New DelhI: In a historic achievement, Jammu & Kashmir became the first Union Territory to be on boarded the National Single Window System (NSWS). This marks a major leap in Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in the Union Territory.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launched the J&K Single Window Clearance System integrated with NSWS yesterday in the presence of Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, Govt of J&K, Sumita Dawra, Additional Secretary, DPIIT, Ranjan Thakur, Principal Secretary Industries & Commerce, Govt of J&K.

NSWS is linked with India Industrial Land Bank (IILB) which hosts 45 industrial parks of J&K. This will help Investors to discover available land parcels in J&K. The NSWS, a 2020 budgetary announcement of the Government of India, is a digital platform that serves as a guide for investors to identify and to apply for approvals as per their business requirements. The platform was soft launched in September 2021 by the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Textiles and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal.

NSWS will eliminate the need for investors to visit multiple platforms/offices to gather information and obtain clearances from different stakeholders. Twenty Ministries / Departments have been integrated on NSWS including Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare amongst others. Currently 142 central approvals can be applied through the NSWS portal.

14 States/UTs onboarded on NSWS include Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

The Know Your Approval (KYA) module on NSWS guides investors to identify approvals required for their business based on a dynamic intuitive questionnaire. Currently, the module hosts more than 3,000 approvals across Centre & States.

As on date, the portal has 16,800 visitors, out of which 7,500 KYA journeys have been serviced. More than 1,250 investors are registered on the portal. The NSWS platform can be accessed at www.nsws.gov.in.

Srinagar: Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta Tuesday launched the integrated web portal of the Tourism department which shall provide a one stop solution for tourists and visitors.

The web portal will provide all the information related to tourism in Jammu and Kashmir including its allied agencies like Tourism Development Authorities, J & K Cable Car Corporation, J & K Tourism Development Corporation, Golf Courses etc and shall be available to the users under a single window. The web portal will have provision for online bookings and operator registration for tourists.

While launching the web portal, the Chief Secretary said that providing best services to the people should be the focus of the department. He said the primary aim of launching the portal has been to facilitate tourists in their enquiries about destinations, services and products. In this regard he directed the concerned to keep checking and reporting how many users are actually using the portal and doing booking and registration of hotels through the portal.

Through the multi facility portal, the Department intends to make people familiar with Jammu and Kashmir including the 75 lesser known destinations and also provide them with the knowledge of the shrines, heritage sites, wildlife, adventure sports and cuisine of the UT.

To make it more user friendly, the portal has an inbuilt grievance redressal mechanism, where the tourist can lodge their complaint.

The events which the department intends to organise shall also be available on the portal. The assets of the department have also been geo mapped in the portal.

Director Tourism Kashmir, Dr G N Itoo; Managing Director, JK Cable Car Corporation, Muhammad Akbar Wani and other officers of Tourism Department attended the launch function whileas Secretary, IT, Prerna Puri; Secretary Tourism, Sarmad Hafeez; Director, Tourism, Jammu, Vivekanad Rai; MD, JKTDC, Syed Fakhruddin; CEO, JKeGA and other officers attended the meeting from Jammu.

‘3 hybrid militants among 11 arrested’

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday claimed to have busted two militant modules of Jaish-e-Muhammad in Anantnag by arresting 11 accused persons including three hybrid militants.

Police said that incriminating materials including arms and ammunition have been recovered from their possession.

A police spokesman in a statement said that based on credible inputs that JeM is planning to carry out attacks on Police/SF in Srigufwara/Bijbehara areas of Anantnag, multiple nakas/checkpoints were established at various locations.

Meanwhile, during checking at one of such checkpoints at Sakhras crossing Srigufwara, a bike rider with two pillion riders was intercepted, the said persons tried to flee but were apprehended tactfully by the alert police party.

“Upon their personal search two Pistols (Chinese) alongwith magazine and ammunition was recovered. During preliminary questioning they revealed their identity as Abbas Ahmad Khan, son of Nazir Ahmad Khan of Liver, Zahoor Ahmad Gowgujri, son of Abdul Rashid Gowgujri of Vidday and Hidayatullah Kutay, son of Abdul Razak Kutay of Liver Pahalgam.”

“They also disclosed that they are the associates of JeM and are in direct contact with Pak based handlers and at their behest they were going to attack Police/SF in Srigufwara area and then formally join a militant outfit KFF (an offshoot of JeM),” police said.

