Srinagar: A three-day workshop ‘Scientists as Filmmakers and Science Communication’ organised by the Postgraduate Department of Physics, National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar concluded here Wednesday.

A statement of the NIT Srinagar issued here said that the event was presided over by Director NIT Srinagar, Prof Rakesh Sehgal who was the chief guest for the valedictory section.

In his address, Prof Sehgal said that the primary objective of the workshop was the promotion of science communication skills among the students and its importance in context with modern research.

In his message, Institute’s Registrar Prof Syed Kaiser Bukhari said science film engages viewers visually and viscerally more so emotionally thereby potentially reaching wider audiences.

Welcoming the guests Head PG Department of Physics, M A Shah said that films were the most powerful tools for communicating science to the general public.

The coordinator of programme Prof S Rubab gave a brief outlook of the programme in context with the New Education Policy.

The concluding session was also attended by Dean Students Welfare Prof Abdul Liman and former HoD Mathematics Prof Niyaz Ahmad Sheikh.

On the occasion, independent filmmaker Jalaluddin Baba said whether it was the newly-published scientific research or promoting scientific awareness for conservation purposes, choosing a short film about the topic was a great way to get involved in outreach and education.

In the inaugural programme former Additional Director of AIR Srinagar Rafiq Masoodi advised students that new technologies could reach the public if the work was presented properly.

JAMMU, Sep 1: The Meteorological (MeT) department on Thursday predicted clear weather for Jammu and Kashmir in the next 24 hours.
“Weather is likely to remain mainly clear to partly cloudy in J&K during the next 24 hours”, an official of the MeT department said.
Meanwhile, Jammu had 26.1 degrees, Katra 23.2, Batote 17.7, Banihal 16.5 and Bhaderwah 16.9.
Srinagar recorded 16.8 degrees Celsius, Pahalgam 11.7 and Gulmarg 9 degrees as the minimum temperature this morning.
In Drass town, the minimum temperature was 8.7 degrees, while Leh 9.7 and Kargil 16.2 registered 9.7 and 16.2 degrees.

Srinagar, Aug 31: The Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board has constituted a committee to enquire into the allegations of irregularities and misappropriation of funds and properties at Ziyarat Shareef Hazratbal Khiram located in Bijbehara area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

According to an order, J&K Waqf Board has constituted a four-member committee to enquire into the allegations and has been asked to submit a detailed report within 3 weeks, news agency KNO reported.

The order stated that chairperson J&K Waqf Board as well as the Central Office J&K Waqf Board has received several complaints regarding misappropriation, irregularities and mismanagement of donations and properties at the shrine by the Committee constituted by the Government in 2015.

It added that the matter was viewed very seriously by the chairpersons J&K Waqf Board and therefore, a four-member committee has been constituted to conduct a preliminary enquiry into the matter.

The order stated that a committee of four members headed by private secretary to chairperson J&K Waqf Board, Masroof Sultan and senior accountant Fayaz Ahmad Rather, supervisor accounts section Nazir Ahmad Wani, and Muhasil Accounts Section Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh as its members is constituted to conduct a preliminary enquiry into the allegations of misappropriation, irregularities and mismanagement of donations and properties.

The committee has been asked to submit a detailed report along with recommendations to the Chief Executive Officer, J&K Waqf Board, within a period of 3 weeks.

“The Committee may extend the period of enquiry even beyond the given time period, if required, to ensure all genuine concerns of the general public are addressed,” read the order.

SRINAGAR, Aug 31: The Indian Air Force on Wednesday rescued an Israeli national who was stuck at a height of more than 16,000 feet near Markha valley in Ladakh.
“On 31 August 2022, 114 Helicopter Unit received a call for casualty evacuation from Nimaling Camp near Markha Valley. The Israeli national, Atar Kahana, was suffering from high-altitude sickness, including vomiting and low oxygen saturation,” a Srinagar-based defence spokesman said.
He said Wing Commander Ashish Kapoor and Flt Lt Rhythm Mehra as aircrew number 1 and Squadron Leader Neha Singh and Squadron leader Ajinkya Kher as aircrew number 2, got airborne within minutes, for this time-critical mission.
“Following the shortest route, the aircraft reached the spot within 20 minutes of flying time and spotted the casualty on the Gongmaru La pass at an elevation of 16,800 feet,” the spokesman said.
He said the aircrew number 1 carried out a thorough recce and landed at the mountain pass with the assistance of aircrew number 2 and picked up Kahana from the pass in the turbulent weather conditions.
“The casualty was recovered expeditiously within the limited time of one hour at Air Force Station Leh,” he added. (Agencies)

Jammu and Kashmir are turning out to be new investment destinations for foreign investors. In addition to the growing interest of foreign investors in the picturesque region, local young entrepreneurs are venturing into new business models as well.

