New Delhi: A show-cause notice issued to a faculty member at Delhi University’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, warning of loss of pay for alleged unauthorised absence, has escalated into a larger controversy after the teacher accused the college administration of caste-based discrimination and selective targeting. The college issued the notice on Thursday, stating that his absence from Nov 25 till he rejoins duty will be treated as dies non — a no-work, no-pay gap — if he fails to submit a satisfactory explanation within three days. The notice cited his alleged absence from mandatory official meetings, including staff council huddles, without prior intimation or approved leave.

In his written response to principal Arun Kumar Attree, the teacher denied wilful absence on his part and alleged that the action against him was discriminatory in nature. He sought attendance records of all faculty members at staff council and staff association meetings over the past three years, along with details of disciplinary actions taken, if at all, against those who failed to attend. He claimed no such punitive action had previously been taken against teachers hailing from the general category for similar absences.The faculty member added that the notice against him amounted to caste-based harassment as he belongs to the Scheduled Caste community. In his letter, he said that if the information sought revealed selective enforcement of rules, he would approach National Commission for Scheduled Castes to lodge a formal complaint.Attree rejected the allegations of discrimination, saying the notice was issued solely on service grounds. “It pertains to the faculty’s continued and deliberate absence from duty without sanctioned leave, despite repeated directions to attend the college,” he said. Faculty responsibilities include attending official meetings and participating in administrative work, and that absence without sanctioned leave is liable to be treated as dies non under University of Delhi rules, Attree added.This controversy comes amid another dispute at the college over an undertaking related to teaching workload. Several teachers alleged that the college had asked faculty members to sign an undertaking committing to teaching 18 to 20 hours per week, which exceeds the UGC-prescribed workload of 14 to 16 hours. The issue was raised during a staff council meeting held on Dec 17, following which the undertaking was withdrawn for faculties of the morning college. However, the teachers alleged that it continues to remain in force in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Evening College, whose faculty members were asked to sign the undertaking on Dec 15. The teachers demanded that the undertaking be repealed entirely, citing it violates UGC norms.Denying these allegations as well, Attree said no teacher was compelled to sign any undertaking mandating additional workload. He claimed that the faculty members had voluntarily agreed to take up extra lectures as part of an academic initiative to introduce more student-centric courses, and that there was no written administrative directive enforcing additional teaching hours.

The final T20I of 2025 in Ahmedabad didn’t just end with India lifting the trophy; it reignited one of the most polarizing debates in Indian cricket. While India secured a 3-1 series win over South Africa on Friday, December 19, the spotlight shifted from the scoreboard to the commentary box, where Ravi Shastri took a direct swipe at the Gautam Gambhir-led management’s selection calls.

Sanju Samson Shines in Shubman Gill’s absence

Entering the series decider at the Narendra Modi Stadium, India made a forced change. Vice-captain Shubman Gill was sidelined with a foot injury, opening the door for Sanju Samson to return to his preferred slot at the top of the order.

Samson didn’t just play; he sent a message. Within the first five overs, he had dismantled the Proteas’ pace attack, smashing 37 off 22 balls (4 boundaries, 2 sixes). His clinical timing and aggressive intent provided the exactly the kind of “powerplay-plus” start India has been seeking.

Also READ: Mumbai announces squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy; Rohit Sharma makes historic return

Ravi Shastri questions team management for Samson’s continued absence

Watching Samson hammer Marco Jansen over extra cover, former head coach Shastri didn’t hold back. His words on live television resonated with millions of fans who have long called for Samson’s consistent inclusion:

“When you see him batting like this, you sometimes think, why is he not in the side in the first place? Why should it be an injury that brings him in?” Shastri remarked.

He went on to emphasize Samson’s natural flair, adding, “He’s a natural for that position at the top… three hundreds already in T20 cricket, two against South Africa back-to-back. He is explosive and dangerous.”

