THANE: In a community hall nestled inside Thane’s upscale Vasant Vihar, a small group of Telugu-speaking residents gathers once every weekend evening, not for cultural or political meetings, but to learn Marathi and seamlessly blend into the city’s social and linguistic landscape.The idea germinated a few years ago and took shape last year after the FTAM group of like-minded people from the Telugu community secured a space to operate sessions. “We knew of struggles our people faced when they arrived in Mumbai and couldn’t ask for directions. Our goal was to help migrants, professionals coming from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to Mumbai and Thane. The motivation was practical, not political,” said Jaganbabu Ganji, a member. As word spread, two Marathi-proficient volunteers stepped in to teach the basics. Maharashtra-born Radhika Gujja, who has roots in Telangana, has piloted two batches. “We start with consonants and basic vocabulary. It feels good to help someone read a bus board or talk to vendors in Marathi,” she said.“Each class runs for about an hour every weekend, and each course lasts a few weeks-enough for students to get comfortable with Marathi, which many fondly describe as their ‘maushi’ (the maternal aunt of their mother tongue, Telugu),” Ganji said. “We charge a nominal Rs 250 per month per student only to cover teachers’ travel costs.”The response, though not so encouraging as many students drop out midway due to commitments, has led the team to plan conducting sessions online to accommodate more working professionals. Some who dropped out have also requested virtual classes. Participants say the lessons have made settling in easier. Bhanu Prakash Malla, a general manager with a construction firm, said acclimatising was initially tough. “Learning Marathi has made it easier to interact with clients, contractors, and local vendors,” he said.

When Carnatic vocalist Bombay Jayashri Ramnath suffered a brain haemorrhage in March 2023, the singer was unable to sit, stand, or move. Involuntary neck and jaw tremors made even speech, an uphill task, forget singing. Traditional physiotherapy, with its repetitive routines, felt painful, monotonous and dispiriting. Recovery seemed distant, and she shut herself from social circles. Then came Jerry — not a real person, but a lively, animated coach inside a virtual reality (VR) rehabilitation program.Restoring mobility with cartoonsIn one of the games, “Save the Jerry”, set on a sunlit beach, the avatar nudged her to stand up and walk. Through immersive sessions, each small motion made Jerry dance and cheer, turning therapy into play. Other games targeted different challenges — like restoring neck mobility, controlling her left shoulder, or helping her relax and reduce involuntary movements. They were set in storylines featuring forests and snowy mountains, where she rescued birds and gathered fruit for penguins, or prayed peacefully at a temple.“I looked forward to these sessions. Recovery became less about gruelling effort. It was about play, progress, and hope,” said the 60-year-old singer, who has sung in multiple languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, and English.A year later, in Dec 2024, Jayashri, the fourth generation of artistes in her family and trained by legends like Lalgudi Jayaraman and T R Balamani, stood on stage once again, this time to receive the Music Academy’s Sangita Kalanidhi award. “I haven’t done a fullfledged concert yet. But I’ve begun recording again. It may not be this Dec, but I plan to restart my kutcheries (Carnatic concerts) soon,” she said.After undergoing brain surgery in the UK, Jayashri returned to India for therapy. She chose to continue most of her physiotherapy at home. The immersive VR program tapped into neuroplasticity, helping her brain rebuild damaged motor pathways through visual and emotional feedback. “It was slow, but I gradually regained strength, coordination, and confidence. These sessions even encouraged me to perform better in speech therapy, too,” she said.While her therapy included the usual mix of physiotherapy and speech exercises, her therapists gradually increased the time spent on digitally prescribed routines to match her progress. Her physiotherapist, Raja from ReWin, a company using digital therapeutics to enhance rehabilitation, said that unlike conventional physiotherapy, the system integrates a wearable motion sensor that tracks joint movement with precision, eliminating human error.“It also gives us quick, repeatable measurements to monitor progress. Combining this technology with immersive VR creates a powerful tool for lower-limb and gait rehabilitation, allowing patients to visualise and experience leg movements for strengthening neuromuscular pathways,” he added.

