Gurpreet Singh, Author at National Times

20 May

Chandigarh Schools to Close for Summer Vacation from May 23 Amid Heatwave

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabChandigarh

Chandigarh (National Times): With temperatures soaring across the region, the Chandigarh Education Department has officially announced summer vacations for all government schools, starting May 23, 2025. The break will last 39 days, with schools scheduled to reopen on July 1, 2025, according to an official notification issued Monday. Heatwave Triggers Early Holidays The move comes amid intensifying heatwave conditions that have raised serious concerns about student health and safety. On Saturday, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 40.8°C, nearly 2°C above the seasonal average, the Meteorological Department reported. Weather experts have warned of further increases in the coming days.…

20 May

Hemkund Sahib Yatra to Begin on May 25; First Pilgrim Group to Depart on May 22

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndia

Chamoli (National Times): The annual pilgrimage to Sri Hemkund Sahib, one of the most revered Sikh shrines located in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, is set to begin on May 25, 2025. As per tradition, the first jatha (group of pilgrims), led by the Panj Pyare, will depart on May 22, officially marking the commencement of this year's yatra. Army Arrives to Clear Trekking RouteIn preparation for the pilgrimage, personnel from the Indian Army have reached Govindghat and begun the task of clearing snow from the trekking path. Their efforts are focused on ensuring a safe and unobstructed route for thousands of…

20 May

Indian Army’s Statement Of Deploying Air Defence Guns at Sri Harmandar Sahib is Shockingly Untrue: Head Granthi

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabAmritsar, Punjab

Responding to the recent claim made by Indian Army Lieutenant General Sumer Ivan D’Cunha during an interview with a channel—where he stated that air defence guns were deployed at Sri Harmandar Sahib amid the recent India-Pakistan tensions—Giani Amarjeet Singh, Additional Head Granthi of Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib, has called the statement shockingly untrue and outrightly rejected it. He clarified that the management of Sri Harmandar Sahib had cooperated with the district administration’s guidelines regarding the city-wide blackout by switching off exterior and upper lights of the complex within the specified time frame. However, lights at locations where religious code of…

19 May

BSF to Resume Flag Retreat Ceremonies at Amritsar and Fazilka Borders from Tuesday

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaAttari-Wagah, BSF, Flag Retreat Ceremony, Sadqi border

National Times Bureau, May 19, 2025: After a temporary suspension due to heightened security concerns, the Border Security Force (BSF) will resume the iconic evening flag retreat ceremonies at both the Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar and the Sadqi border in Fazilka starting Tuesday, May 20, 2025.The move comes nearly two weeks after the BSF halted public access to these ceremonies following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, which had raised nationwide security alarms. The decision to resume was taken following a review of the current security situation.The ceremonies, which showcase the lowering of the national flags of India and Pakistan in a…

19 May

Punjab Hikes Pay, Extends Retirement Age for 804 Rural Dispensary Employees After Nearly 20 Years

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabPunjab government, Retirement Age Extension, Rural Dispensaries, Salary Hike

Chandigarh, May 19, 2025: In a long-awaited relief, the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has increased salaries and extended the retirement age for 804 employees serving in rural dispensaries under Zila Parishads. The decision, affecting 441 Pharmacy Officers/Paramedical Staff and 363 Attendant-cum-Class IV employees, comes nearly two decades after their appointment on contract in 2006.As per the new policy, effective April 1, 2025, these employees will now serve until the age of 58. Pharmacy Officers’ monthly pay will increase from Rs. 11,000 to Rs. 20,000, with 5% annual increments until Rs. 30,000, followed by 3% thereafter.…

19 May

Punjab Bus Staff Announce 2-Hour Strike Over Pending Salaries; Full Protest Threat Looms If Dues Remain Unpaid

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabPUNBUS protest, Punjab Roadways strike

Chandigarh (National Times): An important update for bus commuters in Punjab—employees of Punjab Roadways and PUNBUS have announced a two-hour strike and protest on May 20, from 10 AM to 12 noon. The strike is being held in protest against the non-payment of pending salaries of workshop staff.On May 15, 2025, a meeting was held between union representatives and top officials including Punjab’s Transport Minister, the State Transport Secretary, the State Transport Director, and the Managing Director of PRTC. During the meeting, all demands were discussed in detail. Officials assured the union that a policy to address the demands had…

19 May

BJP Demands CBI Probe Into Amritsar Hooch Tragedy, Alleges AAP’s Nexus with Liquor Mafia

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabAAP, Amritsar Hooch Tragedy, Bhagwant Mann, BJP, Liquor Mafia, Sunil Jakhar

National Times Bureau, May 19, 2025: In a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has submitted a formal memorandum to Governor Gulab Chand Kataria demanding a time-bound probe into the recent hooch tragedy in Majitha, Amritsar district. The tragedy has claimed 27 lives, with BJP alleging it to be the result of AAP’s complicity with the liquor mafia.BJP Punjab State President Sunil Jakhar, in a detailed letter dated May 19, 2025, held Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s administration responsible for the avoidable loss of lives. The victims, mostly daily wage earners,…

19 May

Punjab BJP Leaders Meet Governor Kataria, Demand Probe into Majitha Liquor Tragedy

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabGovernor Kataria, Majitha liquor tragedy, Punjab BJP, Sunil Jakhar

Chandigarh, May 19, 2025: A delegation from the Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by state president Sunil Jakhar, met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Monday to express serious concerns over the Majitha spurious liquor tragedy.During the meeting, the BJP leaders submitted a memorandum, urging the Governor to intervene and seek accountability from the state government. The party alleged deep-rooted irregularities and corruption in the liquor trade and blamed the government for failing to act decisively in the wake of the tragedy.The BJP delegation also demanded a high-level investigation to uncover the full extent of the…

19 May

Major Security Breach Foiled: Two Nabbed in Gurdaspur for Leaking Army Secrets to ISI

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabGurdaspur, Punjab

Gurdaspur (National Times): In a dramatic turn of events, Gurdaspur Police busted a major spying ring on May 15, arresting two men for passing on top-secret military information to Pakistan’s ISI. The suspects, Sukhpreet Singh and Karanbir Singh, had been under surveillance following intelligence inputs that they were leaking classified details from Operation Sindoor—a high-level military initiative. Sources say the information shared included troop movements and strategic military locations across Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and J&K. The arrests followed a quick police action, and a search of their belongings led to the seizure of three mobile phones and eight live cartridges…

19 May

Controversy Erupts as SGPC Condemns Dhruv Rathee’s AI Video on Sikh History

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabDhruv Rathee, SGPC

Amritsar (National Times): A new video on Sikh history by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has sparked fierce backlash from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which has accused him of twisting historical facts and disrespecting Sikh traditions. In a sharply worded statement, SGPC General Secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal condemned Rathee’s use of artificial intelligence to portray events in Sikh history, claiming the video included factual distortions and lacked cultural sensitivity. “Rathee did not even show basic respect by referring to Guru Sahib appropriately,” said Grewal. “This kind of casual storytelling is unacceptable when dealing with matters of deep religious significance.” The…