The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir government is working on a Media Policy to regulate social media platforms and frame fresh guidelines for journalists, Minister for Health and Medical Education Sakina Itoo told the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, amid a debate among legislators over the regulation of digital platforms and the role of the media.

Itoo said the Information Department would soon launch the policy for regulating social media. She said a committee had already been constituted to frame the policy and had sought four months to complete the exercise, working in coordination with the Information Department.

She assured the House that the policy would be framed within that four-month period and would provide fresh guidelines for journalists and the media sector.

Minister's remarks on media's role

"We are incomplete without media," Itoo said, stressing the role of the press in the functioning of the government and democratic institutions.

She said, however, that politicians could not hold the media solely responsible for the problems arising from social media. "We too are responsible for the social media mess. We cannot blame the media for everything. We too have set social media reel makers," she said.

Drawing a comparison with Doordarshan, Itoo recalled a time when people would wait to see their news broadcast on the public broadcaster. "Everyone used to be excited to get our news run," she said, adding that the situation had changed with the growth of social media.

She expressed concern over what she described as the misuse of the dignity of public representatives, saying, "We politicians are more responsible for the mess."

Reference to MLA's alleged social media page

Itoo also referred to what she described as an instance involving an MLA, saying the legislator was allegedly running a social media page in the name of a domestic worker. She said some of the content being uploaded on the page was "quite uncomfortable," making the point that public representatives also needed to examine their own conduct on social media.

She also appealed to Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to consider restricting the use of mobile phones inside the Assembly, saying allowing phones inside the House could contribute to the recording and circulation of proceedings and content on social media.

Broader debate in the House

The minister backed calls from other legislators for action against what they described as unregulated social media platforms. MLA Altaf Ahmad also appealed to the Speaker to consider measures against the circulation of videos and other content from the Assembly without authorisation.

Speaker Rather said the press had an important role in a democratic system but warned that the government could intervene if media organisations failed to fulfil their responsibilities.

"Press has an important role. If they fail to fulfil their responsibility, the government will act," he said, calling for a comprehensive legal framework to regulate the sector so that journalists working professionally and according to established norms could perform their role, while action could be taken against elements operating outside the media framework.

NC legislator Nazir Ahmad Gurezi said the media was essential for the functioning of the government and legislature but stressed the need for professional standards. "Press plays an important role and we cannot work without them. But there should be a proper law so that every journalist can work professionally with proper ethics," Gurezi said.

MLA Pulwama, Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, however, cautioned against attempts to control social media, saying the digital space could not be completely regulated. "We are living in a digital era. Nobody can control social media, and we cannot blame media for everything. It is our responsibility too," Para said.

MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat said existing laws were sufficient to deal with many of the concerns being raised, while acknowledging that the digital environment posed new challenges. "There are enough laws to regulate things. No doubt there are challenges, but they can be addressed," Bhat said.

The discussion saw legislators differ on the extent to which social media should be regulated, with some calling for stronger legal provisions and others stressing professional responsibility and the limitations of controlling digital platforms.

The government's proposed Media Policy is expected to provide a framework for dealing with social media and other digital media-related issues in Jammu and Kashmir.

SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Tuesday declined to disclose details of Cabinet recommendations on reservation or queries raised by the Union Government, citing provisions governing confidential matters under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Legislative Assembly.

In a written reply to a question raised by Handwara MLA Sajjad Gani Lone, the Minister-in-charge, Social Welfare, said the Cabinet recommendations had already been submitted to the competent authority but could not be disclosed in the House, according to the news agency KNO.

“The recommendations have been submitted to the competent authority. However, in terms of Business Rule 38 of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, particularly clause (xxi), the present information sought by the Hon’ble Member being secret in nature, relating to the decision and proceedings of the Cabinet, cannot be provided,” the reply stated.

Asked separately about queries raised by the Centre on the reservation report, the government reiterated the same position, invoking Rule 38, clause (xxi), which restricts questions seeking information on matters considered secret, including Cabinet decisions, proceedings and certain advice where disclosure is barred.

The government’s response comes after a Cabinet Sub-Committee examined the existing reservation structure and submitted its recommendations.

In a separate Assembly reply last week, the government said the recommendations had been approved by the Council of Ministers and forwarded to the competent authority for consideration.

No proposal to relax EWS criteria

The government also informed the Assembly that there was currently no proposal to relax the eligibility criteria for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category, including the prescribed asset-based conditions.

The position was conveyed in response to questions concerning the existing reservation framework and the possibility of changes to EWS eligibility.

The Social Welfare Department has said EWS eligibility is governed by the J&K Reservation Rules read with SRO 518 of 2019, and that the existing income and asset conditions continue to apply.

