Daily Excelsior

Buldhana, Feb 25: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday made a strong pitch for medicinal plants, saying their cultivation improves not only the financial condition of farmers but also boosts soil health. Speaking after inaugurating the National Arogya Fair 2026 at Shegaon in Maharashtras Buldhana district, she said the valuable wealth of medicinal plants is important not only for providing raw materials for medicines but also for environmental balance. Describing good health as the ultimate hap

BEIJING, Feb 25: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called Wednesday for deepening ties with China, while pushing for fairer trade rules between the two countries and seeking Chinese help on Ukraine. Merz, who arrived in Beijing late morning for a whirlwind two-day visit, acknowledged differences during meetings with the countrys top leaders and called for collaboration wherever possible. We have a few issues that we need to talk about today in the course of my visit, he told Chinese Premier Li []

COLOMBO, Feb 25: Sri Lankas criminal investigators on Wednesday arrested the countrys former intelligence chief in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 279 people, including 45 foreigners. Police said retired Major General Suresh Sallay was taken into custody at dawn in a suburb of Colombo, marking the most high-profile arrest in the long-running investigation, The local media reported. There have been accusations that Sri Lankas former government, led by strongman preside

SEOUL, Feb 25: The US and South Korean militaries said on Wednesday they will conduct their annual springtime exercises next month to bolster their countries combined defence capabilities against a backdrop of a deepening diplomatic freeze with nuclear-armed North Korea. The Freedom Shield drills is set for March 9-19, according to the announcement. North Korea has long described the allies joint exercises as invasion rehearsals and used them as a pretext to dial up its own military demonstratio

TOKYO, Feb 25: Japans government said Wednesday that a Japanese national has been detained in Tehran since January and demanded the Iranian authorities release them swiftly. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki, asked about foreign media reports on the case, confirmed only that the Japanese citizen was taken into custody on Jan 20 but gave no further details, citing privacy issues. Ozaki said the government is in contact with the detainee and their family members, while providing necessa

JERUSALEM, Feb 25: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday left for Israel from India for a visit expected to upgrade the bilateral ties to a new level, the Israeli media is describing the trip as a strategic reset, a landmark moment and a defining phase. Leading Israeli publications have given prominent coverage to Modis trip, portraying it as a significant visit by a friend at a crucial juncture for the country. From government officials to ordinary citizens, the excitement [] The post Is

NEW DELHI, Feb 25:Foreign companies, largely US-based, have rented 101 million sq ft of prime office spaces in the last five years to set up Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in Indias seven major cities, according to Colliers. According to real estate consultant Colliers India data, the gross office leasing in the last five years (2020-25) stood at 280.2 million sq ft across seven major cities Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. Out of this, the data showed [] Th

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: Smartphone has become Indias top export category with overseas shipments worth USD 30 billion in 2025, Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday. The minister shared the development in a social media post. Becoming the smartphone manufacturing factory for the world, Vaishnaw said. The photo post titled Smartphones Indias No. 1 export category displayed that there were exports worth USD 30 billion in January-December 2025. Mobile phones worth Rs 5.5 l

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: Vikram Solar and Waaree Energies do not see any material adverse or limited impact from the US decision of imposing countervailing duties on certain solar goods from India. Gyanesh Chaudhary, CMD, Vikram Solar said, The recent US preliminary AD/CVD duties apply specifically to Indian-origin cells. Our US order strategy was not structured around sourcing Indian cells; we already operate with a diversified supply chain for that market, including sourcing from geographies with lo

New Delhi, Feb 25: The US has announced preliminary countervailing duty of 125.87 per cent on imports of certain Indian solar goods alleging that the products are unfairly subsidised by New Delhi. The US has also announced different duties on the imports of Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled into Modules from Indonesia and Laos. On February 24, 2026, the US Department of Commerce announced its preliminary affirmative determinations in the countervailing duty investi

New Delhi, Feb 25: Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday slammed the absurd and shocking demands and arrangements linked to a senior BSNL directors proposed Prayagraj visit, calling them unacceptable and said that a show-cause notice has been issued. The Ministers comments assume significance as controversy erupted after details of extensive hospitality arrangements for BSNL Director Vivek Banzals official visit surfaced online, including requests for personal care items such

JAMMU, Feb 25: In a push to strengthen grassroots governance infrastructure, the Jammu and Kashmir government has identified land for 579 panchayat ghars across the Union territory, of which 204 have been completed so far, officials said on Wednesday. The Panchayati Raj department had set a target of constructing 640 panchayat ghars in Jammu and Kashmir. Against the target, land has been identified for 579 such buildings. Work has been allotted in 435 cases, while 204 units stand completed to []

