Before we delve into how the future looks for Afganistan today, we must look at the events of history which brought Afghanistan in the state it is today.

After the withdrawal of Soviet Troops in 1989, the country was thrown in state of civil war. From this civil war, emerged the a group better known as ‘Taliban’ now. After a long and bloody civil war of 10 years, Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 1998. They vowed to fight corruption and improve security, but also followed an austere form of Islam.

They enforced their own hard line version of Sharia, or Islamic law, and introduced brutal punishments. Men were made to grow beards and women had to wear the all-covering burka. TV, music and cinema were banned. During this time, several fundamental Islamic organizations like Al Qaeda found safe haven in Afghanistan.

In 2001, Al Qaeda, conducted biggest terrorist attack on US in which nearly 3000 people were killed. Officials identified Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, and its leader Osama Bin Laden, as responsible. Bin Laden was in Afghanistan, under the protection of the Taliban. When they refused to hand him over, the US intervened militarily, quickly removing the Taliban and vowing to support democracy and eliminate the terrorist threat.

In 2004, with help of US, a democratic government was established in Afghanistan and Hamid Karzai became first president of the country. Taliban and other Islamic groups regrouped and Taliban attacks continued.

In 2014, at the end of what was the bloodiest year since 2001, Nato’s international forces ended their combat mission, leaving responsibility for security to the Afghan army. That gave the Taliban momentum and they seized more territory.

Peace talks between the US and the Taliban started tentatively, and the agreement on a withdrawal came in February 2020 in Qatar. The US-Taliban deal did not stop the Taliban attacks – they switched their focus instead to Afghan security forces and civilians, and targeted assassinations. Their areas of control grew.

US president Joe Biden announces that all US troops will leave Afghanistan by 11 September 2021. In just over a month, the Taliban swept across Afghanistan, taking control of towns and cities all over the country, including Kabul. Afghan security forces collapsed in the face of the Taliban advance.

A couple of months after US withdrawal, Afghanistan’s future appears grim.

It faces severe economic stress and humanitarian crisis. Experts warn Afghanistan could soon become the world’s worst, and a relentless threat of terrorism.

The current semblance of government in Afghanistan is led by brutal Taliban organization. And this time, all the terrorist groups like Haqqani Network et al, have become part of the government.

What is expected?

Predictions about what the future holds for Afghanistan must take into account a complex mix of political, social, religious, economic, and cultural issues.

• The international aid enjoyed by Afghanistan has been scaled back which has resulted into acute economic and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Taliban are struggling to address these complex challenges.

• Even though the Taliban regime vows to give shelter and prevent any group from using Afghan soil as a base for terrorists attacks on any country. It will be difficult to ensure this, since many of the militant organizations are now part of Afghanistan government.

• Taliban is moving towards imposing strict Sharia laws in the country which means human rights of the citizens will be severely affected, especially those of women.

• Emergence of the regional branch of the Islamic State group – ISKP (Khorasan Province) which the Taliban oppose may lead to another civil war like situation in the country.

• Taliban is a Sunni group and comes mostly from the Southern part of the country. They are against the Shias and other thnic communities like Hazaras. These communities are expected to face brutal backlash from Taliban.

• Education, Media and Cultural arts like music and dancing are not allowed by Taliban.

• The Taliban’s takeover may encourage other extremist groups to copy the Taliban model. Jihadist groups that operate in Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya believe that their resilience may lead to victory against the governments they have fought.

• Afghanistan has been one of the most corrupt countries in the world. The Taliban government in Afghanistan is likely to behave the same way. They use Islamic laws to legitimize their corrupt activities.

• Afghans weary of persecution by the Taliban will be desperate to leave the country, creating more opportunities for human-smuggling networks. Human-smuggling networks will thrive in the region.

Overall Afghanistan is going to remain flux. Most likely, Afghanistan will become a haven again for salafi-jihadist terrorist groups, the government will continue to grapple with difficult political and economic issues, the drug trade will flourish, and Afghans will be persecuted under Taliban’s twisted version of sharia law.

If you are preparing for Defence Exams, TIDES Academy offers dedicated Coaching courses for different Defence Exams like NDA, CDS, CAPF(AC). For more information call us at 98961 06442

What is Fake News?

