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The Hindu
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Centre announces Adi Karmyogi programme for nationwide capacity building in tribal scheme implementation
State and Central Government officials from across the country working in the domain of tribal welfare have concluded after a two-day workshop in New Delhi that the reason tribal areas continued to face backwardness was not a lack of schemes for them but a 'lack of motivation' in the implementers. Based on these conclusions, parts of which were presented during the two-day 'Adi Anveshan' National Conference of the Tribal Affairs Ministry, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram on Friday (June 27, 2025) announced the government's 'Adi Karmyogi' programme. The programme was announced at the end of the brainstorming session and is meant to build a 'cadre of officers' dedicated to working with a citizen-centric ideation and delivery-orientated approach to implementation of schemes, government officials said on Friday (June 27, 2025). The objective is to take capacity-building to about 20 lakh field-level stakeholders by creating a batch of trainers and master trainers at the State, district, and block levels. The government said it intends to give rise to 180 State-level trainers, over 3,000 district level trainers, and over 15,000 block level trainers to this effect. A government statement said that, 'A unique presentation during the inaugural session highlighted the real challenge in tribal development — not a lack of schemes or resources, but a lack of motivation among implementers. The need to transform routine administrative practices into purpose-driven service delivery was underscored through anecdotal storytelling by officials from the Ministry.' Also read: What makes a tribe? Top anthropologists say the answer lies on a spectrum, not in a binary classification Officials said this presentation was borne out of an interactive session with multiple officials from across tribal welfare departments intervening with their respective ideas. 'This built into an organic unique presentation where this was the conclusion arrived at,' one official said. They added, 'Officials spoke about the conditions in tribal areas, healthcare infrastructure, lack of staff in schools, citizens having to travel far and wide for basic services. The overall conclusion was that schemes to address all this have been running and that the real problem is lack of the right approach in officials.' The officials explained that the idea is to incentivise officers — from IASs and senior bureaucrats to block level officials — to work with dedication on implementing the schemes that the government is designing.
Hans India
a day ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Omar: Talks on restoring statehood should end soon
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Thursday that discussions on restoring statehood to the Union Territory should be concluded soon so that people can get what they have been demanding. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a special national integration camp organised by the Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh NCC Directorate here, Abdullah also lauded the sanctioning of several projects for the Union Territory. 'Let there be discussions, it is a good thing. But we would want the discussions to conclude soon and that we get what we are demanding,' he said. Welcoming the sanctioning of several projects for Jammu and Kashmir, including tunnels, costing Rs 10,600 crore, the chief minister said these projects will give a huge boost to the Union Territory. 'There was a demand for a Mughal Road tunnel for long, since the road was completed in 2008-09. People wanted the road to remain open throughout the year. Similarly, there was a long-pending demand for a tunnel on the Sadhna pass to connect Tangdhar that has been approved. 'Many other projects have been approved,' the chief minister said, adding that Rs 10,600 crore is not a nominal amount. 'Now, we will have to try for some more tunnels, like in Gurez, which have been left out,' he said. The National Conference leader said the youngsters who associate themselves with the National Cadet Corps (NCC) benefit immensely. 'It inculcates discipline, self-awareness, self-confidence and patriotism, as well as develop some relationships that benefit them lifelong,' he said. Abdullah said these youngsters can achieve a lot in their young age.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"We Now Have An Emperor": Kashmir Leader Sajad Lone Slams Omar Abdullah
