Not just a few names, every citizen worked for India’s progress: Modi

26/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday sought the support of Congress and other opposition parties for the passage of the Triple Talaq Bill in Parliament. Replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President for his address to the joint session of Parliament, Modi also said that the Bill should not be linked to any community. "Congress had many opportunities. But they did not utilise it. It failed to bring Uniform Civil Code or protect Muslim women when the Supr...

Sex racket busted in Rajouri, 2 women among three held

26/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 25: Two women and a man have been arrested by J&K Police in Rajouri after busting a sex racket with the woman running the racket is one among those who have been arrested while many other names have surfaced during initial investigation. Senior superintendent of Police Rajouri, Yougal Manhas said that on a specific information was received by police that a woman is running sex racket in her house in ward No 04 of Rajouri town after which a special team headed by Deputy SP Headqu...

Terror, H-1B, Iran oil to top agenda of Jaishankar-Pompeo meet

26/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 25: Terrorism, H1B visas, trade and the situation arising out of US sanctions on buying oil from Iran, will be among a host of issues on the table when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar holds talks with his American counterpart Mike Pompeo on Wednesday. The US Secretary of State's visit starting Tuesday night is the first high-level visit from any country following the Lok Sabha polls. The two leaders will hold talks on Wednesday -- their first meeting after Jaishankar assu...

Over 700 terrorists killed in J&K in last three years: Govt

26/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 25: More than 700 terrorists have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir over the last three years, the Home Ministry said on Tuesday. A total of 113 terrorists were killed between January and June 16 this year, 257 were killed in 2018, 213 in 2017 and 150 in 2016, taking the total number of those killed during the period to 733, it said. As many as 112 civilians have also lost their lives during this period in the state. Of them, 15 had died in 2016, 40 in 2017, 39 in 2018 and 18 b...

Assam police arrests man from Kashmir for obscene remark on FB on slain CRPF man’s wife

26/06/2019
GUWAHATI, Jun 25: Assam Police has arrested a person from Kulgam in Jammu and Kashmir for allegedly posting an obscene comment on Facebook on the widow of a CRPF commando who was killed in a blast triggered by Maoists in Jharkhand last month, an official statement said Tuesday. The slain CRPF commando, Sunil Kalita, hailed from Kamrup district of Assam. The accused, Syed Abbass, was produced at Damhal Hanji Pora court in Kulgam district of Kashmir on June 22 and he was sent to eight days tran...

After brief respite, Jammu sizzles at 39.8 deg C

26/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 25: After a brief respite, the mercury rose several notches in winter capital, Jammu, on Tuesday, with the maximum temperature settling at 39.8 degrees Celsius -- 2.1 degrees above normal, a Meteorological Department spokesperson said. Jammu had on Monday recorded a high of 32 degrees Celsius. The day temperature in the summer capital, Srinagar, also rose to 27.5 degrees Celsius against the previous day's 24.7 degrees Celsius, the spokesperson said. The day temperature in the city...

Sindhu Darshan Festival’s 23rd edition underway in Leh

26/06/2019
LEH, Jun 25: The 23rd edition of the Sindhu Darshan Festival kicked off at Sindhu Ghat Shey in Leh on Monday. Skyabje Choskyong Palga Rinpoche inaugurated the 4-day event organised by Sindhu Darshan Yatra Samiti (SDYS) in collaboration with Ladakh Phanday Tsogspa. Indresh Kumar, SDYS patron, was accompanied by Hill Council deputy chairman Gyal P.Wangyal, NDMC Mayor Avtar Singh and Anjuman Moin-Ul-Islam's president Dr Abdul Qayoom. "The festival connects people from different faiths on one co...

Modi to hold bilaterals with Trump, Macron on G20 sidelines

26/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold about 10 bilateral meetings, including with US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Japan this week, sources said Tuesday. Modi, who will attend the 14th G20 summit in Osaka from June 28-29, will also participate in the Russia-India-China (RIC) and the Japan-America-India (JAI) trilaterals, as well as in the meeting of BRICS leaders. The prime minister will have about 10 bi...

Masoodi demands Assembly polls, meaningful dialogue

26/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 25: National Conference Member Hasnain Masoodi on Tuesday called for a meaningful dialogue to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir issue and demanded that Assembly elections be conducted in the state at the earliest. “There should be a roadmap to tackle the Jammu and Kashmir issue. There was talk about ‘Jamhuriat’ (democracy), but the state of Jammu and Kashmir was being deprived of the festival of democracy,” the Anantnag member said in the Lok Sabha during the debate on Motion of Tha...

3 school children killed as dumper falls into river in Ramban

26/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 25: Three schoolchildren were killed while one more was missing after a dumper they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into the Chenab river in Ramban district on Tuesday, police said. The driver and three other students were critically injured in the accident that took place on the Karol-Kundi link road near Jaishwal bridge, a police official said. He said the driver of the dumper, which was on its way to Kundi village, had given a lift to the children, including two...

Nirmala Sitharaman among 100 most influential in UK power list

26/06/2019
LONDON, Jun 25: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is among the 100 most influential women driving the UK-India relationship forward alongside one of Britain's senior-most Cabinet ministers Penny Mordaunt. The '100 Most Influential in UK-India Relations: Celebrating Women' list was launched by UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid to mark India Day in the Houses of Parliament in London on Monday. It credited Sitharaman, also the Minister of Corporate Affairs, as one of India's most "powerful women" ...

