Olympic Sports City In Chennai, Racing Tracks Planned To Boost Sports Tourism

The Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed key legislative moves with a resolution urging the Union Government and the President to recognise Tamil as a principal language in Madras High Court proceedings. The resolution calls for procedures allowing petitions, documents, and arguments in Tamil, along with providing court judgements and decrees in the language. Citing constitutional provisions under Article 348(2) and Section 7 of the Official Languages Act 1963, the Assembly pushed for necessary measures to enable justice delivery in the regional language. In addition, an announcement was made regarding a mega project to construct a new Secretariat building complex in Chennai at an estimated cost of Rs 1,800 crore. Spanning an extensive area, the planned facility aims to resolve space and parking constraints at Fort St. George, while incorporating modern infrastructure and fire safety systems to meet administrative needs for the next hundred years.

Catastrophic flash floods in Nepal have left more than 1,200 people dead, over 4,200 missing, and nearly 12,000 rescued. Addressing Parliament, the Prime Minister stated that Nepal never refused international assistance and thanked India and China for stepping up with rescue and relief operations. Search teams continue operations inside hydropower tunnels as recovery efforts begin. Ground reports reveal complete devastation in Betrawati, the largest town at the foothills of Rasuwa, which was swept away after a glacial collapse. The Trishuli river expanded from a 30-metre stream to over 600 metres, washing away houses, schools, temples, and bridges. Meanwhile, visuals from Dhunge Bazaar show certain structures surviving despite being submerged in 12 to 15 feet of mud, while surrounding areas were destroyed.

A controversy erupted in Kerala following regressive remarks by cleric Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker regarding women, prompting strong political objections. Representatives of the Samastha faction held a meeting to register their protest and dissatisfaction over the political response. While the leadership asserted that individuals have the right to support or oppose remarks, they expressed concern over the misinterpretation of Islamic history. The political response cited prominent figures from Islamic history, such as Khadija being an entrepreneur and Aisha participating in battle, to argue that women should participate in the mainstream rather than remain confined to homes. The cleric had stated that women must remain indoors, asserting that modesty maintains dignity. Samastha leaders conveyed that political leaders should avoid claiming religious scholars misunderstand their faith.

A major political row has erupted over the appointment of retired Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra as the first Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Ram Temple Trust. The Congress party questioned the decision, arguing that the CEO post should belong to saints, while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress ally Indian Union Muslim League also criticised the move over donation allegations. In response, the Bharatiya Janata Party defended the appointment, asserting that the new administrator will manage operations professionally. Speaking to India Today, retired Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra stated that he felt gratitude for the opportunity and expressed confidence that managerial principles and support from the trust and his team would help him fulfill his duties. Mishra, who served in the Indian Air Force for nearly four decades and led operations including Operation Safed Sagar and Operation Sindoor, noted that he looks forward to guidance from the trust to plan and execute future strategies.