SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated Tulip Garden at Sanasar, the first such park for Jammu Division, on Saturday.
Congratulating the tourists and local residents on the occasion, the Lt Governor said the Garden spread over 40 Kanals with 2.75 Lakh Tulip Bulbs of 25 different varieties, situated amid lush green woods in Ramban district will provide major impetus to tourism and trade activities.
Observing that the tourism potential of Jammu is unique in many ways, the Lt Governor said with breathtaking natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, magnificent cuisine and warm hospitality, it can create a niche for itself on global tourism map and administration is committed to ensure all the necessary infrastructure & resources.
“As a “Tourism Mission” initiative 75 new destinations, 75 Sufi/religious sites, 75 new cultural, heritage sites and 75 new tracks are being developed in JK UT to open up new economic avenues for fulfilling the aspirations of the people,” said the Lt Governor.
Development of water parks at twin cities of Jammu & Srinagar, establishment of cultural centres at Ramban, Udhampur, Kathua, Jammu, Rajouri & Poonch will help in building local capacities, boost employment & favourable climate to entrepreneurship, he added.
There is no dearth of budget for development under the leadership of Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji. All the citizens should work together for the progress of the society with a positive approach to build a modern, industrialised and prosperous J&K UT, the Lt Governor said.
“The administration is working for the Aam Aadmi & inclusiveness is in the centre of our journey to high growth. With participatory governance approach & people’s cooperation we will create better future for the generations to come,” he added.
LG Sinha said that Rs 447 crore has been allocated to the tourism sector this year to develop JK as a modern and smart tourist destination. Samba Fort, Hari Parbat and General Zorawar Singh Palace will also be renovated to revive the ageless cultural legacy, he added.
The Lt Governor urged the people, PRI representatives and the youth to actively participate in the Gram Sabha meetings, being organized in all Halka Panchayats of Jammu Kashmir on 10th April to prepare development plan for the Gram Panchayats, he added.
The Lt Governor said that the construction of the 2.5 km long road from Sana Village to Sanasar will be approved in two months.
SRINAGAR: The Lieutenant Governor, UT of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha on Friday said that the transparent and accountable governance was ensuring that the benefits of growth reach all the sections, especially last man in the queue.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha interacted with the citizens, who had submitted their grievances on JKIGRAMS portal during “LG’s Mulaqaat” .
The Lt Governor said that the administration is dedicated to address public complaints in time-bound manner and rapidly bring about change for all round progress.
“We have embarked on several major initiatives in developing efficient public service delivery mechanism and it has improved ease of living of common man,” observed the Lt Governor.
While interacting with the citizens, the Lt Governor took appraisal of their grievances and action taken by the concerned Deputy Commissioners.
The Lt Governor also sought details of the action taken on the directions passed in the previous meeting.
On the sidelines of the LG’s Mulaqaat, discussion was also held on successful implementation of training programme for holistic development of agriculture and allied sector. The training programme is being executed by the Agriculture Production Department for farmers in all 20 districts
Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary; Sh R K Goyal, Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department; Administrative Secretaries; Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, Heads of the Departments, and other senior officers were present during the interaction, in person and through virtual mode.
SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a high-level meeting to review the power scenario in Jammu Kashmir, Monday at Civil Secretariat.
The Lt Governor appraised the multi-pronged strategies to meet the high electricity demand in the summer season and directed for integrating reforms for making the Power sector robust and resilient.
The Lt Governor directed for effective enforcement through a dedicated enforcement wing for the detection of theft of electricity, wrong metering, enquiring into public complaints, unauthorized extensions in load and surprise checking.
The Lt Governor also directed for immediate steps to ensure functioning of all the meters on 11 kV, and repair of the damaged meters within one month.
Smart meters must be saturated feeder-wise to protect consumer interests and quality standards. It will empower the consumers and help them to conserve energy and usage in an efficient manner, the Lt Governor said.
The Lt Governor also sought a report on steps taken to reduce AT&C losses. He further directed the department to fix the responsibility and draw up an action plan for reducing the losses within a specific timeframe.
The Lt Governor emphasized on training and capacity building of PDD staff; online registration of new consumers; massive awareness drive; proper maintenance of power infrastructure and constitution of teams of officers for monitoring physical condition of equipment.
Sinha passed explicit directions for ensuring power supply to new industrial estates and railway tunnels.
The Lt Governor also reviewed the steps taken towards quality control; completion of languishing projects, revenue realization and network strengthening.
