Leaders, ministers, officials greet people on Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (SAW)
SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday extended warm and heartfelt greetings to the people on the auspicious occasion of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (SAW). Dr Farooq while conveying his greetings said that Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (SAW) is a sacred occasion to reflect upon the timeless message of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the profound []
Forest Rights Act catalyst for tribal welfare, livelihood enhancement: Minister Rana
Attends Tribal Convention on FRA at Pulwama; hints at dev of Sangerwani as model tribal tourism village; announces 2.75 cr for revamp of 14 water filtration plants in Rajpora PULWAMA: Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment, and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, emphasized the importance of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, as []
States encouraged to designate SPOCs for WAVES, Create in India challenge SRINAGAR: The National Conference on media, broadcasting, and the creative economy was held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, bringing together senior officials from the Centre and States/UTs. Pawan Singh Rathore, Special Secretary of Jammu & Kashmirs Information Department, represented the region, engaging in discussions []
MLA Bandipora reviews employment generation, livelihood promotion
BANDIPORA: Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Bandipora Constituency, Nizamuddin Bhat, chaired a departmental review meeting at the Conference Hall, Mini Secretariat Bandipora, to assess the progress of various departments and initiatives aimed at employment generation, entrepreneurship promotion and strengthening livelihood opportunities in the district. During the meeting, the MLA stressed the need to make []
SKUAST-K scientists secure national recognition for Kashmir pony as indigenous horse breed
SRINAGAR: In a landmark scientific achievement for Jammu & Kashmir, scientists of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) have secured official recognition and registration of the Kashmir Pony as a new indigenous horse breed by the ICARNational Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBAGR), Karnal. The recognition was accorded by the ICAR []
Youth-led initiatives can turn Viksit Bharat vision into action: Dir NIT Sgr
SRINAGAR: The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar on Tuesday organised a day-long programme under the Viksit Bharat Yuva Connect Programme, featuring a cleanliness drive and a distinguished lecture on waste management aimed at promoting environmental responsibility, sustainability, leadership, innovation and youth participation in nation-building. The cleanliness drive began from the Fountain Park of NIT []
DC Sgr reviews renovation works at Narayan Temple Bulbul Lanker
SRINAGAR: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Akshay Labroo, on Tuesday visited the Narayan Temple at Bulbul Lanker in the Share-Khaas area of the District to inspect the renovation and upgradation works being taken under the Governments Heritage Conservation Scheme. During the visit, the DC was accompanied by Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mir Imtiyaz Ul Aziz, Joint Commissioner []
Police conduct cyber awareness prog in Awantipora, Shopian
AWANTIPORA/SHOPIAN: Police Station Tral conducted a Cyber Awareness Programme aimed at sensitising the general public and respectable citizens about the growing threat of cybercrime and its implications. During the programme, participants were briefed about various forms of cyber fraud, online scams, phishing, identity theft and other cyber related threats. They were advised to remain vigilant []
CUK participates in TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan awareness prog
GANDERBAL: Central University of Kashmir (CUKashmir) on Tuesday participated (online) in the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, a nationwide initiative aimed at strengthening awareness, sensitisation and community participation towards achieving the goal of a TB-Free India. The programme was organised by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India, in collaboration with the []
Healthcare summit begins in Srinagar, focuses on quaternary care
Srinagar, Aug 25: Doctors from Jammu and Kashmir showcased their latest clinical research and its implications for the local population on the opening day of the three-day Quaternary Healthcare and Research Summit at SKICC, Srinagar, being held under the aegis of NITI Aayog, Govt. of India. The event is expected to witness the participation of senior officials and heads of premier medical institutions, including Director AIIMS New Delhi, Director PGIMER Chandigarh, Executive Director AIIMS Awantipora and Executive Director AIIMS Jammu. Director SKIMS, Prof. M. Ashraf Ganie, inaugurated the summit at SKICC and said the event was an important initiative aimed at strengthening tertiary healthcare institutions and advancing them towards quaternary healthcare. Expressing gratitude to NITI Aayog for endorsing the initiative, Prof. Ganie said the summit would deliberate on how tertiary care hospitals across the country could improve their services and provide the next level of quaternary healthcare while strengthening clinical research. He said the three-day programme had been divided into three major components. On the first day, faculty members and doctors from SKIMS and other medical colleges of Jammu and Kashmir presented research conducted during the previous year, with discussions focusing on its implications for the local population. The director said the second day will feature deliberations on national-level research and quaternary healthcare, with national and international experts sharing their expertise and perspectives. On the third day, heads of institutions and senior faculty members from Jammu and Kashmir will deliberate on strengthening collaboration in research, training and teaching. The summit aims to create a platform for collaboration among leading healthcare institutions, promote advanced clinical research and develop a roadmap for strengthening quaternary healthcare in the country. The summit, being held under the theme Scaling Tertiary into Quaternary Healthcare: A National Strategy for Advanced Care, brings together public health scientists, doctors and experts of national and international repute to deliberate on advanced healthcare, clinical research and innovation. The three-day summit is being jointly organised by Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, J&K Science, Technology & Innovation Council, Department of Science & Technology, Government of J&K and Ladakh Research Consortium.
Centre forms panel for Sea Buckthorn research centre in Ladakh
Leh, August 25: The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has constituted a High-Level Committee to examine the proposal for establishing a dedicated National Sanjeevani Research Centre for Sea Buckthorn in Nubra Valley, following a request by Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. The committee has been tasked with assessing the scope of research, development, scientific cultivation, value addition, processing and commercialisation of Sea Buckthorn, a high-value Himalayan crop with significant medicinal, nutritional and livelihood potential. The development comes after L-G Saxena wrote to Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on August 14, 2026, proposing the establishment of the National Sanjeevani Research Centre in Nubra Valley, which is among the major Sea Buckthorn-producing areas of Ladakh. Responding to the proposal, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) constituted the High-Level Committee on August 21 to examine the feasibility of the proposed centre and recommend an appropriate institutional and operational framework. The committee, headed by Dr V.B. Patel, Additional Director General (F&PC), Horticultural Science Division, ICAR, includes Dr Maheshwar Singh, Dean (Agriculture), University of Ladakh, Leh; Dr Tsering Stobdan, Scientist-F, DRDO, Leh; and Tsewang Punchok, Director (Horticulture), Administration of UT Ladakh, among its members. The committee undertook its first field visit to Ladakh on August 24 and held interactions with stakeholders and officials to assess the existing status of Sea Buckthorn cultivation, research, processing and utilisation in the region. The proposal for the dedicated research centre followed L-G Saxenas recent visit to Nubra Valley and interactions with farmers across Ladakh, during which several stakeholders sought greater support for scientific cultivation, processing and marketing of Sea Buckthorn. A naturally occurring Himalayan plant, Sea Buckthorn has applications across agriculture, food products, nutraceuticals and processing. Its cultivation and value addition also have the potential to create livelihood opportunities for farmers, entrepreneurs, cooperatives and local communities. The proposed centre is aimed at developing Ladakh as a hub for Sea Buckthorn research, innovation, value addition and sustainable commercialisation, while strengthening scientific support for farmers and local enterprises.
Urs of Hazrat Baba Daryadin (R.A.) observed with religious fervour in Ganderbal
Ganderbal: The annual Urs Mubarak of Hazrat Baba Daryadin (R.A.) was observed with religious fervour and devotion at Baba Daryadin Nagbal area of central Kashmirs Ganderbal district, with a large number of devotees from Ganderbal and adjoining areas participating in the religious gathering. The annual Urs is observed every year at the revered shrine, where devotees gather to offer prayers and seek blessings. The occasion also witnessed night-long prayers and religious programmes, with the shrine witnessing a steady flow of devotees throughout the observance. Men, women, children and elderly devotees from different parts of Ganderbal district and neighbouring areas participated in the congregation. The gathering reflected the deep religious and spiritual significance attached to the shrine and the legacy of Hazrat Baba Daryadin (R.A.) among the local people. As part of the arrangements, free Langar was organised for the devotees attending the Urs. The facility provided meals to visitors and participants during the religious gathering. Ulema and Imams who addressed the gathering spoke at length about the life and teachings of Hazrat Baba Daryadin (R.A.), highlighting his religious services, spiritual contribution and dedication towards the preaching and service of Islam. The speakers urged devotees to follow the teachings of the revered Sufi saint and emphasised the importance of faith, brotherhood, compassion and service to humanity. The J&K Waqf Board made arrangements for the smooth and peaceful conduct of the annual Urs. Necessary facilities were put in place for devotees visiting the shrine, while arrangements were maintained to ensure that the religious congregation was conducted without inconvenience. The annual Urs concluded with prayers for peace, prosperity and well-being, as devotees from different areas continued to visit the shrine to pay their respects and participate in the religious observances.
