Daily Excelsior

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, May 17: The Institution of Engineers (India), Jammu Centre today celebrated World Telecommunication and Information Society Day with a seminar on the theme Digital Lifelines-Strengthening Resilience in Connected World, where speakers stressed the need for stronger cyber security systems and resilient digital infrastructure. The programme was attended by engineers from various departments and organizations along with senior members of the institution. Dr Piyush Sing

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, May 17: Jammu Computer Dealer Association, popularly known as JCDA, organised Run for Fun Season 3 on the theme Say No to Drugs at Tawi River Front, here today. JCDA is the apex body representing business owners dealing in computers, office automation, and other IT products and services in Jammu. As part of its commitment to promote healthy living amongst its members, JCDA organises a five kilometre run every year and in this connection this year the [] The post Co

Sunny Dua Sunnydua55@gmail.com As the world prepares to observe International Museum Day on May 18, the spotlight once again falls on preserving cultural heritage and making museums interactive, educational and accessible for all. In Jammu, however, the condition of the historic Dogra Art Museum raises serious concerns about conservation, accessibility and long-term planning, specially making it differently-abled friendly. For decades, the museum has witnessed repeated shifting from one location

Iqbal Ahmad iqbal61@yahoo.co.in International Museum Day is celebrated on 18 May 2026. This year, it is being celebrated under the interesting theme Museums Uniting a Divided World. Coordinated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), this 80th anniversary highlights the role of museums as bridges for cultural exchange, peace, and social cohesion, fostering dialogue across divisions. The year 2026 marks the 80th anniversary of ICOM, enhancing the significance of this years focus on sustai

Anil Paba, Vinod Kumar pabaanil@gmail.com Museums have long been recognized as centres of learning, preservation, and civilisation. The word museum is derived from the Greek term Mouseion, meaning the seat of the Muses-the goddesses of art, literature, music, and knowledge in Greek mythology. Since around 300 BCE, museums have served as repositories of human achievement, safeguarding objects related to history, culture, science, art, and social development. They are far more than buildings that

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, May 17: The Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Kavinder Gupta said that effective leadership is not merely about holding a position but about carrying people along, understanding the needs of society and becoming an instrument of positive change. Addressing the Club Leadership Learning Seminar, organised by Rotary District 3070 in Jammu, the Governor lauded Rotarys contributions across education, healthcare, environmental protection, water conservation, women empowermen

Sunil, Koul, Billawaria address training camps Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, May 17: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jammu & Kashmir, organized various district-level training camps under the ongoing Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Prashikshan Mahabhiyan across different districts to strengthen the organizational structure and ideologically empower party workers. J&K BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP, Sat Sharma, accompanied by Leader of the Opposition in the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sh

*Voter deletion turned WB elections in favour of BJP: Mir Excelsior Correspondent LOLAB, May 17: The JKPCC president Tariq Hameed Karra today said that Congress played a key role in the overall development of border residents while leaving no room for any sort of discrimination with the people living in Jammu and Kashmir. The present dispensation at Centre has done nothing for the people except making false promises aiming to mislead people on every count. The approach of the BJP [] The post Kar

Excelsior Correspondent POONCH, May 17: Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, today laid the foundation for a series of major development projects worth Rs 57.98 crore in Mendhar, aimed at strengthening the drinking water supply, irrigation infrastructure and rural connectivity across several remote and border villages. The projects included 20 Water Supply Schemes under the UT CAPEX programme with a cumulative cost of Rs 51.84 crore. These

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, May 17: MP, Jammu Poonch Lok Sabha constituency, Jugal Kishore Sharma highlighted the transformative changes and rapid development in Jammu & Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A. Addressing the concluding session of two-day workshop Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Prashikshan Mahaabhiyan by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jammu South Unit at Patnitop in Udhampur district today, he emphasized the implementation of mega development projects under the

Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyaan Excelsior Correspondent SAMBA, May 17: In a major crackdown on drug network by Samba police, 50 kanals of land worth Rs 60 crore which was encroached by them has been retrieved while 33 illegal structures raised by them have been demolished in Balole Khad area near SIDCO, Bari Brahmana. The demolition drive was jointly carried by Samba police under the overall supervision of SSP Samba, Anuj Kumar and district administration at identified drugs hotspot Balole Khad [] The p

Excelsior Correspondent RAMBAN, May 17: A truck veered off the road and rolled down into a Nallah near Nachlana area of Banihal on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway this morning. According to Police, information was received at Police Station Banihal regarding an accident involving a truck bearing registration number HR58C-1547 moving from Jammu to Srinagar and reportedly being driven in rash and negligent manner. Click here to watch video Officials said that at around 8:10 am, the truck plunged i

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, May 17: The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) J&K has arrested a hardcore interstate drug smuggler from Patiala in Punjab in connection with a narcotics trafficking case registered at Police Station ANTF Jammu. Officials said the accused, identified as Rajwinder Singh, a resident of Ghuman Nagar, Patiala, was wanted in FIR number 01/2026 registered at Police Station ANTF Jammu. Acting on specific inputs, they said a team of ANTF Jammu conducted a series of raids at

Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, May 17: A local court here said that supplementary complaint and further investigation therein during pendency of trial of the case is not permissible without prior permission of the court and dismissed the proceedings against the co-accused involved in drug trafficking. The facts of the case is that after presentation of basic complaint by NCB before Principal Sessions Judge Samba against the accused was chargesheeted by the court on October 2022 for commission

Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, May 17: The police today seized 15 vehicles involved in the unauthorised extraction and transportation of minerals in Shopian and Pulwama districts. A spokesperson said that in Shopian, police seized 10 tractors and two tippers involved in illegal extraction and transportation of minerals from Imamsahib and Keegam areas. During routine patrolling, a police team from Police Station Imamsahib intercepted and seized seven tractors and two tippers at different locat

Excelsior Correspondent KATRA, May 17: Katra Police arrested three persons under Arms Act and recovered a sharp edged weapon from their possession. According to Police, a naka was laid at Nangal Road, Katra and during checking, a Maruti Eeco vehicle bearing registration number JK20C-1653 was stopped for inspection. During the search of the vehicle, one sharp-edged toka was recovered from possession of the occupants. The driver of the vehicle identified himself as Chain Singh, son of Krishan Dass

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, May 17: Akhil Bhartiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP), Jammu prant, organized a grand ceremony at Seva Bharti Sabhagar, Ved Mandir, Jammu, to acknowledge the contribution of individuals and organizations associated with consumer awareness and consumer protection initiatives through advertisements in the ABGP annual magazine Samarika. The programme witnessed participation of social workers, business representatives and members of the organization. The proceedings of the ev

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, May 17: A joint meeting of various teachers and employees organizations was held today at Hari Singh Park, Jammu, to deliberate upon issues concerning the teaching fraternity, particularly the TET issue and the future course of action regarding protection of teachers appointed up to 30-10-2019. The meeting witnessed participation from several prominent organizations, including Jammu and Kashmir Teachers Forum (JKTF), All Teachers Association J&K (ATAJK), United Sch

Excelsior Correspondent BHADERWAH, May 17: A public grievance redressal camp was organized here today and was attended by MLA Bhaderwah, Daleep Singh Parihar and Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Bhaderwah, Sunil Kumar Bhutyal. Among others present in the camp were DFO Bhaderwah, Tehsildars of Bhaderwah and Bhalla, SDPO Bhaderwah, Executive Officer of Municipal Committee Bhaderwah, CDPO Bhaderwah, BMO Bhaderwah, SHO Bhaderwah, officers from BDA, Assistant Executive Engineers and various distr

*J&K to procure addl power to meet shortfall: MD Gopal Sharma JAMMU, May 17: With the hot weather conditions on rise in Jammu, the power crisis has begun in the winter capital and other major towns like, Kathua and Samba, as the water discharge in Chenab and other major rivers has gone down, affecting power generation in the hydro-electric power projects, forcing the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to procure additional electricity supply from the Centre. The sudden breakdown [] The post Po

