1) Peter Higgs:
science mourns giant of particle physics By Davide Castelvecchi
The British physicist,
who has died aged 94, predicted the existence of the Higgs boson in the 1960s.
Few scientists have enjoyed as much fame in recent years as British theoretical
physicist Peter Higgs, the namesake of the boson that was discovered in 2012,
who died on 8 April, aged 94.It was 60 years ago when Higgs first suggested how
an elementary particle of unusual properties could pervade the universe in the
form of an invisible field, giving other elementary particles their masses.
Several other physicists independently thought of this mechanism around the
same time, including François Englert, now at the Free University of Brussels.
The particle was a crucial element of the theoretical edifice that physicists
were building in those years,which later became known as the standard model of
particles and fields.
Two separate experiments
at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) near Geneva, Switzerland — ATLAS and the CMS
— confirmed Higgs’ predictions when they announced the discovery of the Higgs
boson half a century later. It was the last missing component of the standard
model, and Higgs and Englert shared a Nobel Prize in 2013 for predicting its
existence. Physicists at the LHC continue to learn about the properties of the
Higgs boson, but some researchers say that only a dedicated collider that can
produce the particle in copious amounts — dubbed a ‘Higgs factory’ — will
enable them to gain a profound understanding of its role.
Inspiring figure
“Besides his outstanding
contributions to particle physics, Peter was a very special person, an
immensely inspiring figure for physicists around the world, a man of rare
modesty, a great teacher and someone who explained physics in a very simple yet
profound way,” said Fabiola Gianotti, director-general of CERN in an obituary
posted on the organization’s website; Gianotti who announced the Higgs boson’s
discovery to the world at CERN. “I am very saddened, and I will miss him
sorely.”
Many physicists took to
X, formerly Twitter, to pay tribute to Higgs and share their favourite memories
of him. “RIP to Peter Higgs. The search for the Higgs boson was my primary
focus for the first part of my career. He was a very humble man that
contributed something immensely deep to our understanding of the universe,”
posted Kyle Cranmer, physicist at the University of Wisconsin Madison and
previously a senior member of the Higgs search team at the CMS. “I was
fortunate to meet Peter Higgs in 2013 (days after the Nobel prize
announcement). He was modest as he told a group of PhD students the history of
the boson theory. Afterwards, I was very lucky to get my copy of the New York
Times with the discovery signed by him,” said Clara Nellist, a physicist at the
University of Amsterdam and a member of the ATLAS particle-discovery
collaboration.
“A career highlight was
helping Peter into a cab after the Collider exhibition launch @sciencemuseum in
2013 with a carrier bag of special-edition beer marking his recent Nobel,”
posted Harry Cliff, a physicist at the University of Cambridge, UK.
“He disliked the
limelight but was comfortable with friends and colleagues,” Frank Close, a
physicist at the University of Oxford, UK, and author of the book Elusive: How
Peter Higgs Solved the Mystery of Mass (2022), said in a statement to the UK
Science Media Centre. “His boson took 48 years to appear, and when the Nobel
was announced, he had disappeared to his favourite sea food bar in Leith.”
An exciting journey
Higgs’ work continues to
be of fundamental importance, said physicist Sinead Farrington at the University
of Edinburgh. “We’re still on an exciting journey to figure out whether some
further predictions are true, namely whether the Higgs boson interacts with
itself in the predicted way, and whether it might decay to other beyond the
Standard Model particles,” she told the Science Media Centre.
For physicist and
science writer Matt Strassler, Higgs’ death represents ‘the end of an era’.
“Higgs was a fortunate scientist: he lived to see his insight at age 30 turn up
in experiments 50 years later,” he posted on X. “His role and influence in our
understanding of the #universe will be remembered for millennia.”
2) How to
supercharge cancer-fighting cells: give them stem cell skills By Sara Reardon
The bioengineered immune
players called CAR T cells last longer and work better if pumped up with a
large dose of a protein that makes them resemble stem cells.Bioengineered
immune cells have been shown to attack and even cure cancer, but they tend to
get exhausted if the fight goes on for a long time. Now, two separate research
teams have found a way to rejuvenate these cells: make them more like stem
cells.
