Mon Mar 03 08:50:25 UTC 2025: **India News Roundup: Tunnel Rescue Efforts Intensify, Andhra Pradesh Unveils Welfare Budget, and Global Internet Shutdowns Rise**

**Hyderabad, India (March 3, 2025)** – Rescue efforts are underway at the collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana, where eight workers remain missing ten days after a section of the tunnel collapsed. South Central Railway’s engineering team made a breakthrough Sunday night, cutting the platform of a damaged Tunnel Boring Machine to facilitate debris removal. The rescue operation involves over 100 personnel from various agencies, including the Singareni Collieries Company Limited and NDRF. A team from the National Centre of Seismology is expected to arrive Tuesday to assist with advanced equipment.

**New Delhi, India (March 3, 2025)** – A new Time Use Survey by the National Statistics Office reveals a significant shift in Indian women’s participation in paid work. The survey shows a rise in women’s involvement in employment and related activities, from 21.8% in 2019 to 25% in 2024, coupled with a decrease in time spent on unpaid domestic work. The data suggests a movement towards greater economic participation by women.

**International News (March 3, 2025)** – The UN Security Council adopted a US-drafted resolution on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, marking a shift in US foreign policy under President Donald Trump. The resolution, passed with abstentions from several European nations, takes a neutral stance, contrasting with the previous administration’s support for Ukraine.

**India-Specific News (March 3, 2025)** – A report by Access Now reveals that India recorded 84 internet shutdowns in 2024, the highest among democratic nations. These shutdowns, largely attributed to protests and communal violence, represent 28% of the global total of 296 shutdowns in 2024.

**Amaravati, India (March 3, 2025)** – The Andhra Pradesh government presented a ₹3.22 lakh crore budget for 2025-26, prioritizing welfare schemes. Key initiatives include annual payments of ₹20,000 to farmers, increased financial assistance for fishermen, and ₹15,000 for school-going children under the “Talliki Vandanam” scheme. The budget also allocates significant funds for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, backward classes, and minority communities. The budget projects a revenue deficit of around ₹33,185 crore and a fiscal deficit of approximately ₹79,926 crore.

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