Chanakya AI Achieves 92% Accuracy in Analyzing Student Handwritten Work, Offers Targeted Feedback to Help Students Master Concepts and Improve Grades

NEW DELHI, July 7, 2025 – What if your child could instantly know exactly where they went wrong in a chapter—and how to fix it? Neurobridge Tech Pvt Ltd today announced the official launch of Chanakya AI, India's first AI platform analyzing handwritten CBSE exam answers and providing personalized feedback. This breakthrough technology bridges a long-standing gap in India's ₹3,74,000 crore ($50.31 billion) K-12 education market by delivering one-on-one guidance previously available only through costly private tutoring.

Chanakya AI has shown remarkable results during its year-long beta phase, with over 500 students across multiple states reporting grade improvements. Delhi student Kiran Kumar's math scores improved from 28% to 45%, while Pune students reported jumps from 72% to 84%.

Unlike conventional education methods—which merely assign marks and indicate if answers are right or wrong—Chanakya AI identifies why students make particular mistakes. After students upload photos of their handwritten answers, the AI system analyzes their work, highlighting error patterns, identifying conceptual gaps, and calculating marks lost due to repeated mistakes.

"Traditional methods simply tell students how many marks they've scored or lost," explained Garvit Kothari, CEO and Co-founder. "We go further. For example, if a student consistently mixes up velocity and acceleration concepts, we not only show them they've lost 8 marks because of this recurring mistake but also create targeted interventions addressing this conceptual confusion."

This approach represents a fundamental improvement over traditional educational systems and current edtech platforms like Byju's, Unacademy, and Vedantu, which provide standardized lectures and multiple-choice questions, rather than personalized insights into handwritten answers.

Chanakya AI's process involves students practicing questions and uploading photos of their handwritten answers via the app. Proprietary AI interprets handwritten answers with 92% accuracy (targeting 95%+ by year-end), identifies mistakes across conceptual, procedural, and calculation categories, then recommends targeted reviews, specific practice problems, and guided content. The system tracks progress in real-time, dynamically adjusting difficulty to help students master concepts.

"My mother serves as principal of a government school and constantly shares stories of bright students struggling due to one-size-fits-all teaching methods," said Atharv Garg, COO and Co-founder. "With class sizes often reaching up to 45 students per teacher, it's humanly impossible for teachers to identify and correct every student's unique learning challenges. That's the gap our AI fills—by providing personalized interventions to every student, no matter how large the class size."

Early user experiences demonstrate tangible improvements. "My son's grades improved from 72% to 84% in just two months. Chanakya's personalized feedback finally made the difference," said Priya Sharma, mother of a 10th grader from Delhi. "My math scores improved by 20 marks after using Chanakya. The AI clearly explained where I went wrong and gave precise steps to practice," said Ananya R., a Grade 10 student from Pune.

Chanakya AI plans expansion by Q4 2025, covering grades 6-8 and all subjects for grades 11-12. Voice and video interaction capabilities launching in August 2025 will create India's first omnichannel AI tutoring experience. "Students will soon speak directly with their AI tutors, demonstrate their problem-solving process visually, and receive real-time verbal feedback," said Garg.

Additionally, Chanakya AI is developing B2B solutions for schools, automating the examination lifecycle—from test creation and grading to performance analytics. Self-funded to date, the company aims to raise Series A capital in Q4 2025 to accelerate development and market reach.

Built on proprietary CBSE-aligned Large Language Models trained on over 100,000 question-answer pairs, Chanakya AI is accessible via aichanakya.in across smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. Priced at ₹1,500 monthly—a fraction of traditional private tutoring costs—the platform provides analytical insights previously accessible only to affluent students.

"Every success story like Kiran Kumar's symbolizes thousands of students across India who simply need the right support to thrive academically," noted Garg. "Our mission is making personalized learning support universally accessible."

Chanakya AI enters India's rapidly expanding online education market, projected to grow from ₹21,700 crore ($2.92 billion) in 2024 to ₹1,55,900 crore ($20.98 billion) by 2033, representing a 24.50% compound annual growth rate. "With India's 261 million students across 1.5 million schools, our handwritten analysis and personalized learning approach addresses a critical need traditional education simply cannot meet," said Kothari. "We're targeting 2.6 million students within the next three years."

Founded in May 2023 and headquartered in Delhi, Neurobridge Tech is pioneering the intersection of artificial intelligence and education in India. The company's flagship product, Chanakya AI, represents the first platform capable of analyzing handwritten student work to deliver personalized learning experiences at scale. More information is available at aichanakya.in.

(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with NRDPL and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

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Panaji, Jul 7 (PTI) One person from Maharashtra was held for allegedly duping a Goa resident of Rs 2.45 crore after promising high returns on stock market investments, a police official said here on Monday.

The cyber crime police station official identified the accused as Sanjay M Chavan (45).

"The accused posed as a stock broker and lured a Salcete resident to join a Whatsapp group and invest Rs 2.45 crore over a period of time after promising high returns. The probe into the financial trail led us to Chavan, who was arrested on July 6. A sum of Rs 13.5 lakh had been deposited in his account," he said.

A case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act, the official said, adding a probe was underway to find if more persons are involved in the racket. PTI RPS BNM

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) A Delhi court on Monday recorded the statement of former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar over the violence in Janakpuri and Vikaspuri areas in the capital during the 1984 anti-sikh riots.

Special judge Dig Vinay Singh recorded statement of Kumar, who said he was innocent as there was not an iota of evidence against him.

Kumar, who was produced physically, claimed a fair investigation was not conducted and he was being implicated by unsubstantiated allegations.

"I was not named by any of the witnesses. Decades later I was named. The case against me is false and politically motivated. I organised blood donation camps and peace march to bring harmony in the area. My life detector test was conducted where I voluntarily participated to prove my innocence," Kumar said.

The court then posted the matter on July 29.

In Feb 2015, a special investigation team registered two FIRs against Kumar based on complaints of violence in the areas during the anti-Sikh riots.

The first FIR was over the violence in Janakpuri, where two men, Sohan Singh and his son-in-law Avtar Singh, were killed on November 1, 1984.

The second FIR was registered in the case of Gurcharan Singh, who was allegedly set ablaze on November 2, 1984 in Vikaspuri. PTI MNR AMK

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Lucknow, Jul 7 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court on Monday dismissed the pleas challenging the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to pair primary and upper primary schools with fewer than 50 students with nearby institutions.

A bench of Justice Pankaj Bhatia pronounced the verdict on Monday.

The court had on Friday reserved the order on two separate petitions filed by Krishna Kumari and others, who sought cancellation of the state government's June 16 order.

The petitioners' advocates L P Mishra and Gaurav Mehrotra had argued that the state government's action violates Article 21A of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to education for children aged between six and 14 years.

They contended the implementation of the decision would deprive children of their right to education in their neighbourhood.

The government should instead focus on improving the standard of schools to attract more students, they added.

Further, the petitioners said the government chose the "easier way" of closing these schools, instead of working towards public welfare, overriding economic gains or losses.

Additional advocate general Anuj Kudesia, chief standing counsel Shailendra Singh and senior advocate Sandeep Dixit, representing the director of basic education, argued the government's decision was made according to rules, free from flaws or illegalities.

They said many schools had very few, or no students, and said the government did not "merge" the schools but "paired" them, assuring no primary schools were closed. PTI COR ABN ABN AMK

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Veraval (Guj), Jul 7 (PTI) A district court in Veraval in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district received an email on Monday threatening to blow it up, though it turned out to be a hoax as nothing suspicious was found following a thorough search of the premises, a police official said.

As soon as the threat email was received, the entire complex, including the three buildings within the court, was evacuated and lawyers, clients etc were asked to leave, he said.

"The bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) and a dog squad searched the premises. Nothing suspicious was found. Further investigations are underway," Deputy Superintendent of Police VR Khengar told reporters.

Officials said the checking by BDDS and dog squad of the premises and search operations in the vicinity lasted for nearly an hour after which the court complex was reopened.

The incident comes nearly a month after a similar hoax threat email to blow up the Gujarat High Court disrupted its functioning.

The state has witnessed an increase in the number of cases of hoax emails threatening to blow up schools and hotels, etc, officials pointed out.

On Saturday, a hotel in Gujarat's Vadodara city received a similar hoax email.

Recently, the Ahmedabad cyber crime police arrested a Chennai-based IT engineer for allegedly sending 13 such threatening emails. PTI COR KA BNM

Ballia (UP), Jul 7 (PTI) Two policemen were suspended for indiscipline in connection with the beating of a few people while they were returning from a graveyard, also known as Karbala, after a tazia procession.

According to police, late Sunday in Kharika village, some members of a tazia procession snapped an electric wire when they were moving through the area, leading to a confrontation with the locals.

Ballia Superintendent of Police Omveer Singh Monday said in connection with the fight, Sub-Inspector Jitendra Pandey and Constable Anand Kumar, both posted at Revati Police Station, were suspended.

The two have been accused of gross negligence towards duty, indifference, inaction and indiscipline.

In addition, Station House Officer Prashant Kumar has been sent to Police Lines with immediate effect over laxity in supervision.

The SP said the charge of investigating the policemen's role has been given to the Sadar circle officer.

Teams have been formed to nab the people involved in the row, he added. PTI COR NAV VN

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Ranchi, Jul 7 (PTI) From smartphones to specialised apps, and from anganwadi centres to Parliament, digital systems are rapidly transforming the landscape of women and child welfare in the country — making service delivery faster, more transparent, and accessible, Union Minister Annapurna Devi said.

In an interview with PTI, Devi reflected on her 28-year-long political journey — from a grieving young homemaker with three small children to a central voice for women’s rights on global platforms — and underscored the significant strides Indian women have made over the years.

"Earlier, everything was manual—it was tough. But now, with tools like the Poshan Tracker app, anganwadi workers can instantly log beneficiary details, avoid duplication, and ensure accountability. We’ve provided them with smartphones to ease their work and curb the leakages that were common earlier," Devi told PTI.

The Poshan app, now integrated with home visit data for children under three and video-based learning modules for children aged 3–6, was recently recognised nationally on Civil Services Day.

"Under the Digital Bharat Abhiyan, several states have achieved 100 per cent real-time tracking using facial recognition," Devi, the Union Women and Child Development Minister, said.

The Ministry is also expanding women’s safety networks through One-Stop centres, 181 helpline, and temporary shelters, while Mission Vatsalya supports care homes for abandoned and orphaned children.

"We’re reaching over 10 crore beneficiaries, including 14 lakh anganwadi workers," she said.

On legal reforms, the minister emphasised that stricter enforcement of the POCSO Act, functional internal complaints committees across sectors for working women, and BNS laws are strengthening justice delivery.

"Fast-track courts are being set up, and states have been asked to empower panchayats to prevent child marriages under Bal Vivah Mukta Abhiyan," she said, adding that decentralisation will result in better outcomes.

Reflecting on her personal journey, Devi recalled how politics was never on the cards for her as a homemaker and how her life took a dramatic turn when her husband, Ramesh Yadav, an RJD legislator, died suddenly in 1998.

"I had three very young children — just one, two-and-a-half, and four. I was in shock when people said, ‘You will lead us now.’ I had no public experience, but their belief gave me strength," she added.

She contested the Bihar Assembly bypoll from Koderma, won four times, and served as a minister. later, she also served as a minister in Jharkhand.

"Understanding how politics works was the biggest challenge. But I learned. Very few women were in politics back then. My mother raised my children while I worked. Women have the strength to balance both worlds," he added.

On shifting from RJD to BJP, she says it was a personal decision.

"RJD had minimal presence in Jharkhand. Joining the BJP was supported by my family. The people of Koderma always stood by me," the minister said.

In 2021, Devi was inducted into the Union government as minister of state for education on July 7.

Her defection to the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was a defining moment in her career.

Contesting from Koderma on a BJP ticket, she left a significant mark, having earlier served as the RJD’s Jharkhand state chief and a close aide to party supremo Lalu Prasad.

She observed that societal attitudes have undergone a sea change since she first entered politics.

"In 1998, parents discouraged daughters from reporting harassment. Today, they stand with them. Girls say, we won’t be silenced. Social media has brought more awareness and accountability," she added.

On tackling trafficking, especially in states like Jharkhand, she said the ministry is strengthening the 1098 Child helpine, and establishing help desks at transport hubs.

Under the Safe City Project and Nirbhaya Fund, public spaces are being secured with panic buttons, pink autos, toilets, and better lighting, he added.

She also highlighted the push for decentralised implementation of child protection laws through Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and Juvenile Justice Boards, with increased involvement from district magistrates and district child protection officers.

"My journey proves — if a woman believes in herself and gets people’s support, she can overcome anything," she asserted. PTI NAM MNB

Lucknow, Jul 7 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government is set to plant 37 crore saplings across all the districts in the state under the Plantation Drive- 2025 on Wednesday, the UP government said on Monday.

To ensure statewide participation and impact, ministers of the Uttar Pradesh government will lead the campaign across all 75 districts. Senior administrative officers have been designated as district nodal officers, who will reach their respective districts on Tuesday morning to review preparations, the statement added.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will lead plantation drives in Ayodhya and Azamgarh, while UP Governor Anandiben Patel will participate in the campaign in Barabanki.

Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak will plant saplings in Meerut and Lucknow, respectively, the statement said.

All ministers of the UP government will participate in the state-wide plantation drive on Wednesday, planting saplings in their assigned districts.

The government has appointed nodal officers in all 75 districts to ensure the success of the plantation campaign. PTI NAV APL APL MNK

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Beijing, Jul 7 (PTI) China on Monday said BRICS is not a bloc for confrontation and does not target any third country, as it reacted guardedly to US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose additional 10 per cent tariffs on countries aligning with what he called the 'anti-American policies" of the grouping.

BRICS is an important platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here.

Mao said BRICS advocates openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation.

“It is not a bloc for confrontation nor does it target any country," she said.

Mao was responding to a question on Trump’s threat to impose additional 10 per cent tariffs on countries aligning themselves with the anti-American policies of the grouping of the emerging economies.

Referring to Trump’s tariff hike threats, she said China has made its position clear.

“Trade and tariffs have no winners and protectionism leaves nowhere," she said.

Trump said on Monday that “any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10 per cent Tariff”.

“There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

His comments came after the BRICS bloc condemned the increase of tariffs without naming Trump. Leaders of the BRICS are meeting in Brazil for the 17th BRICS Summit on July 6-7.

BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, with Indonesia joining in 2025. PTI KJV NSA

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Dhaka, Jul 7 (PTI) Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal on Monday set July 10 to determine whether charges will be framed against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and two of her top aides.

Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun are accused in the case over alleged crimes against humanity committed during the July uprising last year.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) set July 10 to decide whether charges will be framed against Hasina, Kamal, and Al-Mamun, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

On that day, the three-member tribunal will hear the petitions filed by the defence counsels, who argued that the charges against their clients are baseless and should be dropped, it said.

Hasina, Kamal, and Al-Mamun were charged with five counts of crimes against humanity on June 1.

The prosecution pressed formal charges against the deposed prime minister, the former home minister, and the former top cop for murder, attempted murder, torture, and use of lethal weapons, among others.

