Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 will be passed in Parliament in coming days, says Amit Shah

A new chapter is unfolding for football in Mangaluru as the football ground adjacent to Nehru Maidan receives a modern artificial turf, with completion expected by the end of May. This long-awaited upgrade promises to significantly enhance the playing experience for both budding and seasoned footballers in the region.

The project, spearheaded by Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL), involves laying synthetic turf across the 90,000 sq ft ground at a cost of ₹2.5 crore. Equipped with efficient drainage systems, the revamped ground will support uninterrupted play throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions.

“This is a long-pending demand of the football community here,” said D.M. Aslam of the Dakshina Kannada District Football Association. “We expect the turf work to be completed in the next two weeks. Currently, around 150 children practice regularly at the ground, and we anticipate that number to rise once the new surface is open.”

MSCL General Manager (Technical), Arun Prabha K.S., noted that while the project had been planned for some time, groundwork officially began after last year’s monsoon league concluded in August. “Once completed, this facility will be a full-fledged synthetic turf suitable for training, local tournaments, and league matches,” he said.

With the inauguration expected soon after the final touches are completed, the new astro turf is set to elevate the city’s football infrastructure and serve as a springboard for talent development across the district.

Srinagar: Following an unprecedented episode of intense cross-border shelling by the Pakistan Army that directly targeted the towns of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian government is moving to construct community bunkers in these towns and other vulnerable areas along the Line of Control (LoC).

While the government has, over the past decade, supported the construction of both individual and community bunkers along the LoC and the International Border (IB), towns like Rajouri and Poonch had been excluded from such initiatives. These towns were considered safe, as previous shelling incidents were largely restricted to forward villages closer to the border.

Officials now say the latest shelling marks a dangerous shift in the pattern of cross-border hostilities.

“The nature and intensity of the attack marked a significant departure from past ceasefire violations. For the first time in years, heavily populated towns like Rajouri and Poonch were directly hit,” a senior official said.

Caught unprepared, residents in both towns had little access to protective infrastructure as long-range mortar shells struck deep inside civilian areas.

“People weren’t expecting this—these towns had never been targeted before. Without bunkers, many had nowhere to go for safety,” the official added.

In response, the government now plans to build community bunkers at strategic locations throughout Rajouri and Poonch. These reinforced shelters will offer immediate protection to civilians during any future shelling incidents.

“In areas where individual bunkers aren't viable, community shelters become essential. These will provide residents with quick access to safety in emergencies,” the official noted.

The attacks have left local communities rattled.

“This is the first time shells landed so close to our homes in Poonch town,” said Abdul Rashid, a resident. “We never thought this would happen here.”

The sudden escalation has disrupted the fragile calm along the LoC, raising concerns over a potential return to more violent confrontations in the region.

The Ministry of Defence has urged media outlets, digital platforms, and individuals to refrain from live coverage or real-time reporting of defence operations and troop movements.

Citing the risks to operational success and personnel safety, the Ministry highlighted past incidents — including the Kargil War, the 26/11 attacks, and the Kandahar hijacking — where premature information disclosure had severe consequences.

"Under Clause 6(1)(p) of the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2021, only authorised officials are permitted to release updates during anti-terror operations," the Ministry stressed. It called for responsible reporting and greater sensitivity towards national security concerns.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a high-level review of the country’s security situation on Friday (May 9, 2025) at South Block in New Delhi, following the foiled large-scale drone strike launched by Pakistan on Thursday.

The meeting was attended by senior military leadership, including Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, and Defence Secretary RK Singh.

The security review comes in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, in which Indian Armed Forces struck nine terror infrastructures across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday, prompting Pakistan’s attempted retaliation.