AFSPA Lifted From Maghalaya

Transcription

1 24 TUESDAY APRIL-2018 SRINAGAR TODAY : MOSTLY SUNNY 21 KASHMIR Contact : FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS & YOUR COPY OF Maximum : 25 O Minmum : 06 O Humidity : 72% SUNSET Today 07:09 PM SUNRISE Tommrow 05:50 AM 07 Shaban 1439 Hijri Vol:21 Issue:97 Pages:12 Price: `3 twitter.com / kashmirobserver facebook.com/kashmirobserver Postal Regn: L/159/KO/SK/ News / 05 CIA AGENTS TRACKED BY TECHNOLOGY IN 30 COUNTRIES Closed-circuit television and wireless infra structure has made it easy... 06/ Opinion... WHY OMAR WAS HECKLED IN USA We want to take you to the International Criminal Court, right now!, You, your father and grandfather are all war criminals. This is how the former chief minister of Jammuand Kashmir / Life and times... HERE S WHY YOGURT SHOULD BE PART OF YOUR DAILY DIET... Yogurt, the versatile dairy product, is filled with nutrition and should be part of your daily diet... Wisdom The only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas. ~Alfred Whitney Griswold News Digest Salman Khan In Valley Srinagar: Bollywood star Salman Khan on Monday reached Kashmir to shoot for Remo D Souza directed movie Race 3. Reports said that the 52-year-old actor has reached the picturesque health resort of Sonamarg along with Jacqueline Fernandez for the shoot. Khan had last time shot scenes for his blockbuster Bajrangi Bhaijan in Kashmir. Shepherd Injured Jammu: A 60-year-old shepherd was critically injured today when he accidentally stepped over a landmine near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district, police said. Abdul Gani lost his left foot in the blast at the Khari Karmara sector around 3.45 pm and was admitted to a hospital, a police official said. He said the shepherd was tending his sheep and goats when he stepped over the landmine causing the explosion. Shelling along LoC In Poonch Jammu: Pakistani troops today allegedly targeted forward posts and villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district with mortar shells and gunfire in violation of the ceasefire, an official said. Pakistan army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 1730 hours today in the Krishnaghati sector along the LoC, the Army official said. P10 Murder Accused Held Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Police said Monday it has arrested two men wanted on murder and abduction charges from Jammu city, and seized a country-made pistol and live ammunition from them. Babber Khan and Riyaz Ahmed were arrested from Paloura area last night, a police official said. A case has been registered at Janipur police station. The police in an initial investigation found the two P10 India Highest Recipient Of Remittances New Delhi: India retained the top position as recipient of remittances with its diaspora sending about USD 69 billion back home last year, the World Bank said today. Remittances to India picked up sharply by 9.9 per cent, reversing the previous year s dip, but were still short of USD 70.4 billion received in In its latest Migration and Development Brief, the World Bank estimated that officially recorded remittances P10 Kathua RAPE And Murder No Let Up In Student Protests Despites Govt s Warning Many Students Injured, Arrested After Fresh Protests Across Valley Observer News Service Srinagar: Notwithstanding Education Minister Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari warning of tough measures if students didn t end protests and attend classes, demonstrations and clashes continued on Monday in Kashmir valley against rape and brutal murder of an eightyear-old girl in Kathua in January this year. Scores of students boycotted their classes and hit the streets at main town in south Kashmir district of Anantnag on Mondaymorning, demanding death penalty to the culprits in the Kathua case. Soon after the clashes erupted, all the business establishments in most parts of the town were closed. It also led to grinding halt to the traffic for some time. Government forces used tear smoke shells and baton Naidu Rejects Impeachment Notice Against CJI Says Opposition Unsure Of Their Own Case Agencies New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the Opposition s impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra. In his 10-page order, Naidu has dealt with every charge mentioned and claimed that the Opposition MPs were "unsure" of their own case and was based on "suspicion and conjectures." Mr. Naidu's order observed, "The Hon'ble Members of Parliament who have presented the petition are unsure of their own case. Page 1 of the petition uses phrases such as 'the facts and circumstances of the Prasad Education Trust show prima facie evidence suggesting that the Cong To Move SC New Delhi: The Congress on Monday said it will file a petition in the Supreme Court to challenge the Rajya Sabha Chairman's order rejecting the impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra. Earlier in the day, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, who is also the Chairman of the Upper House, rejected the impeachment notice submitted to him by Opposition members of Rajya Sabha led by the Congress. P10 Chief Justice of India 'may have been' involved in a case of illegal gratification..." P10 Pic Abid Bhat / KO WOMEN CRPF PERSONNEL STAND guard at city centre Lal Chowk in anticipation of student protests on Monday charge against students resulting in injuries to six of them. Among the injured, one Wamiq Aijaz sustained pellet wounds in his abdomen and was hospitalised. At Bijbehara, students of higher secondary school staged a protest demonstration and in the meantime, clashes erupted between them and government forces already deployed in the area. At Shopian, students of higher secondary school P10 BUKHARI ON SUNDAY ORDERED TO CLOSE of all private tuition centres for 90 days in Kashmir valley. The development had come just a day after the Education Minister warned of strict action if the student protests didn t end. UDAAN Now TED s Baby Jammu: The Government has transferred the administration of UDAAN to the Technical Education Department. Sanction is hereby accorded to the transfer of State Facilitation Mechanism (Scheme) UDAAN alongwith all relevant records from Planning, Development and Monitoring Department to the Technical Education Department for providing logistic support to the skilled youth & implementation of scheme successfully, said an order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD). Udaan is a Special Industry Initiative for Jammu & Kashmir in the nature of partnership between the corporates of India and Ministry of Home Affairs and implemented by National P10 AFSPA Lifted From Maghalaya Agencies New Delhi: The Indian Home Ministry has removed Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from Meghalaya and reduced it to eight police stations in Arunachal Pradesh. Earlier the AFSPA was effective in 20 km area along the Assam-Meghalaya border. In Arunachal Pradesh, the impact of AFSPA was reduced to eight police stations instead of 16 police stations and in Tirap, Longding and Changlang districts bordering Assam. The Ministry has also relaxed the Protected Area Permit (PAP) for foreigners visiting Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland. The PAP will be valid for five years, but residents from Pakistan, Afghanistan and China will not be allowed to visit these areas. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 is effective in whole of Nagaland, Assam, Manipur (excluding seven assembly constituencies of Imphal) and parts of Arunachal Pradesh. As per Section 3 of the AFSPA, it can be invoked in places where the use of armed forces in aid of the civil power is necessary. Revoke Draconian Act From Kashmir Too: Mirwaiz Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Monday asked Government of India to remove Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Kashmir saying the draconian act has played havoc with our lives. For the past 30years draconian &oppressive #AFSPA has played havoc with our lives. Time &again we have demanded its withdrawal. If GOI can remove P10 The AFSPA gives power to army and central forces deployed in disturbed areas to kill anyone acting in contravention of law, arrest and search any premises without a warrant and provide cover to forces from prosecution and legal suits without Centre s sanction. P10 PDP Member Meets Mirwaiz 'Deceitfully' Srinagar: A member of ruling Peoples Democratic Party Dr Nazir Ahmad Yatoo on Monday deceitfully met chairman of his faction of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. An amalgam of the Hurriyat Conference said that Mirwaiz reprimanded him for lying to him and politely asked him to leave. The meeting was fruitful. Mr Mirwaiz did not use any harsh words. Mirwaiz to some extent is satisfied with regard to Kathua rape and murder, Yatoo told reporters. Mirwaiz expressed hope that culprits will be booked. P10 Diagnostic Centres On HC Radar Marouf Ali Srinagar: The J&K High Court on Monday directed proper monitoring of diagnostic centres to prevent any unfair practice by them even as it directed Commissioner Secretary Health and Family Welfare Department to issue vide publicity about the cost of coronary stents available in the hospitals. Hearing a Public Interest Litigation, a division bench of the P10 'Closing Coaching Centres Egoistic' Observer News Service Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani on Monday strongly condemned the state authorities for closing private coaching centres, saying it illustrates egoistic approach. Blaming state administration for following RSS agenda, Geelani said that this dictatorial order is aimed at to ruining future of our students. 3 Khair Wood Factories Sealed Jammu: The police on Sunday sealed three illegal khair wood (kattha) factories in Kathua and Samba districts of Jammu and Kashmir, following the complaints of malpractices in its supply. Speaking to news agency, the Inspector General (IG) of Police Jammu range S.D. Singh said, "We received complaints on April 19 about the illegal khair wood factories. The police have raided three industries dealing with khair wood - two of them in Kathua district and one at Samba district. They have been sealed. During the investigation, the excess volume of khair wood was detected in these units. No arrests have P10 The octogenarian accused authorities for hatching conspiracies and said they failed to deliver any good, saying their activities are aimed at to please their masters in New Delhi. All orders are being issued from Nagpur. The state authorities are pushing youth to wall. It is ridiculous and shameful P10 Education Should Be Politics Neutral: CCA Stating that education should be politics neutral, the Coaching Centres Association (CCA) on Monday said that they won t close the coaching centres till they receive any formal order from the P10 Cabinet REJIG Amit Shah To Meet JK BJP Leaders Today Srinagar: National President of BJP Amit Shah is meeting the top leaders of the Jammu and Kashmir Bhartiya Janta Party, in New Delhi on Tuesday to finalize the names of party leaders who would be inducted and those who would be dropped from the council of ministers. While state leaders were tightlipped about the meeting, top sources in the BJP were quoted by local news agency KNS that Deputy Chief Minister, Nirmal Singh, State president Sat Sharma, general secretary Ashok Koul reached Delhi on Monday to meet the party president and other top party functionless. Yes top leaders of the BJP from the Jammu and Kashmir reached here and are scheduled to meet BJP President Amit Shah, party s general secretary in charge of J&K Ram Madhav, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister s Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh and Avinash Rai Khanna tomorrow, sources in the BJP said. Sources said that Party President would discuss and finalize names for exclusion, inclusion, from the Council of Ministry. If everything goes well, the reshuffle P10 TEST THE BEST BEST CARS WITH BEST BENEFITS HURRY! BOOK NOW *Terms & Conditions Apply HK NISSAN A UNIT OF HK AUTO WORLD PVT LTD SHOWROOM: NH-1A, South City Nowgam Byepass, Sgr )J&K) SERVICE: Athwajan Crossing, Near HK Cements, Sgr- (J&K) Cell: ,

2 To place an advertisement CALL Monday - Saturday (9am - 6pm) No 1- Dal Lake Boulevard Srinagar, , Kashmir BAZAR OBSERVER Tuesday Regional Transport Officer Anantnag Whereas joint application has been received by this office from Rafiq Ahmad Ganie S/o Ghulam Mohd Ganie R/o Sarnal Bala Anantnag (Party No 1st) as Transferor, (seller) owner of the Vehicle Innova Maxi Cab Bearing Regd No JK03C-9601 (Commercial/non-commercial ) covering under R/P No. 3985/MC/ANG and Ghulam Rasool Reshi S/o Gull Mohd Reshi R/o Veer Seran Pahalgam Anag (Party No. 2nd) as Transferee (purchaser) requesting for transfer of R/C & R/P of the above noted vehicle from Party NO. 1st and 2nd. Before the case is disposed off on its merit, andy body having any objection regarding the proposed transfer amy file his objection within seven (7) days from the publication of this notice to the office of the undersigned. No any representation / objection shall be entertained after stipulated period. No: ARTO/ANG-2018 DATED: Assistant Regional Transport Officer Anantnag Regional Transport Officer Pulwama Whereas joint application has been received by this office from Ab Samad Mir S/o Ab Ahad Mir R/o Kanigam Pulwama (Party No 1st) as Transferor, (seller) owner of the Vehicle Tata Sumo Bearing Regd No JK (Commercial/non-commercial ) covering under R/P No. -- and Mohd Iqbal Lone S/o Gh Mohd Lone R/o Dessu Durban Anantnag (Party No. 2nd) as Transferee (purchaser) requesting for transfer of R/C & R/P of the above noted vehicle from Party NO. 1st and 2nd. Before the case is disposed off on its merit, andy body having any objection regarding the proposed transfer amy file his objection within seven (7) days from the publication of this notice to the office of the undersigned. No any representation / objection shall be entertained after stipulated period. No: ARTO/Pul-2018 DATED: Assistant Regional Transport Officer Pulwama Regional Transport Officer Anantnag Whereas joint application has been received by this office from Rayees Ahmad Hajam S/o Mohd Akram Hajam R/o Uranhall Anantnag (Party No 1st) as Transferor, (seller) owner of the Vehicle 207 DI Bearing Regd No JK03C-3571 (Commercial/non-commercial ) covering under R/P No. -- and Javaid Ahmad Bhat S/o Gh Ahmad Bhat R/o Kurigam Qazigund (Party No. 2nd) as Transferee (purchaser) requesting for transfer of R/C & R/P of the above noted vehicle from Party NO. 1st and 2nd. & Cancellation of hire purchase argeement with J&K Bank Dailgam Anantnag. Before the case is disposed off on its merit, andy body having any objection regarding the proposed transfer amy file his objection within seven (7) days from the publication of this notice to the office of the undersigned. No any representation / objection shall be entertained after stipulated period. No: 510/MVD/ANG DATED: Assistant Regional Transport Officer Anantnag Regional Transport Officer Anantnag Whereas joint application has been received by this office from Mohd Shafeeq Hajam S/o Gh Nabi Hajam R/o Kawarigam Ang (Party No 1st) as Transferor, (seller) owner of the Vehicle Taveera Bearing Regd No JK03D-2473 (Commercial/non-commercial ) covering under R/P No. -- and Fayaz Ahmad Bandroo S/o Habibullah Bandroo R/o Sctkipora Anantnag (Party No. 2nd) as Transferee (purchaser) requesting for transfer of R/C & R/P of the above noted vehicle from Party NO. 1st and 2nd. & Cancellation of hire purchase argeement with J&K Bank Ranipora Anantnag. Before the case is disposed off on its merit, andy body having any objection regarding the proposed transfer amy file his objection within seven (7) days from the publication of this notice to the office of the undersigned. No any representation / objection shall be entertained after stipulated period. No: 511/MVD/ANG DATED: Assistant Regional Transport Officer Anantnag Regional Transport Officer Anantnag Whereas joint application has been received by this office from Bashir Amad WanI S/o Abdul Aziz Wani R/o New Qazibagh Anantnag (Party No 1st) as Transferor, (seller) owner of the Vehicle T, WINGER Bearing Regd No JK03C-5709 (Commercial/noncommercial ) covering under R/P No. -- and Bashir Ahmad WanI S/o Mohd Yousuf Wani R/o Kullan Kolar Kangan Srinagar Kmr (Party No. 2nd) as Transferee (purchaser) requesting for transfer of R/C & R/P of the above noted vehicle from Party NO. 1st and 2nd. Before the case is disposed off on its merit, andy body having any objection regarding the proposed transfer amy file his objection within seven (7) days from the publication of this notice to the office of the undersigned. No any representation / objection shall be entertained after stipulated period. No: 842/MVD/ANG DATED: Assistant Regional Transport Officer Anantnag OFFICE OF THE COLLECTOR AND ACQUISITION SUB DIVISIONAL MAGISTRATE CHHATROO NOTIFICATION In exercise of the powers conferred upon me under sub-section (i) of the section 4 of the J & K state land acquisition Act. I, Inderjeet Singh Parihar (KAS) Collector Land Acquisition (Sub Divisional Magistrate) Chhatroo do hereby notify the land, the particulars of which are given below is likely to the needed far public purpose namely for construction of Allopathic Dispensary at Gurinal Village Chhatroo Tehsll Chhatroo District Kishtwar. The interested persons if any, with respect to the acquisition of land may file their objections in my office within 15 days from the date of Publication/issuance of this notification. The particulars of land area are as under. S. No Name of The Tehsil Name of Village Kh No K M Name of The District Structure 01 Kishtwar Chhatroo Chhatroo 2250 Min No: SDMC/LA/18/ Dated: DIPK-766/18 Regional Transport Officer Anantnag Whereas an applicatoin has been recieved from one Ab Hameed Bhat S/o Gull Mohamad Bhat R/o Uranhall Anantnag Owner of vehicle NO JK03F 3252 for cancellation of Hire PUrchase Agreemen with JK Bank Ltd B/o Harnag Anantnag and HPA Agreement with Urban Co-Op Bank Ltd Anantnag. Now it is therefore notified for General informatoin that objection if any to the proposed cancellatoin/ endorsement of Hire Purchase Agreement sall be filled in writing in the office of ARTO Anantnag within a period of seven days from the publication of this notice in Daily Kashmir Observer Regional Transport Officer Anantnag Whereas joint application has been received by this office from Reyaz Ahmad Ahanger S/o Gh Rasool Ahanger R/o Safam Kokernag Anantnag (Party No 1st) as Transferor, (seller) owner of the Vehicle -- Bearing Regd No JK03A- 5517(Commercial/non-commercial ) covering under R/P No. 1318/MVD/ANG and Aabid Ahmad Dam S/o Ghulam Hassan Dam R/o Aho Paisan Chattergull Anantnag (Party No. 2nd) as Transferee (purchaser) requesting for transfer of R/C & R/P of the above noted vehicle from Party NO. 1st and 2nd. & Cancellation of hire purchase argeement with Hpa Stands With Same Bank. Before the case is disposed off on its merit, andy body having any objection regarding the proposed transfer amy file his objection within seven (7) days from the publication of this notice to the office of the undersigned. No any representation / objection shall be entertained after stipulated period. No: ARTO/ANG DATED: Assistant Regional Transport Officer Anantnag Assistant Regional Transport Officer Anantnag Regional Transport Officer, Shopian Whereas an application has been received by this office from Mr/ AJAZ AHMAD DAR S/O. AB AZIZ DAR R/O. DAGAMA SHOPIAN For Duplicate R/C, Bearing Registration No Jk Now therefore it is notified for general information that objection if any to the proposed R/C, R/P, F/C and D/L, Shall be filled in the office of the Asstt. Regional Transport Officer, Shopian within the period of 7 days of publication of the notice in the daily newspaper Kashmir Observer. No : ARTO/Spn/2018 Dated SAM ANG Wholesaler of Stationers Products S/D Asst Regional Transport Officer Shopian Area FB Trees N-FB Inderjeed Singh Parihar (KAS) Collector Land Acquisition (Sub Division Magistrate) Public Notice I have lost my Discharge Certificate of Class 10th Bearning Reg No N and Roll No issued by Green View Public School Magam Somewhere. Now I want to apply for the duplicate of the same if anybody has any objection in this regard he/she may file his/her objection in the office of the Principal Green Views Public School Magam within a period of seven days from the date of publicatoin of this notice After that no objection shall be entertained Mohd Yaqoob Ganai S/o Ab. Rashid Ganai Rol BHT MGM LOST I have lost my wallet containing Aadhar card, Election card and ATM card somewhere. No I am applying for the duplicate of the same. Anybody having any objection in this regard may contact the concerned offices within seven days from the publication of this notice. After that no objection will be entertained. Khurshid Ahmad Banday S/O: Abdul Rehman Banday R/O Mandujan Shopian Cell: SPN M Heritage Stationers Cell: fida_khan73@yahoo.com Ist Floor Hyderiya Building Dalgate Near State Bank of India PUBLIC I Nawaz Ahmad Reshi S/O Mohammad Akram Reshi R/O Dowani Shopian had lent an amount of Rs 1Lakh thirty thousand to Arshid Ahmad Rather S/O Abdul Khaliq Rather R/O Check Sindoo Shirmal Shopian some years back. But Arshid didn t repay money he had taken from me, despite repeated reminders. So I was forced to take his vehicle bearing registration no JK13A Neither Khaliq returned my money, nor did he approach me to take his vehicle back. Now I am selling the said vehicle to release my money. The amount fetch by the vehcile will be deducted from the debtd. The rest will remain on Arshid's Shoulders If anybody has any objection in this regard may contact Nawaz Ahmad Reshi on SPN M Government Medical College, Srinagar SUBJECT: Selection list of candidates for engagement as Jr. Grade Nurse in Govt. Medical College, Srinagar and its associated hospitals on academic arrangement basis under SRO 384 of 2009 read with SRO-409 of NOTIFICATION In continuation to this office Notification issued under No. AH/EST-II/2017/AAB-JGN/143-46, Dated: , the category-wise final selection list/waiting list of the candidates for engagement as Junior Grade Nurse in Govt. Medical College, Srinagar and its associated hospitals on academic arrangement basis under SRO-384 of 2009 read with SRO-409 of 2013, advertised vide this office Notification No. AH/EST-II/2017/AAB-JGN/ Dated: , has been prepared purely on the basis of merit obtained by the candidates in the written test held on 25th March, 2018 and is hereby notified as Annexure-A to this notification for information of the all concerned candidates. Ghulam Rasool Kumar(Bazaz) DIPK-824/18 KAS, Administrator, Associated Hospitals, GMC, Sgr. DISCLAIMER: KASHMIR OBSERVER MAKES EVERY EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT THE INFORMATION CARRIED IN DISPLAY/ CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS, APPEARING IN THE NEWSPAPER IS CORRECT. HOWEVER THE NEWSPAPER TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY NOR DOES IT NECESSARILY ENDORSE THE CONTENTS OF THESE ADVERTS. THE READERS ARE THEREFORE REQUESTED TO VERIFY THE CONTENTS BEFORE ACTING THEREUPON. MANAGEMENT G

