Ashwini Vaishnaw More than 25,000 trains run across India every day.They carry more than 20 million passengers daily and move large quantities of coal, iron ore, grains, steel, cement and other commodities across a network of over 1,37,000 kilometres tracks. The track is the foundation on which this entire system works. When it is in…
A Year Without a Father: The Weight of Absence and the Truth Behind Sympathy REHANA JAMAL The Weight of Absence and the Truth Behind Sympath It has been a year since I lost my father. People often say that time heals everything but what they don’t tell you is how time also reveals things, especially…
Adnan Nazir In the last few days, Kashmir has witnessed a scene that many of us have seen before, yet failed to learn from. Long queues outside petrol pumps, people waiting. for hours, arguments breaking out, and a general sense of anxiety in the air. From Srinagar to other parts of the Valley, fuel stations…
Dr. Sheikh Naveed Anaesthesiologist Across the world, and increasingly in our own region, more babies are being born through caesarean section. While a C-section is a life-saving surgery when medically required, many operations are performed simply because mothers fear the pain of labour. The truth is simple: no woman should choose major surgery solely because…
Mohammad Shafi Wani Education, in its true spirit, is not confined to the transmission of academic knowledge. The fundamental objective of education is the modification of behaviour—the shaping of character, attitudes, and conduct. Mere subject teaching inside classrooms, though necessary, is insufficient to achieve this goal. Schools must therefore adopt a holistic approach that nurtures…
Sami Sabir Lone Advocate, J&K High Court, Srinagar Pericles once warned that citizens who disengage from public affairs weaken the foundations of democracy itself. His words echo strongly in Kashmir today—a region where politics has shaped everyday life for decades, yet where youth participation in democratic institutions remains cautious, uneven, and often misunderstood. In a…
Saima Ahad (JKAS) Genesis in Colonial India The foundation of India’s civil services was laid in 1923 during British colonial rule, marking a pivotal moment in administrative history. The Lee Commission of 1923–24 established the framework for what would become the backbone of governance in independent India. This system, though designed to serve colonial interests,…
Manzoor Wangnoo Gilsar and Khushalsar, the two kidneys of Dal and Nigeen, demand urgent action-based conservation. Gilsar and Khushalsar are often referred to as the kidneys of Dal and Nigeen. These lakes receive inflow from Dal and Nigeen, besides surface water, runoff, and now sewage as well. Their health directly determines the longevity of the…
Dr Aamir Iqbal Lone Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after 12 months of regular, unprotected intercourse or after six months if the female partner is 35 years or older It is emerging as an important public health concern in Kashmir. While conversations about maternal health, pregnancy care, and childbirth are common in…
Aamina Lateef (JKAS) There is a quiet, unspoken nostalgia that lives in the hearts of those born in the 1990s — a nostalgia only our generation truly understands. We grew up in a world untouched by smartphones, social media, and the constant digital hum that defines today. Our mornings didn’t begin with glowing screens but…