Srinagar: Hitting out at Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, People's Conference chief Sajad Lone has said the National Conference leader has "utter contempt" for contrarian views and said the Union Territory now has an "emperor". Mr Lone was briefly the National Conference's ally in the Gupkar alliance, which was formed in 2019 to demand the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's special status. He later left the bloc and the National Conference alleged that he had done so at the BJP's behest. The separatist-turned-mainstream politician has posted a clip from an Omar Abdullah interview on X. In the interview, the National Conference leader explained how his government was tackling the open merit and reservation issue in Jammu and Kashmir. For all those who voted for NC——just observe the arrogance. Reeks of self righteousness and utter contempt and disdain for views that are contrary. Seems he will eat up KNS editor Aslam sahib. I thought we were UT. Forget 370. Forget Internal autonomy. We now have an… — Sajad Lone (@sajadlone) June 26, 2025 "For all those who voted for NC -- just observe the arrogance. Reeks of self righteousness and utter contempt and disdain for views that are contrary," Mr Lone said in the post. "I thought we were UT. Forget 370. Forget Internal autonomy. We now have an Emperor. Who is answerable to none." The open merit vs reservation is a tricky subject in Jammu and Kashmir. As per the current reservations in place, only about 30 per cent of seats in government jobs and professional courses are 'open merit' -- meaning unreserved and open for competition. Now, if the Omar Abdullah government wants to increase open merit seats, it must reduce the reservation for backward classes - a politically sensitive move. There is another problem. These reservations kicked in after the Centre's 2019 move, diluting Article 370 and bifurcating the erstwhile state. A question then arises on whether a Union Territory administration can revise reservations introduced by the Parliament, even if such a legislation clears the Assembly. Earlier, Mr Lone and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti criticised Omar Abdullah over the issue. The Chief Minister hit back by saying that these leaders did not talk about reservation when they were part of the government in Jammu and Kashmir, and are now criticising the current dispensation when it is actually moving on the issue.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Plea by jailed Separatist leader's daughter unites leaders across Kashmir's political divide
A daughter's appeal for better treatment of his jailed father on 'humanitarian grounds' has united the Valley's political leaders across the divide. The appeal, made by jailed separatist leader Shabir Shah's younger daughter, has prompted reactions from the ruling National Conference to the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peoples Conference to Hurriyat. Shah has been in Tihar jail since 2017. 'This is not political. This is not anti-national. This is not against any country, institution, or government. This is only about my father's life. His health. His right to be treated with dignity. Is your conscience alive?' Shah's daughter Sehar Shabir posted on X. 'My father, Shabir Shah, has spent 38 years in prison. No conviction. No justice. Today, he is gravely ill. He has been advised multiple surgeries. Yet there is no proper care, no access to medical records, and not even a single phone call in two years which is a right every prisoner is entitled to,' she alleged. The family has been kept away, she alleged. In her appeal, Sehar claimed that her father has been advised surgery for 'possible prostate cancer' but his family is being kept away and 'not given access to his medical records for the last three years'. Responding to her appeal, Srinagar MP and National Conference Leader Aga Ruhullah Mehdi has written a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah seeking immediate medical care for Shah. 'Shabir Ahmad Shah is now 70 years old. By every humane and legal standard, he is entitled to medical treatment with dignity and fairness. His doctors have recommended three surgeries for serious medical conditions which include life-threatening prostate cancer. Despite the gravity of his condition, he remains incarcerated since 2017, without family support,' Ruhullah said in his letter. '…Our country has legal and moral obligations, under both its Constitution and international treaties to ensure that prisoners are treated with humanity'. Seeking fair medical treatment to undertrials, Ruhullah said that in Shah's case 'multiple obligations appear to have directly been contravened'. 'The Nelson Mandela Rules (Rules 24 and 26) mandate that prisoners must receive the same standard of health care available to the general population. In Shabir Shah's case, one can quote multiple such obligations that appear to have directly been contravened,' reads the letter. It further says: 'There are clear precedents in domestic law in support of fair medical treatment of undertrials. Zahoor Watali and Gautam Navlakha were both granted house arrest on medical and humanitarian grounds by Indian courts…Why the same consideration can't be extended to Mr. Shah, whose legal status remains that of an undertrial, is a question his family has constantly raised…The measure of a nation is how it treats its weakest. Let us not fail that test'. Former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti has also urged the Home Minister to take a humanitarian view in Shah's case 'Request @HMOIndia to urgently consider the heartfelt appeal of Seher Shabir whose father Shabir Shah is battling a life-threatening illness. In this critical moment we urge GOI to take a humanitarian view by ensuring he receives proper medical care. This may be the family's last chance to ease his suffering. Please let compassion guide the response,' Mufti said in a post on X. Peoples Conference leader Sajad Lone demanded better medical facilities for Shah. 