18022026-ATR-01.qxd 2/18/2026 12:23 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune IMPACT OF HEAT ON WHEAT CROP WORRIES AGRI OFFICIALS MC REMOVES ENCROACHMENT FROM SAKATRI BAGH The municipal corporation has managed to remove an illegal encroachment from Sakatri Bagh here. P2 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 25°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 25°C | MIN 12°C HAVEN OF ASIAN CUISINE NEAR DHARAMSALA The Agriculture Department has expressed concern over the excessive heat in environment in Tarn Taran. P2 FORECAST NomadGao Cafe in Dharamkot near Dharamsala offers Vietnamese and other Asian special food items. P4 » » SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.19 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 7.08 AM » WEDNESDAY | 18 FEBRUARY 2026 | AMRITSAR Man loses ~32K, motorcycle to armed men Illegal property of drug traffickers demolished on Sultanwind Road Tarn Taran, February 17 Three armed robbers on Saturday looted Karamjit Singh, a resident of Dayalpur village under the Kacha Pakka police station, on the road leading from Palasaur to Jarmastpur village, falling under the local city police station. Karamjit Singh was on way to Amritsar on a motorcycle to buy tractor parts. He was stopped by robbers on the way. When he protested, the robbers threatened to shoot him. The robbers looted Rs 32,000, a mobile phone and a motorcycle from him. ASI Gurpreet Singh, incharge of Town police chowki under the city police station, said that a case has been registered under Sections 309 (4) and 126 (2) of the IPC and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act in this regard. Karamjit Singh said that he had immediately filed a complaint with the police. Meanwhile, apart from stealing a moped from this place, the robbers had also injured another person by hitting him with a sickle. ASI Gurpreet Singh said the police are trying to trace the robbers. — OC Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 17 In a crackdown on drug smuggling, the district administration on Tuesday demolished an illegally acquired property belonging to three alleged drug traffickers at Mandir Wala Bazar on Sultanwind Road, under the jurisdiction of the B Division police station. The demolished property belonged to siblings Anmol (34), Sonia (24) and Gagandeep Singh, alias Gora (25), residents of L2/151, Gali Number 3, Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar. According to the police, all three accused were actively involved in drug trafficking and multiple cases under the NDPS Act have been registered against them. As per details shared by the police, two FIRs under the NDPS Act were registered at the B Division police station. One FIR against Anmol and Gagandeep Singh was registered on September 23, while another case against Sonia was registered on August 18. Acting on the directions of the competent authority, the Amritsar Municipal Corpora- Civic body plans strict action against unauthorised dairies Pb & Hry High Court orders prompt action on such dairies Tribune News Service The property of three drug peddlers being razed in the Sultanwind Road area in Amritsar on Tuesday. tion carried out the demolition drive, razing the structure allegedly built using proceeds from drug trafficking. Officials said the action was part of an ongoing campaign to identify and demolish properties created through illegal drug money. With this action, the administration has carried out 19 demolitions under the anti-drug campaign in the city so far. The police reiterated that strict action will continue against those involved in the narcotics trade and that their illegally amassed assets will not be allowed to stand. The Commissionerate Police, Amritsar, appealed to the public to support the fight against drug and gang-related crimes by sharing information through the Punjab Police AntiGangster Helpline at 9394693946 (Call/WhatsApp). Officials assured that the identity of informants will be kept confidential and that a reward of up to Rs 10 lakh may be given for credible information leading to the arrest of gangsters. Amritsar, February 17 The Amritsar Municipal Corporation is preparing to initiate strict enforcement action against unauthorised dairies operating within its limits, in compliance with orders issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding the removal of illegal dairies and the maintenance of civic hygiene. At a review meeting held on Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner Vishal Wadhawan, Rajinder Sharma, Secretary Sushant Bhatia and SMO Dr Geetu Chawla deliberated on a strategy to implement the court’s directions effectively. As part of the proposed drive, the municipal corporation has identified dairy owners operating in violation of civic regulations. The administration has decided to relocate cattle to designated gaushalas — Pinjra Pole The administration has decided to relocate cattle to Pinjra Pole Gaushala and Ram Tirath Road Gaushala in Amritsar. FILE PHOTO Gaushala and Ram Tirath Road Gaushala. Teams concerned are currently