Ramban, August 01: Passenger Traffic on Jammu-Srinagar Highway has been allowed despite light rains in the Banihal sector of NH 44 in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district, officials said on Friday.
They said, “There is light rainfall in the Ramban-Banihal stretch of National Highway 44 today,” adding that “despite the rainfall, passenger traffic is allowed to move on the highway.”
New Delhi, Aug 01: Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his recent visit to Gujarat’s Sabarmati Riverfront and the Statue of Unity, calling it a gesture that sends out “an important message of unity.”
In a post on X, PM Modi wrote: “Kashmir to Kevadia! Good to see Shri Omar Abdullah Ji enjoying his run at the Sabarmati Riverfront and visiting the Statue of Unity. His visit to SoU gives an important message of unity and will inspire our fellow Indians to travel to different parts of India.”
The Prime Minister was responding to a post by Abdullah, who shared his experience jogging along the Sabarmati Riverfront while on a two-day visit to Gujarat for a tourism promotion event.
Abdullah had posted, “While in #Ahmedabad for a tourism event I took advantage of being here to get my morning run at the famed Sabarmati River Front promenade. It’s one of the nicest places I’ve been able to run & it was a pleasure to get to share it with so many other walkers/runners. I even managed to run past the amazing Atal Foot Bridge.”
The visit comes at a time when the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is working to revive its tourism sector following the recent Pahalgam terror attack that severely impacted travel to the region.
During his Gujarat visit, Abdullah is engaging with tour operators and stakeholders in an effort to rebuild confidence in Kashmir as a safe travel destination.
“Gujarat, along with Maharashtra and West Bengal, has always played a major role in Kashmir’s tourism economy,” he said, expressing optimism that Gujarati tourists would return in large numbers.
New York, Aug 01: As the deadline for tariffs neared, US President Donald Trump imposed the threatened tariff of 25 per cent on India starting Friday as the prolonged negotiations appeared to have stalled.
His executive order, issued late Thursday, did not include penalty tariffs on buying Russian energy or for BRICS membership, which he had also threatened.
When Trump initially threatened the 25 per cent tariff, India said defiantly that it “will take all steps necessary to secure our national interest”.
In the order setting the tariff rates for various countries, he claimed he was acting because “large and persistent annual US goods trade deficits constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States”.
The 25 per cent tariff for India was higher than the rate ranging between 15 per cent and 19 per cent he imposed on most countries listed in the order, which takes effect at midnight (9.30 a.m. in India).
While India was one of the first countries to start negotiations with the US, the talks appeared to have foundered, and Trump made the threat of 25 per cent on Wednesday, but later that day, he held out a ray of hope, saying, “We’re talking to India now, we’ll see what happens”.
He also did not issue a formal letter to India as he had to other countries.
But it appears that last-minute negotiations did not lower the tariffs.
While the negotiations were taking place, Trump repeatedly called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India his friends.
As recently as last week, he said that a deal was imminent.
India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal also sounded optimistic, saying last week that the negotiations were making “fantastic” progress.
The part of his executive order that would apply to India said that some “trading partners, despite having engaged in negotiations, have offered terms that, in my judgment, do not sufficiently address imbalances in our trading relationship or have failed to align sufficiently with the United States on economic and national-security matters”.
The highest tariff among those in the order was for Myanmar, which was set at 41 per cent, and the lowest was 10 per cent for Brazil and Britain.
Brazil’s rate was a surprise because Trump had threatened 50 per cent over a dispute over Brazil’s prosecution of its former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Trump agreed to extend the deadline for Mexico in a last-minute reprieve, agreeing to continue negotiations.
Canada, with which Trump is embroiled in a heated fight, did not appear on the order, but separately, he had set the tariff at 30 per cent.
Talks are continuing with China, and under a temporary arrangement set to expire on August 12, its rate is temporarily 30 per cent, much lower than his initial threats of as much as 145 per cent.
His order set the tariff for Pakistan at 19 per cent, and Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at 20 per cent.
A major hurdle for India was the US’ insistence on opening the floodgates to US agriculture and dairy.
That could have serious consequences for India’s agricultural sector, which employs nearly half the country’s working population.
India’s statement responding to Trump’s threat alluded to this factor, saying, “The government attaches the utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of our farmers, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises)”.
While some, like the European Union and Japan, mollified Trump by offering to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the US, India was not in a position to make offers of that magnitude.
India also appears to have been caught in the heightened tension between Trump and Russia, after President Vladimir Putin refused to heed the US president’s call for a ceasefire in the Ukraine War.
