Colonel (time scale) Purohit Prasad Shrikant

NEW DELHI: In a reprieve for Colonel (time scale) Purohit Prasad Shrikant, the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has directed that his retirement be kept in abeyance until a decision is taken on his statutory complaint seeking consideration for promotion and other service benefits following his acquittal in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. He was due to retire on Mar 31.A bench comprising AFT chairperson Justice Rajendra Menon and administrative member Rasika Chaube passed the order while hearing a plea filed by the Army officer seeking promotion to the rank of Colonel and thereafter to Brigadier.Invoking the jurisdiction of the tribunal under Section 14 of Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007, the applicant contended that he was denied promotions while facing a criminal trial after his arrest in 2008.In its order passed on Mar 16, the tribunal issued notice to the Union govt and other respondents, asking them to explain as to why directives should not be issued to consider the officer’s case for promotion and grant of all consequential service benefits on a par with his batchmates or subordinates.On being contacted, a source in the Army told TOI, “Indian Army will examine the judgment and thereafter take action as per policy provisions.”Explaining the ‘Colonel (time scale)’ rank, the source said, “In the service bracket of 15-18 years, Lt Colonels are considered for promotion (by a promotion board). Around 30-50% of Lt Colonels become Colonels. The rest of them stay as Lt Colonels. Once these Lt Colonels complete 26 years of service and also have an impeccable service (record), they are given the rank of Colonel (time scale). Purohit completed 26 years of service long back. Since he was facing disciplinary action and vigilance ban, he was given the Colonel (time scale) rank only after his acquittal.”“Prima facie, we find that a case is made out where the applicant may be right in contending that he is entitled to be considered for the grant of promotion and all other service benefits at par with his juniors, which were denied to him,” the AFT observed. It further said that the officer’s claim that he was “implicated in the case in an illegal, fabricated manner” appeared to have been established by the criminal court.The matter has been listed for further hearing on May 22.

Former IPL Champion player from the Kolkata Knight Riders camp, Manvinder Bisla, has now taken up a new role for the Knights ahead of the 2026 IPL season. The KKR wicketkeeper was formerly part of Gautam Gambhir‘s IPL-winning team in 2012.

Kolkata Knight Riders have largely revamped their coaching unit. Dwayne Bravo, the IPL legend, will continue to serve as their mentor. However, Abhishek Nayar has replaced Chandrakant Pandit as the head coach, and his role will be key for KKR.

Kolkata Knight Riders finished their previous campaign on a low note after they managed to win only 5 of their 14 games. To no one did it seem the same team that won the IPL 2024 under skipper Shreyas Iyer and mentor Gautam Gambhir. However, this time they will have to aim to turn the tide.

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Former IPL champions Manvinder Bisla re-associated with KKR ahead of the 2026 season

KKR’s head coach, Abhishek Nayar, gave a light introduction of the coaching staff before the start of the IPL 2026 season, as the team gathered to begin the preparations for the IPL. In doing so, he introduced former KKR star Manvinder Bisla as one of the scouting members for the team.

“We have got Bisla and Biju (George), who are our heads of scouting. Our scouting team is here to help us in the phase of building up,” said the KKR head coach.

Bisla is a known name with the Kolkata Knight Riders, as he was part of the squad that won the first-ever IPL title for the Kolkata Knight Riders, only the fourth franchise to have won it back then in 2012.

The Head Coach welcomes our 🆕, starry staff additions 💜🤩 pic.twitter.com/mbVU4LDdpO

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 18, 2026

Head coach Abhishek Nayar gives Shane Watson a warm welcome at KKR

The KKR head coach, who had formerly been part of the KKR unit as an assistant coach and later joined the Indian team for a brief stint, is now back as the Head coach of the unit and seems blessed to have former CSK and RR all-rounder Shane Watson as his assistant coach for the season.

“Just a very formal welcome from me. A few new entrants. I think I should start by introducing them. Everyone knows Shane Watson as a player, but I have known him as someone who has played under him as a player, and I’m really, really happy, ‘Watto,’ to have you with us.

“I think you have been a terrific addition, even in this small period that I’ve interacted with you. Tap into his experience; you know you will learn a lot. We’ve had a lot of good coaches, but I’m pretty sure that Shane Watson is going to add a lot of value to us.

“So, Watto, welcome to the KKR family,” Abhishek Nayar said in his welcoming speech.

KKR to start their IPL 2026 campaign against the Mumbai Indians

Kolkata Knight Riders will be aiming to make a promising start, and the season begins on the KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane‘s home ground, the Wankhede Stadium, against the five-time champions Mumbai Indians.

