Daily Excelsior News

Shopian, Dec 9 : In a firm security push, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, V.K. Birdi-IPS, conducted a comprehensive review of District Shopians crime and security scenario, issuing clear directives for stronger surveillance, faster operational response and tighter law enforcement. V.K. Birdi, visited District Shopian to review the functioning of the districts law enforcement efforts and to assess the overall security situation of the district. The visit included a review of the distri

SRINAGAR, Dec 9: Minister for Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare and Education, Sakeena Itoo today held an extensive public outreach session at Civil Secretariat, Srinagar, during which various Legislators, public delegations, employee associations and individuals raised several issues of public importance before the Minister. During the session, a delegation of Jammu Kashmir Teachers Joint Action Committee met the Minister and raised various issues of teaching community. The delegatio

NEW DELHI, Dec 9: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Faridabad resident for harbouring terrorist Umar Un Nabi immediately before the Delhi terror bomb blast. Soyab of Dhauj, Faridabad (Haryana) is the 7th accused to be arrested in the case. NIA investigations have revealed that he had also provided logistical support to the terrorist Umar before the 10th November car bombing that killed several persons and injured many others outside the Red Fort in the national capital. NIA

Jammu, Dec 9 : Accompanied by sniffer dog units, teams of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Army and the BSF has conducted joint search operations in forward areas along the International Border (IB) in Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts as part of enhanced vigilance and security measures, an official said on Tuesday. Border Security Force (BSF) troops, along with sniffer dogs and the police Special Operations Group (SOG), have undertaken search operations in areas close to the IB, including Ganjansoo, M

JAMMU, Dec 9: The Power Development Department (PDD) of the Jammu and Kashmir Government has ordered the placement of 11 in-charge Executive Engineers (Electrical) as in-charge Superintending Engineers on an officiating basis, allowing them to work in their own pay and grade with admissible charge allowance. These placements, made as a temporary arrangement, include corresponding transfers and postings across various wings and circles of KPDCL, JPDCL and JKPTCL against available vacancies. See O

JAMMU, Dec 9: The School Education Department today held an important meeting at the Civil Secretariat Jammu to review a wide range of human resource issues across its cadres. Official sources said the detailed discussions centred on seniority updation, placement of officials in in-charge and look-after positions, and the status of pending regularization cases that have been awaiting clearance for a long time. They said the department also examined the defreezing of vacancies to ensure smoother

New Delhi, Dec 9: A Delhi court on Tuesday extended the NIA custody of Amir Rashid Ali, an accused in the Red Fort blast case, by seven days. On December 2, Amir was sent to a seven-day NIA custody. A Jammu and Kashmir resident accused of facilitating the Red Fort blast, Amir was arrested on November 16. On Tuesday, he was produced before Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested seven [] The post Red Fort Blast: Delhi Court E

New Delhi, Dec 9: In a no-holds-barred attack in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the BJP of indulging in the biggest anti-national act by committing vote chori in collusion with the Election Commission and destroying the idea of India. Gandhi posed three questions which he claimed make it clear that the BJP is directing and using the Election Commission to damage Indias democracy. Participating in a discussion on election reforms in the Lower House, the [] The post

New Delhi, Dec 9: Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said the true homage to Bharat Mata will only be when Parliament discusses and resolves the issues of common people, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of holding a discussion on Vande Mataram while keeping Bengal elections in mind. He also accused the ruling dispensation of holding the discussion to divert the peoples attention from the real challenges the country faces, including financial problems, like rising unemploymen

New Delhi, Dec 9: Jan Suraj founder and political strategist Prashant Kishor is expected to visit Jammu and Kashmir in February next year to interact with Kashmiri students and youth leaders, a statement said on Tuesday. The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) said its national convenor Nasir Khuehami met Kishor in Delhi and informed him about the challenges faced by the students and young professionals from the Union territory. Kishor will be the chief mentor at a youth interaction []

