News Kashmir Magazine

Preparing e- content for specially abled  children 
It is a welcome Development that education needs of the specially abled children of the country during the havoc of pandemic Coronavirus is taken into consideration. Recently, the Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ approved the release of the guidelines for the Development of e-Content for Children with Disabilities, the Ministry of Education said.
A statement issued by the Education Ministry said that a comprehensive initiative, PM e-VIDYA was launched on 17th May 2020, with an aim to unify all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education.
The programme interalia envisages development of special e-content for the Divyang (Children with Disabilities-CwDs).  In pursuance of this vision, the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education had constituted a Committee of experts, for recommending guidelines for developing e-content for these children.
For the first time, an attempt was made to prepare guidelines for CwD also referred to as Children with Special Needs (CWSN) children so that the goal of inclusive education is fulfilled. The Committee submitted a report titled “Guidelines for the Development of e-Content for Children with Disabilities” comprising eleven Sections and two Appendices.The report was shared, presented, discussed and accepted by the MoE.
Moreover, the salient highlights of the e- content guidelines in the report were stated as e-Content for CwDs should be developed based on the four principles namely: perceivable, operable, understandable and robust.
e-Content including text, tables, diagrams, visuals, audios, videos etc. should comply with accessibility standards: national standards (GIGW 2.0) and international standards (WCAG 2.1, E-Pub, DAISY  etc).
Distribution platforms on which content is uploaded (e.g. DIKSHA) and Reading platforms/devices on which content is accessed and interacted (e.g. e-pathshala) must comply with technical standards.
One hopes we continue achieve right strides in the country for academic needs of the specially abled children of the country .

31 May ,2021 Issue Editorial.

Black Fungus Challenge in Jammu and Kashmir 

The Coronavirus ragging pandemic in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country are throwing new challenges . The rising black fungus is latest challenge . The Jammu and Kashmir government has declared the Mucormycosis commonly known Black Fungus as an Epidemic under the Epidemic Disease Act 1897, said Health and Medical Education Department (HMED) J&K few days back . 
According to HMED, the government of J&K has declared Black Fungus as an epidemic under section 2 of the Epidemic Disease Act 1897. 
“S.O 182: Under section 2 of the Epidemic Disease Act 1897 (Act no.3 of 1897) the Government of J&K notifies Mucormycosis as an Epidemic,” said HMED, J&K recently.
It is pertinent to mention that the Black Fungus cases have been reported across India with the latest of its number recorded in the country till now, as per Union Health Minister, are 5,424. One hopes drugs used to treat Black Fungus are made available in adequate quantity in Jammu and Kashmir.Amid the rising cases of Black Fungus in different states of India, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers D.V Sadananda Gowda on Saturday said that 23,680 additional vials of Amphotericin-B have assigned for States and UTs.  
Gowda said on his twitter handle that after a detailed review of (the) rising number of cases of Mucormycosis in various states, a total of 23680 additional vials of Amphotericin-B have been allocated to all States/UTs .
One hopes Jammu and Kashmir gets this drug in adequate quantity . Black Fungus and other forms of fungus are assuming a serious health challenge in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country .

Ushering Good Governance in Jammu and Kashmir

In the new look Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir the hopes since recent times are of good governance which had alluded masses in the erstwhile State . Although the pandemic of Coronavirus has made progress of people and Government a big challenge as it is ravaging in entire country including Jammu and Kashmir .But still there are steps being taken to ensure good governance in the Jammu and Kashmir region.Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha recently released “Annual Report- Promoting Good Governance” compiled by the Finance Department showcasing major initiatives undertaken by the said Department during 2020-21 to bring transparency and accountability in the execution of the public works.

A statement issued said that Arun Kumar Mehta, Financial Commissioner, Finance Department; and Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor were present on the occasion.

The report in the form of e-Book provides insight into reforms, steps implemented by the Finance Department to institutionalize prudence in financial management in J&K which has truly transformed the Union Territory.
On the otherhand , The document captures the essence of reforms such as online processing of bills through PaySys, streamlining of GST, e-stamping, e-GRAS, e-auction of Liquor licences for retail outlets, digital payments, implementation of GeM, path-breaking reforms in J&K Bank, publication of important manuals relating to Budget and Audit, Back to Village and My Town My Pride initiatives and 100% physical verification which is most vital initiative to ensure implementation of projects without cost and time over-runs.One hopes despite many challenges Jammu and Kashmir takes strides towards good governance.