On Wednesday last week, Hasina was sentenced to six months in prison in absentia in a contempt of court case by the ICT. It marks the first time that the 77-year-old Awami League leader has been sentenced in any case since she left office in August last year.

According to a UN rights office report, up to 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15 last year as Hasina's government ordered a security crackdown on protesters.

Most leaders of the Awami League and ministers and several officials of the past regime were arrested or were on the run at home and abroad as the interim government initiated their trial for brutal actions to tame the uprising last year, which led to the toppling of the nearly 16-year Awami League regime on August 5 and forced Hasina to leave the country for India.

Meanwhile, a Dhaka court has summoned Hasina, her family members, and several former officials of her administration to appear in six cases over alleged corruption involving plot allocations, news portal bdnews24.com reported on Sunday.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam said the court had earlier instructed the publication of the gazette notices, which have now been issued.

The gazette was signed by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib.

“The court has scheduled July 20 for a hearing in these six cases. If the accused fail to appear before the court by then, the trial will proceed in their absence,” Salam said.

The gazette underlines that arrest warrants have been issued against the accused, that the court has reasonable grounds to believe that they have gone into hiding to evade arrest and trial, and that there is no likelihood of their apprehension.

If the accused fail to appear by the next scheduled date, the trial will proceed in their absence.

Besides Hasina, the gazette includes the names of her children Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Saima Wazed Putul, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and Rehana’s children British MP Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Azmina Siddiq Ruponti, and Radwan Mujib Siddiq. PTI SCY SCY

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Beijing, Jul 7 (PTI) China said on Monday it protested to India over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s greetings to the Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday and the attendance of Indian officials at the celebrations, stressing New Delhi should fully appreciate Beijing’s sensitivities on Tibet-related issues.

China’s position on Tibet-related affairs is consistent and clear and it's known to all, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here.

Mao was replying to a question on Prime Minister Modi's greeting the Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday and the attendance of senior Indian officials at his birthday celebrations.

The 14th Dalai Lama is a political exile, who for a long, has been engaged in separatist activities and attempted to separate Xizang from China under the cover of religion, Mao alleged.

China refers to Tibet as Xizang.

"India should fully appreciate the great sensitivity of Xizang-related issues and recognise the anti-separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama and honour the commitment it made to China on issues related to Xizang," she said.

India should act and speak prudently and stop using this issue to meddle in China’s internal affairs, she said, adding that “China has protested to the Indian side” on the matter.

Prime Minister Modi on Sunday extended warm wishes to the Dalai Lama, and said he has been an enduring symbol of love, compassion, patience and moral discipline.

"His message has inspired respect and admiration across all faiths. We pray for his continued good health and long life," Modi posted on X.

Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, and Sikkim minister Sonam Lama had attended his birthday celebrations in Dharamshala.

China on last Friday objected to Minority Affairs Minister Rijiju’s statement that the incarnation of the Dalai Lama should follow his own wishes, urging India to act cautiously on Tibet-related issues to avoid affecting the improvement of bilateral relations.

India should be clear of the anti-China separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama and honour its commitments on Xizang (Tibet) related issues, Mao told media here reacting to Rijiju’s assertion that the decision on the incarnation of the Dalai Lama would be taken by the established institution and the leader of Tibetan Buddhist himself and no one else.

Last Wednesday, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama said that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue, and only the Gaden Phodrang Trust will have the authority to recognise his future reincarnation.

Mao had reiterated China’s stand that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, the second-highest priest of Tibetan Buddhism, has to comply with rigorous religious rituals and historical conventions in line with domestic search, lots drawn from a 'golden urn' and the central government's approval.

The present 14th Dalai Lama went through this procedure and was approved by the then central government, she had said.

The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama must uphold those principles, follow religious rituals and historical conventions, Chinese law and regulations, she had said. PTI KJV NSA

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Colombo, Jul 7 (PTI) Sri Lankan Navy rescued four Indian fishermen, who went missing at sea, from a distressed fishing boat off the western coast, an official statement said on Monday.

The fishermen were rescued on Sunday following a coordinated Search and Rescue (SAR) launched by the Sri Lankan Navy after being alerted by the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) Mumbai, said an official statement released by the Sri Lankan Navy.

MRCC alerted the Sri Lankan Navy about an Indian fishing boat that went missing on June 29 due to adverse weather conditions and lost all communication links.

"The operation made way for the rescue of four Indian fishermen, who were stranded off Chilaw after their fishing boat encountered distress at sea," the statement said.

The fishermen who hail from Minicoy Island in India were safely brought to Dikowita harbour, where the Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard provided essential support.

"This marks the second successful rescue of Indian fishermen by the Navy in collaboration with the MRCC, Colombo, within just two weeks," the statement added.

The Navy said that the fishermen were later handed over to the Wattala Police Station for further procedures.

The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering the island nation's territorial waters.

The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries. PTI RD RD

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Sydney/Toronto, Jul 7 (The Conversation) Deep-sea mining promises critical minerals for the energy transition without the problems of mining on land. It also promises to bring wealth to developing nations. But the evidence suggests these promises are false, and mining would harm the environment.

The practice involves scooping up rock-like nodules from vast areas of the sea floor. These potato-sized lumps contain metals and minerals such as zinc, manganese, molybdenum, nickel and rare earth elements.

Technology to mine the deep sea exists, but commercial mining of the deep sea is not happening anywhere in the world. That could soon change. Nations are meeting this month in Kingston, Jamaica, to agree to a mining code. Such a code would make way for mining to begin within the next few years.

On Thursday, Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, released research into the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. It aims to promote better environmental management of deep-sea mining, should it proceed.

We have previously challenged the rationale for deep-sea mining, drawing on our expertise in international politics and environmental management. We argue mining the deep sea is harmful and the economic benefits have been overstated. What’s more, the metals and minerals to be mined are not scarce.

The best course of action is a ban on international seabed mining, building on the coalition for a moratorium.

Managing and monitoring environmental harm

Recent advances in technology have made deep-sea mining more feasible. But removing the nodules – which also requires pumping water around – has been shown to damage the seabed and endanger marine life.

CSIRO has developed the first environmental management and monitoring frameworks to protect deep sea ecosystems from mining. It aims to provide “trusted, science-based tools to evaluate the environmental risks and viability of deep-sea mining”.

Scientists from Griffith University, Museums Victoria, the University of the Sunshine Coast, and Earth Sciences New Zealand were also involved in the work.

The Metals Company Australia, a local subsidiary of the Canadian deep-sea mining exploration company, commissioned the research. It involved analysing data from test mining the company carried out in the Pacific Ocean in 2022.

The company has led efforts to expedite deep-sea mining. This includes pushing for the mining code, and exploring commercial mining of the international seabed through approval from the US government.

In a media briefing this week, CSIRO Senior Principal Research Scientist Piers Dunstan said the mining activity substantially affected the sea floor. Some marine life, especially that attached to the nodules, had very little hope of recovery. He said if mining were to go ahead, monitoring would be crucial.

We are sceptical that ecological impacts can be managed even with this new framework. Little is known about life in these deep-water ecosystems. But research shows nodule mining would cause extensive habitat loss and damage.

Do we really need to open the ocean frontier to mining? We argue the answer is no, on three counts.

1. Minerals are not scarce

The minerals required for the energy transition are abundant on land. Known global terrestrial reserves of cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and nickel are enough to meet current production levels for decades – even with growing demand.

There is no compelling reason to extract deep-sea minerals, given the economics of both deep-sea and land-based mining. Deep-sea mining is speculative and inevitably too expensive given such remote, deep operations.

Claims about mineral scarcity are being used to justify attempting to legitimise a new extractive frontier in the deep sea. Opportunistic investors can make money through speculation and attracting government subsidies.

2. Mining at sea will not replace mining on land

Proponents claim deep-sea mining can replace some mining on land. Mining on land has led to social issues including infringing on indigenous and community rights. It also damages the environment.

But deep-sea mining will not necessarily displace, replace or change mining on land. Land-based mining contracts span decades and the companies involved will not abandon ongoing or planned projects. Their activities will continue, even if deep-sea mining begins.

Deep-sea mining also faces many of the same challenges as mining on land, while introducing new problems. The social problems that arise during transport, processing and distribution remain the same.

And sea-based industries are already rife with modern slavery and labour violations, partly because they are notoriously difficult to monitor.

Deep-sea mining does not solve social problems with land-based mining, and adds more challenges.

3. Common heritage of humankind and the Global South

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the international seabed is the common heritage of humankind. This means the proceeds of deep-sea mining should be distributed fairly among all countries.

Deep-sea mining commercial partnerships between developing countries in the Global South and firms from the North have yet to pay off for the former. There is little indication this pattern will change.

For example, when Canadian company Nautilus went bankrupt in 2019, it saddled Papua New Guinea with millions in debt from a failed domestic deep-sea mining venture.

The Metals Company has partnerships with Nauru and Tonga but the latest deal with the US creates uncertainty about whether their agreements will be honoured.

European investors took control of Blue Minerals Jamaica, originally a Jamaican-owned company, shortly after orchestrating its start up. Any profits would therefore go offshore.

A wise investment?

It is unclear whether deep-sea mining will ever be a good investment.

Multiple large corporate investors have pulled out of the industry, or gone bankrupt. And The Metals Company has received delisting notices from the Nasdaq stock exchange due to poor financial performance.

Given the threat of environmental harm, the evidence suggests deep-sea mining is not worth the risk. (The Conversation) NSA

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Montreal/Toronto, Jul 7 (The Conversation) Parenting in the digital age can be stressful and demands a lot from parents.

The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) recently released its annual Online Safety Survey that discovered almost 50 per cent of parents surveyed aren’t using parental controls to manage their children’s devices. These are tools that would ostensibly help parents filter out inappropriate content or unwanted interactions on their children’s devices.

The FOSI authors conclude the reason parents aren’t using the tools is because they feel “overwhelmed” and recommend parents educate themselves as a good first step toward broader use.

While overwhelm is a real thing, we suggest a bigger problem with parental controls is how they are designed. This includes how little attention is given to supporting open communication between parents and children.

Once a year for the past three years, we’ve asked the same 33 children (initially aged six to 12) what they think about content ratings, online safety, game monetization and privacy. Our team’s combined expertise in communication, education, policy and game studies analyzed their answers.

We also asked their parents how they mediated their kids’ gaming. Nearly half of them don’t use parental controls either. They say parental controls don’t always work as promised, offer little context about how settings affect gameplay and force binary choices that don’t align with household rules or with children’s maturity levels.

The parents we asked said they aren’t avoiding parental controls because they feel overwhelmed by them. It’s that the tools are poorly designed.

Parent controls can introduce more problems

At the same time, many of the parents described themselves as highly engaged in their child’s gameplay; talking with their children regularly or encouraging play in shared, supervised spaces. Several said they choose to trust their child rather than set top-down limits.

Our findings align with previous research on digital parenting. In one British study, parents said they felt some controls were valuable supplements to mediation, while other controls were poorly designed, introducing more problems than solutions.

The use of parental controls doesn’t necessarily translate to increased child safety. In fact, using parental controls can create a disconnect between parents and children on key safety issues.

Awareness of risks

Six children we interviewed were not aware their parents were using controls, and at least two children revealed they didn’t even know why a parent would use parental controls in the first place. In this context, parents’ efforts to protect their children had the unintended side effect of obscuring vital knowledge, leaving the children unaware of some of the key risks associated with playing online. Parental controls can remove opportunities to teach kids about safety if they aren’t part of the conversation.

We believe that the behind-the-scenes protections enabled by (some) parental controls can be detrimental to parent-child communication about online safety. What are the risks? How can children avoid the riskiest behaviour? What should they do when or if they’ve encountered danger?

Meanwhile, parents aren’t always familiar with the features and activities they are asked to restrict or allow. Very few parental controls contain information about how gameplay will be impacted by their settings. Many contain terms only someone familiar with the game would understand, while others are hard to navigate.

All of this can lead to misinterpretations and parent-child conflicts, making the tools even harder to use.

Power of communication

Open communication between parents and children on safety topics fosters trust, which increases the likelihood kids will turn to their parents for help when something dangerous happens.

It enables children to build resiliency, which in turn reduces the risk they’ll be harmed by negative online encounters.

Research also suggests that parent-child communication may be more effective at helping to avoid harm than embedded restrictions enabled by parental controls.

The importance of open communication is also emphasized in the FOSI report. In households where conversations about online safety happened regularly (six times or more a year), parents and children were both more likely to view parental controls as a useful and valuable tool for online safety.

This, the authors conclude, “supports the view of online safety as a collaborative effort as opposed to a priority imposed by parents on their children.”

On this point, we couldn’t agree more. Families would benefit from making parental controls and safety settings a family affair. Kids and parents have a lot to learn from each other about the digital world, and reviewing these systems together can provide a much-needed opening for crucial conversations about risk, safety and what kids find meaningful about digital play.

Rethinking safety tools

Let’s not pretend parental controls are a panacea for child safety.

Many parental controls contain serious design flaws and limitations. Very few comprehensively address the needs and concerns of either children or their parents.

Now that lawmakers are starting to make parental controls a mandatory part of new child safety legislation, we urgently need to start taking a closer and more critical look at what they can and can’t do.

Parental controls can be a useful tool when they are designed well, applied with transparency, and provide families with ample options so they can be tailored to not only fit with but foster household rules and open communication.

There’s a lot of work to be done before this is the standard. But also a growing impetus for game and other tech companies to make it happen.

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New York, Jul 7 (PTI) US President Donald Trump slammed Elon Musk after he formed a new political party, terming the move as "ridiculous" and saying the tech billionaire has gone "completely off the rails".

Musk, Trump's one-time ally, said in a post on X Saturday that he had set up the “American Party” to compete against the Republican and Democratic parties.

"I think it's ridiculous to start a third party," said Trump, speaking to reporters on Sunday before boarding Air Force One. "It's always been a two-party system, and I think starting a third party just adds to the confusion."

In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said, “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks."

Musk even wants to start a third political party despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States, the US President said.

"The one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS,” Trump added.

He claimed that the Tesla CEO was motivated by discontent over his plan to end subsidies to promote the purchase of electric vehicles.

Trump also accused Musk of seeking improper influence by asking him to nominate his friend, Jared Isaacman, to be NASA administrator.

After Musk left his role as a special government employee in the Trump administration, Isaacman’s nomination was also withdrawn.

“I also thought it inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the Space Business, run NASA, when NASA is such a big part of Elon’s corporate life,” Trump wrote.

Musk, the largest individual donor to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, was a close adviser to Trump until recently.

Musk, who spearheaded the Trump administration’s push to cut government waste, had criticised Trump’s “big beautiful" tax and spending bill because of estimates that it would add trillions of dollars to the federal deficit.

The legislation was narrowly passed by Congress and signed into law by the president this week.

Musk’s criticism of the bill was the catalyst for a major falling out between the two men last month.

The world’s richest man has indicated he wants a party that is fiscally conservative and reins in spending, but has offered few other details about what the party’s platform would be.

The two-party system in the United States has long been criticised by both registered Democrats and registered Republicans, but efforts in the last century to form a third party have shown little success. PTI

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Ottawa, Jul 7 (The Conversation) Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago, during the geological eon known as the Hadean. The name “Hadean” comes from the Greek god of the underworld, reflecting the extreme heat that likely characterized the planet at the time.