MOSCOW, Dec 9: An Antonov An-22 military transport aircraft with seven people on board crashed in Russias central Ivanovo Region on Tuesday during its first flight after repairs, the defence ministry said. The aircraft crashed in an unpopulated area. A search and rescue crew has left for the accident site to determine the fate of the aircrafts crew, the ministry said. TASS reported that fragments of the An-22 were found on the shore and in the water. The An-22 is [] The post Military transport a

JAMMU, Dec 9: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a meeting to comprehensively review the augmentation of undergraduate and postgraduate seats across Government Medical Colleges (GMCs), Dental Colleges, Ayurvedic and Unani Colleges by the Health & Medical Education (H&ME) Department in J&K. The meeting was attended by Secretary, Health & Medical Education Department; Director, SKIMS; Principals of Government Medical Colleges; Director, Coordination; and other senior officers of the depar

Two more honoured with Certificate of Excellence SRINAGAR/NEW DELHI, Dec 9: The Industries & Commerce Department extended heartiest congratulations to two outstanding craftsmen from Jammu and Kashmir, who were today honoured with the prestigious National Awards by the President of India, Draupadi Murmu at a grand ceremony, organized by the Ministry of Textiles at New Delhi. The Department also extended felicitations to two other craftsmen who were honoured with Certificates of Excellence for the

Major heritage, lakefront and urban mobility projects planned across Jammu, Srinagar, Anantnag JAMMU, Dec 9: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today reviewed the projects of the Housing & Urban Development Department being implemented under the scheme, Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI). While reviewing the proposals, the Chief Minister observed that the projects have the potential to significantly improve urban liveability, strengthen heritage conservation and boost tourism

MUMBAI, Dec 9: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court seeking a court-monitored probe into the fire incident at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub that killed 25 persons. The petition, filed by social activist Aishwarya Salgaonkar, said the nightclub was operating without a valid construction licence and despite several demolition orders issued against it. There has been a systematic failure on the part of the authorities to act against []

THE HAGUE, Dec 9: Judges at the International Criminal Court sentenced a leader of the feared Sudanese Janjaweed militia to 20 years imprisonment Tuesday for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the catastrophic conflict in Darfur more than two decades ago. At a hearing last month, prosecutors sought a life sentence for Ali Muhammad Ali AbdAl-Rahman, who was convicted in October of 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity that included ordering mass executions and bludg

DHAKA, Dec 9: An International press watchdog has called on Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus to urgently release journalists imprisoned in Bangladesh, saying at least four of them are languishing in prisons under politically motivated murder charges. In a letter addressed to Yunus, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said, Bangladesh currently holds four journalists in prison on murder charges, accusations that lack credible evidence and appear to be in retaliation for their reporting and pe

NEW DELHI, Dec 9: Citius Transnet Investment Trust has filed preliminary papers with markets regulator SEBI seeking its approval to float a Rs 1,340-crore initial public offering (IPO). According to the draft papers, the proposed public offer involves units aggregating up to Rs 1,340 crore and includes a strategic investor portion capped at 25 per cent of the total issue size. Proceeds from its fresh issuance worth Rs 1,235 crore will be utilised for partial or full acquisition of [] The post C

NEW DELHI, Dec 9: A significant percentage of professionals in the country said they want to work for themselves in the near future, with factors like AI adoption, a strong skilling appetite, and the power of trusted professional networks making it easier to start and scale their business, says a LinkedIn report. According to LinkedIns latest Small Business Work Change India Report, the number of Indian members adding founder to their profiles has increased by 104 per cent in [] The post Signif

NEW DELHI, Dec 9: Mutual fund assets under management (AUM) are projected to exceed Rs 300 lakh crore by 2035, with direct equity holdings expected to reach Rs 250 lakh crore over the same period, according to a joint report by consulting firm Bain & Company and investment platform Groww. This growth is driven by rising retail participation and a deepening digital adoption, the report said. According to the report titled How India Invests, mutual fund penetration across Indian [] The post MF AU

MUMBAI, Dec 9: Stock markets closed lower for the second straight day on Tuesday, with benchmark BSE Sensex declining by 436 points as investors booked profit ahead of the US Federal Reserves policy decision. The 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 436.41 points, or 0.51 per cent, to close at a nearly two-week low of 84,666.28. During the day, the barometer plunged by 719.73 points, or 0.84 per cent, to hit an intraday low of 84,382.96 as blue-chip private banks, oil and [] The post Stock markets fall f

