Opinion: The Long, Agonising Adoption Process In India

There are three crore orphaned children in India, but only 3,500 to 4,000 children are available for adoption in a year and some 30,000 prospective parents have to wait for three years to bring home a child.

Taking note of this discrepancy, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud observed recently: "Why are they (Central Adoption Resource Authority) stalling adoptions? Why is CARA not doing it? Hundreds of children are awaiting adoption in the hope of a better life." The remarks were made when the Supreme Court was hearing two petitions flagging gaps that were delaying adoptions and making the entire process a sham. The practical difficulties of adoption were also highlighted in the court, with one of the judges bringing out the humane and human aspect and cost to the society.

CARA, a statutory body of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, functions as the central body for adoption of Indian children and is mandated to monitor and regulate in-country and inter-country adoptions. CARA primarily deals with the adoption of "orphan, abandoned and surrendered" children through its associated and recognised adoption agencies.

Due to red tape and lack of transparency, several thousand children are being deprived of home and the love of parents. With each month's delay, the children grow and age, and their chances of adoptability and adaptability diminishes. The prospective parents, too, lose their precious years doing cumbersome and complicated paperwork. Their financial condition suffers as they scout and wait their turn and are made to visit different adoption centres in the country.

The conditions of the shelter homes where these children are placed are also not hygienic, with funds and staff both short.

Deepak Sharma, Trustee, Udayan Care, an NGO for Child Rights, says there is no dearth of funds for his organisation but some shelters in India face financial challenges due to their location and the resources available. "Funding comes from a combination of sources. There is government funding in Mission Vatsalya for funding institutions, mostly funds come from donations from individuals, corporations, and other charitable entities or even from international organisations and foundations or corporate social responsibility," Mr Sharma explains.

In India, adoptions are governed by two laws - the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956 (HAMA) and the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, 2015. Both laws have their separate eligibility criteria for adoptive parents. Those applying under the Juvenile Justice Act need to register on CARA's portal, after which a specialised adoption agency carries out a home study report. When it finds the candidate eligible for adoption, a child declared legally free for adoption is referred to the applicant.

Under HAMA, a court order, 'dattaka hom' ceremony or an adoption deed is sufficient to obtain irrevocable adoption rights. Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs are legalised to adopt kids under HAMA.

CARA carries out the tedious process to safeguard adoptive children from abuse at the hands of adoptive parents.

The Parliament passed the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) 2021, in order to amend the JJ Act, 2015. The crucial changes include authorising District Magistrates (DMs) and Additional District Magistrates to issue adoption orders under Section 61 of the JJ Act by striking out the word 'court'. These changes were carried out "in order to ensure speedy disposal of cases and enhance accountability," per the government statement.

However, the very purpose of these amendments has not been met as no time limit has been set up for the transfer of all pending adoption cases before the courts to the District Magistrates, which may end up in longer delays. Moreover, prospective parents are also not clear about the legality of an executive order on the adopted child's entitlements on succession and inheritance rights.

In August 2022, a parliamentary standing committee had expressed serious concerns over the decline in the number of children coming to adoption agencies over the years, saying it pointed to trafficking or a thriving illegal child adoption market. It's a fact that many unregistered adoption agencies are flourishing in the country; illegal and unregulated adoptions are being carried out. Some are involved in child trafficking or exploiting vulnerable children and their biological and adoptive parents.

Typically, there is a shorter queue for older children, children with special needs, or sometimes, even children from some regions. CARA has even introduced a new category of "Children for Immediate Placement" where the wait time may be considerably less.

Mr Sharma says generally, there is a demand for newborn and younger children, particularly infants and toddlers, in the adoption process. "Many adoptive parents prefer younger children as they desire to experience the early stages of a child's development and form strong bonds from the start. But now CARA is advocating for adoption of older children also," he adds.

A young single woman (name withheld) in Bengaluru has been in the queue for adoption for three years. She has completed all the paperwork, but her wait has been stretched by the adoption agency, where she is registered. She thinks that her adoption agency is giving preference to candidates who are better off than her financially. "My waiting time has been constantly increased without any reason. The counsellors are also of little help. Except for guiding us about the papers and forms to be filled, they have hardly been of any assistance in understanding the process or how it works," she says.

There is an urgent need to streamline the adoption process, simplify paperwork, transparency, and reduce the time limit, to the benefit of both the child and the adoptive parents. Loopholes, doubts, and ambiguities in current legislation must be plugged. Unless this happens, thousands of children will languish in shelter homes bereft of love, care and education.

(Bharti Mishra Nath is a senior journalist)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/xUv2h4y

"A Performance To Be Remembered": Katrina Reviews Vicky's Sam Bahadur

Katrina Kaif turned cheerleader for her husband Vicky Kaushal at the screening of Sam Bahadur on Wednesday night. A day after, the Tiger 3 star, in her review of the film, praised husband Vicky for his "flawless" performance. On Thursday, Katrina Kaif shared a poster from Sam Bahadur alongside a moving note for her husband, who plays Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in the film. She began her note by praising director Meghna Gulzar as she wrote, "Maghna Gulzar, such a poetic beautiful classic film, was transported to another era .. you can see your passion to telling his story and attention to detail in every shot."

