National News
Andhra disburses Rs 708 crore towards fee reimbursement

The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday disbursed Rs 708 crore to 10.82 lakh students as fee reimbursement under its flagship scheme Jagananna Vidya Deevena.
The amount was credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries towards fee reimbursement for October – December 2021 quarter.
Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who transferred the money, reiterated that poverty should not be a hindrance for pursuing higher education
The government had also decided to disburse regular payments on a quarterly basis.
Education is the only solution to eradicate poverty. If a child in a village is educated, the entire village can benefit from it. Further, the government is ensuring to reduce college dropouts across the state. Debt settlement can make a huge difference to lead to successful completion of course/education,” he said.
Under the government’s flagship Jagananna Vidya Deevena, the total fee reimbursement would be directly transferred to the accounts of mothers of the students.
Jagan Mohan Reddy recalled an incident during his padaytra wherein a father narrated how his son committed suicide as the fees could not be paid.
The Chief Minister said that full fee reimbursement was brought in to make education accessible to the poor, especially fulfilling the dream of pursuing higher education without burdening their families.
The government has so far provided assistance of Rs 9,274 crore under Jagananna Vidya Deevena and Jaganna Vasathi Deevena (Lodging and boarding charges). This includes the fee reimbursement arrears of Rs 1,778 crore kept by the previous government, Rs 6969 crore for Jagananna Vidya Deevena, and Rs 2305 crore for Jaganna Vasathi Deevena.
The Chief Minister also noted that there is a significant increase in gross enrollment in schools with the implementation of Amma Vodi. Under this scheme, the government is providing Rs 15,000 assistance to all the mothers who send their children to school.
“We are also making significant changes to the higher education syllabus and taking steps towards job creation,” the Chief Minister added.
The government has not only been providing assistance to the students on fee reimbursement but to their lodging and boarding charges too under Jagananna Vasathi Deevena. The scheme would give assistance of Rs 20,000 to all eligible students pursuing degrees, engineering, and medicine while Rs 15000 for polytechnic students and Rs 10,000 for ITI students in two installments every year.
He said that the second tranche of Vasati Deevena will be credited on April 5 at a public event.
As part of the reforms in the education sector, bilingual textbooks have been introduced, English medium schools with CBSE curriculum are made available, and students are given Vidya Kanuka kits with uniforms, workbooks, notebooks, along with nutritious midday meals under Jagananna Gorumuddha.
He said that the admissions in government schools were increased by 6.5 lakh as students from private schools were shifting to government schools.
Ministers Adimulapu Suresh, Pinepe Viswaroop, Chief Secretary Dr Sameer Sharma, APSCHE Chairman K. Hemachandrareddy, Minority Welfare Special Secretary Gandham Chandradu, and other senior officials were present.
Maharashtra
Mumbai 26 July 2005 Floods: When City Was Submerged With 944 mm Of Rain In 24 Hours Leaving 914 Dead, Thousands Displaced

Every year, the monsoon season disrupts life across Indian cities with heavy rainfall, waterlogging and traffic chaos. But July 26, 2005, stands out as a day that etched itself into Mumbai’s history as one of its darkest and most devastating.
On that day, Mumbai received an unprecedented 944 mm of rain in just 24 hours, nearly half of its annual average. Between 8 am and 8 pm alone, 644 mm poured down. It remains the eighth-highest 24-hour rainfall ever recorded anywhere in the world. The city, unprepared for such intensity, was brought to a grinding halt.
Internet Flooded With Old Visuals, Still Haunting Mumbaikars
Several netizens took to social media to share haunting visuals from the 2005 Mumbai floods, recalling the day when the city came to a complete standstill. Many described it as an unforgettable chapter in Mumbai’s history, marked by chaos, resilience and unity.
While some reflected on the overwhelming scale of the disaster, others remembered how the crisis revealed the undying spirit of Mumbai, with strangers helping each other and communities coming together in the face of adversity.
Mumbai’s Lifeline Took Serious Hit, 52 Local Trains Damaged
As floodwaters rose, roads vanished beneath torrents of water. Local trains, the city’s lifeline, stopped completely, with tracks submerged and 52 trains damaged. Thousands were stranded in stations, schools and offices overnight. Low-lying areas like Dharavi and the Bandra-Kurla Complex were heavily inundated, while vehicles were swept away or immobilised.
The scale of disruption was staggering. Over 37,000 auto-rickshaws, 4,000 taxis, 900 BEST buses and 10,000 trucks and tempos were either damaged or rendered unusable. Even the skies were no refuge. For the first time ever, Mumbai’s airports shut down, with Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and the Juhu airstrip closed for more than 30 hours. More than 700 flights were cancelled or delayed, creating nationwide ripples in air traffic.
Over 900 Killed, Property Worth ₹5.5 Billion Destroyed
The economic loss was estimated at Rs 5.5 billion (around 100 million USD). But the cost in human lives and suffering was far greater. According to official reports, 914 people lost their lives, many due to drowning, electrocution and landslides. More than 14,000 homes were destroyed, leaving thousands without shelter, food or drinking water.
Communication networks also failed. Around 5 million mobile users and 2.3 million landline connections went dead for several hours, hampering emergency rescue operations. Emergency services were overwhelmed, as the city grappled with a disaster it had never imagined.
The 2005 floods served as a harsh wake-up call, exposing Mumbai’s vulnerability to extreme weather. In the years since, the government has worked on improving disaster preparedness, such as creating specialised disaster management units, upgrading early warning systems and installing floodgates and dewatering pumps at critical points.
Yet, even two decades later, as visuals from 2005 resurface each year, a haunting question persists: Is Mumbai truly prepared to face another flood of that magnitude?
National News
Congress Leader Jairam Ramesh Slams PM Modi’s ‘Boasted Friendship’ With Donald Trump, Cites US Engagement With Pakistan

