Month: December 2024

Haryana’s Pooja, Telangana’s Sriteja set records in National Junior Athletics

Bhubaneswar, Dec 11 (IANS) Haryana’s promising teenager, Pooja, continued to hog the limelight as she improved on the national record in the U18 women’s heptathlon in the ongoing 39th National Junior Athletics Championships at Kalinga Stadium here on Wednesday.

The day after she improved her own national U18 women’s high jump record to 1.85 on the opening day of the heptathlon event, Pooja clinched the gold medal in the multi-discipline event with a national record. Pooja’s point tally of 5102 points was better than the previous national record of 4357 points set by R. Khatun in 2024. With the gold medal in the heptathlon, Pooja’s gold tally has swelled to two. She is also the winner of U18 women’s high jump gold.

Telangana’s Sriteja Tholem also improved the previous national record (5087 points) but had to settle for second place. Haryana’s Khushi won bronze with a tally of 4350 points.

While Haryana led the show overall, Reliance Foundation athletes also sparkled, winning a total of 12 medals, including eight gold, besides setting two meet records.

On the final day of the event on Wednesday, Reliance Foundation stole the show by winning four gold medals in the evening session through Omkar Prasad Nanda (U18 men’s shot put), DM Jayaram (men’s 200m), Sakshi Chavan (women’s 200m) and Laxmipriya Kisan (women’s 800m).

Triple gold medallist DM Jayaram was really happy to win three gold medals in his last year of U20 competitions. “I achieved my personal best in the 100m and also was part of the meet record-setting 4x100m relay team. It is not easy to win three gold medals for a sprinter and I’m very happy that I achieved this feat. I hope to do even better in the future. Doing it in front of my home state crowd makes it even more special. The Odisha government and Reliance Foundation have been a big support. I have had access to the best coaches and support staff thanks to them. I will now focus on the National Games and World University Games, which are coming up next year and aim to achieve my goals there,” he said.

Sakshi, Jayaram and Astik Pradhan dominated the sprinting events, with Sakshi and Jayaram taking away gold in both the 100m and 200m events. Jayaram and Astik were also a part of the Odisha men’s 4x100m relay team that blazed away to gold in just 41.10s, a new meet record. Mahendra Santa and Rajendra Sidhu were the other members of the dominant relay quartet.

Jayaram clocked a new personal best of 10.50s in the men’s 100m final, while Sakshi also equalled her personal best of 11.86s in the women’s equivalent. Sandeep Gond added to the gold rush by finishing top in the men’s 110m hurdles event with a time of 14.02s.

Overall, they won a total of 12 medals, including eight gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

–IANS

bsk/

Anurag Kashyap’s son-in-law Shane Gregoire wells up during wedding ceremony with Aaliyah

Mumbai, Dec 11 (IANS) Shane Gregoire, the husband of Anurag Kashyap’s daughter, Aaliyah Kashyap, was seen welling up at their wedding ceremony on Wednesday.

Even Anurag Kashyap’s eyes were moist when he came to meet with the paparazzi stationed outside the venue. He told them that he shed tears on the happy occasion shortly before meeting them.

As per media reports, Shane and Aaliyah, who have been dating for over four years now, tied the knot on Wednesday. The two got engaged in May last year, after which they threw an engagement bash for their loved ones in August 2023.

Actress Kalki Koechlin, who his Anurag’s second wife and has worked with him in ‘Dev.D’ and ‘That Girl In Yellow Boots’, was also seen at the wedding festivities. Anurag and Kalki tied the knot with the director in 2011. However, the two parted ways in 2015.

Kalki has said that she and Anurag have since been good friends. She has also said that the first few years after their divorce were difficult, but that they needed time apart to learn about each other’s lives.

It was Anurag’s second marriage, he was earlier married to film editor Aarti Bajaj with whom he shares daughter Aaliyah Kashyap.

Earlier, actress Khushi Kapoor, who made her Bollywood debut with the streaming movie ‘The Archies’, attended the haldi ceremony of Aaliyah.

On Sunday, the actress took to her Instagram, and shared an array of pictures and videos from the haldi ceremony. In one the videos Khushi was seen applying haldi on Aaliyah. Another video shows Aaliyah sharing a kiss with her fiance.

Khushi wrote in the caption, “Haldi morning”.

The actress was seen donning a yellow coloured ethnic outfit as per the theme of the wedding festivity.

–IANS

aa/

Vishwa Samudra Open: Ajeetesh Sandhu posts 67 to open up 3-shot lead

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) Seasoned Indian pro and international winner Ajeetesh Sandhu posted a top-notch five-under 67 in Round Two to open up a three-shot lead with a total of eight-under 136 in the inaugural edition of Vishwa Samudra Open 2024 at the Delhi Golf Club (DGC) here on Wednesday.

