Daily Excelsior

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 24: An animated Dogri poetry written and composed by renowned poet Heena Mahajan was launched in a function held here today. The poetry was launched by Arvind Gupta (MLA, West Jammu), who graced the event as chief guest. Gupta congratulated Heena Mahajan for her remarkable initiative. He appreciated her strong sense of responsibility and noted that she is working ahead of her time to address the need for introducing the Dogri language to young minds. Guest [] T

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 24: The Indian Institute of Technology Jammu hosted Startup Demo Day 2026 in collaboration with the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and Campus Fund. The event brought together a dynamic mix of founders, investors, mentors, and academic leaders, creating a vibrant platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and potential investment opportunities. The proceedings commenced with an opening address by the Faculty In-Charge of the Innovation a

Excelsior Correspondent NEW DELHI, Apr 24: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh today said that the 21st century will be Indias century and will be driven by a biology-led economy, with the countrys bio-economy projected to grow to $1 trillion by 2047. Addressing an international conference at IIT Roorkee , Dr Jitendra Singh said India is moving decisi

Fazals body buried at Hill Kaka Excelsior Correspondent RAJOURI, Apr 24: In a deeply moving gesture reflecting the finest traditions of the Indian Army, the Romeo Force, paid a befitting tribute to Fazal Tahir Chaudhary, a courageous son of the soil and a key figure in the historic Operation Sarp Vinash. CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO Fazal Tahir Chaudhary (62), son of Fazal Din and a resident of Marrah village in Surankote, district Poonch, passed away on the evening of [] The post Romeo Force pays

Excelsior Correspondent NEW DELHI, Apr 24: The Australian High Commissioner to India, Philip Green, today called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and discussed avenues for enhanced cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors. During the discussions, both the sides explored opportunities for collaboration in agriculture and allied areas, particularly horticulture and animal husbandry. Emphasis was laid on knowledge sharing, adoption of best practices, and capacity building to improve productivi

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 24: Northern Railway has officially announced the extension of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express up to Jammu Tawi, for the convenience of passengers within the Jammu Division. This extension will be inaugurated on April 30, 2026, operating as an Inaugural Special Train (No. 02601), departing from Jammu Tawi (JAT) at 10:30 with boarding/de-boarding at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra at 11:54 11:59 and reaching Srinagar at 15:05 on the

Excelsior Correspondent LEH, Apr 24: In a major boost to the promotion of cultural and heritage tourism in Ladakh, a mesmerizing Sound and Light Show was inaugurated at the historic Leh Palace by the Union Minister of Tourism and Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena. The project, implemented by the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) under the Ministry of Tourism, has been executed at a cost of Rs 8.57 crore, reflecting the Governm

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 24: The Displaced Persons from Pak occupied Jammu and Kashmir today held protest demonstration, projecting their demand of allotment of land, provide 12 Assembly seats to the DPs from POJK. A large number of displaced persons, under the banner of POJK DPs Front 1947, 1965 and 1971 and (Non Camp) led by its president, Capt (Retd) Yudhvir Singh Chib assembled at Maharaja Hari Singh Park in Jammu today and started protest demonstration. They were demanding that []

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 24 Authorities today demolished several properties of alleged drug peddlers at Indra Nagar, Malikpur and Brij Nagar areas falling under the jurisdiction of Police Station Miran Sahib in Jammu district as part of the ongoing Nasha Mukt Jammu and Kashmir Abhiyan. CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO Officials said the properties were allegedly built using proceeds of the narcotics trade. Amid heavy deployment of police and CRPF personnel, a joint team of district administra

KOLKATA, April 24 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the Trinamool Congresss (TMC) jungle raj for the rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee inside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, 2024. Modi, who was addressing an Assembly election meeting In Panihati Assembly constituency in Kolkatas northern fringes in support of the BJP candidate Ratna Debnath, the mother of the RG Kar victim, focussed on issues related to women and attacked West Bengals [] Th

