Kerala mulls eliminating 'back benches' in classrooms

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Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 5 (IANS) Kerala’s Education Minister V. Sivankutty has initiated steps to set up a committee of experts to identify the most suitable model for the state’s education system — one that may include eliminating the concept of “backbenchers” from school classrooms.Taking to his social media handle, Sivankutty wrote: “I wish to eliminate the concept of ‘backbenchers’ from our school classrooms. This idea can negatively affect a student’s confidence and learning.”The …

Mamata accuses EC of planning SIR to impose NRC in Bengal

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Kolkata, Aug 5 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, on Tuesday, reiterated her allegation that the BJP-led Union government wants to impose the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in West Bengal through Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. “A plan to slap NRC is being hatched in the name of conducting SIR. Ensure that your name is on the voter’s list. Every individual must have his name on the voter’s list. If anyone’s name is excluded, then br…

Odisha CM urges forest officials to act with empathy towards Tribals

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Bhubaneswar, Aug 5 (IANS) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday advised the officials of the state forest department to show empathy towards tribals and other local people during the enforcement of various forest protection rules. While speaking at the conference of Divisional Forest Officers (DFO) here on Tuesday, CM Mohan Charan Majhi said one-fourth of our population belongs to various tribal communities.They primarily reside in the forest and its surrounding areas. It is the mo…

Upset over denial of Cabinet berth, Telangana MLA ready for 'sacrifice'

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Hyderabad, Aug 5 (IANS) Upset over being denied a Cabinet berth, Telangana Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy said on Tuesday that he is once again ready for a “sacrifice” for the people of his constituency.The MLA from Munugode in Nalgonda district said that he was promised a Cabinet berth when he returned to the Congress in 2023. He, however, claimed that he was not running for any position.Rajagopal Reddy, who is the brother of Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, said…

‘We'll let this one sit, we'll digest it’: McCullum reflects on missed chances in fifth Test defeat to India ahead of Ashes challenge

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New Delhi, Aug 5 (IANS) Brendon McCullum admitted there was “room to improve” as he reflected on England’s gripping 2-2 Test series draw against India and turned his sights towards sharpening the squad ahead of the Ashes later this year.The England head coach, speaking after a dramatic six-run defeat at The Oval that saw India level the series on the final day, praised his team’s fight while acknowledging the narrow margins that denied them their first series win over India since 2018.In…

U19 Asian Boxing C’ships: Indian boxers continue strong showing as seven women assured of medals

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Bangkok, Aug 5 (IANS) Indian boxers continued their march towards a significant medal count at the U19 and U22 Asian Boxing Championships 2025 in the Thai capital on Tuesday, with seven women boxers in the U19 category assuring themselves of a podium finish.Yakshika (51kg), Nisha (54kg), Muskan (57kg) and Vini (60kg) reached the semifinals of their respective weight categories in the morning session and were joined in the last-four stage by Nisha (65kg), Akansha Phalaswal (70kg) and Aarti Kumari…

Formula 1: Zak Brown sees Cadillac's entry as a 'value add' despite rival threats

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New Delhi, Aug 5 (IANS) McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes Cadillac’s entry into Formula One next year will ultimately enhance the sport’s ecosystem rather than dilute its resources, even as the General Motors-backed outfit begins to draw talent and attention away from existing teams.The much-anticipated arrival of Cadillac—approved in March after a gruelling 764-day entry process—will see Formula One expand to 11 teams for the first time in nearly a decade. Despite initial resistance from F1 …

Torrent Power clocks 24.7 pc drop in net profit, revenue falls 12.5 pc

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Mumbai, Aug 5 (IANS) Torrent Power Limited on Tuesday reported a 24.7 per cent drop in its net profit for the first quarter of the current financial year (Q1 FY26), posting Rs 731 crore compared to Rs 972 crore in the same period previous year (Q1 FY25). Revenue from operations also fell 12.5 per cent to Rs 7,906 crore from Rs 9,033 crore a year ago, according to its stock exchange filing.The company’s operating performance took a hit, with EBITDA slipping 20.2 per cent to Rs 1,483 crore from …

J&K: Gorkha community celebrates sixth anniversary of Article 370 abrogation

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Jammu, Aug 5 (IANS) As the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir marked the sixth anniversary of Article 370 abrogation, the Gorkha community celebrated the defining moment with great fanfare on Tuesday. Many members of the Gorkha community took to the streets and engaged in drumbeating to celebrate the watershed moment in J&K’s history. It was six years ago, on August 5, 2019, that the Parliament revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two Union Territ…

Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus unveils 'July Declaration'

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Dhaka, Aug 5 (IANS) Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday unveiled the July Declaration and announced that the revised constitution would include it as a scheduled annexure, incorporating the “uprising” as a foundational moment in Bangladesh’s democratic transformation. Yunus stated that the “Student-Mass Uprising 2024” will be given full state and constitutional recognition under a revised constitution to be adopted by the next elected government. He unveiled the July Declara…