Kashmir University professor among 5 killed in Shopian encounter

Agencies
May 6, 2018

Srinagar, May 6: Five persons were killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir today, police said.

The victims include Dr Mohammad Rafi Bhat, an assistant professor of Kashmir University who went missing on Friday. His family reached out to KU authorities after they heard rumours of Rafi joining militant ranks after which the police filed a missing report. The police had earlier called Rafi's family to persuade the assistant professor to surrender. He was a resident of Chundana, Ganderbal.

Top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Saddam Padder is also believed to be among the slain militants but police officials said it can only be confirmed after ascertaining the identity of the slain ultras.

“Encounter concluded at Badigam Zainpora Shopian, 5 bodies of terrorists recovered. Well done boys - Army/ CRPF/J&K Police," DGP S P Vaid tweeted.

A police official said the identity and the group affiliation of the slain militants are being ascertained.

The encounter broke out after security forces launched cordon and search operation in Badigam village in Zainapora area of the south Kashmir district following specific information about the presence of militants in the area.

A Kashmir University assistant professor, who went missing on Friday, is believed to be among the slain militants.

Mohammad Rafi Bhat, a contractual assistant professor in the Sociology department of the university, went missing on Friday.

Bhat, a resident of Chundina area of central Kashmir's Ganderbal district, was to join militant ranks and reportedly is among the militants who were trapped in Badigam.

“Reportedly, Bhat is among the militants trapped there,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, S P Pani said.

He said the police brought his family from Ganderbal to persuade him to surrender.

“After receiving the input about his presence there, we brought his family from Ganderbal to persuade him to surrender, but so far, repeated attempts have not materialized,” Pani had said earlier in the day.

Bhat's family informed the university authorities about his disappearance yesterday.

Protests had rocked the university yesterday over his disappearance, following which the university's vice chancellor met the protesting students and assured them that all efforts would be made to trace the missing professor.

The vice-chancellor had also written to the Director General of Police, requesting him that all efforts be made to trace Bhat's whereabouts.

"The search operation turned into an encounter after the hiding militants fired upon the forces, which was retaliated," the official said.

"The gunfight is still on," he said, adding that further details were awaited.

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News Network
May 18,2020

May 18: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday announced the date sheet for the pending class 10 and 12 board exams, which will now be held from July 1 to 15.

The exams were postponed due to the nationwide lockdown imposed on March 25 to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The Class 10 board exams are pending only in the North East Delhi.

"The Class 10 exams will be staggered on four dates, starting July 1. The first paper will be Social Science, while the next day students will be required to appear for the Science exam,” said Sanyam Bhardwaj, the Controller of Examination, CBSE.

“On July 10, exams will be conducted for both courses of Hindi and on July 15 for both courses of English," he said.

On health guidelines for students, Bhardwaj said that they will be required to carry their own sanitiser bottles and wear masks to examination centres.

"Parents will have to ensure that their ward is not sick and candidates will have to strictly follow physical-distancing norms," he said.

For Class 12, the Home Science exam will be held on July 1, followed by both courses of Hindi the next day.

The Class 12 Business Studies exam has been scheduled for July 9, followed by Biotechnology on July 10 and Geography on July 11.

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News Network
June 18,2020

New Delhi, Jun 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said he is "deeply grateful" for the overwhelming support shown by the global community for India''s membership of the UN Security Council.

India will work with all member countries to promote global peace, security, resilience and equity, he said.

India garnered 184 votes out of the 192 ballots cast in the General Assembly to win the election for the non-permanent seat in the powerful Security Council.

India''s two year term will begin on January 1, 2021.

This is the eighth time that India will sit at the UN high-table, which comprises five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members.

"Deeply grateful for the overwhelming support shown by the global community for India''s membership of the UN Security Council," the prime minister wrote on Twitter.

India will work with all member countries to promote global peace, security, resilience and equity, he said.

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News Network
March 11,2020

Jaipur, Mar 11: A 85-year-old man in Jaipur, who had returned from Dubai on February 28, has tested positive for coronavirus, a state government official said on Wednesday.

He was found presumptive positive in the first test on Tuesday and hence, a second test was conducted with fresh samples, the reports of which arrived late Tuesday night, Additional Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, Rohit Kumar Singh, said.

“The man who travelled to Dubai has been tested positive for coronavirus. It has been confirmed now,” Singh said.

“We have also got the manifest of the Spicejet flight he took from Dubai to Jaipur and are doing due diligence on that,” the official said, adding that intense contact tracing was underway.

The man has been kept in isolation at the SMS Hospital here.

“The man came to the hospital on Monday with symptoms of the virus. After the first test, his wife and son too have been kept in isolation at the hospital. The two, however, do not have coronavirus affliction symptoms,” Singh said.

A total of 235 people who came in contact with the octogenarian and his family have already been traced and are being monitored, he said.

Other contacts are also being traced, Singh added.

An Italian couple, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week, are also admitted in the hospital but their condition is improving, he said.

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