Why J&K needs a Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Centre for Economic Policy Research

By
Ziraat Times
-

By: Sabreen Malik and Inayat Khan

Srinagar: As Jammu & Kashmir prepares for its 2025-26 Budget, voices from academia, business, and civil society are advocating for the establishment of the Centre for Social and Economic Research to promote evidence-based public policy making in contrast to the present practice of contemplative policy making.

The proponents of this idea suggest that the proposed centre must ideally be named after J&K’s former Prime Minister and Chief Minister, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, and focus on addressing the existing gaps in economic policymaking, including public finance analysis and regional development through evidence-based research.

The proposal, which has garnered widespread support, envisions the Centre as a hub for informed decision-making, sustainable development and governance innovation. Key stakeholders are concerned about the absence of a well informed institutional mechanism in public policy formulation in the present Omar Abdullah-led government and argue that such an institution is essential to make the best use of the state’s  available but limited resources.

Dr. Javaid Iqbal Khan, a professor in the Department of Economics at Kashmir University, while highlighting the Centre’s potential to address systemic policy making issues, told Ziraat Times, “The Centre should focus on critical areas like livelihoods, poverty, and inequality, which are often overlooked in traditional budget planning. By analyzing public finances and fiscal policies, it can help improve transparency and efficiency in governance,” he explained, advocating such a Centre to come up at the Kashmir University for its requisite human and physical resources.

Arjimand Hussain, founder of Ziraat Times, supported this idea, suggesting such a centre would be a befitting tribute to late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah for his pioneering initiatives for inclusive social and economic development in J&K.

“J&K has long felt the need for a knowledge hub, translating applied academic research into actionable policy frameworks for policymakers and government institutions. In the past eminent thought leaders like Abdul Rahim Rather sahab, Dr Haseeb Drabu sahab, Tariq Karra sahab, Prof Nisar Ali sahab, Mohammad Shafi Pandit sahab, Khurshid Ganai sahab and others have so ably steered and guided J&K’s public economic policy. It is the right time to take that extra step and create this institution”.

“The current practice of stakeholder consultation is good but it is not enough in framing policies which require data-driven evidence”,  said Mr Arjimand, who has worked on public policy making issues in over a dozen countries across the world, adding, “this is a world of resource optimisation, expenditure efficiency and results-based development paradigm, as opposed to the traditional output-based development paradigm.”

“J&K faces several challenges, from high unemployment to rural-urban disparities. A dedicated research centre like this would provide the evidence base needed to design targeted interventions and ensure that public funds are utilized effectively,” Makhan Chaudhary, a former civil servant told Ziraat Times.

Ratan Lal, a Jammu-based businessman, echoed these sentiments, stressing the importance of regional economic development. “Jammu and Kashmir needs a long-term vision for industrial growth, tourism, and rural development. This Centre can provide the insights needed to attract investments and create jobs,” he said.

Sanjay Kaul, a retired economist, while emphasizing the transformative potential of a public policy research centre in J&K, opines, “Business-focused engagements  often focus on immediate market trends and regulatory ease, potentially leading to policies that undermine long-term economic stability and sustainability. Without data and research, policies risk being based on perceptions, assumptions, or lobbying efforts, rather than real economic indicators.”

Dr. Manjit Singh, a businessman and healthcare advocate, highlighted the dual benefits of such an initistive. “A Centre for Economic and Social Public Policy Research in J&K would tremendously help any J&K government in gaining objective insights on economic and social issues, ensuring policies are practical and effective. Importantly, it would help any government here to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of existing and proposed policies, helping our governments anticipate economic, social  consequences of such policy practices”, he noted.

Selective discussions alone do not help in addressing systemic economic challenges like inequality, inflation, or unemployment, which require holistic, research-backed solutions, said Naheed Khan, an investment banker based in the Gulf. She also argued that without comparative studies, J&K government could risk missing out on innovative or globally successful economic models.

Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, the former Prime Minister and Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, is known for his pivotal role in the social and economic empowerment of J&K. His leadership is widely recognised to have laid the foundation for several transformative initiatives, including the pioneering agrarian reforms & land redistribution. His “Land to the Tiller” Policy of the 1950s is widely recognised as one of the most revolutionary land reforms in India, abolishing landlordism, redistributing land to peasants and upliftment of the rural economy. His initiatives also heralded the end of the feudal Jagirdari and Zamindari systems, ensuring equitable land ownership among farmers.

Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s educational reforms also expanded free education at all levels, particularly for rural and underprivileged sections of society through the establishment of schools and colleges, laying the groundwork for literacy growth in Kashmir. Crucially, he is credited to have championed equal rights for all communities of J&K at a time of fissiparous narratives, ensuring representation of marginalized groups in the governance of an inclusive, democratic and secular J&K.

