Srinagar, Dec 29: Panic gripped Bagh-e-Mehtab locality of Srinagar outskirts on Tuesday evening after a leopard appeared in the area again, locals said.
Locals told KNO that a leopard was spotted in the evening here, adding that the residents here are panicked and are frightened to come out from their homes.
“It is for the second time in a day that the leopard was spotted in the area since morning,” a local said.
The locals appealed to the Wild Life Department to intervene into the matter and capture the leopard before the situation turn ugly.
Meanwhile, an official in the Wild life department said that the efforts are being made since morning to capture the animal, adding that one of their employee was injured during the operation.

The official appealed people not to venture out till the animal is captured, adding that the operation has been put on halt due to darkness.

Precious Kashmir News
Jammu, Dec 29: Govt Unani Medical College, Kashmir gets approval from Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India for grant of permission to start 1st batch of Bachelors in Unani Medicine & Surgery (BUMS) course from the current academic session of 2020-21 with an intake capacity of 60 seats.
The Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India issued the “Letter of Permission” in this regard. Pertinent to mention that after recommendations from the Central Council of Indian Medicine, Ministry of AYUSH had earlier issued Letter of Intent (LOI) to start new Unani Medical College in the name of Govt Unani Medical College & Hospital, Kashmir with 60 seats in UG (BUMS Course) from the academic session 2020-21 subject to the fulfilment of requisite pre-conditions as per the laid down MSR/MSE of CCIM before the inspection of CCIM team for issuance of Letter of permission.
Accordingly, the CCIM had carried out an inspection of the Institution on 1st December 2020 to assess the available facilities of teaching and practical training for conduction of UG (BUMS) course and to verify the complying of shortcomings informed by the CCIM under the section 13 A of IMCC Act, 1970 and forwarded its recommendations and report to the Ministry.
Ministry of AYUSH while examining the inspection report of CCIM team in terms of regulation 3 and 10 of the “Indian Medicine Central Council (Requirements of Minimum Standard for under-graduate Unani Colleges and attached Hospitals) Regulations, 2016”, provisions of the IMCC Act, 1970 relevant regulations made there under and as per approved Standard Operative Procedures (SOPs), found that the college is fulfilling notified and approved criterion for issuing “Letter of Permission” to start new Unani College in the name of “Govt. Unani Medical College and Hospital, Kashmir” with 60 seats in UG (BUMS) course for the academic session 2020-21 under section 13 A of the IMCC Act, 1970.
Government of India in 2009 approved establishment of Govt. Ayurvedic Medical College in Jammu & Govt. Unani Medical College in Kashmir on 50:50 basis with an estimated cost of Rs. 25.80 crore and Rs. 32.50 crore respectively. He further said that that the inordinate delay for starting of first batch of BUMS course was due to the denial of permission by CCIM/Ministry of AYUSH for starting the College due to some deficiencies and simultaneously a rider for two years was placed by CCIM for submitting of fresh proposals for opening up of new Unani Colleges.
Financial Commissioner said 129 posts of teaching and non-teaching staff have already been created for the college and the advertisement for filling the necessary posts on academic arrangement basis as per S.O 364 of 2020 for smooth functioning of the College has been issued till the posts are filled on regular basis by PSC/SSB.

