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  • Rana emphasizes collective efforts towards water conservation for posterity

    POONCH: Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, stressed the need for collective efforts to conserve water for present and future generations.

    He was speaking during a meeting of officers held in Poonch, during which threadbare discussions were held on various agricultural schemes and related issues.

    Rana emphasized the importance of studying successful water conservation models from other parts of the country that can be replicated in Jammu and Kashmir. “There is a need to recalibrate water policies and accelerate water conservation efforts to address the challenges faced by our region,” he said.

    The Minister underscored the crucial role of local community involvement in water conservation, stating that locals, NGOs and other stakeholders should be engaged in promoting judicious use of water resources and implementing water-saving practices. He called upon the officers to raise awareness about rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation, irrigation scheduling and other conservation efforts in their respective areas.

    The meeting also focused on assessing progress, addressing challenges and sharing best practices in water conservation and groundwater management.

    Rana emphasized the government’s focus on revolutionising agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir, with an emphasis on enhancing farmers’ income, productivity and sustainability.

    During the meeting, the Minister also outlined the efforts to improve and modernise the agricultural practices, increase productivity and benefit farmers in the Mendhar region.

    Chief Agricultural Officer, Poonch, Jog Raj Salathia, briefed the Minister about the progress on the ongoing and upcoming agricultural schemes and initiatives to promote sustainable agriculture.

    The meeting also addressed the challenges facing the field staff in implementing government schemes.

  • SANJY-2025: DC Sgr, SMC Commnr visit Yatra Transit Camp Pantha Chowk

    SANJY-2025: DC Sgr, SMC Commnr visit Yatra Transit Camp Pantha Chowk

    SRINAGAR, JUNE 24: In connection with the upcoming Shri Amarnathji Yatra-2025, Deputy Commissioner (DC)Srinagar, Akshay Labroo, along with Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation(SMC), Faz Lul Haseeb, undertook a visit to Yatra Transit Camp, Pantha Chowk here on Tuesday.

    The visit was focused on ensuring robust arrangements for the smooth and seamless conduct of the annual pilgrimage, set to commence on July 3, 2025.

    Additional Deputy Commissioner Aadil Fareed, Joint Commissioner SMC, Nuzhat Khurshid, SDPO Panthachowk Zohaib & senior Officers of Police and District Administration Srinagar accompanied the DC during the visit

    On the occasion, the DC reviewed the boarding, lodging, bedding, registration, sanitation, medical facilities at the Pantha Chowk Transit Camp, a halt site for pilgrims traveling to the Amarnathji cave. He also took stock of other amenities to ensure they meet the needs of the yatries.

    During the visit, the DC issued directives to Officers to expedite preparations and ensure all arrangements are put in place well ahead of the Yatra-2025. Emphasizing pilgrim comfort, he stressed the need for seamless coordination among Departments to enhance services at the Camp. Special attention was laid on ensuring proper sanitation facilities, availability of clean drinking water, electricity and setting up of Langars(community kitchens) to provide nutritious meals and the and.

    The DC & SMC Commissioner also inspected the readiness of Yatri Facilitation Center, which will handle critical services such as e-KYC verification, RFID card distribution, and registration to streamline the pilgrimage process.

    During the visit, the DC was apprised that as many as 100 mobile bathrooms, 100 urinals, and 300 mobile toilets have been setup at the Transit Camp for the convenience of the yatries. He was also informed that besides a dedicated water supply to the camp, 72 thousand liter capacity of standby water storage tanks have also been installed to suffice the needs of the visiting pilgrims at the halt camp.

    On the occasion, the DC directed all line Departments to ensure all arrangements and facilities are completed by June 28 to ensure smooth conduct of the annual Yatra for this year.

    Later, the Deputy Commissioner, along with the Commissioner SMC, visited Yatra Bhawan adjacent to the Yatra Transit Camp and inspected the arrangements/facilities being put in place for the Shri Amarnathji Yatries.

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  • No change of plans for Bumrah after opening Test defeat, says Gambhir

    No change of plans for Bumrah after opening Test defeat, says Gambhir

    Leeds: The Indian team management will not push lone warrior Jasprit Bumrah to play more than three Tests against England despite the loss in the series opener, head coach Gautam Gambhir has asserted.

