Shubman Gill and Smriti Mandhana were awarded the top individual honors at the Naman Awards 2026 in New Delhi. On Sunday, March 15, Gill received the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award for the Best International Cricketer in men’s cricket, while Mandhana was named the BCCI’s Best International Cricketer in women’s cricket.

For Gill, it was his second Cricketer of the Year award after winning it for the first time in 2023 following his stellar performances with the bat for India. As an opening batsman at that time, he scored 1,584 runs in 29 ODIs at an average of 63.36 and a strike rate of 105.45, including five centuries.

For Mandhana, this was the fifth time she won the award after 2018, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2023-24 and 2024-25.

Gill emerged for India

Gill has had a stellar 2025 for India, especially in the longer formats, and has established himself as one of the team’s most reliable batsmen. On the England tour, he led from the front in the five-Test series. Became India’s highest run scorer with 754 runs in 10 innings. At an average of 75.40, which included four centuries and a top score of 269.

At one point, he had scored 585 runs in the first two Test matches alone, his first Test series as captain after replacing Rohit Sharma.

Gill also played a key role in India’s victorious Champions Trophy 2025 campaign. He entered the tournament as the world No. 1 ranked ODI batsman and made an immediate impact by scoring an unbeaten 101 against Bangladesh in India’s opening match. He finished the tournament with 188 runs, making him India’s third-highest run-scorer, cementing his position at the top while winning the title.

However, after being left out of India’s squad for the T20 World Cup as the selectors opted for a different combination at the top, Gill has not enjoyed the best start to 2026. Nevertheless, the BCCI made sure to honor his contribution at the Naman Awards last year, a fitting recognition of his impact in India’s Test and ODI setup.

Smriti Mandhana continues to shine

Mandhana has been one of India’s standout performers since the start of 2025, delivering record-breaking performances across formats and further cementing her position as the face of Indian women’s batting.

She scored 1,703 international runs in 2025, including 1,362 runs in ODIs, the most by any woman in a calendar year. In doing so, Mandhana became the first batsman in Women’s ODI history to score 1,000 runs in a single calendar year, a historic feat during the Women’s World Cup.

Mandhana also played a key role in India’s 2025 Women’s World Cup campaign. She finished the tournament as India’s leading run-scorer and second-highest overall, with 434 runs in nine matches at an average of 54.25. His consistency at the top played a major role in India’s title win and underlined his importance in big tournaments.

This left-handed batsman once again wrote history in September 2025, when He scored a century in 50 balls against Australia in New Delhi To record the fastest ODI century by an Indian batsman, male or female, surpassing Virat Kohli’s 52-ball century.

Later in December, she became the first Indian and second player overall to cross 4,000 runs in Women’s T20I by achieving the feat against Sri Lanka in Visakhapatnam.

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After Devendra Chaplot announced that he is joining SpaceX and XAI and working closely with Elon Musk and team to create superintelligence, the story resurfaced on social media that all the tech jobs in the US are going to Indians. The announcement came with a photo of him along with Musk, which drew criticism from Musk as he had once again hired an Indian. Social media users mocked Elon Musk, saying that he talks about multiculturalism and saving mass migration and then hires an Indian two minutes later. Elon Musk has been a strong supporter of the H-1B visa program, on which Silicon Valley companies are largely dependent. Chaplot wrote in his announcement, “SpaceX and“I’m excited to pursue areas I’ve been passionate about for years, from robotics research to building AI models on the founding teams of Mistral and TML. Both were extraordinary journeys with extraordinary people that shaped the way I think about building intelligence from the ground up. I’m grateful for everything that got me here, and I can’t wait to get started,” the announcement said. Chaplot graduated from IIT-Bombay in 2014 with a B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering and a minor in Applied Statistics. He received his PhD from the Machine Learning Department of Carnegie Mellon University. He worked at Samsung Electronics in South Korea. His AI work includes positions at Facebook AI Research, Mistral AI, and Thinking Machines Labs. He won several awards for his AI research. Given his extensive work in the field of AI, many social media users defended the appointment and said Elon knows the talent. Responding to the hate post, one wrote, “For you the guy is Indian but for Elon he is a genius.” Another wrote about Chaplot, “He is from IIT Bombay, you know how to get into that college, you have cracked two of the toughest exams in the world JEE Main and JEE Advanced, every year 1.3 million students compete for these exams and IIT Bombay has only 1300 seats, they study 10 hours a day.” A third wrote, “It’s all about hiring the best people for their outstanding abilities, nothing to do with where they come from.”