By 4.35 billion years ago, the Earth might have cooled down enough for the first crust to form and life to emerge.

However, very little is known about this early chapter in Earth’s history, as rocks and minerals from that time are extremely rare. This lack of preserved geological records makes it difficult to reconstruct what the Earth looked like during the Hadean Eon, leaving many questions about its earliest evolution unanswered.

We are part of a research team that has confirmed the oldest known rocks on Earth are located in northern Québec. Dating back more than four billion years, these rocks provide a rare and invaluable glimpse into the origins of our planet.

Remains from the Hadean Eon

The Hadean Eon is the first period in the geological timescale, spanning from Earth’s formation 4.6 billion years ago and ending around 4.03 billion years ago.

The oldest terrestrial materials ever dated by scientists are extremely rare zircon minerals that were discovered in western Australia. These zircons were formed as early as 4.4 billion years ago, and while their host rock eroded away, the durability of zircons allowed them to be preserved for a long time.

Studies of these zircon minerals has given us clues about the Hadean environment, and the formation and evolution of Earth’s oldest crust. The zircons’ chemistry suggests that they formed in magmas produced by the melting of sediments deposited at the bottom of an ancient ocean. This suggests that the zircons are evidence that the Hadean Eon cooled rapidly, and liquid water oceans were formed early on.

Other research on the Hadean zircons suggests that the Earth’s earliest crust was mafic (rich in magnesium and iron). Until recently, however, the existence of that crust remained to be confirmed.

In 2008, a study led by one of us — associate professor Jonathan O'Neil (then a McGill University doctoral student) — proposed that rocks of this ancient crust had been preserved in northern Québec and were the only known vestige of the Hadean.

Since then, the age of those rocks — found in the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt — has been controversial and the subject of ongoing scientific debate.

Big, old solid rock

The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt is located in the northernmost region of Québec, in the Nunavik region above the 55th parallel. Most of the rocks there are metamorphosed volcanic rocks, rich in magnesium and iron. The most common rocks in the belt are called the Ujaraaluk rocks, meaning “big old solid rock” in Inuktitut.

The age of 4.3 billion years was proposed after variations in neodymium-142 were detected, an isotope produced exclusively during the Hadean through the radioactive decay of samarium-146. The relationship between samarium and neodymium isotope abundances had been previously used to date meteorites and lunar rocks, but before 2008 had never been applied to Earth rocks.

This interpretation, however, was challenged by several research groups, some of whom studied zircons within the belt and proposed a younger age of at most 3.78 billion years, placing the rocks in the Archean Eon instead.

Confirming the Hadean Age

In the summer of 2017, we returned to the Nuvvuagittuq belt to take a closer look at the ancient rocks. This time, we collected intrusive rocks — called metagabbros — that cut across the Ujaraaluk rock formation, hoping to obtain independent age constraints. The fact that these newly studied metagabbros are in intrusion in the Ujaraaluk rocks implies that the latter must be older.

The project was led by masters student Chris Sole at the University of Ottawa, who joined us in the field. Back in the laboratory, we collaborated with French geochronologist Jean-Louis Paquette. Additionally, two undergraduate students — David Benn (University of Ottawa) and Joeli Plakholm (Carleton University) participated to the project.

We combined our field observations with petrology, geochemistry, geochronology and applied two independent samarium-neodymium age dating methods, dating techniques used to assess the absolute ages of magmatic rocks, before they became metamorphic rocks. Both assessments yielded the same result: the intrusive rocks are 4.16 billion years old.

The oldest rocks

Since these metagabbros cut across the Ujaraaluk formation, the Ujaraaluk rocks must be even older, placing them firmly in the Hadean Eon.

Studying the Nuvvuagittuq rocks, the only preserved rocks from the Hadean, provides a unique opportunity to learn about the earliest history of our planet. They can help us understand how the first continents formed, and how and when Earth’s environment evolved to become habitable. (The Conversation) NSA

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Toowoomba (Australia), Jul 7 (The Conversation) Imagine your friend hasn’t replied to a message in a few hours. Most people might think, “they are probably just busy”.

But someone with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might spiral into a flood of thoughts like, “they must hate me!” or “I’ve ruined the friendship!”

These intense emotional reactions to real or imagined rejection are part of what’s called rejection sensitive dysphoria.

The term isn’t a formal diagnosis, but it’s gaining traction in both research and clinical work, especially among adults seeking to understand themselves better.

So, what is rejection sensitive dysphoria, how does it relate to ADHD, and how can we handle it with more compassion?

It’s more than just disliking criticism

Everyone feels hurt when they’re criticised or left out. But rejection sensitivity dysphoria isn’t just about “not liking” feedback. The word dysphoria refers to intense emotional distress.

People with rejection sensitivity dysphoria describe overwhelming reactions to perceived rejection, even if no one actually said or did anything cruel.

A passing comment such as “I thought you were going to do it this way” can trigger feelings of shame, embarrassment or self-doubt.

The emotional pain often feels immediate and consuming, leading some people to withdraw, over-apologise or lash out to protect themselves.

The ADHD brain and emotional hypersensitivity

ADHD is often associated with attention or impulsivity, but one major (and often overlooked) component is emotional dysregulation: difficulty managing and recovering from strong emotional responses.

This isn’t a character flaw; it’s a neurological difference. Brain imaging studies show people with ADHD tend to have differences in how their amygdala (the brain’s emotional alarm system) and prefrontal cortex (which regulates impulses and emotions) work together.

The result? Emotional experiences hit harder and take longer to settle.

A 2018 study highlights this imbalance in emotional control circuits in people with ADHD, explaining why intense feelings can seem to “take over” before logical thinking kicks in.

What does the research say?

Recent research from 2024 reports a strong link between ADHD symptoms and rejection sensitivity. It found students with higher ADHD symptom levels also reported significantly more rejection sensitivity, including a heightened fear of being negatively evaluated or criticised.

Further evidence comes from a 2018 study which showed adolescents with ADHD symptoms were far more sensitive to peer feedback than their peers. Their brain activity revealed they were more emotionally reactive to both praise and criticism, suggesting they may perceive neutral social cues as emotionally charged.

This reflects what I see daily in my clinic. One 13-year-old boy I work with is creative, empathetic and full of potential, yet social anxiety tied to a deep fear of rejection often holds him back. He once told me, “if I say no, they won’t like me anymore”. That fear drives him to go along with things he later regrets, simply to keep the peace and avoid losing connection.

This constant social hypervigilance is mentally draining. Without support, it can spiral into shame, low confidence and ongoing mental health struggles.

Adults with ADHD aren’t immune either. A 2022 study explored how adults with ADHD experience criticism and found many linked it to persistent feelings of failure, low self-worth and emotional reactivity – even when the criticism was constructive or mild.

One client I support – a high-achieving professional diagnosed in her 50s – described learning about rejection sensitive dysphoria as “finding the missing piece of the puzzle”.

Despite consistently excelling in every role, she had long felt anxious about how she was perceived by colleagues. When she received a minor, formal complaint at work, she spiralled into intense self-doubt and shame.

Instead of brushing it off, she thought: “I’m too much”. This belief had been silently reinforced for years by her emotional sensitivity to feedback.

What helps?

If you experience rejection sensitivity dysphoria, you’re not alone, and you’re not broken.

Here are some tools that may help:

-name it. Saying to yourself, “This feels like rejection sensitivity,” can give you distance from the emotional flood

-pause before reacting. Taking slow breaths, counting backwards, or stepping outside are simple grounding strategies that help calm the body’s stress response and restore balance to your nervous system. Research shows slowing your breath and grounding your senses can help shift your body out of fight-or-flight mode, supporting clearer thinking and emotional regulation

-challenge the story. Ask yourself, “What else could be true?” or “How would I speak to a friend feeling this way?”

-consider therapy. Working with a psychologist who understands ADHD and rejection sensitivity dysphoria can help untangle these reactions and develop healthy, self-compassionate responses. The Australian Psychological Society has a Find a Psychologist service: you can search by location, areas of expertise (such as anxiety, ADHD, trauma) and the type of therapy you’re interested in

-start early with kids. Helping children with ADHD learn emotional language, boundary-setting and resilience can prevent rejection sensitivity from becoming overwhelming. For parents, resources such as Raising Children Network and books like The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson offer practical ways to teach these skills at home

-communicate gently. If you work or live with someone who has ADHD, try to give feedback clearly and kindly. Avoid sarcasm or vague phrasing. A little extra clarity can go a long way.

Rejection sensitivity dysphoria isn’t about being fragile or “weak”. It’s about how the ADHD brain processes emotional and social cues. With insight, tools and support, these experiences can become manageable. (The Conversation) NSA

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Rio De Janeiro, Jul 7 (PTI) BRICS countries should strive to become the vanguard in advancing the global governance reform agenda to build a better world, Chinese Premier Li Qiang has said.

Addressing the plenary session of "Peace and Security and Reform of Global Governance" of the 17th BRICS Summit on Sunday, Li called on the BRICS bloc to safeguard world peace and tranquillity and promote the peaceful settlement of disputes.

Li represented China as President Xi Jinping missed this year’s BRICS summit, the first in his over 12-year-long presidency. 

He said at present, changes unseen in a century are unfolding at an accelerated pace, international rules and order are being severely challenged, and the authority and efficacy of multilateral institutions continue to wane, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Li highlighted Xi’s vision of global governance, which included extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.

"BRICS countries should strive to become the vanguard in advancing the reform of global governance," Xinhua quoted Li as saying.

Li said that in the face of growing conflicts and differences, it is necessary to enhance extensive consultation based on equality and mutual respect.

In the face of deeply intertwined common interests, it is needed to pursue joint contribution through solidarity; In the face of mutually beneficial development opportunities, it is needed to hold an open mind to seek mutual success and shared benefits, said Li.

As the leading force of the Global South, BRICS countries should uphold independence and self-reliance, demonstrate a sense of responsibility, and play a greater role in building consensus and synergies, Li noted

The Chinese premier called on the group to hold fast to morality and justice, and seek fundamental solutions based on the merits of each issue.

BRICS countries should also focus on development and bolster the drivers of economic growth, said Li, adding that they should actively spearhead development cooperation and tap into the growth potential of emerging sectors.

Noting that China will establish a China-BRICS research centre on new quality productive forces this year, Li also announced a scholarship established for BRICS countries to facilitate talent cultivation in sectors including industry and telecommunication.

It is essential for BRICS countries to foster inclusiveness and advance exchanges and mutual learning among civilisations, Li said, calling on the countries to act as advocates for the harmonious coexistence of civilisations, striving to ensure diverse civilisations flourish together through mutual reinforcement.

China stands ready to join hands with other BRICS countries to promote global governance in a more just, equitable, efficient and orderly direction, working collectively to build a better world, he said.

The BRICS has emerged as an influential grouping as it brings together 11 major emerging economies of the world, representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population, around 40 per cent of the global GDP and around 26 per cent of the global trade.

BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, with Indonesia joining in 2025. PTI KJV  NSA

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New York/Washington, Jul 7 (PTI) US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose an additional 10 per cent tariff on countries aligning themselves with the “anti-American” policies of the BRICS grouping.

His comments came after the BRICS bloc condemned the increase of tariffs without naming Trump. Leaders of the BRICS are meeting in Brazil for the 17th BRICS Summit on July 6-7.

“Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10 per cent Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday night.

BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, with Indonesia joining in 2025.

Trump also said in a separate post that the US will send out “letters” on tariffs and deals to various countries beginning Monday.

“I am pleased to announce that the UNITED STATES TARIFF Letters, and/or Deals, with various Countries from around the World, will be delivered starting 12:00 PM (Eastern), Monday, July 7th. Thank you for your attention to this matter! DONALD J TRUMP, President of The United States of America,” he said. PTI YAS NSA

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Bengaluru, Jul 7 (PTI) Following are Monday's commodities prices.

(All rates in Rs/quintal)

Rice Fine 6,000-8,000: Medium 5,000-,7,000: Jowar 3,600-4,000: Jaggery cube 6,800-7,000: Jaggery ball 5,100-5,600: Coriander Seed 10,000-12,000: Chili's fine 18,000-20,000: Potato Big UNQ: Medium 1,400-1,800: Onion Big 1,500-2,000: Medium 1,000-1,500: Small 500-1,000: Tamarind 15,000-19,000: Garlic 3,000-12,000: Horsegram 4,500-5,000: Wheat 3,600-3,700 Turmeric 18,000-19,000: Turdhal 9,800-11,000: Green Gram Dhal 10,000-12,000: Black Gram Dhal 11,800-13,000: Bengal Gram Dhal 7,800-8,400: Mustard 8,000-9,000: Gingelly 16,000-18,000: Sugar 4,200-4,400: Groundnut Seed 11,000-13,000: Copra 20,000-25,000. Groundnut oil (10 kg): 1,400-1,900 Coconut oil (10kg): 3,600-8,400 Gingelly oil: 2,300-5,000 Ghee (5kg): 3,050-3,450. PTI DVR KH

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) JioBlackRock Asset Management Pvt Ltd, a 50:50 joint venture between Jio Financial Services Limited (JFSL) and BlackRock, on Monday announced closure of its maiden New Fund Offer (NFO), recording a total investment of Rs 17,800 crore (~USD 2.1 billion).

The fund was mobilised from three cash/debt mutual fund schemes -- JioBlackRock Overnight Fund, JioBlackRock Liquid Fund and JioBlackRock Money Market Fund.

The three-day NFO, which was launched on June 30, 2025, attracted investments from over 90 institutional investors, reflecting confidence in JioBlackRock Asset Management's value proposition that combines data-driven investing and a digital-first approach, the fund house said in a statement.

The cash/debt mutual fund schemes also recorded an overwhelming response from retail investors, with over 67,000 individuals investing in these funds during the offer period.

The NFO, which closed on July 2, 2025 was one of the largest in India's cash/debt fund segment, placing JioBlackRock Asset Management among the top 15 asset management companies by debt assets under management in the country, out of 47 fund houses, it said.

These first funds offered by JioBlackRock Asset Management provide a broad range of investors choice to manage different elements of cash and short-term allocations, and put cash to work for meeting differing liquidity, risk and return objectives, it said.

Short duration debt and money market mutual funds are a solution for investors looking to get yield by holding lower-volatility and short-term funds, without locking into a long-term commitment and providing clients with the flexibility to meet their liquidity needs.

They serve as tools for investment portfolio builders, corporate treasuries and retail investors alike, it said. PTI DP HVA

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Jindal (India) Ltd on Monday said the company has received a letter of approval from the Odisha government for its proposed greenfield project in the state to be set up with an investment of Rs 3,600 crore.

The company plans to invest Rs 15,000 crore in three phases in Odisha by 2030, it said in a statement.

"Jindal (India) Limited gets High-Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) approval for Rs 3,600 crore steel plant in Odisha," the statement said.

The company's facility will focus on manufacturing special coated steel products. The plant will feature coating facilities such as a Cold Rolling Mill (CRM) with a Continuous Galvanizing Line (CGL) and a Colour Coating Line (CCL) for steel sheets with multiple high potential downstream products having total annual capacity of 9.6 lakh MT.

