Daily Excelsior

NC takes out protest march in Jammu Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 12: The Jammu unit of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) led by Provincial president, Rattan Lal Gupta today staged a strong protest march in Jammu city, condemning the assassination attempt on the NC president and former Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah at Greater Kailash in Jammu last night. The protest march led by Gupta, started from the partys Provincial headquarters, near JKDTC Complex and passed through the

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 12: State Bank of India, Rural Self Employment Training Institute Jammu (SBI RSETI Jammu) today celebrated its foundation day. On this occasion, a small function was organized at RSETI Premises in presence of Ajay Singh Kamdi, Regional Manager RBO-II SBI, Jammu as chief guest. He interacted with the candidates of the institute, motivated them to stand on their own after successfully completing the training program. Speaking on the occasion, Ajay Singh elaborate

Pushp Saraf pushpsaraf@yahoo.com One of the most persistent ironies in South Asian geopolitics is Pakistans contradictory approach to terrorism. Nowhere is this paradox more visible than in its current confrontation with Afghanistan. In recent days, Pakistan has launched artillery strikes, cross-border raids, and air attacks inside Afghan territory targeting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella organisation of militant groups responsible for numerous attacks within Pakistan. Islamab

* Addresses maiden stakeholders conference on EoDB Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 12: In a significant move to strengthen the industrial ecosystem of Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo chaired stakeholders conference with the concerned Government departments and stakeholders from industry and trade to deliberate on reforms introduced by the Department of Industries & Commerce for promoting Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in the Union Territory. The session steered by the Commissio

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 12: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has extended his greetings to the people on the occasion of Jumat-ul-Vida, which will be celebrated tomorrow on March 13. In a message, the Lieutenant Governor said, On the auspicious occasion of Jumat-ul-Vida, I extend my hearty greetings and good wishes to all. I pray for the health, happiness, and prosperity of every citizen. As we observe the final Friday of the holy month of Ramzan, may the Almighty graciously accept []

Sat Sharma raises issue in RS Excelsior Correspondent NEW DELHI, Mar 12: Over 23,000 grievances related to Jammu and Kashmir were received through the Centralised Public Grievances Redressal and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) in last three years since 2023. This was stated in reply to a unstarred question of MP Rajya Sabha from Jammu and Kashmir Sat Sharma by the Ministry. The Government stated that grievances related to Jammu & Kashmir received through the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and

Excelsior Correspondent NEW DELHI, Mar 12 : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, and MoS in the Prime Ministers Office, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh today informed the Rajya Sabha that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched a series of structured initiatives to actively involve students and young researchers in satellite development, payload experiments, and space missi

Prof D Mukherjee mukhopadhyay.dinabandhu@gmail.com In the closing quarter of Indias financial year (Q4 FY 2025-26), the banking system is grappling with a structural imbalance that has gradually evolved into a macro-financial concern: credit expansion continues to outpace deposit mobilisation. Recent data published by the Reserve Bank of India indicates that non-food bank credit has been growing at approximately 14-16 percent year-on-year, while aggregate deposits have increased at a slower pace

Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Mar 12: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch Kashmir filed a chargesheet against 17 accused, including senior health officials and beneficiaries, in connection with a massive recruitment scam that caused a loss of crores of rupees to the state exchequer. Click here to watch video The chargesheet was presented before the court of Special Anti-Corruption Judge in Baramulla in connection with FIR No. 07/2013. The case pertains to the alleged manipul

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit out at those trying to create panic on the LPG situation in India, and said they are not only exposing themselves before the people but also hurting the country. Addressing the NXT Summit here, Modi also said that no country is untouched by the present crisis in West Asia and the government is doing everything possible to safeguard Indias energy security. He also said that some people are trying [] The post PM Modi hits out at those

Excelsior Sports Correspondent REASI, Mar 12: The first-ever Reasi District Lawn Tennis Open Championship concluded today at the Lawn Tennis Complex in Shrine Boards Sports Complex, Katra, with a series of thrilling matches across multiple categories. The tournament was officially launched by Ashok Kumar, Senior Vice President of the J&K Lawn Tennis Association and former Director of Sports at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB). The Mens Under-40 category saw Pratham Arora defeat S

NEW DELHI, Mar 12 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday spoke to his Indonesian counterpart Sugiono as New Delhi ramps up diplomatic efforts to navigate the consequences of the West Asia crisis. Amid escalating tensions between Iran and the US-Israel alliance, Jaishankar held a series of phone calls with his counterparts from Iran, Russia, Germany, and South Korea this week. Pleased to talk to FM Sugiono of Indonesia. Exchanged perspectives on the West Asia conflict. Discussed bil

Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 12: The North India Powerlifting Championship 2025-26 began today at the Indoor Stadium, Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu. The four-day championship is being organized by the J&K UT Powerlifting Association and will continue till March 15. The event was inaugurated by Arun Gupta, President of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry Jammu, who attended as the chief guest. Keshav Chopra, Chairman of Samvedna Society was the guest of honour. The championship features compe

NEW DELHI, Mar 12 : Union minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday termed Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhis remarks on reported LPG shortage pretence, and accused him of pursuing foreign agenda by raising baseless issues in Lok Sabha to lower the stature of the country. Goyal also slammed Gandhi and Congress members for holding a protest at the Makar Dwar of Parliament in violation of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birlas ruling, and demanded that action be taken against them. Asserting that [] The post Rahul r

KATHMANDU, Mar 12: Sixteen Nepalese nationals trafficked to Cambodia on the pretext of getting lucrative jobs were rescued and repatriated on Thursday, according to the foreign ministry here. They were taken to Cambodia by various agents and employed in illegal jobs, including online scamming and online casinos. The Nepal embassy in Bangkok aided their rescue with the cooperation of the Cambodian government, according to Foreign Ministry sources. All 16 Nepalese nationals returned home safely on

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: India on Thursday trashed Islamabads allegations of an Indian hand in the recent clashes between Pakistani troops and the Taliban and asserted that no amount of storytelling will alter the fact that Pakistan backs cross-border terrorism. New Delhi also rejected Pakistans criticism of the India-Canada uranium deal, describing Islamabads reaction to it as ludicrous and an attempt to distract attention from its own abysmal record. It has become second nature for Pakistan to blame

DHAKA, Mar 12 : Bangladesh parliament on Thursday condoled the deaths of several national and international leaders, including former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, Bangladeshs Khaleda Zia and slain Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The maiden session of the 13th parliament adopted a motion to condole the deaths initially included 31 names, including late Pope Francis and Matia Chowdhury, a former parliamentarian and leader of deposed premier Sheikh Hasinas Awami League. However, aft

Fare to be up by 18 pc, e-autos charges to be fixed *90 new posts for GMC Sgr, 46 for Jammu Sanjeev Pargal JAMMU, Mar 12: The Omar Abdullah Cabinet will meet here tomorrow for the first time after clearing budgetary proposals on February 4 to take up revision of TA/DA, medical and other allowances admissible to MLAs, Leader of Opposition, Presiding Officers and Ministers and increase of 18 percent for all categories of passenger vehicle fares and fixation of [] The post Cabinet meets today, will

T N Ashok As the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran spills deeper into the Gulf region, Indiathousands of miles away from the battlefieldfinds itself confronting a cascade of economic risks that extend far beyond rising oil prices. For decades, the Middle East has been a critical economic lifeline for India: a supplier of energy, a destination for millions of Indian workers, and an important market for Indian exports. Now, as missile strikes and naval confrontations threaten []

Shah speaks to Abdullah, assures fair probe *Attacker sent to 5-day police custody Gopal Sharma JAMMU, Mar 12: Former J&K Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) president, Dr Farooq Abdullah today described his narrow escape from an assassination attempt on his life as an act of divine intervention, while raising serious questions over the inadequate police deployment at a high-profile wedding ceremony where the incident took place in Jammu south last night. Follow the Daily Excelsior chann

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 12: The Government has promoted 26 officers to the Time Scale of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS). As per separate orders issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), among those promoted are 24 Junior Scale officers and two officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Development (Gazetted) Service. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp While the former have been given the promotional benefits with effect from January 1, 2026 o

Conspiracy to eliminate important leaders: Kharge NEW DELHI, Mar 12: The assassination bid on former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah figured in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, with opposition parties blaming revocation of statehood for the incident, while the Centre promised a comprehensive investigation. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House, Mallikarjun Kharge, raised the issue when the House met for the day, saying the former

All India level counselling likely, if LoP is granted Nishikant Khajuria JAMMU, Mar 12: The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) at Kakryal near Katra is learnt to have approached the National Medical Commission (NMC) seeking fresh approval to restart its MBBS programme, notwithstanding the regulator had recently withdrew its permission to run the course amid a controversy over admissions and alleged deficiencies in the institution. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday said it has attached fresh assets worth more than Rs 581 crore of RHFL and RCFL, companies of Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani. An order was issued on March 11 to attach land parcels in Goa, Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said in a statement. The properties worth Rs 581.65 crore belong to Reliance

Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Mar 12: The Chief Judicial Magistrate Srinagar today recalled a non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued earlier in the day against former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) scam case. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp The CJM Srinagar, Tabasum, recalled the non bailable warrants issued earlier in the day against the Abdullah in JKCA multi crore scam. The NBW order was issued by the CJM Srinagar against Ab

