Asks top brass to remain on heightened alert; take all necessary measures to ensure public peace, tranquility

*Takes stock of law and order situation at PCR; Discusses emerging situation with top Army officers at Lok Bhavan*

*Urges citizens, community leaders to uphold harmony, contribute to atmosphere of calm and goodwill*

 

Srinagar, Mar 03: A day after Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a nationwide security alert to all States and Union Territories, warning of possible violence and sporadic protests in the wake of recent US and Israeli attacks on Iran, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday called on security top brass to maintain tight vigil.

Chairing back to back high-level security review meetings here, LG Sinha, asked the officers to remain on heightened alert and take all necessary measures to ensure public peace and tranquility.

The Lieutenant Governor appealed to the citizens and community leaders to uphold harmony and contribute to an atmosphere of calm and goodwill in society. “Preserving peace and sustaining the progress of society is a shared responsibility that rests equally upon each one of us,” he said.

LG Sinha held in-depth deliberations on the prevailing security scenario with top Army officers and Director General of Police at Lok Bhavan, Srinagar this morning. “The LG discussed the emerging situation with the top brass,” he added.

The meeting was attended by General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GoC-in-C), Northern Command Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma,; DGP Nalin Prabhat; , GoC 15 Corps Lieutenant General Prashant Srivastava and MGGS, Northern Command Major General Balbir Singh.

Pertinently, Kashmir has witnessed processions and rallies after the killing of Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the joint strikes. For the past three days Kashmir has remained under “precautionary restrictions.”

LG REVIEWS LAW AND ORDER

An official said that later in the day LG Sinha chaired another meeting at Police Control Room, Kashmir to review the law and order situation. The meeting was attended by senior police and civil administration officials, including Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat,; Special DG (Coordination) SJM Gillani,; ADGP Armed, Anand Jain; ADGP CID Nitish Kumar, IGP Kashmir VK Birdi, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Anshul Garg, DIG, CKR, Rajiv Pandey, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Akshay Labroo, and other senior officials.

After chairing the meeting the Lieutenant Governor shared on X: “Chaired a meeting of senior police & civil administration officials at the Police Control Room, Kashmir, to review the law & order situation. Directed the officers to remain on heightened alert and take all necessary measures to ensure public peace and tranquillity. I also appeal to the citizens and community leaders to uphold harmony and contribute to an atmosphere of calm and goodwill in society. Preserving peace and sustaining the progress of society is a shared responsibility that rests equally upon each one of us.”

It may be recalled that MHA in its advisory had stated that intelligence inputs suggest that extremist groups may seek to exploit the prevailing tensions to foment unrest or carry out disruptive activities.

The MHA in its advisory had instructed the Directors General of Police to ensure that quick response teams remain operational and ready to respond swiftly to any untoward incident.

The Home Ministry had also placed special emphasis on monitoring social media platforms to curb the spread of inflammatory messages, misinformation and rumours that could disturb communal harmony—(KNO)

Vinod Bhat

New  Delhi: Following the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East and the evolving global energy situation, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, briefed the media on the country’s preparedness in the current circumstances.

It was informed that India is the third largest importer, fourth largest refiner, and fifth largest exporter of petroleum products globally. The country is well stocked with crude oil and inventories of key petroleum products including petrol, diesel and ATF to deal with short-term disruptions arising from the Middle East.

It was further apprised that in the last few years, India has ensured both availability and affordability of energy for its population by diversifying its sources. Indian energy companies now have access to energy supplies that are not routed through the Strait of Hormuz. Such cargoes will remain available and help mitigate supplies that may be temporarily affected enroute through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Ministry has established a 24×7 Control Room to continuously monitor the supply and stock position of petroleum products across the country. At present, the Government is reasonably comfortable in terms of stocks. Safeguarding the interests of Indian consumers remains the highest priority. Based on continuous monitoring, the Government is cautiously optimistic that phased measures can be taken, if required, to further mitigate the situation.

So far, the massive exercise has helped around 1.2 crore (12 million) school children complete their MBU right in their schools.

UIDAI rolled out the mission mode MBU drive for school children in September 2025, after a successful technological integration with the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) application.

The integration with UDISE+ of the union Department of School Education & Literacy enabled visibility of MBUs status of children at schools. It helped to identify children who were due for an MBU and hold camps at schools to complete the MBU.

UIDAI Regional Offices and State Offices in the country have been working to coordinate the pro-children exercise with all the stakeholders including the Education Departments of States & Union Territories, district administration, schools and UIDAI’s ecosystem partners.

