Greater Kashmir

Srinagar, July 23: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday called for a people-centric approach to tackling terrorism, saying security measures alone cannot bring lasting peace and warning that demolishing houses and carrying out mass arrests could prove counterproductive.He also urged the Centre to engage with protesting youth, saying their concerns could no longer be ignored. Addressing reporters after attending a startup event in Srinagar, Abdullah said defeating terrorism

Srinagar, July 23: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday chaired a high-level security review meeting in Srinagar with senior officials from the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Civil Administration, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), and other key security agencies. The meeting reviewed the overall security situation and assessed the preparedness of various agencies to ensure peace and stability across the Union Territory. The Lieutenant Governor also undertook a comprehensive review of

Jammu Police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have rescued two persons stranded in the River Tawi near Prambli, Phallian Mandal, following a sudden rise in the water level, officials said today. The rescued persons have been identified as Farman Ali, S/o Bashir Ahmed, R/o Allora, aged 25 years, and Farooq Ahmed, S/o Ali Hussain, R/o Sohanjana, aged 28 years. Both had gone in the morning along with their cattle for grazing near the river when the water level suddenly increased, leavin

Srinagar, Jul 23: The committee on privileges of the Jammu and KashmirAssembly will meet here on Friday to hear the motion against PDP MLA Waheed Para in a breach of privilege case. The assembly secretariat has asked Para to present himself before the nine-member committee on privileges headed by Hasnain Masoodi at 11 am on Friday. A breach of privilege notice was issued to Para in November 2024 based on a complaint by National Conference MLA Nazir Ahmad Gurezi. Gurezi accused the opposition MLA

Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Sunil Kumar Sharma on Thursday said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have not forgotten how Chief Minister Omar Abdullah rewarded the main accused in the biggest MBBS entrance scam by not only granting him an extension, but also appointing him to a postsuperannuation job as consultant. In a statement, Sharma said that Omar Abdullah should be the last person to sermonize on transparency and accountability, as he holds the ignominious dist

New Delhi, Jul 23: Calling paper leak a serious issue, superstar Salman Khan has come out in support of protesting students and said his heart goes out to those who were hurt while demonstrating peacefully. The Bollywood star appreciated the stand taken by the students who, he said, have shown dedication, sincerity, and keenness to study hard for their own futures, and for a greater, educated India. It was such a peaceful movement, feel so sad that it had to take a violent turn. My heart goes ou

Srinagar, Jul 23: OpenAI has revealed that an autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) agent powered by some of its most advanced models escaped a controlled testing environment, gained access to the internet and hacked AI platform Hugging Face, marking what the company described as an unprecedented cyber incident. According to Reuters, the incident occurred during an internal security test in which OpenAI was evaluating the capabilities of its frontier AI models inside what it described as a hig

Srinagar, Jul 23: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday rejected Union minister J P Nadda's claim linking his government to the SSB paper leak in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the incident occurred under the LG administration in 2022, long before his government took office in 2024. Abdullah was responding to remarks made by Nadda during a press conference on Wednesday, where the Union health minister accused the NC and the Congress of remaining silent on paper leak scandals. You are absolutely co

New Delhi, July 23: Senior Supreme Court advocate and distinguished fellow at the International Law Centre, Ashok Bhan, has said that recent reports of police action against a peaceful protest organised by the Cockroach Janata Party raise serious constitutional concerns and underscore the need to safeguard democratic dissent. While speaking at a meeting of young lawyers organised by Lawyers Guild, Bhan said the Constitution of India not only permits peaceful protest but expressly protects it thr

Srinagar, July 23: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will chair a high-level meeting to review security situation and Amarnath Yatra at Lok Bhavan in Srinagar today, sources said. Sources said that the meeting will begin at 11:00 am today. The meeting comes a day after a policeman was killed in a terror attack in Anantnags Lal Chowk area on Wednesday afternoon. Sources said heads of all intelligence and security agencies will attend the meeting. Sinha will be briefed about the si

