Noida techie Yuvraj Mehta’s car pulled out of pit

NEW DELHI: Days after 27-year old Noida techie drowned in a waterlogged trench, NDRF team pulled out his car on Tuesday. Police said the accident occurred in Greater Noida, within the jurisdiction of the Knowledge Park police station, late on the night of January 16–17, when the deceased Yuvraj Mehta’s car broke through the edge of a drain at the Sector 150 crossing and fell into the water.The NDRF team used boats and divers to locate his car and pull it out three days after the incident and loaded onto a truck.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, police arrested the director of a real estate firm in connection with the death of the 27-year-old software engineer, while a Special Investigation Team (SIT) visited the spot and initiated its probe into the incident, officials said. “Abhay Kumar, the director of MZ Wiztown Planners and one of the accused in the case, has been arrested from Sector 150,” said, Additional Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Hemant Upadhyay, quoted by ANI.Also read: How civic neglect killed techie in ‘planned’ Noida; 2015 proposal ignoredEyewitnesses said the victim repeatedly cried out for help for nearly two hours, but despite the presence of police personnel and rescue teams at the site, he could not be rescued.His body was recovered on Saturday following an extended search operation carried out by the fire department, police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).Also read: Tale of a lucky trucker and an unlucky techie- How freezing water & ‘cold’ response cost a young life in NoidaWith regards to the probe, the three-member SIT, with ADG Bhanu Bhaskar, Meerut divisional commissioner Bhanu Chandra Goswami and Public Works Department chief engineer Ajay Verma, has been directed to submit its report within five days.Additionally, UP government also removed senior IAS officer Lokesh M as the CEO of Noida Authority, placing him on the “waitlist”.The case pertains to the incident, when Mehta’s SUV fell into a nearly 30-foot-deep, water-filled pit at a commercial site amid dense fog and low visibility. The pit was allegedly not secured with barricades, reflectors or warning signs.

Global tech leaders are pushing students to focus on maths and computer science when they are tempted to move away.

There is a quiet panic creeping through classrooms and coding labs. Artificial intelligence now writes code faster than students can learn it. It solves equations without showing its work. It answers exam-style questions with unsettling confidence. For a generation raised on speed and shortcuts, the conclusion feels obvious: perhaps computer science has peaked; perhaps maths is finally optional.That conclusion is wrong and the people who know it best are the ones who helped build the systems causing the panic. Over the past year, an unlikely consensus has emerged among global tech leaders. They are not urging students to chase the newest programming language or master the trendiest AI tool. Instead, they are pointing insistently backwards to subjects many students are eager to escape: Mathematics, computer science fundamentals, physics, and theoretical thinking.This is neither nostalgia, nor academic romanticism. It is a warning about where value is draining out of the system. AI is not eliminating intelligence, it is commodifying the mechanical parts of it. The first skills to flatten are those based on repetition: Syntax memorisation, framework fluency, surface-level coding competence. What survives, and in fact becomes rarer, is the ability to reason from first principles, to model a problem abstractly, to understand why a system behaves the way it does when it fails.That is why some of the sharpest minds in technology are now sounding almost conservative. They are arguing that maths is not a hurdle but a filter; computer science is not about writing code but about structuring thought; and difficulty, far from being a flaw in education, may be its last remaining quality check.In an age obsessed with shortcuts, these voices are making an unfashionable case: that the hardest subjects still matter—not despite artificial intelligence, but because of it. Here, we examine why some of the world’s most influential tech figures are pushing students back to maths and core computer science at the very moment many are tempted to move away.

Pavel Durov: Maths trains independence

The provocation began quietly. In mid-2025, Telegram founder Pavel Durov posted advice aimed at students weighing their options in an AI-dominated future. “If you’re a student choosing what to focus on, pick mathematics,” he wrote. No emojis, no caveats.Durov did not frame mathematics as a guarantee of employment. He framed it as a discipline that forces independent thinking. Maths, as he has often argued, does not allow the luxury of imitation. You either understand the problem, or you don’t. In a world where AI offers instant answers, that distinction matters more, not less. Durov’s subtext was unmistakable: reliance on tools is rising; intellectual self-reliance is becoming scarce.

