Greater Kashmir

Srinagar, Sep 22: The Food & Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu & Kashmir, has prohibited the sale, storage, distribution and display of specified batches of four ghee brands across the Union Territory after samples collected from different districts were found to be Unsafe, Sub-standard or both during laboratory analysis. The prohibitory order has been issued by Khalid Jahangir, Commissioner, Food Safety, J&K, under the relevant provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with immedia

Srinagar, Sep 22: The recent power tariff hike is expected to add over Rs 250 crore to the public exchequer, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was informed on Tuesday. Responding to a question by Handwara MLA Sajad Lone, the government said the tentative additional revenue the distribution companies (Discoms) expect to realise from the tariff revision approved by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission for the financial year 2026-27 would be Rs 251 crore. However, the government said that despi

Srinagar, Sep 22: The story of how electric underfloor heating was adapted to Kashmiri homes, given a locally understood name and gradually developed into a heating industry across the Valley. Srinagar: Today, Electric Hamam is a familiar term in Kashmir. Homeowners ask for it by name, heating businesses advertise it and installers operate across different parts of the Valley. In 2011, things were very different. Few people in Kashmir knew what electric underfloor heating was and there was hardl

Srinagar, Sep 22: Jammu and Kashmir Bank will soon issue a recruitment notification for appointments to the posts of banking assistants and officers in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, J&K Bank Managing Director and CEO Amitava Chatterjee said on Tuesday. Speaking at the banks 88th Annual General Meeting at SKICC in Srinagar, Chatterjee said the recruitment process was being taken up after 2021 and that the bank had completed negotiations and signed an agreement with the agency that would conduct the

Srinagar, Sep 22: The Higher Education Department has removed over 4200 objectionable books from the shelves of colleges and libraries of Jammu and Kashmir. The government in Legislative Assembly informed that 4249 books have been withdrawn from circulation excluding the banned books including 3996 from Kashmir and 253 from Jammu division respectively. It also said that a total of 21,81,582 books and publications have been examined till date including 9,32,941 in Jammu and 12,48,641 in Kashmir.

Srinagar, Sep 22: The Jammu and Kashmir government Tuesday informed the Legislative Assembly that J&K currently has 51000 cancer cases. This was stated by the minister for health and medical education Sakina Itoo while replying to a question raised by MLA Saifullah Mir. The government informed that the there was an increasing trend in cancer incidences globally and in J&K as well. Gastrointestinal, lung and breast cancers constitute a significant proportion of reported malignancies, the House wa

Srinagar, Sep 22: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday praised BJP MLA Yudhvir Sethi for remaining in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and raising a question despite his party colleagues walking out of the House over the demand to restore a holiday on Sheikh Abdullahs birth anniversary. The exchange came after BJP members staged a walkout as National Conference legislators sought that Sheikh Abdullahs birth anniversary be declared a holiday. The BJP members raised slogans in favour

Srinagar, Sep 21: Only 899 new posts have been created across various departments in Jammu and Kashmir Government since October 16, 2024, the Government informed the Legislative Assembly on Monday. In response to a question by MLA Handwara, Sajad Gani Lone, Government data states that the Health & Medical Education Department accounts for the highest number of 485 new posts created, followed by Housing and Urban Development with 266 posts and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs with 82 posts.

Srinagar, Sep 21: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said 3.21 crore in relief had been disbursed among families affected by flash floods and landslides in Rajouri, while a 185 crore proposal had been prepared for the permanent restoration of 403 damaged roads and bridges in the district. Replying to a question in the ongoing Jammu and Kashmir Assembly session, Omar said 149 family-wise cases seeking relief under SDRF norms had been received in connection with damage caused by the recent fla

Srinagar, Sep 21: Amid a ruckus in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Monday, Gurez MLA Nazir Ahmad Gurezi urged Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to continue with the Question Hour, accusing the BJP members of deliberately trying to waste the Houses time. None of you will be in the House after the next election. You ruined this State, Gurezi was heard telling the protesting BJP legislators. Earlier, Speaker Rather warned the BJP members to return to their seats and allow the proceedings to

Srinagar, Sep 21: In a departure from longstanding tradition, the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Monday carried out Government business immediately after Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather read out obituary references. Breaking precedent, the Speaker proceeded with legislative work following tributes to former Members of the Legislative Assembly Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, Dharam Paul and Ghulam Hassan. During the obituary reference, the Speaker read out the names of the deceased lawmakers, with no o

