Daily Excelsior

NEW DELHI, Mar 26: A study has uncovered a brain-related pathway for how metformin the first-line treatment for diabetes for over 60 years and not considered to target the brain regulates blood sugar, opening the door to more targeted therapies. Its been widely accepted that metformin lowers blood glucose primarily by reducing glucose output in the liver. Other studies have found that it acts through the gut, author Makoto Fukuda, associate professor of pediatrics-nutrition at Baylor College o

Srinagar, Mar 26: The opposition PDP on Thursday said the onus was on the Jammu and Kashmir government to create new administrative units in the Union territory to empower various regions, after Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha gave his approval for considering a Private Members Bill to this effect. The government should clarify its position on the significant Bill introduced by PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, which proposes administrative reorganisation, including the creation of new divisions an

Srinagar, Mar 26: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday chaired a Cabinet meeting in Jammu, focusing on key development initiatives and governance priorities across the Union Territory. According to a post on X by the Office of J&K CM , the meeting reviewed progress on infrastructure projects and emphasized the need to accelerate their execution. The Cabinet also deliberated on strengthening public service delivery mechanisms and ensuring inclusive growth across Jammu and Ka

SRINAGAR, Mar 26: Swami Kalikananda Saraswati on Thursday said his Math will revive the Kumbh Mela in Kashmir by holding a 10-day festival in Bandipora district in July this year. We will be holding the Kumbh Mela at Shadipora (in Bandipora district) from July 15-24 this year. We expect two to three lakh devotees to take part in the event, he told mediapersons here. He said a one-day Kumbh Mela was held in Kashmir in 2016, with an estimated 35,000 [] The post Will Organise Kumbh Mela In Kashmirs

JAMMU, Mar 26: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday expressed gratitude to the Central leadership for providing additional financial support to Jammu and Kashmir. In a post on X, Office of J&K LG, said that the Lieutenant Governor thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for releasing 5,000 crore as additional central assistance to the Union Territory. He stated that the financial package will help in strengthening and con

SRINAGAR, Mar 26: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday expressed gratitude to the Central leadership for extending additional financial support to Jammu and Kashmir. In a post on X, Office of J&K CM, said that the Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for providing Additional Central Assistance of 5,000 crore to the Union Territory. The Chief Minister stated that the timely assistance will boost development

JAMMU, Mar 26: Warning people to refrain from panicking or crowding petrol pumps, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said reiterated that there is no shortage of fuel, LPG or essential commodities and said he was attending a meeting with the prime minister on the matter. My earnest request is that people stop camping outside petrol pumps. If this situation continues, I may be forced to shut all petrol pumps for the next few days until this cycle of [] The post Will Be Forced To Shut

JAMMU, Mar 26: A high-level meeting was chaired by Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo to take assessment of the steps taken by the Department of Health & Medical Education (H&ME) as part of an ongoing and sustained process to chart a comprehensive and transformative roadmap for healthcare reforms as recommended from time to time by NITI Aayog. The meeting witnessed the participation of senior officers of the Health & Medical Education Department and other key stakeholders, focusing on accelerating sys

Srinagar, Mar 26: The property of a proclaimed offender involved in anti-national activities was attached on Thursday in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, according to police. As part of ongoing efforts against the terror ecosystem, police in the Sopore area attached an immovable property belonging to an absconding suspect linked to an Egress and Internal Movement (Control) Ordinance (EIMCO) case registered at the Panzalla police station, a police spokesman said. The EIMCO Act is used in

Srinagar, Mar 26: Petrol pumps across Kashmir witnessed panic buying on Thursday as rumours of fuel shortage amid the West Asia conflict spread, even as authorities assured that sufficient quantities of essential supplies were available, officials said. People made a beeline for fuel stations in Srinagar city and other parts of the Valley with their vehicles, cans and bottles, leading to serpentine queues. Many fuel stations were shut and were turning away people, saying that their pumps had run

