Daily Excelsior

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

SRINAGAR, Mar 12: ACB presented 4th chargesheet against Abdul Rashid Shah the then Executive Officer MC Sumbal Bandipora & three others before the Honble Court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption Baramulla A complaint was received by ACB from one Mohd Yosuf resident of Sumbal Bandipora alleging therein multiple instances of corruption, possession of disproportionate assets and illegal/ fraudulent appointments in Municipal committee Bandipora, Hajin & Sumbal by accused Abdul Rashid Shah & his nephew

Accused Kamal Singh, who made an assassination attempt on JKNC chief Farooq Abdullah, sent to 5 days of police remand by the Jammu City Court The post Accused Kamal Singh, who made an assassination attempt on JKNC chief Farooq Abdullah, sent to 5 days of police remand by the Jammu City Court appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

New Delhi, Mar 12: Congress leader Rahul Gandhis soul will be at peace when China, Russia and the US attack India, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said on Thursday while accusing the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha of being involved in a conspiracy to break India. He seems to want the prime minister to abuse Donald Trump in the morning, abuse Vladimir Putin in the afternoon and in the evening abuse Xi Jinping. If the prime minister insults all [] The post Rahul Gandhis soul will be at peace if Chin

Jammu, Mar 12: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) on Thursday staged a protest march in Jammu against the attack on its president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, demanding a thorough probe into the incident and restoration of law and order. 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 [] The post NC Takes Out

Mumbai, Mar 12: A Liberia-flagged tanker Shenlong Suezmax carrying Saudi crude has reached Mumbai Port, becoming the first India-bound vessel to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran-US conflict began The tanker had loaded crude from Ras Tanura port in Saudi Arabia on March 1 and departed on March 3. Maritime tracking data showed the vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on March 8 before it temporarily went off tracking systems. The tanker reportedly switched off its Automatic [] The post F

WAYANAD (KERALA), Mar 12: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has urged the central government to clear the dues of the work done under the Jal Jeevan Mission. Vadra, the Congress MP from Wayanad parliamentary constituency, has written to Union Minister of Jal Shakti C R Patil requesting him to release as soon as possible the dues of the contractors who have undertaken the work under the project, a party statement said. In her letter, she told the union minister that [] The post Clear dues und

LOS ANGELES, Mar 12: Singer Billie Eilish is set to make her film acting debut with Sarah Polleys film adaptation of Sylvia Plaths The Bell Jar. Polley won the best adapted screenplay Oscar for her 2023 movie Women Talking. This movie will be her first project since 2023, reported Variety. A Eilish is also a two-time Oscar winner for co-writing the original songs for Barbie and No Time to Die with her brother Finneas. The Bell Jar is the semi-autobiographical [] The post Billie Eilish to star in

NEW YORK, Mar 12: India on Wednesday joined over 130 countries in supporting a resolution at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) condemning Irans recent egregious attacks against Gulf nations and Jordan. The resolution denounces Irans attacks and calls for an immediate end to hostilities. It also condemned any actions or threats by Iran aimed at blocking, disrupting or interfering with international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, as well as any moves that could endanger maritime s

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: IT major Infosys on Thursday announced the expansion of its Mohali Development Centre (DC) with the launch of a new 350,000-square-foot integrated development campus. The new campus will have the capacity to seat approximately 3,000 employees, the company said in a statement. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility saw the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and Cabinet Minister for Investment Promotion, Power and Local Government for Punjab, Sanjeev

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: A parliamentary committee has flagged significant delays in expenditure under the scheme for promotion of coal, lignite gasification, noting zero spending for most of 2025-26 despite a revised allocation of Rs 285 crore, and suggested a time-bound spending framework with quarterly milestone verification. The standing committee on coal, mines and steel was of the view that the schemes outlay was brought down from Rs 300 crore at Budget Estimates (BE) 2025-26 to Rs 285 crore at

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said women engaged in agriculture and agri-food sectors should get a greater role in policy formation, decision-making and leadership positions, and called for collective action to close gender gaps across the value chain. Addressing the three-day Global Conference on Women in Agri-Food Systems, the President said success case studies on women in agriculture should be published widely to ensure more people were aware of their contributions.

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said the House functions strictly under its rules and regulations and will continue to do so, irrespective of whether it is acceptable to any member, and asserted that he would conduct the proceedings with sincerity and fairness. A day after a motion seeking his removal as Speaker was defeated in the House, Birla also said that the Chair does not belong to any one individual but is a symbol [] The post Lok Sabha Functions Under Rules; Wil

New Delhi, Mar 12: Meta-owned WhatsApp has unveiled a new parent-managed account model, effectively opening the messaging platform to pre-teens (children under the age of 13) under strict guardian oversight. The move marks a strategic shift for the messaging app, which has historically maintained a minimum age requirement of 13 (or higher in some regions). With input from families and experts, were rolling out new parent-managed accounts that allow parents or guardians to set up WhatsApp for pre

Srinagar, Mar 12: Cutting across party lines, political leaders in Kashmir on Thursday condemned the attack on National Conference president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah in Jammu and demanded a thorough probe into the incident. Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, in a post on X, said, Shocked to hear about the grave attack on Dr Farooq Abdullah sahab. Relieved to know that hes safe and doing well. Hope the police get to the bottom of [] The post Poli