BUDAPEST, Feb 25: Facing tough odds in an upcoming election, Hungarys pro-Russian prime minister is trying to convince voters that the greatest threat to the country is not economic stagnation the focus of his top opponent but neighbouring Ukraine. Viktor Orban is running an aggressive media campaign replete with disinformation whose central message is that Hungarians should refuse to align with the rest of Europe in supporting Ukraine against Russias invasion. That path, he argues, risks bank

Chandigarh, Feb 25: Police arrested one and killed in an encounter another of the three people allegedly involved in the murder of two policemen in Gurdaspur, an officer said on Wednesday. The three carried out the killings at the behest of their Pakistan-based handlers backed by spy agency ISI, the officer said. The third accused is still at large, and a hunt for him is on, the officer said. The Punjab Police identified the three as Ranjit Singh (19), Inderjit [] The post Punjab Police Shoots D

Jammu, Feb 25: Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary on Wednesday defended his brother in the wake of an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) raid in a disproportionate assets case, and said the action was driven by revenge. The ACB on Wednesday searched Vijay Singhs house in Jammu in connection with a disproportionate assets case, officials said. This fight has begun, and we will fight it legally. We have faith in Indias judiciary and in many good officers in [] The post J&K

Poonch, Feb 25: Security forces on Wednesday recovered a cache of arms and explosives during a cordon and search operation (CASO) in the Kasbalari area of Mendhar sub-division in Poonch district. Official sources said that Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a joint Security forces launched a search operation in Mohalla Salani, Kasbalari, under Police Station Mendhar. During the operation, the forces recovered one big improvised explosive device (IED) weighing about 4.5 kg, one small IED, tw

JAMMU, Feb 25: The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh (JK&L) has declared that the holiday on account of Holi will now be observed on March 4, 2026 (Wednesday) instead of March 3, 2026 (Tuesday) in the Jammu Wing of the High Court. See Notification Click Here. The post J&K High Court Declares Mar 4 Holiday For Holi In Jammu Wing appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Srinagar, Feb 25: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the Centre should accept the West Bengal governments demand to rename the state, following the Union Cabinets approval of a similar proposal for Kerala. The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Kerala governments proposal to change the states name to Keralam. Following the approval, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed dissatisfaction that her states renaming proposal has remained pending with the

NEW DELHI, Feb 25:Maruti Suzuki India on Wednesday said its Gujarat in-plant railway siding has been registered as the worlds first modal shift transportation project under Verras Verified Carbon Standard initiative. The project is expected to achieve around 1.7 lakh carbon credits over a 10-year crediting period from FY 2023-24 to FY 2032-33, by shifting vehicle dispatches from road to railways. Following independent verification of carbon emission saving, Verra will issue 1.7 lakh carbon credi

NEW DELHI, Feb 25:IPO-bound OYOs parent entity PRISM on Wednesday announced the appointment of former SEBI Chairman Ajay Tyagi as an Independent Director on its Board. His appointment comes as PRISM aims to further strengthen its board and governance framework as it strives to grow and access the public markets. Tyagi joins an experienced board with expertise across governance, consumer businesses, technology and strategic investments, OYO said in a statement. The board comprises Independent Dir

JAMMU, Feb 25: In a significant administrative development, the Ministry of Home Affairs has posted IAS officer Pranjal J Hazarika to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir with immediate effect. Hazarika was earlier serving in Delhi. The post IAS Officer Pranjal J Hazarika Posted To J&K appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

New Delhi, Feb 25: The Supreme Court on Wednesday junked a petition challenging the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the BNSS that allow appointment of serving or retired judicial officers as directors, and serving judicial officers as deputy directors of prosecution and assistant directors of prosecution. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said the plea was misconceived and had no legal basis. The plea filed by petitione

Jammu, Feb 25: Following a raid by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) at the residence of his brother Vijay Choudhary in a suspected disproportionate assets case, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Wednesday termed the action unfortunate. Speaking to news agency, Choudhary defended his brother, stating that the officer had served with distinction and had been involved in anti-terror operations in areas such as Thanamandi and Doda. He alleged that instead of being rewarde

GANGTOK, Feb 25: Over 2,700 tourists stranded due to heavy snowfall near Tsomgo Lake in East Sikkim were rescued, officials said on Wednesday morning. Heavy snowfall in the higher reaches of Sherathang and adjoining areas led to road blockages, leaving 541 tourist vehicles stranded between 15th Mile and Tsomgo Lake, they said. Through coordinated efforts, all vehicles with 2,736 tourists onboard were evacuated safely and systematically, with the operation concluding on Tuesday night, they added.

