Top Stories
|
|
|
| RS clears bill: Insulting ‘Vande Mataram’ may now invite imprisonment up to 3 years’ | | | | Mahim Gupta
Early Times Report
Jammu, July 29: The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, extending statutory protection to the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ and making its intentional disruption, obstruction or disrespect a punishable offence carrying a jail term of up to three years.
The Bill was passed by a voice vote amid noisy protests by Opposition members during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
The House witnessed repeated disruptions over the Opposition’s demand for a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the police action against protesters demonstrating in Delhi over the alleged NEET paper leak. Pro | |
| | | | FASTag toll collections cross Rs 70,000 crore in FY26; barrier-free tolling on cards | | | | Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, July 29: Toll collection on National Highways through the FASTag-based Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system crossed the Rs 70,000-crore mark in 2025-26, registering a steady year-on-year increase, the Government informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Replying to an unstarred question by Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Shukla, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said toll revenue collected through FASTag rose from Rs 55,882.12 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 61,408.15 crore in 2024-25, before reaching Rs 70,278.18 crore in 2025-26, reflecting the growing adoption of electronic toll collection and expanding National Highway infrastr | |
| | | | No action likely on Cong factionalism report despite fact-finding panel recommendations | | | | Muskan Thakur
Early Times Report
JAMMU, July 29: The report submitted by the three-member fact-finding committee constituted by the Congress high command to examine factionalism and infighting within the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the party is unlikely to be acted upon, with the leadership reportedly reluctant to initiate disciplinary proceedings against senior leaders at this stage.
Highly placed party sources said the committee, after holding extensive deliberations and marathon meetings over three days in Srinagar, recommended action against some senior leaders allegedly involved in factionalism and indiscipline. However, the Congress leadership is unlikely to implement those recom | |
| | | | Amarnath Yatra: In 27 days, 4.41 lakh pilgrims pay obeisance at holy cave shrine | | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 29: As many as 4,41,577 pilgrims have performed darshan at the holy Amarnath cave shrine since the commencement of the annual pilgrimage on July 3, with 6,165 devotees paying obeisance at the holy cave shrine on Wednesday.
According to details pilgrims who paid obeisance on Wednesday included 4,098 men, 1,620 women, 143 children, 67 sadhus, seven sadhvis and 230 security personnel.
Meanwhile, a fresh batch of 2,051 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu early Wednesday for the Baltal base camp under tight security arrangements.
Officials said the 22nd batch departed at 2:45 a.m. in a convoy of 82 vehicles comprising 48 buses, eight m | |
| | | | Chhari Mubarak’ taken to Pahalgam for annual rituals | | |  Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, July 29: Rituals for ‘Chhari Mubarak’, age-old traditions associated with the annual Amarnath Yatra, formally began on Wednesday, Mahant Deependra Giri said.
‘Chhari Mubarak’, the saffron-robed silver mace of Lord Shiva, was taken from its abode at Dashnami Akshara here to Pahalgam in Anantnag district for the bhoomi pujan ritual.
Chanting Vedic hymns, a group of sadhus led by Giri, custodian of the holy mace, left for Gauri Shankar Temple, Pahalgam, where th | |
| | | | Mere accident can’t establish criminal negligence: High Court | | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, July 29: The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has ruled that the mere occurrence of a road accident cannot establish criminal rashness or negligence, while upholding the acquittal of a mini-bus driver in a 26-year-old case involving the death of a minor child.
Justice M.A. Chowdhary dismissed an acquittal appeal filed by the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir against Ravi Kumar, observing that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accident occurred because of rash and negligent driving on his part.
The case arose from an accident at Sunderbani on May 22, 2000, in which five-to-six-year-old Rohit Singh lost his life.
| |
| | | | J&K Govt introduces uniform building permission fee across UT | | |  Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 29: In a significant move aimed at ensuring uniformity and transparency in the building permission process, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved a common building permission fee structure for the entire Union Territory, bringing all Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils, Municipal Committees and Development Authorities under a single policy framework According to an order issued by the Housing and Urban Development Department on Tuesday, the re | |
| | | | IFFJK receives overwhelming global response | | 875 film entries received from around 50 countries | |  Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, July 29: The 1st International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK) 2026 has evoked an enthusiastic response from filmmakers across the globe, with 875 film submissions received from around 50 countries so far, reflecting the growing international interest in the J&K Government’s flagship cinematic initiative The film submission window for the festival will remain open till tomorrow i.e; July 30, 2026, providing filmmakers with the final opportunity to regi | |
| | | | Crime Branch Kashmir secures conviction in fake certificate recruitment case | | | 
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, July 29: The Crime Branch Kashmir, now functioning as the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir, has secured the conviction of an accused in a long-pending recruitment fraud case involving the use of a forged educational certificate to obtain a government job.
According to an official statement, the Court of the Special Mobile Magistrate, 13th Finance Commission/Railway Magistrate, Srinagar, convicted Nazir Ahmad Malik, son of Abdul Aziz Malik and a resident o | |
| | | | Lok Sabha grants extension to panel on ‘One Nation One Election’ | | |  Early Times Report
New Delhi, July 29: A joint committee of Parliament examining a bill to hold simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies was on Wednesday granted a fresh extension till the end of the Winter session.
Committee chairman PP Chaudhary moved a resolution seeking extension of the deadline for submission of the Committee’s report till the first day of the last week of the Winter Session.
The resolution was passed by voice vote.
Winter Session of Parliament | |
| | | | Farooq questions Centre’s silence on PoJK situation | | |  Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 29: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday questioned the “silence” of the central government over the situation in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The NC president said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar should raise the issue.
“Since they keep saying so much that it (PoJK) is our part, so if it is your part, then why don’t you talk about it?” Abdullah said.
“I have spoken about t | |
| | | | 3 IAS officers relieved by Delhi under AGMUT cadre | | | |
Early Times Report
New Delhi, July 29: The Government of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi has relieved three Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers of the AGMUT cadre from their current assignments to enable them to join their new postings, including one officer transferred to Jammu & Kashmir.
According to an order issued by the Services Department (Services-I Branch), the officers will be relieved with effect from the afternoon of July 31, 2026, in compliance with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) transfer order dated July 9, 2026.
As per the order, Rishita Gupta (IAS, AGMUT:2019), currently serving as Deputy Commissioner in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi ( | |
| | |
|
|