SRINAGAR: Around “120 terrorists” positioned on 69 launch pads across the LoC are under close watch and the next phase of Operation Sindoor will be activated without hesitation if Pakistan attempts any “misadventure”, BSF Kashmir frontier IG Ashok Yadav said Monday.Yadav said during the border force’s annual briefing that Pakistan shifted several launch pads deeper inside its territory after Indian air and artillery strikes between May 7 and May 10, when Op Sindoor hit terrorist sites in retaliation for the Pahalgam massacre that killed 26 civilians on April 22.“We caused heavy damage during Op Sindoor. Some launch pads were moved from forward areas so they remain out of firing range of Indian Army and BSF,” Yadav said, adding that despite relocation, these sites remain under surveillance. “Whenever there is any misadventure from Pakistan, we are ready to give a befitting reply.”During the May offensive, Yadav said BSF units and Army formations executed “heavy and accurate” fire assaults on Pakistani posts and launch pads. “Our units, including artillery regiments, inflicted huge casualties on Pakistani troops, damaged forward posts and destroyed several terrorist pads along the LoC.”Asked why the 69 pads were not struck earlier, he said terrain and distance limited firing solutions. “We had them under radar. Location and depth from the LoC matter. From some points it is difficult to target all launch pads,” he said.Yadav reported a sharp drop in infiltration attempts. Four attempts were recorded this year in the Kashmir frontier — two before and two after Op Sindoor — involving 13 infiltrators. “Eight were eliminated by the Army, five retreated,” he said. While the broader infiltration pattern remains unchanged, he acknowledged emergence of new tracks. “We receive inputs on new routes and cover them with the Army,” he said.Inside Kashmir valley, BSF has 13 companies working with the Army and police. Yadav flagged “silent recruitment” of terrorists and said the force is focusing on institutions functioning as “radicalisation centres”. Alerts are passed to agencies responsible for the hinterland, he said, adding that “complete synergy” exists among security forces.Following the Pahalgam attack, specialised BSF teams were deployed in the Gulmarg bowl to reinforce tourist security. “Our teams are operating professionally and effectively,” Yadav said.Despite harsh terrain, snowbound stretches, threats of sneaky strikes by Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT), sniping, ceasefire violations and fidayeen strikes, BSF personnel continue LoC duties with “full zeal and devotion”, he said.

BAREILLY/BIJNOR: Sarvesh Singh, the Moradabad BLO, left behind a note in which he wrote about sleeplessness, confusion over targets and fear of losing his job. In Bijnor, Shobha Rani, who had completed just over a third of her assigned forms, collapsed after several days of illness and extended working hours, her family said. Officials denied any direct link between their deaths and the ongoing SIR workload.Sarvesh was posted as an assistant teacher at a primary school in Zahidpur, Bhagatpur Tanda. In his handwritten suicide note, Singh said, “Nights barely pass, and days bring no peace… I want to live, but what can I do? In this restlessness and suffocation, I feel scared within myself.”

His wife, Babli, said he had been sleeping only two to three hours a night for several days. “He struggled with understanding the digital process, especially form uploads and daily targets, and feared disciplinary action. He was continuously receiving messages from officials demanding updates and warning him of consequences if work was not completed.” Babli said her husband was also under mental strain due to the poor health of two of their daughters and the pressure of being the sole earner in the household.Also See: Kolkata BLO Protest

