Tag: kashmir news latest

KAN and Wadhwani Foundation Launch Acceleration Programme In JK

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SRINAGAR: In a bid to boost the new start up’s and provide them with mentorship, KAN and Wadhwani Foundation have inked a pact to launch an acceleration program JK.
The program will enable the new ventures with mentorship, and provide them access to networks and resources. The idea is to provide an opportunity to pitch their ideas to investors across the country.
The start-ups that had submitted applications to participate in the acceleration programme were given their first one-on-one screening today, for selection to the program.
More than 15 start-ups participated in the acceleration programme of the foundation on Thursday. The registration link for the participation has been kept open for one more week so as to enable participation more start up’s.
The programme seeks to provide early-stage companies with support through the provision of a structured programme that is both free of charge and enabled by the National Entrepreneurship Development through the Wadhwani Entrepreneurship Program.
The structured programme assists early-stage entrepreneurs by helping them establish a compelling value proposition, sustainable business model, financial stability, and verified Prototype.
To further boost the new ventures KAN is associating with the National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) to launch a new acceleration programme to support and foster the growth of innovative businesses. By this partnership, KAN is demonstrating its dedication to being a driver of advancement and innovation in J&K.
The Acceleration program, which is a joint initiative between KAN and NEN, will provide participating entrepreneurs and start-ups with access to a network of industry experts, opportunities for mentorship, and cutting-edge resources to assist them in scaling their operations and achieving their goals. Also, it will get them ready to be able to pitch to early-stage investors and other financing programmes.

The program is designed to help start-ups to overcome some of the common challenges they face, such as raising capital, building a strong team, and scaling their business.
This program is another example of the growing interest in supporting start up’s in JK, which has become a hotbed for innovation and entrepreneurship in recent years. With the support of programs like this, JK-based start- ups have the potential to make a significant impact on the economy as well.

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#KAN #Wadhwani #Foundation #Launch #Acceleration #Programme
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 2, 2023
JK reports 49 Internet Shutdowns In 2022: Access Now

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SRINAGAR: Leading the world for the fifth consecutive year in internet blackouts, India has once again topped the list in 2022, New York based internet advocacy watchdog ‘Access Now’ said in a report on Tuesday.
This is the fifth consecutive year India has topped the global charts on this score and recorded highest number of internet shutdowns.
The watchdog’s report says that a total of 187 internet shutdowns were reported globally in 2022. Out of 84 such internet disruptions in India, 49 were reported in Jammu and Kashmir alone.
As per the report, the internet shutdowns in Jammu and Kashmir were imposed due to political instability and violence.
The report said India has accounted for 58 percent of all documented shutdowns globally since 2016.
In 2021, around 80 per cent of all internet shutdowns in India were imposed in Jammu and Kashmir, with JK being subjected to 85 such disruptions out of a total of 106 internet shutdowns reported in India.
The report said, “Indian authorities blocked at least 55,607 websites, URLs, mobile applications, social media posts and accounts between 2015 and 2022. In 2021, 107 incidents of internet shutdown were recorded in India with orders to take down 6,096 social media posts, while 6,775 social media posts and accounts were ordered to be taken down last year.”
The war torn Ukraine stands second on the list and recorded 22 internet shutdowns after it entered into an armed conflict with Russia last year.

Pertinent to mention that Supreme Court, in 2020 declared internet access to be a fundamental right by extension, stating that the blackout could not last indefinitely and blackout orders must be published with specific reasons.