Both teams found that
the bespoke immune cells called CAR T cells gain new vigour if engineered to
have high levels of a particular protein. These boosted CAR T cells have gene
activity similar to that of stem cells and a renewed ability to fend off
cancer. Both papers were published today in Nature1,2.
The papers “open a new
avenue for engineering therapeutic T cells for cancer patients”, says Tuoqi Wu,
an immunologist at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas who was not
involved in the research.Reviving exhausted cells
CAR T cells are made
from the immune cells called T cells, which are isolated from the blood of
person who is going to receive treatment for cancer or another disease. The
cells are genetically modified to recognize and attack specific proteins —
called chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) — on the surface of disease-causing
cells and reinfused into the person being treated.
But keeping the cells
active for long enough to eliminate cancer has proved challenging, especially
in solid tumours such as those of the breast and lung. (CAR T cells have been
more effective in treating leukaemia and other blood cancers.) So scientists
are searching for better ways to help CAR T cells to multiply more quickly and
last longer in the body.With this goal in mind, a team led by immunologist
Crystal Mackall at Stanford University in California and cell and gene therapy
researcher Evan Weber at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia
compared samples of CAR T cells used to treat people with leukaemia1. In some
of the recipients, the cancer had responded well to treatment; in others, it
had not.
The researchers analysed
the role of cellular proteins that regulate gene activity and serve as master
switches in the T cells. They found a set of 41 genes that were more active in
the CAR T cells associated with a good response to treatment than in cells
associated with a poor response. All 41 genes seemed to be regulated by a
master-switch protein called FOXO1.
The researchers then
altered CAR T cells to make them produce more FOXO1 than usual. Gene activity
in these cells began to look like that of T memory stem cells, which recognize
cancer and respond to it quickly.
The researchers then
injected the engineered cells into mice with various types of cancer. Extra
FOXO1 made the CAR T cells better at reducing both solid tumours and blood
cancers. The stem-cell-like cells shrank a mouse’s tumour more completely and
lasted longer in the body than did standard CAR T cells.
Master-switch
molecule
A separate team led by
immunologists Phillip Darcy, Junyun Lai and Paul Beavis at Peter MacCallum
Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia, reached the same conclusion with
different methods2. Their team was examining the effect of IL-15, an
immune-signalling molecule that is administered alongside CAR T cells in some
clinical trials. IL-15 helps to switch T cells to a stem-like state, but the
cells can get stuck there instead of maturing to fight cancer.The team analysed
gene activity in CAR T cells and found that IL-15 turned on genes associated
with FOXO1. The researchers engineered CAR T cells to produce extra-high levels
of FOXO1 and showed that they became more stem-like, but also reached maturity
and fight cancer without becoming exhausted. “It’s the ideal situation,” Darcy
says.
The team also found that
extra-high levels of FOXO1 improved the CAR T cells’ metabolism, allowing them
to last much longer when infused into mice. “We were surprised by the magnitude
of the effect,” says Beavis.
Mackall says she was
excited to see that FOXO1 worked the same way in mice and humans. “It means
this is pretty fundamental,” she says.
Engineering CAR T cells
that overexpress FOXO1 might be fairly simple to test in people with cancer,
although Mackall says researchers will need to determine which people and types
of cancer are most likely to respond well to rejuvenated cells. Darcy says that
his team is already speaking with clinical researchers about testing FOXO1 in
CAR T cells — trials that could start within two years.
And Weber points to an
ongoing clinical trial in which people with leukaemia are receiving CAR T cells
genetically engineered to produce unusually high levels of another master-switch
protein called c-Jun, which also helps T cells avoid exhaustion. The trial’s
results have not been released yet, but Mackall says she suspects the same
system could be applied to FOXO1 and that overexpressing both proteins might
make the cells even more powerful.
