Philanthropist Richard Broyd, representative from the World Monuments Fund (WMF), New York, Jeffrey Reinke, and WMF India representative, Malini Thadani called on the Telangana Governor, C.P. Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad last evening. An official communique informed that the meeting centered on the restoration efforts of the Telangana Mahila Visvavidyalayam.   During the discussion, the Governor also showcased the “Shah Manzil,” a heritage building located within the Raj Bhavan premises, and elaborated on the ongoing plans for its restoration. He extended an invitation to the WMF representatives to participate in this significant project.

TDP leader and Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu lauded the Union Budget saying that significant provisions have been announced for the development of Andhra Pradesh and Polavaram Project. Speaking to media in the Parliament House complex after the Budget, he said, Polavram project is a lifeline for the people of the State.       Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju has termed the Union Budget as a Dream Budget for all citizens. Talking to media in the Parliament House complex today, Mr Rijiju said, it is a growth oriented budget which focuses on every section of the society. He said announcements were made by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to increase the penetration of banking services to the North East region. He said, this will help in financial inclusion in the North Eastern states. The Minister also said, three crore houses under the PM Awas Yojana will be built across the country is historic. Criticizing the opposition, Mr. Rijiju said, this is a very good budget for the people that’s why opposition is disappointed.   Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad lauded the Union Budget saying that important announcements were made to increase the employment opportunities in the country. BJP leader Ravi Kishan said, the provisions made in the Budget for Bihar particularly those related to flood are going to benefit Gorakhpur also as it is a flood prone region. Union Minister and JDU leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh welcomed the budget. He said the budget has a host of packages of Bihar ranging from infrastructure development to tourism.

Agni veer camp for those interested to join the army will be held at Coimbatore from 1st to 5th August this year. The recruitment will be held for eleven districts including Nilgiris, Erode and Tirupur.    According to the announcement, those who have registered themselves in  www.joinindianarmy.nic.in  February this year have been asked to appear in person with original documents during the recruitment camp which will be held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at Coimbatore.

The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, DEPwD, under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has signed 72 MoUs with private institutions and start-ups to empower persons with disabilities socially, educationally and economically. The MoUs were signed in the presence of Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar and Minister of State in the Ministry, B.L. Verma.   On the occasion, Dr. Virendra Kumar said, the MoUs demonstrate the government’s commitment to persons with disabilities. He stated that the persons with disabilities possess immense potential, they only need opportunities.

Parsuram Panda, a well-known literary figure hailing from Odisha, recently received the prestigious Rabindra Ratna Puraskar 2024 award from the Veyil Foundation. This esteemed award was given to him in acknowledgment of his remarkable contributions to the field of Literature. The Veyil Foundation, a national non-governmental organization, is committed to working towards the Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the United Nations, adding even more value to this recognition. With a background as a retired Professor and former Headmaster of a high school, Parsuram Panda has established himself as a prolific writer with a total of 24 books to his name, out of which 20 have been published. His literary works have not gone unnoticed, as he has been honored with awards such as Mati Ra Mahak, Kabi Bharati, Kabi Gaurav, and Shrestha Prabhandhika. These accolades serve as a testament to his talent and unwavering dedication to the art of writing. Parsuram Panda's accomplishments in the realm of literature have not only brought him personal recognition but have also made a significant impact on the cultural landscape of Odisha and beyond. His works have resonated with readers and critics alike, showcasing his unique voice and storytelling prowess. Through his writing, Panda has left an indelible mark on the literary world, solidifying his legacy as a distinguished figure in the field of Literature.

Rajouri/Jammu: The Indian Army repulsed a major attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district this morning. A soldier was injured in the predawn attack at an army camp, suggest initial reports. The security forces launched a massive search operation to flush out terrorists after the attack, said a defense spokesman. This comes amid a spate of terror attacks in the Jammu region, raising major security concerns. The attack was reported less than 24 hours after Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi visited Jammu and discussed measures to deal with the dramatic spurt in major terrorist attacks on the army in the region that was free from terrorism till few year ago.Source say a heavily armed group of terrorists attacked an army camp and also the house  of Shaurya Chakra Awardee Parshotam Kumar at Gunda village. Kumar, a village Defense Guard was instrumental in neutralising two terrorists in the same area in August last year. He was recently awarded Shaurya Chakra for his bravery by President Droupadi Murmu.  While a heavily retaliation by the army has forced attackers to flee, this is another audacious attack on the army in region. On Friday, a temporary army camp set up in a school was attacked with heavy gun fire and grenades in Doda district. In the same area four soldiers including a captain were killed last week days after five soldiers were killed in an ambush in Kathua. Army has already deployed more troops including special forces commandos in Jammu region to fight highly trained terrorists who have infested the region and carry out attack after attack on the Army. In last 32 months, 48 army soldiers have been killed in terrorist attacks in Jammu. After almost every attack, terrorists manage to escape without suffering a casualty of their own. Last week Prime Minister chaired meeting of cabinet committee on security on the rise in terrorist attacks in Jammu. Earlier Prime Minister had asked army to deploy full spectrum of its anti-terrorist capabilities to eliminate terrorist from Jammu region. The attacks are taking place despite a massive cordon and search operations by security forces in different areas of Jammu.