Srinagar, Sep 21: PDP MLA from Pulwama Waheed-ur-Rehman Para moved an adjournment motion in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Monday, seeking an urgent debate on issues related to the reservation policy. Para called for discussion of what he described as continuing injustice and delay over the reservation issue, and said the interests of students in the open-merit category should not be compromised. The reservation issue has remained a subject of debate since the Jammu and Kashmir go

Cairo, Sep 20: A senior official with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels is warning countries against joining Saudi Arabia in Yemen's revived civil war, telling The Associated Press on Sunday that his group has assured the Trump administration that it won't attack US vessels in the Red Sea. Mohamed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthis' political bureau, said Washington reached out to the rebels after their rapid advance down Yemen's western coast to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait earlier this month. We con

Doda, Sept 19: A man was killed and five others were injured after a Bolero vehicle they were travelling in lost control and overturned in the Marmat area of Doda district on Saturday, officials said. An official said that the accident occurred near Marmat when the Bolero vehicle bearing registration number JK06-6479 lost control and overturned, leaving one person dead and five others injured. He said the injured were shifted to GMC Doda for medical aid, while the deceased was identified as Gulz

Srinagar, Sept 18: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday handed over appointment letters to newly selected candidates of the Jammu and Kashmir Police (Gazetted) Services at Lok Bhavan, Srinagar, saying the appointment is not merely a government job but a call to serve and protect the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing the newly selected officers, the Lieutenant Governor said the appointment letters carried the burden of the faith of the whole of Jammu and Kashmir and represented a commi

Budgam, Sept 18: A 21-year-old youth was found dead at his residence in the Qadi Pora area of Budgam in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, officials said. An official said that the youth was found unconscious at his residence in Qadi Pora, following which police were informed. He said police reached the spot and took the body into custody. The deceased was identified as Shafat Hussain (21), a resident of Qadi Pora, Budgam. Meanwhile, the body will be handed over to the family after co

Srinagar, Sep 17: The Jammu & Kashmir National Health Mission Employees Association (JKNHMEA), Joint Coordination Committee on behalf of the NHM employees of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir on Thursday extended its ongoing peaceful strike for a further period of 72 hours, commencing from September 18, 2026, across Jammu and Kashmir. In a communication, the Association said that the extension has been necessitated due to the continued pendency of the Associations long-standing and legitima

Srinagar, Sep 17: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday accused the BJP of being insecure, saying the ruling party at the Centre is now policing the vocabulary of the Muslim community in the country. Referring to the case of IPS officer Bushra Bano, who was transferred from her post of ASP in West Bengals Kharagpur within just two-and-a-half months of taking charge, allegedly over her use of Muslim greetings in a video, Mehbooba said such incidents do not shock the minority community anymore.

Jammu, Sep 17: A special NIA court in Jammu has issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Saifullah, who has been linked to several major terror attacks, including the April 2025 Pahalgam massacre, officials said on Thursday. Saifullah is a resident of Changa Manga village in Pakistans Kasur. He is also known in the terror ranks by the aliases of Sajid Jatt, Ali Bhai, Habibullah Malik, Langda, Noomi, Numan, Usman Habib and Shani. He is a key figur

Srinagar, Sep 17: Eight labourers were injured after the Tata Mobile they were travelling in collided with an electric pole at Pirbagh area on the outskirts of Srinagar, with three of the injured reported to be in critical condition. Reports said the vehicles driver lost control before colliding with the electric pole. The injured were subsequently brought to SMHS Hospital Srinagar for treatment. The injured have been identified as Zahoor Ahmad, 27, son of Nazir Ahmed, a resident of Kupwara, who

Srinagar, Sept 17: Rain continued in parts of south Kashmir and the eastern areas of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, while the Meteorological Department forecast a prolonged spell of pleasant weather from Friday. A MeT official said the current spell of rainfall was part of the brief deterioration in weather conditions that the department had forecast around September 15-16. As we had said earlier, there would be a little deterioration in the weather between 15-16 and thereafter, and that is happ

Srinagar, Sep 17: The president of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference and MLA Handwara, Sajad Gani Lone, on Thursday said that he had given notice for two resolutions ahead of the autumn session of the J&K Assembly. Of the two resolutions, one, related to the recent power tariff hike, has been admitted, while there has been total silence on the other resolution pertaining to the rigging of the 1987 elections. Terming the alleged 1987 election rigging a watershed event in Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar, Sept 17: Fresh snowfall was witnessed at Kabul Gali in north Kashmirs Gurez Valley on Thursday, while widespread rain lashed Kashmir, with several areas of south Kashmir receiving heavy showers, officials said. Srinagar recorded 8.2 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, while Qazigund, Pahalgam and Gulmarg received 13.4 mm, 13 mm and 13.2 mm, respectively. Heavy rainfall was also recorded in parts of the Jammu division, with Udhampur receiving 117.8 mm, Jammu 112.9 mm and Katra 45.2 mm

