KashmirLife

SRINAGAR: All educational institutions and government offices will remain open in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, March 20, 2026, as the holiday on account of Jumat-ul-Vida was observed earlier on March 13. Authorities clarified that the holiday had been preponed last week, and therefore no holiday will be observed on Friday. Normal functioning will continue []

SRINAGAR: Students of BSc Nursing 7th Semester (Batch 2022) from various institutions in south Kashmir have voiced serious concern over the allotment of their examination centre by the University of Kashmir, citing logistical challenges and lack of adequate transport facilities. The affected students belong to Ramzaan College of Nursing, Pulwama, Dolphin Institute of Medical Sciences []

SRINAGAR: The Biochemistry Diagnostic Laboratory at Government Medical College Srinagar and its associated SMHS Hospital has secured accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories under the international standard ISO 15189:2022, marking a major milestone in diagnostic healthcare in Jammu and Kashmir. The accreditation, valid for four years till 2030, certifies the []

SRINAGAR: With the March 31 deadline for payment of water bills approaching, the Jammu Municipal Corporation has launched a citywide drive to boost revenue collection and clear pending dues, officials said. Commissioner Devansh Yadav issued directives to ensure maximum public participation and streamline the billing process. In response, the Jal Shakti Department, particularly Divisions 1 []

SRINAGAR: A visible excitement and last-minute rush gripped markets across Kashmir on Thursday as shoppers thronged bazaars for last-minute Eid purchases. From early morning, markets in Srinagar and other districts witnessed heavy footfall, with people, young and old, making a final dash to buy clothes, bakery items, footwear and essentials ahead of Eid. Despite intermittent []

SRINAGAR: Authorities have announced that the Gulmarg Gondola shall remain closed on March 21 on the occasion of Eid ul-Fitr. Tourists intending to visit can book tickets for March 20 via the official online portal of the Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation. Visitors are advised to plan in advance and secure their bookings early []

SRINAGAR: In the run-up to the upcoming festivities, banks across the region have witnessed a sharp surge in activity, with Jammu and Kashmir Bank reporting over Rs 8,393 crore in non-branch transactions over three days from March 16 to March 19, 2026. Eid is being celebrated on Saturday as no crescent was reportedly seen anywhere []

SRINGAR: Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam has announced that the crescent was not sighted anywhere in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, and Eid ul Fitr will be observed on Saturday. The announcement ended suspense across the Valley following Maghrib prayers. He said no credible reports of moon sighting were received by the official moon-sighting committee. With the []

SRINAGAR: The Supreme Court of India has designated seven former High Court judges as Senior Advocates, following a decision taken at a full court meeting held on March 18. The meeting was chaired by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. An official notification issued on March 19 stated that the designations have come into effect []

SRINAGAR: No confirmed sighting of the crescent moon has been reported from any part of Jammu and Kashmir so far, Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam said on Thursday evening. The development comes amid widespread cloud cover and inclement weather across the region, which has significantly hampered visibility. The sighting of the crescent moon is crucial for marking []

SRINAGAR: A viral social media trend has turned a set of colourful, ghungroo-adorned bangles into the most sought-after Eid accessory across the subcontinent, even as questions grow over their tenuous link to Kashmirs actual jewellery traditions. From the bustling markets of Srinagar to retail hubs in cities like Hyderabad and Mumbai, the phrase Kashmiri chudiyan []

SRINAGAR: Heavy snowfall in the upper reaches of north Kashmirs Bandipora district has led to the closure of the 85-km BandiporaGurez road and the GurezTulail route, officials said on Thursday. Authorities suspended vehicular movement on both routes after fresh snowfall rendered the roads unsafe, cutting off the remote Gurez and Tulail valleys from the rest []

Legal proceedings before the National Green Tribunal, triggered by three years of illegal riverbed mining, could force restoration of Kashmirs iconic Sukhnag trout stream and fix accountability, writes Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat One of Kashmirs most celebrated trout streams, Sukhnag, has long been more than a water body. Flowing through the verdant Beerwah landscape in []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Finance Department has tightened norms for treasury operations in the final week of March, issuing strict timelines and accountability measures to ensure smooth closure of the financial year 2025-26. In a circular issued today, all Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) have been directed to adhere to the notified last date []

SRINAGAR: A local court in Srinagar has convicted a police head constable for rash and negligent driving in a 2010 road accident on Boulevard Road that resulted in the death of a woman and left her daughter critically injured. Special Mobile Magistrate Massarat Jabeen, in a detailed 62-page judgment, found Mohammad Assadullah Sheikh guilty under []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday paid obeisance at the revered Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine on the auspicious occasion of Chaitra Navratri. In a post on X, office of JK LG wrote, Paid obeisance at revered Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine on the auspicious occasion of Chaitra Navratri. Post []

SRINAGAR: After an extended dry spell in February, several higher-altitude areas of Kashmir experienced fresh snowfall on Thursday, bringing relief and excitement to both tourists and residents. The ski resort of Gulmarg was among the main locations to receive snowfall, along with districts such as Ganderbal district, Kupwara district, Shopian district and Bandipora district. Officials []

