India keeps focus on Kashmir’s progress despite COVID-19 challenges

India keeps focus on Kashmir’s progress despite COVID-19 challenges

NEW DELHI — Despite enormous challenges facing the country in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government in India has been making constant efforts to create opportunities for citizens to transform the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) into a secular, decentralized, and a diverse region as well as to ensure all-inclusive development, efficient governance, socio-economic justice for disadvantaged sections of the society as well as quantum improvement in the lives of all in the UT without any discrimination. Ever since the abrogation of Article 370, the democratic machinery in J&K has been strengthened especially the three-tier local governance model by holding elections to Block Development Councils and District Development Councils. The “Panchayati Raj” system has been strengthened through the devolution of functions and funds of more than $200 million in 2020 for efficient grassroots governance that has led to the union territory of J&K receiving three national awards for socio-economic development. Various central laws have been successfully implemented including those designed to protect and promote social, economic, and political rights of women, children, and the underprivileged, such as the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act