Tag: web exclusive

Refurbished Polo View Readying By Next Month, Trader Concerns Remain

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by Aasiya Nazir
SRINAGAR: The recasting and re-modelling of British era Polo View market has led the 35-odd traders to book losses in 2022. The project is part of the Smart City Srinagar project.
The exquisite flower shops, magnificent shawl outlets, the shops donning papier machie items, restaurants, and many other stores are all bearing the brunt of the market’s redevelopment, which is going on to turn the roadway into a concrete sitting space.
Earlier, the market had its own parking space to provide a hassle-free experience to commuters and visitors.
As per the Smart City Mission, the market would be decorated by installing benches on the stretch, which has been made a no-vehicle zone. The market would come up as a model for the redevelopment of other such markets in the city. The government has already spent Rs 5 crore.
The traders are unsure if the market’s mighty Chinars would survive.
Chinar Development Officer, Tariq ul Habib, said the laid guidelines suggest that no construction work can undertaken at a place nearby a Chinar.

“There has to be a 40 feet demarcation at a place beholding Chinar where construction work has to be taken up,” he said.
A shop owner said, “Customers are unable to park their cars. They have to park their cars somewhere else and walk to shop here which creates a problem for them. It is causing loss to our business.”
A parking space on one side of the market’s shops has now been turned into a road. Earlier, the shoppers as well as the owners used to park their vehicles in that space to access the market.
With the parking gone, the footfall to the market has significantly nosedived. The lack of parking space is adding to the mess. If the customers park cars nearby, they attract fines.
Mohammad Amin, a shop owner at Polo-View Lane said, “Since the Smart City initiative began, we have undergone significant losses. We have met with the Deputy Commissioner (DC), Srinagar and other relevant authorities multiple times during the past year.”
The deadline for completion of the Polo-View market is the end of February 2023.
Chief Engineer Smart City Mission Iftikhar Kakroo said that they area aware of the issues the traders have flagged. “The traffic that was passing through the Polo View is now diverted from a new road behind the same market,” he said. “Power distribution lines that were over ground have gone underground.”
In terms of reports of the slow speed of work, Kakroo said that the endeavour is at its finishing phase, as the path tiles are being laid. “For this venture, we were able to arrange for the activity to be done without hindering traffic movement,” he said, noting that the work will be concluded by the end of February.
Kakroo asserted that the store owners are supporting us and to their advantage each advancement is being monitored vigilantly in order to forestall any complications.
Regarding the parking conditions, he declared that a detailed parking plan is established throughout the region. “Chosen spots have been pinpointed to circumvent the parking dilemma for the retailers,” he continued, affirming that in the past the path was utilised there for parking objectives.

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#Refurbished #Polo #View #Readying #Month #Trader #Concerns #Remain
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

January 24, 2023
ICP’s Free Coaching Helped A Dozen Students Qualify JKAS

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by Fahd Khan
SRINAGAR: In last year’s Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services examination, the result of which was declared last week, a dozen students enrolled with the Initiative for Competition Promotion (ICP) cracked the coveted examination.
An ICP event in which the civil services aspirants are being made aware of the syllabus and methodology
The ICP, a registered trust, was home to 35 students for a year when they were being trained by a few bureaucrats who run the centre for free. The centre provides mentoring and coaching to civil services aspirants.
“I enrolled in the interview programme of ICP and it helped me to qualify for the exams. It is a good initiative in Kashmir as people lack guidance and environment which is available in Delhi and even in Jammu,” Saqib Rashid, a professional engineer, who secured 10th rank in the recent examination said. “The Institution provides hostel and library facilities for students from far-flung areas. These students get an environment to study which they lack at their homes.”
Besides, nearly two dozen other lateral candidates from different regions of the UT, who were trained for the interview programme through offline and online orientation classes, expert lectures and mock interviews, have also made it to the service.
Riyaz Ahmad Rather, who secured 104th rank in the JKAS exam recently said, “Honestly saying, I was groomed at ICP, I was a full-time resident from the last three years. They provide services at minimal charges; it has a suitable environment for doubt clearance. One gets admission to the resident programme only after qualifying entrance exam. Students qualifying mains exam are then admitted to the interview programme.”
ICP conducts screening test for free coaching program for Civil Services Exam-2020
Yasir Farooq, who secured 120th rank in the examination said, “I owe my selection to ICP. I appeared in KAS 2018 but failed to go through. ICP played the most important role in my selection. I enrolled in 2018 till I qualified. They provide accommodation, test series and guidance. The teachers treat us like their own children. I had an issue with answer writing but the teachers used to evaluate my answers which helped me a lot. I have also twice appeared in the mains examination of the Indian Administrative Services.”
This year a fair number of female candidates from the ICP made it to the final list of JKAS. Saima Ahad from Gandebal secured 26th rank; Rakshan Peerzada and Hafsa Mohidin placed 31st and 130th in rank respectively this year. Zarqa Naquib, who has secured 74th rank also took regular guidance from ICP.

