New Delhi: Calm under pressure and fearless at the death, Mukul Choudhary smashed 57 off 27 balls and seven sixes to lead Lucknow Super Giants to a spectacular victory in the last over at the Eden Gardens on Thursday against Kolkata Knight Riders.The emotions on the 21-year-old Jhunjhunu’s face as he scored the winning run were clear – keeping his nerve, battling anxiety, negotiating a yorker in the final over from Vaibhav Arora, waiting for the right ball to send it across the ropes and then raising both hands to celebrate, before his teammates rushed to surround him from the dugout.hitting that six IPL However, the night of preparation is supported by an even bigger story. This was not the first time that the youth of Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan had thrashed the bowlers. Even before making headlines in the IPL, he had already hit an incredible 36 sixes in an innings.
In Sikar (Jhunjhunu), where Mukul trains, he practices on black soil. However, adjusting to the red-clay wickets became a major challenge. That’s when he turned to his under-23 batting coach Chandrapal Singh. In Rajasthan, red soil pitches are found in Udaipur and Nathdwara. The distance was difficult, but the stubborn Mukul accepted the challenge.Packing his kit at night, he would board a bus to Udaipur (in Rajasthan) and sometimes to Nathdwara (in Rajasthan), about 500 km from Jhunjhunu.“Mukul is extremely hard-working. I didn’t know whether he would agree to it or not, but he took up the challenge despite all the travelling. He had to cover long distances – traveling 500 km by bus, playing a match, staying overnight and then coming back is not easy. “He did this about three times a week,” Chandrapal told TimesofIndia.com. Chanderpaul said, “He once hit 36 sixes in a T20 match. We had called some teams and Mukul’s team was against them. I knew he would play a big innings, but I did not expect him to set it on fire like this. He was hitting the ball ruthlessly. He has also practiced MS Dhoni’s helicopter shot.”“You will find red soil in places like Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Cuttack and Karnataka. The way he stepped out of his comfort zone to prepare for this IPL is remarkable. He is a complete team man – for him the team always comes first,” he said.Mukul performed brilliantly in domestic cricket. After making his mark at the Under-23 level, he scored 173 runs at a strike rate of 198.85 in five innings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26. His excellent form with the bat earned him an IPL contract, with Lucknow Super Giants buying him for Rs 2.60 crore in the IPL 2026 auction.
For the 21-year-old, the ability to clear the ropes with ease – from bat swing to footwork, reach and reading the situation – has not come overnight.“I have practiced that shot since my childhood,” Mukul had said during the post-match press conference after the robbery.“My body is naturally a bit powerful, and that has helped me. I also practice hitting 100-150 sixes every day, so the bat speed develops if you keep repeating it.” I have been training hard for the last five to six months and now it has become a part of my game.After the match, LSG captain Rishabh Pant, who was looking tense till the final delivery, looked relieved. A wide smile spread across Mukul’s face as he moved forward to hug him.For Chanderpaul, Mukul has always been a player who puts the team above everything else.“More than a classy batsman, he is a brilliant team man. His first priority is always the team.” I noticed it when he first came to me. In every situation he would ask, ‘Sir, how can I help the team win?’ This attitude is what makes him special and has brought him this far.”“We have seen players like Russell and Pollard, who are physically very strong hitters. He is similar in that sense. He has that kind of muscular build and a very different mindset. If he has to hit 100 sixes in a day, he can do that comfortably,” Chanderpaul said.
One of his seven sixes against Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday night was a Dhoni-like helicopter shot that sent the Eden Gardens crowd into a deafening roar. The entire LSG dugout including Rishabh Pant was stunned.Lucknow Super Giants will next face Chennai Super Kings on May 10 and for Mukul Choudhary, he will not only be at the pinnacle of his incredible innings, but he will also be looking forward to meeting his idol MS Dhoni. Mukul had said on JioHotstar after the match, “I always look up to MS Dhoni because I am also a finisher. I always look up to him. His helicopter shot, which is very iconic, is my favourite. Everyone remembers the way he led India in the 2011 World Cup. I want to be like him and finish matches and help my team win.”