Jammu and Kashmir’s youth are showcasing their entrepreneurial mindset: from cupcake businesses to opening a new fashion outlet, a large number of young innovators in Kashmir are making a huge impact on society.

Recently, the Kashmir Entrepreneurship Conclave 2022 in the capital Srinagar invited some 500 budding entrepreneurs with an aim to grow their businesses by availing benefits of government schemes. The conclave also felicitated 12 of the pathbreaking entrepreneurs of the valley.Save Youth Save Future (SYSF), an NGO in collaboration with Mission Youth organized a day-long ‘Kashmir Entrepreneurship Conclave 2022’ in Srinagar on Saturday to encourage the youth for launching their own businesses.

With a motto of ‘Be A Job Creator Than Being A Job Seeker’ and dream of starting their own business approximately 1000 youth attended the conclave. The aim of the conclave was to foster Entrepreneurship & managerial skills in the youth.

The conclave was organized to make entrepreneurial technology and philosophy accessible to the young and well-read youth of Kashmir and inculcate societal value creation and the public good.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also motivated the women entrepreneurs in the valley by inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for New District Rural Haats across Jammu and Kashmir and specially dedicated the facility to all women entrepreneurs.There is also commendable growth on the infrastructure front. Recently the world’s highest rail bridge on the Chenab river was inaugurated, which is 35 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower.

The Chenab bridge is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla section of the Kashmir Railway project and forms an important link in the 111-km stretch from Katra to Banihal. It will provide direct connectivity to the valley.Earlier, in march Union minister Piyush Goyal said that Kashmir has become an attractive destination of investment for Indian and foreign businessmen. After the abrogation of article 370, foreign direct investment also broke all the records in the valley.

A 40-member delegation from the UAE also visited Kashmir.In January, Jammu and Kashmir signed five MoUs with Al Maya Group, MATU Investments LLC, GL Employment Brokerage LLC, Century Financial, Noon E-commerce, and others.(With Inputs from ANI)

NEW DELHI, Aug 31: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad will address a rally in Jammu on September 4, his first after quitting the Congress.
The rally is planned on the day Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is slated to address a ‘Mehngai par Halla Bol’ event in the national capital.
With the timing of Azad’s launch event in Jammu and Kashmir coinciding with Gandhi’s rally, it will be seen if there are more fireworks on the day the former Congress chief addresses the mega event at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan.
Azad has said his resignation letter was just a “tip of the iceberg”, indicating that he would step up his attack on the Gandhis in the coming days.
He has already stated that he would float his own party in Jammu and Kashmir soon, where assembly elections are due to be announced.
Ahead of Azad’s Sunday rally in Jammu’s Sainik farms, there has been a spate of resignations in the Jammu and Kashmir Congress.
Sixty-four more leaders, including former deputy chief minister Tara Chand, tendered their resignation and joined the Ghulam Nabi Azad camp on Tuesday, leaving the unit of the national party in the Union Territory in tatters.
The former Union minister had targeted Rahul Gandhi in his five-page resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi last Friday.
Azad had launched a stinging attack on Rahul Gandhi describing him as “immature” and “childish” and accusing the leadership of “foisting a non-serious individual” at the helm of the party.
Azad mentioned Rahul Gandhi seven times, accusing him of running the party through a “new coterie of inexperienced sycophants”.
Azad, 73, who ended his nearly five-decade association with the Congress, also attacked party chief Sonia Gandhi for applying the “remote control model that demolished the institutional integrity of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government” to the party.
He also reminded Sonia Gandhi that she was just a “nominal figurehead” and all the important decisions were being taken by Rahul Gandhi or “rather worse his security guards and PAs”.
Azad slammed Rahul Gandhi’s conduct within the party and singled out his action of tearing up a Government ordinance in “full glare” of the media.
“One of the most glaring examples of this immaturity was the tearing up of a government ordinance in the full glare of the media by Shri Rahul Gandhi,” he said.
“The said ordinance was incubated in the Congress Core Group and subsequently unanimously approved by the Union Cabinet presided over by the Prime Minister of India and duly approved even by the President of India.
“This ‘childish’ behaviour completely subverted the authority of the Prime Minister and Government of India,” said Azad, who served as Health Minister in the UPA-II Government. (AGENCIES)