Srinagar, Sep 6: The famous 3-km-long “ Sunday Market” in the heart of the summer capital, Srinagar, remained closed since March due to COVID-19 pandemic despite authorities lifting restrictions from August 17, allowing shops and business establishments to reopen and passenger traffic to ply.
However, the market from Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) to Hari Singh High Street (HSHS) , including Regal Chowk, historic Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city, Amira Kadal remained deserted. Security forces and police personnel remained deployed to maintain law and order. However, at Municipal park there were two vendors and one in Gantaghar area who also later left for their homes. Other markets also remained closed in the city due to Sunday.
Hundreds of vendors, selling from a simple needle to carpets, were setting up their stalls on both sides of the Residency road before the lock down. During this time of the season vendors were selling warm cloths, including warmers, sweaters, blankets and bedding besides shoes besides utensils.
The continuous closure of the famous market, which attracts customers from across Kashmir valley, has badly affected the vendors, who claim that they have incurred losses to the tune of crores of rupees. A vendor Abdul Rashid from Gaw Kadal who was selling shawls and suits claimed that he used to earn somewhere around Rs 5000 to Rs 7000 every Sunday in the flea market. But from last over six months, we (vendors) have not been allowed to set up stalls in the weekly market. We are also in favour of taking all measures necessary to control further spread of COVID, but authorities should also take into consideration our financial problems as some of us are now facing starvation due to closure of the market. He said authorities should issue guidelines and reopen the weekly market so that they can earn and feed their families with dignity and respect. Another vendor now working as labourer, said we have do some work to feed our families.
The district administration has allowed to resume business activities and transport with some guidelines.
However, relaxation in lockdown has witnessed surge in the COVID-19 positive cases. During the first five days of September 621 Coronavirus cases were reported in Srinagar district, mainly due to non seriousness of common people who are moving without wearing masks and keeping social distance. Similar sciences were being witnessed in passenger vehicles, operating on city routes.
So far Srinagar district has recorded 9985 positive cases and 233 deaths due to COVID-19 pandemic till September 5.

New Delhi, Sept 6: The IIT Delhi has cancelled the current recruitment process for a “Dog Handler” after an error in which minimum qualification mentioned B Tech and got copied from another advertisement but not before it went viral.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, IIT Delhi said, “In reference to a job advertisement dated 26-08-2020 for a post titled “Dog Handler” (on purely contract basis), IIT Delhi would like to clarify that the minimum qualification as mentioned in the advertisement got inadvertently copied from another job advertisement. The qualification intended in the advertisement was ‘Bachelor of Veterinary Science’.”
The minimum qualification put out in the ad was B.Tech, BA and B.Sc or any equivalent undergraduate degree.
“The institute has cancelled the current recruitment process after this mistake was brought to the notice of higher authorities”, IIT Delhi said.
A fresh process in due course will be initiated to hire a Consultant(on purely contract basis) with suitable minimum qualification required for the job profile that involves proper care of a large number of stray dogs on the campus (providing them medical aid like vaccination, medicine, IV drip etc. and food), handling of issues and challenges relating to stray dogs, liaison with campus community- students, employees, construction workers etc., local government bodies and NGOs, IIT Delhi said in the statement.
IIT Delhi took the action after the recruitment notice Delhi for the position of a dog handler had created a buzz on social media.
The notice for the Dog Handler, a contractual job for security office at the campus, got attention for the degrees and qualification mentioned.
According to the advertisement, the job is open for people between 21 and 35 years old, male or female, and the salary can go up to Rs 45,000 per month. The salary seems to be much higher than comparative positions elsewhere.
While Dog Handler positions usually have a minimum qualification is of 10+2, the notice by IIT-Delhi states “B.A/B.Sc/B.Com/B.Tech or any equivalent undergraduate degree” as the eligibility criteria.
The applicant also needed to have a four-wheeler to be able to drive the dog to a veterinarian if needed. A photo of the advertisement was widely shared on social media before the retraction by IIT Delhi.
A netizen posted on twitter, “What an IRONY: The foremost institute (#IITDelhi ) that awards B-Tech Degrees itself believes…. ‘Minimum Qualification For a ‘…….’ should be B-Tech” I am sure millions of unemployed engineers will be interested being a ‘……..’.”
Another posted: “This teacher’s day, life teaches you that no degree goes to waste.”