Exercising via virtual AartisPhysiotherapists point to research showing that engaging in virtual tasks stimulates dopamine release, enhancing motivation and speeding up neural recovery. Dopamine plays a key role in motor memory formation and motivation pathways, which means patients train more effectively and recover faster from neurological injuries. VR and gaming-style immersive tasks activate dopamine-driven reward circuits, improving motor and cognitive outcomes.Digital exercises also allow room for creativity. In one instance, a 66-year-old woman with a frozen shoulder was taken on a virtual journey to the Sai Baba temple in Shirdi. Her therapy involved reaching out to offer digital flowers and rotating her hands during a virtual aarti. These movements were designed to mirror the stretches she needed for recovery, without drawing her attention to the pain. After just one session, she said she felt so much better.“Places of worship are very popular with my patients with Parkinson’s and dementia,” said senior orthopaedic surgeon Dr Thineshchandar Andiappan. “It helps them regain a wide range of hand movements.”Doctors say VR is here to stayDigital exercise prescriptions also ensure continuity of care through remote monitoring, progress tracking and consistent engagement. This is why hospitals and rehabilitation centres are increasingly integrating them into postsurgical routines. Dr Andiappan began briefly using the system a year ago, but has steadily increased its use.“Now patients do about half an hour of digital exercises along with traditional ones. Earlier, it was just 15 minutes of digital and 45 minutes of traditional,” he said. The digital format, he added, improves adherence, affordability and accessibility. “Quality of life improves for most patients. The sensors alert them when movements are incorrect or the range is insufficient. They can correct themselves in real time.”At least two govt hospitals in Chennai — the Government Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine and the National Institute of Ageing — now combine traditional and digital therapy. “We cannot replace traditional exercises. They supplement traditional exercises well. We track patient movement range and make timely corrections, improving outcomes,” said physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Dr P Thirunavukkarasu. In the private sector, several companies are offering portable, interactive systems for home use, complete with real-time feedback and guided routines — bringing a new dimension to rehabilitation outside the clinic.How digital rehab worksWho designs games | Bio-engineers and physiotherapists, using inputs from doctors. Some modules are ready-made; others are customised for specific needs of patientsHow patients use it | Patients wear VR (virtual reality) headsets and are connected to motion sensors that track limb movement. Sessions last 20-30 minutes, extendable to 45 minutesCost | 400 to 1,500, depending on assessment and hospitals. In govt facilities where the system is available, sessions are free

Sanju Samson in Indian colours (Photo Credits: Creimas/Asian Cricket Council)

Sanju Samson has been appointed as the captain of Kerala’s senior men’s cricket team for the upcoming BCCI Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025/26. The tournament’s Elite Group-A League Stage will be played in Lucknow from November 26 to December 8, 2025.The Kerala Cricket Association has announced that the team will depart from Indore to Lucknow on November 22, 2025.Samson recently made headlines with his move to Chennai Super Kings from Rajasthan Royals in a significant trade deal. The trade involved players Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran moving to Rajasthan Royals.Samson was part of India’s victorious Asia Cup T20 campaign in the UAE and aims to maintain his performance level before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.The Kerala team, under the guidance of former India batter Amay Khurasiya, includes several notable players. Among them is Vignesh Puthur, who was recently released by Mumbai Indians. The squad also features Mohammed Azharuddeen M and Rohan S Kunnummal as key players.The Kerala squad:Sanju V Samson (C)(WK), Rohan S Kunnummal, Mohammed Azharuddeen M (WK), Ahammed Imran (VC), Vishnu Vinod (WK), Nidheesh M.D, Asif KM, Akhil Scaria, Biju Narayanan N., Ankit Sharma, Krishna Devan R.J, Abdul Bazith P.A, Sharafuddeen N.M, Sibin P Gireesh, Krishna Prasad, Saly V Samson, Vignesh Puthur, Salman Nizar.