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday summoned the Charge dAffaires of the High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi and lodged a strong protest over what it described as the unacceptable and unprofessional conduct of Pakistani naval units that resulted in a collision with an Indian Navy unit. According to the MEA, the incident took place in international waters and did not cause any major damage. The ministry said the conduct of the Pakistani naval ship was in direct contravention

All four large ponds constructed under Project Him Sarovar at Spituk Farka in Leh have been filled with glacier meltwater within five months, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena said in a post on X. Saxena said construction of the four ponds began on April 10, 2026, and concluded with the recharge and operationalisation of the fourth pond on September 9. According to the LG, Pond No. 1 was inaugurated on June 21, Pond No. 2 was filled on July 19, Pond No. 3 on August 24 and Pond No. 4

Saudi Arabia has warned Yemens Houthi group against attacks near the holy city of Mecca after its air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone south of the city on Tuesday. The Saudi-led military coalition said the drone was brought down before it could enter prohibited airspace over Mecca. Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said the security of Islams two holiest sites and pilgrims was a red line, warning that necessary deterrent measures would be taken against the Houthis. Mecca is Islams

Banihal, Sep 16: The Education Department in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district has suspended a government school teacher following allegations of harassing a female student. According to an official order issued by the Chief Education Officer (CEO) Ramban on September 15, 2026, the accused teacher was posted at Government High School Harroge in the Gool zone. The action was taken under Rule 31 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control & Appeal) Rules, 1956, following an

Budgam, Sep 16: A dead body was found near the Ring Road at Dharmunah in Budgam district on Wednesday, officials said. The deceased has been identified as Arif Ahmad Bhat, son of Bashir Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Gotapora Narbal, Budgam. Police reached the spot after receiving information about the recovery and took cognizance of the incident. The circumstances leading to the death were not immediately clear. Police have initiated necessary proceedings to ascertain the circumstances surrounding t

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned what it described as heinous attacks launched by the Houthi group on the holy city of Mecca and the Medina region. In a statement, the OIC General Secretariat said the attacks were intended to terrorise civilians, violate the sanctity of holy sites and mosques, and provoke the feelings of Muslims around the world. The organisation said attacks on holy sites, mosques and civilian objects constituted terrorism and contradicted Islamic val

Srinagar, Sept 16: Customers have been cautioned against scammers circulating fake eKYC applications and fraudulent links through WhatsApp, SMS and social media. The scammers often create a sense of urgency by claiming that a customers bank account may be blocked unless KYC details are updated, the advisory said. Customers have been urged not to download apps from unknown sources or click on links received from unfamiliar senders. They have also been warned against sharing their one-time passwor

Srinagar, Sep 15:Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday dismissed speculation about political instability in his government, asserting that his MLAs would not switch sides and saying he had complete faith in them. About reports and political discussions suggesting that some legislators could leave the ruling camp, CM Omar said he was not worried and did not spend his time counting his MLAs. Am I worried that some of my MLAs might slip away? Not in the least. I have full faith in my people, he t

Srinagar, Sep 15: Praising the recent BRICS summit in New Delhi for sending out a good message of peace and diplomacy, Kashmir's chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Tuesday warned that global conflicts are actively escalating despite assertions that the current era is not one of war. Speaking to reporters here following a meeting of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), an amalgam of several religious bodies in Jammu and Kashmir, the Mirwaiz expressed hope that de-escalation efforts would yield re

Jammu, Sep 15: Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu Tejinder Singh on Tuesday visited Reasi and reviewed the overall security and policing arrangements. Reasi district is home to Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and vital railway infrastructure, including the iconic Chenab Bridge and the cable-stayed Anji Khud Bridge, an official said. The arrangements came up for review during a high-level security meeting chaired by the IGP at the District Police Lines, Reasi, a police spokesman said. He said the m

Rajouri, Sept 15: A man was found dead near the National Highway at Lamberi in the Nowshera area of Rajouri district on Tuesday, officials said. An official said that the body was spotted by passersby, who informed the police. A police team subsequently reached the spot and took the body into custody. He said the body has been kept for identification, while further legal formalities are being carried out. Meanwhile, police have appealed to people who may have information about the deceased to co