Exams: No exams to be held at college after paper leak Mumbai: Mumbai University debar a college from Bhiwandi from holding any university-level exams at its centre for two years |

Mumbai: Mumbai University has decided to debar a college from Bhiwandi from holding any university-level exams at its centre for two years, after an assistant computer operator at the college was accused of leaking a commerce paper.
The operator of Gajananrao Pandurang Patil College, at Kongaon locality, was arrested by Azad Maidan police last week.Inquiry under the unfair means committee is on against two students found with question papers on their phones.
University’s unfair means committee, in a meeting on November 18, recommended debarring the college from holding exams. The decision was taken based on an inquiry into the paper leak in October. An official said an inquiry against the students is on and a decision will be taken against them soon. The university is awaiting the probe report from the police to find if the question paper was sent to more students.
On October 31, a student giving his exam at Siddharth College, Fort, was found copying from his phone. The supervisor found that the question paper with answers of objective questions was on his Whatsapp at 9.37am while the exam was to start at 10.30 am. The student was of another south Mumbai college and his friend, from whom he got the paper, were also booked. They were appearing for commerce paper V-Marketing & Human Resources Management.
During the 2017 university exams, when a computer technician of a suburban college was arrested for leaking the paper.
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Maharashtra: College computer operator held for BCom paper leak
Assistant computer operator arrested for leaking TY BCom commerce and economic exam papers. Rajnikant Madanlal Mourya leaked the fifth semester exam paper to students Ansh Sangha and Suraj Maalu. They have been served the 41 D notice and may be arrested soon. The paper was leaked from Gajananrao Pandurang Patil College of Arts, Science IT and Commerce in Bhiwandi.

CBSE 10th Maths Question Papers 2024: Check sample papers and tips to score full marks
CBSE Class 10 Board Exams 2024 are scheduled to take place from February 15 to April 10. The exam timetable is yet to be revealed. Mathematics is a high-scoring subject in CBSE Class X Board Exams. Students can use previous years’ question papers and specific steps to maximize their scores. The test will have 80 marks and last for 3 hours, with an additional 15 minutes for reviewing the question paper. The question paper will contain 38 compulsory questions divided into 5 sections. Calculators are not allowed.

Rajasthan University to hold semester exams for first year students from Jan 11
Rajasthan University plans to hold semester examinations for first year students from January 11. The exams will continue for two weeks and will be followed by the start of classes for the second semester. The university aims to finish the second semester by April to ensure the usual timeline for the curriculum. The university administration is also planning to complete second semester examinations by April due to the acquisition of premises by the election commission in May. The semester system was implemented this year under the National Education Policy.

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Gujarat: Gujarat Aims At ₹25k Cr It, Ites Exports In Five Years | Ahmedabad News

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government said on Monday that it aims at attaining Rs 25,000 crore worth of IT/ITES exports and creation of over 1 lakh job opportunities in the sector over the next five years.
The state is home to over 5,000 small, medium, and large information and communication technology companies clustered mainly in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Vadodara, and Surat, and has recorded an annual growth of 14% in information technology/information technology enabled services (IT/ITES) exports.