3 Srinagar Observer Tuesday HC quashes appointment of two Asst Professors in SKIMS SRINAGAR: In a major setback to the patient care at the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) Department of Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir has quashed the appointment of two Assistant Professors in the department who were appointed without the proper qualification earlier. Terming the appointment as illegal, the court has also ordered the recovery of salary and other benefits from the appointed doctors. The appointment was made in 2010 vide government order no: 34 of SKIMS has been termed illegal by the court saying that both the doctors did not possess the required qualification to hold the post. Sources said that these two doctors were working in the department without having the required qualification. The matter was then taken to the court which quashed the appointment of these two doctors, however, the sources said that they continued to hold the posts so far. Pertinently, the court had earlier also quashed the appointment order, however the then Director SKIMS, Dr Showkat Zargar had filed a review petition Div Com reviews status of Semi-Ring road project SRINAGAR: Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan on reviewed the status of Semi-Ring road project and directed the officials to move from acquisition mode to working phase immediately. The Div Com chaired the meeting which was attended by DDCs of Pulwama, Budgam, Baramulla via video-conferencing. The officials representing National Highway Authority Limited, revenue, forest and other departments were also present in the meeting. The DDC Pulwama informed the meeting that the acquisition of land will be completed this week and land is ready for execution of work. Similarly, the DDC Budgam informed the Missing students traced, handed over to family SRINAGAR: Srinagar Police today traced two students (name withheld) who had gone missing from their homes since Sunday afternoon. The missing boys were traced with joint efforts of police and family members. They are safe and healthy and have been handed over to their families, said a police official. meeting that around 1200 kanals of land have been acquired out of 4500 kanals required. Similarly, in Srinagar the paperwork has been completed for 425 kanals. In Baramulla the required 279 kanals have already been handed over to National Highway Authority Limited. The Div Com appreciated the DDCs for speeding the acquisition mode and directed the NHAI to start the work on ground at an earliest. The meeting was informed that two camps have already been established for moving men and machinery for the operations. The Div Com said that the road will go a long way in decongesting the intra-district traffic in the Kashmir valley. (RPPIL NO 43/2014) in the High Court against the judgment. The double bench of high court at Srinagar heard the Review Petition and dismissed it vide order passed on dated , thereby maintaining the order of quashing the appointment of Dr Abdul Hamid Rather and Dr Javid Sheikh as Assistant Professor in the department. Notably, the Double Bench, also in Contempt Petition number 42/2015 filed by Mohammad Sayed Shah (petitioner) versus Dr Showkat Zargar, the then Director SKIMS, heard the case and upheld that the continuance of these two doctors was illegal and unwarranted. It appears that despite the orders passed by the court, the said respondents continued all along, which is clearly illegal and unwarranted, reads the court order, upholding the quash order, on March 30. The court also passed orders of recovery of salary and other benefits paid to these doctors by the Director/ Directors from till date, which have all along permitted the continuance of the said respondent doctors during the period from 11th July 2014 till date. The court has further asked the two doctors to come up with the details about the salary that they have withdrawn from the date of appointment till last they were holding the post. In this regard, the respondents shall give the details as regards the exact amount released in favour of respondents from 11th July till today, reads the judgement. Further the court has also sought the details of the Director/Directors of the SKIMS who were in place with effect from July 11, Director SKIMS, Dr Omar Javid Shah told this reporter that they have received the court order and will be responding appropriately. The court order was received and we will be sending a note to government which has to take the final call in this regard, he said. Adding that the court is the supreme body and the action will be taken as per its directives. City School not paid sanitation fee since last 6 years Wahid Bhat SRINAGAR: Under very nose of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), since last 6 years Presentation Convent School Srinagar School has been neglecting to pay sanitation fee towards SMC. Sources said that the school has not been paying sanitation fee towards SMC from last 6 years but till date no action has been taken by the authorities. Sources confirmed Press Trust of Kashmir that the school has not been paying sanitation fee towards SMC Srinagar as they have to pays rupee per month to wards SMC dept. It is pertinent to mention that valley's top most school located in Srinagar's posh Rajbagh area is found to be involved in an unholy nexus with the employees of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) from the last many years. The Presentation Convent according to reliable sources told Press Trust of Kashmir that is not at all paying sanitation fee towards the SMC but on the other hand SMC lifts huge amount of garbage from Presentation Convent School on daily basis. Sources also confirmed Press Trust of Kashmir that the Convent School Srinagar has a monthly income of more than 17 lakhs but it seems in no mood to pay mere Rs 5000 to Rs 6000 towards the SMC with proper receipt. The Safai Karamcharis of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) regularly take out huge garbage from the school premises as more than 2000 students are on the school rolls at Presentation Convent School. Press Trust of Kashmir reveals that SMC officials are not charging any monthly fee from the Presentation Convent School management for lifting the huge garbage which gets accumulated in the school premises. Sources further said that "even if the monthly fee is collected that may be collected illegally by the SMC officials without giving any receipt to school authorities. Sources confirmed that the school management never ever pays a single rupee towards SMC Srinagar. When contact SMC chief sanitation officer Sofi Muhammad Akbar Bhat he told Press Trust of Kashmir that they will take action against the school management. He added that the school has more than 2000 students enrolled and they have to pay RS per month. We will look into the matter and will issue notice to the school management. When contact presentation Convent Higher Secondary School they didn t pick phone. (PTK) THE PRESENTATION CONVENT ACCORDING TO RELIABLE SOURCES told that is not at all paying sanitation fee towards the SMC but on the other hand SMC lifts huge amount of garbage from Presentation Convent School on daily basis. Div Com reviews traffic management plan for Kashmir SRINAGAR: Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan today reviewed the traffic management plan for various districts in Kashmir division wherein he emphasized on the removal of encroachments, enforcement of new route plans and sustained action against traffic rules violators. The Div Com chaired the meeting that was attended by DDC Srinagar, IGP Traffic Kashmir, Commissioner SMC, Traffic Advisor and officials representing other departments. The DDCs from other districts attended the meeting via video conferencing. The Div Com said that government has put the efficient traffic management as the issue of one the foremost concern of public importance. He said that every effort is being put to resolve all issues and provide efficient transport facility to the public. The Div Com got the feedback and the work done in this regard from all districts. The IG Traffic flagged a number of issues in various districts to which Div Com ordered to take up on urgent basis. He directed to remove encroachments on the highway at Pattan, shifting of the fountain at Anantnag for road widening, smoothening of the road at the bus stand in Sopore and other such issues. The Div Com said that encroachments and illegal vendors will be removed with immediate effect and directed all DDCs to start a massive drive in this regard. He also directed the officials in districts to replicate the various initiatives taken in Srinagar. He said that all districts need to start roadside paid parking concept which will ease out traffic jamming. He said that the intelligent traffic lights will also be installed in districts wherever it is needed. CUK celebrates world book and copyright day SRINAGAR: Central University of Kashmir Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir today asked the students community and the youth to inculcate the habit of reading books. We are living in a technology driven age wherein every bit of information is available on the click of a button. Despite that, the books still hold utmost importance and the youngsters should develop habit of reading diverse range of books in order to gain more knowledge and further improve their language skills, Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir said while addressing the participants during a function organised by the Central Library of the varsity to commemorate the World Book and Copyright Day, at Nowgam-I academic block here. Former Chief Information Commissioner, J&K State, G.R Sufi, noted columnist Z.G Muhammad, Director, Research & Development, CUK, Prof. Abdul Gani, Librarian, Dr. Abdul Majid Baba, Dean of Schools, Heads and Coordinators of the departments, faculty members, officers, members from civil society, scholars and students were also present during the occasion. Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir said the technological advancement has also resulted in increased plagiarism. The plagiarism existed earlier also, but in very less magnitude, but due to the advent of internet, the number of plagiarism cases, has increased manifold, CUK Vice- Chancellor said, adding that the technology has also affected the social fabric as the youngsters nowadays are seen glued to their mobile phones rather than socialising with family members and friends. Noted Columnist, Z.G Muhammad, while speaking on the occasion, said, the book reading is facing huge threats from the technological advancements and the number of people and youngsters purchasing books from the stores has shown a drastic decline. Z G Muhammad said that in order to revive the book reading, the parents should allow their wards to read anything. The children should be allowed to read, comics, cartoons, fiction and whatever they want so that reading habits get inculcated in them, he said, adding the libraries established should also have coffee shops, kids corners, games so that the youth gets attracted to them. Addressing the gathering, Director, Research & Development, CUK, Prof. Abdul Gani, complimented the Central Library for holding the programme and said the technological onslaught had an adverse impact on habit of book reading. He said that there can t be a better habit than reading a book and there can t be a better place than reading it in library. Prof. Abdul Gani also deliberated on the guidelines to be adopted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to check the growing menace of plagiarism in research and publication of papers. Former Chief Information Commissioner, J&K State, G.R Sufi, while speaking on the occasion said, the people in subcontinent should be proactive in commemorating such days. I wonder why is it that only European people identify such days and not the people living in sub-continent, he added. Librarian, Dr. Abdul Majid Baba, while speaking about the significance of the day, said the day is being commemorated as several high profile authors have got birth and have passed away on this day, ie. 23rd of April. This year is 23rd year of celebrating this event worldwide. The main objective of this day is to inculcate reading habits and protect the rights of authors with the enactment of copyright laws, he added. During the celebrations, quiz programmes was also conducted and questions pertaining to bestselling books and famous authors were asked to the participants and prizes in the form of printed books were awarded on the spot to those who answered correctly. Exhibition of important books available in Central Library, Central University of Kashmir was also conducted. Assistant Librarian, Ms. Humma Ahanger conducted the programme proceedings while as Assistant Librarian, Mr Tariq Ahmad proposed the vote of thanks. (KNS) Demolition drive sparks shutdown in Karan Nagar SRINAGAR: The encroachment drive against illegal encroacher sparked shutdown and protest in Karan Nagar area of Srinagar city on Monday. Reports said that IG Traffic Basant Rath visited the area and found that the owner of a house and three shops has encroached footpath. Accordingly, he conveyed this to SMC and later on the demolition wing swung into action and demolished the encroached portion. The demolition move sparked massive protest and shutdown in the area. Those who were affected with the demolition drive included the house owner Ghulam Rasool, Shalimar Auto Dealer, Kashmir Auto and Bulbul Auto Dealer. President Traders Federation Karan Nagar Ajaz Shahdhar in a statement while condemning the action said that they always stand by law but it was the obligation and responsibility of the authorities to follow due procedure. No notice was served to these shopkeepers. It has become a norm in Kashmir to allow anyone to go ahead with construction and then for no reason SMC demolish that. Probe should be ordered on what basis SMC allows an encroacher whosoever he may be to go for encroachment, he questioned. HC stays FIR proceedings against TOI reporter SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir high court on Monday stayed the proceedings of the FIR registered against a Times of India reporter. The FIR was filed against reporter Saleem Pandit in police station Kothi Bagh under section 505 (1)b RPC dated April 3, 2018, by ten local travel agencies for publishing,what they called as fake news item on April 1 and 2 to spread fear among the intending tourists. Justice M K Hanjura on Monday hearing the plea of the advocate Javid Iqbal on behalf of the petitioner entertained the main petition for quashing the FIR, while issuing notices to the state respondents, the hon ble judge stayed the proceedings of the FIR and directed the respondents SHO and Investigating officer to file objections on next date of hearing on May 29, DIAL-EMMA AIRPORTS TRAFFIC POLICE : , PCR: , PDD: FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES : , , CAPD: SMC HEALTH OFFICER: SHIEK UL ALAM AIRPORT: RAILWAYS SRINAGAR: ANANTNAG: BARAMULLA: BIJBHERA: PAMPORE: PATTAN: QAZIGUND: HIGHWAY STATUS SRINAGAR JAMMU: OPEN SRINAGAR-LEH: OPEN MUGHAL ROAD: OPEN SRINAGAR-MUZAFFARABAD: CLOSED HIJRI CALENDAR 07 SHABAN 1439 PRAYERS FAJR---4: 32 ZUHR---12: 31 ASR---5:22 Magrib 7:15 ISHA---8:37 This Day in History Easter Rising of Irish republicans against British occupation begins in Dublin men of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition launch a lifeboat from uninhabited Elephant Island in the Southern Ocean to organise a rescue for icetrapped ship Endurance British Mandate over Palestine goes into effect (lasts 28 years) Polish troops attack Ukraine st municipal elections for men & women in Belgium Under Allies supervision, a plebiscite in the Tyrol favors merging with Germany; unhappy with the outcome, Allies give the area to Italy Fathometer, which measures underwater depth, patented British army begins evacuation of Greece Independent republic of South Molukkas declared US President Harry Truman denies there are communists in the US government Jordan formally annexes the West Bank Conference of Bandung against colonialism and for self determination, ends Gaullists lose elections in France Vietnam War: American General William Westmoreland says in a news conference that the enemy had gained support in the United States that gives him hope that he can win politically that which he cannot win militarily USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR Mauritius becomes a member state of the United Nations Soyuz 10 returns to Earth US military operation to save 52 hostages in Iran, fails, 8 die s of thousands of student strikes in Beijing, China Security law violator Michael Milken pleads guilty to 6 felonies US 66th manned space mission STS 31 (Discovery 10) launches into orbit West & East Germany agree to merge currency & economies on July 1st The IRA explodes a 1000kg car bomb in Bishopsgate, London, killing a news photographer and injuring 44 others The UN and Iraq end a third round of negotiations over Iraq s possible sale of $1 billion of oil for 90 days for a 180-day trial period King Gyanendra of Nepal gives into the demands of protesters and restores the parliament that he dissolved in people are killed and 115 are injured after a magnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes Jalalabad, Afghanistan people are killed and 1,000 are injured after a building collapses Savar Upazila, Bangladesh Armenia commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman Empire From KO Archives Malik, others to be released, shifted to Tihar Jail Observer News service NEW DELHI: While authorities released a detained leader of Hurriyat Conference from Udhampur jail this evening, JKLF chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik along with five top functionaries of the alliance were today shifted to Tihar Jail here from Jodhpur prison in Rajasthan in an apparent move by the government to release them. The leaders are likely to be released soon as part of the cen tre's efforts for restoration of peace in troubled Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here. Besides Malik, others shifted to Tihar Jail are Abdul Majid (JKLF),Abdul Ahad Waza, (Jamat-e-Islami),. Ghulam Muhammad Sankar (Ittehadul Muslimeen) and Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai (Jamat-e-Islami), the sources said. A report from Jammu said that senior Peoples Conference leader Dr Ghulam Nabi Hubhi was set free this evening from Udhampur Jail where he was detained since September last year under Public Safety Act. The sources said release order of senior Muslim Conference leader Ghulam Nabi Sumji had been issued and he would be released tomorrow. The centre has indicated to hold talks with the Hurriyat leaders but they are insisting on a formal offer for the talks before giving any reaction. Three senior Hurriyat leaders, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat and Maulana Mohammed Abass Ansari, were released by the centre earlier this month after over six months detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA). Almost all of the top Hurriyat leaders, who were leading a poll boycott campaign in the state, were arrested in August and Sep tember last year under the act. Kashmir Observer, April 24, 2000