 As the budget process unfolds, all eyes will be on whether the government heeds these calls and invests in a more inclusive and sustainable future for this soon-to-be-a-state again.

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  6. Rear delt rows could be performed with dumbbells, barbells,
    cables, or resistance bands. Not Like the traditional barbell row, the pendlay
    row begins from the ground. The bent over row is an train that strengthens the muscles of your middle again. This carry also has the additional advantage of working
    your latissimus dorsi, or decrease again, and the muscular tissues
    in your arms. Incorporating this carry into your weekly train routines
    will strengthen your back and improve your posture.

    Secondary muscular tissues worked on the barbell row are the trapezius, rhomboids, rear delts, teres minor and infraspinatus.
    The seal row is done on a modified bench that is taller than the standard flat bench.
    This lets you get a full lat stretch from a horizontal row while lying
    on a flat bench. Some gyms even have specifically angled bars
    that may enable you to pull your elbows past your torso.
    Like I talked about earlier that most of them are horizontal pulls, you will be working the
    same muscles over and over. When performing this exercise it’s essential that you hold
    your again flat and pick a weight that you simply don’t
    need to yank your whole body to get up. You can also perform
    the lat pulldown using resistance bands; all you want is an acceptable
    anchor point.
    This compound exercise additionally recruits the core muscular tissues to provide stability and help in the
    course of the movement. If you are on the lookout for an alternative selection to the bent-over row to avoid ache, handle an damage, make do
    with minimal gear, or just change issues up, we now have
    you coated. Here is our record of the most effective barbell row alternate options that will
    help you construct a robust, broad again. Transitioning to the T-bar row, this
    robust train zeroes in on strengthening the upper again and latissimus dorsi with
    a lowered load on the decrease spine. The engagement of mid trapezius and rhomboid
    muscle tissue through T-bar rows promotes scapular retraction and stability, thus serving to prevent
    potential shoulder accidents.
    Nevertheless, should you don’t have access to a barbell or want to change issues up this is when finding
    alternate options to barbell rows is necessary and alternatives that may
    give you related outcomes. The Yates row named after well-known basic bodybuilder Dorian Yates is
    a straightforward variation of the bent over barbell row which Yates
    attributes to the spectacular growth of the muscular tissues in his back.
    The inverted row is a good exercise for constructing a strong again with out the need
    for heavy weights or fancy equipment. To perform this exercise, you’ll want a horizontal bar that may support your physique weight,
    like a pull-up bar or a Smith machine bar. The bent over row is an efficient method to
    enhance posture, strengthen the again muscles, and enhance total upper body
    energy. Get probably the most out of this exercise
    by paying close attention to your posture. Avoid leaning back an excessive quantity of as
    you pull the handle into your torso to ensure your
    again and rear delts are doing all of the work.
    The decrease two-thirds of the spine, the lower ribs, and the iliac
    crest of the pelvis are where the lat muscle fibers originate.
    They then travel diagonally to the top of the humerus in the armpit region. The obvious drawback with this machine
    is that not each gym has the Hammer Energy high-row machine.
    Unless you are at a high-end health club, your training facility may not have Hammer Strength
    gear. If you load large plates onto the finish of the barbell, it’s going to reach your torso a bit
    faster than a smaller plate. For correct activation of your back
    muscular tissues, you ought to be squeezing your shoulder blades together at the high of each repetition.
    Schedule them in the path of the beginning of your
    session to ensure you aren’t too fatigued to maintain proper type.
    You could make the exercise easier or tougher by varying the incline of
    your body. This video provides a helpful visible demonstration of how to perform
    the chest-supported T-Bar row. Sure, most options will target the same muscle teams, though the emphasis might range slightly depending on the exercise.

    This exercise is much like the bent-over cable
    row, but you sit down whilst you do it.
    Nevertheless, this is going to put a lot of rigidity on the neck and 
    upper back muscle tissue. You could also use this movement as a back
    finisher for when the muscular tissues have been fatigued with
    other, more challenging again exercises.
    By altering hand positions and adopting either a wide grip or narrow grip this will
    also work the back muscular tissues a little in a unique way.
    So, if you need to address any strength imbalances
    or increase muscle mass to sure parts of your back, altering your starting position can help you do that as it’s such
    a flexible exercise. Muscle and recovery is a website devoted to helping you exercise and reach your exercise goals ache free and
    as efficiently as potential.
    The T- bar row is virtually equivalent to the weightlifting barbell row, with the first difference being it’s
    a plate weighted machine model. However, as the weight follows a predetermined path, it minimizes using the stabilizing
    muscle tissue. Suspension coach rows are much like inverted rows; nevertheless, you don’t
    want a barbell or smith machine to carry out them. Suspension trainers
    are great to have readily available if you’re touring since you just want something to
    safe them to, and you can still get in a great exercise. Whereas the bent over row
    is an effective builder of again mass and density, it’s
    not for everybody. The bent over position of
    this exercise puts plenty of stress in your decrease back
    muscular tissues. When you’re pulling a considerable quantity of weight, this can end result in ongoing
    again ache.
    You can modify the angle of this bench from 40 to 70 levels to better fit various body shapes and affect muscle activation in the course of the train. For optimum outcomes while performing an incline dumbbell row, it’s essential to preserve a complete range of motion and choose weights
    that allow proper execution with out momentum-based help.
    Guarantee that you simply keep your core engaged
    and keep a flat again during every section of the train to ensure each stability and
    security. It additionally ensures that the targeted muscular tissues are being effectively labored on – on this
    case, these inside your upper back. Dedicate time to perfecting your posture earlier than embarking on this motion in order to maximize the benefits for build up a strong higher again through bar rows.

