File photo: PM Modi (Picture credit: ANI)

LUCKNOW: Mounting yet another scathing attack on Congress, PM Narendra Modi Thursday accused past govts of glorifying one family while neglecting contributions of other national icons, and practising political untouchability. BJP govt freed the country from the “tendency” to attribute every achievement to just one (Nehru-Gandhi) family, he said.Speaking after inaugurating Rashtra Prerna Sthal, a memorial dedicated to Jan Sangh stalwarts, on the 101st birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lucknow, Modi also said, “BJP is proud that our govt had the opportunity to tear down the wall of Article 370”. He said the legacy of good governance created by BJP-led NDA govt was now being taken to new heights at both central and state levels. “After Independence, a tendency emerged to associate all the good work that took place in India to the same family. Be it books, govt schemes, institutions, streets, roads or squares, it was all connected to the pride of one family… “…Our govt, serving Mother India, is giving respect to her every child, to everyone’s contribution.” he said.Rashtra Prerna Sthal houses 65-ft tall statues of Vajpayee, Syama Prasad Mookherjee and Deen Dayal Upadhyay. Constructed at a cost of Rs 230 crore, the memorial sprawling over 65 acres also houses a lotus-shaped museum depicting the life and journey of the stalwarts.Reiterating BJP’s sharp narrative contrasting dynastic politics with merit based recognition, the PM asserted his govt was honouring national icons who were ignored earlier across party lines.BJP did not let the legacy of B R Ambedkar be undermined, he said, referring to the ‘panchteerth’ associated with the Dalit icon. He accused Congress of attempting to dismantle Ambedkar’s legacy.

Vandals target Christmas decorations at Assam school, mob attacks mall in Raipur

GUWAHATI/RAIPUR: Right-wing vandals smashed Xmas decorations in Assam and Chhattisgarh on Christmas Day, leading to the arrests of four people in Nalbari, Assam, and an FIR in Raipur against 25-30 activists.The arrests in Assam — three activists of VHP and one of Bajrang Dal — took place after Christmas decorations were smashed at St Mary’s School in Nalbari. A group of Hindutva activists stormed the school, tearing down and burning banners and posters. They also targeted nearby shops in Nalbari town selling Christmas items and dismantled a Nativity crib on the school premises.Nalbari SSP Bibekananda Das confirmed the four arrests. “We earlier identified three active members, though the group was larger. All were locals of Nalbari district,” Das said. The case was registered after Fr Baiju Sebastian, the school principal, filed a complaint. He claimed that around 2.30 pm on Wednesday, miscreants entered the school premises, and damaged decorations, lights and plant pots, and set other articles on fire.Those arrested are VHP district secretary Bhaskar Deka, VHP district vice-president Manash Jyoti Patgiri, and VHP assistant secretary Biju Dutta, and Nayan Talukdar, a Bajrang Dal district convener. The activists shouted “Jai Shri Ram” and warned school authorities against celebrating Christmas. They allegedly threatened school officials and asked whether they celebrated Saraswati Puja on campus. “From this year, you have to stop Christmas celebrations,” one activist told a school official, according to a purported video of the event.In Raipur, stick-wielding members of a fringe outfit stormed Magneto Mall during Thursday’s Chhattisgarh shutdown against the violence around Kanker burial and alleged religious conversions. They vandalised property, gilded Christmas decorations, and damaged a Christmas tree and a Santa Claus figure. The mall management said they had suffered losses running into lakhs.The mall management claimed 40-50 people with rods and hockey sticks, allegedly asked staff and others inside, “Are you Hindu or Christian? What is your caste?” They even checked ID cards and badges of staff, officials said.An FIR was lodged based on a complaint by the mall.

The India ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer has taken a positive step toward returning to the field ahead of the white-ball series against New Zealand. Shreyas Iyer had his first proper batting session in Mumbai on December 24 since his career-threatening injury on the Australia tour.

However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and National Cricket Academy (NCA) medical team are adopting a cautious approach, as Iyer will undergo 4-6 days of intensive monitoring.

Shreyas Iyer Injury Update: Latest News on Back Spasms & Recovery Timeline

As reported by the Times of India, Iyer batted for nearly an hour and did not feel any pain or discomfort, which is a big relief for both the batter and the Indian team management.

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After this encouraging session, the right-handed batter is now heading to the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to continue his recovery and prepare for his much-awaited comeback.

At the moment, there is no fixed timeline for the Mumbaikar’s return to competitive cricket. However, the 31-year-old is keen to get back as soon as possible, and the seasoned batter is pushing to make his comeback in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26.

Shreyas Iyer to make comeback with Vijay Hazare Trophy!!

