Daily Excelsior

Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Feb 13: A local court sentenced a person for one year with a heavy penalty in a four-year old cheque dishonour case. The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar convicted a property dealer-Shafiq Ahmad Sheikh of Beerwah, Budgam in a cheque bounce case and imposed a fine of Rs 1.44 crore besides sentencing him to one year of simple imprisonment. The complaint was filed under Sections 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, by one Mohammad Yaseen Mir of Lawaypora [] Th

Jammu, Feb 13: The General Officer Commanding of White Knight Corps, Lieutenant General P K Mishra, on Friday visited the forward areas along the Line of Control in the Pallanwala sector of Jammu and Kashmir to review the security landscape and operational preparedness of troops. In the forward reaches of Pallanwala and Rajouri, the GOC White Knight Corps, alongside the GOC Cross Swords Division and GOC Romeo Force, reviewed the security landscape and operational preparedness along the Line of C

Jammu, Feb 13: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Friday passed grants worth Rs 3,241.77 crore for public health engineering, Rs 1,524.82 crore for forest, ecology and environment, Rs 1,606.99 crore for irrigation and flood control and Rs 406.01 crore for tribal affairs. The grants for the departments were passed through a voice vote after a daylong debate by the members. Winding up the discussion on the Demands for Grants, Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology, Environment and Tribal Affairs

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the new buildings housing the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) and central secretariat mark are an important milestone in Indias journey towards Viksit Bharat (developed India) and they reflect the governments commitment to citizen-centric governance and national progress. Inaugurating the new PMO, named Seva Teerth, and two buildings of the central secretariat, called Kartavya Bhawan 1 and 2, Modi also said that the towers have been bui

New Delhi, Feb 13: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi has become the first in the country to announce the introduction of face transplantation, a highly advanced and complex reconstructive procedure. The Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Burns Surgery at AIIMS has initiated the process of setting up a registry of patients having severe facial deformity along with the loss of vital functions of the face like breathing, mouth opening and blinking and have not be

Jammu, Feb 13: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday said the Jammu region has witnessed more than 1,760 forest fire incidents since FY 2023-24 till January 2026, affecting over 4,100 hectares. As per official data released by the forest and environment department, as many as 1,763 fire incidents were reported across 19 forest divisions in the Jammu region, involving 4,195.24 hectares of forest land during the period. According to the data, a total of 281 fire incidents were reported [] T

Jammu, Feb 13: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday said final approval of the Jammu Master Plan-2032 has been delayed due to rectification of land-use zoning, boundary alignment with revenue villages, incorporation of public objections and suggestions, and collection and verification of data from multiple departments. Consequently, the area under the Jammu Master Plan has increased from 652.33 sqkm to 777.84 sqkm, covering 350 revenue villages. Replying to a question by BJP MLA Chander Pr

BANDIPORA, Feb 13: BandiporaGurez road was today thrown open for regulated traffic movement, facilitating the safe passage of commuters amid prevailing weather conditions. The movement was carried out under the supervision of the District Administration Bandipora in coordination with the concerned departments. During the regulated window, a total of 23 vehicles were allowed to ply from Bandipora towards Gurez. No heavy motor vehicles (HMVs) were permitted, and only vehicles fitted with anti-skid

Srinagar, Feb 13: In a major anti-corruption action, the Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday trapped and arrested an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Police Station Bemina while allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of 8,000 from a complainant, officials said. In a statement, Anti-Corruption Bureau received a written complaint alleging that Mukhtar Ahmad Khan, Assistant Sub-Inspector, R/o Newa Pulwama, who was the Investigating Officer (IO) of FIR No. 88/2025 of Police S

New Delhi, Feb 13: Over 8,600 complaints against sitting judges have been received by the office of the chief justice of India (CJI) since 2016, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday. In a written reply, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said 8,639 complaints have been received against sitting judges between 2016 and 2025. The highest number of complaints (1,170) was received in 2024 by the office of the CJI against sitting judges. Complaints received against judges and chief justices [] The post Ov

