JAMMU: Sharing the concern of Jammu and Kashmir students appearing in the Central University Entrance Test (CUET) about their Centres being located outside the Union Territory, Senior BJP leader Mr Devender Singh Rana today sought the intervention of Lieutenant Governor Mr Manoj Sinha for setting up of the centres within J&K.

In a statement, Mr Devender Rana said the Lieutenant Governor has been kind enough to assure that the issue will be taken up at an appropriate forum for redressing the genuine grievances of the aspirants from Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr Rana expressed surprise over the decision of the National Testing Agency for allocating the J&K students centres outside the UT and not having made any arrangements for conducting tests locally at District or Tehsil levels. The move will discourage students belonging to financially disadvantaged families to undertake journeys outside the UT for appearing in the test. This is illogical and the decision needs to be reversed in the large interest of the candidates, he said, adding that the candidates had not preferred centres outside Jammu and Kashmir while exercising their options.

He expressed solidarity with the protesting students and hoped that the concerned agency will take a considerate view over the issue and have an adequate number of centres set up in Jammu and Kashmir for the convenience of the aspirants.

#JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir has achieved a significant milestone and remarkable feat in e-governance by providing over 1028 services in online mode for citizens, institutions, and business establishments. In the National e-services Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) report released by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India today,  the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir secured the topmost position with an impressive 1028 e-services, surpassing Madhya Pradesh with 1010 e-services and Kerala with 911 e-services.

This landmark achievement firmly places Jammu and Kashmir at the forefront of states and UTs in the provisioning of e-services.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, while commending the efforts of all Departments, said that it is an achievement in tune with the commitment and resolve of the J&K administration to provide ease, convenience and accessibility of services to the common man ushering in a new era of digital governance.

This remarkable achievement is reshaping the social landscape, enhancing citizen satisfaction levels, ensuring transparency and accountability and empowering the aspirational and talented youth of the region.

“Driven by a ‘citizens-first’ approach and a steadfast commitment to empowering the public, this digital transformation represents a significant stride towards a governance system that is transparent, accountable, and highly efficient”, he said.

Under the Digital J & K programme launched in mission mode last year, the number of online services has increased exponentially from 35 services in 2019 to 1028 services as on date. The remarkable digital journey of J&K and the resultant transformation from a laggard status in e-governance to a leading position in such a short span of time is unprecedented.

This has brought about a paradigm shift resulting in increased transparency, accountability and efficiency at all levels. There has been a palpable reduction in corruption and increase in citizen satisfaction which is being regularly monitored through a citizen feedback mechanism. Over 61 lakh messages have been rent to the citizens for the feedback assessment with 86% approval rating, Similarly 73 services have been integrated with Digilocker.

The seriousness of Government’s resolve can be gauged from the fact that the Public Services Guarantee Act (PSGA), 2011 has been amended to bring online services under its ambit. Around 300 services have been brought under the auto-escalation mechanism for ensuring time bound delivery of services and penalties for delays in service delivery.

Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, while congratulating all the Departments for achieving this feat, said that it is a result of commitment to transparent and corruption free Governance. Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed exceptional increase in volume and uptake of e-services which has transformed the government-citizen interface as never before.

“It is the adoption of a robust model of e-Governance  and citizen-centric approach by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir which has resulted in an exponential rise in the number of online services and availability of services 24 x 7 x 365” he said.

#SRINAGAR: The ‘Third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting’, will be held from 22nd to 24th May 2023 in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. This was informed by Secretary, Ministry of Tourism,  Arvind Singh while addressing a press conference at SKICC Srinagar today.

Giving details, Arvind Singh said, the stage is set for discussions and deliberations on final deliverables and there are two key deliverables of the Tourism Working Group, which include GOA Roadmap for Tourism as a vehicle for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) and G20 Tourism Ministers’ Declaration.

This is the only working group meeting taking place in Srinagar as part of G20 effort with excellent response from all the member countries, all the invited countries and the international organisations, having the highest participation registered compared to the first two Tourism Working Group Meetings at Rann of Kutch and Siliguri.

Arvind Singh further said, G20 member countries, invited countries, and international organizations will give valuable inputs and feedback on these two draft documents and after negotiations with G20 Member Countries on these drafts, final versions will be placed in the ‘Fourth Tourism Working Group Meeting’.

Singh informed, the ‘3rd Tourism Working Group Meeting’ will deliberate on the five key priority areas namely Green Tourism, Digitalization, Skills, MSMEs and Destination Management. These priorities are key building blocks for accelerating the transition of the tourism sector and achieve the targets for 2030 SDGs.

Arvind Singh said that a side event on ‘Film Tourism for Economic Growth and Cultural Preservation’ will be organized on 22nd and 23rd May 2023, focusing on strategies to promote film tourism in J&K. The event will witness the participation of G20 member countries, invited countries, international organizations, and industry stakeholders. He also said that a draft ‘National Strategy on Film Tourism’ will be unveiled to provide a roadmap for harnessing the role of films in promoting tourist destinations.

Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Chief Coordinator G20 said, that it is the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi that the message of India’s G20 Presidency is taken to the grassroot level through active Jan Bhagidari . Shri Shringla appreciated the efforts of Jammu and Kashmir Government to sensitise the people about goals and purpose of G20 through multiple public activities.

Chief Secretary J&K, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta said, the change in J&K is evident on ground with the arrival of highest number of tourists (18.8 million) in 2022.

300 new tourist destinations will come  come up in Jammu and Kashmir seeing the influx of tourists with each destination providing enough to the tourists, said Dr. Mehta.

Dr. Mehta further said, the influx of highest number of foreign tourists to Jammu and Kashmir is a healthy sign for tourism in J&K.

During the 3rd Tourism Working Group meeting, the delegates will also visit the Art and Craft Bazaar organized by the State Government showcasing local handicrafts, work of artisans, signifying the importance of community participation. The delegates will also have ‘hands-on’ experience through DIY Activities at the Craft Bazaar.

During the press conference, it was also informed that the Ministry of Tourism is also promoting local products of Jammu and Kashmir by handing below souvenirs to delegates from ODOP like Paper Mache Box, Saffron from Pampore, Kawa Cups and Brass Spoon, Walnuts from Anantnag, Shopian and Kupwara.

This G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar aims to strengthen economic growth, preserve cultural heritage, and promote sustainable development of the region.

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, welcomes the participation of delegates from G20 member countries, invited countries, and international organizations to collectively work towards advancing the tourism sector and achieving the UN sustainable development goals 2030.

The G20 event presents a unique opportunity to highlight the tourism potential and cultural richness of the region. A detailed presentation about the event was also made by Additional Secretary, Rakesh Verma, Additional Director General PIB Region, Rajinder Chaudhry and Secretary Tourism J&K, Syed Aabid Rasheed Shah were also present at the media briefing.