Jammu and Kashmir Bans VPN Use in Several Districts Over Security Concerns

Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have implemented a stringent ban on the use of Virtual Private Networks across numerous districts for an initial period of at least two months, driven by escalating concerns over potential threats to national security and public order. Officials explained that VPNs enable users to bypass standard monitoring protocols, creating vulnerabilities that could be exploited for coordinating unlawful or anti-national activities detrimental to regional stability.

The directive explicitly warns that VPN services possess the capability to facilitate actions prejudicial to the maintenance of tranquility and sovereignty, prompting proactive restrictions in sensitive areas. Enforcement has already commenced, with recent cases including the detention of two young individuals in Doda district for operating VPN applications on their mobile devices, alongside legal actions initiated against 15 persons in Sopore and five in Anantnag for comparable infractions.

In a contrasting piece of encouraging environmental news, the population of the critically endangered Kashmir Stag—widely recognized as Hangul—has shown a remarkable recovery at the dedicated breeding centre in Tral, located within Pulwama district. Conservation records indicate a substantial growth from merely 127 individuals in 2008 to an impressive 323 counted in 2025, attributing this success to dedicated efforts and protective measures undertaken by the wildlife protection department.

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As the only surviving subspecies of red deer native to the Indian subcontinent, the Hangul remains classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It benefits from the highest level of legal safeguards under Schedule I of both the Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1978 and the central Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, underscoring its ecological significance and the ongoing commitment to its preservation.

In a separate development highlighting communal sensitivities, an Arabic lecturer at a government higher secondary school in Rajouri district faces impending suspension after allegedly authorizing the construction of a prayer platform on the school's rooftop in a region known for its delicate demographic balance. The situation intensified when more than 200 protesters assembled on school grounds in opposition, leading the chief education officer to suspend Munnawar Hussain pending formal approval and a potential detailed inquiry by the director of school education in Jammu.

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