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Source: https://youtube.com/shorts/HLzLjjnDRrQ

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has lost out to Andhra Pradesh in securing the proposed Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) flight testing and integration complex, a key defence aerospace project linked to India’s fifth-generation stealth fighter programme, with the union government backing Andhra Pradesh for the facility.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone for the Rs 15,000-crore AMCA defence hub in Puttaparthi on Friday. The development comes in spite of the technically superior infrastructure conditions offered by Tamil Nadu, according to highly-placed sources. However, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is yet to give an official reason for the decision.

The Tamil Nadu government had been in talks with DRDO for the past three years to anchor the project in Hosur. The proposal envisaged the AMCA flight testing and integration complex to be developed alongside the proposed Hosur airport, with the testing facility on one side and the passenger terminal on the other.

Officials familiar with the discussions also noted that the original runway at the Andhra site was about 2.1 km long, when compared to the proposed 3.5-km runway planned at Hosur. Hence, AP would need to extend the runway to 3 km by procuring additional land for the facility. 

TN had offered 100 acres free for project

However, officials pointed out that the revised runway length may still fall short of requirements for conducting abort tests, a critical aviation safety procedure in which a take-off or mission is intentionally terminated to verify whether an aircraft can safely stop or recover during an emergency. Aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus, as well as defence agencies, routinely conduct abort tests before certifying new aircraft systems. Sources said such tests typically require a runway length of 3.5 km.

Tamil Nadu had also offered to provide 100 acres of land free of cost, as requested by the DRDO for the project, apart from the 3.5-km runway of Hosur airport. The proposed facility would have been located close to the headquarters of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) – the nodal agency for the design and development of India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) – in Vimanapura, Bengaluru. Officials said this proximity, considering the ADA headquarters is located around 40 km from Hosur, could have enabled better integration with the existing airspace infrastructure.

Despite these highly favourable terms on offer, sources said the DRDO was subsequently directed to pursue the project in AP, where land was identified near the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust in Puttaparthi. So far, the DRDO has not officially stated any reason for shifting the site.

The development comes amid intensifying competition among southern states to attract high-value manufacturing and aerospace investments.

Officials cited the case of South Korean footwear maker Hwaseung Enterprises, which had earlier signed an MoU with the TN government for a Rs 1,720-crore non-leather footwear manufacturing facility, but later shifted the proposed investment to Kuppam in Andhra Pradesh. Officials further said that concerns were growing that political considerations were resulting in TN losing out on strategic investments.

Source:

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2026/May/16/tn-loses-mega-defence-flight-testing-hub-to-andhra-amid-regional-rivalry

Deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan has announced free higher education support for meritorious students from govt schools in Pithapuram constituency who scored above 580 marks in the SSC examinations.

A total of 31 students have been identified under the initiative, including one who secured 598 marks and emerged as a State-level topper. Officials said students will be allowed to choose courses and colleges of their preference, with institutions coming forward to offer admissions following Pawan’s intervention.

The initiative is part of efforts to develop Pithapuram as a model constituency, with a focus on education and student welfare. Of the selected students, seven are already receiving ₹5,000 per month from Pawan Kalyan under a scheme for children without parents.

Pawan Kalyan personally reviewed students’ academic performance and held discussions with parents before facilitating admissions. Arrangements were finalised in consultation with college managements to ensure that the students pursue higher education free of cost.

He thanked the institutions that extended support and urged students to make the most of the opportunity. Officials said the initiative is aimed at ensuring that talented students from economically weaker sections do not drop out due to financial constraints.

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vijayawada/pawan-to-sponsor-higher-education-for-pithapuram-ssc-toppers/articleshow/131074195.cms

A World Cup medal.And most of us missed it.

India won bronze at the Thomas Cup 2026.

Led by Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty— they finished Top 3 in the world.

And yet… it barely made noise. In a country where cricket stops traffic, where every over becomes a headline, and every win becomes a national mood — a World Cup medal in another sport quietly arrived home.

And maybe that’s the real shift we need—not just cheering wins, but recognising them when they happen.

#ThomasCup2026 #IndianBadminton #TeamIndia #SportsInIndia #BronzeMedal

Ishan Kishan was involved in a highly controversial dismissal during an SRH vs MI IPL match, where he surprisingly chose to walk off the field despite not edging the ball, and even though there was no strong or convincing appeal from the opposition players or the on-field umpire