Health

Jaishankar Meets Chinese VP; Says Normalisation Of Ties Can Produce Mutually Beneficial Outcomes

Beijing, Jul 14: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday conveyed to Chinese Vice President Han Zheng that continued normalisation of India-China ties can produce mutually beneficial outcomes and an open exchange of views between the two sides is “very important” considering the “complex” global scenario. The external affairs minister held talks with Zheng shortly…

Jaishankar Meets Chinese VP; Says Normalisation Of Ties Can Produce Mutually Beneficial Outcomes
Health International National
Amit Shah Reviews Security Along Indo-Pak Border, Airports With Top Officials
Health National

Amit Shah Reviews Security Along Indo-Pak Border, Airports With Top Officials

New Delhi, May 9: Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday reviewed the prevailing situation along India’s border with Pakistan and airports in the country amid the military conflict between the two countries, sources said. The meeting came hours after the Border Security Force said it has foiled an infiltration bid from across the International Border…

Govt committed to offer 200 units free electricity: CM Omar Abdullah

JAMMU: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that Jammu and Kashmir aims to achieve self-sufficiency in power generation in next two years, ensuring a reliable electricity supply, and that the government was committed to offering 200 units of free electricity. He said Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation was prioritizing the development of hydroelectric…

Govt committed to offer 200 units free electricity: CM Omar Abdullah
Health Jammu and Kashmir National
Grenade attack on police station in north Kashmir’s Baramulla, no casualties: Officials
header Health Jammu and Kashmir National

Grenade attack on police station in north Kashmir’s Baramulla, no casualties: Officials

BARAMULLA: A suspected grenade attack took place at a police station in north Kashmir's Baramulla district late last night, police said today. "During the night intervening March 4-5, at approximately 2120 hrs, a blast-like sound was heard from the backside of Police Post Old Town, Baramulla, causing concern among the general public. No casualty or…

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Ayodhya Railway station in UP renamed ‘Ayodhya Dham Junction’
Breaking News header National Political

Ayodhya Railway station in UP renamed ‘Ayodhya Dham Junction’

LUCKNOW: The city MP Lallu Singh announced on Wednesday that the Ayodhya Railway Station, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to open on December 30, has been renamed to "ayodhya-dham">Ayodhya Dham" Junction. "Ayodhya-dham">Ayodhya Dham" Junction replaced "Ayodhya Junction." The name of Ayodhya Junction of the recently built grand Ayodhya Railway Station has been changed to #ayodhyaa_dhaam_jNkshn in accordance with public sentiment, under the direction of Honourable Prime Minister of India Shri @narendramodi ji," Lallu Singh stated in a post on X. On December 30, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officially open the state-of-the-art Ayodhya railway station and airport.In addition, the Prime Minister will be in charge of Ayodhya's preparations for the grand opening of Ram Mandir on January 22, 2024. There will be medical facilities, a tourist information centre, and lifts in the grand railway station. Comprehensive preparations of all kinds are being finished. The Ayodhya railway station is currently undergoing renovations that will include murals of Lord Ram painted on the walls, escalators, refurbished platforms, and new signboards. It is said that this train station is as mythologically significant as it is contemporary. From the outside, it resembles a grand temple, and inside, it has equally contemporary amenities. [caption id="attachment_7865" align="alignnone" width="300"] Ayodhya Railway station in UP renamed 'Ayodhya Dham Junction'[/caption]      

Idol Of Lord Ram’s Childlike Form To Be Installed In Temple Sanctum, Ayodhya Gears Up For Consecration Ceremony On Jan 22
Breaking News header National

Idol Of Lord Ram’s Childlike Form To Be Installed In Temple Sanctum, Ayodhya Gears Up For Consecration Ceremony On Jan 22

Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 27: The temple trust announced on Wednesday that the pure white Makrana marble sanctum sanctorum of the magnificent Ram Temple in Ayodhya will host an idol of Lord Ram in his childlike form, known as Ram Lalla, starting next month. The five-year-old Ram Lalla, represented by a 51-inch-tall idol of Lord Ram, will be chosen from three designs, according to Champat Rai, Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra. He declared, "The one with the greatest divineness and the childlike appearance will be chosen."According to Champat Rai, who was describing the map of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple, the entire structure was built using 21–22 lakh cubic feet of stone. "In the last 100–200 years, such a large stone structure would not have been built in Northern India, and certainly not in the South," he declared. Beneath the structure is an artificial rock foundation consisting of 56 layers that was designed and constructed by engineers. Secondly, a plinth raised to a height of 21 feet is constructed from 17,000 granite blocks that are native to Telangana and Karnataka. The temple structure was built using about five lakh cubic feet of pink sandstone from Bharatpur, Rajasthan. The pure white Makrana marble that makes up the temple's sanctum sanctorum is ready, he informed reporters in this location. On January 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the Ram Temple's consecration ceremony. The event, which is expected to attract dignitaries and people from all walks of life, is fully planned. According to the trust secretary, the temple is being built on the northern portion of the 70 acres that the Supreme Court granted to Hindus in 2019.Here, a three-story temple is being constructed. The temple's first floor is currently being built, while the ground floor has been finished. The four-cornered Prakara wall, which encloses the temple, spans almost 750 metres, according to Rai. He claimed that the wall enclosing the temple is special because it is 14 feet wide. He said, "The Prakara will also be double-storeyed, with devotees being able to perform the Parikrama (temple circumambulation) on the upper floor."According to Rai, the Prakara's construction could take an additional six to eight months. "Locker facilities for 25,000 pilgrims have been made at Pilgrimage Facility Centre (PFC)," he said, providing information about the facilities for the pilgrims visiting the temple. Beside the PFC, a small hospital will also be constructed. Additionally, a sizable complex with restrooms and other amenities has been built for the pilgrims; two sewer treatment plants are also being built here to handle the waste from this complex. According to the secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the powerhouse is the source of the electricity supply."There won't be any pressure on the Municipal Corporation's electrical line because we have a direct dedicated line from the powerhouse, 33 KW, and its receiving station and three distribution stations have been built inside the premises," he continued. According to the trust secretary, an underground water reservoir has also been excavated close to the building in case the fire department needs water. We will extract water from the ground or the Saryu River as needed. However, groundwater will only seep into the earth. Over twenty acres of this land are under construction, and the remaining fifty acres are covered in vegetation. The age of these trees is one hundred years.There are certain dense forests where the light from the sun never reaches the earth. Thus, the land's water level will always remain constant. We are developing a zero discharge policy, so water won't enter Saryu," he continued. On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the temple city to officially open the Ayodhya railway station and airport, which are being renovated primarily using the temple model. [caption id="attachment_7830" align="alignnone"…

Suspected IED destroyed at Lawaypora on Srinagar-Baramulla highway
Breaking News header Jammu and Kashmir National

Suspected IED destroyed at Lawaypora on Srinagar-Baramulla highway

SRINAGAR: On Wednesday morning, the security forces at Lawaypora on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway demolished a suspected IED, briefly causing traffic on the busy route to be disrupted. The Bomb Disposal Squad was called to the scene after security personnel discovered a suspicious object on the highway that was equipped with a cylinder, according to a senior police officer. The suspicious object was destroyed with a controlled explosion for the public's safety, the officer stated. He said they were determining the nature of the suspicious object. On the National Highway, which was previously closed as a precaution, traffic has now resumed. [caption id="attachment_7815" align="alignnone" width="300"] Suspected IED destroyed at Lawaypora on Srinagar-Baramulla highway[/caption]  

Pilgrim Count At Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Highest In A Decade
Breaking News header Ladakh National

Pilgrim Count At Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Highest In A Decade

Jammu, Dec 26: More than 93.50 lakh pilgrims have visited the cave shrine of Vaishno Devi so far this year, marking the highest number of visitors in ten years. As of Monday, the number of visitors to the temple in Jammu's Reasi district's Trikuta hills had surpassed 93.24 lakh in 2013, with 93.50 lakh, according to shrine officials. "With a new record of over 93.24 lakh pilgrims, this is the largest pilgrimage in the last ten years," stated Anshul Garg, chief executive officer of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.With 1,04,09,569 devotees in 2012—the highest number in the pilgrimage journey's history—it was followed by 1,01,15,647 in 2011. According to Garg, every day between 37,000 and 44,000 devotees make the journey to the shrine; he anticipates that number to rise to 50,000 by the end of the year. According to projections, more than 95 lakh devotees are expected to visit this year to receive the deity's darshan. Some facilities have recently been added to the shrine, such as a skywalk at Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan and Durga Bhavan.President Droupadi Murmu officially opened the skywalk and remodelled Parvati Bhavan in October. Additionally, the shrine base camp in Katra now has a cutting-edge call centre that runs around-the-clock and answers close to 2,500 calls from pilgrims every day from all over the world. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha introduced a "live darshan" service for the followers in October. [caption id="attachment_7794" align="alignnone" width="300"] Pilgrim Count At Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Highest In A Decade[/caption]          

