HYDERABAD: Amid a tough job market, a computer science engineering student from Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IITH), has landed a Rs 2.5 crore package from a Netherlands-based firm in this year’s placements. According to IITH, this is the highest package ever bagged by a student in the history of the institution, which started in 2008.Edward Nathan Varghese, a final-year student, will begin work with Optiver — a global trading firm — as software engineer from July. The 21-year-old secured the offer after converting a two-month internship into a pre-placement offer (PPO).

“This was the first and only company I interviewed for. I was ecstatic when my mentor indicated that the firm would be extending me an offer. So were my parents,” a jubilant Varghese told TOI on Wednesday. Born and raised in Hyderabad — he later studied in Bengaluru from class 7 to class 12 — Varghese said he was always confident of landing a handsome package, the slowdown in the market notwithstanding.“I knew that the IIT tag would draw companies to our campus and that the effect of the present job market would be minimal. Also, since first year of engineering, I was into competitive programming and among the top 100 in the country. That too helped me crack the interview, along with the curriculum that gave us the option to do a wide range of courses. I was lucky to get a PPO,” said Varghese, whose parents are both engineers.While two students were selected for the internship at Optiver, Varghese alone got a PPO. The summer internship included two weeks of training and a six-week project. He will be working full-time at the firm’s Netherlands office. Apart from Varghese, another CSE student at IITH walked away with a Rs 1.1 crore package — raising the bar for the institute. Until now, the highest package ever offered to an IITH student was about Rs 1 crore, recorded in 2017.Avg package up by 75%But 2025 not only changed that, it also saw the average packages at the institute jump by about 75% compared to 2024 — from Rs 20.8 lakh to Rs 36.2 lakh. A total of 24 international offers were secured by students this year in the first phase of placements, which ended in Dec.“More than packages, our target is to ensure that all students who want to get placed receive a good offer. Along with tech jobs, we are also concentrating on providing good opportunities to core engineering students by giving PSUs and core engineering companies early slots,” said Mayur Vaidya, faculty-in-charge (FiC), Office of Career Services, adding that they are constantly reaching out to more firms and highlighting their flexible calendar, diversity of courses, and curriculum to ensure more companies come to campus.Vaidya said in Phase 2 of placements, more postgraduate students are likely to receive offers from domestic companies.Currently, 196 PG students out of 650 have been placed, with an average package of Rs 22 lakh. When it comes to UG students, 62% of the 487 students who registered for placements received job offers.Highest packages in the last 3 years:2025-26 – Rs 2.5 crore2024-25 – Rs 66 lakh2023-24 – Rs 90 lakh

Mumbai: BJP politician Kirit Somaiya could not contain his joy on Thursday. He took to social media to express it: “Neil Somaiya ward 107 in Mulund. 1. Uddhav Thackeray Sena UBT 2. Raj Thackeray MNS 3. Sharad Pawar NCP 4. Rahul Gandhi Congress did not put up candidates. God is Great.” Somaiya’s confidence in his son winning the election for the second time stems from the fact that there is no heavyweight candidate against Neil.

On account of an alliance among Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS and NCP (SP), Ward No. 107 was allotted to NCP (SP). The party nominated Bharat Vanani as its candidate for the ward, but Vanani’s form was rejected and he was disqualified.The Congress, on the other hand, has an alliance with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). Its candidate is Vaishali Sapkal.Returning officer Ujwala Bhagat said there were 13 valid nominations from Ward No. 107, of which four were filed by Neil Somaiya. “There is one VBA candidate, while the rest are independent candidates,” Bhagat said. In 2017, Neil contested the election from the adjacent Ward No. 108 and won. In Jan 2023, the VBA formed an alliance with the Shiv Sena for the civic election, but the alliance ended in 2024. Asked if there is some understanding with the Shiv Sena, VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar said his party does not have any alliance with the Shiv Sena and MNS.Good fortune also favoured Shiv Sena MLA from Andheri East Muraji Patel. His wife, Kesarben, is contesting the election from Ward No. 81 on a BJP ticket, and his former PA Prakash Musale is contesting from Ward No. 76. Both electoral wards are in Patel’s constituency. Patel said it is merit and the candidates’ winnability factor that decided their candidature. “Every party chooses its candidate, and Musale is not my PA; he is the BJP’s dy district president,” he said.While the BJP has spoken about winnability being a factor in deciding the candidate and ward, at least four candidates who lost the 2017 election kept their candidature intact. Prakash Darekar (Ward No. 3) and Nisha Parulekar-Bangera (Ward No. 25), both considered close to MLC Pravin Darekar, and Ritu Tawde (Ward No. 132) and Shakeel Ansari (Ward No. 211) were given a second chance. Ansari, the party’s lone Muslim candidate, missed the deadline this time and failed to file his nomination. MSID:: 126290009 413 |