Mumbai: Just 24% or 44 of the 183 orders issued by the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) in the past 12 years have been accepted by the state govt, reveals a recent reply to a Right to Information (RTI) Act query filed by an advocate.“The remaining 76% of the total orders are still pending with the govt, without any action, comments, reports, proposed action, and are void of any justification for their non-implementation,” said the petition filed by advocate Satyam Surana who submitted the RTI query after moving the Bombay High Court over alleged poor implementation of MSHRC orders. Citing RTI, the PIL stated high court judgments from different states affirming the recommendations of human rights commissions involve unpaid amounts totalling around Rs 3.4 crore since 2013.An MSHRC official said there had been internal discussions within the rights commission about approaching the high court against the state govt for not accepting its recommendations, as legal provisions allow such action. However, no final decision has been taken in this regard.The MSHRC has investigative and recommendatory powers. It investigates human rights violations and recommends compensations and disciplinary action or changes in policy. It take suo motu cognizance of rights violations or after receiving complaints. After hearing the sides, it passes an order, mainly awarding compensation, which the concerned govt department must implement. The commission has the legal option to go to the high court against the state for implementing its order but it has never used the option, said an MSHRC official. “The govt and its authority needs to act upon such orders, or the body will remain toothless,” said an MHSRC official, which is also made a party to the PIL.“Now that the PIL has been filed, the MSHRC will present its position strongly to ensure its orders are either implemented or legally challenged,” said an official.Most of the recommendations not accepted by the govt were addressed to Mantralaya officials—primarily departmental secretaries—followed by the police. The commission independently inquires into custodial death cases to determine compensation for the deceased’s families, along with other types of human rights violations.One of the alleged victims of police harassment said, “Most of the time, police officers challenge MSHRC orders in the high court in their personal capacity to delay or deny justice. Any challenge should be made through the department, not individually.”The petition cited the order of the Madras high court in the Abdul Sattar versus the govt principal secretary case, which concluded that recommendations of the state human rights commission are binding in nature and cannot be ignored by the executive. It also cited a Delhi high court order in Kiran Singh versus National Human Rights Commission and Others case, which held that “failure to act upon such recommendations, without judicial challenge, would defeat the purpose of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993”. It further cited the MP high court and Allahabad high court while seeking the Bombay HC’s intervention to provide similar relief.The MSHRC was established on March 6, 2001, via a govt resolution under the Protection of Human Rights Act. Currently, it comprises a chairman, Retired High Court Judge A M Badar, and two members—Retired HC Judge Swapna Joshi and retired IPS official Sanjay Kumar.

In his address at the G20 summit in Johannesburg on Saturday, PM Narendra Modi pitched for sustainable and inclusive growth and made four proposals, including a coordinated global effort to combat the drug-terror nexus, calling drug trafficking a threat to public health, stability and security and a source of terror financing.He pushed for reconsidering the parameters of growth, saying the existing framework has left a vast section of the population deprived of resources and led to overexploitation of nature.Modi, who was instrumental in getting the African Union as a permanent member of G20 at the New Delhi meet of the grouping two years ago, emphasised the continent has suffered the most because of skewed growth priorities. “Today, as Africa hosts G20 Summit for the first time, it is imperative for us to reconsider the parameters of development.”The PM mentioned “integral humanism”, an idea associated with BJP’s ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay, as a path forward. “We will have to look at the individual, society and nature as an integrated whole. Only then can we achieve true harmony between progress and nature,” he said.He proposed creation of a global traditional knowledge repository built on Indian knowledge systems’ initiative, saying this can preserve the collective wisdom of humanity for future generationsBatting for a global healthcare response team to bring together experts from G20 countries, he said it will ensure swift measures in case of health emergencies and natural disasters.The speech was marked by an unabashed advocacy of what Modi called India’s civilisational ethos. India’s civilisational values, he said, can offer ways to reevaluate development parameters.Focusing on Africa, PM said the continent can benefit from skills transfer. He said Africa’s development and empowerment of its young talent are in the interests of the entire world and proposed a ‘G20-Africa Skills Multiplier Initiative’. This can operate under a “train-the-trainers” model across various sectors, and all G20 partners can finance and support this effort, he added.“Our collective goal will be to prepare one million certified trainers in Africa over the next decade. These trainers will, in turn, help equip millions of young people with skills. This initiative will have a powerful multiplier effect. It will strengthen local capacity and significantly contribute to Africa’s long-term development.”

