Hyderabad, July 10 (IANS) Former Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao was again admitted to a private hospital here for medical investigations.The 71-year-old leader was admitted to Yashoda Hospital, Somajiguda, on Thursday on the advice of doctors. He was accompanied by his wife Shobha, nephew and former Minister T. Harish Rao and other family members.KCR, as the BRS chief is popularly known, was admitted to the same hospital on July 3 after preliminary investigations indicated high blood sugar and low sodium levels. All other vital parameters were within normal limits. Treatment was started to stabilise his blood sugar levels and correct the sodium deficiency, and he was discharged on July 5.The BRS chief was advised to take rest for a week. The doctors had told him then that he had to be admitted again for conducting some more investigations.During his earlier stay in the hospital, KCR had held a meeting with party members, who briefed him on current political developments in the state.KCR underwent a hip replacement surgery at the same hospital in December 2023 after suffering a fracture due to a fall at his farmhouse at Erravalli.Meanwhile, Harish Rao postponed his appearance before the P.C. Ghose Commission in view of KCR’s admission to the hospital.The former minister had sought an appointment with the Commission to provide further information. The Commission had given him the appointment at 11 a.m. on Thursday.The BRS leader is expected to seek a fresh appointment with the Commission, which is probing the alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project constructed during the BRS rule.The Commission, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Pinaki Chandra Ghose, is probing the alleged irregularities in planning, design, construction, quality control, operation and maintenance of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla Barrages of the Kaleshwaram project.Harish Rao, who had served as the irrigation and finance minister during the BRS rule, appeared before the Commission on June 9.KCR had also deposed before the Commission on June 11.–IANSms/dpb

Mumbai, July 10 (IANS) Punjabi pop artist and songwriter Burrah has announced his debut EP titled, “Letting Go”.
Released in association with Warner Music India, “Letting Go” will include three tracks – “Kyun Raatan Nu,” “Je Tu Hundi Naal,” and “Khuli Hawa”. Along with Burrah, Zero Chill, Jizzy, GNDHI, and Yogic have also lent their contribution to the EP.Talking about “Letting Go”, Burrah said, “I felt lost, like I was living a life that wasn’t truly mine, just something expected of me. Letting Go is my journey back to myself. Each track represents a moment of release, heartbreak, reflection, and finally, freedom.””It’s about shedding the layers, embracing who I really am, and no longer pretending. This EP is more than music, it’s me stepping into my truth,” he added.”Letting Go” is a perfect blend of Punjabi folk melodies with contemporary R&B, trap, jazz, and neo-soul influences.While the song “Kyun Raatan Nu” enjoys a mix of traditional instruments with modern beats, the track “Je Tu Hundi Naal” comes as a result of rich jazz fusion.For the unversed, Burrah first rose to fame through his work with the TVF. He is credited with contributing to more than 70 comedy sketches and popular series such as “Flames” and “Engineering Girls,” to name just a few.Moving towards music with the viral anthem “Dilli De Sardar Boys”, Burrah gained recognition for the number, “Main Sochi Jawan” on MTV Hustle 3.He is further credited with being the first Punjabi artist to perform at Lollapalooza and Magnetic Fields back in 2022.During his tenure, Burrah has released a couple of breakout hits such as “Kaloli”, and “Bliss”, along with some cult classics like “Kinu Mai Sunaava”.However, the pop singer and writer is best known for his impeccable performance of “Udja” in Coke Studio Bharat back in 2023.–IANSpm/

Mumbai, July 10 (IANS) Punjabi sensation Diljit Dosanjh added a dose of nostalgia to the sets of ‘Border 2’ as he grooved to one of Shah Rukh Khan’s popular retro tracks.The actor-singer brought his signature energy and charm, creating a fun moment on the sets. Taking to his Instagram Stories, he reposted a video originally shared by his team’s page, where he is seen vibing to the popular track “Mere Mehboob Mere Sanam” from Shah Rukh Khan’s film “Duplicate.” In the clip, Dosanjh is seen grooving and showing off his moves as he walks out of a hotel room before getting into his car and striking playful poses.The ‘Udta Punjab’ actor is currently shooting for his upcoming war drama Border 2 and has been regularly sharing videos online. Yesterday, he dropped a behind-the-scenes video from the shoot, where he was seen chilling with co-stars Varun Dhawan and Ahaan Shetty, along with director Anurag Singh.For the caption, Diljit wrote, “Just Another Day Brother.” The clip opened with Diljit filming a scene for the war drama when heavy rain suddenly interrupted the shoot. Unfazed by the downpour, he was heard saying, “Tension mat lo, hum maze karenge” (Don’t worry, we’ll have fun), capturing the light-hearted mood on set.“Ye Border ke director sahab shooting chhod ke hamare pass hi ake baith gaye hain. Kende pehle aap hi hi hi hi kar lo bad main hum shooting kar lenge.(The director has left the shoot and is sitting with us. He says, First you finish your chit-chat, then we will shoot,” he said in the video. The video also captured a light-hearted moment between Diljit and actress Mona Singh as they shared a fun conversation on set.Meanwhile, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has decided to temporarily lift its non-cooperation directive against Diljit Dosanjh, allowing him to continue work exclusively on Border 2. Explaining the move, FWICE President B. N. Tiwari stated that T-Series had submitted a formal request, highlighting that a significant portion of the war sequences had already been filmed. Recasting at this stage, they argued, would disrupt the actor pairing and complicate production.Diljit had faced a ban from FWICE following backlash over his collaboration with Pakistani actress Hania Aamir in “Sardaar Ji 3.”–IANSps/

