Daily Excelsior

Jammu, Jun 10: In a significant step towards strengthening Indias aromatic crop value chain and promoting botanical wellness products, the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu, on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ambrosia Botanicals, a Gurugram-based luxury botanical wellness company. The collaboration aims to create a robust framework for research, quality standardization, value addition and market development of aromatic crops and essential

JAMMU, Jun 9: To facilitate the travel of pilgrims during the upcoming Somvati Amavasya, the Northern Railways Jammu division will operate a special train service between Katra and Haridwar next week, an official said on Tuesday. The special train (No. 04606) will depart from Katra in Jammu and Kashmir at 6.15 pm on June 14 and arrive in Uttarakhands Haridwar at 6.30 am the following day. On the return journey, Train No. 04605 will leave Haridwar at 5.20 pm on [] The post Railways To Run Special

NEW DELHI, Jun 9: As the Narendra Modi government completed 12 years on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the prime ministers leadership, saying the country has witnessed the simultaneous realization of welfare for the poor and unprecedented development. In a post on X, he said Modi had served the nation and its citizens tirelessly and highlighted a range of welfare and infrastructure initiatives undertaken during his tenure. Under Modi jis leadership, over these 12 years, the countr

NEW DELHI, Jun 9: The Congress on Tuesday hit out at the government over its reduction of the number of subsidised refills of LPG gas cylinders under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana and alleged that it only sheds crocodile tears on the plight of women while being intoxicated on power. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the reality of the Modi governments poverty-reduction campaign is that first, the right to work under MGNREGA was snatched away from the poor and now, [] The post Modi G

Prof. D. Mukherjee mukhopadhyay.dinabandhu@gmail.com West Bengal once represented Indias intellectual and industrial nerve-centre. From the jute mills along the Hooghly River to the engineering clusters of Howrah and Kolkatas mercantile ecosystem, the State symbolised enterprise, cosmopolitanism, and manufacturing sophistication. During the first half of the twentieth century, nearly one-fourth of Indias industrial production originated here, while Kolkata served as eastern Indias commercial hea

BEIJING, Jun 8: China and India should stick to the right strategic perception that they are not rivals but cooperative partners and opportunities for each others development, not threats, a top Chinese official said on Monday. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a media briefing here in response to a question on Russian President Vladimir Putins comments on Sino-India relations and Moscows efforts to maintain close ties with both of them during an interaction with heads o

NEW DELHI, June 8: Customs officials at Delhis Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport have seized 15.38 kg of suspected hydroponic weed worth about Rs 5.38 crore concealed inside two geysers brought by passengers arriving from Kuala Lumpur, officials said on Monday. Hydroponic weed is a high-potency variety of cannabis cultivated in nutrient-rich water instead of soil. The two passengers were intercepted after crossing the green channel on June 7 on the basis of profiling and specific intelli

NEW DELHI, Jun 7: A Parliamentary panel has asked the National Testing Agency (NTA) to define what constitutes a paper leak in its definition and whether any paper leaks have occurred in exams it conducted since 2018, sources said. The panels questionnaire follows NTA officials appearance before it last week, where they contended that there was no paper leak from their system, claiming that some questions from a guess paper were in circulation, sources said. The Parliamentary Committee for Educa

PESHAWAR, June 7: At least five people were killed and two injured in a deadly exchange of gunfire between rival groups over a land dispute in northwest Pakistan, police said Sunday. The incident occurred in Gul Kach area within the jurisdiction of Toi Khula police station in South Waziristan of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday. The victims belonged to the Suleman Khel tribe. The injured were provided initial medical treatment before being shifted to Wana for further care, police [] T

TEL AVIV, June 7: At least one person was killed and six others wounded in several simultaneous shooting attacks close to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to Israels rescue services, Magen David Adom. Israels police said they had killed at least one attacker and are carrying out searches for additional assailants. Residents in the area were instructed to stay at home. Magen David Adom said it received the first reports of a shooting at a gas station near the town [] The post 1 dead, 6 w