Ahead of that, their schedule is packed: They will face Gujarat Titans on Sunday, followed by Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 15, Punjab Kings on April 19, Rajasthan Royals on April 22, Kolkata Knight Riders on April 26, Mumbai Indians on April 15, and Kolkata Knight Riders on April 26. Indian On 4 May and once again against Royal Challengers Bangalore on 7 May.
Scientists have discovered an archaea called ‘Asgard’ in the extremely high salinity waters of Australia’s Shark Bay, containing microorganisms that provide a long-standing evolutionary puzzle spanning many centuries – how did simple, single-celled bacteria evolve into such complex multicellular organisms, animals and humans? These unique microorganisms act as an evolutionary link; They carry with them cellular machinery considered unique to complex cells, thus showing us evolutionary transition points in development. The proto-eukaryote, which we now call a ‘living fossil’, represents a specialized early microorganism that could survive and consume other early microorganisms. This led to the formation of the first eukaryotic cell. Without this unique, microscopic ancestor found in the extreme saline basins of Australia, the branch of the evolutionary tree representing humanity would never have evolved.
The identification of Asgard Archaea discovered in Shark Bay microbial mats suggests that these are eukaryotes, or the closest living relatives of eukaryotic organisms in their cells, including humans, according to the study published in Nature. Asgard archaea contain what are called ‘eukaryotic signature proteins’ (ESPs), which provide molecular scaffolding for intracellular architecture. DNA analysis shows that Asgard archaea represent a eukaryotic ancestor, establishing a direct evolutionary lineage between this unicellular organism and modern humans.
Research involving Asgard archaea supports the endosymbiotic theory. According to this theory, published in PNAS, endosymbiosis begins with an asgard-like organism ingesting some unrelated bacteria. Instead of digesting these bacteria, the large asgard-like cell and the bacteria existed together as a symbiote. Over a period of millions of years, engulfed bacteria gradually evolved to become what we now refer to as mitochondria – the ‘engines’ of our cells, providing the metabolic boost necessary for evolution to produce multicellular organisms.
The remarkable microbial mats and living stromatolites in Shark Bay may very well be responsible for its World Heritage status and are truly spectacular as they exist in twice as much salt as the open oceans. The ancient environment in which they live resembles the oceans of 2 billion years ago, allowing scientists to see a present-day version of the conditions that gave rise to complex life through the Asgard Archaea that now live in this particular ecological region and are considered the ‘missing link’ because they exhibit evolutionary plasticity.
Additionally, Asgard archaea have a unique cytoskeleton compared to standard prokaryotic cells; According to the Journal of Molecular Biology, this enables the cell to change its shape and move, and possibly transport materials internally, which was once thought to be associated with complex forms of life. Thus, they provide evidence that the cellular biomechanics that are essential for complex, environment-dependent life forms existed before the appearance of the first animals.
New Delhi: Justice Yashwant Verma, who has been in the news for more than 13 months after wads of burnt currency notes were accidentally found in his official bungalow in New Delhi, has resigned as judge of the Allahabad High Court.In a letter to President Draupadi Murmu on Friday, Verma said he was resigning “with immediate effect”, bringing the curtains down on what looked to be a promising judicial career till March 2025.
Eyewitness testimony of firemen and police officers was taken before the judges’ inquiry committee headed by SC Justice Arvind Kumar as part of the removal motion to convince the controversial HC judge to drop his resistance. On the night of March 14-15 last year, while responding to a 112 fire emergency, they had found sacks of cash in the bungalow of Justice Verma, who was then a Delhi High Court judge, on Tughlaq Road in New Delhi.Justice Verma wrote, “Although I do not propose to burden your distinguished office with the reasons which have compelled me to submit this letter, it is with deep pain that I tender my resignation from the office of Judge of the Honorable High Court at Allahabad with immediate effect.”