In the fiscal 2021-22, Gujarat recorded approximately Rs 5,000 crore in software exports through STPI (Software Technology Parks of India) registered units, an official statement said.
As part of the state government’s outreach programme to promote the forthcoming edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS), delegations engaged in a series of meetings with prominent global and national IT/ITeS companies.
Companies from France, Japan, Australia, the US, and Italy, along with leading Indian firms from Chennai, Bengaluru, and Chandigarh, have expressed interest in exploring investment opportunities in the state in the sector. Companies have also shown their intent to develop or expand global data centres in the state and extend support to startups.
According to the statement, companies have also expressed interest in providing digital technology solutions, forming strategic partnerships, and collaborating with contract research organizations and academia in Gujarat for developing IT-related infrastructure.
Some of the companies whose representatives met the delegations include Thompson Computing and Partex NV from France, Trendmicro from Japan, INQ Innovation Global from Australia, and companies from the US and other countries such as Beacon, Orgenetics, Precision Plastics Packaging Co, Bitscape, Inkovation, Ogoing, Careniva Inc, Corent Technology Inc, Techie- Patient Xpress, Insight Examination Services Inc, ATGC Group Inc, Rubrik, and Mexedia Net+.
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Tata Technologies valued at $6.4 billion: IT companies whose record it beat
India’s Tata Technologies made a strong trading debut, with shares settling nearly three-fold higher. This marks the first public listing for a Tata Group company in almost two decades. Tata Technologies, a unit of Tata Motors, provides engineering and technology services to auto, aero, and heavy machinery makers. The company’s valuation surpasses that of its peers, including KPIT Technologies and L&T Technology Services. The IPO of Tata Technologies was fully subscribed within minutes and comes amidst a record-breaking year for IPOs in India.

Balaji Wafers: With over Rs 5,000 crore sales, how a Rajkot-based company is in the league of Haldirams, PepsiCo
Balaji Wafers, a Rajkot-based company, achieved annual sales of Rs 5,010 crore, representing a 24% growth. Its revenues surpassed major players like Jubilant Foodworks and Nestle’s Maggi noodles. With an estimated 65% market share, Balaji dominates the organized market in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. The company’s net profit reached Rs 409 crore, thanks to reduced input costs. Balaji holds the third-largest market share in India’s salty snacks market, offering products that are 20-30% cheaper than national brands. Its in-house manufacturing and minimal advertising expenses contribute to its success.

Climate finance, technology extremely essential to fulfil aspirations of Global South: PM Modi
PM Modi emphasizes the impact of climate change on countries in the Global South, including India, and highlights the smaller role they play in causing climate change. He asserts that climate finance and technology are crucial to fulfill the aspirations of the Global South. PM Modi also states that it is natural and justified for developed countries to assist the Global South in combating climate change. He further mentions India’s commitment to sustainable development and climate change during its G20 Presidency. Additionally, he welcomes the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, which involves rich nations paying a damage cost to developing nations vulnerable to climate change.

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Operation Kamal: Sena (UBT) criticizes Congress's Operation Kamal |

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has said that party chief Uddhav Thackeray will attend the INDIA meeting in Delhi on Wednesday at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
A day after the Congress’s electoral rout in three states, the Shiv Sena (UBT) took a dig at Kamal Nath for ignoring alliance parties like the Samajwadi Party in Madhya Pradesh.Raut said that within the INDIA bloc where there is a big party like the Congress, the small parties of that state are not taken into confidence.
An editorial in Saamna also attacked the BJP for the manner in which it made the lotus bloom in elections in three states. “The BJP won the big states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan; the teamwork of the Prime Minister, home minister, ED, CBI, income tax worked and BJP won,” it said.
The editorial said Nath had not followed the rules of the INDIA bloc. It said the Congress’s unpopular satraps were pouring water on Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi’s “hard work”.
“Congress’s strings, ticket distribution was in the hands of Kamal Nath,” it said.
The editorial asked why Modi could not win in Telangana. “BJP could not even reach the milestone of 10 seats in Telangana. … Congress got a clear majority in Telangana,” the editorial said.
It said that if the Congress had done teamwork as an INDIA alliance, the performance would have been brighter. “We should take a lesson from it and start preparing for 2024. BJP fielded central ministers to win Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, but Congress did not take its INDIA alliance colleagues in the states,” the editorial said.
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BJP jubilant, Congress confident in Madhya Pradesh
Exit polls predict the return of BJP for a fifth term in Madhya Pradesh. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is confident of a huge majority, citing the people’s love for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s strategy, and the state government’s welfare schemes. PCC Chief Kamal Nath remains emphatic that Congress will have an overwhelming majority and urges party workers to focus on the counting of votes. Former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh believes people are voting for change and expects Congress to get more than 130 seats. Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel and BJP candidate Kailash Vijayvargiya also express confidence in BJP’s victory.

