NEW DELHI: Finance and corporate affairs minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday introduced fresh amendments to the Companies Act, which seeks to decriminalise several procedural defaults, provide flexibility in buyback of shares and recognise new instruments for executive compensation.The bill, which has been referred to a joint Parliamentary committee for examination, provides for allowing restricted stock units and stock appreciation rights, in addition to Employee Stock Option Plans (ESOPs), with approval of shareholders. Stock appreciation rights can help employees get cash equivalents in case stock prices rise.Govt has also proposed setting up special benches of the National Company Law Tribunal to deal with cases under the Companies Act and the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code. Further, simplification of procedures relating to mergers and amalgamations through rationalisation of approval thresholds for fast-track mergers has been suggested.On buybacks, the rules are proposed to be changed once Parliament approves the amendments to the law to allow certain companies, especially those that are debt free, to make up to two offers within a year, with the second one to be undertaken six months after the closure of the first buyback.There are several provisions of the Limited Liability Partnership Act, relating to procedural lapses that are sought to be decriminalised. Similarly in the case of the Companies Act, some of the offences related to issue of prospectus, buyback, AGM, minor violations on maintenance of accounts, certain offences of directors, among others are also proposed to be decriminalised.Relaxation for small companies from some CSR requirements is part of the amendments moved by FM. The net profit criteria is sought to be raised to Rs 10 crore and the number of days for transferring the unspent CSR funds to a separate account is being increased from 30 days to 90 days.Revised eligibility threshold for the constitution of CSR committees by companies has also been proposed. The bill has clarified that compromise or arrangements under the Companies Act will not be permitted where liquidation has begun under IBC.“From an audit and assurance standpoint, the amendments mark a clear shift toward stronger regulatory oversight, driven by enhanced powers of NFRA, including wider disciplinary mechanisms and more streamlined inquiry and penalty processes,” said Amit Maheshwari, managing partner at consulting firm AKM Global.

The DC squad looks stunning on the teamsheet, but they have several weak points in the team. Skipper Axar Patel will be troubled mainly by these three players.

Delhi Capitals qualified for the playoffs several seasons back under Shreyas Iyer. However, the Axar Patel-led side was very close to the qualification round last season and missed out on the knockouts by just one spot.

They would not have the likes of players like Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk, who were the openers for the side in the previous edition. Delhi Capitals would promote KL Rahul in the new role of an opener.

3 players who are DC’s biggest burden in IPL 2026

Mitchell Starc

Former Australian T20 pacer Mitchell Starc has performed to the best of his abilities in the last two seasons. He was KKR’s star in the 2024 season and then picked several crucial wickets in the following season for the 2025 season.

However, Mitchell Starc’s availability has been a major concern. He left the DC unit midway through the last season, while on the other hand, this season, his availability has been pushed back. Starc has not been issued an NOC by Cricket Australia, citing workload.

Starc has been in sheer form, and he would be a massive positive to the DC unit; however, his availability is a massive concern for the franchise.

T. Natarajan

Another pacer in the Delhi Capitals lineup, Natrajan, missed out on the majority of the 2026 season after being bought for a massive amount of money. The Capitals found him playing only on a couple of occasions, and the death overs specialist received a massive thrashing.

Natarajan’s poor form in the game has been a concern. The left-armer will have to be available for the entire season, but DC’s headache surrounding him will be Natarajan’s frequent injuries. The left arm pacer might be troubled with a reduced pace.

In Starc’s absence, the death overs will be a major concern because slower balls are not always effective in the death overs in the IPL. Lungi Ngidi has mastered slower balls, but yorkers are what win you the death overs, and hence, Natarajan’s lack of form will be a concern.

Abhishek Porel

Lastly, Abhishek Porel, the Bengal wicket-keeper batter, surfaced as their main wicket-keeper in the side. Though KL Rahul can take up the gloves, Porel would still be an essential player in the top order.

Karun Nair had also played in the top order the last time. However, Porel remains a constant help in the DC batting order. The Bengal boy’s form has not been a concern, but he has not been ideal for the shortest format of the game.

Also, they would not be able to pick other overseas batters like Pathum Nissanka and Ben Duckett, since the overseas slot for the Capitals is filled. Porel would be crucial to their top order, and a lack of form will be concerning to the AxarPatel-led side.