She then went on to review her husband Vicky Kaushal's performance and wrote, "And SAM !!!!…..GRACE, HEROISM , GRIT. What a performance, flawless, I'm just astounded , you are too inspiring , true to your craft in the most brilliant integral way , was so proud to watch you shine your way across the screen . I've seen you this last year pour yourself into this film and transform into sam. A performance to be remembered."

See what Katrina Kaif posted:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif)

Not only Katrina, but others from the film fraternity also complimented Vicky in their reviews of the film. Abhishek Bachchan, who previously worked with Vicky Kaushal in Manmarziyaan, wrote in his review, ""Saw #SamBahadur last night. The enormity of all that #FieldMarshalSamManekshaw did and achieved is overwhelming! And so beautifully told on celluloid by my favourite @meghnagulzar. It's a huge responsibility to portray one of India's greatest sons and she does it wonderfully. To…the entire cast and crew, you should be very proud and thank you for telling this story. @fattysanashaikh @sanyamalhotra07.My veerey, @vickykaushal09, what do I even say about you… you continue to set the bar so high for all of us and then so effortlessly jump over it as only Sam can. All I can say is “Well done, sweety."

Read his review below:

Saw #SamBahadur last night. The enormity of all that #FieldMarshalSamManekshaw did and achieved is overwhelming! And so beautifully told on celluloid by my favourite @meghnagulzar. It's a huge responsibility to portray one of India's greatest sons and she does it wonderfully. To…

— Abhishek 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧 (@juniorbachchan) November 30, 2023

Sunny Kaushal, who attended a special screening of Sam Bahadur, wrote an elaborate note, praising his sibling for his acting prowess. He wrote, "What a film..what an amazing film this is @meghnagulzar thank you so much for making Sam Bahadur.. it is truly remarkable how you have so beautifully managed to show the life, the character, the love this man had for his country and uniform in 2.5 hours.. it made me laugh, cry, inspired and most importantly it made me realise what great courage and character means.”

The screening of Sam Bahadur was attended by some of the biggest stars in Bollywood. Vicky Kaushal's cheer squad included his wife Katrina Kaif, parents Sham and Veena Kaushal and brother Sunny among others.

See some pictures from last night:

Sam Bahadur, by Meghna Gulzar, will open to theatres on December 1. Vicky Kaushal plays the titular role in the film, which is based on the life of India's first Field Marshal, Sam Manekshaw. Fatima Sana Shaikh is also part of the movie.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/o61hQAd

Kapil Sharma Slams IndiGo Over Delayed Flight, Calls Them "Shameless"

Actor and television host Kapil Sharma was not happy with his recent IndiGo flight experience. The comedian took to social media to express his frustration with the airline, highlighting a considerable delay and a surprising excuse that the pilot was stuck in traffic.He voiced his discontent with the delayed departure and expressed concern about the airline's reliability.

Mr Sharma wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, "Dear IndiGo, first you made us wait in the bus for 50 minutes, and now your team is saying pilot is stuck in traffic. What? Really ? We were supposed to take off by 8 pm and it's 9:20. Still, there is no pilot in the cockpit. Do you think these 180 passengers will fly in Indigo again? Never #indigo 6E 5149 #shameless."

Dear @IndiGo6E first you made us wait in the bus for 50 minz, and now your team is saying pilot is stuck in traffic, what ? Really ? we supposed to take off by 8 pm n it's 9:20, still there is no pilot in cockpit, do you think these 180 passengers will fly in indigo again ? Never…

— Kapil Sharma (@KapilSharmaK9) November 29, 2023

Mr Sharma later shared a video of passengers deboarding the plane, revealing that they were informed about a change of aircraft, necessitating a return to the terminal for security checks.

"Now they are deboarding all the passengers and saying we will send you on another aircraft, but again, we have to go back to the terminal for a security check," he wrote.

Now they r de boarding all the passengers n saying we will send you in another aircraft but again we have to go back to terminal for security check 👏👏👏👏👏 #indigo👎 pic.twitter.com/NdqbG0xByt

— Kapil Sharma (@KapilSharmaK9) November 29, 2023

He additionally posted another video where numerous passengers were seen inquiring about the flight delay, expressing their desire to witness some remedial action. However, all of them appeared visibly upset and frustrated over the prolonged delay.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/ehwUN5G

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Review: Do The Flagship Specs Deliver?