    Bumrah was the sole Indian bowler who consistently posed a challenge to the England batters at Headingley.

    As part of workload management for the injury-prone star pacer, the management had decided to play him in three out of five Tests. That plan doesn’t change with four games remaining.

    “No, we won’t change the plans. For us to manage his workload is more important because there’s a lot of cricket going forward and we know what he brings on the table as well. Before he came on the show, it was already decided that he’s going to play three Test matches,” said Gambhir on Tuesday.

    The next Test starts in Birmingham from July 2 but Gambhir said the team has not taken a call on which two games the pace spearhead will be part of in the five-match series.

    “But let’s see how his body turns out. We haven’t decided which two other Test matches he’s going to play. (Even without Bumrah) we absolutely have the bowling attack (to compete). We believe in them. We trust in them.

    “When we pick the squad, we pick the squad on trust, not on hope. As I just mentioned, those are inexperienced bowlers but they will keep getting better. We saw in this Test match as well that for the first four days, even on day five, we were in a position where we could have won the Test match. We believe and we trust that these boys will deliver for us,” Gambhir added.

  • India should play Kuldeep in second Test: Monty Panesar

    New Delhi: Former England spinner Monty Panesar believes it’s time for India to unleash Kuldeep Yadav at the expense of seam-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur in the second Test in Birmingham where spin is likely to play a bigger role.

    India lost the first Test on Tuesday at Leeds as the hosts chased down a stiff 371 on the final day courtesy a brilliant 149 by opener Ben Duckett.

    “At Edgbaston, India could probably play (Ravindra) Jadeja and could actually go for the X-factor spinner in Kuldeep Yadav…we know that the Edgbaston wicket does turn a little bit. So you have that bit of an X-factor, which I think would be a better option. There’s something about him,” Panesar told PTI Videos.

    Panesar, who played a pivotal role in England’s last Test series win in India (2012), feels the numbers are strongly in Kuldeep’s favour. The left-arm wrist-spinner has taken 56 wickets in just 13 Tests at an average of 22.16. Thakur, in comparison, has 33 wickets in 12 Tests at a costlier average of 29.36 and a strike rate of 46.8.

    “He doesn’t need turning tracks. This IPL showed that even without exaggerated turn, he can bowl tough lines that make life difficult for batters,” he added.

    Thakur bowled just 16 overs and took two wickets giving away 89 runs in the first Test at Leeds and failed to make a meaningful impact with the bat, raising questions about his all-round value on English pitches that are no longer seaming as much.

    “If Shardul Thakur is only going to bowl six to eight overs and not give you 15 overs in the day, there’s no point in playing him,” Panesar pointed out.

    Pressed on whether India should pick Kuldeep instead of Jadeja, Panesar didn’t hesitate.

    “I think they need to play Kuldeep because he has more of an X factor. There’s something about him. Jadeja bowls too quickly. So I think, yeah, they need to bring in Kuldeep Yadav instead of Jadeja. He becomes the main attacking option,” he said.

    But Panesar acknowledged India may hesitate to play only one spinner, especially given Jadeja’s ability to contain runs.

    “I just think India won’t go with that. Because India likes a defensive spinner. And they can then use Kuldeep. Because Kuldeep can’t defend. He only attacks. So if he goes the distance, then they’re in deep trouble,” he said.

    “So I think they will probably play two spinners. Jadeja can then be the defensive guy. And then Kuldeep will be the attacking guy,” added Panesar who represented England in 50 Tests, 26 ODIs and 1 T20I.

  • We need to give them time: Gambhir on India’s mis-firing pace attack

    Leeds: The lack of depth in India’s bowling resources was exposed during the opening Test defeat to England but head coach Gautam Gambhir has urged critics to give the inexperienced pace attack more time in its “early days”.

    Barring Jasprit Bumrah, who got five wickets in England’s first innings, none of the other bowlers looked penetrative as the hosts chased down a target of 371 with minimum fuss on the fifth and final day of the match on Tuesday.