Even though ICP doesn’t have a centre in Jammu, many aspirants from the Jammu division had also enrolled at the centre in Srinagar.
In 2022, nearly 30 outstation students from Jammu and Delhi also availed the benefit of ICP’s Interview Mentorship Programme, an initiative aimed at preparing for the crucial personality test stage of the examination.
Every year 35 aspirants from across the length and breadth of Jammu and Kashmir enrol with the centre at Raj Bagh. The ICP trust has two small guest houses where all the services including lodging, teaching and library facilities are provided free of cost.
The aspirants are guided by the officers to help them to achieve their civil service dream. Besides the residential coaching programme, the academy also conducts classroom coaching, Test series and regular awareness campaigns about a career in the civil services are conducted at Centre.

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#ICPs #Free #Coaching #Helped #Dozen #Students #QualifyJKAS
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

January 24, 2023
Kashmir Youth Bags Glendale University’s Leadership Scholarship

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by Fahd Khan
SRINAGAR: Mushtaq Ahmad Rather, 37, from north Kashmir’s Kupwara district has come a long way in his life from being employed as a dishwasher in England to support his living while pursuing a master’s degree and now flowing to California in the United States of America for Glendale University’s Leadership Programme scholarship.
Mushtaq Ahmad Rather
He is currently working as a Business Manager in Riyadh where he reached after spiralling through a maze of hard work.
He did his high schooling at a Government High School in Tarathpora where from he went on to Government Higher Secondary School in Jawahar Nagar.
He did his Honour’s degree from Pune in Maharashtra where he says that Peoples Conference President and politician Sajad Lone guided him.
After graduating from Pune, Mushtaq moved to Mumbai to find employment to raise money to travel to England to enrol in the University of Chester’s Master of Business Administration programme.
However, the journey in England was not as easy as one may think, Mushtaq had to do some odd jobs to support his stay.
“Soon I joined Chester University where we were given a timetable for the whole year. We only had to attend the university for three days, and in the remaining days we used to do part-time jobs to manage our living expenses as living in England is very expensive.”

“I did many jobs starting from dishwashing which was very hard and I used to cry sometimes. Later on, I took up a job of a waiter, a marketing executive and a salesman. All the jobs helped me to understand more about business management,” Mushtaq said.
After completing his Master’s degree in England, he moved to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. He is currently working as an operational head of Daralheiam Investment Company owned by former Hollywood rapper of 2pac Rap group turned businessman Mutah Beale.
But Mushtaq’s’ journey of doing something more in life didn’t stop at Riyadh, he continued applying for new programmes in various universities across the globe.
“I always used to contact people from many universities on the internet and I had also applied online to many universities. I applied to the Glendale University of California and luckily got selected after many rounds of interviews where I portrayed my managerial experience. I got selected from among 485 students who had participated from across the globe,” Mushtaq said.
Staying in Kashmir and opening a good business here was what Mushtaq had always had in mind but life had other plans in store. While Mushtaq was in England, he with his brother’s help tried his hands at many business ventures which couldn’t flourish for varied reasons.
“I started a wholesale business of garments with the help of my brother but we suffered a massive loss. I tried to develop a restaurant business in Kashmir where employees used to handle it but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it had to be shut down. A businessman in Kashmir has to face several problems”.
Despite all his business ventures failing, Mushtaq didn’t lose hope and is planning to export Kashmiri food products to Saudi Arabia.
Mushtaq is hopeful that he will get support from the government of India in establishing his export business which will provide jobs to the unemployed people in the Valley.

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#Kashmir #Youth #Bags #Glendale #Universitys #Leadership #Scholarship
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