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#reports #Internet #Shutdowns #Access
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 2, 2023
2 Dead, 6 Injured As Bus Overturns

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SRINAGAR: Two persons died while six others were injured after a minibus turned turtle at Kewal Turn in the Rajouri district on Thursday morning.
An official said that a minibus with eight passengers on board turned turtle near Kewal Turn in the district, resulting in injuries to the passengers.
Block Medical Officer Kandi, Dr Iqbal Malik said that eight injured were received at Community Health Center Kandi, but two of them succumbed to injuries.
He said of six injured two have been referred to GMC Associated Hospital Rajouri.
The deceased have been identified as Shakil Ahmed of Kewal and Badar Hussain of Kandi. (KNO)

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#Dead #Injured #Bus #Overturns

( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 2, 2023
Two Dead, 12 Injured As Bus Overturns

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SRINAGAR: Two persons died while six others were injured after a minibus turned turtle at Kewal Turn in the Rajouri district on Thursday morning.
An official said that a minibus with eight passengers on board turned turtle near Kewal Turn in the district, resulting in injuries to the passengers.
Block Medical Officer Kandi, Dr Iqbal Malik said that eight injured were received at Community Health Center Kandi, but two of them succumbed to injuries.
He said of six injured two have been referred to GMC Associated Hospital Rajouri.
The deceased have been identified as Shakil Ahmed of Kewal and Badar Hussain of Kandi. (KNO)

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#Dead #Injured #Bus #Overturns

( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 2, 2023
Fulbright TEA Programme: Apply Now

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Fulbright Teacher Exchanges opens application acceptability for Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Programme. It is a six-week long programme for international teachers for professional development. Applications will be accepted for the month of March.
The programme offers academic seminars to focus on new methodologies, student-centered learning, content-based instruction, lesson planning and instructional technology training for teachers. The teachers are partnered with a US teacher for at least 40 hours in local secondary schools and other relevant professional development and cultural activities are performed.
Teachers having bachelor’s degree or equivalent from various countries are eligible including India. Candidates should be secondary level, full time teachers of English, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), Math, Science, Foreign Language or Social Studies including special education teachers in those subjects and must have oral and written English language proficiency.
The programme provides candidates with visa support, roundtrip airfare, accommodations, meals, incidentals, and medical coverage.
For details and application Click here

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#Fulbright #TEA #Programme #Apply
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 2, 2023
Property Tax Lowest In JK: LG

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SRINAGAR: Urging citizens not to fall prey to the misinformation spread on Property Tax, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday said that that nearly 80 percent of the population will be exempted from the tax and those who would be covered under it, would pay it at nominal rates.
“Nearly 75 to 80 percent of the population of JK will be exempted from the Property Tax. Those who are falling under the purview of Property Tax are trying to create chaos and confusion among the common masses”, the Lieutenant Governor said.
LG was speaking to the reporters after inaugurating the GST symposium and tax awareness initiative ‘Kar-Tavya’ at the convention centre Jammu.
Sinha said the citizens across the country are paying Property Tax. Property Tax proposed for Jammu and Kashmir is one-tenth of Shimla-the capital of neighbouring Himachal Pradesh”, he said and pointed out that on an average Rs 900 to Rs 1000 to be paid annually as Property Tax.
Lieutenant Governor said that aim of proposing this Tax is to develop the cities of Jammu and Kashmir as “Engines of Growth”.
“Every year government grants funds worth Rs 900 crores to the urban local bodies of JK. Property Tax will be directly deposited to the concerned urban local bodies for the overall growth and development of the area,” he added.
The Lieutenant Governor appealed to the people to support government’s initiative to develop the towns and cities of Jammu and Kashmir and urged the people not to fall prey to certain vested interests spreading false information and creating misconceptions around anti-encroachment drives, power generation, and property tax.
“No poor will be touched during anti-encroachment drives but no influential encroacher will be spared. The encroached land retrieved by the government will be utilized for the welfare of the common man and schools, colleges, hospitals, and sports facilities will be developed on the retrieved land,” said the Lt Governor.

Maintaining that property tax in Jammu and Kashmir is the lowest as compared to other states, Manoj Sinha said “there are around 5,20,000 houses in the cities of JK and out of these, 2,06,000 houses are less than 1000 sq ft and no tax is being imposed on them.”
There is no tax on 40% of the people living in cities, in rural and religious places. 2,03,600 houses are less than 1500 sq ft and 80% of these households will have to pay less than Rs 600 per annum. This amount is one-tenth of the tax amount being paid in Shimla, Ambala, and Dehradun, the Lt Governor said.
“46,000 out of 1,01,000 shops in city areas are less than 100 sq ft and will have to pay up to Rs 700 per annum. Out of these 46,000 shops, 80% will have to pay a meager Rs 600 per annum/ Rs 50 per month, “he added.
The revenue generated will directly go to the accounts of municipalities and corporations. This step has been taken to make our cities an engine of growth, he added.

