Daily Excelsior

NEW DELHI, May 15: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday held wide-ranging talks with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi focusing on the West Asia crisis and its impact on energy supplies and maritime stability. It was the first comprehensive discussion between the two countries since the war between the US and Iran began on February 28. The Iranian foreign minister was on a three-day visit to New Delhi to attend a BRICS conclave. Had a detailed conversation with FM [] The post Ir

New Delhi, May 15: The CBSE on Friday defended its on-screen marking system amid concerns over the evaluation of the Class-12 exam papers, saying the mechanism was introduced to ensure transparency, fairness and consistency in assessment, while reiterating that the re-evaluation option for students will continue. The clarification came after several social-media posts appeared following the declaration of the Class-12 results, particularly regarding marks obtained by students in Physics, Chemist

New Delhi, May 15 : Likening some unemployed youngsters to cockroaches, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Friday said they go on to become media, social media and RTI activists and start attacking the system. The comments came while a bench of CJI Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was pulling up a lawyer for pursuing a senior advocate designation. It said there were already parasites in society who attack the system and asked the petitioner whether he wanted [] The post Unemployed Youngs

NEW DELHI, May 15: Three days into its probe, the CBI on Friday claimed it had cracked the NEET paper leak case with the arrest of a Pune-based professor, the source of the leak of the paper. Professor P V Kulkarni, a domain expert in chemistry from Latur who has for years served on panels involved in setting the NEET question paper, was taken into custody from his residence in Pune, officials said. P V Kulkarni has been arrested at [] The post CBI Arrests NEET Paper Leak Kingpin In Pune; Chemis

JAMMU, May 15: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved a major cadre review and restructuring of the J&K Engineering (Gazetted) Service in the Jal Shakti Department aimed at strengthening the water supply and hydraulic infrastructure across the Union Territory. As per the Government order, sanction has been accorded for creation of the post of Secretary Technical in the department, establishment of a separate DIQC, and creation of offices of Superintending Engineer for Hydraulic Circle Jam

JAMMU, May 15: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has ordered the transfer and posting of 2 officers in the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs with immediate effect. As per the order, Suhail Hassan Tantray, Additional Secretary to Government presently posted in the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir, has been transferred and posted as Director Litigation, Kashmir. He will also continue to hold the additional charge of litigation work of the Directorate of Health Services Kash

UDHAMPUR, May 15: Minister for Education, Social Welfare, Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo today inaugurated newly constructed building of Government Degree College (GDC) Majalta in Udhampur district amid great applause and enthusiasm from the students and locals of the area. MLA Udhampur East, Ranbir Singh Pathania; Commissioner Secretary, Higher Education, Ram Niwas Sharma; Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Minga Sherpa; Director School Education Jammu, Director Colleges, Director Health

SRINAGAR, May 15: The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has refused to quash an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) FIR registered in connection with the controversial J&K Bank-IFFCO Tokio insurance deal, observing that the allegations disclose cognizable offences and require a deeper investigation. Justice Sanjay Dhar passed the judgment while hearing CRM(M) No. 265/2024 titled Pushap Kumar Tickoo & Ors Vs UT of J&K & Ors. Senior Additional Advocate General Mohsin S. Qadri appeared on behalf of

NEW DELHI, May 15: Obesity-related changes in body fat can send harmful signals to the brain, disrupting immune system function, and potentially contribute towards worsening of Alzheimers disease, according to a new study. The findings, published in the Molecular Neurodegeneration journal, offer fresh insight into the neurodegenerative condition and opens up an avenue for early intervention in people with metabolic risk for Alzheimers disease. The ageing-related neurological disorder affects one

NEW DELHI, May 15: The Income Tax department on Friday enabled online filing of ITR-1 and ITR-4, which are filed by small and medium taxpayers, for the assessment year 2026-27. The Excel utility and Online filing for ITR-1 and ITR-4 for AY 2026-27 has been enabled and is now available for taxpayers on the e-Filing portal, the I-T department said in a post on X. These forms for filing ITRs for income earned in the 2025-26 fiscal year were notified [] The post IT department enables online filing o