A BCCI official was quoted as saying by the Times of India, “Shreyas Iyer had a very unfortunate injury in Australia, and it made him miss a lot of competitive cricket. The good sign is that he is pain-free at the moment and batted without any trouble in Mumbai on Wednesday.

India next plays New Zealand, and while that could still be touch and go, a return in the later stages of the Vijay Hazare Trophy can’t be ruled out at this stage.”

The final decision on Iyer’s return timeline will be taken after detailed check-ups at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. It is being said that the Indian vice-captain will stay in Bengaluru for around four to six days. During this time, the medical and support staff will closely monitor his fitness and workload and give more clarity on his return to the action.

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Shreyas Iyer “won’t be rushed back” to action

Shreyas Iyer’s availability for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home remains uncertain for now. The series will get underway on January 11, with the team for the series expected to be announced in the first week of January, most likely around January 2 or 3.

The official further added, “He is already back to regular training in the gym. So no red flags there at the moment, but it all depends on the CoE assessment. He will be there for anywhere between four and six days. Like with every player, he won’t be rushed back, but efforts will be directed towards his speedy return.”

Notably, Iyer has been out of action since October 2025. He last played in the three-match ODI series against Australia, where he suffered a blow to his abdomen. Because of that injury, Iyer missed the entire Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 and also the ODI series against South Africa.

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh government has made newspaper reading compulsory for students of all state-run secondary and basic schools to cultivate reading habits, reduce screen time and develop critical, and logical thinking skills among them.An order issued by additional chief secretary (basic and secondary education) Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, on December 23 says newspapers, both English and Hindi, should be made an integral part of the daily reading culture of schools.This is in continuation of an earlier order in November, which had discussed ways to inculcate reading culture among students. Discouraging excess screen time, the December 23 order advises students to read “physical” newspapers as it would help them enhance their focus and concentration.“A 10-minute slot should be allocated for ‘news reading’ from newspapers during the daily morning assembly. Students, on a rotational basis, will read out the main points of editorial articles and major positive news from national, international, and sports events,” says the December 23 order.

Asked about the directive, Sen Sharma told TOI: “These are directions as well as advice, to be followed by state-run schools, but others can also follow if they find sense.”The order lists manifold benefits of regular newspaper reading. “To begin with, it will strengthen students’ GK and understanding of current affairs, which is extremely important for future competitive examinations. Second, regular reading improves vocabulary and language style. Reading various types of articles and editorials develops their writing skills.”Sen Sharma stressed that reading diverse perspectives “develops critical thinking and the ability to distinguish between right and wrong in students, making them aware in the era of fake news”.Another benefit of reading newspapers is that students become aware of their local community, events, and public projects. “This connects them to their surroundings and helps them understand how local events are connected to national and global issues,” the order states.In addition, human interest stories and news related to social issues published in newspapers help students understand the experiences and challenges of others. This develops empathy in them and guides them towards becoming responsible citizens. Sudoku, crosswords, and word puzzles available in newspapers are not just for entertainment; they train students’ brains for logical challenges and problem-solving, the order says.The order says students focus on favourite subjects, while newspapers exposes them to science, culture and sports.

Bareilly: To counter the spread of online misinformation, disinformation and rumours, police in Bareilly zone take help of over 82,000 digital volunteers who disseminate accurate and verified information and spread awareness. These volunteers are akin to peace committees, comprising influential citizens, that help police in maintaining harmony and law and order in society.On Wednesday, Bareilly zone ADG Ramit Sharma held a meeting (in-person and virtual) with some digital volunteers at Bareilly Police Lines to educate them on how to counter misinformation and disinformation on the internet. Police also got feedback from the volunteers and said work on their suggestions would begin soon.Anybody, including students, can become a volunteer. The more people get in touch with the police, the sooner misinformation can be identified and debunked, the ADG said.SSP Anurag Arya said, “Today, cybercrime is rampant, and the only thing which can prevent it is awareness. We, with the help of these volunteers, can easily reach the masses.” “The primary objective is to take help from citizens to debunk misinformation and false trends circulating on social media in real time,” said Rampur SP Vidhya Sagar Mishra.Elaborating how this concept began, ADG Sharma said, “In 2015, a couple in Baghpat eloped, following which the girl’s family filed a writ petition in court, mentioning that a khap panchayat had ordered that the girl should be raped. A probe found that no such panchayat happened. An international media outlet got at least 4,50,000 tweets done on the issue, inviting police outrage. Back then, UP police debuted on Twitter (now X), but our reach was low, which led us to initiate the concept of digital volunteers. In 2016, the UP DGP directed the creation of digital volunteers.”DIG Ajay Kumar Sahani said, “Earlier, we had peace committees that used to inform police about rumours so that appropriate action could be taken before any issue spirals out of control.”Citing incidents like the recent “drone and child thief” rumours, officials said volunteers verified the facts on the ground and helped convey accurate information to the public. “Proactive action of volunteers helps build trust in society, and citizens see the other side of the story before spreading misinformation,” the ADG added.

