New Delhi:India's southwest monsoon is showing no signs of weakening and is instead expected to gain further momentum during the first half of August, raising hopes of a strong recovery after weeks of uneven rainfall across the country. The India Meteorological Department's latest rainfall data shows the all-India monsoon rainfall deficit has narrowed to 14%, a significant improvement from much steeper shortfalls recorded earlier this season. Meteorologists say the revival is being driven by the strongest weather system of the monsoon so far, a deep depression moving across Maharashtra. Embedded within the monsoon trough, the deep depression has drawn enormous amounts of moisture from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Its impact has been further amplified by the Somali Jet, the powerful low-level wind stream that transports moisture across the Arabian Sea into the Indian subcontinent.

MOCKERY NO SUBSTITUTE

Academicians slam Priyanka over Kamakoti remarks

New Delhi:Academicians, in an open letter, have criticised Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's reported remark about IIT Madras director V Kamakoti in the Lok Sabha. They said the comment undermined academic discourse and could deter scholars from participating in public debate. More than 215 vice chancellors, former vice chancellors and academicians have come out in support of IIT Madras Director Prof V Kamakoti after Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra allegedly referred to him as a "cow urine expert" during a Lok Sabha debate, saying the remark undermines academic discourse and the dignity of India's scientific institutions.