Greater Kashmir

New Delhi, Aug 12: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday informed Rajya Sabha that central government is committed to the progressive and phased implementation of the national anti-terror PRAHAAR strategy. Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Nityanand Rai in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha said this approach prioritizes immediate institutional and systems integration while thoroughly assessing performance outcomes through a framework of layered oversight

Jammu, Aug 12: The railway board on Wednesday approved the extension of the Sabarmati-Jammu Tawi Express till Katra, a move aimed at facilitating pilgrims and passengers travelling from western India, officials said. The train will run via Jammu and halt at Shaheed Captain Tushar Mahajan station in Udhampur before reaching Shri Mata Vaishno Devi railway station at Katra, according to the Northern Railway's Jammu division. The extension is expected to benefit thousands of passengers from Gujarat,

Jammu, Aug 12: The Jammu Crime Branch on Wednesday said it had cracked a Rs 3.75-crore cheating case within a record one month, facilitating the registration of the disputed property in favour of the complainant, who is a doctor by profession. The case was registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch on July 8 against Pieary Lal Koul, a resident of Channi Deeli, after a Jammu-based doctor charged him with cheating and criminal breach of trust during a property sale. The EOW

New Delhi, Aug 12: Union Government on Wednesday said that Indian Railways have taken several measures to safeguard lives of passengers and damage to railway property. This information was provided by the Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today. The Railway Minister said that regular drives are conducted against anti-social elements like drunkard, mischievous elements etc.

Srinagar, Aug 12: Srinagars Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium is likely to host the Irani Cup 2026 match between 2025-26 Ranji Trophy winners Jammu and Kashmir and the Rest of India from October 1 to 5. A media report quoted by News18 said the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar will host the Irani Cup, making it the biggest cricket match to be held in Kashmir since the ODI between India and Australia on September 9, 1986. The report stated that the Irani Cup is played between the winners of the previous ed

Jammu, Aug 12: A joint anti-fidayeen security mock drill was conducted at the base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi cave shrine in Katra on Wednesday to assess the preparedness and coordination of security and emergency response agencies ahead of the Independence Day celebrations, officials said. The exercise was supervised by the SP and jointly conducted by Reasi district police with the Special Operations Group, CRPF and the Army medium regiment, with participation from health services and fire and e

Srinagar, Aug 12: Security has been beefed up across Kashmir ahead of Independence Day celebration as the forces intensified area domination, checking and frisking to ensure peaceful and smooth conduct of the event, officials said on Wednesday. Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in strength at several places in the city and elsewhere in the Valley to thwart any attempts by terrorists to disrupt the celebrations, the officials said. Policemen in plain clothes have been deployed aro

New Delhi, Aug 12: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked all states and Union territories to consider a representation seeking framing of uniform policy for regularisation and demolition of long-standing unauthorised constructions across the country. The order was passed by the top court while declining to entertain a PIL filed by Centre for Law and Good Governance seeking directions to the Centre and all the states for framing such a policy to save unauthorised dwelling units of poor persons, sa

New Delhi, Aug 12: India is steadily strengthening its indigenous nuclear energy ecosystem with a focus on advanced reactor technologies, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), domestic manufacturing capabilities, private-sector participation and long-term utilisation of the countrys abundant thorium resources, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and Prime Ministers Office, Dr. Jitendra Singh, said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today. Dr. Jitendra Singh said Indias long-t

Jammu, Aug 08: The Special Crime Wing (SCW) of Jammu's Crime Branch registered an FIR on Saturday in connection with an alleged overseas visa and employment fraud involving multiple accused persons, an official said. The case stems from a joint written complaint filed by several residents of Doda district. They alleged that Bilal Ahmad, a resident of Kishtwar's Dachhan area currently based in Dubai, induced them with promises of arranging visas and employment in Dubai, a SCW spokesperson said. A

Srinagar, Aug 08: Deputy Inspector General of Police Maqsood ul Zaman, IPS, Overall Supervisory Officer for Independence Day Parade-2026, reviewed the arrangements and preparations for the ceremonial parade during a meeting at APC Zewan on Friday. The meeting was attended by subordinate supervisory officers and nodal officers from various departments associated with the Independence Day Parade-2026, who discussed the arrangements to ensure the smooth and successful conduct of the event. During t

