Three Telangana districts cross 45 on May 17, Nizamabad hottest at 45.7
British golfer Aaron Rai wins first PGA championship; celebrates Indian, Kenyan heritage
Rai's wife, Gaurika Bishnoi, is a pro golfer from India whose advice in a car ride to the hotel lingered with him on the course; he is the first Englishman to win the PGA Championship since Jim Barnes in 1919
Suvendu Adhikari holds first 'janata darbar' after becoming CM
Several people, including students, participated in the interactions with the CM at the BJP office in Salt Lake area in Kolkata
India seek redemption against French challenge at Malaysia Masters
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DMK will rise like a phoenix, says Stalin
Mr. Stalin, while congratulating the new government, urged it to continue the welfare schemes implemented by his government
PM Modi woos Swedish companies to invest in India, says 'reform express' going at full speed
Forest Department restricts tourist entry at Berijam lake near Kodaikanal after tiger sighting
Officials say the restrictions will remain in effect till further notice. They add that the departments staff are actively monitoring the area
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Kurnool Municipal Corporation issues draft notification to delimit 52 wards into 68
Draft notification released on Monday; objections, suggestions to be accepted until 5 p.m. on May 24 at the city planning wing of the KMC office
Two Sri Lankans arrested at Madurai airport for voting illegally in Tamil Nadu Assembly elections
The Tamil play Kannamma is a haunting tale of grief and retribution
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Bail is the rule is not an empty slogan, even in UAPA and terror' cases: Supreme Court
The apex court notes that bail is the rule even in UAPA cases, questions its own judgment denying bail to Umar Khalid
AP CM Chandrababu Naidu suggests GoI to consider shrimp in the menu of Indian army
50% U.S. tariff has pushed tax burden on Indian shrimp exports to nearly 60%; 2.5 lakh aqua farmer families at risk
Archaeology Department seeks to turn Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Town Hall into museum
Town Hall is said to have been constructed by the Nizamshahi general Malik Amber in the first quarter of the 17th century
DMK urges Centre to hand over Anaimangalam copper plates to Tamil Nadu
The Government of Tamil Nadu too must, without delay, undertake appropriate efforts in this regard and ensure that they are brought back to their motherland, said former Minister for Archaeology Thangam Thennarasu
Australia orders China-linked investors to sell stakes in rare earths firm
Northern Minerals is vying to challenge China's dominance of dysprosium production, a rare earth mineral used to make high-performance magnets used in electric vehicles
Watch: Bonhomie at Thiruvananthapuram airport as Congress leaders arrive for swearing-in ceremony
Senior Congress leaders arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on May 18, to attend the swearing-in ceremony of new Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and the UDF Cabinet.
Salar Jung museum turns 75: Exhibits that define Hyderabads iconic museum
Marking its diamond jubilee this year, alongside International Museum Day on May 18?, Hyderabads Salar Jung Museum brings together nearly 48,000 artefacts across 40 galleries, spanning Mughal, European and Far Eastern traditions. Short on time? Here are our highlights - from a musical clock to veiled Rebecca
KTR demands dismissal of Bandi Sanjay from Union Cabinet
The BRS leader says only such a move would allow a fair probe into the POCSO case against Mr. Sanjays son
Amit Shah flags off 400 emergency response vehicles, 33 mobile forensic vans in Chhattisgarh
The new arrangement is expected to improve crime control, women and child safety, road accident response, medical assistance and support during emergencies, says the officials
Rahul Gandhi to visit Raebareli for two days from May 19
Congress district president of Raebareli Pankaj Tiwari said Rahul Gandhi will address a public meeting in Khiron, and mahila samvaad programme in Lalganj
V.D. Satheesan sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Kerala
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Satheesan and the Ministers-designate over a one-hour ceremony
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Sweden awards PM Modi Royal Order of the Polar Star
U.P. BJP MLA seen riding motorcycle without helmet, asks police to levy fine
Shalabh Mani Tripathi wrote a letter to the police administration, requesting that appropriate action be taken and a fine be issued against him
India, Sweden launch new roadmap for long term cooperation
Stocks fall, oil prices gain after Trump warns Iran 'clock is ticking'
U.S. President Donald Trump has set deadlines for Iran and then backed off, so investors have remained cautious about the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and how it is impacting global energy flows, including oil and gas
Indian student killed in road accident near Chicago
Local media reports identified the student at Navya Gadusu, who was pronounced dead at 12:16 am on Sunday (May 17, 2026), by the Lake County Coroners office
Security forces launch operations in Manipur to rescue those who still in captivity of armed groups
Area domination exercises and search operations are also being carried out in different parts of the hill district to rescue all missing persons and arrest those responsible for holding hostages, says senior officer
Kerala: Congress V.D. Satheesan takes oath as Chief Minister
China agrees to boost trade for U.S. agricultural products following Trump-Xi summit
The announcement came two days after President Donald Trump returned from a high-stakes summit in Beijing where he sought to ease the impact on American farmers from the trade war he launched last year
Samsung's union says strike will proceed as planned after court injunction
Samsung Electronics union said in a statement on Monday that they will go on strike as planned
Scott Hastings, Scotland rugby great who played alongside his brother Gavin, dies at age 61
In 2022, Hastings said he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and the SRU referenced a family statement that said he deteriorated extremely quickly due to complications with his treatment
OpenAI seals deal in Malta to give all Maltese access to ChatGPT Plus
OpenAI said on Saturday it had signed a deal with the government of Malta to give all residents access to its ChatGPT Plus service for one year
Watch: Fire aboard Rajdhani Express disrupts busy MumbaiDelhi route
A major fire broke out aboard the Rajdhani Express early Sunday morning, disrupting rail traffic on the busy MumbaiDelhi corridor.
