Daily Excelsior

NAGPUR, Feb 25 : President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said India can be called developed in true sense only if everyone gets an equal opportunity to progress and the benefits of development reach every home. She was speaking after launching the Golden Era of Maharashtra through Unity and Trust campaign, organised by Brahma Kumaris in Nagpur. Unity and faith are the foundation stones for a strong nation. When mutual trust increases in society, people rise above personal benefit and work [] The p

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Feb 25: Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary, today reiterated the Governments firm commitment to a zero-tolerance policy against illegal mining across Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that strict action will be taken against violators as well as the negligent officials. During an inspection of the riverbed area near the 4th Bridge over River Tawi, the Deputy Chief Minister took serious note of mining activities allegedly being carried out in violation of establis

Motherhood is Not a Contract Shagun Parihar writetomlakishtwar@gmail.com 26When I asked the government in the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly whether contractual women employees are entitled to paid maternity leave, the response was that financial constraints prevent the extension of such benefits. That reply demands deeper reflection. Are we prepared to accept that the dignity of motherhood depends upon budgetary calculations? Can the right of a woman to recover from childbirth and nurture

Excelsior Correspondent HARIDWAR, Feb 25: The two-day long international conference on Plants to Patients 4: Ethnopharmacology Beyond Times, organised under the aegis of Patanjali Research Foundation and Patanjali University, concluded here today. The conference witnessed participation of eminent scientists, researchers and medical experts from across the world, including Professor Domenico Vittorio Delfino, president International Society for Ethnopharmacology and University of Perugia, Italy;

Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Feb 25: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today laid the foundation for infrastructure and river conservation projects worth over Rs 190 crore across Srinagar and Budgam districts, marking a significant push towards urban transformation and environmental sustainability. Spanning five constituencies, the projects focus on urban beautification, pollution abatement of the Jhelum River, and advanced sewerage treatment infrastructure for Doodh Ganga, reflecting the Govern

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Feb 25: Punjab National Bank, Divisional Office Jammu was today awarded the first Official Language Shield Award in Region C by the Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. The award was conferred for its outstanding performance in the field of Official Language implementation. The award was presented by Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation, Amit Shah, at the Joint Regional Official Language Conference held in Agarta

Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Feb 25: Educator and social worker Rouble Nagi called on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, today. The Lieutenant Governor congratulated Rouble Nagi on being conferred the prestigious GEMS Global Teacher Prize 2026. Click here to watch video Through the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation, Nagi has spearheaded a revolution in inclusive learning and established over 800 learning centres across the country. The Lieutenant Governor hailed Nagis transformative impact on the In

Raya Morh-Kunjwani stretch to be operational by June 20, 2026 Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Feb 25: The DelhiAmritsarKatra (DAK) Expressway is set to be completed by March 2027, a senior National Highway Authority of India (NHA) official said. Once operational, the high-speed, access-controlled corridor -the fifth major expressway being developed in the country-will reduce the distance between Delhi and Katra from 727 km to 588 km and bring down travel time from 14 hours to nearly 6 hours. Clic

Srinagar airport to boost tourism, employment Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Feb 25: BJP National general secretary, Tarun Chugh, who is also the party in charge for J&K, today said that the Valley would take a big leap forward for economic growth of the region after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved Rs. 1,677 crore for the expansion and development of the civil enclave at Srinagar International Airport. Chugh said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister, Naren

Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Feb 25: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today felicitated the winners of the Photography and Reel Competition held as part of the inaugural celebrations of the Chrysanthemum Garden here. The felicitation ceremony, organised by the Department of Floriculture, Gardens and Parks, honoured participants for their exceptional creativity and artistic expression in capturing the beauty and grandeur of the majestic garden. The Chief Minister presented Certificates of Merit

