Azharuddin appeals for treating Imran Khan with dignity​

Gulmarg, March 10 (IANS) From the wee hours on Monday snowfall at Gulmarg proclaimed that remnants of winter chill are still in command to thrill visitors at the famous high-altitude tourist destination.

But, the Khelo India Winter Games witnessed a change in climate after a sunny inaugural day.

The perseverance and passion of athletes raised the visual warmth over white snow turf as all the scheduled games were officiated according to the fixture to foster real winter sports spirit.

Hundreds of players coming from across the country battled over the title in different domains of snow sports including Vertical Ski Mountaineering, Snowboard Gaint Slalom and Sprint.

Some undisputed champions of previous Khelo India Winter Games again proved their mettle to lay a solid and strong claim for medals and had been exceptionally successful in their endeavour.

Manoeuvring in the Winter Games at Kangdoori, Siddhartha Gadekar from Pune Maharashtra was crowned with Gold Medal in Vertical Ski Mountaineering event for men today adding to his medal kitty from Sunday.

While celebrating yellow metal, he divulged that consistent endurance training got him the result he wanted. He expressed gratitude to KIWG authorities for the platform and unique opportunity to help athletes display latent potential.

Gadekar eyes international sports events and hopes to carry current performance forward to do better in upcoming events.

Shardul Thapliyal and Himanshu Singh both from Himachal Pradesh clinched Silver and Bronze in the same event respectively.

Tenzin Dolma from Himachal Pradesh secured Gold in today’s Vertical Ski Mountaineering of the women’s category, the first medal for her in KIWGs.

As an Ultra Trail Runner, Dolma didn’t find the competition challenging since the endurance she had developed over the period showered her with desired rewards.

In the same event, Natasha Mahar from Himachal Pradesh improved from yesterday’s performance to win silver while Manek Gunjiyal of Uttarakhand, who had won Gold in Women’s Snowboarding Slalom on Sunday had tough luck today and had to settle for bronze.

Gunjiyal was one of the gold medallists from KIWG-2024. She knows the slopes of Gulmarg like her home, that is what is the magic of success.

While speaking regarding her perseverance, she said that dry practice & training during snow period help her to build stamina which is essential at a high-altitude field of action.

In the Nordic Ski Sprint, ITBP sent all other participants to cleaners while wresting all three medals in the event. The ITBP players Kulsum Rana, Selma Soreng & Anjana Devi obtained Gold, Silver & Bronze respectively.

The Nordic Ski Sprint for men saw medals raining for the Army as the athletes including Manjeet, Shubam Parihar and Sunny Singh took away Gold, Silver and Bronze medals respectively leaving others high & dry amid the snow.

Competing against thirty other participants in the Snowboard Giant Slalom event, Zubair Ahmad Lone from J&K, glided the slopes fiercely to clinch Gold Medal, while Kulvinder Sharma and Karan Sing of Army settled with Silver & Bronze.

Similarly, in Alpine Gaint Slalom Category Women, Himachal Pradesh had a triple whammy to celebrate all three medals with Anchal Thakur, Tanuja Thakur and Suhani Thakur taking home Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively amid the huge applause of spectators and supporters.

In the Men’s Category of Alpine Giant Slalom, Sunil Kumar from the Army, Atul Bhat from ITBP and Yogesh Kumar from Himachal Pradesh achieved Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively.

It would be entertaining to watch which among these teams would be dominating the final medal tally of KIWGs.

Similarly, in Alpine Gaint Slalom Category Women, Himachal Pradesh had a triple whammy to celebrate all three medals with Anchal Thakur, Tanuja Thakur and Suhani Thakur taking home Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively amid the huge applause of spectators and support.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 4 (IANS) The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has directed Aditya Birla Group company UltraTech, which owns India Cements, and two other cement manufacturing companies as well as their executives to submit financial documents, after its Director General’s investigations revealed that these companies contravened competition norms by colluding in the tenders floated by public sector oil giant ONGC.

The CCI had ordered an investigation after it received a complaint filed by the government-owned ONGC alleging cartelisation by the cement companies in the tenders that it floated.