Rajesh Prasad, Principal Secretary, Power Development Department briefed the chair on the effective measures taken to bridge the demand and supply gap.
It was informed that additional capacities were created during the winter to enable peak demand and 10 percent more power was supplied as compared to last year.
Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary; Dr Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, Principal Secretary to Lt Governor; Sh. Shiv Anant Tayal, Managing Director, JPDCL; Ch. Mohd. Yasin, Managing Director, KPDCL; Chief Engineers and senior officials attended the meeting, in person and through virtual mode. (KNO)
A DIPR photograph showing Lt Gov Manoj Sinha laying the foundation stone of Dubai based Emaar Group’s Kashmir Mall on March 19, 2023.
Burj Khalifa developer who runs Emaar Group makes an entry in Kashmir and his Mall of Srinagar witnessed the bhumi pujan by LG Manoj Sinha last week. Spread over 10 lakh sq feet, the mall will have around 500 shops. The group is also constructing an IT tower in Sempora and Jammu. Emaar Properties CEO Amit Jain said that most of the shops in the mall are expected to be run by companies based out of the UAE. The group is pumping Rs 500 crore including Rs 250 crore in the mall. “This is the start, we should inspire people, and people should aspire to follow us. This is a one million square feet mall with 500 shops and will generate around 7,000 to 8,000 jobs,” Jain said. “As Emaar group, we bring along strong relationships with leading retail brands of UAE, most of which will be launching their presence in India through this initiative,” Jain said. Emaar and Magna Waves Buildtech, the mall is set to become operational by 2026. Lalu Group which is already working with Kashmir will also operate from this mall with a 100 thousand sq ft anchor store. Sinha termed the day historic as it was the first FDI in Kashmir ever since the industrial policy was announced.
For the first time in history, the Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation Ltd, which runs the Gondola Gulmarg, recorded a turnover of Rs 100 crore.
GWALIOR
Lt Goverbnor, Manoj Sinha addressed the Republic Day gathering in Jammu in 2023.
Courted a controversy, Jammu Kashmri LG, Manoj Sinha said that Mahatma was only a matriculate and a diploma. “There is a misconception among educated people that Mahatma Gandhi had a law degree. Gandhi had no degree,” Sinha said while delivering Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Memorial Lecture at ITM Gwalior. “Who will say Gandhi was not educated? I don’t think anyone can dare to say so. But do you know that he did not have a single University degree or qualification? There are many of us who think that Gandhi had a law degree. No, he didn’t. His only qualification was a high school diploma. He qualified to practice law but did not have a law degree. He had no degree. Just look how educated he was. He became the father of the nation.”
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir VK Bidhuri said the day-long job fair is aimed at providing employment opportunities to 2500 youth in 141 companies.
JAMMU
social media
The employees of the government in Jammu and Kashmir can neither criticise the government nor can comment upon any policy, according to the new social media rules made public by the government. The Deputy Commissioner’s and heads of department have been directed to “immediately proceed against the employees indulging in unwarranted debates, discussions and sharing/commenting/posting inappropriate posts/content on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Instant Messaging applications like WhatsApp and Telegram etc.” The directions have been issued after invoking the Jammu and Kashmir Employees Conduct Rules, 1971. “No Government employee shall, in any radio broadcast or in any document published in his own name or anonymously, pseudonymously or in the name of any other person or in any communication to the press or in any public utterance make any statement of fact or opinion which has the effect of an adverse criticism of any current or recent policy or action of the Government of India, Government of Jammu and Kashmir or any other State Government,” the direction said. Besides, the employees have been prevented from “unauthorized communication of official information” or “dissemination of patently wrong or misleading information, airing of political or communal views etc under their real or assumed identities.” Employees have been asked not to publish a post or release “any information on social media that is considered confidential or that is not meant for public dissemination”.
2022 witnessed around 648 road accidents in which 93 persons were killed on Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
WASHINGTON
A number of Kashmiris are making news while being offshore apparently engaged in diplomacy. A news report said six separatist loyalists were forcibly removed from the National Press club in Washington when they repeatedly disrupted a panel discussion Kashmir: From Turmoil to Transformation. Moderated by columnist Se Hoon Kim, it was addressed by Mir Junaid, and Touseef Raina. Reports appearing in the media said the separatist-loyalists disrupted the discussion when Junaid was responding to a question on the reasons why the Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders were in jail. They had gone to the US at the invitation of the International Centre for Peace Studies.