Ganderbal admin bans bathing, swimming in Nallah Sindh
Ganderbal, August 25: In view of the risks associated with bathing and swimming in Nallah Sindh and other water bodies across the district, the Ganderbal administration has issued a public advisory urging residents, particularly parents and guardians, to remain vigilant and prevent children from entering unsafe water bodies. The advisory, issued by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal comes amid concerns over the safety of people, especially children, who venture into rivers, streams and other water bodies for bathing or swimming. The administration has specifically advised parents and guardians to strictly prevent children from entering or bathing in Nallah Sindh and other nallahs and water bodies. They have also been asked to keep children under close supervision, particularly during holidays and leisure hours when they may be more likely to visit such locations. The advisory cautions that deep, fast-flowing and unpredictable water bodies can pose serious risks. Parents have been urged to explain these dangers to children and discourage them from swimming or bathing at unprotected and unsafe locations. The administration further stressed that children should not be allowed to go near water bodies without responsible adult supervision. The advisory has been circulated to various departments and authorities, including the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Senior Superintendent of Police Ganderbal, SDM Kangan, Tehsildars, District Information Officer, Municipal Council Ganderbal and the District Control Room, for information and necessary action. The administration has also directed the concerned authorities to ensure wide publicity of the advisory so that the message reaches residents, particularly families living in areas close to Nallah Sindh and other water bodies. The move comes as a precautionary measure to prevent accidents and ensure that residents, especially children, remain cautious while visiting water bodies across Ganderbal district.
J&K Rehabilitation Council rolls out aid for specially-abled
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Rehabilitation Council plans to distribute 1,800 motorised tricycles scooties among eligible persons with disabilities across Jammu and Kashmir. An official of the J&K Rehabilitation Council told Rising Kashmir that a total of 6,102 motorised tricycle scooties have been provided to persons with disabilities since the financial year 2014-15. The beneficiaries have a disability level of 40 per cent or above, subject to the prescribed eligibility criteria. According to official figures, 50 motorised tricycle scooties were distributed during 2014-15, followed by 209 in 2015-16, 208 in 2016-17 and 500 in 2017-18. The council distributed 300 motorised tricycle scooties in 2019-20, 340 in 2020-21, 1,002 in 2021-22, 2,832 in 2022-23 and 664 in 2023-24. We are going to provide 1,800 motorised tricycle scooties to specially-abled persons across Jammu and Kashmir. In the near future, the Jammu and Kashmir Rehabilitation Council also has plans to provide automatic wheelchairs to eligible beneficiaries having 40 per cent or more disability, the official said. He said eligible beneficiaries can apply for the schemes through the JanSugam portal, where they are required to submit the necessary details and supporting documents online. The official added that only holders of AAY, BPL and PHH ration cards are eligible for the motorised tricycle scooties and automatic wheelchairs schemes and can apply through the online mode. Officials informed that nearly 6,000 beneficiaries are receiving monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,000 through the J&K Rehabilitation Council. The assistance is being provided to civilian beneficiaries who were affected by militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir Rehabilitation Council provides pension assistance to civilians, old-age parents and persons with disabilities, besides marriage assistance to eligible civilian beneficiaries affected by militancy, the official said. The council is also providing students from Jammu and Kashmir an opportunity to visit other parts of the country under its Youth Exchange Programme Watan Ko Jano. The official said students studying in government schools across the Union Territory participate in the programme, with preference given to students affected by militancy. Students from different government schools are participating in the Youth Exchange Programme. Preference is given to those students who have been affected by militancy, he said. He added that the programme provides students an opportunity to visit different states and interact with senior dignitaries of the Government of India, besides gaining exposure to the countrys diverse culture and social environment.
Artificial intelligence is fast becoming part of childhood. It is in the apps children use, the homework they complete, the videos they watch and the tools they turn to for answers. For the next generation, AI will not be an optional technology sitting at the edge of life. It will be part of the environment in which they learn, play, communicate and eventually work. That makes the conversation around children and AI far more important than a passing debate about gadgets or trends. The promise is obvious. AI can make learning more accessible, more personalised and, in some cases, more engaging. A child struggling in mathematics may benefit from adaptive tools that explain the same concept in different ways. A student in a remote area may gain access to knowledge that once required expensive coaching or physical libraries. For children with special needs, AI-driven tools can open doors that traditional systems often fail to unlock. Used wisely, it can become a great equaliser. But the risks are equally real. A child who grows up asking machines for answers may slowly lose the habit of asking deeper questions. The danger is not simply overuse, but underthinking. If AI becomes a shortcut for every task, children may learn efficiency without reflection, speed without judgement and convenience without effort. That is a serious loss in an age where human intelligence must not be reduced to prompting a machine. There is also the issue of content, safety and values. Children are vulnerable users. They do not always know how to distinguish fact from approximation, truth from prediction or advice from manipulation. AI systems can make mistakes, reflect hidden bias or feed children material that is not age-appropriate. In such a landscape, digital literacy is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity. Children must be taught not only how to use AI, but how to question it. Parents, teachers and policymakers therefore have a shared responsibility. Schools cannot treat AI as a substitute for learning; they must integrate it as a tool while protecting critical thinking, creativity and writing skills. Parents must remain present, not merely as monitors of screen time, but as guides in shaping judgment. Policymakers must ensure that AI use in education is governed by clear safeguards, privacy protections and child-centred standards. The future will not belong to children who simply know how to use AI. It will belong to those who can use it without surrendering their own intelligence. That is the balance we must aim for. If AI is to serve the next generation, it must strengthen human curiosity rather than flatten it. Children should grow up with machines, yes but not under their spell.
Craft, Craftsmanship and Kashmirs Living Memory
Kashmir has always been known for more than its scenery. Beyond the mountains, rivers and orchards lies another inheritance: the patience of its artisans. In a world moving too quickly for texture, detail and devotion, Kashmirs craft tradition reminds us that beauty can still be made slowly, carefully and with purpose. From papier-mch and kani shawls to wood carving, carpet weaving and copperware, the Valleys craftsmanship is not merely decorative. It is cultural memory shaped into form. Every motif carries a history, every stitch a discipline, every carved line the imprint of generations. These are not products churned out by assembly lines; they are the results of intimate human attention. That is what makes Kashmirs craft so distinctive. It is not only about what is made, but how it is made. The artisan does not simply produce an object. He or she preserves a language. In the rhythm of the loom, in the burnished glow of copper, in the delicate strokes on a papier-mch box, there survives a way of life that modernity often treats as expendable. Yet, this heritage stands at a difficult crossroads. Cheap imitations, machine-made substitutes and shrinking markets have weakened the economic base of traditional artisans. Many craftspeople continue to work with extraordinary skill, but with little security. The danger is not only that crafts may vanish from the market; the greater danger is that younger generations may cease to see them as viable futures. That would be a loss far beyond economics. When craftsmanship declines, a society loses more than income opportunities. It loses discipline, pride and rootedness. It loses the ability to value slowness in an age obsessed with speed. It loses a form of knowledge that cannot be taught by books alone. Kashmir therefore needs more than nostalgic praise for its crafts. It needs serious support, fair pricing, modern marketing, design innovation and institutions that link tradition with contemporary demand. Artisans must not be reduced to symbols in speeches and exhibitions. They deserve dignity, market access and policies that protect both the product and the person behind it. At the same time, the public must also learn to value authenticity. To buy a handmade Kashmiri product is not simply to purchase an item; it is to participate in the survival of a tradition. It is to affirm that craftsmanship still matters, that skill has worth, and that heritage need not be frozen in museums to remain alive. In Kashmir, craft is not a relic. It is a living inheritance. And if the Valley is to remain true to itself, it must ensure that the hands which shaped its legacy are not left empty.