At least 4000 machines are in use to execute the ongoing exercise, and UIDAI is in the process of augmenting this number further to accelerate the pace.

Keeping biometric updated in children’s Aadhaar helps them while carrying out authentication for receiving benefits under various Government schemes, scholarships, wherever applicable, and registering in competitive and university examinations like NEET, JEE, CUET etc. UIDAI has been encouraging parents and guardians to update their children’s biometric in Aadhaar.

The mission mode MBU drive is ongoing for six months and UIDAI has made MBU in Aadhaar for children in the 7-15 age group free of cost for a period of one year beginning October 1, 2025.

In addition to camps held at schools, children can also complete their MBU by visiting any of the Aadhaar enrolment centres, and Aadhaar Seva Kendras across India.

Srinagar, Mar 3: The University of Kashmir has suspended all teaching and academic activities across its campuses till March 7, officials said on Tuesday.

An official notice issued by the Registrar said the decision will be applicable to all campuses of the varsity and will remain in effect up to and including March 7, 2026.

Students have been advised to follow official communications of the university for further updates.

Officials said a decision regarding the resumption of classes will be taken after March 7 following a review of the situation.(KNS).

SRINAGAR, MARCH 03: Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha has extended his heartiest greetings to the people on the eve of Holi which will be celebrated tomorrow on March 04.

In a message, the Lieutenant Governor said: “On the festive occasion of Holi, I convey my warm greetings to the people. I hope that the festival of colours, which is celebrated with traditional fervour, heralds happiness and success for all.

May this festival of colours, bring joy and prosperity in the society and foster the spirit of harmony amongst our citizens.”

Srinagar, Mar 3: The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to reopen schools and colleges in eight districts of the Valley from Tuesday, Education Minister Sakina Itoo said on Monday.

Speaking to the media, Itoo said a final decision regarding the reopening of educational institutions in Srinagar and Budgam districts will be taken later in the evening.

“We have decided to reopen educational institutions tomorrow in most districts of Kashmir. A decision on Srinagar and Budgam will be taken by evening,” she said.

The minister added that if any restrictions are imposed in the two districts, schools and colleges will remain closed there. Otherwise, institutions will resume functioning across all districts from tomorrow.

High level meet stresses curbing avoidable cases and strengthening ADR

VINOD BHAT

NEW DELHI, Mar 2: In a concerted push to reform and streamline the handling of government cases across ministries, the Government of India on February 28 held a high-level National Conference of Union Secretaries and Learned (Ld.) Law Officers on “Efficient and Effective Management of Government Litigation” at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The conference was organised under the theme “Strengthening Institutional Litigation Governance for Viksit Bharat @2047”, reflecting the Centre’s long-term vision of building a robust and accountable legal framework aligned with national development goals.

The conference brought together Union Secretaries, senior government officials, Law Officers, and representatives from various departments to deliberate on strengthening litigation practices, enhancing coordination, and improving institutional efficiency. The event was graced by Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon’ble Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Law and Justice; Dr. T.V. Somanathan, Cabinet Secretary; Shri R. Venkataramani, Attorney General for India; Shri Tushar Mehta, Learned Solicitor General of India; Dr. Niraj Verma, Secretary, Department of Justice; and Dr. Rajiv Mani, Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs.

The deliberations provided a comprehensive review of the prevailing litigation landscape across key sectors, including service, pension and employment matters; infrastructure, compensation and contractual disputes; fiscal, taxation and revenue cases; as well as regulatory, enforcement and compliance-driven litigation. Participants acknowledged that government litigation continues to face persistent structural and procedural challenges that require systemic reforms rather than isolated interventions.

In service-related matters, repetitive litigation was identified as a significant concern, largely arising from the non-uniform implementation of established legal positions across ministries and departments. Officials observed that insufficient consultation before filing counter affidavits, divergent stands adopted by different ministries, and weak coordination between departments and panel counsels have often led to avoidable disputes and inconsistent legal representation. A growing tendency to file appeals as a default reaction—rather than as a carefully evaluated policy decision—was also highlighted as a practice contributing to mounting case burdens and unnecessary judicial escalation.

The discussions on infrastructure and compensation-related litigation underscored the increasing financial exposure faced by the government. Escalating land compensation disputes and mounting interest liabilities were flagged as areas of serious concern.

