The Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) has been facing intense criticism and protests from the aspirants who were demanding the scrapping or ban of the exam conducting agency Aptech Pvt. Ltd. hired by the board. As a result, the JKSSB board has postponed the Computer Based Examinations for various posts, scheduled from 16th March 2023 to 5th April 2023, until further notice.
Official Notification of Exam Postponement by JKSSB
The decision to postpone the exams came after widespread protests and criticism from the aspirants who had been demanding the scrapping of the exam conducting agency Aptech Pvt. Ltd. The aspirants had been alleging irregularities in the recruitment process and had been demanding that the exams be conducted by a more credible agency. They had also raised concerns about the technical glitches that had marred the online exam conducted by Aptech Pvt. Ltd. in the past.
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The notice issued by the JKSSB stated that the exams were being postponed until further intimation. The notice did not give any reasons for the postponement of the exams. However, it is widely believed that the decision to postpone the exams was taken in view of the protests and demands of the aspirants.
The JKSSB has been under fire from various quarters for the irregularities in the recruitment process. The board has been accused of nepotism, favoritism, and corruption in the recruitment process. The aspirants have alleged that the exams conducted by the board are not fair and transparent, and that there are many irregularities in the selection process.
The decision to hire Aptech Pvt. Ltd. as the exam conducting agency has also been criticized by the aspirants. They have alleged that the company does not have the requisite experience and expertise to conduct the exams. They have also raised concerns about the technical glitches that have marred the online exam conducted by the company in the past.
The postponement of the exams is likely to cause inconvenience to the aspirants who had been preparing for the exams for a long time. It is also likely to cause delays in the recruitment process, which may have a cascading effect on the overall functioning of the government departments.
Srinagar, March 14 (GNS): Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) on Tuesday deferred till further “intimation” the computer-based written tests (CBT) scheduled to start from March 16.
“The Computer Based Examinations for various posts scheduled w.e.f. 16.03.2023 to 05.04.2023 are deferred till further intimation,” JKSSB said in a tweet, as per GNS.
The announcement comes amid ongoing protests by the aspirants against the hiring of a previously black-listed company.
Earlier, the JKSSB had said that all arrangements have been put in place to ensure a fair and transparent exam. “The CBT shall be conducted under CCTV surveillance for maintaining transparency in the examination. Besides, low frequency jammers are being installed in all the examination centres to prevent the use of unfair means including cheating using bluetooth and wi-fi enabled electronic devices,” an official spokesman had said.
A third party has been hired to review the examination process of CBTs conducted by JKSSB to ensure an exam that is free from any malpractice, he said.
“The concerned district magistrates will issue prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code around the examination centres during the timing of exam, while a multi-layered structure for supervision has also been established with one Centre Observer and Centre Magistrate for each examination centre by the respective district administration,” the spokesman had said.(GNS)
SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board (JKSSB) on Tuesday deferred all Computer Based Examinations for various posts from March 16 to April 05, 2023.
“The Computer Based Examinations for various posts scheduled w.e.f. 16.03.2023 to 05.04.2023 are deferred till further intimation,” JKSSB Official tweeted.
Srinagar, Mar 14 (GNS): Generally cloudy but dry weather has been forecast in Jammu and Kashmir till March 17 while as the minimum temperature recorded a slight decrease on Tuesday.
A meteorological department official here told GNS that Srinagar recorded a low of 5.3°C against 5.8°C on the previous night and it was 1.6°C above normal for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 2.4°C against 3.5°C on the previous night and it was 0.1°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 0.4°C against 1.2°C on the previous night and it was 0.8°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of 4.5°C against 4.9°C on the previous night and it was 2.0°C above normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of 0.6°C against minus 0.4°C on the previous night and it was 2.9°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 2.8°C against 2.7°C on the previous night and it was 0.5°C above normal for the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 14.7°C against 14.8°C on the previous night. It was 0.7°C above normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal, he said, recorded a low of 4.7°C (above normal by 0.5°C), Batote 6.7°C (normal), Katra 13.6°C (1.9°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 4.9°C (1.9°C above normal).
Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil, he said, recorded a low of minus 4.2°C and minus 3.9°C respectively.
He said till March 17, “generally cloudy with dry weather” was expected.
