Category: Union Territory

Srinagar: In the biggest day spike ever in novel coronavirus cases, Jammu and Kashmir reported 162 COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, taking the overall tally of the patients to 1921.

Sources told GNS that among the 73 cases were confirmed at microbiology laboratory of CD hospital here, 39 in SKIMS Soura while 38 in Jammu. Remaining cases are from private laboratories, they said. They said there could be repeated cases and would be divulged shortly.

Among the cases they said Anantnag reported 4 cases, Kupwara 26, Kulgam 27, Bandipora 2, Baramulla 10, Budgam 2, Shopian 12 and Pulwama 21. In Jammu division, they said, Reasi reported three cases, Kathua 3, Samba 3, Ramban 1, Udhampur 11, Jammu 4, Poonch 11 and Rajouri 2. The remain cases are from private labs. (GNS)

Anantnag: On the lame excuse of hailing from a Red Zone, a woman suffering from labour pain was shifted from one hospital to another whole day. The pregnant woman and her family faced lot of inconvenience and agony visiting 5 five hospitals at a stretch.

All this was done to this pregnant lady in the garb of Covid-19 pandemic and when one minutely observes the chain of events, MCH Anantnag is to blame.

Sheeraza Jan wife of Muhammad Amin Sheikh, a resident of Kandagund Shangus area of Anantnag was tested positive for Covid-19 on 3 May this month. Accordingly, she was quarantined at PHC Akura Mattan. On May 14, she was declared negative and after her repeated tests on 14 and 18 of the current month, the lady was discharged and a Covid-19 negative certificate was handed over to her.

The family members told news agency KNT that sheerazh Jan developed labour pain on 26 May and was taken to PHC Shangus. “From 10AM to 2PM she was kept there and then without any treatment referred to MCH Anantnag.”

At MCH Anantnag doctors refused to attend her saying she hails from a Red Zone. “We produced Covid free certificate as well and yet doctors didn’t attend her. They, however, provided an ambulance to us and asked to get the lady admitted at Sub-District Hospital Bijbehara.”

“We were shocked and dumbfound when instead of dropping us at SDH Bijbehara, the ambulance driver forcibly got us down near Trauma Hospital Bijbehara-one kilometer away from SDH Bijbehara. Sheeraza was writhing with pain outside on road. This Trauma Hospital is Covid-19 designated hospital and here some doctors advised us to go to SDH Bijbehara. We sought a lift from a kind person who dropped us at SDH Bijbehara. As blood pressure of Sheeraza augmented, the doctors shifted her to LD Hospital Srinagar.”

The family members said that they arrived at LD Hospital at around 9pm of Tuesday evening where Sheeraza gave birth to a baby boy. “It was a normal delivery. How can i make these ‘inhuman’ doctors posted in different hospitals of Anantnag understand that we suffered like Hell whole day, moving from one hospital to another. Everywhere, we were humiliated and insulted for hailing from a red-zone,” Muhammad Amin, the husband of the woman said.

“Nobody can imagine our suffering. We went through a strange situation and yesterday, I realized that to be a poor is a curse,” he said and thanked doctors from LD for their benign behavior.

MCH Anantnag has not a good record when it comes to take care of pregnancy related cases. This hospital is habitual of unnecessary referrals and even those patients are being shifted on immediate basis who are Covid-19 negative.

Medical Superintendent SDH Bijbehara, Dr Showkat Ahmed Parray told KNT that it is sheer negligence on part of MHC Anantnag. He said he has already made higher ups aware about it. (KNT)

Indian observers say thousands of troops from both sides face each other in Galwan Valley following controversial Indian construction in high-altitude Ladakh area of India-administered Kashmir, scene of a brief but bloody war in 1962 that India lost.

A Himalayan border standoff between old foes China and India was triggered by India’s construction of roads and air strips in disputed Kashmir as it competes with China’s spreading Belt and Road initiative, Indian observers said on Tuesday.

Soldiers from both sides have been camped out in the Galwan Valley in the high-altitude Ladakh region of India-administered Kashmir, accusing each other of trespassing over the disputed frontier, the trigger of a brief but bloody war in 1962 that India lost.

About 80 to 100 tents have sprung up on the Chinese side and about 60 on the Indian side where soldiers are billeted, Indian officials briefed on the matter in New Delhi and in Ladakh’s capital, Leh, said.

Both were digging defences and Chinese trucks have been moving equipment into the area, the officials said, raising concerns of a long faceoff.