The predictability pandemic: how your keyboard is stealing the soul of language
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Fire breaks out inside train in Bihar's Sasaram, no casualties reported
Smoke began billowing out of a compartment of the Sasaram-Patna passenger train while it was standing on platform number 6 at around 5.30 a.m., East Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Saraswati Chandra said
Rupee falls to record low of 96.25 against U.S. dollar
The rupee opened at 96.19, then fell further to 96.25 against the U.S. dollar, registering a fall of 44 paise from its previous close
Elon Musk wants SpaceX to go public. Here's how it works
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Stock markets slump in early trade on surging oil prices amid escalation in tensions in West Asia
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ED raids against AAP leader in Delhi
The premises of a person identified as Ram Singh of Babaji Finance Group in Delhi's Subhash Nagar have been raided as part of the investigation, officials said
Asia faces $200 billion annual climate adaptation financing gap: Report
The study identified more than 250 priority climate adaptation and resilience (CA&R) solutions across Asia, based on analysis of over $100 billion in climate financing flows between 2021 and 2025
Google may dial down free storage for new Gmail users without phone numbers
Tech outlet Android Authority reported that Google was testing a policy of giving out less than 15 GB free cloud storage to some users
Gothenburg, May 18 : Reiterating that terrorism poses a grave challenge to the whole of humanity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (local time) expressed his gratitude to Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for support during the Pahalgam terror attack and stated that both countries would continue the fight against terrorism and its backers. Speaking at the CEO Round Table in Gothenburg, PM Modi stressed the special significance that both Sweden and India hold in the present-day tense environment.In todays tense global environment, close cooperation between democracies like India and Sweden holds special significance India and Sweden agree that terrorism poses a grave challenge to all of humanity. I express my gratitude to Prime Minister Kristersson for the support we received from Sweden following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam last year. We will continue our fight against terrorism and its supporters, said PM Modi.26 people were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025 which included 25 Indian nationals and one Nepalese citizen. India later launched Operation Sindoor on the intervening night of May 6 and 7, where the Indian forces targeted nine terror camps in deep areas of Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). He further asserted that cooperation between both countries in the defence sector stands as a testament to the relationship between India and Sweden, where their relationship is not just limited to buyer and seller, but is moving towards a long-term industrial relationship. Our cooperation in the defence sector is continuously expanding. The establishment of production facilities in India by Swedish companies stands as a testament to the fact that we are moving beyond a mere buyer-seller relationship towards a long-term industrial partnership, said PM Modi. The Prime Minister also thanked European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen for her presence at the event, and reflected on her previous visit to India in January this year. PM Modi hailed the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, adding that the pact would unlock new opportunities for industries, investors, and innovators.The presence of Ursula von der Leyen today makes this occasion even more special. During her visit to India this past January, we took several historic decisions aimed at elevating India-EU relations to new heights. Progress is being made on all those outcomes. The India-EU FTA will unlock new opportunities for industries, investors, and innovators. To quote Ursula, this is the Mother of All Deals, said the Prime Minister.Apart from PM Modi, Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, senior European industry leaders, and representatives from leading European and Indian companies participated in the European CEO round table hosted by the Volvo Group. Earlier in the day, PM Narendra Modi was conferred Swedens prestigious Royal Order of Polar Star Commander Grand Cross, the highest honour awarded by the Scandinavian nation to a foreign head of government. The exceptional award was presented during the Prime Ministers visit to Sweden and marks the 31st international honour received by the Indian Prime Minister from a foreign country. PM Modi is in Sweden currently, which is the third leg of his five-nation tour. He will later head to Norway on May 18. (ANI)
Dir AYUSH J&K visits Bpora, reviews public health programs
Bandipora, May 17: Dr. Ajay Kumar Tikoo, Director AYUSH Jammu & Kashmir, undertook an official tour of District Bandipora to assess the functioning of AYUSH Health & Wellness Centres (AHWCs) and review the implementation of AYUSH programs at the grassroots level. During the visit, the Director inspected several AHWCs including AHWC Nadihal, AHWC Ajis, and AHWC Aragam. He interacted extensively with the staff, appreciating their dedication while also seeking feedback on day-to-day challenges, patient inflow, availability of medicines, and coordination with local communities. The Director encouraged the staff to strengthen preventive health services, yoga-based interventions, and outreach activities, ensuring that AYUSH facilities remain accessible and effective for the public. He also inquired about manpower availability, infrastructure facilities, and the overall health delivery system, while examining the implementation of AYUSH public health programs at the community level. Later, a review meeting was convened in the office chambers of the District Nodal Officer AYUSH Bandipora. In the meeting, the Director was briefed about the number of AYUSH institutions functioning in the district, manpower strength and deployment and the implementation status of various components of National AYUSH Mission (NAM) at the grassroots level. The Director was also apprised about the High-Altitude Medicinal Plant Nursery at Nyle, Gurez, which holds significant potential for medicinal plant conservation and cultivation in the region. In his concluding remarks, Dr. Ajay Kumar Tikoo directed the District Nodal Officer, AYUSH, Bandipora, to prepare and submit a detailed District Action Plan for the year 202627 at the earliest, so that necessary actions and approvals can be initiated without delay. The visit reflects AYUSH J&Ks commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery, promoting traditional medicine, and ensuring the effective implementation of public health programs across the district.
