New Delhi, Oct 14: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a special package worth Rs 520 crore in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh till the financial year 2023-24 for Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) on a demand driven basis without linking allocation with poverty ratio during this extended period.

This will ensure sufficient funds under the Mission, as per need to the UTs and is also in line with Government of India’s aim to universalize all centrally sponsored beneficiary-oriented schemes in the UTs of J&K and Ladakh in a time bound manner.

This is based on the outcomes of the evaluation pointing to potential of the Mission to improve the quality of life of rural households and women’s empowerment and given the changed circumstances in the in J&K and Ladakh.

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) is a centrally sponsored programme that aims at eliminating rural poverty through promotion of multiple livelihoods for the rural poor households across the country.

The launch of DAY-NRLM in June 2011 to address rural poverty marks a paradigm shift in poverty alleviation programmes which seeks to reach out to all rural poor households, estimated at about 10 crore households, and impact their livelihoods through universal social mobilization by inter alia organizing one-woman member from each rural poor household into Self Help Groups (SHGs), their training and capacity building, facilitating their micro-livelihoods plans, and enabling them to implement their livelihoods plans through accessing financial resources from their own institutions and the banks.

The Mission involves working with the community institutions through community professionals in the spirit of self-help. This is the unique proposition of DAY-NRLM and that is how it is different from the previous poverty eradication programmes. The other distinguishing features of the programme is that it is implemented in a Mission mode by special purpose vehicles (autonomous state societies) with dedicated implementation support units at the national, state, district and block levels, using professional human resources in order to provide continuous and long-term handholding support to each rural poor family.

New Delhi, Oct 14: Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre and banks to clarify whether they are implementing the waiver of interest on interest or not for the Covid 19 moratorium period.
“What have you done till now. Can you (Centre) and banks, let us know,” a bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said while hearing petitions seeking appropriate directions to waive off interest on interest during this Covid-19 moratorium period.
The Apex Court observed, when the government has taken a decision to waive off interest, why is it taking so much time to implement.
Why you (Centre) are seeking time till November 15, why will it take an entire month to effect a simple waiver scheme, the Apex Court asked and adjourned the matter for further hearing till November 2.

The Apex Court observed, this year’s Diwali of public is in the hands of the government.
We will expect the implementation of government’s interest waiver by then and will review the implementation, the Apex Court said.
Justice MR Shah, another judge in the bench, said that this court have already passed an order prohibiting classification of NPAs and without a fiscal policy, proposals cannot be altered.
Petitioners sought to stop capitalizing on loans by banks.
Harish Salve, appearing for Banks Association, objected to it.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that this issue was examined on issue of whether there can be interest on interest.
Justice Bhushan said, “You (Centre) have already taken a decision to give benefit to people who have taken loan up to 2 crore. What about the implementation?”
Justice Shah said, people are worried in terms of their accounts and for interest on interest.
The Supreme Court was hearing petitions seeking appropriate directions to waive off interest on interest during this Covid-19 moratorium period.

Jammu, Oct 14: Jammu and Kashmir Health Department ranked second in the country with 93 percentage Immunization Coverage.
Talking to UNI, Financial Commissioner (Health) Atal Dulloo here said that even during the COVID-19 Pandemic, routine immunization programme is one of the important initiatives for preventing children from Vaccine preventable Diseases of Childhood.
“Inspite of Pandemic, full immunization coverage of children in the UT of J&K is 2nd highest among other state, UT in the Country for the period of April to July 2020 in the recently released Immunization dashboard by Ministry of Health and Family welfare,” Dulloo said.
He added that in the country only 3 States/UT have shown minimum impact of COVID 19 pandemic on immunization services with more than 90 per cent full immunization Coverage, which includes J&K having a Full immunization Coverage of 93 percent with only Telengana and Uttarakhand ahead with 95 per cent Full Immunization coverage.
As in the current pandemic, World Health Organization has already warned countries that there are high chances of Vaccine Preventable disease outbreaks like Measles, Diphtheria and Pertussis etc due to decline in immunization coverage throughout the world.
“The Department of Health and Medical Education Government of J&K, has kept immunization programme on priority during this Pandemic, immunization services had been going on at all the health facilities since April 2020 and the department had issued SOPs for conducting Immunization sessions and ensured that elaborate arrangements at the session sites like social distancing, wearing face mask and handwashing facilities for the beneficiaries are in place and as a results of these proactive efforts we have been able to achieve 93 percent Fully immunized children,” the FC said.
As per the guidelines issued by Government of India, Health and Family Welfare Department couldn’t conduct sessions in the red zones (Containment Zones) declared by the administration but these children were later covered so that no child is left unimmunized and 100 percent Full Immunization coverage of children in the UT is ensured, Dulloo added.