4 State Tuesday IN BRIEF Malik condemns prolonged detention of JKLF leader SRINAGAR: Chairman JKLF Muhammad Yasin Malik has strongly condemned the prolonged detention of party s zonal president Noor Muhammad Kalwal who is lodged at police station Kothibagah for the last many days. Noor sahib was today again presented before court which extended his remand for five more days. He has been again shifted to police station Kothibagh, Malik said in a statement issued to GNS. While condemning the spree of arrests, nocturnal raids, slapping of PSA on political activists and other oppressive tactics of police, Malik said that during recent days, an ugly upsurge is seen in these undemocratic acts while is highly condemnable. Police have actually declared a war on peaceful activists and resistance camp and young boys are being pushed to the wall, which actually acts of promoting violence in Kashmir and highly condemnable, he said. 54 travelers cross sides on LoC bus in Uri SRINAGAR: Twenty seven (27) passengers from each of the two sides Srinagar and Muzafarabad on Karwan-e- Aman bus crossed sides on the Line of Control in Uri area of north Kashmir s Baramulla district Monday. Official sources told KNS that twenty seven passengers from Srinagar boarded the Karwan-e-Aman bus and crossed to the other side of the LoC to reach Muzafarabad and equal number of passengers including sixteen women, nine men and two children travelled from Muzafarabad to Srinagar. Managing Director J&K SRTC Mir Afroz when contacted told KNS twenty seven passengers from each side travelled on cross LoC bus today and reached their destinations. It is in place to mention here that in the year 2005 when Mufti Mohammad Sayeed led PDP-Congress coalition government was in place the Srinagar-Muzafarabad bus service was started for the first time after 1947 partition to help the members of separated families meet each other. (KNS) Strike by Clerks hits normal activity in government offices SRINAGAR: The strike of clerks in all the field offices of all the government departments has crippled the normal activity in government offices including the offices of Deputy Commissioners, Directorates of key departments and field offices. Official sources confirmed to KNS that the clerks in almost all the departments are continuing their strike for the last more than fifteen days over their demand on pay anomaly. The government is yet to respond to the demand of the protesting clerks despite the disruption in the normal work in government offices. CM e-inaugurates Dialysis facility at Anantnag District Hospital Asks Health Deptt to set up such facility at every District hospital; Says healthcare upgradation priority of her Govt SRINAGAR: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti e-inaugurated a separate Dialysis facility for Anantnag District Hospital here today. The state of the Art facility would benefit around five hundred patients of the South Kashmir region and directions for setting up of such a facility ware issued by the Chief Minister during her Public Outreach programme at Anantnag on November 11, Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Bhagat was present on the occasion. This is a step to provide highly specialized quality medicare facility to renal patients of far flung areas at their doorstep. A similar facility is being set up at the JLNM Hospital, Rainwari and Government Hospital, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu. Later the facility is planned to be extended to seven more District Hospitals in the State including Leh and Kargil. Expressing satisfaction at the setting up of this facility at the Anantnag District Hospital, the Chief Minister directed the Health Services Department to set up such facility at every District Hospital in view of a large number of patients requiring this frequently. The Chief Minister said upgradation and specialization of health facilities has been the thrust area of her Government particularly in rural areas. She said she has herself been monitoring the pace of work on the five upcoming Medical Colleges in the State and even the posts for the same have been created. This, she said, would take the healthcare facilities in the State to higher levels of quality and professionalism. Principal Secretary, Health & Medical Education, Dr. Pawan Kotwal; Director, Health Services, Kashmir, Dr. Saleem ur Rehman; Director, NHM, Dr. Yashpaul Sharma were present on the occasion. Several legislators of Anantnag district; Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag, Muhammad Younis; prominent citizens, doctors and a large number of people were present at Anantnag on the occasion. (GNS) BOPEE conducts CET for admission to Engineering Courses 7753 candidates appear in entrance test JAMMU: The J&K Board of Professional Entrance Examination (BOPEE) conducted Common Entrance Test (CET) Engineering 2018 in various centres at Srinagar and Jammu. Out of total of 8840 applicants, 7753 candidates appeared and 1087 candidates remained absent in the entrance test. The Board, while giving details of conduct of the test, informed that 6 centres were designated at Jammu and 8 centres were designated at Srinagar. Besides, the Board officials visited various centres located in both the divisions and supervised the whole exercise. Nearly, fourteen observers deployed by the Government and Fourteen Member Monitoring Squads of the Rank of College principals / Professors appointed by the BOPEE respectively also monitored the entrance test activities at their respective allotted centres. The board expressed gratitude to the principals and Staff of all the colleges / Polytechnics / Secondary institutions for their support in smooth conduct of the test. It also thanked to the Divisional and District administration besides law enforcing agencies for making elaborate arrangements enabling the Board conduct the examination in a successful and hassle-free manner. (GNS) JK Bank Chairman inaugurates 2 Business Units, 4 ATMs in Pulwama Our operations investment in prosperity of J&K - Parvez Ahmed SRINAGAR: J&K Bank Chairman and CEO Parvez Ahmed e-inaugurated two Business Units and three offsite ATMs today amid a huge round of applause at Pulwama in presence of Deputy Commissioner Ghulam Mohammad Dar, Bank s Executive President Vagesh Chander, and a large gathering of valuable customers, senior citizens, representatives of various trade bodies and local residents. The bank s Presidents P K Tickoo, Abdul Rashid Sheigan, Zonal Head Kashmir South I Tasaduq Hussain, Vice-Presidents besides other bank officials also attended the inaugural ceremony in the lush green lawn of Zonal office Kashmir south-i. The number of business units increased to 67 with a total of 87 ATM s in the district that falls within the jurisdiction of Zonal Office. The two business units e-inaugurated are at Samboora and Wahibug. And the four ATMs installed are at DC Office Pulwama, Achhen, Karimabad and Pehoo in the district. Speaking on the occasion Parvez Ahmed said, J&K Bank not only envisages its expanding Court rejects bail to four accused in ATM theft cases Not even a single penny recovered so far, other co-accused still at large SRINAGAR: A court on Monday rejected the bail plea of four accused involved in ATM theft cases. Court of Sub Judge, MR Chak while hearing the bail plea said that after hearing the arguments, pursued the application; repot filed by the police and also considered the objections filed by the prosecution, perusal of the case diary reveals that not even a single penny has been recovered and other co-accused who are still at large have been apprehended so far. Earlier, four accused identified as Aqib Sadiq Ganie, son of Mohd Sadiq Ganie, Uma Sidiq Ganaie, son of Mohd Sadiq Ganie Ahmad Lone, both residents of Matibugh, Yarpora, Kulgam, Junaid Bashir, son of bashir Ahmad Bhat, resident of Nunmai Yaripora, Kulgam and Bilal Ahmad Ganie, son of Mohd Yaqoob Ganie, resident of Check-i-Cholen, Shopian were arrested a few days ago for their involvement in ATM theft cases under FIR number 07/2018 under section 457 and 380 RPC. The offence seems to have been committed in an organized manner by a gang of criminals and not only the ATM installed at Karanagar has been stolen but they seem to be involved in looting other four machines at public places, the court order reads, adding that these are economic offences where public money is involved and courts are also required to exercise utmost restraint in admitting accused to bail especially when money looted s yet to be recovered and co-accused are yet to be arrested. These are not ordinary offences where Court can over look and grant the bail to the accused pending investigation but these are very special and heinous offences which must be dealt with sternly to ensure recovery of stolen money ad arrest of the co-accused, the court order reads. It further stated that in such cases public interest must beborne in mind while admitting or rejecting the bail applications. Admission to bail in such type of offences at this stage will surely encourage the accused to repeat the same offence as has been done by them in recent past. I am aware of the fact that liberty of the accused has been curtailed and operations as means of financial empowerment of the people but foresees these as investment in economic prosperity of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Our JKcentric strategy focusses upon the need to energize the sectors of J&K economy with enormous growth potential. Accordingly, we shall be extending the credit to those capable of taking lead in the transformation of such sectors besides the skilled youth who haven t availed the loans so far. For that to happen effectively we expect the youth to equip themselves with right education and required skill-set. That is the only way to negotiate better deals not only for themselves but the organizations they will work for. To all the youth I assure total support and services of J&K Bank, he added. Chairman while deliberating on his Idea and belief of Bank s Business In J&K State explained in detail why he aspires for quality education to State youth who with their sheer talent which they are bestowed with can transform the socio economic landscape of the State.The proper education, training and direction through a they are behind the bars w.e.f but at the same time there being at large would definitely hamper recovery of stolen property and arrest of the co-accused and therefore individual interest of a person must yield before the larger interests of the society. Therefore, what has been briefly stated herein that the accuse do not deserve to be admitted to bail at this stage and application being devoid of any merit is dismissed, the court order added. Prosecution Officer (PO), Anwar Rizvi raised the objections in the process of bail on the count that the instant applicant merits rejection on the ground that the offences committed by the accused persons are grave and heinous in nature apart from being non-bailable as such cannot claim as a matter of right. (KNS) conducive environment will develop the State youth for global challenges of handling Businesses and under such a perfectly evolved scenario, huge Business and profits for the Bank shall arrive as a secondary benefit. Quoting instance of huge daily consumption of dairy, meat and poultry items in the State, Chairman elaborated as to how its home production in the potentially capable twin districts of Pulwama and Shopian can generate huge employment and in turn prosperity to the area. In this endeavor chairman offered his services and resources of the bank to bring franchise model of reputed brands for showcasing the local talent and products as per global standards. Chairman also expressed his keen desire to conduct a buyer-seller meet of all concerned stakeholders of the valley in future. Advising the staff of the bank present on the occasion to work towards the empowerment of the people especially youth, Chairman emphasized the need to reorient the customer service of the Bank towards inspiring the people for working jointly with us for home delivering the blended prosperity Dulat asks Tasaduq to take Mirwaiz and Omar on board and initiate dialogue with GoI NEW DELHI: Spy master and former Chief of India s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) AS Dulat Monday asked Tasaduk Mufti, the brother of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to forge an alliance with double Omar of Kashmir Valley in the interest of suffering people of Valley. When Tasaduk Mufti feels that his party has ditched the people of Kashmir and are partners in crime with BJP, then he should enter into a dialogue with Omar Abdullah and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq for sake of people of Kashmir. Mehbooba Mufti will have problems with this triple alliance but Tasaduk can do it if he really feels the pain of Valley people, Dulat told news agency CNS over phone. I am not telling it first time but in Pune during my address, I expressed the same opinion and appealed to every Subject of the State. He also directed Zonal Head to felicitate the students who have excelled in different fields of education. On the occasion, Deputy Commissioner Pulwama Ghulam Mohammad Dar remarked, J&K Bank is more than a financial institution for us. It has become a part of our identity outside the state. This institution has fundamentally changed the economic landscape of the state and has the potential to shape our collective future as well. If we talk of development issues we have an annual plan of Rs Cr. However when we discuss the District Credit Plan it is more than Rs 1000 crores which is quite a large sum for the economic development of a district. Therefore people need to come forward and avail different schemes of the bank. For example the bank s High Density Apple scheme promises a huge growth potential for apple economy. Besides, there are many sectors like milk production, poultry, and saffron which need a special focus through marketing and branding, he added. Earlier, Zonal Head Kashmir-I Tasaduk, Mirwaiz and Omar Abdullah to join hands. If they join hands, things will change. There will be a dialogue and that will be a fruitful one, Dulat said. When Double Farooq Accord became a reality, whey can t Double Omar plus Tasaduk who is sincere in his dealings. Among the three, one has to take the initiative. These three young faces can do wonders for the people of Kashmir. Their alliance will strengthen the dialogue process. The dialogue they start will certainly bear positive results, Dulat added. He also appealed separatist leadership to come forward and have a dialogue with Government of India. Only dialogue can mitigate the sufferings of people. There should a dialogue in the interest of suffering people of Kashmir, he said. (CNS) Prof Malik takes over as DSW, BGSB university SRINAGAR: Prof G M Malik has taken over as Dean Students Welfare (DSW) of the Baba Gulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU), Rajouri. Prof Malik is also Dean school of education, Islamic studies and languages at the varsity. Prof Malik holds the distinction of being a renowned academician and an able administrator with various academic and administrative achievements to his credit. A doctorate in education from Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi, Prof Malik has earlier served the University of Kashmir as Dean and head faculty of education; Head of Psychology Department; Director State Resource Centre; Director Life-long learning; Director Satellite campus Kupwara and various other positions. He has been a member/ secretary of many prestigious associations including the Board of Research for Studies JNU, Society for Age Concerned, Faculty Committee JMI, College Development Council, National Forum for State Resource Centres, Board of Studies AMU, Indian Institute of Public Administration, etc. With about 100 research papers, including several in high-impact international journals, Prof Malik has, as a research mentor, guided many M Phil and PhD scholars to produce publications in noted journals. On taking over as DSW, Prof Malik assured students the best possible support within the available resources. He said that DSW office would coordinate and arrange the disbursement of all financial aids, stipends and scholarships to the students. My primary focus will be to arrange career counseling and guidance facilities to the students, besides that will also promote the students' participation in co-curricular and social activities, Prof Malik said. Meanwhile, all the administrative and academic staff representatives of the varsity congratulated Prof Malik on taking over as dean students welfare. Tasaduq Hussain Dar welcomed and thanked the district development commissioner, chairman and other dignitaries for sparing their valuable time for the event. The presence of Chairman in any function is always encouraging not only for the staff but also for the people of the area we serve. Today we reiterate our commitment to serve the people of this zone with dedication and discipline. During the function customers raised queries and also put forward their suggestions. Local trade bodies and civil society members thanked J&K bank for its world class products and services besides handholding the youth entrepreneurs. They were happy with the customer services provided by the bank staff. Meanwhile, the District Commissioner Pulwama Ghulam Mohammad Dar inaugurated the ATM at DC Office Pulwama complex in presence of Chairman Parvez Ahmed amid a large gathering of customers. Cluster Head Muzaffar Ahmad Qadiri Kashmir South-I concluded the function by presenting the vote of thanks. (GNS)

5 NEWS Tuesday Iran vows no submission as navy chiefs meet in Tehran TEHRAN: Iran s top military official tells navy chiefs from the Indian Ocean s littoral states that the US has spawned crisis across a large expanse of Western Asia by acting as a patron to the Takfiri terror group of Daesh. Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri made the remarks at the 6th Indian Ocean Naval Symposium in Tehran on Monday. The event has drawn 35 high-ranking military delegations from around the world. By supporting Daesh, the United States has beset a large part of Western Asia with crisis, and paved the way for displacement and bloodshed, he said. The remarks echoed those by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who denounced Washington last December for covertly assisting Daesh and the Takfiris. Siv Sena leader shot dead MUMBAI: Sachin Sawant, a former deputy shakha pramukh of the Shiv Sena was shot dead in Kurar s Gokul Nagar area, Malad, on Sunday evening by unknown persons. The unidentified shooters shot three rounds at Sawant and then fled from the spot on a two-wheeler. Sawant was rushed to the nearest civic-run hospital in Malad, where he was declared dead on arrival. The police has held one person for questioning. This is the third incident of a Sainik being shot dead. Earlier, on April 7, two Sena leaders Sanjay Kotkar (35) and Vasant Thube (40) were shot and stabbed to death in the Kedgaon area of Ahmednagar, followed by the brutal murder of Sena worker, Shailesh Nimse from Bhiwandi taluka on Thursday. Nude gunman kills 3 in US cafe WASHINGTON: A nude gunman shot dead three people and injured at least four more in the early hours of Sunday at a restaurant on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee, police said. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said in a statement that the shooting occurred at a Waffle House restaurant in Antioch, a suburb southeast of Nashville, at 3:25 am (0825 GMT). A patron wrestled away the gunman s rifle. He was nude & fled on foot. He is a white man with short hair, the statement added. Naidu rejects impeachment notice, says no substantial merit in it PRESS TRUST OF INDIA NEW DELHI, Apr 23 (PTI) Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu today rejected the unprecedented impeachment notice given by opposition parties led by the Congress against CJI Dipak Misra, saying it lacked substantial merit and that the allegations were neither "tenable nor admissible". The vice president in his order today held that that the allegations emerging from the present case have a serious tendency of "undermining" the independence of the judiciary. Naidu based his decision on the opinion of top legal and constitutional experts, including former secretary generals of Lok Sabha and other legal luminaries with whom he held extensive consultations. He also held the views of top legal and constitutional experts, including former chief justices and judges, before taking the decision, sources said. Seven opposition parties led by the Congress had last week moved a notice before him for impeachment of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on five grounds of "misbehaviour". Leaders of the opposition parties had on Friday last met Naidu and handed over the notice of impeachment against the CJI bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members, who recently retired.?"i have considered the material contained in the Notice of Motion and reflected upon the inputs received in my interaction with legal luminaries and constitutional experts, I am of the firm opinion that the Notice of Motion does not deserve to be admitted," Naidu said in the order rejecting the plea. "I refuse to admit the Notice of Motion," he said. Naidu said he had detailed personal conversation on all aspects arising from the notice and had considered each of the allegations made in it individually as well as collectively. "Clearly this is an internal matter to be resolved by the Supreme court itself. Going through the five allegations mentioned in 6-year-old who went to buy biscuits raped, strangled, left to die in Odisha AGENCIES The alleged rapist lives in the girl's village of Jagannathpur and has been charged for rape and attempt to murder. (Photo: PTI) BHUBANESWAR: A six-yearold girl in Odisha who had gone to purchase biscuits was raped, strangulated and left inside a school campus at Jagannathpur village in Cuttack district of Odisha presuming her to be dead on Saturday evening. The girl suffered multiple injuries on her head, face, neck and chest and is admitted in a hospital. Her condition is said to be very critical. A 25-year-old man of the same village was arrested on Sunday. According to police, the girl had gone to buy biscuits on Saturday. However, when she did not return home after some time and there was a power cut, her worried family members set out to look for her along with a group of villagers. "After a frantic search for over an hour the girl was traced lying unconscious and without clothes in the school campus with blood oozing from her head and mouth," the police said. The alleged rapist had left her in that state presuming she was dead, police added. The six-year-old was immediately taken to a private nursing home nearby and later moved to Cuttack's SCB Medical College and Hospital. The alleged rapist lives in the girl's village of Jagannathpur and has been charged for rape and attempt to murder. "A case... was registered on the basis of a written complaint filed by the girl"s grandfather," police inspector DK Mallick said. Jessica Lal s sister forgives killer AGENCIES New Delhi: Nearly two decades after Jessica Lal was killed, her sister Sabrina Lal has said she has forgiven her killer Manu Sharma and has no objection to his release. I am told that in this period he has been doing good work for charity and helping inmates in jail which I feel is a reflection of reform, Sabrina was quoted as saying. According to a report in The Times of India, Sabrina, in a letter to the welfare officer, Central Jail No 2, Tihar jail, in March, wrote, I would like to state I have no objection to his release, owing to the fact that he has spent 15 years in jail." the notice, I am of the view that they are neither tenable nor admissible," he said in his order. "The allegations emerging from the present case have a serious tendency of undermining the independence of judiciary which is the basic tenet of the Constitution of India. "Based on all this, I have come to the conclusion that this motion does not deserve to be admitted... On careful analysis and reflection, I find there is virtually no concrete verifiable imputation," he said. The Rajya Sabha chairman said that after having perused annexures to the motion, detailed consultations and studied opinions of constitutional experts, he was "satisfied that admission of this Notice of Motion is neither desirable nor proper on any of these grounds". Naidu also held the "We cannot allow any of our pillars of governance to be weakened by any thought, word or action." "In the absence of credible and verifiable information placed before me which gives an indication of misbehavior or incapacity, it would be inappropriate and irresponsible act to accept statement which have little imperial basis," he said. The vice president said the MPs, who have presented the petition, are themselves "unsure" of their own case as the phrases used by them indicate "a mere suspicion, a conjecture or are assumptions". "The same does not constitute proof beyond reasonable doubt, which is required to make out a case of proved misbehaviour under Article 124 (4)," the order said. "In passing, I am constrained to observe that in this matter, the well established parliamentary customs and conventions as have been delineated in para 2.2 of the Handbook for Members of Rajya Sabha have been disregarded," the chairman said while making a reference to the press conference held by opposition parties. The rejection of the notice comes a day after he held the consultations to determine the maintainability of the motion. Why CJI Dipak Misra, other judges were 15 minutes late to court? NEW Delhi: Supreme Court judges, including Chief Justice Dipak Misra, on Monday initiated court proceedings at am instead of the scheduled am amid speculations that they held a brief meeting on the issue of the impeachment notice against the CJI. Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra, who usually holds his court at am, entered the courtroom almost 15 minutes late and started hearing lawyers who wanted their petitions to be listed for urgent mentioning. