Dr Umer Iqbal Kashmir is currently witnessing a surge in conjunctivitis cases, colloquially called “eye flu”, with hospitals reporting n-number of infections across the Valley. Patients are presenting with symptoms of redness, irritation, swelling of eyelids, itching, and discharge. Doctors say most cases are self-limiting, meaning they resolve on their own over about one to two weeks, provided proper…
Mental health is health, and until we treat it as such, we cannot call ourselves a truly healthy society. Dr. Fiaz Maqbool Fazili In Kashmir today, a silent crisis is growing—one we neither talk about openly nor act upon with the seriousness it deserves. Mental health, long brushed under the carpet, is emerging as one…
A Call for Balance: Will Delhi balance local needs with border vigilance? Ladakh deserves peace. Peerzada Masarat Shah In the serene heights of Leh, where the Indus River winds through stark, majestic peaks, a photograph from August 5, 2019, captures a moment of heartfelt gratitude. Sonam Wangchuk, the humble engineer and activist known from 3…
Politics apart, conceiving a State Bank to transform lives of his state subjects through economic development tells a story of Maharaja Hari Singh’s progressive thinking. Sajjad BazazLet me begin today’s column with a statement dished out by Zareef Ahmad Zareef, a well known Kashmiri poet, writer, social activist, and environmentalist. During a STRAIGHT TALK (Podcast)…
Mohammad Hanief India’s most sweeping tax reform in nearly a decade has begun to unfold across shop counters, factory floors, and household budgets. The revamped Goods and Services Tax—popularly called GST 2.0—came into effect on 22 September 2025, streamlining the country’s indirect-tax structure and promising a rare combination of cheaper essentials, simpler compliance, and sharper…