Airlines are issuing increasingly strong warnings about lithium-ion batteries, which power everything from smartphones and laptops to power banks, smartwatches and vapes. While these batteries are generally safe, a damaged or faulty battery can overheat rapidly and catch fire, creating a serious challenge aboard an aircraft. The risk was highlighted in June when technology journalist Ben Wodecki witnessed a battery pack overheat and burst into flames during a flight to Las Vegas. Smoke filled th

Banihal, Aug 08: Two residential houses were gutted in a devastating fire that broke out in the Akhran area of Khari tehsil in Ramban district on Saturday morning, leaving two poor families with heavy losses. The houses belonging to Fareed Ahmed Qazi, son of Ghulam Qazi Gujjar, and Shabir Ahmed Gujjar, son of Noor Mohammad Gujjar, both residents of Akhran, were engulfed in flames. Locals said the fire initially went out of control as Akhran is located far from the main road, making it difficult

Srinagar, Aug 8: The Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) on Saturday conducted searches at five locations across four districts of the Kashmir Valley in connection with an ongoing investigation into a case registered at Police Station CIK, Srinagar. According to officials, the searches were carried out in Baramulla, Anantnag, Shopian and Bandipora in connection with FIR No. 03/2023, registered under Sections 505 and 153-A of the IPC and Sections 13 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) A

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Indian-origin astronaut Anil Menon successfully completed a spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS), concluding a mission that lasted six hours and 27 minutes, according to NASA. The spacewalk ended at 3 p.m. EDT on Thursday and marked the first spacewalk for Menon and the sixth for Meir. During the mission, the astronauts completed their primary objective of preparing the stations 3B power channel for the future installation of International Spac

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report about school students in Madhya Pradeshs Vidisha district risking their lives by hopping across exposed check-dam pillars to cross the Betwa River on their way to school. According to the report, nine students, including five girls, from Kakraua village cross the river this way every day. The dangerous route cuts their journey from about 13 km by road to just 1.5 km. The NHRC said that if the report is tr

Consumers and small merchants will continue to enjoy free Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services even as the Lok Sabha passed a Bill to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, the Payments Council of India said on Friday. The statement comes a day after the Lok Sabha passed a Bill to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, which authorises the government to permit banks and other service providers to levy charges on payments through UPI and other notified electronic pa

The Jammu & Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) organised a high-impact orientation and mentoring session for startups, aspiring entrepreneurs, business owners, students, and young innovators at its Main Campus, Pampore. The session, organised from August 5 to August 7, was conducted by Prof. Sunil Handa, Founder of the Eklavya Foundation, alumnus of BITS Pilani and IIM Ahmedabad, and a distinguished entrepreneur and startup mentor who has guided thousands of ventures across I

Department of Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir, today organised an exhibition of high-value textile products made by the finest artisans and weavers from Kashmir, to commemorate the National Handloom Day. The exhibition was inaugurated by Director, Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir, Mussarat Islam, at S. K. Park, here. Development Officer, Textiles, Arjumand Yaqub, AD Srinagar, Sadia Ahmed, PEO, Riyaz Ahmad Kawoosa and other senior officers were also present on the occasion. In a press statemen

The countrys handloom sector offers significant employment opportunities, and the reach of these products in global markets can be expanded through e-commerce platforms, President Droupadi Murmu said on Friday. Speaking at the 12th National Handloom Day celebrations here, she said about 35 lakh people are engaged in the sector and out of that over 25 lakh are women. The President also exuded confidence that the sector will serve as a robust foundation for the countrys inclusive growth and self-r

The J&K Judicial Academy, under the patronage of Acting Chief Justice High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Justice Sanjeev Kumar and the guidance of Justice Rajnesh Oswal, Judge, High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and Chairman, Governing Committee, J&K Judicial Academy, today concluded the academy-based phase of the Pre-Appointment Induction Training Programme for 39 Trainee Civil Judges (Junior Division), Batch-2026. The programme was graced by Acting Chief Justice (Acting), High Cou