WASHINGTON, Apr 24 : The RSS is not an Indian version of the Ku Klux Klan, the American white supremacist group, RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said here, highlighting the organisations work across different spheres of society. Speaking at an interactive session at the New India Conference organised by the Hudson Institute, Hosabale said there are misconceptions about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) similar to misunderstandings about India in the US. The narrative that has been

NEW DELHI, Apr 24 : India chaired the meeting of BRICS Deputy Foreign Ministers and Special Envoys for the Middle East and North Africa BRICS MENA on April 23-24 in Delhi, during which the participants expressed deep concern on the situation in the Middle East and also discussed the Palestine issue and the Gaza situation, the MEA said on Friday. They had a constructive exchange of views on the current regional developments, the Ministry of External Affairs said. [] The post BRICS MENA meet hel

JERUSALEM, Apr 24: Some 250 Jews from north-east India have landed in Israel as part of an initiative announced by the government here last year to bring all remaining members of the community to the Jewish state. It is the first batch of Bnei Menashe to arrive in Israel, on Thursday, since the announcement in November last year to fund the immigration of thousands more community members waiting to immigrate to Israel over the next five years. The Bnei Menashe [] The post 250 Indian Jews from NE

KOLKATA, Apr 24: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday accused the Trinamool Congress of allowing a suspended party leader to build a mosque modelled on the Babri Masjid of Ayodhya in West Bengal, and asserted that the BJP would not allow its construction as long as one party worker is alive in the state. Addressing back-to-back poll rallies, Shah also asserted that after the BJP comes to power in the state, those involved in cattle smuggling will be dealt [] The post Will not allow constructi

NEW DELHI, Apr 24 : Noida International Airport on Friday announced the appointment of its Chief Financial Officer Nitu Sarma as the interim Chief Executive Officer. This change follows directions issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) that the Chief Executive Officer of an airport in India is required to be an Indian national, a statement said. Christoph Schnellmann, a Swiss national who led Noida International Airport as its CEO since August 2020, will join the airports Board [

LONDON, Apr 24 : The names of 33,000 Indian Army soldiers who died in the First World War but missing from a memorial in Iraq have finally been commemorated in digital form. Iraq, then Mesopotamia, had been the scene of the British Empires largest operations outside of Europe in the early 20th century. The Commonwealth War Grave Commission (CWGC), a charity with a remit of commemorating all Commonwealth servicemen and women who died during the two World Wars, have introduced [] The post UK adds

NAGPUR, Apr 24 : RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday said India will certainly become a Vishwaguru and nobody should harbour any doubts about the countrys future. Earlier, people doubted if Ram temple will ever be built, but it came into being. Similarly, India becoming a vishwaguru (teacher to the world) is certain to happen, he said. Bhagwat was speaking after laying the foundation stone of Bharat Durga Mandir here. The vision of India becoming a vishwaguru would be realised [] The post India be

Law Secy directed to respond to persistent non compliance *Pulls up Govt for scant respect to court orders Mohinder Verma JAMMU, Apr 24: In a strong indictment of executive inaction, the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has held that judicial orders cannot be rendered nugatory by executive inaction or indifference terming such conduct as plainly impermissible and incompatible with constitutional discipline. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp Hearing the petition titled Ali Mo

3 FIRs registered, revenue officials among others booked Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 24: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has unearthed another major land scam involving Custodian land in Jammu district and registered 3 fresh FIRs against revenue officials, land grabbers, conduits and beneficiaries. Officials said the scam relates to illegal occupation and sale of Custodian land in Asarwan, Mishriwala, Bhalwal and RS Pura areas through fake allotment orders and tampered

Says lake nearing ecological collapse Excelsior Correspondent Srinagar, Apr 24: Anchar lake, once a vast and pristine freshwater body on the outskirts of Srinagar, has shrunk by nearly 80 per cent over the past century, a recent peer-reviewed study has revealed, warning of an unfolding ecological crisis in one of Kashmirs key wetlands. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp The findings are part of a study titled A Critical Review on Five Major Wetlands of Kashmir: Addressing Threats and

Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Apr 24: A day after Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma launched a sharp attack on the Omar Abdullah Government, the Chief Minister hit back accusing the BJP of admitting that statehood for J&K was being delayed as punishment because people voted for the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp The latest exchange was triggered after Sharma on Friday accused the Omar Abdullah-led Government of non-performance, corruption

Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Apr 24: Police in Sopore today booked six miscreants under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for their involvement in recent law and order disturbances and acts of vandalism during a student protest in Sopore. CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO They have been identified as Umar Akbar Hajam, son of Mohammad Akbar, resident of Seelu, Salman Ahmed Shala son of Mohammad Ramzan Shala, resident of Shalpora Sopore, Altaf Ahmed Sheikh son of Mohammad Rajab Sheikh resident of Panzipora

Vijay Hashia iamvhashia@gmail.com Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has launched a 100 day Nasha Mukt Jammu & Kashmir Abhiyaan to combat drug menace in the region. The initiative reflects a comprehensive whole-of-government approach integrating the efforts of law enforcement agencies, health services, educational institutions, and civil societies. This strategy is aimed at safeguarding youth and restoring the social fabric of Jammu and Kashmir. The call for a Nasha Mukt Jammu & Kashmir is not merely a p

Excelsior Correspondent Srinagar, Apr 24 : Observing the recovery of excess salary by the employer is impermissible, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Srinagar bench directed the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department not to make recovery to its retired employee for excess salary under higher pay scale which he has drawn as per the order of department itself. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp Ritu Tagore (Judicial member) set aside the order of recovery with the furt

Excelsior Correspondent Srinagar, Apr 24: An infant was found dead in the womb at District Hospital Ganderbal last night, with the family alleging medical negligence and delay in treatment, while hospital authorities have ordered an inquiry. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp The woman, a resident of Gutlibagh in central Kashmirs Ganderbal district, had been admitted to the hospital two days earlier after her pregnancy had crossed the due date. According to the family, the delivery h

Prof. D. Mukherjee The Middle East entered a new phase of geopolitical instability on 28 February 2026 when the United States and Israel carried out coordinated strikes on Iran, targeting military infrastructure, missile capabilities, and senior leadership. The initial attacks reportedly resulted in the death of Irans Supreme Leader and were followed by swift Iranian retaliation through missile and drone strikes on Israel, US bases, and allied facilities across the region. This conflict was not

JAMMU, Apr 24: The School Education Department (SED) of the Jammu and Kashmir Government has assigned the Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) Powers of six headless institutions to as many officers in the interest of the administration. See Order Copy Click Here The post SED Assigns DDO Powerrs Of 6 Headless Institutes To As Many Officers appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

NEW DELHI, Apr 24: The NDA Friday got a boost after seven AAP MPs switched sides but the ruling alliance is still 18 members short of a two-thirds majority in Rajya Sabha and the BJP 10 MPs short of a simple majority of its own in the Upper House. The NDA now has the support of 145 MPs in the upper house. The two-thirds majority mark in the house, which has a total strength of 244, now stands at 163. [] The post After AAP MPs Switch Sides, NDA Now 18 Members Short Of Two-Thirds Majority In RS ap

Jammu, Apr 24: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today chaired a high-level meeting of Jammu Kashmir Higher Education Council, at Lok Bhavan. The Council, under the leadership of the Lieutenant Governor, deliberated on comprehensive strategies aimed at driving the holistic transformation of the education sector across the Union Territory. The key agendas included implementation of the Design Your Degree (DYD) program and the adoption of its official manual across universities, integration of IT an