    Whether it’s due to decrease back issues or
    simply the need for selection in your exercise, discovering the best
    alternative exercises may be key to sustaining again strength whereas
    avoiding pressure. In this article, we’ll discover a spread of exercises that offer the benefits of bent over rows without
    the added risk.
    If you finish up using lots of leg drive when performing standard barbell
    rows, the Helms row could be a nice various.
    Let’s jump into a number of the greatest t-bar row options that you are capable of do to
    fire up the main muscular tissues of the again. If
    you’re an enormous fan of the t-bar row
    for constructing larger and stronger back muscles, however you’d like
    some different workouts then keep reading.
    When performing the barbell row the primary muscle group being
    targeted is the back, particularly the lats, rhomboids, and traps.
    Nonetheless, constantly repeating the identical exercise can result
    in overuse accidents and muscle imbalances.

    First, in distinction to the barbell row, the seated row doesn’t require you to help the
    load of your upper body.
    To carry out a repetition of Yates row, the lifter will pull a loaded barbell
    off the ground with the hands set shoulder-width aside
    using both an underhand or overhand grip. The T-bar row is most often employed as a bent over row various in circumstances
    the place a pronated grip, inadequate lat ROM or insufficient
    loading capacity are an issue. However, if you do find that the usual barbell bent over row causes issues for you, any
    of the seven bent over row alternate options will provide a good substitute.
    Posterior deltoids – whereas barbell bent-over rows are most definitely a again exercise, your shoulders are also involved.
    Of the three deltoids, the posterior or rear head is most active during this exercise.

    Even the initial funding is usually decrease in comparability with the
    identical rowing machine stats. This signifies that when you decide to stop using dumbbells or
    different free weights you’ll find a way to doubtless sell
    them for a very related value as what you put into them.
    Utilizing this machine could look a bit complicated at
    first but this train is definitely very beginner-friendly.
    You may need to find an elevated bench or
    use bins to raise the bench to perform this motion. Utilizing 25-pound
    plates will enable a better vary of motion than using 45-pound
    plates. The objective of the lats is to maneuver the higher arm down and inward in the path of the hip.

    To permit for a larger range of movement,
    stick with smaller plates and just add more of them.
    We’re not referring to heavy weights right here but rather the size of
    the plates. Keep the burden load mild to moderate (with
    the exception of pull ups which are determined by your individual bodyweight).
    The incline prone y elevate exercise is ideal for working the muscles of your
    decrease traps. You can position your elbows at different angles from your physique
    but by holding them out wider provides you with the most higher back 
    engagement. If you really need to hearth up your lats then renegade rows are the greatest way to go.

    Since you are recruiting a special part of your again which could be weaker, the incline
    dumbbell row may help enhance your other lifts and general higher body
    power. The use of the bench not only modifications the angle, however
    it additionally eliminates the flexibility to use momentum,
    which may be considered cheating. The incline dumbbell row is considered one of the exercises that
    helps to focus on these typically uncared for
    muscles due to the completely different angle you
    are pulling from. Bent over rows are a cornerstone exercise for constructing again strength and muscle mass.

    Nonetheless, they can generally be uncomfortable or inaccessible for those with decrease again ache
    or restricted mobility. There are plenty of effective alternate options that may present related benefits with out the
    pressure.
    If doing rows seated, modify the seat to the proper peak so your chest is
    towards the pad and you can row comfortably. For taller lifters, you can also do Hammer Seated Rows standing as well.
    Decrease the seat out of the finest way and find a
    comfy position on your toes to stand. Lat pulldowns are an alternative exercise for back strength, successfully concentrating on the again muscles
    and bettering general back health. Meadows rows are another train for back power,
    focusing on the back muscles and promoting muscle progress
    and improvement. Incorporating these alternate options adds selection, reduces the risk of injury, and
    still successfully targets the back muscular tissues.
    The drawback with barbell bent-over rows is that there is a tendency to do them with a rounded back.