NEW DELHI, May 15: Flipkart remains Indias e-commerce market leader by gross merchandise value (GMV) with an estimated 50-60 per cent share, and has further strengthened its position by adding 8.5 million weekly active users (WAUs) week-on-week the strongest gain among major platforms with the sustained growth reflecting continued traction across high-engagement categories and rising repeat usage. While ICICI Securities, in a report, said Flipkart has extended its lead over rivals, CLSA said t

NEW DELHI, May 15: Delhi Police has arrested a 38-year-old man from Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag for allegedly duping a Delhi-based man of more than Rs 5 lakh on the pretext of supplying Kashmiri apple consignments, an official said on Friday. The accused, identified as Istaq Ahmedar (38), was on the run for nearly a decade, continuously changing locations and mobile numbers to evade arrest, police said. The matter came to light in 2016 when a case was registered at [] The post Delhi Police Nabs

SRINAGAR, May 15: Immovable property of a proclaimed offender of terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) operating from across the Line of Control (LoC) was on Friday attached in Jammu and Kashmirs Baramulla district, police said. As part of the sustained crackdown on the terror ecosystem and anti-national elements, Sopore Police attached immovable property of a proclaimed offender involved in a case registered at Panzalla Police Station under the E&IMCO Act, a police spokesperson said. The proclai

NEW DELHI, May 15: India and the UK are working on a unique and creative solution to address issues arising from Britains recent steel safeguard measure so that the proposed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) can be operationalised at an early date, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Friday. The two countries, on July 24, 2025, signed the agreement. We are very near to operationalising that. There are a few sticking points, as you are aware, the UK has [] The post India, UK

NEW DELHI, May 15: Waaree Energies on Friday said its arm Waaree Clean Energy Solutions has secured an order to develop a multi-technology green hydrogen project at the facility of TMEIC Industrial Systems India in Tumkur, Karnataka. The project will deliver an integrated green hydrogen ecosystem covering production, storage, and utilisation within a single site, a company statement said. According to the statement, Waaree Clean Energy Solutions Pvt Ltd (WCES), a 100 per cent subsidiary of Waare

NEW DELHI, May 15: Neolite ZKW Lightings, SS Retail and Aspri Spirits have secured Sebis approval to raise over Rs 1,200 crore collectively through initial public offerings (IPOs), an update with the regulator showed on Friday. The three companies, which filed their preliminary IPO papers in December, obtained Sebis observations during May 6-14. In Sebis parlance, obtaining observations is equivalent to securing approval to float public offering. Automotive lighting products maker Neolite is aim

MUMBAI, May 14: Loan write-offs by public sector banks declined to multi-year lows in the fiscal year 2025-26 on the back of lower slippages and better recoveries. As per an analysis of bank earnings by PTI, most banks including Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, and Indian Bank had write-offs which were the lowest in up to eight years. Bank of Baroda reported Rs 6,330 crore write-offs in FY26, [] The post Better recoveries, lo

NEW DELHI, May 15: Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd on Friday reported a 29 per cent rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 202.7 crore in the fourth quarter ended March 31, driven by revenue growth across segments. The company had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 156.89 crore in the corresponding period of previous fiscal, Alembic Pharmaceuticals said in a regulatory filing. Consolidated revenue from operations in the fourth quarter stood at Rs 1,847.72 crore as against Rs 1,769.64 crore [] The

MUMBAI, May 15: The Indian rupee crashed below the 96/USD mark on Friday before closing at an all-time low of 95.86 (provisional) against the US dollar as elevated crude oil prices and inflation concerns added to the downside pressure on the rupee. Rupee has registered over 6 per cent losses so far this year, and in the past six trading sessions, it has depreciated nearly 2 per cent as Iran war risk escalation pushed crude oil prices higher. The dollar [] The post Rupee hits record low of 96.14/