This phase will be commissioned by 2027. In parallel, its wholly-owned subsidiary Jindal India Steel Tech Limited (JISTL) will enhance the total capacity of the Odisha plant to 30 lakh MT per annum in the flat product division by 2030.

A company spokesperson said, "Along with enhancing the company's domestic manufacturing capabilities, the green-field manufacturing plant will reduce reliance on imports and generate employment opportunities in the state. The modern facility will also strengthen Jindal (India) Ltd's footprint in Odisha's growing industrial sector."

Jindal (India) Limited will also establish a steel pipe manufacturing facility that will have an estimated annual production capacity of 2 lakh MT per annum. PTI ABI HVA

Mumbai, Jul 7 (PTI) Tanishq, a Tata Group jewellery brand, on Monday said it has collaborated with Gemological Science International (GSI) for specialised gemological sales training for its retail and corporate teams across India.

"GSI's diamond and gemstone certification programmes have equipped our frontline teams at Tanishq and Mia with deep product knowledge and confidence.

"GSI has also helped us shape compelling in-store narratives and customer education tools, enabling us to deliver a jewellery experience that's rooted in authenticity, expertise, and care. We value this ongoing partnership and the shared commitment to building informed teams and confident customers," Tanishq Lead - Retail Capability Jewellery, Hemang Nensee, said in a statement.

With this partnership, Tanishq, owned by Titan Company, and GSI aim to bring customers a jewellery buying experience that is not only beautiful and personal but also transparent and reassuring.

"Our programmes are designed to empower sales professionals with gemological tools that inspire trust and confidence," GSI Managing Director Ramit Kapur said. PTI SM SHW

Beijing, Jul 7 (PTI) China on Monday said BRICS is not a bloc for confrontation and does not target any third country, as it reacted guardedly to US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose additional 10 per cent tariffs on countries aligning with what he called the 'anti-American policies" of the grouping.

BRICS is an important platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here.

Mao said BRICS advocates openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation.

“It is not a bloc for confrontation nor does it target any country," she said.

Mao was responding to a question on Trump’s threat to impose additional 10 per cent tariffs on countries aligning themselves with the anti-American policies of the grouping of the emerging economies.

Referring to Trump’s tariff hike threats, she said China has made its position clear.

“Trade and tariffs have no winners and protectionism leaves nowhere," she said.

Trump said on Monday that “any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10 per cent Tariff”.

“There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

His comments came after the BRICS bloc condemned the increase of tariffs without naming Trump. Leaders of the BRICS are meeting in Brazil for the 17th BRICS Summit on July 6-7.

BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, with Indonesia joining in 2025. PTI KJV NSA

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New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Tata group online grocery market, bigbasket on Monday announced the appointment of Manish Bajoria as its Chief Financial Officer.

In this role, Bajoria will oversee all aspects of the company's finance function and play a key role in shaping its financial strategy as it enters its next phase of development and innovation, bigbasket said in a statement.

Earlier, he served as CFO at Vini Cosmetics, where he led end-to-end financial management and played a pivotal role in the company's digital transformation, it added.

Bajoria brings 20 years of experience in strategic finance, commercial management, and digital transformation across diverse sectors. He has also held senior finance leadership roles at Amazon and Hindustan Unilever. He began his career at Tata Steel and is a Chartered Accountant. PTI RKL SHW

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Drug major Sun Pharmaceutical Industries aims to bolster compliance across its manufacturing operations and work towards achieving full regulatory resolution at the three facilities facing USFDA action, according to Chairman and MD Dilip Shanghvi.

In his address to shareholders in its annual report for 2024-25, Shanghvi said the company is facing US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) compliance-related issues at three of its facilities.

The company is facing an import alert for the Halol facility and also is in receipt of non-compliance letter for the Mohali facility, he stated.

Additionally, the company's Dadra facility was accorded an Official Action Indicated (OAI) status in FY24, he noted.

"We have completed the implementation of Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) in the Halol facility, which is currently awaiting USFDA inspection, and we are in the process of implementing CAPA at the Mohali and Dadra facilities," he added.

Besides these three, all facilities remain compliant with global regulatory standards, including those of the US FDA, Shanghvi said.

On the business front, he noted the company expects its R&D investment to be in the range of 6-8 per cent of sales in the current financial year, with enhanced focus on speciality products.

The company aims to expand its product pipeline of global speciality products, he added.

"Our R&D spend in FY26 is likely to be in the range of 6-8 per cent of sales, with increased spending expected on speciality products," Shanghvi stated.

The Mumbai-based drug major invested USD 154 million on speciality products R&D in FY25.

Sun Pharma reported consolidated revenues of Rs 52,041 crore in FY25, with the share of global speciality business increasing from 18 per cent in FY24 to 20 per cent in FY25 sales.

The company sells speciality products like Ilumya, Winlevi, Cequa and Odomzo across markets.

"We anticipate mid to high single-digit consolidated topline growth in FY26, and expect our global speciality business to continue on its growth path," Shanghvi said.

Elaborating on the focus areas, he said the company plans to prepare the business for potential disruptions arising from tariffs and geopolitical issues.

The company would also continue to focus on cost and operational efficiency, he added. PTI MSS MSS

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New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) NABARD Chairman Shaji KV said on Monday IT integration of recently amalgamated Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) on the principles of 'One State One RRB' is expected to be completed by September 30.

The amalgamation of RRBs on the principles of 'One State One RRB' became effective from May 1. This was aimed at improving scale efficiency and cost rationalisation.

With this, now, there are 28 RRBs in 26 states and 2 UTs with more than 22,000 branches covering 700 districts.

Speaking at a CII event, Shaji said that as of May 1, integration of all the RRBs at the state level has been done, and by September, the IT integration of RRBs is expected to be completed.

The chairman said that NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) is working on building a common digital infrastructure with RRBs. They are rolling out credit infrastructure and government data systems to reach rural populations.

However, challenges like low internet bandwidth and awareness exist, but efforts are being made with various organisations to address these.

He mentioned digitising agri value chains, with around 20 already digitised. NABARD is working with several banks to bring more farmers, especially those without land records, into the system.

Also, it is working with blockchain-based crop traceability and BC (Business Correspondent) networks for better reach in rural areas.

Shaji said that the government is now working on additional stacks like Agri Stack (for agriculture), Fisheries Stack, and Cooperative Stack.

'Cooperative stack' is expected to integrate various schemes through Primary Agricultural Credit Societies to create a unified system for dispensing benefits in rural areas.

He said that NABARD is leading the digitisation of cooperatives, with about 70,000 societies already digitised.

Through the financial inclusion fund, NABARD is supporting pilots with NGOs and FinTechs. Moreover, they are also focusing on the rural-urban income divide, where two-thirds of the population contributes only one-third of the national income.

NABARD is working on solutions to ensure equitable growth, and the goal is to transform farmers into agribusiness entrepreneurs, he said.

Additionally, NABARD is setting up a sandbox environment to share anonymised data with fintechs, he added. PTI SP DR

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Road safety experts on Monday made a case for dedicated lanes for two-wheelers and strict enforcement of laws to prevent accidents.

Speaking at a seminar on road safety, Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) President Rohit Baluja said that the authorities should consider a separate ane for two-wheelers as it will ensure safety of drivers.

"What needs to be done is have dedicated driving lanes for them which are missing and strict enforcement. This will help in rider safety and avoid crashes as they are the most vulnerable road users along with pedestrians," Baluja said.

He said India needs to create its own vehicular safety systems instead of copying others.

Society of Indian Automobiles Manufacturers (SIAM) executive director Prashant K Banerjee said India accounts for the highest road fatalities in the world.

Despite passenger vehicles adhering to best safety norms and having ultra-modern safety features installed, there is a dire lack of holistic enforcement procedures, a level-playing field and awareness amongst consumers regarding safer mobility, Banerjee added.

International Road Federation (IRF) president emeritus K K Kapila said safe technological systems including ABS brakes for all two-wheelers cannot be ignored.

Kapila also stressed on the need mandating airbags for two-wheelers and the helmets which do not allow a vehicle to start till worn.

Two-wheelers constitute 74 per cent of the vehicular traffic in the country but while developing road infrastructure and making traffic engineering norms they are ignored and no segregation is done for them. PTI BKS ANU

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 7: Asston Pharmaceuticals Limited, a pharmaceutical and nutraceutical company headquartered in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, has announced the opening of its IPO on July 09, 2025, with a proposed issue size of ₹27.56 Crores. The shares are proposed to be listed on the SME Platform of BSE Limited (BSE SME).

The issue is being made through a 100% book-building process in accordance with SEBI regulations.

Equity Share Allocation

• QIB Anchor Portion – Up to 6,35,000 Equity Shares

• Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIB) – Up to 4,25,000 Equity Shares

• Non-Institutional Investors (NII) – Up to 3,22,000 Equity Shares

• Retail Individual Investors (RII) – Up to 7,46,000 Equity Shares

Market Maker – Up to 1,13,000 Equity Shares

The net proceeds from the issue will be utilized towards meeting capital expenditure for acquiring machinery at the manufacturing unit, meeting incremental working capital requirements, repayment and/or prepayment, in part or full, of certain outstanding borrowings, and for general corporate purposes.

The anchor portion will open on July 08, 2025, while the issue will open for the public on July 09, 2025, and close on July 11, 2025.

Sobhagya Capital Options Private Limited is the Book Running Lead Manager to the issue, and Maashitla Securities Private Limited is the Registrar to the issue.

Dr. Ashish Narayan Sakalkar, Managing Director of Asston Pharmaceuticals Limited, expressed: "We are pleased to announce Asston Pharmaceuticals Limited’s foray into the capital markets, a pivotal step in our journey of growth, innovation, and commitment to healthcare excellence. This IPO marks a significant milestone in our evolution as a pharmaceutical manufacturer dedicated to delivering quality, affordable, and reliable therapeutic solutions across diverse segments.

Since our inception, we have steadily expanded our footprint by building a robust portfolio of formulations and focusing on manufacturing efficiency, regulatory compliance, and customer trust. Our manufacturing capabilities are backed by quality systems that adhere to stringent standards, and we continue to invest in infrastructure, people, and R&D to drive sustainable growth.

Asston remains committed to improving patient outcomes and creating long-term value for our stakeholders. We look forward to leveraging this capital infusion to propel our next phase of growth while remaining focused on our vision of becoming a trusted name in India’s pharmaceutical landscape."

Highlights

• Fresh Issue Size – 22,41,000 Equity Shares of ₹ 10 each

• Issue Size – ₹ 27.56 Crores (At Upper Price Band)

• Price Band – ₹ 115 - ₹ 123 Per Equity Share

• Lot Size – 1,000 Equity Shares

Mr. Rishabh Singhvi, Director of Sobhagya Capital Options Private Limited, said,

"India’s pharmaceutical sector continues to evolve rapidly, driven by rising healthcare awareness, increased government initiatives, and growing demand for quality and affordable medicines. Asston Pharmaceuticals Limited has emerged as a focused and promising player in this landscape, backed by a strong manufacturing setup, experienced leadership, and a commitment to regulatory compliance.

The company’s consistent growth trajectory, coupled with its plans to expand infrastructure and enhance operational capabilities, places it in a strong position to capture opportunities across therapeutic segments in both domestic and international markets. Asston’s emphasis on product quality, R&D, and process efficiency reflects its long-term vision and dedication to building a trusted pharmaceutical brand.

We are proud to partner with Asston Pharmaceuticals in their IPO journey. The funds raised will not only enable them to strengthen their foundation but also accelerate their growth initiatives, helping them expand their footprint and make a greater impact on healthcare delivery across regions.”

About The Company:

Asston Pharmaceuticals Limited is engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products established in 2019, with a presence in over 10 countries, delivering affordable and high-quality healthcare solutions across international markets, specifically in African markets, i.e. in South and West Africa. It manufactures and markets a broad range of products, including tablets, capsules, syrups, ointments, powders, and injectables, and offers contract manufacturing and loan licensing services. The Company collaborates with WHO GMP-certified facilities for specialized formulations such as antibiotics and generics. Asston also provides formulation expertise and supplies APIs, excipients, and packaging materials to its loan licensing premises. It has established a regulatory department and ties up with NABL-accredited labs to ensure end-to-end quality compliance. With over 150 registered trademarks, its portfolio includes generics, pediatric formulations, and eye drops, primarily catering to distributors in South and West Africa. Its emphasis on cost-effective, quality-driven solutions makes it a preferred partner in price-sensitive markets.

In May’25 the company recorded a Revenue of ₹ 618.90 Lakhs, EBITDA of ₹ 199.88 Lakhs, and PAT of ₹ 132.24 Lakhs.

In FY25, the company recorded revenue of ₹2,503.92 Lakhs, EBITDA of ₹615.93 Lakhs, and PAT of ₹432.51 Lakhs.

Disclaimer:

Certain statements in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties like government actions, local, political or economic developments, technological risks, and many other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward-looking statements. The Company will not be in any way responsible for any action taken based on such statements and undertakes no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

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Mumbai, Jul 7 (PTI) Guru Dutt's legacy is not of awards but of silence, the kind that lingers on after the screen fades to black, says Mahesh Bhatt about the legendary filmmaker who "let beauty crumble into truth".

Dutt, regarded as amongst the greatest filmmakers of Indian cinema with films such as “Pyaasa”, “Kaagaz Ke Phool” and “Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam”, would have been 100 on July 9. He was found dead, possibly from a cocktail of sleeping pills and alcohol, in 1964 when he was just 39.

"He took the aching mess of human life, and turned it into poetry that could pierce even silence. Those of us who came after we carried forward the wound. We do not celebrate a hundred years of Guru Dutt. We return to him,” Bhatt told PTI.

The filmmaker said he was captivated when he first saw a large photograph of Dutt at Raj Khosla's office.

“Guru Dutt’s legacy isn’t made of awards, posters, or reels. It is made of silence. The kind that enters a room after the screen goes black and stays. He was our Vyasa (the sage who wrote Mahabharata).

"Guru Dutt took private anguish and gave it mythic proportions. He lit his characters with compassion and contradiction. He let the poet in him rage. He let the woman feel to the point of tears. He let beauty crumble into truth. ‘Waqt ne kiya’ that ageless song from ‘Kaagaz ke Phool’ is a throbbing wound. His legacy is not a style you can copy. It is a wound you must survive,” Bhatt told PTI.

The filmmaker-producer said he was working on his 1982 acclaimed film “Arth” when poet-lyricist Kaifi Azmi remarked that he had inherited Dutt’s pain as a protege of Khosla.

“We were working on a song for ‘Arth’. Jagjit Singh was shaping the early melody of ‘Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe Ho’. Kaifi saab sat quietly, listening not just to the tune, but to the wound behind it. And then, in his unmistakably gentle voice, he said to me: ‘Tumne Guru Dutt ka dard virasat mein paaya hai. Pain is your legacy’.

"He wasn’t romanticising it. He was naming it. I had been Raj Khosla’s assistant, and Raj Khosla had been Guru Dutt’s assistant. That was the line. Not one of fame, but of fracture, not of ambition but ache, wounds passed down like sacred relics. He was right.”