Banihal, Jul 23: A massive boulder rolled down a hillside and struck a vehicle on the BagwahDeesa road in Doda district on Thursday, causing extensive damage to Mahindra pickup vehicle and triggering panic among commuters. The impact completely crushed the vehicle. Officials said no injuries or loss of life have been reported in the incident. The incident comes amid continuous rainfall across Doda and the Chenab Valley, which has triggered landslides, mudslides, and shooting stones at several vu

Banihal, July 23: Continuous heavy rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir has led to a sharp rise in the water level of the Chenab River, damaging the temporary cofferdam at the under-construction 850 MW Ratle Hydroelectric Power Project in Kishtwar district, officials and sources said on Thursday. Sources said the surge in river discharge, triggered by incessant rain and increased inflows from the upper catchment areas, affected the project's temporary cofferdama structure built to divert river wate

Jammu, Jul 23: The Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed for the second consecutive day on Thursday following multiple landslides and shooting stones triggered by relentless rain in Jammu region. The rains, which have been continuing for the past five days, have left 23 people dead and seven missing, officials said. Rescue teams have intensified their search for the seven missing persons in the flood and landslide-hit border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, where additional personnel w

Srinagar, Jul 23: Keran block in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir has secured the first position in the country in the Delta Rankings of NITI Aayog's Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP) for the January-March 2026 quarter. An official said Marwah block in Kishtwar district bagged the second position in the overall performance rankings, the official said. The rankings were released by NITI Aayog as part of its outcome-based monitoring framework for underdeveloped blocks across the country, of

Srinagar, July 23: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir of the Crime Branch has filed a chargesheet against four accused in connection with a multi-crore shawl cheating case involving the alleged fraud of over 2.50 crore. According to an official statement, the chargesheet in FIR No. 55/2022 under Sections 420 (cheating), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) was filed before the Court of the Sub Judge Small Causes, Srinagar. T

New Delhi, Jul 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced that the government has decided to establish fast-track courts to ensure the swift trial and stringent punishment of those involved in examination paper leak cases. Stressing that the welfare and future of the country's youth are of paramount importance, the Prime Minister said the decision is part of a series of measures aimed at protecting the interests of students and preserving the integrity of examinations. Nothing is mor

New Delhi, Jul 23: Sixteen Delhi Metro stations, including Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Mandi House, ITO and Khan Market, were closed on Thursday morning till further instructions due to security reasons, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said. The development comes as the crowd swelled at the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar. However, interchange facility shall remain available at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat metro stations. Lok Kalyan

Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Wednesday said he would end his indefinite hunger strike if the Centre gives an unequivocal assurance that no punitive or retaliatory action would be taken against students and youth who participated in the protest against alleged examination irregularities. He also said that Union ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh had already assured him that the government would positively consider his two other key demands. In a letter addressed to the two ministers, Wangchuk s

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday intensified his attack on the Centre over the NEET paper leak and the ongoing CJP-led student protests, saying there had been 154 examination paper leaks in the past decade but not a single conviction, Targeting the government over the police action against protesters, Rahul Gandhi questioned the use of force on students and reiterated his demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The question is why is this happening to

Proceedings of both Houses of Parliament were disrupted for the third consecutive day on Wednesday as the Opposition remained adamant on its demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak and police action against student protesters. According to national media reports, Congress MP K.C. Venugopal raised the issues of the paper leak and police action on students in the Lok Sabha, while Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharg

The Centre has introduced a series of digital governance and pilgrim welfare measures for Haj 2026, including the launch of the Hajj Suvidha App 2.0, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. In a written reply, Rijiju said the upgraded app will provide pilgrims with end-to-end services, including travel schedules, accommodation details, baggage information, emergency contacts, health advisories, SOS support and grievance redressal. The Hajj application

The Settlement Committee of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Finance Corporation (JKLFC) met under the chairmanship of the Managing Director to consider settlement of seven Non-Performing Asset (NPA) loan accounts under the Settlement Scheme-2026 (SS-2026). The Committee approved settlement proposals in respect of six NPA loan accounts involving a total settlement amount of approximately Rs 84.43 lakh, subject to the borrowers depositing the approved settlement amounts within the stipulated peri