JAMMU, Feb 13: The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has signed an addendum to the existing Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited to ensure smooth and time-bound execution of the BharatNet project in the Union Territory. See Circular Click Here.. The post J&K Govt Issues Detailed Guidelines For Fast-Track Bharatnet Rollout appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: Alkem Laboratories Ltd on Friday reported a 1.9 per cent rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 653.03 crore in the third quarter ended December 31, 2025 on account of impact of new labour codes. The company, which had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 640.79 crore in the corresponding quarter last fiscal, said it has signed a binding term sheet to acquire a majority stake in Swiss medical devices firm Occlutech Holding AG at [] The post Alkem Laboratories Q3 net profit ri

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: Billionaire Mukesh Ambanis Reliance Industries Limited has received a US general licence to purchase Venezuelan crude oil directly, enabling Indias largest private refiner to resume imports of discounted heavy feedstock that aligns with its Jamnagar refinery configuration and optimises refining margins. Reliance, which operates the worlds largest single-site refining complex at Gujarats Jamnagar, was among international companies which in late January got a general licence fro

MUMBAI, Feb 13: Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty tumbled more than 1 per cent on Friday due to across-the-board selloff, especially in metal, IT and commodity stocks, tracking sluggish global markets. In a volatile session, the 30-share BSE Sensex tumbled 1,048.16 points, or 1.25 per cent, to close at 82,626.76. During the day, the benchmark tanked 1,140.37 points, or 1.36 per cent, to hit an intraday low of 82,534.55. The 50-share NSE Nifty plunged 336.10 points, or 1.30 per [] The pos

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: Indias vegetable oil imports fell 2 per cent to 3.96 million tonnes in the first quarter of the 2025-26 oil year (November-October) from a year earlier, as lower soybean and sunflower oil purchases offset a rise in palm oil imports, industry data showed on Friday. The worlds biggest vegetable oil importer bought 4.05 million tonnes, including edible and non-edible oils, in the same period a year ago, according to the Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA). [] The post I

Jammu, Feb 13: Former Forest Minister and former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Qazigund, Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad Shah, passed away in Jammu on Friday afternoon after a prolonged illness. He had been undergoing treatment for some time and breathed his last in Jammu. Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad Shah was a respected political figure in the Qazigund constituency and was widely known for his public outreach and contribution to social and political affairs in the region. During his tenure as MLA,

New Delhi, Feb 13: Electoral trusts received Rs 3,826.34 crore in contributions in Financial Year 2024-25 and disbursed Rs 3,826.35 crore to political parties, with the BJP receiving more than 82 per cent of the funds, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said on Friday. In its latest report analysing contribution documents submitted to the Election Commission (EC), the NGO said 10 of the 20 registered electoral trusts declared receiving donations during FY25, while five did not have the

SRINAGAR, Feb 13: General Secretary of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, Ali Mohammad Sagar, today expressed deep sorrow over the demise of former Minister and senior party leader Qamar Ali Akhoon, describing his passing as a great loss to the party and the people of Kargil-Ladakh. In a condolence message, Sagar said Akhoon was a towering political figure who devoted his entire life to public service, particularly for the people of Kargil and other remote areas of Ladakh. He said [] The post

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: A Delhi court on Friday listed March 27 for hearing arguments on consideration of EDs chargesheet against Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, chairman of Al Falah group which came under the radar of security agencies following the November 10 Red Fort area blast. Additional Sessions Judge Sheetal Chaudhary Pradhan deferred the hearing after the defence counsel sought an adjournment and moved an application seeking a list of underlying documents relied upon in the chargesheet. The court took

DHAKA, Feb 13: Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, a senior BNP leader from the minority Hindu community, won a Dhaka constituency on Friday in Bangladeshs 13th national parliamentary election. Roy won the Dhaka-3 seat with 99,163 votes, defeating his nearest rival, Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Md Shahinur Islam, the state-run BSS news agency reported. The former state ministers win from the Dhaka seat comes in the backdrop of alleged harassment of the minority Hindu community members in the country. The commun

