SRINAGAR: According to a 12 year report prepared by traffic police, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed as many as 76,942 road accidents between 2010 and 2022. While the count of injured was reported to be 1,04,983 the total fatalities went up to 12,429.
In the Covid hit years, 2020 and 2021, the accident graph showed a downward trend with the road accident deaths ranging between 700 – 800.
However, in 2022, Jammu and Kashmir again witnessed a surge in road accidents and the graph showed an upward trend with the number of accidents shooting up to 6092. The number of people reported to be injured were 8372 and 805 people were killed during this period.
Many analysts from the Kashmir valley blame the pathetic condition of the roads and the Srinagar-Jammu Highway for the increase in the number of accidents on the highway.
As per data compiled by the traffic department, in 2010, a total of 1073 persons were killed while 8655 people were injured in 6120 accidents.
In 2011, 1121 persons were killed and 9944 injured in a total 6644 accidents.
In 2012, the death toll rose to 1165, while 9755 persons were injured in 6709 road accidents.
In 2013, 990 persons died, around 8681 persons were injured in 6469 accidents.
In 2014, 992 persons were injured and 8043 were injured in 5861 accidents.
In 2015, 917 people were injured and 8142 persons were injured in 5836 accidents.
In 2016, 958 were killed and 7677 were injured in 5501 accidents.
In 2017, 926 were killed and the injured persons were 7419 in 5624 accidents.
In 2018, 984 people were injured and 7845 injured in 5978 accidents.
In 2019, a total of 996 persons were killed, 7532 were injured in 5796 accidents.
In 2020 and 2021, the two years of COVID pandemic, 728 and 774 people were killed respectively. As many as 5894 persons were injured in 4860 accidents during 2020 while 6972 were injured 5452 during 2021.
Recently, during the parliament session Nitin Gadkari, Union minister of road transport and highways in Lok Sabha said that most of the accidents were caused due to human negligence.
“As per the yearly analysis of road accident data, based on the first information report (FIR) data received from various states and Union territories, road accident deaths occur due to multiple causes such as over speeding, use of mobile phone, drunken driving or consumption of alcohol and drug, driving on the wrong side or lane indiscipline, jumping a red light, non-use of safety devices such as helmets and seatbelts,” the minister said.
SRINAGAR: Speaking at prestigious Cambridge University, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recounted confronting militants during the Congress-led Bharat Jodo Yatra’s entry into Jammu and Kashmir.
Gandhi stated, according to a report from India today, “I spoke to my people and expressed my desire to carry on walking. We kept going when an unidentified man came up to me. He said he wanted to speak with me.”
Rahul Gandhi went on to say that the man questioned him as to whether or not the Congress leaders had actually travelled to the Union Territory to hear about the problems of the populace.
Later, the man pointed to certain bystanders and claimed they were all militants, according to Rahul Gandhi.
“I believed I was in danger because militants would likely kill me in such circumstance. Yet, they did nothing as a result of the power of listening “Gandhi added.
Rahul Gandhi landed in the UK on Tuesday to begin his seven-day tour with a speech at Cambridge University. Along with that, he spoke with local Indian diaspora groups.
SRINAGAR: A motorcycle rider, presumably in his twenties, was killed in a road mishap in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district this afternoon, officials said.
They said that Nayeem Ahmad Lone, son of Farooq Ahmad Lone, a resident of Badmulla Sheeri was critically injured after losing control over the two-wheeler near Gantmulla.
The youth was evacuated from the site to a nearby health facility, where the doctors however declared him as brought dead on arrival, they said.
Confirming it, a police official said that a case has been registered in this regard for further investigations. (GNS)
SRINAGAR: Inspector General of CRPF (operations) Kashmir M S Bhatia on Friday said that the force is in constant touch with the Kashmiri Pandits across the Valley in a bid to strengthen their security further.
“We are in constant touch with the KPs wherever they are in the Valley. All efforts are being made to strengthen their security and provide them all possible security cover,” Bhatia told reporters at Bijbehara, Anantnag.
