The inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) commenced in Chhattisgarh, providing a national stage for tribal athletes to showcase their abilities. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted the event's significance in promoting sports culture and identifying talent from remote areas.
Lal Chowk in the heart of Srinagar was Kashmir's leading venue for protests where fortified defences had been set up by security forces. Today a group of youngsters dances at the Chowk and makes reels.
Rain and snow on the first day of Chillai-Kalaan is locally seen as a good omen and a precursor to plenty of snow.
'We in Kashmir will ensure that this kind of incident does not happen again.'
'Tourism will get hit. Thousands of lives will suffer. Businesses will shut down.'
'The Pahalgam terror attacks and the conflict that followed were a big blow to local tourism.' 'And just when things were starting to go back to normal, the floods, caused by heavy rain, spoiled all chances of a bounce-back this season.'
Political parties, cutting across affiliations and ideologies, Friday welcomed the Kashmir rail link inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hoping for a boost in trade and tourism in the valley.
This is the first Budget in my memory of Budgets over the last half a century which has embraced upfront, enthusiastically and emphatically, technology, modernity and fiscal sobriety, notes Shreekant Sambrani.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off two specially designed Vande Bharat trains between Katra town and Srinagar city, reducing travel time between the two places by two to three hours and ensuring all-weather surface connectivity with the Kashmir valley.
Chennai-based photographer Ramya Sriram explains how she captured the fiery and hypnotic Theyyam image that won her the National Geographic India Contest
India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced an ambitious plan to develop the country's top 50 tourist destinations in a "challenge mode", with the aim of boosting employment-led growth and attracting international visitors. The Ministry of Tourism has received a significant budget increase for 2025-2026, with a focus on enhancing tourism infrastructure, promoting domestic and international travel, and ensuring the safety of tourists, particularly women. The government plans to promote homestays, improve connectivity to tourist spots, and provide performance-linked incentives to states that demonstrate effective destination management. The budget also includes investments in public enterprises, skill development programs, and initiatives to promote medical tourism and spiritual tourism.
Budget 2026 sticks to fiscal discipline, shuns populist measures despite five key state elections coming up, but ends up rattling stock markets with a higher transaction tax on derivatives trading.
Travel firms expect package prices to rise by 5 to 10 per cent, depending on destination and inclusions.
The Kashmir valley observed a shutdown on Wednesday in protest against a terror attack that killed at least 26 people, mostly tourists, in Pahalgam. This was the first time in 35 years that the valley observed a shutdown for a terror attack. Organisations from all walks of life supported the bandh call, including political parties, socio-religious organisations, trade bodies, and civil society groups. Security has been beefed up across the valley, especially at vital tourist spots.
Srinagar's Dal Lake on Friday witnessed history as the first-ever Khelo India Water Sports Festival was inaugurated in Jammu and Kashmir, drawing over 800 participants from across India and abroad.
"Not only that, Pakistan is also the enemy of poor's bread and butter. What happened on April 22 in Pahalgam is an example of that. Pakistan attacked 'insaniyat' and Kashmiriyat in Pahalgam.
'Afzal Guru became a victim of Pakistan's conspiracy. He was used as a means, just like all other innocent Kashmiris.'
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has stated that the conversation regarding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir has not been stalled. He claims the issue was raised at the recent NITI Aayog governing council meeting, and the formal speech distributed at the meeting includes a mention of the return of statehood. Abdullah also addressed concerns about the impact of the Pahalgam terror attack on tourism, emphasizing the importance of local Kashmiris visiting tourist spots first to revive the industry and ensure a sense of security.
Tourism, the mainstay of Kashmir's economy is picking up following improvement in the security situation in the state after the change of government, the state assembly was informed.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced plans to build a memorial in Baisaran, Pahalgam, in memory of the 26 victims of last month's terror attack. The memorial will serve as a lasting tribute to the victims and a reminder that they will never be forgotten. Abdullah also addressed the importance of reviving tourism in the state, assuring tour operators that tourist destinations will reopen in a phased manner.
Terrorists active in Jammu and Kashmir will either land in jail or be sent to jahannum (hell), Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday while asserting that the Modi government has zero tolerance for terrorism.
Veteran politician Satyapal Malik, who served as governor of multiple states and later became a vocal critic of the government, has died at the age of 79.
In an attempt to revive tourism in Kashmir after it was severely affected after the Pahalgam terror attack, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met prominent tour and travel operators from Maharashtra and Gujarat at a Pahalgam hotel on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
'The people who were protesting and getting violent were all in the age group of 14-25.'
Strong demand for cultural and spiritual hubs is expected for destinations like Varanasi, Kolkata during Durga Puja, and Pushkar for the camel fair, besides leisure destinations like Goa, Udaipur, Jaipur and Coorg.
The home ministry said the central government would continue to welcome the discussion with LAB and KDA through the high powered committee on Ladakh or any such platform.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has ordered a probe after a fashion show in the ski resort of Gulmarg during the holy month of Ramzan sparked widespread criticism. The event, which featured semi-nude models, was widely condemned by religious leaders and activists who accused the organizers of disregarding local sensitivities and disrespecting religious values. The Chief Minister has promised to take appropriate action once the report is submitted within 24 hours. The incident has sparked a debate about the balance between tourism promotion and the preservation of cultural and religious values in the region.
Suryakumar fined 30 percent of match fee, India appeal verdict
The train is specially equipped for extreme weather, capable of functioning in temperatures as low as minus 20°C, and include features like heated windshields, insulated toilets, and seismic dampers for safety.
Mixing humour with political resolve, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday used the flagging-off ceremony of the first train to Kashmir by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Katra to subtly but clearly articulate his government's demand for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
He also said that his country would continue to talk about the Kashmir issue "through channels that are acceptable" and prayed that "the issue is amicably resolved".
'Why have we failed to address the issue of ensuring a requisite buffer zone in J&K, given that cross-border links of some J&K politicians are known?', asks Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
Jaishankar said that the Pahalgam attack "was an act of economic warfare. It was meant to destroy tourism in Kashmir, which was the mainstay of the economy. It was also meant to provoke religious violence because people were asked to identify their faith before they were killed."
Over 100,000 tulips are already in full bloom at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine's research centre in Bonera, Pulwama.
Designer duo Shivan and Narresh, who are facing backlash for displaying 'obscene' garments at a fashion show in Gulmarg last week, have said their sole intention was to celebrate creativity and regret any hurt caused by the event during the holy month of Ramzan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the world sees yoga as a powerful agent for global good as it helps people live in the present without carrying the baggage of the past.
Rapid economic growth has made full integration of the North-east with the mainstream look possible. The same must happen in Kashmir.
The launch of the first-ever direct train service from Delhi to Kashmir would be a big turning point in the Valley's mood and its integration with India. He had to thwart it at any cost, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