How to disable Instagram Instants
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Philanthropy in Asia emerging as risk capital for social innovation: Report
Tata Trusts-backed digital inclusion platformHaqdarshak isunder the governments Digital India initiative to improve access to welfare schemes.
Jailed MP Er Rashids Father passes away at AIIMS Delhi
Srinagar, May 18: Haji Khazir Mohammad Sheikh, father of incarcerated Member of Parliament Engineer Rashid, passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences after a prolonged illness, family sources confirmed. 85, Haji Khazir Mohammad Sheikh was initially admitted to the Chest Diseases Hospital in Srinagar. As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to SMHS Hospital and later referred to AIIMS Delhi for advanced treatment, where he breathed his last. Family members said he had been battling multiple health issues for a long time.Engineer Rashid, who is currently lodged in jail, represents the Baramulla parliamentary constituency.(KNS)
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Four crew members eject safely after two Navy jets crash during air show in Idaho
The collision involved two U.S. Navy EA18-G Growlers from the Electronic Attack Squadron 129 in Whidbey Island, Washington, said Cmdr Amelia Umayam, spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet
DC Anantnag stresses quality, time-bound digitisation of backlog mutations
89% backlog mutations approved in district RK News Service Anantnag, May 17: Deputy Commissioner Anantnag, Dr. Bilal Mohiuddin Bhat on Saturday inspected the Digitisation Section at Dak Bungalow Khanabal and tookfirsthand stock of the status of digitisation of the revenue record. He was accompanied by ADC, ACR, Tehsildar Anantnag and other concerned officials. On the occasion, the Deputy Commissioner took a detailed assessment of progress on digitisation and enquired from Patwaris and other deputed staff about the pace and quality of the work being carried out. He physically checked the Jamabandirecords and working of the Mutation Module on PM Gati Shakti Portal, including flow of online information through various login IDs vizmaker, verifier/checker and approver. Dr. Bilal directed that the remaining backlog mutations be uploaded and approvedwithin next 4-5 days, asking the concerned officials to continue the process withsame energy and dedication. He emphasised theneed of transparency and accuracy in the digitisation process to ensurereliability of digitised land records while maintaining their quality and consistency for public convenience and efficient service delivery. Appreciating the committed and tireless efforts of the digitisation staff, the DC instructed thathighspeed internet, logistics and necessary facilities be provided to them in a seamless and uninterrupted manner so that the tasks are accomplished soon. On technical progress, the DC was informed that of the total backlog mutations, 91% have been initiated while 90 % verified and 89% approved in the district till May 16. Concluding the inspection, the DC reiterated that the digitisation of revenue records is a crucial reform and impressed upon the deputed staff to coordinate with each other for achieving the desired targets.
Dhaba, Nanwai shops sealed over unhygienic conditions at Pahalgam
Anantnag, May 17: In continuationto intensified food safety inspections across tourist destinations, a team of Food Safety officials Anantnag on Sunday sealed M/S Lucky Palace Dhaba and two Nanwai shops at Pahalgam after it foundthe premises operating under severe unhygienic conditions. During the inspection, the establishments were found violating basic food safety and hygiene requirements prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the rules and regulations thereunder including improper storage of food articles, lack of cleanliness in food preparation areas, poor personal hygiene of food handlers, and overall insanitary conditions posing a serious risk to public health. Taking serious cognizance of the violations, the department initiated immediate enforcement action and sealed the premises in the interest of consumer safety and public health. Meanwhile, the Food Safety Department has reiterated its commitment towards ensuring safe and hygienic food for the public, particularly in tourist areas. The department has also warned all Food Business Operators to strictly comply with food safety and hygiene standards failing which stringent legal action shall be initiated.Further, the general public has been urged to report unhygienic/food fraud practices to the department for prompt action.
