Microsoft founder Bill Gates arrives in Andhra
Amaravati (PTI): Microsoft founder Bill Gates arrived in Andhra Pradesh on Monday and was welcomed by IT Minister Nara Lokesh at Gannavaram Airport along with senior cabinet colleagues.
Accompanied by Andhra Pradesh ministers, Gates proceeded to the state Secretariat for discussions on strengthening cooperation in health, agriculture, education and technology-driven governance initiatives.
"Welcome to Amaravati, Mr Bill Gates. It was a pleasure to receive the Chair of the Gates Foundation at Gannavaram Airport today," Lokesh said in a post on 'X'.
Lokesh noted that Andhra Pradesh looks forward to working closely with the Gates Foundation to create scalable and impactful solutions for public welfare across sectors.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has requested Gates to expand ongoing health initiatives across the state and discussions will focus on AI as well.
The Gates Foundation is already working at Kuppam in Chittoor district on health-related projects, and the talks are expected to explore scaling up these interventions to benefit a wider population across the southern state.
Later, Gates will proceed to the Real Time Governance System (RTGS) to observe the utilisation of technology in governance, followed by Naidu showcasing the system's procedures and results, a government source said.
The CM will give a presentation on the "Swarna Andhra 2047" (golden Andhra) vision and the reforms ushered in various sectors, including med-tech, diagnostic services and Sanjeevani, a health record digitisation programme, the source said.
Following these engagements at the Secretariat, Gates and his team will proceed to an agricultural farm in Undavalli village in Amaravati, where he will witness the use of drones and AI technology, the source further said.
Gates had earlier visited the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh twice, and this visit follows an invitation extended by CM Naidu to further deepen collaboration with the state government, Municipal Minister P Narayana earlier said.
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Hubballi: Gym trainer assaulted; police say clash due to personal reasons
Hubballi: A gym trainer was allegedly assaulted by a group of people following accusations of sexual assault and ‘love jihad’, even as both families involved in the case traded serious allegations.
According to police, a group of individuals went to the residence of Sameer Mulla, a resident of Vijayanagar, and questioned him over his friendship with a woman he had met at a gym. The situation escalated into a clash, during which he was allegedly dragged away and assaulted. He sustained minor injuries and was admitted to KIMS hospital.
N. Shashikumar said that after this incident, members from Sameer’s side went to the woman’s house, leading to another clash in which one person was injured. “It was wrong for groups to go near houses. We will take necessary legal action,” he said, adding that the incident appears to have arisen from personal reasons. Police have taken some individuals into custody and are investigating the matter.
Sameer Mulla was reportedly thrashed by a group of Sangh Parivar activists and later handed over to police at the Old Hubballi Police Station after relatives of the woman and members of Hindu organisations gathered at his residence in Rajnagar.
The woman’s family alleged assault and threats from Sameer’s relatives at their Vikas Nagar residence.
Meanwhile, Sameer’s family denied the allegations and accused the woman’s relatives and others of assaulting and kidnapping him. His sister said the two had been in a relationship for three years and that the allegations were baseless.
Police said statements from both sides have been recorded, and a detailed investigation is underway. Sameer remains hospitalised, and appropriate legal action will be taken based on findings.
In a video statement shared on social media, the 20-year-old woman alleged that Sameer had given her an intoxicant, recorded videos without her consent, and sexually assaulted her. She lodged a complaint alleging rape and blackmail, which police are investigating.
In another video, Sameer denied the allegations, claiming the video was recorded with consent and that the accusations were made under pressure.
Former Hubballi-Dharwad Urban Development Authority (HDUDA) chairman Nagesh Kalburgi termed the incident a serious matter and urged police to take strict action.
Police said the case involves multiple complaints from both sides, and further investigation is underway.