KKR will be up against the mighty MI side, comprising the World Cup-winning all-rounder Hardik Pandya, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav and ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, oogling fire after the terrific World Cup showdown.

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MUMBAI: The surge in retail credit in India rests on a quiet infrastructural shift-the growing ability of lenders to judge creditworthiness of borrowers quickly and cheaply. What has made this possible is a dramatic fall in the cost of obtaining credit reports, aided by digital scale and the proliferation of fintech platforms that allow consumers to access their credit scores with ease.In India, the cost of pulling a credit report is roughly a thousandth of what it is in Western markets, a disparity made possible by the vast size of the borrower base and the volume of queries generated by widespread availability of free credit-score services through financial apps.Until the pandemic, personal loans ranked as the third-largest segment in India’s outstanding credit. By 2021, however, personal loans had overtaken lending to the services sector to become the second-largest category. A year later they surpassed even that, emerging as the largest category of loans. The shift coincided with a wave of consumer-facing platforms offering free access to credit scores. In 2020 Paytm enabled users to check their scores through PAN verification.By 2023 Google Pay and PhonePe had followed suit with similar offerings. “Today almost every app-Amazon Pay, PhonePe, Google Pay, CRED-offers a credit score. Consumers can pull their credit report free from these platforms,” said Aditya B Chatterjee, MD of Equifax India, the local arm of the global credit information bureau.India’s retail credit bureau now counts roughly 30 crore active consumers, within a broader base of 50-55 crore individuals. In terms of sheer volume, Chatterjee notes, there is no comparable market. That scale has transformed the economics of credit reporting. Whereas a credit report in India may cost only a few rupees, in markets such as Britain the equivalent can run into several thousand rupees. “In India the volumes are huge but the unit economics are very low,” Chatterjee said.The couple of rupees is also borne by the fintech app who pays the fee to the bureau for a query from its app user, for the customer credit histories are mostly free.The spread of free credit-score tools has also altered consumer behaviour. Many borrowers now check their credit reports regularly, often once every few months and sometimes every quarter.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce attended Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s exclusive Oscars afterparty, where Swift was seen dancing and mingling with A-list stars. The appearance sparked mixed fan reactions online. While some celebrated the star-studded moment, others questioned her presence, with comments like “I don’t understand why she went,” highlighting curiosity, criticism, and ongoing debate across social media.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce didn’t just attend another Oscars afterparty. They walked into one of Hollywood’s most guarded rooms and instantly became part of the night’s biggest talking point. The couple’s appearance at Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s ultra-private “Gold Party” at Chateau Marmont quickly spilled beyond celebrity circles and into social media, where fans and critics dissected every detail.Inside the venue, the mood felt electric. A source told PEOPLE, “Everyone was in a celebrity mood and people were swarming around Michael B. Jordan. Taylor was dancing with her friends and having a great time.” That image alone set off a wave of reactions online, with fans imagining Swift balancing pop stardom and NFL fame while blending into a room full of Oscar winners.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Oscars afterparty appearance sparks wild fan reactions online

When word of the party got out, people on social media had a lot of different things to say. Some fans were happy about the crossover between music, sports, and movies, while others were upset about how exclusive the guest list was.One user wrote, “Stars mingle at exclusive Oscars party,” capturing the fascination around the elite gathering. Another fan flooded the replies with emojis, reflecting excitement without words. But not every reaction was positive.A Spanish-speaking user commented, “No entiendo por qué fue a esa fiesta,” which translates to, “I don’t understand why she went to that party.” The sentiment echoed a broader curiosity about Swift’s presence in such tightly curated Hollywood spaces..More controversial remarks also surfaced, including one that read, “So she likes pedos too,” showing how quickly online discourse can turn harsh and speculative, even without context..Still, a lot of fans looked at the bigger picture. Swift and Beyoncé have been supporting each other for a long time, which made their interaction feel less surprising and more like a continuation of a quiet friendship between two famous people.At the same time, Kelce’s presence showed that he was becoming more comfortable in the entertainment world. From NFL stadiums to Oscar afterparties, his transition into celebrity culture seems almost seamless.In the end, the night wasn’t just about who attended. It became a reflection of how modern fame works. One appearance, one party, and suddenly the internet has a story to debate.