AAP’s Kejriwal, Sisodia move Supreme Court after Delhi HC rejects plea to transfer excise policy case

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convener Arvind Kejriwal And senior party leader Manish Sisodia has contacted Supreme Court After the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court The party on Sunday said it rejected his request to transfer the CBI’s plea against discharging him in the excise policy case from the bench of Justice Swarnkant Sharma to another judge.The development comes a day before the CBI’s plea challenging the discharge order comes up for hearing before Justice Sharma.

Delhi HC Chief Justice rejects transfer request

According to news agency PTI, Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyay rejected the request by former Chief Minister Kejriwal and other accused to transfer the case to the administrative side.According to sources quoted by PTI, the Chief Justice took the view that Justice Swarn Kanta Sharma was hearing the CBI plea in line with the roster allocation, and there was no reason to pass the transfer order.Following that rejection, AAP said Kejriwal and Sisodia have challenged the decision in the Supreme Court.

Why did Kejriwal ask for transfer?

On March 11, Kejriwal, Sisodia and other accused in the excise policy case submitted a representation to the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, seeking transfer of the CBI plea from Justice Sharma to another “impartial” judge.Kejriwal, in his representation, said he had a “serious, bona fide and reasonable apprehension” that the trial in the case would not be fair and neutral.The CBI has moved the Delhi High Court against the trial court order acquitting Kejriwal and other accused in the excise policy case.

What happened in the High Court?

Issuing notice to all 23 accused, including Kejriwal, Justice Swarnkant Sharma had said that certain findings and observations made by the trial court at the stage of framing of charges prima facie appear to be wrong and need to be considered.That observation appears to have given rise to the apprehension expressed by AAP leaders.Earlier, Kejriwal’s representation argued that the High Court not only issued notice in the first short hearing on March 9, but also, ex parte and without hearing the acquitted accused, recorded a prima facie opinion that the trial court’s detailed order was “erroneous”.The representation also objected to the stay of the directions and observations of the trial court against the investigating officer, including the departmental action proposed by the High Court, without mentioning the specific pathology that justifies such interim intervention.According to the representation, such relief at the preliminary stage and without hearing the acquitted accused strengthened the apprehension that the revision petition may not be heard with the necessary judicial detachment.

The trial court had acquitted Kejriwal, Sisodia and others.

Arguments on charges in the excise policy case began in December 2025 and on February 27, the special CBI court passed a detailed order acquitting Kejriwal, Sisodia, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and all other accused in the case.Kejriwal was arrested in connection with the case in June 2024 and chargesheet was filed in July 2024.The CBI petition challenging the discharge is now listed for hearing before Justice Swarn Kanta Sharma on Monday.

उत्तर प्रदेश समाचार: उत्तर प्रदेश के उन्नाव जिले से बेसिक शिक्षा विभाग से जुड़ा एक विवादित मामला सामने आया है. बीएसए कार्यालय में तैनात एक वरिष्ठ बाबू का वीडियो वायरल होने के बाद विभाग में हड़कंप मच गया है। वीडियो में बड़े बाबू कथित तौर पर नोटिस रद्द कराने के नाम पर 50 हजार रुपये की मांग करते नजर आ रहे हैं. इस वीडियो के सामने आने के बाद विभाग की छवि पर सवाल उठ रहे हैं. मामले को गंभीरता से लेते हुए जिला बेसिक शिक्षा अधिकारी ने जांच के आदेश दिए हैं. हालांकि वायरल वीडियो की आधिकारिक पुष्टि नहीं हुई है.

नोटिस खत्म कराने के नाम पर पैसे मांगने का आरोप
जानकारी के मुताबिक, शनिवार को बीएसए कार्यालय में तैनात बड़े बाबू उदयवीर सिंह का एक वीडियो सामने आया है. वीडियो में वह एक शिक्षक से नोटिस रद्द कराने के नाम पर पचास हजार रुपये की मांग करते नजर आ रहे हैं. वीडियो में बड़े बाबू कहते सुनाई दे रहे हैं कि वह और बीएसए एक-दूसरे के काफी करीब हैं। वह सामने वाले से कहता है कि पचास हजार रुपये दोगे तो नोटिस निपट जाएगा।

वीडियो में सौदेबाजी की भी चर्चा की गई है
वायरल वीडियो में यह भी सुनाई दे रहा है कि सामने वाला शख्स चालीस हजार रुपये में मामला रफा-दफा करने की बात करता है. इस पर बड़े बाबू कहते हैं कि अधिकारी पचास हजार रुपये से कम नहीं मानेंगे। इसके बाद सामने वाला शख्स कहता है कि वह सोमवार तक पचास हजार रुपये का इंतजाम कर देगा और मामला रफा-दफा करने की बात करता है. बड़े बाबू भी इस बात से सहमत हो जाते हैं और कहते हैं कि ठीक है.

