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J&K LG Visits SKIMS, Reviews Treatment of Injured Amarnath Pilgrims

Srinagar, July 28 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday visited the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, to enquire about the condition of the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims injured in a road accident in Ganderbal district.

The Lieutenant Governor met the injured devotees, interacted with doctors and hospital authorities, and reviewed the treatment being provided to them, officials said.

He directed health authorities to ensure the best possible medical care and extend all necessary assistance to the injured pilgrims.

SKIMS Director Dr Mohammad Ashraf Ganie briefed the Lieutenant Governor on the condition of the injured and the treatment being provided, they said.

Sinha was accompanied by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg, Inspector General of Police Kashmir Vidhi Kumar Birdi, Deputy Inspector General of Police, North Kashmir Range, Rajiv Pande, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Akshay Labroo and other senior officials.

Earlier in the day, the Lieutenant Governor had spoken to the Deputy Commissioner of Ganderbal and senior health officials to review the situation and directed them to ensure prompt treatment for the injured.

Thirty-nine Amarnath pilgrims were injured after the bus they were travelling in met with an accident near Gund in Ganderbal district on Tuesday. They were initially shifted to Sub-District Hospital Kangan before being referred to SKIMS for specialised treatment.

Officials said all the injured pilgrims are under medical observation, while police have initiated an investigation into the incident.(NVI)

J&K LG Monitors Treatment of 39 Pilgrims Injured in Ganderbal Mishap

Srinagar, Jul 28 (NVI): Thirty-nine Amarnath Yatra pilgrims were injured after the bus they were travelling in met with an accident in the Gund area of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Tuesday

The officials said the bus, carrying pilgrims returning after paying obeisance at the Amarnath cave shrine, lost control near Ganiwan and skidded off the road before plunging into a gorge.

Police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), civil administration and local volunteers launched a rescue operation and shifted the injured pilgrims to a hospital in Kangan.

Officials said all 39 injured pilgrims were later referred to the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) for specialised treatment. Two of the injured sustained head injuries but are in stable condition, while the condition of the remaining injured is also stated to be stable.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha spoke to the Deputy Commissioner of Ganderbal and senior health officials to review the condition of the injured pilgrims.

In a post on X, Sinha said he had directed the health authorities to ensure the best possible medical care and all necessary assistance to the injured devotees. He also prayed for their speedy recovery.(NVI)

31 Amarnath pilgrims injured as bus overturns in J&K’s Ganderbal

Srinagar, July 28 (NVI): At least 31 Amarnath Yatra pilgrims were injured after their bus overturned in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district in the early hours of Tuesday, officials said.

The bus, carrying pilgrims to the holy Amarnath cave shrine, met with the accident near the S-Mode stretch at Hariganiwan in the Gund area after it reportedly skidded off the road, they said.

Soon after the accident, personnel of the CRPF, ITBP, Jammu and Kashmir Police and other rescue agencies rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation.

All the injured pilgrims were shifted to Sub-District Hospital, Kangan. They were later referred to SKIMS, Srinagar, for specialised treatment, officials said.

The injured pilgrims belong to Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, they said, adding that no fatalities were reported in the incident.

Police have taken cognisance of the accident and initiated an investigation to ascertain the cause of the mishap, officials added.(NVI)

Tourism Ministry and Air India join hands to promote country as preferred destination

Signing of MoU between Tourism Ministry and Air India

By Arun Kumar Das

New Delhi, July 27 (NVI) The Ministry of Tourism has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Group-owned Air India Limited airlines to establish a strategic framework to promote India as a preferred global tourism destination.

The move is aimed at strengthening India’s position as a key aviation and transit hub.

The collaboration will leverage the Ministry of Tourism’s destination-promotion initiatives and Air India’s extensive domestic and international network to enhance India’s tourism visibility, strengthen inbound tourism and position the country as a global transit and travel hub.

The partnership is non-commercial, non-binding and non-exclusive, with no financial commitment on either party.

The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and Air India in areas including tourism promotion, destination branding, content development, international marketing and stakeholder engagement.

They will leverage their digital platforms, global networks and outreach capabilities to promote India as a world-class tourism destination and contribute to increasing international tourist arrivals.

As part of the collaboration, the Ministry of Tourism and Air India will undertake joint global promotional campaigns under the Incredible India brand and explore co-branded marketing and destination storytelling across digital and offline platforms.

Tourism-related content will also be developed and disseminated through Air India’s customer touch points, including its in-flight entertainment platforms.