Samsung's FE series has always been a fan favourite since the first Samsung Galaxy S20 FE was released with almost flagship-level specs and a price that sits right between the highest-end A Series smartphone and the entry-level S Series smartphone. This year, Samsung launched two FE devices, the refreshed S21 FE with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 and the new Samsung Galaxy S23 FE with Exynos 2200 SoC and a lot of the features that might make the smartphone look like a flagship on paper. Does the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S23 FE deliver on the brand's promise when they introduced the first ‘Fan Edition' smartphone, and should you buy it at a starting price of Rs. 59,999? Let's find out in this detailed Samsung Galaxy S23 FE review.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE price in India

I've been using the base variant for the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage in the Mint colour option, which is priced at Rs. 59,999. The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is available in a higher-end 256GB storage variant as well, with the same amount of RAM, that is 8GB for Rs. 64,999, which makes this smartphone come very close to the vanilla Samsung Galaxy S23 that comes equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. The smartphone can be bought in two more colour options: Graphite and Purple. The brand has also launched two special edition colour options for this smartphone, Indigo and Tangerine, which can only be bought through their official website. The 256GB storage variant is a good addition, but a higher-end variant with more RAM would've been better and justified the price more.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Review: Design

The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE sports a design that might be familiar to many people. It uses the same design language as the Samsung Galaxy S23 and the Samsung Galaxy A54, with matte-finished aluminium side rails, volume rockers and a power key that is very responsive and tactile, as a flagship smartphone should. The smartphone uses a dual nano sim card slot with an option to either use one physical and an E-Sim or two physical SIM cards at the same time. It does not come with expandable storage, which is slightly disappointing. It comes equipped with a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port and stereo speakers that are decently loud. The smartphone comes equipped with Corning's Gorilla Glass 5 protection for the display and the back panel with a glossy finish instead of the matte finish that the Samsung Galaxy S23 sports.

The smartphone sports Gorilla Glass 5 on the front as well as on the back.

This makes the smartphone prone to fingerprints and smudges a lot. At 8.22mm thick, the smartphone feels a little thicker than your usual smartphone, and 209 grams of weight puts it on the heavier side. It is IP68 certified for dust and water resistance, which is a plus. I had the smartphone with me for a decent amount of time and used it without a case. After only a few days, I started noticing scuffs and scratches on the display glass, protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass 5. The smartphone is a little slippery without the case. Despite the thicker chassis and higher weight, the smartphone still carries the premium look and feel that Samsung flagships are known for.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Review: Display

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE sports a 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution. The display itself is impressive, no matter if I talk about the colours that it produces or the sharpness. I didn't have any complaints on that front, but the bezels are particularly thick for a smartphone that costs more than 50K and is marketed as an entry-level flagship by the manufacturer. I'd be lying if I said it disappears after you immerse yourself in content; it doesn't and stares right in your face.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE features a flat display

It is HDR10+ certified and supports a peak brightness of up to 1450 nits, which feels super bright indoors and outdoors. I did not see much discolouration on the display while using the smartphone in harsh sunlight. The smartphone lets you choose between a standard 60Hz refresh or an adaptive refresh rate of 120Hz. It feels smooth across the board while scrolling through the UI and apps or gaming.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Review: Camera

It sports a triple-rear camera setup that includes the primary 50-megapixel camera with an f1.8 aperture with a 24mm focal range that comes equipped with OIS, an 8-megapixel telephoto camera that provides 3x optical zoom with f2.4 aperture and a 75mm focal range with OIS and lastly a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera with f2.2 aperture.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE features the signature Galaxy design language

The smartphone does a pretty good job when focusing on moving subjects, thanks to the inclusion of PDAF for the primary as well as the telephoto camera. Daylight shots from the primary camera came out pretty well; it produced plenty of sharp images from corner to corner and had good details in the shadows and the highlight.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE daylight primary camera samples (tap to see full size)

Bokeh without the portrait mode looks very pleasing, and to my surprise, this Samsung smartphone didn't overdo with saturation levels. The telephoto camera also maintained the same saturation levels but produced slightly softer images.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE daylight telephoto camera samples (tap to see full size)

This smartphone's ultrawide camera maintains the colour scheme like the two other rear cameras, but the images tend to distort a lot on the corners, which could be fixed with a future software update.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE daylight ultra-wide camera samples (tap to see full size)

The smartphone has a 10-megapixel camera for selfies, which clicks pretty detailed images in daylight.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE selfie camera samples (tap to see full size)

The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE also has a good camera system for nighttime shots. The images take longer to shoot, but OIS helps the user with it, and the shots you get look pretty good. I did notice some noise in the ultrawide shots.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE nighttime camera samples (tap to see full size)

It uses a 10-megapixel camera with f2.4 for selfies that does an excellent job with daylight, nighttime and portrait shots. It maintains the colour scheme as the other cameras on board, and you will notice that there is some post-processing happening in the background after you click, as it takes a second to show the final image.

The smartphone can shoot up to 8K 24fps with the primary camera; this is a feature that you do not see very often on a smartphone in this price range. I shot multiple handheld 8K videos using this smartphone, and I was impressed with the results I got. The videos were stabilised, had plenty of details and had plenty of dynamic range to play around with if you ever want to edit these videos. It can shoot 4K 60fps videos as well. The front camera, too, can shoot videos at up to 4K 60fps, which is pretty good for content creators.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Review: Battery and Charging

The 4500mAh battery does a decent job for a light usage day, but as soon as you include gaming and video streaming, with a high refresh rate turned on, the smartphone does not last very long. The Samsung S23 FE lasted 16 hours and 25 minutes in our battery loop test. Considering Samsung does not provide a charger inside the retail package, support for charging would have been appreciated, as 25W charging support is way too slow for 2023. In our testing, the smartphone charged up to 25% in 30 minutes and 65% in an hour, which is way too slow compared to the competition in this price range.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Review: Performance

Samsung S23 FE uses Samsung's Exynos 2200 4nm SoC in India and not Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 that the consumers in the US are getting, which is a bummer, at least on paper. We ran all the required benchmarks on the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, and the results were pretty good. It scored 1,174,800 on AnTuTu v.10.0.10, 1130 single core and 3232 for GeekBench 6. I played Call of Duty & Real Racing 3, which ran just fine with high graphic settings.