Resignation of RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya raised in LS

26/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 25: Raising the issue of resignation of RBI's Deputy Governor Viral Acharya, Kerala Congress (M) MP Thomas Chazhikadan Tuesday alleged prominent economists are unable to work with the government as its policies are not in interest of the people. Participating in the debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's address in Lok Sabha, Chazhikadan said both GST and demonetisation undertaken by the government are "utter failures" and have impacted the economy severly. On the resign...

PM resorted to ‘old evading tactics’ to hoodwink common people: Cong

26/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 25: The Congress on Tuesday panned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, alleging that he resorted to "old evading tactics" to hoodwink the common people as if he was still in election mode and failed to address the real issues. Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed that his party scored a "great victory" as the Prime Minister, who was previously "reluctant" to quote any Congress leader, was "compelled"...

Editor of Kashmir daily gets bail within hours of arrest, JK Police left red-faced

26/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 25: The Jammu and Kashmir Police was left red-faced Tuesday after a local court granted bail to a senior editor within hours of arrest in a nearly three-decade-old case, and raised questions about investigation, pointing out that the police had cleared the scribe twice in the past 29 years for passport. Ghulam Jeelani Qadri, the editor of 'Daily Afaaq', was arrested late Monday night in a case registered in 1990 under section 3 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Preventio...

334 soldiers killed from 2016-18 in areas where AFSPA is in force: Govt

25/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 24: As many as 334 soldiers were killed from 2016 to 2018 in areas where the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is in force, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament on Monday. In a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Singh said 113 soldiers were killed in 2016, 125 in 2017 and 96 in 2018 in areas where the AFSPA is in force. The AFSPA, which gives special powers to the armed forces, is in place in Jammu and Kashmir and certain parts of the north-east....

Bill on Jammu & Kashmir Reservation introduced in LS

25/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 12: People living along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir will get benefits of reservation in direct recruitment, promotion and admission in professional courses on par with those living along the Actual Line of Control (ALoC), according to a bill introduced in the Lok Sabha Monday. The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2019, will replace an ordinance issued by the previous government. The Bill was introduced by Minister of State for Home G Kishan...

Talks must be held with Hurriyat leaders: Farooq

25/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 24: Two days after Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik said that Hurriyat leaders were ready for talks with the Central government, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Monday asserted that talks must be held. "The Governor says Hurriyat has agreed to talks. Then, talks should be held with them," Abdullah told the media persons. Contending that situation in Jammu and Kashmir is changing, Governor Malik had on June 22 said that separ...

Return ‘our old India’ with a culture of love; keep your ‘New India’ where humans are afraid of humans: Azad

25/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 24: Tearing into the BJP-led, government, Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Monday said under the 'New India', humans are afraid of humans, those glorifying killers of Mahatma Gandhi are in the ruling party and hatred and lynchings are at its peak. Speaking on the motion of thanks to the President's address in RajyaSabha, leader of the opposition, Azad, said unemployment is at all time high and henious crime like rape on minors are abnormally on the rise. Launching a scathing a...

Additional central paramilitary forces made available this time for Amarnath Yatra: IGP

25/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 24: Additional central paramilitary forces have been made available to Jammu and Kashmir this year to ensure peaceful pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, scheduled to begin next month, a senior police officer said Monday. Inspector General of Police, Jammu, M K Sinha said the availability of more forces compared to previous years have resulted in strengthening of counter-infiltration grid, deployment of road-opening parties all...

Security strengthened at Jammu Railway Station ahead of Amarnath Yatra

25/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 24: The security in and around the Jammu Railway Station was strengthened ahead of the commencement of annual Amarnath Yatra and a senior police officer on Monday assured pilgrims to join the pilgrimage without any fear, saying the security situation in the state was as good as in any other part of the country. Senior Superintendent of Police, Railways, Ranjit Singh Sambyal also said that all incoming and outgoing trains would be checked along with the luggage of the passengers with...

Targeting pods, laser-guided bomb system for Mirage-2000 was done for Kargil War: Dhanoa

25/06/2019
GWALIOR, Jun 24: Asserting that the use of Mirage-2000 "turned the tide" in favour of India during the Kargil War in 1999, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa Monday said modification of the multi-role fighter aircraft was in process back then and was "expedited" for its deployment in the operation. Addressing a press conference here, he also said, to accelerate the modification of Mirage-2000, which he described was still the "sword arm of the IAF", its integration with targeting pods and 1000-pound...

Policeman commits suicide

25/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 24: A policeman allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle at a training centre here, officials said Monday. Selection Grade Constable Arjun Dev, a resident of R S Pura, was on sentry duty at Police Training Centre, Sunjwan, in the outskirts of the city when he reportedly took his life around midnight, a police official said. Dev's colleagues rushed to his post after hearing a gunshot and found him dead with a bullet injury in the face, the official said....

Rising inequality is a concern: Manmohan

25/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 24: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday rising inequality was a concern and the country cannot allow extreme poverty or economic disparity as it is a welfare state. Speaking at the release of a social development report titled 'Rising Inequalities in India, 2018', Singh said some regions and social groups were extremely poor and vulnerable despite various anti-poverty programmes and affirmative policies being followed. The former prime minister said India was one...

Mehbooba welcomes Hurriyat’s readiness to talk

25/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 24: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti Monday welcomed the Hurriyat Conference willingness to hold talks with the Centre saying it was 'better late than never'. "Dair aye durust aye (better late than never). The underlying purpose of the PDP-BJP alliance was to facilitate dialogue between the GoI& all stakeholders. Tried my best to make it happen in my tenure as CM but relieved that Hurriyat has finally softened their stand," former Chief Minister Mehbooba said in a tweet. She was ref...