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#Property #Tax #Lowest
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 2, 2023
Cancel Both Papers For ‘Level Playing Field’, Prosecuting Officer Aspirants To JKPSC

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SRINAGAR: Aspirants for Prosecuting Officers on Thursday urged Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission to cancel both papers instead of the one and conduct a fresh examination to provide “a level playing field” for all.
JKPSC on Wednesday canceled “paper-II” which is qualifying with the further announcement that the examination for it will be conducted on March 16. However, several aspirants called the news agency GNS since the announcement was made close-of-day Wednesday, alleging that the cancelation of only paper II will provide an advantage to those aspirants who have scored better marks in paper-I and that decision “rides roughshod” over others.
“As per the scheme of examination, both the papers have the importance of their own. The paper-I score will count only after one qualifies Paper-II,” the aspirants said, adding, “Had the JKPSC not canceled the paper-II ab-initio, those who are having a better score at present in paper-I would not make it to merit list and selection was to be made among those who qualified by having required numbers in paper-II.” Now that JKPSC has chosen to cancel only paper-II, it was providing undue advantage at the cost of others to some aspirants, they said.
“This is clear injustice and unfair with most aspirants,” they said, adding, “It smacks of arbitrariness or to put it in other words, it is irrational and offends the basic requirement of Article 14 of the Constitution.”
They said that with the announcement, the JKPSC was setting a “wrong precedent.”
“The examination scheme is such that an aspirant has to first qualify the paper-II by getting a score as provided under the notification,” they said, adding, “By allowing somebody who has fared better in paper-I two chances is plain injustice. Does someone who has fared better on paper II and not so good on paper-I, also deserve two chances at paper-I?” This clearly, they said, was “unfair”.
As per the JKPSC, its decision to cancel paper-II followed representations from the candidates through the J&K High Court Bar Association Jammu and others, claiming that the standard of the qualifying paper was higher than the level prescribed in the notification.
“The JKPSC itself has admitted that representations received by it requested for re-conducting the examination, meaning both papers, or allowing the aspirants to appear in the main examination,” the aspirants said, adding, “The JKPSC has chosen to set a wrong precedent and we request the Commission to revisit its decision of only examining Paper-II, thereby allowing two chances to some aspirants and denying same opportunity to others.” (GNS)

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#Cancel #Papers #Level #Playing #Field #Prosecuting #Officer #Aspirants #JKPSC
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 2, 2023
Property Tax: Municipalities Passing Resolutions To Adopt Decision

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SRINAGAR: Days after the government announced levying of property tax in Jammu & Kashmir, the administration on Wednesday said that the Municipal Corporations and Committees have started passing the resolution to adopt the decision and that the transparency system in the Union territory has no comparison with rest of the country.
In an exclusive chat with the news agency KNO, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, V K Bidhuri, said that the Municipal Corporations and committees require resources to run the affairs, but presently these corporations and committees are generating only 10-15 per cent of the revenue and are dependant for rest of the resources. “To ensure better facilities, every municipality requires resources and property tax is the best decision to generate revenue for the wellbeing of the people,” he said.
He added that J&K is the last in the country where the property tax has been imposed, but the government decided to go with a minimum tax. “The rural areas are already out while in urban areas, Agricultural land and other falling under master plan are also exempted,” he said while appealing people not to pay heed to rumours.
“Tax is not being imposed on any individual but it is being levied on a property and people having property on less than 1000 sq ft are already exempted,” he said while replying to a query.
He further said that out of total 5.20 lakh residential houses, 40% among them have been exempted as the properties have come up on less than 1000 sq ft. “The tax amount is different in different areas and districts and is being decided as per the circle rate,” he said.
He also said that after the decision was taken in this regard; the municipalities have started passing the resolution to adopt the decision.
He said that the tax amount will be used only for the developmental purpose in the respective municipalities and added that the tax will have to remain the same for three years and will be reviewed after that as per the circle rate.
The Div Com said that there is no comparison with J&K’s transparency system with any part of the country. “The transparency system in J&K cannot be found anywhere in the country where even the photos of developmental works are being uploaded,” he said.

