The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti visited the Faculty of Forestry at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) at Benhama in Ganderbal and expressed solidarity with students protesting against the proposed recruitment criteria for forest department posts.

Iltija backed the students’ demand for recognition of their specialised qualifications, arguing that graduates who spend four years studying forestry should receive appropriate consideration for jobs directly related to their field.

The controversy centres on proposed recruitment rules for the post of Forester and the removal of an earlier provision that awarded 30 additional points to candidates holding forestry degrees. Students contend that the changes could put professionally trained forestry graduates at a disadvantage in recruitment.

Iltija urged Forest Minister Javed Ahmed Rana to intervene and honour what she described as an assurance that forestry-related posts would require specialised qualifications. She said the government should ensure a level playing field for graduates rather than leave their employment concerns unresolved.

Emphasising the importance of specialised knowledge in protecting Jammu and Kashmir’s forests and fragile ecology, Iltija said trained forestry professionals were needed to address deforestation, ecological degradation and other environmental challenges.

The students’ protest has continued as they seek a review of the recruitment framework. The issue intensified last week after SKUAST-K suspended most academic activities at the Faculty of Forestry and directed hostel residents to vacate their rooms.

Iltija had criticised the university’s move as unjust to the protesting students.

The graduates have called on the government to reconsider the eligibility criteria and ensure that their professional education is appropriately recognised in recruitment to forestry-related posts.

LEH — The newly established Ladakh Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh began its first regular hearings in Leh on Wednesday, bringing High Court proceedings closer to litigants in the Union Territory.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Justice Sanjay Parihar was scheduled to take up five cases on the opening day, according to the High Court's published notifications and cause lists. The court has identified a total of 75 cases for initial listing before the Ladakh Bench.

The Bench was formally inaugurated by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant at Melongthang in Leh on October 18.

Its establishment is intended to ease access to the High Court for residents of Ladakh, who previously had to travel to Srinagar or Jammu to pursue cases before it.

The Ladakh Bench will function as part of the existing High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which exercises jurisdiction over both Union Territories. It is not a separate High Court and is expected to initially operate through rotational sittings by judges, with hearings scheduled twice a week.

The new arrangement is expected to reduce travel costs, time and logistical difficulties for litigants and lawyers from Leh and Kargil, particularly in view of the region's difficult terrain and harsh winter conditions.

At the inauguration, Justice Surya Kant also announced an arrangement to facilitate hearings of cases originating from Ladakh that are pending before the Supreme Court. Under the proposed arrangement, such cases would be grouped for listing on a single day to reduce the need for repeated journeys to New Delhi by litigants and advocates from the region.

The impact of the new Bench will depend on the regularity of its sittings, the disposal of cases and the accessibility of court services to residents across Ladakh.

SRINAGAR — The J&K Handicapped Association staged a protest at Press Enclave in Srinagar on Wednesday, urging the Jammu and Kashmir government to address the long-pending demands of persons with disabilities, including enhanced social security, employment opportunities and better accessibility to public services.

The Association called for the immediate appointment of a Disability Commissioner, claiming that the post had remained vacant for around one-and-a-half years and that the vacancy was affecting the protection of the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities.

The protesters demanded full implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, across Jammu and Kashmir, a special recruitment drive for qualified candidates with disabilities, and an increase in the monthly pension from ₹1,250 to ₹3,000.

They also sought implementation of reservation provisions in government and semi-government employment, including 4% reservation in promotions and transfers for employees with disabilities, and the re-advertisement of backlog vacancies dating back to 1998.

The Association called for greater representation of persons with disabilities in elected and government bodies, including the Assembly, municipalities and panchayats. It also sought their inclusion in decision-making committees and district development meetings.

On education, the protesters demanded improved accessibility in educational institutions, better reservation opportunities in colleges and universities, accessible textbooks and digital platforms, and the establishment of Braille schools in every district.

The Association also sought accessible roads, bridges, parking areas, government offices and banking facilities. It called for separate service counters for persons with disabilities in government offices, semi-government institutions and banks.

Among its employment and financial demands, the Association sought low-interest loans, subsidies, employment opportunities under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and other government schemes, exemption from job application fees, tax relief, and at least 4% reservation in shopping complexes and plots developed by government departments.

The protesters further demanded comprehensive health coverage, free medical treatment, a 50% concession in electricity and water charges, and the establishment of advisory bodies to ensure that the concerns of persons with disabilities are reflected in policy decisions.

They also called for government and semi-government websites and mobile applications to be made accessible.

The Association urged the government to move beyond assurances and take concrete, time-bound measures to address its demands.

It said persons with disabilities should have equal access to employment, education, healthcare and public services, along with meaningful representation in decision-making, to safeguard their rights, dignity and independence across Jammu and Kashmir.