Poonch Ambush | Search Ops To Track Down Terrorists Enter Sixth Day
Breaking News header Jammu and Kashmir National

Poonch Ambush | Search Ops To Track Down Terrorists Enter Sixth Day

Poonch/Jammu, Dec 26: Security forces continued to conduct cordon and search operations for the sixth day in a row on Tuesday, battling challenging terrain and dense forests in an effort to find the terrorists responsible for the ambush that killed four soldiers in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, last week, according to officials. According to official sources, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to visit ground zero on Wednesday with senior Army and civilian officials keeping an eye on the situation in Poonch in light of the terrorist attack that resulted in the deaths of three civilians there. They claimed that during the previous few days, more than thirty suspects had been questioned, and that many of them had been released.According to a senior official, "the cordon and search operation is ongoing to locate the terrorists responsible for the ambush on Army vehicles." According to the official, aerial mechanisms, surveillance equipment, and sniffer dogs are all part of the operation. According to him, additional forces have been sent in to block seven infiltration routes during area domination operations. According to official sources, operations are being done carefully because the area has deep gorges, dense forests, and caverns.For the fourth day in a row, mobile internet services in Rajouri and Poonch will be suspended. According to them, the defence minister is scheduled to visit the region on Wednesday and meet with high-ranking commanders to discuss the actions being taken to address the situation. His visit comes after that of Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Manoj Pande, who visited Ground Zero in Poonch on Monday to assess the anti-terrorist operations in Surankote and the Thanamandi forest belt in the nearby Rajouri district.In the face of all obstacles, General Pande urged security personnel to maintain their resolve and fortitude. Following the terrorist ambush of two Army vehicles on Thursday at Dhatyar Morh between Dhera Ki Gali and Buffliaz in Poonch, three civilians who had been taken in by the Army for questioning were discovered dead on Friday. The Jammu and Kashmir government said on Saturday that the medical legal procedures had been completed and that legal action had been taken in relation to the incident. It also announced that the families of the deceased civilians would receive compensation and jobs. The Army has declared its commitment to providing complete support and cooperation for the investigation's conduct, and it has ordered a comprehensive internal investigation into the civilian deaths.    

Plane Grounded In France Over Human Trafficking Lands In Mumbai
Breaking News header International National

Plane Grounded In France Over Human Trafficking Lands In Mumbai

MUMBAI, Dec 26: Early on December 26, a charter plane carrying 276 people—mostly Indians—landed in Mumbai. The aircraft had been grounded in France for four days due to suspicions of human trafficking, according to an official. According to the official, the aircraft, an Airbus A340, touched down in Mumbai just after 4 a.m. At 2:30 p.m. local time, it had taken off from the Vatry airport, which is close to Paris. Authorities in France claim that when the aircraft departed for Mumbai, it carried 276 passengers because 25 people—two of whom were minors—had declared their intention to seek for asylum while they were still in France. According to a French news channel, two more people were detained, produced before a judge, released, and given the status of assisted witnesses.There were 303 Indian passengers on board the aircraft when it landed at Vatry airport, including 11 unaccompanied minors, according to a local official. The stranded passengers were given access to meals and hot beverages in the Vatry airport hall, as well as makeshift beds and restrooms and showers, according to the official. On December 21, while making a technical stopover en route from Dubai, the flight, operated by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines and headed for Nicaragua, had landed at Vatry when French police intervened.The conditions and intent of the trip were the subject of a judicial investigation by French authorities, who assigned an organised crime unit to look into possible human trafficking. A growing number of people leaving the US in search of asylum now go to Nicaragua. Data released by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) indicates that in the fiscal year 2023, up to 96,917 Indians attempted to enter the country illegally, a 51.61% increase from the year before. Based on CBP data, at least 41,770 of those Indians attempted to cross the border into the United States through land in Mexico. Dunki flights are now commonly referred to as flights to Nicaragua or other third countries where obtaining travel documents is simple. [caption id="attachment_7751" align="alignnone" width="300"] Plane Grounded In France Over Human Trafficking Lands In Mumbai[/caption]  

Army initiates Court of Inquiry as police lodges murder case over killing of 3 civilians
Breaking News header Jammu and Kashmir National

Army initiates Court of Inquiry as police lodges murder case over killing of 3 civilians