Precious Kashmir News
Jammu, Dec 29: At least 450 Village Defence Committees (VDC) are functional in Jammu and Kashmir for which males as well as females have been trained for self-defence and to counter any attack by Anti-National Elements (ANEs), Army said on Tuesday.
As per a statement, Lt Col Abhinav Navneet PRO Defence, said that all the members are trained by security forces personnel in elementary battle craft, field craft and weapon handling.
“Conflict is as old as the existence of mankind. The structures and process for conflict execution have differed over the ages, impacted by prevailing cultural, social, economic and technological positions. One such conflict that has been the centre of all the discussions in all forums is ‘militancy’. The union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has seen over three decades of militancy and insurgency in the area. This militancy has devastated not only the state administration, but also the lives of the people,” the statement said.
It added that the government responded to it primarily by employing security forces but militancy can only be defeated when the local populace rejects it. “Militancy targets persons and property normally considered protected under the laws of war. Regular police officers (PO) may be augmented by Special Police Officers (SPO). They provide paramilitary manpower that may be used in field force fashion to extend the reach of regular police forces. To defend local populace, local areas may form Village Defence Committees (VDC).”
The statement added that Village Defence Committees (VDCs) were first set up in the mid-1990s in the Chenab valley area of Jammu and Kashmir for the self defence of people in remote hilly villages against militancy.
“They consist of villagers as well as police officers. Troubled regions of far flung villages of Jammu and Kashmir were heavily manifested with militancy and there were no police or army pockets near these inaccessible villages.”
“VDCs were set up and were trained by security forces, were provided with weapons and wireless sets to counter militant attacks. At present, 450 such VDCs are now functional in Jammu and Kashmir for which males as well as females have been trained for self-defence and to counter any attack by Anti National Elements. All the members are trained by security forces personnel in elementary battle craft, field craft and weapon handling.”
“The concept of VDC is not restricted to only the self-defence of far flung villages, but it also enhances the image of SF in the local populace. The increasing militancy could only be stopped with the help of locals, the security grid and intelligence input can work flawlessly with the help of locals only.”
After the rise of VDCs, the statement said that anti-national elements who relied on local support by hook or by crook have realized the potential of the system. (KNO)

Bhat Imran
Srinagar, Dec 29: The students of Kashmir were yet to overcome the academic losses suffered post abrogation of Article-370 in 2019, the outbreak of COVID-19 in March-2020 proved to be a double-whammy for them.
From online classes- on low-speed internet- to tele and radio classes, the students of Kashmir complained of lagging far behind in comparison with the students of other states of India.
The students said though pandemic led to the closure of educational institutes across India, but among all the students, Kashmiris were the most hit as they couldn’t attend and understand all the lectures being conducted online on a low speed internet.
“The students of other states were continuously attending the online classes, however, the students of Kashmir valley barely could understand the online lectures being conducted at school and higher secondary level. Most of the time, the online video lectures were buffering because of the low speed internet,” the students said.
Meanwhile, the teachers at government-run-school said that in this academic year, less than 20 regular academic activities were held.
“Due to the non-availability of high-speed internet, the students of both government as well as private schools couldn’t get the education they deserve,” they said.
Another student said that in the name of tele and radio classes, “it was a mockery of quality education”.
“The education department had made a mockery of the tele and radio classes. The mechanism devised by the department was a sheer failure, no student benefited by these classes,” he said.
Officials at School Education Department said it has successfully compensated the academic losses suffered by the students.
“In the backdrop of COVID-19 outbreak, the School Education Department has conducted teleclasses and radio classes to compensate and complete the syllabi of the students,” the official said.
An official said that the online classes were also conducted and in case the students were inaccessible to online or teleclasses, the students were provided with study material and assignments.
In the beginning of the academic year 2019, the schools and colleges re-opened on March-16 following the winter vacation of more than three months from December-6-2018 to March 16-2019 and on August-04 all establishments were closed.
The educational institutes in Valley year 2019 witnessed at least 10 days of public holidays, 21 Sundays, 10 days of summer vacation and 70 days of winter vacation. (KNO)

Srinagar, Dec 29: The border town of Karnah and some other far flung areas in north Kashmir were on Tuesday cutoff from the rest of the valley due to slippery road conditions following fresh snowfall.
However, three main road — Kupwara-Keran, Kupwara-Machil and Bandpora-Gurez — connecting dozens of far flung and remote areas remained through for traffic despite fresh snowfall.
“Traffic on Kupwara-Karnah road has been suspended due to slippery road conditions following about 4 inches of fresh snowfall,” an official of Police Control Room (PCR), Kupwara, said.
He said the traffic will be allowed to ply on the road after clearance of snow and improvement in weather conditions. “Traffic to other areas, including border towns of Keran, Machil and villages near the Line of Control (LoC), was plying normally so far,” he added.
An official of Police Control Room (PCR) from Bandipora said one-way traffic from Gurez to Bandipora was plying normally despite fresh light snowfall.
“Razdan pass, connecting Gurez, Neeru and dozens of other areas near LoC received light snowfall,” he said.