“Afternoon thunderstorms at isolated places can’t be ruled out,” the official said, adding, “Generally cloudy with intermittent light rain with thunder at scattered places was expected during March 18-21.” (GNS)
Within a fortnight after the Chief Secretary told the heads of departments to oversee what the government employees are doing on social media, the Jammu Kashmir Police arrested a government employee, a peon, for allegedly posting ‘hateful’ comments on social media. Identified as Amrik Singh, a resident of Beoli Doda, he is posted as a class-IV employee in CEO’s office. The data he uploaded, police believe, could trigger law and order problems in the district.
Nearly 6000 Kashmiri Pandit employees called off their 310-day-long protests after the government stopped their pay. They were seeking transfer out of Kashmir on security grounds.
JAMMU
Yet again, the official recruiter, the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) is back in news. This time for managing the examinations of the aspiring employees through Aptech Ltd, a hiring firm that has been blacklisted by other states. As the details of the firm’s shady detailed appeared in the media, there were protests in Kashmir and Jammu. In Jammu, police used force and made arrests of the protesting young men and women. The company was blacklisted in 2019 but re-hired in May 2022. The crisis erupted in wake of serious credibility issues involving the SSB and the third parties it hires. In July 2022, the administration cancelled the selected list of 1200 police sub-inspectors, 1300 junior engineers and 1000 finance account assistants (FAA) following allegations of paper leaks and malpractices. The CBI that is investigating the case has charge-sheeted 24 persons including a BSF commandant and many of them were arrested as well. Though the SSB is justifying the re-hiring, the protesters were insisting that once blacklisted how the company can be trusted now especially when job rackets are investigated by the major agency. The political class especially the JKNC and PDP have strongly reacted to use massive force against the job seekers. “On what basis, and at whose behest, has the company, which is blacklisted by other states, been awarded the contract to conduct the recruitment here,” Mehbooba Mufti asked. Aptech is blacklisted in UP, Rajasthan and Assam. “Laws were changed to make sure it gets the contract.”
65 benches of the special Lok Adalat settled 224 of the 669 matrimonial cases and awarded Rs 51,10,500 as compensation and settlement amount.
SRINAGAR
Jab Jab phool Khilay, a 1965 blockbuster featuring Shashi Kapoor and Nanda reinforced the belief that if it is love, it is Kashmir
Love is not a lollipop. Sometimes, it backfires. In the last 10 days, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed three tragedies suggesting that Cupid always does not protect lovers from each other. On March 1, a boy and a girl jumped into river Jhelum in Baramulla. It triggered panic and somehow the girl was rescued but the body was recovered dead many hours later.
In Jammu, a young lady, 27, who was about to be a trained dentist, was found stabbed to death at the house of her male friend in Pamposh Colony (Janipur). On March 7, evening, police said the man’s relatives informed them that he had uploaded a message on his Facebook announcing that he will commit suicide. As they rushed to his flat, it was locked from the outside. They broke the door and were shocked to see a young woman stabbed to death. The accused was also found in critical condition in his washroom with the same kind of cuts. The slain lady – who was pursuing MDS in Delhi and had come on vacation – has been cremated and the man is in hospital and now being probed for murder.
On March 9, in Srinagar, a non-native survived with serious injuries after his wife allegedly stabbed him with a knife in Jawahar Nagar. Identified as Rakesh Kumar (Amritsar), he is recovering in SMHS Hospital in Srinagar.
More than 100 thousand tourist arrivals were recorded in February 2023, a record in itself.
BARAMULLA
An aerial view of Baramulla. Pic: Baramulla News FB page
The new Naya Kashmir has too many colleges and a lot of many students. The problem is there are no teachers. Now a degree college in Baramulla has thrown up a model. In absence of teachers, the Government Women’s College, Baramulla has asked non-subject faculty to have “engaging classes of the departments without staff”. Now, the faculty of Education, Physical Education, and Sports Departments has been assigned the duty to engage the classes of Political Science. Chemistry Department has been asked to take care of Public Administration Department and Botany Department has been asked to engage classes in Economics and the Zoology department would engage the students of Social Work. Mathematics Department will teach Philosophy. Now I know, one scholar wrote on Facebook, why Baramulla creates polymaths. Seemingly it is the beginning. Now every Kashmiri student will be a polymath, courtesy chatbot.
20.8 per cent of adults in Jammu and Kashmir are using tobacco.
