Ceasefire

A Rashtiya Swayamsevak Sangh functionary, who asked not to be named, also described the ceasefire as a confidencebuilding measure that had not worked.

A senior government official said Dineshwar Sharma, the Centre’s special representative to J&K, was scheduled to visit Srinagar on Monday as part of a larger strategy to open dialogue with the separatist leadership.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh — who briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday evening about the developments in Kashmir, where thousands were mourning Bukhari’s death — told reporters he would not comment on the ceasefire decision before Sunday. The prime minister chaired a high-level meeting late on Friday on the security situation in the state, which was attended by the home minister, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and senior officials of intelligence and security agencies, officials said.

Bukhari was killed along with his personal security officers by unidentified gunmen on Thursday evening, as he left his office in Srinagar for iftar. Police have called the killing of the 50-yearold editor of English daily Rising Kashmir a terror attack.

The murder of the journalist and that of an army jawan headed home for Eid on Thursday came shortly before the Centre’s Ramzan ceasefire was due to end, triggering a debate on whether the government should resume operations against militants in Kashmir. A senior government official involved in deliberations on the Ramzan ceasefire said when the Centre decided to halt operations against militants in the Valley, it was not keeping in mind the short-term gains of the move.

“The ultra-radicalisation of youth in the Valley is a reality and the situation should not reach a point of no return. There have been some visible gains during the Ramzan halt on operations. So far, only 13 boys have joined the ranks of militants during Ramzan… before the halt on operation, more than one boy a day joined militancy,” he said.

“Only half-a-dozen serious terror-related incidents have occurred during the halt on operations, including the killing of Bukhari, army man Aurangzeb, two policemen and one special police officer. No doubt, these incidents are a huge setback to the peace process. But we have to take a long-term view, as the government is planning to conduct panchayat elections, too, in the state in August,” the officer added. He said one month was too short a span to gauge the effect of the ceasefire.

The joint resistant leadership of separatists in the Valley comprising Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Yasin Malik and Syed Ali Shah Geelani is planning to meet next week to formulate a response to the offer of talks by the government, said a separatist leader on the condition of anonymity.

“But Bukhari’s killing has cast a shadow on everything,” said the separatist leader.

A statement released by the Mirwaiz said he demanded an “international and impartial probe to nab Shujaat’s killers”. He said a joint investigation commission “comprising members from India, Pakistan, militant leadership, the Hurriyat and the people of Kashmir could be formed to expose those behind such heinous crimes.” report said.

For more popular subjects, exams should be conducted in March-april, the panel suggested.

“This has multiple advantages in that the CBSE can focus on the smooth conduct of examinations of subjects that are opted (for) by for most students; the stress/anxiety level in students will lessen as exams could be better spaced out,” the panel added.

The CBSE offers 168 courses in Class 12 and 70 in Class 10, and students usually opt for various permutations of subjects. Because of this, conducting the exams usually takes about seven weeks, a member of the committee said on the condition of anonymity.

If the recommendation is accepted and the exam season split, the board examination can be reduced to at least four weeks, the person added.

The committee also suggested having in place a common core curriculum or syllabi up to Class 12 in major subjects, especially mathematics and science.

The committee said all boards should consider common approaches towards a question paper pattern and with an agreed distribution of knowledge, understanding and applicationbased questions, and elements of theory, practical and internal assessment with the same maximum and passing marks.

“There is a need for a uniform scoring procedure and an evaluation system that is based on structured marking schemes,” it said.

The committee recommended that government schools be preferred as examination centre and, if private institutions were chosen, t he board should develop guidelines and change them periodically.

The panel recommended reviewing the range of subjects offered, merging subjects that are conceptually similar, removing subjects that are technologically or otherwise out of date and have little practical use and reviewing subjects that have had few takers, with an exception for languages. stuck at various levels since its announcement. At present, the PWD has managed to obtain in-principle approval from the UP Irrigation Department for the 43-acre land, but is awaiting a nod from their state government to start construction.