The 76-year-old writer-director said he carried the wound into his own work.

"Arth", "Saaransh", "Daddy" and "Zakhm", Bhatt said, weren't just films but echoes and testament to what Kaifi Azmi saw that day.

"Proof that pain, if you dare not flee it, becomes your voice. And if that voice refuses to lie—it becomes cinema."

Bhatt remembers the first time he watched the 1957 masterpiece “Pyaasa” in a theatre, and how deeply it touched his soul.

“Guru Dutt is not a memory for me. He is a wound that never healed. He’s not a figure from the past, I carry him inside me. His cinema invaded me as a boy sitting in the front stalls of Citylight cinema. ‘Pyaasa’ didn’t entertain me; it undressed me. It showed me what it meant to ache without apology,” Bhatt said.

“Even today, when the lights dim and I hear the rustle of silence before a scene, it is his ghost I meet. He is the one who taught me that sorrow, when surrendered to, becomes your signature. He is less my inspiration and more my inheritance,” he said.

Bhatt said filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Vishal Bhardwaj, and Mohit Suri, carry forward the same passion that Dutt embodied in their unique way.

“Guru Dutt cannot be reproduced, only echoed. There are filmmakers who carry a similar hunger for truth and beauty like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, in his obsessive pursuit of the lyrical frame, and Vishal Bhardwaj, in his willingness to explore pain through music and poetry, Anurag Kashyap, when he lets his darkness speak without disguise, Mohit Suri in how he listens to silences and centres the unseen through his use of music,” he said.

“These filmmakers may walk different roads, but like Guru Dutt, they understand that cinema, when it dares to feel deeply, becomes poetry in motion and that perhaps, is how the flame continues to burn. Not loudly, but faithfully,” Bhatt said. PTI KKP

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New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) The fifth season of Prime Video's beloved show "Panchayat" is set to release on streamer in 2026.

Created by Deepak Kumar Mishra and Chandan Kumar, “Panchayat” revolves around Abhishek Tripathi (Jitendra Kumar), an engineering graduate who for lack of a better job option, joins as secretary of a panchayat office in a fictional village named Phulera in Uttar Pradesh.

The fourth season of "Panchayat" was released on June 24 and has surpassed all previous seasons in viewership, according to a press release.

The makers have confirmed the fifth season of the show is currently in development.

“We are absolutely delighted with the phenomenal response to 'Panchayat' Season 4, which has further elevated the series’ stature and set new benchmarks for authentic storytelling,” said Manish Menghani, director and head – content licensing of Prime Video India.

"With its heartfelt narrative and relatable characters, 'Panchayat' has evolved into a global phenomenon, transcending borders and touching audiences with its warmth, simplicity, and authenticity. This milestone not only reflects the enduring love for the series but also reinforces the growing global appetite for rooted, Indian stories. We’re excited to share that work has already begun on Season 5, and we look forward to continuing the journey of Phulera and its beloved characters.”

Produced by The Viral Fever, the show is written by Chandan Kumar, and is directed by Akshat Vijaywargiya and Deepak Kumar Mishra.

It features Kumar, Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, Faisal Malik, Chandan Roy, Sanvikaa, Durgesh Kumar, Sunita Rajwar, Ashok Pathak and Pankaj Jha

Vijay Koshy, president of The Viral Fever (TVF), said he is looking forward to bring another season next year.

“This series holds a special place in our hearts, as it beautifully captures the charm, humor, and nuances of rural India, celebrating the power of simple, human storytelling. We are deeply grateful for the overwhelming love Season 4 has received—not just from viewers across India, but from audiences around the world. A heartfelt thank you to the incredible cast and crew whose passion and dedication made this journey possible, and to the fans whose unwavering support continues to inspire us. We’re excited for what lies ahead and look forward to bringing Season 5 to audiences in 2026.” PTI ATR ATR

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New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Rajya Sabha MP and eminent author Sudha Murty's much-loved story "How I Taught My Grandmother to Read" will be adapted into a play here in the national capital on July 13.

The Hindi play, titled 'K se Kahani" and presented by Delhi-based theatre collective Storee Ki Boree, will be staged at the LTG Auditorium. It is directed by Munish Sharma.

“This story is gentle, but its message is powerful. We are not just staging a play, instead we are celebrating the belief that it’s never too late to learn, to dream, or to begin again," said Shraddha Gupta, founder of Storee Ki Boree.

The play follows the quiet yet radical journey of Vijaya who is a 60-year-old grandmother in a North Karnataka village and decides to learn to read, guided by her young granddaughter Seeya.

"What begins as a summer routine of storytelling turns into a life-changing quest for dignity, agency and self-worth," reads the description of the book.

Featuring dialogues by Mrinal Mathur and dramaturgy support from Kavitha of Vishwa Shilpi Art Consultation, Bengaluru, the production blends theatre, movement, and music to craft an immersive experience that connects with audiences of all ages.

Murty's 'How I Taught My Grandmother to Read' is a non-fiction short story originally published in her 2004 collection "How I Taught My Grandmother to Read and Other Stories" by Penguin. The story was later incorporated into the Class 9 English CBSE syllabus. PTI MG

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Mumbai, Jul 7 (PTI) When people think of me, I want them to remember me as someone who was in the film industry for the right reasons, says actor Rajkummar Rao on completing 15 years in Bollywood.

From playing supporting roles in “Rann”, “Gangs of Wasseypur”, “Talaash”, and “Kai Po Che!”, the actor gradually moved to leading man roles in movies “Shahid”, “Aligarh”, “Trapped”, “Newton”, “Bareilly Ki Barfi”, “Badhaai Do”, “Stree 2”, and “Bhool Chuk Maaf”.

“When people think of me after many years, I want them to think of me with a lot of respect, somebody who took his work seriously and who was here for the right reasons, for the right intentions, and not for fame, but to contribute to our cinema,” Rao, who made his debut in Bollywood with a three-second role in Amitabh Bachchan-starrer “Rann” in 2010, told PTI in an interview.

The 40-year-old actor said he feels blessed that over the years, audiences have connected with his work.

“When a film works, you can see that a film has genuinely worked. Now, people think every figure that is coming out is a bogus figure, but it's not like that. It's like saying every actor calls the media or they don't, no, it's not true. I don't, I haven't called the media ever in my life.

"I talk to my producers and distributors to know about how the film (has performed), and they won't lie to me. They would tell me exactly what happened. When you go to theatres, there is an audience, which is almost full or 70-80% full, you know people are coming and watching the film. That's the only way to judge whether it's working or not,” Rao said.

Rao is excited to step into the role of an action hero in the highly anticipated film “Maalik”, directed by Pulkit of “Bhakshak” fame.

Sharing his long-standing desire to dive into action genre, the actor said, “It was not the first time somebody offered me an action film; I was offered this genre before, but I couldn't connect with those stories. But when I read this (‘Maalik’), I thought it was such a powerful story about this guy's rise; the arc was beautiful.”

Citing the example of his roles in “Srikanth” and “Mr and Mrs Mahi”, Rao said he is eager to push the envelope further.

I was missing seeing myself doing something very different. Like last year, I'm glad 'Srikanth' happened, it was very different from 'Mahi'. I want to do something that maybe I don't expect out of myself," he said.

While the actor has dabbled in the world of gangsters before, most notably in the black crime comedy series “Guns and Gulaabs” and the 2017 film “Omerta”, where he played a terrorist, he said that “Maalik” is completely different.

“This one is a full-blown action film. It's one of those, massy, big commercial action films with the heart in its right place. There's a great story attached to it, and there are great characters. So, it's very, very different from whatever I've done to date,” the actor said, adding he approached the role of a gangster in “Maalik” without any preconceived notions.

“I wanted to go like a clean blank paper and put everything together with my imagination, with everyone's help around me, with Pulkit's vision that he had for ‘Maalik’,” Rao added.

His favourite films in the genre are Gopal Varma’s “Shiva” and Anurag Kashyap’s “Gangs of Wasseypur”.

“There were things that (mainstream) actors wouldn't do in the 70s, 80s, but now it seems very normal for actors to do that. Same with action, with the more violence in the film, it was not okay to do that in the 80s, 90s, 2000, but now it's fine.

"It's always evolving, sometimes you go back to basics, sometimes you want to push it forward. It's a part and parcel of the process,” the actor said, adding that his favourite action stars are Bruce Lee, Hugh Jackman, and Amitabh Bachchan.

“Maalik” also features Manushi Chhillar, Saurabh Shukla, Saurabh Sachdeva, Prosenjit Chatterjee, and Swanand Kirkire.

Produced by Kumar Taurani under the Tips Films banner and Jay Shewakramani’s Northern Lights Films, the movie is slated to release in cinemas on July 11. PTI KKP BK

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New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman is set to return to Hyderabad after eight years as a part of his "The Wonderment Tour".

The first show of the ongoing tour, which aims to celebrate Rahman's musical legacy, was held in Mumbai on May 3.

The Hyderabad show will be a stand alone stadium concert. It is scheduled to take place on November 8 at Ramoji Film City, according to a press release.

He has previously performed in the city in 2017.

"The Wonderment Tour" commemorates three decades of Rahman's profound influence on the music industry-serving as a sonic odyssey through his most iconic homegrown and international film scores, cherished soundtracks and innovative new material.

Rahman, whose credits include compositions such as "Jai Ho", "Dil Se" and "Chaiyya Chaiyya", said the upcoming concert is dedicated to those who "cherish the experience of live music and the profound immersion it offers".

"I aspire to merge tradition with innovation, bridging the past and the future in a grand celebration of music," he added.

The concert is presented by Hyderabad Talkies in association with EVA Live and in partnership with Xora.

Deepak Chaudhary, founder and managing director of EVA Live said, “We are thrilled to associate with A R Rahman and Hyderabad Talkies, continuing our commitment at EVA Live to deliver unparalleled live music experiences. This collaboration embodies our vision of creating unforgettable moments that resonate deeply with audiences as we ignite a new era of live entertainment where music, spectacle, and emotion collide to create pure magic that will redefine your concert experience.”

General ticket sales will begin on July 14. The tickets will be available on the District app by Zomato. PTI ATR

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Los Angeles, Jul 7 (PTI) "Materialists" actor Dakota Johnson says she is planning to direct a feature film starring her "Cha Cha Real Smooth" co-star Vanessa Burghardt.

According to the entertainment news outlet The Hollywood Reporter, the actor was asked by the reporters at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival about her feature directorial debut.

"I think I will direct a feature, a very small one, hopefully soon. And it’s really close to my heart and very close to TeaTime (her production banner). We’re making it with Vanessa Burghardt, who played my daughter in 'Cha Cha Real Smooth'. She’s an incredible autistic actress," Johnson said.

"I’ve always felt that I’m not ready to direct a feature. I don’t have the confidence. But with her, I feel very protective, and I know her very well, and … I just won’t let anybody else do it," she added.

Johnson is also known for films such as "Splitsville", the "Fifty Shades" franchise and "Persuasion".

She has previously stepped into the director's shoes with Coldplay's song "Cry Cry Cry" (2020) and a short film "Loser Baby" (2024).

The 35-year-old actor said she ensures to have projects that are "either visually or emotionally provocative" under her production banner.

"Usually, it’s something that is either visually or emotionally provocative. And I don’t mean that in a sexual way. I mean it in the sense) that it provokes something, that is different than what you see on TV right now or on streaming platforms. A lot of them are also female characters. So it’s female-centric films where the woman is different from what you see, and complex and nuanced, and maybe an anti-hero that you love," she said.

Johnson's latest work, "Materialists", released on June 13 and featured the actor alongside Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal. Johnson has received positive reviews for her performance in the film from Celine Song. PTI ATR

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New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Veteran actor Saira Banu remembered her late husband and legendary artist Dilip Kumar on his fourth death anniversary, calling him an "inspiration for six generations of actors and the guiding star for those yet to come".

Banu shared a post on her Instagram handle on Monday, which comprised pictures and videos of the late actor, whose credits include acclaimed films such as "Mughal-E-Azam", "Devdas", "Naya Daur", and "Ram Aur Shyam", among others.

"The dearth of Sahib could never go. and yet, am still with him. One in thought, in mind, in life. In this lifetime, and in the next, my soul has learnt to walk beside him even in his absence. Each year, this day finds me cradling Sahib's memories like delicate blossoms," the post began.

Banu, who headlined projects such as "Junglee", "Gopi" and "Ayee Milan Ki Bela", said Kumar was "an entire era". "An inspiration across six generations of actors and the guiding star for those yet to come.

"Behind the icon, though, was a tender, charming, witty man. There was one evening I remember clearly our home filled with the strains of classical music, the darbar in full flow Sahib quietly slipped away, craving a moment of rest...He made the ordinary moments eternal. And through every jest, every note, every glance he left behind something rare: Love that lingers. Dilip Sahib is forever. Beyond time. Beyond life. May Allah continue to keep him wrapped in His noor and mercy. Aameen," the 80-year-old actor concluded.

Kumar and Banu tied the knot on October 11, 1966. He died on July 7, 2021, at Mumbai hospital after a prolonged illness, aged 98. PTI ATR ATR

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Los Angeles, Jul 7 (PTI) Italian actor Caterina Murino, best known for starring in "Casino Royale", is expecting her first child with her partner and lawyer Edouard Rigaud.

The 47-year-old actor shared the news in an interview with French publication Gala, according to entertainment magazine People.

The actor said she used in vitro fertilization, also known as IVF (assisted reproductive technology used to help conceive a child) and admitted having two miscarriages in the past.

"At my age, I had to ask medicine to help nature. You don't always decide when the right time to become a mother comes," she said.

Asked about her pregnancy journey so far, the actor added, "I haven't had any discomfort, no diabetes, no insomnia."

She is expecting a baby boy and the due date is late summer.

Murino had her breakthrough with the James Bond film "Casino Royale". Released in 2006, the action thriller was directed by Martin Campbell and also featured Daniel Craig in the role of Bond.

Besides "Casino Royale", the actor has been a part of projects such as "Venicephrenia", "Disclaimer" and "Se son rose".

Riguard and Murino began dating in 2019. PTI ATR ATR

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New Delhi, Jul 6 (PTI) "Metro…In Dino", directed by acclaimed filmmaker Anurag Basu, has collected Rs 9.5 crore nett at the domestic box office in two days.

Featuring a star-studded cast of Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkana Sen Sharma, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta, the film released in theatres worldwide on Friday.

According to the tracking site Sacnilk, the film has collected Rs 6 crore nett at the domestic box office on its second day, after opening with Rs 3.5 crore.

The film has earned Rs 1 crore overseas in two days taking its gross collection at the domestic box office to Rs 11.40 crore. The total worldwide box office collection of "Metro…In Dino" stands at Rs 12.40 crore.

The film follows the bittersweet relationships of four couples in a contemporary setting, and is a follow-up to Basu’s “Life in a… Metro”.

It released in 2007 starring late actor Irrfan Khan, Kay Kay Menon, Sharma, Kangana Ranaut, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Shiney Ahuja and Shiney Ahuja. Sharma is the only actor, who featured in both films.