NEW DELHI, Dec 9: After the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut down the major policy rate by 25 basis points to 5.25 percent, leading public and private sector banks have begun to reduce home loans. Leading private sector lender, HDFC Bank, has reduced its marginal cost of funds-based lending rates by up to 5 basis points across tenures, with the MCLR now ranging between 8.30 percent and 8.55 percent. This is slightly lower than the earlier 8.35-8.60 percent band. [] The post Leading public, privat

New Delhi, Dec 9: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan made it to the list of 67 Most Stylish People of 2025 released by the New York Times. The names of other celebrities included Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, A$AP Rocky, Vivian Wilson, Nicole Scherzinger, Walton Goggins, Jennifer Lawrence, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cole Escola and Noah Wyle among others. The 60-year-old actor was recognised for his appearance at the Met Gala earlier this year, where he wore a design by renowned designer Sabyasachi

New Delhi, Dec 9: A Delhi court on Tuesday sought response from senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and the police on a plea challenging a magistrates order refusing a probe on the allegation that she was included in the electoral rolls three years before acquiring Indian citizenship in 1983. Special Judge Vishal Gogne was hearing a revision plea against the magisterial courts order of September 11, which had dismissed the plea, saying the complaint was fashioned with the object of [] The post D

SRINAGAR, Dec 09: In a major boost for Jammu & Kashmir cricket, standout pacer Auqib Nabi is among the group of eight players from the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) shortlisted for the IPL 2026 Player Auction, scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi. According to the final roster released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the J&K players who have made the cut include Auqib Nabi, Nasir Muzaffar, Atif Mushtaq, Waseem Khanday, Vivrant Sharma, [] The post Auqib Nabi

New Delhi, Dec 9: There is no conclusive data available in the country to establish a direct correlation of death/disease exclusively due to air pollution, Minister of State for Health, Prataprao Jadhav, told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Air pollution is one of the triggering factors for respiratory ailments and associated diseases, Jadhav said in a written reply. The health effects of air pollution are a synergistic manifestation of factors, which include food habits, occupational habits, socioe

NEW DELHI, Dec 9: The division of Vande Mataram song for politics of appeasement led to partition of India, Home Minister Amit Shah said in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, as he slammed Opposition for linking the debate on 150 years of the national song with the upcoming West Bengal elections. Initiating the debate in the House, Shah said Vande Mataram was the mantra that awakened Indias cultural nationalism, and remains as relevant today as it was during the freedom [] The post Division Of Vande Ma

JAKARTA, Dec 9: A fire tore through an office building in Indonesias capital, Jakarta, on Tuesday, killing at least 17 people, police said. Flames engulfed the seven-story building, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky and causing panic among nearby residents and workers in a neighbourhood in Central Jakarta. (AP) The post Fire in office building in Indonesias capital kills at least 17 people appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

COLOMBO, Dec 9: Sri Lanka Air Force bid farewell to two IAF helicopters after they ended their rescue mission in cyclone-hit island nation, even as INS Gharial reached Trincomalee with 700 tonnes of essential relief material from Tamil Nadu. The Indian Air Force (IAF) choppers, which departed on Monday, were involved in airlifting immediate relief supplies to distressed communities, evacuating those affected and providing air cover for those involved in rescue missions in the aftermath of havoc

KARACHI, Dec 9: A Pakistani Hindu woman and her minor daughter have been reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Pakistans Sindh province, officials said. The incident took place on Saturday in the Sindhi Mohalla in Sher Shah, Karachi. According to initial accounts provided by the family, the woman was taken away by three armed individuals who forced her into a white Alto car moments after she stepped out of her home. The case has sparked a wave of fear [] The post Pak Hindu woman, minor daug