The Ministry and Air India will engage with State Tourism Boards and other tourism stakeholders to promote destinations across the country.

They will also explore branding opportunities across Air India’s platforms, including aircraft livery, boarding passes and in-flight media, subject to feasibility and mutual agreement.

A Joint Working Group comprising representatives of the Ministry of Tourism and Air India will oversee the implementation of the MoU, identify potential areas of collaboration and periodically review the progress of the proposed activities.

The MoU will remain valid for an initial period of two years from the effective date and may be extended by one additional year with the mutual consent of both parties.
The partnership is expected to provide a structured platform for strengthening India’s global tourism outreach, enhancing destination visibility and offering international travellers greater opportunities to discover the country through coordinated promotional efforts.

Returning to Tata Sons in 2022 following 70 years under Government ownership, Air India Group is in the midst of a five-year transformation programme, Vihaan.AI.

As part of the transformation, Air India has placed orders for 600 new aircraft. In addition to taking new aircraft deliveries, Air India is progressively retrofitting all its legacy aircraft. (NVI)

Fresh brutalities by Pakistani forces in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, countless killed and injured

This poster sums up the condition of Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir. Source-- Social Media

Rawalakot [PoJK], July 27 (NVI): Pakistani forces caused bloodshed again in occupied Jammu and Kashmir today as they killed and injured countless people participating in protests against the farcical elections which were boycotted completely by the locals.

As locals took out rallies and staged demonstrations against the elections for the so-called Assembly of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, they were treated with bullets, teargas and batons at several places.

Rawalakot, which has been the epicenter of the agitation going on since last 7 weeks because of a massacre committed by the Pakistani forces on June 5, again suffered the extreme barbarity at the hands of the occupying military.

The Pakistani forces resorted to firing and teargas shelling at a number of places, leaving several people dead or injured.

The actual number of the dead and injured was not known as the Pakistani forces seized control of the hospitals where the wounded and killed people were taken.

The fresh brutalities by the Pakistani forces came on a day of elections which were totally boycotted by the locals.

A march to Muzaffarabad, the capital of POJK, is planned for tomorrow which is expected to be participated by lakhs of people under the banner of  Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a conglomerate of several non-political local organisations.

The situation in Rawalakot was reported to be dire as the number of casualties caused by the Pakistani forces were overwhelming.

“Friends, the situation has become dire. Rawalakot is filled with dead bodies and the wounded… We are peaceful people. Countless dead bodies, countless wounded. Our shoulders are exhausted from carrying the bodies,” said POJK-based social media influencer Aqeel Bhai in a video message.

“For God’s sake, stand with us right now; please, stand with us. I have just barely escaped with my life. I no longer care about my own survival. After seeing so many brothers martyred. I have come here to plead with you with folded hands. Please have some conscience; to all the international media watching–please support us,” he said.

He further described what he said was one of the most distressing moments he witnessed during the violence.

“A brother came and wrung out his handkerchief, and what dripped from it was the blood of Kashmiris, brother! It was the blood of Kashmiris! That is the situation here. I have come here after witnessing people dying–being martyred–right before my eyes. The situation has become terrible; it has become truly dire,” he said.

Calling for international attention, Aqeel Bhai urged global media organisations and human rights groups to intervene, claiming that local resources were struggling to cope with the number of casualties.

“Tag the international media and the whole world–get this message out! We are running short of ambulances and vehicles here. People are trying to move their wounded on their own–grabbing them from all sides–and the roads are awash with blood!” he said.

He also accused the authorities of using force against protesters and criticised the continued crackdown on the movement.

“These oppressors have killed us today using our own tax money. It’s not just today; they have been doing this for a long time… They have been killing us continuously since June 5th. Have some shame! Have some shame! Have some shame–you shameless people, have some shame! What have we ever taken from you? If anything, you have taken from us–you have consumed the fruits of our hard-earned labour,” he added.

Another protester claimed that at least 15 to 20 people had sustained gunshot injuries during the incident.

“Over 15-20 people have been injured. 15 to 20 people have been shot,” the demonstrator said.

In another video shared, Aqeel Bhai again appealed to international media and human rights organisations, saying the violence had left several protesters dead or injured.

“They have martyred countless brothers of ours; they have wounded them… There is nothing but blood on this road, right here! They are shooting our brothers! What kind of spectacle is this? You live off our money! You are using our tax money to buy the very bullets you are using to kill us, you tyrants!” he said.