Trump signs executive order imposing ‘hard hitting’ sanction on Iran

25/06/2019
WASHINGTON, Jun 24: US President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order, which he said, will impose a "hard-hitting" sanction on Iran and it will deny the Iranian Supreme Leader and other officials access to financial instruments within US jurisdiction. Trump's move to impose fresh set of sanctions on Iran comes days after Tehran said it shot down an American drone in the region on Thursday. President Trump called off a planned retaliatory military strike Friday, saying the response...

Sanctioned strength of judges is adequate: Ex-Information Commissioner

25/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 24: The sanctioned strength of judges in the country is adequate but the persistent vacancies in the higher judiciary are leading to a heavy backlog of court cases, former Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi has said. For the persistent vacancy in the higher judiciary, Gandhi put part of the blame on the Apex Court's collegium itself, saying the truth is that the collegium has never recommended enough names to fill all vacancies. The former member of the Central Informatio...

RBI introduces ‘Complaint Management System’

25/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 24: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shakti kanta Das on Monday launched "Complaint Management System (CMS)", a software application to facilitate RBI's grievance redressal processes. Members of public can access the CMS portal at the central bank's website to lodge their complaints against any of the entities regulated by RBI. "Keeping the convenience of the customers in mind, CMS has been designed to enable on-line filing of complaints. It provides features such as acknow...

Rs 50 lakh looted from cable car corporation in Gulmarg

25/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 24: Burglars broke into the cash counter of the Gondola Cable Car Corporation in Jammu and Kashmir's Gulmarg and looted Rs 50 lakh, police said Monday. The burglars broke into the cash counter of the cable car corporation at famous tourist resort of Gulmarg during the intervening night of June 23-24 and decamped with Rs 50 lakh, a police official said. He said a case was registered and investigation taken up. We are probing the case from all possible angles including insider in...

Four militants killed in encounter in Shopian

24/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 23: Four local militants were Sunday killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district, the Army said. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Daramdora area of Shopian, following information about the presence of militants there, an Army official said. He said as the forces were conducting searches, the hiding militants fired upon them. The security forces retaliated, the official said, adding four militants were killed in the gunbattle. A ...

CJI writes to PM for removal of Allahabad High Court’s Judge

24/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 23: Months after an in-house panel found Allahabad High Court's Justice S N Shukla guilty of misconduct by an internal probe, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate a motion for his removal. A three-judge in-house committee, comprising Madras High Court Chief Justice Indira Banerjee, Sikkim High Court Chief Justice S K Agnihotri and Madhya Pradesh High Court's Justice P K Jaiswal, had in January 2018 concluded there was suffic...

No locus standi: India on US religious freedom report

24/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 23: India Sunday rejected a US religious freedom report, saying it sees no locus standi for a foreign government to pronounce on the state of its citizens' constitutionally protected rights. In its annual 2018 International Religious Freedom Report, the State Department alleged Friday that mob attacks by violent extremist Hindu groups against minority communities, particularly Muslims, continued in India in 2018, amid rumours that victims had traded or killed cows for beef. Re...

5 dead, 3 injured as vehicle falls into gorge in Rajouri

24/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 23: At least five persons were killed and three others injured Sunday when a vehicle rolled down into a 200-feet deep gorge in Rajouri district, police said. The accident occurred at Kewal villager near Budhal in the border district around 4.15 pm, a police official said. He said a rescue operation was immediately launched after the vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into the gorge. Two persons were found dead on the spot while the driver of the vehicle and two others...

Govt mulls various options for consolidation of PSU general insurers

24/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 23: The Government is exploring various consolidation options including merger of state-owned general insurance companies with New India Assurance with a view to create synergy and unlock value. The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) under the Ministry of Finance is also looking at other options including stake sale in three state-owned insurance firms like National Insurance Company, Oriental Insurance Company and United India Insurance Company, source...

Vaishno Devi shrine to have own disaster response force by Sept 2020

24/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 23: The Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, a religious pilgrimage atop a hilltop that attracts lakhs of devotees from across the world every year, will get a dedicated in-house disaster response force by September next year, a senior official said Sunday. Simrandeep Singh, the Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), said training of the board staff who will be the first respondents in case of any eventuality has already begun at the headquarters of 7th ba...

Govt mulls various options for consolidation of PSU general insurers

24/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 23: The Government is exploring various consolidation options including merger of state-owned general insurance companies with New India Assurance with a view to create synergy and unlock value. The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) under the Ministry of Finance is also looking at other options including stake sale in three state-owned insurance firms like National Insurance Company, Oriental Insurance Company and United India Insurance Company, source...

14 killed, about 50 injured as pandal collapses during religious programme in Barmer

24/06/2019
BARMER/JAIPUR, Jun 23: At least 14 people were killed and about 50 injured after a pandal fell on them due to strong winds and heavy rains during a religious programme in Barmer district of Rajasthan on Sunday, police said. A 'Ram Katha' was organised at a school ground near Rani Bhatiyani temple in Jasol area of the district. The pandal was uprooted by strong winds, trapping the people sitting under it, police said, adding hundreds of devotees were attending the programme. "At least 14 perso...