identifying and tagging cattle that are to be impounded. The civic body will also coordinate with Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, Water Supply Department and the Sewerage Department to discon- nect electricity, water and sewerage connections of defaulters who fail to comply with its directions. According to a preliminary assessment, 354 dairies housing a total of 5,443 cattle have been identified across various zones of the city. Of these, 46 dairy owners have already approached the municipal corporation to voluntarily relocate their dairies outside the municipal limits. The corporation has decided to initiate enforcement proceedings against the remaining defaulters, while making necessary arrangements for cattle relocation and further legal action. The enforcement drive is scheduled for February 28. For allotment of plots at the Fatehpur Dairy Complex, interested dairy owners may participate in the e-bid process scheduled for February 25. The municipal corporation has appealed to dairy owners to voluntarily shift their cattle to authorised locations and cooperate with the administration to avoid punitive action. It reiterated its commitment to maintaining public hygiene, preventing encroachments and ensuring orderly urban management in accordance with the High Court’s directives. Kartik tops city in JEE-Main with CBSE, PSEB board examinations begin in district 99.86 percentile, Jafferjot second Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 17 Kartik Kakadiya, a student of DAV International School, Amritsar, secured the top rank in the city in the first session of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE-Main) 2026, held between January 21 and 29. Paper One (BE/BTech) was conducted over multiple days, while Paper Two (BArch/BPlanning) was held on January 29. The results of the session were declared on Tuesday evening. Kartik secured the top position in Amritsar with a 99.86 percentile. Jafferjot Singh stood second with 99.83 percentile, followed closely by Divjot Singh with 99.77 percentile. All three students scored 220 out of 300 marks. However, there was little time to celebrate as their board examinations begin on Wednesday. KARTIK KAKADIYA JAFFERJOT SINGH 99.86 PERCENTILE 99.83 PERCENTILE For Kartik, disciplined selfstudy and a strict no-socialmedia rule proved instrumental in cracking one of the country’s most competitive examinations for admission to the IITs and other premier engineering institutions. His mother, Smriti Kakadiya, is a teacher at DAV International School, while his father, Kamal Kumar Kakadiya, is a businessman. A history enthusiast, Kartik also enjoys watching cricket. Despite his busy DIVJOT SINGH 99.77 PERCENTILE board exam schedule, he manages to follow Team India’s matches in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. He aspires to pursue a BSc in Physics from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, and build a career in research. Jafferjot Singh aims to pursue electrical engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. A mathematics enthusiast, he also continued on page 2 Amritsar, February 17 The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted the first Class 10 board examination of the 2026-27 session today, beginning with the Mathematics (Basic) and Mathematics (Standard) papers. Students reported that the Mathematics (Basic) paper was relatively tougher than the Mathematics (Standard) paper. “There were many calculation-based questions in the Basic paper,” said Teesta Kapoor, a mathematics teacher from the city. Students also pointed out clear differences between the two levels of the examination. The Basic paper was described as comparatively tougher and lengthier than the Standard paper. This year, CBSE has introduced several reforms in the conduct of board examina- Students involved in discussion after coming out of an exam centre in Amritsar on Tuesday. VISHAL KUMAR tions. The monitoring and evaluation of exams will now be carried out digitally. A day earlier, CBSE issued an official clarification regarding eligibility rules under the new Class 10 Board Examination scheme starting in 2026. The board released guide- lines for students and parents seeking clarity on appearing in Term II if a student is unable to take the first examination due to personal, medical or other reasons. CBSE has made it mandatory for all students to appear in the first Class X board examination. Students who miss three or more subjects in the first exam will be deemed ineligible to appear in the second examination. Meanwhile, the Punjab School Education Board conducted the English examination for Class VIII and the New lifts at courts complex e-inaugurated FIR filed after drone sighting disrupts airport operations Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 17 Ending a wait of over a decade, the long-pending demand for the installation of new lifts at the District Courts Complex here was finally fulfilled on Tuesday with the e-inauguration of the project by Justice Rohit Kapoor. The breakthrough came after persistent