WASHINGTON
Foreign ministers of India and China, S Jaishankar and Wang Yi
The American intelligence community has told US lawmakers that it apprehends increased tension between India and Pakistan and India and China with the possibility of a conflict. The three nuclear-armed neighbours are in a tense relationship for their own reason. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they have said “is more likely than in the past to respond with military force to Pakistani provocations”. While India-Pakistan relations are at a historic low, Sino-India relations are not cordial because of the Ladakh stand-off. The intelligence assessment coincided with the renewed public speech by a number of politicians that within a few years India will retrieve its parts of Kashmir from Pakistan.
The administration has decided to scrutinise more than 700 thousand ration cards in Kashmir.
AMSHIPORA
The bodies of three slain youths who were killed in Amshipora fake encounter were exhumed in Gantmulla Baramulla on Saturday, September 3, 2020. Image: Social Media
Finally, the Court Martial vindicated the residents who, from day one, insisted that the killing of three Rajouri labourers in Shopian village on July 18, 2020, was a fake encounter. Last week, a general court-martial (GCM) recommended life imprisonment to Captain Bhoopendra Singh, a verdict subject to confirmation by the Army headquarters in Delhi. The encounter saw the killing of Imtiyaz Ahmed, Abrar Ahmed and Mohammed Ibrar who were dubbed ‘terrorists’. The CGM followed a Court of Inquiry and a Summary of Evidence found the officer has abused the powers vested under the AFSPA. The Court of Inquiry was completed in the last week of December 2020. A JKP SIT had also established the captain’s culpability along with two civilians. Singh would operate in the area under an assumed identity, Major Bashir Khan. The slain trio were from the same village and two of them were close relatives. After the “encounter”, LG Manoj Sinha personally visited the Rajouri families, expressed his sympathies and assured them all of the help. So far, however, they have not been given jobs which the families desperately require.
LG Manoj Sinha revealed that in the last three years, more than 30,000 vacant government posts were filled and 20,000 more vacancies are being filled.
SRINAGAR
Royal Springs Golf Course, an aerial picture
The Jammu and Kashmir government is planning to outsource the Royal Springs Golf Course taking the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) route. The world-class golf course is not the only property. Reports said “some properties of JKTDC and Directorate of Tourism Jammu and Kashmir” are being outsourced. The 300-acre 18-hole RSGC is operational since 2001 when Robert Trent Jones Jr worked for years on the erstwhile city forest to make it one of the wonders of Kashmir. Earlier, the officials identified 12 JKTDC assets including the Pahalgam Club, Jammu’s Ashoka Hotel, and various huts at Patnitop for outsourcing. Of the 12 properties, 11 have been divided into three bundles. Bundle I includes the Pahalgam club and convention centre and Pahalgam Hutments and Hotel Alpine with an estimated project cost of Rs 108.44 crore. Bundle II bracket envisages three properties – facilities at Sanasar Lake, tourist bungalow Kud and Hotel Maple Kud with an estimated project cost of Rs 48.89 crore. Bracket III includes six properties – Ramban Cafeteria, Tourist Bungalow at Ramban, Tourist Bungalow Seri-Ramban, Tourist Bungalow Banihal, Hotel Maple Banihal and Cafeteria Qazigund at an estimated project cost of Rs 6.86 crores. JKTDC has invited proposals from reputed national or international entities, and joint ventures for undertaking the Development, Operation and Maintenance of select tourism assets (bundle-wise) with 30 years concession period for I and II Bundles and 15 years for Bundle –III.
Kashmir’s Chest Diseases Hospital reported 47 positive H3N2 infections from a sample basket of 103 in 50 days.
HANDWARA
The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered an enquiry into the alleged misconduct of the president Municipal Committee, Handwara. Earlier, a similar investigation along with a formal police case was registered against a councillor of MC Pulwama. He had abused doctors on duty. In September 2022, the government removed Bilal Ahmad Bhat, President of the Municipal Committee, Awantipora from his office on the grounds of abuse of his official powers.
SMC officials have said Srinagar has Swachh Bharat Mission 730 toilets and 35 toilet blocks are being built.