JAMMU, Apr 24: The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) has notified the schedule for the submission of online permission cum examination forms for Class 10 and 12 Annual (Private)/Bi-Annual 2026 session. The schedule applies to all eligible candidates across the UTs of J&K and Ladakh including both winter and summer zone areas. As per the notification, re-appear and failure candidates of class 10 can submit their examination forms in online mode whereas the fresh private candida

JAMMU, Apr 24: Several legislators and deputations called on Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here on Friday and apprised him of a range of issues concerning their respective constituencies, seeking timely intervention and resolution. Among those who met the chief minister were MLA Ramnagar Sunil Bharadwaj, MLA Habbakadal Shamim Firdous, MLA Budhal Javaid Iqbal, MLA Kokernag Zaffar Ali Khatana, MLA Thanamandi Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, and former minister Yashpaul Kundal, the official sp

RBI cancels banking licence of Paytm Payments Bank: Statement The post RBI cancels banking licence of Paytm Payments Bank: Statement appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

JAMMU, Apr 24: A high-level team of the Indian Railways on Friday conducted a comprehensive safety and technical inspection of rail bridges over the Ravi river on the KathuaMadhopur section of the Jammu division, officials said. The inspection was led by divisional railway manager Vivek Kumar, commissioner of railway safety Dinesh Chand Deshwal, and chief administrative officer for the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project Alok Mishra. Officials said the detailed inspection focus

An Indian Air Force plane has reportedly being crashed in Padder area of J&Ks Kishtwar District. Official Confirmation is Awaited.. The post An Indian Air Force plane has reportedly being crashed in Padder area of J&Ks Kishtwar District. Official Confirmation is Awaited.. appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

BUDGAM, Apr 24: Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday said a country that values the dignity of its workers is unstoppable on the path of progress, asserting that their welfare must therefore remain at the centre of governance. Mandaviya, the Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, inaugurated a 30-bedded Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Hospital at Ompora here in the central Kashmir district. The newly inaugurated hospital is the first ESIC hospital i

JAMMU, Apr 24: The district administration on Friday demolished residential properties of two alleged drug peddlers in the outskirts of Jammu city as part of its crackdown on assets linked to persons involved in drug trafficking and trade, officials said. Bulldozers accompanied by heavy police deployment rolled into Indra Nagar Colony of Miran Sahib and razed the houses of two drug peddlers in the area, they said. The action against the duo booked under provisions of the [] The post Administr

SINGAPORE, Apr 24: An Indian national was charged in a Singapore court on Friday for operating an unlicensed cross-border money transfer business involving over SGD 38 million (USD 29 million) in total. Raju Krishnamoorthi, 45, was charged with two counts of operating such a business, The Straits Times newspaper reported. He was charged with engaging in unlicensed remittance activities as a self-employed foreigner without a valid work pass, and conspiring with a company director to abet a false

PESHAWAR, Apr 24: At least 22 terrorists have been killed during an intelligence-based operation by Pakistans security forces in the countrys northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Friday. On April 21, a joint intelligence-based operation was conducted by the security forces in Khyber District of the province on the reported presence of terrorists. During the conduct of the operation, twenty-two terrorists, belonging to Fitna-al-Khwarij, were killed, the Inter-Services Publi

JAMMU, Apr 24: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has exposed another major land scam involving Custodian land in Jammu district, officials said here on Friday. In a statement, A spokesperson said the Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau again achieved a major success in extracting one of the major land scams in Jammu and Kashmir, wherein Custodian land in Asarwan, Mishriwala, Bhalwal and R.S. Pura area of Jammu district has been found usurped by the land mafia in connivance

KATHAMADU, Apr 24: Ganga basin is among the 12 showing above-normal snow persistence in 2026 when overall snow cover across the Hindu Kush Himalaya was below-normal for the fourth consecutive year and even broke last years record-low deficit, a report said Friday. The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) Snow Update by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is an annual report that monitors seasonal snow anomalies in the HKH region and offers an assessment of snow persistence