Trump brought up New Delhi buying Russian oil on Wednesday, and on Thursday, India was in the crossfire in a war of words between him and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, even though India had nothing to do with it.
In the Truth Social post attacking Mededev, he brought in India out of the blue: “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care”.
As he had for several months, he riled against the high Indian tariffs, having declared India the “Tariff King”, an appellation Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has strongly refuted.
In her budget in February, she substantially lowered the tariff on premium motorcycles that would cover Harley Davidson, the duties on which were Trump’s pet peeve since his first term.
Trump may have to take separate action on India’s pharmaceutical exports valued at $12.7 billion last year, as they form a significant portion of the generic medicines in the US, and any increase in prices would hit the already high medical costs.
Asked about the penalty for buying Russia’s oil, which he had once said would be 100 per cent, by a reporter on Wednesday, he avoided answering it and instead talked of a penalty for membership of the BRICS.
If there is to be a penalty for buying Russian oil — known as a secondary tariff applying to all buyers — it will be linked to the deadline for Moscow to end the Ukraine War, which will probably be on August 7.
Since China is also buying Russian energy, the imposition of secondary sanctions will be complicated as Washington and Beijing try to avoid an all-out trade war.
Similarly, a BRICS penalty would also hit China.
Srinagar, July 01: The Shri Amarnath Yatra Ji has been suspended today from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu, officials told the Greater Kashmir on Friday.
They said that the movement of Amarnath Yatra traffic from Jammu towards Kashmir has not been allowed today due to inclement weather in J&K.
According to an official, “Today, on Friday, August 1, the Shri Amarnath Yatra has again been suspended from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu.” He added, “No Yatra traffic is allowed to proceed towards Kashmir from Jammu.”
Srinagar, Jul 31: Braving intense heat, hundreds of young athletes turned up with unmatched energy as the Inter-School and District Level Competitions—spanning yoga, swimming, basketball, and cricket—wrapped up successfully across multiple venues in Srinagar.
As per a statement issued on Thursday, organised by DYSSO Srinagar, the multi-sport event witnessed spirited participation from boys and girls vying for spots in upcoming inter-district and provincial tournaments.
A highlight of the events was the Girls Swimming Competition at Tyndale Biscoe School, where top performers, including Mabel Youzon, principal, were felicitated by DYSSO Srinagar, Ghulam Hassan Lone. Speaking at the event, Lone praised the remarkable participation of girls in aquatic sports.
Meanwhile, basketball competitions for boys and girls held at Gindun Ground saw over 200 young athletes competing, with trophies distributed by Convenor Dilbagh Singh. A fencing camp for boys of all age groups is also underway at Youth Hostel, Srinagar.
In addition, Inter-School Zonal Level Cricket Tournaments are actively being held across various venues, including Batamaloo, Rainawari, Zaldagar, and Gulab Bagh, continuing the sporting fervor in the city.
New Delhi, Jul 31: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a Central Sector Scheme for providing Rs 2,000 crore as grant-in-aid to the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) over four years from 2025-26 to 2028-29. The funding will be provided in equal annual instalments of Rs 500 crore. The grant will enable NCDC to leverage Rs 20,000 crore from the open market during the same period, which will be used to offer loans to cooperative societies for setting up new projects, expanding existing facilities, and meeting working capital needs.
The scheme is expected to benefit approximately 2.9 crore members from over 13,000 cooperative societies operating in sectors such as dairy, fisheries, livestock, sugar, textiles, food processing, storage, cold storage, labour, and women-led cooperatives.
Under the scheme, NCDC will act as the implementing agency, overseeing fund disbursement, project monitoring, and loan recovery. Loans will be offered either directly to eligible cooperatives or through state governments, in line with NCDC’s direct funding norms.
The scheme is projected to generate employment across various skill levels and improve liquidity, infrastructure, and capacity in the cooperative sector. It aims to foster inclusive rural development by enhancing productivity, profitability, and economic participation, particularly among women and small farmers. India currently has over 8.25 lakh cooperative societies with more than 29 crore members, making them a crucial part of the rural economy and socio-economic development.
Jammu, Jul 31: Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday visited the residence of 21-year-old Parvez Ahmed in Nikki Tawi, Jammu. Parvez, a Gujjar youth, was killed in a reported staged police encounter on July 24, 2025, in Surey Chak under the jurisdiction of Satwari Police Station.
Mufti’s visit underscored growing concerns over what she described as systematic and targeted violence against the Gujjar-Bakerwal community. She alleged atrocities against the nomadic tribes, stating that despite the installation of an elected government under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, their suffering continues unchecked.