Two researchers from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) have secured the coveted Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) National Post-Doctoral Fellowships, among Indias most competitive funding programmes for early-career scientists, for pioneering research on crop disease resistance and next-generation diabetic wound care. The fellowships have been awarded to Dr. Aasiya Nabi and Dr. Sofi Imtiyaz Ali for high-impact translational resea

Director Agriculture Kashmir, Sartaj Ahmad Shah, today chaired a virtual review meeting with all Chief Agriculture Officers (CAOs) of the Kashmir Division to assess the prevailing flood situation and review the preparedness of the Agriculture Department in view of the inclement weather conditions. During the meeting, the Director took a detailed district-wise assessment of the situation, including reports on waterlogging, crop damage, and the preparedness of field staff to respond promptly to an

A high-level delegation of the Kashmir Traders & Manufacturers Federation (KTMF), led by its President Mohammad Yaseen Khan, on Wednesday visited Beerwah to express solidarity with traders affected by the recent flash floods that caused widespread devastation in the town. The delegation inspected the damaged market, where several shops suffered extensive losses and an entire shopping complex was washed away by the force of the floodwaters. Members of the delegation interacted with affected trade

Government debt across the euro area increased to 88.9% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2026, up from 87.7% at the end of 2025, according to data released by Eurostat. Across the broader European Union (EU), the government debt-to-GDP ratio also edged higher, rising to 82.9% from the previous quarter. Among member states, Greece recorded the highest government debt level at 143.5% of GDP, followed by Italy at 138.9% and France at 117.6%. The latest figures underscore the

The government has approved the construction of two unity malls, one each in Srinagar and Jammu, at a cumulative cost of Rs 255 crore, in a major push to promote local artisans, handicrafts, handloom products, and other indigenous goods. The Office of the Chief Minister, J&K, in a post on X, said: The government has approved the construction of two unity malls, one each in Srinagar and Jammu, at a cumulative cost of Rs 255 crore. It said that the projects would provide a dedicated platform for l

Jammu and Kashmir Water Resources Regulatory Authority (JKWRRA) held its meeting after reconstitution and cleared various Bore-well cases requiring approval of Authority. As per an official press release, Chairperson, JKWRRA, Suresh Kumar Gupta, chaired the meeting which was attended by Rajesh Sharma and Manoj Gupta Members of JKWRRA besides Ashwani Sharma, Secretary and other senior officers of the Authority. Secretary of the Authority along with Vaneet Vaid, Superintending Engineer made Power

Amid growing concerns over environmental degradation, shrinking wetlands, pollution of rivers and lakes, rampant encroachments, poor solid waste management and increasing ecological pressure on tourist destinations, the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly Committee on Environment will hold a crucial meeting on July 23, 2026 to review the environmental performance of the Tourism department and allied agencies. The meeting will be chaired by Committee chairman Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, MLA. The m

Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, Indu Kanwal Chib on Wednesday appealed to the public to stay away from water bodies in view of the prevailing weather conditions and rising water levels. Addressing the media during her field visit to Sonerwani, Bonar Nallah and other adjoining areas, the Deputy Commissioner advised residents not to venture near water bodies and to strictly adhere to all safety advisories issued by the district administration and other concerned agencies. She also called upon paren

Incessant rains continued to lash the plains of north Kashmir's Kupwara district for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, causing widespread inconvenience and disrupting normal life. The rains poured throughout the day in plains resulting in severe hardships to people in walking as several roads in the district were submerged. People complained about waterlogging across the district due to which pedestrians had to navigate through waters to reach their respective destinations. Due to incessa

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Srinagar has issued bailable warrants of Rs 50,000 each against the Vice Chancellor of the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) and its Registrar for defying the court orders. By failing to adhere to the judicial directive, the contemnor not only disrespects a specific order but also directly questions courts ability to uphold the rule of law, a bench of Member (Judicial) M S Latif and Member (Administrative) Prasant Kumar said, while i

