Overall, the official data shows that over 7.85 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir from 2023 to 2025, while over 4.76 crore tourists visited the Union Territory during 2016-18.
Bandyopadhyay told PTI that he received a call from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and the external affairs ministry, and was asked to go to the US but he informed them that he would not be able to go due to health reasons.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discusses India's approach to cross-border terrorism following the Pahalgam attack, emphasizing a firm response and no compromise on nuclear blackmail.
A senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Wednesday claimed that the military operation against India was designed under the supervision of the party president Nawaz Sharif.
Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a "full and immediate" ceasefire after a "long night" of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 70 times that he ended the conflict between India and Pakistan.
From 'the wings are yours' to 'even a free bird must watch the skies', the Shashi Tharoor-Congress rift took a turn towards what some termed a 'war of birds' on Thursday as party leader Manickam Tagore sought to establish the pecking order with an X message to his colleague.
This came after a media report claimed that Col Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh, who led India's press briefings on Operation Sindoor, will be the faces of an ambitious women-centric campaign to be rolled out by the BJP on the completion of 11 years of the Modi government on June 9.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh's role at the press briefing for Operation Sindoor is consistent with her experience as a helicopter pilot in Jammu and Kashmir during the course of her career.
The strained bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh filtered onto the cricket field as captains of the two teams abstained from making customary handshake ahead of their U-19 World Cup Group A match in Bulawayo on Saturday, though the players from both sides were seen exchanging handshakes and pleasantries on the field at the end of the match.
'We completely destroyed at least three posts, an ammunition depot, fuel storage facility, and gunnery, among other targets. Our retaliation was so devastating that it will take Pakistan at least 8-12 months to rebuild, possibly longer'
Among major engagements in 2026 is the visit of the European Union leadership, chief guests at the Republic Day parade.
A cross-party delegation led by Congress MP Dr Shashi Tharoor is visiting key American nations to rally global support for India's counter-terror stance under Operation Sindoor, spotlighting regional stability and Pakistan-backed cross-border threats.
'China continues to perceive its relations with India through the prism of India-US relations, with the US using India to counter balance against China in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.'
Modi will start his visit on June 6 by dedicating to public the Chenab rail bridge, which is a key part of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway link (USBRL) that will provide direct train connectivity to the valley.
A year after the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, India remembers the victims and reaffirms its commitment to fighting terrorism. Families of the deceased mourn their loss, while political leaders reiterate the nation's resolve to stand united against terror.
Opposition parties have agreed to the agenda of taking up a special discussion on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor on Monday in Lok Sabha and the next day in Rajya Sabha, brightening up the prospect of normalcy returning to Parliament after the virtual washout of first-week proceedings.
After the tragic Pahalgam attack on April 22, which claimed 26 lives, foreign tourists have begun returning to Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir.
If the Iranian regime needs to be punished for promoting quasi-terrorist outfits like Hezbollah and Hamas, then what about Pakistan which has spent decades exporting terror around the world, killing thousands, particularly in Afghanistan and India? asks M R Narayan Swamy.
The deadly attack on the Uri garrison on September 18 nine years ago marked the end of India's policy against crossing the Line of Control to target Pakistan-based terrorists. It paved the way for the Balakot Air Strikes in 2019 and Operation Sindoor.
Low-level lightweight radars; very short-range air defence systems (launchers and missiles); remotely piloted aerial vehicles; loitering munitions, including vertical take-off and landing systems; different kinds of drones; bullet-proof vests; ballistic helmets; quick-reaction fighting vehicles -- heavy and medium; and night sights for rifles (aiming devices that are visible in low light).
Jammu and Kashmir was peaceful last night with no hostilities between the Indian and Pakistani militaries along the Line of Control and the International Border.
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has given full authority to the Army commanders for counter-action in the kinetic domain to any violation of the understanding reached between the Indian and Pakistani militaries.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has informed a parliamentary panel that Pakistan was notified about Indian strikes on terror camps in their territory only after they were carried out. He also clarified that the decision to halt the military operation was taken bilaterally following a request from Pakistan, and there was no US mediation involved. Jaishankar emphasized India's zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and the importance of conveying a united message against it globally.
'There are only a few countries in the world that have deployed combat-ready laser systems.'
'The attack in Pahalgam targeted the husbands of many women so it was a direct blow to our sindoor'
"In 1948, Indian armed forces were in a decisive position to take back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir but then PM Jawaharlal Nehru declared unilateral ceasefire," Amit Shah said. In 1971, Shah said, 93,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendered and India had 15,000 sq km Pakistan territory under control, but still PoK was not taken back. During the 1962 war with China, then PM Nehru bade goodbye to Assam in a speech on Akashvani, he said.
In his first address to the nation after Operation Sindoor, the prime minister said on Monday that for India to uphold peace, it must be strong, and when necessary, that strength must be exercised.
'Shashi Tharoor is destroying the history of India.' 'He is distorting facts about the Congress party.'
The Indian Army used Medium Machine Guns (MMGs) to target Pakistani Army forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC), inflicting heavy casualties during a ceasefire violation on the intervening night of May 7-8.
The real heroes of Operation Sindoor were not the armed forces or political leadership, but the ordinary citizens of India who refused to fall into the trap of communal provocation, asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
India successfully intercepted or neutralized all Pakistani missiles and drones that targeted 15 Indian cities on Wednesday night, according to official sources. The attack, which was launched in response to India's Operation Sindoor, involved the deployment of Barak-8 missiles, S-400 Triumph air defense systems, Akash surface-to-air missiles, and indigenously developed anti-drone equipment. India retaliated with precision strikes on Pakistani territory, destroying an HQ-9 air defense unit in Lahore and damaging key radar infrastructure. The incident highlights the strength of India's air defense capabilities and its ability to project power with surgical precision.
Poonch district alone accounted for 13 civilian deaths among 28 fatalities in the Pakistani shelling and drone attacks in Jammu and Kashmir after the Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes on terror infrastructure across the border under Operation Sindoor in May in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 persons, mostly tourists, dead.
The defence minister also announced that India has taken up the challenge of developing a powerful indigenous aero-engine, adding that preparations for this critical project are now almost complete and the work will soon be visible.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Tuesday called for shunning double standards in combating terrorism and urged members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to hold accountable perpetrators, organisers and financers of cross-border terrorism, seen as reference to Pakistan.
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on Thursday flagged serious concerns over inordinate delays in various defence acquisition projects and failure to stick to delivery schedules for supply of key platforms even as he hailed Operation Sindoor as a 'national victory'.
India's handling of the Iran crisis reflects a growing strain between strategic autonomy and geopolitical alignment, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan on Tuesday used a striking cricketing analogy to describe India's decisive win over Pakistan in 'Operation Sindoor,' asserting that India had inflicted an 'innings defeat' on its adversary.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has once again thanked former US President Donald Trump for resolving the India-Pakistan conflict in May, despite India's consistent denial of third-party intervention.
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi emphasized the importance of indigenous equipment for the Indian Army, highlighting the force's modernization efforts and readiness for future warfare.
A woman arrested for allegedly promoting Al-Qaeda's agenda had appealed to Pakistan's Army chief to invade India to unify Muslim lands under Project Khilafat, officials said.
