News Kashmir Magazine

Challenging times for Scientists 

The current times of pandemic have been challenging for one and all . Millions have died and crores infected , the economies across the globe have been brought to grinding halt . The people are frustrated beyond a point as they are virtually feeling locked . Scientists too have been challenged by this tricky virus that continues its havoc despite vaccination also taking place .Recently, the Vice President, M Venkaiah Naidu  called upon scientists to come up with out-of-the-box solutions to address challenges faced by mankind from climate change to agriculture to health and medicine.
As per an official communique while addressing scientists and students at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) at Bengaluru, the Vice President urged scientists to strive for achieving excellence and to innovate for improving the lives of the people. “Purpose of science is to make people’s lives happy, healthy and comfortable”, he reiterated.
Stressing that scientific research should be relevant to society, he said, in this context, translational research assumes importance. He lauded JNCASR for having generated over 300 patents and for promoting the establishment of a few startups based on indigenous inventions.We are hopeful that Science would continue its inventions and overcome tough times for humanity in form of virus to global climate change .It is well known fact science is the backbone for the progress and technological advancement of any country.Also it may be noted  the Vice President referred to India’s huge demographic dividend and said the need of the hour is to inculcate scientific temper from a young age and to promote world-class scientific research that addresses societal problems.In nutshell, scientists continue to remain hopes for global peace and prosperity in every challenge .

Kashmir’s Papier-mâche sector deserves attention
Kashmiri papier-mâché is a handicraft of Kashmir that has rich history and legacy . It  was brought by Muslims saint Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani from Persia in the 14th century to medieval India. It is based primarily on paper pulp, and is a richly decorated, colourful artifact; generally in the form of vases, bowls, or cups (with and without metal rims), boxes, trays, bases of lamps, and many other small objects. These are made in homes, and workshops, in Srinagar, and other parts of the Kashmir Valley, and are marketed primarily within India, although there is a significant international market.The product is protected under the Geographic Indication Act 1999 of Government of India, and was registered by the Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks during the period from April 2011 to March 2012 under the title “Kashmir Paper Machie”.The artisans associated with the Papier-mâche sector are facing many problems as they are earning very less , with market voices saying there daily wages are not even half of that a daily laborer . At one time the sector of Papier-mâche was one of the highest paying sectors of Kashmir.As a result of very less opportunities and no bright future the new generation is not taking up the rich craft of Papier-mâche which is a worrying sign .
Artisans state that The art is now vanishing from Kashmir. This has become a part-time activity due to less remuneration and no attention from the government side.
Militancy, a flood, the pandemic — Kashmir’s ancient art of papier-mâché is at its lowest ebb now, and deserves all the more Government attention.

Content Enrichment of the Text Books 

Content enrichment in text books has been one of the main issues faced by our education system. In a positive development recently, the Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar few days back  inaugurated a two day workshop on Content Enrichment of Textbooks developed by Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) at SKICC .
Addressing the workshop, Advisor Bhatnagar highlighted that the education system needs a thoughtful change with the advent of National Education Policy (NEP)-2020. He added that the NEP-2020 aims at the reconfiguration of Primary and Secondary school education in all aspects from foundational stage to secondary stage with focus on Equitable and inclusive education for all and therefore it’s effective implementation will refurbish the whole education sector across J&K.

Remarking that the education system is the main pillar of progress and development of the nation, Advisor Bhatnagar remarked that education and training have been part of the society from times immemorial and with the evolving society and world, there is dire need for the upgradation of the educational system also.In his keynote address, Principal Secretary SED, said that with the advent of NEP-2020 education sector will see a progressive development across the nation. He added that the textbooks need constant evolution and there is a need for enhancing regional content in textbooks.

In her welcome address, Chairperson JKBOSE gave an overview of SCERT-JK and highlighted the importance of the workshop and the need for enriching the content in textbooks of JKBOSE.One hopes that in this day and age of stiff competition the text books in our part of the world would be much richer quality vise and provide best knowledge to our students .

Enhancing Livestock Sector of Jammu and Kashmir
Livestock is becoming an important industry for entire world .Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha recently inaugurated the first-ever “Vishal Pashudhan Vyapar Mela” at Sports Stadium, Hiranagar in Kathua district.

Speaking on the occasion, the Lt Governor welcomed the farmers from other states to the mega Livestock Trade Fair.