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy was among the first few litigants to mention his petition for urgent hearing. The CJI's courtroom was packed with lawyers including those who had no matters to argue for. Besides the CJI, all other courts sat late at am to undertake Monday's court proceedings. Speculation was rife among lawyers that judges held a brief, informal meeting before they started Monday s business. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the notice given by opposition parties led by the Congress for impeachment of the CJI, citing lack of substantial merit in it. Naidu held extensive consultations with top legal and constitutional experts, including former chief justices and judges, before taking the decision, sources said. The rejection of the notice comes a day after he held the consultations to determine the maintainability of the motion. Malaysia releases images of assassins of Palestinian lecturer AGENCIES CIA agents tracked by technology in 30 countries WASHINGTON: The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) admits that KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police have released computer-generated photographs of two men suspected of gunning down a Palestinian in Kuala Lumpur, amid suspicions that Mossad was behind the assassination.fadi al-batsh, an engineering lecturer, was gunned down early Saturday by two assailants who shot at least 14 bullets from a motorbike as he was heading to a mosque for dawn prayers in Kuala Lumpur. The photographs of the suspects are based on descriptions by witnesses, police chief Mohamad Fuzi Bin Harun told reporters on Monday. They show two light-skinned suspects who may be European or Middle Eastern. Both men are about 180 cm with sturdy builds, the police chief said, adding alerts have been put out for them at all the country's exit points. Both suspects are on a high-powered, dark-colored motorbike which could be a BMW or a Kawasaki. Hamas, a Palestinian resistance movement that administers the besieged Gaza Strip, has accused Israel's Mossad spy agency of assassinating Batsh. Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Sunday the killers were believed to be Europeans with links to a foreign intelligence agency. Ahmad Zahid said police would work with Interpol and Aseanapol to track down the duo immediately. We will provide information on the developments in the case from time to time, he told reporters on Sunday. A preliminary investigation, he said, showed that the lecturer was to have left for Turkey Saturday afternoon to attend an international conference. at least 30 countries have been able to identify and actively track American agents using modern technology. Dawn Meyerriecks, deputy director of the CIA's science and technology division, told an intelligence conference in Tampa, Florida, on Sunday that foreign governments had gone digital and no longer needed physical tracking practices to monitor spies. According to Meyerriecks, closedcircuit television and wireless infrastructure had made it easy for intelligence agencies to discover espionage. "Singapore's been doing it for years," she said, without naming any other countries. To counter those efforts, the CIA has been working on some 140 artificial intelligence projects that it hopes would provide spies abroad with better protection. For over a decade, Afghan girl spends life disguised as son her parents wanted AGENCIES SULTANPUR (AFGHANISTAN): Sitara Wafadar yearns for long hair like other girls. Instead, the Afghan teenager has disguised herself as a boy for more than a decade, forced by her parents to be the "son" they never had. With five sisters and no brothers, Sitara lives by the gender-twisting custom known as "bacha poshi", which in Dari refers to a girl "dressed as a boy" enabling her to safely perform the duties of a son in the patriarchal country. The 18-year-old, who resides with her impoverished family in a mud-brick house in a village in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar, has pretended to be a boy for most of her life. Every morning she puts on the baggy shirt and trousers and flip flops typically worn by Afghan males. Sometimes she covers her short brown hair with a scarf and deepens her voice to conceal her real gender. "I never think that I am a girl," Sitara tells AFP at the brick factory where she and her elderly father work six days a week as bonded labourers to repay money they borrowed from the owner and feed the family. "My father always says 'Sitara is like my eldest son'. Sometimes... I attend funerals as his eldest son" -- something she would never be allowed to do as a girl. Bacha poshi has a long history in deeply conservative Afghanistan, where boys are valued more highly than girls and women are often confined to the home. Normally it is families with no male heirs who make a daughter dress as a boy so she can carry out the duties of a son without getting harassed, or worse. But some girls choose to pose as boys so they can enjoy the freedom their male counterparts take for granted in a country that treats women as second-class citizens. While most bacha posh, as they are known, stop dressing as a boy after reaching puberty, Sitara says she keeps wearing male clothing "to protect myself" at the brick kiln. "When I go to work most people do not realise that I am a girl," Sitara says. "If they realised that an 18-year-old girl was working morning to evening in a brick factory then I would encounter many problems. I could even be kidnapped." Sitara started working at the factory when she was eight, following in the footsteps of her four older sisters, who also made bricks instead of going to school -- until they married, after which they stayed home. She makes 500 bricks a day in return for 160 Afghanis (just over USD 2). From 7 am to 5 pm she crouches on the ground preparing mud and clay and then pushing it into brick moulds under the hot sun that has turned her skin brown. "I don't feel ashamed about what I am doing but people my age tell me 'you have reached puberty and now you don't have to work at a brick factory'," Sitara says. "But what should I do? I don't have any other choice." Sitara's father, Noor, says "almighty Allah" did not give him a son, leaving him with no choice but to force his daughter to dress as a boy and work. The family says they owe 25,000 Afghanis to the factory owner and relatives that they borrowed to cover the medical expenses of Sitara's diabetic mother. "If I had a son I would not have faced all these problems and my daughter's life would be peaceful and prosperous," Noor tells AFP. "All the responsibility is on my and Sitara's shoulders -- we have to provide for the family and pay back the loans." Bacha poshi tends to be followed in "particularly conservative areas" of Afghanistan, Kabul University sociology professor Baryalai Fetrat tells AFP. But after years of dressing as a boy, the girls can be left feeling confused about their gender identity and status in the male-dominated society. "Girls find it difficult to go back to their normal self or act as a submissive wife to their husbands, which can lead to depression and also domestic violence," Fetrat says. Sitara's mother, Fatima, wishes Sitara could wear female clothes and stay at home, but she needs her to "bring groceries, take me to the doctor and do other work because my husband is old". While Sitara recognises that her situation is "unfair and unjust", she is resigned to it, mainly because her younger sister, who is 13, would "face the same fate as me" if she stopped. "I will do the hard work because I don't want my younger sister dressing as a boy and working at the factory," Sitara says. "If I don't work we will face a lot of hardship and problems." But even after so many years acting as a boy, Sitara still finds herself imagining what it would be like if she had a brother and could be free to have long hair and go to school.

6 Tuesday KASHMIR NO HOLDS BARRED Send your write ups and feedback at OPINION ALL IN A DAYS WORK... Editor-in-Chief : Sajjad Haider Legal Counsel: Tasaduq Khwaja Switchboard: (0194) Editorial: (0194) editorial: editor@kashmirobserver.net Printed & Published by Sajjad Haider on behalf of the Kashmir Observer LLP Published from: # 1- Boulevard, Srinagar Printed at: KT Press Pvt. Ltd, Rangreth Ind Area, Srinagar. RNI Registration No: 69503/98 Postal Registration No-L/159/KO/SK/ Not at the cost of education IT has been quite a turnaround in the case about the rape and murder of the eight year old girl in Kathua. After being ignored for the three months and largely blacked out from the media, the case suddenly broke upon the national consciousness with all its horrifying details once the charge sheet was filed. Ever since, it has triggered an outrage not only in Kashmir but also in India and across the world. Even the United Nation s Secretary General António Guterres has sought severe punishment for the killers. And on his visit abroad, even the chief of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde told the Prime minister Narendra Modi to ensure more safety for women. In India, the details of the ghastly crime have galvanized the civil society in a big way. The people all over India have protested the crime, including even cricketing and Bollywood celebrities. In major cities, some really large protests have been held, in some cases, people have performed on the streets to draw attention to the crime. In fact, some videos doing rounds online have shown some singers musically expressing their horror. In Kashmir, a new wave of protests has begun in reaction to the belated knowledge of the horrors that the girl had to endure in captivity. Almost every day since the charge sheet against the accused was produced, there have been protests in support for the justice for the Kathua girl. Every section of the society has participated in the protests. On Sunday, the shopkeepers in Lal Chowk observed one hour strike to press the demand for justice. However, the students have been most vociferous in their support for the victim. Almost every day over the past week, the students from various colleges, including the womens colleges have demonstrated against the Kathua crime and the alleged efforts to safeguard the accused. Scores of the students been injured in the process, some hit by bullets. The state government has now closed tuition centres to tide over the runaway crisis. The decision to do this has become contentious. Students and their parents have taken a serious exception to the closure as this deprives them of an alternative opportunity to study. Hurriyat G chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani has termed it as an attempt to snatch the right to education. The consequent situation has assumed the familiar complex dynamics attendant on most of the events and incidents in the Valley. But one thing that needs to be said without any ambiguity is the overriding importance of the education for our youth. And so everything that ensures that the education is not hampered needs to be done. While protests over brutal rape and murder of the Kathua girl are understandable, it is important that these are not prolonged indefinitely, thereby affecting the education of our children. So, it is incumbent upon the students that they go back to their studies after symbolically expressing their disgust at the crime. O T H E R O P I N O N A credibility crisis: On Mecca Masjid verdict THE acquittal of five suspects in the Mecca Masjid bomb blast case is likely to reinforce public cynicism in the country about the state of the criminal justice system. Regardless of whether the acquittal was owing to the innocence of Swami Aseemanand and four others belonging to a Hindu right-wing group, or because the prosecuting agency lacked the resolve and freedom to obtain their conviction, the outcome is undoubtedly a substantial denial of justice for a crime that killed nine people and injured many others. It also shattered the lives of dozens of Muslims who were taken into custody by the Hyderabad police in the immediate aftermath of the blast in May 2007; their arbitrary incarceration, alleged custodial torture and the protracted court hearings amounted to grave miscarriage of justice. It has a striking similarity to the Malegaon blasts in Maharashtra: a group of Muslims being portrayed as the perpetrators in the initial stages, but the involvement of a Hindu group being uncovered later. The police first named the Harkat-ul-Jihadie-Islami as the organisation involved. The Central Bureau of Investigation, which took over the probe, chargesheeted 21 suspects, but they were acquitted in 2009 for want of evidence. It was only in 2010 that the CBI named some members of Abhinav Bharat, a few of whom were formerly RSS pracharaks, in a fresh charge sheet. The case changed hands again in 2011 and went to the National Investigation Agency. The prosecution case appeared to have been significantly bolstered by a confession by Aseemanand in 2010 in a magistrate s court in Delhi, but his subsequent retraction cast a shadow over its voluntary nature. However, given the details in his statement on the planning and execution of some key terror attacks between 2006 and 2008, including bomb attacks in Malegaon, on the Samjhauta Express, at the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad and the Ajmer Dargah, there will be inevitable questions about why the NIA failed to produce any significant evidence in the trial. Even after the judgment, one is at a loss to understand who was responsible for the blasts. If the initial knee-jerk response of the police was in keeping with the mood of the times, the record of the central agencies appears tainted by shoddy investigation and irresolute prosecution. The NIA has faced charges of going soft on Hindutva groups after the regime change at the Centre in 2014, once even from a public prosecutor handling the Malegaon blast case. That 66 out of 226 witnesses turned hostile reflects poorly on the investigating agency and exposes the lack of legal safeguards to protect witnesses. The investigating agencies face a credibility crisis, and how public faith in their impartiality can be restored is something the country ought to worry about now. The Hindu OBSERVER MAIL We want to take you to the International Criminal Court, right now!, You, your father and grandfather are all war criminals. This is how the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah was welcomed at the University of California, Berkeley. In a video clip that has gone viral, Omar Abdullah sahib is seen stopped by participating Kashmiri-American members of the audience and heckled for not answering their questions. It may not be proper to heckle a former chief minister on a foreign soil but one can not ignore the fact that the voice of the common Kashmiri has been choked and there is hardly any space provided to the young Kashmiris to express themselves. That may explain why Kashmiri netizens on various social media platforms have All letters intended for publication must include the writer s name and address, even if a pseudonym is used. Letters are edited as clarity, spaceand accuracy of expression require. Our publishing a letter does not mean we agree with everything or even anything in it. -EDITOR Why Omar Was Heckled in USA Dear Education Minister---- No need to close the Private coaching centers. If u r sincere, Work to increase the standard and comparatively good education in government schools. Private coaching will die by itself. Doing selective attack on a particular group is masquerading and nothing else. Are only coaching centers reason for protests. Absolutely no! Most and more than 90% of the protests were from government schools. No doubt private coaching centers are problematic when it comes to their greed of profit making only. But at the same time they are the source of getting satisfied knowledge for students at this point of time. The only way out is to work on all dimensions of government schools. Till then keep your illogical and obsolete strategies with you. Yasir Wani The ban on private tuition centres by government in response to the unabated students protests in educational institutions of Kashmir only proves how government is only concerned about control and not the education. It is a shameful decision. Call Hate Crime By Its Name That s the first step towards dealing with the horror of Kathua Nandita Rao By the government s own admission in Parliament, hate crimes have increased by 41 per cent since Though a signatory to the Genocide Convention, India has not enacted any law that criminalises the crime of genocide or targeted violence against minorities. The only provision of the Indian Penal Code which criminalises spreading of religious hatred is Section 153 A that punishes any act of promoting enmity between groups on the grounds of religion, race, caste and community. This offence carries a punishment of three years, which can be enhanced to five years if perpetrated in a place of worship. Khurram Parvez The Kathua rape and murder is the first, post-partition, publicised hate crime, where a conscious decision was made to target a child THE Kathua rape case, as suggested by the chargesheet, was a preplanned rape of a child with the object of terrorising and evicting a particular community from a particular region. The refusal to even allow her body to be buried in the Bakherwal graveyard demonstrates a certain consensus of inhumanity that goes beyond the accused to the village community. While it is as heinous as the December 16 rape, it is far more dangerous for us as a nation. The Kathua rape and murder is the first, post-partition, publicised hate crime, where a conscious decision was made to target a child. It is the manifestation of a growing political discourse which views the minority community, even children, as deserving of violence. The social sanction and support that the accused have received from a large number of people, including from unruly mobs of lawyers, under the banner of a religious association (Hindu Ekta Manch), is a hallmark of hate crimes. Such things have happened in Rwanda, in apartheid South Africa, but not in India. That lawyers representing the accused in this case chose not to approach the J&K High Court seeking transfer of investigation to the CBI, as would be the legal and normal course of action, shows that they see themselves as above the law. And it is important for them to show that they can hold the legal system to ransom. It is this disrespect to the rule of law and the disinterest of the Bar Council of India, which has been over-active in the recent months issuing notices to senior advocates such as Indira Jaising and Dushyant Dave for their tweets and remarks on legal issues, that creates the apprehension that the sanction for violence against minorities is institutional. By the government s own admission in Parliament, hate crimes have increased by 41 per cent since Though a signatory to the Genocide Convention, India has not enacted any law that criminalises the crime of genocide or targeted violence against minorities. The only provision of the Indian Penal Code which criminalises spreading of religious hatred is Section 153 A that punishes any act of promoting enmity between groups on the grounds of religion, race, caste and community. This offence carries a punishment of three years, which can be enhanced to five years if perpetrated in a place of worship. The criminal justice system, however, is rarely the answer to hate crimes, since criminal penalisation of the accused often makes the perpetrator less of a villain and more of a martyr in society at large. Nonetheless, this inadequate deterrent to hate crimes is also rarely put into force as most law enforcers police officers, prosecutors and judges are ill-equipped to see the communal genesis in crimes of rape and murder unless they are perpetrated in a riot situation. So far, by and large, the linguistic and class identity of the common citizens of India has always superseded the religious identity. Until recently, the country has not seen a sinister and targeted campaign of hatred and suspicion against the minorities. The rhetoric of national and anti-national has been driven so deep that the minorities have now become a legitimate target of violence and expulsion from India. The reluctance of courts to call out hate crimes and to treat offences where the victim was handpicked to humiliate, terrorise or evict a particular community by members of the other community under Section 153 A of the IPC has further emboldened the perpetrators of such crimes, who when exposed, ironically, take the defence that the crime is being communalised. The horror of the viral video, made by the perpetrator, who hacked a man to death in Rajasthan, where he unabashedly and proudly proclaimed his crime of killing someone of a minority community, is still haunting most of us. And yet it is simply being tried as a case of murder. The Kathua rape case is an alarm bell for all of us and we must call it out for what it is, a hate crime and we must deny it the social sanction that hate crimes thrive on The writer is a lawyer practising at the Delhi High Court Indian Express MAIL YOUR LETTERS P.O. Box # 337, GPO, Srinagar editor@kashmirobserver.net editpage.ko@gmail.com supported the treatment given to a senior politician from Kashmir. There was already an online campaign going on against the University of Berkeley for inviting Omar as a representative of Kashmiri people. One of the conclusions drawn from this episode is clear that lot of water has flown down the Jehlum and the young generation of educated modern Kashmiri youth is no longer interested in being misrepresented by hoisted people. The most bizarre statements on this issue came from NC spokespersons who rather than acknowledging the truth gave a ludicrous explanation that they (Protesters) were ISI men. These people should know it s the 21st century and the new generation is not as gullible to be swayed by falsehood and deceit. It is never going to be a decent way to vent out the anger but the message this incident has sent is loud and clear that the present generation no longer believe in hallow promises of the dream merchants. The greater autonomy slogan of Omar sahib s NC seems far from reality and the autonomy resolution passed by State Legislature under NC regime has already been thrown in the dustbin. PDP s slogan of Self Rule likewise has turned out to be a cruel joke and all these people have in fact strengthened the grip of new Delhi s stranglehold over Kashmir. It is relevant to mention that during the tenure Omar Abdullah hundreds of Kashmiri civilians lost their lives to police and paramilitary firing. In 2010 civilian uprising which he repressed through use of brute force, over 100 young boys were killed, thousands of youth were arrested and tortured in jails, many minors were sodomised. This incident of heckling is a message for all mainstream leaders and calls for their introspection. Heckling a political leader, bunking the classes for protests or even giving up the studies and picking up the gun may be due to the sheer frustration of the Kashmiri youth against the status quo. The mainstream camp has miserably failed in convincing the New Delhi to initiate dialogue with all stake holders to address the core issue of Kashmir. Omar Abdullah should show the courage to read writing on the wall and stop harping on his failed ideology and stop blaming Pakistan or ISI for his own weaknesses. Rayees Masroor Rayeesmasroor111@gmail.com