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, May 17: A one day national seminar on the topic Contribution of Women in Viksit Bharat 2047 : A Historical Perspective was organized by Bhartiya Itihas Sankalan Samiti, Jammu Kashmir Ladakh Prant in collaboration with Centre for Comparative Religion & Civilisation, Central University of Jammu at Keshav Bhawan, Amphalla, here , today. The seminar was organized to highlight the contribution of women in the nation building and upholding the civilizational moorings of

DHARAMSHALA, May 17: Royal Challengers Bengaluru held their nerve and survived a late onslaught to edge out Punjab Kings by 23 runs to become the first team to secure an IPL playoffs berth with an all-round performance here on Sunday. Venkatesh Iyer blasted a spectacular 40-ball 73 not out and powered RCB to 222 for four. Virat Kohli (58 off 37 balls), Devdutt Padikkal (45 off 25 balls) and Tim David (28 off 12) were the other significant contributors for [] The post RCB secure IPL playoff berth

Excelsior Correspondent RAMBAN, May 17: Ramban Police today solved a major theft case involving the stealing of tower batteries from a telecom site in Batote, arresting multiple accused allegedly linked to an organised inter-district racket. The case was registered at Police Station Batote under FIR No. 26/2026 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), following a complaint by Vivek Raina, Cluster Head of Indus Towers Limited. The complaint reported the theft of 48 tower batt

990 Samitis ignite peoples war against drugs in Jammu *Over 35 lakh citizens join 72,243 awareness progs Mohinder Verma JAMMU, May 17: In an unprecedented grassroot mobilisation against drug abuse, District Jammu has transformed its anti-narcotics campaign into a powerful peoples movement through the constitution of 990 Nasha Nigrani Samitis across villages and urban wards under the ongoing 100-day Nasha Mukt Abhiyan and this initiative has led to registration of 68 FIRs, arrest of 89 drug peddl

Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, May 17: After winning the Asian U-15 Boxing Gold medal recently, Mohammed Yasser from Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district has appealed to the Government for sponsorship, prize money and residential support to continue his sporting journey and prepare for upcoming International competitions, including the Olympics. He has also sought urgent financial assistance to sustain his training, education and basic livelihood needs. Yasser, who works as a cook in a pay

SRINAGAR, May 17 : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh today said that the mainstreaming of Jammu & Kashmir under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led to a visible aspirational surge among women, marked by rising self-confidence, growing competitiveness and expanding leadership across sectors. The Minister said, women from Jammu

JAMMU, May 17: In view of the lower discharge in the rivers, the power crisis threat being reported in the Jammu district. The Jammu Power Development Corporation Limited (JPDCL) said in a post on X, Lower discharge in rivers reduced power generation, affecting power demand and causing outages in many Jammu areas last night. Efforts are made to procure power to tide over the crisis, it further posted, adding, Consumers are requested to use power judiciously. Inconvenience regretted. However, mer

Rajouri/Jammu May 17: A young man drowned after he was swept away by strong currents while taking a bath in a natural waterfall in Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district, while two others were rescued from the rapids, officials said on Sunday. Officials said the body of the deceased was retrieved on Sunday afternoon on the second day of the search and rescue operation along the stream near Khorinar village in Darhal area. The deceased was identified as Mohammad Maroof, [] The post Youth Drowns In

BEIJING, May 17: One worker died and nine remain missing after a pickup truck fell off a bridge in southwest China on Saturday, state media reported. The truck, carrying a total of 15 people, was transporting workers to a sweet potato farm in the southern Guangxi region. Five people were rescued, authorities said. Search and rescue efforts continued Sunday for the remaining nine missing people. The truck plunged into the river while crossing a low-water bridge in Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous [] T

SRINAGAR, May 17: Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday endorsed RSS functionary Dattatreya Hosabales recent remark that people-to-people contact is key to breaking the deadlock with Pakistan and there should always be a window for dialogue. The solution to Kashmir lies in dialogue and within the framework of the Constitution. Whatever we have to achieve needs to be done from Delhi and here (Jammu and Kashmir). We believe in engagement and talks. We seek peace with dignity,