अमेठी जिले के मुंशीगंज थाना क्षेत्र में एक बड़ी घटना सामने आई है, जहां शॉर्ट सर्किट के कारण भीषण आग लग गई. यह हादसा सुल्तानपुर ग्राम सभा के नीलकंठपुर दुआरा गांव में हुआ, जिसमें कई किसानों की खड़ी गेहूं की फसल पूरी तरह जलकर राख हो गई. आग इतनी भीषण थी कि देखते ही देखते पूरे खेतों में फैल गई। ग्रामीणों ने मिलकर आग बुझाने का प्रयास किया, लेकिन सूचना के बावजूद फायर ब्रिगेड समय पर मौके पर नहीं पहुंच सकी, जिससे नुकसान और बढ़ गया.
शॉर्ट सर्किट से लगी आग, फसलों को भारी नुकसान
जानकारी के मुताबिक बिजली के शॉर्ट सर्किट से अचानक आग लग गयी. उस समय खेतों में खड़ी गेहूं की फसल तैयार थी, जिसके कारण आग तेजी से फैल गई. देखते ही देखते आग ने कई खेतों को अपनी चपेट में ले लिया और किसानों की मेहनत जलकर राख हो गई।
ग्रामीणों ने मिलकर आग पर काबू पाया
घटना के बाद गांव के लोग तुरंत मौके पर पहुंचे और मिलकर आग बुझाने का प्रयास किया. कड़ी मशक्कत के बाद ग्रामीणों ने किसी तरह आग पर काबू पाया, लेकिन तब तक काफी नुकसान हो चुका था। अगर समय पर मदद मिल जाती तो नुकसान कम हो सकता था.
फायर ब्रिगेड समय पर नहीं पहुंची
ग्रामीणों का आरोप है कि उन्होंने समय रहते प्रशासन और फायर ब्रिगेड को सूचना दे दी थी, लेकिन इसके बावजूद कोई टीम मौके पर नहीं पहुंची. इससे आग बुझाने में देरी हुई और नुकसान ज्यादा हुआ. इस घटना के बाद प्रशासन की कार्यशैली पर सवाल उठ रहे हैं.
कई किसानों की फसलें जलकर राख हो गईं
इस हादसे में राज बहादुर तिवारी, सत्य प्रकाश पांडे, जय प्रकाश पांडे, करुणा शंकर पांडे, उमाशंकर पांडे, राजाराम, अजय, पवन पांडे, दुर्गा प्रसाद, संजय तिवारी और पवन समेत कई किसानों की गेहूं की फसल पूरी तरह जल गई। किसानों का कहना है कि उनकी साल भर की मेहनत एक पल में खत्म हो गई.
मुआवजे की मांग उठी
घटना के बाद प्रभावित किसानों ने प्रशासन से मुआवजे की मांग की है. उनका कहना है कि उन्हें आर्थिक सहायता दी जाए ताकि वे अपने नुकसान की भरपाई कर सकें और अगली फसल की तैयारी कर सकें.
(रिपोर्ट:बृजेश मिश्र,अमेठी)
Guwahati: Vaibhav Suryavanshi certainly owned the term ‘impact player’ on Friday. 15 year old batting sensation created a stir on the field Rajasthan RoyalsChasing a target of 202 runs at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium here, defending champions RCB scored 78 runs in 26 balls as the hosts won by four wickets with two overs to spare. With their fourth consecutive win, the Royals remain at the top of the table with 8 points from as many matches, while RCB remain at the third position with four points after three matches.Suryavanshi’s magic at this young age is such that even Dhruv Jurel’s brilliant innings of unbeaten 81 runs in 43 balls (8×4, 3×6) came to naught. When the show Sooryavanshi is on, everyone else can take a back seat. Just three days after hitting a six off Jasprit Bumrah’s first ball in the match against Mumbai Indians at the same ground, Suryavanshi took on Josh Hazlewood regardless of his reputation as one of the leading bowlers in the world. The Australian, returning from injury, was welcomed with a hat-trick of fours and then a six over deep square leg in his second over.In the next over, the fifth over of the RR innings, in came Bhuvneshwar Kumar for punishment, who was hit for two consecutive sixes as Suryavanshi completed his half-century off 15 balls.