7 Tuesday Kathua case: Irresponsible reporting is feeding religious polarisation in India Sexual assault cannot be ruled out based on the postmortem report, as some media outlets have claimed. Supriya Sharma & Rayan Naqash In February, many residents of the area mobilised under the banner of the Hindu Ekta Manch and oranised protest rallies, claiming that the accused men had been framed and demanding that the case be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation. These rallies were supported by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Chaudhary Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga, who were ministers in the state government. ON Friday, the major editions of India s largest selling newspaper, Dainik Jagran, published a front page article that said: The girl in Kathua was not raped. Postmortem report only talks of injuries. Chargesheet of the Crime Branch comes under doubt. The article was published just four days after thousands of protestors had come out on the streets across India to demonstrate against an incident in Jammu and Kashmir s Kathua district, where an eight-year-old girl was found dead on January 17, a week after she had gone missing in a village. The chargesheet filed by the Crime Branch of the state police on April 9 said she had been held captive in a temple, drugged, raped repeatedly and then strangled. As per the report of medical experts, the victim was found prima facie raped before being killed, it said. A day after the Dainik Jagran report appeared, Jammu and Kashmir police reiterated this in a statement. In the last couple of days, a section of print/electronic media has published/broadcast information/reports shared on social media sites as well, which are far away from the truth, it said in a press release. Constrained by this reportage, it is to place on record that on the strength of opinion submitted by medical experts, it has been confirmed that the victim was found subjected to sexual assault by the accused. Dainik Jagran claimed on the basis of a conversation with one of the defence lawyers that there were two postmortem reports. The police has denied this claim. First there is the autopsy to ascertain the cause of death and then there are forensic reports histopathology and toxicology during which we found that she was drugged, said an official of the Crime Branch. While Dainik Jagran has questioned the Crime Branch, which took over the investigation from the district police, the official said: The autopsy was conducted on January 17, the same day the girl s body was found and the case was still with the district police. The postmortem examination was conducted at the district government hospital. In the report, which Scroll.in has reviewed, doctors observed blood stains on the labia, blood stained discharge inside the vagina, lacerations or cuts on the vulva and a hymen that was not intact. Dainik Jagran reported that injuries were found in the postmortem but emphasised that the report did not mention rape. The postmortem report will not talk of rape, said Vrinda Grover, lawyer and human rights activist, pointing to government guidelines that clearly ask doctors not to use the term in medical reports in sexual assault cases. The issue of whether an incident of rape/sexual assault occurred is a legal issue and not a medical diagnosis, state the guidelines which were framed in Examining the postmortem report, Dr Jagadeesh Reddy, a forensic medicine expert in Bangalore who was part of the committee that drafted the guidelines, said: Sexual assault cannot be ruled out because of the genital injuries. He said media reports that suggested otherwise were baseless and wrong. Legal experts and doctors caution against media speculation on the medical reports, saying the evidence will be weighed in a court of law. Scroll.in contacted one of the defence lawyers and asked him to share what he claimed were the two postmortem reports. He shared a forensics report and a letter by the medical superintendent of the district hospital. In the letter dated March 3, responding to the police s queries about the nature and circumstances of the girl s injuries, the board of doctors at the hospital said: the injuries mentioned could be because of any form of sexual assault. RISING POLARISATION The eight-year-old girl belonged to the Muslim Bakarwal community of traditional shepherds that migrates seasonally between the regions of Jammu and Kashmir. According to the police chargesheet, her alleged rape and murder was a plot to dislodge the Bakarwal community from Rasana village, where her family lived. All eight accused, including two policemen, are Hindu. In February, many residents of the area mobilised under the banner of the Hindu Ekta Manch and oranised protest rallies, claiming that the accused men had been framed and demanding that the case be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation. These rallies were supported by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Chaudhary Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga, who were ministers in the state government. After the chargesheet was filed on April 9, the case made national headlines, sparking outrage. The BJP asked the two ministers to step down. Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintained a silence for days, and when he finally spoke, he only asked that rape not be politicised. On April 21, the government brought an ordinance making the rape of girls below 12 years punishable with the death penalty. The same day, however, the Dainik Jagran story was shared widely on social media. The online version of the story had been taken down on April 20 but was later restored. Dainik Jagran s digital editor, Kamlesh Raghuvanshi, told Newslaundry that although the reporter had seen the documents, the story was taken down till he could send them to the editors. Once that was done, the story was reinstated. On Facebook, a group called ISupportNamo, which describes itself as supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with a following of 15 million people, shared the story, saying Whole conspiracy to defame Hindus exposed. Last weekend, the weekly newspaper The Sunday Guardian published a piece that again sought to rule out rape in the Kathua case, albeit more slyly. It used the real names of people involved in the Kathua case but the article was labelled as Fake News with a disclaimer at the bottom: This article is a pure concoction based on fiction. Any resemblance with any character or event is unintentional and coincidental. The Sunday Guardian piece continues to circulate on the messaging service WhatsApp minus the disclaimer. Meanwhile, on social media, film actor Swara Bhaskar was targetted for starting an online campaign denouncing the alleged rape in Kathua, which was followed by other celebrities. Messages were sent to the online retailer Amazon, asking it to drop Bhaskar as a brand endorser, and #BoycottAmazon briefly trended on Twitter. On the ground, the polarisation is taking a more worrying turn. After a series of peaceful protests in cities across India, a protest by Muslim residents of Burhanpur town in Madhya Pradesh turned restive, The Times of India reported. Three policemen were injured, a few vehicles were damaged and shopkeepers were forced to pull down shutters. The girl in Kathua might have become the victim of a conflict between the Hindu residents and the Muslim Bakarwals of Rasana village. But as this piece explains, the religious overtones came mixed with anxieties about land. These local specifities are now getting blurred and the case is dangerously becoming part of the larger communal polarisation underway in India one in which the majority Hindu community is cast as the victim. Scroll.in 8 TV Shows That Will Knock Your Socks Off In 2018 WE RE quite used to modern TV series being pretty awesome, yet there s a whole plethora of other TV programs that are just as attention grabbing. From Bear Grylls to America s Next Top Model, modern reality TV shows are filled with unscripted dialogues, gritty action scenes, drama, comedy, and romance that keep even the pickiest viewers glued to the screens. If you still haven t found a show that fully captures your attention, you need to search no more. Here we ve gathered 8 reality TV shows that will knock your socks off this year. adventures he likes. Nevertheless, there are still people willing to take part in his dangerous endeavors, while getting filmed in real time. This season we get to see Lena Headey, Uzo Aduba, Scott Eastwood, and handsome Joseph Gordon- Levitt leaving their lives behind to find food, water, and shelter on a deserted island somewhere in the wilderness. NOVA Wonders eyes of astronauts! For the first time in TV history astronauts from the International Space Station get to tell their stories about what it s like to be in space and the experience of perceiving Earth from up above. Mysteries of the Abandoned Bridezillas Project Runway Project Runway is back once again with fashion challenges that surpass everything we ve ever seen before. This season designers need to work as hard as ever to win the prize, creating everything from unconventional looks to bridal dresses, swimsuits and avant-garde gowns. Working both alone and in teams, each of them has to reveal his or her personal taste level and style. This show is a must-see! The new NOVA miniseries are created especially for those wanting to know more about cosmos, Universe, science, and everything inbetween. Each episode addresses a peculiar scientific mystery and finds an answer however impossible it may be. For example, did you know about animal s secret language? And is it possible for an AI to surpass human abilities? You ll get to know all this and more! One Strange Rock Humanity is good at constructing things of all kinds and it s even better at abandoning them. Our world is filled with decaying bridges, old factories, empty plants, and crumbling houses of all kinds. Who built them and when? Mysteries of the Abandoned explores the enigmatic past of places like the Japanese Hashima Island or Kinzua Viaduct steel bridge in Pennsylvania. Nailed It! Weddings can be pretty stressful experiences, but not when you re one of the crazy Bridezillas who are not afraid to go over the top. Each episode starts with the future-to-be newlyweds and the story of their relationships, ending with Bridezilla going absolutely crazy with wedding preparations. As crazy as the show may be, the happy couple usually ends up going through with the wedding ceremony. America s Got Talent Running Wild with Bear Grylls Everyone knows Bear Grylls and the type of Darren Aronofsky directed a documentary featuring a new look on our planet Earth and шеы fragile, yet majestic wonders all through the It s hard to impress anyone with a cooking show these days, that s why the creators of Nailed It! came up with a totally different concept they let the worst home bakers try their luck in preparing food masterpieces worthy of top chefs. It s hard to tell whether the show is about cooking skills or the complete lack of such, yet this is exactly what makes this show so special! Hosted by Tyra Banks, the new episodes of America s Got Talent will take place during the hot summer days with Heidi Klum, Mel B, Howie Mandell, and Simon Cowell delivering their witty remarks while judging America s best (and sometimes worst) talents. Prepare for a new portion of magicians, singers, dancers, and performers of all sorts competing in the most versatile TV show of all time. What will the former Spice Girl bring to the table? We ll have to wait and see! Brainberries.co

8 Life & Times Tuesday DO YOU EAT ACCORDING TO YOUR BLOOD GROUP? All About The Blood Type Diet Julia Guerra Do you know what your blood type is? It's a random question, I know, but I m willing to bet you know some of these little details about yourself, like what time of day you were born, and how much you weighed, so what about your blood type? Even though every body is unique, there are only so many blood types you can have, and what s interesting about ABOs (the name for the blood type system) is not only can they tell you so much about your health, they can also play a role in how your body reacts to certain foods. Eating for your blood type is definitely a strange concept, but some people do it, and as far as I m concerned, diet doesn t get more body-specific than that. I know myself, and I rarely think about the blood running through my veins, unless it randomly comes up in conversation, or I clumsily slice my finger chopping veggies or dicing avocado (this happens more often than I d like to admit). And even when the red stuff is right in front of my face, I look at it more as an inconvenience or a symbol of pain than I do as a vital part of my body. However, in 1996, Dr. Peter D Adamo, a naturopathic physician recognized as an expert in blood groups, made blood a buzzword in the health and wellness realm when his book, Eat Right for Your Type, became a New York Timesbestseller, showcasing ABOs as the unique "biochemical makeup" that can determine everything from what diseases you might be susceptible to, to how your body reacts to certain foods. As popular as the blood type diet has become over the years (according to Medical Daily, D'Adamo's book has sold more than 7 million copies since its publication), there's not a whole lot of evidence to support the claim that you should eat based on your blood type. In an exclusive interview with Meditation may help ease anxiety and improve cardiovascular health WASHINGTON DC: Anxious? You may want to add meditation to your daily routine as according to a recent study, it can ease anxiety and improve cardiovascular health. The Michigan Technological University study with 14 participants showed preliminary data that even a single session of meditation can have cardiovascular and psychological benefits for adults with mild to moderate anxiety. The team found that 60 minutes after meditating the 14 study participants showed lower resting heart rates and reduction in aortic pulsatile load - the amount of change in blood pressure between diastole and systole of each heartbeat multiplied by heart rate. Additionally, shortly after meditating, and even one week later, the group reported anxiety levels were lower than pre-meditation levels. "Even a single hour of meditation appears to reduce anxiety and some of the markers for cardiovascular risk," researcher John Durocher said. During the 60-minute session, participants meditated for 20 minutes and then were instructed to do a 30-minute "body scan." They were asked to intensely focus on one part of their body at a time, beginning with their toes. The exercise was designed to help train their mind to pivot from detailed attention to a more broad awareness. They ended the session with 10 minutes of self-guided meditation. "The point of a body scan is that if you can focus on one single part of your body, just your big toe, it can make it much easier for you to deal with something stressful in your life. You can learn to focus on one part of it rather than stressing about everything else in your life," said researcher Hannah Marti, who designed the study. The study will be presented at the 2018 Experimental Biology meeting. (Agencies) Elite Daily, Grace Derocha, a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, and certified health coach at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, tells me this is because each regimen inherently eliminates certain key food groups. Plus, as far as long-term results of these diets go, she tells Elite Daily, "results are unavailable." "Though some of the general practices of this diet involve reduced intake of calories, simple carbs, and sugars," Derocha explains, "a more realistic way to improve your overall health is to consume a diverse diet, including lean proteins, whole grains, vegetables, fruits and heart-healthy fats, and reduced amounts of refined carbs, added sugars, and excess sodium." Though potential benefits of eating for your blood type have been discussed, such as increased energy levels, reduced risk for disease, and keeping your gut bacteria happy and healthy, there's just not enough concrete proof to determine whether or not this way of dieting is really worth the effort. Still, some people are adamant about eating for their blood type, and if you're curious, here's what you should know. Type A Is Said To Benefit Most From A Plant-Based Diet Breaking down the different blood type diets in an interview with Elite Daily, Derocha points out that the masterminds behind this way of eating typically believe "people with blood type A have sensitive immune systems." Because of this, Derocha says, type-a eaters should stick to a predominantly, if not completely, plant-based diet, including beans and legumes for protein, and earthy goods like fresh produce and whole grains. As for what's not on the menu for A blood types, Dr. Josh Axe, D.N.M., C.N.S., D.C., founder of DrAxe.com, best-selling author of Eat Dirt, and co-founder of Ancient Nutrition, recommends avoiding most or all dairy when possible. Gluten is another iffy food group, he explained on his website, and you probably don't want to indulge in too much caffeine. Type A blood can, supposedly, break down carbs better than other blood types can, and thus, will struggle to digest a lot of animal protein and fats. Type B Could Use A Wide Variety Of Foods In Their Diet A person with type B blood has the most wiggle room when it comes to meals because they can basically eat whatever their body's craving. Following an omnivorous way of eating that includes the whole nine, type B can choose from the fanciest of animal delicacies like goat and lamb, indulge in leafy greens, eggs, and all the low-fat dairy they like. The only significant guideline here, Derocha tells Elite Daily, is that certain, very specific food items like "corn, wheat, buckwheat, lentils, tomatoes, peanuts, sesame seeds, and chicken" should be avoided. Other than that, she says, B types won't have too much of a problem picking from a buffet. Type AB May Do Best With A Here s why yogurt should be part of your daily diet and skincare regime our grandmom was right. Yogurt, the versatile dairy product, is filled with nutrition and should be part of your daily diet. Moreover, it s equally useful for the skin and hair. Treat sunburns, acne and improve your immunity with yogurt. Himanshu Chadha, Founder, APS Cosmetoofood, and Nmami Agarwal, Nutritionist and Dietician, tell you how: * Treat sunburn: Spread yogurt on the affected area, leave it for minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water. Yogurt is rich in zinc and has anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains probiotics that will help restore your skin s natural barrier. * Treat acne with yogurt as it contains natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Rub a dab of the creamy yogurt onto acne-prone areas. Rinse it off after 30 minutes. A regular beauty regime with a yogurt facial mask will help keep skin cleansed, which will also reduce irritating breakouts. * Yogurt is a great ingredient for a hair conditioner. It has moisturising properties which helps repair dry and damaged hair. Take a cup of yogurt and whip it. Apply it on your scalp, hair and hair ends by massaging it well. Cover your hair with a shower cap and let it rest for 20 minutes, then wash your hair with a mild shampoo. * Yogurt is full of nutrients that are good for your hair, and so, can help in stopping hair fall. Due to the presence of vitamin B5 and D, yogurt helps nourish the hair follicles. A mixture of pepper and curd used daily for washing the hair helps in reducing hair fall. Curd and amla powder can be mixed together to make a paste that can be applied on the scalp and hair to reduce hair loss. * Since it is a well-known probiotic food, it helps to flourish the healthy bacteria in your gut which can improve the gastro immune system. Along with this, it aids in digestion by reducing the side effects of the irritant stomach such as diarrhoea, bloating and irritable bowel syndrome. * Strengthen your bones by adding yogurt to your everyday diet. It will add that daily dose of calcium which your body requires for stronger bones as well as for regulating the bone mineral density. By having a diet in a combination with calcium and vitamin D, it can work as a treatment for osteoporosis. * Yogurt works perfectly for women. It is often advised for women to consume freshly prepared yogurt in their diet considering they are powerful for fighting against the yeast infections such as Candida which can be a cause of trouble to a lot of women. The bacterium, Lactobacillus acidophilus found in yogurt, kills the yeast infections and improves health in the longer run. * Consuming probiotic yogurt helps reduce inflammation and improve the overall body immune response to counter with several viral or gut related infections and illness. Moreover, yogurt also helps in increasing the absorption of trace minerals such as magnesium, zinc, and selenium. (Agencies) Pescatarian Diet If I were following the blood type diet, I'd be mighty jealous of my type AB friends, because this is one way of eating I can definitely get behind. Even though D'Adamo has said he considers AB to be the "most biologically complex" of all of the ABOs (often referred to as "the enigma" blood type), this type is most intriguing to me because it's literally and figuratively a combination of blood types A and B. In that case, you might be wondering if AB blood types can eat a combination of the A and B diets. Well, they sort of can. Generally speaking, according to Healthline, AB types should probably steer clear of animal proteins, but seafood is still OK. Tofu's a solid way of sneaking in some wholesome protein, as well as beans, but according to the health outlet, kidney beans, corn, beef, and chicken are all on the "to avoid" list. Type O Could Benefit From A High-Protein Diet In his research on the subject, Dr. D'Adamo has referred to my fellow type O peeps as "the hunters." According to his findings, if you're type O, like me, then you may "fare best on... animal proteins and less well on dairy products and grains." Notice my use of the word "may" there. What's interesting here is my blood type is O positive, and as someone who lives with irritable bowel syndrome, and has eliminated and experimented with so many different types of food over the years, I've actually come to find that a diet rich in animalbased protein doesn't agree with my digestive system at all. So, if nothing else, let me be the perfect example that there's a lot more that goes into what you should and shouldn't eat aside from your blood type. Take all of this information with a ginormous grain of salt, and be sure to talk to your doctor first if you're considering experimenting with one of these diets. (Elite Daily) To lose weight the right way, include these 6 superfoods in your diet The success of your fitness and weight loss goals are totally governed by what you eat. And with the recent rise of lifestyle diseases in India, the saying couldn t ring truer. To stay fit, or even lose weight, you need to ensure your diet has all the healthy foods. Superfoods like kale and chia seeds offer wholesome goodness. Moreover,they are not just high on nutrient value but also on taste. Rajesh Sawhney, Cofounder of Healthie.in and Rajiv Kumar, CEO of Culinate, list 6 healthy ingredients that will do you a lot of good: Quinoa is a seed that belongs to the spinach/chard family, which is why it is called a pseudo-cereal or pseudo-grain. Quinoa is rich in protein and a lot of other vital nutrients such as magnesium, dietary fiber and vitamin B. It is also a good source of antioxidants called flavonoids and is a healthy alternative to rice. Kale is high in fiber, low on calorie and has zero fat. It is one of the most common ingredients in the healthy dishes prepared by restaurants. Apart from being highly nutritious, kale is high in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. It can be added to pasta, green smoothies or can be simply tossed in a salad. Chia seeds are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, iron, and calcium. A 28 gram, or 1ounce, serving of chia seeds also contains 5.6 grams of protein. Hence, they make it on the menu of most healthy food restaurants. These seeds can be added to smoothies, oatmeal or yogurt. Nuts are often counted as good fats and are also rich in fiber and omega-3. Plant sterols are a substance present in nuts that helps in lowering the cholesterol level in the body. Nuts are a great source of L-arginine, which make the artery walls more flexible and less prone to blood clots that can block blood flow. You can make a nutty trail mix and simply munch on nuts in between meals or add them to your stir-fry. Activated charcoal is a natural ingredient that helps in flushing out toxins from the body. It not only helps in the detoxification of the body but also helps in digestive cleansing by alleviating problems like gas and bloating. Activated charcoal helps in fighting the signs of ageing too. Health restaurants incorporate activated charcoal in their healthy drinks and also in the breads and buns used for their special sandwiches and burgers. Beetroots contain valuable nutrients that may help lower your blood pressure, fight cancer and inflammation, boost your stamina, and support detoxification. It is an amazing source of iron but is often ignored due to its peculiar taste. Beetroots can be added to salads, smoothies or you could even add beetroot to your chapati dough to get that muchneeded iron intake. (Agencies)

