Tag: Jammu and Kashmir

Article 370 abrogation impact: Skill development schemes in Kashmir valley empower women
28Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, USA

Article 370 abrogation impact: Skill development schemes in Kashmir valley empower women

Since the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, skill development schemes by the government of India have gained momentum in the valley, enabling thousands of youngsters to receive training under them and become independent.Women of Kashmir have especially been empowered and have become self-reliant with these government-backed initiatives.Ufia Jan, who is a programme manager at a skill development center for tailoring and stitching, said the central government schemes have proven to be instrumental in the overall growth of women in the Union Territory.“We have started this skill development center under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana scheme where youngsters from the economically backward sections are given skill training. This is an inclusive training programme and we p...
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Asia’s largest tulip garden in Srinagar gets high-tech cold storage facility
28Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Asia’s largest tulip garden in Srinagar gets high-tech cold storage facility

A new high-tech cold storage facility has been setup in Srinagar’s world-famous Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip garden for safekeeping of delicate tulip bulbs.Situated on the foothills of the Zabarwan Range with an overview of Dal Lake, the garden in India’s Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory is Asia’s largest tulip garden and was opened in 2007 with the aim to boost floriculture and tourism in Kashmir Valley.“We get several tourists every year and work very hard to take care of the flowers so that they are ready to bloom on the onset of the spring season,” said Nissar Ahmad, an employee at the garden.The new two-floor cold storage would increase the efficiency of producing and caring for the flowers, he added.Every March, a festival is organized to exhibit the tulips to tourists from across t...
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Pakistan FM Qureshi faces criticism for slamming Saudi Arabia over Kashmir
28Aug By Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

Pakistan FM Qureshi faces criticism for slamming Saudi Arabia over Kashmir

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi is facing heat over his remarks against Saudi Arabia for refusing to interfere on Kashmir issue.The differences in their relations surfaced when Pakistan was made to pay back USD 1 billion to Saudi Arabia. This reflected the fact that Islamabad is gradually losing the support of other Muslim countries.Recently two Pakistani journalists -- Rauf Klasra and Amir Mateem -- held a discussion on the sudden policy shift of Saudi Arabia towards Pakistan."Sometimes Qureshi speaks emotionally. He gets carried away," Mateem said.“As Pakistan, which is in a financial crisis, is dependent on Saudi Arabia, Qureshi should have been cautious of making any statements”, he said, adding: "As we are very much dependent on Saudi Arabia, we should complain only t...
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Kashmiri student develops Covid -19 tracker to help residents of Valley
28Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Kashmiri student develops Covid -19 tracker to help residents of Valley

In an effort to spread accurate information about coronavirus and how to contain it, a Kashmiri student has developed a web page (COVID-19 Kashmir Tracker) that provides information about COVID-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).Haider Ali Punjabi, a Srinagar resident, developed the page (covidkashmir.org) with the help of his friends on the lines of covidindia.org and other informative websites on coronavirus."Barely minutes after the idea came up, we started working on the project. We decided to make a full-fledged website that will provide adequate information to the people. District-wise break up of COVID-19 cases, map, and the daily updates on coronavirus cases are the main features of the tracker," Ali said.Ali said he relies mostly on the information provided by the official so...
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Pakistan promoting anti-India propaganda to distract its citizens from mishandling of COVID-19, economy: Expert
24Aug By Mike TrudellNo Comments
Asia

Pakistan promoting anti-India propaganda to distract its citizens from mishandling of COVID-19, economy: Expert

Despite a significantly improved security situation and dip in terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5 last year, Pakistan continues its propaganda and anti-Indian vitriol, according to The National Interest.Michael Rubin, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, in an article explains how Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has issued a directive to the press for describing Kashmir, Pakistani journalists, risk their employment if they do not use their government's nomenclature regarding Kashmir and forcing them to wear black solidarity armbands. The journalists are forced to term India's actions in Kashmir as "demographic apartheid" and "military siege" instead of "lockdown." Distracting its people from mishandling of COVID-1...
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J&K Lt Governor seeks Centre’s intervention in apple sale
21Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, USA

