Month: February 2025

Nita Ambani, an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and the founder and chairperson of Reliance Foundation, expressed her feelings on the inclusion of Cricket in the upcoming 2028 Olympics, which are set to take place in Los Angeles, California, US.

In October last year, as an example of Indian cricket and its star batter Virat Kohli’s global status as the face of the sport, a mention of the former Indian skipper was made during the International Olympic Committee (IOC) 141st session, during which the decision to include the sport in Olympics was taken.

“India is a sport-loving nation. For the Tokyo Olympics, the maximum viewership for the Olympic channel came from India, so imagine what would happen if we added cricket to it. So that’s the time when my mind started ticking as to how do I convince the committee members to have cricket as an Olympic sport. Now, they were still in the belief that cricket is a five-day long cricket match… I informed them and this is going to be a win-win situation if you have cricket as an Olympic spot and you’ll have the backing of probably two billion people. So I think that is the plug that I used and I’m so happy that now cricket will be an Olympic sport,” Nita Ambani said during the keynote address at the Harvard India Conference on Indian Business, Policy & Culture.

Cricket will be a part of the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028 and will make its return after 128 years to the multi-sport extravaganza, announced the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday.

The 2028 event will also include sports like baseball/softball, lacrosse, squash and flag football. The proposal from the Organising Committee of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 to include these games in the programme was accepted at the ongoing 141st IOC session being held in Mumbai.

Cricket made its sole appearance at the 1900 Paris Olympics, in which Great Britain defeated France in the final. However, it is also played in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

Nita Ambani also spoke about India’s bid for the Olympics and how the country plans to make them the greenest and most sustainable Olympics.

Speaking about the Olympics, she said, “I believe that India must have the Olympics. We are going to be the third-largest economy in the world. If you look at the 10 largest economies of the world, nine countries have hosted the Olympics, but only India has not. So I find that really odd. We would wish to see the Olympics being hosted in our country. It will be our pride to host that. So that is the reason, I think the Prime Minister also mentioned that India will bid for the 2036 Olympics…I think we are planning to host a sustainable Olympics where we are planning to refurbish and reuse our existing stadiums and existing campuses. If we bid for it and get it, I assure you that we’ll be the greenest Olympics ever…I think India is at the right time now to host the Olympics”. (ANI)

The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned the hearing of pleas filed challenging the validity Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991, which preserves the character of religious places as they existed on August 15, 1947.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjay Kumar told the advocates appearing in the case that it is a three-judge bench matter whereas the sitting bench was a two-judge combination so it would be heard some other day.

The CJI also took exception to many intervention applications being filed in the case and said there should be a limit to such applications.

“We will not take up the Places of Worship Act matter today. It is a three-judges matter. Too many petitions filed. List sometime in March. There is a limit to interventions being filed,” said the CJI.

Indian National Congress Party, CPI(ML), All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) head Asaduddin Owaisi, Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, India Muslim Personal Law Board, Committee of Management Anjuman Intezamia Masjid which manages the mosque in the Gyanvapi complex, Shahi Idgah mosque committee of Mathura — among others filed applications in the top court against the petitions challenging the validity of certain provisions of a 1991 law.

They challenged the petitions filed by some Hindu petitioners saying that entertaining the pleas against the Act will open floodgates of litigations against countless mosques across India. Filing intervention application in the case they sought dismissal of pleas challenging the Places of Worship Act.

The apex court is seized of several petitions pertaining to challenge to the Act and strict implementation of the Act. The petitions had challenged the constitutional validity of Sections 2, 3, 4 of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991, which it said violates the principles of secularism and the rule of law, which is an integral part of the Preamble and the basic structure of the Constitution.

The sections violated several fundamental rights including the right to equality and freedom to practice religion, said the pleas.

The Places of Worship Act prohibits altering the religious nature of any place of worship and imposes strict penalties for violations.

On December 12, the top court restrained all courts across the country from passing any effective interim or final order including orders of survey in pending suits against existing religious structures.

It also ordered that no fresh suits be registered over such claims while the court is hearing pleas challenging the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.

Daughter of the Kashi Royal Family, Maharaja Kumari Krishna Priya; BJP leader Subramanian Swamy; Chintamani Malviya, former Member of Parliament; Anil Kabotra, a retired army officer; advocates Chandra Shekhar; Rudra Vikram Singh, resident of Varanasi; Swami Jeetendranand Saraswati, a religious leader; Devkinandan Thakur Ji, resident of Mathura and a religious guru and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay among others have filed the pleas in the apex court against the 1991 Act.