The Chandigarh-based Sandhu (69-67), who is playing at one of his favoured venues after a long time, signed for a bogey-free card on Wednesday to climb one spot from his overnight tied second place in the INR 2 crore prize-money event.

Gurugram’s Manish Thakran (69-70), who was also overnight tied second, struck a hole-in-one on the 12th during his round of 70 on Wednesday to move into sole second position at five-under 139.

Jamal Hossain of Bangladesh, the first-round leader, dropped down to third place at four-under 140 after he returned a 73 in the second round. The cut was declared at five-over 149. Fifty-one professionals made the cut.

The 27 players who hadn’t completed their first round on Tuesday, resumed play at 7 am on Wednesday while round two commenced simultaneously. Jamal Hossain ended up as the first-round leader by two shots.

Ajeetesh Sandhu, a 10th tee starter on Wednesday, was finding fairways and greens at will and did not seem to be in a tough spot at any point during his round. Sandhu rolled in putts from 10 feet and eight feet for his birdies on the 10th and 18th respectively. On the front nine, the 36-year-old Sandhu added three more birdies to his card thanks to his outstanding tee shots and iron shots.

Sandhu, who carded the day’s best score, said, “A bogey-free round at DGC is only possible when you hit a lot of fairways. I did that today. I was solid off the tee, had a good game plan in place and struck good iron shots. I found the spots that I had to. I was in the rough only a couple of times and that too just off the fairways. So, there were not enough opportunities to produce any heroics today. Overall, it was a solid day.

“Whenever you play well at a venue you go back there with good memories and it’s nice to play those good memories in your mind while you’re on the golf course. It becomes easier to execute shots. So, the familiarity with the DGC definitely plays to my advantage,” said Sandhu.

Manish Thakran, fighting to save his card in the final full-field event of the season, was going great guns till the 15th having made a hole-in-one, four birdies and two bogeys over that stretch. Thakran then made bogey-birdie-double-bogey on the last three holes to lose some steam.

Thakran said, “I capitalised on my strength, which is putting, over the first two days, and played some aggressive golf. Even the double bogey on the last hole today came as a result of my natural tendency to attack the pins in trying to gain a shot. It was a great feeling to make my first hole-in-one in tournament play. It’s just the kind of confidence booster I needed ahead of the last two rounds.”

Rashid Khan (71) was tied fourth at three-under 141 along with Dhruv Sheoran (69), Sudhir Sharma (72) and M Dharma (72). Another veteran, SSP Chawrasia (68) ended the day in tied 10th at one-under 143. PGTI Ranking leader Veer Ahlawat was a further shot back in tied for 16th place.

–IANS

bsk/

World Chess Championship: Ding survives Gukesh onslaught to draw Game 13

Singapore, Dec 11 (IANS) Playing with white pieces in a classical game for the last time in this match, India’s D Gukesh came up with an attacking approach but reigning champion Ding Liren of China defended superbly, coming up with precise moves in a nerve-jingling time scramble, to draw the 13th and penultimate game of the World Chess Championship 2024 match here on Wednesday.

The two players are tied 6.5-6.5 going into the final game on Thursday with Ding playing with white pieces. In case the final game ends in a draw, both players will clash in a tie-breaker of shorter games that would decide the eventual winner. If Ding wins, he will continue as the 17th Classical World Champion, but if Gukesh wins, he will be the 18th Champion and the youngest ever.

Ding lived by sword once again, spending a lot of time making his calculation in the opening, as Gukesh applied the pressure, playing with positive intent to slowly create an opportunity. The 18-year-old Indian challenger had taken the upper hand in the middle game but Ding came up with precise answers to every question his opponent posted, defending resolutely to steer himself to safety.

Ding had replied with the French Defence to Gukesh’s King Pawn Opening, the same system he had used to win the first game. But this time, Gukesh was well prepared and created a lot of trouble for his opponent with some superb moves in the opening and middle game.

Once again, both players landed in time trouble, Initially, it was Ding who was facing a race against the clock as he spent 17 minutes on move seven and 37 minutes on the next, trying to counter a bishop move by Gukesh. At one point, the Chinese Grandmaster had to make 12 moves in just over eight minutes to complete the first quota of 40 moves in two hours, all the while facing extreme pressure on the board from his opponent.

Gukesh too had less time on his clock as he took his time creating pressure, coming up with some fine moves to make trouble for his opponent. Towards the end of the time scramble he had less than one minute for every move.

Both players eventually made the time control in the nick of time before rushing to their individual resting areas to settle their nerves.

