Daily Excelsior

Washington, May 26: The US military said it carried out self-defence strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats placing mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations were proceeding nicely. The strikes were done to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces, but the military was using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire, Capt. Tim Hawkins, US Central Command spokesman, said in a statement on Monday. Further details were no

Excelsior Sports Correspondent REASI, May 25: Department of Youth Services & Sports (DYSS), Reasi, organized Inter-Zonal Sports Competitions for Under-14 and Under-17 boys at General Zorawar Singh Stadium, Indoor Sports Complex Reasi and the District Youth Services & Sports Office Reasi. Competitions were held in Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Volleyball, Badminton, Yoga, Chess, Wrestling and Table Tennis. A total of 437 students participated, including 202 in the Under-14 category and 235 in the Under-17 ca

NEW DELHI, May 25 : President Droupadi Murmu on Monday conferred the Padma Vibhushan on Bollywood actor Dharmendra posthumously and classical musician and violinist N Rajam at a Civil Investiture Ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here. As the name of Dharmendras wife Hema Malini, a BJP MP, was announced to receive his award for his exceptional and distinguished service in the field of art, their daughter Ahana Deol, sitting in the audience, broke down in tears. Rajam was honoured for [] The pos

COLOMBO, May 25: India on Monday handed over 134 police cabs to Sri Lanka in a ceremony held at the Presidential Estate, marking another significant chapter in the multifaceted development partnership between the two countries. A Memorandum of Understanding for the deal was signed in December 2024 during Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayakes state visit to New Delhi. Handed over a fleet of 134 single cabs, funded through a grant of SLR 300 million, to @SL_PoliceMedia in the gracious []

Prof D Mukherjee mukhopadhyay.dinabandhu@gmail.com India, one of the worlds oldest civilizations and the largest democracy, has since 1947 faced a wide range of internal and external challenges affecting its territorial integrity, constitutional order, internal security, and socio-economic development. These include partition-related violence, insurgencies, cross-border terrorism, separatist movements, ideological extremism, demographic pressures, cyber threats, economic coercion, and occasional

Dr Dushyant Pradeep dushyant3186@gmail.com A classroom is often imagined as a room where one teacher delivers the same lesson, at the same pace, to the same age group, and expects similar outcomes from every child. That image is neat, efficient, and deeply misleading. In reality, children differ widely in prior knowledge, language ability, home support, motivation, confidence, pace of learning, and the ways in which they understand ideas. An education system that ignores these differences does n

Vishal Sharma US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio is on a four day visit to India to attend Quad Ministerial meeting. He touched down in Kolkata instead of Delhi and attended Mother Teresas Missionaries of Charity in the city of joy. Why did he do that? The general feeling is that he is a devout catholic and he wanted a powerful religious symbol to start his visit to Delhi and he got one in MoC in Kolkata. But why did [] The post Rubios Quad visit appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

MUMBAI, May 25 : Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said that there has been an unimaginable jump in the global fertiliser prices after the West Asia crisis. Echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modis austerity call, she asked people to focus on 3Fs fuel, fertiliser and forex in the current scenario. Speaking at the 37th foundation day event of Sidbi here, the finance minister said the West Asia crisis is not just a diplomatic or geopolitical issue, but [] The post Sitharaman says

NEW DELHI, May 25: The government has been taking effective measures for prosperity of farmers and modernisation of agriculture, Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has said. In his written message on the occasion of IFFCOs 55th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Monday, Shah lauded the efforts of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO) for strengthening the countrys cooperative movement and also its key role for the growth of fertiliser as well as the farm sector. The message was s

Excelsior Correspondent NEW DELHI, May 25: A high-level delegation led by Dr. Eva Ortega-Pano, Secretary General, Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Govt of Spain, called on Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh at Kartvaya Bhawan, here today and today held high-level discussions primarily on astrophysics collaboration a