The smartphone features the 4nm Exynos 2200 SoC

The frames didn't drop a lot, and the gameplay was smooth. The smartphone did get a little warm after each gaming session. The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE runs OneUI 5.1 out of the box, which is based on Android 13, and it offers a pretty smooth user experience and does not have a lot of pre-installed apps.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Review: Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is a smartphone focused on consumers who wish to get the flagship experience but do not want to spend on something like a Samsung Galaxy S23 or S23+. This one lives up to the FE legacy with flagship-level cameras, a good display, decent battery life and a great processor for almost anything you want to do with this smartphone. All this combined does deliver a premium experience, only if you can live with thicker bezels on a smartphone that costs more than 50K in 2023. Considering this smartphone does not have expandable storage, the base 128GB storage variant might not be sufficient for most people and buying the 256GB variant puts this smartphone in the sub 65K price category, which is already very saturated with the likes of OnePlus 11 (Review) with better performance and modern looking curved display.

---

 

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/ZU27w4b

Box Office: Keeping Up With Salman Khan's Tiger 3

Tiger 3 minted ₹ 2.60 crore (all languages) on day 16 at the domestic box office, as per a Sacnilk report. The total collection of the Salman Khan-Katrina Kaif film stands at ₹ 273.8 crore. Tiger 3, directed by Maneesh Sharma, witnessed a jump in its collection figures for day 15. The film made ₹ 6.75 crore, the report added. The third instalment of the Tiger franchise opened to theatres on November 12 (Diwali day). In the spy-thriller, Salman and Katrina reprise their roles as Avinash Singh Rathore aka Tiger and Zoya. Emraan Hashmi is also part of the project. 
 

Tiger 3 has become “the highest-grossing Diwali release in the history of the Indian cinemas.” The film has collected ₹ 447 crore (worldwide). The makers, Yash Raj Films, have announced the super hit news on Instagram. Along with the poster, the makers wrote, “Catch the high-octane action unfolding in cinemas now. Watch Tiger 3 at your nearest big screen in Hindi, Tamil & Telugu. Book your tickets.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Yash Raj Films (@yrf)

After Tiger 3's worldwide success, Katrina Kaif expressed her gratitude towards fans. In a conversation with news agency ANI, the actress said, “The Tiger franchise has only given me love since 2012! So, it is an amazing feeling to have received so much warmth for over a decade now. Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai and now Tiger 3 are films that have been a part of my cinematic journey and growth as an artist and it's something that I cherish greatly.”

Katrina added that each instalment of the Tiger franchise has challenged her “physically and mentally.”

Tiger 3 also saw Shah Rukh Khan aka Pathaan. The actor featured in a cameo appearance. Speaking about the experience, Salman Khan said, “Our off-screen chemistry is better than our on-screen chemistry. When the on-screen chemistry is so good, you can understand the off-screen chemistry.”

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/4MLnexK

Amazon Announces New AI Chip for AWS Amid Competition With Microsoft

Amazon.com on Tuesday announced a new artificial intelligence chip for its cloud computing service as competition with Microsoft to dominate the market for artificial intelligence heats up.

At a conference in Las Vegas, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Chief Executive Adam Selipsky announced Trainium2, the second generation of chip designed for training AI systems. Selipsky said the new version is four times as fast as its predecessor while being twice as energy efficient.

The AWS move comes weeks after Microsoft announced its own AI chip called Maia. The Trainium2 chip will also compete against AI chips from Alphabet's Google, which has offered its Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) to its cloud computing customers since 2018.

Selipsky said that AWS will start offering the new training chips next year. The proliferation of custom chips comes amid a scramble to find the computing power to develop technologies such as large language models that form the basis of services similar to ChatGPT.

The cloud computing firms are offering their chips as a complement to Nvidia, the market leader in AI chips whose products have been in short supply for the past year. AWS also on Tuesday said that it will offer Nvidia's newest chips on its cloud service.

Selipsky on Tuesday also announced Graviton4, the cloud firm's fourth custom central processor chip, which it said is 30 percent faster than its predecessor. The news comes weeks after Microsoft announced its own custom chip called Cobalt designed to compete with Amazon's Graviton series.