They exchanged the minor pieces and the game got simplified as Gukesh’s advantage was neutralised by Ding with precise moves. Ding sacrificed a pawn to reach a rook ending with 3 v 2 pawns for the players. They eventually agreed to a draw after 68 moves in the five-hour struggle.

Ding will now play the 14th and final game with white pieces on Thursday and will have the edge as he can unleash a well-prepared line to put Gukesh under pressure. Gukesh does not have the experience of playing such a crucial game and will have to be very careful. Even then, a lot of experts believe that Ding will have an advantage in the tie-break as he is a better rapid chess player as compared to Gukesh.

–IANS

bsk/

Mission Vatsalya scheme supports 2,450 child care institutes: Centre

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) The Centrally sponsored Mission Vatsalya scheme has supported 2,450 child care institutions (CCIs) during FY 2023-24 for providing institutional care services to children, said Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur, in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Under the Mission, 1,21,861 children were supported for non-institutional care, while 62,594 children were given institutional care.

The CCIs provide age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, and counseling.

The scheme was launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) to support children in need of care and protection (CNCP) and children in conflict with law (CCL).

“The objective of Mission Vatsalya is to ensure that the best interests of children are always taken care of while designing the projects/ programmes,” Thakur said, adding that it also aims to establish “essential services, emergency outreach services for children and include strengthening of institutional and non-institutional care services”.

The MoS said that there are 762 district child protection units, 781 child welfare committees, and 774 juvenile justice boards in the country.

Thakur said that 3,580 children were adopted in-country and 449 children were adopted inter-country during FY 2023-24.

Further, Thakur also informed that more than 81.64 lakh women were assisted through the women’s helpline till October 31.

“Women helpline aims to provide 24x7x365 emergency and non-emergency response through telephonic short-code 181 to women, both in public and private spaces,” the MoS said.

The Women Helpline (WHL) scheme has been implemented since April 1, 2015.

Meanwhile, over 10 lakh women are assisted by 802 One Stop Centres (OSC), Mission Shakti.

The OSC, operational across the country, provides integrated support and assistance under one roof to women affected by violence and those in distress, both in private and public spaces.

It also provides services like medical aid, legal aid and advice, temporary shelter, police assistance, and psycho-social counseling to needy women.

“Out of the approved 878 One Stop Centres (OSCs), 802 OSCs are operational across the country, and over 10.12 lakh women have been assisted till October 31,” Thakur said.

–IANS

rvt/pgh

Foreign Secy briefs MPs after Dhaka visit, says Yunus govt has assured action on perpetrators behind attacks on Hindus

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Wednesday briefed the parliamentary standing committee on the current state of India-Bangladesh ties after his visit to the neighbouring country on Monday, during which he had called on Chief Advisor of the Interim Government of Bangladesh Muhammad Yunus, met with the country’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain and also held Foreign Office Consultations with his counterpart Jashim Uddin.

According to sources, Misri told the gathering of about 21-22 MPs, who attended the detailed briefing, that the interim government in Dhaka has assured action on perpetrators behind attacks on Hindus in the country.

The Foreign Secretary also emphasised that, during his meetings, the Yunus administration didn’t mention about review of any agreement.

MPs across party lines also enquired about Sheikh Hasina’s status in India, sources revealed after the briefing.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who heads the Standing Committee on External Affairs, later told reporters that “a lot of questions were asked” during the “excellent” briefing.

“We had an excellent briefing on Bangladesh and the Foreign Secretary, as you know, has returned only yesterday from Bangladesh. Fresh off the trip, he was able to give us a very thorough briefing. I am not at liberty to go into details but all the important questions that you can imagine were asked by the MPs. There was a good 21-22 MP turnout and a lot of questions were asked. The Foreign Secretary answered comprehensively and candidly. We will in any case be reporting to Parliament on the subject because it’s an official topic of the committee, which would require a report,” said Tharoor.

The briefing took place on a day when a Bangladesh court once again rejected the bail plea of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Hindu priest and spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote also associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), who has been arrested and jailed by the local authorities on charges of sedition.

India has been reiterating that it hopes that the trial will be held in a “fair and transparent” manner as the arrested Hindus have legal rights that should be respected.

New Delhi has also urged the interim government’s authorities in Dhaka to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all minorities, including their right of freedom of peaceful assembly and expression while highlighting that the arrest of Das follows multiple attacks on Hindus and other minorities by extremist elements in Bangladesh.

“The interim government must live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities. We are concerned at the surge of extremist rhetoric, increasing incidents of violence and provocation. These developments cannot be dismissed only as media exaggerations. We once again call upon Bangladesh to take all steps for the protection of minorities,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last month.