Cabinet to consider bill to give more teeth to NIA

24/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 23: Seeking to give more teeth to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the government plans to amend two laws to allow it to probe terrorist acts against Indians and Indian interests abroad. The Union cabinet will take a call on Monday on amending the NIA Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The amendment bill could be introduced in Parliament this week during the ongoing Monsoon session. The amendments will also allow the NIA probe cybercrimes and cases of hu...

Hazratbal Shrine’s head priest dies

24/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 23: Head priest of Hazratbal shrine, Ghulam Hassan Banday, died Sunday after a brief illness. He was 80. Banday was one of the custodians of the holy relic of Prophet Muhammad at the Hazratbal shrine, an official spokesman said. He said Banday displayed holy relic on many important occasions at the shrine and was also part of the group involved in the recitation of special supplications on important occasions that include Eid-e-Milad-un Nabi. His funeral prayers will be held la...

Govt teacher found hanging from tree in Reasi

24/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 23: A 30-year-old government teacher was Sunday found hanging from a tree in a forest area in Reasi district, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide. The deceased was identified as Farooq Ahmad Mir, a resident of Hariwalla village, a police official said. He said the body of Mir was found hanging from a tree in a forest adjacent to his village. Quoting preliminary investigation, he said it appears to be a case of suicide but the motive behind his taking such an extrem...

Teenager killed after motorcycle plunged into gorge in Doda

24/06/2019
BHADARWAH, Jun 23: A teenage boy was killed and another critically injured when their motorcycle fell into a deep gorge in Doda district, police said on Sunday. They were returning home from a picnic to Guldanda late on Saturday when the accident occurred, Superintendent of Police (SP) Raj Singh Gouria told PTI. The deceased identified as Waseem Ahmad and his injured friend Sohail Ganai were students of higher secondary school Bhadarwah and both were 18 years old, the SP said. Ahmad lost co...

Teenager killed after motorcycle plunged into gorge in Doda

24/06/2019

Hurriyat Conference ready for dialogue: Guv

23/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 22: Governor Satya Pal Malik said on Saturday the situation in the valley had vastly improved over the past year and the Hurriyat Conference was willing to enter into a dialogue with the government. "The Hurriyat Confer-ence was not willing to talk. Ram Vilas Paswan was standing at their door (in 2016), but they were not ready to talk, Malik said at a funtion here. "Today, they are ready for talks and want to hold dialogue. There is a change in everyone." Malik said the situati...

Militant killed in encounter in Baramulla

23/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 22: A militant was killed in an encounter on Saturday with security forces in Baramulla district, police said.Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Boniyar area of Baramulla district in the early hours following information about presence of the militants in the area, a police official said. During the search operation, the militants opened fire towards security forces who retaliated, he said. "In the exchange of fire, one unidentified ultra was killed," he ...

Sniffer dogs deployed to track terrorists in Kishtwar

23/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 22: Sniffer dogs were pressed into service as a massive search operation to track down suspected terrorists in a forest area of Kishtwar district continued for the second day on Saturday, officials said. The Army and police had launched a search operation in the forest area near Keshwan village early on Friday following information about the movement of suspected militants. A brief gunfight took place between the terrorists and the search parties on Friday and it is believed that on...

PM-economists meet: ‘Single-minded pursuit’ for growth, FDI in banking, divestment discussed

23/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 22: Further opening of banking and insurance sectors for FDI, speeding up disinvestment process and management of water resources were among the focus areas of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with economists and industry experts on Saturday to achieve higher economic growth, said sources. During the interactive session, ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget next month, speakers made a case for "single minded pursuit" to achieve growth, they added. A release i...

Jammu records 41.4 deg C; Srinagar remains pleasant at 28.7 degrees

23/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 22: The winter capital Jammu Saturday recorded a maximum temperature of 41.4 degrees Celsius, an increase of almost three notches compared to the previous day. The night temperature in the city, however, marked a slight dip and settled at 24.7 degrees Celsius against the previous night's 25 degrees Celsius, a spokesman of the meteorological department said. After witnessing heat wave early this month, the day temperature in Jammu fell to 35.6 degrees Celsius following overcast co...

BJP Parliamentary meeting likely on Tuesday

23/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 22: BJP Parliamentary meeting is likely to be held on Tuesday, party sources said here on Saturday. The meeting, likely to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, may discuss the high-profile Triple Talaq Bill among others. The much talked about Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019- also known as Triple Talaq draft law- was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday after heated exchange of words and debate on the merits of the proposed legislation and also ...

Jaishankar hosts dinner for Ambassadors, Heads of Missions

23/06/2019
New Delhi, Jun 22: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Satur-day hosted a dinner for Heads of Missions (HoMs) here. This is the first direct interaction of Jaishan-kar with HoMs after taking over the charge of the Ministry of External Affairs. The 'dinner diplomacy' comes days ahead of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Japan to attend the G20 summit. After taking the office last month, Jaish-ankar has held a strings of bilater...

FATF: India says Pak must take verifiable, irreversible steps against terrorism

23/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 22: India on Saturday said it expects Pakistan to take all necessary steps to effectively implement the FATF action plan fully by September and take credible, verifiable, and irreversible measures to address global concerns related to terrorism and terrorist financing emanating from its soil. In response to a media query regarding the FATF report, Ministry of Exter-nal Affairs Spokes-person Raveesh Kumar said the FATF has decided to continue to keep Pakistan on its compliance do...

CJI writes to PM, seeks increase in number of SC judges

23/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 22: Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking to increase the strength of judges and raise the retirement age of high court judges to 65 years. Gogoi has also urged the prime minister to make tenure appointments of retired apex court judges and high court judges under Articles 128 and 224A of the Constitution respectively to clear backlog of cases pending for years. The CJI, who wrote three letters to the PM, said there was a penden...

