Daily Excelsior

New Delhi, Feb 19: The Delhi High Court, while hearing a bail plea of Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid in a terror funding case, on Thursday asked the NIA if it was possible to restrict his movement to one particular geographical area. Senior counsel for Rashid submitted before a bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Madhu Jain that he has been incarcerated for over six-and-a-half years and during this time, he was granted interim bail on [] The post Think About Geographic

SRINAGAR, Feb 19: Two alleged drug peddlers were arrested with contraband in their possession in Shopian district, police said on Thursday. The arrests were made at the Keegam police post in the Aribagh Pirpora area of the south Kashmir district during a check. During a search of two individuals, the police found 508 grams of charas-like substance on them, a spokesperson said. He identified the two as Tariq Ahmad Malla and Fardeen Ahmad Malla both residents of Uthmulla of [] The post Peddlers N

Jammu, Feb 19: Northern Railways Jammu division on Thursday announced the addition of extra coaches in Rajdhani and Jammu-Kolkata express trains to manage the anticipated surge in passenger traffic during the upcoming festive season. An additional 3AC coach will be attached to JammuNew Delhi Rajdhani Express on February 21 and 22 in view of heavy passenger rush on the route, a Railway spokesperson said. Similarly, for the convenience of long-distance travellers, one general class coach has been

Jammu, Feb 19: Highlighting the efforts to revive tourism following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced on Thursday that all currently closed tourist destinations are expected to reopen by May. He also revealed that the government is working on plans to introduce nine new tourist destinations to further strengthen and diversify the tourism industry in the Union Territory. Winding up the discussion on Demands for Grants in the legisla

LEH/JAMMU, Feb 19: Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma on Thursday visited the Siachen sector and reviewed the combat potential and operational preparedness of troops. The Army commander lauded the professionalism, courage and dedication of the soldiers deployed at one of the worlds highest and coldest military zones and urged all ranks to embrace technology to effectively meet the challenges of modern warfare. Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, Army Commander Northern Command, visited S

Jammu, Feb 19: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the climate response has now become a compulsion for the Union Territory, underlining the urgent need for a structured and institutional approach to address climate change. He also called for the formation of a specific department which will study climate change in Jammu and Kashmir. Replying to the discussion on Demands for Grants in the Assembly here, he said last years extreme weather events, including heavy rains

Jammu, Feb 19: An infiltration attempt by terrorists was scuttled by alert troops of the Indian Army along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, the army said. Based on Intelligence inputs and sustained surveillance, suspicious movement of terrorists was detected in the general area of Nathua Tibba in Sunderbani sector along the LoC during the early hours of Thursday, the armys White Knight Corps said. They further informed that the troops responded [] T

LONDON, Feb 19: The UK police on Thursday arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the younger brother of King Charles III, on suspicion of misconduct in public office following damaging allegations over his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Thames Valley Police said they are carrying out searches at addresses associated with the former prince in Berkshire and Norfolk, while he remains in police custody. While the force said they will not be naming the arrested man, it is bein

New Delhi, Feb 19: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuks wife Gitanjali J Angmo alleged in the Supreme Court on Thursday that four videos which formed the basis of her husbands detention were not shown to him and only the thumbnails on pen drive were displayed. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing in the court for Angmo, told a bench of justices Aravind Kumar and Prasanna B Varale that not supplying the videos violated Wangchuks right to effective representation before the advisory board [] The pos

JAMMU, Feb 19: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said that the return of the Kashmiri Pandit community to the valley, with full dignity and security, is a commitment made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The L-G emphasised that the terror ecosystem in J-K tried to bury the truth, but the terrorists and their support networks who sowed terror and struck at the souls of generations will never be forgiven or forgotten. The return of Kashmiri Pandits [] The post PM Modi C