In Geneva, two Kashmiri women – Tasleema Akhter and Bushra Mahajabeen spoke at the UNHRC. Akhter has praised the development that is happening in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of article 370. She has said developmental projects worth US $700 million are under implementation right now. Reports said Tasleema works for women’s empowerment and rehabilitation of terror victims, whereas Bushra Majajabeen is a terror attack survivor. The latter has lost her sister in a 2003 militant attack and lost her hand in an attempt to snatch the killer’s gun. Former lawmaker Shuaib Lone also spoke to the UN Body.
In their last of the five-year term, the Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) including Municipal Corporations, Councils and Committees are expected to get Rs 1550 crore in 2023-24.
TEETWAL
A brand new Sharda Peth temple is coming up at Teetwal (Karnah0 on the banks of Kishanganga river, barely at a stone’s throw from the Line of Control.
In 2023 Navreh, the idol of goddess Sharda was installed in the new Shrada Devi Temple that was constructed on the Line of Control. The spot had a temple that was devastated in 1947. The idol was installed amid chanting of Vedic hymns by more than 100 Pandits from Shingeri Math in Karnataka where the murti was brought. The temple existed till 1947 and it was the base camp for undertaking a journey to Sharda path, located on the other side of the LoC. A gurdwara also existed there on the banks of the Neelum river. Save Sharda Committee’s Ravinder Pandita was the main person who led the reconstruction of the temple. Pandita said Swami Nand Lal Ji was the last Kashmiri Pandit Saint who used to worship at this temple prior to partition. The foundation stone for the temple and Gurdwara was laid at Teetwal on December 2, 2021. Home Minister, speaking on the occasion said his government will make efforts to open a corridor in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) for Sharda Peeth pilgrimage on the lines of the Kartarpur corridor in Punjab. He addressed the occasion virtually. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti Wednesday welcomed the opening of the Sharda Devi Temple near the Line of Control (LoC). “This is very good. We have always been saying that we need to engage, reconcile and resolve things. The opening of Sharda temple is a very good thing. It is something that the Kashmiri Pandits were looking forward to, they really wanted it to be opened,” Mehbooba told reporters. “I also hope that the business which was conducted on Muzaffarabad Road and Rawalakot road, also is resumed.”
National Commission for Women (NCW) has received 412 complaints of atrocities against women in last three years – 79 in 2020, 157 in 2021, 144 in 2022 and 32 till March 2023.
AHMADABAD
‘Dr’ Kiran J Patel, the Gujarat conman who took Jammu and Kashmir administration for a ride for most of February till he was arrested on March 3, 2023. This photograph shows the so called PMO officer at Kama
Finally, the arrest of Conman, Kiran Patel in Srinagar has started impacting the ground. Gujarat police have booked the Ghodasar (Ahmedabad) resident for posing as a top official of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), on cheating and criminal conspiracy charges for trying to usurp a senior citizen’s bungalow here using the same tactic. In the Gujarat case, Malini Patel, his wife, is a co-accused. Patel has four cases against him registered in Gujarat and all of them are of the same nature. The latest case accuses him of attempting to grab a bungalow in a posh Shilaj locality in Ahmadabad by winning the trust of its owner, Jagdish Chavda, 63, through false claims of being a “Class 1 officer in the PMO” and having close relations with politicians. Under intense pressure from Delhi, the two other Gujarat residents – Amit Pandya and Jai Sitapara, who were with Patel the day he was arrested but were freed by police, were summoned to Srinagar for interrogation. Pandya is the son of an additional public relation officer of the Gujarat Chief Minister’s office. The PR man in Gujarat CMO has finally given up his position after serving the institution for a very long time.
Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh said 56 foreign militants were killed in counter-insurgency operations in 2022.
DODA
Doda town, an aerial view
Residents of Malanu village in Thathri (Doda) have accused the village sarpanch of allowing the construction of a volleyball ground on the sole helipad meant for medical emergencies. Evacuations of critically ill patients were done from this spot thrice since 2007 when it was constructed. Now, the district administration has asked the Jammu, and Kashmir Sports Council and the PWD to provide information about it. Sarpanch Zafarullah Magray is holding Sports officials responsible. “I showed them two places but they said machines wouldn’t be able to reach those sites. They asked me to allow construction on the helipad. I asked them to get a no-objection certificate before starting the work,” he said. “The helipad has been used twice or thrice since its construction in 2007. The construction of the volleyball ground started in December last year. No one spoke at that time, but they are now accusing me of scam.”