On Monday, during his visit to Dhaka, Misri had conveyed India’s concerns, especially those related to the safety and welfare of minorities, during his meetings with the Muhammad Yunus, Touhid Hossain and Jashim Uddin.

“We also discussed some regrettable incidents of attacks on cultural, religious, and diplomatic properties. We expect, overall, a constructive approach on all these issues by the Bangladesh authorities, and we look forward to moving the relationship forward in a positive, forward-looking, and constructive direction,” Misri told reporters in Dhaka on December 9 following his meeting with Hossain.

–IANS

int/as

Shehla Rashid slams ‘narrative builders’ on Indian Army’s actions in J&K, in pre-Article 370 era

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) Former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student and Kashmir-based activist Shehla Rashid, on Wednesday, shared how her views on the Indian Army underwent a significant transformation after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019 in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

Speaking to IANS, Rashid, known for her vocal opposition to the Indian government and its policies, reflected on how her perspective of the Army had evolved over time, particularly after the controversial revocation of Article 370, which had granted Jammu and Kashmir special autonomous status.

“Earlier, I used to be a strong opponent of the Army, but my views have changed,” Rashid said.

She further stated, “Before 2019, we would see the Army entering homes, interrogating people. This created a negative image of the Army among the local population, and I was among those who never questioned it. But after the abrogation of Article 370, we began to question, ‘Where is all this starting from?’ It became clear that much of the unrest in Kashmir was being fueled from across the border, with Pakistan sending terrorists into the region.”

Rashid emphasised that the lack of a critical understanding of the broader geopolitical situation had contributed to the initial negative sentiment towards the Indian Army in Kashmir.

“We never asked, nor were we allowed to ask, about the root causes of this tension,” she said, reflecting on the long-standing conflict and the role of external factors.

Drawing attention to the plight of local soldiers, Rashid acknowledged the risks and sacrifices made by the Indian Army in the volatile region.

“We have seen the death of many soldiers and even today, we witness brave young soldiers posted in difficult territories in J&K. The Army has had to enter homes and pick up people for interrogation, but this is not out of malice. It’s a result of the larger geopolitical dynamics and the need to secure our borders from terrorism,” she said.

She also pointed out that while the Indian Army is often associated with militarised actions, it is crucial to understand the context that leads to such measures.

Rashid, who has also written about her experiences and perceptions in her book, reiterated the importance of questioning the root causes of the Kashmir conflict, especially as it relates to Pakistan’s role in promoting anti-India sentiments through terrorism.

“Pakistan has been promoting hatred against India by orchestrating terrorist activities in J&K,” she added.

Shehla Rashid further reacted to the ongoing issue of atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh.

“This is not just an issue for the Opposition to address,” Rashid stated when asked about the silence of political leaders regarding the atrocities in Bangladesh.

“If you ask me specifically, I can’t speak for the entire Opposition parties. However, the Gandhi family should definitely speak up on this issue, as it is part of their legacy.”

She said it was former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who played a pivotal role in the liberation of Bangladesh, a moment that led to the martyrdom of many Indians and Bangladeshis.

“It is my expectation that the Gandhi family will take a stand on this matter,” Rashid said, adding that the legacy of the 1971 war and the creation of Bangladesh should not be forgotten when discussing the current plight of Hindus in the region.

–IANS

jk/uk

2 held for robbing MoS Suresh Gopi’s ancestral home

Kollam, Dec 11 (IANS) The Kerala Police on Wednesday arrested two young men, both of whom are history sheeters, for robbing actor-turned-politician and Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi’s ancestral home located within the Eravipuram police station limits.

The arrested people identified as Shiminas and Arun, who are in the age group of 18-20, have previous cases of robberies registered against them, an official from the Kerala Police said on Wednesday.

The two criminals fell into the Kerala Police net after a relative of Minister of State Suresh Gopi arrived at the house to check on it and found the doors of the outhouse left wide open.

Upon checking, the relative found that someone had stolen certain old materials kept in the outhouse of the minister’s home.

The relative of the minister alerted the police who rushed to the crime spot.

After a thorough probe of the area, the cops were able to zero down on the two miscreants after they were spotted in the footage of the CCTV in the neighbouring house.

The ancestoral home of the minister is locked and the relatives of Suresh Gopi at times visit it to ensure its safety.

During the interrogation of the two young men, police found out that they had earlier also decamped with old materials kept at the outhouse as they realised that no one lived there and they found it an easy target.

However, it is not clear yet if they realised that they were robbing the house of Minister of State, Suresh Gopi.