 Pouring Global Aid for Coronavirus  Pandemic Ravaged India The second wave of Coronavirus pandemic has ravaged India and caused huge number of deaths with daily cases going in Lacs . The crisis that has engulfed entire India is huge . But amid pale gloom there is good news too, the rising global solidarity with India in form of Global Aid. 
India received 3000 oxygen concentrators as international relief aid and it was clarified on recently  by the Indian Customs that they have swiftly cleared all consignments and there is no such pendency with Indian Customs.Various countries contributed in the global aid and 3000 oxygen concentrators have been received to support the country’s efforts to fight against the deadly second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mauritius has sent 200 oxygen concentrators, Russia (20), UK has sent in four consignments (95+120+280+174), 80 from Romania, 700 from Ireland, Thailand (30), China (1000) and Uzbekistan (151).
In addition, Taiwan has sent 150. The oxygen concentrators are either delivered to the identified tertiary care institutions, or been dispatched for delivery. The relief material has been dispatched through road and air too.
As per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are no oxygen contractors lying in the warehouse of the Customs Department.One hopes that the level of Global support would continue and India emerges from this pandemic soon.On the other hand , The ministry in the statement said that the Indian Customs is working 24X7 and the Relief Goods are given high priority for clearance over other goods.
“The Indian Customs is sensitive to the need for availability of Covid related imports including Oxygen & Oxygen related equipment etc,” officials said.

Welcome relief for vehicle owners 
In a Development which would give relief to the people of Kashmir, few days back the Jammu and Kashmir High Court  scrapped the March 27 circular issued by RTO Kashmir, which mandated reregistration of vehicles with outside state registration numbers within 15 days. This  judgment was lauded by  the vehicle owners across Jammu and Kashmir.
The high court said that a vehicle once registered in any Indian state doesn’t require to be registered elsewhere in India, but when the Motor Vehicle registered in one State and runs in other states for more than 12 months, the owner shall apply to the Registration within whose jurisdiction the vehicle is for the assignment of the new registration mark, this is valid under Sections 46 and 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988.
Moreover, lifetime tax that is levied at the point of registering a vehicle in terms of Section 3 of the Motor Vehicles Act cannot be levied merely on a presumption that a vehicle registered outside JK has remained in the Union Territory for more than 12 months.After this judgement many such vehicle owners sighed breathe of relief .Advocate Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, who appeared for the petitioners seeking quashment of RTO’s circular, told reporters, “As per the quashment of the order issued by RTO by the honorable high court, vehicle owners with outside registration numbers can drive the vehicles in Jammu and Kashmir or any other state.
“There is no need to re-register or pay any token tax”.In these sad times the news like such has brought smiles on scores of faces .

India  Gasping For Oxygen 

The oxygen is the basic need of life without which humans can’t survive . The second wave of Coronavirus pandemic has been much brutal in the country with patients all across struggling for oxygen . Scores of heart rending images and videos showing that patients dying due to lack of oxygen and given no medical attention have bruised the soul of India. 
Faced with shortage of oxygen supply to treat an unprecedented rise in critical Covid patients across the country, India tonight decided to ban the supply of oxygen for industrial purposes from April 22 till further order. 
“…..the supply of oxygen for industrial purposes by. manufacturers and suppliers is prohibited forthwith from 22.04.2021 till further orders,” the health ministry said in a statement.Crowds have formed outside hospitals in major cities which are filled to capacity. A number of people have died while waiting for oxygen.Experts have expressed shock and pain over the fact that Ever since the second wave of the pandemic started, the healthcare system in India has been teetering on the brink, with many hospitals unable to handle the relentless inflow of patients whilst also running short of beds, oxygen cylinders and other essentials.
The hospitals in the country are finding it hard to shore up supplies of medical oxygen amid rising demand for beds as a fast-spreading second wave of coronavirus stretches the country’s chronically underfunded medical infrastructure to breaking point, officials and doctors said.
One hopes that the Government would give utmost priority to the oxygen supply and ensure its availability in the entire country .

Corporal Punishment Menace 
Corporal punishment of the students is a menace .Section 17 of the RTE Act, 2009, in India  imposes an absolute bar on corporal punishment. It prohibits physical punishment and mental harassment to child and prescribes disciplinary action to be taken against the guilty person in accordance with the service rules applicable to such person.Recently in  a viral video of a teacher at  Private Coaching center located at Parraypora Srinagar a teacher is seen repeatedly  slapping a student 20 times which has  evoked much criticism after it went viral across the  social media platforms. This video generated shock waves across the Kashmir valley.
In the viral video the student was seen getting slapped repeatedly by his Chemistry teacher at Hope Classes- a private coaching centre in Srinagar.

The Administration of Jammu and Kashmir took immediate notice of the matter as DC Srinagar took immediate cognizance of the matter and directed action against the said teacher .