SRINAGAR, Feb 13: Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Friday asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to clarify a Kashmiri Pandit leaders claim that a demographic change is being made in the Valley. BJP leader Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo had recently told a national daily that the Centre was working on changing Kashmirs demography by settling lakhs of Hindus from outside there. Forty townships in Kashmir to decongest cities? Sounds progressive until the BJP voices call it a demography

ISLAMABAD, Feb 13: A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck Pakistans Balochistan province on Friday, but no loss to life or property was reported. The earthquake struck at 6:30 am at a depth of 13 km and its epicentre was 86 km northeast of Khuzdar town of the province, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). It was preceded by another earthquake of magnitude 3.8 that struck 75 km southeast of Khuzdar at 5:52 am at a depth of 33km. The quake shook [] The post Moderate quake jolts Pa

LOS ANGELES, Feb 13: Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez and Mexican comedian Eugenio Derbez became the latest additions to the star cast of the upcoming soccer drama Baton. According to the entertainment news outlet Deadline, the film is directed by Danny Ramirez and will also feature Rosario Dawson, Gabriel Luna, and Mia Maestro in pivotal roles. Ramirez is known for his role in Carlos, and his Emmy-nominated performance as Gianni Versace in American Crime Story. Derbez is known for his roles [] Th

SINGAPORE, Feb 13: Singapore police have on Friday charged an Indian national with attempting to murder an Indonesian woman using an axe, according to a media report. Panneer Selvam Ayyappan is accused of slashing Fajar Nur Aini, an Indonesian national, on head, neck and arms with an axe in the vicinity of 11 Sims View in eastern part of Singapore at around 7 am on Wednesday, Channel News Asia reported. Ayyappan and Aini, both 30, knew each other, police said. [] The post Indian national charged

New Delhi, Feb 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday shifted to his new office Seva Teerth from the colonial-era South Block building near Rashtrapati Bhavan on Raisina Hill. The shift came on a day February 13 that marked 95 years since the formal inauguration of New Delhi as Indias modern capital in 1931. On Friday, the prime minister reached Seva Teerth Complex in a motorcade along with Union ministers Manohar Lal and Jitendra Singh and top PMO [] The post PM Modi Shifts To New Office

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: Cardiologist Prof Upendra Kaul was conferred the Life Time Achievement Award 2026 by the Indian Society of Clinical Research (ISCR) during its 20th Annual Conference held here, an official statement said. With over four decades of experience in cardiology, Prof Kaul has authored more than 400 research publications, it said. His contributions have earned him international recognition and numerous national honours, including the ICMR Shakuntala Amir Chand Award, the Dr BC Roy Aw

JAMMU, Feb 13: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather urged the government on Friday to strengthen the legal framework to combat food adulteration, as members voiced concern over a large-scale seizure of rotten meat and sub-standard cheese across the Union Territory. Replying to a clubbed question from National Conference (NC) MLAs Saifullah Mir, Mubarak Gul, Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah and Hasnain Masoodi, Health Minister Sakeena Itoo informed the Assembly that more than 12,183.5 k

Jammu, Feb 13: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed uproar on Friday after BJP member Vikram Randhawa claimed that people hailing from Kashmir valley have encroached land in Jammu city. Replying to a question by Randhawa during Question Hour in the Assembly, Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo said that, according to available records, land measuring 688 kanals (8 kanals is 1 acre) and 17 marlas (160 marla is 1 acre) in Tehsil Bahu and 579 kanals in Tehsil Jammu South is [] The post BJP MLA Says

Srinagar, Feb 13: A Pulwama-based businessman has been acquitted in a 13 lakh cheque bounce case after the Court of Sub Judge Srinagar ruled that the complainant failed to establish the existence of a legally enforceable debt, a mandatory requirement for conviction under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The Court of Sub Judge Srinagar has acquitted Wasim Raja Khan of Pulwama in a cheque bounce case filed by Mohammad Ismail Qureshi of Sonwar, Srinagar, after determining that the []

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned on Friday till March 9, as Parliament went into a three-week-long recess to allow standing committees to scrutinise Budget proposals. The Upper House met for Zero Hour at 11 am and was adjourned at 1 pm after the scheduled Question Hour. Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha proceedings too were adjourned till March 9. The first part of the Budget Session began on January 28 with President Droupadi Murmus address to [] The post Rajya Sabha Procee