The pleas challenged the Places of Worship Act saying that the Act takes away the rights of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs to restore their ‘places of worship and pilgrimages’, destroyed by invaders.

Pleas of Hindu petitioners challenging the 1991 Act stated, “The Act excludes the birthplace of Lord Rama but includes the birthplace of Lord Krishna, though both are the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the creator and equally worshiped all over the world.”

The pleas said that the Act has taken away the right to approach the Court and thus right to judicial remedy has been closed. (ANI)

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday denied allegations of paper leaks in the ongoing Class 10 and 12 board examinations, calling them “baseless” and an attempt to create panic among students and parents.

The CBSE board exams began on Saturday with over 42 lakh students appearing at more than 7,800 centres across India and abroad. According to board officials, a total of 24.12 lakh Class 10 students are taking exams in 84 subjects, while over 17.88 lakh Class 12 students are appearing for exams across 120 subjects.

In an official statement, CBSE said, “It has come to the Board’s attention that certain unscrupulous elements are spreading rumours on YouTube, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and other social media platforms regarding paper leaks or claiming access to the 2025 examination question papers. These claims are baseless and are intended to create unnecessary panic.”

The Board assured that it has implemented strict measures to ensure a smooth and fair examination process. It also warned against engaging with such misinformation, stating, “Students found involved in such activities will face consequences under CBSE’s Unfair Means rules and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).”

CBSE is closely monitoring the situation and working with law enforcement agencies to take action against those responsible for spreading false information. “CBSE will pursue legal action against anyone found responsible for spreading misinformation to uphold the integrity of the examination process,” the statement added.

The Board urged students, parents, and schools to rely only on official communications available on the CBSE website (www.cbse.gov.in) and verified public channels. It also advised parents to guide their children against believing or engaging with unverified news. (ANI)

Nita Ambani, Founder and Chairperson of Reliance Foundation delivered the keynote address at the Harvard India Conference on Indian Business, Policy & Culture, where she spoke about India’s bid for Olympics and how the country plans to make them the greenest and most sustainable Olympics. She also mentioned about the intiative ‘Swadesh’ which empowers Indian artisans. The Reliance Foundation Chairperson also shared about her childhood and the story of her humble beginnings at the Harvard University on Monday (local time).

Speaking about the Olympics, she said, “I believe that India must have the Olympics. We are going to be the third-largest economy in the world. If you look at the 10 largest economies of the world, nine countries have hosted the Olympics, but only India has not. So I find that really odd. We would wish to see the Olympics being hosted in our country. It will be our pride to host that. So that is the reason, I think the Prime Minister also mentioned that India will bid for the 2036 Olympics…I think we are planning to host a sustainable Olympics where we are planning to refurbish, reuse our existing stadiums and existing campuses. If we bid for it and get it, I assure you that we’ll be the greenest Olympics ever…I think India is at the right time now to host the Olympics”.

Speaking about how her interactions with artisans in the temple town of Nathdwara in Rasjasthan inspired her to take up the cause of Indian artisans with the creation of Swadesh Store, Nita Ambani said, “Swadesh is meant to spotlight our arts and artisans. India has more than 10 million artisans in in the country, and I think Swadesh is trying to market their products, and I’m very happy to say that we are soon launching a Swadesh store in New York and London.”

Nita Ambani also spoke about how the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) came into being.

“When the children were growing up, I was taking them to various Broadways and the Sydney Opera House, and said we need to have something like this in our country which will talk about our rich culture and heritage and legacy that we have all inherited, um. That is how I think the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural centre was born. It was meant to bring the best of India to the world and bring the best of the world to India, and I’m proud to say that till now, in 18 months we’ve had 2 million visitors, not only from India but from around the world to our cultural centre”, she said.

Notably, she also announced about the NMACC weekend to take place at the Lincoln centre in New York, accompanied by a fashion show of Swadesh. (ANI)

Actor Vikrant Massey and Bhumi Pednekar appeared in the eighth edition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ programme on Sunday. They interacted with the students and shared a few tips on how to tackle exam stress and become an “exam warrior.”

Vikrant, who had a career turn-around with the release of his superhit film ’12th Fail’, shared three hacks to students on how they can become an Exam Warrior for their upcoming board examinations.