Fake news refers to misinformation, disinformation or misinformation which is spread through word of mouth and traditional media and more recently through digital forms of communication such as edited videos, memes, unverified advertisements and social media propagated rumours. Fake news has been around as long as human civilisation, but it has been turbo-charged by digital technology and the transformation of the global media landscape.

Lots of things you read online especially in your social media feeds may appear to be true, often is not. False information is news, stories or hoaxes created to deliberately misinform or deceive readers. Usually, these stories are created to influence people’s views, push a political agenda or cause confusion and can often be a profitable business for online publishers. False information can deceive people by looking like trusted websites or using similar names and web addresses to reputable news organisations.

Impact of fake News on Society

One of the main concerns of fake news stories is that they can polarise society, particularly during political events.  Fake news spread through social media has become a serious problem, with the potential of it resulting in mob violence or even riots. Spread of fake news has been a grave problem in India, in terms of inciting public unrest leading to social tension in the events of even a small incident involving two or more communities. Instances have taken place where a minor argument led to major clashes, thanks to the news made “viral” among the WhatsApp users.

Fake news stories can not only polarise different groups within a nation but also affect international relations. At the same time, fake news campaigns can be effectively used to spread unrest in rival countries. Several such campaigns are uncovered by the government in India where thousands of social media handles from Pakistan were part of actively spreading fake and false propaganda on issues like CAA and Kashmir. Misinformation and disinformation related to Kashmir is widely prevalent. There have been multiple instances of pictures from the Syrian and the Iraqi civil wars being passed off as from the Kashmir conflict with the intention of fuelling unrest and backing insurgencies.

Fake scandals often seem more believable than the truth and have led to racism, harassment, intimidation and damage to reputation. This has also led to destruction of trust in media. Fake news affects free speech and informed choices of the subjects of the country, leading to the hijacking of democracy.

Combating fake news is a growing narrative of the technology platforms like Facebook, Google, the news media, the government and an informed citizenry. Ultimately, we must find a way to control the production of fake news and increase quality outputs to maintain the functioning of a society built on free choice.

Over the past few years, there have been a lot of changes in how political candidates and organizations campaign. In centuries past, many campaigns took place in form of huge public rallies. Later, these campaigns evolved to include billboards, spots on radio stations, TV commercials, print ads, and more. Now, one of the major driving forces behind political campaigns and elections is the use of social media. Social media has had a profound impact on how candidates organize and structure campaigns, trying to reach as many people as possible and affect change in social issues.

The influence of the use of Social Networking Sites on people’s behaviour has recently become more visible than before. For example, among the Internet users, the total percentage of Facebook users is 72% of which 82 % of them are within the age group of 18-29. This fact can help candidates target the millennials. If a candidate can have an impact on this age group, they are most likely to share the message with others in their networks. When candidates share their message supported with photographs and videos, it makes them memorable to this audience. The goal is to influence these young voters and also to get their friends to vote.

Furthermore, candidates can even use these platforms to conduct their own polling information. Many candidates like to use these platforms to interact on a personal level with their voters. Most political candidates are trying to take advantage of these platforms to discuss important issues with the voters. Candidates are also able to tailor their messages to meet their specific audience. Without a doubt, candidates are able to change the type of banner, images, and videos that people see based on the individual’s age, geography, or other metrics listed on their profiles.

Where this new a Social Media interaction provides newer ways of engaging the voters, it also presents certain risks. 2016 US presidential elections was followed by allegations that certain media companies like Cambridge Analytica which had access to the private data of Facebook users, used it to influence these people by targeted media campaigns based on their demographic profiles. The incident highlighted how personal data from social media is being used by companies to manipulate voters and distort democratic discourse.

Even in India,for the 2014 General elections, every political party participating set 2-5% of its election budget for spending on social media. It was observed that AAP and BJP were fighting against each other on social media but the Congress party realised its importance quite late.

If there’s one fundamental truth about social media’s impact on democracy it’s that it amplifies human intent — both good and bad. At its best, it allows us to express ourselves and take action. At its worst, it allows people to spread misinformation and corrode democracy. Concerns about disinformation, polarization, political advertising, and the role of platforms in the information ecosystem have heightened.

So the big question, if today the election results are based on Facebook likes or ink marks cannot have simple answers. Even though the elections results still come from the votes, social media plays a significant role in influencing these votes.

What is NPR?

National Population Register or NPR contains a list of all residents, who have lived at a locality for at least the last six months and plans to stay in that area for the next six months or more. It is prepared at the local (village/sub-town), sub-district, district, state and national level.