The sequence ended after Virat Kohli was caught by Krunal Pandya at long on on the first ball of the ninth over. However, by the time he was out, Suryavanshi had ensured Rajasthan’s victory, with the team at 129/2 in 8.1 overs.Jurel ensured there were no interruptions in his unbroken fifth-wicket partnership with Ravindra Jadeja (24 not out off 25 balls).Earlier, Rajat Patidar took RCB to 201/8 after the start was delayed by over an hour due to rain. While most of his top-order teammates either did not get starts or failed to convert, Patidar played a captain’s innings amid some tough middle overs by the Rajasthan Royals bowlers in front of a crowd cheering for the defending champions. His innings of 63 runs off 40 balls with the help of four fours and as many sixes along with some late charges from ‘impact player’ Venkatesh Iyer (29 not out in 15 balls) and Romario Shepherd (22 runs in 11 balls) helped RCB reach a strong total of 201/8.Kohli, who was responsible for garnering the ‘home’ support, gave the sell-out crowd ample reason to cheer with some trademark shots.
us President donald trump Islamabad said on Friday (local time) ahead of ceasefire talks with Tehran that the Strait of Hormuz will open “with or without Iran”.Click here for live updates“I wish them all the best… They (Iran) have been defeated militarily, and now we’re going to open the Gulf, with or without them,” Trump told reporters ahead of talks in the Pakistani capital. He was referring to Vice President JD Vance, who is leading the US delegation and is reportedly opposed to military operations against Iran. .“If it doesn’t, we’ll close it one way or another, it’s going well. (Iran’s) navy and air force are gone, along with all the anti-aircraft systems, leaders and the whole place. The Strait of Hormuz will open on its own… we’ll open it soon,” Trump told reporters ahead of talks in the Pakistani capital.Vance is also accompanied by special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The Iranian delegation is led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliamentary Speaker MD Ghalibaf.Trump further said that he will not allow Tehran to do this impose transit fee On ships passing through the strait.He said, “No, we will not allow it, this is international waters. If they are doing this, we will not allow it to happen.”Tehran has virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz – a vital sea corridor between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman – in retaliation for the US-Israeli attacks on February 28, which sparked the current Middle East conflict.About 20% of the world’s crude oil supply passes through the waterway, underscoring its global strategic importance.Meanwhile, Trump said a backup plan would not be needed if ceasefire discussions fail.The Republican commented, “I’ll have to see what happens tomorrow. They (Iran) have been talking for 47 years with other presidents – and we’re not talking much. We don’t need a backup plan. Their military is defeated, they have very few missiles, very little manufacturing capacity. We’ve hit them hard. Our military has done a wonderful job.” The current 14-day ceasefire is already in danger over Israel continuous attacks in lebanon Despite the ceasefire. The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah joined the war after Iran’s then-supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the conflict.Israel says the ceasefire agreement does not include Lebanon.
मुजफ्फरनगर विद्युत पेंशनर्स परिषद की जिला शाखा का वार्षिक सम्मेलन लिंक रोड स्थित न्यू दावत पार्टी हॉल में गरिमामय माहौल में आयोजित हुआ. कार्यक्रम की अध्यक्षता परिषद के अध्यक्ष इंजीनियर एमडी शर्मा ने की, जबकि विभिन्न जिलों से आये पेंशनर्स प्रतिनिधियों एवं अतिथियों की उपस्थिति ने कार्यक्रम को विशेष महत्व दिया.
