NewsBytes

The IMD on Sunday said cyclone Ditwah, positioned over the southwest Bay of Bengal, is likely to intensify rainfall across several districts of Andhra Pradesh. The system moved almost northwards during the past six hours and remained centred at latitude 11.4 degrees north and longitude 80.6 degrees east, close to the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts. "Cyclone Ditwah, currently located over the southwest Bay of Bengal, is expected to significantly enhance rainfall activity across multiple districts of Andhra Pradesh," the India Meteorological Department said in a release. The name 'Ditwah' suggested by Yemen, refers to a lagoon and likely comes from Detwah Lagoon, a large saline lagoon on Socotra's northwest coast. The cyclone is expected to continue moving along and off the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coastline, remaining 30 to 70 km offshore and enhancing rainfall over Andhra Pradesh.

The Telangana government decided to set up exclusive MSME parks for women in every Assembly constituency as part of a long-term strategy to promote women's entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, State Minister D Sridhar Babu said on Sunday. Speaking at the WE-Enable Graduation Ceremony organised by WE Hub at Dr B R Ambedkar Open University here, the minister said women would be positioned as key stakeholders in the state's vision to transform Telangana into a $3 trillion economy by 2047, a release said. The state minister for Information Technology and Industries said women's empowerment must begin within the family and extend to active participation in economic and social life. Citing official data, Babu said Telangana's Female Labour Force Participation Rate stands at 52.7 per cent, significantly higher than the national average of 45.2 per cent.

The Winter Session of Parliament begins on Monday under the shadow of SIR with several parties uniting against it and threatening to stall proceedings in both houses if a discussion is not allowed on it. At an all-party meeting convened by the government to seek the Opposition's support for smooth functioning of Parliament, several parties raised the demand for a discussion on special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls together with issues of national security in the wake of the Delhi blast and air pollution in the national capital. Issues like foreign policy, price rise, unemployment, new labour codes and federalism amid charges that governors sitting on bills passed by state legislatures and funds of opposition-ruled states being held up were also raised and would come up during the session beginning December 1. The government, while seeking the Opposition's support, said it would continue to engage with all parties to ensure smooth functioning of the session.