The idea is to create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country. The database would contain demographic as well as biometric particulars. NPR listing will be carried out simultaneously along with the Census. While the process of NPR and Census will begin simultaneously, the two databases are not same. The census is the largest single source of a variety of statistical information on different characteristics of the people of India while NPR only contains demographic information.

Why NPR if Census Exists?

Officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs state that NPR helps identify the current demographics of actual residents who will be direct beneficiaries of any schemes launched in the area.

What is NRC?

National Citizen’s Register or NRC is a verified digital register containing names and basic demographic information about all Indian citizens in a digital format. A person born in India or having Indian parentage or having resided in India for at least 11 years, is eligible for Indian citizenship.

Difference between NPR & NRC

Among the on-going protests and breaking news in media, the general public is confused about both the terms and its implications.

According to the Citizenship Rules, notified on December 10, 2003, NPR is ‘the register containing details of persons usually residing in a village or rural area or town or ward or demarcated area within a ward in a town or urban area. NRC is a register containing details of Indian Citizens living in India and outside India.

NRC, though theoretically a subset of NPR, was first prepared in 1951 and after that no updation has happened. Unlike NPR, names included in NRC are scientifically screened before it find a place in NRC. NRC is just a register of citizens and doesn’t contain any metadata.

NPR (National Population Register) and NRC (National Register of Citizens) are quite different from each other since NRC does not include foreign citizens. NPR’s scope and purpose are limited for entering the person to the list, the details presented by the individual by word of mouth are only considered and no document proof is required as mandated in case of NRC.

Also at this point of time NRC is only going to be implemented in Assam only, since Assam has been facing the problem of illegal migrants from Bangladesh

India pledged to develop the Chabahar port with initial investment of $500 million as a part of trilateral engagement between India, Iran and Afghanistan, when Indian Prime Minister Narender Modi visited Iran in 2016. The first phase of Chabahar port was inaugurated in December 2017.

Significance of Chabahar Port

The Chabahar Port is one project that has assumed significant economic and strategic importance in recent times. Before independence India had direct access to the central Asian countries. However, after creation of Pakistan, India lost its direct connection with central Asia. Even though, trade with central Asian countries is possible via Pakistan, it has not been possible due to the strained relations between India and Pakistan.

The first and foremost significance of Chabahar port is that now India can bypass Pakistan in transporting goods to Afghanistan and other central Asian countries. Indian cargo transported via the sea will now be offloaded at Chabahar, from where trucks and trains will carry it to Afghanistan and then onward to the CARs. In addition to opening up new markets for India in Afghanistan and the CARs, Chabahar will boost their economies, too, and strengthen India’s economic relationship with Iran.

With Chabahar port becoming functional, there will be a significant boost in the import of iron ore, sugar and rice to India. The import cost of oil to India will also see a considerable decline. It is estimated that the port will help India to halve the time and cost of doing business with Central Asian countries.

Chabahar port is not just about providing a gateway linking India, Iran and Afghanistan. It is a key hub in the International North-South Transport Corridor initiative, a 7,200-km-long multi-modal network of ship, rail and road routes to move cargo between India, Iran, Afghanistan, the CARs, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Europe.

Apart from the economic advantages, Chabahar port also provides strategic advantages to India, Iran and other central Asian countries against increasing influence of China in the region. It will provide an alternate mechanism to both BRI and CPEC projects being developed in the region by China.

Chabahar would bring about the biggest breakthrough in Asian transport connectivity with enormous implications for the entire region both in terms of spurring economic prosperity and ensuring political stability.

Euthanasia is a Greek word meaning ‘good death’. Euthanasia is the practice of assisted suicide with the intention of relieving pain and suffering. It is also known as mercy killing or physician assisted suicide. A doctor is allowed by law to end a person’s life by a painless means, as long as the patient and their family agree. Euthanasia, in the simplest terms, is mercy killing for those patients for whom there is no end to their pain; it’s a blessing for those who wish for a dignified death rather than prolonged suffering.

Like all things that deal with life and death, it has been a controversial subject of debate due to its seeming infringement of a person’s fundamental right to live and has become one of the most actively researched and debated subjects in modern bioethics. Several arguments have emerged, both in favour and against the practice of euthanasia.

