Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday interacted with Armed Forces veterans at Lok Bhawan and expressed profound gratitude to serving personnel, ex-servicemen and families of martyrs, stating that the nation remains eternally indebted to their sacrifices.

Paying homage to the bravehearts, the LG said the welfare of soldiers and their families is a collective responsibility of every citizen. He made a generous contribution to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund, observed annually on December 7.

“Nation Must Support Those Who Safeguard Our Integrity”: LG Sinha

Highlighting the importance of the observance, Sinha said Armed Forces Flag Day reminds citizens of their duty to support the men and women who guard the nation’s borders.

He appealed to people across Jammu & Kashmir to contribute to the fund, which is used for the welfare of serving personnel, their families, ex-servicemen, and dependents.

Veterans and Officials Present

The event was attended by

• Brig. Pankaj Chib (Retd), Director, Sainik Welfare Department
• Chandraker Bharti, Principal Secretary, Home
• Veterans and Sainik Welfare Department officials including
• Col B.S. Sambyal (Retd)
• Col Manjit Singh Bhau (Retd)
• Wg Cdr Tirath Singh (Retd)
• Capt (IN) Kapil Sharma (Retd)
• Tanvir Singh, Pawan Anand, Jagbir Singh, Subash Chander, Anshu Dogra

The Lieutenant Governor reiterated the administration’s commitment to ensuring the welfare and dignity of soldiers, veterans and their families.

The long-pending process to induct eight Jammu and Kashmir Police Services (JKPS) officers into the Indian Police Service (IPS) has entered an advanced stage, with authorities securing Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) clearance for 24 officers, excluding those who either withheld consent or failed to meet eligibility norms.

Official sources told Excelsior that the Public Service Commission (PSC) will be approached for a meeting “once all formalities are completed.”

Some Senior JKPS Officers Decline IPS Induction

Sources revealed that several JKPS officers, already promoted as Directors or to posts equivalent to IGPs and DIGs under the new promotion policy, have refused induction, arguing that they already enjoy higher ranks and scales within the Union Territory.

One officer who initially gave consent later withdrew it, while another officer was denied ACB clearance due to pending inquiries.

Induction May Be Limited to 1999 Batch

Although ACB clearance covered officers from the 1999, 2000, and 2001 batches, sources suggested the induction process may ultimately be confined to the 1999 batch owing to the limited number of IPS vacancies.

Vacancies Determined for 2021–2024

The Union Home Ministry (MHA) earlier determined eight IPS vacancies for promotion from JKPS:

• 5 vacancies for Select List 2021
• 2 vacancies for 2023
• 1 vacancy for 2024
• No vacancy for 2022

Additionally, five unfilled vacancies from Select Lists of 2015–2020 were carried forward and re-determined for 2021.

These adjustments were necessary because, against 32 sanctioned vacancies, only 27 IPS appointments were notified for Jammu & Kashmir on September 29, 2023.

Three more vacancies arose in 2023–24 due to retirements.

Batch Allotment and Quota Structure

Once inducted, JKPS officers may receive batch allotments starting from 2015 onwards, depending on the vacancy year.

Currently, IPS posts are filled in a 67:33 ratio:

• 67% for direct IPS recruits
• 33% for State Police Services (including JKPS officers)

The UPA government had earlier revised the ratio to 50:50, but the BJP government in 2014 restored the 67:33 formula in line with other States and UTs.

44 JKPS Officers Inducted in Last Three Years

After over a decade-long gap from 2011 to 2021—due to legal hurdles and administrative delays—no JKPS officer was inducted into IPS.

However, in the past three years, 44 officers have been successfully inducted.

Still, many JKPS officers continue to serve as SSPs for extended periods and cannot be promoted as DIGs unless inducted into IPS, as per service rules.

A day after Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the INDIA bloc is “on life support”, fissures within the Opposition alliance came to the fore as several constituents flagged concerns over the lack of coordination and demanded urgent introspection.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) were among the parties calling for the alliance to “re-energise” itself, while the RJD termed Abdullah’s view a “rushed comment”. The PDP accused the National Conference (NC) of using the bloc for electoral gain while supporting the NDA narrative elsewhere.

CPI, Shiv Sena Seek Coordination, Review

CPI general secretary D. Raja said no meeting of the INDIA bloc had been held after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

“When secular democratic parties came together, the goal was to save India and defeat the BJP. Why is the bloc not functioning as expected? We need introspection,” he said, adding that lessons must be learnt from the Haryana, Maharashtra and Bihar elections.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi echoed similar concerns, saying no major meeting had taken place after the polls.

“Seat-sharing delays, lack of a common agenda, and friendly fights hurt us in Maharashtra and Bihar,” she said.

RJD, SP Disagree With Abdullah’s Assessment

RJD’s Manoj Jha said sarcastic remarks won’t help.

“If it is on life support, they are also part of it. What efforts are they making to revive it?” he asked.

Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai rejected Abdullah’s comment altogether, saying defeats should not demoralise parties fighting “fascist forces”.

PDP Targets NC; Says Abdullah Using Bloc for Votes

PDP leader Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra accused the NC of using both the INDIA bloc and the PAGD only during elections.

“When he goes outside the State, he supports the NDA Government’s narrative,” he alleged.

BJP, NDA Mock Opposition; Say Alliance Has “Passed Away”

The BJP seized on Abdullah’s remarks, claiming they reflect the Opposition’s crumbling cohesion.

BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said:

“The INDI alliance has already passed away, and even its last rites have been performed.”

JD(U)’s Neeraj Kumar said the alliance is “on a ventilator”, while BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said the comments amounted to a “slap on Rahul Gandhi’s leadership”.

He added that “after losing 95 elections, the Congress has become a parasitic party”.

Abdullah Defends His Statement at HT Summit

Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Abdullah said the INDIA bloc risks being shifted to the “ICU” due to infighting, organisational failures, and inability to match the BJP’s round-the-clock election machinery.

He outlined strategic shortcomings within the alliance and contrasted them with the BJP’s “unmatched work ethic”.

The Congress has yet to respond officially to Abdullah’s remarks.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday extended gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh after the latter inaugurated 22 strategically important infrastructure projects in Jammu and Kashmir. The inauguration was held from Shyok in Leh district of the Union Territory of Ladakh.

The 22 J&K projects were part of 125 completed works executed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) across the country. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated all projects during his one-day visit to Leh.

The event was attended virtually by LG Manoj Sinha, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde, Mizoram Governor General (Dr) Vijay Kumar Singh, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma, and Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Dr Jitendra Singh. Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi also joined the ceremony online.

At the Leh venue, Ladakh LG Kavinder Gupta, Northern Command GOC-in-C Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, BRO DG Lt Gen Raghu Srinivasan, GOC 14 Corps Lt Gen Hitesh Bhalla, senior officials and BRO personnel were present.

Infrastructure to Strengthen Military Readiness & Local Development

In a statement issued in Jammu, LG Sinha said the national security infrastructure projects executed under Project BEACON and Project SAMPARK will significantly boost military mobility, ensure year-round access to remote areas, enhance quick-response capability, and contribute to local socio-economic development.

Sinha expressed his “heartfelt gratitude” to Prime Minister Modi for the government’s continued focus on strengthening border infrastructure and uplifting remote communities.

Projects Spread Across 9 States/UTs

The inaugurated BRO works include:

• 28 roads
• 93 bridges
• Shyok Tunnel on the Darbuk–Shyok–Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) Road in Ladakh

These projects span Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Mizoram—all crucial regions for national security and connectivity.