3) Total solar
eclipse 2024: what dazzled scientists By Sumeet Kulkarni & Lauren Wolf
Amateur and professional
astronomers share with Nature what they observed and what data they collected
when the Moon blocked the Sun. Heber Springs, Arkansas
“It makes your heart
want to skip a beat — and you cannot really describe it to someone who hasn’t
experienced it in person,” said Lynnice Carter on Monday, after watching the
total solar eclipse that crossed North America. Carter, a retired educator in
Blue Springs, Mississippi, travelled about 230 miles (370 kilometres) to Heber
Springs, Arkansas, to see the much-anticipated celestial event from the ‘path
of totality’, the track from Sinaloa, Mexico, to New Brunswick, Canada, along
which the Moon completely blocked the Sun’s face.
Carter wasn’t alone in
making time for the eclipse. Millions viewed the phenomenon from watch sites
along the path of totality, where people picnicked, listened to music and
donned inexpensive eclipse glasses that helped them to see the main event
safely. Some researchers celebrated in their own way — by chasing the eclipse
in aeroplanes or with high-resolution cameras on the ground. Although more than
a few were disappointed by cloud-filled skies in some locations, others were
dazzled by the fiery activity they could see in the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or
corona. Here, Nature chats with casual observers and solar researchers alike to
hear about what they saw — and what they learnt.
Some marvelled at
the science they could see by eye
The last time a total
solar eclipse passed over North America was in 2017, but it was during a solar
minimum — a period of weak activity occurring every 11 years on the Sun, when
there are fewer sunspots and plasma eruptions. This time, viewers experienced a
solar maximum, when structures in the Sun’s corona are at their most fiery.
“This one was just so much brighter, and so much prettier! It was just
awesome,” said Alice Beverly, who journeyed from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Heber
Springs to watch.
Astronomers have long
observed ‘shadow bands’ during total solar eclipses. These as-yet-unexplained
phenomena are alternating segments of light and dark that pass over the ground
in the moments just before and after the full eclipse. One hypothesis is that
they are caused by turbulence in the atmosphere as the sliver of light from the
eclipse passes through. Viewers such as Kelley Boyett were particularly excited
to see them. “I researched a lot, and brought a white poster board to see the
little crescents and shadow bands. The coolest thing was the shadow banding —
it looked like racing water across the poster board.” Boyett, a post-office
worker, travelled from Bronson, Texas, to a watch site in Heber Springs for the
festivities.
Others made the
most of a cloud-covered sky
“I was disappointed, not
so much for myself — since it was my fourth eclipse — but for my sister and her
husband, for whom this was going to be the first time,” said Jim Klimchuk, a
solar physicist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who
travelled to San Antonio, Texas, to view the eclipse. “During totality, it got
dark. [Automatic] streetlights and building lights came on. And then, for about
five seconds, we could see the corona [amid the clouds]. No details at all, but
we could see the brightness around the disk. That was very exciting.”
Marcel Corchado-Albelo,
a solar physicist at the University of Colorado Boulder, spent the week leading
up to the eclipse in Eagle Pass, Texas, visiting various schools as part of a
public-outreach programme. On the morning of the eclipse, the approximately 400
people who gathered to watch at a student-activity centre were “very nervous”,
Corchado-Albelo said. Clouds loomed. The Sun would peek from behind the clouds
occasionally, and every time, “people were screaming”, he added. In the end,
however, their fortunes turned — the clouds parted as totality approached. And
everyone screamed again. Researchers grabbed data that they can’t wait to
analyse
One thing that many
observers were mesmerized by during the eclipse was the appearance of bright
red spots protruding from the solar disk. These are called prominences —
worm-like filaments of plasma. One in particular, along the southern edge of
the Sun, “looked like it was potentially lifting off”, said Amir Caspi, a solar
physicist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, who travelled to
Dallas, Texas, to watch the eclipse with his family.Caspi leads 35 teams of
citizen scientists who captured images of the eclipse from observing stations
distributed along the path of totality. By recording images using identical
telescopes and cameras, the project — called Citizen Continental-America
Telescopic Eclipse, or Citizen CATE — aims to observe how structures in the
corona evolve.