JAMMU, Mar 26: The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was reopened for traffic on Thursday after being blocked for several hours due to a massive landslide in Jammu and Kashmirs Ramban district, officials said. The highway was blocked at Karol, under the jurisdiction of Chanderkote police station, after huge rocks and boulders came crashing down onto the road, they said. No untoward incidents occurred as police had stopped traffic just minutes before the landslide, preventing any casualties or dama

JAMMU, Mar 26: Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar chaired a meeting to review and discuss the measures taken to prevent bird hazards in the vicinity of Jammu Airport. The meeting was attended by Air Officer Commanding, JK & L, AOC Air Force Station Jammu, Director Urban Local Bodies Jammu, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Commissioner JMC, Member Secretary, J&K Pollution Control Board, Jammu, Director Airport Jammu, SP South and other concerned officers. The meeting discussed different issues

SRINAGAR, Mar 26: The counter intelligence wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday carried out raids at multiple locations in the valley in connection with a UAPA case and cracked a transnational terror recruitment module operated by the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit, officials said. The Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) conducted extensive searches across three districts of Srinagar, Ganderbal, and Shopian, leading to the busting of the module operating in coordination with handlers

JAMMU, Mar 26: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday urged people not to believe in rumours regarding shortage of essential commodities, asserting that there is no scarcity of petrol, diesel or LPG in Jammu and Kashmir at present. Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister said, It is unfortunate that when the government speaks, people dont listen, but they believe rumours. We have reviewed the situation and there is no shortage of diesel, petrol or LPG cylinders. The situation remains unchang

JAMMU, Mar 26: The State Election Commission, Jammu and Kashmir, has announced the annual revision of the Panchayat Electoral Roll, with April 1, 2026, as the qualifying date. As per Sub Rule 4 of Rule 4 of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Rules, 1996, the electoral roll will be prepared in accordance with the provisions of the J&K Panchayati Raj Act 1989 and the procedure prescribed by the Election Authority. A communique issued from the J&K State Election Commission [] The post J&K State E

NEW DELHI, Mar 26: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact on Friday with the chief ministers of all states, barring those which are going to polls, to review their preparedness and plans in the wake of the West Asia conflict, sources said. This is the first time that the prime minister will hold a meeting with the chief ministers on the West Asia conflict which started on February 28 with the attack by the US-Israel on Iran. The Persian nation [] The post PM Modi To Interact With CMs On West

There is no shortage of diesel, petrol, or LPG cylinders and and there should be no fear of any kind, says J&K CM Omar Abdullah. The post There is no shortage of diesel, petrol, or LPG cylinders and and there should be no fear of any kind, says CM Omar Abdullah appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

JAMMU, Mar 26: The second leg of the Jammu and Kashmir Assemblys budget session is expected to begin on a stormy note on Friday, with opposition parties gearing up to corner the government over its poll promises and the restoration of statehood. During the 18-day-long first half of the session, which began on February 2, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his ministers presented the budget for the financial year 2026-27 and the supplementary statement of expenditure for 2025-26, besides grants []

FRANCIACORTA (ITALY), Mar 26: Indian racing prodigy Atiqa Mir capped off a stellar stint in the WSK Super Masters with a commendable eighth place finish out of 53 drivers in the final of Round 5, ending her campaign in the premier karting series as the highest-ranked female. Making a big voluntary switch from the mini (age 8-12) to junior category (12-14) at the start of 2026, the 11-year-old demonstrated her special talent all through the five-round series. Racing in the [] The post Racing Prod

CHANDIGARH, Mar 26: The Punjab Police on Thursday claimed to have busted an inter-state illegal weapons supply module with the arrest of two persons from Uttar Pradesh. The polices counter-intelligence wing in Jalandhar recovered 10 country-made pistols and 20 magazines from them, said Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav. The accused were involved in procuring weapons and carrying out firing for extortion at a travel agents residence in Garshankar on the directions of foreign handlers, the D

RAMBAN, Mar 26: Traffic movement was disrupted on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway after landslides and huge boulders blocked both tubes between Karol Bridge and Chanderkote area on Thursday, officials said. An official said that debris and boulders fell on the road stretch, leading to suspension of traffic on both sides. Vehicles were halted at safe locations, while announcements were made at Jakhiani regarding the blockage and temporary stoppage of traffic. They said clearance operations ha