DELHI
Irfan Mehraj, A Kashmir based Journalist
Federal investigator, the National Investigation Agency arrested Srinagar-based freelance journalist Irfab Mehraj in connection with an ongoing probe into Kashmir-based non-profits that are facing accusations of sponsoring activities “prejudicial to the unity, integrity, sovereignty and security of India.” A resident of Mehjoor Nagar, Irfan was summoned to the local NIA office and later flown to Delhi where a court has given the investigator a 10-day remand. The arrest was condemned by the Press Club of India, the Editors Guild of India, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and Amnesty International. NIA said he was arrested under UAPA. Irfan has contributed to a number of media organisations during his journalism career. NIA has also taken custody of JKCCS coordinator Khuram Parvez and he is also on 10-day remand. Irfan has worked with him at the JKCCS.
SRINAGAR
Mehbooba Mufti (PDP) cast her vote for Ram Noth Kovind as the president of India on July 17, 2017.
Mehbooba Mufti has said she won’t contest the Assembly election till Article 370 is restored. “I am never going to fight Assembly elections as long as Article 370 is restored. It’s more of an emotional issue for me,” she said. ““Whenever I took an oath, it was under two Constitutions- the Constitution of India and the Constitution of J&K – with two flags at the same time. It’s more of an emotional issue for me.” Her counterpart, Omar Abdullah feels the elections are being deferred because BJP was “not brave enough to face voters’’. He said: “They are not ready to face people but are escaping from (Assembly) elections on one pretext or the other. They used the pretext of delimitation of constituencies and revision of electoral rolls which stands completed long back. They talked about the weather not being conducive but have no justification to further delay the polls.”
BEJBEHARA
A team of doctors at Sub District Hospital (SDH) Bijbehara is being praised by all for their unwavering commitment to their patients as they performed an emergency LSCS (Lower Segment Caesarean Section) during the intense tremors. It was incidentally recorded on phone and went viral. The team was led by Dr Shabeena Shah, the gynaecologist. “Alhamdulillah, it was a team effort. At the moment, my whole team was there for the patient. Patients are our first priority, we stood despite the earthquake and thankfully we successfully performed the LSCS,” later said. “While the memory of the recent earthquake in Turkey lingered in the back of our minds, the team pushed forward, ultimately delivering a healthy baby and ensuring the patient’s well-being.”
SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha attended the International Day of Forests event organized by Department of Forest, Ecology & Environment at Convention Centre, on Tuesday.
The Lt Governor called upon the people for sustainable management of forests and the judicious use of resources to combat climate change and to ensure well-being of all.
“Healthy forest is key to healthy living of people and it should be our top most priority to safeguard these precious natural resources. Every element produced by nature nourishes us. Since time immemorial, the health & well-being of humans, animals & environment around us are interlinked”, said the Lt Governor.
The Lt Governor emphasized on striking a perfect balance between society and environment for a healthy ecosystem and a strong economy.
“Nature is a great source of wisdom. The more we learn from nature, the more we understand that forests are not only an integral part of our existence but also essential for our mental, physical health and well-being. A society that is closer to nature is more prosperous”, the Lt Governor said.
On this International Day of Forests, let us rededicate ourselves to protect nature and conserve forests with the spirit of “One World, One Health”. We must protect and nurture economic, social and environmental values for the benefit of present and future generations, the Lt Governor observed.
The Lt Governor directed the J&K Rural Livelihoods Mission to launch Van Sakhi Yojana in coordination with Forest Department for the socio-economic empowerment of the women entrepreneurs associated with the sector.
The Lt Governor asked the Forests Department and other stakeholders to ensure that policy on ‘Sustainable Utilization of Non-timber Forest Produce in J&K’ is fully operationalized on ground to maximize its benefits to the people, especially women and tribal communities.
The Lt Governor further emphasized on promoting high-value forest produce like Gucci mushroom and Artemisia herbal plant which can be found in abundance in the forests of Jammu Kashmir to bring significant improvement in the quality of life of the forest-dependent population without harming the forests.
He also highlighted the efforts made in the last two years for the protection of natural resources and extending economic benefits, livelihood and entrepreneurship opportunities to tribal families.
“Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a large population of our tribal families dependent on the forests have been granted their forest rights for which they have been waiting for years,” he said.
The Lt Governor asked the Tribal Affairs Department and the districts administration to work in mission mode for granting individual rights under the Forest Rights Act and establishment of Van Dhan Kendras.