Riyaz Bhat
Srinagar, Oct 14: The University of Kashmir (KU) is likely to commence new academic session via online mode for various Post Graduate (PG) courses from this week for the fresh batch.
Officials of the varsity said that tentatively the varsity has notified to commence with a new academic session for the fresh batch of 2020.
KU’s Dean Academic Affairs, Akbar Masoodi told KNO that the academics for the fresh 2020 batch is tentatively to be scheduled to commence from October-15 and the new academic session for the already enrolled students has started from October-10.

Masoodi, however, said that the admission process for the new batch was going on.
“We have already notified the academic calendar for the first semester of 2020 batch and if the admission process is getting completed by October-15, then we will begin with the same, but if the admission process is taking more time then the varsity will extend the date of the new academic session,” he said.
KU’s Registrar, Dr Nisar Ahmad informed KNO that the varsity will continue to hold the online classes till the government notifies new rules or Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Meanwhile, the varsity in its tentative notification for the fresh batch has said that the academics will commence from October-15 to January-01-2021.
The university notification further reads that the examination preparation for the Open Elective (OE) and Generic Elective (GE) courses will be 16-18 January 2020 and the examination preparation days for departmental courses (Core and DCE) will commence from 19-21 January 2021.
The academic calendar notified by the KU reads that the examination preparation days for departmental courses for the fresh 2020 batch will commence from 19-21 January-28 to February-10 2021.

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Oct 14: In connection with the “My Town My Pride” Programme being held on 19th and 20th October 2020, the government has ordered deployment of officers assigning them their Municipal Corporation/ Councils/ Committees of operation.
An order in this regard was issued here today by the General Administration Department.

J&K Tourism, MTOA organize ‘Chalo Kashmir’ Webinar

Precious Kashmir News

Srinagar, Oct 14:  Following the interactions with the Tour and Travel fraternity of West Bengal and Gujarat, J&K Tourism and the Maharashtra Tour Organizers Association (MTOA) on Wednesday organized a Webinar on the theme ‘Chalo Kashmir’.

J&K receives among the largest chunk of tourists from States like West Bengal, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The Webinar panel comprised of Secretary, Tourism, J&K, Sarmad Hafeez, Director Tourism, Kashmir, Nisar Ahmad Wani, Deputy Director, Publicity, Ideel Saleem, President MTOA, Prabhubhai, President, Travel Agents Association of Kashmir, Farooq A Kuthoo, President, TAFI, Pradeep Lulla President, Adventure Tour Operators Association of Kashmir (ATOAK), Rauf Tramboo,Vice President MTOA, Vishvajeet Patil, Treasurer MTOA, Rajan Parekh, Ex Presidents MTOA, Sudhir Patil and Atul Mohil and Ex Vice President, MTOA, Abhijeet Patil.

A promotional video and a presentation on tourism destinations in Jammu and Kashmir including its lesser known Tourism destinations and an array of adventure activities being promoted in the Union Territory were showcased during the Webinar.

“As COVID restrictions have eased in the Union Territory, allowing for hassle free travel to all Tourism destinations, J&K Tourism has started its publicity campaigns with hosting of series of activities and reaching out to the tourism stakeholders across the country about the facilities in place for the tourists and to convey the message that J&K is ready to welcome the tourists”.  Secretary, Tourism Mr Sarmad Hafeez said. He added that Tourism Industry in J&K is resilient and has always bounced back in the face of many challenges. “Although COVID presented a unique challenge, we are sure that with the support of the stakeholders, Tourism sector will bounce back in J&K”.

Secretary, Tourism informed that capacity building programmes are being held to impart training to the workers and staff in the Hospitality business, so that they are made aware about the SoPs to be maintained while serving the guests.