NEW DELHI, Mar 26: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday, asking why the government was in a great hurry to amend the womens quota law. In his letter to Rijiju, Kharge also reiterated that an all-party meeting should be held on the matter after the current round of assembly elections is completed in April. Kharges letter came in response to one from the Union minister to the Congress chief seeking a meeting with [] The post Why is govt

NEW DELHI, Mar 26 : India is in the process of scaling up exploration of critical minerals, creating a startup-driven mining ecosystem and building strong domestic value chains to reduce import dependence, said Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh. Addressing the Governing Body meeting of the National Mineral Exploration and Development Trust (NMET), held at GPOA Complex, Dr Jitendra Singh set out key priorities to accelerate exploration, strengthen domestic capacity and expand participation in the

SINGAPORE, Mar 26: An Indian-origin man was on Thursday charged in a Singapore court for driving a luxury sports car with his two children sitting on the car boot. Prem Anan Sugunakumar was handed one count of rash act that endangered the safety of children below the age of 14, according to a report by Channel News Asia. He is said to have driven the vehicle along an upmarket housing conclave on October 20, 2025 and allowed the children, aged [] The post Singapore: Indian-origin man charged for

BANGKOK, Mar 26: Nuclear power is getting a second look in Southeast Asia as countries prepare to meet surging energy demand as they vie for artificial intelligence-focused data centres. Several Southeast Asian nations are reviving mothballed nuclear plans and setting ambitious targets and nearly half of the region could, if they pursue those goals, have nuclear energy in the 2030s. Even countries without current plans have signaled their interest. Southeast Asia has never produced a single watt

NEW DELHI, Mar 26: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued an advisory declaring stem cell therapy illegal for the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder in compliance with a Supreme Court order. The move is aimed at curbing illegal practices by private clinics in metropolitan and tier-2 cities that claim to treat autism and cerebral palsy using stem cell therapy, sources said. According to the advisory issued on March 25 to all medical colleges, hospitals and registered medical practiti

MOSCOW, Mar 26: Moscow will provide naval escort to ships carrying Russian cargo following growing cases of Western navies intercepting such vessels, the countrys maritime board said. The Maritime Board of Russia, headed by the top Kremlin aide, Nikolai Patrushev, in a meeting on Wednesday, devised a set of rules for countering detention of Russian ships on high seas and international shipping lanes, portnews.ru web portal for seafarers reported. Although these guidelines primarily cover the Azo

ISLAMABAD, Mar 26: Chinese ambassador Jiang Zaidong met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday and pledged his countrys continued support for trade and investment in Pakistan, a statement said. Jiang also appreciated Pakistans economic resilience in the meeting, also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and other officials, a statement by the PM Office said. Appreciating Chinas steadfast economic support, the Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistans commitment to a

SEOUL, Mar 26: Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held talks in North Koreas capital on Thursday and signed a friendship and cooperation treaty. Lukashenko, who was in Pyongyang on a two-day official visit, hailed the document as fundamental, and said that relations between the two countries are entering a new stage, according to his press service. Yes, we didnt have close cooperation, largely due to our own fault. But I am sincerely pleased to [] The post

KATHMANDU, Mar 26: A 4-magnitude earthquake jolted Nepals Sudurpaschim province on Thursday, authorities said. There were no immediate reports of any damage caused by it. The earthquake struck at 8.32 am around the Murai area of the Darchula district, according to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre. It was also felt in the neighbouring Baitadi and Bajhang districts. There were no immediate reports about any damage or casualties caused by the tremor. Nepal, which experiences m

WASHINGTON, Mar 26: Israel has removed Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf from its hit list following a request from Pakistan, Times of Israel quoted Reuters. According to a Pakistani official, Israel had the coordinates to target the two Iranian figures, but Pakistan argued that eliminating them would leave no viable diplomatic contacts, prompting the United States to ask Israel to step back. The two Iranian officials were removed from the ta