Every other thinker in this series talks about hard power armies, alliances, force. Joseph Nye asked something different. What about the power that works without coercion? The power that makes others want what you want? In a world watching Americas image fracture in real time, that question has never mattered more. Picture a scene []

SRINAGAR: Unidentified drones have been detected flying over a military installation in Washington where senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, reside, The Washington Post reported on Thursday. Officials have not yet determined the origin of the drones, two sources told The Washington Post, highlighting potential vulnerabilities in the []

by Mir Tariq Rasool Ali Khamenei transformed uncertain revolutionary leadership into a durable Iranian political order through institutional consolidation, philosophical framing, and sustained ideological, administrative, and strategic authority. History often remembers leaders as though they were destined for their roles. Their authority appears preordained, their rise almost inevitable. Yet history also produces another kind of []

SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has disposed of a batch of petitions related to the contentious Gulmarg land lease issue after petitioners, primarily hoteliers, sought to withdraw their pleas and pursue an administrative resolution with the government. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal allowed the []

SRINAGAR: Afghanistan on Wednesday announced the sighting of the Shawwal crescent, declaring Thursday as Eid al-Fitr, even as Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a temporary ceasefire during the festival following one of the deadliest escalations in their recent conflict, according to reports by Anadolu Agency and AFP. Government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the Supreme Court []

SRINAGAR: A Power Development Department (PDD) lineman died after suffering an electric shock during duty in central Kashmirs Budgam district on Wednesday, officials said. The deceased has been identified as Ali Mohammad Malik, a resident of Sonpah Beerwah. According to local sources, the incident occurred while he was carrying out routine work when he came []

SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday urged people to organise daily or weekly evening aartis in towns and villages along riverbanks across Jammu Division in collaboration with local communities, emphasising the need to preserve cultural and spiritual traditions. Speaking at the Shri Raghunath Ji Jammu Aarti organised by Shri Raghunath Ji Ki Jammu Aarti []

SRINAGAR: Israel intensified its campaign against Irans leadership on Wednesday, with Defence Minister Israel Katz announcing the killing of Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib in an overnight strike, a development later confirmed by Iranian state television. The assassination marks one of the most high-profile targeted killings in the ongoing war and signals a deepening escalation []

SRINAGAR: The Chief Engineer, Distribution, Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), has announced a series of scheduled power shutdowns across several parts of Kashmir between March 22 and 28, 2026 due to maintenance works on transmission lines. According to officials, power supply to Jawahar Nagar, Rajbagh, Mehjoor Nagar, Soiteng, KP Bagh and adjoining areas will []

SRINAGAR: In a sharp and unexpected reversal, winter-like conditions have returned across Jammu and Kashmir, with widespread rain in the plains and fresh snowfall in higher reaches, dragging temperatures well below normal and disrupting daily life ahead of Eid. After an unusually warm February, the region is now witnessing what meteorologists describe as a delayed []

SRINAGAR: Social media platform X was down for thousands of users in the United States and other parts of the world on Wednesday, according to outage tracking website Downdetector. More than 14,000 users in the US reported issues with the platform as of 10:59 a.m. Eastern Time, Downdetector data showed. The service, which compiles user-submitted []

SRINAGAR: Authorities in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday announced that the crescent moon marking the beginning of Shawwal was not sighted, confirming that Eid al-Fitr will be observed on Friday, March 20. With the non-sighting of the Shawwal crescent, the holy month of Ramadan will complete 30 days, officials said, adding that Thursday will be the []

SRINAGAR: The Directorate of Rural Development Kashmir on Wednesday suspended Layla Khalid, a Panchayat Inspector presently holding additional charge as Block Development Officer (BDO) Newa, pending an inquiry into alleged misconduct. According to an official order, she has been attached to the office of the Assistant Commissioner Panchayat, Ganderbal, with immediate effect. The order further []

SRINAGAR: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Narendra Modi, has approved the Small Hydro Power (SHP) Development Scheme for the period 202627 to 203031, with a total outlay of Rs 2,584.60 crore aimed at adding around 1,500 MW of capacity across the country. The scheme targets small hydro projects ranging between 1 MW and 25 MW, []

SRINAGAR: An expert committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal on Wednesday carried out an on-site inspection of the Sukhnag stream in the Sail area of Beerwah in Budgam district to assess damage caused by alleged illegal riverbed mining. The panel, comprising senior scientist Sandeepan Mukherjee from the GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment []

SRINAGAR: The mastermind behind the 2018 rape and murder of an eight-year-old in Kathua does not deserve the concession of suspension of sentence at this stage, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has said while dismissing a plea from former temple caretaker Sanji Ram. Ram, who was caretaker of the devasthanam (temple) where the crime []

SRINAGAR: Police in south Kashmir have seized a Swift car valued at approximately Rs 6.8 lakh, alleging it was purchased using proceeds from illegal drug trafficking, officials said on Wednesday. The vehicle, bearing registration number JK13J-3347, belongs to Ishfaq Ahmad Koka, son of Abdul Majeed Koka, a resident of Melhura Zainapora in Shopian district. Police []