New Delhi: A day before his government present its first Budget in the third term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined the agenda for this session with an appeal to the Opposition and a combative message. Addressing the media on the first day of Budget session, he said many MPs have been deprived of the opportunity to raise their constituency's issues because "negative politics" by some parties had wasted Parliament's time. He appealed to MPs from all parties to set aside political difference and participate in constructive discussions. In an apparent reference to the Opposition's protests in Parliament in the session immediately after poll results, the Prime Minister said there was an attempt to "unconstitutionally silence" a government chosen by the people. "There cannot be a place in democratic traditions for attempts to gag the Prime Minister for two-and-a-half hours, and there is no remorse," he said. The remarks referred to the sloganeering by Opposition MPs when the Prime Minister was addressing the House during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address. The Prime Minister said the country is closely watching and hopes that this is session would be constructive, creative and lay the foundation to fulfil their dreams. "This is an important milestone in the glorious journey of Indian democracy. We are proud that 60 years later, a government has returned to power for the third time and is going to present its first budget of its third term," he said. Speaking about the Union Budget to be presented tomorrow, the Prime Minister said the government is moving forward to implement his guarantees. "This budget is an important budget of Amrit Kaal. It will outline our plan for five years and also lay the foundation for our Viksit Bharat 2047 vision," he said. The Prime Minister also said it is a matter of pride that India is the fastest growing among large economies. "Over the past three years, the country has grown at a rate of 8 per cent. The country now has positive outlook, investment and performance. In a way, it is at the peak of opportunities and this is an important milestone in India's development journey," he said. In his appeal to MPs cutting across party lines, he said they must now set aside differences and contribute to the functioning of Parliament. "Starting from January, we fought with all our might. We told people what we had to say. Some tried to show the way, some tried to mislead. But that phase is over. The country has given its mandate. It is now the duty of all MPs that they stop fighting for their parties and fight for the country for the next five years," he said, appealing to MPs to rise above party differences and work for the empowerment of the poor, the farmers and women. "I am saying this with a heavy heart. After 2014, some MPs came for five years, some for 10 years, but many of them did not get an opportunity to raise issues of their constituencies or enrich the Parliament with their opinions because negative politics by some parties wasted Parliament's time," he said. "Difference in opinions is not a problem, negativity is. The country does not need negativity, it needs a progressive ideology. I hope we will use this temple for democracy is a constructive manner to fulfil the dreams of people," he said.

In Telangana, incessant heavy rains continue to lash several parts of the state, leading to flooding in some places. The Krishna and Godavari rivers are on spate due to the heavy rains in the upper riparian areas and river basins. River Godavari is flowing above the First danger level at 46.2 feet high at Bhadrachalam this morning at 4 AM.    About 10 lakh 60 thousand cusecs of flood water flowing downstream. Bhadradri Kothagudem district authorities have asked the people to remain alert. Several families from the low-lying areas have been shifted to relief camps. On River Krishna, the Jurala dam in Gadwal district is also facing flooding due to heavy rains in upstream Karnataka. The officials have opened 17 gates of the Jurala irrigation project and started releasing about one lakh cusecs of flood water downstream. The water level in the dam has reached 317.17 meters, close to its full capacity of 318.516 meters.   The state government is closely monitoring the situation and taking necessary steps to manage the flooding in the affected areas. Meanwhile, Mallampalli in Mulugu District recorded the highest rainfall of 124 mm while Eturunagaram in the district recorded 121.3 mm till 4 AM this morning. On the other hand, the IMD officials issued an alert of heavy rains in many places for the next 24 hours.

As many as 36 flights were cancelled at the Mumbai airport yesterday due to heavy rains in the city. The airport authority has informed that during the day, runway operations were suspended twice within almost an hour. The flights cancelled at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport were of budget airline IndiGo as well as full-service carriers Air India and Vistara.   Earlier, runway operations were first suspended for eight minutes at 12:12 pm and later again from 1 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. during the day due to inclement weather and low visibility. Besides flight operations, road and rail services were also hit across Mumbai due to heavy rains. While many roads were flooded, tracks on the Harbour line of the Central Railway got inundated in some places. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the city received 82 mm of rain, the eastern suburbs 96 mm, and the western suburbs got 90 mm yesterday.

The Centre has lifted a ban on government employees taking part in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activities. The ban imposed in November 1966 during the rule of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi has been removed by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions. In a post on X, BJP IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya said the unconstitutional order issued 58 years ago, in 1966, imposing a ban on government employees taking part in RSS activities has been withdrawn by the Modi government. Several state governments, including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, have already removed the restrictions on government employees being linked to the RSS.

Union Home Minister and Senior BJP leader Amit Shah has alleged that Hemant Soren-led government in Jharkhand is the most corrupt government in the country. Addressing extended working committee of Jharkhand BJP at Prabhat Tara Maidan in Ranchi, Mr Shah said, 300 crore rupees were found at the residence of an MP while 30 crore were seized from possession of PA of a Jharkhand Minister. He said, the demography of the state is changing due to infiltration from Bangladesh. Mr Shah accused Soren government of not paying any attention to infiltration and treating it as vote bank. After addressing BJP workers, Mr. Shah is holding party’s State Core Group meeting at party office in Ranchi. Besides party’s MPs and MLAs, Union Agriculture Minister and Jharkhand election in -charge of BJP Shivraj Singh Chouhan and election co – incharge Hemanta Biswa Sharma are participating in this meeting.     Jharkhand BJP chief Babu Lal Marandi said that in the meeting Mr Shah will review party’s poll performance as well of NDA in recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. Assembly Elections are likely to be held in the state later this year.

In Golf, India’s Vidhatri Urs holed a hat trick of birdies early in the round to cruise to a 2-shot win in the ninth leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour 2024 at the Clover Greens in Tamil Nadu yesterday. Vidhatri shot 1-under 70 for her third under-par round of the week after 68-69 on the first two days. She totalled 6-under 207 to complete a fine wire-to-wire win.   This was Vidhatri’s first win as a professional, though she has won on the Tour as an amateur in the past. The 10th leg of the WPGT will be held from July 23-26 at Prestige Golfshire, Bengaluru.