    This puts an incredible quantity of stress on the spinous ligaments and intervertebral
    discs. You can push yourself as exhausting as possible,
    and the one thing that’s going to get tired and fail, are going
    to be the target muscular tissues rather than other supporting muscular tissues.

    If you need to kick your single-arm row exercises up a
    notch, this might be the train for you. If you’re wondering how
    to match these seated cable row alternate options into a complete,
    well-rounded routine to construct lean muscle, try our newbie
    weightlifting routine. They should considerably replicate the range of movement and
    muscle recruitment of the cable row. Nothing will replace
    the stability of the cable row, so pay consideration to type.

    I even have zero machines in my storage health
    club, however the one machine I would buy if I ever discover one at a
    decent worth is a Hammer Iso Row Machine. Trying for a good DB Chest Supported Row at residence or
    on the street with minimal equipment? Get yourself a TRX Strap when you don’t have one already and do some
    TRX Rows. Athletes I coach love to either pull their faces to the bar or even elevate their chin up and
    over the bar like a pull-up. The solely draw back to Barbell Bent Over
    Rows is you lose the chest help.
    Then, facing the head forwards, bracing the core, pulling the shoulders down and leaning
    the torso barely again, the lifter pulls the bands to the perimeters of their torso.
    To perform a repetition of the Pendlay row,
    the lifter will first set a loaded barbell on the ground instantly over their
    mid-foot, as if setting up for a deadlift. On the alternative end of the spectrum to the Yates row, the Pendlay row options a a lot more horizontal
    torso orientation in order to maximize again muscle contraction and vary of
    motion. In comparability to bent over rows, Yates rows excel at loading capability, engagement of the biceps
    brachii and diffusing stress away from the lower back.
    The exercise engages your shoulder joint and likewise involves scapular retraction. While you’re doing the motion, a selection of neutralizing muscular
    tissues maintain your body in place.
    The added chest help from the T-Bar machine pad eliminates
    your capability to ‘cheat’ reps by rocking the torso to create momentum.
    Alternate Options provide variety, accommodate totally different gear availability,
    and may address specific needs like harm limitations or choice for sure actions.
    A draw back is that you do have to search out and go to a swimming pool or other body
    of water to find a way to do this exercise. Compared to utilizing a rowing
    machine, swimming is even simpler in your knees and decrease back.
    One Other benefit is that treadmills are generally more budget-friendly than rowing machines.
    Although often slightly cheaper, similar to a rowing machine, the stationary bike does require a good
    investment.
    If you’ve a Hex Bar (or Entice Bar as they’re also
    called) and you’re not already doing Hex Bar
    Rows then you are lacking out. Simply stand inside your hex bar, seize the handles and
    row precisely the identical as you would for Barbell Bent Rows.
    For instance, I didn’t have dumbbells for nearly the first 12 months of my storage health
    club while I was holding out to find a good deal. So, whether you need a program to
    improve your efficiency in your sport or you simply wish to look good
    on the seaside, there’s a program designed just for you.
    Utilizing a Lat Pulldown machine with a slender deal with
    after which slightly leaning back is a great way to
    show this machine into extra of a horizontal row (compared to
    a standard vertical row Lat Pulldown). I’ve tried
    to incorporate as a lot variation in this listing of options as potential.
    I’m about to share with you 10 of my favorite Chest Supported Rows alternatives and
    detailed instructions on how to do each.
    Some gyms may have a T-bar row machine/setup, but
    you can perform this train with only a barbell, shut grip
    V-bar attachment, plates, and a landmine. You can also just place the end of the barbell
    in the corner of a squat rack or a wall. With that stated, the
    bent-over barbell row has a quantity of drawbacks which will lead you to search for an alternative.
    One of the principle drawbacks of the barbell row
    is the stress it locations on the lumbar backbone (lower back).

    The cause being is that this train has a very comparable
    setup to the bent-over barbell row; nonetheless,
    your hands are in a impartial position as opposed
    to pronated. Inverted rows are a compound horizontal pulling motion where the exerciser suspends themselves chest-up from a
    bar or comparable object. This allows for them to fairly literally row their very own physique – acting as an effective
    substitute in situations the place no barbell or different forms of gear are present.
    In comparability to bent over rows, the T-bar row locations
    a greater emphasis on the latissimus dorsi and targets
    the back stabilizer muscular tissues to a slightly larger extent.
    Pendlay rows are very comparable to bent-over rows, however they’re slightly simpler in your decrease back.
    With Pendlay rows, you set the bar down on the floor between reps, giving your again and grip a brief rest.

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