He said, “How will you fight a war if you are not fed well and rested well? So take a rest. Secondly, give yourself the benefit of doubt that if you are not able to do it then how do I better myself. Keep improving. Lastly and equally important, go play, unplug, and do what you like. Don’t gain knowledge just for exams; gain knowledge to pass in life.”

The actor also asked the students to practice the “power of visualisation,” which, according to him, can help them to become successful. He also preached the importance of journalling while interacting with the students.

“We all know how to subconsciously visualise. You can take out 10 minutes a day to write about your feelings and what you wish to achieve in a journal. Journaling is a form of meditation” said Vikrant.

The ’12th Fail’ actor also advised the students to be humble. He said,

“Never feel arrogant about getting good marks. Keep your eyes low and your thinking high. That’s very important. Study to pass in life, not just exams. Be kind to yourself and if you do not meet your expectations, restart,”

At Pariksha Pe Characha, Vikrant also highlighted the issue of peer pressure in society on children. He advised the students to express themselves to their parents when it comes to their career choices.

“Children are unable to grow when the expectations of parents start to feel like a burden. Express yourself. If your parents want you to become an engineer but you want to become a photographer, you should tell them what you feel. They will get convinced over a period of time because all they want for you is to be happy,” said Vikrant while interacting with students.

In an interaction, Bhumi also emphasised the importance of having a good sleep routine.

“I used to take an hour-long break in a day during exams. I would go out and play, I loved dancing, playing badminton. All that was important for me was to give my brain a break. When I was young, I just didn’t want to sleep. Now when I’m shooting, I quickly finish my lunch in 15 minutes and sleep for half an hour. That half an hour of sleep will give me a very focused eight hours at work,” said Bhumi.

When asked about her go-to tips for handling stress, Pednekar said,

“Be a warrior, not a worrier. Being spiritual keeps you grounded and focused.”

Earlier, prominent personalities such as boxer MC Mary Kom, spiritual leader Sadhguru and actress Deepika Padukone also shared tips with students regarding the exams in the different episodes of Pariksha Pe Charcha.

Since 2018, PM Modi has been hosting this annual event to interact with students, teachers, and parents, offering guidance on staying stress-free during exams. The event is organised by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education.

The first three editions of PPC were held in New Delhi in a town hall interactive format. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fourth edition was held online in the form of a program telecast on Doordarshan and all major TV channels.

The fifth, sixth and seventh editions of PPC were again held in town-hall format at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi. (ANI)

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Delhi Police were deployed on Monday at the New Delhi Railway station to manage the crowd situation.

CRP will also be cooperating with the Delhi Police for additional help, as per official sources. Inspection is being carried out at the station by senior offices of CRP.

This comes after a stampede took place at the New Delhi Railway station and claimed 18 lives leaving several injured.

As per Delhi Police, the confusion happened because of the announcement of the trains having the same initial name starting with ‘Prayagraj’.

Police further said that the announcement of the Prayagraj Special arriving at Platform 16 led to confusion because Prayagraj Express was already at Platform 14.

BJP MP Dinesh Sharma expressed his deep concerns over the loss of lives and urged the opposition to refrain from seeking political gains.

“I would say that it is a very sad incident. The government is concerned about this issue. The railway department, as well as the central government, has done relief work, and whatever help could be given, they are also doing it,” Sharma told ANI.

He further said that it was sad to see that opposition leaders were only looking for their political advantage.

“The only sad thing is that since the Kumbh had not even started, the opposition has been in search of some sad incident. This is sad that the opposition people start looking for their political benefit in sad incidents. I would say that Rahul ji, Akhilesh ji and all the opposition leaders should not do such things. Do not seek political gains from Kumbh, Sanatan, and tragic events. You have many issues to raise, but the way you try to defame (Maha Kumbh) is sad. Everyone should stand together in this tragic event. Everyone should stand with the families who are affected…..” he further said.

The Indian Railways has announced compensation of Rs10 lakh for the families of the deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries. ( ANI)

An earthquake measuring 4.0 on the Richter scale hit Delhi-NCR early Monday at a depth of 5 km, according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS).

The strong tremors were felt at 5:36 AM. The sudden jolts prompted residents to rush out of their homes in panic.