Their arrests have been formally recorded, a police officer said and added that the two criminals will be produced before a local magistrate soon.

Suresh Gopi and his family reside in the state capital city of Thiruvananthapuram and come down to the house rarely now.

–IANS

sg/rad

Ranbir shares how the Kapoor family brainstormed on their WhatsApp group about the best way to address PM Modi

Mumbai, Dec 11 (IANS) The Kapoor family recently met the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi in the national capital.

The family prepared well in advance to meet the PM, discussed internally on their WhatsApp group about how they would address him.

Bollywood superstar Ranbir Kapoor told PM Modi, “Last week, on our whatsapp family group, we decided how to address you as Prime Minister, Prime Minister sir. Reema aunty called me daily asking if she could say this, or say that”.

PM Modi assured them that they can address him as per their choice, and asked them to consider him a member of their family. Reema Jain, the daughter of Raj Kapoor told PM Modi, “Respected Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi”, before the PM chimed in and said, “Cut” thereby lighting up the mood in the room.

Reema further mentioned, “In such a precious time, you have invited everyone here on Raj Kapoor’s 100th birthday. We thank you. And I remembered a couple of lines from Papa’s movie. I will not live, you will not live, but there will be memories. You have given so much love and respect to today’s India. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given so much respect to the Kapoor family. It is a great honour for me to welcome you. And Raj Kapoor’s 100th birthday is the golden age of India’s film industry”.

Elsewhere during the conversation, PM Modi was be seen talking to the Kapoor family about Raj Kapoor. He shared how Raj Kapoor was so ahead of his time as he established India as a ‘soft power’, when the word wasn’t even coined, among the people across the globe with his stories.

He said, “In 1947, we had ‘Neel Kamal’, and now in 2047, as we approach a 100-year journey, it symbolises the immense contribution of such a vast nation. Today, in the diplomatic world, there’s much talk about soft power.

Back then, the term ‘soft power’ didn’t even exist, but Raj Kapoor had already established India’s strength in this domain globally”. December 14, 2024 marks the centenary of Raj Kapoor, who is widely regarded as one of the biggest cinematic forces of India. He was born in Peshawar (present day Pakistan), and was the eldest son of actor Prithviraj Kapoor.

Raj Kapoor starred in and produced many films for which he received multiple accolades, including three National Film Awards.

–IANS

aa/

People are vexed with coalition govt in just six months, says Jagan

Amaravati, Dec 10 (IANS) Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said on Wednesday that people are vexed with the coalition government in just six months as it has failed on all fronts.

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President called on party leaders and workers to counter the false propaganda and diversion politics of the TDP-led coalition government.

Addressing the local bodies leaders of YSRCP from Prakasam district, Jagan Mohan Reddy accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of engaging in diversion politics to cover up the coalition government failures.

The coalition has failed to implement its election promises and failed to make budgetary allocations while during our term we had given an annual welfare calendar with dates and strictly followed it in the DBT format to avoid corruption and middlemen, he said.

“The coalition on the other hand has done away with all the welfare schemes we implemented with farmers not getting MSP and paddy procurement not being taken up. Fee reimbursement was not given affecting the students and power charges have been increased burdening the people,” he said.

Jagan Mohan Reddy claimed that the YSRCP’s governance focused on transparency, welfare, and infrastructure development, including the RBKs, door-to-door rice distribution reforms, and infrastructure projects like medical colleges, Ramayapatnam Port and Veligonda irrigation tunnels.

Addressing the controversy over rice distribution, Jagan questioned how the opposition could spread false claims when the central and state machinery, including customs and security, remains under their control. He accused Finance Minister P. Keshav’s relatives of monopolising rice exports while misrepresenting facts.

Under the YSRCP, rice was directly delivered to beneficiaries, eliminating corruption. He noted that the current government has reversed these reforms, reintroducing dealer-based distribution, low-quality rice, and ration mafia practices.

He blamed the coalition government for burdening people with taxes and escalating electricity tariffs by over Rs 15,000 crore. “Chandrababu’s idea of wealth creation is exploitation and burdening the common man,” Jagan remarked, referring to Naidu’s governance as “tax-heavy and oppressive.” He accused Naidu of privatising public assets like ports and medical colleges.

YSRCP has announced a series of campaigns, including a farmers’ support programme on December 13, a protest against electricity tariff hike on December 27, and a rally on January 3 to address fee reimbursement delays. Jagan urged party members to strengthen grassroots connections and actively counter misinformation through social media.

“This fight isn’t just against an opposition leader but against a machinery of lies,” Jagan said, affirming his confidence in the YSRCP’s return to power through trust and credibility.

–IANS

ms/uk