He said that security of all the minority pickets in South Kashmir and elsewhere is being reviewed on daily basis to ensure safe and secure environment to KPs. To a query about the number of active militants in Kashmir, he said that the number keeps fluctuating and it won’t be possible to comment on the actual number. “Recently, two dreaded militants were killed in South Kashmir and operations against militants are going on in a well-coordinated manner,” he said. (KNO)
SRINAGAR: In the latest vacancies advertised by Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) the apex body for recruitment of gazetted posts, the aspirations of hundreds of Mass Communication and Journalism pass outs have been dashed as not even a single vacancy is advertised in this discipline.
Out of the 285 vacancies of Assistant Professors advertised by the commission, the media studies department has not been taken care of, much to the displeasure of the students.
JKPSC on Thursday invited online applications from the eligible candidates for recruitment to the posts of Assistant Professors in different disciplines in the higher education department of Jammu and Kashmir.
The application process will commence on March 3. Interested candidates will be able to apply online through the official website of JKPSC, till March 31, 2023.
Candidates will be able to edit their application forms from April 1 to April 3.
The upper age limit for candidates is 40 years for OM and 43 RBA, SC, ST, EWS, ALC, PSC, and OSC candidates.. The age limit is 42 years for PHC candidates.
SRINAGAR: Teenagers are much more likely to smoke and be dependent on nicotine if a parent and grandparent is dependent on nicotine, a recent study has revealed.
The cross-sectional study published in journal of Integrative Medicine and Public Health, a publication of Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Srinagar, has revealed that teenager whose parents smoke are five times more likely to become smokers and the teenagers whose grandparents smoke are two times more likely to become smokers.
As per the study, 430 patients which included 215 tobacco users and 215 non-tobacco users were included in the study and they were aged between 15 and 25 years and were age and gender matched in the ratio of 1:1.
A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information regarding their self-tobacco use, form of use, parental and grandparental tobacco use.
Among the 215 study participants in each group, the distributions of male and female participants were 212 (98.6%) and three (1.4%), respectively, the study participants with paternal tobacco habit were 5.28 times more likely to adopt the tobacco habit compared to the study participants without paternal tobacco use and study participants with paternal grandfather tobacco use were 1.57 times more likely to develop the tobacco habit than the study participants without paternal grandfather tobacco use and both the association was found to be statistically highly, it reads.
It said that participants who had higher maternal strictness were 0.077 less likely to develop the tobacco habit compared to the study participants with lower maternal strictness which was found to be statistically significant. Participants with higher paternal warmth were 0.097 times less likely to adopt the tobacco habit compared to study participants with lower paternal warmth which was found to be statistically significant.
For an effective tobacco control program among tobacco users, counseling of participants’ father and mother should be done simultaneously.
It said anti-tobacco activities should emphasize and make parents realize the importance the family plays in the development of tobacco behavior—(KNO)
SRINAGAR: The modern bullet and bomb-proof vehicle introduced by CRPF that was recently deployed during a gunfight between militants and army in the Awantipora area of Kashmir on Tuesday, came under spotlight after the photograph of one such vehicle during the operation was circulated on social media.
The Hindustan Times reported, the CSRV or Critical Situation Response Vehicle can accommodate at least three commandos and be raised to reach the upper floors of a building while shielding them from the bullets, in counter insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir’s urban areas.
Two CSRVs were designed and developed for counter-terror operations in urban or semi-urban areas during 2018-2020, The Hindustan Times reported.
CRPF officers have two CSRVs and one of them was used in Pulwama as the two militants refused to surrender and continued to fire indiscriminately at forces.
The hard armour at CSRV’s front can also be used to break walls and provide an entry into a building.
CSRVs came under the spotlight after the photograph of one of them at the scene of Tuesday’s operation in JK’s Awantipora was circulated on social media.
Pertinent to mention, the two militants Aqib Mushtaq Bhatt and Aijaz Ahmad Bhatt blamed for the killing of a Kashmiri Pandit days earlier were shot dead in the operation in Awantipora. An army man was also killed and another was injured in the operation.
The two were hiding in a mosque and were also allegedly involved in the killing of two migrant workers last year.
