Srinagar, Oct 31: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Jammu and Kashmir, on Saturday organised a Youth Parliament and vigilance awareness programme at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Srinagar, as part of Vigilance Awareness Week-2026 under the theme ‘Probity for Prosperity’.
In a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the ACB said the programme witnessed participation of 968 students and faculty members from various colleges and universities, besides around 250 officers and officials from government departments and 70 ACB personnel.
The highlight of the programme was a Youth Parliament session in which 42 students, including 12 law interns, deliberated on the functioning of the Revenue Department and Urban Local Bodies and passed two proposed Bills by majority vote.
The Bills included the National Revenue Administration (Digital Governance) and Revenue Plus Portal Bill-2026 and the Urban Local Bodies Building Compliance, Transparency and Accountability Bill-2026.
The ACB said the discussions involved parliamentary procedures, debates and constructive scrutiny of public service delivery, with the objective of promoting transparency, accountability and citizen-centric governance.
The programme was attended by University of Kashmir Vice-Chancellor Prof Nilofer Khan, SKUAST-K Vice-Chancellor Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganaie, Central University of Kashmir Vice-Chancellor Prof A Ravinder Nath, retired IGP Gh Hassan Bhat and ACB Director Shakti Kumar Pathak.
The statement said law college interns had also been deputed to various government departments across districts to study their functioning, identify shortcomings and suggest corrective measures for improving transparency and timely delivery of public services.
An interactive session through the Kahoot mobile application was also organised to obtain feedback from participants on challenges in public service delivery and administrative functioning. Around 480 students, members of the public and officials participated in the exercise.
Speaking on the occasion, ACB Director Shakti Kumar Pathak stressed that transparency, principled decision-making and zero tolerance towards corruption were essential for strengthening public trust, good governance and inclusive development.
He said corruption might benefit a few but caused significant losses to countless marginalised people, reaffirming the bureau’s commitment to combating corruption.
The programme also featured an integrity pledge and awareness about anti-corruption reporting mechanisms through the ACB’s official helpline and website.
Students and participants were presented certificates and mementos in recognition of their involvement, while awards were also presented to the best student speakers. (KNO)