ACB conducts surprise check in Kishtwar

23/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 22: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Saturday conducted a surprise check at the office of the Executive Engineer of the Hydraulic Division in Kishtwar district, officials said. The search was conducted on the basis of a complaint alleging that higher charges were applied for transport of material as compared to the prevalent government rates, a spokes-person of the ACB said. He said it has also been alleged that the department has not embedded the water pipes according to the speci...

18 injured after minibus turns turtle in Kishtwar

23/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 22: Eighteen people were injured Saturday when a minibus turned turtle in Kishtwar district, police said. The accident occurred at Fogmorh near Shalimar and the injured, including the driver of the bus, were shifted to the district hospital, a police official said. He said the bus was on its way to Kishtwar town from remote Kandni village. District Development Commissioner, Kishtwar, A S Rana visited the injured in the hospital to enquire about their condition. "All the injur...

10 held for cheating man of Rs 23 lakh

23/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 21: Police on Friday registered a case against 10 people including nine from Bihar for allegedly cheating a man of Rs 23 lakh posing as employees of an online shopping portal. A statement issued by the Crime Branch said: "A preliminary enquiry on the written complaint received from one person revealed that the complainant received an SMS informing him that he has won a lucky prize of Rs 12,80,000 and a vehicle from NAPTOL online shopping Pvt. Ltd." The complainant was induced t...

Will provide air ambulance for Choksi’s return, ED to HC

23/06/2019
MUMBAI, Jun 22: The Enforcement Directorate has told the Bombay High Court that it was ready to provide an air ambulance to bring diamantaire Mehul Choksi, a key accused in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank scam, to India. Choksi, currently based in the Caribbean nation of Antigua, recently told the high court that he left India for medical treatment and not to avoid prosecution in the case. He said he would return to India as soon as he is medically fit to travel. In a counter affidavit fi...

SAC approves Training Policy for officers of the Jammu & Kashmir Administrative Services

22/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 21: The State Administrative Council (SAC) which met here under the chairmanship of Governor, Satya Pal Malik approved the Training Policy for the officers of Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service. The Government had set up a Committee to devise a Comprehensive Training Policy for the officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service on the pattern of All India Service officers. At present, J&K IMPA&RD is the nodal agency for training of officers. After their recruitme...

Indian and Chinese armies hold ceremonial border personnel meeting on Yoga Day

22/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 21: Indian and Chinese armies held a ceremonial border personnel meeting (BPM) in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir on the occasion of International Yoga Day on Friday. "A ceremonial border personnel meeting (BPM) on the occasion of International Day of Yoga was conducted today at the Indian BPM huts in Chushul and DBO sectors of Eastern Ladakh," a defence spokesman said here. He said the delegations were lead by Brigadier V K Purohit of the Indian side and Senior Colonel Ying ...

NIA files charge sheet in Amroha, Delhi terror module case

22/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 21: Ten suspects arrested in a case involving a terror module in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh's Amroha were planning to establish an ISIS caliphate in the country by resorting to large-scale attacks in and around the National Capital Region, the NIA Friday told a Delhi court. The agency made these claims in its charge sheet filed before Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Kumar who listed the matter for consideration on July 4. "They had named this module as 'Harkat-ul-Harb-E-Islam' (Move...

Mercury drops in Jammu after brief spell of showers

22/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 20: An overcast sky and a brief spell of showers on Thursday morning brought the maximum temperature down in Jammu city, the meteorological department said. The weatherman has forecast wet weather in most parts of Jammu and Kashmir for the next six days. The day temperature in Jammu settled at 37.1 degrees Celsius, a drop of 1.7 notches against the previous day's 38.8 degrees Celsius and 1.3 degrees below the season's average, a Met department spokesperson said. The people of Jamm...

NHRC seeks status report of CBI probe into case against Lawyers Collective

22/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 21: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought in four weeks a status report of the CBI probe into the case against NGO Lawyers Collective and senior advocate Anand Grover for alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. The commission called for the report after rights activist Henri Tiphagne associated with Human Rights Defenders' Alert (HRDA) and Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative's (CHRI) MajaDaruwala expressed "grave concern" over filing of ...

Fresh Triple Talaq Bill introduced in LS, Oppn members protest

22/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 21: The government on Friday introduced the fresh triple talaq bill in the LokSabha amid vehement protests by opposition members who claimed that it was violative of the Constitution. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2019 became the first legislation to be tabled in Parliament by the NarendraModi dispensation in its second term, with Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserting the legislation was a must for gender equality and justice. The bill was introd...

Day after being abducted, Lashkar terrorist’s sister, brother-in-law released

22/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 21: A man and his wife were Friday released by unidentified gunmen in an injured condition, a day after they were abducted from their home in Anantnag district, officials said here. Mudassir Ahmad Makroo and his wife Nusrat were abducted Thursday evening in a car by the gunmen from their home at Bijbehara in Anatnag district, the officials said. Nusrat is the sister of an active Lashkar-e-Toiba militant Nasir Ahmad Chadroo, who had reportedly joined militant ranks last year, pol...

Modi to attend G-20 next week; financial stability, black money, terrorism to top India’s agenda

22/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Japan next week to attend the G-20 summit where issues such as financial stability, WTO reform, black money, and terrorism will be on top of the agenda for India. Modi will attend the 14th G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, from June 28-29. The summit will also be attended by Heads of State or government of member countries, EU and other invited nations and international organizations, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. MEA Spoke...