The investigation revealed that Umakant Agarwal, the proprietor of Sunrise Enterprises, was acting as the middleman behind these cement companies to facilitate the collusion in tenders floated by ONGC.

The competition watchdog has directed UltraTech to submit the financial statements of its subsidiary India Cements for five years from FY15 to FY19, while Dalmia Bharat Cements and Shree Digvijay Cements for nine years, from FY11 to FY19.

The CCI has also directed Dalmia Bharat Cements and Shree Digvijay Cements to submit their audited financial statement, including balance sheet and profit and loss account, within eight weeks of the order.

Besides, it has also directed their executives to submit detailed financials and income tax records for five years, along with formal responses to the investigation report.

The Director General had submitted its investigations report on February 18, 2025, which found contraventions of the competition regulations.

The CCI on May 26, 2025, considered the investigation report and, in a four-page order, also directed the cement manufacturer to submit income derived from sales to alleged contraventions by the public sector oil giant.

Its notice states that if there is non-furnishing of the financial details or incomplete/false information, within the time frame by the companies, then they would be liable under section 45 of the Act.

UltraTech Cements had acquired a 32.72 per cent stake from promoters and promoter group entities of India Cements Ltd in December 2024. The Aditya Birla Group company, which had earlier picked up a 22.77 per cent stake in the company from the market, became the majority stakeholder of the Tamil Nadu-based company.

Meanwhile, UltraTech Cement Limited has announced the resignation of its Chief Legal Officer, Anoop Khatry, effective from the close of business on July 3, 2025, due to personal reasons.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS) Residents of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) experienced marginal relief on Tuesday as weather conditions led to a slight improvement in air quality and visibility. The change came after north-westerly surface winds helped disperse the thick fog and haze that had blanketed the region a day earlier.

The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) improved to the ‘very poor’ category, registering 381 on Tuesday, compared to ‘severe’ levels recorded on Monday. Stronger wind movement during the morning hours reduced fog density, resulting in clearer conditions across several areas, including Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram. However, the respite remained limited, with around eight air quality monitoring stations in the national capital still reporting ‘severe’ pollution levels.

Wazirpur was the worst-affected area in terms of pollution levels, with an AQI reading of 434. It was followed closely by Jahangirpuri, with AQI levels of 430. A few other areas, such as Mundka, Delhi Technical University (DTU), and Nehru Nagar monitoring centres, also showed ‘severe’ levels between 424 and 420.

Delhi had witnessed its most polluted day of the winter season on Sunday, when the AQI surged to 461. Pollution levels remained alarmingly high on Monday as well, with the AQI recorded at 427, highlighting the persistent nature of the crisis.

The hazardous air quality has also disrupted air travel. On Monday, poor visibility caused by dense toxic haze led to the cancellation of at least 228 flights at Delhi Airport, including 131 departures and 97 arrivals. In addition, five flights were diverted to other destinations due to unsafe landing conditions.

As per India’s air quality classification, AQI values between 101 and 200 are considered ‘moderate,’ 201-300 ‘poor,’ 301-400 ‘very poor,’ and readings above 400 fall under the ‘severe’ category. The health implications of such pollution levels are grave. The Centre recently informed Parliament that more than two lakh cases of acute respiratory illnesses were reported in six government hospitals in Delhi between 2022 and 2024 amid rising pollution.

In response to the worsening air, the Delhi government directed schools to shift classes up to Grade 5 to online mode from Monday. The Delhi High Court also advised lawyers and litigants to opt for virtual hearings in matters listed before it and district courts, considering the prevailing environmental conditions.

Health studies continue to underscore the long-term dangers of air pollution. A 2024 study published in The Lancet estimated that prolonged exposure to polluted air contributes to approximately 1.5 million additional deaths annually in India. Similarly, the 2025 Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report by the University of Chicago identified air pollution as the country’s most serious health risk, reducing average life expectancy by 3.5 years.

The report further stated that 46 per cent of India’s population lives in regions exceeding national PM2.5 limits, with Delhi-NCR among the worst affected. Residents of the region face an estimated reduction of 4.74 years in life expectancy.

Globally, air pollution remains the second biggest risk factor for premature death, accounting for nearly 7.9 million deaths worldwide in 2023, according to the State of Global Air Report 2025.

–IANS

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