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has paved the way for a man found guilty under MCOCA, the law dealing with organised crime, to contest the BMC election by staying his conviction in a 2009 case of alleged extortion. The high court said the right of the election hopeful, Vinod Ghogale (43), to participate in the democratic process was likely to be affected if the conviction was not stayed, given that an appeal by him had been admitted but was yet to be heard. Ghogale filed his nomination form as an independent candidate for Ward No. 119 in Vikhroli East on Dec 30 — the last day of filing of nominations — along with a submission that his petition seeking permission to contest the election was pending in the high court.The FIR in the case, registered with the Vikhroli police station, said that several members of an organised crime syndicate headed by an accused, Kumar Pillai, who was then absconding, were involved in a firing incident to extort Rs 50 lakh from a builder in 2009. Ghogale, the fifth accused, was arrested on April 21, 2010.The role attributed to Ghogale in a confession statement by a co-accused, Sanjit alias Lafda Shetty, was that he was aware of organised crime syndicate activities and “took bullets from a shop of a co-accused on one occasion and took delivery of a box containing pistols, live cartridges and cash on another, and took training for loading and unloading firearms”.In 2015, the special trial court for the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) convicted him along with others and sentenced him to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment. Ghogale has already served seven years so far. He appealed against the conviction before the high court in 2016. In March 2017, the high court rejected his plea for suspension of sentence and bail. He then moved the Supreme Court, which granted him bail in Oct 2017 after suspending his sentence. On Thursday, Ghogale told TOI that he was working with the BJP for the last eight years and was currently the Maharashtra state vice-president of the Akhil Bharatiya Kamgar Karmachari Sangh. He worked as a trade union leader in the aviation sector and also the hospitality sector, and worked at the grassroots level during the recent Lok Sabha and assembly elections.Justice Sandesh Patil on the high court vacation bench in his interim order observed that Ghogale already served seven years behind bars. “Although right to contest election is not a fundamental right, yet his right to participate in a democratic process is surely likely to be effected,” the high court said.Ghogale’s lawyer said that while filing his nomination form he had informed the authorities that his petition seeking a stay of the conviction verdict was filed on Dec 22 and was pending before the high court. Ghogale’s counsel, Subhash Jha, on Wednesday argued that Ghogale, who filled his nomination form, intended to contest the civic polls and that unless the conviction is stayed, he cannot contest under the law. Jha said Ghogale so far never sought a stay of his conviction. Section 8 of the Representation of People Act bar persons from contesting elections if they are convicted in a crime and sentenced to two or more years.Mayur Sonavane, additional public prosecutor for the state, sought dismissal of Ghogale’s plea, saying that after the 2015 conviction there was another offence registered against Ghogale in an alleged criminal conspiracy for an attempt to murder case.The high court said: “The only question which arises before this court is whether the impugned judgment (of conviction) and order deserves to be stayed in light of the fact that the sentence is of a fixed imprisonment of 10 years … . The appeal was not taken for hearing since Feb 2016. The appeal is admitted.” The high court noted that, on merits, prima facie the question in appeal is of prior prosecution sanction and also the mandatory requirement of two prior chargesheets within 10 years against each accused in the case to invoke MCOCA.The high court said that pending final disposal of his application, the “implementation and execution” of the trial court judgment in the MCOCA special case is stayed. The high court posted his plea for hearing before a regular bench post-vacation, on Jan 21.

Sri Lankan cricket star Maheesh Theekshana and his wife, Arthika Yonali, have shared some joyous news with their fans worldwide. Just a year after their star-studded wedding, the couple took to social media to announce that they are expecting their first child.

The announcement has sent a wave of excitement through the cricketing community, with teammates, fans, and franchises flooding the couple’s social media pages with “congratulations” and well-wishes.