Exit polls: Advantage BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan; Congress gains in Telangana, ahead in Chhattisgarh
Exit polls predict the Congress ahead in Telangana and Chhattisgarh, while the BJP has an edge in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The BJP may win 124 seats in Madhya Pradesh, compared to the Congress’ 103 seats. The Congress is predicted to win 50 seats in Chhattisgarh, while the BJP may win 38. In Rajasthan, the BJP is predicted to win 104 seats, with the Congress winning 85. Telangana could see the Congress forming a government, with the party predicted to win 60 seats compared to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s 48.

BJP forges ahead in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, has edge in Chhattisgarh; Congress leads over BRS in Telangana
The BJP is heading for a comfortable win in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, while the Congress is cruising towards victory in Telangana. In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP is set for a fifth consecutive term with leads in nearly 150 seats, while the Congress trails far behind. Rajasthan sees the BJP ahead in over 101 seats, while the Congress leads in around 70. In Chhattisgarh, the BJP is moving ahead of the Congress after trailing initially. Ashok Gehlot, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, is being criticized by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

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High court unwilling to step in to curb deepfakes

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Monday said it has reservations on the issue of a court stepping in to curb the use of deepfake content generated through artificial intelligence (AI).
A division bench of acting Chief Justice, Justice Manmohanand Justice Mini Pushkarnaunderscored the complex nature of the issue and said the government would be better suited to address the matter and arrive at a balanced solution, while hearing a PIL in this regard.
“This technology is now available in the borderless world. How do you control the internet? It cannot be policed much. After all, the freedom of net will be lost. So, there are very important, balancing factors involved in this. You have to arrive at a solution which balances all interests. It is only the government (Centre) with all its resources that can do it. They have the data, they have the wide machinery, they have to make a decision about this. It is a very, very complicated issue,” Justice Manmohan said.
The court listed the matter for further hearing for January 8. The PIL was filed by an advocate, Chaitanya Rohilla, asking to block access to websites that generate deepfakes.
Manohar Lal, counsel for the petitioner, submitted before the court that the court could at least issue some guidelines, so that private parties which misuse deepfake and AI technology are held accountable and suggested that websites could be asked to mark content generated by AI as such and, that, such websites could be prevented from generating illegal content.

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Teacher Held For Molesting: Teacher Arrested for Molesting 16-Year-Old Student in Mumbai - Latest News |

Mumbai: A teacher has been arrested for allegedly molesting a 16-year-old student on the premises of a coaching class located in Sion Koliwadathe police said on Monday.
According to a complaint lodged by the girl, the police on Saturday registered a case against the teacher under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, a police official said.
According to the complaint, the accused teacher had molested the girl on two occasions last month on the premises of the coaching class located in the jurisdiction of Antop Hill police station, said the police official.
The coaching class teacher has been arrested and remanded in police custody, the official said. PTI
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Uttar Pradesh: Headmaster arrested for molesting 16 girl students in Unnao
The headmaster of a co-educational school in Sikandarpur Sarosi, Unnao has been arrested on charges of molesting 16 girl students. The complaint was lodged by the cook of the school, Ruby Devi, leading to the headmaster being booked under the Pocso Act and molestation charges under the IPC. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) member, Preeti Bhardwaj Dalal, visited the school for a probe and found the charges against the accused to be true. The accused has been suspended by the district’s basic education officer and a three-member team is further investigating the case.

Hotel owner, staff held for threatening to file fake complaint against police
A hotel owner named Sanjeev Gowda, along with his employees Sandeep Kumar and Hemanth, was arrested for threatening a woman police sub-inspector and her subordinates in Bengaluru. The incident occurred when the police asked the hotel owner to close his business after 1am. The hotel owner threatened to file a fake complaint against the police, accusing them of demanding a bribe. The police intervened and arrested the hotel owner and his employees, who are currently under investigation.

