Student unrest: Guv discusses concerns with Edu Minister

Srinagar/May,10: Governor N.N. Vohra, deeply disturbed by the series of recent reports on incidents involving students in situations leading to public disorder, has been repeatedly stressing his concern that the educational interests of the entire student community must be vigorously advanced and selfishly protected and, under no circumstances, should the future careers of the student community be allowed to get exploited or compromised in any manner.
Since the opening of the Durbar in Srinagar the Governor has held a series of meetings in connection with the maintenance of law and order and internal security. Besides conveying his concerns to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, the Governor held extensive discussions with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Tuesday in which he had particularly urged her to take all required steps for ensuring that the students community is immunised against any involvement in law and order situations.
In furtherance of his anxiety to see that the ongoing semester of studies in schools, colleges and the universities is not affected, the Governor held discussions Wednesday with  Vijay Dhar, President of the D.P. Dhar Memorial Trust which runs the DPS School, the largest in the Valley. He also had a long meeting with Prof Khurshid Andrabi, Vice Chancellor, University of Kashmir, during which he stressed the role and responsibilities of the Vice Chancellor, Deans and the Faculty in ensuring against any unhealthy influences being allowed to adversely affect the teaching schedules in the colleges and universities.
Based on the inputs received from the various quarters the Governor had extensive discussions with Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, Minister for Education, at the Raj Bhavan here Wednesday.  Bukhari briefed the Governor about the steps so far taken by the School and Higher Education Departments and the initiatives personally taken by him to see that students are protected from involvement in law and order incidents.
After deliberating on the factors which have led to the involvement of students, even girls, the Governor has decided to hold an urgent further meeting with the Vice Chancellors and other stakeholders for agreed further action being taken for ensuring against recurring disruption of the educational system in Kashmir Valley.
CM stresses on collaborative efforts by researchers, medical practitioners to address NCD spread
2nd J&K Medical Congress, Ist Annual Conference of MPPCOS Society inaugurated
Srinagar/May,10: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti has stressed on collective and collaborative efforts by researchers and medical practitioners to address the growing tendency of spread of non communicable diseases (NCD) in the society.
Addressing the 2nd J&K Medical Congress and Ist Annual Conference of Metabolic Syndrome, Pre diabetes, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome  (MPPCOS) Society here Wednesday, the Chief Minister said due to changes in lifestyle over the years, the non communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cardiac ailments, cancers etc. have shown an increasing trend and it needs the collective efforts by medical scientists, practicing doctors and medicos to look at the causes, remedies and possible preventive measures.
Mehbooba Mufti said thought many massive health programs and infrastructure have been spread all across, awareness about the spread and causes of these diseases is what can deliver the desired results. She emphasized on adopting preventive and promotive healthcare measures to minimize the growing spread of these lifestyle diseases rather than waiting for the curatives means.
The Chief Minister said her Government has flagged healthcare as a priority area and massive infrastructure in terms of health centres, medical colleges and institutes is being raised across. She said the medical fraternity, particularly the doctors and para medics, have performed exceptionally in delivering healthcare services to people over the years. She said many surveys and data have vouched for the better state of health here and Jammu & Kashmir surpassing Kerala and Delhi in life expectancy is a pointer. She hoped that the doctor would continue their hard work and maintain this standard.
The Chief Minister welcomed the delegates from outside the State and abroad and hoped that they would go back to their places as the ambassadors of Kashmir.
In his address, Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Bhagat hoped the recommendations from the conference would be very useful in tackling the rising trend of non communicable diseases in the society. He complimented SKIMS for having come up as a top notch medical research centre in the State and hoped it would soon attain parity with the best institutes in the country.
Minister of State for Health & Medical Education, Asiea Naqash in her address, stressed on undertaking substantive research to know the preventive measures to be taken to arrest the growing trend of non communicable diseases in the society.
Director General, ICMR, Dr. Soumaya Swaminathan; Director, AIIMS, Prof. Prof. Randeep Guleria and Director, SKIMS, Prof. Ahangar and Dr Ashraf, Professor of Endocrinology at SKIMS, who is also the Convener of the Conference, also addressed the session.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister released a souvenir of the conference and launched the website of MPPCOS Society. She also felicitated renowned medical researchers Prof. Robert Rosenfield, Prof. Ghulam Jeelani Mufti, Prof. M. S. Khuru and Prof. Randeep Guleria for their outstanding contribution to their fields.
About 1000 delegates from within and outside the State and abroad are attending the conference in which around 10 international experts would be delivering lectures on various issues.
Minister for Horticulture, Syed Basharat Bukhari; several legislators; Commissioner-Secretary, Health & Medical Education, Dr. Pawan Kotwal; Vice Chancellors of many universities; Principals of Medical Colleges, senior officers, medical researchers and doctors were present during the session.