He urged international organisations to intervene immediately.

“International media! Brothers, the whole world! Human rights organisations! Where have you all vanished to? Where are you? Where are you? Come here! Come here! There is still time–come here! Come here! Come here–these tyrants are killing us! These tyrants are killing us!” he said.

The developments coincided with the first phase of polling across 13 constituencies in the Mirpur Division of PoJK, which were boycotted.

Adding to the uncertainty surrounding the electoral process, the Legislative Assembly elections in the two districts of Sudhnoti and Rawalakot have been postponed until August 10 owing to the ongoing protest movement. (NVI)

6 CRPF personnel injured as bunker vehicle rolls down road in J&K’s Shopian

Srinagar, July 27 (NVI): Six Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured after a BP bunker vehicle rolled down the road in the Wachi area of Zainapora in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Monday, officials said.

The vehicle, belonging to the 178 Battalion of the CRPF and deployed at Police Post Wachi, met with the accident on the Wachi main road, they said.

The injured personnel were immediately evacuated to the Community Health Centre (CHC) Zainapora for treatment. Their condition was not immediately known.

Further details are awaited.(NVI)

Tax appeals piling up, over 5.4 lakh pending with CBDT

Capital Expenditure
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (File)

New Delhi, July 27 (NVI) The number of tax appeals with the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has been piling and has reached around 5.4 lakh.

Noting this, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said it could take “a century” to clear this backlog unless CBDT speeds up efforts to dispose these off.

She said the CBDT needs to shift its focus from “litigation management” to “litigation prevention”.

Tax certainty is essential for improving voluntary compliance and investor confidence, she said addressing the 167th Income Tax Day celebration.

“We still have 5.4 lakh appeals. Three or four years ago, we had an exercise within our boards about how to reduce pending appeals. I am sure the blueprint is what is making a lot more speedier disposal and clearance,” she said.

The inflow of fresh appeals continues to outpace disposals, she said.

“Allowing the mounting of these to keep coming up, the newer ones coming up, even as the reduction is happening in a slower pace. I appeal to the board that you should have one more review to see how you are going to handle this. It cannot be that the cases keep mounting and you are clearing at some pace, which is going to make us the same in some numbers. It will take a century to clear it, if you are allowing the growth to go on like this,” mentioned the Minister during her address.

Calling for a taxpayer-centric administration, Sitharaman outlined 5-R’s structure that include— Recognise, Respond, Redress, Reflect and Reform, to make the process more simplistic.

She emphasised that the tax authorities need to acknowledge taxpayer grievances, recognise the taxpayers grievances with clarity and empathy, and thereby resolve genuine complaints within defined timelines.

While she lauded the department’s efforts for making significant progress, but called for more measures to analyse recurring issues for institutional learning, and continuously reform systems and procedures to minimise future disputes.

“The authority conferred by tax law must always be exercised with humility. A taxpayer is not merely an assessee; a taxpayer is a citizen and a partner in India’s development,” she said. (NVI)

J&K CS reviews Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission implementation, stresses universal digital health records

Srinagar, Jul 27 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Monday reviewed the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) in the Union Territory and directed officials to accelerate the creation of comprehensive digital health records for every citizen.

Chairing a high-level meeting here, Dulloo said the mission’s primary objective is to ensure complete, secure and interoperable digital health records, and asked the Health and Medical Education Department to prepare a time-bound strategy with clearly defined milestones to enhance the generation and linkage of electronic health records.

He directed the department to expedite the implementation of the Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) in all public healthcare institutions so that every patient interaction contributes to building digital health records.

The chief secretary also instructed officials to increase the number of Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) IDs to match the number of Ayushman Bharat Golden Cards issued in the Union Territory and monitor the progress closely.

Emphasising greater public use of the JK Sehat App, Dulloo asked the department to promote services such as online doctor appointments, tele-consultation, home healthcare and doorstep medicine delivery to improve access to healthcare.

He also directed officials to strengthen the application by adding academic resources and digital learning material for medical students and healthcare professionals.

During the meeting, officials informed that more than 1.12 crore ABHA IDs have been created in Jammu and Kashmir, covering nearly 83 per cent of the estimated population.

They said over 1.34 crore Scan & Share tokens have been generated, while all public healthcare facilities, doctors and nurses have been registered on the national Health Facility Registry and Health Professional Registry.