Water pipes and taps in Rawalpora Khansahab in Budgam district have reportedly run dry. The residents have alleged that they are facing an acute shortage of drinking water, forcing families to endure daily hardships in securing water for their basic household needs. According to the residents, the prolonged scarcity has hit women, children and the elderly the hardest, with women allegedly travelling long distances every day to fetch potable water. This was reported by Kashmir News Trust. The vil

Sopore Police has achieved a major breakthrough in a case involving impersonation of police officials, assault and extortion by arresting one of the accused allegedly involved in the crime, while efforts are underway to nab another suspect. According to police official, Police Post Bus Stand received a complaint from Nazir Ahmad Lone, son of Ali Mohammad Lone, a resident of Shahgund Naidkhai in Bandipora, alleging that he was intercepted, assaulted and threatened by two unknown persons who false

Manasbal Lake water is heavily polluted, according to a report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The lake is the only drinking-water source for thousands of people in Bandipora and Ganderbal districts. The samples from different areas of the lake had been collected in April this year on the direction of National Green Tribunal-NGT, Environmental Activist Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat said. He said the samples had been taken following his complaint regarding the apathy towards the Lake. The

Kupwara, Aug 7: The shortage of specialist doctors and lack of an ultrasonography (USG) facility at the recently upgraded Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Vilgam in Ramhall area are affecting patient care to a large extent, thus subjecting people particularly pregnant women to visit Government Medical College (GMC) Handwara or SDH Kupwara for consultations and diagnostic tests. Locals said that the hospital which caters to over hundred villages was functioning without a gynaecologist and several othe

In a significant step towards strengthening e-governance and enhancing citizen-centric municipal services, the Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Faz Lul Haseeb, today inaugurated the Online Community Hall Booking Portal at the SMC Headquarters, Karan Nagar. The newly launched portal has been developed to provide a seamless, transparent, and user-friendly digital platform for the online booking and management of SMC community halls. The initiative aims to simplify the booking pr

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Akshay Labroo, today inspected the newly created alternate entry gate and additional parking space at Bone & Joint Hospital, Barzulla. The DC also took an onsite review of the ongoing Sunner Kul Bund road development works being executed to streamline traffic movement around SMHS Hospital and Super Specialty Hospital. The inspection was undertaken as part of the District Administration's sustained efforts to improve traffic management and strengthen infrastruct

Open garbage dumping sites across several parts of Srinagar have become breeding grounds for stray dogs posing risk to commuters Residents of various areas said garbage is routinely dumped at designated collection points as well as other locations on main roads where the garbage remains exposed until lifted by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC). They said the uncovered garbage mounds attract dozens of stray dogs throughout the day, turning many stretches into high-risk zones. Areas in the

The High Court of J&K and Ladakh Friday quashed the detention of a man from Shopian under the Public Safety Act (PSA), saying that he had nearly undergone the period he was booked for. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice Muhammad Yousuf Wani quashed the detention of Ubaid Yousuf Kuttay while allowing his appeal against Single Judges decision dated November 8, 2025, which had dismissed his plea. Kuttay had been detained in terms of a detention order dated Se

Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi Friday said that Member of Parliament from Baramulla, Er Rashid called on Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari in his chamber at Parliament and raised several key infrastructure and public welfare issues concerning Jammu & Kashmir. Inam Un Nabi said that MP Er Rashid strongly urged the Union Minister to establish a dedicated Green Corridor for fruit-laden trucks on National Highway-44 during the ongoing harves

Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Molvi Umar Farooq has said that he was placed under house arrest and prevented from going to Jamia Masjid to offer the Friday prayers and deliver the sermon. In a post on X, Mirwaiz said that, as usual, no reason had been given by the authorities for restricting his movement. He, however, said that the timing of the action, coming soon after the Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema raised a legitimate concern over the sale of pork in Kashmir, was telling.

Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam, on Friday called for a collective campaign against moral degradation, drug abuse and other social evils, saying every section of society has a responsibility to safeguard the moral fabric of the community. Addressing a large Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid Beerwah in central Kashmir's Budgam district, the Grand Mufti said religious scholars, families, educational institutions and society at large must work together to confront the growi

The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Friday approved the promotion of 28 officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) to the Super Time Scale, Special Scale and Selection Grade through three separate orders issued by the General Administration Department (GAD). According to Government Order No. 1374-JK(GAD) of 2026, Pawan Singh Rathore has been promoted to the Super Time Scale of JKAS in Level-14 (Rs 1,44,2002,18,200). The order states that the promotion has been granted notion

Shopian, Aug. 7: Distressed apple growers across nearly two dozen villages in south Kashmir's Shopian district spent Friday gathering fallen fruit from their orchards, a day after a powerful windstorm and hailstorm caused extensive damage to the crop. Farmers said the storm, which struck on Thursday afternoon, flattened orchards in around 25 apple-growing villages, including Kachdoora, Vehil, Bemnipora, Check Nowgam and Hanjipora, all known for producing premium-quality apples. The strong winds

Hajin (Bandipora), Aug 7: Apni Party president Syed Altaf Bukhari on Thursday appealed to the authorities to withdraw the FIR registered against Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti, saying she should be forgiven in the same spirit as other young people in Kashmir who have faced police action. Speaking to reporters after addressing a party convention in Hajin area of Sonawari in north Kashmir's Bandipora district, Bukhari refrained from commenting on the political aspects of the FI

Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Friday said that Apni Party is coming forward with a new vision and strategy to ensure that Jammu & Kashmirs lost dignity, status, and respect are restored, and that a brighter, more prosperous, and dignified future for its youth is secured. He made these remarks today while addressing a workers convention in Hajin Sonawari in Bandipora district. The event, which was attended by a large number of peoplemen and women, young and oldwas organised

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti on Friday said she would fully cooperate with the police investigation into the case registered against her, while asserting that campaigning for the restoration of Article 370 was a constitutional and democratic right that her party would continue to pursue. Iltija made the remarks after being questioned for nearly two hours at Police Station Kothibagh in connection with an FIR registered following the PDP's August 4 protest in Srinagar against

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Udhampur, Aug 7: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday laid the foundation stones for two major infrastructure projects worth over Rs 140 crore aimed at strengthening drinking water supply and sewerage management in the districts of Udhampur and Reasi. The projects, as per an official statement, include the Rs 124.19 crore Augmentation of Water Supply Scheme for Udhampur Town under AMRUTthe Rs 16.33 crore Used Water Management Project, including construction of a 3.0 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant

Jammu, Aug 7: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday inaugurated the upgraded Residency RoadHigh Street in Jammu, a landmark urban infrastructure project executed by Jammu Smart City Limited (JSCL) under the Smart City Mission at a cost of 9.18 crore. The project has transformed nearly 1.2 kilometres of the Residency RoadHigh Street corridor, covering the stretches from RaghunathjiMandir to CM House, VivekanandChowk to RaghunathMandirChowk, and Vir Marg Chowk to VivekanandChowk. As part of the

Jammu, Aug 7:Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Friday launched the J&K Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence (AI CoE) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu and dedicated Project Phoenix, an AI-enabled digital commerce platform at IIT Jammu. The initiatives, as per an official statement, are aimed at promoting technology-driven governance, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, and expanding economic opportunities through the adoption of emerging technologies and enhanced digita

Srinagar, Aug 7: Khalin Joshi carded a five-under 66 to complete a commanding nine-shot victory at the INR 1 crore J&K Open 2026 at the picturesque Royal Springs Golf Course in Srinagar. The 33-year-old Bengaluru golfer (63-66-65-66) finished with a tournament total of 24-under 260 to claim his eighth professional title and second victory of the 2026 DP World PGTI season. Joshi, as per a PGTI statement, collected the winners cheque of INR 15 lakh and climbed five places from 13th to eighth in th

Srinagar, Aug 7:J&K Bank Academy showcased impressive character and fighting spirit to register a 21 victory over City Gate FC in an exciting encounter of the Srinagar Premier League 2026 at TRC Turf, Srinagar, on Friday. The match, as per a DFA statement, played in front of an enthusiastic footballing atmosphere, witnessed an intense battle between the two sides, with both teams looking to gain an advantage from the opening whistle. City Gate FC started the contest with confidence and looked or