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The Hindu
5 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Gulmarg's famous 137-year-old Nedous hotel served eviction notice
After 137 years, the famous Nedous Hotel, owned by the in-laws of the ruling National Conference (NC) founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, in Gulmarg was served an eviction notice on Saturday (August 2, 2025). 'In exercise of powers conferred under the Jammu & Kashmir Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1988 and in compliance with the orders of the Hon'ble High Court J&K and the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, it is hereby ordered that the persons presently in unauthorised occupation of the public premises known as Hotel Nedou's, Gulmarg, are hereby directed to vacate the public premises forthwith and handover the possession,' the eviction notice, issued by the Estates Officer Gulmarg, reads. The District Magistrate, Baramulla, has been requested 'to provide all necessary support including the deployment of a Magistrate on site and adequate police personnel, to ensure the peaceful execution of the eviction process and maintenance of public order'. The Nedous had possession of nearly 98 kanals and 11 marlas of government land. The family had earned multiple leases from the government till 1985, but failed to renew the same after its expiration in 1985. The J&K government rejected the lease in February 2015. Later, the J&K High Court too dismissed the hotel's plea for lease renewal and declared an unauthorized occupant under the J&K Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1988. 'After due examination of the relevant record and legal provisions, it has been found expedient to proceed with eviction and take over possession of the said property in compliance with the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court and Hon'ble High Court of Jammu & Kashmir,' the eviction notice reads. According to the Nedous, Michael Adam Nedou, a European, discovered Gulmarg in north Kashmir's Baramulla district In the early 1800s as a holiday destination for Europeans and royalties built the Nedous Hotel in Lahore in the 1870s and in Gulmarg in 1888. Nedou's eldest son Harry Nedou married Mir Jaan, a woman of Rajput Gujjar descent from Gulmarg. Their daughter, Akbar Jahan, later married NC founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah. At present, the sons of Harry Nedou inherited the family business of Nedous Hotels in India and Omar K. Nedou is the proprietor and owner of Nedous Group of Hotels. The Nedous are related to current Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Jammu & Kashmir's ruling, regional parties start Martyrs' Day action plan
The ruling National Conference and other regional parties in Kashmir have started preparations to commemorate Martyrs' Day on July 13 in Kashmir and informed the administration to make necessary arrangements for the event. However, it remains unclear whether the administration will allow any political representatives to pay floral tributes at the Martyrs' Graveyard at Khwaja Bazar in downtown Srinagar. The Martyrs' Day commemorates the incident where 22 Kashmiris were killed by the forces of Dogra Maharaja on July 13, 1931, in Kashmir. The day was observed as an official holiday across J&K till 2019-20. Following the abrogation of Article 370 and 35(A) and downgrading of erstwhile state of J&K into the two Union territories of J&K and Ladakh, the then LG administration dropped Martyrs' Day and the birth anniversary of NC founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, falling on December 5, from the holiday list. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Unsold Container Homes in Cebu - Prices You Won't Believe! Shipping Container Homes | Search Ads Search Now Undo "JKNC is observing Martyrs' Day on July 13, 2025, as usual," read the ruling NC letter, submitted before the district commissioner in Srinagar. "We sincerely hope that this time, our democratic and peaceful request will be respected, and that the NC will be allowed to mark this day in accordance with tradition and sentiment," read the NC statement. The People's Democratic Party and Apni Party have also decided to commemorate Martyrs' Day. Live Events
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
J&K parties prepare to revive practice of paying tributes to 1931 ‘martyrs' at Srinagar graveyard
Srinagar J&K regional parties, including the ruling National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and J&K Apni Party (JKAP), on Thursday (July 10, 2025) pushed for resuming the official ceremony to commemorate July 13 as Martyrs' Day in J&K, a practice that was stopped by the Lieutenant Governor during the Central rule in the Union Territory. The elected government of the NC, which took over in October last year, has already written to J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to re-incorporate July 13 and December 5, birth anniversary of NC founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, as official holidays in line with the practice followed before the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 in 2019. 'We have already written to the L-G office to declare July 13 and December 3 as holidays. Besides, the NC has sought formal permission from the administration to allow a delegation headed by party general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar to visit the graveyard where the martyrs of 1931 are buried in the old city on July 13. We have sought a slot for 8 a.m. for the commemoration,' NC spokesman Imran Nabi Dar told The Hindu. PDP's stand Commenting on the NC's move to approach the Raj Bhawan for the holidays, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said the Omar Abdullah government's proposal would have carried weight if the Speaker had supported PDP's resolution for the same in the Assembly. 'The Speaker's outright rejection of the resolution was unexpected and disappointing. Today's exercise looks more like lip service than any serious effort,' Ms. Mufti said. Last year, when there was no elected government in place, the L-G administration denied permission for regional parties to visit the Martyrs' Graveyard, also known as Mazar-e-Shuhada, located on the premises of Srinagar's Naqshband Sahib shrine. Meanwhile, the Opposition PDP also held a meeting in Srinagar at its headquarters to announce the decision to 'visit the revered Mazar-e-Shuhada on July 13 to pay tribute to the 1931 Martyrs'. 'July 13 is a reminder of the people's struggle against tyranny and injustice,' PDP vice president Sartaj Madni said. PDP general secretary Mohammad Khursheed Alam said the present dispensation 'may have erased the day as an official holiday, they cannot erase the truth or the history it represents'. The PDP leaders said that 'no official order can diminish the legacy of the martyrs or the ideals they stood for'. 'Their sacrifices remain etched in the collective memory of the people and will continue to inspire future generations,' they said. JKAP also joins request JKAP president Altaf Bukhari also joined the regional parties' demand to declare July 13 'a gazetted holiday'. 'The elected government should restore the official ceremony to pay tributes on July 13,' he said. The JKAP has also sought permission from the district administration to attend prayers at the Mazhar-e-Shuhada in Srinagar on July 13. Martyrs' Day is observed on July 13 to commemorate the killing of 22 civilians, who were shot dead in a rebellion against the Dogra monarchy in 1931.