Asked about a complete shift to online mode, the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, said that the process has already been done and every work is being done through online mode now.
About the smart city project works, he said that the deadline has been squeezed to April and the works are going on at a rapid pace during day as well as night. “The people will face inconvenience, but the works will be completed on April 15 while carpeting and other related things will be done by April 30th,” he said.
Asked about the encroachment drive, he said that retrieving encroached land is their regular activity and the government is responsible for it. “We are duty bound to carry out our encroachment drive for the people. We are re-strategizing it at present, but the poor will not be touched,” he said.
Asked about the completion of installation of smart meters across Kashmir, he said that the process will be completed in next two years. (KNO)

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#Property #Tax #Municipalities #Passing #Resolutions #Adopt #Decision
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 2, 2023
NIA Attaches Al-Umar Chief Mushtaq ‘Latram’s’ House In Srinagar

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SRINAGAR: National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday attached house of Al-Umar Chief Mushtaq Zargar alias ‘Latram’ in Gani Mohalla Area of Nowhatta area of Srinagar.
NIA action comes as Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has declared Zargar, “presently in Pakistan”, as designated “Terrorist” under the UAPA, a stringent act legislated to control militant activities.
According to reports reaching the news agency GNS, an NIA team, assisted by local police and paramilitary CRPF, attached the property of Latram situated in Nowhatta area of Srinagar early this morning.
According to a NIA spokesperson, Zargar’s two Marlas house (Khasra No. 182) at Ganai Mohalla, Jamia Masjid, Nowhatta, Srinagar, has been attached under the provisions of UA(P)A.
Zargar was arrested on 15 May 1992 and later released in 1999, along with Jaish chief Masood Azhar and Sheikh Omar. They were exchanged for passengers of hijacked Indian Airlines plane IC-814 in 1999. The plane, which was en route from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, was hijacked and flown to Kandahar, where negotiations for hostages had started. (GNS)

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#NIA #Attaches #AlUmar #Chief #Mushtaq #Latrams #House #Srinagar
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 2, 2023
Fresh Snowfall In Gulmarg, Light Rains Lash Plains

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SRINAGAR: Upper reaches including Gulmarg received light snowfall while rains lashed plains in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Thursday. The weather department has forecast intermittent snowfall on higher reaches and light rain in plains during the next 24 hours in J&K.
A meteorological department official here told news agency GNS that in last 24 hours till 0830 hours, Srinagar received 2.9mm of rain, Pahalgam 9.2mm, Kupwara 4.9mm, Jammu traces, Banihal 5.4mm and Bhaderwah 6.8mm while Gulmarg received 2.5cm of snowfall.
Regarding temperature, he said, Srinagar recorded a low of 7.0°C against 6.4°C on the previous night and it was above normal by 4.8°C for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 5.5°C against 5.0°C on the previous night and it was 4.6°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of 2.4°C against 0.6°C on the previous night and it was 4.7°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of 5.0°C against 3.4°C on the previous night and it was 4.1°C above normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 0.6°C against minus 2.0°C 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 5.1°C against 4.2°C on the previous night and it was 6.1°C above normal for the north Kashmir area.

Jammu recorded a low of 15.5°C against 14.2°C on the previous night. It was 3.2°C above normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal, he said, recorded a low of 6.3°C (above normal by 3.3°C), Batote 7.7°C (above normal by 1.9°C), Katra 14.6°C (4.1°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 6.8°C (4.7°C above normal).
Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 3.4°C respectively, the official added. (GNS)

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#Fresh #Snowfall #Gulmarg #Light #Rains #Lash #Plains
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 2, 2023