17 Delegates to Visit Kashmir University Hosting Y20 Consultation

Srinagar: As many as 17 international delegates from G20 countries are expected to attend the Y20 consultation on climate change and disaster risk reduction at the University of Kashmir in Srinagar on May 11. 

The Y20 event is being organised at the University’s Hazrat Bal campus ahead of the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in the summer capital later, around May 22-24.

“The picturesque city of Srinagar, nestled in Kashmir valley, takes centre stage for the Y20 consultation. Over the next two days, Kashmir University will witness inspiring discussions among renowned experts, working towards groundbreaking solutions,” the Official Twitter handle of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports said. 

Most G20 countries will attend the event as foreign dignitaries are expected to visit the Valley, including four from Russia and Indonesia, two from the United States of America and Brazil and one from Mexico, Turkey, Japan,  Korea and Nigeria. 

The Y20 Consultation in Srinagar comes after a similar event hosted by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs was organised in the Ladakh Union Territory on April 28. The event at Ladakh was attended by as many as 100 delegates from 30 nations, including from the G20. 

The event, being held on the theme – Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability a Way of Life, will be inaugurated by Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha.

The whole teaching and non-teaching staff and the students and scholars have been engaged to organise the event. Khan said that the students from schools and colleges will also participate in the major event. India assumed the Presidency of G20 countries on December 1, 2022, under the theme of One Earth, One Family, One Future. Several official consultation forums have been created on several critical issues, including the Youth20Consultation. 

“It is under this umbrella that our University has been chosen from among the 15 premier institutions in the country to hold the Y20 Consultation,” KU’s vice-chancellor, Professor Nilofer Khan, said. 

The G20 summit in Jammu and Kashmir is the first major event since Articles 370 and 35 A abrogated, followed by a political upheaval across the region. Since then, the tension between India and China, another essential G20 constituent, has spiked as the latter will likely skip visiting Kashmir for the upcoming events. 

Ahead of the summit, serious security concerns have also emerged, especially given the criticism from Pakistan and threats from militant outfits like the People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), believed to be an offshoot of the Jaish e Mohammad (JeM). PAFF has claimed through several online messages, albeit unverified, to carry out attacks to subvert such attempts of hosting significant events. In two recent attacks in Jammu’s Rajouri-Poonch area, at least 10 Indian Army soldiers were killed, compounding security challenges for the authorities across the union territory. 

A security review meeting was held in Srinagar on Tuesday, attended by a top official from the union home ministry and senior police, army and administrative officials to finalise the preparations for the upcoming event. The authorities have also decided to hand over the security of lakes and rivers to Marine Commandos (Marcos) and the NSG, as both the major events are being held close to Dal Lake in the city.