PM Modi lauds South Africa’s presidencyTurning his attention to drug trafficking, PM Modi singled out the “rapid spread of highly lethal substances like fentanyl”. “This has emerged as a serious challenge to public health, social stability and global security. It also serves as a significant channel for financing terrorism,” he said.A G20 initiative to counter this global threat can bring together various instruments relating to finance, governance and security. Only then can the drug-terror economy be effectively weakened, he said. Modi lauded South Africa’s presidency for making commendable progress on key areas such as skilled migration, tourism, food security, AI, digital economy, innovation and women’s empowerment, noting that historic initiatives undertaken at the New Delhi G20 Summit have been carried forwardPM Modi on Saturday also proposed a G20 Critical Minerals Circularity Initiative, saying that for global growth, sustainability and clean energy are essential, and critical minerals have a huge role to play.“Under this, innovations such as re-cycling, urban mining and second-life batteries can be promoted,” said PM Modi. This comes amid concerns China is leveraging its chokehold over supply of rare and critical minerals to further its strategic goals.“If there is investment in circularity, then dependence on primary mining will be less. This will also reduce the pressure on the supply chain, and it will also be good for nature. This initiative can support joint research, technology standards and pilot recycling facilities in the Global South,” PM Modi said.Resilience cannot be built in silos, stressed the PM. “The G20 should promote comprehensive strategies that combine nutrition, public health, sustainable agriculture, and disaster preparedness, to create a robust global defence,” he said.PM Modi suggested a G20 open satellite data partnership saying India believes that the entire humanity should benefit from space technology. “This will make satellite data and analysis of space agencies of G20 countries more accessible, interoperable and usable for countries in the Global South,” he said.

Sydney Thunder Women will face Melbourne Renegades Women in the 21st match of the Women’s Big Bash League 2025 at Drummoyne Oval, Sydney, on November 23. Sydney Thunder, led by Phoebe Litchfield, are currently fifth on the points table with two wins and three losses after five games. They come into this match on a two-match winning streak, having defeated teams like Perth Scorchers and Brisbane Heat recently. Melbourne Renegades, the defending champions, sit second on the points table with three wins and two losses. They are coming off a six-wicket loss against Hobart Hurricanes in their last outing and will look to bounce back strongly.

In terms of recent head-to-head form, Melbourne Renegades have had the upper hand, winning four of their last six encounters against Sydney Thunder, including a defeat in the first matchup this season. The Renegades are favourites to continue their solid performance. Key players to watch include Thunder’s Litchfield and Heather Knight, and for Renegades, players like Courtney Webb, Sophie Molineux (captain), and Deandra Dottin.

ST-W vs MR-W, WBBL|11: Match details

• Date and Time: November 23; 04:30 am IST/ 11:00 pm GMT/ 10:00 am Local
• Venue: Drummoyne Oval, Sydney

ST-W vs MR-W, Head-to-Head Record in WBBL

Matches played: 19| Melbourne Renegades won: 09 | Sydney Thunder won: 10 | No result: 0

Drummoyne Oval Pitch Report

The Drummoyne Oval pitch is expected to offer a balanced contest between bat and ball, favouring bowlers more often than batters. The average first innings score in Women’s T20 matches here is around 135, indicating a relatively low-scoring game expected. Both pacers and spinners can be effective, so teams will need to strategize well. Quick runs during the powerplay will be crucial due to field restrictions.