What can Delhi do? Initiative rests with aggressor, not defender. India has no military options – closed with 1993 agreement on peace when total burden of managing LAC shifted to diplomacy. Fake surgical strikes will not work! Only options for India are political & diplomatic https://t.co/9JhYRq64sb

— Pravin Sawhney (@PravinSawhney) May 26, 2020

Flare-up

“China is committed to safeguarding the security of its national territorial sovereignty, as well as safeguarding peace and stability in the China-India border areas,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s office said in a statement.

“At present, the overall situation in the border areas is stable and controllable. There are sound mechanisms and channels of communication for border-related affairs, and the two sides are capable of properly resolving relevant issues through dialogue and consultation.”

There was no immediate Indian foreign ministry comment. 

It said last week Chinese troops had hindered regular Indian patrols along the de facto border Line of Actual Control (LAC).

But interviews with former Indian military officials and diplomats suggest the trigger for the flare-up is India’s construction of roads and air strips.

“Today, with our infrastructure reach slowly extending into areas along the LAC, the Chinese threat perception is raised,” said former Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao.

“Xi Jinping’s China is the proponent of a hard line on all matters of territory, sovereignty. India is no less when it comes to these matters either,” she said.

“Currently, government sources assess there are close to 10,000 soldiers of China on Indian territory. Dialogue is frozen, with the Chinese rebuffing Indian calls for flag meetings to resolve the situation,” former Indian military officer and defence expert Ajai Shukla wrote in Business Standard.

https://twitter.com/ashoswai/status/1264331293707374592?s=20

Controversial construction 

After years of neglect Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has pushed for improving connectivity and by 2022, 66 key roads along the Chinese border will have been built.

One of these roads is near the Galwan valley that connects to Daulat Beg Oldi air base, which was inaugurated last October.

“The road is very important because it runs parallel to the LAC and is linked at various points with the major supply bases inland,” said Shyam Saran, another former Indian foreign secretary.

“It remains within our side of the LAC. It is construction along this new alignment which appears to have been challenged by the Chinese.”

China’s Belt and Road is a string of ports, railways, roads and bridges connecting China to Europe via central and southern Asia and involving Pakistan, China’s close ally and India’s long-time foe.

Images via @planetlabs @sbreakintl help spot the #China PLA camp near the #Hotsprings Sector few Kms behind the LAC (Here china contests the LAC), approximately 11Kms North West of the #India base at Gogra, this unit size is the largest seen till now with adequate vehicle tracks pic.twitter.com/9eywCqD1Bk

— Damien Symon (@detresfa_) May 26, 2020

Dispute over Kashmir

India and China engaged in a diplomatic war of words over disputed Kashmir last year when New Delhi unilaterally revoked the disputed region’s limited autonomy and split it into two federal territories – Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir – in a bid to annex both regions. 

That move was slammed by Pakistan, which administers a portion of Kashmir and claims the whole of Kashmir. It doesn’t claim a silver of the region, called Aksai Chin, that China controls since defeating India in 1962 war. 

Islamabad’s ally China, which is locked in a decades-old dispute with India over the part of Kashmir called Ladakh, also slammed India for unilaterally changing the region’s status, saying “this is not effective in any way and will not change the fact that the area is under China’s actual control”.

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Further details awaited

Srinagar: A 55-year-old man from Fateh Kadal area of Srinagar who was tested positive for covid-19 few days ago, died due to Cardiac arrest at CD hospital on Wednesday, officials said.

Dr Salim Khan Nodal officer for covid-19 at GMC Srinagar told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that a 55-years-old male,  resident of Fateh Kadal, Srinagar was shifted to CD Hospital Srinagar from SICU SMHS on 18/5/20 as operated case of Exploratory Laprotomy with Appendectomy after testing COVID positive.

Patient was kept intubated in SICU SMHS Hospital and then extubated, kept on NIV and then was shifted to CD Hospital, he said adding that at CD Hospital, patient was improving and hemodynamically stable and was maintaining saturation without oxygen

On Wednesday at 4 pm patient developed sudden cardiac arrest and was immediately intubated, coupled to ventilator and resuscitated, he said, adding that patient developed another cardiac arrest and died instantly. 

With his death the death toll of covid-19 positive patients in J&K has reached to 25 including 22 from Kashmir division and 03 from Jammu division—(KNO)

Students to be promoted based on continuous internal assessment.

In a significant decision the University of Kashmir, in view of COVID-19 pandemic, has decided that there will be no end term exams for the current semester and the previous semesters where exams were due during the lockdown period.

