With his swearing-in, the five-decade-long practice of retired bureaucrats being appointed to the post has ended.
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Strongly hitting out at Pakistan for again raking up the Kashmir issue at the United Nations, India has said a constructive contribution cannot be expected from a country that has an established practice of hosting terrorists and is the "epicentre" of global terrorism, and the biggest destabilising force in the world.
A series of guidelines have been issued to pilgrims undertaking the Amarnath Yatra this year, including asking women not to wear sarees while trekking, by the shrine board which organises the two-month long pilgrimage.
Official also said the recent escalation in targeted terrorist violence would not lead to any change in plans for holding the annual Amarnath Yatra which is scheduled from June 30-August 11.
The first batch of Amarnath yatris from outside the state was welcomed on Wednesday by the police and civil administration amid tight security arrangements at Lakhanpur, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir.
It's just not a date. It's just not about selecting a candidate. It's not about helping some candidate win. It's about expressing emotion, after ten years, that could reach out in India and beyond it, notes Sheela Bhatt.
Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was suspended due to lurking threat of floods in the Valley, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded, officials said.
Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a high-level meeting on June 3 to discuss the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the second such exercise in less than a fortnight which comes at a time when terrorists have been carrying out targeted killings in the Valley.
In an audacious move, 11 young Kashmiri militants donning army fatigues and holding firearms, posted their photographs on Facebook, forcing the security forces to sit up and take notice.
For the fourth consecutive day, Monday, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained closed for traffic in the wake of landslides at some places, even as higher reaches in Kashmir received fresh snowfall overnight.
Normal life remained badly affected on Friday as shops and market places were closed and vehicles off the roads in response to a bandh over the Amarnath land transfer issue. The bandh, called by Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti to demand transfer forest land to the shrine board, entered the 62nd day on Friday amid no signs of immediate rapprochement between the Samiti and the government.
About 10 inches of snow had accumulated on ground around Jawahar Tunnel areas, but the real problem is continuous landslides and shooting of stones triggered by incessant rains in Ramban sector which is hampering the efforts of early restoration of the highway.
'India should be able to weather the storm, given its enhanced standing among the major powers. However, India's international clout is partly from its rapidly growing emerging economy and a large and expanding commercial market. 'If the Indian economy continues to slow and protectionist barriers advance, then our international clout will also diminish. The international fallout from bringing the Valley to heel may be more difficult to handle,' says Shyam Saran.
In a bid to enhance preparedness for disaster management among government officials involved in management of the annual Amarnath Yatra starting July 2, National Disaster Management Authority has planed to conduct a three-day mock drill.
The meeting came after terrorists carried out a series of targeted killings in the Kashmir Valley that include non-Muslims, security personnel, an artist and local civilians.
In the last three years, the Union Territory administration has invoked 311 (2)(c) of the Constitution to sack more than 50 employees, who were allegedly operating in shadows within the government and drawing a salary from the public exchequer, however, they were helping Pakistani terror outfits, providing logistics to terrorists, propagating terrorists' ideology, raising terror finances and furthering secessionist agenda, officials said.
Ahead of a crucial meeting on Jammu and Kashmir, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Thursday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and is believed to have discussed the security situation in the Union territory which has witnessed a spate of targeted killings since May 12.
The Meteorological Department has forecast rains or snow over five days from Monday.
Responding to a question, Abdullah said elections can be held whenever the government wants.
Kher reportedly had earlier said that all the issues in the valley will be resolved if Article 370, which provides special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir is abolished.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday reviewed the situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir, including the security arrangements along the border with Pakistan, officials said.
Snowfall brought cheer to many Kashmiris.
An uptick has been noticed in the number of foreign terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir post the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan but the overall strength of militants in the valley is low and can be capped below 200, outgoing CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh said on Thursday.
Indian Armed Forces around the country and beyond performed yoga to celebrate the eighth edition of the International Day of Yoga, June 21, 2022.
China on Thursday voiced its opposition to India's reported plans to hold the next year's meeting of G-20 leaders in Jammu and Kashmir.
'The Governor himself had clarified matters on (Article) 35A yesterday in Baramulla and the day before in Srinagar,' the statement added.
A provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act has been issued for attaching bank deposits, plots, flats and residential houses, it said in a statement.
The meeting came in the backdrop of recent developments in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday issued an advisory to Amarnath yatris and tourists asking them to curtail their stay in the Valley, citing security concerns after the Indian Army said that Pakistani terrorists are planning to disrupt the pilgrimage.
Heading a PDP-BJP government formed with an alliance between two ideological extremes, Mehbooba faces a challenging task ahead as she will strive to carry forward her father's 'healing touch' legacy.
This came after the Jammu and Kashmir administration issued an advisory to tourists and Amarnath Yatris to leave the Valley immediately, citing a terror threat.
Bullet-proof vehicles, wall-through radars and drones are some of the new gadgets inducted by the Central Reserve Police Force into its counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir, leading to precision-based actions against terrorists.
There were 11,301 tourists when the advisory was issued and only 1,652 of them remained on Saturday.
Seven Indo-Tibetan Border Police jawans died and 32 security personnel were injured when the bus in which they were returning from Amarnath Yatra duty fell into a deep gorge in the Pahalgam area of Jammu and Kashmir, a police official said.
Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani, who chose to stay away from the all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh flayed the Centre for not finding an amicable solution to the problems raised by the people of Jammu. He was addressing a Yuva Kranti Rally organised by Amit Thakar, president of Yuva Janata Dal.
The order led to panic in Kashmir which has remained tense for the past few days after the Centre ordered deployment of 100 companies of additional troops in the valley.
Singh, who was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and Army Chief Gen MM Naravane, visited the North Hill post and was apprised about the situation at the border by senior officials.
The ceasefire along Indo-Pak border is working 'well' since February 2021 agreement, he asserted.
Earlier in the day protesters defied curfew in Udhampur in Jammu region, hit by violence over the Amarnath land row, even as life in Kashmir valley remained paralysed for third consecutive day following a strike call given by a separatist group.
The governor requested the political leaders to ask their supporters to maintain calm and not believe exaggerated and unfounded rumours being circulated all around.
Delhi saw seven cold wave days in January 2020, while it did not record any such day last year.
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