Beyond the Classrooms of OTC: Memory, Camaraderie, and the Lessons of Jaipur (1998)
Looking back at a photograph from May 1998 brings me straight to the Rajasthan Institute of Public Administration (RIPA)formerly known as the Officers Training College (OTC) in Jaipur. With its sprawling campus and fine accommodation, it closely mirrored our own IMPA back home in Jammu & Kashmir. Our delegation had gathered for specialised training in satellite imagery for land records and modern surveying, transitioning away from traditional manual mapping. We were also trained in Disaster Managementa subject rendered unforgettable by Prof. Hassan, the Head of Department, whose mesmerising lectures left an enduring mark. Over the years, Prof. Hassan became a dear family friend. I remain deeply indebted to his immense kindness in 2014 when, upon my request, he and a team of notable Jaipur business figures personally travelled to Kashmir during the devastating floods to distribute relief items across parts of Dal Lake and beyond. Beyond the formal curriculum, in-service training programs serve an irreplaceable purpose. They grant mid-career professionals a vital interlude to refresh their technical skill set while fostering cross-cultural exposure through regional exploration. We learned directly from distinguished officers of the Rajasthan cadreincluding Commissioners and District Collectorsand spent a remarkable day engaging with the late Professor Dhawan, former ISRO Chairman. Our field studies split us into small teams across Collector offices and record centers. To our surprise, much of Rajasthans historical land settlement record was preserved in Urdu, almost identical to our J&K records save for a few regional designations. However, during our visit to the Jaipur District record room, the registers were so thick with dust that we had to abandon our study of the Jamabandi (record of rights). Deeply embarrassed by the inconvenience caused to visiting officers, the young IAS Deputy Commissionerhimself a native of Kashmirsuspended the record keeper on the spot. Then came the sweltering May heat, an overwhelming shock to those of us accustomed to the cooler Valley breeze. Four of us were sharing an air-conditioned hut. One morning, my colleague Mr. Maqbool Wani (then Assistant Commissioner) caught me in a rather ridiculous struggle: attempting to shave with my body inside the air-conditioned bedroom and my face leaning into the sweltering washroom, whose exhaust fan had broken down. Taking pity on me, Mr. Wani went to the local market, bought a small handheld mirror, and solved our daily dilemma. That trip also bore witness to a quiet personal triumph inside our shared hut. Our colleague Mr. Hafiz was a heavy smoker, and during the early hours of the morning, the closed AC room would fill with thick smoke, leaving a stale air that made me feel deeply nauseous. Realising the intense discomfort it caused us, Hafiz Sahaba true gentlemandecided then and there, on my insistence, to give up smoking entirely. He made a solemn promise that morning, and remarkably, that truce holds to this very day. Our weekends offered rich cultural excursions across Rajasthans heritage landscape. We embarked on a full-day trip to Ajmer Sharif Dargah, the celebrated 13th-century shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. Renowned for its breathtaking Indo-Islamic architecture, grand deg-chi (cauldrons) for community feasts, and spiritual serenity, the shrine attracts millions seeking peace. As we gathered for Friday Jumu'ah prayers, I was momentarily startled by the sudden, sharp boom of a cannon shota traditional local custom fired to notify devotees that prayer is commencing. Unfamiliar with this practice, I stood numb for a second until my colleague, Mr. Hafiz Bakhshi, clarified the source of the bang. From Ajmer, we proceeded to the serene shores of Pushkar Lake and visited the sacred Brahma Templeone of the extremely rare shrines in the world dedicated to Lord Brahma. Other holidays were spent exploring Jaipurs majestic hill forts, the iconic facade of the Hawa Mahal, and the legendary Raj Mandir Cinemaa movie palace world-famous for its opulent, meringue-style interior architecturewhere we enjoyed Dilip Kumars film Qila. We also visited Jaipurs famed Albert Hall Museum, a masterpiece of Indo-Saracenic design opened in 1887. Housing rare Persian carpets, intricate metalware, and ancient stone sculptures, its grand halls provided us with a vivid window into Indias rich artistic history. The trip yielded curious memories tooincluding a colleague who purchased a massive, monolithic marble replica of the Taj Mahal and arranged for its transport back home to Jammu. Looking at the photograph today brings both warmth and a touch of sadness. Time has claimed several dear colleagues pictured there: Mr. Hafiz-ur-Rehman (retired Assistant Commissioner), a gentleman par excellence; Mr. Katoch and Sardar Mohan Singh Wazir, both retired Tehsildars; and Dr. Kavida, the then-Director of RIPA. May their souls rest in eternal peace. None of these transformative experiences would have been possible without the vision of our then Financial Commissioner, Madam Sushma Choudharythe first lady IAS officer of the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state. She was instrumental in arranging multiple specialised training programs for young revenue officers of our batch, continually pushing us toward modern administrative excellence. We remain deeply grateful to her for her foresight and leadership. May her legacy live on. Decades later, that Rajasthan journey stands as a testament to the fact that while professional courses sharpen our careers, it is the shared laughter, unexpected discoveries, and enduring camaraderie that truly stand the test of time. (The author is a former civil servant. He can be reached at: nisargilani57748@gmail.com )
FUTURECRAFT For most of last year the Reserve Bank ran what was effectively a national literacy campaign built around a single sentence. If the address does not end in .bank.in, it is not your bank. A circular dated 22 April 2025 gave every commercial and cooperative bank until 31 October to migrate, with IDRBT named as the only registrar. The thinking was sound: take the address bar, which people already squint at, and make it carry proof. Then last week Reuters reported that the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre had directed Google to shut hundreds of accounts on Firebase, the platform Google gives developers for building apps and hosting websites. Three notices in August covered at least 57 sites and databases. Seven of them imitated SBI, ICICI and Axis. Others sat quietly collecting card numbers and one time passwords. What matters is where those pages were living. They were not squatting on a misspelt domain bought from some registrar abroad. They were sitting inside Googles own, on the free subdomain the platform hands out with every new project. India built a list of addresses worth trusting. The fraudsters stopped trying to get onto it. The list is still half empty By February this year more than 400 banks had completed the move, and the major public and private lenders were done, some of them after the October deadline had passed. That reads like progress until you look at the denominator. India had 1,457 urban cooperative banks at the end of March 2025, along with 34 state cooperative banks and 351 district central cooperative banks. The circular covered all of them. So the rule a customer is being taught holds for her HDFC login and does not yet hold for the district cooperative bank her father has used for thirty years. Handing a population a check that is right most of the time is an odd way to fight fraud. What a free subdomain buys you Firebase itself is ordinary infrastructure and there is nothing sinister about it. A student in Srinagar can open a project this afternoon, get a working database and a live website on a Google subdomain, and pay nothing at all. It sits inside a Google cloud business that made close to $25 billion last quarter. That free tier is also the whole trick. The page arrives with a working padlock because the certificate is genuine. It resolves through Googles infrastructure, so nothing in the path looks wrong to a browser or a corporate filter. The fraudster borrows credibility that already exists, for free, in about the time it takes to make tea. The governments own assessment, as reported by Reuters, is that scam operators have been shifting to Firebase from other free tools since last year, drawn by the generous free plan and better database features. He is not forging a padlock. He is borrowing one that is already real, from a company that gives it away for nothing. The payload has changed with it. An I4C notice dated 17 August described Android malware dressed up as banking services, aimed at credit card users through offers of new cards and higher limits. One campaign built itself around PM-KISAN, promising small farmers help in collecting their instalment if they installed an app. The app then fed the phones contents into a Firebase database the scammers controlled and opened the door to everything else on the device. Researchers have a name for that level of access. They call it Android God Mode. None of this is abstract in the Valley. J&K Police reported finding 7,200 mule accounts active in Kashmir since January 2025, the plumbing through which stolen money moves. In February a Ganderbal complaint opened an investigation into a transnational investment scam of more than 209 crore, which investigators said could climb past 400 crore. Up the ladder, one rung at a time Enforcement has been climbing steadily: individual scam URLs, then apps, now accounts on a development platform. The rung above that already has a recent precedent. On 24 February this year the government ordered internet providers to block Supabase, the open source alternative to Firebase, under Section 69A of the IT Act. No public reason was given, and none is required. Roughly 120,000 Indian developers were estimated to be affected across a week of patchy access. Production apps stopped authenticating users, and nobody was told why. Firebase has had its own version of this. Googles status page records that from 13 October 2024, Firebase Hosting sites became unreachable on some Indian ISPs. Googles engineers reported that the services were healthy and that the problem appeared to be localised to India. Most ISPs could reach the sites again only on 21 October. Google never said what caused it. The clock has tightened meanwhile. Under the IT Amendment Rules notified on 10 February 2026, an intermediary has three hours to act on a government takedown notice, down from thirty six, with safe harbour at risk if it misses. In July the Supreme Court stayed four High Court challenges to the takedown regime and the Sahyog portal these notices travel through, leaving the legality of the mechanism unsettled while its use expands. The case for the crackdown I4C is not being unreasonable. When the payload is full device takeover, three hours is defensible, and a leisurely review window has a cost measured in emptied savings accounts. The Home Ministry says its financial fraud reporting system had saved more than 11,158 crore across 32.80 lakh complaints as of 30 June 2026. Going after the hosting rather than the individual page is the right instinct, since an account level takedown kills more of an operation than a URL level one. The difficulty is arithmetic. A notice takes an investigator hours to prepare and Google minutes to action. A fresh Firebase project takes a scammer four minutes and costs nothing. Enforcement can win every individual case and still lose on throughput. Bottom Line The .bank.in project was a good attempt at building a small piece of Indian trust infrastructure. What Firebase exposes is that a whitelist only works when the attacker needs to be on a list at all. So long as a foreign platforms free tier confers instant credibility, Indias financial security runs through a policy team in Mountain View, and the only lever reaching it also switches off Indian developers. Finishing the .bank.in migration is a cheaper place to start than blocking another platform. (The Author studies Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA. He is interested in emerging technologies and innovation, and can be reached on LinkedIn at @arssh-kumar14)
Man chargesheeted for cheating cancer patient
Srinagar, Aug 25:The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir of Crime Branch J&K on Tuesday said it has chargesheeted a man for allegedly cheating a family by promising to provide cheaper medicines for a cancer patient. In a statement issued, a Spokesperson said the Crime Branch J&K has filed a chargesheet before the Court of Sub-Judge, [] The post Man chargesheeted for cheating cancer patient appeared first on Northlines .