Srinagar, Jun 7: The Meteorological Department has forecast generally hot and dry weather across Jammu and Kashmir till June 10, while warning of rain, thunderstorms, lightning, hailstorms and gusty winds at several places from June 11 onwards. Director Meteorological Centre Srinagar, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, as per news agency JKNS said that weather conditions are expected to remain largely hot and dry from June 7 to June 10, although brief showers at isolated places during afternoon hours cannot be

BEIJING, June 6: Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Doraiswami has said mutual learning of languages and a dialogue of ideas over two millennia have been a defining feature of ties between the two countries. Doraiswami, who took over as Indias envoy to China last month, visited the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), where he delivered a lecture on Friday, and interacted with students and faculty members. BFSU, a premier institution for foreign languages in China, offers courses in 102 lan

TEHRAN, June 6: Ali Akbar Velayati, adviser to Irans Leader on international affairs, said lasting peace can only be achieved through a balance of power, warning against reliance on empty promises or compromise with adversaries. In a post on X on Saturday, Velayati said Western concerns over Irans rising influence have materialized, adding that a new geometry of power has emerged. He cited reports from Western media suggesting the U.S. may seek a temporary deal to reopen the Strait of [] The pos

NEW DELHI, Jun 5: Post-surgery radiation therapy significantly reduces risk of recurrence in patients with high-risk muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), following a surgical removal of the organ and perioperative chemotherapy, results from a phase-3 clinical trial suggest. Findings published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology hint at potential benefits for a disease-free and overall survival, even though the effects were not statistically significant, or meaningful, researchers, led by those

NEW DELHI, June 5: Myntra hit a record high in weekly active users in the week beginning May 25, as Indias consumer internet sector showed diverging trends with strong gains in e-commerce, according to a report by brokerage CLSA. Myntra added 8.4 million weekly active users (WAU) week-on-week, taking its total to around 60 million its highest ever level in a week marking the standout performance in a largely mixed week for digital platforms. Within beauty retail, Nykaa [] The post Myntra adds

MUMBAI, June 5: The Reserve Bank on Friday lowered its GDP forecast for FY2026-27 to 6.6 per cent from the 6.9 per cent estimated in April, citing elevated energy and other commodity prices as well as continued supply disruptions arising from the conflict in West Asia, which are likely to weigh on economic activity. The central bank also said that prolonged global supply-chain disruptions, heightened volatility in global financial markets, and weather-related shocks continue to pose downside ris

Kishtwar, June 5: The District Administration Kishtwar on Friday suspended both the Shri Machail Mata Yatra 2026 and Shri Mindhal Mata Yatra 2026 for the day in view of adverse weather conditions prevailing across the district. According to the advisory issued by the district administration, as per news agency JKNS, the decision was taken due to continuous rainfall, slippery road conditions and the risk of shooting stones, which could pose a threat to the safety and well-being of pilgrims. The [

ST. PETERSBURG, Jun 4: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said Russia is determined to broaden its time-tested relations with India and asserted that the US attempts to force New Delhi into scaling back its cooperation with Russia are both futile and damaging to international relations. In an interaction with heads of leading global news agencies including PTI, Putin lauded Indias economic growth and its independent foreign policy and said Russia is determined to expand its economic en

Mumbai, Jun 5: The Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Friday unanimously decided to keep the policy repo rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent, maintaining its neutral policy stance amid rising global uncertainties, geopolitical tensions in West Asia and concerns over inflationary pressures. Announcing the decision, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said that after a detailed assessment of evolving macroeconomic and financial conditions, the MPC voted unanimously to leave the p

Saving the Fragile Crown Kumar Rohit write2kumarrohit@outlook.com Where the Rivers of Civilization Begin As the world observes World Environment Day on June 5, few regions deserve deeper reflection than Jammu and Kashmir. Revered as the Crown of India and the great Water Tower of the subcontinent, the region is far more than a landscape of mountains, lakes, and forests. Its glaciers and river systems sustain millions across northern India and beyond. The Jhelum, Chenab, and Indus rivers flowing