MUMBAI, Feb 19: Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday strongly criticised the proposed trade agreement with the United States, alleging it compromises Indias sovereignty, farmers interests, energy security and economic self-reliance. Addressing a press conference, the Congress general secretary said trade agreements must be based on equality and mutual public interest, and cannot come at the cost of national interest or sovereignty. No trade pact that mortgages the countrys interests c

Jammu, Feb 19: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the government will initiate the process of regularising daily-rated, ad hoc and other temporary employees in a legally and financially sustainable manner in 2026, even as it works to fill nearly 30,000 vacant posts during the current year. Replying to the discussion on grants of his departments and cut motions in the Assembly, Abdullah said the issue of daily wagers and temporary workers was raised by members [] The

NEW DELHI, Feb 19: Age could be a dominant factor in influencing antibody production in response to a virus for a given virus, certain antibodies increase with age while others decrease, depending on which part of the virus is targeted, researchers have found. The team, including researchers from Institut Pasteur at Frances National Centre for Scientific Research, have shown that when attacked by the same virus, individuals can produce antibodies that target different parts of the virus. Biolog

JAMMU, Feb 19: A total of 12,977 teaching posts are vacant across Jammu and Kashmir, and the School Education Department has not upgraded any school since 2024, Education Minister Sakeena Itoo said on Thursday. In her written reply to a starred question by BJP MLA Shri Shakti Raj Parihar in the Legislative Assembly here, the minister said 7,985 teacher posts are vacant in the Jammu division and 4,992 in the Kashmir division. According to the district-wise data, Rajouri (1,416), Kathua [] The pos

JAMMU, Feb 19: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said those attempting to destroy the dreams and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be reduced to dust. He said that security forces are determined to dismantle the terror ecosystem but society must also join the fight by standing against terror sympathisers. Attempts are being made to eliminate those involved in terrorism. They will be given such punishment that their seven generations will remember it

Ganderbal, Feb 19: In a major enforcement action aimed at ensuring tourist safety and maintaining order in the sensitive Sonamarg tourist zone, Ganderbal Police on Wednesday conducted a special drive against unregistered service providers, detaining 11 photographers found operating without valid registration. In a bid to ensure public safety, maintain order, and safeguard the security of the tourist destination, Ganderbal Police conducted a special enforcement drive against Unregistered Service

NEW DELHI, Feb 19: The Congress on Thursday flagged a purported video of a man claiming to be from Karni Sena issuing death threats to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and 25 other MPs, and said the RSS-BJP ecosystem is a Godse factory. The opposition party also alleged that there is a deliberate campaign to demonise the opposition, and legitimise violence against political rivals, especially Gandhi. The man, who purportedly issued the video threatening to shoot Gandhi and 25 other [] The post

NEW DELHI, Feb 19: The Delhi High Court on Thursday listed for hearing on March 9 a plea by the ED challenging the order of the trial court that refused to take cognisance of its chargesheet against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others in the National Herald related money laundering case. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma granted time to the Gandhis and others to file their replies. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), objected to [] The po

WASHINGTON, Feb 19: Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to travel to Israel next week to update Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the US-Iran nuclear talks, two Trump administration officials said. Rubio is expected to meet with Netanyahu on Feb. 28, according to the officials, who spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity to detail travel plans that have not yet been announced. The U.S. and Iran recently have held two rounds of indirect talks over the Islamic Republics nuclear [] Th

CHANDIGARH, Feb 19: Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Thursday slammed the AAP Government over the alleged deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab, claiming that once the BJP comes to power in 2027 here, no gangsters will be seen in the state and promised decisive action against hardcore criminals. Bittu pointed to BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh as an example, questioning whether anyone there would claim that gangsters still operate freely. He made the comments during an event commemorating

SEOUL, Feb 19: Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was convicted of rebellion over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. The Seoul Central District Court is expected to sentence Yoon and several former military and police officials on Thursday. Judge Jee Kui-youn said he found Yoon guilty of rebellion for mobilizing military and police forces in an illegal attempt to seize the liberal-led National Assembly, arrest politicians and establish unchecked power for a considerab