"Metro…In Dino" is produced by Bhushan Kumar of T-Series and Anurag Basu Productions Pvt Ltd. PTI ATR ATR

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New Delhi, Jul 6 (PTI) Bollywood actor Zareen Khan walked down memory lane and shared a throwback video of herself taking an autograph from Katrina Kaif during the premiere of "Race".

Zareen penned a lengthy note alongside the video, which she uploaded on her Instagram handle on Saturday. The actor said she didn't think she would be a part of the film industry later.

The video shows Zareen walking towards Katrina, who signs an autograph for her.

"Oh my Goddd! Came across this video and the memory is still so fresh. I clearly remember this moment … it's from the premiere of the movie 'RACE'. Thanks to a friend who got us passes, we were able to experience the magic firsthand. At that point, I was just a wide-eyed fan, never imagining I'd one day be a part of the film industry," the 38-year-old actor wrote in the caption.

"But Look at how happy I am in this video, a total fangirl grinning from ear to ear, getting an autograph from the woman I thought was and is breathtakingly beautiful," she added.

Directed by Abbas Burmawalla and Mustan Burmawalla "Race" released in 2008. It was the first installment of the franchise, which later had additions "Race 2" and "Race 3", released in 2013 and 2018 respectively.

"Race" also featured Saif Ali Khan, Bipasha Basu and Akshaye Khanna in the lead roles.

Zareen made her acting debut in 2010 with "Veer" opposite Salman Khan. The film was directed by Anil Sharma. She later went on to star in films such as "Housefull 2", "Hate Story 3" and Punjabi film "Jatt James Bond". PTI ATR ATR

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Mumbai, Jul 7 (PTI) India batter and former Mumbai player Prithvi Shaw on Monday joined Maharashtra ahead of the 2025-26 season, the state governing body announced.

Shaw had requested the Mumbai Cricket Association late last month to be granted No Objection Certificate to leave Mumbai and play for another state, which was approved by the governing body.

Shaw was dropped from the Mumbai's red-ball teams owing to poor fitness and disciplinary issues and had last played for the domestic giants in the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy against Madhya Pradesh.

"International cricketer and Indian team's dynamic top-order batter Prithvi Shaw has officially parted ways with the Mumbai Cricket Association and will represent the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) from the upcoming domestic season," the Maharashtra Cricket Association said in a statement.

"This strategic shift is seen as a significant development in Indian domestic cricket, strengthening the Maharashtra team further. Shaw has represented India in all three formats Tests, ODIs, and T20ls and has consistently impressed in the Indian Premier League and domestic cricket with his aggressive batting and match-winning capabilities," it added.

Shaw said the move will help him grow further as a cricketer.

"At this stage of my career, I believe joining the Maharashtra team will help me grow further as a cricketer. I am deeply grateful to the Mumbai Cricket Association for the opportunities and support I have received over the years," he said.

“Maharashtra Cricket Association has made remarkable efforts in recent years to enhance cricketing infrastructure across the state. I'm confident that being part of such a progressive setup will positively impact my journey as a cricketer," he added.

MCA president Rohit Pawar said, "His inclusion adds tremendous strength to an already talented squad comprising experienced players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ankit Bawne, Rahul Tripathi, Mukesh Choudhary, and Rajneesh Gurbani. Shaw's international and IPL experience will be invaluable, especially for mentoring younger players in the squad." PTI DDV SSC

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Birmingham, Jul 7 (PTI) Jasprit Bumrah didn't play the second Test and yet England received a sound thrashing and now Ben Stokes and his teammates will have to prepare for premier Indian pacer's bagful of tricks at the Lord's which is difficult to replicate even in the nets, admits the home skipper.

England lost the second Test by 336 runs and the Indian team management didn't field its premier strike bowler due to workload issues.

Indian skipper Shubman Gill confirmed that world's best fast bowler will be back during the third Test starting July 10 and Stokes wasn't amused that he would be asked about the fast bowling talisman for zillionth time.

"I thought I’d get through a press conference without being asked about Jasprit Bumrah. We play against each other so often you know what you will be faced with so you put it into practise in training," Stokes said at the post-match press conference.

"Try to do what you can with the coaches and the sidearms, going wide on the crease, trying to give you practise like their bowling lineup. It's always tough to replicate something that will come down at you in a game.

On their bowling front, Stokes didn't commit if Jofra Archer will be unleashed on the Indian batting line-up in the next game, starting July 10

"Again, it'll be a decision that we have to make seeing how everyone pull up. We've had him here this week to get around the group and build him up with his workloads. Everyone's in consideration for the game at Lord's," Stokes said.

Stokes believes that as a team, England need to remain level-headed, neither get too ecstatic after victory nor too bogged down after defeat.

"We've obviously had some unbelievable wins and some bad defeats. I feel I'm quite good and the team is quite good at staying level throughout those ups and downs. We knew coming into the series it wasn't going to be easy," the England skipper said.

"Disappointed with the loss here as it would have been great to carry the momentum over from the first game but we don’t find ourselves sitting here like that. We have to wipe this one under the carpet as quickly as we can because Lord’s day one will be coming round pretty quickly.

"We will have one or two days to get the bodies right and recover and all of sudden we will be out there flipping the coin. It’s about staying as level as you possibly can and not getting too up or low staying true to the fundamentals of what’s got this team to where we are," Stokes concluded. PTI BS KHS AT AT

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Pune, Jul 7 (PTI) Minister of state for sports Raksha Khadse inaugurated the fourth season of the ABC Pro Basketball League here and said the event "perfectly resonates" with the government's Khelo India initiative.

According to the organisers, the league garnered a turnout of over 5,000 young aspirants participating in trials from across Maharashtra.

Following a rigorous selection process, 1,000 players were shortlisted through an auction process, and 310 players were ultimately selected to join the league's 19 teams across Under 14 and Under 17 categories for both boys and girls.

"Investing in grassroots sports like this is paramount. Every point scored, every strategic pass, is a step towards building a healthier, more competitive, and more unified India, propelling you closer to Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi's vision of a developed nation where every talent finds its rightful stage," Khadse said at the inauguration on Sunday evening. PTI PM PM PDS

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New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) will not recommend anyone who trains with unregistered coaches for national honours like the Arjuna and Khel Ratna award, a move that it hopes will help tackle the spiralling doping cases in the sport's national circuit.

The involvement of coaches in doping by track-and-field athletes has been an open secret. The AFI, in recent times, has tried to deal with the matter by launching some initiatives of its own apart from the regular mechanism of vigorous testing and awareness campaigns.

Recently, the AFI set a July 31 deadline for mandatory registration of all the coaches -- qualified and unqualified -- in the country, making it clear that non compliance of the directive will lead to their blacklisting.

"We are hoping that the coaches register themselves. After that, we are going to make it public that only these are the registered coaches. Those who have not registered they will be blacklisted," AFI spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla told PTI.

"If an athlete trains with an unregistered coach, the AFI will not recommend the athlete for any national award if he or she wins medals. Such athletes cannot get anything."

"I believe coaches, even parents (of athletes) today, are involved in doping. This is unfortunate," said Sumariwalla, a former AFI president.

Sumariwalla is a vocal advocate of criminalisation of doping as he feels unless dope offenders are sent to jail, tackling the menace will be difficult. However, the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022 provides no such measures.

"I am not in the Parliament, but we have to do something. All those who are involved in doping will have to be sent to jail. Only then people will realise that this is not a joke. If you want to win this fight, you have to take some drastic steps," said Sumariwalla who is also a vice president of World Athletics.

"Otherwise within the law, we have to do what we have to do. But today, nothing happens. They (dope offenders) just go scot-free or they get four years, then they say, yes, we have taken (banned drugs) and make it three years.

"All this nonsense has to stop," he said referring to the reduction of the ban period through case resolution agreement by early admission of guilt by the athlete.

Alarmed by the rising doping cases among Indian track and field athletes, the AFI, in its AGM in Chandigarh in January, made it compulsory for all coaches to register with it or else they would be blacklisted.

Unregistered coaches will not be permitted to impart training to athletes and will not be engaged in any activity of the AFI under any circumstances. Upon successful registration, each coach will be allotted a unique registration number by the AFI and an ID card will be issued.

In addition, the AFI has also decided to form an anti-doping cell to identify coaches suspected to be "involved in doping of their wards" and for drawing up a list of training centres which serve as "hideouts" for cheats on the recommendation of a high-powered committee to deal with the menace.

The AFI will share this intelligence with the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) established by World Athletics.

'New National Sports Policy is good but implementation key'

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Sumariwalla said the new Khelo Bharat Niti (National Sports Policy), which got Cabinet approval on July 1, was a well-crafted one with its thrust of accountable and clean governance, infrastructure upgradation and promotion of a league culture.

"I think it is a very good policy. See, if you want good governance, you need a good policy. If you look at the policy overall, it has four or five very important pillars.

"One is excellence, two is infrastructure, three is sports science, four is social upliftment, five is the industry of sports. So, if you have these five pillars, I think it is a well-crafted policy.

"In India, policy is not the problem, the implementation of the policy is the problem. So we hope that the implementation will be good." PTI PDS PM PDS PM

PM

Mumbai, Jul 7 (PTI) Legendary Indian wicketkeeper-batter Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is the only captain in the history of international cricket to have won the ODI World Cup, the T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy, turned 44 on Monday.

Under Dhoni's captaincy, the Indian Test side also held the No.1 spot for a period of 18 months. Last month, Dhoni was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame for the class of 2025.

While he retired from international cricket nearly five years ago, Dhoni continues to feature in the Indian Premier League for Chennai Super Kings despite a nagging knee injury.

Dhoni stood in for regular CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad for the majority of this year's IPL after the latter suffered an elbow injury, and led their faltering and imbalanced side with resilience to notch up a few impressive victories towards the end of the season.

The knee injury aside, the years that have passed by have also taken some sting away from Dhoni's aggressive batting.

Dhoni batted as low as at No.8 in a few games but despite the fading powers, the superstar continues to draw full-houses during two months of IPL wherever he plays across the country.

Each of CSK's five title wins in the IPL have come under Dhoni and the franchise continues to expect their 'Thala' to return once again for the 2026 edition.

Dhoni, however, made no such promise.

"It depends. Again, I would say the same thing (that) I have four-five months to decide, there's no hurry to decide what needs to be done," Dhoni said.

"Every year, it's 15 per cent more effort to keep the body fit — not to forget this is top-level cricket.

"It's professional cricket, you have to be at your best and it's not always performance that you can count, because if cricketers start retiring because of performance then a few of them will retire when they're 22."

For now, he is enjoying his time away from spotlight in Ranchi, his hometown.

"What is important to see is how much hunger you have, what kind of fitness you have, and how much you can contribute to the team, and whether the team needs you or not," he had said. PTI DDV PM DDV PM

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New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Double Olympic-medallist Manu Bhaker was the lone shooter to make the cut for two individual events in the 35-strong Indian squad announced on Monday for the 16th Asian Championship in Shymkent, Kazakhstan from August 16 to 30.

The other squads revealed by the National Rifles Association of India (NRAI) were the line-ups for ISSF junior World Cup here in September-October and the junior Asian Championships, which will coincide with the senior event.

The senior squad for the ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol) in Ningbo, China was also released by NRAI. That event will be held from September 7 to 15.

The senior squad for the marquee Asian competition comprises 35 members for the 15 events including three mixed team competitions.

Bhaker will compete in the women's 10m air pistol and the women's 25m pistol events.

Prominent names to have made it back to the senior squad include former men's air rifle world champion Rudrankksh Patil and Olympians Anjum Moudgil (women's 50m rifle 3 positions), Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (men's 50m rifle 3 positions), Saurabh Chaudhary (men's 10m air pistol) and Kynan Chenai (men's Trap).

The likes of Esha Singh (25m pistol), Mehuli Ghosh (air rifle) and Kiran Ankush Jadhav (air rifle) are in both the senior squads.

Olympic bronze-medalist Swapnil Kusale and former Asian Games champion and Olympian Rahi Sarnobat, have made it to the Ningbo-bound squad.

Olympian Raiza Dhillon is the only difference in the two 36-member junior squads announced by NRAI.

She makes the Delhi World Cup junior women's skeet team in place of Mansi Raghuvanshi, who is in the junior ASC team as Raiza will compete in the seniors competition. PTI PM PM KHS

KHS

Birmingham, Jul 7 (PTI) It is always tempting to have a wicket-taking spinner like Kuldeep Yadav in the playing eleven but Washington Sundar was preferred for the Edgbaston Test against england to add batting depth after two lower-order collapses at Leeds, India captain Shubman Gill has said.

The debatable decision to include Washington in the eleven paid off as the left-hander chipped in with both bat and ball in different stages of the game. India will go to the Lord's Test with the same approach.

"It's very tempting when you have a bowler like Kuldeep. One of the reasons why I wanted to play Washington was because he gives us the batting depth," said Gill after India levelled the series with an emphatic win.

"And the first thing is, I think the partnership between me and Washington is very important. If there was no partnership, then I think our lead would have been 70-80-90 runs, which is psychologically very different from 180 run lead," he explained.

Gill feels the spinners give more control than pacers when the Dukes ball gets soft and unresponsive.

"As much as we expected, even on the fifth day, the ball was not moving that much from the middle, it was just moving from the rough.

"We thought that...maybe on our fifth day, a spinner will give us more control if the ball is moving from the wicket. And especially on such (flat) wickets, sometimes spin gives you more control than fast bowling. So that was our mindset," he said explaining the rationale behind Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja's inclusion.

Very important to stop runs in 30-70 over phase

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When the ball and pitch is not offering anything, Gill reckons it becomes even more important to contain the run flow as that is the only way to put pressure on the batters.

"When the ball becomes a little soft, on a wicket that is flat, the most important thing that becomes for us as a fielding or as a bowling unit is how do we stop those runs. Because we would get that second new ball.

"And it would be relatively easier to get wickets with a harder ball or with a second new ball. And when they were, I think, 83-5 in the first innings, straight after that we went for some short balls because I wanted to take that extra risk and see if we get that wicket. And that's where I think we leaked a lot of runs.

"But that was part of my plan. Because I wanted, if we would have gotten one wicket there, their tail would have started. And I think that gave them a little bit of momentum as well. But we were so ahead in the game that I could afford to take that risk," said Gill referring to the team's plans in the first innings at Edgbaston.

An England journalist had reminded Gill about India's winless record at Edgbaston in more than five decades.

When asked about his emotions following the 336-run win, Gill said focus remains on winning the series.

"...I even said before the Test match that I don't really believe in stats or histories. Like I said, over the 50-60 years, we played seven matches over different courses, different teams coming here.

"I believe this is the best Indian team...to be able to come here in England and we have the capability to beat them, to win the series from here. And we have got the right momentum with us. If we keep fighting, I think it would be one of the series to remember," he said.

Work on Test batting started in IPL

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Gill's use of the feet has been a standout feature of his batting, having hammered 585 runs in just four innings. He has shattered records and more can be broken in the coming few weeks.

Gill said he wants to make the most of his purple patch.

"When the IPL was coming to an end, that's when I started working. But the technique and the perception of the people, I think that changes after every series, every match. As a team or as a player, we don't focus much on what people are saying about you.

