VK News Today https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html IPL 2026 | Who is Tejasvi Singh Dahiya? KKR’s Rs 3 crore concussion substitute vs Mumbai Indians Will Raúl Castro’s indictment over 1996 shooting down of civilian planes push US and Cuba closer to war? Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson reportedly seeks offseason trade after inconsistent NHL role during NHL season . SRINAGAR: Ladakh lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Wednesday granted “industry” status to hotels and guesthouses registered with tourism department with an aim to strengthening hospitality sector in the UT.The order will come into force on June 1. It is expected to benefit 1,257 hotels and guesthouses in the UT, including 1,078 in Leh and 179 in Kargil, as they can now avail electricity and water tariff at industrial rates, which is lesser than commercial rates. Stakeholders, including All Ladakh Hotel and Guesthouse Association, had been pressing for the industry status to the sector.“The hospitality and tourism sector has significant potential to catalyse sustainable economic development and tourism promotion in Ladakh. This reform will also enhance visitor experience and further establish Ladakh as a world-class tourism destination rooted in sustainability, culture and hospitality,” Saxena said.Now the hospitality units will receive incentives, concessions, and infrastructure support at par with other industries in Ladakh. Most of these hotels operate for only about six months in a year and remain closed during the harsh winter when temperature plunges to as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius at some places, resulting in high maintenance costs making hotel and guesthouse businesses unsustainable.The new tag also makes hotels and guesthouses eligible for concessional bank loans under the UT and Central govts’ industrial policies. These hotels and guesthouses would also be exempted from property tax, and they would also be able to access capital incentives, subsidies and other schemes.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’India Won’t Tolerate Any Form Of Nuclear Blackmail’: Rajnath Singh In South KoreaWho Is Ryan Williams? 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US indicts former Cuban president over fatal 1996 civilian plane shooting Pompeii’s 2,000-year-old mystery jars finally revealed by 3D scans: How Romans built them, and why their function remains a mystery | World News . SRINAGAR/JAMMU: The Omar Abdullah govt Wednesday constituted a two-member committee to investigate the demolitions carried out in Jammu’s Sidhra area a day earlier to free forest land of alleged encroachments.According to an order issued by the tribal affairs department, the committee will examine if there was any violation of Forest Rights Act-2006 in the demolition of houses of tribal Gujjar families in Raika Bandi (Sidhra) belt of the Mahamaya forest area on Jammu’s outskirts. The inquiry panel has been asked to submit its report within seven days.The order was issued after widespread criticism and protests over the anti-encroachment drive, carried out jointly by teams of forest and revenue departments under police protection, with political parties in Kashmir and the Gujjar-Bakarwal community alleging violation of tribal rights.The exercise has once again put the NC govt at loggerheads with the LG administration. J&K’s forest and tribal affairs minister Javed Ahmad Rana, who visited the area after the drive on Tuesday, said he was “deeply shocked and outraged by the clandestine, unilateral demolition of homes in Sidhra”.“Decades of heritage of our innocent Gujjar-Bakarwal families has been reduced to rubble without taking the elected, popular govt or my ministry into confidence. This is not a mere regulatory drive; it is a targeted, cruel eviction explicitly aimed at terrorising and marginalising our nomadic tribal communities who have protected these lands for over half a century,” Rana said in a post on X. “We will not stand by as silent spectators to this selective harassment and high-handedness… Our people deserve justice, not displacement,” he added.BJP supported the drive, saying state and forest land was being illegally occupied by encroachers, while Peoples Conference chief Sajad Gani Lone dismissed the inquiry as “mere eyewash.”Officials Tuesday said 20-30 structures, mostly kachcha constructions, were razed during the exercise that went on for three-four hours amid resistance from the alleged encroachers. Nearly 60 kanals (7.5 acres) of land were retrieved during the operation, they said.The evicted families staged a protest and alleged that no prior notice was served before razing the houses.On May 13, hundreds of protesters led by BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa — carrying placards that read ‘save Jammu forests’ and ‘stop grabbing Jammu lands’ — took out a rally on Sidhra road and later staged a sit-in demanding immediate removal of illegal occupants. The protesters raised slogans against “outsider land-grabbers”, and warned of a major agitation if immediate action was not taken to stop encroachment of govt lands.The Omar govt had earlier acknowledged that vast tracts of land had been encroached across Jammu and Kashmir. In reply to a question by BJP MLA Shakti Raj Parihar during the assembly session in March, govt had informed that over 17,22,995 kanals of state land and over 3,77,000 kanals of forest land remained under illegal occupation across the UT.