efforts by the executive body of the Amritsar Bar Association, led by its president Gurpreet Singh Panesar, which actively pursued the matter for early sanction. Their efforts resulted in the approval of a Rs 1.62-crore budget and the commencement of the muchawaited lift installation work. The issue of installing new lifts at the District Courts Complex had remained pending for nearly 10 years, causing inconvenience to lawyers, litigants and court staff. Taking serious note of the matter, the present executive body made sustained Tribune News Service The new lifts being e-inaugurated at the District Courts Complex in Amritsar on Tuesday. representations and personally visited the administrative judges in Chandigarh to seek early approval of the project, Panesar said. The team also remained in constant touch with the local administration to ensure that the proposal was processed without further delay, he added. Members of the District Bar Association (DBA) termed it a major infrastructural boost for the courts complex, stating that the new lifts would significantly ease movement within the premises, particularly for senior advocates, differentlyabled persons and litigants. The e-inauguration ceremony was held in the presence of District and Sessions Judge Jatinder Kaur, along with other judicial officers, members of the executive body and a large number of advocates. On the same occasion, Justice Rohit Kapoor also e-inaugurated the e-Mulakat facility at the ADR Centre. The facility will enable advocates to interact with prisoners through video conferencing, ensuring timely legal consultation and strengthening access to justice. c m y b Amritsar, February 17 An FIR has been registered in connection with an incident in which unidentified drones were spotted over the operational area of the city airport on the night of February 5, leading to the temporary suspension of flight operations and the diversion of two incoming flights. According to official sources, a message was received from the Central Industrial Security Force at around 8.39 pm regarding the movement of four unidentified objects or drones over the DVOR area of the airport. The sighting was also confirmed by the Indian Air Force station at Rajasansi. Officials said the information was immediately shared with Air Traffic Con- An FIR was lodged under relevant sections of BNS, BVA trol (ATC) and the CISF control room. A Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting was convened shortly thereafter to assess the situation. As a precautionary measure, all flight operations at the airport were suspended during this period to ensure passenger safety. Owing to the temporary closure, two arriving flights were diverted. IndiGo flight 6E1428 from Sharjah to Amritsar was diverted to Chandigarh, while Malaysia Airlines flight MH118 from Kuala Lumpur to Amritsar was rerouted to New Delhi. Later, IAF authorities confirmed that no drone activity was present in the operational area. Following this confirmation, the JAC announced the resumption of flight operations and normal services resumed soon after. In view of the incident, airport authorities lodged a formal complaint with the Rajasansi police station, and an FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam. The police have launched an investigation in areas surrounding the airport to identify those responsible for operating the drones. Officials stated that such incidents pose a serious threat to aviation safety and airport security. Security agencies have since intensified surveillance around the airport to prevent any recurrence. Home Science examination for Class XII. A total of 220 examination centres have been set up across Amritsar district. District Education Officer (Secondary) Rajesh Kumar Sharma stated that the first day of the board examinations passed smoothly without any disruption. As many as 83,077 students are appearing for the examinations in the district this year. This includes 28,232 students of Class VIII, 27,518 students of Class X and 27,327 students of Class XII. Prior to the examination, flying squad teams inspected centres with a large number of students, including Government Senior Secondary School, Shivala. Sharma added that all centre superintendents were issued guidelines regarding seating arrangements and the security of CCTV surveillance systems, in accordance with board instructions. No copying reported on Day 1 of board exams Tarn Taran, February 17 The Punjab School Education Board Class VIII examinations began in the district on Tuesday. Satnam Singh Bath, District Education Officer (Secondary), visited various examination centres along with his team. The DEO said that the Class VIII English paper and the Class XII Home Science paper were conducted on the first day. He added that no incidents of copying were reported from anywhere in the district. He further stated that 11,957 Class XII students, 12,786 Class X students, and 12,827 Class VIII students are appearing in the examinations. For this purpose, 188 examination centres have been set up and 12 flying squads formed. — OC