Koul reviews BJP Organisation in Rajpora, calls for stronger booth-level presence
Kangan, Aug 25: BJP General Secretary (Organization), J&K, Ashok Koul, on Tuesday chaired a Constituency Review Meeting of the Rajpora Assembly Constituency at Kangan in Pulwama district, calling for intensified grassroots activities and stronger booth-level organisation. The meeting was attended by the constituency team, Booth Presidents, Shakti Kendra teams and senior party functionaries. Addressing the gathering, Koul said a strong booth-level organisation remains the foundation of the BJPs political strength and its direct connection with the people. In a statement, Koul urged party workers to ensure that every booth functions as an active centre of organisational activity and public outreach. He called upon workers to move beyond routine organisational programmes and work with greater commitment, discipline and coordination to strengthen the BJPs presence across Rajpora. He said the partys strength lies in its dedicated cadre and continuous engagement with the public. Booth Presidents and Shakti Kendra teams, he added, have an important responsibility to understand local issues, communicate the partys policies and achievements, and build public confidence in the BJP. During the meeting, Koul sought detailed feedback from constituency functionaries on the functioning of booths and Shakti Kendras. He directed the teams to maintain close coordination and regular communication while adopting a result-oriented approach. He also stressed the need to identify and address organisational gaps promptly and make grassroots engagement more consistent and effective. Koul called upon party workers to function as a coordinated team, saying that the BJPs organisational expansion in Kashmir would depend on dedicated workers, disciplined teamwork and sustained engagement with the people. J&K BJP General Secretary Kisan Morcha Arshad Bhat, Rajpora Constituency President Junaid Ahmad and other senior leaders and party functionaries were present at the meeting. Later, Koul distributed certificates and awards to talented paper Machie artisans at Town Hall, Pulwama, at an event organised by Noora Foundation Trust. The artisans were recognised for their exceptional craftsmanship and contribution to preserving Kashmirs traditional art and cultural heritage. Arshad Bhat and other senior leaders were also present on the occasion. Appreciating the artisans for keeping the traditional paper Machie craft alive, Koul emphasised the need to encourage and promote indigenous skills, describing them as an important part of Kashmirs cultural identity and heritage.
Dr Farooq, Omar greets people on Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi
Srinagar, Aug 25: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah and Vice President and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday extended warm greetings to people on the auspicious occasion of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (SAW). In his message, Dr Farooq Abdullah said the occasion provides an opportunity to reflect on the timeless message and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the values he embodied. He said the life of the Holy Prophet (SAW) remained a beacon of mercy, compassion, justice and equality for humanity, transcending distinctions of colour, creed, status and race. Dr Farooq urged people to renew their commitment to brotherhood, peace, tolerance and service to humanity and work towards building a society based on justice, dignity and mutual respect. Omar Abdullah, in his message, said Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (SAW) offers an opportunity to draw inspiration from the exemplary life and teachings of the Holy Prophet and reaffirm the values of compassion, equality and justice. He said the Prophets life remains an eternal example of compassion towards the vulnerable, fairness towards all and respect for the dignity of every individual. Omar called upon people to imbibe these values in their daily lives, rise above divisions and collectively work towards a society where equality, justice, peace and harmony prevail. Both leaders prayed for peace, prosperity and well-being of the people and expressed hope that the sacred occasion would bring happiness, harmony and renewed faith to every household. The National Conference rank and file also extended warm greetings to the people on the auspicious occasion of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (SAW).
Dy CM visits Sain Miran Ziyarat, hails Poonchs spirit of communal harmony
Poonch, Aug 25: Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Tuesday visited the revered Sain Miran Ziyarat near the Line of Control in Poonch and paid obeisance at the historic shrine. During his visit, Choudhary said he had earlier visited Budha Amarnath Chattani and Nangali Sahib Gurudwara before proceeding to Sain Miran Shrine, underscoring the regions diverse spiritual traditions. Describing Poonch as a true reflection of Mini India, the Deputy Chief Minister highlighted its longstanding tradition of communal harmony, spiritual diversity and peaceful coexistence. Choudhary said it was his first visit to the Sain Miran Shrine and expressed appreciation for the work being carried out by the Sain Miran Baba Darvesh Ghulam Qadir Trust to maintain the shrine and preserve its spiritual and cultural significance. He particularly praised the Trust Management for maintaining cleanliness and hygiene at the shrine and for undertaking educational and community-oriented initiatives aimed at the welfare and empowerment of local residents. I am short of words to express my appreciation for the work being done by the Trust Management, Choudhary said, commending the trustees for their dedication and commitment to public service. The visit underscored Poonchs enduring traditions of peace, brotherhood, inclusivity and shared heritage, with the Sain Miran Ziyarat continuing to serve as an important symbol of the regions composite cultural ethos. The Trust Management thanked the Deputy Chief Minister for visiting the shrine and acknowledging its efforts towards the development and upkeep of the religious site, as well as its initiatives in cleanliness, education and community welfare.
Rana pushes for Forest Rights Act implementation in J&K
Pulwama:Aug 25: Minister Javaid Rana on Tuesday called for strict implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, in Jammu and Kashmir and questioned the Centres delay in restoring statehood to the Union Territory. Rana was addressing a tribal convention on the implementation of the FRA at Sangerwani village in south Kashmirs Pulwama district. Rana said the Forest Rights Act was enacted by the Parliament of India and expressed concern over what he described as the legislation being taken lightly. Sometimes I am really surprised why this Act has been taken lightly. Is it because it deals with tribal and Pahari people that we take it lightly? he said, asserting that the government would ensure its implementation in Jammu and Kashmir. He also thanked Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for accepting in the Cabinet a proposal submitted regarding implementation of the legislation. The minister warned that the Forest Department would not be permitted to take action against people without following the prescribed legal procedure. He said officials found violating due process would face strict action. Any violation found anywhere will invite strong action against the officials concerned, Rana said. Rana also strongly questioned the delay in restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, saying promises made by the Centre to the people of the Union Territory remained unfulfilled. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modis earlier remarks about reducing the Delhi se Doori, Dil se Doori, Rana said the distance between the Centre and the people of Jammu and Kashmir was instead increasing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken about reducing the distance between Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, but the distances are increasing, he said. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, Rana also responded to concerns over the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), saying the first instalment for a single-village project had been received and funds released. He said the process would now be streamlined. Rana said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had been visiting New Delhi and meeting Union ministers over various issues, while some new schemes had also been introduced. On statehood, Rana said the demand should not be confined to the National Conference and urged all political parties in Jammu and Kashmir to come together on the issue.