SRINAGAR: Weather department on Friday forecast isolated to scattered light to rain and snow in next 24 hours even as the minimum temperature recorded a drop across Jammu and Kashmir except Qazigund.
Quoting an official from meteorological department, news agency GNS reported that in last 24 hours till 0830 hours, Srinagar received 5.7mm of rain, Qazigund 12.3mm, Pahalgam 18.1mm, Kupwara 8.7mm, Kokernag 8.8, Gulmarg 14.4mm, Jammu traces, Banihal 17.6mm, Batote 26.2mm and Bhaderwah 25.4mm.
Regarding temperature, he said, Srinagar recorded a low of 6.6°C against 7.0°C on the previous night and it was above normal by 4.3°C for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 5.6°C against 5.5°C on the previous night and it was 4.7°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of 1.7°C against 2.4°C on the previous night and it was 4.0°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of 4.8°C against 5.0°C on the previous night and it was 3.9°C above normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 0.6°C, the same as on the previous night and it was 3.9°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at 4.2°C against 5.1°C on the previous night and it was 5.2°C above normal for the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 12.7°C against 15.5°C on the previous night. It was 0.4°C above normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal, he said, recorded a low of 5.8°C (above normal by 2.8°C), Batote 5.6°C (below normal by 0.2°C), Katra 11.6°C (1.1°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 5.2°C (3.1°C above normal).
Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 4.8°C and minus 2.4°C respectively, the official added.
SRINAGAR: National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday attached property of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Basit Reshi in Sopore area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
NIA action comes as Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has declared Basit Reshi, “presently in Pakistan”, as designated “Terrorist” under the UAPA, a stringent act legislated to control militant activities.
According to the Home Ministry reports Basit Ahmad Reshi is a member of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and was involved in “subversive activities and coordinating target killings” in Jammu and Kashmir.
The NIA claims that Reshi planned and executed an attack on a police guard post at Tujar Sherief on August 18, 2015, in which police personnel and a civilian were killed.
Born on 4 March 1996, Reshi is resident of Yemberzalwari Shiva Dangerpora Sopore area of Baramulla district and as per NIA he is presently in Pakistan.
The NIA action comes a day after it attached property of Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar alias ‘Latram’ in Nowhatta area of Srinagar. (GNS)
After spending a lot of time trying to locate the particular molecules that play a role in diverse cancers, Dr Zahida Qamri changed her career path and started studying the quick response of societies to impactful science. She is currently working with JK Scientists where they handhold talent and guide the students in academics and research
TheNewsCaravan (KL): How you managed clinical trials during the Covid19 lockdown in the US?
DR ZAHIDA QAMRI (DZQ): In the Covid19 spread, the United States of America (USA) was taken off-guard. The healthcare system was not ready and we witnessed a healthcare crisis. The pandemic put the health systems under immense pressure and stretched them beyond their capacity. The disruption of the supply chain from China greatly affected the functioning of health institutions.
However, the experts successfully carried out vaccination trials in a considerably brief period of time. After clearing the phase-1 and phase-2 trials, the vaccine finally got FDA approval. Critically ill patients were given preference for receiving the vaccine dose. The government of the United States funded laboratories to get the vaccine ready in a minimum time span and the initial focus remained on genome sequencing. Researchers used to work day and night to find a single molecule, against which the vaccine could be produced. A Turkish couple finally succeeded in making the vaccine.
KL: What is your story from Kashmir to Ohio?
DZQ: My elementary education was completed at Netaji Memorial School in Balgarden. My high school years were spent at Caset Experimental School. Following that, I attended Kothibagh Higher Secondary School and then Women’s College on MA Road, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree. I then travelled to Delhi to further my education.
In the 1990s, moving to other states for studies was not an easy option in Kashmir, especially for women. But my family was very supportive towards my studies. Being the youngest among my siblings, I witnessed unparalleled encouragement. With the help of my siblings, I moved to Delhi, applied for the entrance test at Aligarh Muslim University and got into Jamia Hamdard. My initial years in Delhi didn’t go as I expected. It was a cultural shock, and added to it was the monsoon season. I had to stay at our principal RN Koul’s house for a year because I was unable to get hostel lodging. During that time, I had to commute between Faridabad to Delhi. So, it was quite challenging initially. However, with time I coped with the challenges and environment as well. I completed my master’s in Biochemistry. It was followed by a doctoral programme at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
KL: What was your PhD thesis all about?