Elon Musk: First principles, or nothing

Durov’s post drew a response from Elon Musk that became viral precisely because of its brevity. Replying publicly on X, Musk wrote: “Physics (with math).”The two words were not a curriculum. They were a philosophy. For Musk, physics is the arena where first-principles thinking is unavoidable, assumptions are tested against reality, not convenience. Maths is the language that makes that testing precise. When Musk says “physics (with math)”, he is rejecting surface competence. He is arguing that as systems grow more complex—rockets, autonomous vehicles, large-scale AI—the penalty for shallow understanding becomes catastrophic.In the AI era, Musk’s message was stark: tools will change weekly; first principles endure.

Sam Altman: High-leverage moment

By late 2025, a different anxiety had taken hold: that AI had made computer science itself a poor academic bet. Speaking at Stanford University in a public conversation with cryptography professor Dan Boneh, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addressed that fear head-on.“This is a really cool time to be studying computer science,” Altman said. “It’s a high-leverage moment, especially if you’re interested in AI.”Altman’s phrasing was deliberate. “High leverage” does not mean easy returns. It means that understanding foundational systems now carries outsized impact later. AI, in Altman’s telling, is not replacing computer science; it is concentrating power in the hands of those who understand how these systems are built, constrained, and deployed.For students, the implication is uncomfortable but clear: shallow familiarity will age badly. Structural understanding will compound.

Demis Hassabis: The discipline of difficulty

If Altman speaks as a strategist, Demis Hassabis speaks as a product of academic rigour. In a 2025 conversation on the Lex Fridman podcast, the Google DeepMind CEO reflected on the formative impact of his education.“I took some very difficult math and theoretical computer science courses,” Hassabis said. “They taught me how to think deeply and rigorously—and how to persist when things were hard.”He returned to the theme later that year at public forums, cautioning students against abandoning maths and theory simply because AI tools appear to make them redundant. The real value of those subjects, Hassabis argued, lies not in the content itself but in the cognitive training they impose: precision, patience, and the ability to wrestle with problems that resist quick solutions. In an era where answers arrive instantly, the capacity to sit with uncertainty becomes a competitive advantage.

Sergey Brin: Passion and caution in the AI era

At a time when students are hearing two conflicting narratives — AI will replace jobs and AI will replace degrees — Google co-founder Sergey Brin offered one of the most grounded responses in January 2026 while speaking to a new generation of engineers at Stanford University.His words were simple but layered. “I chose computer science because I had a passion for it. It was kind of a no-brainer for me. I guess you could say I was also lucky because I was also in such a transformative field,” he said. Brin’s emphasis on curiosity rather than credential chasing was deliberate. He pointed out that his own journey — from a Stanford graduate student to co-architect of Google — was driven by interest, not fear-based career calculus. In an age of generative AI, where models such as Gemini and ChatGPT can write and debug code, that distinction matters more than ever. Importantly, Brin did not stop at passion. He also addressed the anxiety about automation head-on. With characteristic candour, he quipped, “I wouldn’t go off and switch to comparative literature because you think the AI is good at coding. The AI is probably even better at comparative literature, just to be perfectly honest anyway.”His point was twofold: Don’t flee STEM out of fear of automation, and don’t assume AI’s current performance undermines the value of structured learning.

If you ignore the fame…

Fame is a distraction. Take the celebrities out of it — Musk tossing “physics with maths” like it is a mic-drop, Altman selling computer science as a “high-leverage” bet from a Stanford stage, Hassabis sounding like the class topper who actually enjoyed theoretical CS, Brin reminding everyone he picked CS because he genuinely liked it — and the argument stops being glamorous. In fact, it starts being annoyingly sensible. AI is not stealing intelligence, it is bulk-discounting the easier bits of it. The stuff that once passed as skill — routine coding, formula application, template thinking — is now a vending machine. What still refuses to automate is judgment: Spotting the bad assumption, knowing when an answer is plausible and when it is polished nonsense. That is why they keep returning to maths and core CS.