'Shabir Shah sahib is not well. And getting treatment is a very basic right. I humbly stand with his loved ones in demanding that he be allowed access to proper medical facilities — and the very basic right of being surrounded by his family as he fights for his health,' Lone said on X. Hurriyat chairman and the Valley's chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq voiced grave concern over Shah's health and urged the Centre to 'uphold the human rights of the prisoners'. 'Reports of Shabir Shah Sahab's serious health condition in Tihar Jail, and denial of access to his family members to talk to him on phone for the past two years, or care for him when he is facing such a medical emergency and is in dire need of a surgery, is very unfortunate and disturbing,' Mirwaiz said. Shah was arrested in 2017 in an alleged terror funding case and has been lodged in Tihar jail since. In 2023, the centre banned the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) headed by Shah as an unlawful organisation. A separatist leader, Shah has spent over 38 years of his life in prison. Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Srinagar MP Mehdi calls for dignified medical care to separatist Shabir Shah
Member of Parliament from Srinagar, Ruhullah Mehdi, has written to Union home minister Amit Shah for proper and dignified medical treatment to the undertrial separatist Shabir Ahmad Shah at a facility equipped with cancer treatment. Srinagar member of Parliament from Ruhullah Mehdi (File) The National Conference leader and Lok Sabha member from Srinagar also sought the involvement of Shah's family in the medical decisions for his treatment. 'Shabir Ahmad Shah is now 70 years old. By every humane and legal standard he is entitled to medical treatment with dignity and fairness. His doctors have recommended three surgeries for serious medical conditions which include life-threatening prostate cancer. Despite the gravity of his condition, he remains incarcerated since 2017, without family support,' Mehdi wrote in the letter. Shah, 74, has been incarcerated in Tihar Jail after he was arrested by the enforcement directorate on July 25, 2017, in a 2005 money laundering case. On October 4, 2019, the NIA filed a supplementary charge sheet in another case against Shah and four others, including Yasin Malik, Masarat Alam, Engineer Rashid and Asiya Andrabi, before a Delhi court. The offences included Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against government of India), 121A (conspiracy to wage war) and 124A (sedition) of the IPC. 'During visit to Safdarjung Hospital on May 1, 2025, his family has alleged that he was subjected to harassment and degrading treatment by escorting officers, and that access to his medical records has also been withheld from them,' Mehdi wrote. The Srinagar MP said that our country has legal and moral obligations, under both its Constitution and international treaties to ensure that prisoners are treated with humanity. 'Article 10(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which India is a party, mandates that prisoners must be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person. The Nelson Mandela Rules (Rules 24 and 26) mandate that prisoners should receive the same standard of health care available to the general population. In Shabir Shah's case, one can quote multiple such obligations that appear to have been blatantly contravened,' the letter said. He said that there are clear precedents in domestic law in support of fair medical treatment of undertrials. 'Zahoor Watali and Gautam Navlakha were both granted house arrest on medical and humanitarian grounds by Indian courts. These decisions acknowledge that incarceration must not come at the cost of life and dignity, particularly when there is no proven risk of escape or subversion. With the same consideration can it not be said then, for Shah, whose legal status remains that of an undertrial, is a question of his basic human rights?,' Mehdi said. 'I urge you to ensure that Shabir Shah is provided dignified medical care in a facility equipped for cancer treatment. The measure of a nation is how it treats its weakest. Let us not fail that test,' Mehdi stated. Various political leaders of Kashmir have called for a humanitarian response from the government so that Shah receives proper medical care owing to his serious medical condition. Shah's daughter, Sehar Shah on Monday had issued an appeal for compassion and access to proper medical care for her father.