The students will be promoted to the next semester based on internal assessment in tune with UGC guidelines.

The Heads of Departments in consultation with their respective Departmental Committees will decide the mode of internal assessment with a transparent and well-defined scale.

The decision was taken in a special meeting of the Advisory cum Monitoring Committee, constituted by the Vice Chancellor under the chairmanship of the Dean Academic Affairs. Today’s special meeting was presided over by the Vice Chancellor KU Prof Talat Ahmad. The others who attended the meeting included Dean Academic Affairs, Dean College Development Council, Dean Research, Deans of select Schools, Registrar, Controller of Examinations, President KUTA, Media Advisor, Director IT & SS and officers of the academic section.

Earlier the University had Constituted an Advisory – cum – Monitoring Committee, under the chairmanship of Dean Academic Affairs, to assess & monitor the conduct of online classes, devise a strategy / road map for conduct of examinations, devise the academic calendar under the prevalent conditions and formulate a plan for admission to various courses for the academic session 2020.

The University decided to continue the online classes of the current semesters till 15th August 2020. The teachers have been asked to take online classes on regular basis and also carry the internal assessment during the semester in tune with the strategy devised by their respective departments. The teachers shall keep proper record of the classes held and the internal assessment conducted.

The Vice Chancellor, while speaking during the meeting, advised all the teachers to make best use of available communication technology for teaching and learning process. “This is the time to turn the pandemic situation to our advantage by developing capacity for online teaching learning and assessment for the better future of our university and the students. We need not lag behind when everyone is going online. Our motto should be to meet the deadlines and ensure degrees are awarded in time. We need to follow the examples of the best institutions of the country like IIT-Kanpur, the Vice Chancellor added.

The Vice Chancellor directed the Director ITSS to arrange special orientation programmes for teachers who are not yet comfortable with the latest technology. A department/ faculty wise timetable of training programmes should be notified and teachers from various departments shall be invited to attend accordingly.

Besides proper tutorials shall be placed on the University website for self-learning. The Vice Chancellor advised that all course materials, lectures, PPTs etc. shall be promptly uploaded on the university website for the students who miss the online classes for some reason. We must take advantage of MOOCs on SWAYAM and other reliable educational portals.

Prof Talat, informed about the Digital Learning Corner (DLC) developed by the EMRC that lists all MHRD funded educational repositories. Departments should also identify relevant courses on SWAYAM and the students be encouraged to take up to 20% of such courses for award of credits.

For the exam of UG courses, like BA, BSc, BCOM, being taught at various government colleges, Dean College Development Council in consultation with the Higher Education Department, college principals and the controller of exams shall make recommendations.

Regarding conduct of practical classes and opening of labs for research scholars a committee under Dean Research has been constituted to look into the issue.

In another major decision the Vice Chancellor advised the departments to procure Smart Phones and Note Pads and make them available to the needy students who can’t afford these devices. The devices can be issued to the needy students and collected back after use.

The Vice Chancellor also advised the Advisory – cum – Monitoring Committee to consult/contact all the class representative, HoDs and faculty members and keep them informed about the decisions being taken by the University and collect their feedback. There should be no chance for confusion and all stake holders should be kept properly informed.

R.R. Bhatnagar’s wife and son tested positive for the infection upon their return from New Delhi to Jammu on Sunday

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday re-allocated the portfolios of R.R. Bhatnagar, adviser to Lt. Governor Girish Chandra Murmu, after his family members tested positive for novel coronavirus.

A government spokesman said the Lt. Governor assigned to adviser K. K. Sharma all duties and functions of the departments allocated to Mr. Bhatnagar, who is under quarantine.

“The duties and functions of Mr. Bhatnagar would be discharged by Mr. Sharma till the expiry of the mandatory period of quarantine prescribed by the Health Department,” the spokesman said.

Mr. Bhatnagar was placed under quarantine after his wife and son tested positive for the infection upon their return from New Delhi to Jammu on Sunday.

“Both are said to be doing fine with no symptoms at all,” an official said.

Sources said Mr. Bhatnagar’s wife is a doctor in New Delhi.

With inputs from The Hindu

We are not being allowed to discharge our duties, they say.

Scores of doctors from the Valley’s main tertiary care hospital, Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS), here on Wednesday held a silent sit-in against alleged growing incidents of harassment of doctors on COVID-19 duty by the J&K police recently.

Wearing masks and holding placards, the doctors assembled in the premises of the hospital and staged the protest. It comes a day after the principal, Government Medical College, Srinagar, raised the issue of a cardiologist’s detention and thrashing with the administration formally.