NOIDA: A CRPF constable and his wife were arrested on Monday for allegedly subjecting a 10-year-old girl to sustained physical abuse at their official residence in Greater Noida, leaving the child critically injured and on ventilator support. While the child lived with the couple as a domestic help, constable G D Tariq Anwar, posted with the 235th Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force, claimed she was his wife Rimpa Khatun’s niece.Police said the girl had been living with the couple on the CRPF campus without formal permission from senior authorities and was allegedly made to work as a domestic help.A case under BNS Section 110 relating to an attempt to commit culpable homicide was registered at Ecotech-3 police station after a subedar major posted at the CRPF camp submitted a written complaint to the police on Sunday. The complaint stated that the couple lived in quarter number 13 of block 60, inside the Ecotech 3 CRPF campus, and that the child was routinely assigned household chores, including caring for other children, and was frequently beaten. Investigators said on the intervening night of Jan 14 and 15, the girl was brutally beaten by the couple, causing severe injuries. Instead of taking her to the CRPF hospital, Anwar admitted her to Sarvodaya Hospital.

Police said he told doctors the child had slipped and fallen in a bathroom.Medical findings, however, contradicted that claim. Doctors found multiple old and fresh injuries, including broken ribs, deep wounds to the head and chest, and signs of prolonged starvation. Her haemoglobin level was critically low at 1.9. The child had dark circles under her eyes, swelling in her legs, and was unconscious when brought in, doctors said. Suspecting sustained physical abuse, the hospital prepared a medico-legal report and alerted the authorities.As her condition deteriorated, the girl was referred to Max Hospital in Sector 128, Noida. In a statement, a hospital spokesperson said the child was brought to the emergency department on January 15 in a critical state, already on ventilator support. “She was diagnosed with polytrauma and shock. Suspecting possible abuse, the hospital immediately informed the police, requesting a thorough investigation into the matter. The child is currently receiving treatment in the hospital’s paediatric intensive care unit (PICU).”Senior CRPF officials took cognisance of the matter and directed police to take strict action. Following preliminary investigation and medical evidence, Ecotech-3 police arrested both accused. CRPF has suspended Anwar.Police said the child’s medical examination has been completed and further investigation is underway. Child welfare authorities have been informed, and officials said additional legal action would follow based on the findings.A CRPF spokesperson said – Constable (GD) Tariq Anwar is posted in 235 Bn, Noida since January 2024 and working in CRPF Noida hospital as a first aider. He is residing in CRPF Noida camp with his family and had a young girl, reported to be his wife’s relative, staying with the family. On receipt of information from Noida Police about the girl being admitted in Sarvodaya hospital, senior officers along with a team was sent to ascertain the facts.Considering the gravity of the incident the said constable was placed under suspension and enquiry has been initiated as per procedure. On receipt of the preliminary medical report from hospital, a formal compliant has been lodged by the unit at PS Ecotech on 17.01.2026, based on the complaint Tariq Anwar and his wife have been arrested by police on 18.06.2026. CRPF will give every assistance to the police for the investigation and support the medical treatment to the young girl fully.

Perth Scorchers have once again proven why Optus Stadium is considered a fortress in Australian cricket. In a high-stakes BBL|15 Qualifier held on January 20, 2026, the Scorchers dismantled the Sydney Sixers by 48 runs, punching their ticket directly to the Grand Final. Despite a modest total on the board, a masterclass in aggressive opening batting followed by a clinical, high-pace bowling display saw the home side outclass their perennial rivals in every department.

Finn Allen stands tall as Perth Scorchers’ lone warrior in BBL|15 Qualifier

Opting to bat first in the heat of Perth, the Scorchers faced an immediate setback when Mitchell Marsh fell to Mitchell Starc for just 5. However, Finn Allen ensured the momentum didn’t stall. Embracing his role as the lone warrior at the top of the order, Allen blazed a trail through the Sixers’ attack, scoring a vital 49 off just 30 deliveries.