Documents, equipments seized Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 12: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today conducted raids at three places including houses of two terror operatives in the border district of Poonch in connection with recoveries of arms, explosives and ammunition. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp While no official statement was issued by the NIA in connection with raids, sources said the NIA teams searched two houses of Mohd Feroz at Khorinar Mohalla in Poonch

DHAKA, Mar 12: Amid increasing fears of a potential energy crisis due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, Bangladesh has significantly amped up its energy imports from India and China to ensure uninterrupted supplies. Officials said Dhaka has urged Beijing to ensure diesel deliveries under an existing long-term arrangement after reports of export restrictions from some Chinese refineries. The issue was discussed at a meeting on March 10. The meeting was attended by senior Bangladesh officials

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: People queued up at petrol stations and domestic LPG outlets amid panic buying across the country over a perceived paucity of fuel, even as the government told Parliament on Thursday that there was no shortage of petrol, diesel and kerosene due to the West Asia crisis and it was not the time for rumour-mongering. The Uttarakhand government decided to provide commercial gas cylinders to hospitals and educational institutions on priority and began preparations to provide wood []

Leh, Mar 12: Ladakh Lt Governor-designate Vinai Kumar Saxena on Thursday received a warm welcome upon his arrival here on the eve of his oath-taking ceremony. Senior officials, representatives of political and religious organisations and a large number of common citizens gathered at the Kushok Bakula Rimpochee (KBR) Airport to welcome Saxena, an official spokesman said. Among those present to receive Saxena were Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra; Director General of Police, Ladakh, Mukesh Singh; Dep

Srinagar, Mar 12: The University of Kashmir on Thursday announced the postponement of all examinations scheduled for March 13, 2026, in view of the holiday on account of Jumat-ul-Vida. According to a notice issued by the Office of the Controller of Examinations, all university examinations slated for tomorrow stand postponed. The notice further stated that fresh dates for the postponed examinations will be notified separately. Meanwhile, the Registrar of the University of Kashmir also issued an

JAMMU, Mar 12: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today chaired a meeting to review the progress of projects under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme. The review focused on the progress of works, reforms and opportunities, covering a wide spectrum of projects being executed by different departments. Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, besides the Administrative Secretaries of several departments and senior officers from the c

Jammu, Mar 12: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said that the peace we enjoy today, the peace that lets families gather, athletes compete, and communities thrive, did not come without a price. This peace was secured through the sacrifices of the J&K Police, the Army, and the CAPFs. Thousands of police personnel, soldiers, and CAPF bravehearts gave their lives protecting the people of Jammu & Kashmir. Our duty is not just to remember them, but to ensure their sacrifice [] The post LG S

Jammu, Mar 12: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday spoke to former chief minister Farooq Abdullah following the attack on him at a wedding function and assured him that a thorough investigation would be conducted. Abdullah (88) had a narrow escape when a gunman opened fire at him from behind while he was leaving a marriage function at Greater Kailash on the outskirts of Jammu on Wednesday night, officials said. The police arrested the accused, identified as [] The post

New Delhi, Mar 12: A foreign-flagged vessel carrying oil for India has managed to cross the war-hit Strait of Hormuz to reach Mumbai, while another large ship is likely to reach Indian ports in a day or two, according to vessel tracking data and industry sources. Liberia-flagged Shenlong, carrying around 1 million barrels of Saudi Arabian crude oil, arrived at Mumbai port on Wednesday evening. The other tanker an Indian-flagged VLCC or a very large crude carrier with [] The post One Foreign-Fl

JAMMU, Mar 12: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has fixed the interest rate on General Provident Fund (GPF) at 7.1 percent for the fourth quarter of the financial year 202526, covering the period from January 1, 2026 to March 31, 2026. See Order Copy Click Here The post GPF Interest Rate Fixed At 7.1% For Fourth Quarter appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

JAMMU, Mar 12: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Thursday announced the preponement of the holiday on account of Jumat-ul-Vida, shifting it from March 20 to March 13, 2026 across the Union Territory. According to a government order, the decision has been taken in partial modification of Government Order No. 1894-JK(GAD) of 2025 and Government Order No. 1895-JK(GAD) of 2025, both dated December 12, 2025. The order states that the holiday for Jumat-ul-Vida will now be observed on Friday, March [

New Delhi, Mar 12: The National Security Guard (NSG) will undertake a comprehensive security audit of all its Z-plus category high-risk VIPs following the assassination attempt on former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, officials said on Thursday. The Black Cats commando force currently provides elite protection to nine VIPs, including Abdullah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu. Under standard op