    The pace trio of Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur was not consistent enough with the line and length.

    “We will have to give them time. Earlier, we used to have four fast bowlers in the squad with an experience of more than 40 Tests. It doesn’t make such a big impact in one-day or T20 matches, but when you go to Australia, England, or South Africa for Tests, experience matters,” said Gambhir following the loss.

    “These are early days. If we start judging our bowlers after every Test, how will we develop a bowling attack? Outside Bumrah and Siraj, we don’t have that much experience, but they (the others) have quality, which is why they are in this dressing room.

    “But we have got to keep backing them because it’s not about one tour. It’s about building a fast-bowler battery that can serve India for a long time in Test cricket.”

    Also part of the squad, Arshdeep Singh is yet to a play a Test while Harshit Rana has featured in only two games.

    He felt that Prasidh, who got five wickets in the match despite going for plenty of runs, has “all the ingredients of becoming a very good Test match bowler”.

    He also defended Shardul Thakur, who just bowled 16 overs in the entire match with only six overs in the first innings.

    “Sometimes captain goes with his instincts and Ravindra Jadeja gave us control in the first innings, that was important and we could rotate our three pacers at the other end,” he said.

    “We know what is Shardul’s quality and that is why he is playing for India and is in the dressing room. Just because he is the fourth seamer does not necessarily mean that he has to be brought ahead of a spinner. A captain went by his instinct and depending on surface, we were playing.”

    Sometimes people fail: Gambhir on lower-order

    Two late batting collapses in as many innings cost India dearly in the series opener.

    They were on course to amass 600 in their first innings but ended up with 471, losing seven wickets for 41 runs. In the second innings, the visitors lost six for 31 to allow England to come back in the game once again.

    “First of all, I’ll tell you it’s not that they were not applying themselves,” Gambhir said of the tail.

    “Sometimes people fail, and that’s okay. I know it is disappointing and more importantly, I think they are more disappointed than anyone. Because they knew that we had the opportunity. If we had got up to 570, 580 in the first innings, we could have dominated from there.

    “It’s not that they’re not working hard in the nets as well. Sometimes these things happen, even the pure batters fail as well. So hopefully they got to learn and hopefully we can have better performances from our tail, and that is not the only reason why we lost the Test match, to be honest.”

    Pleased with Gill’s captaincy debut

    Shubman Gill scored a century on his captaincy debut. On leadership front, Gambhir said Gill is only going to get better.

    “Look, first Test match, obviously, there are nerves. Not many people get that opportunity, and he was phenomenal. More importantly, I think the way he batted in the first innings. I’m sure he would have had his own nerves being the captain for the first time and then getting the hundred…

    “He has everything that it takes for him to be a successful captain, but we have got to just give him time. It’s still very early days,” Gambhir added.

  • Samajwadi, DMK now sitting with a party which ‘murdered democracy’ through Emergency: Amit Shah

    Samajwadi, DMK now sitting with a party which ‘murdered democracy’ through Emergency: Amit Shah

    New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday hit out at DMK, socialist leaders and others who have joined hands with the Congress, saying they were sitting with a party that had “murdered democracy” by imposing Emergency.

    Addressing an event “50 Years Since Emergency”, Shah also said that June 25 — the day Emergency was imposed — reminds everyone how far the Congress can go for power.

    He said it may be 50 years since the Emergency of 1975, but the memories of “injustice, tyranny and dictatorship” of the Congress were still fresh in everyone’s mind.

    The home minister said after the imposition of Emergency, 1.1 lakh people — opposition leaders, student activists, journalists, and editors — were arrested across the country.

    Subsequently, non-Congress governments in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu were dismissed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he said.

    “Unfortunately, many of those who faced the wrath of the Emergency, are now aligned with the Congress party.

    “I want to ask these parties DMK, samajwadi (socialists) and others, rather than the Congress, what right do you have to ask questions about democracy since you have joined hands with the party which murdered democracy in the country,” he said.

    Shah said India can’t accept dictatorship as this country is the birthplace of democracy.