Pompeo dials Jaishankar; underscores Trump admin’s commitment to work closely with India

22/06/2019
WASHINGTON, Jun 21: Ahead of his India visit, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has underscored the Trump administration's strong commitment to work closely with New Delhi to advance the bilateral strategic partnership, as he telephoned External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to discuss the US-India security and economic partnership. Pompeo, who will be visiting India from June 25-27, spoke with Jaishankar to congratulate him on his appointment as the External Affairs Minister, State Department Sp...

Rafting-related activities suspended in Kashmir Valley

22/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 21: In the wake of killing of three people during rafting expeditions in Lidder stream in Pahalgam resort, authorities in Kashmir have suspended such activities in the valley till a proper mechanism is put in place. The Tourism Department of Kashmir on late Thursday evening ordered suspension of rafting-related activities in the entire valley till a proper mechanism is put in place. "In the interest of administration and safety of tourists, it is hereby ordered that all rafting-...

Man killed in lightning strike

22/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 21: A 26-year-old man was killed and another person injured when lightning struck their hut in Rajouri district, police said on Friday. Five goats also perished in the incident which took place in remote Bari Darhal area late Thursday night during a thunderstorm, a police official said. The deceased was identified as Abdul Razak Choudhary, he said. The injured was shifted to hospital and his condition is stated to be "stable", the official said.

Govt making efforts to ensure safe environment in J&K: Kovind

21/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 20: President Ram Nath Kovind Thursday said the central government is making all efforts to ensure a safe and peaceful environment for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. In his address to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, Kovind said the government is also committed to take all necessary steps for the development of Jammu and Kashmir. "My government is making efforts with complete dedication to provide a safe and peaceful environment for residents of Jammu and Kashmi...

BSF recovers heroin worth Rs 25 cr near IB

21/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 20: The Border Security Force (BSF) Thursday recovered five kilograms of heroin worth Rs 25 crore near the International Border (IB) here, foiling an attempt by the drug traffickers to smuggle the consignment into the country. The consignment, seized about 100 metres ahead of the fence inside Indian territory in Suchetgarh sector, was smuggled from Pakistan and was suspected to be taken to Punjab through local Indian smugglers working for a Pakistan smuggling group run by notorious ...

Operations in JK being conducted in professional, dedicated manner: Lt Gen Singh

21/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 20: The Army on Thursday said its operations in Jammu and Kashmir are conducted in a professional and dedicated manner and the force has a code of conduct which values human dignity. "We have a very strong code of conduct which values human dignity and the values of the society. So I wish to assure you that all the operations by the Army in Jammu and Kashmir are being carried out in a professional and dedicated manner," Army's northern command chief Lt Gen Ranbir Singh told repor...

India rejects Pak report claim on talks, says take verifiable action against terrorism

21/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 20: India on Thursday dismissed as "fake news" a Pakistani media report claiming New Delhi is ready for talks with Islamabad, saying there is no change in its position that Pakistan must first take "verifiable" and "irreversible" action against terrorism for resumption of dialogue. Rejecting the report, the Ministry of External Affairs said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made no reference to talks in their response to congratulatory messa...

SAC approves termination of EPC, PMC Contracts for 48 MW

21/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 20: The State Administrative Council (SAC) which met here under the chairmanship of Governor, Satya Pal Malik accorded sanction to the termination of the EPC & PMC Contracts for the 48 MW Lower Kalnai HEP, updation of the DPR and retendering of the balance works of the Project under EPC mode. The 48 MW Lower KalnaiHydel Project is a run of the river project in District Doda. The project was awarded on EPC basis in September, 2013 to M/s Coastal projects Pro Limited and was schedu...

Sextortion case highlighted by Journey Line

21/06/2019
Jammu, Jun 20: An emergency meeting of J&K Employees Joint Action Committee (R) was held today under the Chairmanship of its State President BabuHussain Malik along with Kulwant Singh Sambyal, Ram Singh, Pritam Lal, Ansuya Gupta, Anil Singh Salathia, Younis Rahi and others regarding a case of sexual harassment and sextortion in the office of Regional Transport Officer, Jammu. It may be mentioned that JOURNEY LINE was the first print media to highlight the case which has evoked massive response...

32 dead, 28 injured as overloaded bus falls in drain in Kullu

21/06/2019
SHIMLA, Jun 20: At least 32 people were killed and 28 others severely injured when an overloaded bus fell into a deep drain in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, officials said. The private bus (bearing registration number HP 66-7065) fell into the over 300-metre-deep nullah near the Dhoth Morh in Banjar tehsil of the district, Kullu Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri said, adding that the vehicle was en route to Gada Gushaini. Prima facie, it seems that overloading and n...

Modi called for early Kartarpur Corridor operationalisation in letter to Imran Khan: MEA

21/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a letter written in response to a congratulatory message by his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, has called for "early operationalisation of the Kartarpur corridor which is functional all the year round", according the Ministry of External Affairs. The letter by Modi was sent to Khan on June 12, the MEA said. "The was letter written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Imran Khan. In that, there was mention of the Kartarpur corridor and he had...

Students trashed by teacher in Doda hostel for being late for class

21/06/2019
DODA, Jun 20: In a heinous incident of corporal punishment, students at a boy's hostel in Doda district were allegedly beaten up by their teacher for turning up late for class. A video of the incident that occurred at the GujjarBakerwal Boys Hostel, which has gone viral on the internet, a teacher of the school is seen trashing students of Class 6, 7, 8 and 10 at the hostel for being late for class by 10 minutes. Officials of Childline reached the hostel to investigate the matter. Childline co...