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: Acme Solar Holdings on Thursday said its arm ACME Greentech Seventh Pvt Ltd has inked two power purchase agreements (PPAs) with SJVN Ltd to supply 450 MW under a Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy (FDRE) Power Project. The PPAs were signed for a tenor of 25 years on March 2, the company said in a statement. The tender (Tranche-FDRE-4) was issued under the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) guidelines, for which an e-reverse auction was held on [] The post ACME Greente

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: Homegrown technology brand Ai+ Smartphone on Thursday said it has partnered with Optiemus Electronics Ltd (OEL) to manufacture 3 million mobile devices in India, with a joint investment of around Rs 125 crore over the next five years. The agreement will cover the production of mobile phones, tablets, IoT devices, and advanced wearables at OELs facility in Noida. The production ramp-up is targeted to begin in April 2026. Ai+ Smartphone has entered into a manufacturing agreement

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: AlphaGrep, a global quantitative trading and investment firm, on Thursday said it has received approval from market regulator Sebi to launch its mutual fund business, marking its entry into the retail asset management space. With the launch of AlphaGrep Mutual Fund, the firm aims to democratise algorithm-driven investing by giving retail investors access to sophisticated, systematic investment tools that have traditionally been available only to institutional investors and ult

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: Agrochemical Company GSP Crop Science Ltd on Thursday said its Rs 400 crore initial share sale will open for public subscription on March 16. The price band has been fixed at Rs 304-320 per share for the IPO, valuing the company at Rs 1,489 crore at the higher end. The Ahmedabad-based companys Initial Public Offering (IPO) consists of a fresh issue of shares worth Rs 240 crore and an Offer For Sale (OFS) of 50 lakh [] The post GSP Crop Sciences Rs 400 cr IPO to open on Mar 16

MUMBAI, Mar 12: The rupee tumbled 35 paise to hit all-time intra-day low of 92.36 against the US dollar on Thursday as global crude oil prices kept rising overnight and showed no signs of easing amid the raging war in West Asia. A stronger greenback, and weak sentiments in the domestic equity markets further weighed on the rupee, which was already on a weak footing in early trade due to heavy FII outflows, forex traders said. At the interbank foreign [] The post Rupee hits all-time intra-day low

New Delhi, Mar 12: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday reiterated that he will carry out his duties fairly and impartially, and emphasised that every member of the Lower House of Parliament, whether a minister or an Opposition MP, has the right to speak according to the rules. Birla was addressing the Lok Sabha for the first time since the vote for the removal of the Speaker, raised by over 100 Opposition members, failed by a voice vote in [] The post House will function according to rules: O

SRINAGAR, Mar 12: National Conference MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi and Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone on Thursday condemned the attack on former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah. Abdullah, 88, had a narrow escape when a gunman allegedly opened fire at him from behind while he was leaving a marriage function at Greater Kailash on the outskirts of Jammu on Wednesday night. The accused, identified as 63-year-old Kamal Singh Jamwal, a resident of Purani Mandi in Jammu, was arrested []

Jammu, Mar 12: Over 1.5 kg of heroin worth more than Rs 8 crore dropped by a Pakistani drone was recovered near the International Border here, officials said on Thursday. The recovery was made from Bahadurpura village in the Bishnah area late Wednesday night, when a local noticed it in a field, they said. Preliminary investigations suggested that the bag was dropped from across the border via a Pakistani drone, officials said. Police have registered a case, and further investigation [] The post

JAMMU, Mar 12: The BJP on Thursday strongly condemned the attack on National Conference president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, saying targeting political leaders through violence is unacceptable and demanded a thorough probe into the incident. Abdullah had a narrow escape when a gunman allegedly opened fire at him from behind while he was leaving a marriage function at Greater Kailash on the outskirts of Jammu on Wednesday night. Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and advisor

MUMBAI, Mar 12: A week before Dhurandhar 2 hits the big screen, its makers on Thursday announced that they are re-releasing the first part in cinema halls worldwide. The Aditya Dhar-directed spy thriller, featuring Ranveer Singh, released on December 5 and attained humongous success. The film amassed Rs 1,300 crore globally, with Rs 1,000 crore of the total originating from the Indian market. Jio Studios and B62 Studios are bringing the global blockbuster Dhurandhar back to the big screen in []

NEW DELHI, Mar 11:Good cinema is going through a deep struggle, says Vishal Bhardwaj. This was the case in the pre-OTT era and even now with filmmakers taking their projects to streaming platforms and being told the film should be released in theatres first. The casualty of this is cinema of the heart and sensibility, added the O Romeo director. Twenty years ago, it would be easy to raise money for films such as his own Haider, Vikramaditya Motwanes Udaan [] The post Cinema of heart and sensibil

New Delhi, Mar 12: The CBI has conducted searches at 15 locations across multiple states in connection with a large-scale online financial fraud involving overseas fintech platform Pyypl, officials said Thursday. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is now seeking custody of the alleged kingpin of the gang, Ashok Kumar Sharma, a chartered accountant, who was recently arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The case was referred to the CBI by the Union home ministrys anti-cyber crime w

New Delhi, Mar 12: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid concerns over reported LPG shortage, saying the PM is asking the people not to panic but is himself panicked for completely different reasons. Gandhi alleged that the prime minister is panicked because of the Epstein files issue and the Adani Case in the US. He made the remarks after several opposition MPs, including himself and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, staged a protest in the Parliament [] The p