“The project was conceived by the Delhi government in 2000 but it could not be executed due to the issue of transfer of land. Chief Secretary-level talks are on and work on project is likely to start soon,” the official said.

Urban infrastructure expert Pradeep Ramachandran said most of the vehicles that cross the Ashram intersection merely use it as a transit route. “If these vehicles get an alternative bypass, then the traffic volume in the intersection will reduce considerably,” he said. lected empty shells from the murder site to ascertain what weapons had been used in the killing.

“It’s a very sad incident. The Jammu and Kashmir chief minister has already ordered a probe into the matter. The accused will not be able to escape. We will take strict action against the miscreants. Nobody will be spared,” minister of state for home Hansraj Ahir told reporters in Mumbai.

Earlier in the day, amid a pall of gloom, Bukhari’s funeral procession traversed the one-kilometre distance from his ancestral home in Kreeri, 37 kilometers from Srinagar in Baramulla district, to the graveyard where his body was laid to rest as young men chanted religious slogans.

The body of Bukhari was brought to Kreeri from Srinagar on Thursday night hours after he was killed. Bukhari was in his car, having just left his Press Colony office just before Iftar, when he was targeted by the gunmen Mourners from the valley assembled in his house through the night.

Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who was among the first to visit the family, had called for unity. “Terrorism has hit a new low with Shujaat’s killing. That too, on the eve of Eid,” she tweeted hours after the murder.

The shooting came just two days before Eid amid speculation whether the Centre will extend a pause on counter-insurgency operations, which was announced on May 16 and is set to lapse after Eid.

Kashmir has been roiled by unrest in recent weeks, with a number of grenade attacks on security f orces, and street clashes after a Kashmiri man was run over by a paramilitary vehicle that was targeted by protesters.

The body of the senior journalist, who championed peace in the valley torn by almost three decades of violence that India says is fomented by Pakistan, was taken at 11 a.m. to the funeral ground where journalists, politicians, social activists, prominent civilians and local villagers were among the thousands in attendance.

Senior ministers in the J&K government Abdul Rehman Veeri, Altaf Bukhari and Naem Akthar, several legislators and leaders of mainstream political parties attended the funeral. National Conference vice president and former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah also participated in Bukhari’s final journey.

“It is not a loss only to our family, but to entire Kashmir, especially the journalist fraternity,’’ said Tariq Ahmad, a cousin of Bukhari. “This death has left us devastated. We have no words to express our grief,’’ said another relative, Shabir Ahmad.

A journalist for more than three decades, Bukhari estab- lished Rising Kashmir a little over 10 years ago. The paper published a tribute to Bukhari on its front page and said it won’t be cowed down by his killing.

“You left all too sudden but you will always be our leading light with your professional conviction and exemplary courage. We won’t be cowed down by the cowards who snatched you from us. We will uphold your principle of telling the truth howsoever unpleasant it may be...rest in peace!” the tribute read.

Bukhari is survived by his wife, two children and elderly parents. one of the siblings, Manish, who sustained a gunshot injury in his right elbow.

“Babli was accompanied by a number of men ,most of them his tenants, who were throwing bricks at us. My mother-in-law and younger son Sagar both sustained severe injuries. It was a public killing. A lot of people were there,” she alleged.

The DCP said that Babli and his brother also were injured in the scuffle. Based on the statement of Manish, a case of murder, offence under the Arms Act and other sections has been registered at Sangam Vihar police station, Baaniya said.

Police said Kishan, who had been admitted to the nearby Batra Hospital, succumbed to his injuries on Friday afternoon. Babli, who fired the fatal shot, was also admitted to hospital with injuries. Police said he would be arrested once he is discharged. Babli’s father Rampat, and siblings Gagan, Kannu and Kaviraj have been arrested.

Sangam Vihar is home to over 1.5 million residents, not all of whom have Delhi Jal Board water pipes directly connected to their homes.