Participants noted that arbitral awards are frequently challenged as a routine measure, even in cases where substantial legal or financial stakes may not be involved. The technical complexity of infrastructure contracts, coupled with inadequate legal vetting at early stages, has further compounded disputes. Fragmented coordination between technical divisions and legal teams and the under-utilisation of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms and pre-litigation mediation were identified as systemic gaps requiring urgent attention.

A central thrust of the conference was the reduction of avoidable litigation and delays in filing cases through the introduction of robust filtering mechanisms, improved coordination, and early dispute resolution. The need for clearly defined appeal-filtering criteria in service and other matters was strongly emphasized to ensure that appeals are filed only after careful consideration. Ministries were encouraged to nominate designated officers responsible for coordinated handling of litigation to ensure accountability and consistency in legal strategy. Equally important was the establishment of mechanisms for time-bound implementation of court judgments to prevent repetitive and contempt litigation resulting from delayed compliance.

Participants stressed the importance of close and structured coordination with the Department of Legal Affairs and Learned Law Officers, particularly in important and policy-sensitive cases, to ensure that a consistent and unified legal position is maintained across ministries. In matters relating to infrastructure, compensation and contractual disputes, the conference endorsed institutionalising structured pre-litigation ADR, especially for land and infrastructure disputes, and promoting structured settlements in compensation matters to prevent prolonged court battles.

The deliberations also recommended exploring financial exposure thresholds before challenging arbitral awards, with decisions to be taken after consultation through designated committees so that challenges are confined to cases involving substantial legal or financial implications. Early and mandatory legal vetting of termination, debarment and other high-value contractual decisions was identified as a critical safeguard to prevent fresh litigation. Strengthening in-house mechanisms for quick, fair and efficient dispute resolution was seen as essential to reducing the flow of new cases into the judicial system.

In fiscal, taxation, revenue and regulatory or enforcement-related litigation, participants emphasized the need to streamline enforcement strategies and strengthen compliance mechanisms so that disputes are resolved at earlier stages and unnecessary matters are not carried to higher judicial forums. Resolving issues proactively at departmental levels, it was noted, would significantly reduce litigation burdens and promote administrative efficiency.

The conference concluded with a reaffirmation of the Government of India’s commitment to responsible, disciplined and policy-driven litigation. The focus remains on reducing avoidable cases, ensuring timely filing and implementation of court decisions, and strengthening alternative dispute resolution systems to enhance ease of doing business and foster citizen trust in government processes. The deliberations underscored that efficient litigation governance is integral to achieving the broader national objective of Viksit Bharat @2047, marking a decisive step toward institutionalising structured, consistent and accountable management of government litigation.

Jammu, Mar 2: The State Election Commissioner, Jammu and Kashmir, has convened a meeting to review the revision of the Panchayat Electoral Roll-2026 and assess the status of delimitation of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and updation of control tables.

According to a meeting notice a copyn of which lies with KNS, reads that the review meeting will be held on March 3, 2026 (Tuesday) at 2:30 PM onwards through video conference from the Meeting Hall, 2nd Floor, Vikas Bhawan, JDA Complex, Jammu.

All Deputy Commissioners of the Union Territory of J&K, along with Deputy District Election Officers (Dy. DEOs), District Informatics Officers (DIOs), and Electoral Naib Tehsildars (ENTs), have been requested to attend the meeting through video conference at the scheduled date and time.

The notice further states that certain senior officers have been asked to attend the meeting in person at the specified venue. These include the Secretary to Government, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Department, J&K, Jammu; Deputy Commissioner, Jammu; Director, Rural Development Department, Jammu; Director, Rural Development Department, Kashmir (through video conference); and Director, Panchayati Raj, J&K.

The State Informatics Officer, NIC, J&K, Jammu, has also been informed in this regard.

The agenda of the meeting has been enclosed with the notice. (KNS)

Srinagar, Mar 02 : Authorities on Monday evening announced that restrictions will stay in place across all districts of Kashmir on Tuesday as a precautionary step in view of protests reported in parts of the Valley over the death of Iran’s leader Ali Khamenei.

Security officials within the security establishment said that the decision has been taken to safeguard public order and prevent any untoward incidents amid the prevailing situation.

A senior official said the measures will continue on Tueaday and are aimed at ensuring a peaceful atmosphere, adding that the situation by and large remained calm during the day on Monday.

Officials privy to move said that the administration is keeping a close watch on developments and appropriate steps will be taken as required. (KNC)