MOSCOW, Jun 4 : Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday hailed Moscows strategic partnership with New Delhi and asserted that Western attempts to force India into scaling back its cooperation with Russia are futile and damaging to global stability. In an interaction with heads of leading global news agencies including PTI, Putin lauded Indias economic growth and its independent foreign policy and said Russia is determined to expand its economic engagement with the country. India is among th

JAMMU, June 4: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has enhanced the financial powers of Administrative Departments for according technical sanction to projects by amending the delegation of financial powers under the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019. As per a notification issued by the Finance Department, the limit for according technical sanction has been increased from up to Rs 2 crore to up to Rs 5 crore, while projects exceeding Rs 5 crore will now fall under the higher approval category. See [] Th

COLOMBO, June 4: Indian Naval Ship Airavat was accorded a traditional welcome at the port of Colombo, the Sri Lankan Navy said on Thursday. INS Airavat was bringing along critical spares for the Sri Lanka Coast Guard ship Suraksha from the Indian Coast Guard through a Government of India grant, said the Indian High Commission in Colombo. Visits by Indian Navy vessels to Sri Lanka aim to further strengthen the strong bonds between both friendly Navies, which is in line [] The post Sri Lanka Navy

NEW DELHI, Jun 4: The southwest monsoon set over Kerala on Thursday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Typically, the monsoon arrives in Kerala around June 1, which marks the beginning of the Southwest monsoon season (June-September). The southwest monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of southwest and southeast Arabian Sea, some parts of westcentral and eastcentral Arabian Sea, entire Lakshadweep islands, Kerala and Mahe, some parts of Karnataka and Tamil N

SRINAGAR, June 3: High Court has denied bail to an employee accused of multiple sexual assaults on a woman citing the compromise between the parties cannot dilute the seriousness of offence. The accused Farooq Ahmad Dar of Lolab, Kupwara through the medium of the instant application, sought grant of bail in a case arising out of FIR No. 17/2022 registered under Sections 376 and 506 IPC, at Police Station Women Wing Kupwar, on 13.06.2022. Dar submitted that he has been [] The post Compromise betw

MELBOURNE, June 3: Three Australian appeals court judges reserved their decision Wednesday on whether an activist can prosecute Britains King Charles III for alleged genocide of Australias Indigenous people. Uncle Robbie Thorpe, 68, turned to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Victoria state after two lower courts rejected his bid to launch a private prosecution against the king in the Melbourne Magistrates Court. Indigenous Australians use the titles uncle and aunt as marks of respect for community

CHANDIGARH, Jun 2: Union Power Minister Manohar Lal has said that meeting the growing electricity demand while reducing losses in the power sector is the need of the hour. He emphasised that power utilities must adopt modern technologies and implement target-oriented schemes and projects to ensure an uninterrupted, high-quality, and reliable electricity supply to consumers. Electricity is not only an essential public service but also an economic resource, whose generation and distribution involv

New Delhi, Jun 2: The southwest monsoon is expected to onset over Kerala around June 4, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday. Typically, monsoon arrives in Kerala around June 1, which marks the beginning of the southwest monsoon season (June-September). Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some more parts of southwest and southeast Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep Islands, some parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu around June 4, the IMD said in its daily

NEW DELHI, Jun 2: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Tuesday opened the online portal for verification of issues observed in scanned copies of answer books and re-evaluation of answers for students dissatisfied with their board exam evaluation. According to the board, the facility is available only to those students who have obtained scanned copies of their evaluated answer books. The portal for applying for Verification of Issues observed in supplied scanned copy of answer book

ISLAMABAD, Jun 1: Any temporary understanding between the US and Iran must be followed by deeper talks about Tehrans nuclear stockpile and other critical issues, a top European Union official said on Monday while offering the 27-member blocs contribution to a sustainable and peaceful resolution in West Asia. Kaja Kallas, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, also said that Pakistan has been the main mediator between the US and Iran, and Islamabads diplomatic