J&K Lt Governor seeks Centre’s intervention in apple sale

Jammu and Kashmir’s Lt Governor GC Murmu has taken it upon himself to highlight the issues faced by apple growers who haven't been able to sell their crop because of the coronavirus induced lockdown.In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Lt Governor Murmu has demanded an extension of the Market Intervention Scheme under which the government procures the produce."The breakout of COVID-19 has disrupted the market supply chain yet again and has created unique challenges for marketing apples. This has necessitated the extension of scheme for at least one more year. I request the Government of India to extend the market intervention scheme for apple of Jammu and Kashmir for 2020-21. An agreed implementation mechanism with NAFED is already in place," Murmu said in the lette...
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J&K: Better infrastructure under Central govt scheme boosts grape production in Ganderbal
21Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

J&K: Better infrastructure under Central govt scheme boosts grape production in Ganderbal

After the Indian government’s decision to revoke Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on August 5 last year, the horticulture sector witnessed a sudden boost which lead to more self-employment opportunities and better income.A large section of people in J&K depend on the horticulture sector for their livelihoods and grape cultivation. One such place is Ganderbal, popularly known as the 'district of lakes', which has now become the hub of grape cultivation after the implementation of Central government’s Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.After J&K was made a Union Territory last year, there have been major improvements in the horticulture sector under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, and grape cultivators say that the quality and quantity of the crops have since seen a lot of impr...
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Parcel delivery, e-commerce service improve due to India Post parcel hub in Srinagar
12Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Parcel delivery, e-commerce service improve due to India Post parcel hub in Srinagar

Following the abrogation of Article 370, parcel delivery and e-commerce services have improved significantly in Jammu and Kashmir as the India Post parcel hub in Srinagar has become fully functional.In the absence of parcel hub, people were facing several obstacles due to lack of e-commerce services in the city. India post parcel hub, which was inaugurated in January this year, has added new facilities including district-wise sorting, new weighing machines and online booking of the parcels.Aquib Sultan, a resident of Srinagar said the facility should have come to the city earlier. "It has happened now and people are finding it very convenient. The e-commerce facility will help enhance the business potential in Kashmir valley," he said.Farhan Ahmad, another resident, said it has become very...
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Oil extraction plant in Srinagar helps floriculturists boost their income
12Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Oil extraction plant in Srinagar helps floriculturists boost their income

The scrapping of Article 370 and change from a state to Union Territory has proved to be beneficial for Jammu and Kashmir in multiple ways. In latest development, floriculture in Srinagar has witnessed a boost after the Indian government set up modern oil extraction plant in the city.Jammu and Kashmir has seen an increased focus on boosting floriculture since it became a union territory last year. The step has also provided employment opportunities and boosted the income of locals.Syed Altaf Aijaz Andrabi, Director, Agriculture, Kashmir said the government is making efforts towards crop diversification and enhancing the income of the farmers."There is no problem with money. The government is providing the best financial assistance to the agriculture sector. Through floriculture, the govern...
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J&K shows roadmap to curb COVID-19, economy recovery: Report
11Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

J&K shows roadmap to curb COVID-19, economy recovery: Report

A member of the European Parliament has said that at a time when coronavirus has terrorized the governments of the most developed countries, the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has effectively controlled the COVID-19 spread and brought the daily life in the region to normal.Citing an example of effective curbing of deadly viral disease, Ryszard Czarnecki, a member of the European Parliament from Poland, said in a report published in the EU Chronicle that Jammu and Kashmir has offered a roadmap to recovery to the world.“Jammu & Kashmir’s Srinagar was included among the tiny list of 16 districts in India, which were asked to share best practices about controlling coronavirus spread with 700 districts in the country. Jammu and Kashmir that is subjected to highly maligned campaign by nei...
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