MUMBAI, May 15: Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty surrendered early gains to close lower on Friday due to selling in metal, oil & gas and PSU bank shares and caution among investors amid surging crude oil prices. The 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 160.73 points, or 0.21 per cent, to settle at 75,237.99, after swinging between gains and losses during the session. The benchmark had rallied nearly 470 points in early trade before losing momentum. The 50-share NSE Nifty settled [] The post Stoc

MELBOURNE, May 15: Six passengers from a cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak arrived Friday in Australia for a quarantine expected to last at least three weeks. The Gulfstream long-range business jet carrying them from the Netherlands landed at RAAF Base Pearce outside the Western Australia state capital, Perth. The passengers and crew were to be moved to the nearby Bullsbrook quarantine facility. Australian Health Minister Mark Butler said Thursday the government would implement one of the

BEIJING, May 15: Indias new envoy to China Vikram Doraiswami has held an introductory meeting with Director General of Chinas Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs Hou Yanqi, discussing developments concerning the border and bilateral relations. The department comes under Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two sides had a productive exchange of views on developments related to the India-China border areas and reviewed the positive momentum in bilateral relations, the Embassy of India in

BEIJING, May 15: Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping wrapped up critical talks on Friday, claiming important progress in stabilising US-China relations even as deep differences persist between the worlds two biggest powers on Iran, Taiwan and more. Xi welcomed Trump at his official residence, Zhongnanhai, on Friday for the final talks of the summit before the US leaders return to Washington. The leaders took a short walk through the grounds that feature ancient trees and Chinese roses, and st

Budgam, May 15: Continuing its intensified crackdown against narcotics trafficking under the ongoing Nasha Mukt Jammu & Kashmir Abhiyaan, Budgam Police on Thursday attached properties worth around 80 lakhs belonging to two alleged drug peddlers in Chadoora area of central Kashmirs Budgam district. According to police officials, a one-storey residential house valued at nearly 30 lakhs belonging to Ghulam Nabi Wani, son of Ghulam Mohammad Wani, a resident of Chitroo Dangarpora Chadoora, was attach

NEW DELHI, May 15: The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the stand of the Enforcement Directorate on a regular bail application by Al Falah University group chairman Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui in a money laundering case. Justice Saurabh Banerjee issued notice to the agency, asking it to file its response. While the court listed the main bail plea for hearing in July, it said it would hear Siddiquis plea for interim bail at the end of this month. The trial [] The post Delhi HC seeks EDs reply on Al Fal

LOS ANGELES, May 15: The search for the next James Bond is officially underway, with Amazon MGM Studios auditioning actors to fill the role of Ian Flemings iconic British secret agent 007. According to Variety, the studio has hired acclaimed casting director Nina Gold to find a successor to Daniel Craig. The new actor will headline one of global cinemas most enduring franchises with a screen history stretching back to 1962. The search for the next James Bond is underway. [] The post Amazon MGM b

COLOMBO, May 15: A 60-year-old Indian national was arrested on Friday with cocaine worth 108 million Sri Lankan rupees at the Colombo airport, officials said. The suspect, a geologist by profession, arrived from Uganda via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight, said airport narcotics officials. He was concealing more than 2 kilograms of drugs in his luggage. During a thorough examination of the checked baggage of the passenger, customs officers uncovered approximately 2.15 kilograms of cocaine, meticul

COLOMBO, May 15: Two people have died in Sri Lanka due to adverse weather conditions brought on by persistent rain, the island nations disaster management centre said on Friday. The fatalities were reported in the eastern district of Batticaloa and the northern district of Jaffna. The toll comes after five days of rain affecting eight of the countrys 25 districts till 6 am Friday, according to the latest situation report issued by the centre. Over 4,000 people have been affected, [] The post Two

