Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar says this time the target is to give the best performance and win the gold medal, during a chat with The Hindu at the team’s preparatory camp in Bhopal on September 6, 2026.
| Photo Credit: R.V. MOORTHY

J. Amalorpavanathan, vascular surgeon; former member, State Planning Commission
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Swastika Ghosh, Indian table tennis player, in action during the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex in New Delhi on Friday, July 31, 2026.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

Starting August 1, 2026, limited copies of this collector’s edition will be available exclusively on Zepto across major Indian cities.

The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is mulling cancellation of certain infrastructure projects,  including the Global Sports City plan, beachfront development, and waterfront restoration plans, as it grapples with outstanding liabilities of roughly ₹3,500 crore.

The liabilities are mainly due to the construction work, land acquisition amounting to ₹1,500 crore, and the Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam, which constitutes ₹1,000 crore.

This proposal to cancel the projects will take shape only after the State government takes a call, according to a source.

“Whichever project has not yet been taken up, CMDA is in the process of cancelling it. Once the proposal [for cancellation] is approved [by the State], the CMDA will formally announce the cancellations,” the source said.

The Global Sports City project, for which former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had laid the foundation stone in February 2026, will be handed over to the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, the source added.

It was planned across a 127-acre site near Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology at an estimated cost of ₹261 crore. This project took shape in November 2024, after the then Deputy Chief Minister and Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin held a meeting with officials of various departments, including Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority, Water Resources Department, Tamil Nadu Housing Board, and CMDA.

Among other projects proposed to be dropped are beach-front development works, covering the stretches from Marina to Besant Nagar, Elliot’s Beach to Neelankarai, Neelankarai to Akkarai, Akkarai to Kanathur and Kanathur to Kovalam, including Marina Beach, Broken Bridge, Elliot’s Beach, Thiruvanmiyur, Neelankarai, Akkarai, Uthandi, Muttukadu, and Kovalam.

Marina corridor

Notably, in April 2025, the CMDA unveiled the ₹18.45-crore Marina Heritage Corridor Development Project, as part of this, spanning 2.5-km from Lighthouse to Island Grounds, with plans for heritage-style bus stops, viewing decks, cycle tracks, police booths and improved pedestrian infrastructure, to enhance the Marina promenade, while preserving its historic character.

In 2024, the CMDA prepared detailed project reports for the rejuvenation of 10 lakes across the Chennai Metropolitan Area with an estimated ₹100-crore State allocation. The proposed works include lakefront promenades, walking tracks, viewing decks, ecological restoration, wetland restoration, bird-watching areas, and recreational facilities at Velachery, Retteri, Mudichur, Puzhal, Adambakkam, Sembakkam, Perumbakkam, Kolathur, Madambakkam, and Ayanambakkam lakes, according to the CMDA.

“The CMDA does not have funds to go ahead with these projects. The authority is not the custodian [of the waterbodies]. The waterbodies belong either to the WRD or the respective local body,” the source said.

The operation and maintenance of completed projects, including the M.S. Swaminathan Wetland Eco Park at Porur and the air-conditioned bus stand at Retteri Junction, Kolathur, will be handed over to the Greater Chennai Corporation, and that is the model to be followed for the other finished or nearly finished works by CMDA, the source added.

“CMDA took up a lot of works without realising the financial burden.  CMDA has outstanding liabilities of around ₹3,500 crore and cannot take up new works in the present financial position,” the source said.

Further, the Authority is exploring alternative funding options, including external borrowings for future projects. “Typically, planning authorities in cities such as Mumbai and Hyderabad receive government support. CMDA will also require similar support,” the source said. Local bodies have other revenue generation modules such as ticketing few projects, municipal bonds etc., but that is not the same for CMDA, the source added.

Land pooling projects

The proposed land pooling schemes at Thirumazhisai and Madambakkam have also been delayed. According to the source, the Madambakkam scheme is pending owing to litigation challenging the Land Pooling Act, while the Thirumazhisai project is facing financial constraints.

Under the model, 60% of the developed land is returned to landowners, while CMDA retains 40% for roads, parks, open space reservation, water supply infrastructure, and commercial development, the source added.

Published – July 09, 2026 05:00 am IST

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The 24th edition of The Hindu EducationPlus Career Counselling is under way in the State. Organised by The Hindu, this landmark event continues its legacy of guiding students and parents in making well-informed academic and career decisions.

Designed as a one-stop platform for academic and career counselling, the event brings together renowned educationists, career experts, and top institutions to provide personalised guidance on UPSC exam preparation and CET and NEET counselling, conducted by officials from the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA). Attendees will receive insights into career opportunities across a wide range of fields, including Arts, Science, Commerce, Law, Management, Engineering, Medicine, Chartered Accountancy, Cost Management, Fashion Designing, Animation, Performing Arts, Journalism, Architecture, and more. Whether students are exploring conventional paths or emerging career trends, this forum will offer the clarity, direction, and expert advice they need.

