CDS Gen Anil Chauhan with senior military officials during the inauguration of the resurfaced and upgraded runway at the IAF’s Car Nicobar air base in Andaman and Nicobar Islands on FridaY. (Credit: A&N Command)

NEW DELHI: Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Friday inaugurated a major runway upgrade at the Indian Air Force’s Car Nicobar air base, a move aimed at strengthening India’s strategic reach over the vital Malacca Strait.Car Nicobar, which once bore the brunt of a deadly tsunami in 2004, gets the new modernised infrastructure that is designed to enhance the IAF’s rapid response capabilities and strengthen India’s military posture in the eastern Indian Ocean.The CDS, who arrived at Car Nicobar around 11.30 am, was welcomed by Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, commander-in-chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and several other senior officials on the island. Significant changes done as part of the base facelift include the expansion of the apron areas for smooth aircraft movement. The new facility will help the IAF carry out long-range firing exercises in a minimal time.Car Nicobar is a key part of the ANC 0— the country’s only tri-service command integrating the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Positioned at the heart of the Bay of Bengal, it acts as a springboard for operations across the Indo-Pacific. Second, the base enables rapid deployment, humanitarian assistance and deterrence against threats to India’s maritime security. And most importantly, its strategic location near the Malacca Strait underscores its role in safeguarding some of the world’s busiest sea lanes.On Dec 26, 2004, Car Nicobar was shattered by a monstrous tsunami that claimed the lives of 122 air warriors and their family members. Hundreds of civilians were also killed. The coastline was redrawn, villages erased and haunting “ghost towns” left behind.The tsunami forced India to rethink its strategic posture in the Indo-Pacific. Car Nicobar, once a site of grief, was rebuilt as a hub of resilience. Today, the airbase hosts C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, elite paratroopers and advanced surveillance systems.

Bhubaneswar: Odisha emerged as one of the top 10 states in the country receiving the highest number of international students, according to the recently released Niti Aayog’s ‘Internationalisation of Higher Education in India’ report.The eastern state currently has 2,362 international students pursuing UG, PG and PhD courses in different colleges and universities, both public and private. The country’s premier policy think tank derived the data from the ministry of education’s All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) reports from 2012 to 2022. While Karnataka bags the top spot with 5,954 foreign students, Odisha is at the ninth spot in the top 10 list. Bhubaneswar, which has the highest number of institutes of higher learning and research, gets the maximum number of such students.

Despite the presence of top higher educational institutes (HEIs) in places like Kolkata and Hyderabad, Odisha got more international students compared to states like West Bengal and Telangana. The Niti Aayog report said that states like Odisha and Haryana have emerged as new and important destinations, pointing to the growing role of state-level higher education policies and institutional development in attracting international students. Back in 2012-13, only 23 foreign students studied in the state.The maximum enrolment by international students is for UG (2,221) courses, BTech in particular. Educationists attribute the quality of education and research, affordability and zero tolerance to racism on campuses as the three prime reasons behind the rising popularity of Odisha among students from other countries.Vice-chancellor of Berhampur University Geetanjali Dash said the standard of higher education and research in Odisha is way better than in many other states, despite its human resources crisis. “The govt is taking several steps to improve the state’s higher education visibility on national and international platforms, be it opening more centres of excellence on campuses or investing in skill development and innovation,” she said.A senior official of the higher education department said it is currently operating a dedicated international student facilitation cell for redress of problems they face across both public and private universities and national institutes in the state, for their smooth academic experience. As far as general universities are concerned, the state is now constructing special hostels on campuses for international students.

As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season approaches, Rajasthan Royals (RR) find themselves in a unique position following one of the most significant trade windows in the league’s history. After moving their long-time captain Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a high-profile deal, the Royals have overhauled their roster, bringing in veteran experience and world-class all-round talent.

Former India batter Robin Uthappa has highlighted that while the squad’s depth is now undeniable, the ultimate success of the Jaipur-based franchise will hinge on how they navigate their current leadership vacuum. With the mini-auction concluded and the team dynamic shifted, RR are the only side entering the new year without a confirmed captain, making their decision the most anticipated announcement of the preseason.

Robin Uthappa on Rajasthan Royals’ new-look bowling arsenal

Speaking on JioStar, Uthappa praised the tactical flexibility Rajasthan has gained through recent acquisitions, specifically pointing to their newfound depth in the bowling department. The addition of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran via trade, alongside the auction purchase of leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi for ₹7.20 crore, has transformed RR into a defensive powerhouse.