Upon their further disclosure, two more militant associates namely Shakir Ahmad Gowgojri, son of Fayaz Ahmad of Viday Srigufwara and Musharaf Amin Shah, son of Mohammad Amin of Katsoo Srigufwara were arrested.

Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were also recovered from their possession, police said, adding that in this regard, a case under FIR number 04/2022 under relevant sections of law has been registered in PS Srigufwara and further investigation is in progress.

Similarly, Anantnag Police busted another militant module in Bijbehara area by arresting six militant associates of KFF (an offshoot of JeM) and recovered incriminating materials including ammunition from their possession.

Police identified them as Fayaz Ahmad Khan, son of Ghulam Hassan Khan of Liver Pahilgam, Muntazir Rashid Mir, son of Abdul Rashid of Yanner Pahalgam, Muhammad Arif Khan, son of Farooq Ahmad Khan of Mandar Gund Sakhras, Adil Ahmad Tarray, son of Ghulam Nabi Tarray of Hatigam, Zahid Ahmad Najar, son of Nazir Ahmad Najar of Liver Pahalgam and the sixth one is a juvenile (identity withheld).

In this regard, police said that a case has been registered under relevant sections of law in PS Bijbehara and further investigation into the matter is in progress.

Jammu: The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt of India convened the Project Approval Committee (PAC) meeting for Jammu & Kashmir to consider and approval various Research and Development projects submitted by the Tribal Research Institute, J&K.

Union Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), Anil Kumar Jha chaired the meeting which was attended by Jt Secretary MoTA, Dr Navaljeet Kapoor, Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department J&K and Director, Tribal Research Institute Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Director TAD, Mushir Ahmed Mirza, OSD Dr Abdul Khabir, Asstt Director Sushil Kumar Gupta, Under Secretary Mukhtar Ahmed and senior officers from Govt of India and NITI Ayog.

Secretary, MoTA, Anil Kumar Jha complemented the Jammu and Kashmir Government for establishing a very vibrant Tribal Research Institute and record number of initiatives related to research, publications, cultural heritage, fellowships, awards, workshops and capacity building programmes organised in recent months. He assured every help to Tribal Research Institute J&K under various schemes.

The PAC approved several proposals submitted by J&K Government including establishment of Centre for Research in Tribal Health (CRTH) in coordination with Govt Medical College, Srinagar, establishment of Centre for Research and Advance Planning for Tribals (CRAPT) in Jammu and up gradation of Tribal Research Institute including accommodation of staff, scholars and faculty. Project related to Healthcare screening of Transhumant population migratory tribal population and capacity building of tribal youth was also approved.

Other projects and initiatives approved by the PAC include Integrated tribal Village Development planning, impact assessment programme for SCA to TSS and other Centrally Sponsored Schemes, mapping of highland pastures, development of portal for migratory population, training and capacity building programmes, tribal festivals, awards for outstanding performers, museum management, exposure visits for tribal students, seminars, workshops and seminars among other projects. Infrastructure for TRI headquarters was also approved in the meeting.

Earlier, Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department, made a detailed presentation about the projects proposed to be initiated by the J&K Tribal Research Institute. He briefed about the inter-sectoral coordination with Universities, Medical Colleges as well as research institutions for establishment of various centres as well as outreach programmes for coverage of tribal population under various schemes and initiatives. The programmes related to establishment of Museum, libraries, computer labs, scholarship and fellowships, research and development projects were also discussed. He emphasised on focus being laid on Research and documentation for professional planning aimed at overall tribal welfare.

Capacity building of PRIs for implementation of Forest Rights Act, Skill Development of educated youth linked to entrepreneurship, training of Self-Help Groups to be financially supported under the Van Dhan Scheme, mission for wider coverage of scholarship scheme, Skilling and entrepreneurship of tribal women, competitive programmes for youth and several other projects proposed by the TRI J&K were also approved by the PAC.

The meeting also discussed about role to be played by TRI for hand-holding and capacity building of all development and welfare departments for formulation of effective Tribal Sub-Plan as mandated by the Government of India.

Deputy Advisor, NITI Ayog, M Muniraju briefed about support mechanism to be extended by the NITI Ayog for overall tribal welfare in J&K with focus on education. Plan for capacity building of teachers in Smart Schools being developed in tribal areas was also discussed.

