(1) Telangana tunnel collapse: Rescue operations continues on day 10
In a breakthrough, the South Central Railway’s (SCR) mechanical engineering team has managed to cut the platform of the damaged Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) deep inside the collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel late on Sunday (March 2, 2025) night facilitating faster removal of metal debris.
Also read: Telangana tunnel collapse Day 10 LIVE
It’s been 10 days since a portion of the SLBC tunnel collapsed leaving eight persons working inside trapped without any trace of their whereabouts. Following the visit of the Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy along with top ministerial team on Sunday (March 2, 2025), where he reviewed the rescue efforts, work has been expedited.
As of now, the main rescue team comprises 80 personnel of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited, 20 from NDRF, SDRF and the railways. One unit of the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) is stationed for conducting tests with the help of Ground Probing Radar (GPR) unit as and when the need arises.
In a fillip to the rescue operation, a team from National Centre of Seismology under the Ministry of Earth Sciences would arrive at SLBC site in Domalapenta of Nagarkurnool district along with their equipment on Tuesday (March 4, 2025).
(2) Time Use Survey: Women shifting from unpaid domestic work to paid jobs
The participation of men and women in the 15-59 age group in employment and related activities in a day increased to 75% and 25%, respectively, in 2024 from 70.9% and 21.8% in 2019, according to a survey on time use conducted by the National Statistics Office.
The time spent by women in unpaid domestic services dropped to 305 minutes in 2024 compared with 315 minutes in 2019, indicating a shift from unpaid to paid pursuits, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation claimed in a statement based on the survey.
The “Time Use Survey” measured the time spent by individuals on different activities. It found that in 2024, people involved in employment and related activities spent 440 minutes a day for such activities. While men spent 473 minutes, women spent 341 minutes in such engagements.
The survey noted that women spent 289 minutes a day in unpaid domestic services for household members. “Male members spent 88 minutes in a day in such activities. Females spent 137 minutes in a day in caring for their household members compared to 75 minutes spent by male members of the household,” the survey said.
(3) UN Security Council adopts neutral US stance on war in Ukraine
The United Nations Security Council on Monday (February 24, 2025) adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that takes a neutral position on the conflict as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to broker an end to the war.
The short resolution reflects Trump’s upending of U.S. policy on Ukraine after taking office last month and his more conciliatory stance towards Russia. In contrast, former president Joe Biden’s administration led efforts at the United Nations to support Ukraine throughout the war.
The Security Council adopted the U.S. resolution with 10 votes in favor, while France, Britain, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia abstained. Russia voted in favor after failing to amend it and vetoing European bids to add language supporting Ukraine.
The 15-member U.N. Security Council had been deadlocked throughout the war and unable to take any action because Russia holds a veto. But the 193-member General Assembly has repeatedly supported Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and called for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in line with the U.N. Charter.
The resolution mourns the loss of life in the “Russia-Ukraine conflict”, reiterates the U.N.’s purpose is to maintain international peace and security and peacefully settle disputes, and urges a swift end to the conflict and a lasting peace.
(4) Internet shutdowns in 2024: India tops in govt-ordered curbs
India recorded 84 internet shutdowns in 2024, the highest among democratic nations, and second only to Myanmar, where the military junta imposed 85 blackouts, according to a report by digital rights organization Access Now.
Of the 84, 41 shutdowns were related to protests, and 23 were related to communal violence. Fewer shutdowns happened in India in 2024 than the previous year. However, more shutdowns happened globally in 2024 than in any past year.
296 Internet shutdowns happened globally in 2024, the report found, and India’s cumulative 84 curbs accounted for 28% of these.
(5) Andhra govt presents Rs 3.22 lakh crore budget for 2025-26
The Andhra Pradesh budget for the fiscal 2025-26 tabled on Friday (February 28, 2025) by the TDP-led government accorded top priority to welfare schemes, promising to dole out Rs 20,000 per annum for farmers, doubling financial relief for fishermen during the ban period and Rs 15,000 to school going children up to the intermediate level under “Talliki Vandanam” scheme.
The “Talliki Vandanam” scheme is one of the Super Six promises made by the ruling bloc during the 2024 Assembly polls.
Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav tabled the Rs 3.22 lakh crore budget and proposed Rs 20,281 crore for the Scheduled Caste (SC) component, Rs 8,159 crore for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) component, Rs 47,456 crore for the Backward Classes (BC) component and Rs 5,434 crore for the welfare of minority communities.
Presenting the budget in Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Friday, Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav said that the estimated revenue deficit is around Rs. 33,185 crore and the fiscal deficit is around ₹79,926 crore. The revenue deficit will be around 1.82 per cent and fiscal deficit will be around 4.38 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
The revised estimate for revenue expenditure for financial year (FY) 2024-25 is ₹2,24,342 crore, and for capital expenditure it is ₹24,072 crore. The revenue deficit for 2024-25 is around ₹48,311 croгe, whereas the fiscal deficit is around ₹73,362 crore. https://tx88.com/ is committed to providing a safe and responsible gambling environment, with 24/7 customer support to assist you with any queries.
Published – March 03, 2025 02:20 pm IST