It seems that the enemies of peace in Kashmir want to disrupt the tranquility achieved through sacrifices and hard work of the security personnel and the political class in the country working for this goal for the past over one decade. In this context, the threat letter against Kashmiri Pandits, which is in news, is [] The post Protecting KP Employees appeared first on Northlines .
Iraq Tests anew security formula for Saudi-Iran rivalry
Proposal seen as Baghdads bid for self-preservation Arjavi Indraneesh Iraqs proposal for a joint security council bringing Saudi Arabia and Iran into a formal mechanism is more than another attempt at regional mediation. It reflects Baghdads growing conviction that diplomatic contact between the two powers, while valuable, is no longer sufficient to prevent security [] The post Iraq Tests anew security formula for Saudi-Iran rivalry appeared first on Northlines .
Jammu Kashmir Clears Rs 664.54 Cr Disaster Recovery Package, 8,804 Houses To Be Rebuilt
SRINAGAR: The State Executive Committee (SEC) of the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (DMRR&R) on Tuesday approved a Rs 664.54 crore disaster recovery package for Jammu and Kashmir, including the reconstruction of 8,804 fully and severely damaged houses and 1,227 infrastructure works. The decision was taken at the third meeting of the []
Vande Mataram: A National Symbol Should Rise Above Politics
Political Controversy Over the National Song Is Unnecessary and Disturbing Omkar Dattatray It is ironic, unfortunate and disturbing that the countrys National Song, which inspired generations during the freedom struggle and continues to evoke national consciousness and unity, has once again become the subject of political controversy. In a democracy as vast and diverse as [] The post Vande Mataram: A National Symbol Should Rise Above Politics appeared first on Northlines .
Dr Farooq, Omar Greet People On Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah and Vice President and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday greeted people on the occasion of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (SAW), calling for a renewed commitment to peace, compassion, equality and justice. In separate messages, the two leaders said the occasion provides an opportunity to reflect on the []
Over 800 Devotees Participate In Annual Kousar Nag Yatra
SRINAGAR: The annual Kousar Nag Yatra-2026 concluded on Monday after more than 800 devotees from different parts of Reasi district participated in the three-day pilgrimage, with the administration maintaining elaborate arrangements along the challenging mountainous route. The yatra commenced from Reasi on August 21 and passed through Arnas, Dharmari, Mahore, Sungri, Chassana and Sarsote before []
SRINAGAR: Artificial intelligence chatbots may not merely become the subject of delusional beliefs but could actively co-construct and intensify them through prolonged interaction, according to a new review by researchers from Germany and the UK. The paper proposes an amplification spiral in which three characteristics of large language models, linguistic alignment, hyper-personalised generation and sycophancy, []
KPDCL Announces Power Shutdown in Kashmir Parts
SRINAGAR: Several areas across north and central Kashmir will face scheduled power shutdowns on August 27, 29 and 31 due to maintenance and related works on various transmission lines and grid stations, according to the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL). KPDCL said power supply to a large number of areas in Baramulla, Sopore, Gurez, []
Altaf Bukhari Offers Prayers at Asar-e-Sharif Hazratbal, Greets People on Eid-e-Milad
Srinagar, August 25: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, accompanied by several senior party colleagues, on Tuesday paid obeisance at Asar-e-Sharif Hazratbal in Srinagar on the occasion of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (SAW), where Shab-e-Milad is being observed tonight. Bukhari and the accompanying party leaders offered Asr and Maghrib prayers at the revered shrine and prayed for peace, prosperity and stability in Jammu and Kashmir. In his message on the auspicious occasion, Bukhari extended warm greetings to the people, particularly the Muslim community, and said Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi reminds believers of the Prophet Muhammads (PBUH) message of peace, compassion, kindness and harmony. Eid Milad-un-Nabi (SAW), the blessed occasion marking the birth of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is one of the most revered occasions for Muslims across the world. It reminds us of Allahs infinite mercy and His guidance to humanity through the Prophet (SAW), who showed us the path of peace, compassion, kindness, and harmony for all creation, he said. He prayed that the occasion would bring peace, harmony and prosperity into peoples lives and that the blessings and mercy of Allah would guide everyone towards righteousness and compassion. Bukhari was accompanied by Apni Party Vice President Mohammed Syed Akhoon, General Secretary Rafi Ahmed Mir, Chief Spokesperson and State Secretary Muntazir Mohiuddin, Media Advisor Farooq Andrabi, Provincial Secretary Mohammad Saleem Lone, Mohammad Yousuf Abdullah, Hazratbal Constituency In-charge Mohammad Sidiq Mir, Provincial Coordinator Shabir Ahmad Reshi, Khanyar Constituency In-charge Aamir Bhat and several other party leaders and workers. Among others present were Sohail Ahmad, Sameer Iqbal Bhat, Zonal President Farooq Ahmad Magray, Abdul Hamid Dar, Er. Rayees Rafiq, Dr. Oveas Ahmad, Mohammad Lateef Hajaam, Hilal Ahmed Gojree, Mohammad Imran Mir, Ashiq Ahmed Bhat and Danish Ahmad.
DGP Reviews Security Preparedness For Eid Milad-un-Nabi, Other Events
SRINAGAR: Director General of Police J&K Nalin Prabhat on Tuesday reviewed security arrangements for Eid Milad-un-Nabi and other forthcoming events across Jammu and Kashmir, directing officers to ensure foolproof security, effective traffic management and heightened vigilance. The DGP chaired a security review meeting at Police Control Room Kashmir, which was attended by Spl DGP Coordination []
Ghulam Nabi Azad extends Milad-un-Nabi greetings to people
Srinagar, Aug 25: Senior political leader, former Union Minister and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday extended greetings to the people of the country, particularly those in Jammu and Kashmir, on the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi (). In his message, Azad said the birth of Prophet Muhammad () brought a message of mercy and blessings for humanity and his teachings continued to guide people towards peace, love, justice, tolerance and brotherhood. On this blessed day, as we celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad (), I extend my heartfelt greetings to everyone on the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi, Azad said. He said the Prophets teachings emphasised truthfulness, honesty and service to humanity as the real measures of success. Azad prayed that Allah grants people the strength to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (), deepen their love for him and guide the country and its people towards peace, prosperity and unity. Milad-un-Nabi Mubarak, he said.