SRINAGAR, Dec 09: Jammu and Kashmir Transport Welfare Association on Tuesday announced a one-day token strike on December 15 over their long-pending demands. Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, the association General Secretary Sheikh Mohammad Yousuf said transporters from both Jammu and Kashmir divisions have unanimously decided to observe the strike as a mark of protest. He said the transport sector is on the verge of collapse due to the governments failure to address key issues, includ

New Delhi, Dec 9: The CBI has booked the son of industrialist Anil Ambani, Jai Anmol Anil Ambani, and Reliance Home Finance Ltd. (RHFL) in a case of alleged cheating in Union Bank of India that caused a loss of Rs 228 crore to the public bank, officials said on Tuesday. The CBI acted on a complaint from the bank (erstwhile Andhra Bank) against Reliance Home Finance Ltd., Jai Anmol Anil Ambani and Ravindra Sharad Sudhakar, both directors in RHFL, [] The post CBI Books Anil Ambanis Son, Reliance H

New Delhi, Dec 9: The government has cancelled 5,371 licences of fertiliser firms for black marketing, hoarding as well as for distributing substandard material, Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers Jagat Prakash Nadda said in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. In response to a question asked by BJP member Kiran Choudhary, Nadda said while states are empowered to take action on malpractices, the Centre takes action under the Essential Commodities Act of 1955 and the Fertiliser Control Order to c

New Delhi, Dec 9: J&K National Conference MP Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo on Tuesday alleged in the Rajya Sabha that hydro-power project developers in Jammu and Kashmir are violating the agreed terms by not employing local people, and sought an inquiry into the issue. During the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Kichloo said hydropower is the primary source of electricity for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and state-owned NHPC is developing some projects, while others are built by [] The post Hyd

Mendhar/Jammu, Dec 9: Hundreds of enthusiastic youth on Tuesday took part in an Army-sponsored marathon near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and KashmirsPoonch district, officials said. Commander of Bhimber Gali Brigade, Brigadier Rahul Kumar, flagged off the marathon and encouraged the youth to adopt fitness as a way of life and consider a future in the armed forces. An Army official said the marathon was part of the second edition of Mendhar festival, which commenced on November 23 [] The p

Srinagar, Dec 9: Mercury settled below the freezing point across Kashmir with most places in the valley registering below normal night temperatures, officials said on Tuesday. The minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at minus 3.7 degrees Celsius on Monday night, a drop from minus 2.4 degrees from the previous night, the officials said. The night temperature in the city was 3.1 degrees below the normal. The gateway town to the valley, Qazigund, in south Kashmir, and the Kupwara town in [] The

NEW DELHI, Dec 9: Hyderabad-based pheromone and semiochemical-based crop protection firm ATGC Biotech and Israel-based Luxembourg Industries have set up a joint venture, Semiophore Ltd, with a cumulative investment of USD 10 million. The 50:50 Indo-Israeli joint venture is fully financed by its partners, with cumulative investments of USD 10 million from Semiophore, Luxembourg Industries, and ATGC Biotech, towards infrastructure in India and Israel and regulatory registrations for 18 Indian-dev

JAMMU, Dec 9: The Jammu and Kashmir Finance Department has notified that eighty-three AIS officers have submitted their option forms to shift from the National Pension System (NPS) to the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS). See Order Copy Click Here. The post 83 AIS Officers In J&K Opt For Migration From NPS To UPS appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Mumbai, Dec 9: After days of bickering, the ruling allies BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena have decided to contest the elections to municipal corporations in Maharashtra including Mumbai and Thane as an alliance, Sena sources claimed on Tuesday. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Shinde decided at a late-night meeting on Monday that the ruling parties will contest these polls as members of the existing Mahayuti alliance, the sources said. The dates for the municipal co

NEW DELHI, Dec 9: No airline, however large, will be permitted to cause hardship to passengers through planning failures and non-compliance with regulations, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Tuesday on the mass disruptions in IndiGo flight schedules. Making a statement in the Lok Sabha, Naidu said strict and appropriate action will be taken against IndiGo for the flight disruptions that have affected passengers across the country. The minister said the Directorate General of Civil