Addressing the Webinar, Director Tourism said that a calendar of activities for autumn season and the upcoming winter season has been drawn and the all measures for health safety of the Tourists are in place. He apprised the Tour Operators of Maharashtra about the easing of restrictions related to COVID19 in J&K including lifting of curbs on entry of people into J&K by road, rail or air, opening up all tourism destinations, parks, hotels and restaurants, opening up of Gulmarg Gondola, opening up of cinema halls, theatres, multiplexes, swimming pools, lifting of ceiling in open spaces and various other measures and guidelines to facilitate tourists and general public while ensuring health safety.

During the interactions, it was revealed that a large number of queries have been received from prospective tourists from Maharashtra for visiting J&K in Autumn and the ensuing winter months.

President MTOA, Parbhubhai assured unconditional support of the association for J&K Tourism and reiterated that J&K will always remain the most preferred destination for the Tour and Travel fraternity of Maharashtra.

New Delhi, Oct 14:  India is at third place after China and the United States which recorded the highest number of disasters during the past 20 years (2000—2019), according to a UN report.

The report by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) released in Geneva on October 13 to coincide with the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction confirms how extreme weather events dominated the disaster landscape in the 21st century.

In terms of affected countries globally, China (577 events) and the US (467 events) reported the highest number of disaster events, followed by India (321 events), Philippines (304 events) and Indonesia (278 events). These countries all have large and heterogenous landmasses and relatively high population densities in at-risk areas.

Professor Debarati Guha-Sapir, Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, University of Louvain, Belgium, said “This report covers the first twenty years of this century and does not include biological hazards like COVID-19 but it clearly highlights the level of human suffering and economic loss that result from failure to adapt to climate change and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.’’

He warned that if this level of growth in extreme weather events continues over the next twenty years, the future of mankind looked very bleak.

Mami Mizutori, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, said “We are willfully destructive. That is the only conclusion one can come to when reviewing disaster events over the last twenty years. COVID-19 is but the latest proof that political and business leaders are yet to tune in to the world around them.’’

Overall, eight of the top 10 countries by disaster events are in Asia.

Asia suffered the highest number of disaster events. In total, between 2000 and 2019 there were 3,068 disaster events in Asia, followed by the 1,756 in the Americas and 1,192 in Africa.

Srinagar, Oct 14: Former Director General Tourism, Jammu and Kashmir, Mohammad Ashraf passed away here in on Wednesday. He was 77.

The death of Ashraf has been widely condoled by members of civil society, people associated with tourism and politicians.

The former DG tourism died at his residence in Srinagar at around 2300 hrs on Tuesday and was laid to rest at Polytechnic graveyard Gogji Bagh on Wednesday morning.

Ashraf did his engineering from Regional Engineering College at Naseem Bagh. However, he later changed his field and went for training in adventure sports like mountaineering and skiing at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling and in Gulmarg and completed a diploma in the French language from the Alliance Francaise in New Delhi.

In 1973, he gave a project to the State Tourism Department for setting up of an Adventure Tourism Wing for promotion of adventure tourism in J&K. The proposal was accepted and he was appointed in-charge of the wing.

Ashraf was appointed as Deputy Director of Tourism and became the Director of the department in 1992. He was later promoted to the post of Director General Tourism in 1996. He retired from the department as the DG in 2003.

To commend his efforts in introducing rescue measures in Kashmir Mountains, he was awarded “Merite-Alpin” by Swiss in a special function in Les Diablerets in 1993.

In 1974, Ladakh was opened for foreign tourism by Government of India. Ashraf was extensively involved in developing tourism in this mysterious and enchanting land beyond the Himalaya.

The Department of Tourism condoled the demise of former Director General, Tourism, Muhammad Ashraf who passed away last night here.

Soon after hearing of Ashraf’s demise, a condolence meeting was convened at the Directorate of Tourism here this morning in which the speakers recalled the contribution rendered by late Mr. Ashraf in the development of Tourism in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

The condolence meeting was chaired by Secretary, Tourism, Culture, Youth Services & Sports, Sarmad Hafeez.

Addressing the meeting, Sarmad Hafeez said late Ashraf was an encyclopaedia of Kashmir tourism whose contribution in its growth and development is unparalleled. He said he had the passion of promoting Kashmir tourism to such an extent that he did it even after his retirement through his newspaper columns and books.

The political parties have also condoled Ashraf’s demise.