Both AWS and Microsoft are using technology from Arm in their chips, part of an ongoing trend away from chips made by Intel and Advanced Micro Devices in cloud computing. Oracle is using chips from startup Ampere Computing for its cloud service.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

OnePlus Nord 3 brings some serious upgrades over its predecessor, including some flagship-grade specifications. We discuss this and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/Sn8DXip

"Sign Of A Champion Batter": R Ashwin On India Star. It's Not Shubman Gill

Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin applauded Shreyas Iyer and said that playing spin and taking them down is the right-handed batter's speciality. Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Ashwin called Iyer a standout performer for the 'Men in Blue'. He also added that people don't appreciate him much instead they ask him not to do it more often. "Batting against spin and taking them down is Shreyas' speciality, and he is a standout performer. Chasing excellence is a rare commodity in sports. If somebody does something unique, people, instead of appreciating it, tell them not to do it," the 37-year-old spinner said on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin added that Iyer chases excellence and takes a note to grasp the pull shot.

The number one Test bowler added that the 28-year-old smashes the pacers over mid-off which is a sign of a champion batter.

"What I love about Shreyas is that he chases excellence; he took a note to master the pull shot and worked on it. He got out on it but look at the number of balls he put away to the boundary. Balls were sent to the mid-wicket region and behind the square, which shows he is ready for that ball. He hit fast bowlers above mid-off, definitely the sign of a champion batter developing for India," Ashwin added.

In the recent ODI World Cup, Iyer appeared in 11 matches in which he scored 530 runs with a strike rate of 113.24. He slammed two consecutive centuries and three fifties in the prestigious tournament.

Iyer made his India debut in the T20 format in 2017 following that he scored 1043 runs after taking part in 45 innings and has a strike rate of 135.98.

In the ODI format, the Mumbai-born player scored 2331 runs after appearing in 53 innings for the 'Men in Blue' with a strike rate of 101.

In Test cricket, the middle-order batter scored 666 runs following his 16 innings. 

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

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/36paGi5

Koffee With Karan 8: Kajol's Memory Lapse About Rani Mukerji's K3G Cameo

After five fun-filled episodes of Koffee With Karan 8, Karan Johar has “hit the rewind button hard” (not our words). The filmmaker's next guests on the show are his “first leading ladies” — Rani Mukerji and Kajol. From Kajol “staging a walkout” to Rani planning to “expose” KJo, the promo of the upcoming episode is all things amazing. Above all, what caught our attention was that Kajol didn't know “Rani had a special appearance” in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. The actress has confessed it on the infamous koffee couch. It happened when Karan Johar, during a buzzer round, asked “One Kajol film in which Rani had a special appearance?” Well, Kajol was super fast with the buzzer but she didn't know the answer. Then, Karan said, “How are you so stupid? The answer is Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.” A surprised Kajol asked, “Rani had a special appearance in the film?” Can't miss Rani and Karan Johar's reaction. Too good, Kajol, too good.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham was Karan Johar's second directorial venture. It featured Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Kajol, Kareena Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan in prominent roles. Rani Mukerji played the role of Naina Kapoor, who wanted to marry SRK's Rahul.

Sharing the promo on Instagram, Karan Johar said, “We've hit the button hard enough to bring my first leading ladies - Kajol and Rani back on the Koffee couch and it's nostalgia in the purest form!!!!” Don't know about you, but we simply can't wait for Thursday. A quick Koffee trivia: Kajol and Rani Mukerji were last seen together on the show in 2007 (Koffee With Karan Season 2). They were joined by Shah Rukh Khan.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar)

Before Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Rani Mukerji and Kajol shared the screen space in Karan Johar's directorial debut Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 1998. FYI: Both films were massive hits.

Koffee with Karan 8 premieres on Disney + Hotstar every Thursday.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/shMfUxq

"Respiratory Illness In China Due To Common Viruses": AIIMS Doctor

Amid rising cases of respiratory illness in China, a senior doctor from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences has said that viral infections are common in winter and there is no possibility of another pandemic like Covid yet.

A notable surge has been reported in respiratory illness in children in northern China in recent weeks.

Dr SK Kabra, Head of Department, Mother and Child Block, AIIMS, told ANI, "The reports coming from China now show that there has been a sudden increase in respiratory infections between October and November and they have observed that it is more common in children. Mycoplasma has been seen. They have not seen any new or unusual viruses. There is no indication yet that this is a new organism and it is difficult to say whether it can cause a pandemic like Covid. This possibility is not there yet."

He further said that common viruses in the winter season have been seen in the reports coming from China.

"Now experts have discussed this and, according to them, there could be 2-3 things due to which it has increased. Firstly, virus infection is more common in winter and the main ones are influenza, adenovirus and mycoplasma. Till now, the same viruses are visible in the reports of the organisms spreading in China and there is nothing new. People are very worried because the pandemic has just passed whether a new virus has arrived," Dr Kabra said.

Dr Kabra also said that cases of respiratory illness may be increasing in China because of the strict lockdown which had been imposed.

"See, the lockdown in China was very strict. It was lifted in December last year and, since then, this is the first winter there. As far as we know about infection in children, every child under 5 years of age gets a viral infection 3-8 times a year and with each infection, he becomes immune to it," he said.

"Then after the age of 5, the rate of infection reduces. So the children in China who are not able to come out of their houses due to lockdown, their immunity has not developed due to which they have become susceptible to the infection," he added.