The family, which includes four minor daughters and his elderly mother, has refused a postmortem. They have demanded Rs 5 crore in compensation and a govt job for one family member. Moradabad DM Anuj Singh told TOI that Sarvesh’s performance had been satisfactory. “His work was exceptional and he had almost met his tasks. Since the SIR was announced, we had given training to the BLOs and we were going well. We are investigating why he took such an extreme step. We will provide them with a job, financial help and take care of all education expenses of the deceased employee.”In Bijnor’s Dhampur area, Shobha Rani, a 56-year-old BLO posted at Booth No. 97 in Barwan locality, died of a heart attack after falling unconscious on Saturday morning. Her son, Deepak Saini, said she had been assigned 1,003 forms and had completed 345. He said she had continued working despite her deteriorating condition, often staying up late to finish her targets. Her family said she was diabetic and had not been feeling well for several days but remained on duty because the workload had increased sharply after SIR began.She was first taken to a private hospital and then referred to Moradabad, where she died around 11.30am. Her husband, Kripal Saini, said preparations were underway for their only son’s wedding when she passed away. “She had already helped with our daughter’s wedding, and we were preparing for our son’s. Then this happened,” he said.Officials in Bijnor visited the family and offered condolences but maintained that her death was not caused by official pressure. A district programme officer said there was no stress from officials regarding the SIR work and that the family would be extended full support and departmental assistance.Five other BLOs have died while working on the SIR process in Uttar Pradesh. On Nov 25, Sudhir Kumar Kuril, 27, a lekhpal from Fatehpur, allegedly died by suicide a day before his wedding. His sister alleged he had been threatened with dismissal by officials if his targets were not met. Based on her complaint, a revenue inspector and another person were booked for abetment of suicide and under the SC/ST Act.On the same day, Vipin Yadav, 35, an assistant teacher posted in Jaitpur Majha, Gonda, reportedly consumed poison at his rented accommodation. A video recorded by his wife surfaced online in which Yadav said he was under pressure from officials. The district administration denied these allegations and attributed the death to domestic reasons.Three others died of medical emergencies while on SIR duty: Sarvesh Kumar Gangwar, 47, an assistant teacher in Bareilly, died of cardiac arrest on Nov 26; Vijay Kumar Verma, 40, a shiksha mitra in Lucknow, died of a brain haemorrhage on Nov 22; and Ranju Dubey, 44, a shiksha mitra in Deoria, died of a heart attack on Nov 25.The chief electoral office of Uttar Pradesh has not issued a response on the deaths despite multiple queries.

New Zealand and West Indies gear up for a pivotal three-Test series commencing December 2, at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, marking the start of their 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) campaigns.

The Black Caps, formidable at home and undefeated in their last five Tests, aim to consolidate their dominance with a balanced blend of experienced stars like Tom Latham, Kane Williamson and Matt Henry, alongside rising talents such as Will Young and Jacob Duffy.

On the other hand, the West Indies are determined to overturn a difficult stretch abroad, having secured just one Test win in 20 matches outside the Caribbean since 2018. Captain Roston Chase’s experience will be vital as the side leans on a promising pace attack spearheaded by Kemar Roach and rising star Jayden Seales. While their bowlers hold genuine potential, the batting order remains under scrutiny, with senior players such as Shai Hope and John Campbell expected to shoulder major responsibility against New Zealand’s potent seam attack.

NZ vs WI 2025, Test Series: Fixtures

Squads

New Zealand: Devon Conway, Tom Latham (c & wk), Kane Williamson, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Zakary Foulkes, Nathan Smith, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Tom Blundell, Blair Tickner

West Indies: John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Brandon King, Shai Hope (wk), Alick Athanaze, Tevin Imlach, Roston Chase (c), Justin Greaves, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Jomel Warrican, Anderson Phillip, Kavem Hodge, Ojay Shields, Johann Layne

Also READ: Matt Henry’s four-wicket haul powers New Zealand to a dominant series whitewash over West Indies in the 3rd ODI

Broadcast and Live Streaming details

• New Zealand: TVNZ+, TVNZ 1
• Caribbean: Rush Sports (digital), TV6 (Trinidad & Tobago), E-Networks (Guyana) and CCN TV (Grenada)
• South Africa: Super Sport
• India: Prime Video, SonyTEN, SonyLIV, FanCode
• Pakistan: Tapmad

Also READ: Breakdown of Andre Russell’s IPL salary since his debut – From 2012 to 2025

Lockie Ferguson during the captain’s press meet. (Image source: ILT20)