New Delhi, Feb 13: The tumultuous first leg of the Budget session, which saw heated exchanges over the India-US interim trade deal and unpublished memoir of former army chief M M Naravane, concluded Friday and the House will now reassemble on March 9. The three-week recess period will allow standing committees to examine allocations to various central ministries given in the Union Budget. Earlier in the day, the House was adjourned for one hour after Opposition members raised slogans demanding [

New Delhi, Feb 13: The Supreme Court on Friday extended from April 30 to May 31 the deadline fixed by the Himachal Pradesh High Court for holding the polls for local bodies in the state. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the plea filed by the principal secretary of the state government and also extended the HCs deadline of Feb 28 to March 31 for completing reconstruction work, delimitation and reservation. On [] The post SC extends deadline by m

Jammu, Feb 13: More than 32,000 cancer cases have been reported across Jammu and Kashmir in recent years, with nearly 79 per cent of the total cases recorded in the valley alone, Health Minister Sakeena Itoo said on Friday. Replying to an unstarred question by PDP legislator Waheed Ur Rehman Para in the Assembly, the minister said 25,621 cases were registered in Kashmir division (20222024), while 6,804 cases were reported from Jammu division (20232025). She said the most commonly detected [] The

New Delhi, Feb 13: National Conference member Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo on Friday raised concern in the Rajya Sabha over the plight of students from Jammu and Kashmir who have been left in limbo after a Rajasthan university allegedly failed to honour its admission commitments. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, the MP from J&K said several students from Jammu seeking admission to nursing courses at Mewar University in Rajasthan have been denied entry despite assurances from university authorities. T

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: Core inflation in India declined sharply to 3.4 per cent under the new Consumer Price Index (CPI) 2024 base series, compared to around 4.15 per cent under the 2012 series, even as headline retail inflation edged up to 2.75 per cent in January 2026, according to the latest report released by the State Bank of India. The report noted that overall CPI inflation under the new 2024 base stood at 2.75 per cent in January 2026, [] The post Core inflation falls to 3.4pc under new CPI

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari Bhatt in a cheating case. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi ordered their forthwith release from Udaipur jail and asked the Chief Judicial Magistrate to pass the bail order delineating the terms and conditions. The top court also issued notices to complainant Ajay Murdia, the founder of Indira IVF and Fertility Centre and a resident of [] The post S

New Delhi, Feb 13: Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said on Friday that the government has shelved a plan to bring a motion against Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for using unparliamentary language against the prime minister, as a BJP MP has submitted a notice to initiate a substantive motion against the Congress leader on the same issue. Speaking to reporters here, the Union minister stated that the speaker would be consulted on whether [] The post Govt

Kulgam, Feb 13: In one of the biggest anti-drug actions in the district, Kulgam Police on Thursday attached immovable properties worth approximately 1.5 crore belonging to an alleged notorious drug peddler in Manigam area of Qazigund, officials said. Kulgam Police have attached immovable properties comprising 06 shops, 05 godowns, one tin shed, and one plinth located at Village Manigam, belonging to a notorious drug peddler Mohd Ashraf Khanday, S/o Gh. Ahmad Khanday, R/o Nipora, Kulgam, falling

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: The Indian automobile industry clocked its highest-ever January sales in 2026, with passenger vehicles, two-wheelers and three-wheelers posting double-digit growth, according to data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on Friday here. Total vehicle production, including passenger vehicles, three-wheelers, two-wheelers and quadricycles, stood at 29,27,394 units in January 2026, reflecting strong momentum at the start of the calendar year. Domestic

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: iPhone maker Apple has unveiled the barricade for its upcoming Apple Borivali store, which will be its sixth store in India and second in Mumbai, the company said on Friday. The company opened its first store in Mumbai and second store in Delhi in April, 2023. It continued expansion with the opening of three stores in 2025Apple Hebbal in Bengaluru and Apple Koregaon Park in Pune, and more recently at Apple Noida. Apple Borivali opens Thursday, [] The post Apple to open 6th sto