Self-enumeration drive begins in Kupwara
Kupwara, May 17: Self-enumeration drive under the ongoing Census 2027 commenced in Kupwara district on Sunday with district authorities including the Deputy Commissioner who is also the Principal Census Officer, Shrikant Suse, completing the self-enumeration to launch the process. The Deputy Commissioner has urged all residents to complete their self-enumeration. He stressed that the initiative is simple, secure and convenient, allowing citizens to submit census details at their own. Public participation was highlighted as essential to the success of the census, with accurate and complete household responses expected to support effective planning and future development in the district. Residents may complete self-enumeration through the official Census portal atse.census.gov.in. The district administration has appealed to all citizens to access the portal, follow the simple steps, and cooperate with the ongoing census operations. Duration of the Self-Enumeration drive shall be from 17th May till 31st May 2026.
Self-enumeration secure, citizen-friendly digital process: DC Anantnag
Anantnag, May 17: As part of Census-2027, the Self-Enumeration (Digital Mode) Exercise, scheduled from May 17 to 31, 2026 and preceding the House Listing Operations (June 01 to 30, 2026), kicked off today in Anantnag. The Deputy Commissioner (DC) who is also the Principal Census Officer, Dr. Bilal Mohiuddin Bhat, formally inaugurated the self-enumeration facilitation counter/camp at the DC office. Setting an example, the DC completed his self-enumeration activity in the presence of other concerned district officials. A detailed presentation and live demonstration of the self-enumeration process were also delivered on the occasion. Addressing the camp, the Deputy Commissioner said that self-enumeration is Indias maiden attempt to capture household data, allowing individuals to use digital platforms to submit their census information online before enumerators visit their households. He described the process as a secure, web-based facility that enables respondents to enter their census data directly. Dr. Bilal appealed to the general public to actively participate in the self-enumeration process through the digital mode onse.census.gov.inas well as in the overall Census 2027 operations, noting that planning, development models, and the allocation of resources are guided by census data. He informed that provisions for self-enumeration, consisting of 33 questions, have been incorporated into the portal to facilitate citizens and make the process more transparent and convenient. He further stressed the importance of public participation in ensuring the successful conduct of the census operations. The function was attended by ADC (DCO) Vikas Ahlawat, ACR (NOC) Tariq Ahmad Malik, district and sectoral officers, census coordinators, master trainers, field trainers, supervisors, enumerators, and other staff.
DC Pulwama completes self-enumeration on spot
Pulwama, May 17: District Administration Pulwama on Sunday formally kickstarted the Self-Enumeration (SE) phase of Census 2027 during a mega launch event organised at the Administrative Complex, DC Office Pulwama. The event marked the commencement of the Self-Enumeration process in the district, aimed at encouraging citizens to voluntarily participate in the Census exercise through the digital platform. The SE portal will remain open for 15 days(upto31st May) prior to the start of House to House Houselisting Operations (HLO) by the Enumerator. Deputy Commissioner Pulwama, Dr. Basharat Qayoom, who is also the Principal Census Officer of the district, led the programme by completing his self-enumeration on the spot and urged people to actively participate in the national exercisefor ensuringaccurate and comprehensive data collection. The event was attended by Member of Legislative Assembly, Tral, Rafiq Ahmad Naik; former District Development Council Chairperson, Syed Abdul Bari Andrabi; former DDC members, representatives of various political parties, social activists and the general public. Besides, Additional Deputy Commissioners of Pulwama and Tral, Chief Planning Officer Pulwama, General Manager DIC Pulwama, District Census Coordinator; Charge Officers, officers from the administration, Supervisors, enumerators and officials from various departments were also present on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, the DC said that Census is an important national exercise which forms the bedrock for policy formulation, welfare initiatives, resource allocation and developmental planning. As the Self-Enumeration exercise starts today, I urge all citizens to participate in the process enthusiastically and ensure that accurate information is furnished, he added. Dr. Qayoom further said that Census 2027 will broadly be conducted in three phases including Self-Enumeration, House Listing and Housing Census (HLO) and Population Enumeration. He said that the self-enumeration phase, which commences prior to the house listing phase, enables citizens to independently furnish their details in a secure and convenient manner. He further stressed upon Charge Officers and field functionaries to create mass awareness regarding the initiative so that maximum public participation is ensured. The DC also informed that Help Desks have been established at Panchayat and Patwar Halqa levels across the district to facilitate and assist the public in the Self-Enumeration process under Census 2027. While addressing the gathering, MLA Tral urged people to actively participate in the self-enumeration exercise so that the objectives of Census are achieved effectively. He also directed field functionaries including supervisors and enumerators to maintain professionalism, transparency and a people-friendly approach while interacting with the public during the Census exercise. The MLA further stressed the need for maintaining accuracy and authenticity in the data being submitted on the digital platforms, stating that reliable data is essential for ensuring effective implementation of welfare and developmental schemes. Later, Master Trainer Census, Dr. Javaid Ahmad, delivered a detailed presentation regarding the modalities of self-enumeration and the measures being undertaken for smooth conduct of Census 2027 in the district. Furthermore, Officers and participants present on the occasion also completed their self-enumeration process during the event. Similar launch programmes were also organised at all Charge levels across the district, where officers, officials and field functionaries participated in the Self-Enumeration exercise and sensitized the public about the importance and modalities of Census 2027.