TimesofIndia.com in Dubai: Desert Vipers captain Lockie Ferguson feels the mushrooming T20 leagues around the world are not a big threat to international cricket. The New Zealand speedster said the increase in the number of T20 leagues is great for the sport. The fourth season of the ILT20 begins on Tuesday with a rematch of last season’s final between defending champions Dubai Capitals and Desert Vipers.“I think they can coexist for sure,” Ferguson told reporters on eve of the fourth season of the ILT20.“What’s great about these franchise tournaments—this one in particular—is I remember being on a journey myself, working with the Blackcaps senior bowlers, and you learn so much so quickly. I can imagine local young players coming into these groups and learning from the guys who are on the big stage. Their development will be so quick.

“From the franchise point of view, it’s great. Obviously, international cricket has been working in and around it. I know the players are passionate about playing for their country. It’s a different style of play that they adopt. From a cricketing point of view, it’s on the up, and it’s great to see the sport doing so well internationally,” he added.

Ferguson, who led the Desert Vipers to the final last season—their second in the ILT20—said a well-balanced bowling unit will help his side do well this time around as well.“We played great cricket throughout the tournament last season, so this year we’re looking to do even better. We have some new faces, so I’m excited about it. I’m looking forward to working alongside Naseem Shah, David Payne and Khuzaima Tanveer in what is a well-balanced bowling attack.“What’s great about this tournament is that the young players get a chance to learn very quickly,” said Ferguson.The presence of Indian playersThe arrival of Indian players Dinesh Karthik, Piyush Chawla and former India U-19 World Cup-winning captain Unmukt Chand will lend a new edge to ILT20 Season 4. Karthik will represent Sharjah Warriorz, while the Chawla-Chand duo will bolster the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.“Three Indian players will be great. Of course, we know Indian fans love Indian players. So we’re really, really looking forward to that,” ILT20 CEO David White said.“The quality of cricket is going to be really high with nine overseas players per team. Now we’ve also introduced some Kuwait players and Saudi players as well. We see the future of this league being very much a Gulf region league, not just the UAE.”This edition marks a new chapter in the league’s journey, with ILT20 organising its first-ever player auction and including players from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for the first time.“Starting on UAE National Day, there are already a lot of overseas visitors in the city. So we think we’re going to have big crowds.“We’re lucky that we have a fantastic fan base of not only Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis and Afghans, but this year we have also tried to incorporate the wider community,” said White.

Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has processed nearly 99 per cent of applications seeking higher contributions to secure increased pensions under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) 1995, Parliament was informed Monday.Minister of state for labour & employment Shobha Karandlaje, in a written reply to Lok Sabha, said the EPFO has acted to implement directions issued in the Supreme Court judgment of November 4, 2022, within a stipulated time frame.An online facility allowed pensioners and members to submit applications for validation of joint options. A total of 17.49 lakh applications were successfully submitted by the deadline of July 11, 2023, out of which around 15.24 lakh were forwarded by employers to EPFO by January 31, 2025, she added, as reported by PTI.As of November 24, 2025, nearly all applications received by EPFO have been disposed of, Karandlaje informed the House. She said 4,27,308 demand letters were issued, with 34,060 cases later found ineligible, mainly due to non-remittance of the demand amount.Of the applicants who complied, around 2,33,303 have deposited the demand amount or given consent. Among them, 96,274 are still in service while 1,37,029 have already retired. For the retired, Pension Payment Orders (PPOs) have been issued to roughly 1,24,457 applicants, with 12,572 PPOs under finalization.Karandlaje highlighted the fairness of the scheme, noting that the pro-rata calculation under Para 12 of the EPS treats both pensioners under the wage ceiling and those with higher salaries equitably. “The Supreme Court also did not find the same ultra-vires,” she said.The EPS 1995 is a ‘Defined Contribution-Defined Benefit’ social security plan. The Employees’ Pension Fund corpus is made up of contributions by employers at 8.33 per cent of wages and by the central government at 1.16 per cent of wages, up to Rs 15,000 per month. All benefits under the scheme are paid from these accumulations, which are valued annually. The March 31, 2019, valuation showed an actuarial deficit.To support pensioners, the government provides a minimum monthly pension of Rs 1,000, in addition to the annual budgetary contribution of 1.16 per cent of wages.Reaffirming the government’s commitment, Karandlaje said, “The Government of India is committed to ensure maximum benefits for workers under the EPS-95 scheme, duly taking into consideration the health of the respective funds as well as the future liabilities thereon.”

