Saturday, September 9, 2023

Watch: Ignored For WC, Dhawan Prays For India's Win With Akshay At Temple

India's 15-member squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup was announced on Tuesday with skipper Rohit Sharma and BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar, unveiling the names. The likes of KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Jasprit Bumrah were included in the team while leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and pacer Prasidh Krishna missing out. However, the exclusion of Shikhar Dhawan disappointed everyone as for the first time in 10 years, the opening batter will be missing out on an ODI event of ICC. Despite his snub from the team, the Delhi-born cricketer seems to have a positive outlook towards life. 

In a video going viral on social media, Dhawan was seen offering prayers at Jyotirling temple of Baba Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain, along with famous Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar. 

Speaking to media, Dhawan stated that he came to seek the blessings of God and prayed for Team India's success in the upcoming ODI World Cup. 

"Everyone's wish is that India wins the World Cup and I have also asked for the same wish," Dhawan told media.

Notably, Akshay was celebrating his 56th birthday on Saturday and was accompanied by his son Aarav and sister, Alka Bhatia.

Talking about Dhawan, the 37-year-old batter, recently took to X (formerly Twitter) and congratulated all the players, who were selected to represent Team India at the ODI World Cup 2023. 

"Congratulations to my fellow team mates and friends chosen to represent India in the WC 2023 tournament! With the prayers and support of 1.5 billion people, you carry our hopes and dreams. May you bring the cup back home  and make us proud! Go all out, Team India!" tweeted Dhawan. 

Earlier the during the announcement of Asia Cup 2023 squad, Agarkar had said, "Rohit is not a bad player, Shubman has had a phenomenal year. Ishan Kishan (is another one). Shikhar has been a terrific player for India. At the moment three guys are doing well and you can fit only 15. Unfortunately someone has to sit. At the moment these are our preferred openers."

India's World Cup 2023 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav.



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PM Opens G20, Says Remove "Global Trust Deficit", Welcomes African Union

  1. PM Modi welcomed the African Union, a continental body of 55 member states, as a permanent member of the G20 grouping, amid thunderous applause by world leaders. African Union chair and Comoros President Azali Assoumani then took his seat among world leaders at the invitation of foreign affairs minister S Jaishankar. 
  2. Before formally starting the proceedings of G20, the PM expressed his condolences over the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. "We pray that all injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time," he said.
  3. The post-Covid world is suffering from trust deficit, and the (Ukraine) war has deepened it further, he said, adding that we need to walk together for global good.
  4. PM Modi said we live in times when age-old problems are seeking answers, and we need to fulfil our responsibilities with a human-centric approach. "The idea of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayas' can be a guide to the world," he added.
  5. PM Modi said India's G20 presidency has become a symbol of inclusion, both inside and outside the country.
  6. A replica of the 13th century Konark Wheel from the Sun temple in Odisha's Puri served as the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's welcome handshake with G20 leaders as they arrived at the summit venue, Bharat Mandapam, in Delhi today.
  7. Prime Minister Modi reached Bharat Mandapam this morning ahead of the two-day meeting of the top world leaders. He was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, among others.
  8. The leaders attending the summit include German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
  9. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are not attending the summit.
  10. India currently holds the G20 presidency, which rotates annually among the member nations.


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Friday, September 8, 2023

Opinion: Opinion: On Women's Quota, A Reality Check

"Woman, I can hardly express 
My mixed emotions at my thoughtlessness  
After all, I'm forever in your debt" - John Lennon 

The Lutyens locality is abuzz with speculation that the Union government is going to introduce the Women's Reservation Bill. This columnist belongs to a political party that has been advocating for the Women's Reservation Bill for years (make that decades). 

Per a report by UN Women, 26% of parliamentarians in single or lower houses are women. Only six countries have 50% or more women in parliament in single or lower houses - Rwanda, Cuba, Nicaragua, Mexico, New Zealand, and surprise, surprise, the United Arab Emirates. At the current rate of progress, gender equality in national legislative bodies will not be achieved before 2063. 

In India, while the female voter turnout has increased from 46% in 1962 to 66% in 2019, just 15% MPs in parliament are women. The ruling BJP has only 14% women members across both Houses. In contrast, one out of three (around 30%) Trinamool Congress MPs are women. 

Let's look at women's representation beyond parliament. The Election Commission is a men's only club. One Chief Election Commissioner, two Election Commissioners, six Deputy Election Commissioners, and not a single woman member among them. 