Drone strike caused fire outside nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi, reports AP citing UAE authorities The post Drone strike caused fire outside nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi, reports AP citing UAE authorities appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

SRINAGAR, May 17: Infiltrating Jammu and Kashmir to execute terror attacks for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LET), a Pakistani terrorist paused his operations to fulfil a personal dream getting a hair transplant. Mohammed Usman Jatt, alias Chinese, told interrogators that he found life in Kashmir completely different from what he had been tutored in terrorist training camps and went for hairline restoration in Srinagar after learning about it from a shop owner, officials said here on Sunday. The

RAJOURI/JAMMU, May 17: A high explosive artillery shell was found in a forward village in Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district, officials said. Locals in Dhanaka village of Nowshera sub-division spotted the shell on Sunday and informed the security forces, they said. Subsequently, a joint team of police and the Army rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area, they said. Officials said the shell was subjected to technical examination by experts at the site. Later, the Armys bomb disposal [] The

KANDLA (GUJARAT), May 17: A vessel carrying 20,000 metric tonnes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) arrived at Deendayal Port Authority in Kandla in Gujarat after crossing the Strait of Hormuz amid the West Asia crisis, officials said on Sunday. The Marshall Islands-flagged MV SYMI started its journey from Qatar and docked at the port in Kandla around 11.30 pm on Saturday after crossing the Strait of Hormuz on May 13, they added. Since early March, 13 India-flagged vessels, comprising 12 [] The po

ANANTNAG, May 17: Hundreds of people from multiple villages in south Kashmirs Anantnag district on Sunday participated in the centuries-old Panzath festival, a traditional community event centered around cleaning freshwater springs that supply drinking water and irrigate agricultural land across the region. The annual festival, locally known for collective fish-catching activities, was observed at the historic Panzath spring area near Qazigund, where residents entered streams and spring channels

NEW DELHI, May 17: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi why he was not sacking Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan despite repeated paper leaks in his tenure. In a post on X, Gandhi also questioned the silence of the prime minister on the matter. NEET 2024: Paper leaked. Exam not cancelled. Minister did not resign. CBI set up an investigation. A committee was formed. NEET 2026: Paper leaked. Exam cancelled. Minister still did not resign. CBI [] The post Why

ABUJA, May 17: Armed gunmen stormed three schools in Nigerias Oyo State and abducted more than 45 school children in a coordinated daylight assault that has triggered panic across the southwest region and renewed fears over the countrys worsening insecurity. The attackers stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School in Esiele, and L.A. Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area during morning classes. The attackers, riding on motorcycles and fired shots indi

PESHAWAR, May 17: Security forces gunned down five terrorists in intelligence-based operations in northwest Pakistan, police said on Sunday. The operations were conducted late Saturday in the Bannu district of restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to police. The Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sajjad Khan said that the operations were launched following a recent attack on a police checkpost in Fateh Khel area in the district. At least 15 security officials were killed and several were in

JAMMU, May 17: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday launched crackdown on drug networks by demolishing illegal structures in the Samba district. The police spokesman said that a demolition drive was launched at identified drugs hotspot Balole Khad in Bari Brahmana area of Samna district as part of a focused anti-narcotics enforcement action being conducted jointly by district police and the civil administration against illegal structures. The demolished illegal structures had become a safe haven f

COLOMBO, May 17: SriLankan Airlines has accused several Indian employees based in its Chennai office of misappropriating funds worth Rs 22 million. In a statement issued on Saturday, the Sri Lankan flag carrier said that the fraud was carried out by altering invoices, payment details and signatures. With regard to the misappropriation of funds at SriLankan Airlines office in Chennai, the airline wishes to inform that a few employees, all Indian nationals working in the finance department in Chen

ISLAMABAD, May 17: Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvis previously unannounced visit to Tehran was linked by Pakistani and Iranian media to Islamabads continuing efforts to revive the stalled Iran-US peace process amid persistent tensions in West Asia. Dawn newspaper, quoting unnamed diplomatic sources, reported on Sunday that Naqvis two-day visit came after US President Donald Trump rejected Tehrans latest response to American proposals. It also said that Pakistan was continuing shuttle dip