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CEO: New car for CEO of state-run think tank angers Oppn |

Mumbai: The allocations to a state government-run think tank—ranging from a Malabar Hill bungalow and office space at Nariman Point to a brand new car—is raising eyebrows and drawing criticism from the Opposition.
In its latest move, the planning department has issued a government resolution to buy a Rs 15-lakh car for the CEOof the Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA), Praveen Pardeshi.This comes on the heels of the allotment of a BMC bungalow at Malabar Hill to him and a decision to rent office space for MITRA in a prime Nariman Point highrise at Rs 21 lakh per month.
The opposition has questioned the utility of MITRA and its contribution in the last one year.
In September, the government decided to shell out around Rs 2.5 crore per year on renting the approx. 8,000 sqft office in Nirmal Bhavan for the institution.
Government had allotted a 1,200 sq ft space to it in the state-owned New Administrative Building but MITRA officials claimed the space was less.
Ajay Ashar, a developer from Thane and an associate of chief minister Eknath Shinde, is vice-chairman of MITRA. Shinde is its chairperson. MITRA, set up on the lines of the Niti Aayog, is meant to focus on data analysis and make informed decisions on key sectors. Its CEO Pardeshi also heads the Capacity Building Commission set up by the PMO.
Leader of Opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve (Shiv Sena UBT) said he will raise the issue of MITRA’s performance in the upcoming winter session of the legislature.
“MITRA was set up to rehabilitate retired babus and friends of the CM. This is just an avenue for these people to carry out ‘business’ sitting in Mantralaya through an official channel. This is wasteful expenditure of public money,” Danve said.
When asked, Pardeshi said office space to accommodate nearly 60 experts was approved for MITRA and so was a car and a house at the level of an additional chief secretary.
“I only take a salary from the central government as member, Capacity Building Commission. I take zero salary from the state government though I am entitled to it. One must compare MITRA to the NITI Aayog at the Centre,” Pardeshi said.
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Ready for debates but ensure right atmosphere: Government to opposition
The winter session of Parliament is set to see heated exchanges between the government and opposition, with the impending expulsion of TMC member Mahua Moitra from Lok Sabha in the ‘cash for query’ case. The session will also focus on three bills to amend criminal laws and a proposed law for the appointment of election commissioners. The assembly election results in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana will further heat up the political atmosphere. The opposition has requested discussions on various issues, including the situation in Manipur, rising inflation, unemployment, and the misuse of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI. There are concerns about the imposition of Hindi through the names of laws, particularly regarding the three bills to replace IPC, CrPC, and the Indian Evidence Act. The TMC leaders have criticized the government for reducing the significance of all-party meetings and not adequately informing opposition parties about the bills being brought in the House. The Shiv Sena leader has emphasized the need for a discussion on the issue of reservation for the Maratha and Dhangar communities, which has been a subject of debate in Maharashtra.

Nominated chiefs of 20 state-run corporations quit
Several chairpersons of state-run corporations in Telangana, including Telangana State Planning Board, Civil Supplies, Telangana State Dairy Development Corporation, Telangana Sahitya Academy, Telangana State Toddy Tappers Corporation, Telangana Sports Authority, TS Foods Corporation, Textile Corporation, Telangana Beverages Corporation, Telangana State Film Development, TSREDCO, TSMIDC, Telangana State Technological Services, Brahmina Sankshema Parishad, CM’s chief PRO, State Grandhalaya Samstha, and Ayachitham Sridhar, have resigned from their posts.

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Congress Intact: Congress Legislature Leader Balasaheb Thorat Denies Reports of Party Split |