Officials also said the JK e-Sahaj platform has been implemented in more than 100 healthcare facilities, while 85 hospitals have been onboarded to the Next Generation HMIS platform. The remaining identified institutions are expected to be integrated within the next two weeks.

The meeting was informed that the JK Sehat App has registered over 15.5 lakh users and offers services including ABHA creation, digital health records, online appointments, tele-consultation, blood bank information, ambulance services, home healthcare and pharmacy services.

Reviewing district-wise progress, Dulloo directed deputy commissioners and health authorities to intensify efforts in districts lagging behind to achieve universal ABHA coverage within the stipulated timeline. He also called for wider use of Scan & Share services and faster generation of ABHA-linked electronic medical records across healthcare institutions.(NVI)

Students’ agitation: Supreme Court says Peaceful protest is constitutional right

SC quashes plea seeking waiver of exam fees for CBSE Class 10, 12 students
File Photo of Supreme Court

New Delhi, July 27 (NVI) “Merely because agitation (is) there doesn’t mean lathidecharge,” the Supreme Court said today while underlining that the right to peaceful protest is a constitutional guarantee that cannot be curtailed.

The top court said that while citizens have every right to protest peacefully, authorities must also have a clear framework to deal with anti-social elements attempting to disrupt such gatherings.

The observationsby a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and including Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, came during the hearing of a batch of petitions which alleged police excesses against students protesting over the NEET-UG paper leak and other irregularities in the education and examination system.

The Bench said the Constitutional protection available to peaceful protests cannot be diluted merely because demonstrations take place.

“If there is excess committed, it should be independently examined. It’s not only a case of Delhi. Uniformity in protocol required. Merely because agitation there doesn’t mean lathi-charge. Discipline is integral to democratic process,” the Chief Justice said.

“There should be a protocol when someone wants to agitate peacefully. Proper space for that. There is no impediment in that regard,” he said.

“But if there is any anti-social element that can be dealt with,” the Chief Justice said.

The bench also indicated that it was examining the possibility of introducing mandatory guidelines applicable across India for organising and regulating peaceful protests.

Emphasising the need for discipline during demonstrations, the CJI further remarked, “It is a question of all India… this uniformity in protocol is also… Those who are responsible… what kind of mandatory guidelines… Self-discipline is integral to the entire process.”

Reiterating the legal position, the CJI said, “Right to peaceful protest is in the Constitution. Right to peaceful protest is absolutely guaranteed. That cannot be denied. Merely because there is agitation cannot justify police excess.”

The court’s remarks came in response to allegations that police used excessive force, including lathi charges and tear gas, against students participating in protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.

Senior Advocates Gopal Sankaranarayanan, Colin Gonsalves and Vikas Singh appeared on behalf of different petitioners, urging the court to direct action against police personnel accused of using force against student protesters. The petitions contend that the police response during the demonstrations violated the protesters’ constitutional rights and amounted to excessive use of force.

While expressing concern over the allegations against the police, the Bench also acknowledged complaints regarding attacks on law enforcement personnel during the protests.

A lawyer appearing in the matter referred to a separate petition alleging that an unruly mob had brutally attacked police personnel and even targeted their family members.

Responding to the submission, Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed, “Injury to police is of equal concern. We may call upon the State to respond why adequate safeguards were not provided…”

After hearing all parties, the Supreme Court directed that the batch of petitions be listed for further hearing tomorrow. (NVI)

J&K LG Chairs Governing Board Meeting of Gandhi Memorial College Srinagar, Calls for Administrative Reforms

Srinagar, Jul 27 (NVI): Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday chaired the introductory meeting of the newly constituted Governing Board of Gandhi Memorial College (GMC), Srinagar, and directed the formulation of a comprehensive policy to streamline the institution’s administrative and operational framework.

The meeting, held at the Raj Bhavan, discussed a range of academic and administrative issues aimed at improving the overall functioning of the college, officials said.

During the meeting, the Lieutenant Governor stressed the need for a comprehensive policy to strengthen governance and ensure efficient administration across the institution.

The Governing Board also deliberated on several key issues, including the adoption of its Rules of Business, grant-in-aid to G.M. College of Education, Bantalab, Jammu, streamlining the recruitment process, pensionary benefits for existing and retired employees from 2002 onwards, augmentation of campus infrastructure, revision of the existing curriculum, and introduction of new courses in line with the National Education Policy (NEP).

Senior government officials, representatives of the Higher Education Department, University of Kashmir, Hindu Education Society Kashmir, and members of the Governing Board attended the meeting.(NVI)

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