Pahalgam Terror Attack: With India grieving the loss of lives in the Pahalgam terror attack and the world expressing their condolences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a stern message to Pakistan, terrorists and the world that India won’t bow down to terrorism. Addressing a rally in Bihar, Prime Minister Modi said that India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers responsible for the attack in Pahalgam. PM Modi said that the punishment will be ‘beyond their imagination’.

“Today, from the soil of Bihar, I say to the whole world that India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the earth. India’s spirit will never be broken by terrorism. Terrorism will not go unpunished,” Modi said.

Prime Minister Modi, in his first public remarks after the terror attack in Baisaran in Pahalgam that left at least 26 persons dead on Tuesday, said that every effort will be made to ensure that justice is served.

“Everyone who believes in humanity is with us. I thank the people of various countries and the leaders who have stood with us in these times,” the Prime Minister said in his brief remarks in English.

Modi asserted that the terrorists who carried out the attack and its planners will be ‘punished beyond their imagination’. He said the enemies of the country have dared to attack the soul of India.

Tensions are soaring between India and Pakistan with the two nations taking measures against each other. While India has suspended the Indus water treaty and SAARC visas for Pakistanis, Islamabad has shut its airspace for India while also suspending third-party trade connecting India.

CPI(M) district secretariat member K. Govinda Rao said the tribal people have decided to stage a protest with ‘dolis’ at the Primary Health Centre. File
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

As many as 13 children are suffering from fever for the past few days at Neredubandha, a hilltop tribal hamlet of Cheemalapadu panchayat of Ravikamatham mandal in Ankapalli district, in Andhra Pradesh.

Girijan Sangham leaders have sought immediate visit by district-level officials and holding of a health camp to treat the children.

The tribal people say that there are 14 tribal families, belonging to the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) ‘Kondh’ tribe, who have been living there since long. Children have been suffering with fever for the past three days. The village has no ASHA worker or an Anganwadi Centre. The children have to trek 6 km every day to reach their school at Z. Zogumpeta and back. They said that one of the children Killo Prabhas was already admitted to the Area Hospital at Narsipatnam while the remaining were suffering with fever in the village.

The officials have not undertaken malathion spraying in the hamlet on the plea that the name of the village is not in their records, say Pangi Chandrayya, Girijan Sangham district president, PVTG Sangham president Gemili Vasu. This was resulting in the proliferation of mosquitoes and spread of viral fevers.

CPI(M) district secretariat member K. Govinda Rao said the tribal people have decided to stage a protest with ‘dolis’ at the Primary Health Centre (PHC), if a medical camp was not organised in the village by the end of this week. He appealed to the Collector to visit the village and do justice to the people.

Participants at the SRM and The Hindu’s Tamil Nadu Startup Summit 2025, held at Taj Coromandel, Nungambakkam, in Chennai on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam

Even as Tamil Nadu is heading towards a vibrant and tech-led startup ecosystem, there is a need for a policy framework that fosters inclusivity in startups, noted panelists in one of the sessions hosted at The Hindu Tamil Nadu Startup Summit 2025, in Chennai on Thursday (April 24, 2025).

The summit is organised by The Hindu, along with SRM Institute of Science and Technology, and co-presented by StartupTN in association with Sify Technologies.

During a session on ‘Building a diverse startup ecosystem: inclusion and gender equality’, panellists discussed the power of inclusive technology, role of academic institutions in fostering the same, and how inclusion must be unbiased.

Speaking about the challenges faced by persons with physical disabilities and the role of innovations through assistive technology in empowering them, Prateek Madhav, co-founder and CEO, AssisTech Foundation, said the country is now growing into one of the best assistive technology hubs in the world. The number has grown from a mere 10 or 15 to a vibrant ecosystem of 500 startups, which have changed lives and enabled persons with physical disabilities to gain better accessibility, independence, and social inclusion. Several of them were from Tamil Nadu, Mr. Madhav said.

Highlighting technological innovation as the reason behind societal transformation and the growth of the startup ecosystem, he said it is essential to include assistive technology in the policy framework.

Noting that persons with disabilities cannot be left behind in the attempt to build an inclusive ecosystem, he said they contribute 5% to 7% to the country’s GDP. Investment, technological innovations, and research in inclusive startups would help in improving the economic impact of including persons with physical disabilities.

Subalalitha C.N., professor, Department of Computing Technologies, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, spoke about the role of academia in nurturing startup and entrepreneurial mindset among students and encouraging faculty startups.

Besides hackathons and project based courses, students are encouraged to commercialise their ideas through industry collaborations. Moreover, faculty startups help them align with their research domains and gain exposure to market requirements. This is reflected in the quality of their teaching.

Jyotirmayee Dash, managing director, TeraLumen Solutions Private Limited, elaborated on her journey of building a startup and the terahertz technology.

Underlining the need for diversification in startups, including research-based products and manufacturing, she said consistency and dedication are important to build a company based on deep tech. Collaborations, including those with business experts and various stakeholders, would help balance research and business ventures, she said.

The session was moderated by Ramya Kannan, Chief of Bureau, Tamil Nadu, The Hindu.