MOHALI: CBI has filed a chargesheet in a Mohali court against four Punjab Police personnel in connection with the assault on Colonel Pushpinder Bath, naming an inspector as the prime accused.The central agency has dropped charges of attempted murder and instead invoked charges for ‘causing grievous hurt’ and ‘wrongful restraint’. The chargesheet names inspector Ronnie Singh as ‘principal accused’ in the case. On the intervening night of March 13-14 this year, a group of policemen, in civilian clothes, thrashed Colonel Bath and his son over a parking dispute in Patiala.

Colonel Bath accused SIT of ‘shielding’ accused policemenThe Armyman and his son were standing beside their car at a roadside eatery when a group of men, later identified as cops in civilian clothes, asked him to move his vehicle to make space for theirs. The family has alleged that this exchange escalated into violence, following which more than a dozen police personnel assaulted Colonel Bath and his son with rods and sticks, injuring both of them. The FIR was registered eight days later on the Colonel’s complaint. Initially, Patiala police named inspectors Harry Boparai, Ronnie Singh and Harjinder Dhillon in the FIR under BNS sections for attempted murder, causing hurt, wrongful restraint and criminal intimidation. Another inspector’s name was added on charges of rioting and insulting a religion. Dissatisfied with the probe, Col Bath approached Punjab and Haryana high court, which handed the case to Chandigarh Police on April 3. On July 14, the Colonel filed a petition in HC, accusing Chandigarh SIT of ‘shielding’ the accused cops. On July 16, HC handed the case to CBI, remarking that Chandigarh Police probe was “tainted” and there were “no prospects of a free and fair investigation”. “The court is convinced that the investigating agency is not only trying to create loopholes in the investigation but trying to make craters in the investigation so as to ensure that once the chargesheet is filed before the court, the case of the prosecution should hardly be able to crawl in court,” Justice Rajesh Bhardwaj said in his scathing remarks. Around a week after this, four accused cops, who were suspended till then, reported at their new postings. Thus far, police had told the court that all of them were “untraceable”. Col Bath’s family criticised the rejoining, saying the officers had ‘surfaced’ to avoid being declared ‘proclaimed offenders’ (POs).

MI Cape Town will face the Durban Super Giants in the first match of the upcoming edition of the SA20. In this article, we determine the MICT vs DSG Weather Report and Pitch Report of Newlands for the first game of the tournament.

MICT vs DSG Weather Report, Pitch Report Of Cape Town- SA20 2025-26, Match 1:

MICT vs DSG Weather Report of Cape Town:

There is no chance of rain during the MICT vs DSG game in Cape Town. The maximum temperature is predicted to be 25°C, while the minimum temperature would be 19°C.

MICT vs DSG Pitch Report of Newlands:

The pitch at Newlands for the season opener of the SA20 between MI Cape Town and Durban Super Giants is expected to be good for batting, meaning that the upcoming contest should be a high-scoring one.

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The surface across venues is good to bat on with good bounce, which can be trusted by the batters to hit the ball on the up.

The extra bounce, which is one of the features of grounds in this art of the world, including Newlands, makes hitting the ball on the up easy.

The short boundaries on offers at Newlands in Cape Town also play in favour of the batters, as a miss-hit also tends to clear the boundary with ease, giving them full value for their shots

That is the reason why the team that wins the toss at this venue generally prefers to chase, as defending isn’t an easy task at Newlands.

As far as the bowlers are concerned, both pacers and spinners will have their task cut out and will have to depend on variations to get whatever purchase is available in the wicket.

The fast bowlers can use different types of cutters and slower balls that they have in their arsenal to restrict the batters from scoring freely against the new ball, and at the backend of the innings.

If we talk about the spinners, they can also vary their space and make the batters hit towards the long part of the ground so as to get them out stumped or caught on the boundary.

The team that bats first in the MICT vs DSG match should look to score at least 210-200 to have an upper hand in the game and back their bowlers to pick early wickets in the second innings.

The chasing team would bank on the bowlers to restrict the team batting first to a score of less than 200 runs to increase their chance of winning the match in question.

Conclusion

MI Cape Town would hope for a good start to the fourth edition of the SA20 with the aim of building on it in order to have a good chance of defending their title.

Durban Super Giants, on the other hand, would also hope to begin the tournament with a win under the leadership of Aiden Markram, who has already won back-to-back titles in the first two seasons of the league.