By Syed Hashim Rizvi
The Suru Summer Festival 2026, held on August 26 and 27 at the picturesque Damsna Spang in Kargil district, has emerged as an important initiative to promote tourism, culture and adventure sports in the Suru Valley. The two-day festival was inaugurated by Dr Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon, Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor of the LAHDC Kargil, and witnessed the participation of a large number of locals as well as domestic and foreign tourists.
The primary objective of the fe...
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Five From Ladakh Including Two Brothers Injured in Ganderbal Road Accident
GN Raina
Ganderbal, July 31, KNT: Five persons from the Ladakh region, including two brothers and a 10-year-old boy, were injured after a Xylo vehicle crashed into an electric pole at Hain Kangan in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Friday.
Officials said the vehicle (JK10/5974) lost control and rammed into an electric pole, leaving all its occupants injured.
The injured were identified as driver Asghar Ali, son of Mohammad Hussain Ali, a resident of Kargil; Hussain Asqari, so...
JD Information Chairs Awareness Meeting on ‘Gems of India’ Challenge, Calls for Maximum Participation
Kargil, July 22: Joint Director, Information Department, UT Ladakh, Mohd Taqi, today chaired an awareness meeting with representatives of the local media, members of the Press Club Kargil, digital influencers, and officials of the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Kargil, to discuss the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting’s newly launched ‘Gems of India’ Challenge and to ensure its effective outreach across Ladakh.
During the meeting, the Joint Director briefed the...
Apex Body Leh and Kargil Democratic Alliance delegation reaches New Delhi, visits Medanta Hospital for Sonam Wangchuk’s health inquiry
New Delhi, 22 July/ VOL News Desk/ A high-level joint delegation of Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), active for the resolution of public and social issues of Ladakh, has reached New Delhi and initiated activities to visit renowned environmentalist, educationist and social activist Sonam Wangchuk for health inquiry and to express solidarity with him.
According to sources, the delegation comprising Kargil Democratic Alliance Co-Chairman Haji Asgar Ali Karbalai, Member o...
Severe Heatwave Hits Ladakh, Particularly Kargil District, Rivers Experience Dangerous Surge in Water Flow
Kargil, June 30/ VOL News Desk/ The Union Territory of Ladakh, particularly Kargil district, has been under the grip of an intense heatwave for the past four days, severely affecting normal life and causing various problems for the public. The unusually high temperatures have impacted daily activities, educational matters, and public movement.
The severe heat is affecting children, elderly people, and those engaged in physical labor the most. The continuous rise in daytime temperatures is bei...
Apex Body Leh, KDA Warn Government; Call for Ladakh Bandh on June 23
Leh, June 20, 2026: The Apex Body Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have issued an appeal to the Central government and the Union Territory administration, announcing a region-wide bandh in Ladakh on June 23 over pending constitutional and political demands.
The announcement follows concerns raised by the leadership over the outcome of a sub-committee meeting held under the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi on May 22. Leaders alleged that key points agreed upon during the m...
Ladakh Academy of Art, Culture and Languages accorded Autonomous Status; Governing Bodies constituted
Leh, June 19, 2026: In a landmark step towards the preservation, promotion, and advancement of Ladakh’s rich cultural and linguistic heritage, the Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh, with the approval of the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor, UT Ladakh, Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, has formally constituted the General Council and Executive Committee of the Ladakh Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (LAAC&L), thereby operationalising the Academy as an autonomous institution.
The const...
Concern Over Industrial Smoke Near Damsna Tourist Spot in Suru Valley; Locals Demand Environmental Probe
Damsna, Taisuru/Kargil: Thick smoke allegedly emanating from an industrial unit near Damsna, a popular tourist and recreational spot in the Suru Valley, has caused concern among local residents, tourists, and environmental circles.
According to local sources, the industrial unit has been set up by a company named Top Line under a National Highway macadam laying project.
Reports indicate that some local tourists recorded images and videos of the smoke coming from the industrial unit and shared ...
AI and India’s Job Market: Transformation, Not Catastrophe
Biju Dharmapalan
The spectre of artificial intelligence destroying jobs has become one of the most persistent anxieties of our times. Boardrooms and classrooms alike buzz with the same dread- are machines on the verge of replacing us at a scale never seen before? There is little concrete proof so far that AI has significantly disrupted employment patterns. Instead, what we are witnessing is not a sudden collapse of jobs, but the early stages of a complex and uneven transformation.
The Indian ...
Farming on the Edge: Climate-Resilient Agriculture in India’s Fragile Himalayan Regions
Biju Dharmapalan
India’s agricultural landscape stands at a critical crossroads. Unpredictable and erratic
monsoons, prolonged droughts, unseasonal rainfall, and increasing pest outbreaks are no
longer anomalies—they are becoming the norm. Against this backdrop, farming that is
resilient to the impacts of climate is not a political option, but a national need in this changing
environment. Its effects are far more extensive than harvests and may define the future of
food security, the livelihoods o...