    “No one except a small coterie surrounding the tyrant liked Emergency. That is why when Emergency was lifted, the people of India elected the country’s first Congress government (at the Centre),” he said.

    Sharing his personal experience, the home minister said he was just 11 years old when the Emergency was imposed and 184 people from his village in Gujarat were arrested and lodged at the Sabarmati jail.

  • Govt to mark 50th Emergency anniv with pan-India events, Shah to attend main programme on Jun 25

    Govt to mark 50th Emergency anniv with pan-India events, Shah to attend main programme on Jun 25

    New Delhi: Commemorative events will be held across the country to mark the 50th anniversary of the imposition of the Emergency, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah slated to attend a function in the national capital on Wednesday and flag off a ‘Long Live Democracy Yatra’.

    The Yatra will travel the length and breadth of the country to spread awareness about constitutional values, democratic rights, and the lessons learnt from the Emergency, the Culture Ministry said on Tuesday.

    The ministry, in collaboration with the Delhi government, will commemorate ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ on Wednesday at Thyagaraj Stadium here, marking 50 years since the imposition of Emergency in India on June 25, 1975.

    “The solemn occasion will serve as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding democratic values and constitutional rights,” it said in a statement.

    Underlining that the Emergency remains “one of the darkest chapters” in India’s post-independence history, the ministry said, “Fundamental rights were suspended, press freedoms curtailed, and democratic institutions were silenced.”

    “In 2024, the Government of India officially notified June 25 as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ to ensure that this critical period is not forgotten and the sanctity of democracy is consistently upheld,” it said.

    Union Home Minister Shah will attend the function at Thyagaraj Stadium as a chief guest and will also flag off the ‘Long Live Democracy Yatra’.

    Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Lt Governor of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena, and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta are also scheduled to attend the event here.

    In addition to the main event in Delhi, states and Union Territories will host commemorative programmes led by respective chief ministers, governors, and lieutenant governors, it said.

    These events will honour individuals who resisted the Emergency and defended democracy with exhibitions, public discussions, and film screenings and facilitate inter-generational dialogue on the fragility and strength of democratic institutions.

    Key highlights of the event in Delhi include a special exhibition on Indian democracy, a play to be staged by the National School of Drama, and the screening of a short film on the Emergency.

    The Ministry of Culture is also coordinating the launch of the ‘Long Live Democracy’ exhibition at 50 key locations in each state and UT, which will remain open to the public in the coming weeks, the statement said.

    The exhibition will be divided into three curated sections — ‘Bharat – Mother of Democracy’, showcasing India’s ancient and participative democratic traditions; ‘Dark Days of Democracy’, chronicling the events and consequences of the 1975 Emergency’; and ‘Strengthening Democracy in India’, featuring recent democratic reforms like electoral transparency, Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, Direct Benefit Transfer, and digital public grievance platforms.

    The National School of Drama team will present a powerful dramatisation of the Emergency era, highlighting its impact on common citizens and democratic institutions, and the specially commissioned film will offer a cinematic reflection on the imposition and consequences of the Emergency.

    There will also be an interactive installation inviting citizens to write personal messages reaffirming their commitment to constitutional values, it said.

  • India evacuates over 3,100 Indians from Iran, Israel

    India evacuates over 3,100 Indians from Iran, Israel

    New Delhi: India on Tuesday evacuated over 1,100 citizens from Iran and Israel amid ongoing tensions between the two countries, taking the number of evacuees under Operation Sindhu to 3,170.

    It brought back 594 Indians from Israel, using C-17 heavy-lift aircraft of the Indian Air Force to fly out over 400 people after they were moved out of Israel to Jordan and Egypt by land transit points.

    Also, 161 Indians were brought back in a chartered flight from Amman after they moved to the Jordanian capital from Israel by road.

    A total of 573 Indians, three Sri Lankan and two Nepalese nationals were evacuated from Iran in two chartered flights on Tuesday, according to details shared by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

    With the fresh batches of evacuees from Iran, India has brought back 2,576 Indians from the Persian Gulf nation so far.

    In total, India evacuated 3,170 Indians from Iran and Israel after Operation Sindhu was launched last week following the conflict between the two countries.