ALSO READ: 3 players who are RR’s biggest burden in IPL 2026 – ft Jofra Archer

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NE DELHI: Reflecting on the sharp increase in cybercrime against women and children over the years, a parliamentary committee has recommended that the govt should initiate structured and time-bound examination for formulation of a “comprehensive and gender-sensitive cybercrime legislation”.In its report on “Cyber Crimes and Cyber safety of Women” presented in Parliament on Monday, the Committee on the Empowerment of Women also recommended introducing age-appropriate regulations and calibrated usage limits on social media platforms to safeguard children and adolescents from adverse psychological impact and safety-by-design standards to ensure responsible digital engagement.It highlighted that NCRB data reflects a nearly 239% increase in cybercrime against women and multi-fold rise in cases involving children between 2017 and 2022, which underscores the seriousness of the situation.A significant rise in such crimes during COVID-19 pandemic reflected higher digital dependence. National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) has reported more than 2.48 lakh complaints related to women and children between 2019 and April 2025.The committee chaired by BJP Lok Sabha MP Dr D Purandeswari said that the exponential surge in complaints recorded on NCRP indicates growing awareness as well as institutional action. However, it also noted the phenomenon of under-reporting, driven by fear, stigma and limited digital literacy, particularly among young girls, rural women and socio-economically vulnerable groups.The report is based on inputs received from the ministry of home affairs, ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), Cyber Peace Foundation, an NGO, cyber experts from CDAC and social media intermediaries (Google & Meta).The committee highlighted that cyber offences impacting women and children are presently addressed through multiple statutes, including Information Technology Act, 2000; Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; POCSO Act, 2012; and Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986. “These provisions collectively cover a wide spectrum of offences. However, their dispersed nature often results in overlapping mandates, interpretational ambiguities, uneven enforcement and procedural delays,” it said.Against this backdrop, it emphasised the need for a comprehensive cybercrime law, complementing and harmonising existing statutes rather than abruptly replacing them.The committee also called for digital platforms, particularly social media, messaging, and hosting services being held to higher accountability standards. In addition, it strongly recommended that mandatory KYC-based verification be introduced across all social media, dating and gaming platforms to curb the menace of fake profiles, impersonation and anonymous harassment.“Platforms must carry out periodic re-verification and maintain high-risk flags for accounts repeatedly reported for abuse. Strict licensing norms and age-verification protocols must be established for dating and gaming apps, with penalties for platforms that fail to protect women and minors from fraudulent or coercive practices,” it recommended.

NEW DELHI: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Monday cleared its players to take part in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 after consultations with government authorities.In a statement issued on Monday, the board said it had been in touch with the Ministry of Youth & Sports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before taking a decision.“Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) wishes to inform that it has maintained close coordination with the Ministry of Youth & Sports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh regarding the participation of Bangladeshi cricketers in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) T20 tournament”, the statement said.“Following consultations, it has been confirmed that there are no prevailing security or safety concerns for the players selected to represent various franchises in the competition. This conclusion has been reached based on assurances received from the Bangladesh Mission in Islamabad”, it added, as cited by news agency ANI.“With these assurances in place, the players have travelled to Pakistan for the tournament”, the statement said.“The BCB reiterates that the well-being of its players remains its foremost priority. The Board will continue to remain in close contact with all concerned parties”, it added.The tournament is scheduled to run from March 26 to May 3. It will be held without spectators due to the ongoing West Asia situation and a fuel crisis in Pakistan.Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked people to “restrict their movements because of the fuel crisis.”The number of venues has also been reduced from six to two, with matches set to be played in Lahore and Karachi. The opening ceremony in Lahore has also been cancelled.Earlier, players including Mustafizur Rahman and Parvez Hossain Emon (Lahore Qalandars), Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana and Tanzid Hasan Tamim (Peshawar Zalmi), and Rishad Hossain (Rawalpindi PindiZ) had been granted No Objection Certificates by the BCB after being picked by franchises.

Mumbai: Mumbai has recorded a 28% drop in multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) cases over the last three years, with annual resistant cases falling from 5,698 in 2022 to 4,080 in 2025.A total of 1,093 drug-resistant patients were on the newly introduced BPaLM regimen, which cuts down treatment time from 18 months to six months. Others did not qualify for it, as per the guidelines, because they were either paediatric patients under the age of 14, had extrapulmonary TB (EPTB), or had prior exposure to bedaquiline, which is a primary medicine of the new drug combination. The overall TB cases in the city have also dropped: 63,575 in 2023; 60,633 in 2024; and 54,390 in 2025, of which 48,835 are residents of Mumbai. But there has been a marginal increase in EPTB—from 38% of all TB cases in 2024 to 40% last year. About 6% were paediatric cases. Frontline workers attribute the decline in DR-TB cases to potential underdiagnosis caused by a shortage of CB-NAAT cartridges—automated rapid diagnostic tools—on the part of the central TB division. “There is also underdiagnosis of EPTB cases. Private doctors and labs tied up with BMC to test for them. But in the last two years, they have not received their dues from BMC. So, that testing has stopped,” said a TB department staffer. A top TB specialist in the city said biopsies for EPTB reduced last year because of these funding issues. However, executive health officer Dr Daksha Shah said the data shows that overall testing remains stable. Referring to data from both CB-NAAT and TrueNAT (a rapid, portable diagnostic test), Dr Shah noted that the city maintained a consistent testing of 2.2 lakh samples annually across 2024 and 2025. “We are confident that cases of DR-TB have reduced in the city and this is because of the efforts taken by the health department. Cases have been diagnosed early on CB-NAAT and the chain of transmission has been interrupted,” she said.