When and where

The event is at Sri Sudhindra Auditorium, Canara High School Main Campus, Kodialbail, Mangaluru.

Registration starts from 9 a.m. The programme is from 9.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Entry is free and open to all students and parents. Contact: 9448160126 / 9731400992 for more information or check the link: https://newsth.- live/CET2026ED

The chief guest for the programme is Sudheer Kumar Reddy, Commissioner of Police, Mangaluru city. Specialists will be speaking on career options in various streams.

Platinum Sponsors: The Institute Chartered Accountants of India, Presidency University, Reva University.

Gold Sponsor: CMR University, Chanakya University, East Point Group of Institutions, Hindustan Group of Institutions, Chennai, Ramaiah College of Law.

Silver Sponsorship: ACS College of Engineering, Alliance University, Adichunchanagiri University, B.G. Nagar, BLDE Association, Vijayapura, Bheemanna Khandre Institute of Technology (BKIT), Balki, Bidar, Credila, IIBS, IDP, JSS Science & Technology University, Mysuru, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, Karnataka State Open University, Mysuru, Khaja Bandanawaz University, Kammavaari Sangham Group of Institutions, Karnataka Bank, KLE Technological University, Hubballi, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Rajarajeswari College of Engineering, Shri Madhava Vadiraja Institute of Technology and Management, Soundarya Institute of Management & Science, SDM Educational Society (R), Ujire, Shanthivana Trust, Dharmasthala, Sharn Basva University, Kalaburagi, Shaheen Group of Institutions, Bidar, Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering, Mysuru, Navkis College of Engineering, Hassan.

Associate Sponsors: Hyderabad Karnataka Education Society, Kalaburagi, Azim Premji University, ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education, Mahindra University, MS College of Engineering, VTU Visveswaraya Technological University, Belagavi, Canara Engineering College, Mangaluru.

Regional Sponsors: Kristu Jayanti (Deemed to be University), Royal College of Management Studies.

Published – May 08, 2026 09:48 pm IST

Patalkot, a remote valley located near Tamiya in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh, is not only an untouched paradise for nature enthusiasts but also a sacred land steeped in ancient traditions. Home to indigenous tribes, including the Bhariya, Gond, and several other tribal communities, the valley has long been a place where traditions have been passed down generations.

Among these traditions are the vital spiritual and cultural rituals practised by the Bhariya and Gond tribes, the Ganga Pujan and Beedari Puja.

Ganga Pujan is a ceremonial rite performed to honour and elevate deceased family members to the status of deities. After a family member passes away, a special ceremony is conducted where the villagers, alongside the ojha (spiritual healer) and gunia (traditional priest), gather to carve sacred symbols onto stones. These stones are then placed at a sacred site where prayers are offered to the Ganga.

Beedari Puja is a harvest and fertility ritual. During this ceremony, both men and women from the community prepare traditional dishes and bring them to the village temple or designated prayer site, accompanied by bamboo baskets coated with clay.

These baskets contain various seeds from their home grain reserves — maize, millet, finger millet, and sorghum — which are essential for their agricultural practices. The seeds are blessed during the ceremony and then distributed among the villagers in small leaf bundles. Each family mixes the blessed seeds with their own, symbolising the sharing of blessings for a fruitful harvest. The belief is that this ritual ensures prosperity, good health, and a bountiful harvest, with the god’s blessings ensuring the fertility of the land.

Both the Ganga Pujan and the Beedari Puja serve as profound expressions of the tribes’ deep respect for nature, their ancestors, and the divine forces that govern the cycles of life and nature.

These rituals not only preserve the spiritual traditions of the Bhariya and Gond tribes but also reflect their agricultural knowledge and reverence for the environment.

Photo:
A.M. Faruqui

Sacred seeds: Small bundles of leaves with seeds are distributed to the men, who will mix them with the seeds brought by them, for a blessed and bountiful harvest.

Photo:
A.M. Faruqui

Unity in tradition: Tribal women walking together in devotion for the Ganga Pujan ceremony, honouring their ancestral traditions with unity and reverence.

Photo:
A.M. Faruqui

Heads bowed: Gond tribal members perform the final rite of offering soil after the last rituals of the Ganga Pujan ceremony to honour the departed.

Photo:
A.M. Faruqui

Paying tribute: A tribal man carves the figure of a departed person on a stone.

Photo:
A.M. Faruqui

Spiritual hymn: The ojha (spiritual healer) and gunia (traditional priest) perform the sacred Ganga Pujan ceremony.

Photo:
A.M. Faruqui

Down the generations: A tribal child offering ahuti (handful of sacred offerings) during the Ganga Pujan ceremony.

Photo:
A.M. Faruqui

Solemn moment: Tribal men form a long procession as they walk together for the sacred Ganga Pujan ceremony.

Photo:
A.M. Faruqui

Prayer for peace: Ahuti being performed during the Ganga Pujan ceremony.

Photo:
A.M. Faruqui

Coming together: Tribal women gathered for the Ganga Pujan ceremony.