SRINAGAR: A major admission fraud has come to light in Jammu, where several parents were allegedly duped of lakhs of rupees on the pretext of securing seats for their children in professional courses such as MBBS and B.Tech, police sources said. According to sources, the Cyber Police Station Jammu has registered a case against Vidya []

SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Waheed ul Rehman Para on Wednesday accused the National Conference (NC) party of shielding the elite while the poor continue to face the brunt of demolition drives, as the political dispute over land rights intensified in Jammu and Kashmir. Reacting to NC leader Tanvir Sadiqs remarks, MLA Para criticized []

SRINAGAR: The Food Department (FSD), in collaboration with Tehsil Administration Keller and Police Keller, on Wednesday conducted a market checking drive in Keller town and adjoining areas of PP Berthipora. During the inspection, officials imposed a fine of Rs 3,100 on several violators for failing to adhere to norms. Authorities also destroyed rotten vegetables and []

SRINAGAR: Amid rising tensions in West Asia, Iran has executed a man accused of spying for Israel, according to the judiciarys Mizan News Agency. The individual, identified as Kurosh Keyvani, was, according to Mizan News Agency, convicted of allegedly sharing images and sensitive information about key locations in Iran with Israels intelligence agency, Mossad. This []

SRINAGAR: A major financial fraud has surfaced in the Jammu Central Cooperative (JCC) Bank Ltd, with employees at the Head Office allegedly siphoning off crores of rupees from depositors accounts through fraudulent digital transactions, sources told Jammu newspaper Daily Excelsior. According to official sources, embezzlement amounting to approximately Rs 1.77 crore has so far been []

SRINAGAR: Security forces on Wednesday launched search operations in parts of Rajouri, Doda and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir following reports of suspicious movement, officials said. The operations were initiated after inputs about possible movement in forested and remote areas, prompting joint teams of police and security forces to cordon off locations and begin []

Before Mearsheimer, before Huntington, before Allison, there was one man who looked at the wreckage of two world wars, the Holocaust, and the collapse of the European liberal order, and drew the only conclusion the evidence would support. Hans Morgenthau did not theorise about power. He had lived through what happens when nations forget it. []

Abdul Rashid Shah (June 1948 March 2026) Senior Kashmiri editor Abdul Rashid Shah, founder of the Urdu daily Nidai Mashriq, passed away in Srinagar on March 7 after a prolonged pulmonary illness, bringing to a close a career that spanned decades of turbulent political and media history in Kashmir. Shah began his professional life in []

SRINAGAR: Iran has confirmed the death of its national security chief Ali Larijani, hours after Israel claimed responsibility for killing him in an airstrike. The Iranian president also mourned his death and vowed retaliation. The pure souls of the martyrs embraced the purified soul of Gods righteous servant, Martyr Dr Ali Larijani, Irans Supreme National []

SRINAGAR: Residents of the Kanidajan area in Charar-e-Sharif in central Kashmirs Budgam district have alleged a complete disruption in LPG supply, saying households are facing severe hardship due to the unavailability of cooking gas. Locals said there has been zero supply of LPG cylinders in the area for several days, forcing families to struggle with []

SRINAGAR: A newly constructed double-storey residential house collapsed suddenly in Baliharan Singhpora area of Pattan in north Kashmirs Baramulla district on Tuesday, officials said. The house, belonging to Fayaz Ahmed Wani, was reduced to rubble after the structure caved in without warning, flattening completely to the ground. Officials said no one was present inside the []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday criticized Education Minister Sakina Itoo over her remarks on the qualifications of private school teachers, calling them unfortunate and raising concerns over their impact on the education sector. In a statement, PDP spokesperson Syed Tajamul said such comments risk creating divisions within the teaching community []

SRINAGAR: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has clarified that biometric Aadhaar authentication (eKYC) is not compulsory for all LPG consumers, countering reports suggesting a blanket requirement. In an official statement, the ministry said the ongoing eKYC drive is part of routine measures to enhance transparency and is not a newly introduced rule. It []

SRINAGAR: Meta has announced that it will discontinue end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) messaging on Instagram from May 8, 2026, effectively rolling back a privacy feature introduced in late 2023. The company said the decision marks a shift in its messaging policy, though specific reasons for the move were not immediately detailed. End-to-end encryption, which ensures that []

SRINAGAR: Joseph Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has resigned with immediate effect, citing his opposition to the ongoing conflict in Iran. In a letter to Donald Trump, Kent said he could not support the war, arguing that Iran did not pose an immediate threat to the United States. He also criticised the decision []

SRINAGAR: The Northern Railways Jammu Division has decided to attach an additional sleeper coach to the KolkataJammu Tawi Express in view of the expected surge in passengers during the Navratri festival, officials said on Tuesday. The additional coach will be attached to Train No. 13151/13152 (KolkataJammu TawiKolkata Express) from March 20 to April 2 to []