Current Affairs

Women’s Commission Chairperson holds interactive meet at KU

Published

4 years ago

February 13, 2021

BK Editor

BK News

Srinagar, Feb 13: Chairperson of National Commission for Women Rekha Sharma said on Saturday that the internal committees constituted in institutions and organisations to prevent sexual harassment of women must do their job efficiently and seriously to create a safe and secure workplace environment for women.

Addressing as chief guest chairpersons of Internal Committees (ICs) of the University of Kashmir as well as various degree colleges during an interaction session, Sharma said the ICs constituted under The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2013 should take their responsibilities seriously and do their job without any fear.

“There will be instances when you will face pressures in the way of your functioning, especially when the accused are holding some position of authority in institutions, but that’s where you have to rise to the occasion and do what you are supposed to do under the provision of the legislation,” she said.

Sharma also cautioned against instances of filing of false cases and urged the ICs to deal with these in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Act.

“Gender sensitisation of students and faculty is important and has to be a continuous process, alongside the fact that organisations and institutions must have a robust gender policy in vogue to deal with matters of gender discrimination which don’t fall under the 2013 legislation against sexual harassment,” she said.

Vice-Chancellor of University of Kashmir Prof Talat Ahmad, who presided over the interaction session, said a strong message must go out that women are a very important part of the society and need to be respected everywhere, including at their workplaces, to enable them to work without any fear or sense of insecurity.

He said the Internal Committees (ICs) must know their powers and function without any fear or bias to help make workplaces for women secure for them in all respects.

“Kashmir is culturally a place where we see a lot of respect for women. It is very important. Because unless and until you don’t give women equal respect, powers and space, they will continue to feel insecure,” he said.

Chairperson of KU’s Internal Committee Prof Neelofar Khan—chief organiser of Saturday’s interaction session—said it is the varsity’s continued endeavour to go for capacity-building and sensitisation of Internal Committees to boost their functioning.

“The IC chairpersons will have to work with great dedication to implement the provisions of the legislation and ensure workplaces for women are safe and secure through and through,” she said.

KU Registrar Dr Nisar Ahmad Mir said the role of ICs is crucial to ensure implementation of the Act in its letter and spirit.

He said such sensitisation programmes are important for IC chairpersons to understand their powers and functions provided in the Act. “Eventually it is the implementation of these provisions that will bring about a change all-around,” he said.

Dean School of Law Prof Mohammad Ayoub gave a detailed power-point presentation about the genesis, objectives and legal provisions of the Act, especially in line with its three main objectives, including Prohibition, Prevention and Redress.

The interaction session, among others, was attended by top varsity academics and officers including Dean College Development Council Prof G M Sangmi, Dean Behavioural Sciences Prof Showket A Shah, Coordinator Centre for Women’s Studies Prof Tabassum Firdous, and Ms Neha Mahajan, Counsellor NCW.

Dr Saima Farhad conducted proceedings of the interaction session and also presented a vote of thanks.

Current Affairs

Darakhshan Andrabi granted MoS status

Published

3 years ago

April 8, 2022

BK Editor

BK News

Srinagar: J&K Waqf Board Chairperson Dr Darakhshan Andrabi has been granted the status of Minister of State (MoS) by the J&K Government.

Andrabi was last month appointed as a member of J&K Waqf Board and later elected chairperson.

“Sanction is hereby accorded to the grant of status equivalent to Minister of State (MoS) in favour of Dr Darakhshan Andrabi, Chairperson, J&K Waqaf Board,” an order issued on Friday by the Principal Secretary, GAD, Manoj Dwivedi reads.

“The Hospitality & Protocol Department shall make necessary insertion in the J&K Warrant of Precedence with the approval of Competent Authority,” it added.

Andrabi recently facilitated a successful meeting between Kashmiri business leaders with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Andrabi is a national executive member of Bhartiya Janta Party and BJP state spokesperson for J&K.

Current Affairs

Kashmiri researcher to speak at UNGA Science Summit

Published

3 years ago

September 21, 2021

BK Editor

Srinagar, Sept 21: Dr Sheikh Fayaz Ahmad, a Kashmir-born Innovation Researcher, has been invited to speak at UNGA76’s second Science Summit (United Nations General Assembly UNGA76).

The UNGA Science Summit’s goal is to “increase awareness of science’s significance and contribution to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.” It will showcase efforts that will serve as examples for global science systems and activities supporting the SDGs, notably in the areas of science infrastructure and capacity building.”

Dr Sheikh Fayaz, a Kupwara resident, has been asked to speak at a session on ‘South-South/North Science Capacity Building and Research Collaboration for Advancing the SDGs,’ which will take place on September 22, 2021.

UNGA76 is seen as a unique and prestigious forum for science and development scholars to demonstrate “how policy and political leadership can benefit from innovation”. The second edition of UNGA76, Science Summit, is organized by ISC around the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA76) in New York in September 2021.

Dr Sheikh Fayaz is working as a full-time innovation researcher with the School of Management, Zhejiang University, one of the top public universities in China. He works on ‘secondary innovations’ and regional development. Sheikh Fayaz holds his M.Phil and PhD from the Centre for Studies in Science Policy, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi-India.

Prior to joining Zhejiang University, Dr Fayaz was a Visiting Scholar at the Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Portugal, under European Commission’s Crossing Boundaries Project funded by Marie Curie Actions, International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (2014), School of Management, University of Bradford, England (Oct- Nov 2014) and University of Sussex, London and Institute of Development Studies, Sussex, England, (2017). He is also a member of the Globelics community and is an alumnus of various Globelics innovation academies held in Finland, Kenya and Brazil.

The other speakers for the science summit include some of the world’s leading development practitioners, researchers, scientists, and politicians from different parts of the world. Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, President, International Science Council, George Church from Harvard University Wyss Institute, Dr Magdalena Skipper, Editor in Chief, Nature, UK, Prof. Intisar Soghayroun Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Sudan and Dr Marcia McNutt President, National Academy of Sciences, USA, joined the opening plenary session held on September 14, 2021.

Current Affairs

Sufi poetry collection ‘Ganji Asrar’ released

Published

4 years ago

April 15, 2021

BK Editor

Srinagar: A collection of Sufi poetry, ‘Ganji Asrar’, authored by Musadiq Alam, was released on Tuesday at a cultural event in Tagore Hall here.
The event was organised by Angel’s Cultural Academy in association with the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.
The book is a poetry collection of the legendry Sufi poet, Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Dar Shutloohi. Dar has served for more than 40 years at Darbari Kashani Shalimar.

‘Ganji Asrar’ has been published by Sultania Book Depot Maisuma and will be available at all leading book shops of J&K.