January 23, 2023
Displaying Traditional Foods, Kargil Celebrates Mamani Festival

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by Anayat Shotopa
SRINAGAR: Kargil and most of the erstwhile Purig region celebrated the Mamani Festival by displaying the traditional foods and the local culture. With the help of the tourism department, it is being celebrated on January 21.
Kargil men display various tools that are part of the culture and routine life on the ethnic Mamani Festival at Steyangkung village in Barsoo Kargil on January 22, 2023. KL Image: Special Arrangement
Mamani is a traditional food festival of Purig (Kargil) that indicates the reduction in the harshness of winter temperatures. It symbolises community brotherhood as every household in the village brings food and the whole community eats it jointly.
Resident in Kargil said the festival is celebrated across the bet from Kharmang in Baltistan (on the other side of the LoC) to Chiktan area in Kargil
Elders suggest that the festival’s history goes back to the ancient period when the people would give food to departed family members. Then, they used to exchange food with their relatives and neighbours and worship a variety of spirits (Lha). The tradition envisaged the people preparing good dishes of the previous year and assembling at a centrally located place called Chagrah. There they mix the foods and distribute them amongst themselves.
Kargil women display various foods that are part of routine life in Ladakh on ethnic Mamani Festival at Steyangkung village in Barsoo Kargil on January 22, 2023. This year, they had prepared more than 25 different dishes and traditional art works for display on the ancient festival. KL Image: Special Arrangement
The tradition exists amongst both the communities that inhabit Ladakh – Muslims as well as Buddhists. Elders say the tradition dates back to the era when the region followed Bonisim, a faith system that was replaced by Buddhism in the region. The Bonisim followers would pray the natural forces – the water, sun, air.
Now, it has changed a bit as the residents avoid praying for the sprits. It has emerged as a community food festival. People prepare various traditional dishes such as thukpa, popot (grain soup), hrtsrap khur (leavened bread), mar-khur, azoq (deep fried bread), poli (buckwheat pancakes), curd, suggoo (kash or pachae) and other foods. They then gather in the Hlchangra (meeting place in the village) on the evening of January 20, and early morning of January 21, every year.
This date is significant as it marks the beginning of the second month of the Ladakhi Calendar. Once everyone has gathered, the celebration of Mamani commences and people start to distribute the collected dishes amongst each other.

According to oral history, the celebrations included the tradition of a small Mamani called Maqsoomi Mamani, which was celebrated on the same day at dawn. People would light a fire in the courtyard of their home as part of this celebration. Off late, however, this practice has been stopped for various reasons.
There is another tradition linked to this festival, which is still retained as part of the routine. As part of the celebration, a portion of each dish is sent to the homes of girls who have moved elsewhere after marriage.
There is another interesting tradition linked to Mamani in which children visit each home in the village or neighbourhood to collect money to organise a celebration called Issun in the evening. This is still practiced in Chanchik neighbourhood of Kargil town.

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#Displaying #Traditional #Foods #Kargil #Celebrates #Mamani #Festival
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

January 22, 2023
Kashmir’s FastBeetle Bags Big at Shark Tank India

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by Fahd Khan
SRINAGAR: In a first of its kind, the promoters of the Srinagar-based logistic start-up FastBeetle participated and pitched their business proposal before the Shark Tank India Judges, which was aired on the Sony Television channel. Shark Tank India is a business reality TV series that is in its second season in 2023.
The combined deal from Lenskart CEO Piyush Bansal and Boat CEO Aman Gupta to invest 90 lakhs for 7.5 per cent equity was fixed with the Srinagar-based start-up at Rs 12 crore valuation.
FastBeetle, a start-up promoted by Sheikh Samiullah and Abid Rashid started their courier and logistic services in October 2019 from Srinagar and later to the international shipments within months and went on to become the fastest-growing logistics company from Jammu and Kashmir.
“After watching the show last year, we never thought we would be standing on that carpet pitching our business idea to renowned sharks,” Sheikh Samiullah said in a Tweet.
It is pertinent to mention here that FastBeetle had become the first Kashmiri start-up to raise US $100,000 in a pre-series. A funding round led by investors including Sandeep Patel from Nepra, Saurabh Mittal, Vikram Sanghvi, Rohit Qamra, and a few non-resident Kashmiris.
“Our pitch clearly states that we need to create a start-up ecosystem in the Jammu and Kashmir. We had gone to Shark Tank not to present FastBeetle but to represent the aspiration of the 1.5 crore population of Jammu and Kashmir” added Samiullah in his tweet.

FastBeetle has a empowered more than 1200 start-ups and delivered more than 10 lakh orders to 55+ countries. Giant e-commerce sites like Flipkart, Jiomart has tied up with the FastBeetle to deliver parcels to the remotest areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
They said that their company wants to deliver parcels to the far-flung areas of the India where no one has reached till now.

