New Delhi, Jul 16: Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for a legislation in Parliament’s upcoming Monsoon session to grant full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

The leaders of opposition in the two houses of Parliament — Kharge is the LoP in the Rajya Sabha and Gandhi is the LoP in the Lok Sabha — also called on the government to bring a legislation to include the Union Territory of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution.

In their joint letter to Modi, Kharge and Gandhi said that for the past five years, the people of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir have consistently called for the restoration of full statehood.

This demand is both legitimate and firmly grounded in their constitutional and democratic rights, they said.

“It is important to recognise that while there have been instances of Union Territories being granted statehood in the past, the case of Jammu and Kashmir is without precedent in independent India. This is the first time a full-fledged state has been downgraded to a Union Territory following its bifurcation,” the letter said.

“Your goodself has, on multiple occasions, personally reiterated the government’s commitment to restoring statehood. In your interview in Bhubaneswar on 19 May 2024, you stated: ‘The restoration of statehood is a solemn promise we have made and we stand by it’. Again, while addressing a rally in Srinagar on 19 September 2024, you reaffirmed: ‘We have said in Parliament that we will restore the region’s statehood’,” the two leaders said.

The Union government has also made similar assurances before the Supreme Court in the Article 370 matter, submitting that statehood would be restored “at the earliest and as soon as possible”, they pointed out.

“In view of the foregoing and aforementioned, we urge upon the government to bring forward a legislation in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament to grant full statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” Kharge and Gandhi said.

“Additionally, we request that the government bring forward legislation to include the Union Territory of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution,” they said.

This would be a significant step towards addressing the cultural, developmental, and political aspirations of the people of Ladakh, while safeguarding their rights, land, and identity, Kharge and Gandhi said.

The letter comes a day after the top Congress leadership decide to raise issues such as the Pahalgam terror attack, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and rising atrocities against women in the country during the Monsoon session starting July 21.

New Delhi, Jul 16: A bomb threat received through email triggered panic in five private schools of Delhi on Wednesday morning, prompting authorities to immediately evacuate the premises for a thorough check, officials said. This was the third consecutive day that education institutes in the national capital were targeted with bomb threats, which, in the past two days, turned out to be hoaxes.

A call about the email threatening to blow up St Thomas School in Dwarka was received at 5.26 am by the fire control, Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj got it at 6.30 am, Mother International in Hauz Khas at 8.12 am and Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar at 8.11 am, the fire services officer said. Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodhi Estate also received a threatening email, a senior police officer said, adding the school was thoroughly checked and nothing suspicious has been found so far.

In a mail to the parents, the school authorities said, “Due to a potential bomb threat received this morning, and as advised by the police, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya will remain closed today.

A Bomb Disposal Squad is conducting a full sanitisation of the premises.” For St Thomas School, this was a second bomb threat in less than 24 hours. In total, 10 bomb threat emails have been received by nine schools in the city. Staff staying in these schools overnight were immediately taken to safety as a precautionary measure, as teams of Delhi Police, bomb disposal squad, dog squad and cyber experts rushed in for a thorough search. Nothing suspicious has been found so far, the officer said.

Srinagar, July 16: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today addressed a seminar on “J&K’s March Towards Peace” as part of lecture series organized by Gandhi Smriti, at New Delhi. On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor also inaugurated a newly developed ‘Gandhi Smriti Art Gallery’.

The event was also graced by former Union Minister and Vice-Chairman of Gandhi Smriti, Shri Vijay Goel.

In his keynote address, the Lieutenant Governor highlighted the profound and deep bond between Mahatma Gandhi and Jammu Kashmir.

“Pujya Bapu’s philosophy is a source of inspiration for UT and our education system is inculcating the values of truth, non-violence and compassion among youth. Gandhiji saw a ray of hope in Jammu and Kashmir. Gandhiji wanted to see peace and progress in Jammu and Kashmir. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fulfilling the dream of Mahatma Gandhi. Since 2019, he has been building a fear-free, terror-free J&K, which would make its place among the developed states and UTs as a symbol of peace,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor reiterated the resolve of the Government of India, Police and the security forces to completely wipe out the entire terror ecosystem and establish a lasting peace in Jammu Kashmir.

“Our policy is peace, driven by the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. We believe in establishing Peace and not buying Peace. India has always followed the path of peace. Indian State authority has been completely established in J&K. Today, the common citizens of Kashmir have understood that their future lies with India. Our youth are being guided towards building a more prosperous future for J&K and their growing involvement is instrumental in this transformative journey.

The local terrorist recruitment is at an all-time low. The decisive action against terrorism and their facilitators and thorough investigations against those trying to radicalize the youth has ensured that peace prevails.