Arguments for euthanasia include:

• Freedom of Choice – The right to die should be a matter of personal choice.
• Quality of life – Physical and emotional pain from prolonged illness impacts the quality of life an individual leads. Only, the patients who are suffering know how they feel.
• Dignity – Every individual should have the right to be able to die with dignity. Many who witness slow death of others believe that assisted death should be allowed.
• Humane – It is considered more humane to allow the person to choose to die to end intractable suffering. It will shorten the grief and suffering of loved ones.
• Resources – A more objective argument states that it will free the resources like lifesaving equipment and medication to help those who can be fully cured and want to live rather than the terminally ill.

Arguments against euthanasia include:

• The doctor’s role – it will be a difficult decision for the health care practitioners to make, especially in light of Hippocratic Oath
• Moral and religious arguments – Most religious faiths see this practice as murder and morally unacceptable. According to them, it violates and weakens the society’s respect for the sanctity of life.
• Guilt and patient Competence – Patients may feel psychological pressure into consenting for euthanasia thinking they are putting financial, emotional and mental burden on their families if the cost of the treatment is high. Also, in case of people with illnesses like depression asking for euthanasia can complicate the decision.
• Regulation and legality – Euthanasia cannot be properly regulated hence it will be difficult to ascertain who is eligible and who should not be allowed.

People advocating the right to life would criticize it to the nail, trying to justify that taking away one’s life is like overreaching one’s power, similar to sinning against God, whose beautiful gift is life. But when this beautiful gift turns to be a burden, a prolonged misery, isn’t it necessary to put an end to it rather than to continue the intense pain and suffering? Legalizing Euthanasia is a difficult terrain to walk in, and to prevent its abuse, strictest measures need to be taken. Euthanasia empowers people to put an end to their prolonged misery and gives one the power to die with dignity.

Let us know what do you think about euthanasia? Should it be allowed or not, comment with your reasons below.

In 1947, when the British rule ended on Indian subcontinent, sovereignty of some 600 princely states was restored by the British. These states had three options; to remain an independent country, join dominion of India or join dominion of Pakistan. The joining with either of the two countries was to be through Instrument of Accession, which was to be defined by individual negotiations with each princely state.

Raja Hari Singh the erstwhile ruler of Jammu & Kashmir at that time decided to remain independent and signed a standstill agreement with India and Pakistan. But soon after the partition Pakistan invaded Kashmir. Hari Singh sought help from India, which in turn sought the accession of Kashmir to India. Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession on October 26, 1947.

Article 370

Article 370 was the basis of Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to the Indian union at a time when erstwhile princely states had the choice to join either India or Pakistan after their independence from the British rule in 1947. The article, which came into effect in 1949, exempts Jammu and Kashmir State from the Indian constitution. It allowed for a separate constitution of its own and a separate flag. It allowed the Jammu and Kashmir region jurisdiction to make its own laws in all matters except finance, defence, foreign affairs and communications.

Article 35A

Article 35A, which stems through Article 370,  was introduced through a presidential order in 1954 to continue the old provisions of the territory regulations under Article 370 of the Indian constitution. The article permits the local legislature in Indian-administered Kashmir to define permanent residents of the region.

Article 35A forbade outsiders from permanently settling, buying land, holding local government jobs or winning education scholarships in the region. The article, referred to as the Permanent Residents Law, also barred female residents of Jammu and Kashmir from property rights in the event that they marry a person from outside the state. The provision also extended to such women’s children.

While Article 35A has remained unchanged, some aspects of Article 370 have been diluted over the decades.

Abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A

On 5 August 2019, the President of India issued a Presidential Order, whereby all the provisions of the Indian Constitution are to apply to the State without any special provisions. This would imply that the State’s separate Constitution stands abrogated, including the privileges allowed by the Article 35A.

Also, along with the abrogation of two articles, the state of Jammu & Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union territories – Jammu and Kashmir consisting of region of Kashmir and Jammu and Ladakh consisting of Ladakh region. The Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir will have a legislative assembly and an administrative head in form of a Lt. Governor, akin to the administrative structure of New Delhi.

Why Article 35A was retrograde and deserved to be repealed?