“A majority of our teams
were able to get great data. But there were a few that got clouded out
completely,” Caspi said. The citizen scientists are now uploading their data —
as much as tens of gigabytes per site — onto servers where it will be analysed
to make an hour-long ‘film’ of the corona. Caspi expects the consolidated
results to be available within a month from now.
Another scientist
closely watching structures in the corona was Cooper Downs, an astrophysicist
at research and product-development firm Predictive Science in San Diego,
California. He is part of a team that has spent the past few weeks predicting
where in the corona features such as streamers will appear, with the idea of
honing the firm’s solar model. Streamers are densely packed spikes of plasma
pointing away from the solar core. “My initial impressions were pretty
positive,” Downs said. “I saw these two streamers: one was really bright on the
top left and another to the south.” Downs is now comparing the simulations
generated before and during the eclipse with images taken by astrophotographers.
“When you do the detailed comparison, you start seeing some discrepancies,”
which should motivate revisions to the model, he told Nature.
4) Magnetic
levitation: New material offers potential for unlocking gravity-free technology
by Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
Researchers at the
Quantum Machines Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST)
are studying levitating materials—substances that can remain suspended in a
stable position without any physical contact or mechanical support.The most
common type of levitation occurs through magnetic fields. Objects such as
superconductors or diamagnetic materials (materials repelled by a magnetic
field) can be made to float above magnets to develop advanced sensors for
various scientific and everyday uses.
Prof. Jason Twamley,
head of the unit, and his team of OIST researchers and international
collaborators have designed a floating platform within a vacuum using graphite
and magnets. Remarkably, this levitating platform operates without relying on
external power sources and can assist in the development of ultra-sensitive
sensors for highly precise and efficient measurements. Their results have been
published in the journal Applied Physics Letters.
When an external
magnetic field is applied to 'diamagnetic' materials, these materials generate
a magnetic field in the opposite direction, resulting in a repulsive force—they
push away from the field. Therefore, objects made of diamagnetic materials can
float above strong magnetic fields. For instance, in maglev trains, powerful
superconducting magnets create a strong magnetic field with diamagnetic
materials to achieve levitation, seemingly defying gravity.Graphite, the
crystalline form of carbon found in pencils, is strongly repelled by magnets
(highly diamagnetic). By chemically coating a powder of microscopic graphite
beads with silica and mixing the coated powder in wax, the researchers formed a
centimeter-sized thin square plate that hovers above magnets arranged in a grid
pattern.Creating a floating platform that requires no external power has
several challenges. The biggest limiting factor is 'eddy damping', which occurs
when an oscillating system loses energy over time because of external forces.
When an electrical conductor, like graphite, passes through a powerful magnetic
field, it experiences energy loss due to the flow of electrical currents. This
energy loss has discouraged the use of magnetic levitation to develop advanced
sensors.
OIST scientists set out
to engineer a platform that can float and oscillate without losing
energy—meaning that once set in motion, it will continue oscillating for an
extended period, even without additional energy input. This type of
'frictionless' platform could have many applications, including new types of
sensors for measuring force, acceleration, and gravity.
However, even if
scientists manage to decrease eddy damping, there is another challenge:
minimizing the kinetic energy of the oscillating platform. Lowering this energy
level is important for two reasons. First, it makes the platform more sensitive
for use as a sensor.
Second, cooling its
motion toward the quantum regime (where quantum effects dominate) could open
new possibilities for precision measurements. Therefore, to achieve a truly frictionless,
self-sustaining floating platform, both eddy damping and kinetic energy
challenges need to be solved.To address these, the researchers focused on
creating a new material derived from graphite. By chemically changing it, they
transformed graphite into an electrical insulator. This change stops energy
losses while allowing the material to levitate in a vacuum.In their
experimental setup, the scientists continuously monitored the platform's
motion. Using this real-time information, they applied a feedback magnetic
force to dampen the platform's motion—essentially cooling down its movement and
slowing it down significantly.