“Earthquake of Magnitude:4.0, Occurred on 17-02-24, 5:36 AM IST, Lat: 28.59°N & Long :77.16°E, Depth: 5 Km, Location: 9km E of New Delhi,” NCS posted on X.

At New Delhi railway station, a vendor Anish said, “Everything was shaking…customers started screaming…”(ANI)

The makers ‘Aashiqui 3’ have released the first look of ‘Kartik Aaryan’ in the film who is joined by the South actress Sreeleela in the film. The romantic drama is set to hit the theatres in Diwali, 2025.

The much-awaited update of Anurag Basu’s directorial ‘Aashiqui 3’ is finally here. In the recent first look of the film, Kartik sported a huge beard and was seen playing guitar in a huge concert, similar to the opening scene of its predecessor, ‘Aashiqui 2’.

South sensation, actress Sreeleela is the new leading lady silencing the rumours of Tripti Dimri in the film. In the video, the couple is seen romancing in the mountains and riding bikes.

A slowed version of the song, “Tu hi zindagi hai, tu hi Aashiqui hai” was also being played in the background of the video. It was sung by Vishal Mishra. Music label T-Series released the video through their Youtube handle.

The original film, which was helmed by Mahesh Bhatt, was released in 1990 by T-Series and Vishesh Films. Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal became overnight sensations with their roles in the film. T

he franchise was revived in 2013 with ‘Aashiqui 2’, directed by Mohit Suri and starring Shraddha Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur, which was also a box office success.

The third instalment of the film is directed by the ‘Ludo’, ‘Barfi’, and ‘Jagga Jasoos’ is Anurag Basu. ‘Aashiqui 3’ marks the first-ever on-screen collaboration of Anurag and Kartik.

The second part of the musical love story was a spiritual successor rather than a direct sequel, and the third part will continue in that vein. Pritam, who has a long and successful working relationship with Basu and has composed the hit scores of several of his films, will provide the songs. (ANI)

Assam cabinet on Sunday directed the state DGP to register a case against Ali Sheikh, a Pakistani national, and probe his conduct and “anti-India agenda” even as Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma challenged Congress MP Gourav Gogoi over his remarks about appropriate legal action on the allegations relating to his wife, saying “this will expedite the process of inquiry”.

Answering a query from ANI during a press conference regarding Gaurav Gogoi’s remarks of taking “appropriate action” in wake of allegations against his wife and him, Himanta Biswa Sarma welcomed any decision to move court and also said the matter needs to be probed seriously.

“India is a democratic country. Everybody can take appropriate action. If he goes to the Court, it will be very good. Then many matters which today we cannot speak of, we can speak before the judge…If he decides to go to the court, we will welcome that and this will expedite the process of inquiry. If anybody is innocent, they will be declared innocent by the court of law. We have no objection to it but this matter needs to be investigated very seriously,” the Chief Minister said.

The resolution adopted by the Assam cabinet said “following scrutiny of Ali Sheikh’s social media activity and information available in the public domain, it appears that he has been in contact with Elizabeth Gogoi a British national and wife of Gaurav Gogoi”.

Sarma said Assam cabinet has directed the Assam DGP to register a case against Ali Sheikh under appropriate provisions of BNS and other relevant laws.

The Assam cabinet has also given directions for an extensive inquiry to be conducted to ascertain “whether these activities are part of a large conspiracy and to identify any sympathiser or associate within Assam and across India who maybe aiding Mr Sheikh’s anti-India agenda…”

The Assam Cabinet noted that the State of Assam has historically remained a hotspot for ISI sponsored activities, necessitating heightened vigilance and decisive action.

Sarma read from the resolution and said in recent days, multiple news reports, social media posts and other information in the public domain has surfaced regarding certain comments made by a Pakistani national, Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, aimed at disrupting communal harmony in Assam.

“Additionally, a perusal of his social media activity included exhaustive commentary on India’s internal affairs and Parliamentary matters, raising serious concerns….Closer examination of information from public domain reveal that Ali Sheikh is an influential individual with pervasive roots in Govt of Pakistan and its leadership, having even represented the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in the international forum,” he said.

The resolution said in the light of these facts and given the historical attempts of Pakistani State and non-State actors, to destabilise Assam, the state government “takes Ali Sheikh’s attempt to interfere in the domestic matters of Assam and India with utmost seriousness”.