NEW DELHI, May 8: India has successfully carried out the maiden flight-trial of an indigenously developed glide weapon system off the coast of Odisha. The Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation (TARA) system, developed to convert unguided warheads into precision guided weapons, was tested on Thursday, according to the defence ministry. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted the maiden flight-trial of TARA weapon off the coast

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, May 7: In a step towards strengthening mother and child-friendly healthcare services, Himalaya Wellness Company has donated six feeding pods to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Jammu under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. The specially designed feeding pods have been installed across key patient care areas within the Institute to provide nursing mothers with a safe, private, hygienic, and comfortable space for breastfeeding and i

NEW DELHI, May 7: The Centre has authorised the Jammu and Kashmir LG to exercise powers, such as interception of signals, suspension of service and decryption of messages, related to telecom services in the UT during public safety events or national emergency, an official notification issued on Thursday said. According to the order, the President directed the LG to exercise the powers and discharge the functions of the state government under Sub-Section 20 (2) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023

Srinagar, May 7: Jammu and Kashmir Police and J&K Bank on Thursday signed a historic addendum to the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aimed at enhancing welfare measures for families of martyrs, serving police personnel and Special Police Officers (SPOs). According to officials, the revised agreement will provide enhanced insurance coverage along with improved medical and educational support for beneficiaries. The addendum was signed by Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat and M

Prof M K Bhat drmkb1963@ gmail.com The much ado about women empowerment has come to a halt with the failing of the bill in the parliament and both protagonists and antagonists have got silent but the question whether reservation of a few hundred women in legislatures is enough for empowering half of the population of the country still remains as it was? The antagonists in their own expressions termed it as an election stunt while as protagonists held it as [] The post Much ado about women empowe

NEW DELHI, May 6 : India and Vietnam on Wednesday elevated their ties to an enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership and set a USD 25 billion annual trade target by 2030 as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnamese President To Lam held talks focusing on expanding bilateral ties in areas of trade, defence and critical minerals in the face of increasing geopolitical upheavals. Amid Chinas rising muscle-flexing in the region, Modi and Lam underlined the importance of maintaining peace, secur

JAMMU, May 6: Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) today carried out an extensive inspection and enforcement drive at Sector-02, Channi Himmat, Jammu, under the jurisdiction of Sub Division Green Belt, Gandhi Nagar of Electric Division-II, JPDCL. The inspection was conducted by a special Enforcement Team constituted by the Superintending Engineer, O&M Circle Jammu. The team, led by Assistant Engineer Vishal Kumar Langeh, inspected 20 electricity consumers, including 02 domestic a

Chennai, May 6: The Congress party, a long-time ally of the DMK, on Wednesday announced support to actor-politician Vijays TVK to form the government in Tamil Nadu and severed ties with the Dravidian major. The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) have decided to extend its full support to the TVK to form the government, AICC Tamil Nadu incharge Girish Chodankar said in a statement citing TVK chief Vijays request seeking support. He said: Our support [] The post

New Delhi, May 6: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that every sixth BJP MP in the Lok Sabha secured his or her seat through vote chori and asked if they should be labelled ghuspethiya in that partys own parlance. Gandhi also claimed that the BJP would not be able to win even 140 seats today in the Lok Sabha if fair elections are held. Through vote theft, sometimes individual seats are stolen, and at other times, an entire [] The post Every 6th BJP MP In LS Won Through Vote Chori

Prominent Cleric Shot Dead In Northwest PakistanPeshawar, May 5 : A prominent cleric was on Tuesday shot dead by unidentified gunmen in a targeted attack in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said. The motorcycle-borne gunmen ambushed the vehicle of Sheikh-ul-Hadith Maulana Muhammad Idrees in the Utmanzai area of Charsadda district, injuring two security guards accompanying him, they said. Idrees, one of the senior and respected religious scholars in Pakistan, sustained critical injur