Mumbai: Congress legislature party leader Balasaheb Thorat on Monday described as baseless and false all reports on the possibility of a section of Congress legislators quitting the party after its poll debacle in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh.
“These are all rumours. Anti-Congress leaders are spreading these rumours. All such reports are false and baseless.Congress is intact and will fight against anti-government policies of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government,” Thorat said.
Thorat said that at a juncture when the opposition led by the Congress was determined to take on the NDA government, particularly the BJP, such reports were planted for political reasons.
“We will expose the triple-engine government during the ensuing winter session of the state legislature for its failure on all fronts. While the farmers are passing through a critical situation, no steps have been taken by the government to tackle unemployment and it has failed to resolve the row over reservation for Marathas,” he said.
After the 2019 state polls, when the BJP failed to secure a clear majority, the Shiv Sena decided to join hands with the Congress and the NCP and form the government. At the time, the AICC decided to shift all the Congress legislators to Congress-ruled Rajasthan to keep the party intact.
Later, there was a split in the Shiv Sena, when 40 legislators led by Eknath Shinde revolted against Uddhav Thackeray. On July 2, Ajit Pawar revolted against the leadership of Sharad Pawar and joined the government as Dy CM. More than 40 NCP legislators joined Ajit Pawar.
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Ajit insisted on NCP-BJP pact, I said ‘no’: Sharad Pawar
NCP chief Sharad Pawar reveals that his nephew Ajit Pawar wanted a pact with BJP, but he rejected it due to ideological differences. Ajit had claimed that Pawar Sr initially supported the move, but changed his stance later. Pawar Sr clarifies that while there was a meeting, he did not initiate it and was clear about not wanting to align with BJP. He criticizes Ajit for making the decision after the elections, stating that it goes against the party’s ideology.

Telangana Congress Legislature Party to meet today, likely to elect new leader
Telangana Congress MLAs to elect Legislature Party Leader in the presence of AICC observers and senior leaders. Congress leaders meet Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to stake claim to form the government. Anumula Revanth Reddy, the PCC president, on the brink of chief ministership after winning from Kodangal constituency. BRS rule in Telangana ends as Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao tenders resignation. BRS has been ruling the state since 2014 when Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh.

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot confident of Congress forming government in Telangana
Rajasthan CM Gehlot expressed confidence that Congress will form government in all five states, citing impressive social guarantees. He emphasized the importance of fulfilling promises and stated that more guarantees will be included for Telangana after careful examination of other states like Himachal Pradesh. Gehlot criticized the lack of good governance in Telangana and claimed that the state would have progressed more if Congress had formed the government. He also highlighted Rajasthan’s stringent laws on paper leaks and accused BJP of horse trading to topple governments. The Telangana Assembly elections, a three-cornered contest between BRS, Congress, and BJP, will take place on November 30.

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Arnav Thakkar: Arnav’s 163 Powers Scottish To Big Win |

Mumbai: A fine century (163, 138b, 23×4) by Arnav Thakkar helped Bombay Scottish (Mahim) score a massive 202-run win over St Arnold (Andheri) in a Giles Shield first round match at the Matunga Gymkhana on Monday.
Brief Scores: Bombay Scottish School Mahim 283 in 44.3 overs (Arnav Thakker 163, Athang Prabhukhanolkar 41; Rajveer Singh 3-16, N Bavkar 3-90) beat St Arnold 81 in 16 overs (Athamg Prabhukhanolkar 4-16) by 202 runs. Sharda Mandir 299-7 in 45 overs (Bhavya Shah 112, Chetan Jadhav 52, Laksha Chaudhary 35) beat St Xaviers (Fort) 75 in 25 overs (Arnav Sangle 3-6, Yohan Gala 3-21) by 224 runs.
Vivaan rallies past Ness
Vivaan Shah staged a spirited fight back to overcome Ness Billimoria 6-11, 11-6, 11-8, and 11-3 in a men’s first round match in the 78th CCI-Western India Slam Squash Championship. CCI’s upcoming talent Ansh Somani played well to defeat his club-mate Ranvir Bhatia 11-4, 11-2, and 11-4 in a boys’ under-15 first round match.Later, Rishabh Goyal repelled a late charge from Dev Sangoi clinching a hard-fought 11-6, 11-9, 10-12, 8-11, 11-2 win in a boys’ under-15 encounter. Dev unfortunately sustained an injury to his right knee at the start of the fifth game and was in discomfort, but bravely fought on before losing the game and the match. Earlier, in a boys’ under-11 encounter, CCI’s Shaurya Bakshi played with plenty of determination to overcome Vrishank Mehta in four games 11-7, 4-11, 11-3, and 11-7.
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Tamil Nadu beat Baroda by 38 runs in low-scoring match
Tamil Nadu defeated Baroda by 38 runs in a low-scoring Vijay Hazare Trophy match at the Sharad Pawar Academy Ground. Dinesh Karthik’s captain’s knock of 68 led Tamil Nadu to a total of 162. In the second innings, T Natarajan’s bowling performance, supported by Varun Chakravarthy and R Sai Kishore, helped Tamil Nadu bundle out Baroda for 124. Tamil Nadu’s head coach Sulakshan Kulkarni praised Karthik’s innings and the team’s bowling. Tamil Nadu will face Punjab in their next match.

