DEO announces ‘Mission Siddhatva’ aiming to provide free NEET, JEE coaching, Municipal Corporation expands CCTV coverage at 100 traffic junctions, 500% surge in foreign student applications at Gujarat University, and more. Catch up with what's happening in your city with this Ahmedabad News Roundup.

In collaboration with TATA Motors, the Ahmedabad Rural District has launched 'Mission Siddhatva,' an initiative aimed at providing free coaching for JEE and NEET exams to Science students. The programme, set to launch on July 19 at Maharaja Agresen High School, is expected to benefit approximately 5,000 students from rural Ahmedabad.

Ahmedabad is taking significant steps to enhance traffic management and safety by installing CCTV cameras at 100 traffic junctions. Currently, 40 out of 81 bridges are already equipped with these cameras.

The Municipal Corporation, in coordination with the police department, is planning to expand this initiative, aiming to install CCTV cameras at more than 100 additional traffic junctions. This move comes in response to the increasing number of accidents, particularly on highways and ring roads, with the goal of improving incident response and accountability.

Gujarat University has witnessed an unprecedented increase in foreign student applications, with a 500% surge compared to previous years. Over 6,000 students from 65 countries have applied, with expectations of enrolling around 2,500 students. This significant rise in interest comes predominantly from Asian, African, SAARC countries, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Spain.

The Divisional Railway Manager of Ahmedabad has announced that due to electronic interlocking work at Kanij station on the Vadodara-Geratpur section, several trains will be canceled on July 21.

The complete cancellations include the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Intercity Express, Vadodara-Ahmedabad MEMU Special, Ahmedabad-Anand MEMU Special, and Jamnagar-Vadodara Intercity Express, all in both directions. Additionally, some trains will be partially canceled to accommodate the necessary block for the work.

This year's erratic rainfall has resulted in a 21% deficit across 16 out of 33 districts in Gujarat, with central and north Gujarat being the most affected. Dang district faces the highest shortfall at 48%, followed by Anand at 45%. Ahmedabad district has also recorded a 26% deficit, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

To tackle the city’s cattle menace, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's (AMC) Cattle Nuisance Control Department (CNCD) has deployed 15,000 sanitary workers to locate and report unlicensed cattle on roads within city limits. To strengthen evidence in legal disputes, the CNCD teams are now equipped with 25 body-worn cameras during their inspections of illegal cattle sites.