DC Gbal completes self-enumeration, urges public participation
Ganderbal, May 17: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ganderbal, Jatin Kishore on Sunday completed his self-enumeration for Census-2027 and called upon the people of the district to actively participate in the self-enumeration process to ensure accurate and inclusive census data. He said that self-enumeration provides citizens an easy and convenient way to submit their census details online from their homes through the official website:se.census.gov.in. Highlighting the importance of the census, the DC said that accurate population data plays a vital role in planning and policy formulation, besides helping the governmentin effective delivery ofpublic services and welfare programmes. He appealed to all residents of Ganderbal to take part in the self-enumeration drive within the stipulated timeframe and provide correct and complete information. Meanwhile, concerned officers were directed to intensify awareness efforts across the district to facilitate wider public participation and ensure smooth conduct of the Census-2027 exercise. Additionally, the staff of the Deputy Commissioners Office also completed their self-enumeration exercise. Amongothers, District Coordinator for Census 2027, and officials ofCensus Cell, DC office Ganderbal besides other officers and officials were present on the occasion.
WHO keeps evaluation of hantavirus as 'low risk' as ship approaches end of voyage
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Can Medical Tourism Become Kashmirs Next Growth Engine?
Promise is undeniable, yet success will depend on credible healthcare systems, public trust and balanced policy Kashmirs economy has, for too long, remained dependent on a few traditional sectors. Tourism, horticulture and handicrafts continue to sustain thousands of families, but they alone cannot carry the full weight of the Valleys economic aspirations. In that backdrop, medical tourism is increasingly being spoken of as a new frontier. The idea deserves attention, not because it is fashionable, but because, if handled with seriousness, it can open a meaningful avenue of growth. The logic is not difficult to understand. Across the world, patients are travelling in search of affordable treatment, quality care and a recovery environment that is both calm and restorative. Kashmir, with its climate, natural beauty and long-standing identity as a place of healing and hospitality, has an obvious advantage. If the Valley can build credible hospitals, specialised treatment centres, rehabilitation facilities and skilled support systems, it can draw not only visitors, but investment, jobs and confidence. The economic case is substantial. Medical tourism is not confined to hospitals alone. It has the capacity to stimulate the transport, hotel, pharmacy, diagnostics, and food services sectors, as well as a wide range of local businesses. It can create opportunities for doctors, nurses, technicians, caregivers and young professionals who otherwise look outside the valley for employment. It can also push improvements in infrastructure and service delivery that benefit the wider economy. But this is precisely where caution is needed. Kashmir cannot afford a model in which glossy private facilities rise for outsiders while residents continue to queue for basic care. That would not be development; it would be distortion. Any policy built around medical tourism must begin with one non-negotiable principle: the strengthening of healthcare for local people. If new investments do not improve access, affordability and quality for ordinary patients in the Valley, then the model will lose both moral legitimacy and public support. Another reality must be confronted. Medical tourism cannot be built on branding alone. It demands trust. That means strict standards, transparent pricing, qualified staff, dependable regulation and patient safety that can withstand scrutiny. Without credibility, the promise will remain little more than promotional language. Kashmir should certainly explore medical tourism, but without illusion and without haste. It is not a magic remedy for the economy. It is a serious sector that will succeed only through planning, regulation and public-minded investment. If pursued wisely, it can become an engine of growth. If pursued carelessly, it will become yet another missed opportunity.