His innings, laced with three boundaries and four towering sixes, provided the only real fluency in a Scorchers innings that struggled against the discipline of Ben Dwarshuis and Jack Edwards. While the middle order stuttered, Josh Inglis (2) and Cooper Connolly (8) fell cheaply, Allen’s strike rate of 163.33 kept the scoreboard ticking during the Powerplay. Following Allen’s dismissal, captain Ashton Turner (29) and Jhye Richardson (20) provided late-innings resistance to haul the total to 147/9. Though it appeared under-par at the innings break, the tacky nature of the surface suggested the chase would be anything but straightforward.

Also READ: Tactical genius or Team friction? Mitchell Starc weighs in on Steve Smith-Babar Azam drama in BBL|15

Mahli Beardman rips through Sydney Sixers to book their 9^th BBL final spot

If Allen provided the platform, it was young sensation Mahli Beardman who pulled the rug out from under the Sydney Sixers. Defending 148, the Scorchers’ defense began perfectly when Connolly removed Babar Azam for a duck in the very first over. However, the true carnage began when Beardman was introduced into the attack.

Beardman produced an exceptional spell of fast bowling that combined raw pace with pinpoint accuracy. He first accounted for the dangerous Josh Philippe (13) before delivering the knockout blow by removing the Sixers’ captain, Moises Henriques, for a five-ball duck. The Sixers’ hopes rested heavily on Steve Smith, who looked a class apart with a gritty 37. Yet, Beardman returned to claim the ultimate prize, inducing a mistake from Smith that was safely pouched by David Payne.

The Sixers’ collapse was clinical and comprehensive. From 23/3, they never recovered, eventually being bundled out for just 99 in 15 overs. Payne supported Beardman with figures of 2/13, while Richardson’s 1/20 ensured no lower-order miracles occurred. The 48-run margin reflected the Scorchers’ total dominance in the field. With this victory, the Perth Scorchers head straight to the BBL|15 Final, while the Sydney Sixers must now reset for a do-or-die Challenger match to earn a rematch.

Cold total, scorching response 😤 Perth bring the fire when it matters most 🔥
⚡ Straight to the final ⚡#BBL15
Scorecard 👉🏾 https://t.co/vN6dj58369 pic.twitter.com/D7DvOFbrM2

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) January 20, 2026

Also READ: Fans go berserk as Steve Smith’s historic century drives Sixers past Thunder in Sydney derby at BBL|15

Here are the top 5 news stories of the day:

Nitin Nabin takes charge as BJP national president; PM Modi calls him ‘my boss’

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nitin Nabin took charge as the party’s new national president. Addressing the gathering at the inauguration, PM Modi described himself as a “party worker” and said, “When it comes to the party, Nitin Nabin is my boss.” The 45-year-old leader from Bihar became the BJP’s youngest-ever national president, succeeding Jagat Prakash Nadda. Read full story

Trump threatens 200% tariff on French wine; shares Macron’s private text

US President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning to French President Emmanuel Macron, threatening to impose a 200 per cent tariff on French wine and champagne after Paris declined to join the board of peace. Trump also shared a screenshot of a message from Macron proposing a G7 meeting, with Ukraine and Denmark invited, to discuss issues including disagreements over Greenland. Read full story

Noida techie death: Police arrest builder over alleged construction negligence

Police arrested Abhay Kumar, the builder and owner of MZ Wiztown, in connection with the death of 27-year-old software engineer Yuvraj Mehta. Kumar was taken into custody by Knowledge Park police from Sector 150. According to police, the arrest relates to alleged negligence at a construction site linked to the incident. He will be produced before a court as per legal procedure. Read full story

TN governor RN Ravi walks out of assembly, cites disrespect to national anthem

Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi walked out of the state Assembly without delivering his inaugural address, alleging disrespect to the national anthem and claiming his mic was switched off. “I am disappointed. The national anthem was not given due respect,” he said. Reacting, CM Stalin accused the governor of “walking out yet again in violation of rules, traditions and ethos.” Read full story

Stock market crash: Sensex plunges 1,066 points, Nifty slides 353

Indian equity benchmarks Nifty50 and BSE Sensex fell sharply, sliding in the latter half of the session amid heavy selling. Technology stocks led the decline as mixed earnings signals, global trade uncertainties triggered by US President Donald Trump, and continued foreign investor outflows dented market sentiment. The Nifty50 closed at 25,232.50, down 353 points, while the BSE Sensex ended at 82,180.47, shedding 1,066 points or 1.28%.Read full story