Indian automobile industry showed robust growth in November 2025 as major automakers reported strong sales, driven by steady domestic demand, rising exports, and growing electric vehicle adoption. As the calendar year neared its end, these figures indicated an industry regaining momentum amid improved supply conditions and government-friendly policies, including GST reforms that positively impacted sales.Maruti Suzuki Maruti Suzuki India Limited achieved its highest-ever monthly sales at 229,021 units in November 2025. Domestic sales accounted for 174,593 units, sales to other OEMs were 8,371 units, and exports reached a record 46,057 units, reported ANI.Compared to November 2024, when total sales were 181,531 units, this marks a significant year-on-year increase. The company’s domestic passenger vehicle sales rose from 141,312 to 170,971 units.For the April-November period of FY 2025-26, Maruti Suzuki’s combined domestic and export sales reached 1,528,650 units, up from 1,451,383 units in the previous fiscal, highlighting India’s growing role as a key manufacturing hub for the automaker.Hyundai India Hyundai Motor India Limited recorded total sales of 66,840 units in November 2025, reflecting a 9.1% increase from last year. Domestic sales reached 50,340 units, while exports surged 26.9% to 16,500 units.Commenting on the performance, Tarun Garg, Wholetime Director and COO, said the growth was “supported by GST 2.0 reforms,” and the company remains committed to “bolstering India’s role as a global manufacturing hub.”He added that the all-new Hyundai VENUE, the company’s first software-defined vehicle in India, “set new benchmarks in the compact SUV segment,” recording over 32,000 bookings within a month of launch.Tata MotorsTata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. reported total sales of 59,199 units in November 2025, a 25.6% increase from 47,117 units last year. Domestic passenger vehicle sales, including electric vehicles, rose 22% to 57,436 units.The company’s international business grew sharply, with exports increasing to 1,763 units from just 54 units last year. Electric vehicle sales also jumped 52.1% year-on-year to 7,911 units, reflecting the growing adoption of EVs in India.Toyota KirloskarToyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) recorded total sales of 33,752 units in November 2025, including 30,085 domestic units and 3,667 exported units, a 28% increase from 26,323 units in November 2024.Varinder Wadhwa, Vice President, Sales-Service-Used Car Business, TKM, said, “Following a positive festive season supported by the government’s progressive GST reforms, we continue to witness a strong momentum, with a growth of 28 per cent. The recent introduction of the Urban Cruiser Hyryder Aero Edition and Fortuner Leader Edition has also continued to help us reinforce this growth trajectory, receiving recognition across the country,” as quoted by ANI.

