Author: xorance@gmail.com

File photo of Mumbai Indians team. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Mumbai Indians (MI) is also among the most successful teams in the Indian Premier League. It has appeared in six IPL finals and qualified for the playoff stages 11 times, making them one of the most successful teams in IPL history, especially in the playoffs.For this season, MI made five additions to the squad. The most notable was the return of wicketkeeper batter Quinton de Kock, who was part of the title‑winning campaigns in 2019 and 2020. He comes in alongside four newcomers Danish Malewar, Mohammad Izhar, Atharva Ankolekar…

Image used for representational purposes only. File photo | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto The Government of India has officially notified the Income Tax Rules 2026, which will come into effect from April 1, 2026. These new rules issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) aims to replace the old ones and simplify the tax process.The Income Tax Act, 2025, will replace the 1961 Act, which the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman described as a “maze” created by over 4,000 amendments.Here are the most important changes that a taxpayer should know about new Income Tax rules 2026.What are the new changes…

In 2006, London woke up to a tragedy. Six healthy men involved in a phase I clinical trial of theralizumab, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) designed to treat rheumatoid arthritis, developed multiple organ failure. The antibody triggered an intense immune reaction that the researchers didn’t observe in rhesus monkeys in preclinical tests because their immune cells responded differently from human immune cells.The Northwick Park Tragedy, as it was called, became a textbook example of why animals can’t be used as proxies to test human drugs. Similarly, in 2022, the mAb semorinemab failed to work in 457 patients with Alzheimer’s disease during…

Assam has become the first Indian State to float a tender for a group of earth-observation satellites that it says will strengthen disaster response along the flood-prone Brahmaputra valley and help survey the State’s borders.The Assam Science Technology and Environment Council issued an Expression of Interest (EOI) on March 16 inviting private aerospace companies to design, build, launch, operate, and eventually transfer the satellites to State ownership. The mission has been named AssamSAT.Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the project in the 2025-26 State Budget as a means to achieve what he has repeatedly described as an “infiltration-free Assam”.Mr. Sarma…

There has been a lot of focus on the recent Aravalli judgment and its implications for mining operations across the green belt as well as the government’s commitments regarding environmental standards and regulatory protection for ecologically sensitive areas.In the Paris summit, India had committed to four quantified climate targets, grounded in the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” — a position that reflects how, historically, India’s per capita emissions were fractions compared to emissions of other major countries like the U.S. (however, currently India is the world’s third largest absolute emitter). The centrepiece of Prime Minister Modi’s statement at the…

A trip to Assam feels incomplete without catching a glimpse of the one-horned rhinoceros and soaking in the grandeur of the Brahmaputra. For a relaxed itinerary that delivers both, Rhino & River Wildlife Retreat and Spa offers a neat solution. Located at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Mayong, the resort overlooks the Brahmaputra, bringing wildlife and riverine beauty together in one stay. View of the cottages at Rhino & River Wildlife Retreat and Spa in Assam’s Mayong | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The name is not incidental. Step onto your balcony in the morning and the river glistens in the sun;…

The Ministry’s push for expanding piped natural gas (PNG) is aimed at easing some of the pressure from liquified petroleum gas (LPG), supplies of which have been affected amidst the ongoing tensions in West Asia. File image for representation only. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Seeking to accelerate the push for piped natural gas (PNG), the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), late on Tuesday (March 24, 2026), invoking the Essential Commodities Act (ECA), instituted reforms to ease provisions towards expanding piped gas network — both domestic and commercial.The Ministry underlined the reforms were aimed at “addressing delays in…

Sunil Gavaskar is not a bigot. Of that I am fairly certain, even granting that people can change and that as you grow older you tend to drift towards the more conservative end of the political spectrum.Without quite being buddy-buddy, we have known each other for four decades now. We have had our good days — on tours especially, where we were both simply ‘writers’, and he was encouraging of youngsters. And bad days, when he has reacted to what I said. Recently, he was so upset about something in this column that he sent a letter which was carried in full.But…

United Spirits Limited (USL), the Indian arm of London-based Diageo, stated on Tuesday (March 24, 2026) that it had fully divested its stake in Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd. (RCSPL) to a consortium comprising Aditya Birla Group, The Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures, and New York-based Blackstone’s private equity strategy, BXPE, in an all-cash deal worth $1.76 billion.According to a regulatory filing made by USL, RCSPL owns and operates the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL).Upon completion of this transaction, the consortium would, through its ownership of RCSPL, acquire the rights to own and operate the IPL and WPL outfits. The RCB teams are the reigning…

Rinku, left, will have the additional responsibility of being the vice-captain. | Photo Credit: PTI Even before beginning its IPL 2026 campaign, a formidable-looking Kolkata Knight Riders has run into bumps in the road due to injuries to some of its key pacers.With Akash Deep ruled out, Harshit Rana’s participation doubtful and Sri Lankan Matheesha Pathirana — a high-value asset who commanded ₹18 crore in the mini-auction — recovering from a calf strain, Knight Riders’ pace department faces a resource crunch.In such a scenario, all-rounder Cameron Green, the Kolkata outfit’s costliest acquisition, will play a vital role.Zimbabwe’s Muzarabani, who replaced…