9 Business Tuesday Sensex Nifty Gold Silver J&K Bank HDFC Bank Crude Oil Dollar Euro Pound Saudi Riyal Kuwaiti Dinar 34, , `2,930 (22K) ` INR 1, INR (0.10%) (0.20%) 1 Gram 1 Gram 0.75 (1.29%) (0.84%) (-0.28%) Paytm Payments Bank registers 100 million KYC wallets NEW DELHI: Paytm Payments Bank announced on Monday that it now has over 100 million KYC wallets, against the constant campaigning done by bank about the benefits of the Know Your Customer (KYC) system. After the successful response received, the bank has introduced several options that include Paytm KYC centers and Paytm-Ka-ATM outlets to offer more localised support. Customers can locate these through the Nearby section on the Paytm app. KYC ed customers also have a choice to open a zero-balance account with Paytm Payments Bank. Paytm offers seamless multi-source and multi-destination payment solutions through Money Transfers. The app is also being used to make payments using Credit/Debit Cards, Bank accounts, Paytm Wallet or using Paytm Postpaid to any recipient Bank or Paytm account. (Agencies) Gold gives up Rs 85 on global cues MUMBAI: Gold prices declined by Rs 85 to Rs 31,230 per 10 grams here Monday, mainly due to a weak trend overseas and easing demand from local jewellers. Silver also dropped by Rs 130 per kg due to reduced offtake by industrial units. Standard gold (99.5 per cent purity) fell by Rs 85 to end at Rs 31,230 per 10 grams from last Friday s close of Rs 31,315. Pure gold (99.9 per cent purity) also declined by the same amount to settle at Rs 31,380 per 10 grams against Rs 31,465 previously. Silver (.999 fineness) dipped by Rs 130 per kg to Rs 40,030 compared to Rs 40,160 previously. Globally, gold hit a two-week low as investors piled into the dollar with US Treasury yields approaching 3 per cent. Spot gold was down 0.5 per cent at USD 1, per ounce at early trade. Among other precious metals, spot silver fell 1 per cent to USD per ounce. (PTI) One crore students in hostels to get subsidised wheat/rice NEW DELHI: The government will provide 15 kg of wheat and rice per month to an estimated 1 crore students in all hostels with at least two-third of students from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes -- a scheme that could cost the exchequer up to Rs 4,000 crore annually. The move comes at a time when different political parties are trying to reach out to dalits and other backward classes ahead of assembly election in some states, and the general election which is due next year. Announcing this decision, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today said the government will provide grains at BPL rate which is Rs 4.15 per kg for wheat and Rs 5.65 per kg for rice. In the Ambedkar hostels where all students belong to SC/ST, each student will get 15 kg of wheat or rice per month at BPL rates, he said. In all other hostels, be it government or private, where two-third students are from SC, ST, OBC and OBC among minorities, 15 kg of wheat or rice will be provided per student per month at BPL rates, Paswan told reporters here. New industrial policy to be announced soon: Govt Press Trust Of India NEW DELHI: The government has finalised the new industrial policy, which is set to be announced soon, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Monday. The new policy will replace the industrial policy of 1991 which was prepared in the backdrop of balance of payment crisis. "We have finalised the new industrial policy and will be announcing it soon. It is going through an inter-ministerial consultation," Prabhu said here at an international SME convention. The proposed policy aims at promoting emerging sectors and modernising the existing industries. It will also look to reduce regulatory hurdles and encourage adoption of frontier technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in August last year floated a draft industrial policy with an aim to create jobs for the next two decades, promote foreign technology transfer and attract USD 100 billion FDI annually. Talking about the importance of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), Prabhu said the sector holds huge potential to boost economic growth. Speaking at the convention, Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar said the government is taking steps to promote the sector. About the Mudra Yojana, which funds the self-employed, he said: "Do you know how much money has already been transferred? (It is) upwards of Rs 4,30,000 crore". This has been transferred to 12 crore people and they are now creating jobs and products, he said adding "NPAs (non performing assets) of Mudra from 120 million people are less than 7 per cent". MSME Minister Giriraj Singh said the government has promoted ease of doing business for the sector and now a unit could be registered within few minutes. To promote 'khadi' products in different countries the ministry would organise exhibitions in embassies, he said. Infrastructure lending may take a back seat as RBI refuses to budge on new NPA rules MUMBAI: With the Reserve Bank giving no relaxation to its February 12 framework on resolution of stressed assets, banks are likely to become more cautious and riskaverse to long-term funding, especially to the infrastructure sector, say lenders. On February 12, the central bank had come out with revised framework for resolution of stressed assets. The new set of rules aim at quick reporting of defaults, coming out with resolution plans for defaulting companies and time-bound referrals of defaulting firms to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). Owing to certain stringent criterion in the new framework, which includes one-day reporting of defaults, lenders have asked for some leniency but the apex bank has not granted any relaxation to its February 12 circular. "The RBI is very clear that they are not going to give any relaxation (on the February 12 framework). Now, I think banks will become very cautious and risk averse, particularly on the long-term funding in sectors such as power, road and ports," said a senior banker. FIL Industries wins National Award ACŪTE Fruit Energizer Voted as Product of the Year 2018 Observer News service Bankers said most of the restructuring happens in long term projects in the infrastructure sectors. For nation building, funding is required for these sectors but risks are very high in these projects as there are things which are much beyond the capabilities of the promoters, and hence banks will be very conservative, said another banker from a large state-run bank. "The issue with long-term funding is that in these kinds of loans NEW DELHI: ACŪTE Fruit Energizer, a product of FIL Industries Limited, has been awarded the prestigious Product of the Year 2018 award for its product innovation in the beverages category. This is the first time that a Company from J&K has been awarded this national award in the Beverages segment. The survey, conducted by Nielsen, featured consumers from pan-india in a 100% face to face interview in the Product of the Year 2018 competition. Owais Altaf Syed, (Director, FIL Industries Limited) represented ACŪTE at an impressive gathering of industry veterans and multinationals at an event facilitating the winat The Four Seasons Hotel, Worli, Mumbai, on Friday 20th April Product of the Year is the world s largest consumer-voted award for product innovation. It is an internationally recognised certification that celebrates and rewards the best innovations in consumer products and services. Other companies in India that have won this award include Nestle, Mahindra, Havell s, P&G, etc. ACŪTE Fruit Energizer is an original creation of FIL Industries Limited in collaboration with Monarch Beverages France. The brand succeeds in burning borders between the juice category and the energy drinks category to create a new and a there are lots of variables like land acquisition, environment clearances or technical reasons that cannot be factored in at the time of loan sanctioning." "If a loan is for one year then there are less risk factors and we can visualise the kind of issues that particular project over that period. But, if I am talking of 12 years, it is very difficult for us to visualise the issues," the banker cited above explained. healthy way to energise consumers lives with the combination of tasty flavours, fruit juice, and energy blend. With no carbonation and innovative on-the-go packaging, ACŪTE Fruit Energizer is ideal for young and dynamic people looking for a refreshing energy boost any time of the day. Being a part of the new generation of healthy alternative beverages, Acute Fruits Energizers are available currently in Red Fruits and Blackcurrant flavours. The company will be launching two new flavours in the upcoming months to have a broader offering in this unique segment. In addition to ACŪTE Fruit Energizer, FIL Industries also manufactures ready-todrink juices in several flavours namely Green Apple, Apple, Mango, Guava, Mixed Fruit and Pineapple under its FruitFil brand. Under the framework, bankers will have to implement a resolution plan to revive a defaulting company within 180 days. If the plan is not implemented within the stipulated time, the account will have to be referred to NCLT for resolution as per the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). The new plan requires approval from all the banks, in a consortium, for any resolution plan. Banks requested the RBI to Deposits in Jan Dhan accounts cross Rs 80,000 crore NEW DELHI: Total deposits in Jan Dhan accounts crossed Rs 80,000 crore mark with more people joining the flagship financial inclusion programme, according to official data. The deposits, which have been steadily rising since March 2017, were at Rs 80, crore on April 11, 2018, said a finance ministry data. Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) accounts had come into focus during the demonetisation period when the deposits witnessed a meteoric rise. The latest report of the World Bank titled Global Findex Report, 2017 released last week cited the success of the Jan Dhan Yojana. India's financial inclusion efforts have won recognition from the World Bank as their data indicate that 55 per cent of new bank accounts opened are from India, Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar had said. The deposits increased in the later part of November 2016 to over Rs 74,000 crore from about Rs 45,300 in the beginning of the month as people rushed to deposit the scrapped currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, as per the government data. make the required majority to 75 per cent for any such plan. But they are yet to hear from the regulator. In the revised framework, RBI also discontinued earlier restructuring schemes like the corporate debt restructuring (CDR), strategic debt restructuring (SDR) and scheme for sustainable structuring of stressed assets (S4A). Lenders had urged the central bank to allow these restructuring schemes for some more time, but to no avail. In a recent speech, deputy governor N S Vishwanathan had defended RBI's February 12 framework, indicating there would be no relaxation to the new set of rules. "The RBI, as a regulator is trying to bring in the discipline and will always look at from a systemic perspective, but banks will have to evaluate it (any rule) from the overall implication on their balance sheets," said another senior banker. "Nobody has said that this (revised framework) is not doable. What banks are saying that they need sometime to switch over. Both the industry as well as banks have to prepare themselves for the new set of norms. This could be done in a phased manner," the banker added. (PTI) THE ISSUE WITH LONG-TERM FUNDING is that in these kinds of loans there are lots of variables like land acquisition, environment clearances or technical reasons that cannot be factored in at the time of loan sanctioning." Finance ministry not for cut in excise duty on petrol, diesel NEW DELHI: The finance ministry is not in favour of cutting excise duty on petrol and diesel to provide relief to the common man from spike in their prices but wants states to cut sales tax or VAT on fuel, a senior official said on Monday. Petrol price on Monday hit a 55-month high of Rs a litre, while diesel rates touched a record Rs 65.75, renewing calls for a cut in excise duty to ease the burden on consumers. The finance ministry official said however that a reduction in excise duty, which makes up for a quarter of retail fuel price, is not advisable if the government is to stick to the path of reducing budgetary deficit. "Excise duty cut would be a political call, but is not advisable if we have to stick to the fiscal deficit glide path outlined in Budget," he said. The government is targeting reducing fiscal deficit to 3.3 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the current fiscal, from 3.5 per cent last fiscal. "Every rupee cut of excise on fuel will result in a loss of Rs 13,000 crore to the government," the official said, adding that the oil ministry has not yet officially asked for a cut in fuel excise duty. The official said states should cut VAT on fuel to ease the burden on the consumer. "Fiscal considerations are far higher than one or two rupee price impact on consumers," he said. "One or two rupee increase doesn't impact inflation." The central government levies Rs a litre of excise duty on petrol and Rs per litre on diesel. State sales tax or VAT vary from state to state. In Delhi, VAT on petrol is Rs and Rs 9.68 a litre on diesel. While the government is hoping that geopolitical tension would ease and US shale oil would help ease oil prices, it is not in favour of tinkering with the autonomy given to oil PSUs to revise rates daily in line with the cost. "Once we have decided on daily price revision, it is not a good thing to tinker with that either through excise or by asking oil marketing companies to absorb prices," the official said. State-owned oil firms, which have been since June last year revising auto fuel prices daily, Monday raised petrol and diesel rates by 10 paise per litre each in Delhi, according to a price notification. The hike, necessitated due to firming international oil prices, comes on the back of a 32 paise increase in rates of petrol effected over the last two days. Petrol in the national capital now costs Rs a litre, the highest since September 14, 2013, when rates had hit Rs Diesel price at Rs is the highest ever. India has the highest retail prices of petrol and diesel among South Asian nations as taxes account for half of the pump rates. The government had raised excise duty nine times between November 2014 and January 2016 to shore up finances as global oil prices fell, but then cut the tax just once in October last year by Rs 2 a litre. Subsequent to that excise duty reduction, the Centre had asked states to also lower VAT, but just four of them - Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh - reduced rates while others including BJP-ruled ones ignored the call. In all, duty on petrol rate was hiked by Rs per litre and that on diesel by a litre in those 15 months that helped government's excise mop up more than double to Rs 2,42,000 crore in from Rs 99,000 crore in (PTI) Govt to file dispute with WTO if US rejects exemptions NEW DELHI: India would lodge a trade dispute against the United States at the World Trade Organisation if Washington does not grant it exemptions from higher tariffs on steel and aluminium, three government officials involved in trade talks told Reuters. India recently requested exemptions, arguing that its exports of these products to the United States did not create a security concern for a country with whom it has a strategic partnership that goes beyond trade. Three senior officials who did not want to be named said New Delhi would file a case citing discrimination with the WTO as a first course of action if the US did not grant the exemptions. Indian Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh declined to say how India might respond if its request for exemption was rejected. Our proposal is still pending with the US government and they have assured us they will reconsider, Singh told Reuters. However, an internal note prepared by his ministry and seen by Reuters showed India could also consider temporarily raising the basic customs duty on some U.S. goods in the event the exemptions were not granted. Following an outcry over the US tariffs announced in March, Trump agreed to suspend their imposition until May 1 for Argentina, Australia, Brazil, South Korea, Canada, Mexico and the European Union, the biggest US trading partner, in order to allow discussions to continue. Why should there be artificial barriers when everyone else seems to be getting an exemption? We are not a security threat, one of the officials involved in the discussions told Reuters. Earlier this month, US Assistant Trade Representative Mark Linscott held talks with India s trade minister, Suresh Prabhu, and other senior officials in New Delhi. India exported less than 1 million tonnes of steel to the US in 2017, and was the tenth biggest supplier, according to an internal note prepared by the steel ministry. Steel exports to the United States account for 2.2 percent of India s total steel exports, it showed. India s goods trade deficit with the United States fell by nearly six percent to less than USD 23 billion last year. The three Indian officials involved in the trade talks said New Delhi could seek support, if needed, from other WTO member nations worried about the direction of US trade policy. The commerce ministry did not respond to Reuters s seeking comment. (Agencies) Stocks ride out volatility to end modestly higher MUMBAI: Markets ended with mild gains on Monday after yet another choppy session as investors kept their faith in consumption stocks amid an encouraging start to the earnings season. TCS became the first Indian IT company to touch USD 100 billion in market capitalisation after the stock rallied 4.42 per cent intraday. However, it ended the session below the milestone after shares succumbed to profit-booking. The BSE Sensex rose 35 points to close at an over two-month high of 34,450.77, while the broader NSE Nifty finished at 10,584.70, up points. Trading was volatile due to negative Asian cues and a weak rupee amid uncertainty surrounding global crude prices as well as US- China trade relations, brokers said. The 30-share Sensex resumed higher at 34, but quickly slipped to 34, on profit booking and weak Asian cues. It bounced back to touch a high of 34, as TCS saw heavy buying, before finally ending at 34,450.77, showing a gain of points, or 0.10 per cent. This is its highest closing since February 5 when it had ended at 34, The broader NSE Nifty touched a high of 10, before settling at 10, up points, or 0.20 per cent. Intra-day, it hit a low of 10,