"There is a hypothesis that the children who have not had this infection in 2-3 years during lockdown, the infection will now occur. If one child gets it, it will infect 10 more, due to which the cases will increase suddenly," he asserted.

He urged people to practice hygiene and use sanitisers.

"If a child has an infection, do not send him outside until he recovers. Generally, influenza lasts for a week. One can use a mask and follow social distancing. Everyone should also take care of hygiene, and use sanitisers. The phase that China is facing now, we have already faced it last year, so there is no problem," the doctor said.

"We are now more knowledgeable than before about how a pandemic is managed. The ministry has told doctors to investigate if such cases are coming. If any abnormality is seen, then inform them so that appropriate action can be taken," he said.

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

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/tBWNDy1

Madhya Pradesh Teen Raped In Car By Man She Befriended On Social Media

A 17-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a youth who had befriended her on social media and his three friends in a car in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior, police said on Monday.

Police have invoked provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act since the victim is a Dalit, an official said, adding that nobody has been arrested so far.

The incident occurred on November 21 but a complaint was lodged four days later as the girl kept mum because she was threatened by the accused against disclosing the incident, an official said.

Additional Superintendent of Police Niranjan Sharma said the girl and her family lodged a complaint.

"The girl became friends with a youth on Facebook last year. On November 21, her male friend took her to a deserted forest area in a car where he and his three friends raped her and also threatened to kill her," he said.

A case was registered under sections 376 (Punishment for rape), and 377 (unnatural act) among others, along with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

According to sources in police, the victim has claimed that one of the accused is a close relative of a politician.

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

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/Ku01mTb

RCB Complete Massive Signing From MI Amid Pandya Trade Saga: Report

India's T20I captain Hardik Pandya on Sunday returned to his "spiritual home" Mumbai Indians after an all-cash deal trade-off with Gujarat Titans was formally completed following 72 hours of intense drama. On Sunday at 5 pm, the IPL retention window was closed and at that point, Gujarat Titans named their IPL-winning captain in the retention list raising a lot of eyebrows. However it was learnt that the formal paperwork wasn't yet completed and hence IPL and BCCI didn't give greenlight of approval for the most anticipated move of this transfer season. "Yes, Hardik's trade off got completed after 5 pm. The deal is now formalised and he is a MI player. It's been a tripartite all cash deal. MI have traded their all-rounder Cameron Green to RCB in an all cash deal. After that they had requisite funds to settle an all-cash deal with Gujarat Titans and procure Hardik's services," a senior BCCI official and IPL Governing Council member told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

It must be mentioned that Green was bought by MI for a whopping Rs 17.5 crore during last auction and hence the money required to buy Hardik wasn't available till that deal was inked.

Pandya was picked by Gujarat Titans before 2022 auction from the list of available players for the two new franchises -- GT and Lucknow Super Giants.

His reported fee was Rs 15 crore and he led the side to back-to-back finals, winning the championship in maiden year and losing a thriller to CSK in 2023.

Mumbai Indians, who have one of the most systematic team building process, have roped in Pandya with a long term plan in mind as there will be mega auction in 2025 and every franchise will try to build a new team with a young core.

However with India's ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma still very much in the mix and perhaps franchise's biggest icon with five titles under his belt, it would be interesting what kind of decision the owners and top management with regards to leadership.

This must be mentioned that those in the know of things had an inkling that Pandya after two years at Titans wanted to move back to the franchise from where he had made a name and played seven seasons.

The lure of captaining IPL's most popular franchise with biggest fan base was also a reason apart from building his brand as a national skipper in one of the formats.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/fGn5dD6

"We're Flying To...": Israeli Boy In Chopper After Hamas Freed Him. Watch

Nine-year-old Ohad Munder was among four children freed from Hamas' captivity on Friday. He was released along with his mother and grandmother after 49 days in Hamas' captivity on the first day of a planned four-day truce and prisoner exchange.

Israel today released footage showing a conversation between Munder and an Israel Air Force (IAF) helicopter pilot during his first moments of "regained freedom".

In a 25-second-long video posted by Israel Defense Forces on X, Munder can be heard asking the pilot "Where are we flying".

"We are now flying to a hospital," the woman pilot told him.

Ohad was also asked if he had been on a plane before, to which he could be heard saying "Not on an army one".

9-year-old Ohad, his mother and grandmother, were released after 49 days in Hamas' captivity on Friday, November 24.

Listen to Ohad's conversation with an IAF helicopter pilot during his first moments of regained freedom. pic.twitter.com/CcRNzNzsVi

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 26, 2023

While Ohad, his mother Keren, 54, and grandmother Ruth, 78, were all freed, his grandfather, 78-year-old Avraham Munder, remained in captivity in Gaza.

The 13 Israeli hostages released by Hamas on Friday included sisters aged 2 and 4 and their mother, a 5-year-old girl and her mother, as well as elderly women.

They were among around 240 people taken hostage by Hamas during their surprise attack on Israel on October 7.

Meanwhile, Hamas today said it had handed over 13 more Israeli hostages, three Thai nationals and a person with Russian citizenship who had been held in the Gaza Strip to the Red Cross.