बीएसए ने दिए जांच के आदेश
वीडियो सामने आने के बाद उन्नाव जिला बेसिक शिक्षा अधिकारी शैलेश पांडे ने मामले का संज्ञान लिया है. उन्होंने कहा कि यह बात सामने आयी है कि विभाग का एक सहायक एक शिक्षक से पैसे की मांग कर रहा था, जिससे विभाग की छवि खराब हुई है. उन्होंने कहा कि मामले की जांच के लिए दो सदस्यीय टीम का गठन किया गया है. साथ ही संबंधित बाबू से लिखित स्पष्टीकरण भी मांगा गया है। जांच रिपोर्ट आने के बाद आगे की कार्रवाई की जाएगी।

बताया जाता है कि बाबू कई वर्षों से तैनात है
सूत्रों के मुताबिक आरोपी बड़ा बाबू कई वर्षों से बीएसए कार्यालय में तैनात बताया जा रहा है। फिलहाल विभाग इस पूरे मामले की जांच कर रहा है. अधिकारियों का कहना है कि जांच पूरी होने के बाद अगर आरोप सही पाए गए तो संबंधित कर्मचारी के खिलाफ सख्त कार्रवाई की जाएगी।

New Delhi: The Election Commission It was announced on Sunday that assembly elections in West Bengal will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29 – unlike the eight-phase voting held in 2021.Announcing the election schedule for 4 states and one Union Territory, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said it was found necessary to reduce the phases to make elections convenient for all.“With regard to conducting elections in West Bengal in two phases instead of the earlier eight phases, the Commission has held detailed deliberations and in its considered opinion, found it necessary to reduce the number of phases and reduce it to the extent where it is convenient for all,” Kumar said.The Chief Election Commissioner also addressed concerns over electoral violence and said that necessary action would be taken on police proposals that were found to be involved in earlier elections.“In respect of those police officers who were involved in violence in the earlier elections, the list has been sought, as revealed to the media during our visit to West Bengal, and necessary action will be taken as per law. With regard to the supplementary list, as per the orders of the Supreme Court, the learned judge working under the directions of the Calcutta High Court will bring out this supplementary list and as and when the supplementary list of names comes out, they will be included in addition to the existing voters.”The Election Commission on Sunday announced election dates for four poll-bound states – Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal – and the union territory of Puducherry. Track all the updates on the Election Commission press conference here.The counting of votes for the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026 will take place on May 4 along with Assam, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu.Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party and TMC praised the Election Commission’s decision to conduct elections in West Bengal in two phases.In a post on Twitter, BJP West Bengal said voters will cast their vote in two phases on April 23 and April 29.It said, “This is not just an election, this is a civilizational battle. The countdown to the end of the Maha Jungle Raj has begun.”Referring to the counting date of May 4, the BJP said, “Fifty days are left – May 4 will be a new dawn for Bengal.”Reacting to the election announcement, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said that the people of the state stand firmly with the ruling party.“The people of Bengal are with TMC. This is again shown in the huge presence of youth in Yuva Sathi camps Mamata Banerjee Government,” he said.In the 2021 Bengal elections, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress secured 215 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party became the official opposition with 77 seats.

उत्तर प्रदेश समाचार: सरकार की ओर से अक्सर यह दावा किया जाता है कि पिछले कुछ सालों में राज्य के सरकारी अस्पतालों की व्यवस्था में काफी सुधार हुआ है. लेकिन समय-समय पर सामने आने वाली घटनाएं इन दावों पर सवाल खड़े करती हैं. ऐसा ही एक मामला वाराणसी के दीन दयाल उपाध्याय जिला अस्पताल से सामने आया है. यहां की पैथोलॉजी लैब में ड्यूटी के दौरान कर्मचारियों की कथित कॉकटेल पार्टी का वीडियो सोशल मीडिया पर वायरल हो गया है. वीडियो में अस्पताल कर्मचारी ड्यूटी के दौरान लैब के अंदर शराब और चिकन की पार्टी करते नजर आ रहे हैं. वीडियो सामने आने के बाद अस्पताल प्रशासन में हड़कंप मच गया और मामले की जांच शुरू कर दी गई है.