HM lauds forces for rescue, CM orders inquiry Fayaz Bukhari Srinagar, May 25: A major disaster was averted today as 320 tourists were stranded mid-air for hours after the cable car, popularly known as the Gondola, developed a technical snag in the tourist resort of Gulmarg today. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp These tourists were stranded in 65 cabins of the cable car mid-air and it took 8 hours for disaster response teams comprising the State Disaster Response [] The post Major

NEW DELHI, May 25 : Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday directed officials to undertake comprehensive monsoon preparedness, including effective drainage management, to minimise disruptions as he reviewed national highway projects in Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. In the review meetings, Gadkari assessed the quality and maintenance status of National Highways (NHs) covering 10,064 km in Rajasthan and 1,947 km in Himachal Pradesh. He emphasised timely execution of projects, strict adherence to

Excelsior Correspondent Srinagar, May 25: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today reiterated that terrorism and talks with Pakistan cannot go together, asserting that Islamabad must dismantle terror infrastructure and stop supporting terrorists before any dialogue process with India can resume. Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson R.P. Singh said the Government of Indias position on Pakistan remained unchanged despite recent remarks by the RSS general secretary favouring dialo

52 compassionate job letters given Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, May 25: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today handed over appointment orders to beneficiaries under SRO-43 and the J&K Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme (RAS) at the Civil Secretariat here, reaffirming the governments commitment towards supporting families who have suffered irreparable personal loss. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additiona

Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, May 25: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today visited the sacred Hazratbal Shrine to review the preparations for the upcoming auspicious festival of Eid ul-Adha. He was accompanied by Dr Syed Darakhshan Andrabi, Chairperson, J&K Waqf Board; Mufti Reyaz ul Haq, Chief Imam Hazratbal Shrine; Anshul Garg, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; Rajiv Omprakashn, DIG CKR; Dr. GV Sundeep Chakravarthy, SSP Srinagar; Akshay Labroo, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar; Faz Lul Haseeb,

Admn to soon come out with Rehab Policy Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, May 25: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today said that crackdown against narco-terrorists and drug smugglers will continue till the last smuggler is eliminated from Jammu and Kashmir. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp While addressing a massive anti-drug rally in Bandipora, Sinha said J&K is united, strong in resolve, clear in purpose and fully committed to freeing the society from drugs once and for all. The

NEW DELHI, May 25: The Department of Consumer Affairs is examining the possibility of introducing standard pack sizes for edible oils under the Legal Metrology framework after receiving suggestions from industry associations representing nearly 90 per cent of the countrys edible oil sector. A meeting under the chairpersonship of the Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs was held with representatives of major edible oil industry associations to discuss concerns regarding the increasing number

*Meets legislators, VCs Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, May 25: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today handed over regularisation orders to Contingent Paid Workers (CPWs) of the School Education Department at Civil Secretariat function here. Minister for School Education Sakeena Itoo was present on the occasion. Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Special Secretary School Education Ghulam Rasool Mir, Director School Education Kashmir Naseer Ahmed Wani and other senior o

Comprehensive draft being finalized for MoEF *Final call to be taken up by UPSC after completion of formalities Sanjeev Pargal JAMMU, May 25: In a significant decision that could lead to induction of nearly 32 officers into the Indian Forest Services (IFoS), the Jammu and Kashmir administration has initiated the process and will shortly be sending comprehensive proposal to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) which requires further clearance from the Union Public Services Commiss

Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, May 25: The 3rd Open Khelo Jammu Amrita Cup Chess Championship was organized by Vivek Chess Academy under the aegis of the All J&K Chess Association at its premises, witnessing enthusiastic participation from young chess players across various age categories. In the overall categories, Amrita Gupta and Ishaan Chowdhary emerged winners in the girls and boys sections respectively and were awarded Rs 1,000 each along with trophy cups. In the Under-16 category,

Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, May 25: The semifinals of the Akhnoor Football Cup were held today at Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Akhnoor, amid great enthusiasm and competitive spirit under the theme of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinhas anti-drug campaign, Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life. The Tournament is being organized by Akhnoor Sports Club with the objective of promoting sports culture and spreading awareness among youth against drug abuse and substance addiction. In the

Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, May 25: The 11th District Jammu Pencak Silat Championship 2026 commenced today with great enthusiasm and sporting spirit. The championship is being organized by the District Jammu Pencak Silat Association with the participation of players from various clubs and institutions across the district. The opening ceremony of the tournament was inaugurated by chief guest Advocate Kaushal Parihar in the presence of distinguished guests Ritika, Manager Indoor Stadium,

Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, May 25: Team Dablehar emerged champions of the Anti-Drug Cricket Tournament organized at Chack Majra, Bishnah, after defeating Team Raipur Satwari in an exciting final to lift the trophy. The 15-day tournament witnessed participation from more than 20 local teams and drew enthusiastic support from sports lovers across the area. The tournament was organized with the objective of promoting sportsmanship and spreading awareness against drug abuse among youth. T

Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, May 25: Department of Youth Services and Sports (DYSS), Jammu today organized Inter-Zonal District Level competitions for Under-14 and Under-17 boys at Khel Gaon Nagrota, SD Sabha School Rehari and MA Stadium Jammu. The competitions were held under the patronage of Director General Youth Services and Sports J&K Anuradha Gupta, under the guidance of Joint Director YS&S Jammu Inderjeet Singh and overall supervision of DYSSO Jammu Sukhdev Raj Sharma. In the vol

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, May 25: Prof Adit Gupta, Principal of MIER College of Education (Autonomous) Jammu and Director of the MIER Group of Institutions, has brought international recognition to the Institution by presenting cutting-edge research at the International Conference on GenAI and Pedagogical Innovations in Higher Education (GaPI 2026), held at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong. The conference, one of the most significant global gatherings in the field of artifici

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, May 25: Government Ayurvedic Hospital Jammu organized a health awareness and yoga camp at Tiny Tots Higher Secondary School, Jammu. The programme was conducted under the guidance of Dr Ajay K Tikoo and the directions of Dr Aruna Bhat. The programme was graced by the presence of chief guests Mona Chalotra, 1st Class Magistrate, Deputy Commissioners Office Jammu, renowned social activist of Old Jammu City Mohit Sharma and Veena Handa, Principal of Tiny Tots Higher Se

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, May 25: Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS), Bahu Fort today organized an awareness workshop on environmental conservation and drug-free living, aimed at motivating students to adopt a healthy and responsible lifestyle. The workshop was conducted by noted environmentalist and social activist Kewal Wadhera, who inspired students with his energetic interaction and practical message on social responsibility despite being 85 years old. Addressing the students, Wa

NEW DELHI, May 25: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Japanese counterpart Motegi Toshimitsu on Monday held wide-ranging talks focusing on economic fallout of the West Asia crisis in view of disruptions in energy supply chains. Motegi is in New Delhi to attend a meeting of foreign ministers of the Quad nations. India and Japan have a special strategic and global partnership and that signals that our ties have a larger implication, larger importance and larger impact, Jaishankar said

JAMMU, May 25: Security forces busted a terrorist hideout after a brief firing as the search operation to track down suspected militants believed to be hiding in the dense woods of Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district entered the third consecutive day on Monday, officials said. An encounter broke out between terrorists and security forces in the Dorimal-Gambhir Moghla belt on Saturday following the launch of Operation Sheruwali by a joint team of the Army, police and paramilitary forces. The oper

SRINAGAR, May 25: Over 300 tourists were left stranded mid-air for hours inside 65 cabins of the famous Gulmarg Gondola cable car after a major technical snag halted Asias highest ropeway, causing panic among the holidayers before they were rescued. A massive, multi-agency rescue operation that lasted seven hours ensured the safe evacuation of all passengers, some of whom were trapped in cabins dangling nearly 500 ft above the ground, officials said. Operations for both phases of the cable car [

JAMMU, May 25: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday attached immovable properties worth around Rs 45 lakh belonging to a drug peddler at Katra in Reasi district, officials said. The action was taken against Jamad Ali, a resident of Kheri Paroh in Katra tehsil, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, police said. The attached properties included two residential houses allegedly acquired using proceeds generated from the illegal narcotics trade, they added. According to the