Doda, Sept 6:  The work on the ambitious Institute of High Altitude Medicinal Plants (IHAMP), took off Sunday at Kotli (Chabbra) Bhaderwah – one of the sites for the ambitious project.

At the site, the construction of District Collection Centre, which includes 9 sub components viz administrative block, Auction platform, storage godowns, canteen, health care centre etc, involving Rs 2 crore, was started.

The estimated cost of the entire project is Rs. 100 crore that is to be established in the lush green Bhaderwah valley.  The institute will be a pioneer in research about medicinal plants found at high altitude. It is expected that the project would also become a major source of income for the farmers in cultivation of medicinal plants.

It is pertinent to mention here that the work on the project was formally started on the ground due to the persistence efforts of Member Parliament Udhampur- Doda Constituency and Union Minister of State PMO. Dr Jitendra Singh.

The construction of the District Collection Centre was started after the completion of tendering process.

For the construction of compound wall and crate wall at Thanthera, the main site for the development of the  institute, tenders would be issued in the next two three days  and the work is expected to start by the end of this month. The deadline for the completion of the project is 2 years.

Precious Kashmir News

Srinagar, Sep 6: In view of the prevailing situation caused because of the COVID-19 outbreak across the world, the management committee of Kashmir World Film Festival (KWFF) on Sunday decided to postpone its 5th Edition till January next year.

The seven-day film festival was scheduled to begin from 1st September.

According to statement, “The festival has been postponed till January. A call will be taken in January now after assessing the COVID situation,” said festival director Mushtaaque Ali Ahmad Khan.

“If the situation was conducive and normal, we will organize the 5th Edition of the festival in April 2021,” Khan said.

KWFF is the festival of first of its kind held in Srinagar that brings world-class films to Kashmir and provides a platform to the youth who are interested in making their careers in the films.

The festival is being done in collaboration with the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF), Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), National Film Archives of India (NFAI), Films Division (FD), and Children’s Film Society of India (CFSI).

KWFF has been attended by Bollywood celebrities like Tabu, Madhur Bhandarkar, Rajit Kapur, Raju Chadha, Rahul Mitra, Saeed Mirza, Govind Nihalani, Imam Siddiqui, Rahul Bhat, Imran Khan, Vani Tripathi, and others.

In the last four editions, more than 460 films have been received and out of those only 136 films were screened that included films from countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Lebanon, Nepal, Poland, Spain, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, and others and in languages like Assamese, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Gurung, Hindi, Kashmiri, Ladakhi, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Sindhi, Tamil, Tibetan and Urdu.

Jammu, Sept 6: In a bizzare incident, a pregnant woman who was denied admission in hospital, on Sunday delivered a baby on the roadside with the help of local ladies in Samba district of Jammu region.
Police sources here said that a woman identified as Leelam, 35, wife of Davinder Kumar, resident of Bihar, presently living near SIDCO Phase-I Samba, this morning reached the hospital when she suffered labour pain.
“In view of COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital authorities asked her for a test report and refused to admit her. They referred her to Jammu Hospital while not making the ambulance service available to her,” police sources added.
They said that the woman was experiencing severe pain and ultimately with the help of local ladies and a relative, later delivered a baby outside the chemist shop on the road.
“As soon as the news was circulated on social media, the hospital staff rushed to the spot with an ambulance and shifted the woman along with the new born to the hospital for further treatment,” police added.
They later said that both the woman and the child, are stable and healthy.