The Tribal Gujjar Bakkarwal Welfare Foundation has demanded a child-safety audit in educational institutions after the alleged rape and death of a 12-year-old girl in Kishtwar. The foundation cited concerns about the vulnerability of tribal children and called for stringent action against those involved.

A 14-year-old boy was critically injured in a bear attack in the Asher area of Banihal in Ramban district on Saturday. Shepherds rescued the boy and shifted him to a local hospital.

The indefinite hunger strike for the construction of the Government Degree College (GDC) Thathri campus entered its third day on Saturday, with growing support from across the community. President of Jamia Masjid Committee Thathri Abdul Majid Butt, several social activists, civil society members and college students visited the protest site and extended their solidarity to the four hunger strikers — Manoj Kumar, Raj Kumar, Nasir Alam and Fassil Dar. The visitors described the demand for a permanent college campus as a genuine public issue and urged the authorities to initiate construction work without further delay, while the protesters reaffirmed their resolve to continue the peaceful agitation until work begins on the ground.

A woman died and another was injured when an LPG tanker collided with their scooty on NH-44 in Ramban district on Friday. The tanker driver fled the scene but was later apprehended.

Amid the ongoing hunger strike for the construction of the Government Degree College (GDC) Thathri campus, Doda MLA Mehraj Malik has sought the intervention of the Education Minister, urging the immediate commencement of the long-pending project. In a letter dated August 21, 2026, the MLA highlighted that despite the college being sanctioned in 2010 and classes beginning in 2011, a permanent campus has yet to be built, forcing students to study in inadequate infrastructure. He also drew attention to the public agitation underway in Thathri and called for all pending formalities to be completed so that construction work can begin without further delay.

A massive fire that broke out in the early hours of Friday completely destroyed a two-storey house in Shayal Pora village of Gundna tehsil in Doda district, leaving a family without its belongings and savings. The blaze also damaged a nearby shop and partially affected a hospital building. While no casualties were reported, residents from several neighbouring villages joined hands for hours to bring the fire under control and later urged the administration to provide compensation to the affected families and improve road connectivity to ensure timely emergency response in the area.

The indefinite hunger strike for the construction of the Government Degree College (GDC) Thathri campus began on Wednesday outside the SDM Office, Thathri, with social activist Manoj Kumar leading the protest. The agitation received support from youth leaders, former Municipal Committee councillors, and members of civil society, who said students have waited for years for a permanent college campus despite the institution being sanctioned long ago. Protesters demanded the immediate commencement of physical construction work, arguing that continued delays have deprived generations of students of adequate educational infrastructure and opportunities.