Shastri’s critique points to a deeper tactical struggle within the current setup. Under Gambhir, the management has prioritized Gill as a long-term leader and opener. However, Gill’s T20I form has been under the microscope, having managed only 33 runs across his three appearances this series—four runs fewer than what Samson scored in a single outing on Friday.

Also READ: Fans go wild as Varun Chakaravarthy and Hardik Pandya help India demolishes South Africa in Ahmedabad T20I to clinch a 3-1 series win

You don’t have permission to access “http://www.ndtv.com/mumbai-news/navi-mumbai-airports-dress-rehearsal-before-first-flight-on-december-25-9856005” on this server.

Reference #18.77fdd417.1766261614.3163931d

https://errors.edgesuite.net/18.77fdd417.1766261614.3163931d

Did the “Ice Maiden,” as Donald Trump calls his no-nonsense chief of staff Susie Wiles, who has quietly run the White House with a relatively steady hand unlike his chaotic first term, have a meltdown or was it a hit job?Washington was abuzz Tuesday with a bombshell Vanity Fair interview with the 68-year-old political operative dishing on everything from her teetotaller boss with an “alcoholic’s personality” to his oddballs team.

Comparing Trump to her alcoholic father, the legendary sportscaster Pat Summerall, she suggested Trump had “an alcoholic’s personality” because he operates with “a view that there’s nothing he can’t do. Nothing, zero, nothing.” She called Vice President JD Vance a “conspiracy theorist,” White House budget director Russell Vought “a right-wing absolute zealot” and Trump’s one time pal Elon Musk “an odd, odd duck, as I think geniuses are” and “an avowed ketamine” user to boot. Wiles suggested there had been “huge disagreements” over implementing tariffs, acknowledged that the administration must “look harder” at its process for mass deportation and said she had to “get on board” with Trump’s decision to give blanket pardons to Jan. 6 defendants.

She had forged a “loose agreement” with the boss to end the “score settling” against his political enemies after 90 days “because she did not want it to distract from his real agenda,” but in the end Trump had his way – as always.“In some cases, it may look like retribution,” Wiles admitted. “And there may be an element of that from time to time. Who would blame him? Not me.”Wiles also glossed over Trump’s relationship with the sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein, and faulted Attorney General Pam Bondi for having “completely whiffed” on “recognizing the fervor of the president’s right-wing supporters” about Epstein files.Then the Justice Department Friday released hundreds of thousands of pages of documents related to Epstein just ahead of a deadline imposed by a bipartisan law passed last month. Lawmakers cried foul as many of the documents released by the self-proclaimed “most transparent administration in history” were heavily redacted, with text blacked out.