WASHINGTON, Apr 24: The Trump administration is vowing to crack down on foreign tech companies exploitation of US artificial intelligence models, singling out China at a time that country is narrowing the gap with the US in the AI race. In a Thursday memo, Michael Kratsios, the presidents chief science and technology adviser, accused foreign entities principally based in China of engaging in deliberate, industrial-scale campaigns to distill, or extract capabilities from, leading AI systems made

LONDON, Apr 24: UN experts have expressed serious concern over the continued abduction and forced religious conversion through marriage of women and girls from minority communities in Pakistan, saying impunity was fuelling the practice. Any change of religion or belief must be genuinely free from coercion, and marriage must be based on full and free consent, which is not legally possible when the victim is a child, the experts said in a press release issued by Geneva-headquartered Office of the

JAKARTA, Apr 24: Cheers broke out in Indonesias capital on Friday as residents, city workers, and environmental volunteers hauled bulging nets of invasive fish to the surface of a reservoir in an operation to crack down on janitor fish. Authorities are seeking to remove at least 10 tons (9 metric tons) of the fish from Jakartas waterways, an effort officials hope will restore balance to the Ciliwung River and renew public attention on water quality. From the polluted river to [] The post Explosi

SRINAGAR, Apr 24: Police in Srinagar have deployed the narcotic dog squad across multiple city locations to crack down on drug trafficking, a police official said on Friday. During this special drive under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, trained sniffer dogs have been positioned at key checkpoints to detect concealed narcotics, identify and arrest drug peddlers, he said. The official said deploying highly trained canines enhances on-the-spot detection capabilities and strengthens ground-level enf

PUNE, Apr 24: Domestic consumption is sustaining the growth momentum in the economy, and predictable policy support is essential to ensure that the pace of GDP expansion continues, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday. Speaking at an event organised by SBI here, Sitharaman also said that a committee of bankers is looking into the issue of whether to allow exclusive distribution tie-ups for selling third-party products by banks or adopt an open architecture approach. She also

NEW DELHI, Apr 24: Seamless, barrier-free tolling on several national highways across the country will be implemented by December, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday. Addressing the second edition of Logistics Shakti Summit & Awards 2026, Gadkari said India will have to develop good infrastructure to reduce logistics cost. We plan to put up several seamless barrier-free tolling systems on several national highways across the country by December, Gadkari said. This

NEW DELHI, Apr 24: Alkem Laboratories Ltd on Friday said its CEO Vikas Gupta has resigned to pursue new professional opportunities. Gupta, also a key managerial personnel of the company, will continue till June 30, 2026 for smooth transition of responsibilities, Alkem said in a regulatory filing. In his resignation letter shared on exchanges by the company, Gupta said he decided to step down to pursue new professional opportunities that align closely with my long term professional and personal g

NEW DELHI, Apr 24: Realty firm Unitech Ltd on Friday said its nominee director Uma Shankar has resigned due to personal reasons. In a regulatory filing, Unitech informed that Shankar, nominee director (Non-Executive) resigned from the board of the company with effect from March 7, 2026. The company also regretted about the delayed filing about her resignation to the stock exchanges, saying the same was purely unintentional and occurred due to oversight. The Supreme Court had directed the Union g

NEW DELHI, Apr 24: A majority of Indian travellers surveyed across key cities are seeking better hospitality services, with slow resolution of issues, insufficient compensation and inconsistent communication emerging as critical pain points, according to a survey by US-headquartered Vertex Group released on Friday. The survey was conducted among 10,000 travellers in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kolkata recently. While 45 per cent of travellers reported satisfaction with recent hospit

NEWW DELHI, Apr 24: The Government on Friday said the three-day trade talks between Indian and US officials concluded on April 23, with both sides agreeing to stay engaged to sustain the momentum ahead. Both sides discussed several areas, such as market access, non-tariff measures, technical barriers to trade, customs and trade facilitation, investment promotion, economic security alignment and digital trade, the Commerce and Industry Ministry said in a statement. The meetings were conducted in