Another Gorge, Another Tragedy
Condolences cannot replace accountability when repeated road accidents continue to claim lives on Kashmirs routes The death of two tourists in Pahalgam on Saturday is not just another accident to be mourned and forgotten after the customary official condolences. It is an indictment of a road safety system that repeatedly fails people and then hides behind sympathy. When a vehicle carrying tourists skids off the road and plunges into a gorge on one of Kashmirs most frequented tourist routes, the issue is not confined to one driver, one machine, or one unfortunate moment. The issue is structural negligence. And that negligence has become far too familiar. Kashmir cannot go on selling its beauty to the country while leaving basic travel safety to chance. Pahalgam is a premier tourist destination, not an obscure and inaccessible outpost. If roads leading to such a high-profile destination remain vulnerable, poorly secured, and inadequately monitored, what does that say about the seriousness of governance? Every year, the administration celebrates rising tourist arrivals, promotes destinations, and speaks proudly of economic revival. But tourism cannot be measured only in numbers, hotel bookings, and photo opportunities. It must also be measured by how safely people can travel. The tragedy at Mandlan Aru should force uncomfortable questions that the government too often avoids. Were adequate crash barriers in place? Was the road properly engineered and maintained for growing traffic? Was the vehicle fit for the route? Was the driver sufficiently trained for hilly terrain? How quickly did emergency services respond? These are not routine technicalities to be buried in a police file. They are matters of life and death. What makes such incidents more disturbing is that they are rarely isolated. Jammu and Kashmirs roads, especially in mountainous districts, have long been marked by dangerous bends, weak protective infrastructure, poor enforcement, and an alarmingly casual attitude towards passenger safety. The pattern is old, the risks are known, and yet the response remains reactive. Officials arrive with condolences after lives are lost, but where is the visible urgency before disaster strikes? Expressions of grief from the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister are appropriate, but governance is not a condolence message. Governance is prevention. Governance is enforcement. Governance is fixing the road before it kills, checking the vehicle before it fails, and regulating transport before tragedy becomes headline material. The deaths of Bawin Bhavsar and Awin Bhavsar should shame the system into action. Kashmirs roads cannot remain corridors of avoidable death while the administration limits itself to sorrowful statements. If this tragedy does not trigger a serious overhaul of tourist transport safety and mountain road management, then official grief will ring hollow yet again.
In an Information-Overloaded World, the Mind Needs Space
As the flood of news, notifications and endless opinions grows louder each day, protecting mental health is no longer a personal luxury but a social necessity DR TAHA ZAFFAR There was a time when information was considered power in its purest and most uplifting sense. Access to knowledge meant awareness, awareness meant empowerment, and empowerment meant progress. In many ways, that remains true even today. We live in an age where a person sitting in a remote village can know what is happening in a national capital, a war zone, a university campus, a financial market, or a hospital corridor within seconds. Technology has narrowed distance, collapsed time and expanded human access in ways earlier generations could barely imagine. Yet, amid this extraordinary advance, a troubling question quietly demands attention: what happens when the human mind receives more information than it can meaningfully absorb? This is not merely a question of modern lifestyle. It is increasingly a question of public health. The contemporary world is not just informed; it is over-informed. Every hour brings breaking news, social media reactions, political arguments, economic anxieties, health warnings, expert opinions and personal updates. The phone screen has become a permanent window into crisis, comparison and chaos. From the moment a person wakes up to the moment sleep is forced upon tired eyes, the flow rarely stops. Notifications vibrate, headlines compete for attention, videos autoplay, and opinions pile upon opinions until silence itself begins to feel unfamiliar. The mind, however, was not designed for such relentless exposure. Human beings can process only so much fear, outrage, grief, aspiration and distraction in a single day. When the stream becomes a flood, emotional exhaustion becomes inevitable. Anxiety rises not always because ones personal life is collapsing, but because one is constantly made to witness the collapse, conflict and confusion of the wider world. In this environment, even ordinary people with ordinary routines begin to feel mentally burdened without always understanding why. The effects are visible all around us. Attention spans are shrinking. Rest has become uneasy. Many people struggle to concentrate even in moments that demand seriousness and calm. Young people, in particular, are growing up in a culture where worth is often measured through visibility, reaction and online comparison. They are exposed not only to information but also to performancethe pressure to respond, react, post, explain and remain relevant. In such a climate, inner peace is easily replaced by silent restlessness. What makes the matter more serious is that information today is not neutral in the way many assume. Much of it is designed to provoke emotion. Digital platforms reward content that shocks, angers, alarms or hooks the user long enough to keep attention captured. Calm reflection is rarely profitable. Panic travels faster than perspective. Rumour often outruns verification. A misleading headline can do more immediate psychological damage than a carefully reasoned correction can repair. Thus, people are not only consuming too much information; they are consuming information structured to intensify emotional response. The result is a society that is outwardly connected but inwardly fatigued. People know more, yet often feel less certain. They speak more, yet listen less. They are constantly updated, yet emotionally depleted. This contradiction should concern families, educators, health professionals and policymakers alike. Mental health cannot be discussed only in the language of clinical diagnosis or hospital treatment. It must also be understood through the everyday environments that shape stress, attention, fear and emotional resilience. This is why digital hygiene must now be treated with the same seriousness as physical hygiene. Just as one learns to avoid contaminated water or unhealthy air, one must also learn to avoid mental contamination from excessive digital exposure. Not every notification deserves immediate