New Delhi, Aug 14: President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the Amrit Udyan Summer Annuals Edition 2026 on Friday, throwing open the premier garden in the President’s Estate to public from August 16 to September 15, an official said.

During the Summer Annuals, the Amrit Udyan will remain open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the last entry at 5 p.m.

The Udyan will remain closed on all Mondays for maintenance, an official statement said.

Entry and exit for visitors will be from Gate No. 35, located near North Avenue Road.

“Entry to Amrit Udyan will be free of cost. Visitors will have to book their entry slots online at visit.rashtrapatibhavan.gov.in advance,” the statement said.

Booking of slots for a particular day will close at 10 a.m. on the previous day. There will be no on-the-spot booking available.

For the convenience of the visitors, drinking water stalls, first aid posts, rain shelter and restrooms will be set up along the route of the visit, the statement added.

A shuttle bus service will also be available from the Central Secretariat Metro Station to the entry point to the Amrit Udyan at an interval of every 30 minutes between 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Earlier, the Amrit Udyan Winter Annuals Edition 2026 at Rashtrapati Bhavan was opened to public from February 3 to March 31, 2026.

The usual designated visitor route includes Bal Vatika, Pulmeria Garden, Banyan Garden, Bonsai Garden, Babbling Brook, Central Lawn, Long Garden and Circular Garden.

Apart from various varieties of flowers, visitors will be able to see the Babbling Brook, described as a water stream with cascades, and the Banyan Garden with reflexology paths.

The visitors are permitted to carry mobile phones, electronic keys, purses or handbags, water bottles, and milk bottles for infants.

Facilities such as drinking water, toilets, and first aid or medical services will be available along the public route.

In addition to Amrit Udyan, the public can also visit Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum from Tuesday to Sunday, and witness the Change-of-Guard Ceremony every Saturday at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, a statement said.

New Delhi, Aug 14: Five places in the national Capital received bomb threats a day before the nation celebrates its 80th Independence Day, officials of the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) said on Friday.

According to the DFS, the locations in Delhi which received calls alleging bomb blasts are Jamnagar House, Jhandewalan Flatted Factory Complex, District Magistrate Office in Saket, Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport and SDM Office at Delhi Cantt.

Fire tenders have been dispatched to all these locations. However, nothing suspicious has been found during the investigation so far, officials said.

Similarly, an email sent to the Delhi Mayor’s office on August 3 threatened multiple bomb blasts at the Red Fort on August 15, prompting security agencies in the capital city to spring into action to comb the entire area around the iconic monument.

As soon as the Mayor’s office received the bomb threat by email, it alerted the Delhi Police and other security agencies.

Soon after receiving the alert, police personnel, bomb disposal squads, and other security teams rushed to the historic Red Fort and carried out extensive sanitisation and inspection of the premises, an official said.

Delhi Police sources said that after receiving the information about the bomb threat, the security of the area was beefed up and an investigation was launched.

On July 11, a bomb threat targeting the Red Fort had also triggered a major security response, prompting police and security agencies to conduct a comprehensive combing exercise at the monument before declaring the threat to be a hoax.

According to Delhi Police, last month’s threat originated from a phone call made to the Mumbai Police Control Room, during which the caller allegedly claimed that the historic Red Fort would be blown up. Mumbai Police immediately relayed the information to the Delhi Police Control Room, which alerted the North District Police to initiate security measures.

After thoroughly checking the area, police officials found no suspicious object or explosive material and confirmed that the threat was false.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the nation from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort on August 15, Saturday. The event is expected to draw large crowds and involve extensive restrictions on movement in the capital city.

Guwahati, Aug 14: Drugs worth an estimated Rs 39.4 crore were seized in Guwahati after police intercepted a truck near the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT), leading to the arrest of two persons, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Taking to his official X account on Thursday, Sarma praised the Guwahati Police for the operation and said the seizure would help protect the younger generation from the growing threat of drug abuse.

“Mirror mirror on the wall, tell me how much drugs in all? Rs 39.4 crore!” the Chief Minister said in his X post, while highlighting the quantity of narcotics recovered during the operation.

According to the Chief Minister, the police intercepted a truck near the ISBT and recovered 10 soap cases containing heroin along with 1,40,000 YABA tablets.

YABA tablets, which commonly contain methamphetamine, are a synthetic drug associated with serious health and addiction risks.

The seizure represents a significant disruption to an alleged narcotics trafficking network operating through Assam.

Two accused persons were apprehended in connection with the seizure.

Police are expected to investigate the source of the consignment, its intended destination and the wider network involved in transporting the drugs.

The operation comes amid intensified efforts by Assam Police to curb the trafficking and distribution of narcotics in the state.

Assam has emerged as an important transit route for drugs because of its geographical location and proximity to international borders and neighbouring states.

Sarma, in his X post, credited the Guwahati Police for the “excellent” operation and described the seizure as an effort aimed at “saving the future of our youth”.

The recovery of such a large quantity of YABA tablets and heroin is likely to trigger further investigation into the movement of narcotics through Guwahati, which serves as a major transportation hub connecting Assam with other parts of the Northeast.

The police action also underscores the increasing focus on intercepting drug consignments before they reach their intended markets and preventing narcotics from reaching young people.

Further details about the identities of the arrested persons and the exact value and weight of the seized substances are awaited.