Article  35A  violates  the  very  concept  of  equality  enshrined  in  the  Constitution of India. Its treatment of non-permanent residents of J&K is  akin  to  treating  its  own  people  as  second  rate  citizens.  They  cannot  buy  immovable  property  in  J&K,  are  not  eligible  for  employment  by  the state government, cannot contest or vote in local body or Assembly elections,  cannot  avail  of  scholarships  and  other  grants  offered  by  the state   government   to   its   permanent   residents    and,    above    all,    cannot    seek  redress  in  any  court,  local  or  national.  Most  importantly,  it  deters  the  corporate  sector  from  investing  in  the state as sans the provisions to buy immovable property, such investments make  little  business  sense.  The  state,  thus, remains dependent on the Centre for  financial  assistance,  its  economy  being dependent for the most part on government  jobs  and  doles  from  the  Centre to enable the state to meet its obligations.

The provisions of Article 35A also violate the principles of gender equality since it discriminates against  women  residents  of  the  state  who marry a person from another state. The children from such unions are  not  entitled  to  the  Permanent  Resident  Certificate  (PRC)  or  the  benefits consequent thereupon, such as the right to acquire immovable property and a government job. The same, however, does not apply to the offspring of a male who marries a woman from another state. It is also a travesty of justice that the Balmikis and Gorkhas who have been staying in the state for generations as also the West Pakistan refugees have  been  denied  the  permanent  resident  status  with  all  its  attendant  benefits.

Article 35A was, thus, the one defining Article  which  acted  as  a  hindrance  to  the    holistic    development    of    J&K,    affecting  every  sector.  It  had  created  a  constitutionally-approved apartheid, giving special political, administrative and legal powers to the ruling elite of J&K, and, at the same time, being discriminatory  against  women  and  the  non-Kashmiri  population  in  J&K  and  their  supporters  in  the  rest  of  India.  Its  repeal  will  go  a  long  way  righting  a  historical  wrong  and  would  be  an  important  step  in  bringing  peace to the region.

After the abrogation of Article 35a, all citizens of India will have equal rights in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir like other states of the country. It will attract investment from other parts of country, giving boost to the economy and resulting in development and progress of the region which had been retarded for last seven decades. Politically, also, it reaffirms and strengthens India’s right over the region as an integral part of India. It is a progressive step for future of India and the region of Jammu and Kashmir.

Electoral bonds are a new and unique concept introduced by Modi government in a Finance Bill 2017. The idea behind the use of electoral bonds is to promote transparency in political funding and curb the usage of black money.

The electoral bonds are in form of promissory notes that are payable to the bearer on demand and is interest free. These bonds can be purchased by any Indian citizen or company incorporated in India from select authorized branches of State Bank of India. The citizen or company can then donate the same to any eligible political party of their choice.

What are the conditions to use Electoral Bonds?

Bonds are issued in denominations of INR thousand, ten thousand, lakh, 10 lakh and 1 crore and are available at specified branches of State Bank of India only. To buy these bonds one needs a KYC complaint bank account. After donation to the party, the party can encash it only through their verified account within 15 days. However, only those political parties are eligible to encash these bonds which have secured at least 1 percent of the votes polled in the most recent Lok Sabha elections.

Why Electoral Bonds?

The year round functioning of political parties involve a large expenditure to run offices, pay staff salaries, travelling expenses etc. Besides expenditure of individual candidates, political parties have to spend money on election campaigns, publicity, tours, travels and election related establishments. These expenditures run into hundreds of crores.  Yet there has not been a transparent funding mechanism of the political system.

The conventional system of political funding is to rely on donations. These donations come from varied sources like political workers, sympathizers, small and large businesses and industrial houses. The conventional practice of funding the political system was to take donations in cash and undertake these expenditures in cash.  The sources are anonymous.

The electoral bond scheme envisages total clean money and substantial transparency into the system of political funding. Since the donor will purchase the bonds through a banking instrument, he would have to disclose in his accounts the amount of electoral bonds he has purchased. Also, since the bond can only be encashed in a pre-declared account of a political party, every political party in its returns will have to disclose the amount of donations it has received through electoral bonds to the Election Commission.

As against a total non-transparency in the present system of cash donations where the donor, the donee, the quantum of donations and the nature of expenditure are all undisclosed, some element of transparency would be introduced in as much as all donors declare in their accounts the amount of bonds that they have purchased and all parties declare the quantum of bonds that they have received.

Even though there have been certain a concern, from several quarters, including Election Commission of India, the scheme has been implemented. According to an RTI Electoral bonds worth 1407 crores have been sold between Aril 2018 to January 2019.