Excelsior Sports Correspondent 26JAMMU, Feb 25: Aakash Dutt claimed a remarkable second place (silver medal) in the 120 kg Open category at the Federation Cup Classic Powerlifting Championship 2025 held in Himachal Pradesh, recently. He recorded lifts of 185 kg in Squat, 147.5 kg in Bench Press and 180 kg in Deadlift, totaling 512.5 kg. Aakash, known for his consistent performances, also shone on the International stage. He represented India at the 12th World Strengthening and Incline Bench Pres

NEW DELHI, Feb 25 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying it has been more than 24 hours since he challenged the PM to scrap the India-US interim trade deal and once again, he (Modi)has quietly slipped off to Israel. Hitting back at Gandhi, the BJP said that Prime Minister Modi doesnt go on secret vacations in Thailand and Colombia and project the country in poor light like you do. In [] The post Quietly slipped off to Israel after my chal

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: Three more Congress workers have been taken into custody in connection with the shirtless protest at the AI Impact Summit here, taking the total number of those arrested in the case to 11, an official said on Wednesday. Saurabh, Siddharth and Arbaz were apprehended by the Special Cell of Delhi Police from a hotel in Rohru subdivision of Shimla district in Himachal Pradesh. They were produced before a local court, which granted transit remand to enable [] The post Shirtless pro

MATHURA, Feb 25: Women dressed in traditional finery playfully hit men daubed in colours with bamboo sticks while they shielded themselves as the town of Barsana, known as the abode of Krishnas consort Radha, celebrated Lathmar Holi on Wednesday. Rooftops and lanes alike were drenched in bright hues as lakhs of devotees from across India and the world gathered to celebrate the spring festival. Amid chants of Radha-Krishna, the town was awash with devotion. Around 5 pm, women of Barsana [] The po

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: India and Nepal on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost bilateral cooperation in areas of forests, wildlife, environment, biodiversity conservation, and climate change. The MoU envisages cooperation between the two sides in formulation of biodiversity conservation strategies at the landscape level with emphasis on species such as elephant, Gangetic dolphin, rhinoceros, snow leopard, tiger and vultures, officials said. It also provides for strengthened

NEW DELHI, Feb 25 : The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), an autonomous body under the Union Health Ministry, on Wednesday achieved a Guinness World Record for most viewers of an artificial intelligence in healthcare lesson live stream on YouTube. The record was achieved through a nationwide online training programme on Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, designed specifically for registered medical practitioners across the country. The peak concurrent viewership for

SAHARANPUR (UP), Feb 25 : The food safety department on Wednesday seized around 2,000 litres of allegedly adulterated milk during a raid at a dairy here and sent samples for laboratory testing, officials said. A raid was conducted at Chopra Dairy located near Miglani Building on Ambala Road by a team led by City Magistrate Kuldeep Singh and Assistant Commissioner (Food Safety) Manoj Kumar Verma. Verma told PTI that serious irregularities were found at the dairy premises during inspection. Around

CHANDIGARH, Feb 25: Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu has been appointed as a member of the India-Egypt Parliamentary Friendship Group formed by the Union government to boost the bilateral and parliamentary ties between the two countries. Sandhus nomination to the group was conveyed through an official communication issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, a statement said on Wednesday. The parliamentary group has been constituted with Egypt for the period of the 18th Lok Sabha. Expressing gratitud

GANDHI NAGAR, Feb 25: The Gujarat government told the legislative assembly on Wednesday that 629 cases related to the transportation of cows and beef were registered across the state in the last two years, and 1,810 accused were held in this connection while 1,800 cows were rescued. Responding to a set of questions during the Question Hour here in the ongoing budget session, Minister of State for Law and Justice Kaushik Vekariya said strict legal action had been taken across [] The post 629 case

MUMBAI, Feb 25 : NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Wednesday filed a complaint at a police station here against VSR Ventures and its directors in connection with the January 28 plane crash in which his uncle and then Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar died. As the matter is linked to the accidental death report registered at Baramati following the crash, the complaint was being forwarded to the Crime Investigation Department (CID), Pune, said a police official. VSR Ventures [] The post Baram

Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Feb 25: Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Club (SKCC) registered a dominant nine-wicket victory over PMLI Legends Cricket Club in a limited-overs T20 match at Maulana Azad Stadium. Batting first, PMLI Legends posted 160/8 in 20 overs, with Raman Saini top-scoring 62 off 51 balls and Deepak Malhotra contributing 44. Rahul Sagotra starred with four crucial wickets, supported by Barjinder Singhs three-wicket haul. Chasing the target, SKCC led by Surpreet Singh achieved a

Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Feb 25: Referring to reports that theWest BengalAssembly is seeking to rename the state, Chief MinisterOmar Abdullahtoday said the Centre should accept the demand and extend similar consideration to any such proposal from Jammu and Kashmir in the future. The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Kerala Governments proposal to change the states name to Keralam. Following the approval, Mamata Banerjee expressed dissatisfaction that the West Bengal Governments prop

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the NIA for referring to certain alleged inflammatory speeches of 1990s while opposing the bail plea of Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Ahmed Shah in a terror funding case. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp The National Investigation Agency (NIA) told a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, which was hearing arguments on Shahs bail plea, that there were materials, including inflammatory videos and incriminatin

CHANDIGARH, Feb 25: Haryanas State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has arrested four people, including the masterminds behind the Rs 590-crore IDFC First Bank fraud, officials said on Wednesday. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp Of the four arrested, two are ex-IDFC First Bank employees and two are private persons who own a partnership firm, they said. The arrests were made on Tuesday evening as part of the ongoing investigation of the IDFC First Bank fraud case, they said. Spe

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: The NCERT has pulled a Class 8 textbook from its website after facing the Supreme Courts ire over a chapter talking about judicial corruption, with sources saying the Government has not taken kindly to the inclusion of the controversial topic in the book. The council, responsible for school education curriculum, is also considering the removal of the controversial portions from the books already printed, sources said. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp Several scho

NEW DELHI, Feb 25 : Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday pitched for transferring the central governments Rs 1.7 lakh crore annual fertiliser subsidy to farmers bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), saying it would give them the freedom to choose which fertilisers to buy and in what quantities. Addressing the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) campus here, Chouhan said a bag of urea that actually costs Rs 2,400 rea

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: The Government has come out with draft income tax forms that seek disclosure of tenant-landlord relationship for claiming I-T deductions and increased responsibility of auditors and companies for tax credit claims on foreign income. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp The draft forms also propose to entrust auditors with greater responsibility for checking PAN duplication and tax liability arising out of adverse audit observation. The new Income Tax Act, 2025, which

JERUSALEM, Feb 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Israel on Wednesday to a red-carpet welcome with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, along with wife Sara, receiving the Indian leader at the Ben Gurion airport, signalling a new momentum in the bilateral ties. It is PM Modis second visit to Israel in nine years. The India-Israel relationship was elevated to the level of strategic partnership during his first visit to that country in July 2017. Its a great honour to [] The post We

NEW DELHI, Feb 25 : The government has mandated the sale of petrol with up to 20 per cent ethanol and a minimum Research Octane Number (RON) of 95 across all states and Union Territories from April 1, 2026. The oil ministry in a February 17 notification, said, the central government hereby directs that oil companies shall sell ethanol-blended motor spirit (petrol) with percentage of ethanol up to 20 per cent as per the Bureau of Indian Standards specifications and [] The post Govt mandates sale

Srinagar, Feb 25: Rouble Nagi, an educator and activist recently awarded the prestigious Global Teacher Prize 2026, said on Wednesday that she plans to use the USD 1 million prize money to build a skill and learning centre in Kashmir. Nagi, a Jammu-born artist and social worker, received the award at the World Government Summit in Dubai, which was handed over by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. Global Teacher Prize, a USD 1 million annual award [] The post Will Use Money

