Srinagar, Feb 01: The Press Information Bureau (PIB), Srinagar Region, has organised a press tour for journalists from Srinagar, as part of its ongoing media outreach initiatives. The tour commenced today and will continue till 7 February 2026.

A 14-member press delegation, comprising journalists from Srinagar, including organising officials from PIB, is participating in the tour. Ahead of the departure, Qazi Salman, Director, PIB Srinagar, briefed the delegation at Srinagar, outlining the objectives of the media visit and encouraging journalists to engage constructively during the interactions. Majid Pandit, Media & Communication Officer, PIB Srinagar, is leading the delegation as the conducting officer.

The five-day media tour to Kerala (February 2–6, 2026) is designed to provide regional journalists an opportunity to gain a firsthand exposure of groundbreaking Central Government initiatives and provide an in-depth understanding of national-level programmes and initiatives.

During the briefing, Salman congratulated the participants and said, “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all participants and wish you all the best for the upcoming tour to Kerala. This visit will be an enriching experience, offering valuable insights into the functioning of key government institutions and fostering stronger professional engagement.”

The delegation will visit several Central Government establishments and projects in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram and interact with senior functionaries to understand their operations and functioning.

Srinagar, Feb 1: The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) will declare the results of the Class 11th examination on February 2, 2026. Chairman JKBOSE, Ghulam Hassan Sheikh, said the results are scheduled to be announced after 11:30 am on Monday.

He stated that the evaluation process has been completed and the Board is hopeful of officially declaring the results as planned. However, he added that the exact timing may vary slightly as the declaration is dependent on technical processes handled by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

As reported earlier, around 81,469 students had registered for the Class 11th examination, including 64,007 students from Kashmir division and 17,462 from winter zone areas of Jammu. The Chairman further noted that JKBOSE has undertaken significant reforms in its evaluation system over the past year to ensure timely declaration of results. KDC

‘Manufacturing, MSMEs and tourism thrust to spur growth in J&K’

TAUSEEF AHMAD

JAMMU, Feb 1: Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Manoj Sinha, on Saturday hailed the Union Budget 2026–27 as a pragmatic, forward-looking and growth-oriented financial roadmap, asserting that it lays a strong foundation for accelerating India’s economic momentum and steering the country towards the coveted $5 trillion economy milestone within the next few years.

Describing the budget as a carefully balanced fiscal strategy, the Lieutenant Governor said it successfully harmonises economic ambition with social welfare, while simultaneously focusing on the creation of future-ready infrastructure, expansion of domestic manufacturing, and sustained inclusive growth.

“The Budget 2026–27 prioritises economic acceleration, strengthens infrastructure, and charts a clear path towards achieving the $5 trillion economy target in the near future. It is a comprehensive financial blueprint that will ensure sustained growth while safeguarding the welfare of every section of society,” Shri Sinha said.

The Lieutenant Governor expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman for their special focus on Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the announcement related to the development of ecologically sustainable mountain trails in the Union Territory. He said the initiative would not only protect fragile ecosystems but also generate new employment opportunities and give a significant boost to the region’s tourism sector.

“The development of sustainable mountain trails in J&K will invigorate tourism with renewed vigour, attract adventure and eco-tourism enthusiasts, and open up fresh livelihood avenues for local communities,” he added.

Highlighting the broader national vision outlined in the budget, Shri Sinha said the 2026–27 fiscal plan places strong emphasis on accelerating economic expansion, strengthening infrastructure, and advancing manufacturing capabilities across seven strategic sectors, while maintaining an unwavering commitment to welfare schemes.

He noted that the budget would have a transformative impact on emerging industries, with renewed momentum for the semiconductor ecosystem through India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0. He also welcomed the proposed creation of specialised rare earth zones, calling it a decisive step towards reducing India’s dependence on foreign countries for critical rare earth elements, which are vital for electronics, renewable energy, and defence manufacturing.

The Lieutenant Governor further observed that the budget’s sharp focus on Artificial Intelligence, job creation, and service sector enhancement would significantly strengthen India’s competitive edge across all economic domains.

“With AI-driven growth, employment generation and service sector expansion taking centre stage, India’s global competitiveness will be further reinforced. This progressive financial roadmap lays a strong foundation for comprehensive sectoral growth and enhances India’s standing on the global economic map,” he said.

Reiterating the long-term vision of the Union Budget, Shri Sinha said it not only charts the course towards a $5 trillion economy but also presents an ambitious roadmap to transform India into a developed economy within the next two decades.

He emphasised that the budget promises unprecedented empowerment of youth, women, and farmers, placing them at the heart of the nation’s development journey.

“With manufacturing, infrastructure, MSMEs, healthcare, urban development, electronics and resilient supply networks forming the core of our future strategy, the country will be able to expand domestic production capacities and ensure large-scale employment generation,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

He expressed confidence that the Budget 2026–27 would act as a catalyst for inclusive growth, technological advancement and economic self-reliance, reinforcing India’s march towards long-term prosperity.

Srinagar, Feb 1: The Union government has proposed an allocation of Rs 43,290.29 crore for Jammu and Kashmir in the Union Budget for 2026–27, marking an increase of nearly Rs 2,000 crore over the current financial year.

Budget documents show that the Centre has enhanced financial support to the Union Territory as part of its continued assistance to bridge resource gaps and fund key sectors.

For the ongoing financial year, Jammu and Kashmir’s total assistance has been revised to Rs 41,340 crore, up from the earlier estimate of Rs 41,000.07 crore, reflecting an upward revision of Rs 340 crore.

In the 2026–27 Budget, the Centre has proposed Rs 42,650 crore as central assistance to cover the Union Territory’s resource deficit. An additional Rs 279 crore has been earmarked as grants towards the Union Territory Disaster Response Fund.

The allocation also includes Rs 259 crore as equity support for the Jhelum–Tawi Flood Recovery Project and Rs 101 crore to support capital expenditure in Jammu and Kashmir.

The increased allocation comes as the Union Territory continues to depend heavily on central assistance for developmental spending and disaster mitigation efforts.(KNS).

Uri, Jan 31: Five villages located along the Line of Control in the Boniyar area have remained without electricity and road connectivity for the past nine days following heavy snowfall.

The affected villages include Chotali, Gigerhill, Jabdi, Samali, and Korali. Residents said electricity supply and road access were disrupted after the first major snowfall during the night of January 22 and 23 and have not been restored since.

Talking to GNS, locals said the prolonged power outage during extreme winter conditions has severely affected daily life. The absence of electricity has disrupted lighting, heating, and other basic necessities. They added that damaged poles and transmission lines have delayed restoration work.

Residents also said road blockages have cut off the villages from the tehsil headquarters, leaving a large population isolated. Patients and elderly residents are facing serious difficulties due to the lack of connectivity.

While snowfall and avalanches are common in the area, villagers said living without electricity and road access for such an extended period has added to their hardship. They stressed the need for better preparedness by the authorities to deal with recurring winter emergencies.

Meanwhile, officials said men and machinery have been deployed in the affected areas. They expressed hope that electricity supply and road connectivity would be restored soon, subject to weather conditions. (GNS)