In todays fast-moving world, people are slowly turning to astrology apps not just for a daily horoscope but for guidance and clarity. If you are curious about your career, need relationship advice, want to know what your day has planned for you, or simply love checking your zodiac predictions every morning. However, the right astrology app makes the experience more accurate, accessible, and engaging. So, if youve been looking for these apps and want to know what your future has [] The post Top H

JAMMU, May 15: The All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir on Friday expressed serious concern over the growing menace of substance abuse in Jammu and Kashmir and called for a broader and comprehensive public policy intervention to protect the younger generation. The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday said 806 persons were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), 97 properties worth Rs 41.85 crore were attached and 97 properties w

NEW DELHI, May 15: IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on Friday said drones and other unmanned aerial systems (UAS), being an extension of air power, are no more just eyes in the sky, rather they are now akin to claws in the sky. In his address at a defence seminar themed on unmanned aerial systems and counter-UAS, he asserted that in any modern aerial threat, complete domain awareness is the key, and there should be total coordination [] The post Drones, UAS are like claws in the sky now: IA

LUCKNOW, May 15: As newly inducted ministers of the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet await portfolio allocation, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday asked whether the slips of ministries to be allocated to them would come from the top, an apparent reference to the ruling BJPs top brass. Two cabinet ministers and four state ministers were inducted into the Yogi Adityanath 2.0 ministry and two state ministers were promoted to independent charge on May 10. This was the second expansion of [] Th

LEH/JAMMU, May 15: The sacred Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha were accorded an emotional farewell at Leh Airport on Friday after the conclusion of a 14-day-long grand exposition in Ladakh, during which more than 1.18 lakh devotees paid obeisance to the holy relics, making it one of the largest spiritual gatherings organised in the Union Territory. Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena attended the farewell ceremony, which witnessed participation from people from different walks of life. J

ABU DHABI, May 15: India is ready to extend all possible support to bring peace in West Asia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday during his talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Modi-Al Nahyan meeting took place shortly after the prime minister landed in the Gulf nation in the first leg of his five-nation tour that also includes four European countries. We condemned the attacks on the UAE, Modi said in his opening remarks [] The post India Ready To Extend All

NEW DELHI, May 15: The Supreme Court on Friday set aside a Delhi High Court order suspending the life sentence of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case and asked it to decide the plea afresh. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi also asked the high court to make endeavours to decide the main plea of Sengar against his conviction and life imprisonment in the case within [] The post Unnao rape case: SC sets aside order sus

BEIJING, May 15: US President Donald Trump left Beijing on Friday ending his three-day visit, during which he held several rounds of talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on a host of issues including the Iran war and trade. Before Trumps departure, both leaders had a private meeting at Zhongnanhai, the well-guarded compound in Beijing where top leaders reside. However, deep differences seem to persist between the two leaders on the issue of Taiwan. Both leaders also held talks [] The po

A look at NewsDrums four-year run, its key editorial breaks, bootstrapped model, audience profile and the questions around its next phase of growth India has too many news websites. It also has too few trustworthy ones. Somewhere in that contradiction, a small Delhi-based newsroom is trying to build a business. NewsDrum, the general news platform owned by BMI Group, is in its fourth year of operations. By the standards of Indian digital media, four years is not a long time. [] The post Can NewsD

89% of committee chairmanships handed over to NC and its allies Srinagar, May 14 : Leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Sharma on Thursday said that the National Conference was peddling lies to justify the Speakers unjust and unfair actions. He reminded the ruling party that chairs of committees are decided in accordance with wellestablished parliamentary conventions. Reacting to National Conference claims that 62.5 percent of committee chairs have been allotted to the ruling party in Parliament and

NEW DELHI, May 15: Petrol and diesel prices were hiked by Rs 3 per litre each on Friday, the first rate increase in more than four years, amid mounting losses of fuel retailers due to surging global crude prices. The increase comes 16 days after assembly elections concluded in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Fuel prices had remained unchanged through the polling period despite a sharp rise in international oil prices triggered by the West Asia conflict. Petrol [] The post Petrol, dies