JAMMU: According to official sources on Monday, the Army has opened a Court of Inquiry and police have filed a murder case against unidentified individuals for the deaths of three civilians who were apprehended by the force and questioned after three soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack in Poonch recently. A related development is that three officers of the 48 Rashtriya Rifles are facing legal action, and a brigadier-level officer was moved. The Army has taken serious note of the incident, which sparked outrage and allegations of torture during detention. On December 21, in the Surankote area of Poonch, terrorists ambushed the soldiers' vehicles at Dhatyar Morh, between Dhera Ki Gali and Buffliaz, resulting in their deaths.After the attack, the Army reportedly picked up three civilians, ages 27 to 42, for questioning; they were discovered dead on December 22. Social media users shared videos that appeared to depict their torment. "Search operations by the security forces are continuing in the area of operations after the incident of December 21," the Indian Army's Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) stated in a post on X on December 23. There have been three reported civilian deaths in the region. An investigation is being conducted into the matter. The Indian Army is dedicated to offering its complete assistance and collaboration in carrying out the inquiries.The Army has opened a Court of Inquiry into the suspected torture and subsequent deaths of the three civilians, according to the sources, who are carrying out their investigation. According to the sources, a brigadier-level officer who was overseeing the Surankote belt was moved, and other officers in the unit in question will also face consequences. In October, the Army's counter-insurgency unit made headlines for the wrong reasons when one of its major-rank officers exploded grenades inside the Neeli post camp near Thanamandi, wounding five people, including three officers. According to the sources, police have also filed a case against an unidentified accused army personnel under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with murder. "...after terror incident at DKG on December 21, army troops carried out searches in Topa Peer in buffliaz for the terrorists who escaped after the attack. A few local youth were detained by Army troops during searches and questioned; three of these youth, Safeer Ahmad, Mohd Showkat, and Shabir Ahmad, reportedly died as a result of their injuries. Thus, a section 302 IPC cognizable offence is established. Based on this data, a case is immediately registered. An official stated, citing the FIR, "As the current case is of a unique nature, a special report will be submitted separately as investigation is taken up."A relative of one of the deceased, Mohd Sadiq, claimed that three men were picked up by the troops in full view of the public, escorted by policemen Mohd Rashid and Mohd Rafiq and their sources, Jagi and Ganesh. "We want names of the concerned Army major, policemen and the army sources to be included in the FIR besides immediate shifting of the Rashtriya Rifles camp," he stated, adding that "innocent persons were killed in cold blood and we want justice for them" [caption id="attachment_7745" align="alignnone" width="300"] Army initiates Court of Inquiry as police lodges murder case over killing of…

Lt Colonel who was in coma after gunfight with terrorists in Kupwara dies after 8 yrs
Breaking News header International Jammu and Kashmir National

Lt Colonel who was in coma after gunfight with terrorists in Kupwara dies after 8 yrs

CHANDIGARH: Lt Col Karanbir Singh Natt, Sena Medal, died on Saturday in Military Hospital Jalandhar. He had been in a coma for the past eight years following severe injuries he sustained fighting terrorists in the Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir in 2015. It was confirmed by Brig BA Dhillon (retd), Director Sainik Welfare, Punjab, that Lt Col Natt had passed away. In November 2015, Lt Col Natt was leading a combing operation against terrorists holed up in a village near Kupwara while acting as the second-in-command (2IC) of 160 Territorial Army Battalion (JAK Rifles). In 1998, Lt Col Natt was first commissioned in The Brigade of Guards as an officer under the Short Service Commission. Before being released from the regiment in 2012, he had…

2 of marriage party dead, 13 others injured as vehicle falls into gorge in Reasi
Breaking News header Jammu and Kashmir National

2 of marriage party dead, 13 others injured as vehicle falls into gorge in Reasi

REASI: In Reasi district on Monday, a car transporting a marriage celebration skidded off the road and tumbled down into a gorge, killing two people and injuring at least 13, according to officials. According to them, the Ecco car (JK20C-2474) was involved in an accident in the Mohre area while travelling from Balmatkote to Baddar Road. Locals and police launched a massive rescue operation immediately following the accident, they said.Two individuals lost their lives, but at least 13 others were hurt and taken to District Hospital Reasi, from where four critically injured patients were sent to GMC Rajouri for additional care, according to reports. It was confirmed by SDM Mohre Sayed Mazhar Ali Shah. These people were returning from a marriage ceremony, according to officials. According to a police official, an investigation has been launched and a case has been filed. [caption id="attachment_7711" align="alignnone" width="300"] 2 of marriage party dead, 13 others injured as vehicle falls into gorge in Reasi[/caption]