"If a good ball gets me out, it gets me out. But as long as I am there, I want to play as long as possible," added Gill. PTI BS PM PM

PM

Birmingham, Jul 7 (PTI) England's preference for flat tracks to assist their aggressive style of play has produced mixed results for them in the Test series against India thus far, putting additional focus on the strip for the Lord's Test beginning on Thursday.

While India handed the hosts the series opener on a platter from a dominating position at Leeds, Shubman Gill and Co. learned from their mistakes to out-bat and out-bowl the opposition on a slower surface at Edgbaston on Sunday.

Win the toss and bowl has been the template for Ben Stokes but will that change going forward in the series? Will another batting beauty be dished out or the expected return of Jofra Archer at the 'Home of Cricket' push Stokes to alter his plans?

More bounce and carry helped the England seamers at Leeds while in the 'sub-continental conditions' of Edgbaston, Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj got the new ball to move off the pitch significantly more than their counterparts.

England would need to watch out for the threat posed by Akash Deep at the Pavillion End at Lord's with the ball skidding a tad more than usual due to the downhill slope.

His senior partner Siraj has fond memories of the hallowed ground, having played a major role in a famous win back in 2021.

Despite aggregating an astonishing 585 runs in four innings, Gill feels the flat surfaces laid out thus far kill the essence of the traditional format. The Indian Test captain is, therefore, not expecting England to prepare another high-scoring surface.

"We will see what kind of wicket they are giving at Lord's. I don't think they will give such a flat wicket. This is my feeling. But we will go there and take a decision and we will see what kind of wicket it is, what is the best possible combination," Gill said after India's first ever success at Edgbaston.

If the conditions are similar, trust India to stick to the two-spinner strategy to contain the flow of runs. As tempting as it may be for Shubman, Kuldeep might have to miss out again.

England, on the other hand, play with a sole spinner in Shoaib Bashir and that could backfire for the home team if it bats last again on a deteriorating pitch.

Flat tracks do align with England's audacious batting style but the same can't be said about their bowling, said former opener Mark Butcher.

"No, not particularly. And I think the England team would have wanted to see more pace at Edgbaston. The Leeds one I think was perfect for their needs," Butcher told PTI.

"But you can't always get what you want. If you're asking for pitches to not deteriorate, then every now and again, you're going to get ones that are too flat," he reasoned.

"So then you might have to start thinking about changing your philosophy of always bowling first or batting last and trying to win games in other ways. It's not easy on your young spinner to always be bowling first on a flat one with nothing to work with.

"And perhaps at Lord's, if the conditions look similar, and the sun's out and it's roasting hot, they might think about having a bat next time," said the former England international and Surrey great.

Besides the surface, the behaviour of the Dukes has also come under scanner with the softer ball hardly offering anything to the bowlers.

Considering the amount of runs India have posted over the course of the first two Tests, the visitors won't mind another belter.

While Ben Stokes did not admit to erring at toss on day one of second Test, England head coach Brendon McCullum said bowling first was not the best decision in hindsight.

With a defeat like that, England need to come up with a Plan B.

"I think, as the game unfolded, we probably looked back on that toss and said did we miss an opportunity there and it's probably fair," said the England head coach. PTI BS PM PM

PM

Chennai, Jul 7 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday greeted World Cup winning former India cricket team captain MS Dhoni on his birthday and heaped praises on him.

The ruling DMK president also described Dhoni as an "OG," a term used to refer to an exceptional individual in a particular field.

"Happy birthday to @msdhoni, a rare OG, who turned pressure into poetry with every move. You proved that greatness isn't born, it's built — one decision, one run, one quiet triumph at a time. #HappyBirthdayDhoni," the CM said in a post on 'X.'

He also shared a picture of him with the IPL star. PTI

SA ROH

Eindhoven (The Netherlands), Jul 7 (PTI) The India A men's hockey team will kick off its tour of Europe with a game against Ireland here on Tuesday, hoping to test the depth and readiness of the next line of players during the eight-match assignment against different teams.

The tour of Europe, organised by Hockey India, will feature against some of the top European sides and is aimed at providing international exposure to a mix of emerging and experienced players.

These games are expected to test India's talent pool as the national setup looks to build a strong pipeline for the senior team. The squad, which is a mix of youth and experience, is led by Sanjay, who believes the tour of Europe is a fantastic idea for the team.

Speaking ahead of the opening game, the captain said: "The tour of Europe is a great opportunity for all of us. There will be some very tough games on this tour and we are looking forward to testing ourselves against these teams.

"There is youth and experience in our squad, and that will be very useful for the team in these games."

The India A team will play two matches each against Ireland, France, and the Netherlands, along with one match each against England and Belgium.

"The India A Men’s Hockey Team are aware of the challenges and how tough the opposition will be. It is also quite different since we are playing away from home," Sanjay said.

"But the team has prepared well, and our senior players have also been helping the younger ones settle in and understand the demands of the game at this level," he added.

The first match between India 'A' and Ireland will take place on July 8 at 21:30 IST. PTI KHS PM KHS PM

PM

Panaji, Jul 7 (PTI) One person from Maharashtra was held for allegedly duping a Goa resident of Rs 2.45 crore after promising high returns on stock market investments, a police official said here on Monday.

The cyber crime police station official identified the accused as Sanjay M Chavan (45).

"The accused posed as a stock broker and lured a Salcete resident to join a Whatsapp group and invest Rs 2.45 crore over a period of time after promising high returns. The probe into the financial trail led us to Chavan, who was arrested on July 6. A sum of Rs 13.5 lakh had been deposited in his account," he said.

A case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act, the official said, adding a probe was underway to find if more persons are involved in the racket. PTI RPS BNM

Veraval (Guj), Jul 7 (PTI) A district court in Veraval in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district received an email on Monday threatening to blow it up, though it turned out to be a hoax as nothing suspicious was found following a thorough search of the premises, a police official said.

As soon as the threat email was received, the entire complex, including the three buildings within the court, was evacuated and lawyers, clients etc were asked to leave, he said.

"The bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) and a dog squad searched the premises. Nothing suspicious was found. Further investigations are underway," Deputy Superintendent of Police VR Khengar told reporters.

Officials said the checking by BDDS and dog squad of the premises and search operations in the vicinity lasted for nearly an hour after which the court complex was reopened.

The incident comes nearly a month after a similar hoax threat email to blow up the Gujarat High Court disrupted its functioning.

The state has witnessed an increase in the number of cases of hoax emails threatening to blow up schools and hotels, etc, officials pointed out.

On Saturday, a hotel in Gujarat's Vadodara city received a similar hoax email.

Recently, the Ahmedabad cyber crime police arrested a Chennai-based IT engineer for allegedly sending 13 such threatening emails. PTI COR KA BNM

Ballia (UP), Jul 7 (PTI) Two policemen were suspended for indiscipline in connection with the beating of a few people while they were returning from a graveyard, also known as Karbala, after a tazia procession.

According to police, late Sunday in Kharika village, some members of a tazia procession snapped an electric wire when they were moving through the area, leading to a confrontation with the locals.

Ballia Superintendent of Police Omveer Singh Monday said in connection with the fight, Sub-Inspector Jitendra Pandey and Constable Anand Kumar, both posted at Revati Police Station, were suspended.

The two have been accused of gross negligence towards duty, indifference, inaction and indiscipline.

In addition, Station House Officer Prashant Kumar has been sent to Police Lines with immediate effect over laxity in supervision.

The SP said the charge of investigating the policemen's role has been given to the Sadar circle officer.

Teams have been formed to nab the people involved in the row, he added. PTI COR NAV VN

VN

Abohar (Punjab), Jul 7 (PTI) A businessman was shot dead here on Monday by three unknown bikers, police said.  

Sanjay Verma, a co-owner of the 'New Wear Well Gents Tailor' showroom, was gunned down in broad daylight near Bhagat Singh Chowk, a bustling commercial area.  

Verma had just stepped out of his car near his showroom when he was shot at several times. 

As the three assailants tried to drive away, their motorcycle skidded. They ran for some distance before they snatched another bike from a commuter and escaped. 

Verma was rushed to the local civil hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. 

The brazen murder has sent shockwaves across the town, prompting a massive police deployment in the area. 

Abohar MLA Amandeep Singh Goldy reached the hospital shortly after the incident to meet the grieving family and offer his condolences. 

The victim's body has been sent for post-mortem and remains in the hospital mortuary, where a large crowd of relatives, friends, and locals has gathered. 

Fazilka Senior Superintendent of Police Gurmeet Singh has initiated an investigation into the murder. 

All entry and exit points of the town have been sealed, and a high alert has been sounded in the region. 

Several trade associations have called for a complete shutdown of markets on Monday in protest against the killing. PTI COR SUN VN

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Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jul 7 (PTI) A 42-year-old cloth merchant from Maharashtra's Beed district allegedly committed suicide after being harassed for money by some persons, police said on Monday.

The police have registered a case against a man (prime accused), his wife and five other persons for abetment of suicide and other charges, they said.

The businessman, Ram Fatale, allegedly committed suicide at his residence in Shaniwar Peth area of Beed on July 5 night, an official said.

Fatale borrowed Rs 2.5 lakh at an interest rate of 10 per cent seven years ago from the key accused, who is not an authorised money lender. The businessman and his father returned the money before the COVID-19 lockdown (2020), as per the FIR registered by the police.

The key accused and others, however, kept harassing Fatale with a demand of Rs 25,000 per month, and also refused to return a signed cheque book belonging to the victim, it said.

On Friday, the main accused and his wife went to Fatale's residence and allegedly harassed him for the money.

The businessman's family members found him hanging on Sunday morning when they got up. He was taken to a government hospital where he was declared dead, the police said.

A suicide note was found in the pocket of his pants in which he purportedly mentioned about the harassment from the key accused and his wife, the FIR said.

The businessman also mentioned in the note that he had repaid the entire loan but the man was still harassing him for money, it said.

The police on Sunday registered a case against the seven accused relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Maharashtra Money-Lending (Regulation) Act 2014, the official said. PTI AW GK

Pune, Jul 7 (PTI) A 35-year-old man, suspected to be a mentally unstable, allegedly tried to desecrate Mahatma Gandhi's statue located at Pune railway station in Maharashtra, police said on Monday.

Some people in the area caught hold of the man after the incident late Sunday night and handed him over to the police, who placed him under arrest, they said.

Local Congress workers on Monday staged a protest near the statue, demanding stringent action against the man.

The accused, identified as Suraj Shukla, hails from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Deputy Commissioner Of Police (Zone 2) Milind Mohite said.

"The man, who looked mentally unstable, had some religious books in his bag and a billhook in his hand and was attempting to desecrate the statue using the sharp tool. However, he was caught by the people around and was handed over to the police," Mohite said.

To a question, another official said the statue was not damaged but a small tile of the pedestal, on which the statue is placed, was damaged as the man climbed it.

The accused lives in Vishrantwadi area of Pune and sells 'rudraksh' (holy beads). He had purchased the sharp weapon from Wai in Satara district, the official said.

"The man has been arrested and we have registered a case against him under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Further probe is on," the official said.

Congress city unit president Arvind Shinde alleged the man climbed the pedestal of the statue and tried to desecrate it.

The local Congress workers staged a protest near the statue to condemn the incident.

"A large number of party workers staged a protest at the statue and demanded stern action against the man," Shinde said. PTI SPK GK

Shahdol, Jul 7 (PTI) Three women were killed and 15 other persons, including children, suffered injuries when their multi-utility vehicle (MUV) rammed into a tree in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district on Monday, police said.

The accident occurred at around 5 am near Jora village, they said.

The MUV, bearing the registration number of Chhattisgarh, was carrying 20 persons, mostly women and children.

The vehicle occupants were heading back to Chhattisgarh after visiting Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh when it crashed into a tree, Beohari police station in-charge Arun Pandey said.

Three women, identified as Gayatri Kawar, Malti Patel and Indira Bai, were killed and 15 other persons suffered injuries, he said.

After being alerted by locals, police rushed to the scene. They shifted the injured persons to hospital using ambulances and police vehicles.

Four critically injured persons were referred to Shahdol Medical College after they were provided initial treatment at a hospital in Beohari, the official said.

The families of the deceased were informed about the incident, the police added. PTI COR LAL GK

Mumbai, Jul 7 (PTI) Police and maritime security agencies have intensified their search for a suspicious boat, "possibly a Pakistani fishing vessel", spotted near Revdanda coast in Maharashtra's Raigad district, officials said on Monday.

The boat was spotted on the Indian Navy's radar on Sunday night, around two nautical miles off the Korlai coast in Revdanda, an official said.

It was "possibly a Pakistani fishing vessel", but the identity and other details will be ascertained once the boat is intercepted, the official said.

Prima facie, the boat was suspected to have drifted to the Raigad coast, an official earlier said.

Security along the coastline in Raigad was stepped up after the vessel was spotted.

Following the alert, the Raigad Police, Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), Quick Response Team (QRT), the Navy and the Coast Guard personnel rushed to the spot at night and launched the search, he said.

Efforts to reach the boat were hampered at night due to heavy rain and strong winds.

Raigad Superintendent of Police Anchal Dalal, along with senior police officials, had reached the coast to monitor the situation, the official said.

Dalal herself attempted to approach the boat using a barge but had to return due to adverse weather, the official said.

A large contingent of police was deployed in the area and overall security in the district was heightened as a precautionary measure, he said.

In November 2008, 10 heavily-armed terrorists sailed towards the Mumbai coastline from Pakistan under the cover of darkness and created mayhem for three days in the state capital, leaving 166 persons dead and several others injured. PTI COR DC GK

Thane, Jul 7 (PTI) The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Thane has awarded a compensation of Rs 13.5 lakh to a 29-year-old man who suffered serious injuries in a road accident in 2018.

The accident occurred solely due to the rash and negligent driving of the offending pickup vehicle, the MACT, presided over by member RV Mohite, said in the order passed on July 2, a copy of which was made available on Monday.

The victim, Pappu Balu Ghagas, was travelling from Murbad towards Padgha in a car in Maharashtra's Thane district on January 15, 2018, when the pickup vehicle veered onto the wrong side of the road at a high speed and collided with the rear door of his car.

As a result, the car fell into a nearby drain and the man suffered severe injuries, including multiple fractures and a traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness, the claimant said.

He was hospitalised for 13 days and continued to receive outpatient treatment later.

The offending vehicle's owner remained ex-parte, while its insurer contested the claim.

The victim had claimed to be earning Rs 20,000 per month as a supervisor, but failed to provide salary slips or call his employer, who was also an injured party in the same accident, as a witness.

The MACT said the claimant's functional disability is assessed to the extent of 20 per cent only.

While acknowledging the medical evidence of injuries and the disability certificates, the tribunal noted that the doctors who assessed the permanent partial disability were not the treating doctors and some fractures had already healed.

The MACT also said the claimant has not produced any cogent evidence on record about his nature of work and monthly income.

"In the absence of income proof, his notional income is assessed as Rs 12,000," it said, and calculated the compensation based on the man's notional income and 20 per cent functional disability.

The total compensation of Rs 13.50 lakh includes Rs 5,18,400 for loss of future earnings, Rs 2,07,360 for future prospects, and significant amounts for medical treatment, medicines, pain and suffering, special diet and conveyance.