Bhopal, July 10 (IANS) Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Kamal Nath on Thursday launched a strong attack on the BJP-led state government, alleging large-scale irregularities in the recent transfer of over 7,000 school teachers.Kamal Nath accused the government of running a transfer-posting racket in collusion with middlemen and officials.He alleged that only those teachers who paid bribes were able to secure transfers, while many eligible candidates were ignored.“Over 45,000 teachers had applied through the government’s School Education Department portal for voluntary transfers, but only 7,000 were approved. This indicates that only those who paid money got transferred, while genuine applicants were left out,” Kamal Nath claimed, citing media reports.The allegations relate to a recent statewide reshuffle of teachers from primary to higher secondary schools, where transfers were made for those who had served over five years at a particular school.Kamal Nath alleged that the state’s online transfer system, Education Portal 3.0, meant to ensure transparency, has been subverted. He claimed that middlemen were acting as brokers, collecting money from teachers to influence postings.Under the current system, the district collector and the minister in charge of the district play crucial roles in the transfer process. In the voluntary transfer process, applications submitted online are reviewed at the district level and approved with the digital signature of the district education officer.Ironically, the inclusion of ministers in the process a few years ago was intended to prevent irregularities and enhance transparency.The BJP swiftly rejected the allegations. Ashish Agrawal, Madhya Pradesh BJP’s media in-charge, dismissed Kamal Nath’s claims as politically motivated.“During Kamal Nath’s 18-month tenure, Vallabh Bhavan (the state secretariat) had turned into a full-fledged transfer industry. Now, under the BJP government, transfers are being handled transparently and verified at multiple levels,” Agrawal said.He further alleged that the Congress party, rattled by a string of electoral defeats, was trying to malign the image of the ruling government.–IANSpd/skp

London, July 10 (IANS) Ahead of India set to bowl first in the third Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Lord’s, former Australia women’s cricketer Mel Jones feels the rotation of bowlers will be a critical factor, especially after the Edgbaston game ended three days ago.
The five-match series is level at 1-1, after India had a thumping 336-run win at Edgbaston. Add to that, India have the services of Jasprit Bumrah at Lord’s and will be aiming to have the first crack at England’s top-order alongside Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep.”India have been impressive at Edgbaston, on a flat wicket and produced some magnificent results, particularly Akash Deep, who was phenomenal. Then you add Bumrah to the mix as well, so that looks super impressive for India. The rotation of bowlers will be a critical thing for both captains,” said Mel on Sky Sports’ broadcast.England electing to bat at Lord’s is just the second time they will bat first in Tests since the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum era began. “Normally, the cheer from the crowd happens after England have won the toss, this time it happened after Stokes said he will bat first.””It’s only the second time Stokes has won the toss in a Test in England and decided to bat first. The only other time he had done that was the Ashes Test at Edgbaston. A change of policy from England today,” added former England captain Michael Atherton.Atherton also disagreed with criticism of off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, saying that he might shine at Lord’s, considering England will bowl in the fourth innings at a sunny Lord’s. “There’s been a fair bit of criticism flying around about young Shoaib Bashir, but I have some sympathy for him because Stokes has been bowling first, which means Bashir has been bowling on a day one pitch.””If you look at India’s spinners, Jadeja has 300+ Test wickets, and he’s also been struggling on the pitches in the first two Tests, so I wouldn’t judge him too harshly. If England get runs on the board batting first, he may have a chance at bowling last in the fourth innings.”–IANSnr/

Jodhpur, July 10 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided the residence of Vivek…

London, July 10 (IANS) A new portrait of Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar was unveiled at the MCC Museum at Lord’s ahead of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy third Test match between England and India.Painted by British artist Stuart Pearson Wright, the artwork captures a larger-than-life image of Tendulkar’s head and shoulders and will remain in the museum before being moved to the Pavilion later this year.This is the fifth portrait of an Indian player in the MCC’s famous collection and the fourth painted by Pearson Wright. Unlike his earlier full-length paintings of Kapil Dev, Bishan Bedi and Dilip Vengsarkar, this portrait takes a different approach with a close-up composition and an abstract background. Before the start of the third England vs India Test, Sachin Tendulkar had the honour of ringing the iconic five-minute bell at Lord’s. Introduced in 2007, the tradition is one of cricket’s most cherished, reserved for players who have left a lasting mark on the game – making Tendulkar a fitting choice for the occasion. The painting is based on a photograph the artist took at Tendulkar’s home in Mumbai 18 years ago.Tendulkar, who retired from international cricket in 2013, is widely regarded as one of the greatest batters of all time. He scored 34,357 international runs across formats – over 6,000 more than the next highest, Kumar Sangakkara.Speaking about the honour, Tendulkar said, “In 1983, when India won the World Cup, it was my first introduction to Lord’s. I saw our captain, Kapil Dev, lift the trophy. That moment sparked my cricketing journey. Today, with my portrait going up inside the Pavilion, life feels like it’s come full circle.”Pearson Wright explained his creative choice and said, “MCC wanted something different from the previous portraits, so I focused on Sachin’s face and used a heroic scale. The abstract background allows his features to stand out without placing him in a specific time or place.”The Lord’s Portrait Programme has been running for over 30 years, but MCC’s art collection dates back to the Victorian era. With nearly 300 portraits among 3,000 artworks, it remains one of the richest sporting collections in the world.Charlotte Goodhew, MCC’s Collections and Programmes Manager, said, “It’s wonderful to add such a transcendental figure as Sachin Tendulkar to our portrait collection. Unveiling it during an England–India Test makes it even more special for fans visiting Lord’s.” –IANShs/ab

New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) The Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust (LKMM Trust) on Thursday claimed that “it has brought to light a concealed appointment letter dated February 2, 2022, that confirms that the HDFC Bank CEO, Shashidhar Jagdishan was made Financial Advisor to the Trust without the knowledge, consent, or ratification of its Permanent Trustees Kishor Mehta and Charu Kishor Mehta.”“As far as the trust knows, neither the board of HDFC, SEBI, RBI Governor or finance Ministry were in knowledge of this clandestine appointment,” the LKMM Trust said in a press statement.The statement alleges that this “covert appointment was orchestrated by Chetan Mehta in collusion with Rekha Seth and other purported trustees, in what appears to be a deliberate and unlawful strategy to grant external access and control over the Trust’s financial decisions and keep the illegal board in power. The appointment was never disclosed in any formal board proceedings, nor presented for approval to the founder trustees.”Prashant Mehta, Permanent Trustee of LKMM Trust, said, “This appointment was carried out secretly by Chetan Mehta without any communication or approval from the permanent trustees – Mr. Kishor Mehta and Mrs. Charu Mehta.”“What makes the appointment even more alarming is that it involves the active Managing Director and CEO of a major private sector bank, raising serious regulatory, ethical concerns and lapses. This appointment was neither transparent nor compliant with standards of fiduciary integrity expected in the banking sector,” according to the press statement.HDFC Bank was yet to reach to the latest allegations made by the LKMM Trust.Meanwhile, a fourth judge of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday recused himself from hearing HDFC Bank CEO and MD Sashidhar Jagdishan’s plea against the FIR of cheating and fraud based on a complaint by the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust, which runs the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai.The Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust had alleged that Jagdishan had accepted kickbacks worth Rs 2.05 crore in exchange for providing financial advice to help the hospital’s erstwhile trustees, including a certain Chetan Mehta, retain illegal control of the trust. Jagdishan had then approached the high court for quashing the FIR, arguing that it was baseless and malicious.When the matter came up before a division bench of justices Ravindra Ghuge and Gautam Ankhad on Wednesday, the latter recused himself from hearing it, without explaining why. After neither party raised any objection to the recusal, it was decided that the matter would be placed before another bench. that justice Ankhad is not a part of.Earlier the Supreme Court on July 4 refused to admit Jagdishan’s plea seeking quashing of the FIR lodged against him in the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust case, as the bench observed that the Bombay High Court was scheduled to hear his plea on July 14.A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and R Mahadevan said that it hopes and trusts that the matter will be taken up on July 14 for hearing.It further observed that it was improper on the part of the Supreme Court to intervene when Jagdishan’s petition was listed before the Bombay High Court on July 14.The document directly aligns with several ongoing allegations, including the free treatment to family members, unauthorised deposit of Rs 48 crore, a Rs 2.05 crore bribe that is now under criminal investigation, and CSR payouts offered to be made without the consent of founder trustees or court approval. These overlapping activities only reinforce the Trust’s legal argument that the appointment was not incidental, but part of a calculated and unlawful agenda to keep Mr. Chetan Mehta and his illegal board in control.The LKMM Trust reiterates that it remains committed to transparency, justice, and upholding the values on which the institution was built. The Trust continues to work through legal channels to expose all individuals involved in this exploitation and safeguard the hospital’s mission.–IANSsps/na