"Heat causes
motion, but by continuously monitoring and providing real-time feedback in the
form of corrective actions to the system, we can decrease this movement. The
feedback adjusts the system's damping rate, which is how quickly it loses
energy, so by actively controlling the damping, we reduce the system's kinetic
energy, effectively cooling it down," Prof. Twamley explained.
"If cooled
sufficiently, our levitating platform could outperform even the most sensitive
atomic gravimeters developed to date. These are cutting-edge instruments that
use the behavior of atoms to precisely measure gravity. Achieving this level of
precision requires rigorous engineering to isolate the platform from external
disturbances such as vibrations, magnetic fields, and electrical noise. Our
ongoing work focuses on refining these systems to unlock the full potential of
this technology."
Prof. Twamley's unit
focuses on using levitating materials to build mechanical oscillators—systems
that have repetitive or periodic motion around a central point. These
oscillations occur in various contexts, such as pendulums, masses connected to
springs, and acoustic systems.This research opens exciting possibilities for
ultra-sensitive sensors and achieving precise control over oscillating
platforms. By combining levitation, insulation, and real-time feedback, Prof.
Twamley's team is pushing the boundaries of what is achievable in materials
science and sensor technology.
5) This
100mn-year-old creature found in amber once lived inside dinosaurs BY WION Web
Team
Chinese researchers have
published a paper claiming to have found a prehistoric tapeworm partially
intact inside a sample of 100-million-year-old amber. The mid-Cretaceous Kachin
amber was discovered in Myanmar. According to the scientists at the Nanjing
Institute of Geology and Paleontology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the
discovery of a tapeworm from this era is extremely rare, and it could bear the
traces of DNA of its prehistoric host.
Tapeworms span from less
than one millimetre to over 30 metres in length. They can infect humans, and
livestock and live in almost all kinds of environments The discovery indeed is
fascinating and reeks of the beginning of the Sci-fi movie Jurassic Park, where
scientists used prehistoric mosquito remains to extract the DNA from extinct
creatures from a time when dinosaurs ruled the Earth.According to Luo Cihang,
the first author of the study, “The current find is the most convincing body
fossil of a platyhelminth ever found.”
The tapeworm may be
carrying the DNA of dinosaurs
As per the research, the
tapeworm might have hooked itself to the intestine of a host belonging to the
Early Cretaceous period. The Cretaceous is usually noted for being the last
portion of the "Age of Dinosaurs." It could mean that the tapeworm
may be carrying DNA samples of various dinosaurs, including the large,
meat-eating deinonychus, the horned carnotaurus, or a massive
carcharodontosaurus, which boasted a bigger skull than a tyrannosaurus rex.
Host creature might
be marine dinosaur
The study highlights
that the amber was deposited into the amber on shore, indicating its host might
have been a marine dinosaur. According to one theory, the host may have been
trapped on land and died, causing the tapeworm to detach itself from the host’s
intestine and move out of the body and into sticky amber.As per another theory,
the sea creature which hosted the tapeworm might have been eaten by a
land-roaming dinosaur. As and when its host was being eaten, the tapeworm would
have made its way out and be stuck in the amber.
6) Archaeologists
find that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens organized living spaces similary by
University of Montreal
In a study published in
the Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, archaeologists from Université
de Montréal and the University of Genoa reveal that far from being more
primitive, Neanderthals did much the same as their Homo sapiens successors:
made themselves at home.
Analyzing artifacts and
features of the Protoaurignacian and Mousterian levels of the Riparo Bombrini
site in northwestern Italy, the scientists uncovered common patterns of
settlement between the two populations.
By mapping the
distribution of stone tools, animal bones, ochre, and marine shells across the
surface of the site, they were able to produce clear and interpretable models
of the site's spatial patterns, identifying distinct clusters of artifacts and
materials to infer the behavioral significance of the different groups that
lived and worked there.