New Delhi, May 15: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at multiple locations in Chandigarh and Panchkula in connection with a Haryana bank scam case and seized financial records and digital evidence linked to the alleged fraud, officials said on Friday. Certain officials of IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank, in connivance with public servants of various departments of the Haryana government, allegedly misappropriated government funds through fraudulent means, an

SRINAGAR, May 15: Police on Friday stopped a protest march of the BJP demanding a complete ban on liquor in Jammu and Kashmir, and detained some party leaders temporarily, officials said. Scores of BJP leaders and workers assembled near the Ram Munshi Bagh Park here and tried to take out a protest march towards the residence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at Gupkar, they said. They shouted slogans demanding a complete ban on liquor in the Union territory. However, police [] The post BJP Holds P

New Delhi, May 15: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday announced that the National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct the NEET-UG re-examination on June 21 and said the exam will shift to Computer- Based Test (CBT) mode from next year as part of reforms aimed at ensuring transparency. Pradhan assured the students that they would not let malpractice happen again in the examination and said the governments topmost priority was the future of students. Our topmost priority is the []

JAMMU, May 15: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved major power infrastructure projects aimed at strengthening electricity transmission and improving power supply in Srinagar and adjoining areas. According to the Office of the Chief Minister, the Council of Ministers, chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, sanctioned the augmentation of the Grid Sub Station at Zainakote from 450 MVA to 780 MVA at an estimated cost of 67.66 crore. The government has also approved the upgradation of the

NEW DELHI, May 15: The Congress on Friday attacked the Modi government over the petrol and diesel price hike, saying it is bound to lead to further inflation and growth estimates will be lowered considerably. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that with international oil prices soft or declining for years, the Indian National Congress had been urging that those benefits should be passed on to Indian consumers and that domestic prices of gas, petrol, [] The post Will le

NEW DELHI, May 15:Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of signing a trade deal with the US only to secure the release of billionaire businessman Gautam Adani. Compromised PM did not strike a trade deal, but a bargain for Adanis release, Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X, after reports that the US has agreed to settle the lawsuit that accused Adani of hiding alleged bribery. The US government has agreed to settle [] The post Compromised PM Didnt Sign Trade

Srinagar, May 15 : The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has announced the reopening of the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri (SSG) Road for two-way traffic movement of Medium and Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) following snow clearance operations. According to an official notification issued by the Office of the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, the road has been declared open from May 15, 2026, subject to strict safety guidelines and weather-related conditions. The notification stated that the district adminis

Jammu, May 15: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Thursday ordered a reshuffle in the Youth Services and Sports Department, transferring several officers and assigning additional responsibilities with immediate effect. According to an official order, a number of In-charge District Youth Services and Sports Officers (DYSSOs) and Physical Education Lecturers (PELs) have been posted to new districts across Jammu and Kashmir. Under the transfer order, Sunil Kumar has been shifted from Shopian to Ka

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NEW DELHI, May 15: Petrol and diesel prices on Friday were hiked by Rs 3 per litre each as oil companies passed on part of the spike in global energy prices to consumers. Petrol in Delhi will now cost Rs 97.77 a litre, while diesel will be priced at Rs 99.67. The post Petrol, Diesel Prices Hiked By Rs 3 Per Litre Each appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

DHARAMSHALA, May 14: Punjab Kings slumped to their fifth straight defeat, seriously hurting their playoff hopes, as Mumbai Indians cruised to a six-wicket win in a crucial IPL clash on Thursday riding on Shardul Thakurs four-wicket haul and a clinical batting effort from Tilak Varma, who smashed 75. Asked to bat first, Prabhsimran Singh (57) added a 33-ball 50-run opening stand with Priyansh Arya (27) to take PBKS to 55 for 1 in the powerplay and then added 57 runs [] The post Mumbai Indians bea