Despite his well-publicised friendship with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, Trump’s name was rarely mentioned, while Bill Clinton featured prominently with several photos.Meanwhile, as late night show hosts had a field day with the Wiles interview with Jimmy Kimmel calling her “the future former chief of staff,”some wondered whether Donald and Susie were simply playing a good cop bad cop routine.Wiles herself dismissed the Vanity Fair article as “a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest president, White House staff, and cabinet in history,” without disputing any facts or quotes as Trump came to her defense calling her “fantastic.”The Real Clear Politics even suggested it was at Wiles’ instance that Trump made a surprise succinct sales pitch on television next nightabout affordability, the accomplishments of his first term, and the challenges ahead minus only his signature “weave.”“Good evening, America. Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it,” he said laying blame on his predecessor Joe Biden for everything from the economy to crime to healthcare to bad immigration policy.“What ‌a difference a year makes,” Trump said, dismissing the mood of consumers, to claim the US is “poised for an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen.”It was again Wiles who made him give the rare prime-time address, Trump disclosed after taking a swig of Diet Coke, according to a television pool report. “I told you 20 minutes,” Wiles reminded Trump as she complimented his message discipline, “and you were 20 minutes on the dot.”Then it was back to fun and games. Branding Washington in his own image, Trump had The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington renamed — the Trump-Kennedy Center.The signage change followed a vote by his hand picked board of trustees to rename the complex though such a move could require congressional approval.Earlier, new plaques were added under presidential portraits on display on Trump’s “Presidential Walk of Fame” in the White House colonnade, “many” of them written by Trump himself giving his distorted version of history.The one placed under the portrait of the “Autopen” representing Biden, refers to him as “Sleepy Joe Biden” and calls him “the worst President in American History” with derisive references to Biden’s “severe mental decline,” “the Biden Crime Family” and his “Radical Left handlers.”The plaque under “Barack Hussein Obama,” as right-wing circles often derisively use his full name, calls him “one of the most divisive figures in American history ” and repeats Trump’s conspiracy theory that Obama “spied” on his 2016 presidential campaign.The Trump 45 & 47 plaques make boastful claims about creating “the Greatest Economy in the History of the World,” his sweeping tariffs, hard-line immigration policies and building “right here at the White House, the magnificent Trump Presidential Ballroom after a 225 year wait — but THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”There was no word from the White House as to how the plaques were paid for, whether government funds were used and whether they were installed by government employees.Returning the compliment, California’s Democratic governor Gavin Newsom posted on X his own version of the Trump plaque in the Don style saying, “DONALD IS FINISHED – HE IS NO LONGER ‘HOT’… DONNIE J MISSED ‘THE DEADLINE’ (WHOOPS!) AND NOW I RUN THE SHOW.”And ‘DiaperDiplomacy’ posted an AI generated kiddified version of the Don’s speech with a little Trump boasting about sending every soldier $1,776 warrior dividend, tariffs, troops & TrumpRX with little political big wigs, including Obama listening with amusement — an apt commentary about a 79-year old juvenile ruler!(By arrangement with The American Bazaar, www.americanbazaaronline.com)

Argentine footballer Lionel Messi with West Bengal (now resigned) sports minister Aroop Biswas, during an event as part of his ‘G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025’, at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), in Kolkata. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Satadru Dutta, the main organiser of Lionel Messi’s event held on December 13 and now under arrest, has told investigators that the footballer was unhappy with physical contact during his appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium and left the venue before completing the scheduled programme, news agency PTI reported on Saturday, quoting a source in the Special Investigation Team (SIT).During questioning, Dutta told SIT officers that Messi “did not like being touched on the back or being hugged” and that this concern had been communicated in advance by foreign security officials assigned to protect the footballer, the source said.

“Despite repeated public announcements to restrain the crowd, there was no impact. The manner in which Messi was surrounded and embraced was completely unacceptable to the World Cup-winning footballer,” Dutta told investigators during his grilling on Friday, the source added, as cited by the PTI.West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas was seen close to Messi during the programme, with visuals showing him holding the footballer around the waist while posing for photographs. Biswas has been accused of using his influence to allow relatives and personal acquaintances access to Messi. Amid criticism, he resigned from his post as sports minister pending completion of the investigation.Investigators are examining how a large number of people were allowed to access the ground area. Dutta claimed that initially only 150 ground passes were issued, but the number was tripled after a “very influential person” arrived at the stadium and “overpowered him”. Police are checking whether the increase in access led to the crowd control failure.“The arrested accused also claimed that once that particular influential person reached the stadium, all the flow-chart for the Messi programme got disturbed and he could not control it,” the official told PTI.Dutta also shared financial details related to Messi’s India visit. “Lionel Messi was paid Rs 89 crore for the tour, while Rs 11 crore was paid as tax to the Indian government,” he told investigators, putting the total cost at Rs 100 crore. Sources said 30 per cent of the amount came from sponsors and another 30 per cent from ticket sales.SIT officers also found more than Rs 20 crore in Dutta’s frozen bank accounts. On Friday, they seized several documents during raids at his residence.“Dutta claimed that the amount in his bank account was the money which he got from selling the tickets for the Messi event in Kolkata and Hyderabad and also from the sponsors. We are verifying his claims,” the officer said.What was supposed to be a marquee football spectacle turned into widespread violence and disorder at the stadium last week after Messi’s brief and tightly ring-fenced appearance, his first at the venue since 2011, left large sections of the crowd frustrated.They failed to catch a glimpse of their superstar despite having travelled from far and wide, paying hefty sums for tickets.The West Bengal government has formed an SIT comprising senior IPS officers Piyush Pandey, Javed Shamim, Supratim Sarkar and Muralidhar to investigate the vandalism, security lapses, access violations and the role of organisers and officials in the incident, the officer added.