NEW DELHI, May 25: President of India Droupadi Murmu today conferred Padma Awards on 66 distinguished personalities during the first Civil Investiture Ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The awards, among the countrys highest civilian honours, were presented in recognition of exceptional contribution in different fields, including literature, education, social work, science, public affairs and arts. Among the awardees from Jammu and Kashmir, Prof. Shafi Shauq was conferred the Padma Shri for hi

New Delhi, May 25: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a Junior Assistant, working in the office of the Superintending Engineer, PHE Mechanical Urban Circle, Narwal, Jammu, in a bribery case, the release said. The CBI registered the instant case on Sunday against the said accused based on a complaint alleging that the accused demanded a bribe of Rs. 4,500 from the complainant for processing and clearing the pension case of the complainant. The accused had shared the [] The pos

JAMMU, May 25: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved the selection list of 39 candidates for appointment as Civil Judges (Junior Division). The approval was accorded by the Lieutenant Governor on the recommendation of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission in terms of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Judicial) Recruitment Rules, 1967, according to an official order issued by the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. See detail click here. The post LG Approve

Jammu, May 25: There is no respite from the prevailing heat wave conditions as the Jammu city today experienced the maximum temperature around 40.3 degrees Celsius. Jammu district today recorded a maximum of 40.3 degrees Celsius, and the minimum was 24.6 degrees Celsius, while Katra town in Reasi district was the second hottest place at 37.8 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature was 22.6 degrees Celsius. However, Banihal recorded 25.6 degrees Celsius, Batote 28.1 degrees Celsius, and Bhade

SRINAGAR, May 25: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo today chaired the meeting of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction (DMRR&R) to review and approve a series of significant initiatives aimed at strengthening disaster mitigation, preparedness and response mechanisms across Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Finance; Principal Secretary, DMRR&R; Commandant General, SDRF; Commissioner

SRINAGAR, MAY 25: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today met legislators, Vice Chancellors and various delegations at the Civil Secretariat here and discussed a wide range of issues concerning regional development, public welfare, higher education, healthcare and infrastructure. A delegation of Members of the Legislative Assembly comprising Javid Iqbal (Budhal), Muzaffar Iqbal Khan (Thanamandi), Choudhary Mohammed Akram (Surankote) and Iftikhar Ahmed (Rajouri) called on the Chief Minister and discus

New Delhi, May 25: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the appointment of IPS officer Rakesh Balwal as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on deputation basis. According to an official order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 25, 2026, Balwal, a 2012-batch IPS officer of the Manipur cadre, has been appointed as DIG in CRPF under the usual terms and conditions of central deputation. The MHA has requested the [] The post MHA Appoints Rak

JAMMU, May 25: The Apni Party on Monday expressed concern over the delay in the panchayat and urban local body (ULB) elections in Jammu and Kashmir and urged the authorities to hold them without further delay to strengthen grassroots governance, a party spokesperson said. The demand was raised during a provincial-level meeting of the Apni Party held under the chairmanship of party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari here. The meeting reviewed the prevailing political situation in Jammu and Kas

SRINAGAR, May 25: In a major push against narco-terror in Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday led a massive padyatra in Bandipora to galvanise support for the cause. Forty-five days ago, I pledged not only to dismantle the smugglers and narco-terrorists ecosystem, but also to spark a movement that uplifts youth and restores dignity to families scarred by addiction, the lieutenant governor said. Sinha said Jammu and Kashmir is united, strong in resolve, clear in purpose a

KYIV, May 25: Belarus exiled opposition leader visited Kyiv on Monday as the Ukrainian capital cleaned up after Russias biggest missile attack of the year, and world leaders kept a close eye on how much support the Belarusian government is ready to provide for Moscows all-out invasion of Ukraine. Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya arrived by train in Kyiv for her first visit to the city, a day after French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with President Alexander Lukas