DZQ: In the Indian sub-continent, diarrhoea is one of the major health problems in children under one year of age. The diarrhoea-causing bacteria have various strains, among which few could turn out to be fatal. During my doctoral programme, I examined the stool of the children and developed DNA fingerprinting of the bacteria found. The purpose of my study was to identify and characterize the bacterial strains, which cause diarrhoea in infants. I also studied drug resistance among diarrhoea-causing bacteria.
KL: What were the major takeaways from your study?
DZQ: I discovered a small probe that could be used as identifying probe for bacterial strains and how to treat specific strains.
KL: Not all PhDs end up in discoveries. But there is a chain of follow-up studies. Has your PhD proven to be one?
DZQ: Yes, this topic was worked on under the guidance of my PhD supervisor until he retired. Much work has been done in this area in other parts of the world. In science, each investigation or study is an additional item to solve the puzzle and takes years to complete. Only then, can we get a clear picture of things.
KL: What did you do in your post-doctoral research?
DZQ: During my doctoral programme in microbiology, I developed an interest in oncology. I was selected in Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi as a research scientist, where we worked on breast cancer. During our research, we hoped to identify a cancer-causing gene in the north Indian population. If we locate that gene in any person during genome sequencing, we can inform them about their propensity for cancer. It was during that time that there was a job opening at the Harvard Medical School for breast cancer. Since I had all the qualifications, I was called there. My first post-Doc was at Harvard Medical School.
Post Doc is basically a training that makes you think and analyse critically. It helps broaden our vision. As, I had studied breast cancer at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, I incorporated brain and lung cancer in the study during my postdoc at Harvard. It was a great opportunity. I started drawing experiments and writing grants independently.
I spent 2.5 years at the Harvard Medical School. Then our lab was shifted to Ohio State University. I worked for 10-12 years as a postdoc there. However, due to a lack of funding, I was unable to get grants. So, I decided to get a master’s degree in Clinical and pre-clinical research from Ohio State University. The programme helped me to get into a new field of managing clinical research and locating the impact of the work in laboratories on common people.
Dr Zahida Qamri
KL: What is the status of cancer research? How long will cancer be a challenge to humanity?
DZQ: In this part of the world, cancer is seen as taboo. People suffering from cancer can’t reveal their condition to others because it is treated as an infectious disease. However, in western countries, a person mandatorily undergoes an annual check-up for cancer. So, if we are able to detect cancer at its early stage, we are able to cure the person. But the lack of pre-screening practice makes a large chunk of our population vulnerable to this deadly disease because the patient only comes to know about it when cancer overtakes his body. It is one of the reasons for the high mortality rates here. There is a need for awareness among the general population and to encourage them to go for annual check-ups. This can help us deal with the disease a little better.
KL: How relevant is the subject of clinical trials here? What are the new subfields of biochemistry that have better demand in the market?
DZQ: Clinical trials are a new and emerging discipline. For better management, Western countries are outsourcing the field. To enter the field, you do not require a specialist degree. Clinical trials are managed in a variety of cities in India, including Bangalore and Hyderabad. I am working with JK Scientists and we have conducted a few programmes on clinical studies and how our youngsters can look towards this area as their career. You may even participate from home. Internet access and electricity are two fundamental requirements in this field.
KL: A number of top professionals are serving major medical institutions across the world. Can there be some kind of outreach centre back home?
DZQ: Yes, of course, that is possible, but it requires infrastructure. The government must take the lead and provide the necessary infrastructure.
KL:Did you see any changes in Kashmir’s education system from the days when you were a student?
DZQ: Our youth are still confused about their education and employment. They do not have a long-term goal. I find it similar to what I witnessed 15-20 years ago. Our youth require suitable guidance on maintaining their attention on the good things.