NEW DELHI: Investigations into the murder of businessman Ratan Kumar in south Delhi’s Chattarpur Enclave on Nov 30 has revealed that five to six assailants shot him 69 times while he was heading for his dairy.Police suspect the hit job was ordered by two gangsters based abroad at the behest of the family of a businessman, who was gunned down, allegedly by Kumar’s son Deepak, seven months ago. Kumar’s family believe the latest murder was in retaliation for the earlier killing.

One of the main shooters has been identified as Anuj, alias Fighter. Police sources said the two gangsters, Himanshu Bhau and Neeraj Faridpuria, provided one set of shooters, while the rest were hitmen of UP-based gangster Randeep Bhati.Haryana’s Faridpuria, who was initially a member of the dreaded Bambiha gang, now works for Bhau. He faces over 25 cases and fled to Canada via Dubai in 2019. Bhau is based in Portugal.Police have identified five of the hitmen — all of them are absconding — and issued lookout circulars against them.Kumar’s daughter Deepika said her brother, Deepak, had gone astray, after which the family severed ties with him. “My father took this step to protect the family from the ongoing rivalry,” she said.Kumar, through his lawyer, even issued a public notice in newspapers formally severing ties with Deepak, stating that he was barred from inheriting all family properties. The notice clarified that Kumar had no control over his son’s actions and would not be responsible for his conduct, dealings, debt or financial obligations. Despite this, Kumar had repeatedly been receiving threats, Deepika said, adding, “It’s been nearly three weeks since he was murdered, but the killers are absconding, and no protection has been given to our family.” However, a senior police officer said the Kumars never sought any security cover. Once Deepak was arrested and jailed for the May 24 murder of the businessman in Chattarpur while he was returning home with his father, Kumar filed a police complaint against 13 people, saying that he feared for his life and they would be responsible if anything happened to him. He also reaffirmed in the complaint that he had cut all ties with his son. Kumar’s family said Deepak and the businessman used to be friends and dabbled in property businesses. Two years ago, they fell out and Deepak was beaten up. Deepak allegedly murdered him to take revenge, the Kumars said.

Hardik Pandya’s explosive 63 off 25 balls and his heartfelt gesture towards an injured cameraman lit up India’s 30-run win over South Africa in the fifth T20I at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, sealing the series 3-1 for the hosts.​

Hardik Pandya’s sportsmanship shines as he comforts cameraman hit by his six in fifth T20I

Walking in during the 13th over with India looking to maximise the death overs, Pandya immediately went on the offensive, stepping out first ball to loft Corbin Bosch for a flat six over long-off. That blow sailed straight towards a cameraman stationed near the boundary and struck him on the shoulder, forcing a brief halt in play as medical attention was called in.​

Unfazed, Pandya continued his assault, racing to a half-century in just 16 balls, the second-fastest T20I fifty by an Indian after Yuvraj Singh’s iconic 12-ball effort against England in 2007. He finished with 63 off 25 deliveries, smashing five fours and five sixes at a strike-rate above 250, and stitching a devastating 105-run stand off just 44 balls with Tilak Varma (73 off 42) to lift India to a commanding 231/5.​

Once the innings and match concluded, Pandya made his way straight to the cameraman, checking on his condition, applying an ice pack to his shoulder and sharing a warm hug that left the cameraperson smiling. The clip of the incident, widely shared across social media platforms, drew praise for Pandya’s sportsmanship and compassion, with fans hailing the star all-rounder for looking beyond the scoreboard in a high-pressure series decider.​