"This homogeneity
in spatial distribution hinted at an underlying structure in how these ancient
humans utilized the space," said Amélie Vallerand, the UdeM doctoral
student who led the study, co-authored by UdeM's Julien Riel-Salvatore and
UGenoa's Fabio Negrino."By tallying the number of contiguous units of the
same type of clusters, we could discern patterns to help us identify the
activities carried out by these groups," said Vallerand. "Applying
quantitative and statistical methods allowed us to significantly reduce bias,
and to provide compelling evidence that goes beyond qualitative descriptions of
the spatial organization."Combining these spatial analyses with studies of
lithic technology, faunal remains and marine shells, the researchers were able
to paint a comprehensive picture of the behavioral similarities and differences
between these ancient populations.
Among the
similarities:
Both Neanderthals and
Homo sapiens exhibited a structured use of space, organizing their living areas
into distinct high and low-intensity activity zones. This suggests a shared
cognitive capacity for spatial organization.
The central tendencies
of occupation for both groups were established through thousands of years of
reoccupation: the recurring position of the site's inner hearths and a refuse
pit persisting across levels highlights the continuity of the layout.
The organization of all
three levels was conditioned by land-use and mobility strategies: they
articulate around variations in occupation duration, reoccupation intervals,
number of occupants, and nature of activities undertaken. Hence, planning and
organization were key.
But there were also
differences:
Neanderthal occupations
showed a lower intensity pattern compared to those of Homo sapiens : artifact
densities were lower-deposit and fewer clusters were identified.
There are distinct
distributions pattern and use of space for each of the levels: Neanderthals
used Riparo Bombrini sporadically as part of a high mobility system in the
context of rapid climatic change, while Homo sapiens alternated between
short-term and long-term base camps to adjust to their new territory.
The Neanderthal-to-Homo
sapiens transition in Liguria was characterized by the rapid succession of the
Late Mousterian (Neanderthal) to the Protoaurignacian (Homo sapiens) techno-complex,
with no contacts observed between the two species.
This new study
underscores the significance of directly comparing the spatial behavior of
Neanderthals and Homo sapiens within the same site, using consistent
parameters, to minimize analytical bias.
Overall, the authors
conclude that "there's an underlying logic to how the space was
used," regardless of which species was present at the time.
Vallerand added,
"Like Homo sapiens, Neanderthals organized their living space in a
structured way, according to the different tasks that took place there and to
their needs. So this is yet another study indicating that Neanderthals were
more 'human' than is generally assumed."
1) Lok Sabha
elections 2024 pre-poll survey: From unemployment to inflation, here are key
issues in the upcoming polls
Lok Sabha polls 2024: A
CSDS-Lokniti pre-poll survey revealed that nearly half of the electorate have
concerns pertaining to price rise and the jobs scenario in the country.
Lok Sabha polls 2024:
Price rise and jobs are of utmost concern to voters in India, the world's
largest democracy, which is gearing up for the general election in the next few
days, a pre-poll survey revealed. The seven-phase Lok Sabha election will kick
off on April 19 and will continue till June 1. The counting of votes will be
held on June 4. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is campaigning
vehemently to retain power for the third term on the trot, the Opposition INDIA
bloc is making an all-out effort to
defeat the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led ruling dispensation.
Notably, the key
issues resonating in India's General
Election 2024 are mainly unemployment and inflation. The CSDS-Lokniti pre-poll
survey revealed that more than half of the respondents expressed concerns
pertaining to price rise and less number of jobs in the country. As many as 62%
of the respondents asserted that getting jobs has become more difficult. Only
12% said that getting a job has become
easier.
Jobless young India, too educated to be employed?
As per the survey, 67% of Muslims said getting a job has become
difficult while 63% of Hindus from Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and 59% of the
Scheduled Tribes (ST) also expressed the same sentiment.
Fifty seven percent of
the upper caste respondents also said jobs were difficult to get, while 17% of
them responded finding a job was easier.