The four-day truce is the first halt in fighting in the seven weeks since Hamas killed about 1,200 people on October 7. In response to that attack, Israel has vowed to "crush" Hamas and has bombarded Gaza and mounted a ground offensive in the north.

According to Gaza health authorities, about 14,800 Palestinians have so far been killed in the Israeli offensive, and hundreds of thousands displaced.

(With agency inputs)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/Hg1Mx4d

Gill To Lead Gujarat Titans After Hardik's Move To Mumbai Indians: Sources

Indian cricket team batter Shubman Gill will lead Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 after all-rounder Hardik Pandya completed his move to Mumbai Indians on Sunday, according to sources. Pandya was the skipper of the team for the past two years and he even led them to the IPL title on their debut season in 2022. However, Pandya completed his move back to MI as part of an all-cash deal and it will be a perfect opportunity for Shubman Gill to prove his mettle as a captain.

Pandya on Sunday returned to his "spiritual home" Mumbai Indians after an all-cash deal trade-off with Gujarat Titans was formally completed following 72 hours of intense drama.

On Sunday at 5 pm, the IPL retention window was closed and at that point, Gujarat Titans named their IPL-winning captain in the retention list raising a lot of eyebrows.

However it was learnt that the formal paperwork wasn't yet completed and hence IPL and BCCI didn't give greenlight of approval for the most anticipated move of this transfer season.

"Yes, Hardik's trade off got completed after 5 pm. The deal is now formalised and he is a MI player. It's been a tripartite all cash deal. MI have traded their all-rounder Cameron Green to RCB in an all cash deal. After that they had requisite funds to settle an all-cash deal with Gujarat Titans and procure Hardik's services," a senior BCCI official and IPL Governing Council member told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

It must be mentioned that Green was bought by MI for a whopping Rs 17.5 crore during last auction and hence the money required to buy Hardik wasn't available till that deal was inked.

Pandya was picked by Gujarat Titans before 2022 auction from the list of available players for the two new franchises -- GT and Lucknow Super Giants.

His reported fee was Rs 15 crore and he led the side to back-to-back finals, winning the championship in maiden year and losing a thriller to CSK in 2023.

(With PTI inputs)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/S5q6Q8l

Citizenship Amendment Act Final Draft Likely By March-End: Union Minister

Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra on Sunday said that the final draft of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA is expected to be ready by March 30 next year.

The BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh, while addressing a gathering of the Matua community at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district, asserted that nobody can snatch citizenship rights from Matuas, who had fled religious persecution in Bangladesh.

"The process to roll out CAA has gained momentum in the last couple of years... some issues are being sorted out. Nobody can snatch citizenship rights from the Matuas. By March next year, the final draft of the CAA is expected to be ready for coming into force," he said, sharing dais with local BJP MP and Union minister Santanu Thakur.

The CAA seeks to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan entering India before December 31, 2014.

Reacting to the claim, Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen said, "The BJP remembers Matuas and the CAA only during elections. The saffron party will never be able to roll out CAA in West Bengal".
"The BJP's false claims are becoming clear to the Matuas and others. The saffron party will be rejected by all in next year's elections," he said.

Mr Sen said the Trinamool Congress has ensured the rights of Matuas as citizens of the country.

"We will continue to work for the community throughout the year, unlike the BJP will only gives false promises," he added.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/TMZgHex

Inside Salim Khan's Birthday Special Famjam: Salman, Helen And Others

Salim Khan celebrated his 89th birthday on Friday. Salim Khan's daughter Arpita Khan shared an inside picture from the celebrations and it's a blockbuster one. The entire Khan family can be seen posing together for a grand frame. In the picture, Salim Khan, his first wife Salma Khan, Helen, Sohail Khan's elder son Nirvan, Arbaaz Khan's son Arhaan can be seen seated in the first row. In the second row, Salman Khan can be seen posing with brothers Arbaaz and Sohail, sisters Alvira, Arpita and brothers-in-law Atul Agnihotri and Aayush Sharma. Arpita-Aayush's children Ahil and Ayat can also be spotted in the picture. Arpita Khan wrote in the caption, "Happy 89th birthday Dad."

Sohail Khan also shared an inside picture with the birthday boy. In the picture he can be seen posing with his two sons Nirvan, Yohan and Arhaan and Salim Khan. He wrote in the caption, "Happy birthday cowboy, we exist because of you." Take a look:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sohail Khan (@sohailkhanofficial)

Salman Khan wished his father with a heartwarming note on Friday. Salman Khan shared a picture with his father in which they can be seen relaxing in a garden-like area. The father and son can be seen wearing similar coloured shirts as well. Salman Khan wrote in the caption, "Happy Birthday My Tiger." Salman Khan's third film of the Tiger franchise Tiger 3 is running in theatres and the film already crossed the ₹ 250 crore mark at the box office. It's not difficult to understand that Salman who plays the character of Tiger on-screen looks up to his father and calls him "My Tiger" in the caption. Cricketer Harbhajan Singh wrote in the comments section, "Happy Birthday." Sarod player Amaan Ali Khan wrote, "Precious moments." Take a look at the post here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Salman Khan (@beingsalmankhan)

