Laxmi Nagar, Delhi | 23 April 2025

In a strong display of public solidarity, a candle march was held in Laxmi Nagar, East Delhi, on Tuesday evening to protest the recent terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir. The peaceful procession was led by renowned English litterateur and social thinker Dr. Birbal Jha, under the banner of the Mithilalok Foundation.

Speaking to the gathering, Dr. Birbal Jha condemned the barbaric act, saying, “This cowardly act of terrorism is a direct assault on humanity. It must be met with the strongest condemnation, and those responsible must face the full force of justice.”

Dr. Jha called upon the Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, to take swift and resolute action against those responsible for the attack.

“We cannot remain silent in the face of such brutality,” Dr Jha emphasized. “We stand united with the families of the victims and offer them our heartfelt condolences. At this critical moment, it is vital that we extend our unwavering support to the government’s efforts to eradicate terrorism and ensure justice is delivered.”

The march concluded with a collective pledge by participants to continue standing against terrorism and supporting all measures aimed at safeguarding innocent lives.

The event drew participation from local residents, youth groups, and civil society members, all echoing a unified message: terrorism has no place in a civilized society.

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Union government on Tuesday notified rules to allow Indian citizens from outside Jammu and Kashmir to purchase land in the Union territory.

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Globally, the number of dead from the coronavirus has risen to 18,915 with more than 422,900 cases reported in over 165 countries and territories, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The number of coronavirus cases in India stood at 606 on Wednesday with nine COVID-19 deaths reported so far, according to Health Ministry data.

In an attempt to stem the spread of coronavirus in India, PM Modi on Tuesday announced a nationwide lockdown for three weeks.

“United Nations stands in solidarity with India in its fight against COVID-19,” said a video message tweeted by United Nations News, the UN’s multimedia service.

Heeding to a call by PM Modi, people came out on their balconies, windows and courtyards to applaud the work of medical professionals on the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19.

The normally bustling streets across India wore a deserted look throughout the day as people participated in the curfew. The UN News video showed footage of empty roads and urban spaces on Sunday, just two days before PM Modi announced the nationwide lockdown for three weeks.

“India is on a 21-day lockdown to try and prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from taking hold. The @UN health agency @WHO urged the Gov to take aggressive action,” UN News tweeted.

WHO Representative to India Henk Bekedam praised the country’s response to the pandemic, describing it as “comprehensive and robust”. “Massive efforts have been made towards prevention and containing the spread, including strengthening surveillance, laboratory capacity, contact tracing and isolation and risk communications,” Henk Bekedam said.

He said the Prime Minister’s call for social distancing had received widespread community support across the country. “It is vital that we come together in solidarity and help in breaking the chain of transmission and flattening the curve,” he said.

The WHO and other UN partners have been working closely with the Indian government on preparedness and response measures, disease surveillance, laboratory and research protocols, risk communications, training on infection prevention and control and cluster containment plan, surveillance and tracking of travellers.

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Another death due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been reported in Maharashtra, taking the total toll to four, say state authorities. The woman had died on March 24 and her post mortem report confirmed her as being infected with the disease.

Indian actor, producer and Telugu cinema bigwig said today that he would be donating Rs 50 lakh to both the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Chief Minister Relief funds to fight against the coronavirus pandemic. He will also be donating Rs 1 crore to the Prime Minister’s relief fund for the same.

More than three billion people around the world are living under lockdown as governments stepped up their efforts against the coronavirus pandemic which has left more than 21,000 people dead. As the number of confirmed cases worldwide soared past 460,000, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that only a concerted global effort could stop the spread of the virus.

As reports of landlords and neighbours harrassing those tenants involved in providing essential services during the coronavirus lockdown in India rise up, the Karnataka government has issued a notice that penal action will be initiated against those PGs and landlords for obstructing /harrassing them, or unnecessarily asking them to vacate.

Government sources said today that except for one or two states, coronavirus cases were “relatively flat”. It said it will be able to present a more accurate picture on the benefits of social distancing within 10 days. However, coronavirus testing in India still remains less compared to other countries — 16 tests per million citizens in comparison to over 2 to 3 thousand per million.

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“As we share the sad news of our first COVID-19 fatality, my heart goes out to the family of the deceased. We stand with you and share your grief,” Junaid Azim Mattu, the Srinagar mayor tweeted.

“I also salute the brave doctors at Chest Disease Hospital for their efforts. Let us do our bit and help break the chain and stay home, stay safe,” he added.

Mayor of Srinagar:
“As we share the sad news of our first #Covid19 fatality, my heart goes out to the family of the deceased. We stand with you and share your grief.

I also salute the brave doctors at CD Hospital for their efforts.

Let’s do our bit and help #BreakTheChain and #StayHomeStaySafe.”

Four others who came in contact with the man who died also tested positive on Wednesday and have been quarantined, as have over 70 others, including seven doctors. The total number of active COVID-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir is now 11.

Authorities in Kashmir have expressed apprehensions that the number of cases could be more than reported as a significant number of people appeared to have concealed their travel history.

Over 5,124 travellers and people who came in contact with suspected and positive cases have been put under surveillance. Among them 3,061 are in home quarantine (in facilities operated by the government), 80 in hospital quarantine and 1,477 under home surveillance.