Scindia plays match-winning knock
Jyotiraditya Scindia’s strategic moves played a pivotal role in BJP’s triumph, securing his political fate and determining the fate of his loyalists. In Gwalior, BJP secured only two of the six seats, a stark contrast to Scindia’s previous influence. Scindia faced personal attacks but maintained his calm, countering them with a memorable remark. The repercussions of the attacks were felt swiftly as BJP won 18 of the 34 Gwalior-Chambal seats.

Golden State Warriors’ balanced attack prevails in 120-114 win over Los Angeles Clippers
Despite missing key players like Chris Paul, Andrew Wiggins, and Gary Payton II, the short-handed Golden State Warriors secured a 120-114 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 26 points, showcasing his scoring prowess. The bench trio of Jonathan Kuminga, Dario Saric, and Brandin Podziemski combined for 43 bench points, outscoring the Clippers’ reserves by 13. The Warriors’ balanced attack and three-point shooting proved to be the difference, with Curry leading the team in rebounds and assists. The win highlighted Golden State’s collective performance and maintained their strong position in the Western Conference.

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Bangladesh: New Zealand's Ish Sodhi optimistic as team seeks redemption in second Test against Bangladesh | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: After a disappointing loss in the first Test against Bangladesh, New Zealand leg spinner Ish Sodhi has voiced optimism about his team’s ability to recover and perform in the upcoming second Testset to begin on Wednesday in Mirpur.
“The great success this (New Zealand) team’s had over the past decade has been being able to park these sort of things pretty quickly, whether it’s success or loss,” Sodhi remarked, emphasising the team’s resilience and quick adaptability.
Reflecting on the first Test in Sylhet, where Bangladesh secured victory by 150 runs, New Zealand Test captain Tim Southee acknowledged that the team struggled with consistency in their bowling efforts.
“It is obviously tough to come out on the losing side in that first game in Sylhet, but I think as the Test progressed, we found a bit more rhythm. Obviously, I haven’t played Test cricket in a while, so it’s always going to be tough in these conditions,” the spinner added.
Sodhi, who took three wickets in the first Test, shared insights into the team’s mindset and their readiness to apply lessons learned from the defeat. “It’s always going to be challenging, not playing a lot of Test cricket over a long period of time, but when you come together, (it is about) how quickly you can adapt,” the leg spinner stated.
He acknowledged Bangladesh’s superior performance, stating, “The way that Bangladesh played, they certainly outplayed us. But upon reflection, I think they gave us a blueprint on what’s successful in these conditions, and hopefully, we can apply that to this next Test match.”
Sodhi urged the bowlers to focus on precision and partnership to level the two-Test series. “It is about just working in partnerships and being a little bit more accurate. That’s something hopefully we can come together as a bowling group over the next couple of days,” he emphasised.
Looking ahead to the second Test in Mirpur, where he has experienced success in ODIs, Sodhi expressed confidence. “Going into conditions where you have had a bit of success, you always have a bit more confidence going into games like that,” he stated, highlighting the importance of understanding the playing conditions.
With the second Test just around the corner, New Zealand appears determined to apply the learnings from their loss and showcase a stronger performance in their quest for redemption.
(With inputs from ANI)

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7 crimes committed every hour in Mumbai | Mumbai News

Mumbai has recorded the second highest number of thefts in the country (17,876 cases), after Delhi in the latest crime data for 2022.
Cybercrimes in Mumbai jumped 64% from 2,883 cases in 2021 to 4,724 in 2022, with pendency in courts as high as 97%.