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: Transrail Lighting on Friday said it has secured new Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) orders worth Rs 2,350 crore in domestic market. The orders were primarily in the domestic Transmission & Distribution (T&D) segment along with a civil order and select wins in poles & lighting. With these additions, the companys cumulative order inflows for FY26 have crossed Rs 7,980 crore, it said in a regulatory filing. The T&D order includes mainly construction of 765 kV []

JAMMU, Feb 13: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday informed the Legislative Assembly that the Town Planning Organisation (TPO) in Kashmir has just three town planners to cater to 40 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), indicating a severe shortage of technical staff in the department. In a written reply to legislator Sajad Gani Lone during the ongoing budget session, Chief Minister (who holds charge of the Housing and Urban Development Department) said the ratio of town planner to ULBs in [] The po

JAMMU, Feb 13: The Jammu and Kashmir government has confirmed that Qazigund, widely known as the Gateway of Kashmir, is being developed on modern and sustainable lines, with several infrastructure and urban planning initiatives underway. Responding to a question in the Assembly raised by MLA Abdul Majeed Bhat, the government said the towns strategic location at the southern entry point of the Kashmir Valley and its role as a major road and rail transit hub make it a priority for [] The post Govt

JAMMU, Feb 13: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday told the Legislative Assembly that reopening of the tourist destinations Doodhpathri and Yousmarg is subject to security considerations, which are beyond the Tourism Departments mandate. The matter has been referred to the Deputy Commissioner of Budgam for appropriate action, the government said in response to a question raised by Budgam MLA Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi. The government also acknowledged that recent incidents in the tourism sec

New Delhi, Feb 13: Congress MPs on Friday held a protest in Parliament House complex demanding resignation of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri after his name figured in the Epstein Files released in the United States. Several Congress MPs lined up outside the Parliament building and raised slogans against Puri, while demanding answers from him. They also held a big banner with pictures of Puri and Jeffery Epstein. Puri had on Wednesday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for passing innuendo [

Srinagar, Feb 13: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday informed the Legislative Assembly that Gojri and Pahari languages are being taught in schools only as mother tongue subjects under the Three-Language Formula. The reply, issued by the School Education Department in response to a question by MLA Choudhary Mohammad Akram, stated that these languages are included in the JK Board of School Education (JKBOSE) curriculum for classes 1 to 8. Textbooks for Gojri and Pahari have been developed

Jammu, Feb 13: The Government of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday informed the Legislative Assembly that it is not considering any proposal for waiver of loans availed under the Kisan Credit Card scheme. The clarification came in response to a query raised by MLA Dr Devinder Kumar Manyal, who sought to know whether the government planned to waive KCC loans in light of losses suffered by the agriculture and horticulture sectors due to recent floods and the prolonged National Highway [] The post No Pro

JAMMU, Feb 13: The issue of sale of rotten and unsafe meat triggered heated exchanges in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Friday, with several MLAs demanding strict enforcement, stronger preventive measures and even attachment of properties of those involved in the illegal trade. The matter was raised through Assembly Question Nos. 10, 94, 569 and 757 asked by MLAs Mubarak Gul, Mir Saifullah, Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah and Hasnain Masoodi regarding Food Adulteration and Sale of Rotte

Jammu, Feb 13: A total of 32,425 cancer cases have been reported in Jammu and Kashmir over the last three years, with lung, breast, oral, cervical, prostate and pancreatic cancers emerging as the most commonly detected types, the Government informed the Legislative Assembly on Friday. The data was shared by the Health & Medical Education Department in a written reply to a question tabled by Pulwama MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para regarding treatment of terminal diseases. The reply stated that in Jammu

Valentines Day is not just another date on the calendar for Bakingo. It is an occasion for which we go all out, be it in terms of creativity or offerings. And while our aim is to elevate every occasion, this one is particularly special as it celebrates love and connections. As a brand that encourages you to never stop wishing, we want this day to feel like a dream come true. Thats why weve created a Valentines Day collection thats [] The post Bakingo Brings You a Valentines Day Collection That M