Jammu: Seventeen IPS officers are likely to get promoted to various higher ranks in Jammu and Kashmir after the joint departmental promotion committee (DPC) holds its meeting on Wednesday.

Official sources said two IPS officers will be promoted to the rank of director general of police (DGP). These are Hemant Kumar Lohia and Pankaj Saxena. Both of them belong to the J&K cadre and are presently on central deputation.

Four IGPs will get the higher rank of additional DGPs. These include Alok Kumar, Viplav Kumar Choudhary, Vijay Kumar and Garib Dass. Of these, Viplav Kumar is on deputation to NIA. All of these are direct recruits of the 1997 batch of IPS.

Five DIGs being promoted as IGPs include Uttam Chand, Vidhi Kumar Birdi, Keshav Ram, Atul Kumar Goel and Bhim Sen Tuti.

Of these, Vidhi Kumar Birdi and Keshav Ram are on central deputation while Bhim Sen Tuti is on study leave to the UK.

Three SSPs tipped to be promoted as DIGs include Tejinder Singh, presently on deputation to NIA, Abdul Jabbar, presently officiating as DIG south Kashmir Anantnag range and Udaybhaskar Billa, presently officiating as DIG north Kashmir Baramulla range.

Selection Grade of IPS has been proposed in favour of three IPS officers of 2009 batch on completion of 13 years of qualifying service.

They include lmtiaz Ismail Parray, SSP Crime Branch Kashmir, Shailendra Rajesh Mishra and Rahul Malik, both presently on central deputation.

The DPC meeting to be held on Wednesday will be chaired by chief secretary, Arun Kumar Mehta. Members of the committee include Umang Narula, Advisor to Lt. Governor of Ladakh, Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary Home Department J&K, Secretary Home Department Ladakh, Director General of Police (DGP) J&K Dilbag Singh and Additional Director General of Police (Head of the Police Force), Ladakh S.S. Khandarey. (IANS)

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested an alleged militant of Al-Qaeda for hatching a conspiracy to execute an IED blast in Lucknow.

A senior NIA official said that the accused was identified as Tawheed Ahmad Shah, a resident of Jammu & Kashmir. He was placed under arrest on Monday.

The official said that the earlier UP ATS lodged the case in July 2021 at Police Station Gomtinagar against the accused persons who had entered into a conspiracy for recruiting members for Al-Qaeda affiliate AGH (Ansaar Gajwatul Hind) and for carrying out militant activities in Lucknow.

On January 5, the NIA had filed charge sheet against five alleged militants who were earlier arrested in the case.

The NIA’s investigation revealed that the arrested accused Tawheed was the mastermind of the conspiracy. He was allegedly recruiting people and was provoking them to commit militant acts in the name of AGH.

He was also procuring arms and ammunition and explosive materials which were meant to be used for attacks in UP.

The NIA said that further investigation is underway. (IANS)

Srinagar: The University of Kashmir on Tuesday made an earnest appeal to the civil society members in general and parents of students in particular to make their wards understand the importance of a credible examination.

According to a statement, the formal appeal was made by the varsity’s Dean of Academic Affairs Prof Farooq Masoodi after a fraction of students started pressing the university authorities to revert to online mode of examinations.

“The world suffered heavy loss on many fronts during ongoing pandemics and the loss on academic front is undoubtedly the one that cannot be compensated. The institutions not only lost the number of working days but had to shift to online mode of teaching and examination. This shift to online mode indeed offered some advantages also but the institutions faced some serious issues in such shifts,” Prof Masoodi’s appeal reads.

It further says that the evaluators and examiners experienced a significant decline in the credibility of examination which compelled university authorities to reconsider conduct of examination in online mode.

“Consequently the University shifted to off-line examination in October-2021 taking care of all SOPs and guidelines issued by concerned agencies from time to time,” the appeal reads, adding: “However, a small fraction of students are pressing the University authorities to revert back to online examination, which the authorities feel, will not be in the academic interest of students.”

“I hereby request the civil society in general and the parents in particular to make their wards understand the importance of a credible examination. I also appreciate the parents who have been continuously requesting the University to conduct examinations in offline mode that will stimulate their wards to prepare for examination in a better way,” Prof Masoodi said in the appeal, hoping that students will understand the genuine concerns of the University and prepare themselves for offline examination as most of the universities in the country have either started offline examinations or are preparing for the same. “I wish good luck to all my students,” he said.