10 Tuesday VHP chief visits Ayodhya, says Ram temple will be reality soon AYODHYA: Newly elected Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje on Monday visited the make-shift temple of 'Ram Lalla' here in Uttar Pradesh and said that the dream of billions for a grand Ram temple here will soon be a reality. The former judge, who also served as governor of Himachal Pradesh, also offered prayers at the fabled Hanumangarhi temple. Later in the day, he was scheduled to hold wide-ranging meetings with the temple priests and office bearers of the Ramjanma Bhoomi Nyas, a VHP official said. Kokje would also visit the Karyasewakpuram -- the place where stone carvings were underway for the last many years, in anticipation of construction of the Ram temple. On Sunday, before leaving for Faizabad, the VHP chief told reporters in Lucknow that many Muslims were also in favour of construction of the Ram temple at the disputed site. He also said that before starting work in his new capacity as the head of the Hindu outfit, he wanted to pay obeisance to Ram Lalla and that is why he was visiting Ayodhya. The 79-year-old leader also said that he would soon be holding deliberations with saints from all across the country and would like to take the Ram temple movement forward. He also expressed hope that the verdict for Ram temple would soon be pronounced in favour of the Hindu claimants. Calling for mutual dialogue and understanding to thrash out the problem he, however, rued that the litigants were outsiders who had no stakes in the decades-old matter. FROM FRONT PAGE No Let Up In Student Protests clashed with government forces soon after they took out a protest march. Three students received injuries. At Ganderbal, four students of degree college were injured in clashes that followed the protests. Similar reports of protests and clashes were received from Baramulla and Sopore where students of higher secondary schools staged demonstrations and clashed with forces. Four students received injuries in Baramulla. Local reports said police arrested 70 students from BHSS premises during clashes and said students will be released after proper counseling. The students of Law College Sopore assembled at Amargrah where from they took out a peaceful protest rally which culminated at Sangrama Chowk. The students carrying placards chanted slogans against the culprits and demanded stern punishment against them. All the students who suffered injuries have been hospitalised and their condition is said to be stable. On Monday, authorities deployed women CRPF troopers in city centre Lal Chowk here to rein in the protests by girl students. Kashmir Lawyers Club organized a signature campaign at Pratap Park here to express solidarity with Kathua minor. Scores of activists held placards demanding justice for the seven-year-old girl. Meanwhile, peaceful student protests were received from other parts of Kashmir and in some parts of Jammu including Banihal, Kishtwar, Rajouri and Doda. Bukhari on Sunday ordered to close of all private tuition centres for 90 days in Kashmir valley. The development had come just a day after the Education Minister warned of strict action if the student protests didn t end. However, the decision by Mr Bukhari has drawn serious criticism from all sections of society, besides opposition political parties. Over two dozen students, including girls, were injured during clashes with security forces this week in Kashmir valley, where youth took to streets every day, demanding death penalty to Kathua rape and murder culprits. PDP Member Asked whether he met Mirwaiz in personal capacity, Yatoo said: Take it in personal capacity. We all adore him and offer prayers behind him. In a statement issued here, a spokesman of the amalgam has strongly condemned the deceitful manner in which a certain Mr. Nazir Yatoo who later turned out to be associated with PDP, came to meet Mirwaiz Umar Farooq at his residence. The said person had called Mirwaiz Sahib a few days back seeking to meet him in connection with his brothers enforced disappearance and in connection with reopening of the Asiya Neelofar case, the spokesman said. When Yatoo came to meet Mirwaiz today, the spokesman said Mirwaiz was surprised to learn that he was a PDP member and had brought some members of media along with him. Mirwaiz reprimanded him for lying to him and politely asked him to leave, the spokesman added. Diagnostic Centres On high court comprsing acting Chief Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar and Justice Tashi Rabstan directed the State Government to act on the notification and give the publicity to the cost of stents. A notification has already been issued by the National Pharmaceutical Authority of India on 13 February The court also directed for proper monitoring of diagnostic and cancer centers in the state so that any unfair practice and overcharging by these centers may be prevented. Diagnostic centers review and management be done fortnightly and report to court, directed the division bench. The Court also directed authorities to see whether these centers are operating in tune with the provisions of law and are registered or not. It also sought report as to whether these centers are functioning on the basis of standard specifics or not. The Court had previously sought to know about complaints the government received against doctors who overcharge patients and the action taken against them during the past two years. The court had also directed the government to give wide publicity to the circular issued by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) under union Ministry of chemicals and fertilizers whereby ceiling prices of coronary stents were fixed. The union health ministry in its affidavit filed through its Assistant Solicitor General had informed the court that it has communicated to all the hospitals about the NPPA circular. The bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation against medical corruption. The NPPA has fixed Rs 7260 as ceiling price for Bare Metal Stent while as the Rs has been fixed for Drug Eluting Stents (DES) including metallic DES and Bioresorbable vascular Scaffold (BVS)/ Biodegradable stents. On October 26, 2016, the High Court took a suo-moto cognizance of two writeups published in national newspaper on medical corruption and issued a notice to Government of India and the State Government while treating the articles as Public Interest Litigation. 'Closing Coaching for these stooges to blame students for stone throwing and the state directives carries no sense, said Geelani. The state authorities while destroying all sectors including business, education and economical activities are fomenting trouble and making situations explosive. Refereeing to private coaching centres, Geelani said exceptions are everywhere and leaving aside a few drawbacks these institutions have contributed a lot in reforming the society while as corruption and nepotism is the hall mark for government sponsored institutions. These private coaching centrers can contribute a lot if they follow sacred values instead of business interests. Education Should government. The association however closed all the coaching centres as a mark of protest against the government s order. Minister for Education, Finance and Labour & Employment, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Sunday said all those private tuition centers which offer tuitions upto class 12th will be closed for time being and the decision in this regard will be reviewed later. Addressing a presser here, the CCA said that they were yet to receive any formal order from the government side. We are yet to receive any formal order from the government and we will continue to take classes till we receive any formal order, CCA president, G N Var said. We want that the education should be politics neutral. Nobody should play politics over the education of the students, he said, adding that at a time when the students have already suffered a huge loss, the government is pushing the students to suffer further losses. In one and a half month period, the students have attended classes for only 20 days. Thus giving a big loss to the students in academics, he said, adding that the step by the government at this juncture would prove disastrous for the students. Var informed the reporters that the association following the chaos among the students talked to the government in this regard who assured them that they will come up with an order which would be child-centric. We will follow the government orders as they have assured us that they will take us on board before prior to issuing any order, Var said. He further stated that the association won t allow anyone to play politics over the education and said the education for the child is must and everybody should try and focus to ensure education for the students at any cost, he said. 3 Khair Wood been made so far." He added that a case was registered and the investigation was underway in collaboration with officials from the state forest department. "A Special Investigative Team (SIT) has been formed and action will be taken against the malpractice of costly and excess khair wood collected in these industries," Singh further said. Amit Shah To Meet JK and oath taking ceremony for new faces would be carried out on 25 April, sources claimed. The reshuffle was necessitated after two BJP ministers Chandra Prakash Ganga and Lal Singh were forced to resign from the council of ministers following outrage over their presence in pro-rapists rally in Kathua district on March 1. The rally was organized by Hindu Ekta- Manch, to support the accused in rape and murder of 8-year-old nomad girl in Rasana village of Kathua in January this year. BJP s state general secretary, Ashok Koul when contacted confirmed from New Delhi that the state BJP leaders are meeting Party top brass. The party leaders including, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, Party president Sat Sharma have already reached here and that more leaders will reach to meet party high command tomorrow, Koul told KNS over phone, however did not divulge the agenda of the meeting. Sources said that the leaders will brief the party high command about the performance of the state BJP leaders and the prevailing situation of the state. After two Cabinet ministers resignation, the BJP is left with eight ministers, five in Cabinet and three Ministers of State. Sajjad Gani Lone, who holds the charge of the Social Welfare Department, is also a minister from the BJP quota. Meanwhile sources said that while two new faces are certain in place of Ganga and Singh, some more could be inducted as axe is likely to fall on few incumbent ministers. Speaker Kavinder Gupta, State Party president Sat Sharma is in race to become cabinet ministers and Minister of State Sunil Sharma may be elevated as cabinet minister, sources claimed. It is to mention here that the BJP National Vice President and Jammu and Kashmir affairs In-charge, Avinash Rai Khana had told KNS that a high level meeting will be held to decide the reshuffle in the BJP quota. Khana in reply to a question on the antiparty activities of two sacked ministers Chowdhary Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga, Khanna had said Chander Prakash Ganga has not taken any rally. As far as the activities of Chowdhary Lal Singh are concerned the issue will be discussed in the meeting and action if needed will be initiated, (KNS) UDAAN Now Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). The programme aims to provide skills training and enhance the employability of unemployed youth of J&K. The Scheme covers graduates, post graduates and three-year engineering diploma holders. It has two objectives of providing exposure to the unemployed graduates from J&K to the best of Corporate India and to provide Corporate India, an exposure to the rich talent pool available in the State. Rs 750 crore has been earmarked for implementation of the scheme over a period of five years to cover other incidental expenses such as travel cost, boarding and lodging, stipend and travel and medical insurance cost for the trainees and administration cost. Naidu Rejects The motion further stated with regard to the Chief Justice of India that he too was likely to fall under the scope of investigation. It further states that 'the Chief Justice of India appears to have ante-dated an administrative order.' I am mentioning this fact because the phrases used by the Hon'ble Members of Parliament themselves indicate a mere suspicion, a conjecture or an assumption, Mr. Naidu's order said. "The same certainly does not constitute proof 'beyond reasonable doubt', which is required to make out a case of 'proved misbehaviour' under Article 124 of the Constitution. Conversation between third party with dubious credentials, which have been extensively relied upon, cannot themselves constitute any material evidence against the holder of the office of Chief Justice of India, the order further stated. Mr. Naidu cited a Supreme Court order to reiterate that the CJI, as Master of Roster, was entitled to allocate cases as he deemed fit and referred it as an internal matter of the judiciary." Decision taken after consultation The decision comes just a day after Mr. Naidu consulted Attorney General of India K.K. Venugopal and retired Supreme Court Judge Sudarshan Reddy, and before the Supreme Court opened for the week. Rajya Sabha sources said the Chairman took a quick decision to avoid an "uncomfortable" situation for the occupant of one of the highest constitutional authorities, the Chief Justice of India. "The Chairman didn't want the matter to linger on as it involved the prestige and dignity of the CJI's office. He cut short his tour and came back to Delhi on Sunday to take a quick decision," said a Rajya Sabha official. Cong To Move SC The CPI, the CPI(M), the NCP, the SP, the BSP, and the IUML were the parties that had agreed to the motion. In his 10-page order, Naidu claimed that the Opposition MPs were "unsure" of their own case and that their notice was based on "suspicion and conjectures." On Saturday, Opposition MPs handed over the impeachment motion to Mr. Naidu. The notice was moved "on five grounds of misbehaviour." In Monday's order, Mr. Naidu rejected every charge mentioned in the notice. In a press conference in New Delhi on Monday, Congress leader and former Law Minister Kapil Sibal said the Chairman's order was "ill-advised and illegal." Claiming that the Chairman's discretion was limited,. Sibal said "he [Mr. Naidu] shouldn't have disposed of without constituting an inquiry Committee." "The Chairman's order says the charges are unverifiable. How can you verify without conducting an inquiry," Sibal asked. The Congress leader also hoped that the matter wouldn't be listed under the CJI, but however, said the party will accept the top court's verdict. Shelling along The Indian Army was retaliating strongly and effectively, he added. Murder Accused Held men were wanted on charges of murder and abduction in unrelated cases, he said. Their possible involvement in other criminal cases is being probed, the police official said. India Highest Recipient to low-and middle-income countries reached USD 466 billion in This was an increase of 8.5 per cent over USD 429 billion in Global remittances, which include flows to high-income countries, grew 7 per cent to USD 613 billion last year, from USD 573 billion in 2016, the bank said. The stronger than expected recovery in remittances is driven by growth in Europe, Russia and the US. The rebound in remittances, when valued in US dollars, was helped by higher oil prices and a strengthening of euro and ruble, it added. India continued to top in terms of receiving remittance, and was followed by China (USD 64 billion), the Philippines (USD 33 billion), Mexico (USD 31 billion), Nigeria (USD 22 billion), and Egypt (USD 20 billion). The Bank said remittances to South Asia grew a moderate 5.8 per cent to USD 117 billion. Reversing previous year s sharp decline (8.9 per cent in 2016), remittances to India in 2017 picked up sharply by 9.9 percent, the bank said. As against USD 62.7 billion in 2016, it received USD 69 billion last year. The upsurge is likely to continue into 2018 on the back of stronger economic conditions in advanced economies (particularly the US) and an increase in oil prices that should have a positive impact on the GCC countries. However, flows to Pakistan and Bangladesh were both largely flat in 2017, while Sri Lanka saw a small decline (-0.9 per cent). In 2018, remittances to the region will likely grow modestly by 2.5 percent to USD 120 billion. Pakistan received USD 20 billion in remittances, whereas Bangladesh received USD 13 billion. Remittances are expected to continue to increase in 2018, by 4.1 per cent to reach USD 485 billion. Global remittances are expected to grow 4.6 per cent to USD 642 billion in The Bank said, the global average cost of sending USD 200 was 7.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2018, more than twice as high as the Sustainable Development Goal target of 3 per cent. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most expensive place to send money to, where the average cost is 9.4 per cent. Major barriers to reducing remittance costs are de-risking by banks and exclusive partnerships between national post office systems and money transfer operators. These factors constrain the introduction of more efficient technologies-such as internet and smartphone apps and the use of crypto currency and blockchain-in remittance services. Revoke Draconian it from its NorthEastern territories, this cruel &merciless power bestowed upon 8 lakh Indian Forces in J&K should be revoked immediately!, tweeted Mirwaiz. AFSPA Lifted The Centre was periodically issues such notifications for Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya. Tripura withdrew AFSPA in Last year, the Home Ministry gave up its power and asked the Assam government to take a decision on continuing AFSPA in the State. On March 20, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, MoS Home, informed the Lok Sabha that Centre was considering a proposal to make AFSPA more operationally effective and humane. Ahir said there was no proposal to amend the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990 in force in Jammu and Kashmir. There is no proposal under consideration of Government of India to withdraw the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990 from Jammu and Kashmir. However, a proposal is under consideration to make Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 more operationally effective and humane, he said in a written reply in Lok Sabha. The decision comes after Home Ministry decided to reduce the number of central armed police force personnel deployed in the north-eastern States. The Army has opposed any such move and several rounds of meetings have taken place with Home Ministry. Another official said there was no final decision to repeal AFSPA as of now but the Jeevan Reddy Committee report that recommended so was taken into account. The Central Government appointed a fivemember committee headed by Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy in November 2004 to review AFSPA, The committee submitted its report in 2005 that besides repealing the Act recommended that the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 should be modified to clearly specify the powers of the armed forces and central forces....pti

11 V/S SUNRISERS HYDERABAD VS MUMBAI INDIANS 23RD MATCH (N), INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE AT MUMBAI Liverpool's Egyptian Star Salah Crowned Pfa Player Of The Year SPORTS 11 Tuesday Napoli's Koulibaly stuns Juventus, keeps Serie A title race alive LONDON: Mohamed Salah has been crowned the Premier League s Players Player of the Year, with his incredible 41-goal debut season at Liverpool beating out strong competition from Manchester City s Kevin de Bruyne. It s a big honour. I ve worked hard and I m very happy to win it, Salah said at the ceremony on Sunday evening. Salah matched a Premier League record tally for a single season by scoring his 31st league goal of the campaign in a 2-2 draw at West Brom on Saturday. You re comparing your name with some great names, he said, on the prospect of breaking the record. To break the Premier League record is something huge in England and all over in the world. There are still three games to go. I want to break this record. Salah has also netted seven times in eight Champions League games, including in both legs of Liverpool s 5-1 quarter-final thrashing of City, to carry his side to a first semi-final for a decade. De Bruyne showed why he had been many people s early-season favourite for the prize with an incredible long-range strike for his 12th goal of the season to go with a league-high number of assists as champions City thrashed Swansea 5-0 on Sunday. From my point of view when you are analysing 10 months, there is no player better than him, said City manager Pep Guardiola of the Belgian midfielder. Maybe there are numbers better but for me he was the best. But it is my opinion, the opinions of the players could be different. But in the end, in summer time he will be at home being champion. City did pick up a prize from the PFA gala in central London on Sunday, though, as Leroy Sane won the Young Player of the Year. Sane, another City team-mate David Silva, De Bruyne, Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea and Tottenham striker Harry Kane were the other five nominees for the main prize.. AGENCIES SALAH MATCHED A PREMIER LEAGUE record tally for a single season by scoring his 31st league goal of the campaign in a 2-2 draw at West Brom on Saturday. India-Pakistan bilateral series: Ball is in BCCI's court, says PCB chief Najam Sethi KOLKATA: Pakistan Cricket Board chief Najam Sethi feels that resumption of bilateral Indo-Pak cricketing ties is solely dependent on India's will. The prevailing socio-political relations between the two neighbouring nations and security situations has brought bilateral series to a grinding halt. The BCCI can only go ahead and play a bilateral series only if the Central government permits. Right now, the two countries only play in multi-team events like 50-over World Cup, Champions Trophy, World T20 and Asia Cup. "Firstly, the two sides need to play each other for the sake of the people of the sub-continent. Secondly, the ball is in the BCCI's court. That's it. We hope sooner than later better sense will prevail and the two sides can get back to playing good cricket again," Sethi told PTI during an interaction. "My sense is that all this is a melting pot and at some stage or the other, we will have to have a good resolution." The PCB has sought $70 million in compensation claim against India for refusing to play a bilateral series, violating a 2014 memorandum of understanding under which the two were to play six bilateral series between 2015 and A three-member ICC panel will hear the claim in October. "I'm not at liberty to discuss the issue as per orders of the tribunal. There's going to be no comments on that issue. Those are the orders of the tribunal." As per the newly drafted FTP, India have slots for Pakistan series, but it won't happen till the clearance comes from the Indian government. "Our position is that we are okay with what's been allocated right now but this is subject to the decision of the tribunal. Because, obviously it's a case that's still pending and our currently is subject to whatever resolution that finally finds. "See, right now India has not slotted Pakistan into any of the matches. Our position is that whatever we sign right now is going to be subject to the decision of the tribunal. If