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Dropped from official holiday calendar by L-G, ruling NC starts preparations for ‘Martyrs Day' in Srinagar
Ruling National Conference (NC) on Monday (July 7, 2025) held a special meeting in Srinagar to review the preparations on the occasion of the death anniversary of Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah, wife of the party founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, and 'Martyrs' Day' on 13th July. The preparations assumed significance because J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha removed the 'Martyrs Day' from the official holiday calendar of the government after the Centre ended J&K's special constitutional status in 2019. 'A review meeting was convened at the party headquarters, Nawa-e-Subha, Srinagar, to assess the ongoing arrangements for the annual observance of the death anniversary of Madar-e-Maharban Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah (on July 11) and Martyrs' Day on 13th July. The meeting was chaired by the General Secretary, Haji Ali Muhammad Sagar,' a NC spokesman said. Mr. Sagar directed the party cadre to ensure a special prayer ceremony is held at the Naqsband Sahib graveyard where 22 locals, who lost their lives in the rebellion against the Dogra rule, are buried. Top J&K government officials, including the then Governor, would join the regional parties in paying tributes to those killed by the soldiers of the Dogra monarch in 1931 in Kashmir. However, no official ceremony is held at the graveyard of those who were killed in 1931 after 2019. There is a growing demand from the regional parties to reincorporate July 13 in the holiday calendar of J&K. The ruling NC too advocated its inclusion but failed to do so because of the special powers granted to the L-G in the Union Territory (UT). 'The government should declare July 13 as a gazetted holiday in memory of the martyrs of 1931. The 'Martyrs' Day' should be observed at the State level, as it used to be,' J&K Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari said. 'This government is in danger only because of its underperformance and its failure to fulfil promises made to the people. Otherwise, it has a strong mandate for a full five-year term,' he added.
Business Recorder
30-06-2025
- Science
- Business Recorder
GeoGemma win ‘Best AI Use Case' award at 2025 APAC Solution Challenge
Pakistan's student innovation took centre stage at the 2025 APAC Digital Transformation Forum as 'GeoGemma', a student team from the Institute of Space Technology (IST) in Islamabad, was awarded with the 'Best AI Use Case' Award at the 2025 APAC Solution Challenge organised by Google Developer Groups (GDG) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The competition brought together student-led projects from across Asia-Pacific (APAC), each of which employed Google AI tools to address critical global challenges. The award celebrates the project that effectively leveraged AI technology to develop a practical solution to pressing issues that affect our communities. GeoGemma, comprising students Ahmed Iqbal and Muhammad Abdullah in their final and second years, respectively, earned this accolade for its project that integrates satellite imagery with generative AI to address pressing environmental and geospatial issues. The jury was impressed by GeoGemma for its use of AI in multiple modalities, noting its strong technology stack and the important problem being solved. The group's use of the Gemini API is not just a feature but the core of its innovative solution to a complex and critical global problem. The project's ambition to democratize access to geospatial data through a sophisticated LLM-driven framework represents the most advanced and impactful application of Gemini among the submissions. Alongside GeoGemma, another Pakistani group, (N + 1)-th Time (Fast National University (NUCES), Islamabad Campus) was also one of the top 10 finalists of the Challenge. Comprising final year students Muhammad Huzaifa Khan and Hashim Muhammad Nadeem, the team developed a solution that helps neurodivergent users create documents more easily by providing a document editor that allows users to dictate, edit, and transform text naturally. 'We are incredibly proud to see the remarkable talent from Pakistan shine at the APAC Solution Challenge,' said Farhan Qureshi, Country Director, Google Pakistan. 'The young minds of GeoGemma and (N + 1)-th Time have demonstrated exceptional innovation and dedication, tackling some of the most critical challenges facing our world with their solutions using Gemini. GeoGemma's win of the 'Best AI Use Case' is also a testament to their impactful work, and a showcase of the thriving Pakistan developer ecosystem.' 'The APAC Solution Challenge was a cornerstone of the Asia Pacific Digital Transformation Forum 2025. We saw the power of student-led innovation to address real-world challenges in healthcare, sustainability, trade, and tourism through technology and AI. The energy and creativity of the students were truly inspiring; we are seeing the future of sustainable digital transformation in the Asia Pacific region. Other award recipients at the forum included Atempo from Konkuk University, South Korea, who won the Most Societal Impact Award for their AI-powered emergency room matching platform, and the People's Choice Award, presented to Team portfolio making group 2 from Holy Angel University, Philippines, for their waste management tracking solution.