पैथोलॉजी लैब में ड्यूटी के दौरान पार्टी करने का आरोप
जानकारी के मुताबिक, वाराणसी के दीन दयाल उपाध्याय जिला अस्पताल के पैथोलॉजी लैब में कुछ कर्मचारियों ने ड्यूटी के दौरान शराब और खाने की पार्टी शुरू कर दी. बताया जा रहा है कि यह घटना उस वक्त हुई जब अस्पताल में मरीजों के ब्लड सैंपल और जांच रिपोर्ट से जुड़ा काम चल रहा था. वायरल वीडियो में कुछ लोग लैब के अंदर बैठकर शराब पीते और खाना खाते नजर आ रहे हैं. बताया जा रहा है कि ये लोग लैब टेक्नीशियन और सैंपलिंग करने वाले कर्मचारी हो सकते हैं. हालांकि, अभी तक यह साफ नहीं हो पाया है कि वीडियो में नजर आ रहे लोग कौन हैं.

वीडियो वायरल होने के बाद प्रशासन ने कार्रवाई की
सोशल मीडिया पर वीडियो वायरल होने के बाद अस्पताल प्रशासन ने मामले का संज्ञान लिया है. अस्पताल के मुख्य चिकित्सा अधीक्षक डॉ. आरएस राम ने बताया कि वीडियो सामने आने के बाद जांच के आदेश दे दिये गये हैं. उन्होंने कहा कि एक कमेटी बनाई गई है जो वीडियो की जांच करेगी और पता लगाएगी कि पार्टी में कौन-कौन कर्मचारी शामिल थे. जांच के बाद दोषी पाए जाने वालों के खिलाफ सख्त कार्रवाई की जाएगी।

पुराना वीडियो बताया जा रहा है
सीएमएस डॉ. आरएस राम ने यह भी बताया कि यह वीडियो पिछले साल जून या जुलाई का बताया जा रहा है और वह उस वक्त यहां पोस्ट नहीं थे. हालाँकि, उन्होंने यह भी स्पष्ट किया कि अस्पताल की प्रतिष्ठा और अनुशासन अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण है। इसलिए इस मामले को गंभीरता से लिया जा रहा है. उन्होंने कहा कि जांच कमेटी वीडियो में दिख रहे लोगों की पहचान करेगी और पूरी रिपोर्ट तैयार करेगी. इसके बाद आगे की कार्रवाई की जायेगी. फिलहाल अस्पताल प्रशासन पूरे मामले की जांच कर रहा है और उम्मीद है कि जल्द ही सच्चाई सामने आ जाएगी.

PM Modi with Om Birla (PTI Image)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker on Sunday. Om Birla He was praised for his patience, impartiality and leadership after the no-confidence motion against him fell in the House. PM Modi also praised him for maintaining parliamentary decorum and ensuring the dignity of democratic institutions.In the letter, PM Modi wrote, “The House has rejected the no-confidence motion brought against you in the Lok Sabha. I also congratulate the members of the House for the way the House has clearly rejected this political act. After the motion was dropped, I listened carefully to the statement made by you in the House. The balance, patience and clarity with which you mentioned parliamentary history, the responsibilities of the Speaker and the supremacy of rules is extremely impressive. “I commend you for that.”PM Modi praised the Speaker for protecting democratic norms and emphasized that “no one is above the rules in this House”. PM Modi wrote, “The responsibility of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is not just to conduct the proceedings, but also to protect democratic traditions, rules and institutional dignity. Your clear statement that no one in this House is above the rules is a message that reaffirms the basic spirit of our democracy.”PM Modi also acknowledged that democratic institutions often face challenges when new voices emerge and said Birla has consistently broadened the spirit of democracy by ensuring equal opportunities for all members, especially young and new MPs. Modi wrote, “The way you have discharged your duties even amidst difficult circumstances is truly inspiring.”