The Supreme Court on March 2, 2023, in Anoop Baranwal vs Union of India, gave directives on the appointment of the CEC and EC, till the Union government passes a law. On August 10, the government sneakily introduced The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Terms of Office) Bill, 2023, in Rajya Sabha. While the merits and demerits of this Bill can be the subject of another column, the government failed to take the opportunity to include reservation for women in the Election Commission. 

This lack of representation is visible across other high posts in public life too. There have been only 11 women judges in the Supreme Court since its inception, and no woman Chief Justice of India. Currently, there are three women judges in the Supreme Court. Just 83 of the 680 judges in high courts are women. And only 30% of subordinate judges are female. 

This year, all four toppers of the UPSC Civil Services exam were women. The top 25 successful candidates consisted of 14 women and 11 men. However, data shows that women officers accounted for only one out of 10 of the total 11,569 IAS officers recruited between 1951 and 2020. Though the number of women IAS officers has been increasing over time, the highest has only been one third, in 2020. In 2022, the number went down again to one out of four. 

The numbers are worse in the police force. There are 2.17 lakh women IPS officers, making up only 10.5% of police officers in the country. The pace of growth has been slow, the share of women officers has increased by just six percentage points in the 10 years from 2010. No state in the country has more than 25% of women police personnel. In Central Police Forces, women make up just 3.4% of all members across nine specialised forces. 

The need to increase women participation is felt not just in public institutions but in private ones as well. A report by Ernst & Young reveals that the share of women in senior and managerial positions in India is a low 15%, and only 9% of firms have women as top managers. 

A key to increasing participation and representation of women in institutions is to encourage them to join professional and technical courses in larger numbers. The All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report reveals that the enrolment of women was below 30% in engineering and less than 40% in management courses. In the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index, India ranks a dismal 127 out of 146 countries. 

The Women's Reservation Bill was promised by the BJP in both their 2014 and 2019 election manifestos. The misogynistic mindset of the ruling party was on full display as India's champion women wrestlers fought for their rights against a BJP parliamentarian who headed the Wrestling Federation of India. The man will be sitting in the parliament building during the special session. Maybe we should send him the Spotify link to the John Lennon song. 

(Derek O'Brien, MP, leads the Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha.)

Additional Research by Ayashman Dey 

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.



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China's Shenzhen Hit By Heaviest Rain Since 1952, Schools Closed

China's southern city of Shenzhen has been lashed by the heaviest rain since records began in 1952, state media reported on Friday.

The heaviest downpours in decades have battered China's south and the semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong in recent days, causing widespread flooding, closing schools, suspending border cargo services and disrupting road and rail traffic.

The downpour comes a week after the financial hub was shut down by a super typhoon.

"From 5pm (0900 GMT) Thursday to 6am Friday (2200 GMT Thursday), the average rainfall in Shenzhen was 202.8 mm (8 inches), and the maximum cumulative rainfall reached 469 mm (18 inches)," Xinhua reported, adding that the rainfall had broken multiple meteorological records since they began 71 years ago.

The state-run news agency said heavy rain was forecast to continue on Friday.

"Shenzhen's flood, drought and typhoon control headquarters issued a notice Friday morning that primary and secondary schools and kindergartens across the city will suspend classes on Friday in consideration of ensuring the citizen's safety and property," Xinhua reported.

Services on parts of six subway lines were suspended and authorities warned people to stay away from "dangerous areas" such as mountains, rivers, slopes, and retaining walls, according to the report.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)



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Thursday, September 7, 2023

''Game Changer'': Video Shows Man Withdrawing Cash From An ATM Using UPI

The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), used for immediate money transfers through mobile devices, has become the fastest-growing payment mode in the country. On Tuesday, a revolutionary UPI ATM that offers cardless cash withdrawals was showcased for the first time at the ongoing Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai. Dubbed 'India's first UPI ATM', the new feature eliminates the need to carry physical ATM cards and is hailed by internet users as a ''game changer.''

On Thursday, Union Minister Piyush Goyal posted a video on X, that showed Ravisutanjani, a FinTech influencer, demonstrating how to withdraw cash from an ATM using UPI.

In the video, Mr Ravisutanjani, who originally posted the video, first clicks on the UPI cardless cash option displayed on the screen and is prompted to enter the desired withdrawal amount. Once the amount is entered, a QR code appears on the ATM screen. He then scans the QR code using the BHIM app and enters his UPI PIN. He collects the cash shortly after. 

Sharing the video, Mr Goyal wrote, ''UPI ATM: The future of fintech is here!

Watch the video here:

The unique ATM has been developed by the National Payments Corporation of India and powered by NCR Corporation.

Notably, the UPI ATM will act as just a regular ATM, and charges may be applied beyond the allowed free usage limit. The new UPI ATM is currently supported on the BHIM UPI app, but it will soon be live on other apps like Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm.

