JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday launched a portal for online registration of certified pharmacists.
As many as three candidates who had uploaded their documents on the portal were handed over certificates as Registered Pharmacist by Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo, an official spokesman said.
The Financial Commissioner, while appreciating functioning of Pharmacy Council of Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, expressed hope that all stakeholders will get immensely benefitted by this initiative.
Dulloo, who led the department during the coronavirus outbreak, said that pharmacists play a pivotal role in the healthcare system and their contribution is critical towards mitigating sufferings of ailing masses.
He expressed hope that the Pharmacy Council shall strive hard to ensure that the practice and profession of Pharmacy in the Union Territory of J&K is regulated in an efficient manner and this body continues to uphold the sanctity of moral ethics, code and conduct among Pharmacy professionals.
He appreciated the Jammu & Kashmir Pharmacy Council for eliminating physical interface in various services offered by it.
He said that a transparent, accountable and time-bound system is always required to address the problems being faced by candidates aspiring to acquire grant and renewal of their Pharmacist Registration certificates.
Dulloo said in the past applicants had to run from pillar to post to get their bonafide claims settled.
He also lauded the central government for considering a one-time exemption of considering all those Registered Pharmacists who were registered under the repealed State Law, i.e J&K Pharmacy Act, Samvat, 2011 (1955 A.D) by incorporating a provision 32C in the Pharmacy Act, 1948.
Dulloo said that the candidates pursuing profession and practice of Pharmacy in the UT of J&K have been enabled and motivated to join the national main stream in all aspects governing the field. (Agency)

JAMMU: A delegation of Weavers and Artisans of Jammu Province called on Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhavan here today.
The delegation led by Sh. Balkrishen Koul apprised the Lt Governor about the various welfare issues of Weavers and Artisans of Jammu Province including the establishment of Jammu Urban Haat which was sanctioned in 2010, allotment of space to Weavers and Artisans in Entrepreneur Development Institute in Exhibition Ground Jammu, etc.
While interacting with the representatives of Weavers and Artisans, the Lt Governor observed that the UT Government has taken several initiatives for the promotion and growth of Weavers, Artisans, and Traditional Art Performers of Jammu and Kashmir.
He assured the members of the delegation that all their genuine concerns would be addressed on merit.

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir recorded 332 fresh COVID-19 infections on Wednesday which took the union territory”s caseload to 1,16,922, while five more fatalities pushed the death toll to 1,817, officials said.
Of the fresh cases, 151 were reported from the Kashmir division and 181 from the Jammu division, they said.
Jammu district recorded the highest number of fresh cases at 96, followed by 53 in Srinagar district, according to the officials.
The number of active cases dropped to 4,346 in the union territory as 415 patients recovered from the infection. So far, 1,10,769 patients have recovered, the officials said.
Jammu and Kashmir also reported five more COVID-19 deaths the previous day, four from Jammu and one from the Kashmir region, they said.
With these, the death toll due to the pandemic stands at 1,817, they said. (AGENCY)

NEW DELHI: JEE Main 2021 Dates: Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal has announced the dates of JEE Main 2021 today, December 16, 2020. The Engineering entrance will be conducted from February 23 to 26. Also, in a first, JEE Mains will be held four times from the next academic year- February, March, April and May.
In the new paper pattern introduced, candidates have to attempt 75 questions out of 90 – or 25 out of questions 30 in each section of Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics. There will be no negative marking in the 15 optional questions and best of four scores will be considered.
This year, JEE Main 2021 will be different in many ways. The agency has decided to conduct the exam in 13 languages — English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. While exams in Hindi, English, and Urdu will be held across the country, other regional language papers will be held in the respective states.
In the light of rationalization of the syllabus by various Boards, the NTA has decided to provide for choice in the question papers and thus there will be two sections in each paper.
The decision is aimed at giving students multiple opportunities to improve their scores in the examination if they fail to give their best in the first attempt without wasting a whole academic year.
“In the first attempt, the students will get a first-hand experience of taking an examination and will know their mistakes which they can improve in the next attempt. Additionally, this will reduce the chances of dropping a year and droppers would not have to waste a full year,” Mr Pokhriyal said.
These changes, the Education Minister said, has been introduced by NTA after reviewing suggestions made by the Education stakeholders. Mr Pokhriyal, in his webinar on December 10, hinted at a change in the exam pattern.
He said that the pattern will be kept in such a way that students across the boards, irrespective of their syllabus reduced or not, will be able to attempt the entrance exam.
Mr Pokhriyal also said that his ministry will positively review the suggestion to hold JEE Main 2021 in multiple shifts. In previous years, the exam was held twice a year — in January and April. (AGENCY)

SRINAGAR: Anti Corruption Bureau has registered case FIR 27/2020 against the officers/ officials of J&K Housing Board Srinagar on the outcome of a JSC conducted by this Bureau into the allegations of procurement of material on exorbitant rates and use of substandard material in projects of construction of the buildings undertaken and progressed ahead by J&K Housing Board Unit 2nd, Srinagar without tendering process during the period 2015- 2017.
During the probe it has been found that these works were to be executed in two fold mechanism; labour component and material component wherein the labour component was to be executed through piece meal workers and the material was to be produced through tendering from original manufactures. Apart from lot of procurements done without tendering in conspiracy with portrayed piece meal workers, made procurement of many items on exorbitant rates.
It has surfaced that at one project in Srinagar, the excavated earth to the tune of 11756 cubic metres has been shown transported to a dumping site but the dumping site has not been identified by providing any site plan etc. The dumping site is located at a far distance from the project site but same has been shown located at minimum distance. The auction or sale of excavated material could have generated revenue for government as such wrongful loss has been caused to the State Exchequer.
Further the purported carriage charges of the material from excavated site to dumping site have been billed to the tune huge amounts. The billed cost amounting on account of non-existent levelling of unknown dumping site has been done. This has resulted in loss to State exchequer with consequent undue benefit to the public servants. The executing agency has failed to provide any contour map or cross section depicting natural surface prior to excavation to support their claim of excavating a quantity of 11756 cubic meters of earth. The approximate loss worked out at one of the sites on account of excavation of earth work is about Rs. 15 Lakh. The loss is likely to go up when the investigation of the case will move further.
The allegations of nepotism in allotting works etc have also been levelled with respect to the other projects at different places which will be probed during investigation. These commissions and omissions on part of officers/officials of J&K Housing Board, namely Aftab Rashid Pandit, the then Deputy General Manger J&K Housing Board Unit 2nd, Srinagar, Shiekh Sajjad Bashir, the then Assistant Manager J&K Housing Board Unit 2nd, Srinagar and others constitute offences under section 5(1) (C), 5(1) (d) r/w section 5(2) J&K PC Act Samvat 2006 and section 120-B RPC. Accordingly, a case FIR No. 27/2020 was registered in Police Station ACB Srinagar on 15.12.2020.
Subsequently search warrants were obtained from the competent court and searches were conducted at various places. During the searches, some incriminating materials/documents were seized on spot.
Further investigation in to the case is going on.