‘Hearty thanks for your inspiring words’: Om Birla responds to PM Modi’s letter

Responding to PM Modi’s letter, Om Birla thanked him for his courageous words and said that this message reflects his deep faith in parliamentary rules, traditions and democratic values.Sharing the letter in a post on Twitter, he wrote: “I have received your letter. You have always had unwavering faith in the rules, procedures and traditions of India’s parliamentary democracy. Your letter expresses the highest ethical values ​​of public service that you have upheld throughout your long public life; in your current role as Prime Minister of India and earlier as Chief Minister of Gujarat.” Birla further expressed his thanks to PM Modi for his inspiring words. He wrote, “This message of yours, cutting across party lines, will inspire all elected representatives in Parliament, State Assemblies and local bodies and further strengthen the strong moral foundation of democracy established by our freedom fighters and members of the Constituent Assembly. Heartfelt thanks for your inspiring words.”A no-confidence motion supported by 118 opposition MPs was moved against Birla over allegations of bias. The proceedings against him involved nearly 12 hours of intense debate over two days. With Speaker Birla absent during the discussion, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who was presiding over the House, announced the rejection of the motion by voice vote amid protests and sloganeering by opposition members demanding an apology from Union Home Minister Amit Shah.After the motion was defeated, Birla returned to the Chairman and addressed the House on Thursday.“This House represents the sovereign will of India’s 1.4 billion citizens. Each member comes with the mandate of millions of citizens and hopes to address their problems, deprivations and aspirations,” he said. Birla stressed that he has always sought to conduct proceedings with fairness, discipline and balance while maintaining the dignity of the House and providing opportunities to all members.

बड़ा इमामबाड़ा घूमने आए एक डिजिटल क्रिएटर का वीडियो सोशल मीडिया पर तेजी से वायरल हो रहा है. इस वीडियो के सामने आने के बाद हिजाब और ड्रेस कोड को लेकर नया विवाद शुरू हो गया है. डिजिटल क्रिएटर मान्या सिंह ने अपने सोशल मीडिया अकाउंट पर वीडियो शेयर कर दावा किया है कि वह अपने दोस्तों के साथ लखनऊ घूमने आई थीं. इसी दौरान उन्होंने बड़ा इमामबाड़ा देखने का फैसला किया. मान्या के मुताबिक, उन्होंने टिकट लेकर परिसर में प्रवेश किया था, लेकिन प्रवेश के समय ड्रेस कोड या हिजाब के संबंध में कोई निर्देश नहीं दिया गया था।

इमामबाड़ा परिसर में हिजाब को लेकर बहस
मान्या सिंह ने अपने वीडियो में आरोप लगाया कि जैसे ही वह इमामबाड़ा परिसर के अंदर पहुंचीं, वहां मौजूद कुछ लोगों ने उनसे कहा कि उन्हें हिजाब के बिना यहां घूमने की इजाजत नहीं है. जब उन्होंने इस पर सवाल उठाया तो लोगों ने उन्हें घूरकर देखा और कहा कि यहां बिना सिर ढके रहना मना है. मान्या का कहना है कि कुछ लोगों ने उन्हें परिसर छोड़ने के लिए भी कहा। उन्होंने बताया कि जब उन्होंने हिजाब पहनने से इनकार कर दिया तो वहां मौजूद लोगों ने अपनी टीम के एक सदस्य को भेजा और उन्हें कहीं से स्कार्फ लाकर सिर ढकने को कहा. मान्या के मुताबिक, कुछ देर बाद एक शख्स सीधे उनके पास आया और उन्हें अपनी शर्ट के बटन बंद करने की सलाह दी. उन्होंने इस पर कड़ी आपत्ति जताई और कहा कि यह उनका निजी पहनावा है और उन्हें क्या पहनना चाहिए, यह तय करने का अधिकार किसी को नहीं है.

पोस्टरों को लेकर भी आरोप लगाए गए
मान्या सिंह ने अपने वीडियो में यह भी दावा किया कि इमामबाड़ा परिसर के बाहर अमेरिका और इजराइल के खिलाफ पोस्टर लगाए गए हैं. उनका कहना है कि वहां मौजूद कुछ लोगों ने उनसे इन पोस्टरों पर पैर रखकर अंदर जाने को कहा. हालांकि मान्या ने ऐसा करने से इनकार कर दिया. उनका कहना है कि इस घटना के बाद वहां का माहौल और असहज हो गया.

मौलाना कल्बे जव्वाद ने नियमों का पालन करने की बात कही
इस पूरे मामले पर शिया धर्मगुरु मौलाना कल्बे जवाद का भी बयान सामने आया है. उन्होंने कहा कि हर धार्मिक स्थल के अपने नियम और परंपराएं होती हैं, जिनका सम्मान करना जरूरी है. मौलाना कल्बे जव्वाद ने कहा कि इमामबाड़ा एक धार्मिक स्थल है और यहां बिना सिर ढके घूमना मना है. इसलिए अगर किसी को हिजाब पहनने के लिए कहा जाए तो इसमें कुछ भी गलत नहीं है. उन्होंने यह भी कहा कि जिस तरह कई मंदिरों में मुसलमानों के प्रवेश पर प्रतिबंध है, उसी तरह अलग-अलग धार्मिक स्थलों के अपने नियम हैं और वहां आने वाले लोगों को उनका पालन करना चाहिए।