Srinagar, Feb 25: Education Minister Sakina Itoo on Wednesday clarified that no fresh government order has been issued regarding the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) in Jammu and Kashmir and said there is no immediate requirement to enforce it in the Union Territory. Speaking to reporters, Minister Itoo said that although the Honble Supreme Court had earlier directed that teachers across states and Union Territories must qualify the TET, the J&K government is closely examining how the directive i

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said the action taken against Youth Congress members for raising the voice of the people is highly condemnable and shameful. She asserted that it is in the interest of 1.4 billion Indians to raise voice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government which has compromised Indias interests by bowing to global pressure. Her remarks came a day after Delhi Police arrested Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bha

CHANDIGARH, Feb 25: Police have arrested one person in connection with the killings of two policemen in Gurdaspur near the Indo-Pak border, an officer said on Wednesday. Besides the arrest, one man was shot at and wounded in an encounter with the police in Gurdaspur in the morning, the officer said. Gurdaspur Senior Superintendent of Police Aditya identified the one arrested as Dilawar Singh, a resident of Gurdaspurs Alinangal village. Ranjit Singh sustained a bullet injury in the encounter near

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL), a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd, has identified seven mine dumps for potential extraction of rare earth elements, a top company official said. SECLs initiative aligns with the governments push to unlock value from coal mine waste. Trace rare earth elements (REEs) have been detected in overburden dumps across major coalfields, potentially reducing import dependence. SECL Chairman and Managing Director Harish Duhan said the tendering process f

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: Indias support measures to promote manufacturing in the automobile and renewable energy sectors are fully compliant with World Trade Organisation norms and the country will strongly defend them at the WTOs dispute settlement panel meetings, an official said. Following a request by China, the WTO dispute settlement body on Tuesday announced the setting up of a panel to hear the case. The official said that India regrets Chinas decision to proceed with panel establishment despit

NEW YORK, Feb 25: A 57-year-old Sikh man in the US was found dead days after he was kidnapped, with authorities saying he was not the intended target of the crime. Avtar Singh was reported missing on February 17 at approximately 8:52 pm in Tracy, California. During the investigation, surveillance footage showed a white SUV and three unidentified individuals dressed in dark clothing with Singh at approximately 2:30 pm. The victim appeared to enter the vehicle against his will, the [] The post Sik

New Delhi, Feb 25: The Supreme Court on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of the contents of Class 8 NCERT textbook referring to the corruption in the judiciary and termed it a matter of grave concern. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi was urged by senior advocate Kapil Sibal that children of class 8 are taught about corruption in the judiciary. This is a matter of grave concern. The CJI said, [] The post Supreme Court Takes Cognisance

For first-time workers in Saudi Arabia, salary is only one part of the choice. Just as important is how clear daily routines are and how work is organised on site. Medina is often considered because jobs there are shaped by steady, everyday needs rather than competition. At the search stage, many people check role descriptions and market overviews on platforms like Layboard.in to see which positions are realistically suitable for newcomers. Why Medina Is Often Chosen for a First Job [] The post

Jammu, Feb 25: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday carried out searches at the residence of the brother of Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary here in connection with a disproportionate assets probe, officials said. Vijay Choudhary is an Inspector in the Jammu and Kashmir Police. We are carrying out a search at the residence of Vijay Choudhary. The search is being conducted in connection with a disproportionate assets officials said. The raid commenced early in the morning a

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New York/Washington, Feb 25: US President Donald Trump has said that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told him that 35 million people would have died if it were not for his intervention in stopping the war between India and Pakistan. In his over 100-minute-long State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump repeated his claim that he had helped prevent what could have turned into a nuclear war between the two South Asian neighbours. In my first 10 months, I [] The post Trump Says Pak PM Told

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India and Israel share a robust and multifaceted strategic partnership that has witnessed remarkable growth and dynamism, and he is looking forward to his discussions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The prime minister is due to leave for Israel on on Wednesday on a two-day visit. Before embarking, Modi said he was confident that his visit would further consolidate the enduring bonds between India and Israel, set new goals

Jammu, Feb 25 : The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday carried out a raid at the residence of Vijay Chaudhary, brother of the Deputy Chief Minister, in connection with a disproportionate assets case, sources said. Sourcessaid that the raid commenced early in the morning around 6:00 am and was continuing at the time of filing this report. The residence is located in Santokh Vihar, Talo Kalo Chak area of Jammu. Vijay Chaudhary is an Inspector in the J&K Police. Sources [] The post ACB Raid

Excelsior Correspondent UDHAMPUR, Feb 24 : Giving testimony to the continued success of their academic program, Ten students of Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) from Udhampur have again demonstrated exemplary performance during the JEE Main 2026 (Session 1). According to the National Testing Agency (NTA) results released 16 Feb, In JEE Main 2026, students from Aakash Institute, Udhampur delivered an excellent performance. Abhinav Batta emerged as the Jammu and Kashmir State Topper with