Mumbai also witnessed a surge in crimes against women and children though it ranks far behind most cities on that count.
The silver lining was a 42% drop in crimes against senior citizens across Mumbai in 2022. Cases fell from 987 in 2021 to 572. Mumbai is, however, still ranked second after Delhi for crimes against the elderly among 19 metropolitan cities.
Overall, going by rankings for crime rates, Mumbai is less dangerous for its residents than most of its north Indian counterparts are for their denizens. But in certain aspects, it needs better policing.
Advocate Trivankumar Karnani, founder of the MNCDF Citizens’ Forum, said the actual number of thefts in the city could be higher as the police don’t always record petty cases. “We had intervened in a case at Byculla where a man’s laptop was stolen from his car but the police told him to go to another police station citing jurisdiction issues. We had to contact senior officers and cite the law that a complaint could be recorded at any police station and could then be transferred. It was only thereafter that a complaint of theft was lodged,” he said.
If one analyses trends across the state, Maharashtra comes across as more violent and unstable than most places. Offences registered under the Indian Penal Code increased from 3.67 lakh in 2021 to 3.74 lakh in 2022, which puts it in tenth place among states on crime rate. But it ranks third in rioting after Uttarakhand and Haryana.
Over 8,200 cases of rioting were recorded, for which the chief reasons were land disputes, agrarian unrest and enmity or rivalry. For violent crimes like murders, riot, assault and kidnapping, it has recorded a marginal increase from 43,755 cases in 2021 to 45,358 cases in 2022. It ranks sixth in this category among 28 states and 8 union territories.
Former state director general of police Praveen Dixit said motives for violent crimes include monetary gain, personal feud or revenge or the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The state also witnessed a 15% increase in crimes against women from 39,526 cases in 2021 to 49,331 cases in 2022. Crimes against children increased by 20% from 17,261 cases in 2021 to 20,762 cases in 2022. A chunk of them pertained to molestation, kidnapping and POCSO Act offences against underage children. Maharashtra ranks far behind most large states in this category though.
The NCRB data report shows crimes committed by juveniles dropped by a slight 3% from 4,554 offences in 2021 to 4,406 offences in 2022. Maharashtra had the third highest crime rate for juveniles after Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Finally, the number of fatalities in road crashes across Maharashtra increased by 13% in 2022 compared to 2021. Speeding vehicles were responsible for most crashes, and Maharashtra was ranked number two in the country in speeding that results in road deaths.

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Mumbai: 8-year-old gone to buy ice cream found dead in bag, her legs tied | Mumbai News

MUMBAI: Three days after an 8-year-old girl had gone missing from her Vasai home on Friday, her decomposed body was found in a locked, vacant room in the vicinity on Monday. A case of murder has been registered against an unidentified person(s).
On Friday evening, the class 3 student of a zilla parishad school from Vasai had returned home around 5pm, changed her clothes and went out to play at their Vanyacha pada locality in Vasai (east).She had taken Rs 5 from her father to buy ice-cream.
When she did not return until after sundown, the family launched a search for her. The father later registered a case of kidnapping at Pelhar police station. Her mother and brother were away at their village. The family put up posters of the child in and around the locality and even announced a reward of Rs 20,000 for information on her.
Even as the search was on, the police got a call on Monday morning, informing about a foul smell from room 5 in a nearby chawl. The police reached the place, broke open the door and found the girl’s decomposed body. The police said her legs were tied with a belt and the body was placed in a plastic bag.
Police said the room in which the body was found had been locked and the owner has been called for questioning. There are no closed circuit television cameras in the area.
Family members told the police they were not aware if anybody stayed in the room. Locals said the room had been mostly locked.
The police said they suspect that someone had kept a watch on the girl and forcibly taken her to the room. The body has been sent for autopsy. The police said the autopsy report will ascertain if there was any sexual abuse.

