Vijayawada: NEET-PG draws 18,765 as two police suspended for extortion and Akashvani marks 90 years
Andhra Pradesh entered September 2026 with a week of civic and cultural milestones alongside troubling incidents. The state administered the NEET-PG across 77 centres with near-full attendance, while police suspended two constables for allegedly extorting an unlicensed practitioner in Macherla. Akashvani Vijayawada celebrated nine decades of broadcasting, a substantial gold offering reached the Kanaka Durga temple, and the government pushed forward on promoting spoken Telugu and strengthening tiger reserve governance — all as an El Nino-driven rain deficit reached 45% after a dry August.
🗳️ Two Constables Suspended for Extorting Bangladeshi Quack in Macherla
The Andhra Pradesh police took disciplinary action against two constables after they were found to have allegedly demanded Rs 5 lakh from a Bangladeshi individual operating as an unlicensed medical practitioner in Macherla. The person targeted is described as a quack — someone practicing medicine without recognised qualifications or proper registration. Extortion by law enforcement personnel targeting vulnerable individuals represents a serious breach of conduct norms, and the suspension signals that internal disciplinary processes were invoked promptly. Macherla is a town in the Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh. The incident draws attention to a dual problem: the presence of unregulated medical practice and predatory behaviour by officers meant to uphold the law. The case raises questions about how authorities manage unlicensed practitioners and what oversight mechanisms exist to prevent officers from exploiting those operating in legally ambiguous situations. The suspensions indicate that the department was unwilling to allow such misconduct to stand unchallenged. [1]
Woman Allegedly Gang-Raped and Assaulted at Home, Two Detained
NDTV reported that a woman in Andhra Pradesh was allegedly gang-raped and physically assaulted inside her own home, with two individuals subsequently detained by authorities in connection with the incident. The assault taking place at the victim's residence is a particularly distressing detail, since private homes are ordinarily considered spaces of safety and refuge. The detention of two persons indicates that investigators moved quickly to identify and hold persons of interest, though as of the time of reporting, formal charges had not yet been filed. Crimes of sexual violence are addressed under stringent provisions in Indian law. Incidents of violence against women continue to be a serious concern in Andhra Pradesh, and cases such as this typically generate calls for faster investigation, stronger protective measures, and consistent enforcement of legal frameworks designed to safeguard women. The matter was being pursued by authorities as investigations progressed following the detentions. [3]
🎓 NEET-PG 2026 Conducted Without Disruption Across 77 AP Centres
Andhra Pradesh administered the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for postgraduate medical programs smoothly across 77 examination centres spread through 22 districts of the state. A total of 18,765 candidates sat for the examination out of the 19,266 who had registered — a high participation rate that indicates most candidates were able to reach their allotted centres without difficulty. Vijayawada hosted examination centres as part of this statewide exercise, which was conducted on August 31. NEET-PG is the centrally mandated gateway examination for doctors seeking specialty and super-specialty medical training in India, making its smooth administration critical for thousands of aspirants whose postgraduate placements depend entirely on their performance. Coordinating the test across 22 districts requires extensive logistical preparation, including security, trained invigilators, and on-ground support. The absence of reported disruptions reflected well on the administrative machinery that oversaw the process. [4]
🎬 Akashvani Vijayawada Marks 90th Anniversary with Swara Sandhya
Akashvani Vijayawada, the regional station of All India Radio, celebrated its 90th anniversary with a cultural program titled Swara Sandhya. The name translates broadly to an evening of music, indicating that the event was built around performances rather than purely formal ceremony. Akashvani, which operates under Prasar Bharati, has served as a key medium for news, cultural programming, and Telugu language preservation in the region for nine decades. Reaching this milestone places the station among the older broadcasting institutions in South India. Over its history, the station has broadcast in Telugu and connected communities across the Krishna district and surrounding areas to both local news and to cultural content that reflects the linguistic and artistic traditions of Andhra Pradesh. The 90th anniversary event was reported by Newsonair, All India Radio's digital news platform, marking the occasion as a significant moment in the station's long service to the region. [6]
🪔 Gold Braid Worth Rs 11 Lakh Offered to Goddess Kanaka Durga
A gold braid valued at Rs 11 lakh was presented as a devotional offering to the goddess Kanaka Durga at her celebrated temple in Vijayawada. The Kanaka Durga temple, situated atop Indrakeeladri hill on the banks of the Krishna River, is one of the most venerated Hindu shrines in Andhra Pradesh and draws devotees from across the Telugu-speaking community throughout the year and in large numbers during festivals. Offerings of precious metal ornaments to temple deities reflect deep and longstanding traditions of devotional practice in the region. A gold braid of this value represents a substantial and personally meaningful tribute from the devotee or donors who commissioned it. The temple is administered under a state-appointed board that formally receives and records precious offerings, which become part of the shrine's accumulated wealth holdings. Deccan Chronicle reported the offering as a notable act of devotional generosity at one of the region's most prominent pilgrimage destinations. [7]
🗳️ El Nino Pushes Andhra Pradesh Rain Deficit to 45% After Dry August
Andhra Pradesh closed August with a rainfall deficit that had widened to 45%, a shortfall attributed to El Nino conditions suppressing monsoon activity over the state. El Nino — the periodic warming of Pacific Ocean surface temperatures — is associated with reduced rainfall over parts of South Asia during the monsoon season. A 45% departure from normal precipitation carries significant implications for agricultural output, reservoir storage, and drinking water availability. Farmers cultivating kharif crops across districts including Krishna and Guntur depend on adequate monsoon rains, and a prolonged dry spell translates into crop stress and potential yield losses. Reservoir levels feeding irrigation and urban water supply systems are also at risk when months of below-normal rainfall accumulate. The widening deficit entered the period as the monsoon season's remaining weeks offered the last meaningful opportunity to narrow the gap before conditions become increasingly difficult to recover from. The Times of India reported the figure after a notably dry August across the state. [8]
🪔 AP Announces Spoken-Telugu Associations Drive on Language Day
Andhra Pradesh Culture Minister K Durgesh announced state support for spoken-Telugu associations on the occasion of Telugu Bhasha Dinotsavam — Telugu Language Day — which was observed at a ceremony in Vijayawada. The minister urged citizens not to allow their mother tongue to be sidelined while acquiring proficiency in English and Hindi. At the event, Minister Durgesh paid tribute to Gidugu Venkata Ramamurthy Pantulu, the pioneering linguist and social reformer who championed the use of everyday spoken Telugu as a medium of literature and education, in place of the more formal classical style. Telugu Bhasha Dinotsavam is observed each year on Pantulu's birth anniversary. By committing government resources to spoken-Telugu associations, the state signals intent to sustain active spoken use of the language, particularly among younger generations who may be more exposed to English in educational and professional settings. The New Indian Express reported this story from Vijayawada on August 30. [9]
AP Forms Steering Committee for Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve
The Andhra Pradesh government established a steering committee for the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve, a major protected area that spans several districts across both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. A steering committee of this type provides a formal oversight body to coordinate among state departments — including forest, revenue, and wildlife authorities — and to set management priorities for the reserve. The Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam reserve is among India's largest tiger reserves by area and plays a critical role in the conservation of tiger populations and the broader biodiversity of the Deccan region. Establishing the committee suggests that the state is working to formalise and strengthen its administrative framework for governing the reserve, at a time when wildlife conservation requires careful coordination among multiple stakeholders and agencies. Vijayawada serves as the administrative hub from which many statewide governance decisions are coordinated. The formation of the committee was reported by The Times of India. [10]
Sources: [1] The Times of India · [3] NDTV · [4] The New Indian Express · [6] newsonair.gov.in · [7] Deccan Chronicle · [8] The Times of India · [9] The New Indian Express · [10] The Times of India