He complimented the Forest Department and allied wings for achieving higher targets under “One Beat Guard, One Village” programme under the campaign “Har Gaon Hariyali” and for their forest conservation awareness efforts.
With more than 55% green cover, Jammu Kashmir is ahead of many other states and UTs, the Lt Governor said.
The Lt Governor also gave valuable suggestions for sustainable management of forests.
The Lt Governor said the world population is dependent on forests in one way or the other. From our ancient texts to the latest and greatest invention of Artificial Intelligence Tool, you can find one thing in common i.e the entire universe is made of the five elements (Panch Tatva), he observed.
We must move ahead with the mantra of Panch Karma – the five major goals for the next one year. Non-Timber Forest Produce scheme must encourage associated Self-help Groups and communities to work on conservation of forests and plantation, said the Lt Governor.
Forest-related education in schools and participation of students in plantation drives must be ensured. Van Dhan Kendras and Self-help Groups should be involved in branding and marketing of forest-friendly products, he noted.
The Lt Governor said the inclusion of Panchayati Raj Institutions in Van Se Jal and Jal Se Jeevan program will make a greater impact in our campaign for conservation of natural resources. Further, we have to make the re-forestation campaign a mass movement, he added.
On the occasion, the Lt Governor presented the UT-Level Awards of Forestry & Wildlife Conservation to the frontline staff of Forest and Wildlife Department for their outstanding contribution.
He also felicitated the Village Panchayats for their efforts in the greening of common village lands.Kashmir(KNO)
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Sunday laid the foundation stone for the first direct foreign investment project at Sempora area of Srinagar where a mega-mall will come up at the whopping Rs 250 crore.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the function, the LG said that today is the historic day for the JK as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) based EMAAR Group has decided to invest Rs 250 Crore to set up a mega-mall on the 10 lakh square feet area at Sempora, Srinagar. “This is a moment of pride. The Emaar group will also invest in setting up IT towers in Jammu and Srinagar, besides the mall and total investment by the group will touch Rs 500 Crore,” he said.
Earlier, addressing the gathering, the LG said that the investment made by the Emaar group is just a beginning. He urged the EMAAR group to ensure the completion of the mall within the shortest possible time.
The LG said that some people have a negative mindset in JK and continue to criticize the government policies as they can’t digest the huge development taking place in the UT.
“JK has witnessed a huge sea change post August 5, 2019. The government land was kept under illegal possession by some people that was retrieved. The land retrieved will be used for setting up industries, playgrounds for youth and graveyards for the people,” he said.
The LG said that JK was getting the cheapest power in the country. “JK is the first place after Telangana to have first Women Entrepreneur Institute (WEI),” he said. (KNO)
SRINAGAR: Four persons, all residents of Bihar were killed and 28 more were injured after a bus they were travelling in turned turtle at Awantipora area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday.
LG Manoj Sinha expressed grief over the incident and directed district administration to provide all assistance to the affected persons.
“I am deeply anguished by the unfortunate Bus accident in Awantipora today, in which precious lives have been lost and many others have been injured. I have issued instructions to the District Administration to provide all necessary assistance to the affected persons,” Office of the LG tweeted.
“District Administration is in touch with the bereaved families in Bihar to provide all possible help. My heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and I wish speedy recovery to those injured.” Office of the LG tweeted later.
Deputy Commissioner Pulwama announced the ex-gratia of one lakh for each deceased, Rs 25 thousand for critically injured and Rs 10,000 for persons with minor injuries.
DC Pulwama Baseer Ul Haq Choudhary said that all formalities to take dead bodies back to Bihar have been completed and administration will bear the expenses to take them back to home for last rites.
Meanwhile,among 28 injured persons five with minor injuries were being treated at SDH Pampore who have been discharged while others were shifted to SMHS Srinagar, two to SKIMS Soura and 10 to Bone and Joint hospital Srinagar where the condition of a few more is said to be critical.
Police have taken cognizance and started an investigation in this regard. (KNO)
SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated the newly constructed Durga Bhawan at the Holy Shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, on Saturday.
The Lt Governor sought the blessings of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi and dedicated the facility to the devotees.
Congratulating the entire team of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and everyone associated with the project, the Lt Governor said the Bhawan with the capacity to accommodate 3000 pilgrims per day, will provide ease and comfort to the seekers, besides ensuring effective crowd management.