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen talks during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos (AP photo)

India is close to signing a trade deal with the European Union, as stated by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen during the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.“There is still work to do. But we are on the cusp of a historic trade agreement. Some call it the mother of all deals. One that would create a market of 2 billion people, accounting for almost a quarter of global GDP,” she said while outlining the EU’s push to expand and diversify its trade partnerships.She also linked the trade push to forthcoming high-level engagement, saying she will visit India next weekend following the World Economic Forum in Davos. She said the trip is aimed at advancing the proposed trade agreement and underscored that significant work remains to bolster economic ties and deepen cooperation between Europe and India. Von der Leyen is among the chief guests for the 77th Republic Day celebrations. During the India visit, the Eu chief, alongside president of the European Council Antonio Luis Santos da Costa , will also co-chair the 16th India-EU Summit on January 27.Talking about the proposed agreement with India within Europe’s broader global strategy, von der Leyen said the continent remains open to doing business with partners across the world and will continue to pursue active engagement. “Europe will always choose the world, and the world is ready to choose Europe,” she said, emphasising the EU’s determination to expand international trade and cooperation.Last week, Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal had also said the free trade agreement between India and EU, where negotiations are in the final phase, will be the “mother of all deals” signed by the country so far. “I have done seven deals so far. All with developed economies. This one will be the mother of all,” the union minister said.He added that, “we are getting a super deal. In areas of EU interest also, we are giving them a super deal. It has to be a win-win. The good part is we do not compete with each other. We have different interests.”Before Goyal, commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal said the two sides had completed negotiations on 20 of the 24 chapters, with efforts ongoing to conclude the talks by January 26.

Bangladesh on Tuesday rejected what it described as “unreasonable conditions” imposed by the ICC regarding its participation in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India, according to Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul. Following the exclusion of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL 2026, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) reiterated that the team would not tour India under the present circumstances.Despite multiple rounds of discussions between ICC and BCB officials, the matter remains unresolved, leaving Bangladesh’s participation in the tournament uncertain.

Speaking at the Secretariat on Tuesday, Asif Nazrul said, “If the ICC bows to pressure from the Indian cricket board and imposes unreasonable conditions on us, we will not accept them.”“There are precedents in international cricket, when India refused to play in Pakistan, the ICC changed the venue. We have reasonably asked for a venue change,” he added.Earlier, the BCB dismissed reports claiming the ICC had set a January 21 deadline for Bangladesh to confirm participation in the World Cup, which begins on February 7. Media committee chairman Amjad Hossain said that “no specific date” had been communicated.However, ICC sources said the governing body had issued an ultimatum asking BCB to convey a final decision by Wednesday (January 21). If Bangladesh withdraws, the ICC may name a replacement team, with Scotland next in line as per current rankings.Clarifying the situation, Amjad told the Daily Star, “Last Saturday, on January 17, an ICC representative came, and our cricket board representatives held a meeting with him. Regarding World Cup participation, there was an issue with the venue, and we informed them of our reluctance to play there. We requested an alternate venue, and we held detailed discussions with the representatives. They told us that they will inform the ICC about the issues and will let us know about the decision later on.”“In regard to these talks, they have not mentioned a specific date or when they will let us know. They just told us that they will let us know when the next discussion will take place. Thank you,” he added.The ICC, meanwhile, remains firm on sticking to the original schedule, which places Bangladesh in Group C alongside Italy, New Zealand, West Indies and Nepal. Bangladesh are scheduled to play their opening match against West Indies in Kolkata on February 7, followed by two more group games at Eden Gardens and their final group match at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.Talks on Saturday also revealed that the ICC did not agree to Bangladesh and Ireland swapping groups to allow Bangladesh to play matches in Sri Lanka. The ICC has also assured BCB that India poses no security threat to the team.ICC sources said independent risk assessments by internationally recognised security experts have found no specific threat to Bangladesh, its officials or venues, and assessed the overall security risk for matches in India as low to moderate.