सम्मेलन का उद्घाटन सेवानिवृत्त मुख्य अभियंता इंजी लोकेश चंद्रा, राजकीय पेंशनर्स कल्याण संगठन के अध्यक्ष इंजी बीआर शर्मा एवं केंद्रीय संरक्षक सदस्य इंजी. एससी गर्ग एवं अन्य अतिथियों के साथ दीप प्रज्ज्वलन एवं माल्यार्पण किया गया।
आसपास के जिलों से भी पहुंचे प्रतिनिधि, क्षेत्रीय स्तर का मंच बना सम्मेलन
कार्यक्रम में शामली, सहारनपुर, बिजनौर और मेरठ समेत आसपास के जिलों से पेंशनर्स संगठनों के पदाधिकारी भी शामिल हुए। विभिन्न संगठनों के प्रतिनिधियों की सक्रिय भागीदारी से सम्मेलन क्षेत्रीय स्तर पर समन्वय एवं संवाद का एक महत्वपूर्ण मंच बन गया।
अध्यक्ष इंजीनियर बीबी गुप्ता एवं सचिव योगेन्द्र कुमार शर्मा ने सभी अतिथियों का स्वागत किया तथा परिषद की गतिविधियों एवं पेंशनरों से जुड़े मुद्दों पर प्रकाश डाला।
सम्मेलन में प्रस्तुत किया गया मांग पत्र, समस्याओं के समाधान पर चर्चा
बैठक का संचालन करते हुए इंजीनियर उमेश चंद्र वर्मा ने परिषद द्वारा तैयार किये गये मांग पत्र को उपस्थित अतिथियों के समक्ष प्रस्तुत किया. इसमें पेंशनभोगियों से जुड़ी विभिन्न प्रशासनिक, वित्तीय एवं सेवा संबंधी समस्याओं के समाधान की अपेक्षाएं व्यक्त की गईं।
मांग पत्र में पेंशन भुगतान व्यवस्था, कार्यालयों में सम्मानजनक व्यवहार, चिकित्सा सुविधा एवं अन्य प्रशासनिक प्रक्रियाओं के सरलीकरण से संबंधित मुद्दों को प्रमुखता से रखा गया.
राज्य मंत्री कपिल देव अग्रवाल ने समाधान का आश्वासन दिया
सम्मेलन में मुख्य अतिथि के रूप में राज्य मंत्री (स्वतंत्र प्रभार) पहुंचे। कपिल देव अग्रवाल कहा कि वरिष्ठ नागरिक समाज की अमूल्य धरोहर हैं और उनके अनुभवों से समाज को लाभ मिलता रहना चाहिए।
उन्होंने परिषद द्वारा प्रस्तुत मांग पत्र पर सकारात्मक रुख दिखाते हुए आश्वासन दिया कि शासन स्तर से जुड़ी समस्याओं को प्राथमिकता के आधार पर हल कराने का प्रयास किया जाएगा।
वरिष्ठ कोषाधिकारी एवं क्षेत्रीय मुख्य अभियंता ने भी सहयोग का आश्वासन दिया
कार्यक्रम में वरिष्ठ कोषाधिकारी रमेश चंद यादव एवं क्षेत्रीय मुख्य अभियंता इंजीनियर वी.के. उपस्थित रहे। गुप्ता ने पेंशनरों की समस्याओं के समाधान के लिए अपने स्तर से हरसंभव सहयोग का आश्वासन भी दिया।
उन्होंने कहा कि कार्यालयों में पेंशनरों के साथ सम्मानजनक व्यवहार एवं त्वरित सेवाएं उपलब्ध कराने के निर्देश अधीनस्थ अधिकारियों को पहले ही दिए जा चुके हैं। लंबित मामलों के शीघ्र निस्तारण के भी प्रयास किये जा रहे हैं।
आठवें केंद्रीय वेतन आयोग से संबंधित विषयों पर जानकारी साझा की गई
गवर्नमेंट पेंशनर्स कल्याण संगठन के वरिष्ठ उपाध्यक्ष इंजीनियर डीपी जैन, महासचिव इंजीनियर डीके गुप्ता और इंजीनियर रामबीर सिंह ने आठवें केंद्रीय वेतन आयोग के तहत पेंशन मान्यकरण अधिनियम से संबंधित नवीनतम जानकारी साझा की।
उन्होंने पेंशनरों को आश्वासन दिया कि संगठन उनके अधिकारों की रक्षा के लिए निरंतर प्रयास करेगा और भविष्य में भी सहयोग जारी रहेगा।
वरिष्ठ पेंशनरों का सम्मान कर आभार व्यक्त किया गया