A new chapter for Maheesha Theekshana

The announcement comes at a poignant time for the couple, coinciding with their first wedding anniversary. Maheesh and Arthika tied the knot on January 17, 2025, in a lavish ceremony at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo.

Taking to Instagram to share the milestone, the couple posted a series of heartwarming photos. One of the slides featured a glimpse of the ultrasound, confirming that the “mystery spinner” is about to take on his most important role yet: fatherhood.

“Late Christmas, early New Year and the most beautiful surprise to begin our next chapter,” wrote Theeskshana on Instagram.

Also READ: Shardul Thakur and his wife Mittali Parulkar become parents to a baby boy

From the cricket pitch to parenthood

2025 was a whirlwind year for Theekshana. On the field, he cemented his status as one of the world’s premier white-ball spinners, notably claiming a historic ODI hat-trick against New Zealand and making a high-profile move to the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. He achieved the No. 1 spot in ICC’s ODI bowler rankings in February 2025. Despite these highlights, his T20I performance for the year saw a high average of 39.20 and an economy rate of 9.76 in the IPL, indicating some struggles with consistency.

Off the field, his partnership with Arthika, a professional cabin crew member, has been a favorite among fans. The couple has often shared snippets of their travels and life together, but this latest “adventure”—as their wedding theme once hinted—is undoubtedly their biggest one yet.

Also READ: Aiden Markram set to become a father; wife Nicole shares baby bump pictures

Mumbai: Greater Mumbai under the BMC’s jurisdiction has recorded the strongest housing market performance in 14 years in 2025. Property registrations between Jan and Dec 2025 touched a high of over 1.5 lakh, while stamp duty collections generated revenue of Rs 13,487 crore.In Dec 2025 alone, 14,447 properties were registered, contributing Rs 1,263 crore to state exchequer. “This translated into a robust 16% year-on-year increase in registrations and an 11% YoY rise in stamp duty collections. On a sequential basis, Dec registrations surged 18% while stamp duty revenues climbed sharply by 22%,” said Knight Frank India.

Dec emerged as the second-strongest month of the year, surpassed only by March, when monthly registrations crossed 15,000 mark. Residential properties accounted for 80% of total registrations in Dec.Shishir Baijal, international partner, chairman and MD, Knight Frank India, said the year “2025 marked a steady and mature phase for Mumbai’s housing market, with property registrations crossing 1.50 lakh, the highest level seen in the past 14 years. This milestone is a strong indicator of the underlying resilience and depth of the market, driven by sustained end-user demand and a far more supportive supply-side ecosystem.” He said, “Rising stamp duty collections reflect a gradual improvement in per unit transaction values. This strength is reinforced by a significant improvement in affordability, with Mumbai now at 47%, a sharp correction from levels where EMIs once consumed as much as 97% of household income.”Homes priced above Rs 5 crore accounted for 7% of total registrations in Dec 2025, up from 6% a year earlier. The less than Rs 1 crore range saw its share decline as affordability challenges weighed on buyer sentiment in this bracket. The Rs 2-5 crore range was stable, while the share of properties worth Rs 1-2 crore rose from 30% in 2024 to 32% in 2025.Properties up to 1,000 square feet continue to lead in registrations in Dec 2025. Units up to 1,000 sq ft contributed 82% of all registrations in line with last year. The 500–1,000 sq ft segment was the most preferred. Larger homes retained a niche base, with 1,000–2,000 sq ft units edging up to 15%, and above 2,000 sq ft 3%. Western and central suburbs account for 85% of total market share in Dec.

Mumbai: At 211, drunk driving cases saw 37% reduction in Mumbai this New Year’s Eve on Wednesday night compared with 333 cases recorded on Dec 31, 2024. The rest of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region also witnessed a decrease in cases—274 recorded in Thane and 250 in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday night (see box). Thane traffic police also booked 12 co-passengers for abetment as they were found accompanying inebriated drivers.“Consistent crackdowns on drunk driving throughout the year and registration of FIRs on offenders since April 2025 has resulted in the decrease in drunk driving cases on New Year’s Eve,” said Anil Kumbhare, joint commissioner of police, traffic, Mumbai.