The tribunal directed both the opponents to jointly and severally pay the compensation with an interest rate of 9 per cent per annum from the date of the petition until the amount is deposited.

From the total compensation, Rs 5 lakh is to be invested in a five-year fixed deposit in the man's name in any nationalised bank, ensuring his long-term financial security.

The remaining amount will be disbursed to him via an account payee cheque, the tribunal ordered. PTI COR GK

Thane, Jul 7 (PTI) Police have arrested two men for allegedly indulging in 'black magic' activities at a crematorium in Maharashtra's Thane district, officials said on Monday.

A police 'patil' had found two pictures of unidentified women pasted on a lemon wrapped in a black cloth and placed at the crematorium ground in Pimplasgaon village of Bhiwandi area.

Following an inquiry, the police patil identified two men, Kabir Dileep Chowdhary (29) and Nikhil Santosh Patil (23), as the alleged perpetrators who indulged in the 'black magic' activities at the site between June 29 and July 4, Kongaon police station's sub-inspector Rohan Gaikwad said.

The two men were arrested on Saturday and booked under the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, the official said.

The police were working to identify the two women who were seemingly targeted by the accused and probing the motive behind the act.

Traditionally, police patils are responsible for maintaining peace and order within their village, assisting the police in investigations, and serving as a liaison between the administration and the villagers. PTI COR GK

Thane, Jul 7 (PTI) A 62-year-old resident of Navi Mumbai has allegedly been cheated of Rs 73.72 lakh after being lured into gold trading for high returns by a woman whom he met through a dating application, police said on Monday.

The woman got in touch with the man, who resides in New Panvel area, through the dating app between March and May 2024.

Following initial interactions, the two continued chatting on WhatsApp during which the woman, who identified herself as Zia, lured the man to invest in a gold trading scheme, an official from Khandeshwar police station said.

The woman assured the victim of high returns and persuaded him to use a specific trading application. The victim subsequently invested Rs 73.72 lakh over a span of three months, the official said.

However, when no returns were credited later, the man grew suspicious.

When he tried to enquire about the promised returns and the invested money, the woman stopped responding and eventually became incommunicado, the official said.

The man then approached the police with a complaint.

Following a preliminary inquiry, the police on July 4 registered a case under sections 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, the official said.

The police were working to trace the accused and track digital footprints related to the fraudulent transactions, he added. PTI COR GK

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) A Delhi court on Monday recorded the statement of former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar over the violence in Janakpuri and Vikaspuri areas in the capital during the 1984 anti-sikh riots.

Special judge Dig Vinay Singh recorded statement of Kumar, who said he was innocent as there was not an iota of evidence against him.

Kumar, who was produced physically, claimed a fair investigation was not conducted and he was being implicated by unsubstantiated allegations.

"I was not named by any of the witnesses. Decades later I was named. The case against me is false and politically motivated. I organised blood donation camps and peace march to bring harmony in the area. My life detector test was conducted where I voluntarily participated to prove my innocence," Kumar said.

The court then posted the matter on July 29.

In Feb 2015, a special investigation team registered two FIRs against Kumar based on complaints of violence in the areas during the anti-Sikh riots.

The first FIR was over the violence in Janakpuri, where two men, Sohan Singh and his son-in-law Avtar Singh, were killed on November 1, 1984.

The second FIR was registered in the case of Gurcharan Singh, who was allegedly set ablaze on November 2, 1984 in Vikaspuri. PTI MNR AMK

AMK

Lucknow, Jul 7 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court on Monday dismissed the pleas challenging the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to pair primary and upper primary schools with fewer than 50 students with nearby institutions.

A bench of Justice Pankaj Bhatia pronounced the verdict on Monday.

The court had on Friday reserved the order on two separate petitions filed by Krishna Kumari and others, who sought cancellation of the state government's June 16 order.

The petitioners' advocates L P Mishra and Gaurav Mehrotra had argued that the state government's action violates Article 21A of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to education for children aged between six and 14 years.

They contended the implementation of the decision would deprive children of their right to education in their neighbourhood.

The government should instead focus on improving the standard of schools to attract more students, they added.

Further, the petitioners said the government chose the "easier way" of closing these schools, instead of working towards public welfare, overriding economic gains or losses.

Additional advocate general Anuj Kudesia, chief standing counsel Shailendra Singh and senior advocate Sandeep Dixit, representing the director of basic education, argued the government's decision was made according to rules, free from flaws or illegalities.

They said many schools had very few, or no students, and said the government did not "merge" the schools but "paired" them, assuring no primary schools were closed. PTI COR ABN ABN AMK

AMK

Mumbai, Jul 7 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Monday wondered if it can prohibit slaughter of animals during the nine-day 'Paryushan Parv' of the Jain community and whether such an order would open the floodgates with other communities also seeking similar bans during their festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri.

A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne was hearing a petition filed by a trust of the Jain community challenging the 2024 orders passed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation as well as civic bodies of Nashik and Pune prohibiting slaughter of animals only for one day during Paryushan last year.

The community sought a ban on slaughtering for nine days from August 21.

The trust highlighted various aspects of Jain belief, including Ahimsa (non-violence) and said if animal slaughter takes place during Paryushan Parv then it would be detrimental to the cause of Jainism.

The court then questioned if it can pass such an order.

"It shouldn't happen that tomorrow every other religion also makes similar demands. You (Jain community) will get an order for nine days for Paryushan Parv, and then some other community will come forward and seek similar orders for the Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri festival," the court asked.

The bench was informed that the Maharashtra government has already notified 15 days in a year when slaughter is prohibited, including one day for Paryushan Parv.

The court wondered if it can interfere once a policy decision is taken as it was not aware about what percent of the state's population is vegetarian and non-vegetarian.

Mumbai is surrounded by other municipal corporations which do not have slaughter houses and, hence, are dependent on the Deonar slaughterhouse in the metropolis, the bench added.

"Under which statutory obligation should slaughterhouses be ordered to remain closed for nine days," the court asked.

The bench ordered BMC, Nashik, Pune and Mira Bhayandar municipal corporations to decide on the trust's representation seeking prohibition on slaughter for nine days and give their decision by August 18.

Senior counsel Darius Khambata, appearing for the trust, told the court that last year the BMC, while permitting one day ban on slaughter, had reasoned that Mumbai was a cosmopolitan city with a sizeable population of non-Jains and had people whose daily staple includes non-vegetarian food.

"The Nashik and Pune civic bodies have not assigned any reason behind their order. The Mira Bhayandar Corporation has not even bothered to pass an order last year," Khambata said.

The bench directed the trust to submit their representation to the four civic bodies for reconsideration of the decision. PTI SP BNM

Thane, Jul 7 (PTI) The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Thane has awarded a compensation of Rs 13.5 lakh to a 29-year-old man who suffered serious injuries in a road accident in 2018.

The accident occurred solely due to the rash and negligent driving of the offending pickup vehicle, the MACT, presided over by member RV Mohite, said in the order passed on July 2, a copy of which was made available on Monday.

The victim, Pappu Balu Ghagas, was travelling from Murbad towards Padgha in a car in Maharashtra's Thane district on January 15, 2018, when the pickup vehicle veered onto the wrong side of the road at a high speed and collided with the rear door of his car.

As a result, the car fell into a nearby drain and the man suffered severe injuries, including multiple fractures and a traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness, the claimant said.

He was hospitalised for 13 days and continued to receive outpatient treatment later.

The offending vehicle's owner remained ex-parte, while its insurer contested the claim.

The victim had claimed to be earning Rs 20,000 per month as a supervisor, but failed to provide salary slips or call his employer, who was also an injured party in the same accident, as a witness.

The MACT said the claimant's functional disability is assessed to the extent of 20 per cent only.

While acknowledging the medical evidence of injuries and the disability certificates, the tribunal noted that the doctors who assessed the permanent partial disability were not the treating doctors and some fractures had already healed.

The MACT also said the claimant has not produced any cogent evidence on record about his nature of work and monthly income.

"In the absence of income proof, his notional income is assessed as Rs 12,000," it said, and calculated the compensation based on the man's notional income and 20 per cent functional disability.

The total compensation of Rs 13.50 lakh includes Rs 5,18,400 for loss of future earnings, Rs 2,07,360 for future prospects, and significant amounts for medical treatment, medicines, pain and suffering, special diet and conveyance.

The tribunal directed both the opponents to jointly and severally pay the compensation with an interest rate of 9 per cent per annum from the date of the petition until the amount is deposited.

From the total compensation, Rs 5 lakh is to be invested in a five-year fixed deposit in the man's name in any nationalised bank, ensuring his long-term financial security.

The remaining amount will be disbursed to him via an account payee cheque, the tribunal ordered. PTI COR GK

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on July 10 a batch of petitions challenging the decision of the Election Commission to undertake special intensive revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.

A partial working day (PWD) bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions of a battery of senior lawyers led by Kapil Sibal on behalf of several petitioners and agreed to hear the pleas on Thursday.

Sibal urged the bench to issue notices to the poll panel on the petitions.

"We will have it on Thursday," Justice Dhulia said.

Several pleas, including by leaders like Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, have been filed in the top court challenging an Election Commission's order directing for special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

Jha said the EC's June 24 order be quashed for being violative of Articles 14 (fundamental right to equality), 21 (fundamental right to life and liberty), 325 (no person can be excluded from electoral roll based on caste, religion and sex) and 326 (every citizen of India who has attained 18 years of age is eligible to be registered as a voter) of the Constitution.

A similar plea has also been filed by NGO Association of Democratic Reforms, challenging the poll body's direction for SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar.

Several other civil society organisations like PUCL and activists like Yogendra Yadav have approached the top court against the EC's order.

The EC on June 24 issued instructions to carry out SIR in Bihar, apparently to weed out ineligible names and ensure only eligible citizens are included in the electoral roll.

The last such revision in Bihar was conducted in 2003. PTI SJK

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New Delhi, Jul 6 (PTI) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha has moved the Supreme Court challenging an Election Commission's order directing for special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has also approached the apex court against the EC's order.

In his plea filed through advocate Fauzia Shakil, Jha said EC's June 24 order be quashed for being violative of Articles 14, 21, 325 and 326 of the Constitution of India.

The Rajya Sabha MP said that the impugned order is a tool of institutionalized disenfranchisement and “it is being used to justify aggressive and opaque revisions of electoral rolls that disproportionately target Muslim, Dalit and poor migrant communities, as such, they are not random patterns but it is engineered exclusions.”

He also sought direction to the poll body to hold the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections on the basis of the existing electoral rolls.

The assembly polls in the state is due later this year.

Jha said alternatively a direction be issued directing the poll authority to accept “all the documents stipulated in Form 6 as documents in support of the declaration along with the Enumeration Form and Declaration Form (Annexure C and D enclosed with the Impugned Order dated 24-06-2025)”.

"The present petition is being filed under Article 32 of the Constitution of India inter alia seeking issuance of a writ, order or direction in the nature of certiorari or any other writ quashing and setting the order dated June 24, 2025 issued by respondent No.1 along with its subsequent clarificatory press note dated June 30, 2025, the same being violative of Articles 14, 21, 325 and 326 of the Constitution of India...," the plea said.

Jha said the next Bihar Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in November 2025 and in this background, the Election Commission has ordered a special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls without consultation with the political parties/ stakeholders.

"While the ECI has decided to commence the Special Intensive Revision in the entire country, the process has been initiated first in the State of Bihar, owing to the upcoming elections in the latter part of the year.

"The impugned order prescribes a schedule and requires the submission of enumeration form within 30 days, followed by filing of claims and objections and their disposal within 30 days," the plea said,

The impugned order is "discriminatory, unreasonable and manifestly arbitrary and violates Article 14, 21 325, 326," it added.

"It is humbly submitted that it is being used to justify aggressive and opaque revisions of electoral rolls that disproportionately target Muslim, Dalit and poor migrant communities, as such, they are not random patterns but it is engineered exclusions," the plea said.

Jha said the present SIR process is not only "hasty and ill-timed", but has the effect of "disenfranchising" crores of voters, thereby robbing them of their constitutional right to vote.

"Moreover, this exercise has been launched during the monsoon season in Bihar, when many districts in Bihar are affected by floods and local population is displaced, thereby making it extremely difficult and almost impossible for a large section of population to meaningfully participate in the process," he contended in his plea.

The RJD leader further contended that one of the most affected classes are the migrant workers, many of whom despite remaining listed in the 2003 voter rolls, are unlikely to be able to return to Bihar within the stipulated time frame of 30 days to submit their enumeration forms leading to automatic deletion of their names from the electoral roll in violation of R 21A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

"It is humbly submitted that the stringent documentation requirements have the potential to negatively affect the backward, flood-affected, poor, SC, ST, unempowered minorities, migrants and they will be forced to run from pillar to post to get the documents within a period of just one month," the plea said.

Jha also said that the short deadlines make the whole process unreasonable and unworkable and has the effect of bypassing the procedure of conduct of inquiry into claims and objections as contemplated under the rules.

Trinamool Congress leader and MP Mahua Moitra has also moved the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission's order on special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.

Moitra sought a direction from the apex court to restrain the EC from issuing similar orders for SIR of electoral rolls in other states of the country.

A similar plea has also been filed by NGO Association of Democratic Reforms, challenging the poll body’s direction for SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar.

Several other civil society organisations like PUCL and activists like Yogendra Yadav have approached the top court against the EC’s order.

The EC on June 24 issued instructions to carry out an SIR in Bihar, apparently to weed out ineligible names and ensure only eligible citizens are included in the electoral roll.

The last such revision in Bihar was conducted in 2003.

According to the EC, the exercise was necessitated by rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, young citizens becoming eligible to vote, non-reporting of deaths, and inclusion of the names of foreign illegal immigrants.

The SIR is being conducted by booth officers, who are conducting a house-to-house survey for verification. PTI MNL MNL KVK

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New Delhi, Jul 6 (PTI) The Delhi High Court is likely to pronounce on Monday its verdict on petitions by Turkey-based Celebi against the revocation of its security clearance.

Bureau of Civil Aviation Safety (BCAS) on May 15 revoked the security clearance, days after Turkey backed Pakistan and condemned India's strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring country.

Justice Sachin Datta on May 23 reserved the verdict after hearing the submissions in the matter.

Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd and Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India Pvt Ltd oversee ground handling and cargo terminal functions at various airports in the country.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the central authority, defended the action, pointing out an "unprecedented" threat to aviation security.

Senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, representing Celebi, contended on Friday that the Centre's move was against the principles of natural justice and in violation of the procedure under the Aircraft Security Rules.

Rohatgi said the Director General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security ought to have given the petitioners a hearing after giving notice of "proposed punishment" and subsequently given reasons for their action.

On May 19, the Centre said the decision to revoke clearance was taken in the interest of national security in light of certain inputs that continuing the services of the petitioner companies would be hazardous in the current scenario.

Celebi, operating in the Indian aviation sector for over 15 years and employing over 10,000 people, offers its services at nine airports.

BCAS, in its order, said, "... the security clearance in r/o Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd is hereby revoked with immediate effect in the interest of national security."

The security clearance to the company, part of Turkey's Celebi, was given in November 2022. PTI UK RT

RT