On 19th March 2020, the Jammu and Kashmir Government set up a commission named as “J&K Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission” will be headed by Justice (retired) G D Sharma to examine the social and educational backwardness of various backward classes people, dalits, in the Union Territory.
Key Points:
i.Members of the commission are Lal Bharti, former Indian Foreign Service officer and Munir Ahmed Khan, serving Indian Police Service officer.
ii.It is administered by the Social Welfare Department and also has additional terms of reference for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes which include examining the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order, 1956 and the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1989.
J&K Handicrafts, Handloom Development Departments to be merged
On March 19, 2020, the Administrative Council of Jammu and Kashmir approved the merger of J&K Handicraft Corporation and J&K Handloom Development Corporation into J&K Handloom and Handicrafts Marketing Corporation (JKHHMC) for effective convergence and marketing.
i.This Administrative council held under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu. The council also approved the constitution of the committee to be headed by the Administrative Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department.
ii.This merger will increase the efficiency, accountability and transparency of the corporations and also increases the resources and manpower and brings synergy in the activities of the two sectors.
iii.The newly formed Department of Handicrafts and Handloom will have two Directorates at Divisional level for Kashmir and Jammu with eight Regional Deputy Directorates, at Anantnag, Budgam, Baramulla and Bandipora in Kashmir and Kathua, Udhampur, Rajouri and Doda in Jammu division.
About Jammu and Kashmir:
Capital- Jammu (winter),Srinagar(summer)
National Parks- Hemis National Park, Dachigam National Park, Kishtwar National Park, Kazinag National Park, Salim Ali National Park.