In the latest incident, Chief Medical Officer, Bandipora, Dr Tajamul Hussain claimed he was stopped on Tuesday by the police for over 20 minutes when he was on the way to inspect a quarantine centre and a sample collection centre in Bandipora.

Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) president Dr. Suhial Naik said doctors across J&K will wear black band.

“Following back-to-back episodes in which doctors were manhandled, harassed and not allowed to discharge their duties amid the COVID-19 outbreak, a one-day black band protest on Wednesday against the excesses by government forces will be held,” Dr. Naik said.

Kashmir IGP Vijay Kumar said he has asked all the field functionaries to ensure smooth movement of the doctors and the paramedics. “Directions have been passed on to all the district top officers to facilitate the health professionals who are performing duties,” he said.

With inputs from The Hindu

The advisory, if constituted, will for the first time enable a local face to oversee governance issues in Jammu & Kashmir.

The recently-floated Jammu-Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) on Tuesday said there was no formal proposal yet from the Centre on the constitution of an advisory council for the Union Territory (UT), with its members reportedly drawn from the JKAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The advisory, if constituted, will for the first time enable a local face to oversee governance issues in Jammu & Kashmir.

“There is no such offer as of now. Whenever such an offer is made, the JKAP will take a decision,” JKAP leader Ghulam Hasaan Mir said, a day after there were some media reports on such a move.

Several statements by the JKAP have reflected a softening of its stand on domicile laws, including when it welcomed the new recruitment policy that allows both eligible non-locals and domiciles to apply for posts. JKAP president Altaf Bukhari’s frequent trips to Delhi have also fuelled speculation over “a new arrangement being worked out on J&K”, sources said.

Sources in the BJP said the Centre was mulling options “to restore political processes”, as it will be 10 months in May since the suspension of political activities by regional parties after the revocation of J&K’s special status.

NC’s rider

The National Conference (NC) has insisted on the rider of releasing all political leaders, including Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, Peoples Conference chief Sajjad Lone and J&K Peoples Movement chief Shah Faesal, to commence political activities and make its stand public on a series of events since August 5, 2019. No released NC leader has attended public functions in J&K so far.

Professor Bhim Singh, chief of the Jammu-based National Panthers Party, also said, in a veiled reference to JKAP, which is yet to be political party registered with the Election Commission of India: “I urge President of India Ramnath Kovind to convene an urgent meeting of the representatives of recognised political parties in J&K so that a communication between the people and the administration continues for future. I regret that some unrecognised political groups and their wealthy leaders are being promoted by bureaucracy at the cost of democracy.”

Section 85 of the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 affords the power to constitute committees to oversee matters of apportionment of assets, rights and liabilities of companies and corporations in the newly created UTs of J&K and Ladakh.

A three-member advisory committee, headed by former defence secretary Sanjay Mitra, was constituted in September last year. The Centre has also appointed Advisors to the Lieutenant-Governor, and allocated portfolios. However, the nature of the law under which any council could be created remains ambiguous.

With inputs from The Hindu

Clarification comes amid spat between his political adviser Tanvir Sadiq and former legislator Mehdi

National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah, who has flown to Delhi on Wednesday said he needed a change of scene and reiterated that the party’s stand on August 5, 2019, which saw revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, remained “unchanged.”

“Finally I am in Delhi for the 1st time since 3rd August 2019. There is nothing political about my visit, whether linked to the matter above or the political advisory council reportedly being formed. I needed a change of scene & some medical follow ups & that’s why I’m here,” tweeted Mr. Abdullah.

He said the NC remained committed to challenging what happened on August 5 using all lawful means.

On differing views between Mr. Abdullah’s political adviser Tanvir Sadiq and former legislator Agha Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, the NC vice-president said, “Both are valued colleagues and friends. As far as I am concerned that both are entitled to an opinion and to disagree with each other. Neither views, expressed in a private capacity, change the stand NC has taken in the SC and outside regarding the August 5,” he said.

Mr. Sadiq and Mr. Mehdi bickered publicly, with the latter questioning the silence of the party on revocation of special status and focussing on the domicile laws. “We are a democratic party and we value all shades of opinion within our wider family though sometimes it’s better to discuss them amongst ourselves before we decide to make them public. I’ve burnt my hands a few times by not following my own advice,” he added.

Sources in the NC said Mr. Abdullah was likely to meet opposition leaders, including the Congress, in coming days.

With inputs from The Hindu