Veteran Salim Khan is best-known for writing superhits like Zanjeer, Seeta Aur Geeta and Sholay among many others. Salman Khan was last seen in Tiger 3. The first film Ek Tha Tiger released in 2012 and was directed by Kabir Khan. The second film of the franchise Tiger Zinda Hai released in 2017. It was directed by Ali Abbas Zafar. Both the films did well at the box office. Salman Khan recently attended the special screening of Farrey, which marked the debut of his niece Alizeh Agnihotri. Alizeh is the daughter of Salman's sister Alvira and Atul Agnihotri.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/B1UbZvW

"You Have Violated...": Poll Body Issues Notice To Telangana Minister KTR

The Election Commission on Saturday issued a notice to ruling BRS working president and IT Minister K T Rama Rao for allegedly visiting a government institution here and using the platform for political activities and sought a reply from him by Sunday afternoon.

The EC in its notice said it had received a complaint from Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala, wherein it was alleged that Rama Rao, a star campaigner for BRS visited the office of 'T-works' and interacted with a large number of youth employed in the office on November 20.

The Commission obtained a factual report on the matter from the Telangana Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

Referring to the provisions of MCC that the ministers shall not combine their official visit with electioneering work and shall not also make use of official machinery or personnel, the Commission in its notice observed that, Rama Rao, is not only a contesting candidate in the upcoming assembly election but also a start campaigner of the BRS.

"Whereas, the Commission is, prima facie, held that that by visiting to a Government Institution and using the platform of T-works for political activities and combining your official visit with political/private visit, you have violated the instruction of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC)," the Commission said in its notice.

The Commission asked Rama Rao to explain his stand in respect of the visit and use of a Government Institute for political purposes by 3 PM on November 26.

In the event of no response from Rama Rao's side within the stipulated time, it will be presumed that he had nothing to say in the matter and that the EC will take appropriate action or decision in the matter without making any further reference to him.

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

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/IuWaVQi

Animal Promotions: Ranbir Kapoor And Bobby Deol's Bromance Stole The Show

Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol's off-screen bromance is making all the right noises. The two actors will share screen for the first time in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal. Ranbir and Bobby attended the music launch event of Animal in Mumbai today and their camaraderie stole the limelight. Several videos from the event went viral in which Ranbir Kapoor can be seen dancing to the hit numbers from Bobby Deol's films. Ranbir Kapoor was asked at the event which song Bobby Deol dances to in the shower. Ranbir can be heard saying in the video, "I don't know about him. But I definitely do..." Ranbir Kapoor then performs the hook steps of Love Tujhe Love Main Karta Hoon. The song is from Bobby Deol's debut film Barsaat. Ranbir Kapoor also shows the hook steps of Becheniya Betabiyan from Bobby Deol's Gupt. Bobby Deol can be seen smiling at Ranbir's performance. Take a look at the video:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Varinder Chawla (@varindertchawla)

Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol also burnt the dance floor with their killer moves to the song Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela. This song is from Bobby Deol's film Gupt starring Kajol and Manisha Koirala. Take a look at the viral video here:

Lord Bobby and #RanbirKapoor dancing at Spotify event #AnimalTheFilm pic.twitter.com/plf0Npk27o

— Lakeer Ka Fakeer (@arthwrites) November 24, 2023

Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol also danced to Ranbir's hit song Badtameez Dil from the film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol gave the shutterbugs a picture-perfect moment to capture when Ranbir Kapoor sat on the lap of Bobby Deol. The two actors looked dashing at the event. While Ranbir Kapoor rocked an all-black look, Bobby Deol wore a denim jacket at the event. They won the hearts of fans present at the event. Take a look at the pictures from the event:

ICYMI, this is the trailer of Animal. The trailer shows Ranbir Kapoor's complicated relationship with his father Anil Kapoor which drives him to seek revenge when the latter is shot. The root of Ranbir's obsession with father lies in his childhood days only. His troubled relationship with his father affects his love relationship with Rashmika Mandanna as well. "You are fighting a ghost in your head," Rashmika tells Ranbir at one point and he replies, " I don't fight with a ghost. I just eat it up." Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol can be seen fighting fiercely in the trailer. Take a look:

About their connection, Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol spoke at the trailer launch event. Bobby Deol said about Ranbir Kapoor, "I am a huge fan of this man out here. I have worked with many people, stars, superstars, but haven't seen such a humble and down-to-earth person. I would get lost in his eyes while working with him. He is so mesmerising as an actor. There was a lot of hard work involved as I had to go bare with my body." Praising Bobby Deol, Ranbir Kapoor said, "We both are Punjabis, so there was an instant connection. We were shooting shirtless in London in minus 4 degree temperature but there was so much warmth between us... This is a bond that we will cherish for the rest of our lives."

Directed by Arjun Reddy director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Animal stars Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Triptii Dimri in pivotal roles. The teaser gave us a glimpse of an abusive father-son relationship (played by Anil Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor respectively) that only became darker and murkier in the course of the film. The film will release in theatres on December 1.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/H8s27wy