SINGAPORE, Feb 19: An Indian-origin Singaporean woman was sentenced to two weeks in jail on Thursday for voluntarily causing hurt by slapping a taxi driver allegedly over fare at a police station. Shalini Devarajan, 36, refused to pay her taxi fare of SGD 24 (USD19) because she had no cash and rejected the payment options suggested by the driver. After the woman challenged him to take her to a police station, the 73-year-old taxi driver complied and that is [] The post Indian-origin Singaporean

LIMA, Feb 19: Perus Congress on Thursday elected legislator Jose Maria Balcazar as the countrys eighth president in a decade, replacing another interim leader who was ousted the previous day over corruption allegations just four months into his term. Balcazar, an 83-year-old former judge representing the leftist Peru Libre party, defeated three other candidates with a majority of the 130-member legislature. The revolving-door presidency in Peru reflects a political crisis fuelled by a lack of le

New Delhi, Feb 19: The NHRC on Thursday said it has taken cognisance of misuse of its name and logo by some NGOs registered under nomenclatures which are deceptively similar to it, and issued notices to authorities in all states and UTs to take action within two weeks. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in a statement, observed that continuation of such illusory names may erode public trust, lead to misuse of mandate, possible misappropriation of funds and create confusion [] The post

Jammu, Feb 19: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Thursday said that about 15.6 lakh households across the Union Territory have been provided functional tap water connections under the Centres Jal Jeevan Mission, while over 3.61 lakh households are yet to be covered. In a written reply to a starred question tabled by CPI(M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, Minister in charge of the Jal Shakti Department, Javed Ahmad Rana said, out of a total of 19,25,535 households, tap water connections [] The po

Jammu, Feb 19: The speaker of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has admitted a private members resolution moved by PDP MLA Waheed-Ur-Rehman Parra, strongly condemning hate crimes against minorities and calling for strict enforcement of law. The PDP legislator from Pulwama moved the resolution amid growing incidents of targeted attacks and harassment of Kashmiri students and traders in different parts of the country. According to an official communication issued by the Assembly Secretariat, the resoluti

A woman would have already been exploited somewhere in the country by the time we finish this conversation, says filmmaker Anubhav Sinha whose new film Assi explores the growing cases of sexual violence against women. The courtroom thriller, starring Taapsee Pannu, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Kani Kusruti, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub , Supriya Pathak, Revathi and Naseeruddin Shah, releases in theatres on February 20. Assi, which means 80 in Hindi, is the number of cases that are reported every day and []

Jammu, Feb 19: Ashwani Kumar, President of the Jammu and Kashmir Accredited Journalists Association, has hailed the demand for a pension scheme for retired journalists raised by Tanvir Sadiq, MLA from Zadibal Assembly Constituency and Chief Spokesman of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Wednesday in Jammu. In a statement, Ashwani Kumar said that Tanvir Sadiq has rightly understood the plight of retired journalists who worked tirelessly with pen and paper

JAMMU, Feb 19: The Jammu and Kashmir Finance Department has directed all departments to immediately verify and reconcile National Pension System (NPS) contributions, stressing timely deposit of salary deductions and elimination of discrepancies in employees pension accounts. See Circular Click Here. The post J&K Finance Dept Orders Strict Reconciliation Of NPS Deductions appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

A Shivratri Reflection Dr Rekha Jad rekhajad1969@gmail.com Shiva manifests in countless forms and embodies unfathomable powers from Mahadev, the Supreme Being who transcends space and time, to Bholenath, whose innocence, simplicity, and divine naivete are as boundless as his compassion. Utterly detached from worldly affairs, he nevertheless yields to the intense penance of Goddess Parvati, who seeks him as her husband. Bholenath relents unaware of social customs, royal grandeur, or the refined