सम्मेलन के दौरान बिजली विभाग के वरिष्ठ पेंशनर्स इंजीनियर एससी गर्ग, बीआर शर्मा, सीडी शर्मा, केसी त्यागी, बृजपाल सिंह, केएस वर्मा, केडी सैनी, वेदपाल शर्मा और सुरेंद्र कुमार मित्तल को शॉल और स्मृति चिन्ह देकर सम्मानित किया गया।
यह सम्मान समारोह वरिष्ठ पेंशनभोगियों के योगदान के प्रति संगठन की कृतज्ञता को दर्शाता है।
वार्षिक चुनाव निर्विरोध संपन्न, नई कार्यकारिणी गठित
सम्मेलन के दौरान परिषद के वार्षिक चुनाव भी कराये गये, जिसमें श्री शिवकुमार त्यागी को अध्यक्ष एवं योगेन्द्र कुमार शर्मा को सचिव चुना गया। चुनाव प्रक्रिया शांतिपूर्ण एवं निर्विरोध संपन्न हुई।
नई कार्यकारिणी से अपेक्षा की गई कि वह संगठन को और अधिक सक्रिय एवं प्रभावी बनाएगी।
सैकड़ों पेंशनभोगियों की भागीदारी से सम्मेलन एक सफल आयोजन बन गया।
कार्यक्रम में जयपाल मलिक, भोपाल सिंह, जसवीर सिंह, केपी सिंह, महेंद्र वर्मा, बिजेंद्र वर्मा, अमरनाथ त्यागी, धीर सिंह, बीबी शर्मा, सोम सिंह, योगेंद्र कुमार, एमजी रोहिला, सुरेश चंद शर्मा, कालूराम रोहिला, राजकुमार गर्ग व मांगे सिंह सैनी सहित बड़ी संख्या में पेंशनर्स मौजूद रहे।
सम्मेलन के दौरान संगठनात्मक एकजुटता, अधिकारों की सुरक्षा और समस्याओं के समाधान के लिए सामूहिक प्रयासों की आवश्यकता पर विशेष जोर दिया गया।
New Delhi: “Mahatma Gandhi is on fire brother” – a fireman’s frantic exclamation, captured on video, has become the focal point of the investigation into the fire that broke out at Justice Yashwant Verma’s official bungalow in the capital last year. At around 11.35 pm on March 14, police and fire personnel reached 30 Tughlaq Crescent (Verma’s residence) in Central Delhi. Two fire tenders were sent to the spot and they, along with police personnel, brought the fire in the store room under control within 15 minutes. This was supposed to be the end of an emergency response, but as first responders walked through the thin curtain of smoke, they were shocked – the store room contained, among other things, wads of partially burnt high denomination Indian currency notes. This comment, captured on video – a direct reference to the image of Gandhi on burnt Rs 500 notes – turned an emergency call into a scandal that reached the highest levels of the judiciary, besides leading to a young officer – who quickly realized the gravity of what happened to his men and alerted his superiors – being labeled a “whistleblower”, simply because he showed his presence of mind. By the afternoon of March 15, when Justice Verma was returning to the capital midway from his visit to the Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora was already briefing Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyay about the incident. A formal report supported by WhatsApp video of the cash-laden wreck was sent to the Union Home Ministry.