New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) Strengthening the Science and Technology (S&T) Councils in states is pivotal to building a resilient and self-reliant Viksit Bharat, said Niti Aayog in a report on Thursday.State S&T Councils play a crucial role in bridging the gap between scientific innovation and socio-economic development, especially in areas like agriculture, renewable energy, disaster management, and local entrepreneurship at the regional level.These have also made significant contributions to supporting patent facilitation, remote sensing applications, and GI mapping, grassroots innovation, science popularisation and capacity-building programmes.The report titled “Roadmap for Strengthening State S&T Councils”, based on extensive consultations, a national workshop, and multi-stakeholder engagement facilitated by the NITI Aayog, captures the structural gaps, opportunities.It also called for robust coordination among ministries, state governments, funding bodies, academic and research institutions, and industry partners.“The integrated approach will play a foundational role in achieving India’s long-term strategic objectives, such as a resilient, and self-reliant Viksit Bharat, where science and innovation are central to societal progress, economic prosperity, and national strength,” said the report, authored by Members of the (Science & Technology), NITI Aayog, including Dr. V. K. Saraswat.The report also attempts to identify major challenges faced by the State S&T Councils and underscores a critical shift from isolated, ad-hoc initiatives to a forward-looking ecosystem.Key issues addressed include inadequate financial resources and diversification, lack of state-specific S&T need mapping, weak institutional substructures, limited collaboration with industry and academia, fragmented R&D support, underutilisation of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) data, insufficient recognition of scientific talent, weak interlinkages with central agencies and other institutions.The report thus represents not merely a set of reforms but a pivotal opportunity that can help shape India’s future in the global research, development, and innovation landscape. It can also help position India as a leader in Science and Technology, through a collective approach.“If executed well, the Roadmap has the potential to transform State S&T Councils into high-impact, innovation-driven engines of growth. It will not only bolster their administrative and technical capacities but also create a fertile ground for emerging industries, technological self-reliance, and knowledge-based economic development of the state,” the report said.–IANSrvt/

Mumbai, July 10 (IANS) The Indian quick commerce (Q-commerce) market’s gross order value is poised for exponential growth, nearly tripling from an estimated Rs 64,000 crore in FY25 to around Rs 2 lakh crore by FY28, according to a report on Thursday.India’s Q-commerce market is estimated to have reached around Rs 64,000 crore in FY25, growing at a staggering CAGR of 142 per cent during FY22-FY25, driven by evolving consumer preferences, hyperlocal infrastructure, and a lower base, according to the report by CareEdge Advisory, a subsidiary of CareEdge Ratings.“While growth remains strong, the focus is shifting from rapid expansion to reviving profitability and operational efficiency. Going forward, deeper penetration in Tier 2 and 3 cities, and tech-led innovations will likely define the next phase of India’s Q-commerce landscape,” said Tanvi Shah, Senior Director and Head, CareEdge Advisory and Research.The Q-commerce market revenue generated through fees has grown at a significantly faster pace than the GOV.The fee-based revenue, which stood at Rs 450 crore in FY22, has reached an estimated Rs 10,500 crore in FY25 and is further projected to reach Rs 34,500 crore by FY28, representing a significant CAGR of 26-27 per cent from FY25 to FY28.This sharp increase is due to increased platform fees by major players, resulting in higher revenue realisation and a substantial increase in overall GOV, the report added.Q-commerce industry is still just around 1 per cent of India’s massive grocery market, but that’s exactly what makes it exciting.“As more consumers embrace the speed and convenience it offers, Q-commerce is set to grow rapidly, even if the broader grocery market growth remains flat,” said Amir Shaikh, Assistant Director, CareEdge Advisory and Research.This digital backbone has enabled the rapid adoption of e-commerce and Q-commerce platforms. India had over 270 million online shoppers in 2024, making it the second-largest e-retail user base globally.The e-commerce market grew 23.8 per cent YoY in 2024 and is expected to maintain a CAGR of 21.5 per cent through 2030.India’s Q-commerce surge is strongly driven by rising digital adoption and expanding consumer spending power.As of early 2025, the country had over 1.12 billion mobile connections, with 806 million internet users, representing a 6.5 per cent YoY increase, and is projected to exceed 900 million users by year-end.–IANSna/