The Kashmir Pulse

ANANTNAG — A two-year-old baby girl died in a household accident after a stack of bedding kept atop a wardrobe fell on her inside her residence in the Sadoora area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Saturday night, officials said.

The deceased has been identified as Anaya Ishfaq, daughter of Ishfaq Ahmad Kumar, a resident of Sadoora.

According to officials, the bedding stack slipped from the top of the wardrobe and fell on the child, causing fatal injuries. She died on the spot.

Police have taken cognisance of the incident and initiated proceedings in accordance with the law.

JAMMU — The survey for the proposed ₹11,907-crore Ujh Multipurpose Project in Kathua district has been completed, marking a significant step towards the implementation of one of Jammu and Kashmir's major water resource projects, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said on Sunday.

According to the Union Minister, the next phase involving demarcation of the project area will commence after the visit of a team from the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, paving the way for the start of construction-related activities.

The Ujh Multipurpose Project is envisaged as a major infrastructure initiative aimed at strengthening irrigation facilities, improving water management and enhancing the utilisation of water resources in the Jammu region.

Dr Singh said completion of the survey represents a key milestone in the execution of the project, which is expected to provide long-term benefits to the agriculture sector and contribute to sustainable water management in Jammu and Kashmir.

The project, once completed, is expected to improve irrigation coverage, optimise water storage and support the region's overall socio-economic development.

NEW DELHI — The Central Government has announced a series of enhanced punitive measures aimed at curbing examination fraud, significantly increasing fines, debarment periods and imprisonment for individuals and organisations involved in unfair practices in public examinations.

According to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the revised provisions provide for substantially higher financial penalties and stricter criminal consequences to deter organised cheating, paper leaks and other examination-related offences.

Under the revised framework, the maximum fine for individual offenders has been increased from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh, while the penalty for service providers involved in examination fraud has been enhanced from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore.

The government has also doubled the debarment period for offenders from four years to eight years, preventing them from participating in public examinations during the period of disqualification.

In cases involving organised examination fraud, the minimum financial penalty has been raised sharply from ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore. The revised provisions also prescribe imprisonment of up to 10 years for serious offences.

The Centre said the stricter penalties are intended to protect the integrity, transparency and credibility of the country's examination system and act as a strong deterrent against organised malpractice.