University working group to help preserve Dal
The University of Kashmir has formed a high-level working group to promote ecological restoration of the world-famous Dal Lake in Srinagar. The 15-member working group will be headed by vice-chancellor of the university Talat Ahmad. The group includes civil society members, academicians, heads of different government departments, who are directly or indirectly associated with the restoration of Dal Lake. One of the primary mandates of the working group is to identify pressing issues of immense societal and environmental importance and promote research on Dal restoration.
Docs suspended after differently abled student dies
The death of differently-abled Class 10 student outside the District Medical Board in Srinagar has prompted the Jammu and Kashmir government to suspend three members of the board and a class-four employee. The student, a patient of muscular dystrophy, died after being denied by the J&K Board of School Education to write his Class 10 exams because of his inability to write the paper himself as well. His sister and mother had approached the medical board on November 17 and requested that the boy be examined in the vehicle parked outside the centre due to his severe disability. However, according to the family, the student was not attended and it was only when he suffered breathlessness that doctors rushed to the spot to attend him and referred him to the hospital.
Suresh Raina to set up cricket academy in J&K
Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina will set up a cricket academy in Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Suresh Raina Cricket Academy for setting up the academy to nurture aspiring cricketers of J&K for the national and international levels with comprehensive training programmes. The MoU was signed in the presence of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the former Indian middle-order batsman. According to the MoU, the J&K Sports Council will make available supporting infrastructure for usage by the academy. The MoU shall run for a year and will be renewable on mutual understanding. Last month, Raina had visited the UT and interacted with the L-G.
Mattu re-elected as Srinagar mayor
Junaid Mattu was re-elected as mayor of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) amid high drama on Wednesday. There are 74 corporators in the SMC and out of those, 51 exercised their right to franchise. Mattoo got 44 votes, while his opponent, Sheikh Imran, who is a former deputy mayor, bagged only seven votes. Mattoo was removed as Srinagar mayor in June after the corporators voted against him in the no-confidence motion. Deputy mayor Parvez Qadri objected to the election, saying as per the Municipal Act 2000, he as the acting mayor had not given his consent for holding the poll.
Fayaz wani
Our correspondent in Jammu and Kashmir fayazwani123@gmail.com