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’India Won’t Tolerate Any Form Of Nuclear Blackmail’: Rajnath Singh In South KoreaWho Is Ryan Williams? Footballer Who Gave Up Australian Citizenship To Play For IndiaCongress To Join Tamil Nadu Cabinet After 59 Years As Vijay Expands TVK GovernmentIndia, Italy Elevate Ties; PM Modi’s ‘Melody’ Gift To Meloni Goes Viral | Headlines@9Parle Industries Shares Jump 5% After Modi-Meloni’s ‘Melody’ Moment, But There’s A CatchItaly PM Giorgia Meloni Speaks Hindi During Joint Presser With PM Modi | Viral ‘Melodi’ Moment’Anarchic Mindset’: BJP Slams Rahul Gandhi For ‘Traitors’ Remark On PM Modi, Amit Shah’Warned India of Economic Storm, Then Flew to Italy on ₹4,000 Crore Jet’: Rahul Gandhi Slams PM ModiIndia Successfully Tests Suryastra Precision Rocket System With 300-Km Strike CapabilityThree Newly Married Women Die Within Five Days Across MP And UP, Families Allege Dowry Harassment123Photostories8 strange and uncomfortable signs you are going through a quiet spiritual awakening8 giraffe facts that shock even wildlife loversGauranga Das shares 3 signs of a loyal partner10 exercises that can keep the heart healthyFeeling Stressed? 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Here Are Some Astrological RemediesSaffron milk skin benefits: Why the internet is obsessed with this beauty drink123Hot PicksSBI apprentice recruitment 2026US Iran warCBSE Class 12 re-evaluation 2026Gold price predictionAdani Group stocksNEET exam cancelledMHT CET Result 2026Top TrendingCBSE Answer SheetTwisha SharmaIPL Playoff RaceTN Results 2026Odisha 12th ResultsIPL 2026IPL Orange Cap 2026India VS Afghanistan Squad AnnouncementMHT CET Result DateJahangir Khan May 20, 2026, 23:24 IST Russian warplanes ‘repeatedly’ intercepted RAF spy plane over Black Sea From strategic partnership upgrade to defence roadmap: Key outcomes of PM Modi–Meloni meeting in Rome | India News Adnan Sami reacts to trolling over meeting RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat: ‘I don’t give a s**t what anybody thinks’ | Two superpowers, one host: How Xi handled Trump and Putin differently NIA arrests Kolkata man in Pakistan-linked espionage and terror case | India News Japanese Relationship Concept: Renri no Eda: The Japanese concept that changes how we think about relationships IPL 2026 | Deepak Chahar mocks viral ‘chit celebration’ with hilarious no-chit act during KKR vs MI match – WATCH | Cricket News Israeli parliament votes to advance bill to dissolve Knesset, paving way for early elections Mayawati (File photo/PTI) NEW DELHI: Several Dalit leaders of the Congress attempted to meet Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati at her Lucknow residence on Wednesday, prompting the grand old party to issue show-cause notices to them seeking an explanation for their “unauthorised” act.The leaders were turned away at the gate as they had not sought an appointment to meet the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, who belongs to the Dalit community.Congress Scheduled Caste Department national chairman Rajendra Pal Gautam and the department’s Uttar Pradesh president and MP Tanuj Punia, who were among those who went to Mayawati’s residence, described the visit as an “impromptu courtesy visit” with “no political overtones.”Congress’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge Avinash Pande told PTI that the party had taken note of the visit.“This was not an authorised delegation from the party. We have taken cognisance of the matter and issued show-cause notices. While we hold her in high esteem, those who attempted to meet her did so in their personal capacity,” Pande said.Meanwhile, state Congress president Ajay Rai maintained that the party had not given any permission for any such meeting.“Such programmes are pre-decided and cleared by top leadership well in advance,” Rai stated.’Not true’: Cong MP Punia denies reports Dalit leaders wanted to convey Rahul Gandhi’s messagePunia denied reports claiming that the Dalit leaders had approached Mayawati to convey a message from Rahul Gandhi.“That’s not correct…A meeting of the party’s SC wing under Rajendra Pal Ji was held in Lucknow on Tuesday evening. Since our party office is close to the BSP chief’s residence, after the meeting, as we drove past Mayawati Ji’s residence, we thought of making an impromptu courtesy call on her, more so as she also hails from the same community as ours and is a senior leader,” Punia told PTI.BSP spokesperson Vishwanath Pal said he had no knowledge of the visit. “I don’t know who went to see Behen Ji. I am not aware of any such visit,” he said, referring to Mayawati.Unmindful of the controversy, Gautam maintained that the visit was “well intentioned” and that it had no political overtones, adding that it was meant to check on the BSP leader’s health.“It could be a juicy gossip for the media, but as for me, I have known Mayawati’s relatives for long. Her brother is well known to me and we frequently meet. That is why, after our Lucknow meeting, as we passed through her residence, we decided to check if she was available for the meeting,” Gautam said.When asked whether a formal appointment should have been taken, he replied it was not considered necessary since he was familiar with her family.