Budgam, Feb 25: Director General of Police (DGP) J&K, Nalin Prabhat, on Wednesday conducted a high-level security review in Budgam district and called for intensified, intelligence-led operations to dismantle the terror ecosystem and its support networks. DGP Prabhat, chaired a comprehensive Security Review Meeting in Budgam to assess the prevailing security scenario and operational preparedness of the district Police. The meeting was attended by Shri S.J.M. Geelani, IPS; Special DGP Coordinatio

New Delhi, Feb 25: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday intensified its crackdown on the Delhi Red Fort area bomb blast case by arresting two more alleged terror operatives from Jammu and Kashmir, taking the total number of arrests in the case to eleven. In a statement, NIA has apprehended two more terror operatives allegedly involved in the Delhi Red Fort area bomb blast conspiracy, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 11. The duo, identified [] The post NIA Cracks

Srinagar, Feb 25: Traffic Police Srinagar has issued a detailed advisory for tomorrow i.e; February 26, 2026, in view of a VVIP visit to the city, announcing traffic restrictions and diversions from 0700 hours to 1400 hours. According to the advisory issued by the Srinagar Traffic Police Office, no motorist shall be allowed to ply towards Nishat, Shalimar, Harwan and adjacent areas via Badyari Chowk and Gupkar. Similarly, no traffic shall be permitted to move from Ram Munshibagh towards Grand []

Jammu, Feb 25: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday registered a disproportionate assets case against Vijay Singh Choudhary, a police inspector and brother of Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, and conducted searches at 10 locations across Jammu and Rajouri districts, officials said. While posted at different places, the officer allegedly raised assets worth crores of rupees, including more than 10 properties houses, shops and land parcels spread over abo

Jammu, Feb 25: Congress workers on Wednesday held protests in Jammu city against the arrest of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief Uday Bhanu Chib and others in connection with the shirtless protest at the AI impact summit in the capital last week, demanding immediate release of the detained leaders. Led by Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress working president Raman Bhalla, workers took out a protest march from the party office on Residency Road, carrying placards and raising slogans against the []

Hyderabad, Feb 25: As warfare expands from physical to the synthetic and cognitive realms, the armed forces need to transition from net-centric operations to intelligent warfare and move beyond MDO to ARADO, CDS General Anil Chauhan has said. He also emphasised the need to establish non-nuclear strategic deterrence, ensuring the ability to win at every level of escalation, a defence release said here on Wednesday. General Chauhan delivered his inaugural address at the annual seminar on the theme

Gulmarg, Feb 25: Army won an overall nine goal medals including eight in the Gulmarg leg to defend their team championship title in the Khelo India Winter Games, here on Wednesday. Himachal Pradesh finished as the runner-up with four goal medals on the final day of the competition. The closing ceremony the KIWG will be held at the Golf Course here on Thursday, hosted by the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council and managed by the Sports Authority of India. The [] The post Army Defends Khelo India Win

LEH, Feb 25: The Union Territory of Ladakh has ordered grant of notional annual increments to employees appointed under the Jammu & Kashmir Special Recruitment Rules, 2015 (SRO-202), to remove seniorjunior pay anomalies, following directions of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Jammu Bench. See Order Copy Click Here The post Ladakh Admin Grants Notional Increments To Remove Pay Anomaly appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Srinagar, Feb 25 : Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan arrived here on Wednesday on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir. A Business Boeing Jet carrying the Vice President landed at Srinagar Airport on Wednesday evening. Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Srinagar-headquartered 15 Corps of the Army, and J&K Director General of Police (DGP) received the Vice President at the airport. He tr

JAMMU, Feb 25 : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences; and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh laid the foundation stone of a new state-of-the-art Green building, possibly the first of its kind, at CSIR-IIIM (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine here today. The Biological, Chemical and Quality Control and Quality Assurance (QCQA) block will com