GANDERBAL
On the Srinagar-Leh national highway, the government has completed the construction of a new Wayil bridge, a first-of-its-kind arch-truss-girder design bridge. It has been constructed using a unique combination of truss and arch bridge elements and girders and will replace the old single-lane bridge that caused frequent traffic jams and delays. The two-lane bridge, with a span of 110 meters and a width of 10.50 meters, was funded by the World Bank and will be ready at an investment of Rs 23.79 crore.
LG Manoj Sinha said around 350 modern health infrastructure projects are coming up in Jammu and Kashmir.
SRINAGAR
Regional Transport Officer Kashmir has suspended the registration of two-wheelers (JK01AG-5841) used in the commission of eve-teasing. It was a quick follow-up to the Srinagar police arresting two boys for allegedly stalking and intimidating a girl on March 4.
A woman employee whose infant dies will have a paid leave for 60 days.
DODA
VDC members led by BJP leader Sunil Sharma submitted a memorandum to Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday, March 2, 2022. Pic: Social Media
Arvind Kumar, a 35-year-old man allegedly shot himself dead with his brother’s rifle, at his ancestral Sindra (Bhaderwah) village in Doda district today, a police officer said. The rifle belonged to his elder brother, a Village Defence Guard (VDG) member. This is the second murder after the government revived and rebranded the erstwhile VDCs into VDGs.
MeT calculations suggest Jammu and Kashmir received 176 mm overall precipitation in January and February against the normal of 225 mm, which means 17 of 20 districts received deficit rainfall.
7th Pay Commission DA Hike: There is great news for central government employees. If you are also waiting for DA Hike, then after 2 days your salary is going to get a bumper increase.
In March, the government is going to give the gift of Holi to lakhs of employees and pensioners. This time in the month of March, the salary of the central employees is going to increase by Rs 1,20,000. According to official information, this time also the government is going to increase the dearness allowance by 4 percent.
There will be an increase in DA of 4 percent
Let us tell you that after the increase of 4 percent in DA, there will be a bumper jump in the salary of the employees. Along with this, the employees will get the benefit of DA at the rate of 42 percent. This benefit will be available only from January 2023.
There will be an increase of 1,20,000 in the salary
Let us tell you that due to the increase in the dearness allowance, the salary of the employees will increase. If the basic salary of any employee is Rs 30,000 per month, then his salary will increase by Rs 1200 every month. Accordingly, there will be an increase of Rs 14,400 in the annual gross salary. On the other hand, if the basic salary of an employee is Rs 2.50 lakh per month, then his annual salary will increase by Rs 1,20,000.
According to the information received
from the AICPI index, from January 1, 2023, the employees will get the benefit of increased DA. At this time the employees were getting dearness allowance at the rate of 38 per cent, but now it has increased by 4 per cent. From now on, the employees will get the benefit of dearness allowance at the rate of 42 per cent.
DA was increased by 4 percent in July also,
let us tell you that if the DA of the employees is increased by 4 percent, then the dearness allowance will reach at the rate of 42 percent. In July 2022 also, the government had increased the DA of the employees by 4 percent. Lakhs of central employees and pensioners will benefit from the increase in DA and DR.
What is dearness allowance?
Let us tell you that dearness allowance is that allowance, which is given to government employees and pensioners. Through this, the standard of living and eating of the employees is improved. The way inflation increases in the country, in the same way this allowance is increased to increase the standard of living and food of the employees. (Rightsofemployees)
Hyderabad: The Director of School Education in Telangana on Monday issued a circular announcing that half-day schools will be implemented from March 15 until the last working day of the academic year 2022-23, which is April 24.
It will be applicable to primary, upper primary, and high schools under government, government-aided, and private management.
Timing of the schools in Telangana
As per the circular, schools in Telangana will operate from 8 am to 12:30 pm, and midday meals will be provided at 12:30 pm. However, the special classes for Class X students who are preparing for the SSC Public Examination in April 2023 will continue as scheduled, with schools that have SSC Examination Centres operating from 1 pm to 5 pm.
The circular has directed all Regional Joint Directors of School Education and District Educational Officers to inform schools under all managements about the new order and ensure that it is implemented accordingly.
Summer holidays for schools
Earlier, the Director of Schools Education announced that schools in Telangana will have their summer holidays starting from April 25. The holidays will be followed by the reopening of schools on June 12 to begin the next academic year.
The class X exams will now take place from April 3 to 13, while other exams originally scheduled for April 10 will now begin on April 12.