“The advantage Rajasthan Royals have is the fact that they have 10 fast bowlers, offering a lot of options. If they bowl in the right areas at SMS Stadium, Jaipur, they can be very successful. With spinners like Bishnoi and Jadeja, support from Shimron Hetmyer and Donovan Ferreira, and depth in the batting order with Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag, they now have a well-rounded team.” Uthappa said.

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IPL 2026: Uthappa picks two contenders for Rajasthan Royals’ captaincy

The most critical talking point for the Royals remains the vacancy at the top. Uthappa believes the choice effectively comes down to a battle between veteran experience and homegrown potential. While many fans have called for Yashasvi Jaiswal to be handed the reins, Uthappa suggests the young opener might need to wait a bit longer, placing Ravindra Jadeja and Riyan Parag as the primary frontrunners.

Jadeja returns to the Royals 17 years after his 2008 debut under Shane Warne, and his acceptance of a salary cut (from ₹18 crore to ₹14.20 crore) to facilitate the trade has led to heavy speculation that the captaincy was part of the negotiation. On the other hand, Parag has a strong internal claim, having captained the side in eight matches during the 2025 season while Samson was sidelined with injury.

“The only question is leadership. My feeling is the captaincy will likely be between Riyan Parag and Ravindra Jadeja, while Jaiswal might need to wait a bit longer” Uthappa concluded.

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NEW DELHI: The high-decibel “vote chori” campaign led by Rahul Gandhi, which had united the opposition cutting across party lines last year, now seems to have created a divide between them. This, after Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee claimed that the Congress and some other regional parties had failed to understand how the game of “vote chori” was happening through the process of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls under the watch of the Election Commission. The Trinamool leader also questioned the approach of these parties as he asserted that the “fight against vote chori was on the ground at the booth level and not on social media and TV channels.” The Congress reacted sharply to his remarks. And the charge was led by West Bengal leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who has been one of the strongest critics of Mamata’s Trinamool Congress. Adhir accused Abhishek, who is the nephew of Mamata Banerjee, of following Rahul Gandhi by walking on the path shown by the former Congress president to take credit. “Everyone in India and even across the world knows that it is Rahul Gandhi who had exposed “vote chori” in elections and attacked the Election Commission and it was his sustained campaign that even forced the Supreme Court to intervene at least five times in the process of SIR. This nephew of Bengal is now trying to copy the agenda of Rahul Gandhi and take credit,” Adhir said, attacking Mamata’s nephew.Chowdhury, who is a former West Bengal Congress president, also alleged that Mamata’s nephew always attacked and abused the Congress while not saying anything against the BJP.“When he was called for questioning by the ED, he came out and attacked the Congress, not the ED or the BJP. Now, he went to the ECI office, and then, as he stepped out, he again abused the Congress. Let people see for themselves who he is working for. He doesn’t say a single word against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),” Adhir said.Congress’s reaction came after Abhishek Banerjee claimed that “vote chori” was happening through the electoral rolls and not the EVMs.“Vote chori is happening in voter lists through the electoral rolls and not in the EVMs.If the Congress and other parties could have caught this game, the BJP would have lost all the states it won last year. Such high strike rates of BJP in so many states were not a coincidence. Congress, AAP, RJD could not understand the game,” claimed Abhishek Banerjee.He claimed that opposition parties are failing to understand what “algorithms and software are being run to disenfranchise and remove 50 lakh to 1 crore voters” and said if this is not happening, the “poll panel should release a list of 1.36 crore logical discrepancies.”Abhishek also went on to question the approach of these parties in highlighting the “vote chori” allegations. “Those who think that elections can be won by making a few strong remarks on TV channels have got it wrong. The fight is on the ground and you have to fight at the booth level to prevent it,” he said.Clearly, this was a strong message to the Congress, especially Rahul Gandhi, who was the first to make “vote chori” allegations and tried very hard to make it an election issue in Bihar, but failed.Led by Abhishek, the Trinamool Congress has unleashed an all-out offensive against the Election Commission. The Trinamool leader has locked horns with CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the process of SIR and has asserted that his party will not accept the electoral roll if the discrepancies are not removed.“Our position is unambiguous and non-negotiable: The entire list of voters branded under the vague and arbitrary label of ‘Logical Discrepancy’ must be published immediately, with clear Assembly-constituency-wise and category-wise break-ups. The criteria, methodology, and legal authority used to create this category must be placed in the public domain without delay,” the Trinamool has said after a heated meeting with the Election Commission on Wednesday.