The technology is not publicly deployed yet but is being rolled out in phases.

Reacting to the innovation, one user wrote, ''An entirely new, but a much-needed innovation! This would be especially beneficial for those who know how to use UPI, but not a debit card (there are tons of people, esp in the rural areas). UPI ATM would make cash withdrawals much easier. Really amazed at how far we've come in financial technologies.''

Another commented, ''Great innovation, no need to carry physical cards. I am sure they will add in existing ATM machines too.'' A third called it a ''game-changer.''

Recently, UPI achieved a remarkable milestone by crossing 10 billion transactions in a month. The total number of UPI transactions reached an all-time high of 10.58 billion in August. A top official from the National Payments Corporation of India said that the country has the potential to do 100 billion Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions a month.



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Undercover Cop Tricks Woman Into 19-Year Relationship, Police Issue Apology

An undercover British police officer used his fake identity to mislead a woman into a 19-year relationship, during which they had a child together. The truth came to light in 2020, shortly after their engagement, according to The Guardian.

The newspaper further reported that it remains unclear why the officer developed the relationship, as there was no indication that the woman was the intended subject of any surveillance operation. The Avon and Somerset Police have issued an apology in response to the situation.

"While working in an undercover role, a former officer engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a member of the public using their pseudonym. The member of the public has no connection with policing, and until recently they were entirely unaware of their links to an undercover police officer," the police force said in the apology.

"We are sorry. We recognise and understand the devastating and appalling impact this has had on all those affected, and we have taken and continue to take our duty of care to them extremely seriously. Our commitment to support them is unwavering, and our genuine and sincere intention is to ensure they're getting the support they need both now and in the future," the police department said.

The newspaper further mentioned that the police officer had concealed his real identity from the woman for the duration of that period, never telling her his real occupation and using his fictitious identity on the birth certificate of their son.

In 2020, after the couple were engaged to be married, the woman discovered that her fiance, whom she believed to be a businessman, was in fact a police officer who had subjected her to a sophisticated deception lasting almost two decades.

An investigation is currently underway against the senior officers at Avon and Somerset Police, who were fully aware of the undercover officer's relationship with the woman dating as far back as 2013.



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Jawan Frenzy: Dahi Handi To Fireworks, Could SRK Fans Be More Excited?

It's Jawan day, guys. Of course, we can't keep calm. After all, it's Shah Rukh Khan's much-awaited action entertainer we are talking about. The Atlee directorial also stars Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi and Deepika Padukone (in an extended cameo). Fans have made a bee-line to theatres for the early morning shows. From people dancing to dhol beats to Jawan-themed cakes, several videos and pictures, from across India, have surfaced online which capture the craze and excitement of SRK fans. A page dedicated to Shah Rukh Khan, on X (formerly called Twitter),  has shared a series of videos, showcasing people grooving and dancing to the song,  Zinda Banda, inside the theatres. “Mental Mass Hysteria! The crowd has gone absolutely berserk as #ZindaBanda plays!!! Jawan tsunami is here and how!!!” read the tweet. 

 

Now, take a look at how fans gave a “dahi handi” salute to ‘King Khan' aka Shah Rukh Khan on Jawan release day. 

As per fans, Jawan “is not just a movie, it's a festival of excitement and love for SRK.” In the video, which was recorded outside theatres in Mumbai's Andheri, fans take the SRK fever to a “whole new level with drums, dhol, and epic dancing.”

Some people, in Patna, arrived at theatres dressed as one of Shah Rukh Khan's characters in Jawan. Can you guess which look? Of course, the bandage one. 

In the Nandyal district of Andhra Pradesh, SRK fans burst crackers to celebrate Jawan's release. 

Fans, from Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district, have turned “the streets into a carnival.” We don't blame them.

Videos from outside Bangalore's Urvashi theatre showcase fans turning the cinema into a “festival of fire colours.” 

 

This scene outside theatres in Kolkata will make you scream ‘Shah Rukh...Shah Rukh.

Now, take a look at Jawan-themed cake. 

Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan also reacted to one of the videos from the film's early morning show. In the clip, fans could be seen chanting "India ki shaan Shah Rukh Khan" in unison. Re-tweeting the post, SRK wrote, "Love you boys and girls I hope you enjoy the entertainment. I kept awake to see you go to the theatre. Big love and thanks."

Jawan is produced by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment.



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Bengal Rape-Murder Accused Killed After Snatching Gun, Opening Fire On Cops

The Gaighata incident is the second such case in West Bengal in the past three months in which a rape and murder accused was killed in polic...