Govt, Parents, Teachers Must Share Responsibility For Children
SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the responsibility of shaping the future of children cannot be left to teachers alone, stressing that the government, parents and teachers must work together to prepare students for a rapidly changing world. Addressing a one-day education conference organised by the J&K Teachers Forum at the Sher-i-Kashmir International []
Noora Hospital Performs Advanced Penile Prosthesis Implantation In Srinagar
SRINAGAR: Noora Hospital, Srinagar, has successfully performed the implantation of an advanced inflatable penile prosthesis, marking a significant development in specialised urological and andrological care in Jammu and Kashmir. The procedure was performed by Consultant Urologist, Andrologist and Renal Transplant Surgeon Dr Yasir Iqbal Lone along with his surgical team at the hospital. Penile prosthesis []
Six JKAS Officers Recalled From Ladakh, 19 Deputed To UT
SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has recalled six Junior Scale JKAS officers from the Union Territory of Ladakh and placed 19 other JKAS officers at the disposal of Ladakh on deputation for two years or until further orders. The orders were issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) on August 25 under Government Order []
DGP Reviews Security Preparedness ahead of Eid Milad-un-Nabi, Raksha Bandhan
Srinagar, August 25: Director General of Police (DGP) J&K Nalin Prabhat, IPS, chaired a high-level security review meeting at Police Control Room (PCR) Kashmir to assess and strengthen security arrangements for the upcoming Eid Milad-un-Nabi (), Raksha Bandhan and other major events across Jammu & Kashmir. The meeting reviewed security deployment, crowd management, surveillance, traffic regulation and emergency response mechanisms, with senior police officers directed to ensure heightened vigilance and proactive policing ahead of the events. The meeting was attended by Spl DGP Coordination J&K, IGP Kashmir Zone, IGP Jammu Zone, Range DIGs, district SSPs/PDs, SSP PCR Kashmir, AIG (Ct & Int) PHQ and other senior officers. The DGP reviewed the preparedness of field formations and stressed the need for foolproof security arrangements at major shrines, mosques and other religious places, particularly Dargah Hazratbal and other prominent sites where large congregations and nightlong prayers are expected. He directed officers to strengthen surveillance at sensitive and vulnerable locations and ensure adequate deployment at strategic points and high-footfall areas. Officers were also instructed to maintain close coordination among field formations so that any emerging situation could be identified and addressed promptly. Traffic regulation and route management plans were another key focus of the meeting. The DGP directed officers to make comprehensive arrangements around major religious places and along procession routes to ensure smooth and safe movement of devotees and the general public. Security arrangements for Raksha Bandhan were also reviewed, with officers asked to make advance preparations at markets, temples and other prominent religious places expected to witness increased public movement. Nalin Prabhat emphasized that all field formations must remain alert, coordinated and responsive throughout the events, with adequate contingency measures in place to deal with any unforeseen situation. The DGP directed that all security, traffic and crowd-management arrangements be completed well in advance to ensure the peaceful, safe and secure conduct of Eid Milad-un-Nabi, Raksha Bandhan and other forthcoming events across the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
4 Killed in Snakebites in Odisha in a Day, Experts Urge Caution During Monsoon
The victims were rushed to Bonai hospital, where doctors declared them brought dead.
Controversy Surrounds Taapsee Pannus Gandhari as Writer Claims Story Theft
Mumbai, August 25: Taapsee Pannus upcoming film Gandhari has become embroiled in controversy even before its release. Writer Kalyan Bandi has been vocal about his claims, stating that he penned a story titled Gandhari in 2019, centered around human trafficking. He alleges that the film bears a striking resemblance to his original story, yet he ... Read more Controversy Surrounds Taapsee Pannus Gandhari as Writer Claims Story Theft
No further power tariff hike during my tenure: CM Omar
Tangmarg: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday assured people that the government would not increase electricity tariffs any further, while promising to fulfil all commitments made to the people within the next three-and-a-half years. Addressing a gathering in Tangmarg, Omar Abdullah, said the present government had imposed only a limited burden on consumers through the []
Japanese stocks recover as tech shares rebound
Investors are also looking ahead to Nvidias earnings later this week for fresh signs of demand for AI-related products. Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warshs speech at the Jackson Hole symposium on Friday will also be closely watched for clues on the US interest-rate outlook.
Chinese stocks mixed as tech shares weigh
Investors continued to reduce their exposure to technology stocks ahead of Nvidias earnings on Wednesday, which could test confidence in the ongoing AI-driven rally. Eoptolink Technology fell 2.70% despite reporting strong growth in revenue and profit. Hua Hong Semiconductor, Zhongji Innolight and NAURA Technology also declined.
Better Half Becomes Bitter Half If Marital Issues Remain Unresolved: Delhi HC
The high court said one of the most beautiful relationships of humans, that of a husband and wife, becomes one of the most terrible when things go wrong in a matrimonial alliance
Land Records goes Digital, Farmer Services gets Smarter
J&K advances AgriStack frame work under DILRMP SRINAGAR, AUGUST 25: In a major step towards modernising land administration and creating a more transparent, citizen-centric system of Revenue and Agricultural services, Jammu and Kashmir has accelerated the digitisation and updation of land records while simultaneously preparing the verified land database for integration with the AgriStack framework [] The post Land Records goes Digital, Farmer Services gets Smarter appeared first on Northlines .
The National Capital Region, including Delhi, is currently experiencing overcast skies. Commuters should remain vigilant due to possible waterlogging and traffic issues. Unstable weather conditions with ongoing rain events and thunderstorms are anticipated for the upcoming days. Residents are encouraged to carry umbrellas and stay updated on weather forecasts.
We Will Not Increase Electricity Rates Any Further: CM Omar
SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday assured people that his government would not raise electricity tariffs further during its current tenure, saying efforts would instead focus on improving basic services and infrastructure across Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a gathering in north Kashmir, Abdullah said the recent tariff revision had been kept limited to minimise []
Traffic Sandwich: City Life Caught Between Jam and Delay
There are few experiences more universally exhausting in an urban area than being trapped in a traffic sandwich. One is squeezed from all sides by vehicles, by time, by noise, and by the quiet irritation of a system that seems to have given up on order. What should be a routine commute becomes a test of patience, and what should be a functional city begins to resemble a place permanently stuck in motion but never moving. Traffic congestion is often treated as a narrow transport issue. It is not. It is a civic problem, a planning failure, and, increasingly, a measure of how seriously a city takes its people. When roads are overcrowded, junctions poorly managed, parking anarchic, and public transport inadequate, the burden falls not on the powerful but on ordinary citizens: office-goers, students, patients, traders, and parents trying to get children to school on time. In that sense, traffic is not just about vehicles. It is about access, dignity, and the right to move through ones own city without unnecessary hardship. The irony is that traffic chaos rarely arrives overnight. It grows gradually, helped along by weak enforcement, poor infrastructure, and a habit of ignoring small problems until they become unmanageable. Roads are narrowed by encroachment, crossings are choked by unmanaged flow, and every new vehicle joins a system already under strain. A city then enters a familiar cycle: complaint, promise, temporary relief, and relapse. The result is a kind of urban fatigue, where frustration becomes so routine that people stop eThis is the real danger of the traffic sandwich. It is not merely the delay itself, but the resignation it produces. Residents begin to accept congestion as destiny. They adjust their lives around inefficiency. They leave earlier, travel less, or avoid certain routes altogether. In doing so, the city quietly shrinks. Public life becomes less spontaneous, commerce less efficient, and daily life more burdened by stress than it should ever be. A serious response requires more than occasional crackdowns or cosmetic traffic drives. It requires planning that respects the scale of the problem. Parking must be disciplined. Public transport must be strengthened. Footpaths must be reclaimed for pedestrians. Traffic police must be empowered, and civic agencies must work together rather than in silos. Above all, cities must stop treating congestion as an inconvenience and begin treating it as a warning. Because a traffic sandwich is not just a jam on the road. It is a sign that urban life is under pressure from too little planning and too much neglect. A city that cannot manage movement cannot claim to be modern. And a government that allows daily gridlock to become normal is asking citizens to pay for its failures with their time, health, and patience. If a city is where public life is supposed to feel easiest, then traffic should be the first problem it learns to solve, not the last one it excuses.
