Jammu & Kashmir Administrative Services (JKPSC)

• 16 Dec 2024

UNHCR team Meets Rohingya refugees in Jammu

Why in News? 

Recently, a two-membered team of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) visited Rohingya refugees staying in Jammu and surrounding areas. 

 Key Points 

• The visit followed controversy over the administration’s order to disconnect water and power supplies to slums housing illegal Rohingyas. 
• Jammu’s Jal Shakti Minister clarified that water and power supply to these areas would not be cut. 
• Government and Public Response: 
  • Local organisations and political groups have been calling for the deportation of Rohingya refugees. 
  • The Chief Minister stated that while the Centre must decide the fate of the Rohingyas, they cannot be left to suffer from starvation or cold. 
• NGO and Aadhaar Linkages: 
  • Investigations revealed that four Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) were helping Rohingyas settle in Jammu. 
  • Reports indicate that 158 Rohingyas obtained Aadhaar cards unlawfully, and several Rohingya women have married local youths in Jammu and Kashmir. 
  • According to government data, over 13,700 foreigners, including Rohingyas and Bangladeshi nationals, reside in Jammu and other districts of J&K. 
• Legal and Political Actions: 
  • First Information Reports (FIR) were recently registered against landlords renting properties to Rohingyas without informing the police, violating district magistrate orders. 
• National Security Concerns: 
  • Political organisations have urged the Central Government to deport Bangladeshi and Rohingya refugees, citing potential national security risks. 

 Rohingya Crisis 

• The Rohingya people have suffered decades of violence, discrimination and persecution in Myanmar. 
  • Rohingya are not recognized as an official ethnic group and have been denied citizenship since 1982. They are one of the largest stateless populations in the world. 
• Since the early 1990s, the Rohingya have fled successive waves of violence in Myanmar. 
  • Their largest and fastest exodus began in August 2017 when violence broke out in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, driving more than 742,000 people to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, the majority of whom were women and children. 

J&K to Host Khelo India Winter Games 2025

Why in News? 

Jammu & Kashmir is set to host the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2025 from 23rd to 27^th January 2025. Ladakh will host ice sports, including ice hockey and ice skating events. 

 Key Points 

• Khelo India Winter Games: 
  • For the second consecutive year, the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh jointly hosted the Khelo India Winter Games. 
    • J&K previously hosted all events but Ladakh successfully organized ice events, such as skating and hockey. 
• Origins and Growth of Participation: 
  • The Khelo India Winter Games began in 2020, attracting nearly 1,000 athletes, including 306 women, in its inaugural year. 
  • Participation steadily increased, with over 1,350 athletes in 2021 and more than 1,500 in 2022, reflecting the games' growing popularity in the region. 
• KIWG 2024:  
  • The 2024 Winter Games featured over 1,200 participants, including: 
    • More than 700 athletes. 
    • A total of 136 medals were contested during the event. 
• Increased Professional Management: 
  • For the first time, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), National Sports Federations, and the Indian Olympic Association, managed the technical conduct of the games. 

 Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 

• The KIWG is a multidisciplinary, national-level winter sports competition that promotes winter sports and encourages more athletes to take up skiing and skating.  
• It includes events such as skiing, alpine skiing, nordic skiing, snow rugby, ice stock sport, snow baseball, mountaineering, snowshoe running, ice hockey, figure skating, and speed skating.  
• It is organized by the Sports Authority of India and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.  
• The 2025 KIWG will be held in the Union Territory of Ladakh from 23 to 27 January for ice events, and in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir from 22 to 25  February for snow events.