With the registration of an FIR, the motorist would have to go to a hospital for a medical examination and subsequently to court for trial. It may also impact his employment prospects.Besides drink driving, Mumbai traffic police issued over 13,500 challans, with fines running up to Rs 1.3 crore on Wednesday for other violations such as speeding, not using helmets or seat belts, driving in the wrong direction, signal jumping and speaking on the phone while driving.Under the Thane police commissionerate, Kalyan reported the highest number of cases. A total of 18 traffic units operate under 35 police stations in the region. Acting on directives given by police commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre, the traffic department deployed 739 personnel and set up 54 checkpoints across the region to ensure road safety on New Year’s Eve.Both, Mumbai and Thane, had lower drunk driving cases on Dec 31, 2025 compared with figures on Dec 31, 2024, and Dec 31, 2023.Across Navi Mumbai, the police used mascots to create awareness among motorists about the risks of mixing drinking and driving. Around 2,500 cops were deployed to carry out checks at major junctions along Sion-Panvel highway, Thane-Belapur road and Palm Beach Road from 8 pm on Wednesday until 6 am on Thursday, according to police commissioner Milind Bharambe. Out of total 250 drunk driving cases by 16 traffic units in Navi Mumbai, a maximum of 26 cases were recorded in Turbhe and Panvel city each.In Kalyan as well as Navi Mumbai, police cracked down on illegal sale and consumption of alcohol, careless use of inflammable substances in public, drugs consumption and creating obstruction on public streets. In Kalyan, action was also taken against 45 motorists for riding triple-seat and overspeeding.(Inputs by Nitasha Natu, Nishikant Karlikar, George Mendonca & Pradeep Gupta)

Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Launch, Route & Fares: The much awaited Vande Bharat sleeper train is all set to be launched soon, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced. The new train will be flagged off by PM Narendra Modi in the next few weeks. Vande Bharat sleeper trains, aimed at providing superior experience to Rajdhani Express trains, are for long-distance overnight travel. The new train has several passenger-friendly features and will offer the fastest rail travel option on any route. What’s special about the Vande Bharat sleeper train? From Vande Bharat sleeper train’s maiden route to ticket prices & features – here are top 10 facts and stunning photos:

Swiss Federal President Guy Parmelin (AP)

Swiss President Guy Parmelin described the deadly fire at the bar in Crans-Montana that killed 40 and injured 115 as “one of the worst tragedies” the country has known.A fire broke out shortly after midnight on Thursday during New Year celebrations at Le Constellation, a bar popular with international tourists. Swiss police said nearly 100 people were inside at the time of the blaze.

Speaking after the incident, Parmelin said authorities are investigating “the exact circumstances” of what happened. “We owe it to victims”, their families and all Swiss citizens, he said, as quoted by BBC.He added that flags will be flown at half-mast for five days, stressing that a “tragedy of such a scale” must not happen again.Asked by a journalist whether minors were among those who died, state councillor Stéphane Ganzer said he would not describe the victims as minors, but added, “You can imagine on New Year’s Eve that the population is quite young. We’re talking about a young festive population.”Parmelin said the identification of victims needs to be completed as quickly as possible, but stressed the process is “extremely difficult work” and “is something that will last a long time.”Parmelin thanked countries that offered support in the aftermath of the fire, pointing specifically to neighbouring France, Germany and Italy. He said communications are being established through foreign ministries with the families of foreign victims.Earlier, Parmelin, who took office on January 1, wrote on X, “What was a moment of joy turned into a tragedy in Crans-Montana last night, felt across the country and beyond. The Federal Council has taken note of this with deep dismay. Its thoughts are with the victims, the injured and their families and it extends its deepest condolences.”Authorities have cordoned off the area and imposed a no-fly zone as emergency operations continue. Around 10 helicopters, 40 ambulances and 150 responders were deployed to the scene. Officials said emergency operations will continue over the coming days.Officials described the blaze as an “embrasement généralisé,” a firefighting term referring to a sudden and violent ignition caused by combustible gases, similar to what English-speaking firefighters call a flashover or backdraft.Beatrice Pilloud, prosecutor-general of Valais canton, said “currently we are favouring a fire and at no time is there question of any attack,” adding that out of respect for the families she could not provide further details. Police have confirmed the incident is not being treated as terror-related.