The High Court of J&K and Ladakh has dismissed four accused persons plea seeking to quash an FIR against them under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and compensation of Rs 50 lakh each had sought for, alleging that the case was fabricated and instituted to harass them. In response to the plea, which it dismissed eventually, a bench of Justice Shahzad Azeem in its decision held that that although the investigation had already been closed as ot admitted for want of suffic

The Jammu & Kashmir Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian continues to organise Majalis-e-Aza and mourning processions across the length and breadth of the Valley to commemorate the sacred month of Safar-ul-Muzaffar. As part of these commemorative programmes, spiritually enriching Majalis-e-Hussaini were held on the 7th of Safar-ul-Muzaffar at Durbal Bemina and Tengpora Odina, Sonawari, under the leadership of the President of the Anjuman, Hujjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslimeen Aga Syed Hassan Mosavi Al-Safvi, said a p

The Jammu & Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Wednesday urged the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) to review the university's mandatory requirement of appointing a local guardian residing in Delhi as a precondition for hostel admission, describing the provision as a significant hurdle for students from distant states, particularly Jammu & Kashmir. As per a press release, in a representation submitted by the Association's National Media Coordinator, Mir Zubair, to

J&K BJP President and Rajya Sabha MP Sat Sharma called on Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi to discuss a wide range of critical issues, with a definitive focus on national security, border infrastructure, and the welfare of border residents. During the meeting, Sat Sharma presented a detailed ground report highlighting the hardships faced by families living along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC). He emphasized the urgent need for strengthening protectiv

Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Wednesday called on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Lok Bhavan in Srinagar and discussed the hardships faced by people in the wake of the recent and ongoing natural disasters across Jammu and Kashmir. He urged the administration to ensure comprehensive relief, adequate compensation, and long-term rehabilitation for the affected families. According to a statement issued by the party, Syed Mohammad Alataf Bukahri called on LG Manoj Sinha to di

Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir and President Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid, Dr Moulvi Mohammad Umar Farooq, chaired an important meeting of the Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid Srinagar and took stock of the ongoing restoration and conservation work at the historic Jamia Masjid. During the meeting, the progress of the restoration work was reviewed, and the need to ensure it is carried out carefully, efficiently and in keeping with the historic and architectural character of the mosque was emphasised, said a press rele

Rising water level in Tailbal nallah triggered panic among residents fearing breach in embankments amid heavy rains. A resident living near Tailbal Nallah said families are in fear and are considering moving to safer places if rains continue. There is panic among people living close to the nallah. We hope the situation remains under control, but everyone is keeping a close watch on the water level, he said. Officials from the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, however, appealed to the publ

The Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, attended the Rotary Club of Kashmirs installation ceremony today. He extended his heartfelt congratulations to the new President and team and best wishes to the outgoing President. The Lieutenant Governor said that for over 100 years, Rotary has put humanity first through dedicated, selfless service and today it stands as a global force for human welfare, driving positive change across our country through thousands of active clubs. Since 2019, as Jammu Kashm

Major cardiac diagnostic services at SMHS Hospital and Super Specialty Hospital, Shireen Bagh, have been hit by malfunctioning or defunct equipment. Thousands of patients from across Kashmir are left with no choice but to seek investigations elsewhere. Many patients who needed cardiac investigations at the hospital said the Cardiac CT service has remained suspended for nearly four months. The problems started when the injector syringe, an essential component required to administer contrast durin

Mumbai, Jul 22: India will look to make home advantage count and win its first-ever gold medal at the FISU World University Squash Championship when the premier university event gets underway here from August 3. The championship, organised by the International University Sports Federation (FISU), will be hosted at Somaiya Vidyavihar University. India, which won a bronze medal in the previous edition in Johannesburg in 2024, enter the tournament with heightened expectations. We have home support,

Harare, Jul 22:India captain ShreyasIyer wants his players to play fearless cricket and not be weighed down by criticism after the team's disappointing run in England, saying the recent setbacks have only brought the squad closer ahead of the three-match T20 series against Zimbabwe. India arrive in Zimbabwe after enduring a winless white-ball tour of England and Ireland, but Iyer said the team has identified the areas it needs to improve on. We had a rough patch in England, but there were a lot