“Following scrutiny of his social media activity and information available in the public domain, it appears that Ali Sheikh has been in contact with Elizabeth Gogoi, a British national and the wife of Assam MP Gaurav Gogoi. Apart from his engagement with the Govt of Pakistan, Ali Sheikh has also founded ‘Lead Pakistan’, a non-profit organisation working in the field of climate change. Elizabeth Gogoi was an integral part of ‘Lead Pakistan’ during her time spent in Islamabad,” the resolution said.

It said Ali Sheikh and Elizabeth Gogoi have been a part of global climate action group , ‘The Climate and Development Knowledge Network’ which operates both in India and Pakistan.

The Assam cabinet noted its concerns regarding the explicit involvement of a Pakistani-based leader and other actor of a climate action group in the matters concerning India’s internal affairs, thereby raising serious questions on its actual intent and operations.

“Assam cabinet has directed the Assam DGP to register a case against Ali Sheikh under appropriate provisions of BNS and other relevant laws. Additionally, the Assam cabinet directs an extensive inquiry to be conducted to ascertain whether these activities are part of a large conspiracy and to identify any sympathiser or associate within Assam and across India who maybe aiding Mr Sheikh’s anti-India agenda,” the resolution said.

“The inquiry may investigate the width and depth of Mr Ali Sheikh’s network within the State of Assam and across India, examine individuals, organisations and accomplices based in Assam and rest of India who have aided and abetted Mr Ali Sheikh’s actions against India,” the resolution said.

It said the inquiry may seek relevant assistance and information from concerned agencies and departments of the Government of India and Government of Assam in the course of the above-mentioned investigation.

The resolution said Assam Cabinet expects this matter to be pursued with utmost seriousness in the interest of India’s security and sovereignty.

Gaurav Gogoi earlier hit back over allegations of “ISI links” of his wife and said such accusations are being levelled as the Bharatiya Janata Party government “is trying to hide its unfulfilled promises made to the people of Assam”.

Calling the remarks of the Assam CM as “baseless, factless, slanderous”, Gogoi said the BJP government has “no performance to show”.

“They are unable to fulfil any of their promises and in order to hide their failures, they are embarking upon a mischievous, malicious, baseless, factless, slanderous campaign.”

He has also promised that “appropriate action” will be taken against the remarks.

“We will definitely be taking appropriate action. At the same time, I have full faith in the wisdom of the people of Assam that they can see through this obvious slander campaign. The way the people of Jharkhand voted out the rhetoric of Himanta Biswa Sarma during the state assembly elections, the same wisdom of the Assamese people will prevail,” Gogoi said.

Sarma had, in the morning also, welcomed the Congress MP’s threat of legal action.

“The entire matter needs deep investigation and we will discuss it in today’s state Cabinet meeting. If he (Gaurav Gogoi) wants to take legal action then he should go to the court, so that we can also give the facts before the court. Then the Judge (court) will decide. I don’t want to do this politically. I have developed sympathy towards Gaurav Gogoi that he was trapped by somebody,” the CM said.

He further said that he would be sending documents to the Congress leadership and the union government.

“I will give the documents to Bhupen Borah (President of Assam Pradesh Congress) to check them. I will give the same letter to Mallikarjun Kharge and Bhupen Borah, I will also send to the Prime Minister and Home Minister why it is needed to investigate the issue. This is related to national security,” he said.

Sarma had on Saturday stepped up his attack on the allegations about purported “ISI links” of Elizabeth Gogoi, wife and said that there is “definite information” that she visited Pakistan even after her marriage and a decision to form a Special Investigation Team would be taken at the meeting of state cabinet on Sunday.

He had said a regular case should be filed to investigate the alleged person’s passport and visa and that the entire ecosystem, including sympathisers, will be investigated.

The Chief Minister said more and more information is coming out. “We have definite information that Elizabeth Gogoi (wife of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi) has visited Pakistan even after her marriage. Whether she went with the MP or alone, these things will be confirmed. Many details are coming out,” he said.

“Tomorrow, the Assam Cabinet is going to meet and probably in that meeting, we will take a decision to form an SIT because unless a regular case is registered, the passport and visa of the alleged person involved will not be investigated. We will also investigate the entire ecosystem, including sympathizers. We are going to conduct a detailed investigation,” he had added.

He had also said there is also need to probe if during that period “there was attempt by ISI to infiltrate into the office of Chief Minister of Assam”. “That also has to be examined now,” he said. (ANI)