Category: Union Territory

Srinagar: The exploitation of private school teachers is continuing unabated in Kashmir valley as most of the schools have not paid salaries to the teaching staff since August 2019.

With COVID-19 positive cases emerging every day all over the Valley, the resumption of normal life appears bleak in the near future. And, teacher community employed in private schools has been badly affected.

“It was the month of March when we were expecting the salaries to be released but now, given the coronavirus pandemic, we have no hope either. Our struggle has gotten worse, to say the least,” Manzoor Dar, a private school teacher from Shopian told KNT.

He added, “As we are observing that the administration is taking various steps to combat the epidemic crises of coronavirus like relief work, advance salary to employees etc but a high percentage of population working as private teachers on meagre salaries are facing difficult conditions. We are without salaries from last more than seven months.”

Except a few reputed schools, the private educational institutions have largely been evading the release of salaries to the teachers.

“We have been without salaries from the last eight months. In fact, we have not been paid from August 2019,” QayoomWani, a private school teacher working in Newa Pulwama, said.

As a mark of protest, many teachers have refused the directive of their school heads to teach online as the Valley witnesses a strict lockdown, imposed to check the spread of Coronavirus. “We can’t teach without salaries. How can the school heads even ask us after not releasing our salaries for months without end?” asks Shabnum Jan from Prichoo Pulwama, another private school teacher.

It is an open secret that the teachers are underpaid and when the payment of their meager salaries is delayed, it aggravates problems further for them.

“Complaints are pouring in that some private schools pay meager salaries for few months to their teachers. Violate minimum wages. DSEK/private school associations and parents need to look into this for quality education,” Dr.Asgar Hassan Samoon, Principal Secretary to Government, School Education Department had tweeted earlier this month. But there seems to been no follow-up action on this.

When contacted, G. N. Var, president of Private Schools’ Association of Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) did not answer the repeated calls from this reporter.

Given the fact that PSAJK condemned the government’s lack of action in restoring the 4G network in the Valley and said educational institutes can’t wait endlessly for the situation to normalize, it is equally important to end the unending wait for teachers to receive their salaries. Without the pending salaries, it is really difficult for teachers to work from home and deliver online lectures.

(KNT)

IUST Website

Awantipora: Amid COVID outbreak and presuming the shortage of ventilators, the engineers and innovators at Design Innovation
Centre (DIC) of Islamic University of Science and Technology have created a prototype of a low-cost ventilator which is running successfully in the laboratory.

The prototype named ‘Ruhdaar’ is
expected to be handed over to the medical experts in the SKIMS for evaluation purposes which will immediately begin once the innovators are satisfied with its functioning in the laboratory.

The raw materials for the said frugal ventilator are easily available within J&K and India.

Team members headed by Coordinator DIC, Dr. Shahkar Nehvi, Dr. Majid Hamid Koul, ex faculty IUST who recently joined the NIT, Mr. Peerzada Shoaib, Asstt. Prof. IUST, Two IUST Alumini Mr. Asif Shah and Mr. Zulquarnain, Mr. Jawad, Design Fellow IUST, Dr. Saad Parvaiz from NIT Srinagar, Dr. Shabir Hassan from Harward University as overseas mentor and Mr. Ab. Rahim from Rahim Greens contributed towards the designing of the said prototype.

The prototype ventilator is too cheap in comparison to what is available in the market. While the prototype, is working successfully in the laboratory, it eventually will be assessed by the medical experts who will have to use it. Once the prototype is approved by medical experts, there is the possibility of manufacturing it for commercial use.

Meanwhile Vice Chancellor IUST, Prof. Mushtaq A. Siddiqi has congratulated the entire team for this huge achievement. I am thrilled because our team members has achieved it in a very short span of time, It is our own design and its components are mostly local, Prof. Siddiqi expressed. He said that the University will go for patenting and handover the technology to a start-up or couple of start-ups, so that the ventilator is produced on the large scale. Prof. Siddiqi himself an eminent immunologist further added that the prototype is fine and alright, but it depends on the medical fraternity to accept it or suggest certain modifications.

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

Srinagar: An elderly woman of north Kashmir’s Baramulla town on early Thursday was diagnosed positive for COVID-19.

An official told news agency KINS that , a 70 year woman of old town Baramulla who was admitted at chest hospital Srinagar on Thursday morning tested positive for COVID-19.

Earlier this week a doctor of town was tested positive for the deadly virus. (KINS)

Pulwama: The two districts of separate Union Territories including Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir and Kargil in Ladakh are now COVID-19 free as all the positive patients have recovered and have so far been discharged from the hospitals.

Officials from Pulwama told news agency—Kashmir News observer (KNO) that three positive patients from Khaigam, Chandgam and Sangervani village of the district who are members of Tableegi Jamaat have recovered and have been discharged from the hospital.

Medical Superintendent of District Hospital Pulwama, Dr Jameel Ahmad Mir told—KNO that all the three positive patients from the district have recovered and were discharged.

Pertinently, seven villages including Khaigam, Sangerwani, Abhama villages of Tehsil Rajpora and Gudoora, Chandgam, Pinglena and Parigam of Tehsil Pulwama were declared Red Zone while adjoining villages of these Tehsils were declared buffer zones.