Union Cabinet’s approval of a Rs 7,280 crore rare earth permanent magnet (REPM) scheme has been welcomed by industry executives as a major boost to India’s EV and electronics supply chains. The programme aims to create 6,000 metric tonnes per annum of integrated REPM capacity through five globally bid projects, supported by sales-linked incentives and capital subsidies over a seven-year period.For the first time, India will support end-to-end REPM manufacturing, from rare earth oxides to finished magnets. The initiative aims to reduce import dependence and meet the growing demand from electric vehicles, renewable energy, industrial electronics, and defence.Rajoo Goel, secretary-general of the Electronic Industries Association of India, said the scheme is “a first of its kind initiative focused on the core of the supply chain for electronics.” He added that rare earth magnets are crucial for electric motors, defence systems, renewable energy, computer hard drives, and smaller electronics like smartphones.Experts highlight critical role of REPMsIndustry leaders emphasised the programme’s strategic importance for electronics manufacturing. Mayank Shrivastava, professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, and cofounder of AGNIT Semiconductors, said the programme is “as critical as building fabs” because advanced electronics depend on magnetic materials as much as on silicon.”Vivek Tyagi, executive council member at the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association, noted that the initiative could quickly reduce import dependence for two- and three-wheeler manufacturers while also benefiting four-wheeler players over time.The REPM scheme is seen as complementary to the India Semiconductor Mission and other electronics initiatives. ASIP Technologies CEO Venkata Simhadri said the REPM push, along with semiconductor incentives, addresses key elements of the EV supply chain, “from permanent magnet motors on the mechanical side to compound semiconductor-based motor control and battery charging systems on the electronics side.”EMS and Fabless firms expect supply chain benefitsElectronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies anticipate indirect benefits from improved magnet availability. Syrma SGS managing director Jasbir Singh Gujral said a domestic magnet ecosystem “will indirectly help EMS companies by making the supply of magnet-based components more predictable and reducing the risk of supply chain disruptions.”An EMS executive, speaking on condition of anonymity, called the scheme “very well curated…coming at the apt time” and added, “There is a belief that the investments are going to come in. And this is again de-risking from the borderland country which is absolutely prudent.”For fabless semiconductor firms, the initiative signals India’s intent to deepen hardware value chains. BigEndian Semiconductors cofounder Sunil Kumar noted that gestation-heavy incentive schemes tend to favour established large organisations, but stressed that “innovation often comes from smaller challengers, making it important for policy to be calibrated to company size.”Boosting MSMEs, startups, innovationAcademia and skill-development experts see the REPM programme as a catalyst for MSME-focused electronics clusters, generating jobs and nurturing startups in REPM and related applications. T Senthil Siva Subramanian of Hindustan College of Science and Technology said such clusters could feed into initiatives like “Vocal for Local” and “One District One Product” while advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals.Experts also highlighted the strategic significance of domestic REPM capacity. Subramanian noted that local design and production capabilities could enhance India’s global standing in high-tech manufacturing and drive innovation in rare earth magnet-based products, which are vital across defence, medical devices, nuclear research, and precision agriculture.Industry consensus suggests that the REPM scheme, while long-term, could become a foundational layer supporting EVs, robotics, semiconductors, and flexible electronics, reinforcing India’s position in the global technology supply chain.

Photo credit: X/@TheHockeyIndia

NEW DELHI: India started their Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup campaign with a one-sided result, running over Namibia 13-0 in their first game on Monday.Hina Bano and Kanika Siwach scored a hat-trick each, as India registered their biggest win in the event’s history. Along with Hina’s goals (35′, 35′, 45′) and Kanika’s strikes (12′, 30′, 45′), Sakshi Rana (10′, 23′) scored twice. Binima Dhan (14′), Sonam (14′), Sakshi Shukla (27′), Ishika (36′) and Manisha (60′) also scored for India. The result placed India at the top of the group standings. India scored four goals in four minutes to take early control. Sakshi began the scoring with a reverse flick. Kanika made it 2-0 with a strong finish. Binima added the third after a direct run, and Sonam scored the fourth following a sequence of passes, giving India a 4-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. India continued to press with Sakshi getting her second goal after a run that ended with a firm strike. Namibia tried to push forward for an opening but was stopped repeatedly by India’s midfield. India scored again through Sakshi, who converted a penalty-corner dragflick. Kanika added her second goal just before half-time to make it 7-0. India kept control in the second half. Hina scored her first goal of the tournament with a hit into the top corner. She added another soon after, taking advantage of a loose restart from Namibia. Ishika scored the tenth goal after a rebound from a penalty corner. Another penalty-corner deflection came to Hina, and she completed her hat-trick. Kanika then scored her third from a penalty corner, taking India’s lead to 12-0 at the end of the third quarter. India made some changes in the final quarter but continued to create chances. Manisha scored from a penalty corner to complete a 13-0 win in India’s first match of the tournament.