the tribunal holds in our favour then the FTP will have to be changed to accordingly." The PCB chairman also felt that media should play a proactive role in resumption of cricket between the two countries as there has been just one bilateral tour since 2008, when Pakistan visited India to play two Twenty20s and three ODIs in December 2012 and January "I'm just surprised that there's not sufficient media pressure here in India for resumption of cricketing ties between India and Pakistan. I am sure the people of the two countries want to see cricket between the two countries. There's a lot of goodwill on both sides so let's hope that the issue can be resolved in the interest of the fans. There's no rough weather between the two Boards. There's no problem at all," Sethi said in an assuring tone. PTI MILAN: Second-placed Napoli threw the Serie A title race open in dramatic style when Kalidou Koulibaly scored with a towering header in the last minute to give them a 1-0 win at leaders Juventus. Napoli cut the gap between themselves and the Turin side to one point with four matches to play, setting up a dramatic finale to the Serie A season. Juventus, chasing a seventh successive title, still face difficult matches away to Inter Milan and AS Roma. Napoli dominated the match but seemed to have run out of ideas and energy until the final minute when Jose Callejon s outswinging corner was met by the Senegal international with a monstrous header which left Gianluigi Buffon helpless. AGENCIES Champions League: Rodriguez poised to show Zidane what Real are missing BERLIN: Having rebooted his stuttering career at Bayern Munich, James Rodriguez has the chance to show Real Madrid exactly what they are missing when the sides meet in their Champions League semi-final, first leg on Wednesday. Rodriguez has shone since quitting Real last July at the end of three often difficult seasons in Madrid for a two-year loan deal in Munich. "Both games will be special for me," Rodriguez told Spanish newspaper AS before the first leg at the Allianz Arena. "I was at Real for three years, I have friends there and good memories from that time. "I'm only thinking about my team now and how we can beat Real." The Colombian had an impressive first season in the Spanish capital in the wake of a starring role for his country at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. However, the appointment of Zinedine Zidane as Madrid coach in January 2016 set him back, with the Frenchman not seeing Rodriguez as a key part of his team. Yet, while Zidane seemed relieved to see Rodriguez leave the Santiago Bernabeu, his Real team-mates were not. Last November, Cristiano Ronaldo publicly pointed to the playmaker's departure as a reason for Madrid's erratic form this season. In Munich, the 26-year-old attacking midfielder has rediscovered the form which saw him light Wenger's recent woes won't tarnish lasting Arsenal legacy LONDON: April 20, 2018 remember the date and remember the man: Arsene Wenger. After 22 years in charge of Arsenal Football Club, the Alsace-born manager dubbed Arsene Who? by the British press when he first arrived on these shores in 1996 has finally announced that he will step down at the end of the season. With three Premier League titles and a record seven FA Cups later, Wenger will leave behind an indelible imprint on English football. The innovator, professor and polyglot who brought the likes of Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas to north London captivated crowds with his brand of attacking football a philosophy which drew in spectators and saw the Gunners go through the entire Premier League season unbeaten. Everyone connected with Arsenal would have been overcome with emotion at hearing the the news that Wenger is finally departing the club he has known as home for over two decades. Whether you re a fan who has followed Wenger s Arsenal since the late '90s, or a reporter covering the club since the Frenchman s early days, there is no doubt that Wenger s presence and ability to light up a room with his wit and charm make him such a unique man. Every defeat is a scar on your heart that you never forget, Wenger has previously been quoted as saying. His passion and enthusiasm for the game cannot be rivalled and it is the main facet of his persona which saw him compete so strongly for silverware in the first 10 years of his reign. Despite the protests, online rants and criticisms banded about in the past few years, even Wenger s biggest critics cannot deny that he has improved the game and changed the face of Arsenal Football Club. Indeed, society has changed vastly since Wenger s arrival in England and perhaps that has contributed to his natural decline as a top flight manager. As other managers have arrived in England with their new, innovative methods and tactical ideologies, Wenger has stuck to his principles and struggled to adapt. Part of that comes down to his stubborn approach but the ability to firmly stick to what he believed in should be lauded, not criticised, in an age where opinions and jobs change faster than the wind. All good things come to an end and the Arsenal-Wenger romance will remain unwavering for the next 50 years and beyond. The tributes will pour in and a statue outside the ground will undoubtedly follow. The uncertainty over Wenger s future and pressure from the boardroom has played a part in his decision to leave after almost 22 years. With one year remaining on his contract the manager preferred to go out on his own terms instead of being pushed out by owners who have initiated changes in the backroom staff throughout the past year. I still live in the future, Wenger said when asked about reaching another milestone as Arsenal boss. It is planned. Tight. My relationship with time is quite scary. I m still trying to fight it. I m always afraid of being late. Not to be ready. Not being able to accomplish all that I planned. My personal relationship with time is scary. To go back in time, to look behind yourself is equally staggering. Wenger will finally have the opportunity to look behind himself and see what he has achieved over the past two decades. He signed off with the most apt words possible and his legacy is not tarnished. It will live long in the memory. He will be remembered as man who prides himself on integrity, sticking to his principles and educating the next generation with positive values. To all the Arsenal lovers take care of the values of the club," he stated. "My love and support for ever. That love and support will be forever be reciprocated by all Arsenal supporters. AGENCIES up that World Cup and finish as the competition's top scorer. He came to Bavaria to work under Carlo Ancelotti, his first coach at Real. The Italian was sacked in late September after a poor start to this season, but he has remained a popular choice under Ancelotti's successor Jupp Heynckes. Heynckes said the key to Rodriguez's development has been having the freedom to take risks. "He realises that he's allowed to make mistakes and that it's not a reflection of his performance if he's taken off," explained the Bayern boss. Encouraged to roam the space behind top scorer Robert Lewandowski, Rodriguez also gives Bayern another potentially lethal option from dead balls. Real's loss has been Bayern's gain. Rodriguez was part of two Champions League-winning teams with Madrid. He did not play in either the 2016 or 2017 final, but he knows exactly how Real tick in Europe. "They use a different 'chip' in the Champions League than they do in the (Spanish) league," he told Munich-based newspaper TZ. "They manage to get the most out of themselves. They know what it takes to fight for this trophy year after year." Bayern have been knocked out of Europe by Spanish opposition in each of the last four seasons, including losing to Real in the quarter-finals last year. They will hope Rodriguez can help end that run. He has been described by Heynckes as a "godsend", having scored six goals and provided twice as many assists so far this season. He announced his arrival last September by capping his first league start by scoring and creating a goal in a 3-0 win at Schalke. He did not look back, helping Bayern secure a sixth straight Bundesliga title. All that is missing is a statement performance in Europe -- ideally against Real. His loan spell ends in June 2019, but he was crystal clear when German magazine Kicker asked about his future. "I'm staying here," Rodriguez said. "My present is here and I'm very happy in Munich. I don't want to think about anything else." Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge describes the 13 million euros ($15.9m) they paid to take Rodriguez on loan as a "very, very good transfer." "We're in no hurry. We have very clear conditions in terms of the contract," said Rummenigge. "We have a two-year loan deal and then a purchase option of 42 million euros that we will have to take up." Rodriguez added: "Bayern is fantastic, I'm happy and I can imagine myself playing for many more years here." Improved Manchester City difficult to catch, admits Mourinho LONDON: Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho admitted his side have little chance of catching Premier League champions Manchester City next season unless the standards set by Pep Guardiola's side slip. Second-placed United trail City by 16 points with four games of the league season to go after Guardiola's men kept up their chase of a series of Premier League records by thrashing Swansea 5-0 on Sunday. Mourinho believes United let crucial points slip away in defeats to West Brom, Huddersfield and Newcastle. However, the Portuguese coach reckons even if those errors are eradicated next season, it will be difficult to challenge for the title if free-spending City bolster their squad once more over the summer. "I think we should have eight, nine or 10 points more than we had," said Mourinho after reaching the FA Cup final by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on Saturday. "It was not acceptable the last defeat (to West Brom), not acceptable the performance at Huddersfield, not acceptable the performance at Newcastle, so we lost a few matches where we should do better. "Can we improve next season? Let's try. Can Manchester City keep this level or improve this level? Only they can say. "If they have the team they have, and they are going to invest on the top of the team they have, of course it's going to be difficult." United have spent hundreds of millions themselves since Mourinho took charge just under two years ago, splashing a then world record 89 million fee for Paul Pogba in 2016 and beating City to the signature of Alexis Sanchez in January by reportedly making the Chilean the highest paid player in Premier League history. However, Mourinho hinted at only minor alterations to his squad this summer to replace the retiring Michael Carrick and Marouane Fellaini, whose contract expires in June. "We are going to improve the basics to improve our squad. We need to find a replacement for Michal Carrick, if Felliani leaves, we need to find a replacement for Felliani," added Mourinho. "We believe that more than spend, spend, spend (it) is more (about) the evolution of our players. "We have some young players who need to get with both hands opportunities for their evolution." AGENCIES

12 12 TUESDAY Kashmir Observer Saudi air raids kill 43 at wedding in Yemen SANAA - At least 43 people were killed and 41 wounded after airstrikes hit a wedding party in northwest Yemen on Sunday night, reports reaching here have confirmed. Two missiles hit the celebration in the town of Hajja, several minutes apart, eyewitnesses and officials said. Most of the dead were women and children who were gathering in a tent set up for the wedding party in Hajjah's Bani Qays district, a medical official was quoted saying by Al Jazeera. Khaled al-nadhri, the top health official in Hajja, told The Associated Press that the bride was among the dead, who were mostly women and children. At least 46 people were wounded in the attack, 30 of them children, the official added. Video footage of a boy who survived the attack spread through social media, showing the child clinging to the body of what appeared to be his deceased father. The child refused to leave the body's side despite pleas from first responders. The head of Al Jumhouri hospital in Hajjah told the news agency that the hospital had received 40 bodies, "most of them torn to pieces." International medical body, Medecins Sans Frontieres issued a statement. "Following a series of nighttime air strikes on 22 April in Bani Qays, in Yemen, a hospital supported by Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Hajjah, has received 45 wounded individuals." Among the wounded were at least 13 children, some of whom arrived to hospital in critical condition. "Hospital staff in Hajjah are working around the clock to treat the wounded. Last night airstrikes were among the most devastating in the area in recent months," the MSF said. Health ministry spokesman A FAMILY HIDING IN A BUNKER to protect themselves from relentless Saudi air blitzkrieg Abdel-Hakim al-kahlan said ambulances were initially unable to reach the site of the bombing for fear of subsequent air strikes as the jets continued to fly overhead. Western backed coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been bombing Yemen for more than two years. Earlier this month, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Gutteres dubbed Yemen's war the world's worst humanitarian crisis with more than 22 Saudi Crown Prince and Defence Minister Muhammad bin Salman million people -- three quarters of the population -- in desperate need of aid and protection. The Yemen war began in early 2015, when US-backed government of President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi was driven out of Yemeni capital of Sanaa following a mass uprising. The US has been supporting the Saudi coalition with arms sales, intelligence and military support. The UK meanwhile, has been labelled "one of the principal backers" of the war due to its ongoing arms sales and military support for Saudi Arabia. Last year US President Donald Trump agreed the "largest single arms deal in American history" with the Middle Eastern Kingdom. The ongoing war has driven the country to the brink of famine with some 22 million people in need of humanitarian aid. Saudi coalition air raids have repeatedly struck civilian targets while trying to target popular fighters who control capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen The coalition says it does not target civilians. On September 28, 2015, a coalition air strike killed 131 attending a wedding in the Red Sea village of al-wahjiah, near the ancient port of al- Mokha. On October 7, 2015, another air raid killed 43 people at a wedding in Sanaban village in the Dhammar governorate in Yemen. Gmail users receiving spams from their own accounts: Report San Francisco : Some Gmail users have claimed that they have been receiving ads sent to them from their own accounts despite updated passwords and twofactor authentication, the media reported. To get the messages past spam filters, the spammers have been using forged headers to make them appear as though they are being sent via a "Canadian telecommunications company" called "Telus", Mashable reported on Sunday. The subject of the s read "weight loss and growth supplements for men". "We are aware of a spam campaign impacting a small subset of Gmail users and have actively taken measures to protect against it," a Google spokesperson was quoted as saying. "We have identified and Observers OUT POST Salman Khan reaches Sonamarg for Race 3 shoot This isn t the first time, Salman Khan is shooting in Sonamarg. He earlier went there to shoot Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Bollywood superstar Salman Khan on Monday reached the picturesque Sonamarg hill station in Jammu and Kashmir for a two-day shooting schedule of director Remo D Souza s Race 3. The action packed thriller is being produced jointly by Ramesh S. Taurani and Salman. Besides Salman, Race 3 will also feature Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Jacqueline Fernandez, Daisy Shah and Saqib Saleem. Like many Salman blockbusters, Race 3 is scheduled to be released coinciding with the Eid festival on June 15. Salman is likely to shoot for the movie in Ladakh region after completing the are reclassifying all offending s as spam, and have no reason to believe any accounts were compromised as part of this incident," he added. Because the messages appeared to be coming from the same user, Gmail filed the message into affected users' sent folder. "My account has sent out 3 spam s in the past hour to a list of about 10 addresses that I don't recongnise. I changed my password immediately after the first one, but then it happened again 2 more times," a user wrote on "Google Help Forum". "The company's engineering teams are aware of this and are working on a resolution," Google employee Seth Vargo tweeted in reply to one such complaint. schedule in Sonamarg. Sonamarg is hosting Salman for a second time. He spent over a fortnight in Sonamarg last time shooting for Kabir Khan directed super-hit movie Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Sonamarg has been one of the most favourite shooting locales for Bollywood. Raj Kapoor s Ram Teri Ganga Meli and Yash Chopra s Silsila are some of the better known Bollywood movies shot in Sonamarg. Fans of the superstar are likely to throng his shooting schedule in Sonamarg, thereby helping local hoteliers, tea vendors and pony owners. Woman arrested for killing newborn daughter Thane, Apr 23 (PTI) A 27-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly killing her newborn daughter, police said. The accused, Vaishali Pradhan, residing in Umbarde village near here, allegedly cut the throat of her daughter, born just a week ago, with sharpened fingernails on Saturday, police said. The woman, who already has two daughters aged five and three, was apparently worried that she would not be able to raise her third child given her poor financial condition, the police said. The homemaker was arrested yesterday by the Khadakpada police and booked on murder charge, they said. Her husband is a habitual drinker, they said. After killing the child, the woman took her to the Thane Civil Hospital for "treatment". Doctors felt something amiss and informed the police, they said. During questioning, Pradhan confessed to the crime, the police added. British campaigner Martin Lewis to sue Facebook over fake ads London, British consumer campaigner Martin Lewis is suing Facebook for defamation after dozens of fake advertisements bearing his name were published on the social media platform. The founder of MoneySavingExpert.com -- a British consumer finance information website -- said that at least 50 fake ads bearing his name appeared on the social media platform, causing reputational damage to him, BBC reported late on Sunday. Lewis is due to lodge court papers at the High Court for a defamation case against Facebook on Monday. He is seeking damages but pledged that the money would go to anti-scam charities, the report noted. Several advertisements allegedly show his face alongside endorsements that he has not made. "These adverts tout schemes with titles such as Bitcoin code and Cloud Trader which, according to Lewis, are fronts for binary trading firms outside the European Union (EU)," BBC said. Binary trading is a form of financial transaction which British financial regulatory body Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned consumers against. According to Lewis, a woman had spent 100,000 pounds ($140,000) in "a binary trading nightmare" that had attached his name to its advertising. "I get about five messages a day from people saying, 'I've just seen your Bitcoin ad and wanted to check it.' If that is the number who get through to me, how many more must be just taken in?" Lewis was quoted as saying. He said Facebook had failed to stop the adverts despite his complaints and action. "It is consistent, it is repeated. Other companies who have run these adverts have taken them down. What is particularly pernicious about Facebook is that it says the onus is on me, so I have spent time and effort and stress repeatedly to have them taken down," he said. Meanwhile, Facebook said the misleading ads are not allowed and any reported are removed. World Book Day KO NEWS DESK His books have reflected the life in Kashmir and that is why I want to read them, Scattered Souls is the best-selling fiction book in Kashmir till date Srinagar:- Anisa, a student, in a local bookstore is looking for some good reads. She couldn t read much because of the shutdowns but she has already heard a lot about books from Shahnaz Bashir. His books have reflected the life in Kashmir and that is why I want to read them, she said. The bookstores of Kashmir have witnessed a rush after good books by Kashmiris began to appear in the valley. One of them is Scattered Souls by Shahnaz Bashir. It is his second fiction book published by HarperCollins. A collection of 13 short stories which metaphorically portray the ordinary lives of people of Kashmir shaped by the ongoing conflict. Readers have been praising the book for its literary merits and originality. The reviews, public response and love pouring into my inbox implies that Scattered Souls is being received well in Kashmir and across the globe. Even if it wasn t, it wouldn t matter. Though I m never satisfied with myself, I will still write what I ought to, said Shahnaz Bashir, the author of Scattered Souls. Needless to say that his first book The Half Mother did equally well as a debut and laid the foundations for his next. Mohammad Imtiyaz, Manager at Password Books, Regal Chowk, Srinagar has already sold copies of Scattered Souls since it was first published. From the day of its local release in Dec 2016, people are buying the book like hot cakes. At our store, its sales have surpassed the other fiction titles by Kashmiri writers writing in English. People like to read about conflict and the book seems to touch the life of a Kashmiri in a conflict-torn place, Imtiyaz said. In non-fiction category Khalid Bashir Ahmad s Kashmir: Exposing the Myth Behind the Narrative has been a local bestseller since its publication in the summer of last year. The book deals with the history of Kashmir and has been praised for its authenticity of research. It s published by Sage and was mostly reviewed by insiders as well as outsiders with great critical acclaim. Muslim Conference Chairman Professor Abdul Ghani Bhat s autobiography Beyond Me had got a good response among autobiographies since it was taken over by Khalid s Kashmir. Sheikh Aijaz, owner of Gulshan Books, Residency Road Srinagar, says, The book was read by politicians, bureaucrats, separatist leaders and journalists with much interest for the confessions that Bhat made. DIPK-NB-306/18