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosCongress To Join Tamil Nadu Cabinet After 59 Years As Vijay Expands TVK GovernmentIndia, Italy Elevate Ties; PM Modi’s ‘Melody’ Gift To Meloni Goes Viral | Headlines@9Parle Industries Shares Jump 5% After Modi-Meloni’s ‘Melody’ Moment, But There’s A CatchItaly PM Giorgia Meloni Speaks Hindi During Joint Presser With PM Modi | Viral ‘Melodi’ Moment’Anarchic Mindset’: BJP Slams Rahul Gandhi For ‘Traitors’ Remark On PM Modi, Amit Shah’Warned India of Economic Storm, Then Flew to Italy on ₹4,000 Crore Jet’: Rahul Gandhi Slams PM ModiIndia Successfully Tests Suryastra Precision Rocket System With 300-Km Strike CapabilityThree Newly Married Women Die Within Five Days Across MP And UP, Families Allege Dowry Harassment’Economic Storm Raging, PM Busy Handing Out Candies’: Rahul Gandhi Slams Modi Over ‘Melody’ VideoPM Modi & President Trump To Cross Paths At G7 Summit In France Amid India-US Trade Push123Photostories8 strange and uncomfortable signs you are going through a quiet spiritual awakening8 giraffe facts that shock even wildlife loversGauranga Das shares 3 signs of a loyal partner10 exercises that can keep the heart healthyFeeling Stressed? 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Failed 3 H1-B attempts: Indian professional in US says ‘visa anxiety is a permanent subscription’, plans return to be with family No Ebola cases reported in India yet; government ramps up surveillance after WHO alert | India News IPL 2026 | After 14 years, Mumbai Indians’ Tilak Varma scripts rare ‘unwanted’ IPL record | Cricket News Bajaj General Insurance rolls out riders to lock premiums, expand health cover scope Zahara, Shiloh, Vivienne, and Maddox, 4 of Brad Pitt’s 6 kids dropped his surname | Rashee Rice had an unexpected and concerning health battle just days before going to jail in Dallas as Chiefs remain silent NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday was conferred the FAO Agricola Medal, the highest honour of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, in recognition of his contribution to food security, sustainable agriculture and rural development.The award was presented at the FAO headquarters in Rome by Director-General Dr Qu Dongyu during a ceremony in the historic Plenary Hall. PM Modi, who is on the final leg of his five-nation tour, arrived in Italy on Tuesday night. Describing the recognition as a collective honour, he said it belonged to those engaged in India’s farm sector.“This is an honour to India’s millions of farmers, livestock rearers, fish farmers, agricultural scientists, and workers. This is also an honour to India’s unwavering commitment, at the centre of which lies human welfare, food security, and Sustainable Development,” he said.The Prime Minister also highlighted India’s broader agricultural approach, stressing the balance between productivity and sustainability. He said the country was shifting focus towards “Producing Better” rather than only “Producing More”, with emphasis on biodiversity and reduced dependence on chemical fertilisers.Highlighting the role of innovation, PM Modi said modern tools such as AI-based advisory systems, drones, remote sensing and digital public infrastructure were transforming farming practices and improving incomes. He also noted that India has developed around 3,000 climate-resilient crop varieties in the past decade.He reiterated that food security is not merely a policy objective but a responsibility towards humanity, adding that India’s experience shows scale and sustainability can go together when technology and inclusion are combined.The FAO Agricola Medal is among the organisation’s most prestigious honours, awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to global food security, nutrition and agricultural development.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosCongress To Join Tamil Nadu Cabinet After 59 Years As Vijay Expands TVK GovernmentIndia, Italy Elevate Ties; PM Modi’s ‘Melody’ Gift To Meloni Goes Viral | Headlines@9Parle Industries Shares Jump 5% After Modi-Meloni’s ‘Melody’ Moment, But There’s A CatchItaly PM Giorgia Meloni Speaks Hindi During Joint Presser With PM Modi | Viral ‘Melodi’ Moment’Anarchic Mindset’: BJP Slams Rahul Gandhi For ‘Traitors’ Remark On PM Modi, Amit Shah’Warned India of Economic Storm, Then Flew to Italy on ₹4,000 Crore Jet’: Rahul Gandhi Slams PM ModiIndia Successfully Tests Suryastra Precision Rocket System With 300-Km Strike CapabilityThree Newly Married Women Die Within Five Days Across MP And UP, Families Allege Dowry Harassment’Economic Storm Raging, PM Busy Handing Out Candies’: Rahul Gandhi Slams Modi Over ‘Melody’ VideoPM Modi & President Trump To Cross Paths At G7 Summit In France Amid India-US Trade Push123Photostories8 strange and uncomfortable signs you are going through a quiet spiritual awakening8 giraffe facts that shock even wildlife loversGauranga Das shares 3 signs of a loyal partner10 exercises that can keep the heart healthyFeeling Stressed? 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