A month-long peace march is organised in the Kashmir valley every year to commemorate Pujya Bapu’s birth anniversary. Gandhi Jayanti, Teachers Day, Har Ghar Tiranga, Independence-day celebrations and numerous other national integration programmes across the UT reflect that J&K is reclaiming its legacy as a land of peace. Youth are now conscious of the fact that J&K of Bapu’s dreams is J&K of unity and peace.

This wind of change has rattled the terrorist nation Pakistan and it constantly tries to hurt the soul of India and its cultural-spiritual fabric. Aim of Pahalgam terrorist attack was to stall economic progress of UT as well but we are marching ahead with renewed strength.

Terrorism is in the DNA of Pakistan and they continue to spread it. The entire global society must unite against this terrorist country Pakistan. We are determined to completely wipe out terrorism and remnants of the terror ecosystem. We will not spare anyone who speaks the language of terror outfits. Strict action will be taken against such elements. Those behind the Pahalgam terror attack have been identified. NIA is investigating and soon the perpetrators will meet the same fate as other top terror commanders,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor, in his address, also highlighted the transformation across the sectors in J&K UT under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said the era of Post Abrogation of Article 370 represents a defining moment in the history of Jammu and Kashmir.  “The Union Territory has marked significant milestones, over the past few years, creating new paradigms for inclusive development. Our economy has doubled in the last 5 years,” the Lieutenant Governor further said.

New Delhi, July 16: Falling for the second straight session, gold prices depreciated Rs 500 to Rs 98,870 per 10 grams in the national capital on Wednesday due to continuous selling by stockists, according to the All India Sarafa Association.

On Tuesday, the precious metal of 99.9 per cent purity had declined by Rs 200 to close at Rs 99,370 per 10 grams.

Meanwhile, gold of 99.5 per cent purity slipped Rs 400 to Rs 98,400 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes). It had settled at Rs 98,800 per 10 grams in the previous market session.

Also, silver prices declined by Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,11,000 per kilogram (inclusive of all taxes) on Wednesday. The white metal had finished at Rs 1,12,000 per kg on Tuesday.

In contrast, spot gold rose by USD 16.41 or 0.49 per cent to USD 3,341.37 per ounce in the global markets.

“Gold edged higher to USD 3,346 per ounce, supported by renewed tariff threats from President Donald Trump, who signalled possible levies on pharmaceuticals by the end of the month, with additional duties on semiconductors also under consideration.

“Risk appetite remains subdued as new tariffs targeting 25 countries, including Canada, Mexico, and the EU, are set to take effect on August 1,” Kaynat Chainwala, AVP-Commodity Research, Kotak Securities, said.

On the global front, spot silver went up nearly 1 per cent to trade at USD 38.05 per ounce.

“Gold has been consolidating while silver has been breaking out. Silver prices pushed as high as USD 39 per ounce, first and foremost reflecting renewed investor interest.

“We have seen continued inflows into physically backed silver products during the past few weeks, and the open interest in the futures market has also been expanding, in particular in China. Technical traders further fuelled the rally after prices broke above important resistance levels,” Carsten Menke, Head of Economics and Next Generation Research at Julius Baer, said.

Menke further stated that by judging the strength of the recent rally and the decline of the gold/silver ratio to around 85, silver does not appear particularly cheap anymore in comparison to gold.

“When the ratio was at 100, we highlighted silver’s catch-up potential, but this seems to be very much exhausted as of now.”

According to Jateen Trivedi, VP Research Analyst – Commodity and Currency, LKP Securities, investors will be awaiting key US macroeconomic data, including Producer Price Index (PPI) and jobless claims, which will provide further insights for the trajectory of bullion prices.

Nagpur, July 16: In a deeply distressing incident that has sent shockwaves through Nagpur and beyond, two students preparing for the NEET medical entrance exam died by suicide within a few hours of each other.

Khwahish Devram Nagare, a 16-year-old resident of Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh, took his own life. The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of the Ambazari police station of Nagpur city.

He had come to Nagpur to prepare for the NEET exam and was attending coaching classes at PhysicsWallah Tuition Centre on Canal Road. Living in a private hostel in the city, Khwahish was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his room on Wednesday morning.

Before taking the extreme step, he left behind a short note that read: “Sorry, mom-dad, I won’t be able to do it.”

The poignant message has shaken parents, teachers, and the academic community, once again highlighting the dark side of competitive exam culture and the weight of expectations placed on young shoulders.

Just a few hours ago, a 17-year-old girl, Vaidehi Anil Uike, also died by suicide while preparing for the same exam. She was staying in another part of the city, under the jurisdiction of Hingna police station. Her death, too, has been registered as an accidental death by the police.

The back-to-back suicides have sparked concern, with questions being raised about the intense academic pressure students face while preparing for highly competitive exams like NEET.

Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singhal appealed to parents to be more mindful of their children’s mental well-being. “Please do not burden children with pressure to succeed academically. There are many career options available today — even for those who may not wish to pursue formal education,” he said.