The first of its kind event in the UT will provide a major fillip to the Animal Husbandry sector with an additional source of income to the farmers. It is an effort on the part of the government towards providing a single platform for sale/purchase of high-quality livestock breeds that will strengthen J&K’s Dairy sector, besides exploiting the full potential of J&K in milk, fodder & mutton production, to cut down imports and bridge the demand and supply gap in the poultry sector, and generating employment by attracting new entrepreneurs, observed the Lt Governor.The Mela will facilitate doubling the income of farmers through the adoption of best practices, genetic up-gradation of milch animals, latest technical interventions and proper management of high-quality breeds of milch animals. Further, the hardships faced by farmers in the cumbersome purchase process of high-quality breeds from the adjoining states and their transportation to the destination district of UT of J&K will be eliminated as high-quality breeds of cows, buffaloes, sheep, goats, etc. from neighboring states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh etc. shall be displayed for sale & purchase, said the Lt Governor.

In addition, the related machinery of latest technology pertaining to Animal & Sheep Husbandry sectors including fodder management shall also be displayed and made available for the farmers and dairy entrepreneurs. One hopes Continuous efforts are made to upgrade the livestock industry of Jammu and Kashmir.

Digital Villages in Jammu and Kashmir

Digital Villages in Jammu and KashmirThe wheels of development in Jammu and Kashmir got a new era of life with the government setting up many digital Villages. To ensure swift and efficient governance the need of going digital is paramount .

J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj SinhaAfter inaugurating 44 digital village centres in Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha  said that a new era of development has rightly started in the Union Territory, which has taken a giant leap towards inclusive development.
“A new era of development has rightly started in Jammu and Kashmir, and we have taken a giant leap towards inclusive development. Today, 44 panchayats, 40 blocks have been dedicated to the people in the form of Digital Village Centres and arrangements have been made to reach out with all the online schemes of the government,” said Sinha.
He further stated that the initiative will enable the government to disseminate its programme and policies through a readily available system.
Digital Village will have one-stop service solution for the village area citizens, providing them with quality services like telemedicine, financial services, internet connectivity and other Government-to-Citizen (G2C) and Business-to-Consumers (B2C) services which are easily accessible at an affordable price around the year .
One hopes that era of development would get a new kick due to these steps of villages going digital .

Third Wave Coronavirus Calls For Precautions

As a global Pandemic Coronavirus has destroyed the world . Millions have died and crores got infected due to Coronavirus in the world . Economies have been ravaged in different parts of the world and we saw the pain caused by Coronavirus in second wave in India destroying many families and people gasping for oxygen .
We in Jammu and Kashmir need to be cautious about looming third wave of Coronavirus.
Following decrease in number of positive cases with each passing day and less number of admission of Covid patients in hospitals, the effect of second wave of Covid-19 has diminished to a large extent, however this has also resulted in lowering of guard against Covid by the masses which can pose serious threat and lay the base for predicted third wave, warn experts.
As per a statement issued to a local news agency  while throwing light on the current Covid-19 scenario here, Professor and Head, Community Medicine, GMC, Srinagar, Dr Mohammad Saleem Khan few days back said that the decrease in Covid positive cases and the number of covid deaths is an encouraging indication of winning the fight against Second Covid Wave.
Dr Saleem however cautioned that the decline of second wave has resulted in non-seriousness among people towards Covid Appropriate Behavior, adherence to SOPs particularly wearing of masks and physical distancing, adding that such behaviour poses serious threat of third wave of Coronavirus.
We hope that consisting the gravity of the situation all the people in Jammu and Kashmir will do Covid vaccination and follow necessary SOPs so that third wave does not prove dangerous .

Social Protection Scheme for Covid Affected Families 
Many families in Jammu and Kashmir have lost their near and dear ones due to covid and in lot of cases lone breadwinners of family have died due to Coronavirus leaving the families in distress . The pandemic of Coronavirus has come at a huge cost for many families .

Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha few days back  rolled out ‘Special Assistance Scheme for COVID Mortalities – SASCM’ (सक्षम), by handing over the grant of Scholarship and Pension certificates to the children and the members of the families affected due to COVID-19.

It is also learnt that  The Lt Governor remarked, “J&K government is committed to support children who lost their parents in this pandemic. The administration as guardian will take all necessary steps for their well-being and education, so they can have a bright future.”