The DC office directed imposition of relevant right to education laws against the erring teacher for his horrendous act of corporal punishment and directed both coaching institute and teacher to be present before court .It is worth mentioning here that the  Managing Director of Hope Classes Parraypora while admitting that the teacher has done an offence by serving corporal punishment to his student and said that there is no logical justification which can defend the incident. He also assured that action on part of the institution will be initiated against the accused teacher.One hopes that in coming times we end the corporal punishment completely and weed out this menace from our education sector .

Editorial 12 April, 2021 Issue .

Important milestone for Kashmir rail project 

Building of rail link between Kashmir valley and Jammu is not just a project but a dream come true that will make connectivity easier from Kashmir and give relief from often highway blockades on Jammu Srinagar National Highway.Recently in a big leap towards realization of the same  Constructed at a cost of Rs 1,486 crore, an arch bridge between the Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir is dubbed as  important milestone in seamless railway connectivity to the Kashmir valley.
It is a big symbol and In other words, a train from Kanyakumari can reach all the way to Kashmir uninterrupted. The bridge, which can withstand wind speeds of over 266 kmph is higher than the tip of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.a historic day for the Northern Railways and a milestone in the completion of the USBRL project, connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country. The project will be completed within two and a half years,” Northern Railway General Manager Ashutosh Gangal said.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal watched the lowering of the closure segment of the arch by cable crane through a video link from Delhi. Senior officers, including Mr Gangal and Konkan Railway Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Gupta, attended the function.On the construction of the arch, the ministry said that this was one of the most difficult part of the bridge.
“This achievement is a major leap towards the completion of the 111-km-long winding stretch from Katra to Banihal. It is arguably the biggest civil-engineering challenge faced by any railway project in India in recent history,” it said.
“This bridge is 1,315-metre long and is the highest railway bridge in the world being 359 metres above the river bed level. It will be 35 meters higher than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris (France),” the ministry said.One hopes Jammu to Kashmir rail link that would connect Kashmir to country would be reality soon.

Resolving issues of non -J&K Registration number vehicles 
In a major decision sometime back , Regional Transport Officer Kashmir has asked the owners of vehicles bought outside Jammu and Kashmir to get such vehicles registered with their concerned ARTOs to avoid seizure. 
A notification issued by RTO Kashmir in this regard said “Vehicles purchased outside J&K with non-J&K registration numbers and not registered with local ARTO offices are being seized.”
According to a notification issued by RTO Kashmir the ARTOs of Valley districts have been asked to seize vehicles purchased outside Jammu and Kashmir but run in Kashmir without registration by concerned regional transport authorities in Jammu and kashmir and those possessing vehicles purchased outside Jammu have been advised to follow the due procedures for registration immediately in Jammu and Kashmir. The move evoked strong reaction as scores of vehicles across Kashmir have been seized by the authorities.
The Kashmir Trade Alliance (KTA)  protested in Srinagar against the latest police crackdown on non-J&K registered vehicles and demanded exemption from what they termed as “double taxation”.On the other hand of the spectrum , Inspector General of Police Kashmir, Vijay Kumar associated the move with militant attacks and drug transportation in the valley wherein he said such vehicles were used.

While as , Taking strong exception to the re-registration of non-Jammu and Kashmir purchased vehicles Apni Party also  said that arbitrary induction of such laws was adding more monetary burdens on the people currently bearing the brunt of an economic recession.
One hopes this issue of grave nature would be solved soon in an amicable manner .

 People should not be put to heavy burden as already economy of many is collapsed due to pandemic.

Editorial 29 March ,2021 Issue .

Optimistic Jammu and Kashmir Budget 
The Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha recently held a press conference to highlight the significance of Budget-2021-22 for Jammu and Kashmir, besides the set targets & road-map being laid down by the J&K Government for the development of the UT and welfare of its people.
The budget has been full of positives .
It is worth mentioning that while addressing the media persons, the Lt Governor termed the Rs 1,08,621 cr Budget approved by the Central Government as historic.
“This is a budget to rebuild the economy, create jobs and secure the future of the people of Jammu & Kashmir”, said the Lt Governor.

The Lt Governor observed that the quantum jump in the allocation of Budget in all sectors itself speaks about the strong resolve of the Hon’ble Prime Minister towards the development of J&K.

J&K has been getting a larger per capita budget than other states even in the past. It will be ensured that the work is being done on ground and the money is utilized for the welfare of the people without discrimination, besides tapping the the potential of the sectors which are less explored, said the Lt Governor.

The enhanced budget will go a long way in making J&K self-sufficient, thus contributing towards Prime Minister’s goal of AtmnaNirbhar Bharat, added the Lt Governor.

Giving a comparative analysis of the Budget for the year 2021-22 vis-a-vis the previous Budget, the Lt Governor made a sector-wise comparison.

One hopes this promising and optimistic budget takes Jammu and Kashmir to new levels of progress and prosperity .