Pathanamthitta, Dec 9: The Congress on Tuesday said that UDF convenor Adoor Prakashs remark that Malayalam cinema star Dileep, who was acquitted in the sensational 2017 actress sexual assault case, got justice was his personal view. The grand old party also said it stood with the survivor. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala and party colleague Uma Thomas were of the view that the prosecution should go in appeal as it failed [] The post N

JAMMU, Dec 9: The Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council has announced immediate placements and adjustments of four officials in the interest of administration. As per the order, Senior Boxing Coach Anil Kumar Wadhere has been shifted from the Old Indoor Sports Complex, Jammu to M.A. Stadium, Jammu, where he will also conduct regular coaching classes. Joginder Kumar, Head Assistant at Sports Stadium Kathua, has been moved to the Divisional Sports Office, Jammu. Supervisor Vinod Kumar will continue at Sp

Dhanbad (Jharkhand), Dec 9: Emphasising that Indias sovereignty depends on mastering the resources beneath its soil, Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani on Tuesday said the nation must chart its own development path at a time when global alliances are increasingly fracturing. Delivering the keynote address at the 100th foundation day celebrations of the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, Adani said nations across the globe were acting in pure self-interest, and India

NEW DELHI, Dec 9: Deloitte India on Tuesday launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered platform, Tax Pragya, which will help tax professionals with faster research inputs and insights. The Tax Pragya platform functions as a mobile-friendly tax AI agent, enabling smarter search, faster learning and seamless cross-skilling across Income Tax, GST/Indirect Tax and Transfer Pricing, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP said in a statement. It will work as a search and summarisation platform and

NEW DELHI, Dec 9: Employers in India reported the second strongest employment outlook globally for the January-March period next year, with 52 per cent of corporates aiming to increase staffing levels over the next three months, a report said on Tuesday. According to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook survey, the Net Employment Outlook (NEO) for the first quarter of 2026 stood at 52 per cent, an increase of 27 per cent over the previous quarter and up 30 per [] The post Corporate India

NEW DELHI, Dec 9: Leading Indian companies like Tata Steel have joined hands with Swedish technology innovators to launch seven projects to drive decarbonisation in the domestic steel and cement sectors. As India advances towards its 2070 net-zero target, reducing emissions from these hard-to-abate sectors will be essential to support the countrys infrastructure development, industrial growth, and long-term climate ambitions, a press statement has said. The projects include using hydrogen in ro

NEW DELHI, Dec 9: Sajjan Jindal-led JSW Steel on Tuesday said its consolidated crude steel production rose 5 per cent to 24.39 lakh tonnes in November. The growth underscores the companys continued expansion and resilience in the competitive steel industry, strengthening its position as a key player in the countrys infrastructure sector. The companys crude steel output was 23.23 lakh tonnes in the corresponding month of the previous fiscal, JSW Steel said in a filing to BSE. The production [] T

ISLAMABAD, Dec 9: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a fresh disbursement of around USD 1.2 billion to Pakistan under a bilateral arrangement, highlighting the country maintained stability despite the devastating floods. The IMF Executive Board granted approval under a dual-track bailout, the 37-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the climate-focused Resilience Sustainability Facility (RSF), on Monday in a meeting held in Washington, Dawn reported on Tuesday. Cash-strapped Pakist

COTONOU, Dec 9: Benins President Patrice Talon said the situation is completely under control after an attempted coup on Sunday was thwarted by government forces, assisted by the Nigerian military. Benin, home to around 14 million people, has experienced occasional coups since gaining independence from France in 1960 but has maintained uninterrupted democratic governance for the past 20 years. While Porto-Novo is the official capital, Cotonou serves as the countrys largest city and administrativ

Surin(Thailand), Dec 9: Cambodias powerful Senate President Hun Sen on Tuesday vowed that his country would carry out a fierce fight against Thailand as a second day of widespread renewed combat between the Southeast Asian neighbours drove tens of thousands of people to flee border areas. Fighting broke out following a skirmish in which one Thai soldier was killed Sunday night, despite a ceasefire that ended five days of fighting in July over competing territorial claims along their border, []