NEW DELHI, Feb 19: The Supreme Court on Thursday disposed of a plea against the upcoming movie Ghooskhor Pandat after filmmaker Neeraj Pandey informed the court that he has withdrawn the title along with all publicity material. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan disposed of the plea after taking Pandeys affidavit on record and said it is expected that there shall be a quietus to this controversy in all respects. Pandey said in his affidavit that [] The post Filmmaker Neeraj Pand

JAMMU, Feb 19: The Government on Thursday informed the legeslative assembly that the Northern Railway is undertaking final location surveys for four new railway lines in Kashmir Valley, while assuring that landowners will be duly compensated as per law once the projects are sanctioned. Replying to an Assembly question tabled by MLA Javid Hassan Baig regarding railway expansion, the Transport Department, said the proposed new lines include BaramullaUri, SoporeKupwara, AnantnagBijbeharaPahalgam an

Bharti Sharma bhartisharma705139@gmail.com Captain Vikram Batra is remembered as one of the bravest soldiers of india.He was born on 9 September 1974 in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh. He belonged to a simple and loving family. His parents were Girdhari Lal Batra and Kamal Kanta Batra. He had a twin brother, Vishal and both of them were lovingly called Luv and Kush at home. Vikram completed his schooling from D.A.V Public School and Kendriya Vidyalaya in Palampur. Later, he joined D.A.V College [] T

JAMMU, Feb 19: A soldier allegedly shot himself dead with his service rifle at an Army camp here, officials said on Thursday. The 24-year-old Agniveer, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, was on guard duty at the Nagrota garrison when he allegedly took the extreme step around Wednesday midnight, they said. The soldier died on the spot and his body was shifted to the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital for post-mortem. The reason behind the soldiers extreme step is yet to be [] The post Soldier Sho

JAMMU, Feb 19: The Government on Thursday informed the legeslative assembly that around 70,000 persons, mostly youth, are involved in substance use in Kashmir, out of which nearly 50,000 are heroin users, largely through the intravenous route. Replying to a Assembly question tabled by MLA Javid Riyaz, the Health & Medical Education Department, said Jammu & Kashmir, like many other regions of the country, is confronted with the menace of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, posing serious

JAMMU, Feb 19: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Thursday informed the House that no final decision has yet been taken on reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), even though such reservation is envisaged under the Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Act, 2024, recently enacted by Parliament. Replying to a question by MLA Sunil Kumar Sharma, the government said that the amendments in the 2024 Act provide for OBC reservation in [] Th

New Delhi, Feb 19: Billionaire Mukesh Ambani on Thursday announced Rs 10 lakh crore investment by his group as he promised to revolutionise artificial intelligence, as he did with mobile data. Speaking at India AI Impact Summit here, Ambani said the best of AI is yet to come and that AI can usher in an era of super abundance. The world, he said, stands at a fork over AI, one path leading to scarce, expensive AI & controlled data, while [] The post Jio With Reliance To Invest Rs 10 lakh Cr Over 7

NEW DELHI, Feb 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pitched for democratising artificial intelligence and making it a tool for inclusion and empowerment, saying humans must not become mere data points or reduced to raw material. India, he said, believes that artificial intelligence will truly serve the good of the world when it is shared and its codes are open, asserting that the country does not fear AI but sees a fortune in it and a blueprint of tomorrow. [] The post India Sees Fortune

Kishtwar, Feb 19: District Magistrate Kishtwar, Pankaj Kumar Sharma (JKAS), has issued a detailed order regulating and monitoring the collection of donations during the holy month of Ramadan2026, mandating that no individual or organization shall collect charity without prior authorization from the competent authorities. As per the order, issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, no individual, NGO, trust, society or committee shall collect donations whethe

Jammu, Feb 19: Jammu and Kashmir Police and Army have arrested a man in possession of foreign-made pistols, magazines, and live rounds in the Nowshera belt of Rajouri district. Officials said a joint patrol by a team from Police Station Nowshera and the Army apprehended the suspect, identified as Sachin Kumar of Sair, Nowshera, in the Raipur area. During the search, they said that two foreign-made pistols (Turkey/China Made), four magazines and 15 live rounds were recovered from his possession [

