Kashmir Reader

NEW DELHI: Bill Gates has said something the rest of the AI industry would rather he had kept to himself. Some of the megacomplexes going up across the United States right now will not pay off. The electricity locked in will turn out to be too expensive. The compute will be undercut by cheaper builds []

MUMBAI: Reliance Jio is exploring the development of a sovereign satellite constellation for India, marking a significant step in the countrys ambitions to strengthen its space-based communications infrastructure. Speaking about the companys future plans in the space sector, Reliance Jio Chairman Akash Ambani announced that the telecom giant is evaluating the creation of a Low []

NEW DELHI: Norway, following its previous ban on smartphones, is now imposing a near-total ban on generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools for elementary school students. The Norwegian government is also placing strict limits on AI use for older children to protect them from a negative impact on their learning. According to a report by news []

Satish Sharma inaugurates Faavos Taekwondo Cup at Indoor Stadium Budgam BUDGAM: Minister for Youth Services & Sports, Transport, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Information Technology, Science & Technology and ARI & Trainings, Satish Sharma on Saturday inaugurated the Faavos Taekwondo Cup at the Indoor Stadium, Budgam, amid enthusiastic participation of young taekwondo players from []

CHENNAI: India completed a clean sweep of the three-match ODI series with a comprehensive nine-wicket win over Afghanistan in the final match, as Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed an unbeaten century and combined with Rohit Sharma for a 170-run opening stand to make the chase a mere formality here on Saturday. Chasing a modest 219-run target, India []

Srinagar: The administration has decided to reopen the historic Naranag Temple in central Kashmirs Ganderbal district for devotees and tourists following a comprehensive security review. In a post on X, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, said the decision was taken after a thorough assessment of the security situation. After thorough security review, decision has []

KOLKATA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday arrived in West Bengal on a two-day visit, during which he will participate in Paschimbanga Divas celebrations, lead the International Day of Yoga programme in Kolkata, and commission three indigenously built naval ships. Modi arrived in Hooghly district from neighbouring Odisha and is scheduled to attend the state-level []

New Delhi: J&K Police has been adjudged one of the Best Performers in Passport Seva for 2025-26, securing its second consecutive recognition in the category. The force received the Institutional Performance Award for State Police during the Passport Seva Divas celebrations and Regional Passport Officers Conference held from June 17-19 at Sushma Swaraj Bhavan, New []

Srinagar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir of the Crime Branch J&K has filed a chargesheet in a telecom project fraud case before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sopore. In a handout, the CBK said that the chargesheet, filed in FIR No. 44/2023 under Section 420 IPC, names Harkeet Singh, son of Guru Mohan []

Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday said Kashmir was once among Asias foremost centres of learning, attracting scholars from Afghanistan, Central Asia and other regions, while Sanskrit texts preserved and studied in the Valley were translated into Arabic and carried Indias intellectual traditions far beyond its borders. Addressing the inaugural session of the Nalanda []

SRINAGAR: Nearly 50 per cent of evaluated patients who underwent advanced cardiac surgical procedures did not even require them, a departmental inquiry into alleged large-scale procedural irregularities at the Anantnag Government Medical College has revealed. The Jammu and Kashmir Health and Medical Education Department further revealed fraudulent insurance claims, patient exploitation and unnecessary procedures on []

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump lavished praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he is a great leader and tough guy, who has been in power for more than 12 years. In an interview with Axios, Trump referred to Chinas President Xi Jinping and Modi as the two greatest leaders he likes the most in []

In J&K, 74 lakh to 1,522 employees, 25 cr to 304 employers Embodies Viksit Bharat resolve: LG Manoj Sinha Srinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday disbursed incentives amounting to Rs 2,400 crore to more than 15 lakh beneficiaries across the country, under Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana. As part of a nationwide outreach []

Satish Sharma says J&K needs statehood, not division Kupwara: Minister Satish Sharma on Friday said the demand for a separate state for Jammu does not reflect the aspirations of the people and is confined to a handful of individuals, mostly from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Speaking to reporters here, Sharma said the people of []

Says 50 years of cultivation cant be erased Pulwama: Minister Sakeena Itoo on Friday said the government is committed to safeguarding the interests of farmers, assuring that cultivators who have been working on agricultural land for decades would not be deprived of their legitimate rights. The minister made these remarks while addressing a public grievance []

Coaching centres in Kashmir to remain closed Sunday: DSEK Srinagar: School Education Department (SED) on Friday ordered suspension of classwork on Saturday in 60 higher secondaries designated as NEET examination centres in Kashmir division. Director of School Education (DSEK) in an order said, In view of upcoming NEET examination scheduled on 21-06-2026 (Sunday), the classwork []

Srinagar: Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Northern Command called on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday. He was accompanied by Lt Gen Balbir Singh, GOC Chinar Corps; Lt Gen Rajan Sharawat, GOC 9 Corps and Lt Gen P. K. Mishra, GOC 16 Corps.

