The Kashmir Pulse

JAMMU — The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released its latest Independent Drive Test (IDT) findings on Thursday, revealing significant disparities in mobile network performance across the Jammu & Kashmir Licensed Service Area. The report indicates that Reliance Jio (RJIL) and Airtel are leading the market in both voice and data quality, while state-run BSNL trails significantly in key performance metrics.

According to the assessment, RJIL recorded the highest average download speed at 216.24 Mbps across its 5G and 4G networks. Airtel followed with an average download speed of 114.63 Mbps. In contrast, Vodafone Idea (VIL) and BSNL lagged with average download speeds of 17.00 Mbps and 4.70 Mbps, respectively.

The disparity extended to upload speeds, where RJIL led with 21.60 Mbps, followed by Airtel at 18.74 Mbps. BSNL recorded the lowest average upload speed at just 2.01 Mbps.

The report also highlighted 5G performance in specific hotspot locations. RJIL achieved 5G download speeds of 197.79 Mbps, while Airtel recorded 116.92 Mbps in these high-density zones.

In the voice service category, RJIL demonstrated the most efficient performance with a Call Setup Time (CST) of just 0.80 seconds. Airtel and VIL followed with setup times of 1.56 seconds and 1.14 seconds, respectively, while BSNL was the slowest at 3.38 seconds.

Regarding call reliability, RJIL achieved the highest Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR) at 98.39%. However, BSNL struggled with network stability, recording a Drop Call Rate (DCR) of 11.36%—significantly higher than Airtel (3.46%), VIL (2.69%), and RJIL (2.45%). Notably, VIL performed best in the Call Silence/Mute Rate category with a low rate of 0.99% on packet-switched networks.

The drive tests were conducted between December 8 and December 11, 2025, covering a wide range of environments to reflect real-world usage. The assessment spanned Urban and Transit Routes — 209 km of city drive tests and 43.7 km of highway driving; Railway Connectivity — A 654 km railway route evaluation between New Delhi and Katra; and High-Density Locations — Tests included major pilgrimage and tourist hubs such as the Katra Railway Station, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Patnitop, and bus stands in both Katra and Udhampur.

The findings have been communicated to all concerned Telecom Service Providers (TSPs).

SRINAGAR — The Economic Offences Wing of the Crime Branch Kashmir has filed a chargesheet before the Court of Sub-Judge, Baramulla, in connection with an alleged MBBS admission fraud involving ₹13 lakh.

Officials said the chargesheet has been filed against the accused Aquib Javeed, son of Mohammad Ayoub, and Mohammad Ahtesham Ahmad, son of Mohammad Ayoub, both inhabitants of Ring Road, Adarsh Nagar, Gulbarga, District Kalaburagi in Karnataka.

The case originated from a written complaint submitted by a victim who alleged that he was approached by Dr Shamsu-Din, working at Al-Amin Medical College in Bijapur, Karnataka. The complainant was allegedly assured that an MBBS admission for his son would be arranged through the accused Aquib Javeed. Acting on this assurance, the complainant paid an amount of ₹13 lakh.

However, police said that neither was the complainant’s ward provided admission in any medical college nor was the money returned, prompting him to approach the authorities.

Following the receipt of the complaint, a detailed investigation was initiated by the Police Station Economic Offences Wing, Crime Branch Kashmir. During the investigation, it was established that Aquib Javeed, in criminal conspiracy with his brother Mohammad Ahtesham Ahmad, had cheated the complainant by falsely promising admission to his son in KBN Medical College, Bijapur.

Investigating officers stated that sufficient evidence surfaced during the probe, establishing the commission of offences punishable under Sections 420 and 120-B IPC against the accused persons.

Consequently, the charge sheet has been submitted before the competent court in absentia by initiating proceedings under Section 512 of the Criminal Procedure Code, as the accused were not available during the filing of the charge sheet.

Police said further legal proceedings will follow as per the directions of the court.

SRINAGAR — Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said he has spoken to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar regarding the evolving situation in Iran, particularly concerning the safety of students and other people from Jammu and Kashmir currently in the country.

In a post on social media, Omar Abdullah said the External Affairs Minister shared his assessment of the ground situation and briefed him on the plans being worked out by the Ministry of External Affairs to address emerging concerns.

“I am grateful for his assurance that all steps will be taken to safeguard the interests and lives of students and other people from J&K who are in Iran now,” the Chief Minister said in his post.

The statement comes amid growing concerns over the situation in Iran, with families of students studying there closely monitoring developments. The Chief Minister’s outreach has provided reassurance to many parents and relatives anxious about the well-being of their wards.

Officials said the Ministry of External Affairs remains in touch with Indian missions abroad and is closely tracking the situation to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals.