News
Schemes for specially-abled almost disabled in JK
Srinagar, Sep 14: The government has failed to implement the programmes for the specially-abled persons, whose number in the state has crossed three lakh.
Many of the centrally sponsored schemes, which offer multiple benefits to the specially- abled persons, have seen poor implementation in the state.
National Programme for Prevention and Control of Deafness, for instance, witnessed zero spending in the state in the last three years.
A document accessed by The Kashmir Monitor revealed that Jammu and Kashmir, which belonging to the High Focus category under the scheme, witnessed no progress under this programme.
In 2015, it stated, no expenditure was recorded on beneficiaries, which followed for another two years.
Similarly, below 50 per cent target has been achieved under National Programme for Control of Blindness in the state during 2017.
Against a target of 82,331, only 27,051 cataract surgeries were done in the state based health institutes during last year.
Free spectacles to school children, another component of this programme saw a dearth of nearly 50 percent in the achievement of the annual target.
Under this component, the state government has distributed spectacles to only 9138 school children against a target of 2000.
Infrastructure-wise, the state government has failed to set up special homes or schools for the blind in the state.
As per the 2011 census, the state has around 68,000 visually impaired people as its citizens, while the population is believed to have risen due to the conflict.
Presently, the valley does not have a single government-owned home or school for the blind people, who consequently have to rely on the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) for every kind of assistance.
“It is a fact that we don’t have blind homes here, but the grant-in-aid is being provided to the beneficiaries through these NGOs. Only those, which qualify norms and guidelines are given a certain amount based on the number of beneficiaries and sort of assistance to them,” Sources in the Social Welfare Department said.
An official in the Social Welfare Department said that the lack of implementation of Disability Act 2016 was the main reason behind the poor performances of these schemes.
“Once the Rights of the person with Disability Act 2016 is implemented completely in the state it automatically will cover all these schemes,” he said.
As per the 2011 census, there are over 3.60 lakh people with disabilities in the state.
Srinagar, May 20: Body of a government school teacher missing for the last one week was recovered from Wular Lake under mysterious conditions near Leharwalpora area in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Monday.
The police have started proceedings under 174 CrPc into the nature of death.
Reports said that some locals spotted the body in the Lake near Leharwalpora Monday morning and accordingly informed the concerned police station.
A police team immediately reached the spot and retrieved the body from the lake, they said.
The deceased has been identified as Mushtaq Ahmed Lone (27) son of Abdul Rehman Lone of Gurez at present Sheikhpora Colony Mantrigam Bandipora.
Mushtaq, a teacher by profession had left to attend his duty at Government High Secondary School Chuntimulla on May 13 but did not return since then.
Confirming the incident, SSP Bandipora Rahul Malik said that an FSL team was rushed to the spot for medical examination.
“The medical team has been constituted for post-mortem including experts from GMC Srinagar in the presence of Magistrate,” he said.
Proper photography and videography is being done of entire proceedings. Rest all other medico legal formalities of the deceased are being done, he said.
We are awaiting FSL and medical report to come to ascertain the actual cause of death, he said.
“An enquiry under 174 CrPc has been initiated and further investigations have been taken up,” the officer added.
Pertinently, the family members and neighbors held a protest demonstration on May 18 and had urged administration for help in tracing their missing kin.
Srinagar, May 20: After bagging 53rd rank in NIRF 2019 and 51st in QS India University Rankings 2019, the University of Kashmir added yet another feather to its cap by scoring A+ grade in the recent reaccreditation cycle by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
According to the result issued by NAAC, the University of Kashmir is scoring an impressive 3.31 Institutional Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) on a scale of 04 ahead of several other leading Universities in the country.
The University has scored 3.89 in Infrastructure and Learning Resources, 3.67 in Curricular Aspects, 3.18 in Teaching Learning and Evaluation, 3.05 in Research, Innovations and Extension, 3.61 in Institutional Values and Best Practices, 3.1 in Governance, Leadership and Management and 2.94 in Student Support and Progression.
The long-awaited accreditation was awarded to the University by peer NAAC team on Monday, May 20, 2019, which visited the varsity in the first week of May 2019 from 02-05-2019 to 04-05-2019.
It is in place to mention here that KU has earlier been accredited during its previous two cycles first in 2002 and then again in 2011 and on both these two occasions the University was awarded grade ‘A’ by NAAC.
Pertinently the Peer NAAC team comprising of six members during its visit to the University earlier this month applauded University for its research standards and stated that the varsity has made a quantum jump in its Infrastructure and Learning resources.
Being the chairperson of Monitoring and Steering Committee the Vice Chancellor University of Kashmir Prof Talat Ahmad personally monitored the preparedness of the University for the Peer NAAC team visit.
While congratulating the staff, students, scholars and alumni on the occasion Prof Talat said “I congratulate both teaching and non-teaching faculty, students, scholars and alumni for this tremendous feat. It was a team effort and we succeeded in our efforts. However at the same time we must understand that we don’t have to be complacent and work harder to achieve much higher grade next time so that our University gets international recognition.”
Registrar KU Dr Nisar A Mir said “I congratulate all the stakeholders of the University and this particular grade will ensure better job placements for our students and will fetch more fellowships to our scholars. Moreover, it will help us to upgrade our infrastructure while we will succeed in securing better funds from different funding agencies governed by UGC and other bodies.”
Governor congratulates varsity:
Governor Satya Pal Malik, Chancellor of the University of Kashmir, Monday congratulated Prof. Talat Ahmad, Vice-Chancellor of the University, his colleagues, staff and students for being awarded A+ Accreditation by peer NAAC Team.
Governor has expressed happiness on the impressive performance of the University by securing 3.31 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) on a scale of 04. He has urged for making the University a leading Institute in teaching and research and wished it success in all its future academic endeavours.
Srinagar, May 20: The Srinagar administration has decided to impose curbs in parts of downtown on Tuesday on the eve of Awami Action Committee (AAC) rally from Jamia Masjid to Martyrs’ graveyard Eidgah to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed-e-Milat Mirwaiz Moulana Muhammad Farooq.
An official that restrictions will be imposed on Tuesday in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of Nowhatta, Safa Kadal, Rainawari, MR Gunj and Khanyar. “The decision has been taken as a precautionary measure,” the official said.
Meanwhile, authorities placed Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest ahead of the Eidgah Chalo call announced by Hurriyat (M) to observe death anniversary of Mirwaiz Farooq.
A police official confirmed that Mirwaiz had been placed under house while as restrictions Will be imposed in various parts of Srinagar.