A 25-year-old man allegedly used an AI-generated nude image to blackmail a Delhi woman who was a minor when the alleged harassment began. Police said he extorted around Rs 1.2 lakh from her over more than two years and later threatened her family. The accused, Ajay Dubey, was arrested in Delhi while attending a court hearing.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday, August 25, directed journalist Tarun Tejpal to surrender within two weeks to undergo the sentence in a 2013 rape case in which he was convicted and handed down 10 years of rigorous imprisonment by the Bombay High Court. A bench of Justice Alok Aradhe dismissed Tejpals plea seeking Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Alpine Texworld Shares Plummet Nearly 47% in First Month Post-IPO
Mumbai, August 25: Alpine Texworlds shares have dropped nearly 47% in their first month of trading and continue to face significant pressure. The companys shares debuted flat on July 21 at the initial public offering (IPO) price of 105. On the very first day of trading, a 5% lower circuit was triggered. Following this, the ... Read more Alpine Texworld Shares Plummet Nearly 47% in First Month Post-IPO
'It must stop!': Vance calls Maine US fraud capital; rips Dem leadership over sanctuary policies
Urban Spiral: When Cities Begin to Turn Inward
Some cities rise, and there are cities that simply expand. The difference is not merely architectural. It is moral. A rising city gives its people room to breathe, to move, to hope. An expanding city may gain buildings, flyovers, and shopping districts, yet still leave its residents trapped in noise, haste, and exhaustion. That is the nature of an urban spiral: the gradual tightening of civic life until the city begins to consume the very energy that once sustained it. Urban spiral is not a dramatic event. It is a slow one. It begins with a road left unrepaired, a drain left blocked, a footpath taken over, a bus delayed, a public space neglected, and a policy announced without follow-through. One inconvenience is endured, then another, until the ordinary act of living in a city becomes an act of negotiation. People begin budgeting not only time and money, but patience. They leave earlier, return later, expect less. In this way, the city changes not just physically but psychologically. The danger lies in how normal such decline becomes. Residents adjust. They stop demanding efficiency because they no longer believe it is possible. They stop expecting order because disorder has been normalized. A city then enters a spiral not only of infrastructure failure, but of civic resignation. Once that happens, governance becomes reactive rather than responsible, and public life shrinks into a routine of damage control. This is why urban spiral is not merely a planning issue; it is a political and social one. A city that cannot manage waste, traffic, drainage, housing, and mobility begins to send its people a damaging message: that their daily inconvenience is acceptable. Over time, this weakens trust. And when trust weakens, the city becomes harder to reform because the public has already lowered its expectations. Yet the spiral can be reversed. Cities are not condemned to decline. But reversal requires more than cosmetic fixes and periodic campaigns. It requires seriousness. It requires municipal bodies that function, officials who are accountable, and leadership that understands that civic order is not a luxury but a necessity. Urban life must be designed for dignity, not just display. A road is not complete when it is paved; it is complete when it is usable. A city is not modern because it is busy; it is modern when its citizens can move through it without constant friction. The real measure of an urban future is whether people still feel ownership of the place they live in. If they begin to feel like strangers in their own city, the spiral has already begun. If, however, public space remains usable, services reliable, and governance responsive, then the city can still become what it ought to be: a place where ambition is not constantly interrupted by inconvenience. In the end, the urban spiral is not inevitable. It is the result of choices, and therefore it can be undone by better ones. What is needed is not only development, but discipline; not only growth, but governance; not only construction, but care. For a city that keeps turning inward eventually loses sight of its people. And a city that loses sight of its people has already lost its future
Onion, sugar prices soaring: Here's how Delhi government plans to keep prices in check
At a time when the prices of sugar and onion are skyrocketing in the country, Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday said the Delhi government has just held a meeting regarding onions and sugar....
Gunnebo Safe Storage Launches Steelage Mahotsav 2026 for India's Jewellers
Gunnebo Safe Storage Launches Steelage Mahotsav for Indias Jewellers
Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Union Bank of India, made significant moves in the international debt markets on Monday and Tuesday
IND vs SL: Prabath Reprimanded, Handed 1 Demerit Point For Breaching Code Of Conduct
Jayasuriya, who was adjudged out leg-before off India spinner Manav Suthar on the final ball of the second day's play, hit the boundary wedges with his bat while walking back to the dressing room
Political Hunger of the Cockroach Peoples Party Grows: Ram Kripal Yadav
Patna, August 25: The Cockroach Peoples Party (CJP) is set to hold a protest in New Delhi on September 5. The CJP claims that the government has failed to fulfill promises made during the protests in July. Bihar government minister Ram Kripal Yadav remarked that the political hunger of the Cockroach Peoples Party has increased. ... Read more Political Hunger of the Cockroach Peoples Party Grows: Ram Kripal Yadav
Delhi HC abates Sajjan Kumars appeal against conviction in 1984 riots case following his death
Sajjan Kumar, who was serving two life sentences in Tihar jail in connection with the 1984 riots, died on August 20
Every generation is handed a Kashmir it did not choose. It arrives already wrapped in someone else's memory. For one generation, that Kashmir smelled of saffron fields and walnut wood, of Lal Ded's verses and Habba Khatoon's songs, of shrines where more than one god seemed to be listening at once. For another, it arrived already broken, curfews stitched into its hem, funerals attended before anyone understood what a funeral was. To grow up in the Valley in the 1990s, and in the long, limping years after, was to have a childhood chaperoned by adult catastrophe. So the question worth asking about Kashmir today is a simple one: what happens when a generation begins making memories that belong to neither of those old Kashmirs? History does not only happen in Parliament, or in the crosshairs of a rifle. It happens in classrooms and railway compartments, in the plastic chairs of roadside cafs, on football grounds gone muddy after rain, in libraries where the lights stay on tzoo late. It happens in the unpoliced, unrecorded conversations of young people deciding what shape they want their lives to take. The next memory of Kashmir will not be delivered from a podium. It will be carried by a student boarding a train for the first time and coming home with a world grown suddenly large, by a young woman unlocking the shutter of her first shop, by an athlete standing in a stadium in the national colours, by a filmmaker who tells a Kashmiri story without conflict sitting at its centre like an uninvited guest. For too long, Kashmir was permitted to exist only in its extremities. It became news when something broke, when someone died, when the wrong silence fell. A quiet day was not a story, so the world trained itself to see the Valley only in its worst hours, while the millions of ordinary hours that actually make a life went unrecorded. But a place is not only its catastrophes. A place is its Tuesdays, and perhaps the most radical thing that can happen to Kashmir now is for an ordinary day to be allowed to stay ordinary, unremarked, unmourned, simply lived. The young of Kashmir did not choose their inheritance, the way none of us choose ours. They received displacement and grief alongside beauty and defiance, in the same breath, from the same elders, and were asked to carry memories they had not personally lived. But memory, however heavy, is not fate. A new generation is quietly adding other things to the Kashmiri archive: education, small businesses, tourism, sport, code written late at night, poems, boarding passes. Their wants are not exotic. They want a good university, work that means something, a little money of their own, roads that survive the monsoon, the freedom to build something and call it theirs. There is something almost unbearably moving about that ordinariness, because when ambition begins replacing apprehension as the language young people reach for first, something in a society has already shifted beneath everyone's feet. None of this means the past should be sent away and forgotten, the way inconvenient relatives sometimes are. A society that has actually grown up does not ask its wounded to pretend they were never wounded. The displaced, the bereaved, those who buried people before they should have had to, all of it belongs to Kashmir's history and deserves honest remembering, not a tidy erasure for the comfort of a better headline. But there is a difference between remembering a house you once lived in and refusing ever to leave it. A generation can honour what happened to it without being sentenced to live inside that happening forever. This is where the larger, messier story of India comes in. Kashmir's future does not have to be built as a courtroom forcing a choice between being Kashmiri and being Indian, as though identity were a single chair with only one seat. The two can sit at the same table without either having to leave it. A Kashmiri can keep a language, a recipe, a song sung at a particular hour, and still walk fully into the economic and democratic life of the country. Perhaps real integration is not the disappearance of difference but the moment difference stops being used as a reason to keep someone out. Today's Kashmir is weaving new threads to the rest of India too. Young Kashmiris study and work across the country now, and Indians arrive in the Valley not merely to gawk at a landscape they have been told is tragic, but as students, tourists, entrepreneurs, artists who stay long enough to share a cup of tea with a stranger. Something changes when people meet each other as people rather than as headlines about each other, and nations, whatever they say about themselves, are usually held together by exactly this kind of smallness. So the next memory of Kashmir is not being written in one office, under one banner. It is being written by thousands of people at once: by the girl learning to code with an unreliable connection, the boy training before dawn for a tournament far from home, the woman who just opened a caf and is terrified and thrilled in equal measure, the writer who finally sent the manuscript, the student filling out a university form with shaking hands, the family on the train watching the mountains go by like something ordinary, the artist who put Kashmir on a stage and refused to let the conflict steal the spotlight, the woman who decided her ambitions needed no permission slip from history. And perhaps, most quietly of all, it is being written by parents who knew a harder Kashmir and have chosen to give their children the one thing they themselves rarely had, the freedom to imagine a life without first flinching. The Kashmir being built today will one day be somebody's childhood memory, and that places a responsibility on everyone with a stake in this place. Development cannot be reduced to numbers on a chart, governance to a press announcement, integration to a slogan on a wall, and peace does not simply mean the guns have gone quiet for a while. The real test is whether a child can have enough unremarkable days that conflict stops being the thing his imagination automatically reaches for, and whether a young person looking at Kashmir can see not only what happened to this place but what might still happen here. Every generation leaves something behind when it goes. Some leave monuments, some leave movements, some leave wounds that take decades to close. Perhaps this generation of Kashmiris gets to leave something quieter and harder to build: normalcy, ambition, the stubborn confidence that their future is large enough to hold both who they are and where they come from. The question is no longer only who gets to tell Kashmir's story. It is what story this generation will hand down to its children, and perhaps, for the first time in a very long while, that story will not have to begin with what Kashmir survived. It can begin with what Kashmir built.