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “much boasted friendship” with US President Donald Trump is now proving to be “hollow” and cited several overtures the latter recently made to Pakistan.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh also alleged that Indian diplomacy was failing in the light of the US partnering with Pakistan.
“The abject failure of Indian diplomacy, especially in the past two months, is revealed most tellingly by four facts. These expose the tall claims made by the Prime Minister and his drum-beaters and cheerleaders,” he said in his post.
Ramesh said that since May 10, 2025, Trump has claimed 25 times that “he personally intervened to stop Operation Sindoor, threatening India and Pakistan that if they didn’t bring the war to a halt, they would not have a trade agreement with the USA.” On June 10, 2025, he claimed, Gen Michael Kurilla, the head of the US Central Command, hailed Pakistan as a phenomenal partner of the US in countering terrorism.
On June 18, 2025, Trump held an unprecedented luncheon meeting with Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in the White House, Ramesh noted.
“Two months earlier, Munir’s inflammatory, incendiary, and communally provocative remarks had provided the backdrop to the brutal Pahalgam terror attacks on April 22, 2025,” he said.
Just yesterday, the Congress leader claimed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and thanked Pakistan for its partnership in countering terrorism and preserving regional stability.
“The PM’s clean chit to China on June 19, 2020, has already cost India heavily. His much boasted friendship with President Trump is now proving to be hollow,” Ramesh said in his post.
National News
Government Cracks Down on OTT Platforms Over Obscene Content

New Delhi, July 25, 2025 — In a significant move targeting explicit digital content, the Government of India has taken steps to block several over-the-top (OTT) platforms accused of streaming obscene and vulgar material. Platforms such as ALTBalaji, ULLU, and a few others have come under the scanner for allegedly violating Indian content regulations and societal norms.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, acting on multiple complaints from citizens and civil society groups, initiated the ban after conducting an internal review. Authorities stated that certain shows and web series available on these platforms contained content that was “sexually explicit,” “vulgar,” and “not suitable for public viewing,” especially in households with children.
The decision has stirred a wider debate around content regulation and creative freedom in India’s rapidly growing digital entertainment sector. While officials maintain that the step was necessary to uphold decency standards and protect cultural values, critics warn of overreach and censorship.
A senior official said, “This is not about targeting creative freedom. This is about ensuring that OTT content does not cross legal and moral boundaries. There are clear guidelines, and platforms are expected to adhere to them.”
The platforms affected reportedly failed to comply with warnings issued earlier regarding their programming. Despite advisory notices and reminders to filter or restrict adult content, several web series continued to feature nudity, explicit scenes, and suggestive themes without proper age-gating or viewer discretion tools.
In recent years, OTT platforms have grown in popularity, especially among younger audiences, with many bypassing traditional film and TV regulations. The government had previously introduced a self-regulation framework for digital content providers, but critics say enforcement has been lax, leading to the current clampdown.
Some media rights advocates and artists expressed concern over the lack of transparency in the banning process and called for an independent review mechanism. Others, however, welcomed the move, stating that unchecked access to graphic content could have a detrimental effect on social behavior and minors.
As of now, the banned platforms remain inaccessible in India. The Ministry has hinted at further actions if other OTT providers do not align their content with the prescribed code of ethics and IT rules.
This development marks a turning point in India’s digital media regulation and sets the stage for possible stricter content monitoring across streaming platforms in the future.
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