“The Shrine Board has started various new initiatives for providing better facilities to the pilgrims. Spiritual and cultural heritage is being revived by building modern infrastructure and administration is committed to ensure that devotees on sacred pilgrimage are looked after well,” said the Lt Governor.
It is our responsibility to enrich the traditional values and facilitate the spiritual journey of the devotees coming from across the country and abroad, especially those who are elderly, sick and specially-abled, he added.
The Lt Governor said the interests of traders, pony walas, local business community and other stakeholders are being safeguarded while developing the facilities for the devotees.
A ropeway from Tarakote to Sanjhi Chhat will come up soon. I assure the local people, traders and all the stakeholders that the ropeway facility will be provided to only elderly, sick and specially-abled devotees. We have kept a limited capacity of devotees per day. There will be no impact on the livelihood of traders, business community and ponywalas, said the Lt Governor.
A committee has been constituted to discuss and resolve all the concerns of stakeholders, he added.
The Lt Governor also shared the efforts for bringing the prominent spiritual and religious places of the region on the spiritual tourism circuit which will also generate livelihood opportunities for the locals.
Shrine Board has also approved the reconstruction of Shankaracharya temple near Katra. Underground cabling works will be completed next month and Skywalk will be ready by the month of June. Many more projects are in the pipeline to uplift the religious tourism sector in the region, he added.
The inaugural ceremony commenced with the Lt Governor along with Board members and Chief Secretary taking part in the hawan and pooja rituals.
Earlier, the Lt Governor paid obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum and prayed for happiness, peace and prosperity for all.
Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary; Dr. Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor; Sh Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Members; Sh Anshul Garg, CEO SMVDSB, Donors and pilgrims in large numbers attended the inaugural ceremony.
SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated Chancellor’s trophy at University of Jammu on Wednesday. More than 550 sportspersons from various universities are participating in the three-day mega sports event ‘Sauhard’.
The Lt Governor called upon the Higher Education institutions to promote sports as a core subject. Sports is a powerful medium to ensure physical-emotional health, enhances learning efficiency & helps in character building, he added.
“Sports nurtures both mind & body and enables students to become well-rounded across disciplines. National Education Policy has given us an opportunity to promote Sports through multidisciplinary system and end fragmentation in education system,” said the Lt Governor.
Citing various reports and studies on the impact of sports on the mind of an individual, the Lt Governor said the researchers considered Sports as a miracle for the brain. It is important that sports should be a part of our curriculum, he noted.
Highlighting the initiatives taken for holistic development of youth, the Lt Governor said, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the National Education Policy is creating a progressive ecosystem for the students to translate their dreams into reality.
Prime Minister’s vision for FIT India, Khelo India, National Education Policy, start-up opportunities, is building a strong foundation for India’s future,said the Lt Governor.
The Lt Governor also pointed out that Sports was deeply rooted in the ancient education system.
Our Gurukuls had emphasized using Sports as a tool to enable socio-economic change, he said.
The Lt Governor encouraged the youth to follow in the footsteps of prominent personalities who achieved excellence in both academics and sports.
“Nothing is Impossible. You can achieve excellence in any field with your hard-work, dedication, right guidance and can build your future with your individuality and independent thinking,” said the Lt Governor.
Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to Lt Governor reiterated the commitment of the administration to providing all necessary facilities to sportspersons and making JK a sporting powerhouse.
Prof Umesh Rai, Vice-Chancellor, Jammu University said that the University of Jammu, being one of the partners for hosting the Pre-Summit of G-20 Group of Countries, has taken an initiative to organise an inter-University Sports Competition for the Chancellor’s Trophy-2023 to promote brotherhood among students and scholars of the various Universities and to build trust and social harmony.
Chancellor’s Trophy is being held under the initiative “My Youth My Pride” to promote the concept of NEP 2020 which envisages sports as part of the curriculum and lays emphasis on sports-integrated learning and as a skill for a quality life, it was informed.
Participants will compete in various sports disciplines like Basketball, Cricket, Kabaddi, Volleyball and Table Tennis.
SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday said the computer based examinations that were deferred yesterday will be conducted once Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board will be fully satisfied and that exams will be held soon.
Talking to reporters, LG Sinha said transparency is a top priority for them and if there is any iota of doubt that will be addressed.
He said recruitments will be done based on merit and transparency is the top priority for them and there will be no compromise on it.
LG Sinha said that so for 47 employees have been dismissed from their services as they were having militancy links.
“The statement I made a day ago about jobs being given to militants was based on facts and action has already been taken against many people in this regard,” he said.