Officials said that people of Red zone area were screened four times and no positive case was reported from the district in last 20 days.

Officials from Ladakh also said that all the four positive patients of Kargil district have recovered and were discharged.

Additional District Magistrate Kargil, Sonam Chosjar has said there is no positive case of COVID-19 at Kargil now as fourth positive case from Sankoo area of the district was also discharged on Wednesday.

“We have one suspected patient at the hospital now and many persons from Iran are returning,” he said.

Pertinently, administration also discharged the close contacts of the 4th positive, who were kept in quarantine in Shakar Chiktan area of the district – (KNO)

Srinagar: There would be no congregational Friday and Taraweeh prayers in Jamia Masjid Srinagar for the holy month of Ramadhan in view of the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the grand mosque’s management said on Wednesday.

“In view of the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar keeping in view the strict medical advisories of maintaining social distance by health experts will continue with the suspension of Friday congregations and Taraweeh prayers in Jamia Masjid, till the situation returns to normal, In Sha Allah,” the Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar said in a statement issued.

So, it is suggested to Muslims to offer Taraweeh along with the mandatory daily five time prayers at homes and seek Almighty Allah’s refuge from the pandemic, it added.

Meanwhile, the Anjuman has felicitated and expressed good wishes to the Muslim Ummah especially the Muslims of Jammu & Kashmir on the arrival of the holy month of Ramadhan.

The Anjuman prayed to Almighty Allah to “bestow us with Eemaan, Ikhlaas and good health to spend this holy month with full sincerity and dedication”.

Jammu: National Conference Provincial President Devender Singh Rana on Wednesday sought 4G internet to be declared as essential service under the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and called for its restoration in Jammu and Kashmir on immediate basis in the larger interest of people, especially students, professionals besides medical diagnostic cum tele-medication centres.

According to statement issued Rana said “The necessity of fast-speed internet has assumed significance following the launch of online academics by both, the government and the private educational institutions, as also the professionals engaged in work from home”, Rana said in a statement, adding that the facility is equally important for medical diagnostic centres to ensure dispatch of findings to those having undergone various routine tests.

Many of the patients have switched over to Tele-counselling due to restrictions on movement which makes high speed internet all the more important, he added.

The Provincial President said the government might have apprehensions or fears about possible misuse of the internet services but that should not be an excuse to punish the entire population of Jammu and Kashmir. There can always be checks and balances by putting in place a robust mechanism of cyber monitoring to book the violators and tackling them as per law. This, he said, can serve as deterrent for the wrong users and, at the same time, not deny the others access to dependable and fast speed internet.

Rana reminded the administration of various public declarations about imparting education online and motivating professionals to work from home, saying this has to be facilitated by restoring 4G, as the present slow speed 2G is an irritant.

He said widespread complaints are being lodged by the stakeholders with regard to denial of the high speed internet and the government should take a call and restore it, sooner the better. He said the 2G internet has become biggest impediment for students, especially younger ones, to keep pace with the online education, as vast chunk of parents cannot afford broadband services.

He feared disruption in normal educational activities due to likely restrictions to continue for some time, saying this may require dependable internet services to such of the students as well who are solely dependent on mobile internet, thus ensuring level play field for all. Therefore, the government must revisit its decision and come to the rescue of mobile phone subscribers who have no option but to bank upon 2G services only as of now, he said and termed denial of 4G internet services as a discrimination.

Rana further elaborated that most of the people, especially senior citizens, are required to undergo frequent routine diagnostic testing and they cannot venture out to collect the reports of their tests due to obtaining lockdown, though samples can be collected from homes. In such a scenario, as also scanning of medical reports by the professionals, high speed internet has become imperative, he added.

The Provincial President described provision of 4G internet as social responsibility of the government, saying the people have been wholeheartedly supporting every initiative to combat corona virus and therefore they deserve a better deal, infested of being deprived of the technological advancement like people in rest of the country, the statement said.

SRINAGAR: Asking people to ensure strict lockdown to combat COVID-19, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has directed district development commissioners that petrol pumps should provide fuel to only those people who are having movement passes.

Amid surge in COVID-19 cases, government has directed security agencies to ensure strict lockdown to contain the virus in the valley.
In another strict measure, district development commissioners have been directed to ensure that fuel is provided to only those people who are having movement passes.

“All the district development commissioners shall strictly ensure that the fuel shall be provided by the petrol pumps only to persons having the movement pass,” read Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole, directives to DCs, a copy of which lies with news agency KINS.
The coronavirus cases in Kashmir valley have crossed the 300-mark while four people have died due to the infection so far.

Restrictions remained imposed since March 18 to combat the spread of COVID-19 in Kashmir valley.
The Srinagar DC has issued strict warnings against violations of restrictions as ordered in the district. He directed for strict implementation and adherence to all restrictions ordered until May 3.

Official said authorities have also begun the use of Rapid Antibody Test kits in the Red Zones areas across the valley to check the community spread of the disease.

Bandipora is the worst COVID-19 hit district in the Union Territory of J&K with over 90 positive cases and one death so far. Officials said that over 80 Red Zones were identified in Kashmir division and that such areas will remain red zones up to 42 days, unless no new positive case of COVID-19 is detected.