LONDON, Mar 26: Digital auction house AstaGuru on Thursday announced its official entry into the UK with a dedicated office in London, driven by a rising demand from European collectors and a growing Indian diaspora in the city. The expansion will formalise with AstaGurus first UK auction event, scheduled for May 27, featuring fine watches and high-complication timepieces from global watchmakers. The UK expansion will be followed by the launch of offices in Singapore and New York by the end [] T

NEW DELHI, Mar 26: Turtlemint Fintech Solutions Ltd, which is expected to launch its initial public offering (IPO) in May, plans to invest over Rs 218 crore in cloud and server-related infrastructure, as well as strengthening its technology and product development teams, as it looks to drive scalable growth. The company has earmarked Rs 193.04 crore for strengthening its technology and product development teams and Rs 25.64 crore for cloud and server infrastructure, according to updated draft do

KOLKATA, Mar 26: The West Asia crisis has pushed freight costs for Europe-bound cargo up by 60-80 per cent, with exports falling by as much as 50 per cent for some exporters while hundreds of containers got stranded at Kolkata port, industry representatives said on Thursday. Calcutta Customs House Agents Association (CCHAA) president Mannu Choudhary told PTI that freight charges have risen by over 40 per cent due to rerouting through the African route, while war surcharges imposed by shipping []

NEW DELHI, Mar 26: Crypto exchange WazirX introduced a flat-fee subscription model with its platform restart, aimed at reducing trading costs for retail investors, as digital asset adoption accelerates in India. The platforms ZERO plan replaces traditional percentage-based brokerage fees with a fixed monthly charge of Rs 99, allowing users to execute unlimited trades for zero-fee across more than 300 tokens. WazirXs ZERO model represents a structural shift from transaction-based pricing to acces

NEW DELHI, Mar 26: Credit flows accelerated sharply in FY26, rising 61pc Year-to-Date (YTD) to Rs 25.1 tn and coming close to deposit mobilisation of Rs 26.1tn, which grew 21pc YTD, said YES Bank report released here on Thursday. The report MSME and Retail-led Credit Pull in FY26 noted that fresh deposit mobilisation has witnessed a slow place since 2024, while credit demand across sectors like retail, infrastructure, and MSME are stable. Highlighting the rationale behind slow banking sector dep

BENGALURU, Mar 26: Global technology company Prosus and venture capital firm Accel has announced the six startups selected for the inaugural Atoms X LeapTech cohort, a joint initiative supporting founders in building frontier companies from day zero. The cohort was selected from over 2,000 applications, according to a statement on Wednesday. The focus, it said, is on LeapTech innovations that combine scientific breakthroughs, market opportunities, and engineering ambition to deliver outsized im

NEW DELHI, Mar 26: India has about 60 days of fuel stock cover, the government said on Thursday, adding that there is no shortage of petrol, diesel, or LPG as it dismissed reports of shortages as a deliberate misinformation campaign aimed at triggering panic buying. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said all petrol pumps across the country are adequately stocked and operating normally, with no rationing of petrol or diesel. India, the worlds fourth-largest refiner and fifth-largest expor

NEW DELHI, Mar 26: The CBI has conducted searches at the residences of two former directors of Reliance Telecom and the company office after registering an FIR against them in connection with an alleged fraud of Rs 114.98 crore in State Bank of India, officials said on Thursday. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against M/s. Reliance Telecom Ltd., Sh. Satish Seth (then Director), Sh. Gautam B Doshi (then Director), unknown public servants and unknown others [] The p

Srinagar, Mar 26: The two-day flagship event Bioinnovate-2026 commenced at the CSIRIndian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Sanat Nagar, bringing together startups, innovators, researchers, industry experts, and key stakeholders from the bioinnovation ecosystem in a vibrant display of innovation and collaboration. Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Chairman AIC-IIIM and Director of CSIR-IIIM, inaugurated the event and underscored the institutes commitment to fostering a robust culture of innovation and e