Here’s the video:

– Hardik Pandya smashed the six
– Ball hit the hard to cameraman
– After the innings, Hardik instantly came to meet him
– Hardik hugged the cameraman

Just look at the cameraman’s reaction at the end; it’s so priceless. This small gesture from cricketers can make someone’s day… pic.twitter.com/stV156Og6K

— Tejash (@Tejashyyyyy) December 19, 2025

Also READ: Top 5 fastest fifties for India in T20I cricket ft. Hardik Pandya – IND vs SA

India wrap up series 3-1 as Pandya wins Player of the Match

Earlier, Tilak continued his purple patch with a fluent 73 off 42 balls, peppered with 10 fours and a six, anchoring the middle overs before unleashing alongside Pandya in the back end. Their explosive partnership transformed India from a solid platform into an imposing total, leaving South Africa chasing 232 on a true Ahmedabad surface.​

In response, South Africa stayed in the hunt as long as Quinton de Kock was at the crease, the left-hander crafting a 65-run knock that kept the asking rate within reach. Once he fell, Varun Chakravarthy took control with a four-wicket haul, supported by Jasprit Bumrah’s miserly spell, as the visitors slid from a promising position to 201 for 8, handing India a 30-run victory and a 3-1 series triumph to close out 2025.​

Pandya’s all-round impact and high-tempo batting earned him the Player of the Match award, capping a series where he also returned from injury to reclaim his finisher’s role and leadership presence. Reflecting on his 16-ball fifty, he admitted he had targeted a six off his very first delivery and only later learned he now sits just behind Yuvraj on India’s T20I fastest-fifties list, a milestone made even more memorable by the human touch he showed towards the injured cameraman.

Also READ: Fans go wild as Varun Chakaravarthy and Hardik Pandya help India demolishes South Africa in Ahmedabad T20I to clinch a 3-1 series win

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

NEW DELHI: The West Bengal government on Saturday officially renamed its flagship 100-day employment scheme, ‘Karmashree’, to ‘Mahatmashree’ in honour of Mahatma Gandhi.The notification follows West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s announcement two days earlier, amid the row over the central government renaming the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission–Gramin (VB-G RAM G) Bill.Also Read | ‘We’ll give respect to Mahatma Gandhi’: Mamata to rename Bengal job scheme; slams Centre“The renaming not only preserves the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi but also aligns our state programme with the spirit of public welfare,” news agency PTI quoted a senior state official as saying.On Thursday, Banerjee, who also leads the state’s ruling TMC, announced at a business event in Kolkata that Karmashree would be given a new name. “We started the Karmashree scheme, but Gandhi ji’s name was not included. I’m really sorry, I’m ashamed. The father of the nation’s name should have been there, just like in the MGNREGA program. In the new bill, Gandhi ji’s name won’t be there,” Banerjee said.“So, Karmashree’s name will be changed to Mahatma ji’s scheme. If the Centre does not give respect to Mahatma ji, we will,” she added.Govt vs opposition on VB-G RAM GBoth Houses of Parliament passed the VB-G RAM G Bill on Thursday, the penultimate day of Parliament’s winter session, which began on December 1. VB-G RAM G to replace MGNREGA and guarantees 125 days of rural wage employment every year. MGNREGA was introduced by the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government at the Centre in 2005.Also Read | ‘Attack on poor’: Sonia Gandhi slams PM Modi over VB-G RAM G Bill; criticises repealing of MGNREGAThe national opposition, including the TMC, had demanded that the VB-G RAM G Bill be sent to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny, citing the “financial burden” it would place on states, and criticised the BJP-led Centre for removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the rural employment guarantee scheme.The Union government, however, maintains that the new legislation is a “substantial improvement” over MGNREGA, which it described as “riddled with corruption and inefficiency.”