File photo: MP CM Mohan Yadav (Picture credit: PTI)

NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav on Friday announced strict action against senior civic officials over the contaminated drinking water incident in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area, saying negligence would not be tolerated.In a post on X late Friday, the chief minister said Rohit Sisonia, additional commissioner of the Indore Municipal Corporation, and Sanjeev Srivastava, executive engineer in charge of the public health engineering (PHE) department, had been suspended. He also said instructions had been issued to remove Dilip Kumar Yadav, the commissioner of the Indore Municipal Corporation.“The state government will not tolerate negligence in the incident caused by contaminated drinking water in Bhagirathpura, Indore. Strict decisions are being taken in this regard,” Yadav said in his post.The chief minister had earlier ordered disciplinary action following an outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting linked to contaminated water in the area. The outbreak has affected more than 1,400 people over the past nine days. While local residents have claimed that 15 people, including a six-month-old baby, died, the health department has confirmed four deaths so far, news agency PTI reported.Yadav reviewed the situation with the chief secretary and senior officials and directed that show-cause notices be issued to the municipal commissioner and additional commissioner. He also ordered the immediate transfer of the additional commissioner from Indore and the withdrawal of water distribution responsibilities from the in-charge superintending engineer.Laboratory tests have confirmed that the outbreak was caused by contaminated drinking water, PTI reported, citing officials. A leakage was found in a main water supply pipeline near a police outpost in Bhagirathpura, at a spot over which a toilet had been constructed, leading to contamination.Officials said clean water supply has since been restored after repairs, though residents have been advised to boil water as a precaution. The state government has also directed officials to prepare a time-bound plan to prevent similar incidents elsewhere in Madhya Pradesh.

Mumbai: With rising cases of exploitation of women’s trust through promises of marriage to secure “friendly loans”, a civil court ordered a local businessman to deposit Rs 7.5 lakh as a condition to defend himself in a civil suit filed by the purported victim. The legal battle began when the woman moved the civil court against the man for the recovery of Rs 7.5 lakh with 18% interest. The court found the claim of cash repayment without documentary evidence to be weak. “So, this is a moonshine defence taken by the defendant, just to avoid payment of amount,” the Judge remarked. The court held that while the man should be allowed to defend himself, the defence was not strong enough to grant him unconditional leave to contest the suit.According to the woman, the duo met in 2012 and became friends. The man allegedly proposed marriage to her, stating he was awaiting a divorce from his wife. In 2017, citing a financial crisis in his business, the man allegedly sought urgent financial help. When he refused to return it and also failed to marry her, the woman filed a complaint with the police and also moved the civil court to recover the money.The woman allegedly advanced the amount after the man executed a written note on a Rs 100 stamp paper, promising to return the funds by the end of Dec 2017. However, the plaintiff alleged that the man repeatedly deferred the payment and eventually began avoiding her calls in 2019. The situation escalated to the point where the woman approached the Samta Nagar police station, prompting the man to seek anticipatory bail.The Judge noted, “If the defendant has not really taken the friendly loan of Rs 7.5 lakh, then why he approached for anticipatory bail. So this is fit case to draw adverse inference against the defendant.”The man contested the suit, claiming he repaid Rs 7 lakh in cash through various instalments in the presence of a witness. He further argued that he deposited an additional Rs 2 lakh before the Bombay High Court on humanitarian grounds because the woman was suffering from cancer. Consequently, he claimed that the woman actually owed him Rs 1.5 lakh. He argued that these conflicting facts created “triable issues” that required a full trial rather than a summary judgment.While acknowledging that the interest rate remained a triable issue, the court found the claim of cash repayment without documentary evidence to be weak. “So, this is a moonshine defence taken by the defendant, just to avoid payment of amount,” the Judge remarked. The court held that while the man should be allowed to defend himself, the defence was not strong enough to grant him unconditional leave to contest the suit.The man was ordered to deposit the principal amount of Rs 7.5 lakh in court within two months. The Judge clarified that “on depositing the aforesaid amount… the Registrar (Civil) is directed to invest the said amount in any nationalised bank for initial period of one year. “If the man fails to comply with the deposit order, the woman will be at liberty to seek a direct decree against him.”

Zimbabwe Cricket has announced a 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. The team will be led by experienced all-rounder Sikandar Raza, who continues as captain as Zimbabwe aim to perform strongly on the world stage.The selectors have mostly backed the same group of players, showing faith in a settled core. The only new name in the squad is fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani, who has returned to full fitness. He was not part of the team that played the T20I triangular series in Pakistan in November, which also included Sri Lanka. His comeback is seen as a big boost for Zimbabwe’s bowling attack.