What is Model code of conduct?

It is a set of guidelines laid down by the Election Commission of India to govern the conduct of political parties and candidates in the run-up to an election. It applies to all political parties, their candidates and polling agents, the government in power, and all government employees. These set of norms has been evolved with the consensus of political parties who have consented to abide by the principles embodied in the said code in its letter and spirit. Much of it is designed to avert communal clashes and corrupt practices. For example, politicians should not make hate speeches, putting one community against another or make promises about new projects that may sway a voter.

When does the model code of conduct come into force?

The Model Code of Conduct comes into force the moment an election is announced and remains in force till the results are declared.

Why is model code of conduct required?

Model Code of Conduct is prescribed to provide a level playing field to all political parties, ruling and opposition. It aims to keep the election campaigns by the political parties healthy, avoid clashes between the supporters of different parties and maintain peace and order during the election campaign period. It also intends to stop the ruling party from using government machinery and exchequer for their election campaign.

Some important guidelines of Model Code of Conduct for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 include:

• Ministers of the government, including the Prime Minister, cannot combine their official visits with their election campaign
• Ministers, their ministries and departments cannot sanction or announce any new grants or make payments out of their discretionary funds after the Model Code of Conduct is in place.
• No adhoc government appointments or transfers of government employees can be made during this period.
• Parties have to inform the authorities beforehand when and where do they plan to organize rallies for their election campaigns.
• Religious places of any kind cannot be used for election propaganda.
• Parties and candidates are to refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life of their opponents.

What if the Model Code of Conduct is not adhered to?

Election commission is empowered to deal with the breaches of Model Code of Conduct very firmly. In case a candidate or a party is found to be in breach of the Model Code of Conduct, Election Commission of India has the powers to penalise or even disqualify the candidate from the elections.

A summary of general model code of conduct for the upcoming Lok Sabha Election of 2019 can be read on Election Commission’s website. You can also download the complete copy of Manual for Model Code of Conduct for further reading.

The highly contested Line of Control dividing the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Indian side has profoundly shaped the vision and experiences of youth in the valley. National politics, both in India and Pakistan has also played out in the region. This has led to disillusionment with the established political system of the region and contributed to heightened tensions. The conflict continues to have a strong impact on the life of youth in the region.

The violence in the region has had an adverse impact on the economic situation of the young people, particularly in gaining access to work and livelihoods. High rate of unemployment in the region has led to deep sense of frustration among youth. All of this has also led to a deep sense of disillusionment and lack of confidence in the government and authorities at various levels.

The impact of protracted conflict, combined with lack of faith in government and sense of exclusion from the political processes has led many people to believe that the situation will never change. This has significant psychosocial and emotional impact on young people. Many young people have come to believe that violence is the most effective way forward. This makes the youth of the region easy targets to be radicalized and recruited as militants. Various separatist groups in Kashmir have conveniently exploited the sentiments of youth and misguided them for their own selfish gains. While who escape radicalization, become victims of drug abuse and end up as drug addicts. In all, the potential of youth in the region is going to waste.

In spite of the potential for young people to be drawn into violence and militant organisations, the actions and resolve of young people is often the key to a future full of hope and peace. On the positive side, we have youth who are committed to moving on in the modern world, determined to brighten their prospects, improve their quality of life and benefit from the enormous and hugely lucrative openings in government as well as corporate sectors. They concentrate on their studies and dedicatedly prepare for competitive examinations or what-ever tests the corporates, in both national and international arenas, prescribe. A large number of younger populations from Jammu and Kashmir are joining the armed forces and administrative services by preparing and qualifying defence entrance exams held by UPSC like CDS, NDA, AFCAT and CAPF which is a positive sign.

The solution to the issues lies with the people. They have to generate the will to give peace a chance so that the development activities can be carried forward. With development will come jobs, which will channelize the energy of the youth towards productive pursuits.

It cannot be denied that the government is attempting to remain focused on the issue development despite the law and order challenges. The elders and the civil society of Kashmir will also have to play a vital role to removing the prevailing feeling of hatred and frustration that envelopes’ the youth of the Valley. This is undoubtedly a long term process but a beginning has to be made.

Youth should become the center of gravity of the government policy to curb terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Sincere efforts in this direction have the potential of changing the sociopolitical landscape of the trouble torn region.