Shah orders chiefs of paramilitary forces to call back their personnel who are on leave: Sources
New Delhi (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday directed chiefs of all paramilitary forces to call back their personnel who are on leave in the wake of the strikes carried out by the Indian armed forces in Pakistan as a retaliatory action against the Pahalgam terror attack, sources said.
Shah, who is in regular touch with Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, also asked them to ensure that the civilian population living along border areas are brought to safer places.
He also asked the authorities concerned to keep bunkers ready for the shelter of the civilian population in case of emergency, sources said.
The home minister directed chiefs of all Central Armed Police Forces to call back their personnel who are on leave, they said.
According to sources, said Shah also reviewed the internal security situation in the country and asked the top security officials to be on alert and keep strict vigil.
The home minister termed 'Operation Sindoor' as Bharat's response to the brutal killings of innocent people in Pahalgam.
He also said the Modi government is resolved to give a befitting response to any attack on India and its people and Bharat remains firmly committed to eradicating terrorism from its roots.
The Indian strike was carried out in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in which 26 people were killed.
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Rare Kalyani Chalukya-era stepwell discovered in Karnataka’s Gadag district
Gadag: A centuries-old stepwell from the Kalyani Chalukya period is discovered into public in Sudi, a remote village in Karnataka’s Gadag district. The Nagakunda Pushkarani, dating to the 10th-11th century CE, is undergoing extensive restoration under the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage’s ‘Adopt a Monument’ scheme.
The stepwell was focal point of community life and craftsmanship under the reign of Akkadevi, sister of Chalukya king Jayasimha II. It shows the dynasty’s mastery of architecture and water management. Its interior walls are carved with the precision of temple façades, setting it apart from most surviving stepwells in southern India, linking it stylistically to examples in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
After centuries of neglect left its sculptures weathered and its waters dry, the site is now being revived by the Deccan Heritage Foundation India in partnership with Heritage Matters, the Gandipet Welfare Society and the Water Literacy Foundation according to a report published by The HIndu. Work includes structural repairs, removal of invasive vegetation, dredging, stone resetting and landscaping, alongside the restoration of an adjacent mantapa with a large Ganesha idol.
Heritage architect B. Sarath Chandra noted, the project is as much about functionality as aesthetics, with water recharge efforts already underway. Funded by Gandipet Welfare Society founder Rajashree Pinnamenni, the restoration is slated for completion by late 2025, followed by a second phase linking the stepwell to the Jodu Kalasadagudi temple through landscaped pathways.
The report mentions that officials say the revival of Nagakunda Pushkarani could not only reintroduce Sudi’s Chalukya heritage to a wider audience but also serve as a model for conserving other lesser-known monuments across Karnataka.