attention. Not every argument requires participation. Not every tragedy must be consumed in real time and in endless repetition. The ability to disconnect, pause and filter is not ignorance; it is self-preservation. Families and schools have an especially important role here. Children and adolescents must be taught not only how to access information, but how to live with it wisely. Critical thinking, emotional regulation and healthy screen habits are no longer optional life skills. They are becoming essential protections for mental well-being. Likewise, workplaces must recognise that an always-online culture may look productive on the surface while quietly deepening burnout underneath. There is also a moral responsibility on media institutions, digital companies and public leaders. Information should enlighten, not merely overwhelm. Journalism serves society best when it informs with responsibility, context and proportion, not when it amplifies fear for attention. Technology companies, too, cannot continue speaking the language of innovation while ignoring the psychological consequences of endless engagement. A more humane information culture will require ethical design, responsible communication and a deeper respect for the limits of the human mind. Ultimately, the issue is not whether information is good or bad. Information remains indispensable to modern life, democracy and development. The real issue is balance. A healthy society is not one in which people know everything at once, but one in which they can understand what matters without being crushed by constant exposure. Human beings need knowledge, yes, but they also need rest, reflection and mental breathing space. In an age that celebrates speed, volume and instant reaction, perhaps wisdom lies in recovering the value of pause. To be informed is important. To remain mentally whole is even more important. If the modern world wishes to call itself truly advanced, it must learn that the well-being of the mind is not separate from the flow of information. It is shaped by it, strained by it, and, if we are not careful, broken by it. The time has come to recognise a simple truth: in an overloaded world, protecting mental health is not retreat from reality. It is the only way to face reality with clarity, dignity and strength. ( The author is a lecturer in HED)
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The Treadmill Beneath the Supercluster
This is not a prediction that the AI boom will collapse. It may not. The depreciation hawks may be wrong, and Indias inference demand may be deep enough to give every retired GPU a long second life ARSSH KUMAR FUTURECRAFT | TECHNOLOGY & MARKETS In August, a data centre in Noida is scheduled to switch on 20,736 Nvidia Blackwell Ultra GPUs. The operator, Yotta, calls it one of Asias largest AI superclusters. The framing around it is sovereignty: Indian soil, Indian compute, Indian control over the machines that will train the countrys models. Look at how the thing is paid for, and a different picture appears. Yottas chief executive has described the model plainly. This round of GPUs earns the revenue that funds the next round of GPUs, which earns the revenue that funds the round after that. That is not a one-time build. It is a treadmill, and the pace is set by how fast the chips underneath lose their value. India has not just bought the compute. It has bought the clock. The asset that ages in dog years A data centre is built to last twenty-five years. The GPUs inside it are not. Nvidia has compressed its release cycle to roughly twelve months: Hopper, then Blackwell, then Rubin, each generation a sharp jump in performance per watt. In a business where power is the largest running cost, a chip two generations old is not just slower. It is expensive to operate for the work it does. This is where the accounting gets uncomfortable. Hyperscalers depreciate these chips over five to six years. Critics, including investor Michael Burry and valuation specialist Aswath Damodaran, argue the real economic life is closer to two or three. The gap is not academic. If the pessimists are right, the worlds AI balance sheets are carrying hardware at values the market would no longer pay, and the correction arrives as write-downs. For India, the question is narrower and sharper. The country is wiring a national strategic programme to an asset class whose useful life nobody can yet agree on. How India is paying for it Yotta has already put more than 1.5 billion dollars into infrastructure and committed another 2 billion to chips. Some of that is conventional debt; the company raised 40 billion rupees for its data centre expansion. Some is equity, through a pre-IPO round. The rest comes from a route worth pausing on. Yottas parent, Nidar Infrastructure, is going public on the Nasdaq through a merger with Cartica Acquisition Corp, a US-listed shell company. A SPAC, in plain terms, is a way to reach public markets faster and with lighter scrutiny than a traditional listing. The structure does something specific. The operating asset sits in Noida. The demand assumption that justifies it, that India will need ever more compute at the price Nvidia charges, also sits in India. But the refinancing risk, the obligation to keep raising money against chips that are losing value, gets placed with retail investors in New York. If the depreciation pessimists are proven right, the first losses land on a shareholder base an ocean away from the asset. That is a clever piece of financial engineering. It is not the same thing as sovereignty. The state is selling subsidised access to an asset whose value the same state cannot control. That is not insulation from the global AI economy. It is exposure to it, with a government stamp. The subsidy underwrites the clock The public side of Indias AI push runs through the IndiaAI Mission, funded at 10,372 crore rupees. Part of that money subsidises compute: startups and researchers can rent a GPU-hour through the IndiaAI portal for around 65 rupees, well below what the hardware costs to run. More than 58,000 GPUs now sit in the national pool. The intention is sound. Cheap compute lowers the barrier for a small Indian team to build something. But look at what the subsidy is actually doing. It is buying down the cost of using hardware that is depreciating on the same fast clock as everything else. The state is not standing outside the treadmill handing out water. It is on the belt, paying part of the fare. If GPU values hold, this is simply industrial policy doing its job. If they fall the way the skeptics expect, the IndiaAI Mission has committed public money to an asset losing value faster than the budget cycle can absorb, and the startups it subsidised are building on a cost base that was never real. The honest counter There is a serious argument on the other side, and it deserves a fair hearing. Older GPUs do not become useless. They cascade downward, from training frontier models to running inference, the cheaper everyday work of answering queries. CoreWeave, a major US