Muzarabani will lead the pace unit along with left-arm fast bowler Richard Ngarava. They will be supported by fast bowlers like Bradley Evans and Tinotenda Maposa. This mix allows Zimbabwe to adapt to different conditions they may face in India and Sri Lanka.In the spin department, Zimbabwe have gone with experience. Veteran spinner Graeme Cremer has been recalled to the squad and will partner Wellington Masakadza.Young batters Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani will be looking to catch eyes in their first T20 World Cup. Wicketkeeper-batter Brendan Taylor will also be there to add some much-needed experience to the roster.All-rounder Ryan Burl is also there. Tashinga Musekiwa, Clive Madande, Tony Munyonga, and Dion Myers complete a flexible and well-rounded squad.Zimbabwe are in Group B, where they will face Australia, Ireland, Oman, and co-hosts Sri Lanka. The top two teams from the group will qualify for the Super Eight stage.Zimbabwe will begin their campaign against Oman on February 9 in Colombo. They will then play Australia on February 13, Ireland on February 17 in Kandy, and finish their group matches against Sri Lanka on February 19 in Colombo.Zimbabwe squad: Sikandar Raza (captain), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, Bradley Evans, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Brendan Taylor.

The government on Friday announced a Rs 7,295-crore export support package aimed at improving exporters’ access to credit, comprising a Rs 5,181-crore interest subvention scheme and a Rs 2,114-crore collateral support measure, officials said.Both interventions will be implemented over a six-year period from 2025 to 2031 and form part of the Rs 25,060-crore Export Promotion Mission (EPM) approved by the Cabinet in November 2025, PTI reported.Additional Secretary in the Commerce Ministry Ajay Bhadoo said the measures are designed to address trade finance challenges faced by exporters, especially at a time when global trade is under pressure.Under the interest subvention scheme, exporters will receive subsidy support on both pre-shipment and post-shipment export credit. The scheme will help exporters from identified sectors access rupee export credit at competitive rates.The government will provide interest subvention in the range of 2.75 per cent to eligible micro, small and medium exporters. The annual benefit under the scheme will be capped at Rs 50 lakh per firm, the commerce ministry said.The subvention rates will be reviewed twice a year, in March and September, based on domestic and global benchmarks. The Reserve Bank of India, in coordination with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), will be the implementing agency, and detailed guidelines will be issued separately.A pilot roll-out of the scheme will be undertaken initially, with scope for refinements based on implementation feedback.In addition, the government announced a Rs 2,114-crore collateral support scheme for export credit, under which credit guarantee cover will be provided to MSMEs for export-linked working capital loans.Under this support measure, collateral guarantee of up to Rs 10 crore per firm will be available. The guarantee coverage will be up to 85 per cent for micro and small exporters and up to 65 per cent for medium exporters.According to the DGFT, both the interest subvention and collateral support schemes will apply only to exports from a selected positive list of products. Defence and SCOMET (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies) items are covered, while restricted products, waste and scrap, and goods covered under the production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes will be excluded.The package complements existing credit-guarantee mechanisms and is aimed at boosting bank lending to export-oriented MSMEs, the ministry said. Guidelines for the collateral support scheme will be notified by the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE), followed by a pilot phase and integration into a broader overhaul of export-promotion frameworks.

Mumbai: Municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, who is also the district election officer, on Friday warned officials that any negligence or violation of election laws during the BMC elections 2025–26 would not be tolerated, as he called for strict enforcement of rules at every stage of the poll process.Chairing a meeting of the election main coordination committee at the BMC headquarters that reviewed election preparedness, law and order arrangements, enforcement of the model code of conduct, the functioning of flying squads, and mechanisms to monitor suspicious and high-value financial transactions, Gagrani said the municipal polls were a crucial democratic exercise and must be conducted in a free, fair, transparent and disciplined manner. He stressed that during the model code of conduct period, every action must be accurately recorded and carried out strictly as per norms. “Discipline, peace and impartiality are the cornerstones of the election process. Any error, negligence or breach of rules will invite action,” he said, adding that strict compliance with election laws would help strengthen public confidence in the administration.Gagrani also issued instructions to various agencies to ensure close coordination and heightened vigilance.Briefing the committee, joint commissioner of police (law & order) Satyanarayan Choudhary said that adequate police personnel have been deployed for flying squads across civic wards. Security arrangements have been put in place at Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) storage locations and counting centres, while police protection will be provided during the transportation of EVMs. Mumbai Police have also prepared a tentative action plan for election-related duties.Chaudhary said arms seizure drives have begun, with notices issued to licensed arms holders across the city. Orders for seizure have been issued based on reports from local police stations, while preventive action and externment cases are being expedited. Social media platforms are also being monitored by the police cyber cell to prevent violations of the model code of conduct.The committee also directed agencies to keep a strict watch on the illegal movement of cash at airports and railway stations. Officials said details of suspicious or large-value transactions, including unusually large cash withdrawals and gift card transactions, must be immediately shared with the Income-Tax Department as per established procedures.