Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 5: A delegation of College Teachers Association called on Secretary Higher Education Department, Mushtaq Ahmed Sheikh to discuss the issues concerning the teaching community.
The deputation, led by CTA president Sanjay Verma, raised the issue of anomalies in the recently issued SRO-124 by the State Government and submitted that it was very difficult for the teaching community to fulfill the conditions as laid down for to the next higher grade. There is maximum number of such cases whose placement to Associate grade is pending due to SRO-124, they added.
The Secretary informed that the Government was aware of the matter and was contemplating to take some positive action in this regard. He asked the Association to submit a list of such aggrieved cases so that a proper decision could be taken in this regard.
The CTA also demanded the issuance of order for placement of teachers in different higher grade and stressed the need to expedite the same. The Secretary assured that the order in this regard would be issued soon as there were some technical reasons earlier.
Other demands highlighted by the CTA, included enhancement of retirement age of college teachers to 62 years, extending the benefit of SRO-222 to the college teachers, grant of permission for pursuing Ph D to the college teachers, their deputation for pre-PhD course etc.
The Secretary informed that the permission will be granted to the college teachers for pursuing Ph D outside the State only in recognized State/Central universities. He also assured to take up the issue of extending SRO-222 to college teachers with the Finance Department.
Deputy Secretary Higher Education Anil Salgotra was also present in the meeting with CTA delegation, which comprised Prof D S Manhas, Prof Narayan Dutt, Dr Anil Ganjoo, Dr Sunil Gupta and Prof Surender Sharma.

Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Aug 5: A villager was injured in a shoot-out in Katarmarg Dhok area of Thanamandi tehsil in district Rajouri today.
Reports said over an old enmity, one Mohd Iqbal, son of Sobha, resident of Danna Hasplat was allegedly attacked by five persons of his village in the Dhok area today. Both the families had gone to the Dhok on higher reaches along with their cattle. There was some clash between the two groups.  The tiff was converted into a bloody clash. Iqbal was stabbed and then fired upon by the members of rival party. His one ear was chopped off.
Mohd Iqbal  received two bullet injuries from .12 bore gun and was shifted to Thanamandi Hospital by police party led by SHO (Prob DSP) Mehraj. After first-aid the doctors referred him to District Hospital Rajouri. The police registered a case  against five accused persons who were absconding.
The police identified the accused as Abdul Rashid, Mohd Sharief and Mohd Kabir, all sons of Abdullah, Mohd Farooq, son of Makhna and Salima Akhtar, wife of Abdul Rashid, resident of Mangota near Danna Hasplat. The police has registered a case FIR No. 116/2014 under sections 307/147/148/149/ 323/ 341 RPC  against the accused persons.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 5:   A seminar on Continued Medical Education (CME) on ‘Public Health Challenges in Northern Command’ is being held at Command Hospital, Udhampur on August 7 and 8 along with a one-day pre conference workshop titled ‘Putting Public Health Into Practice’ on August 6 for Medical Officers (MOs)/  Regimental Medical Officers (RMOs)/ Nursing Officers/PGs etc.
Defence spokesman (MoD) Col S D Goswami said the broad themes of the sessions are Environmental Health “Crisis at hand”, Non Communicable Diseases “The iceberg phenomenon”, High Altitude illnesses “Problems, Practices and Research”, Vector Borne Diseases “Reflecting on past and perspectives of future” and Mental Health “Are we doing Enough”.
“Indian Army’s Northern Command is unique and vital in its role as far as security of our country is concerned. The command has very diverse terrain, climate, role and mission. Troops are deployed in high altitude area, counter insurgency operations locations where they face diverse health problems like high altitude illness, cold injuries and stress related disorders along with communicable and non communicable diseases,’’ Col Goswami said.
He said the military history has unambiguously established that environmental factors have claimed more lives and limbs of soldiers, than combat itself.
“A majority of diseases are preventable even during active warfare. The success or failure of an army rests on the levels of fitness of the soldiers and on the measures taken to protect them from sickness. Hence, the Military Medical Officers should be conversant with public health measures. The practice of medicine in the Armed Forces has its own peculiarities and there is a need to develop an updated strategy for Public Health Challenges in Armed Forces,’’ Col Goswami said.
The conference aimed to bring together on one platform, all the relevant stakeholders dealing with public health at different levels and therefore will be attended by prominent policy makers, public health scientists, decision makers, programme managers from military establishment. The conference will see experts on the subjects from the Armed Forces and DRDO dwell upon various issues of concern.
“An exhibition of public health equipment and various equipment and devices developed by DRDO labs is being put up. The Jammu & Kashmir Medical Council has granted eight credit hours for this CME,’’ Col Goswami said.
The continued Medical Education would provide an opportunity to the Medical Officers and Specialists, attending the conference to a situation update on public health issues being faced by the Armed Forces currently, the action plan and the future perspective planning for the implementing the preventive and control strategy.

NEW DELHI, Aug 5:
Forty-nine Indian Army personnel were killed in counter-insurgency and counter-infiltration operations in Jammu and Kashmir in the last three years, Rajya Sabha was informed today.
In a written reply to a query in the Upper House, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said 49 Army personnel were martyred in Jammu and Kashmir during operations in the last three years.
The Minister said the force has evolved a counter-infiltration strategy which is executed in synergy with the State Government.
Meanwhile, answering another query, Jaitley said the Government has spent Rs 4.95 lakh crore to procure equipment for the Army in the last 10 years.
The figures provided by the Minister suggest that the highest amount to be spent on procurements would be in 2014-15 as the Government has allocated Rs 75,148.03 crore for this purpose.
To a query on exercises with friendly foreign countries, Jaitley said in last three years, India has conducted 76 war games with nations including Russia, America, China, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Oman, Singapore and Seychelles. (PTI)

Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Aug 5: To take stock of multifaceted problems and demands of the people, the District Development Commissioner (DDC) Yasha Mudgal convened a Public Grievances Redressal Camp at Rount  in Udhampur district here today.
The problems and demands put forth by the inhabitants and representatives of the area included repair of roads, new ration depot,       up gradation and shifting of Govt. Middle School  Rount, construction of lane and drainage,  new dispensary and post office at Rount, repair or replacement of street lights, construction of speed breakers  at nearby schools, installation of electrical poles, uninterrupted power supply,   shortage of drinking water supply, repair of PHE pipeline, installation of new dustbin and financial aid to widows etc.
After giving patient hearing to the problems and demands of the representatives of the areas, the DDC issued instructions to the officers and redressed many problems on spot. She directed the officers to mitigate the genuine problems of the public pertaining to their respective departments soon within timeframe manner.
Joint Director Planning, Rakesh Jamwal, District Panchayat Officer, Amit Vermani, Executive Engineers R&B, PHE & PDD,CEO,  CAO, CHO, DSHO, DIO, Tehsildar Territorial and other senior officers of various departments were present in the camp.