JAMMU, Mar 12: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo today reviewed a comprehensive roadmap for establishing future-ready IT Parks in Jammu and Kashmir in a phased manner, aimed at strengthening the Union Territorys technology ecosystem, creating employment opportunities and building institutional capacity to meet future technological challenges. Those who were present includes Secretary, IT; Divisional Commissioner, Jammu; CEO, JaKeGA and other concerned officers of the Department. While reviewing the p

New Delhi, Mar 12: More than 7,900 public grievances were received with respect to the government of Jammu and Kashmir in 2025, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. These grievances were received on the online Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) and forwarded to the Jammu and Kashmir government. Of the total of 7,936 grievances received during the last year (excluding 7,340 brought forward ones), 5,598 were pending and 9,678 were closed, Union Minister of St

SRINAGAR, Mar 12: Jammu and Kashmir Anti Corruption Bureau today received a written complaint alleging that Sajad Ahmad Raina, Technical Assistant in the office of the Rural Development Department (RDD), Block Budgam, resident of Kralwari Budgam, was demanding a bribe of 40,000 for preparation and release of bills in favour of the complainant for completion of work executed under the MGNREGA scheme. During the pre-trap verification, it was revealed that the accused public servant was insisting o

New Delhi, Mar 12: Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan on Thursday said there is no doubt that he is from the RSS but the Chair is beyond any ideology or party. He was responding to a comment by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who pointing out an old picture of him being screened on the television monitor in the House said: This shirt is separate but that shirt is purely RSS. Radhakrishnan shot back saying: That is [] The post I am from RSS, but Chair beyond ideology or

Jammu, Mar 12: A court here on Thursday remanded a man who allegedly made an assassination attempt on National Conference president Farooq Abdullah to five-day police custody for questioning. The 63-year-old accused, Kamal Singh Jamwal, was produced in the city court amid tight security. Police sought his custody stating that further interrogation was necessary to ascertain the motive behind the attack and to verify whether the accused had any links with any organisation or individual. The court

New Delhi, Mar 12: The Supreme Court has ruled that creamy layer status for reservation of OBCs cannot be decided solely based on parental income and treating similarly placed employees of private entities and PSUs differently from government employees, for deciding reservation, would amount to hostile discrimination. A bench of justices P S Narasimha and R Mahadevan dismissed the appeals filed by the Union of India while upholding the decisions of the high courts of Delhi, Madras and Kerala whi

DUBAI, Mar 12: The UN refugee agency says up to 3.2 million people in Iran have been displaced by the ongoing war. It said Thursday that most have fled from Tehran and other major cities toward the north of the country or rural areas. (AP) The post UN refugee agency says up to 3.2 million people in Iran have been displaced by the war appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Srinagar, March 12: A court in Srinagar on Thursday issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah after rejecting his exemption plea in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) scam case. The order was issued by the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court Srinagar during the hearing of the case for framing of charges on Thursday. The JKCA scam is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). During the hearing

Srinagar, Mar 12: Jumat-ul-Vida, the last Friday of the holy month of Ramzan, will be observed across Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, March 13, Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam said in a video message. In his video message, Grand Mufti explained that the Islamic calendar is based on the sighting of the moon, making it difficult to confirm at this stage whether Eid-ul-Fitr will fall on Friday, March 20, or Saturday, March 21. He added that after considering the lunar calendar and [] The post Jumat-ul-Vida

ISLAMABAD, Mar 12:Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday left for a brief official visit to Saudi Arabia with Pakistans role coming under scanner due to its defence agreement with the kingdom. The two countries signed a mutual defence pact in September last year with the commitment to come to the defence of each other in case of attack by a third country. The agreement was signed when Israel had attacked Hamas leaders in Qatar. However, the situation changed after US [] The post Pak PM Sharif

New Delhi, Mar 12: External affairs minister S Jaishankar has spoken to his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to discuss the safety of shipping and energy security, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press briefing on Thursday. The briefing was held following a string of attacks on commercial vessels in the crucial waterway of the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman, a key route for global oil trade. External Affairs Spokesperson Jaiswal said the discussion focused on ensuring [] The

MOSCOW, Mar 12: A court in Moscow in Thursday convicted 19 people of involvement in the 2024 shooting rampage in a Moscow concert hall that killed 149 people and wounded over 600 in one of the deadliest attacks in the capital in years. A faction of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the March 22, 2024, massacre at the Crocus City Hall concert venue in which four gunmen shot people who were waiting for a show by a popular [] The post Russian court convicts 19 people over deadly 20

BEIJING, Mar 12:While much of the worlds attention is on the Iran war, that hasnt stopped China from moving ahead with national priorities with global repercussions. Not that China doesnt care about the war and its impact on energy supplies and geopolitics. But for the worlds second largest economy, its growing rivalry with the United States revolves around a different battle: the development of the cutting-edge technologies shaping the 21st century. That message came through in a five-year plan