or under-qualified for the Jobs we were providing,” one of the recruiting executives in a local automobile concern, who participated in these fairs, said. “For sales, we particularly needed people having good communication skills and those having experience in the service sector. We too aren’t a big company and have already been under a financial crunch since Covid19 and another crisis. Still, we hired around four to five students and they are currently working in our company under probation. Skill was the main reason that we couldn’t provide jobs to the people”.
Developments
It is pertinent to mention that the government has included numerous skill-based courses like IT, management, and tourism at the college level in the past few years, which seems to have a questionable outcome. The government is also imparting job-oriented skill-based courses through polytechnics, hotel management institutes and NIELIT.
“To impart skills to our youth many candidates who had participated in these job fairs were registered for the skill courses being organised by the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS),” an officer at the Directorate of Employment said.
There are many government schemes aimed at up-skilling youth. Himayat was a major flagship scheme under this category under which the youth were trained and later deployed in the market. NIELIT also provided many IT-related courses.
Another scheme was launched by the government in Public Private Partnership mode. It was aimed at improving the quality of the vocational training in the Country and making it demand-driven, so as to ensure better employability of the pass-outs. It covered 32 ITIs in Jammu and Kashmir. Other courses that were launched for the general public also included Sewing, Henna Art, cookery etc.
It seems as if the candidates are yet to be adequately trained or are lacking the actual skill that the employers require.