Chargesheet filed against LeT terrorist

21/06/2019
GANDERBAL, Jun 20: The Jammu and Kashmir police on Thursday filed a chargesheet in the case pertaining to arrest of a LeT terrorist, Zubair Shabir Bhat, who was involved in a conspiracy to launch a grenade attack on security forces in Ganderbal last year. Bhat was arrested in a joint operation by forces in December last year after the planned attack was foiled. "During preliminary investigation, the accused revealed that the grenade carried by him was given by a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist na...

Fire breaks out in forest in Rajouri

21/06/2019
Rajouri, Jun 20: A fire broke out in the Dungi block of Shahpur forest area of Rajouri District. The forest officials said that the forest fire broke out at around 9 p.m. on Wednes-day destroying thousands of new generation plants here. The fire was extinguished to some extent around midnight by forest protection force, villagers and forest department staff. "The forest caught fire at around 8:50 p.m. and we came running as soon as we saw the flames. Due to the wind, the fire spread farther a...

1 dead, six injured in house collapse

21/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 20: A 35-year-old man was killed Thursday and six others, including a child, injured when a house collapsed in Rajouri district, police said. The incident took place at village Devlian in Kalakote area, police said, adding that the seven family members were trapped under the debris. The locals launched a rescue operation along with the police personnel. Gafoor Hussain was found dead, while six others who sustained injuries were rescued and shifted to a hospital, the officer said.

AN-32 crash: IAF retrieves remains of 13 its ‘air-warriors’

21/06/2019
NEW DELHI/ITANAGAR, Jun 20: The IAF Thursday completed the task of retrieving bodies of all its 13 personnel from the crash site of its AN-32 aircraft in the Parimountains in Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh and flew them to Jorhat airport in Assam. While six bodies were retrieved Wednesday from the crash site, the remains of seven others were recovered Thursday. All 13 personnel aboard the Russian-made AN-32 had perished in the crash on June 3 about 30 minutes after the aircraft took off ...

BJP’s internal fact finding panel gives clean chit to party leaders in alleged Leh bribery case

21/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 20: The internal fact finding commission of the BJP Thursday released its report, giving clean chit to state party president Ravinder Raina and two other senior leaders in the alleged case of offering bribes to journalists in Leh to influence the recently held parliamentary polls in Ladakh. The state unit of the Congress, however, out rightly rejected the probe and termed it as an attempt by the saffron party to influence the police investigation. "The BJP leaders have not done any...

Made ‘new law to shoot tribals’ remark in ‘free flow of speech’ : Rahul tells NCST

21/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 20: Responding to a notice over his "new law to shoot tribals" remark, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has told the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) that he made the comments in "free flow of a political speech", according to officials. Addressing an election rally in Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh on April 23, Gandhi had alleged, "The NarendraModi government has made a new law in which there is a line that says tribals can be shot at...They snatch your land, take away...

PM to set up panel to look into simultaneous polls: Rajnath

20/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 19: A committee for giving "time-bound" suggestions on the issue of 'one nation, one election' will be set up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced Wednesday after a meeting of chiefs of political parties. In a bid to build a consensus on holding simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, Modi convened the meeting of presidents of all political parties for which 40 were invited. 21 parties attended the meeting while three shared...

Cong, many opposition parties skip all-party meet on simultaneous polls

20/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 19: Opposed to the idea of simultaneous polls to the LokSabha and state assemblies, several opposition parties, including the Congress, on Wednesday skipped an all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of 'one nation, one election'. Those joining the Congress in not attending the meeting included the Samajwadi Party (SP), the BahujanSamaj Party (BSP), the DMK, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Trinamool Congress. Sources said the NDA constituent...

Militants carrying out odd attacks as they’ve lost the battle: Guv

20/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 19: Governor Satya Pal Malik said on Wednesday militants were carrying out odd attacks on the security forces at the behest of their handlers across the border as they have lost the battle. "These attacks are nothing new in this place, but we have subdued it over the past six months. I believe 100 per cent that they (militants) are under pressure from across (the border) to do something," Malik said in an apparent reference to the Pakistan-based militant handlers. "They (militan...

Lt Gen Singh reviews security situation in run-up to Amarnath Yatra

20/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 19: Days before the start of AmarnathYatra, the Army's Northern Command's top brass Wednesday reviewed security arrangements to ensure a safe and secure annual pilgrimage. General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh also reviewed the Army's operational readiness at various forward posts in Akhnoor and Reasi sectors of Jammu and Kashmir, said a Defence spokesperson. He visited the forward posts and hinterlands bases in the two sectors along with White Knight Corps Comman...

Judiciary should stand up to populist forces: CJI

20/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 19: Stressing that independence is the soul of judiciary, Chief Justice of India RanjanGogoi said the institution should stand up to populist forces and protect Constitutional ethos from being desecrated. Speaking at a conference of chief justices at Shanghai Cooperation Organisation at Sochi in Russia, the CJI Tuesday said the judiciary should prepare and strengthen itself about such populist onslaughts on the independence of the Institution. "In some phases in the journey of ...