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'Animal', 'Sanju', 'Brahmastra': Times when Ranbir Kapoor underwent an impressive onscreen transformation​

Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Ranbir Kapoor’s film ‘Animal’ crossed the ₹350 crore mark globally in its opening weekend, as per film trade analyst Ramesh Bala. At the beginning of the film, he looks young with a clean shave and short hair, but later he rocked a rugged look with his hair longer than usual and a thick beard. The movie also features Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, and Rashmika Mandanna in pivotal roles. In the film, Ranbir plays Vijay, who discovers an assassination attempt on his father, Balbir Singh, played by Anil Kapoor, and sets out to exact revenge. ‘Animal’ was released on December 1, 2023, alongside the Vicky Kaushal-starrer ‘Sam Bahadur’.

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Sipri: 3 PSUs among world's top 100 arms producing companies | India News

NEW DELHI: Sales of arms and military services by the 100 largest armament companies in the world totalled $597 billion in 2022, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and geopolitical tensions fuelling a major increase in demand for weapons across the globe.
Indian defence PSUs Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), Bharat Electronics (BEL) and Mazagon Docks (MDL) figure in the list of the top 100 arms-producing companies, which was dominated by US and Chinese companies, as per a report released by Swedish think-tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday.
HAL was ranked 41st with $3.4 billion in arms sales, BEL 63rd with $1.9 billion and MDL 89th with $1 billion, all three benefitting from the major orders placed by the 14-lakh strong Indian armed forces. But the three together accounted for just a paltry 1% of the $597 billion global arms sales last year.
Their revenues will, of course, register a jump in the near future. The defence ministry just last week gave preliminary approval for orders worth Rs 1.8 lakh crore (around $22 billion) for HAL, which includes 97 more Tejas Mark-1A fighters and 156 Prachand helicopters as well as upgrade of 84 Russian-origin Sukhoi-30MKI fighters.
SIPRI said though the demand for arms rose sharply around the world in 2022, revenues of the 100 largest companies were 3.5% less than 2021in real terms due to the actual production lagging behind.
“Despite receiving new orders, many US and European arms companies could not significantly ramp up production capacity because of labour shortages, soaring costs and supply chain disruptions that were exacerbated by the war in Ukraine,” it said.
“In addition, countries placed new orders late in the year and the time lag between orders and production meant that the surge in demand was not reflected in these companies’ 2022 revenues,” it added.
The US continues to overwhelmingly dominate the Top-100 list, despite revenues of its 42 companies falling by 7.9% to $302 billion in 2022. Its top five companies are Lockheed Martin ($59 billion arms sales), Raytheon ($40 billion), Northrop Grumman ($32 billion), Boeing ($29 billion) and General Dynamics ($28 billion).
The revenues of arms companies in other parts of the world, like Asia and the Middle East, however, grew significantly. Domestic demand and reliance on local suppliers shielded Asian arms companies from the supply chain disruptions. “Companies in China, India, Japan and Taiwan all benefited from sustained government investment in military modernization,” SIPRI said.
China has eight companies in the Top-100 with total arms sales of $108 billion, accounting for the second largest share as a country in the list at 18%.
China has systematically built a strong defence-industrial base by often reverse-engineering advanced military technologies and now majorly exports arms to Pakistan and several African countries, among others. SIPRI included only two Russian companies in the list due to a lack of data.
As per earlier SIPRI figures, India ($81.4 billion) is the fourth largest military spender in the world, after the US ($877 billion), China ($292 billion) and Russia ($86.4 billion). But the modernization of its armed forces is hobbled by a huge salary and pension bills, as reported by TOI.
Moreover, despite the government’s ongoing major thrust on ‘Make in India’, India also continues to remain in the strategically-vulnerable position of being the world’s largest arms importer, accounting for 11% of the total global imports in 2018-2022.

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