Jerusalem, Mar 26: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval commander Alireza Tangsiri has been killed in a US-Israeli strike in Bandar Abbas, Israeli media reported, citing an Israeli official. Tangsiri was responsible for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Times of Israel report. There has been no comment yet from Iran or from the Israeli military on the strike. Tangsiri was one of the few big names who had survived US-Israeli assassination attempts so far. An [] The pos

NEW DELHI, Mar 26: Air Indias A350 aircraft enroute to London Heathrow returned to the national capital due to a technical issue on Thursday afternoon after being airborne for nearly seven hours. The same A350-900 aircraft VT-JRF had faced a technical issue on March 15, following which the plane operating the flight from New York to Delhi was diverted to the Irish town of Shannon, sources said. An Air India spokesperson said its flight AI111, operating from Delhi to London [] The post Air Indias

GORAKHPUR (UP), Mar 26: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday directed officials to take strict action against those involved in illegal land encroachment and warned that people harassing the poor would not be spared. The Chief Minister met around 200 people at a Janata Darshan programme in Gorakhpur, collected their applications and assured them that the government will take effective action to address their grievances. Do not worry. The government will ensure action on all y

NEW DELHI, Mar 26: The London High Court relied on the quality of assurances given by the Government of India in its note verbale while rejecting fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modis petition to reopen his case against extradition, officials said. Modi, who is wanted in India in connection with a Rs 13,000-crore Punjab National Bank fraud, had approached the London court to reopen his case on the basis of the judgment in fugitive economic offender Sanjay Bhandaris case, where extradition was [] The

JAMMU, Mar 26: In a move to streamline treasury operations before the close of the financial year, the Jammu and Kashmir Finance Department has issued revised, high-priority deadlines for processing bills related to SNA SPARSH schemes. According to the new Government order, Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) must submit all bills to their respective treasuries by 2:00 PM on March 31, 2026. Following this, treasuries have a narrow 30-minute window to forward these bills to the Cyber Treasury,

JAMMU, Mar 26: The Jammu and Kashmir General Administration Department has issued a stern warning to administrative officers regarding delays in submitting and processing Annual Performance Reports (APRs) of JKAS officers. Citing a significant backlog for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 assessment years, the Government has granted a final opportunity for officers to complete pending files on the J&K SPARROW platform. A Government order said for the 2023-24 cycle, all reports must be finalized by March 3

SRINAGAR, Mar 26: Despite back to back Western Disturbances that brought snow and rains in last week, the Kashmir Division recorded a 52pc rainfall deficit, while the Jammu Division recorded a 46pc deficit. According to data released by the Meteorological Centre Srinagar, most districts in both divisions received below-normal precipitation during the month of March. In Kashmir, several districts recorded large deficits in seasonal rainfall. Ganderbal was the only district in the division to reco

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Mar 26: The cyber wing of Kerala police has registered a case against social media platform X and one of its handles for circulating an AI-generated video allegedly depicting the PM and ECI in a misleading and defamatory manner. Police, in a statement, said the allegedly defamatory content was brought to its notice through official channels, including the Election Commission of India (ECI). Upon verification, it was assessed that the material had the potential to mislead the

JAMMU, Mar 26: Chaitra Navratri has drawn a huge rush of pilgrims to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmirs Reasi district, with over 2.69 lakh devotees offering prayers at the cave shrine during the ongoing festival. The yatra is going on smoothly. There is a huge rush. As many as 2,69,716 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the temple till March 25, a senior official of the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said. Hundreds of devotees, chanting Jai [] The post Surge Of Devotees At Mata Vai

JAMMU, Mar 26: A female assistant professor was killed and her husband was injured in a road accident in Kallar area of Rajouri district on Thursday. Officials told that a Maruti Swift car met with an accident at Kallar this morning. In the incident, a lady, Dr. Tabassum Naz, an assistant professor posted at Degree College Poonch, was killed, while her husband received multiple injuries. He is being treated at GMC Rajouri. Meanwhile, police have taken cognizance of the incident. [] The post J&K