BENGALURU: Manipal Hospitals is set to file its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) this week for an IPO expected to raise about Rs 10,500-11,000 crore, potentially the largest public offering in India’s healthcare sector. The issue will include an offer-for-sale component of around Rs 2,000 crore, while a large portion of the proceeds will be used to retire about Rs 8,000 crore of debt and fund inorganic expansion opportunities, people in the know told TOI. Kotak is the lead banker for the IPO.With a network of nearly 50 hospitals and around 13,000 beds, Manipal Hospitals has recently surpassed Apollo Hospitals in scale, becoming the country’s largest hospital chain by bed capacity. The hospital chain recently acquired a 100% stake in Sahyadri Hospitals for about Rs 6,000-Rs 6,400 crore. Three years ago, Temasek Holdings acquired a majority stake in Manipal Health Enterprises for over $2 billion, then the largest deal in India’s healthcare sector, valuing the company at around $5 billion.The group traces its origins to Udupi, where T M A Pai founded Kasturba Medical College in 1953, laying the foundation for the education hub that later became Manipal. In 1991, Ramdas Pai launched Manipal Hospitals to expand into healthcare. It has followed a “string of pearls” acquisition strategy to expand its footprint across India. The group acquired Columbia Asia Hospitals’ India operations for over Rs 2,000 crore. In 2021, Manipal acquired Vikram Hospital from Multiples Private Equity in a deal valued at around Rs 360 crore.In 2023, it further expanded by acquiring an 84% stake in AMRI Hospitals in Kolkata for about Rs 2,400 crore, strengthening its presence in eastern India and becoming the largest hospital chain in the region for tertiary and quaternary care.

NEW DELHI: The air is still filled with anticipation over whether Koneru Humpy will take part in the upcoming Women’s Candidates, starting March 28 at the Cap St Georges Hotel and Resort in Pegeia, Cyprus.While TimesofIndia.com have already confirmed that the other three participants in R Praggnanandhaa, R Vaishali, and Divya Deshmukh will be travelling to Cyprus for the tournament, Humpy on Wednesday once again reiterated her concerns about travelling to Cyprus amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

Taking to X, she wrote, “I know that alone, I may not be able to change anything. But regardless of whether I play in the Candidates or not, I felt it was important to express what I genuinely feel.”“I’m truly grateful to everyone who has shown their support. For those who cannot understand the sensitivity of this situation, I choose to leave it at that,” she added.While uncertainty still lingers, Humpy’s potential withdrawal may not just be about missing the Candidates, the only gateway to the World Championship match, but could also have larger financial implications.Section 3.5 of FIDE’s “Regulations for the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026” states that “players who fail to provide a satisfactory reason for withdrawal after they have signed the player’s contract may be imposed a fine of up to ten thousand (10,000) euros”, which is over Rs 10 lakh in Indian currency. However, the final decision on the amount, or whether it should be imposed at all, will be taken by the FIDE Council.Speaking to TOI about Humpy’s concerns, FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky had stated, “We have discussed the issue with Humpy and agreed on a date by which she will make a final decision. It was in good spirit, and FIDE will not comment on the exact date, but it is reasonable and suited both Humpy and ourselves.”It is understood that Humpy’s camp will take a call on whether to travel to Cyprus by next Monday.According to FIDE regulations, Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine will be called up as a replacement if the 38-year-old veteran Grandmaster (GM) does not travel.

Anna Muzychuk (Photo by Norway Chess/Michal Walusza)

Muzychuk, a two-time World Blitz champion and one-time World Rapid champion, will qualify under FIDE’s section 2.2, which states: “If any replacement is needed, the spot shall be awarded to the next yet unqualified player(s) of the ‘FIDE Women’s Events 2024–25’.” Despite being ninth on the leaderboard, Muzychuk stands to benefit as all players above her have already qualified.

A setback for Indian chess?

Humpy qualified for the Women’s Candidates 2026 after finishing runner-up in the 2025 Women’s World Cup. Veteran Grandmaster and coach GM Shyam Sundar Mohanraj, who was head of delegation for the Indian team in Batumi during the World Cup, feels that her withdrawal would be a “setback for Indian chess”.“Definitely, it will be a setback for Indian chess (if she doesn’t go). But at the same time, we just hope that all the conflicts or whatever is happening resolves soon, because till the last moment, we don’t know,” Shyam told this website.“Whatever Humpy felt about participating, it’s her own personal choice… Being there at the FIDE Women’s World Cup, I personally saw the hard work done by all the players, because the tie-break, especially, was mentally and physically exhausting.”Besides Humpy, Vaishali and Divya will be playing in the Women’s Candidates, while Praggnanandhaa will be India’s sole representative in the open section.“They have spent lots of energy, made many sacrifices, and shown great mental toughness to qualify for such an event. It’s a gruelling process,” he further added.ALSO READ: Mother quit job, son scripts history: How Mayank Chakraborty, 16, became Northeast’s 1st GM“Certain things are not in our control, and it looks like other players are also participating. It’s their personal choice and their priority at the moment. But I hope everything resolves soon.”