Squads

Sydney Thunder: Tahlia Wilson (wk), Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield (c), Heather Knight, Chamari Athapaththu, Laura Harris, Anika Learoyd, Hasrat Gill, Taneale Peschel, Shabnim Ismail, Samantha Bates, Hannah Darlington, Sienna Eve, Lucy Finn, Ella Briscoe, Alexandra Mavros

Melbourne Renegades: Davina Perrin, Sophie Molineux, Courtney Webb, Alice Capsey, Deandra Dottin, Georgia Wareham, Naomi Stalenberg, Nicole Faltum (wk), Tess Flintoff, Sarah Coyte, Charis Bekker, Milly Illingworth, Sara Kennedy, Emma de Broughe, Issy Wong, Sophie Molineux

Also READ: WBBL|11: Tahlia Wilson shines with bat as Sydney Thunder beat Brisbane Heat by 41 runs

ST-W vs MR-W, WBBL|11: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• Melbourne Renegades Women wins the toss and bowls first
• Sydney Thunder Women’s powerplay score: 40-50
• Sydney Thunder Women’s total score: 170-180

Case 2:

• Sydney Thunder Women wins the toss and bowls first
• Melbourne Renegades Women’s powerplay score: 50-60
• Melbourne Renegades Women’s total score: 180-190

Match result: Team bowling first to win the game.

Also READ: Ashleigh Gardner sizzles as Sydney Sixers stun unbeaten Hobart Hurricanes with gritty win in WBBL|11

This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.

NEW DELHI: India has sent an IAF officer to Dubai to take part in the inquiry to be conducted by the aviation authorities there into the Tejas fighter’s crash Friday, with the ill-fated jet’s flight data recorder (FDR) or “black box” expected to provide key information about the cause of the accident.The IAF officer will be “a member in attendance” at the inquiry, as per protocol, into the mishap that saw the single-engine Tejas Mark-1 jet crash into the ground after failing to recover from a “negative G-turn” manoeuvre during a low-level aerobatic display at the Dubai Airshow.The mortal remains of the pilot, Wing Commander Namansh Syal (37), were brought back to Sulur in Tamil Nadu on an IAF C-130J aircraft on Saturday night. “A dedicated fighter pilot and thorough professional, Wing Commander Syal served the nation with unwavering commitment, exceptional skill and an unyielding sense of duty,” IAF said.The IAF has not yet grounded its Tejas Mark-1 fighters in the ’45 Flying Daggers’ Squadron at Sulur and ’18 Flying Bullets’ Squadron at Naliya for safety technical checks. “The FDR, which would have recorded all critical flight parameters of the Tejas, such as speed, altitude, control inputs and other such things, will be crucial for reconstructing the sequence of events leading to the accident,” an officer said.While the exact reason for the crash will be determined by the inquiry, the pilot could have suffered a “blackout” or spatial disorientation due to “negative G-forces”, or there could have been a sudden loss of engine power or control malfunction in the fighter, as was earlier reported by TOI.“Pilots can suffer G-LOC or gravity induced temporary loss of consciousness during sharp turns or dives in supersonic fighters. That is why fighter pilots wear pressurised G-suits to counter the effects of gravity,” another officer said. The 13.5-tonne multirole Tejas, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics and powered by American GE-F404 turbofan engine, has had a stellar flight safety record ever since its first prototype took to the skies in Jan 2001, even as IAF wants a fighter with much better capabilities.Since IAF raised its first Tejas Mark-1 squadron at Sulur in July 2016, the crash at Dubai was only the second after a jet went down near Jaisalmer on Mar 12 last year. While the IAF court of inquiry report into that crash has not been declassified, the cause is attributed to an engine snag. While IAF has inducted 38 Tejas Mark-1 jets, the deliveries of 83 “improved” Tejas Mark-1A fighters contracted in Feb 2021 for Rs 46,898 crore will begin only in March next year, after a long delay. A Rs 66,500 crore contract for another 97 Mark-1A jets was inked with HAL in Sept this year.

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