BEIJING/ISLAMABAD, May 25: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday met Chinese President Xi Jinping, who hailed Beijings unbreakable friendship with Islamabad and commended Pakistan for taking the initiative to play a mediating role in restoring peace in West Asia. During the meeting at the Great Hall of the People, Xi called Shehbaz an old friend and said the two countries understood, trusted and supported each other over decades, forging an unbreakable traditional friendship, according to Dawn

SRINAGAR, May 25: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a high-level review meeting with Administrative Secretaries of all departments to assess the Action Taken Reports (ATRs) on implementation of actionable points emerging from the Prime Ministers interaction with Secretaries to the Government of India, with special emphasis on strengthening the Whole of Government approach, enhancing Ease of Living through end-to-end digitization of public services and undertaking comprehensive process

NEW DELHI, May 25: The Delhi High Court on Monday listed for hearing on July 16 the CBI plea against the trial court order discharging AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Durgesh Pathak and other accused in the liquor policy case. Justice Manoj Jain noted that three vakalatnama appeared to have been filed on behalf of the three unrepresented AAP leaders, who had earlier boycotted the hearing before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, and deferred further hearing to await the [] The post Ex

NEW DELHI, May 25: The NIAs probe into the Red Fort car blast case has revealed a chilling conspiracy by the accused to carry out a series of terror attacks in Lucknow with targets including legislative assembly and other prominent locations with high footfalls, official sources said on Monday. They said that two of the key accused Dr Muzammil Shakeel and Dr Shaheen Saeed travelled from Haryanas Faridabad to Lucknow between August 25 and 30, 2025 as part [] The post Red Fort Blast Accused Visi

SRINAGAR, May 25: A joint rescue operation is currently underway in Gulmarg to ensure the safe evacuation of tourists stranded in cable car cabins following a technical malfunction earlier today. The Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is personally monitoring the situation. He spoke to the Chief Secretary, Shri Atal Dulloo and has directed the Director General of Police Shri Nalin Prabhat to proceed to the site to oversee the rescue mission. In a post on X, the Lieutenant Governor has said: [] The

Srinagar, May 25: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today visited the sacred Hazratbal Shrine to review the preparations for the upcoming auspicious festival of Eid ul-Adha. He was accompanied by Dr Syed Darakhshan Andrabi, Chairperson, J&K Waqf Board; Mufti Reyaz ul Haq, Chief Imam Hazratbal Shrine; Anshul Garg, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; Rajiv Omprakashn, DIG CKR; Dr. GV Sundeep Chakravarthy, SSP Srinagar; Akshay Labroo, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar; Faz Lul Haseeb, Municipal Commissioner

NEW DELHI, May 25: A review of nearly 90 studies across 19 countries, including the US, Canada and several European countries, where cycling was tested as an intervention has found that the physical activity can be an accessible tool for improving brain health and overall well-being, such as through better moods and increased social connections. Researchers from Outride, a US-based non-profit, The University of Oklahoma and Loma Linda University, said that with increasing mental health challenge

NEW DELHI, May 25: Cyient Semiconductors on Monday said it has secured financing of USD 30 million (about Rs 286 crore) from funds managed by Edelweiss and affiliated co-investors to scale up its global semiconductor business. The transaction includes an equity investment of about USD 10 million (Rs 100 crore) at a post-money equity valuation of USD 500 million (Rs 4,600 crore), alongside USD 20 million in structured debt designed to support long-duration growth, the company said in a regulatory

NEW DELHI, May 25: Realty firm Puravankara Ltd has acquired a 14.57-acre land parcel in Bengaluru to develop a housing project with a revenue potential of around Rs 2,300 crore. In a regulatory filing on Monday, the company said it has secured a 14.57-acre land parcel located in Mandur, Budigere, in Bengaluru. Out of the total area, 7.92 acre is part of a joint development agreement (JDA), while 6.65 acre has been purchased by Puravankara, as per the filing. The [] The post Puravankara acquires