On the eve of New Year 2026, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah extended warm greetings to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Both leaders expressed their wishes for the citizens’ happiness, prosperity, and overall progress in the coming year.

In a heartfelt message, Manoj Sinha reflected on how the New Year brings renewed hopes and opportunities. He called upon the people of Jammu and Kashmir to work collaboratively towards building a healthier society. Emphasising the importance of national progress, he urged everyone to dedicate their efforts to the welfare of Bharat. Sinha highlighted that unity and determination are essential to overcoming future challenges. He prayed that the New Year brings joy and prosperity to all citizens of the Union Territory.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah echoed these sentiments, wishing the people of Jammu and Kashmir a year filled with peace, prosperity, and good health. He expressed hope that the New Year would create pathways for optimism and harmony throughout the region.

In his message, Abdullah stated that the occasion serves as a reminder to reflect on the shared aspirations of the community. He reiterated the need for a collective commitment to foster an inclusive and resilient Jammu and Kashmir. The Chief Minister emphasised that every citizen plays a vital role in shaping a brighter future.

Abdullah called particularly on the youth of the region to contribute positively towards peace and sustainable growth. He urged them to actively engage in initiatives that promote stability and foster connections among the diverse communities of J&K. With a vision for a prosperous year ahead, he prayed that 2026 would bring economic growth and strengthen the bonds of brotherhood among the people.

Both leaders have sparked a wave of optimism as Jammu and Kashmir prepares to welcome the New Year. Their messages reflect a deep understanding of the region’s challenges and a commitment to driving forward its development.

In embracing the New Year, Sinha and Abdullah inspire the citizens to envision a future full of potential and purpose. As families come together to celebrate, their greetings set a hopeful tone for the future of Jammu and Kashmir.

A Pakistani drone crossed into Indian territory along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district and dropped suspected explosive material, ammunition and narcotics, prompting massive search operations by security forces.

According to official sources, the drone intruded into the Indian airspace in the Khadi Karmada area of Poonch and remained inside Indian territory for more than five minutes before returning across the LoC.

During the incursion, the drone dropped a consignment that included an improvised explosive device (IED), ammunition and drugs.

Soon after the drone movement was detected, the Indian Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police launched extensive cordon and search operations in Khadi Karmada and adjoining areas to trace and secure the dropped items and to rule out any possible terrorist movement on the ground.

A video of the items dropped by the Pakistani drone has surfaced, showing the material recovered from the area.

Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh, on Tuesday said that 2025 marked a significant phase in governance reforms, with a strong emphasis on improving ease of living for citizens and creating a more enabling, work-friendly environment for government employees.

Addressing a year-end press conference, the Minister reviewed the achievements of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, covering the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), and the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW).

Dr Singh said the reforms undertaken during the year were guided by the principle of “minimum government, maximum governance”, focusing on simplification of procedures, reduction of pendency and extensive use of technology to make governance more responsive and citizen-centric. He noted that governance outcomes in 2025 reflected a maturing reform ecosystem where digital tools, institutional innovation and human-centric approaches converged to deliver tangible improvements in public service delivery.

Highlighting capacity building as a key pillar, the Minister said Mission Karmayogi continued to expand rapidly. The iGOT-Karmayogi platform crossed 1.45 crore registered government employees and now offers over 4,155 e-learning courses in 23 languages, with 28 States and Union Territories onboarded. New initiatives introduced during the year included the iGOT Marketplace, specialisation programmes in seven thematic areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and public policy, and AI-enabled tools like AI Sarthi, AI Tutor and the Capacity Building Planning tool to support role-based skilling.

On transparency and citizen-centric reforms, Dr Singh said the RTI Online Portal was expanded to cover 2,899 public authorities with enhanced security features. He also highlighted improvements in service-related grievance redressal through the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which achieved a disposal rate of 92.94 per cent by September 2025. The performance was supported by digital case management systems, upgraded infrastructure in Lucknow and Guwahati, and wider regional outreach through circuit sittings.

Referring to grievance redressal reforms, the Minister said the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) remained a key citizen engagement platform. During 2025, over 20 lakh public grievances were disposed of, with an average resolution time of 15 days in Central Ministries and Departments. More than 10 lakh citizen feedback responses were received, alongside the introduction of new monitoring mechanisms, training modules and national workshops. He also mentioned the observance of Good Governance Week and the Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore campaign, aimed at taking administration closer to citizens across States and districts.

Dr Singh said Special Campaign 5.0, implemented across 84 Ministries and Departments, focused on institutionalising cleanliness and reducing pendency. The campaign covered 11.6 lakh cleanliness sites, resulted in the weeding out or closure of 29.52 lakh files, freed 233.75 lakh square feet of office space and generated Rs 833.92 crore through scrap disposal, contributing to improved efficiency and workplace practices in government offices.

Earlier, DoPT Secretary Rachna Shah outlined the Ministry’s priorities, stating that all reforms during the year were anchored in transparency, efficiency and citizen-centricity.

The press conference was attended by Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Additional Secretary, DoPT; Puneet Yadav, Additional Secretary, DARPG; and Dhrubajyoti Sengupta, Joint Secretary, DoPPW, reflecting coordinated efforts across the three departments under the Ministry.