Islamabad: PTI chief Imran Khan on Sunday postponed his party’s election rally in Lahore till March 13 after the interim government in Punjab province imposed Section 144.
Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, on Saturday night had announced a rally today (Sunday).
However, citing concerns in the wake of a Pakistan Super League (PSL) match in Lahore, the district administration banned public gatherings invoking Section 144 in the city, Dawn reported.
Protesting the interim government’s move, the PTI approached Election Commission of Pakistan, and later postponed the rally.
Taking to Twitter, Khan posted: “It seems again Sec 144 has been imposed illegally solely on PTI election campaign as all other public activities are ongoing in Lahore. Only Zaman Park has been surrounded by containers & heavy police contingent. Clearly, like 8 March, Punjab CM & police want to provoke clashes.”
“To file more sham FIRs against PTI ldrshp & workers & to use as pretext for postponing elections. Elec Schedule has been announced so how can Sec 144 be imposed on pol activity? I AM TELLING ALL PTI WORKERS NOT TO FALL INTO THIS TRAP. Hence we have postponed rally till tomorrow,” his tweet read.
Riyadh: For the first time in its history the streets and parks of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) were painted green in celebration of Flag Day, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
On March 1, the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz issued a royal decree announcing March 11 to be celebrated as National Flag Day.
He posted a tweet, “The celebration of Flag Day comes as an affirmation of pride in our national identity, and its historical symbolism with great connotations and deep implications, which embodies our constants, and is a source of pride in our history.”
إن الاحتفاء بيوم العلم يأتي تأكيدًا على الاعتزاز بهويتنا الوطنية، وبرمزيته التاريخية ذات الدلالات العظيمة، والمضامين العميقة، التي تجسد ثوابتنا، وتُعد مصدرًا للفخر بتاريخنا.
The Ministry of Culture also celebrated this national day by raising the flag at its headquarters in Riyadh. It organised cultural and artistic activities for a period of three days, including a theatrical performance entitled “Rise High”.
On Saturday the Saudi Minister of Education Youssef bin Abdullah Al-Bunyan celebrated the event with a group of students who hoisted the flag and sang the national anthem.
Saleh Al-Mansouf passes away
Calligrapher Saleh Al-Mansouf, who is credited to design the Saudi flag 50 years ago passed away a few hours before the celebration.
Al-Mansouf wrote the word of monotheism with his hand and drew the sword on the banner with white dye.
History behind the Saudi flag
The history of the flag dates back to the banner of the Imams of the first Saudi state which united its lands. The flag’s design underwent several changes over the years before sealing it on March 11, 1937.
Regulations for the flag were issued in 1973. It dictated the flag be rectangular in shape, green in color, and “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” as its center.
A drawn sword with its fist pointed at the lower part of the flag is placed below it parallel to the words of monotheism written in Thuluth script.
The Aurat March is an annual event held by women across Pakistan on International Women’s Day to express their concerns and celebrate womanhood. A video of a Pakistani father educating a reporter about the ‘purpose’ of the march went viral as netizens praised his progressive mindset.
A Pakistani woman named Leena Ghani shared the video of her father debating the man with the mic about the Aurat March.
Leena’s father was seen in the first video responding to a reporter’s query about the ‘reason’ for the “Aurat March” and advising the man to do his research properly.
The man continued by saying that, aside from legislation prohibiting sexual harassment, most laws discriminate against women, and they feel overlooked in several sectors.
“Women’s voices are underrepresented anyplace you go, including in courts of law. If you’re unsure, send a lady by herself to the police station or court, the man said, advising the reporter to learn more about gender studies.
The video garnered 333K views and 2810 likes by the time of publishing this article.
Leena further added that it’s a privilege in Pakistan to have a supportive father. “It breaks my heart that so many women don’t have that. I wish that for every girl, every young adult, and every woman,” Leena wrote.
I have to add that it’s a privilege in Pakistan to have a supportive father and it breaks my heart that so many women don’t have that. I wish that for every girl, every young adult and every woman. ❤️🫶🏽
Aurat Azadi March is held annually in different cities of Pakistan such as Lahore, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Faisalabad, Multan, Quetta, Karachi, Islamabad and Peshawar on the occasion of International Women’s Day to fight for women’s rights. The first Aurat March was held in Karachi in 2018, and subsequently in Lahore and Karachi the following year,