Om Birla unanimously elected LS speaker, opposition urges him to be impartial

20/06/2019
New Delhi, Jun 19: NDA nominee Om Birla was on Wednesday unanimously elected speaker of the LokSabha with Prime Minister NarendraModi and the opposition assuring him of their whole-hearted support in the smooth conduct of proceedings in the House. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary, DMK's T R Baalu and TMC's Sudip Bandyo-padhyay were among those who backed Birla and urged him to be impartial as presiding officer of the lower house. "I on behalf of the government and the treasury benches a...

Farooq calls for examining ‘one nation, one poll’ idea, says it shouldn’t undermine federal structure

20/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 19: National Conference Presi-dent Dr Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday called for thorough examination of the 'one nation, one poll' proposal, saying the idea was good provided it doesn't undermine the federal structure of India. "Consensus on this important issue is imperative and all the political parties must examine the issue threadbare", Dr Farooq Abdullah told the All Parties Meet convened by Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi in the national capital. On the issue of smooth func...

70 Army personnel, their families give consent for organ donation

20/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 19: At least 70 Army personnel and their kin have given consent for organ donation under an initiative of the Army Organ Retrieval and Transplant Authority (AORTA), an official said Wednesday. "As a part of the silver jubilee celebrations of the 20 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion, the unit instituted a noble gesture of organ donation. The initiative was conceptualised by the regimental medical officer under the able guidance of Colonel Shailendra Singh Negi. The initiative is to be co...

Five OGWs of Hizbul Mujahideen arrested

20/06/2019
SRINAGAR, Jun 19: Security forces have arrested five over ground workers of proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, police said Wednesday. "Based on specific input, police arrested five associates of terrorists from Shopian district," an official spokesman said. He said on IED, which the militants were planning to use against security forces, was recovered at the instance of arrested persons. The arrested individuals have been identified as Aqib Nazi...

5 KAS Officers transferred

20/06/2019
Srinagar, Jun 19: The government on Wednesday ordered transfer of five KAS officers in the interest of administration. Mr. Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, KAS, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Handwara, is transferred and posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag, vice Mr. Parvez Sajad Ganai. Ms. Rifat Aftab Qureshi, KAS, Additional Mission Director, State Rural Livelihood Mission, Kashmir, is transferred and posted as Joint Director, Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Kashmir...

Massive traffic jam on Srinagar-Leh highway near Zojila pass

20/06/2019
JAMMU, Jun 19: A massive traffic jam near 11,575 feet high Zojila pass along 434-km Srinagar-Leh national highway Wednes-day left thousands of commuters including tourists stranded for hours altogether, officials said. The traffic on the highway came to a halt when the Border Roads Organisation, which maintains the highway, pressed its men and machines to carry out some urgent repairs on the arterial road, the officials said. "We had reached Zojila pass around forenoon and are caught in a ma...

After brief respite, temperatures rise again in J&K

20/06/2019
Jammu, Jun 19: A day after the mercury dipped appreciably below normal, it rose several notches across Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, with Jammu being the hottest at 38.8 degrees Celsius, a Meteorological Department spokesperson said. Jammu, the winter capital of the state, saw the day temperature rise by 3.2 notches. The city had recorded a high of 35.6 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, he said. Similarly, the night temperature in the city rose by 1.7 notches to settle at 23.4 degrees Celsius. How...

India inks agreements to broadcast DD India in Bangladesh, South Korea

20/06/2019
New Delhi, Jun 19: India has entered into agreements with Bangladesh and South Korea to broadcast DD India channel in the two countries, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Wednesday. Addressing a press conference here, he said, "India has entered into an agreement with Bangladesh to broadcast DD India on Bangladesh TV. In return, their official channel will also be available on DD Free Dish to 35 million households in India." The minister said, "We have also inked...

Russian Deputy PM visits India, prepares ground for Modi’s Vladivostok visit in Sept

20/06/2019
NEW DELHI, Jun 19: Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Yury Petrovich Trutnev visited India this week in order to help both the countries to prepare grounds for the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Vladi-vostok in early September to participate in the fifth edition of the Eastern Economic Forum as the Chief Guest. Trutnev, who is also the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District of the Russian Federation, led a high-level delegation to India from June ...

PM introduces his council of ministers to Lok Sabha

20/06/2019
NEW DELHI Jun 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday introduced his new Council of Ministers to the LokSabha. It is a customary practice for the prime minister to introduce the council of ministers after the new government takes over or if there is a reshuffle or expansion of the union cabinet. The prime minster read out names and portfolios of the ministers who stood up and greeted the members of House with folded hands. Modi is likely to introduce the ministers to the RajyaSabha on Fri...

Cong out of power as Nehru, Indira's heirs did not honour yoga: Ramdev

20/06/2019
MUMBAI, Jun 19: Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi performed yoga in private and their heirs did not honour it which is why power has eluded them as those who do yoga are "directly blessed by god", Ramdev Wednesday said. He also expressed confidence that "big work" will be done on issues such as Article 370 and triple talaq under the leadership of Prime Minister NarendraModi. Ramdev, who will be attending an International Yoga Day event in Maharashtra's Nanded on June 21, which will be attend...

Body of martyr Anil Jaiswal cremated with full state honour

20/06/2019
UNA (Himachal Pradesh), Jun 19: Body of martyr Anil Jaiswal was cremated with full state honour at his village on Wednesday with a large number of people attending the last rites of the soldier. Rifleman Anil Kumar Jaiswal was martyred in a Counter Terrorist Oper-ation conducted in Mara-hom village of Anantnag District in which two terrorists were killed. The body of the slain jawan was brought to Chandigarh by a helicopter from where it was taken to Una by road. The whole village reverberat...