SRINAGAR, OCT 31: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Saturday concluded its district-wide Vigilance Awareness campaign with a day-long Youth Parliament and awareness programme at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), bringing students, academics, government officials and senior functionaries together to deliberate on corruption-free governance.
Held at Shalimar Convention Centre, SKUAST-K, the programme marked the fifth day of Vigilance Awareness Week-2026, being observed from October 26 to November 1 under the theme “Probity for Prosperity”. The campaign was conducted under the stewardship of Director ACB J&K, Shakti Kumar Pathak.
The concluding event witnessed the participation of Vice-Chancellor University of Kashmir Prof. Nilofer Khan, Vice-Chancellor SKUAST-K Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganaie, Vice-Chancellor Central University of Kashmir Prof. A. Ravinder Nath, former IGP Gh. Hassan Bhat, IPS (Retd.), and Director ACB Shakti Kumar Pathak.
Around 968 students and faculty members from various colleges and universities, 250 officers and officials from the concerned government departments and 70 ACB personnel participated in the programme.
The Youth Parliament remained the principal attraction, with 42 students, including 12 law interns, participating in deliberations on the functioning of the Revenue Department and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). Through parliamentary debates, students examined administrative shortcomings, public service delivery challenges and possible corrective measures to improve transparency and accountability.
Two proposed Bills were passed through majority voting during the session. These included The National Revenue Administration (Digital Governance) and Revenue Plus Portal Bill-2026, concerning the Revenue Department, and The Urban Local Bodies Building Compliance, Transparency and Accountability Bill-2026, focusing on reforms in Urban Local Bodies.
The proceedings provided students practical exposure to parliamentary procedures, legislative debates and democratic decision-making while encouraging them to critically examine governance and administrative systems.
An interactive session through the Kahoot mobile application also engaged around 480 students, public participants and officials, who responded to questionnaires and shared feedback on challenges in public service delivery.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by SSP ACB-SBG Kashmir Manzoor Ahmed Mir, while DySP Hilal Ahmed Hilal administered the integrity pledge. Digital awareness resources highlighting the ACB’s complaint-reporting mechanisms were also shared with participants.
Addressing the gathering, former IGP Gh. Hassan Bhat highlighted the importance of improving administrative efficiency and strengthening anti-corruption mechanisms. University of Kashmir Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nilofer Khan emphasised ethical conduct and accountability in public service and appreciated the ACB’s initiative, advocating similar programmes in collaboration with the university.
In his concluding address, Director ACB Shakti Kumar Pathak stressed that transparency, principled decision-making and zero tolerance towards corruption were essential for strengthening public trust and achieving inclusive development.
He observed that corruption might benefit a few individuals but causes significant losses to countless people, particularly marginalised sections of society. He reiterated the Bureau’s commitment to combating corruption through enforcement, awareness and public participation.
At the conclusion, participating students were presented with certificates, mementos and appreciation awards, while Best Student Speaker Awards were distributed by the Director ACB in recognition of their performance during the Youth Parliament.
The vote of thanks was proposed by DySP Hilal Ahmed Hilal.
With the conclusion of the campaign, the ACB reaffirmed its commitment to expanding vigilance awareness across educational institutions and government departments, focusing on youth engagement and encouraging a culture of honesty, integrity, transparency and accountability throughout Jammu and Kashmir.