    The first group of 161 Indians moved from Israel to Jordan by road and reached New Delhi in a chartered flight from Amman at 8.20 am on Tuesday. The group was received at the airport by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita.

    Another group of 165 Indians moved from Israel to Jordan were flown back to New Delhi from Amman in a C-17 aircraft. The group was received by Minister of State L Murugan.

    A separate group of 268 Indians, who crossed over from Israel to Egypt, were evacuated in a C-17 aircraft from Sharm-el-Sheikh and arrived in New Delhi at 11 am.

    Two-hundred-ninety-two Indian nationals were evacuated from Iran on a special flight that arrived in New Delhi from Mashhad at 3:30 am, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

    Another batch of 281 Indian, three Sri Lankan and two Nepalese nationals were evacuated from Iran. They arrived in New Delhi on a special flight from Mashad at 3 pm, he said.

    “2576 Indian nationals have now been brought home from Iran as part of #OperationSindhu,” Jaiswal added.

    Two-hundred-ninety Indian nationals and one Sri Lankan were evacuated from Iranian city Mashhad on a special flight Monday night.

    Israel and Iran have fired hundreds of missiles and drones at each other’s cities and military and strategic facilities since the hostilities began over a week back.

    The tensions escalated significantly following the US bombing of three major Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday morning.

    India has evacuated its nationals on chartered flights operated from the Iranian city of Mashhad, the Armenian capital of Yerevan and the Turkmenistan capital of Ashgabat since Wednesday.  Iran lifted airspace restrictions on Friday to facilitate three chartered flights from Mashhad.

    The first flight landed in New Delhi late on Friday with 290 Indians, and the second one landed in the national capital on Saturday afternoon with 310 Indians.

    Another flight arrived from the Armenian capital city of Yerevan on Thursday. A special evacuation flight from Ashgabat landed in New Delhi early on Saturday morning.

  • PM Modi’s ‘silence’ on Israel’s ‘genocide’ in Gaza diminished India’s moral standing: Cong

    PM Modi’s ‘silence’ on Israel’s ‘genocide’ in Gaza diminished India’s moral standing: Cong

    New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday said the Israel “genocide” in Gaza is continuing unabated and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “deafening” silence on this catastrophe that has overtaken the Palestinians has diminished India’s moral and political standing.

    Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh noted that President Donald Trump has announced a ceasefire in relation to the US-Israel war on Iran.

    “But there is still no ceasefire in Gaza where the Israel genocide continues unabated,” he said on X.

    “Prime Minister Modi’s silence on this catastrophe that has overtaken the Palestinians for well over eighteen months is deafening and has diminished India’s moral and political standing,” Ramesh claimed.

    Trump has claimed that Israel and Iran had agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire”.

    Ramesh’s remarks come days after Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday strongly criticised India’s silence on Israel’s devastation in Gaza and Iran as “not just a loss of its voice, but also a surrender of values”.

    In an article – “It is still not too late for India’s voice to be heard”, she accused the Modi government of abandoning India’s long-standing and principled commitment to a peaceful two-nation solution envisioning an independent Palestine along with Israel.

    Gandhi, in the article, was also critical of US President Trump for following a “destructive path” in West Asia, after having spoken against America’s endless wars.

    “New Delhi’s silence on the devastation in Gaza and now on the unprovoked escalation against Iran reflects a disturbing departure from our moral and diplomatic traditions. This represents not just a loss of voice but also a surrender of values,” the Congress leader had said in her article in ‘The Hindu’.

    “It is still not too late. India must speak clearly, act responsibly and use every diplomatic channel available to defuse tensions and promote a return to dialogue in West Asia,” she asserted.

    Gandhi had said while the Indian National Congress unequivocally condemned the “absolutely horrific and totally unacceptable attacks” by Hamas on October 7, 2023, “we cannot remain silent in the face of Israel’s catastrophic and disproportionate response”.

    “More than 55,000 Palestinians have lost their lives. Entire families, neighbourhoods, and even hospitals have been obliterated. Gaza stands on the brink of famine, and its civilian population continues to suffer unspeakable hardship,” she had said.