Directs depts to expedite execution of works, ensure timely utilization of funds Srinagar: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo on Friday chaired a meeting of all the concerned to assess the progress achieved in identification, approval and execution of infrastructure restoration and reconstruction projects being undertaken under the Disaster Component of the Special Assistance to States for []

Baramulla Migrant Land Fraud Case Srinagar, Jun 18: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir of Crime Branch J&K conducted a house search at Banit Beerwah, District Budgam, in connection with an FIR registered under relevant sections of law at Police Station EOW Kashmir, pertaining to an alleged land fraud and cheating involving migrant land measuring []

Urges personnel to adopt people-friendly approach Srinagar: In preparation for the forthcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra-2026, IGP Kashmir V.K Birdi-IPS briefed Zonal Officers and Sector Officers to review coordination, and operational preparedness along the Yatra route. The briefing was attended by DIG CKR Srinagar, DIG SKR Anantnag, DIG Armed Kashmir, SSP PCR Kashmir, SO to []

Srinagar: Several parts of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed rain and thunderstorms on Friday afternoon as the Meteorological Department forecast more wet weather over the next few days and warned of possible flash floods, mudslides and hailstorms in vulnerable areas. According to the MeT Centre Srinagar, a spell of rain and thundershowers affected many places across []

Shopian: As part of its continued crackdown on narcotics-related activities, police in Shopian have attached a residential house valued at 28,91,526 belonging to Bashir Ahmad Sofi, son of Gh Hassan Sofi, a resident of Bonbazar Shopian. The property was identified as having been acquired through proceeds generated from the illegal trade of drugs and narcotics []

NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress leader in Lok Sabha Abhishek Banerjee on Friday met with Speaker Om Birla and submitted 20 petitions against its 20 rebel MPs, seeking their disqualification. Talking to the media after meeting the speaker, Banerjee said the rebel MPs, who have claimed to join the lesser-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), []

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday claimed that there was disagreement among the partys rebel MPs over who would become a Union minister after switching sides, and a settlement has been reached to provide additional Rs 25 crore to those who will not get the post. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray []

Srinagar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir on Friday said it has booked five accused in a major migrant land fraud case involving 14 kanals and 3 marlas of land in Baramulla. In a statement, a spokesperson said the Economic Offences Wing Kashmir of Crime Branch J&K conducted a house search at Banit Beerwah, District []

Srinagar: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday said it has filed a chargesheet before the Special Anti-Corruption Court, Baramulla, against a Fire & Emergency Services official accused of demanding and accepting a bribe for issuing a Fire Safety No Objection Certificate (NOC) in Sopore. In a statement ,a spokesperson said the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Jammu []

Srinagar: Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, V.K. Birdi on Friday briefed Zonal Officers and Sector Officers to review coordination and operational preparedness along the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra-2026 route. In a handout, the police said that the briefing was attended by DIG CKR Srinagar, DIG SKR Anantnag, DIG Armed Kashmir, SSP PCR Kashmir, SO to []

Kishtwar: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday said that two persons, including a Forest Department employee, have been arrested in Kishtwar district for allegedly providing support to terrorists. An official said that the arrests were made during the investigation of a case registered at Police Station Kishtwar under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita []

Srinagar: A Pakistani national, who was apprehended by security forces in north Kashmirs Kupwara district after allegedly crossing the Line of Control (LoC), has been sent back, officials said. Officials said that the individual, identified as Asad Khan, a resident of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), was detained in Simari village of Kupwara on June 12 after []

Srinagar: A police constable was arrested with heroin in Srinagars Alochi Bagh area. Officials said that based on specific information, the cop was apprehended by police along with heroin. The accused has been identified as Asif Rehman Reshi, son of Abdul Rehman Reshi and a resident of Bonpora, Batamaloo. A senior police official told GNS []

Srinagar: Security forces have detained three persons in south Kashmirs Shopian district and recovered explosives and incriminating material during a search operation. A senior police officer said that acting on specific intelligence inputs, police conducted an operation in the Pudsoo area of Shopian and detained three residents of Begam village. During the operation, two grenades, []

WASHINGTON: Iran will invite the UNs nuclear watchdog agency to inspect its nuclear sites and begin work on identifying and uncovering the locations of Tehrans enriched material, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff told US lawmakers in a private briefing. The private briefing on Thursday was described by two people familiar with the conversation who spoke to []

Chairs meeting on revival of customary mining activities in Kashmir SRINAGAR: Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary on Thursday emphasized the need for prompt decisions regarding the sand and stone quarrying and lifting of loose material across Kashmir to ensure the uninterrupted availability of construction material for the public. The Deputy Chief Minister made these remarks []