In a statement issued, Mufti strongly condemned the killing, rejecting police claims of Parvez’s alleged involvement in drug peddling. “Mohammad Parvez was executed in a fake encounter by those meant to protect him. This is state-sponsored terror targeting the Gujjar-Bakerwal communities. I demand a time-bound judicial probe to expose the culprits and ensure justice,” she said. Mufti assured the family of full support from the JKPDP and warned that such actions only widen the trust deficit in democratic institutions.
Mufti also highlighted the plight of Gujjar-Bakerwal families, saying they are being routinely harassed during seasonal cattle migrations. She cited reports of arbitrary detentions, forced evictions, and accusations of drug peddling and cattle smuggling as daily challenges faced by the community.
“The people pinned their hopes on an elected government for relief, but the cycle of violence against our nomadic tribes continues unabated. The Gujjar-Bakerwal communities, who stood by Jammu and Kashmir through its darkest times, are treated as dispensable. This is a betrayal of their loyalty,” Mufti told reporters.
Mufti said thousands of Gujjar-Bakerwal community members have reportedly been detained by Kathua and Samba police in recent months and released only after no evidence was found, further deepening community distrust.
Srinagar, Jul 31: Apni Party organised an event at the party headquarters in Srinagar to welcome a number of new entrants into the party fold.
Prominent party leaders, including Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir, Youth Wing President and Spokesperson Yawar Mir, District President Bandipora Shafat Qazmi, and others, extended a warm welcome to the new members. Party’s District Vice President Shabir Lone, Ishtiyaq Khan and Mustakeem were also present on this occasion.
The new entrants included Irfan Kandil, Mohammad Sadiq, Alam Khan, Mohammad Ali and others—all from the main town of Baramulla. The event was organised by Shafat Qazmi.
Speaking on the occasion, Ghulam Hassan Mir said, “I wholeheartedly welcome you all to this party, and I assure you that it will provide you with ample opportunities to serve the people in your respective areas.”
“Apni Party is working for the peace, prosperity, and development of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as the economic and political empowerment of its people. We are committed to continuing our efforts toward this goal,” he added.
New Delhi, Jul 31: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has completed the preparation of the Electoral College for the upcoming Vice Presidential Election, 2025.
In accordance with Article 66 (1) of the Constitution, the Vice President is elected by an Electoral College consisting of elected and nominated members of the Rajya Sabha and elected members of the Lok Sabha.
As per Rule 40 of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections Rules, 1974, the Commission has updated and finalised the list of eligible members, arranged in serial order by State and Union Territory.
The list will be available for purchase at the Election Commission’s office once the official notification for the election is issued, which is expected shortly.
The post of the Vice President fell vacant after Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday formally resigned from his post, citing health concerns and medical advice as the reason behind his decision.
In his emotional farewell note, Dhankhar expressed deep gratitude to the President for her “unwavering support and the soothing, wonderful working relationship” shared during his tenure. He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Council of Ministers, calling their support “invaluable” and stating that he had learned immensely during his time in office.
“The warmth, trust, and affection I have received from all the Hon’ble Members of Parliament will ever be cherished and embedded in my memory,” Dhankhar wrote, reflecting on his journey in public service.
Calling it a privilege to have witnessed India’s exponential growth and transformative development, Dhankhar said he leaves the office with pride in Bharat’s global rise and unwavering confidence in the nation’s future.
He also thanked the Parliament for the experiences and insights gained as Vice President, terming it a “true honour” to have served during this pivotal period in India’s history. Dhankhar signed off his resignation with “deepest respect and gratitude,” marking the end of his tenure in one of the country’s highest constitutional posts.
Mumbai, Jul 31: Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended lower on Thursday after US President Donald Trump announced the imposition of a 25 per cent tariff on all goods coming from India starting August 1 and an unspecified penalty for buying Russian crude oil and military equipment.
Despite the weak start, the indices staged a sharp recovery, but selling pressure re-emerged towards the fag of the session. However, buying in some heavyweight stocks restricted the downward trend, traders said.
Halting its two-day rally, the 30-share BSE index declined 296.28 points, or 0.36 per cent, to settle at 81,185.58 after recovering some lost ground during the afternoon trade. During the morning session, the gauge tanked 786.71 points, or 0.96 per cent, to 80,695.15.
As many as 2,418 stocks declined, while 1,598 advanced and 137 remained unchanged on the BSE. The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 86.70 points or 0.35 per cent to 24,768.35.
“Following a turbulent start driven by fresh tariff threats, the Indian market started on a pessimistic note. However, the domestic market attempted a strong recovery, but by the end of the day, it closed with marginal losses on a monthly expiry day.