Srinagar, May 5: The Government of Jammu & Kashmir has ordered a significant reshuffle in the Power Development Department (PDD), transferring and posting multiple engineers across various divisions with immediate effect. According to Government Order No. 111-JK(PDD) of 2026 dated May 05, the decision has been taken in the interest of administration to ensure smooth and efficient functioning of official work. As per the order, several Executive Engineers, Assistant Executive Engineers (AEEs), an

NEW DELHI, May 5: India could consider lowering the inflation target and trimming the tolerance band if GDP growth remains robust with a more stable inflation over the next five years, RBI Deputy Governor Poonam Gupta said on Tuesday. However, if the global environment remains as challenging as it has been during the past six years, it would warrant both predictability and flexibility inherent in the existing framework, she said. The government, after consultation with the RBI, has notified the

NEW DELHI, May 5: The BJP on Tuesday named Union Home Minister Amit Shah as the partys central observer for election of its legislative party leader in West Bengal. The party also appointed Union minister JP Nadda as its central observer for election of the legislative party leader in Assam. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was made co-observer for election of BJPs legislative party leader in Assam, according to a notification issued by the party. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan [] The post

Darbar Move offices reopen in Srinagar Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, May 4: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah received a warm reception at the Civil Secretariat Srinagar today as offices reopened in the summer capital. He was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour on the occasion. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp The Darbar Move, which was resumed last year in Jammu, marks the restoration of a key governance tradition in Jammu and Kashmir, with the Civil Secretariat shifting in full

Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, May 4: Rakesh Kumar of Jammu and Kashmir UT excelled at the National Powerlifting and Deadlift National Championship 2026, organised by the Indian Powerlifting Federation (IPF) at Udaipur, Rajasthan. Rakesh Kumar secured two gold medals in different categories, delivering an outstanding performance at the national level competition. His achievement was widely appreciated by sports officials and participants present at the event. Suraj Joshi, District Preside

NEW DELHI, May 4: Silver prices plunged Rs 3,917 to Rs 2.47 lakh per kilogram in futures trade on Monday as elevated crude oil rates amid inflation concerns dampened investors sentiment. On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), the white metal for July delivery decreased by Rs 3,917, or 1.56 per cent, to Rs 2,47,020 per kg in a business turnover of 7,234 lots. Last week, silver gained Rs 879 to settle at Rs 2.50 lakh per kg on the MCX. [] The post Silver futures plunge Rs 3,917 to Rs 2.47 lakh/kg

New Delhi, May 4: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said peoples power has prevailed and the BJPs politics of good governance has triumphed in West Bengal, while in Assam, the NDAs win illustrates the unwavering support for the ruling alliances emphasis on development. In a series of posts on X, Modi also said West Bengal has given a spectacular mandate to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and assured the people of the state that the party will do everything [] The post Peoples Power Prevail

KOLKATA, May 4: No rallies celebrating the victory of candidates will be allowed anywhere in West Bengal on Monday, a senior official of the Chief Electoral Officers (CEO) office said. The official also said the poll panel is looking into complaints that agents of different parties were unable to reach counting centres. No rallies celebrating wins of candidates following the announcement of results will be allowed anywhere in the state today, special observer Subrata Gupta told reporters. We are

NEW DELHI, May 3: Stock markets are likely to be guided this week by the outcome of state elections and high crude oil prices amid the West Asia conflict, say analysts. The developments related to the West Asia conflict and the Strait of Hormuz will also be tracked by investors, they said. Counting of votes for the five assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry will begin on Monday, May 4. The most immediate catalyst will [] The post State elections outcome, oi

Excelsior Correspondent KARGIL, May 2: Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying George Kurian today interacted with minority beneficiaries in Kargil and urged them to take full advantage of Central Government welfare and loan schemes for improving livelihoods. The programme was organised at Hotel The Kargil by Sindhu Infrastructure Development Corporation (SIDCO) in collaboration with National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC). Beneficiaries appre