SRINAGAR: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Thursday called for revitalizing the Jammu and Kashmir Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB) to boost employment and economic growth. Speaking at a review meeting in Srinagar, he highlighted the importance of making KVIB more dynamic by expanding outreach and implementing reforms. He reviewed progress under the Prime []

SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting with Administrative Secretaries to review the status of Recruitment Rules (RRs) updates and Departmental Promotion Committees (DPCs) for government employees. The meeting focused on strengthening human resource management, ensuring timely promotions, and aligning departmental structures with modern governance needs. During the session, the Chief []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Provincial President (Kashmir) Showkat Mir Thursday said that the opposition parties have failed to put forward any constructive suggestions to match or challenge the development momentum initiated by the Omar Abdullah-led elected government. He made these remarks while interacting with several public and individual delegations at the party []

JAMMU: Minister for Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare and Education, Sakeena Itoo on Thursday held series of interactions with public delegations and citizens at Civil Secretariat, Jammu, listening to their concerns and assuring them of timely and effective redressal. During the public outreach, delegations representing different areas and sectors apprised the Minister of issues []

SRINAGAR: Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Anshul Garg, along with Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Akshay Labroo, on Thursday inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for E-Governance (CSC) established by the District Administration Srinagar at the Regional Transport Office (RTO) Srinagar. The Centre of Excellence has been set up with the objective of strengthening public service delivery and improving citizen []

Calls for replacing damaged equipment SRINAGAR: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Akshay Labroo on Thursday conducted on-site inspections of various vulnerable Distribution Transformer Substations (DTs) across the District to assess their operational condition, evaluate infrastructure deficiencies and ensure uninterrupted power supply and public safety. The DC was accompanied by Chief Planning Officer Fayaz Ahmad Dar, IAS []

GANDERBAL: Minister for Science & Technology, Information Technology and Youth Affairs, Government of Jammu & Kashmir, Satish Sharma inaugurated the state-of-the-art Food Processing Laboratory at the Design Innovation Centre (DIC), Central University of Kashmir (CUKashmir) at Green Campus here Thursday.The new facility aims to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and practical skills among youth, supporting local industries []

Minister Sharma calls for ethical, people-centric use of AI GANDERBAL: The International Conference on Applied Artificial Intelligence (2AI-2026) was inaugurated on June 18 at the Tulmulla Campus of the Central University of Kashmir (CUKashmir), marking a significant event in AI research and collaboration. Organized by the Department of Information Technology in partnership with the University []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) has notified the Date Sheet for the Higher Secondary Part-I (Class 11th) Examination, Session Annual (Private)/Bi-Annual 2026, for both Kashmir Division and Winter/Summer Zone areas of Jammu Division, including the UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The examinations shall commence on 7 July, 2026 and []

Srinaga; Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, V.K. Birdi on Thursday chaired a high-level review meeting to assess preparedness for the NEET UG 2026 Re-Examination and the upcoming SANJY-2026 Yatra. In a handout the police said that the meeting focused on finalizing security, traffic, and public facilitation arrangements to ensure the smooth, fair, and transparent conduct []

NEW DELHI:Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan chaired a high-level review meeting on Thursday with senior officials from the Ministry of Education, state governments, the National Testing Agency (NTA) and higher education institutions to assess preparedness for the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for June 21. The NEET-UG for admissions into medical courses took place on May 3 []

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday claimed that the rebel MPs of his party had been given an additional Rs 10 crore and moved to a safe location in Rajasthan, as the Uddhav Thackeray-led party faces an imminent crisis. Addressing a news conference in New Delhi, Raut said the traitors, a reference []

Poonch: Three women were seriously injured in separate bear attacks in the Biddar and Chhamber areas of Mandi, Poonch, while they were engaged in routine daily work. Officials said that the three women were seriously injured in separate bear attacks and they have been identified as Najma Akhtar, daughter of Abdul Karim and a resident []

NEW DELHI: The writing appeared to be on the wall for Shiv Sena (UBT) as six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs skipped its parliamentary party meeting here on Thursday, signalling that a formal crossover to the ruling Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde may be only a matter of time. Sena (UBT) MPs Arvind []

Ganderbal: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday reviewed arrangements for the annual Kheer Bhawani Mela at Tulmulla in central Kashmirs Ganderbal district, stating that all pending works would be completed ahead of the festival on June 22. Speaking to reporters during his visit to the shrine, CM Omar, , said devotees from across the country []

EVIAN-LES-BAINS (FRANCE): (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump directed their officials to work towards a balanced, mutually beneficial and commercially meaningful trade agreement at the earliest. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said this on Thursday, a day after the two leaders held wide-ranging talks for the first time in 16 []

Poonch: An Army jawan died at the headquarters of 16 Rashtriya Rifles in Draba, Surankote area of Poonch district, in the early hours on Thursday. Officials said that the incident occurred early morning when the jawan, who was on night duty and was found dead at the post. The deceased has been identified as Naik []