Srinagar, August 12 : The students from The Central University of Kashmir on Wednesday held a protest at Press Colony in Srinagar. The protesting students headed spokesperson Central University Students Federation, by Nadiya Rashid, demanded the conduct of examinations for backlog papers via online mode.
“Our main motive to gather here is to demand the conduct of exams in online mode rather than an offline. Recently our university came out with a date sheet for backlog students asking them to sit for the examination in offline mode. Due to the on-going pandemic, it is impossible to sit for exams anywhere in the varsity as there is a requirement of social distancing. The students living outside the valley won’t be able to join since they will require a quarantine of a minimum of 15 days,” said Nadiya.
The students had gathered here under the banner of Central University Students Federation and Global Peoples Foundation were representing the students of CUK from outside the valley.
“The on-going lockdown has severely affected everyone financially and it would be very difficult for the students from outside Kashmir to opt for air travel and then renting accommodation here in such times. It is difficult to opt for SOPs when you have such a large gathering to cater in the varsity. We ask the CUK administration for conduct of exams only through the online mode,” Nadiya added.
Forest official and Smuggler nexus is turning Pulwama forests into the barren land
Pulwama, August 12,: The nexus between timber smugglers and forest officials is fast turning several forest compartments of Pulwama into barren open fields. Locals have also encroached upon the forest and grazing grounds by erecting structures illegally. According to sources privy to CNS, the forest department employees have allowed the felling of hundreds of green trees by smugglers especially in compartment numbers 19, 20, and 21. Sources added that the smuggled timber has been sold off in the market for lakhs of rupees.
“The forest officials are facilitating the supply of timber up to safe points in exchange of share in sales of this illegally sold timber which fetches lakhs of rupees in the open market. Several people have encroached upon the forest areas and grazing grounds also by erecting structures or fencing the patches of land by steel wires as authorities have turned a blind eye towards all these illegal activities in Sangarwani and Tharnoo areas of Pulwama district,” said a local source.
Similar reports are pouring in from compartment numbers 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33. The forest officials are completely looking the other way as thousands of square foot of timber is being looted and sold in areas falling in the plains. (