However, only around 300 cases have been sent for testing so far.

In Maharashtra, the worst-hit state with more than 120 active cases, a woman from Navi Mumbai who died on March 24 tested positive for the virus today, state health officials said.

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Mehbooba Mufti, another former Chief Minister detained on the same day, August 5, tweeted: “Glad he has been be released. For all their talk of nari Shakti & women emancipation, seems like this regime fears women the most.”

The Supreme Court had last week, on Omar Abdullah’s sister’s petition for his immediate release, asked the centre to respond by this week whether it planned to free him.

“If you are releasing him, then release him soon or we will hear the matter on merits,” the Supreme Court told the government.

“Now that things are settled in Kashmir, what are your instructions for his (Omar Abdullah’s) release,” the judges asked.

On March 13, Omar Abdullah’s father Farooq Abdullah, also a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, was freed.

Omar Abdullah was detained without charges but later, the government charged him the Public Safety Act (PSA). The charges listed out in a dossier against the 49-year-old National Conference leader included his “ability to garner votes even during peak militancy and poll boycotts”. It said Mr Abdullah, a former Union Minister, could influence people for any cause and specifically cited his ability to bring voters out in the wake of boycott calls by separatists.

Mr Abdullah’s sister Sara Abdullah Pilot, in her petition to the Supreme Court, said her brother had been detained on the basis of social media posts “that are non-existent have been wrongly, maliciously attributed to (Omar Abdullah)”.

Mr Abdullah has been seen during his detention with a beard. He had resolved not to shave until he was released as a mark of protest.

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Speaking in an event he said, “Radicalisation can be countered. We saw it happening in Kashmir… Today, we see that young children are also being radicalised. They need to be identified and then we need to put them in de-radicalisation camps. The Indian army has not been using hard tactics… Pellet guns are a non-lethal practice. It is sparingly used,” he said.

He added that the “ideology of radicalisation” needs to addressed along with an end to “online radicalisation”.

“As long as there are states which sponsor terrorism, we will have to live with the menace. We need to take the bull by its horns and strike at the root cause,” he said, “If we think war on terrorism is going to end, we are wrong,” Gen Rawat said. He said the countries which are sponsoring terrorism cannot be part of global fight against terror networks.

“You cannot have partners who are partnering global war on terrorism and yet sponsoring terrorism… There has to be diplomatic isolation of those sponsoring terrorism. Any country which is sponsoring terrorism has to be taken to task,” he said.

Speaking about his new role as the chief of defence staff, India’s first, Rawat said, “I think the task is well cut out and we will be able to function within the firm framework which has been laid out for the CDS. I don’t visualise any problems. We’ve had meetings with the three (service) chiefs and a lot of decisions have already been taken in the past 15 days,” he said.

Asked whether he supports negotiations with the Taliban, he said peace talks should be initiated with everybody provided they give up the “weapon of terrorism”.

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The Deputy Superintendent of Police arrested on Saturday with three Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists. The details emerged after raids at Davinder Singh’s home soon after the arrest. An AK rifle and two pistols were found, according to sources.

Singh a decorated officer was allegedly transporting hardcore terrorists out of Kashmir when he was caught on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. Investigations reveal that the three terrorists captured with the officer had stayed at his heavily-guarded home in Srinagar’s Badami Bagh cantonment.

Sources say Davinder Singh escorted the terrorists from Shopian in south Kashmir to his home on Friday and had them stay overnight. Top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Naveed Babu, who is also police deserter, and his two accomplices Irfan and Rafi, spent the night in the home right next to the Army’s 15 Corps Headquarters.

Sources say they set out on Saturday morning for Jammu, from where they were planning to go to Delhi.
that the police officer, who was awarded President’s Police Medal for Gallantry just six months ago, had transported Naveed multiple times to different places. Last year, he had transported him to Jammu.
Sources say Singh is being treated like a terrorist and is being interrogated by a joint team of security and intelligence agencies. Among the questions they want answers to is whether Singh’s visit to Delhi is linked to Republic Day, just two weeks away.

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CCEA approved the following:

(i) To extend the timeline for implementation of PMDP approved in 2016 beyond 31st March 2019 by 3 years i.e. up to 31st March 2022 with provision of further extension of time by a maximum period of 12 months, if required, with approval of Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

(ii) Revision/Re-appropriation of earlier approved components of PMDP within the approved outlay of Rs. 500 crore between UTs of J&K and Ladakh with the provision of further revision, if required, with the approval of Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare within the overall financial limit of Rs. 500 crore.

(iii) Revalidation of unspent amount of Rs. 59.07 crore remaining with undivided State of Jammu & Kashmir including Ladakh.

The action plan under PMDP has therefore been modified within the approved outlay of Rs. 500 crore earmarking Rs. 39.67 crore for UT of Ladakh and Rs. 460.33 crore for UT of Jammu & Kashmir.

The implementation of PMDP in the UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh Region, is expected to generate an estimated 44 lakh mandays employment and will also result in employment in allied sectors such as grading/packing units, Cold Atmosphere (CA)/Cold storage units and transportation sector etc. As the high density plantation involves technology and regular upkeep of orchards, therefore, it will also result in overall wage enhancement in the horticulture sector due to the increase in the farmers’ income as a result of the increase in productivity.

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