AI is taking away job opportunities of 2225 year olds, Stanford study finds
AI is taking away job opportunities of year olds Stanford study finds
No factual foundation had been laid nor material placed on record to establish a case that the donning of a headscarf was an essential part of religion for a Muslim female, forsaking which would oust the girl or woman concerned from the faith that she professed and practised, the HC says
CMC Warns against Unauthorised Constructions, Citing Safety Risks
The suggestion was issued after the sudden collapse of a building under construction in 50 square yards land in Anjaiahnagar a few days ago leading to the death of two workers
Sakaala Services (Amendment) Bill passed in Karnataka legislature
The Bill seeks to streamline the financial liability of defaulting public servants by capping the maximum compensatory cost payable for delayed service delivery at 500 per application.
Aurobindo arm Lannetts facility in U.S. gets 4 U.S. FDA observations
Lannetts Seymour manufacturing facility has the capacity to scale production to approximately 4 billion doses annually.
Govt Approves Transfer of DRDO Developed Missile Tech To Indian Defence Industry
The defence ministry said the move is an important milestone in promoting greater participation of the domestic industries in the defence ecosystem
SIR verification leaves Daltonganj electors scrambling for pre-1987 documents
Nifty September futures trade at premium
India VIX slides 3.40% to 11.13.
Year after Israeli strikes killed journalists at hospital, no one has been held accountable
Despite repeated requests, the army hasn't provided details about the investigation or a timeline for when it could be completed. Rights groups say Israel rarely holds troops accountable for killing Palestinians, pointing to long investigations that rarely lead to prosecution
Geography and caste shape access to private coaching in India
In much of India, private tuition is a compensatory choice made by families who cannot count on the school.
CJP announces new organisational appointments, zone committees; check here
Mermaid Magic 2 Teaser : Frankie Kevich and Nisa Ward Starrer Mermaid Magic 2 Official Teaser
Mermaid Magic 2 : Watch the Official teaser from Italian Web series 'Mermaid Magic 2' starring Frankie Kevich and Nisa Ward. Mermaid Magic 2 is directed by Viki Lopez Amores. To know more about The Sacred Jewel, watch the video. Check out the latest italian teaser, new series teaser, trending italian series teaser, Viki Lopez Amores's videos at ETimes - Times of India Entertainment.
Delhi HC halts FSSAI action against ITC over '100%' claims
Delhi HC halts FSSAI action against ITC over claims
Taiwan Charges 9, Including Nvidia, Super Micro Staff, Over Illegal AI Server Exports to China
Washington began imposing restrictions on Nvidia's exports of advanced chips to China in 2022 and tightened them in subsequent years
Odisha T20 League 2026 To Begin On Sep 18, Final On Sep 27 At Barabati Stadium
The Odisha T20 League: The Odisha T20 League 2026 will get underway on September 18 at Cuttack's iconic Barabati Stadium, with the tournament final scheduled for September 27. The 10-day competition will bring together cricketers from across the state, offering established players and emerging talent an opportunity to compete in a high-intensity T20 environment. Six franchises representing different regions of Odisha Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Kandujhar, Puri, Rourkela and Sambalpur will feature in the tournament. The regional representation is expected to add a strong local flavour to the competition while providing players from different districts with a platform to test themselves against quality opposition. The tournament will also give young cricketers valuable exposure and match experience, with performances potentially helping them progress to higher levels of the domestic game. Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) Secretary Sanjay Behera welcomed the return of the competition and said the association looked forward to another season at Barabati Stadium. Speaking about the upcoming season, Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) Secretary Sanjay Behera expressed his delight. We are very happy that the Odisha T20 League 2026 is set to begin on September 18. The tournament will continue until September 27, and we are looking forward to an exciting season of cricket at the Barabati Stadium. Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) Secretary Sanjay Behera welcomed the return of the competition and said the association looked forward to another season at Barabati Stadium. Also Read: Special Cricket Stories With the competition bringing together players from across Odisha, the 2026 edition is set to combine regional representation with a focus on nurturing the state's emerging cricketing talent. The historic Barabati Stadium, which has previously hosted international cricket, will serve as the centrepiece for the tournament from September 18 through to the September 27 final. Article Source: IANS
Kriti Sanon Responds to Kangana Ranauts Critique on Raksha Bandhan Ad
Mumbai, August 25: Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon is currently making headlines due to a Raksha Bandhan advertisement. Her Indo-Western look in a jewelry brands campaign has drawn mixed reactions. Some social media users have criticized her outfit, leading to a pointed remark from actress Kangana Ranaut, who indirectly targeted the ads styling. Kriti has now ... Read more Kriti Sanon Responds to Kangana Ranauts Critique on Raksha Bandhan Ad
India's sugar mills, refiners seen importing just half of duty-free quota
Indian sugar mills may import only half the allowed raw sugar quota. Falling domestic prices have reduced the profitability of these planned imports. Refineries are expected to take most of the available import volume. Domestic supplies are anticipated to rise from mid-October with the new season.
Xiaomi launches Mijia Smart Air Purifier 4 Compact and Air Purifier 6 in India, starting at Rs 7,999
Xiaomi launches Mijia Smart Air Purifier Compact and Air Purifier in India starting at Rs
Markets bounce back as crude oil drops below $90 per barrel; Sensex climbs 287 points
After remaining in negative territory for most part of the day, the 30-share BSE Sensex bounced back during the fag-end of trading
Rajnath clears DRDO missile tech transfer to private firms
New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the transfer of DRDO-developed technologies of all conventional missile systems to Indian industries for production within the country. This Transfer of Technology (ToT) marks an important milestone in promoting greater participation of the Indian industries in the defence ecosystem by enabling them to undertake indigenous production, as Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
45-Year-Old Man Critically Injured in Bear Attack in Jammu Kashmir
SRINAGAR: A 45-year-old man was critically injured after being attacked by a bear near his house in the Barari area of Sawjian in Mandi, Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, officials said. The victim was identified as Nisar Ahmed, son of Bashir Ahmed, a resident of Gagrian (Barari). Following the attack, Ahmed was []
Missed EPF coverage? Firms can add workers till October 31
Missed EPF coverage Firms can add workers till October
This year, rakhi sales are projected to approach 25,000 crore, with the overall festive trade, including gifts and apparel, likely surpassing 30,000 crore. Many rakhis now celebrate themes such as Viksit Bharat and women's empowerment.
Mahanadi Faces Minor Flood Risk; Other Rivers Stable: EIC
The Water Resources Department has indicated a minor flood situation in the Mahanadi, while confirming that other major rivers in Odisha remain stable. EngineerinChief Dillip Kumar Rout told reporters that rivers such as Baitarani, Salandi, Subarnarekha, and Brahmani are currently under control with no flood threat. However, rainfall in Chhattisgarh has led to a rise [] The post Mahanadi Faces Minor Flood Risk; Other Rivers Stable: EIC appeared first on Pragativadi I Latest Odisha News in English I Breaking News .
Gandhari trailer: Taapsee Pannu vows to rescue her kidnapped daughter in action-thriller
Written and produced by Kanika Dhillon, the film has been directed by Devashish Makhija
Arippa land struggle beneficiaries in Keralam face bleak Onam
More than 200 landless families are caught in an administrative trap after receiving title deeds, reportedly without Forest dept. NOC; panchayat authorities refuse to issue basic documentation, leaving residents without possession certificates, house numbers, or power connections
You're Just Wasting Time: Sarfaraz Khan Taunts Sri Lanka Skipper With Brutal Dig During 2nd Test
Sarfaraz Khan taunted Dhananjaya de Silva with a cheeky remark on Day 3 of the second Test match between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo.