Dr Praney Slathia The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM) at the University of Jammu recently hosted a two-day national conference, Tourism, Technology and Talent: Shaping Future-Ready Managers, which I attended. The discussions were optimistic and wide-ranging, touching both success stories and pressing challenges. Yet, when the conversation turned to Jammus long-term tourism vision, one diagnosis became hard to miss: Jammu suffers from path dependence. According to Paul A. Davi

Excelsior Correspondent NEW DELHI, Feb 24 :To markthe 40th Foundation Day of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) today,Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences; and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space,Dr Jitendra Singh launched SUJVIKA AI driven Biotech Product Data Portal, developed in collaboration with Industry partners ABLE. SUJVIKA is a Trade Statistics Digital Intelligence Platform that presents authenticat

Excelsior Correspondent PUNE, Feb 24: Dr Avtar Singh, Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics at Amandeep Hospital, in collaboration with Ujala Cygnus Healthcare Services, participated in an advanced Cadaver Product Training Program organized by Medtronic at the Symbiosis International University campus in Lavale, Pune. The program brought together eminent orthopaedic experts from across the country and focused on advanced fracture management techniques, implant innovations and cadaver-based

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Feb 24: MSME sponsored one-week Advanced Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programme (A-ESDP) was inaugurated here today at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu. The programme is themed Empowering Make in India: Nurturing Entrepreneurship in Indian Manufacturing and is dedicated to fostering innovation, skill development and self-reliance within Indias manufacturing sector. The inaugural ceremony was attended by Prof. Meenakshi Rajeev, Dean (Outreach and

Excelsior Correspondent SOPORE, Feb 24: To assess the prevailing security scenario and operational preparedness in the district, Director General of Police, J&K, Nalin Prabhat, visited Sopore and chaired a comprehensive security review meeting, here today. The DGP was accompanied by SDG Coordination S J M Geelani, IGP Kashmir V K Birdi and DIG North Kashmir Range Maqsood-ul-Zaman. During the meeting, SSP Sopore IftkharTalib presented a detailed briefing on the current security environment, count

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Feb 24: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jammu & Kashmir, organized an intensive training workshop for Prashikshaks (trainers) at its Headquarters in Trikuta Nagar, Jammu, under the nationwide Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Prashikshan Mahabhiyan. The workshop covered the Jammu Parliamentary constituency along with Nowshera and Poonch-Rajouri, and was attended by district Prabharis, district presidents, district Seh-Prabharis, designated Prashikshaks, and four-member

Gujarat gearing up for Commonwealth Games *ATS Gujarat equally trained like SOG in J&K Gopal Sharma Ahmedabad, Feb 24: The challenges along the International Border (IB) and the coastal areas of Gujarat are no less than those faced along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir. We are also facing the same enemy that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are facing on that side of the border, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi told a visiting media delegation led by PIB [] The post Challenges along IB in Gu

Nasir Hamid Khan sunfresh1102@gmail.com The Fact Sheet released by the White House on 9th of February, among other things, informed us about the following facts: India will open up its market of over 1.4 billion to American products; In the coming weeks, the United States and India will promptly implement this framework and work towards finalizing the Interim Agreement with a view to concluding a mutually beneficial BTA to lock in benefits for American workers and businesses. [] The post Our

Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Feb 24: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah, and vice president and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today led party leaders and workers in offering floral tribute and Fatiha at the Mazar-e-Anwar of the partys stalwart and former general secretary, Sheikh Nazir Ahmad on his 11th death anniversary. They led party functionaries, legislators, Members of Parliament, and office bearers in paying homage at the late leaders resting place in the shrine comple

Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Feb 24: Shubham Singh Pundirs unbeaten century and a fighting 88 from young Yawer Hassan helped Jammu & Kashmir take command of the Ranji Trophy final, finishing Day 1 at 284 for two against a strong Karnataka side. The 27-year-old left-handed Pundir was 117 not out at stumps, while Abdul Samad supported him with unbeaten 52, the pair adding 105 runs for the third wicket after skipper Paras Dogra retired hurt. Earlier, Pundir and Yawer shared [] The post Pun

MUMBAI, Feb 24 : Affordable world-class healthcare for all should be everyones mission, President Droupadi Murmu said on Tuesday. She was speaking after inaugurating the Saving Lives and Building a Healthier Bharat campaign, organised by P D Hinduja Hospital, at an event in Mumbais Lok Bhavan. I am confident that India will gain prestige as a global healthcare destination, Murmu said. She said the government has taken several important steps over the past decade to ensure that every citizen rema

JERUSALEM, Feb 24 : Israels opposition has pleaded with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resolve the ongoing political crisis to ensure its participation during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis address to the Knesset. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a two-day visit to Israel beginning Wednesday to shore up bilateral defence and trade cooperation. Modis engagements will include his address to Israels parliament (Knesset), wide-ranging talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjami