{
  "id": 14243692,
  "title": "Marathwada Drought Casts Shadow Over University Youth Festival, Vice-Chancellor Calls For Austerity",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/marathwada-drought-casts-shadow-over-university-youth-festival-vice",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-13T15:51:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/pune/marathwada-drought-casts-shadow-over-university-youth-festival-vice-chancellor-calls-for-austerity"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nanded, October 13 - The drought-stricken areas of Marathwada have prompted Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University (SRTMU) to hold its inter-collegiate youth festival, Dnyantirth-2026, with caution, opting for financial restraint and cultural sensitivity. Vice-Chancellor Dr Manohar Chaskar has urged organizers, participants, and dignitaries to ensure the four-day event, to be held at Nanded Education Society’s Science College from October 16 to 19, reflects social responsibility towards drought-affected communities. Speaking at a press conference, Dr Chaskar requested organizers to avoid lavish decorations and expenditure on items like shawls and bouquets, and asked local judges and assistants to voluntarily return part of their honorarium to contribute to the social cause. Nanded Collector Dr Rahul Kardile will inaugurate the festival on October 16 at 11 am at the Sane Guruji stage, while the closing ceremony and prize distribution will take place on October 19 at the same time. The festival will showcase competitions in 30 art forms, including music, dance, theatre, literature, fine arts, and Maharashtra's folk traditions. Elocution topics will address contemporary challenges such as peace, drug abuse, climate change, and artificial intelligence.",
  "summary": "Nanded, Oct 13: With drought conditions prevailing in parts of Marathwada, Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University (SRTMU) has decided to celebrate its inter-collegiate youth festival, Dnyantirth-2026, with restraint, avoiding unnecessary expenditure and glamour. Vice-Chancellor Dr Manohar Chaskar has appealed to organisers, participants and dignitaries to ensure that the four-day cultural…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}