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#Kashmirs #FastBeetle #Bags #Big #Shark #Tank #India
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

January 21, 2023
Story of Two Doda Sisters and Their brother Who Cracked JKAS Together

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by Khalid Bashir Gura
SRINAGAR: As the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) declared the final results of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS), the hearts of three siblings were in their mouths.
Ifra Anjum , Huma Anjum and their brother Suhail Wani created history by cracking JKAS 2022 together. They are wards of an erstwhile Baglihar project mechanic from Doda
Soon unprecedented happened. The silence was broken by tears of joy as all three qualified for the most coveted examination to make them part of the Jammu and Kashmir administrative set-up. It has happened for the first time in the history of now JKAS competitive examination that three siblings have qualified for this examination in the same year.
Interestingly the two sisters and their brother are from a far-off Doda village. They are settled in Jammu. The siblings include Ifra Anjum Wani, Huma Anjum Wani and their younger brother Suhail Ahmad Wani. They had painstakingly prepared together without any formal coaching.
“It was the first attempt for Ifra and Suhail, but elder sister Huma qualified it in her second attempt. The siblings had their formal high schooling in Doda in a private school. Later they shifted to Jammu for higher studies” said their jovial father.
According to him, one of his daughters Ifra did her master’s in physics, however, the other two siblings; Huma and Suhail have been pursuing their master’s degree in political science.
The preparation for the examination started together as all of them aimed at the same goal and achieved it together.
According to their father, the siblings started preparation in 2021 and have been studying meticulously and complementing each other since then without formal coaching.

“We were inspired by our father. His words and support and belief in us helped us achieve our goal,” Irfa said. “It is a good way to do social service, however, if one want power and money we could have chosen other fields.” She said they have had to face lot of financial difficulties but they were never let down by parents.
Ifra said she and Suhail passed it in the first attempt, the credit goes to their elder sister because they located the mistakes that prevented her quality the examination in the first attempt. Interestingly, they did not stop after their sister failed to crack it n 2021, they quickly grouped and started studying together.
At a time when technology is taking over every aspect of human lives especially education, the siblings claims are unbelievable even for laggards.
“We do not have a phone and social media presence. We used our mother’s phone to connect virtually and download any essential reading material,” said Ifra.
“It is a journey which started much early in their life. They were clear about a goal,” father Wani said who was working as mechanic in Baglihar project and now a private contractor.
“Lockdown broke my back but I did not let it deter my children’s education. I still don’t own a bicycle. My children have always made me proud by being obedient and never yielded to ostentatious norms of society,” Wani said as he also credits their mother also for silent contribution.
Suhail who is younger to sisters has secured 111th rank and obtained 1055 points followed by Huma Anjum Wani having 117th rank with 1050.5 points and Ifra Anjum Wani having 143rd rank with 1034.5 points.

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#Story #Doda #Sisters #brother #Cracked #JKAS
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

January 20, 2023
Kashmir Records Dismal Performance In JKAS Results

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by Maleeha Sofi
SRINAGAR: In the JKAS results declared by Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission, Kashmir has poorly performed. Though the administrative service has historically not attracted Kashmir youth, it is said to be one of the lowest performances of the Kashmir division in recent years.
Jammu Kashmir Public Service Commission in Srinagar
The results select 187 positions that the GAD had referred to Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC). As many as 648 candidates appeared in the interviews after qualifying Mains exams.
Of the 187 candidates, 90 candidates were selected in Open Merit. The rest of the successful candidates – making more than half of the total, fall under different reserved categories. Some candidates from reserved categories have secured their selection in open merit as well.
The reserved category is a major basket of the list. Of them, 22 candidates belong to Scheduled Caste (SC) – six of them have secured their seats in Open Merit as well – 19 candidates belong to Scheduled Tribe (ST), 26 candidates belong to Residents of Backward Area (RBA) – eight of them also fall in Open Merit, 18 candidates belonged to Economically Weaker Section (EWS), three candidates belong to Physically Handicapped Category (PHC), nine candidates belong to Pahari Speaking People (PSP) – two of them secured their seats among Open Merit also, eleven candidates belong to Actual Line of Control/ International Border (ALC/IB) and four of them secured their seat among Open Merit, eight candidates belong to Social Caste (SLC) and one of them secured the seat among Open Merit.
The list shows that as many as 31 candidates, who had appeared from Srinagar Centre, made it to the finals. Insiders said there could be a few more from Kashmir, who, for logistical reasons, could have written their examinations from the Jammu centre.
The JKAS comprises three allied services – junior scale JKAS, JKPS and Accounts service. Of the 187 candidates 56 will be absorbed into junior scale JKAS, 71 into Jammu and Kashmir Police Service and 60 will go to the Jammu and Kashmir Accounts Service.
The preliminary examinations for the JKAS were conducted on October 24, 2021, in which 20790 candidates appeared. Of them, 4462 candidates qualified for mains, conducted between April 8, 2022, and April 18, 2022. Only 3916 candidates appeared in all the papers. Finally, 648 candidates qualified for the Personality Test (Interview). The interviews were conducted between December 5, 2022, and January 19, 2023, and the final was out within twelve hours of the culmination of the interview process.

This selection was one of the few lists for coveted positions that JKPSC did in record time in comparison to earlier lists.

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#Kashmir #Records #Dismal #Performance #JKAS #Results
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

January 20, 2023