operator, has re-leased returned Hopper chips at close to their original rates. India, with hundreds of millions of users and inference demand concentrated near its cities, is arguably the ideal place for that second life. A chip retired from the frontier could earn for years serving Indian users. That argument holds, but only on one condition. The cascade works if there is genuine downstream demand to absorb the older hardware. A subsidised market makes that demand harder to read. When compute is sold below cost, you cannot easily tell whether startups are using it because the economics work or because the price is artificial. The subsidy that makes the cascade look healthy is also the thing obscuring whether it is. Bottom Line This is not a prediction that the AI boom will collapse. It may not. The depreciation hawks may be wrong, and Indias inference demand may be deep enough to give every retired GPU a long second life. The point is narrower. India has tied a national programme, a flagship listed operator, and a pool of public money to an asset with a contested useful life and a financing structure that has been routed offshore. Each of those
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Ignoring Digital Literacy Comes at a Cost
When citizens are left unprepared for the online world, inequality, misinformation and exclusion grow deeper GOWHAR MUSHTAQ In todays world, digital literacy is no longer a luxury, nor is it a skill reserved for the young, the urban, or the highly educated. It has become a basic necessity of modern life. From education and employment to healthcare, banking, governance and communication, almost every sphere of life now depends, in one way or another, on the use of digital tools. In such a time, the ability to access, understand, evaluate and use digital information responsibly is as important as traditional literacy itself. For societies undergoing rapid social and economic change, the question is no longer whether digital transformation is taking place. It already is. The real question is whether people are being equipped to participate in it with confidence, safety and understanding. That is where digital literacy assumes great importance. At its simplest, digital literacy means more than knowing how to operate a smartphone or open a social media account. It is the capacity to navigate the digital world intelligently. It includes the ability to search for reliable information, distinguish fact from falsehood, protect personal data, use online services effectively, and communicate responsibly in virtual spaces. In a time when misinformation spreads faster than truth and online fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated, digital literacy is not merely empowering; it is protective. One of the strongest arguments for promoting digital literacy lies in the field of education. Students today are growing up in a world where learning extends far beyond textbooks and classrooms. Online resources, digital libraries, educational videos and interactive platforms have transformed the way knowledge is accessed. But access alone is not enough. Without guidance, students may become passive consumers of random information instead of critical learners. Digital literacy helps them ask questions, verify sources and use technology not as a distraction, but as a tool for growth. The same is true for employment and livelihoods. Increasingly, job applications, skill courses, official registrations and market opportunities are shifting online. Small businesses use digital payments and social media outreach. Freelancers depend on online platforms. Farmers, artisans and entrepreneurs can benefit from market information and government schemes available through digital channels. But when large sections of society remain digitally untrained, this transition creates a new form of inequality. Those who are digitally aware move ahead, while others risk exclusion. This digital divide is not merely about infrastructure, though internet access and device availability remain important challenges. It is also about confidence and capability. A person may own a smartphone but still be unable to use it for telemedicine, online applications, e-banking or educational opportunities. In many homes, young people may be comfortable online while older family members remain dependent on others for even basic digital tasks. Women in many areas face an even sharper gap due to social, educational and economic constraints. Therefore, digital literacy must be viewed as a broad social mission, not a narrow technical program. There is also a democratic dimension to this issue. Citizens are increasingly expected to engage with public services through digital platforms. Whether it is accessing welfare schemes, obtaining official documents, making complaints or receiving important updates, digital access has become part of civic participation. If people lack the skills to navigate these systems, they may be left behind in matters that directly affect their rights and entitlements. A digitally literate citizen is better placed to participate in governance, seek accountability and make informed choices. At the same time, we must acknowledge the darker side of the digital age. The internet offers knowledge, opportunity and connection, but it also carries risks: fake news, cyberbullying, identity theft, online radicalisation and financial scams. In such an environment, digital literacy becomes an essential shield. People need to know not only how to use technology, but how to use it safely, ethically and wisely. Children must be taught responsible online behaviour. Adults must be made aware of privacy risks and fraud prevention. Society as a whole must cultivate a culture of verification before sharing and caution before trusting. The responsibility for promoting digital literacy cannot rest on one institution alone. Schools, colleges, community organisations, media platforms, civil society groups and government agencies all have a role to play. Digital literacy must be integrated into education systems in practical ways. Community-level awareness drives can help those outside formal education. Public campaigns in local languages are especially necessary so that digital knowledge is not confined to an English-speaking minority. Training must be inclusive, accessible and sensitive to local realities. If we are serious about building an informed, capable and resilient society, digital literacy must become a public priority. In the digital era, ignorance is not harmless; it is disabling. A society that fails to prepare its people for the online world risks deepening inequality, weakening citizenship and exposing its people to manipulation and exploitation. The need of the hour is clear. We must move beyond celebrating technology and begin investing in the human capacity to use it meaningfully. Digital literacy is not just about keeping pace with change. It is about ensuring that change serves people, rather than leaving them behind. (The author is a research scholar and teacher by profession)