JAMMU, Feb 25: Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary, today reiterated the Governments firm commitment to a zero-tolerance policy against illegal mining across Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that strict action will be taken against violators as well as the negligent officials. During an inspection of the riverbed area near the 4th Bridge over River Tawi, the Deputy Chief Minister took serious note of mining activities allegedly being carried out in violation of established norms. The Deputy Ch

SRINAGAR, Feb 25: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today laid the foundation for infrastructure and river conservation projects worth over 190 crore across Srinagar and Budgam districts, marking a significant push towards urban transformation and environmental sustainability. Spanning five constituencies, the projects focus on urban beautification, pollution abatement of the Jhelum River, and advanced sewerage treatment infrastructure for Doodh Ganga, reflecting the Governments commitment to improvi

Hubballi, Feb 25: Jammu and Kashmir skipper Paras Dogra is all set to be fined 50 per cent of his match fees for intentionally head-butting Karnatakas substitute fielder KV Aneesh during an ill-tempered second day of the Ranji Trophy final here on Wednesday. While the official announcement from BCCI match referee Narayanan Kutty will only come after the end of the game, physical handling of opposition player obviously leads to sanctions and match bans. In this case, the doyen of [] The post J&K

Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan arrives in Srinagar for 21st convocation ceremony of Kashmir University. The post Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan arrives in Srinagar for 21st convocation ceremony of Kashmir University. appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

HYDERABAD, Feb 25: ZeroHarm Sciences, a nano-formulated, plant-based nutraceutical brand, on Wednesday announced it has raised Rs 65 crore from Kotak Life Sciences Fund and Alkemi Growth Capital. Kotak Alternate Asset Managers Limited (Kotak Alts), through its Kotak Life Sciences Fund I (KLSF-I), invested Rs 40 crore, while Alkemi Growth Capital, a healthcare and consumer wellness-focused venture fund, invested Rs 25 crore, the company said in a release. Cipher-Plexus acted as the exclusive fina

MUMBAI, Feb 25: Chances of benchmark interest rate going up are negligible notwithstanding building up of inflationary pressure on account of geopolitical tensions, external member of RBIs Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) Saugata Bhattacharya said on Wednesday. Weather risks, rising metals prices and elevated crude oil amid geopolitical tensions will weigh on the consumer price inflation (CPI) going forward, Bhattacharya said. I see chances of a need to raise the repo rate as negligible in the n

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the stand of the city police on a plea by Congress leader Alka Lamba challenging an FIR and charges against her in a case related to an assault on police personnel during a protest at Jantar Mantar here in 2024. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued notice to the police on Lambas plea seeking a direction to quash the FIR and all consequential proceedings, including the chargesheet and framing of [] The post Delhi HC seeks police stand on

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: The Delhi Police has seized over 1 kg heroin worth around Rs 6 crore and arrested a 23-year-old suspected drug peddler, who comes from a family with alleged links to narcotics trafficking, an official said on Wednesday. Police said the accused belongs to a family with alleged persistent involvement in narco-trade in the trans-Yamuna area. His mother has been involved in multiple NDPS cases and is presently externed (expelled) from Delhi, his father was earlier booked [] The po

New Delhi, Feb 25: The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has activated dedicated helpline numbers to assist residents of the Union Territory returning from Iran, following an advisory issued by the Embassy of India in Tehran on February 23, 2026. According to a circular issued by the J&K Resident Commission, New Delhi, the helplines have been made operational to provide necessary support and coordination for returnees. The circular states that the helpline services will remain functional round-the

JAMMU, Feb 25: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered a disproportionate assets case against a Police Inspector following allegations that he accumulated assets worth crores of rupees beyond his known sources of income. Officials said a verification conducted by the ACB revealed that the officer, identified as Vijay Singh Choudhary, a resident of Nonial in Nowshera area of Rajouri district and presently posted in the Union Territory of Ladakh, allegedly acquired more than 10