The department has also clarified that possession of a Priority Household (PHH) ration card by itself does not replace the prescribed income and asset criteria for determining EWS eligibility.

Proportional representation linked to Census data

On whether the government intended to provide proportionate representation among reservation categories, including Open Merit, based on population figures after publication of the 2027 Census data, the minister said the issue would be examined in accordance with applicable legal provisions.

“The issue shall be considered as and when the publication of Census-2027 data becomes available to the Government,” the reply stated.

The government has therefore not disclosed the contents of the reservation recommendations or the Centre’s queries, while indicating that changes to EWS criteria are not currently under consideration and that any examination of representation based on population data will take place after the relevant Census data becomes available.

SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday criticised the Election Commission over its handling of electoral roll revision and said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar should be given the Bharat Ratna and made President after two years.

Omar was responding to questions from reporters about BJP remarks that Kumar should be considered for the Padma Bhushan.

“Why should he stay there? Give him Bharat Ratna. How many years are left? Two years are left for the election of the President. Make him the President,” Omar said.

He said the Election Commission should review its functioning amid the allegations being raised against it. “The Election Commission should do some soul-searching. It is not as if all the opposition parties are against the Election Commission. No political party has brought the evidence. The evidence has come forward through the investigation of the newspaper,” he said.

“Instead of trying to hide it, I think the Election Commission should improve its work. We should try to avoid such allegations,” Omar added.

The chief minister also accused the Election Commission of favouring the BJP in West Bengal. “They have done so much for the BJP. They gave West Bengal to the BJP as a gift,” he said.

His remarks came amid a wider political dispute over the functioning of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Commission has maintained that its decisions and electoral-roll processes have followed the prescribed legal framework and has defended the institutional process behind the SIR exercise.

Omar backs improved India-China ties

Asked about External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s remarks that India-China relations were better in 2026 than in 2024-25, Omar said the minister was “not wrong”.

“Where are those relations that were not visible after Galwan? People were being told to throw Chinese TVs from their balconies. Today, we are not only meeting each other, but also talking to each other. And this is how it should be,” he said.

Omar said better relations with neighbouring countries and other nations were in India’s interest. “We have always said that the better our relations are with our neighbours and other countries, the better it is for us,” he said.

“If our relations are good with countries like China, it is good for the country,” he added. He said India had strained relations with several other countries, including some in its neighbourhood, but declined to name them.

“But not only China, there are many other countries with which our relations are not good. In our neighbourhood, Bangladesh, there are many other countries, which we can talk about, but I will not name them because you will start jumping on that topic,” Omar said.

Jaishankar had said on Monday that India-China ties were better compared with a couple of years earlier, citing an improvement in bilateral engagement.

Omar calls Assembly session fruitful

On the ongoing Assembly session, Omar described the proceedings as “very fruitful” for the government but declined to comment on the Opposition’s assessment.

“It has been very fruitful for us. I cannot talk about the opposition. I will talk about the treasury benches. We were not expecting that it would be such a fruitful session for us,” he said.

Omar said the government had faced statements before the session that it would be challenged in the House but alleged that the BJP did not remain present when it had an opportunity to question the government.

“Before the session, we were being threatened that we will take the government by force in the Assembly, that we will do this, we will do that. But when we got the opportunity to do that, they did not stay in the House,” he said.

He said the BJP had an opportunity during the debate on the statehood resolution to question the government’s record over the previous two years but did not participate.

“The BJP had a good opportunity on the statehood bill to ask us for an answer on the record of the last two years. They did not take part. And our statehood resolution was passed,” Omar said.

The Assembly passed the statehood resolution on Monday amid protests and a walkout by BJP legislators.

Omar also said bills concerning ease of doing business and decriminalisation had been passed during the session. “Today, the important bills that I wanted to pass, especially on the ease of doing business and decriminalisation, were also passed,” he said.

The chief minister said the final day of the session would include discussion on a report concerning the Jal Shakti Department.

“Tomorrow is the last day. The report that has been made on the Jal Shakti Department, tomorrow there will be a discussion on that and the House’s proceedings will be over,” he said.

On pensioners’ bill and legislators’ salaries

Asked about the pensioners’ bill, Omar said it had been passed but the issue of legislators’ salaries remained unresolved. “No, the pensioners’ bill was passed, but our salaries were not paid,” he said.

He said there had been pressure from different parties over the issue and referred to a letter signed by almost all BJP members seeking a salary hike.

“I don’t know if my party colleagues shared it with you or not. Look at that letter, in which there are signatures of almost all honourable members of the BJP asking for a salary hike,” he said.

“This is their habit. They want a salary and also want to do politics. I will not allow them to do that,” Omar added.

The remarks came as the Assembly session entered its final day, with the government and Opposition continuing to differ over electoral issues, statehood and other matters.