We stand in solidarity with the families who lost the earning member due to the pandemic. Besides pension, every effort will be made to ensure they live a dignified life and have no financial difficulties, said the Lt Governor.
It is our duty and utmost responsibility to support families, restore livelihoods and ensure stability in their life, he added.

For extending handholding to the affected families, a special cell has been constituted in Social Welfare Department to track and facilitate benefits under existing government sponsored welfare schemes which the family may be eligible for, said the Lt Governor.

The Lt Governor remarked that the administration will reach out to every affected family with financial assistance if they are willing to start their own business or other venture for self-employment, besides imparting training and providing market linkages to them.One hopes this Social Protection Scheme goes a long way in securing the well-being of families affected by the Coronavirus.

Fruits of Sehat Scheme for Jammu and Kashmir
The insurance of health of common masses especially the poor class had been a real big issue in our part of world . But since last few months the launch of Sehat health insurance scheme by the Government has come as big relief to the masses in terms of their health needs .It is here worth mentioning that The Jammu and Kashmir government, undertaking path breaking interventions to holistically address the healthcare issues in the Union Territory, has provided 86000 free and cashless treatments worth Rs. 86 crore to the beneficiaries under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) SEHAT, since the first six months of launch of this world’s largest health insurance scheme fully financed by the government.

As per a statement issued , a senior government official informed that out of 70000 claims worth Rs. 75 crore submitted by empanelled hospitals, 50000 claims worth Rs. 40 crore have been paid till date under AB-PMJAY and AB-PMJAY SEHAT schemes.On the otherhand, Chief Executive Office, State Health Agency (SHA) J&K, Dr. Doifode Sagar Dattatray, while elaborating on progress of the schemes told, “AB-PMJAY and AB PMJAY SEHAT are the most ambitious schemes of government of Jammu and Kashmir. “We are introducing several innovations in the ecosystem of the scheme like implementation of Standard Treatment Guidelines, Establishment of District
Implementation Units (DIUs), reforms in functioning of Pradhan Mantri Arogya Mitras, real time-based monitoring system for  Insurance Company and Empanelled Hospitals, strengthening of supply side and introduction of smart Ayushman Cards to further streamline these schemes so that residents may avail free, cashless and hassle free  benefits from reputed empanelled hospitals across the country”, he maintained.This being the most prestigious scheme is being monitored regularly by Additional Chief Secretary Health and Medical Education, Atal Dulloo, who in a statement maintained that, “this ambitious health insurance scheme is going to be the game changer as far as provision of healthcare services is concerned.Undoubtedly ,this has proven a great scheme for people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Mount Everest is the world’s highest peak and is located in country of Nepal, scaling it is no mean feat . It is among toughest things to achieve . As the negativity of global Pandemic of Coronavirus has hit world and Kashmir ,a very  optimistic Development has come to fore .Twenty six-year-old youth  Mahfooz Ilahi Hajam, a resident of the South Kashmir’s  Kulgam district in Jammu and Kashmir, has successfully scaled Mount Everest.
Mahfooz, a civilian instructor at the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports (JIM&WS) in Aru (Pahalgam), scaled the world’s highest peak.
“At 6.20 am on June 1, I scaled Mount Everest [8,849 metres], the highest peak in the world,” Mahfooz said.It is worth mentioning here that in the year 2019 Nahida Manzoor, 23, on Wednesday became the first Kashmiri woman to scale the world’s highest peak Mount Everest.
“The Fourth summit of the day is Ms Nahida Manzoor along with her Sherpa Guide Mr Nima Kancha. Nahida hails from the state of Jammu & Kashmir. The lady has been passionate about the snow peaks and took to the mountains at a very young age,” Transcend Adventures, which planned her adventure trip, wrote on social networking site Facebook.Since past few years many Kashmiris have been scaling Mount Everest successfully.
Earlier in the year 2015, The 33-year-old Rafiq Malik has achieved the feat of being becoming first Kashmiri to reach the summit of World’s highest peak Mount Everest.Climbing with the first ever National Cadet Corps Expedition (NCC) team led by Col. Satish Sharma, Rafiq reached the top along with his team members Raghu, Rajat, Karma and Sandeep on May 20.Rafiq’s first ascent comes in the wake of the diamond jubilee celebrations on Everest, 60 years after Sir Edmund Percival Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first reached the top of the highest mountain in the world.One hopes this positivity continues and Kashmir youth continues to shine on world of mountaineering.