NEW DELHI, May 17: Income Tax India urges people to file their Income Tax Return (ITR) by sharing a post on microblogging site X. Income Tax India said that online filing and Excel utilities for ITR-1 and ITR-4 for AY2026-27 are now available on e-filing portal. Form 16/16A generated and downloaded through the TRACES portal alone constitute a valid and authentic TDS certificate, Income Tax India wrote on X. Taxpayers should ensure that TDS certificates are relied upon while filing [] The post On

NEW DELHI, May 17: As India battles soaring energy import costs and a weakening rupee amid global oil turmoil, a Monaco-based fuel technology company says it may have found an answer hiding in plain sight: water. FOWE Eco Solutions, through its patented Cavitech fuel emulsion technology, claims industries can slash fuel consumption by up to 10 per cent, reduce harmful emissions dramatically, and improve equipment performance all without modifying engines or shutting plants down. The pitch comes

NEW DELHI, May 17: Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL), a public sector company under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), will set up a recovery plant in Jharkhand to extract uranium from tailings of state-owned Hindustan Copper, a top official said on Sunday. The move would help in augmenting domestic supplies of the strategic mineral used in nuclear power and defence applications. In an interview with PTI, Hindustan Copper Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Sanjiv Kumar Singh said tha

NEW DELHI, May 17: Two-wheeler market leader Hero MotoCorp has earmarked Rs 1,500 crore capex for FY27 to double its scooter production capacity, according to its CEO Harshavardhan Chitale. The company has also committed over Rs 700 crore of investment in building a global parts centre in South of India, he told analysts. We are investing in capacity expansion, and we have committed over Rs 1,500 crore of capex in FY27. And this capex is going to expand our capacity [] The post Hero MotoCorp lin

NEW DELHI, May 17: Foreign investors continued to pare their exposure to Indian equities, withdrawing Rs 27,048 crore so far this month, indicating cautiousness among global investors amid an evolving global macroeconomic and geopolitical environment. With this, total outflows by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) from the equity market have reached Rs 2.2 lakh crore in 2026, higher than the Rs 1.66 lakh crore pulled out during the entire 2025, according to data with the NSDL. FPIs were net sell

NEW DELHI, May 17: North America, North-East Asia, and Latin America together accounted for over 35 per cent of Indias merchandise exports, which stood at USD 441.78 billion in 2025-26, reflecting a gradual shift towards a more diversified and resilient global trade structure, according to commerce ministry data. Exports to East Africa increased 13.7 per cent to USD 12.6 billion, accounting for 2.9 per cent of Indias exports, while North Africa rose 14.8 per cent to USD 8 billion with [] The pos

AHMEDABAD, May 17: Union Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Gujarat must now elevate itself to the top position in the service sector after performing exceptionally well across key segments like manufacturing, engineering, and green energy. Speaking at the inauguration of Ganesh Housings Million Minds Tech Park, Shah asserted that if Ahmedabad aspired to position itself on par with major tech hubs like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Gurugram, such modern infrastructure initiatives are essential.

Saran (Bihar), May 17: Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani on Sunday performed Bhoomi Pujan for the launch of Adani Centre for Eye Diseases (ACE), in association with the Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital in Mastichak area of Bihars Saran district. Adani, accompanied by Priti Adani, chairperson, Adani Foundation, said the ACE will be a major effort to provide accessible and affordable eye care to those in need. Prior to this, the chairman of the Adani group and Priti Adani reached Gayatri [] The post Gaut

Leh, May 17: The Union Territory of Ladakh is all set to undergo one of the biggest reforms in its history, with Lieutenant Governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena, approving the long-pending wage rationalisation for daily wagers, part-time and seasonal/need-based workers, engaged by the Ladakh Administration. Thousands of wage earners, who have been working for as low as Rs 300 to Rs 500 per month for the past several years, will benefit from this move. Many of these workers had been working [] The post L