Jammu, Feb 19: Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma on Thursday termed Operation Thrashy a significant breakthrough by security forces, asserting that intensified operations will soon yield further success against militants operating in parts of Jammu region. Speaking to reporters, Sharma said that for a long time security forces were engaged in frequent encounters and exchanges of fire without achieving major success, but the recent breakthrough has opened a new gate in anti-terror operations. He

Jammu, Feb 19: National Conference (NC) leader and Cabinet Minister Sakina Itoo accused BJP of misleading the people of Jammu with hollow promises during the assembly elections. Speaking outside the Legislative Assembly, the Minister for Education pointed out the disparity between the BJPs electoral rhetoric and its current actions. Before the elections, they promised the people here jobs and 10 lakh in their bank accounts. They spoke about having a Hindu Chief Minister. Today, they have nothing

Jammu, Feb 19: Congress MLAs Irfan Lone and Iftikhar Ahmed on Thursday protested over alleged harassment of Kashmiris outside Jammu and Kashmir, demanding an immediate stop to such incidents. Lone, carrying a pamphlet reading Stop harassment of Kashmiris, and Ahmed held the protest on the stairs of the assembly. They were joined by MLAs from Rajouri. Referring to the alleged harassment of Kashmiri nursing students at a university in Rajasthan, the two MLAs said they would raise the issue in [] T

New Delhi, Feb 19: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday announced a major outcome of the India AI Impact Summit, unveiling the New Delhi Frontier AI Commitments as a shared voluntary framework adopted by leading global and Indian AI companies. Calling it a significant outcome of the summit, Vaishnaw said, Today, leading frontier AI companies along with our own AI companies have come together to make a set of voluntary commitments a shared commitment for inclusive and shared AI. [] The po

Jammu, Feb 19: Congress MLA Nizamuddin Bhat on Thursday dismissed remarks by certain TMC leaders seeking the removal of Rahul Gandhi from the leadership role in the INDIA alliance, terming such statements as political narratives without substance. Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly complex in Jammu, Bhatsaid that political narratives often fluctuate and should not be taken too seriously. Political narratives are sometimes good, sometimes bad. There is no need to attach excessive importan

New Delhi, Feb 19: The Enforcement Directorate has issued fresh summons to Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani to appear for questioning on February 26 after he skipped deposition this week, official sources said on Thursday. His wife, former actor Tina Ambani, has also sought adjournment twice and not deposed before the ED on her scheduled dates for February 10 and February 17. It was not clear if she too has been given a fresh date by the ED. The ED [] The post ED Issues Fresh Summons To Anil

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Feb 18: Marking yet another milestone in its journey of academic excellence and student success, Padhoji today announced its exceptional performance in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main this year. The institute has once again demonstrated its commitment to quality education, disciplined preparation, and result-oriented guidance by achieving outstanding results across all batches. The institute celebrates the remarkable achievements of its students who have

Excelsior Correspondent 19NEW DELHI, Feb 18: As India advances decisively on the path of becoming a global technology leader, Artificial Intelligence is emerging as a key enabler of inclusive growth, good governance and sustainable development. This was stated by the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta, during his visit to the India AI Summit being held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. During his visit, the LG visited several technology pavilions and interacted with representatives of le

Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Feb 18: The Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) today demanded urgent measures for a Special One-Time Settlement (SOTS) scheme for stressed micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which is currently under active consideration by the management of Jammu and Kashmir Bank. A spokesperson of FCIK said copies of the representation have also been shared with senior Government authorities and the management of J&K Bank, underscoring the urgent need

NEW DELHI, Feb 18 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday welcomed world leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva, for the ongoing AI Impact Summit here and held nine bilaterals with heads of state and CEOs. The world leaders, including Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Disanayaka and Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, were welcomed to an ensemble of traditional musical instruments, including drums, nadaswaram and tanpura, with the prime