An overwhelming majority of voters also said price rise has
affected their pockets severely, with 71% saying prices of the commodities have
increased. While 76% of poor said inflation was hitting them, a similar percentage
of Muslims too had the same opinion.
Unemployment crisis: 83% of jobless Indians are youth,
says ILO report
On the quality of life,
about 48% indicated it has become better, while 35% said it has worsened in the
past five years. Only 22% of people said they were able to save money from
their household income while 36% said they could fulfill their needs, but were
not able to save money.
Fifty five per cent of
the respondents said corruption has increased in the country in the past five
years. While 25% blamed the Centre for corruption, 16% blamed the states, the
survey pointed out.
The Lokniti-CSDS
Pre-Poll survey 2024 collated responses from 10,019 people across 19 states.
The CSDS-Lokniti 2024 pre-poll survey showed that 62 per cent of respondents
across various demographics perceived a greater difficulty in securing
employment in the past five years Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections,
the foremost concerns for voters in India are rising prices and unemployment,
as revealed in a pre-poll survey by the Centre for Study of Developing
Societies (CSDS).
Specifically, 62 per
cent of respondents across various demographics, including villages, towns, and
cities indicated that securing employment has become increasingly challenging.
The CSDS report showed that 65 per cent of men shared this sentiment, while the
number was lower among women at 59 per cent. Only 12 percent of respondents
opined that job opportunities had increased. Regarding difficulties in job
accessibility, 67 per cent of Muslims, 63 per cent of Hindus from Other
Backward Classes (OBCs), and 59 per cent of Scheduled Tribes (ST) conveyed
similar concerns, the report revealed.
Additionally, the survey
unveiled that 57 per cent of respondents from upper castes found job
acquisition difficult, with only 17 per cent perceiving it as easier.
On the question of
accountability of lack of job opportunities, 21 per cent held the Centre
accountable, 17 per cent attributed it to state governments, and 57 per cent
believed both entities shared responsibility.
ILO report on youth unemployment
The CSDS-Lokniti poll
comes a few weeks after a report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO)
which revealed that more than 80 per cent of India’s unemployed workforce
comprises its youth. It had also said that the proportion of young individuals
with secondary education or higher, among the total unemployed youth surged
from 35.2 per cent in 2000 to 65.7 per cent in 2022.
The highest youth
unemployment rates were observed among those with graduate degrees – a trend
that is impacting women particularly. In 2022, women not engaged in employment,
education, or training constituted nearly five times higher than the proportion
of their male counterparts (at 48.4 per cent versus 9.8 per cent), accounting
for around 95 per cent of the total youth population in this category.
2) Inflation also a serious concern
Similarly, for the issue
of inflation, 26 per cent assigned blame to the Centre, 12 per cent to the
states, and 56 per cent to both, the CSDS poll revealed.
A vast majority of
voters expressed a severe impact on their finances, with 71 per cent noting an
increase in commodity prices. The rising costs affected primarily the
economically disadvantaged (76 per cent), Muslims (76 per cent), and Scheduled
Castes (75 per cent), the poll claimed.
Quality of life and Corruption
In terms of overall
quality of life, 48 per cent said that it has improved, while 35 per cent
observed a deterioration over the past five years. Merely 22 per cent reported
being able to save money from their household income, while 36 per cent claimed
to fulfil their needs but were unable to save.
Fifty-five per cent of
respondents indicated an increase in corruption over the past five years, with
25 per cent attributing it to the Centre and 16 per cent to the states.
The Lokniti-CSDS
Pre-Poll Survey 2024 compiled responses from 10,019 individuals across 19
states. The survey was conducted in 400 polling stations (PSs) spread across
100 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) in 100 Parliamentary Constituencies (PCs).
3) LS Elections
2024: Rahul Gandhi takes another Adani jibe at BJP, says ‘PM Modi gave all the
benefits to one person…’
Addressing a political
rally in Rajasthan's Jodhpur, Rahul asked PM Modi what relation he has with
Adani! With just few days left for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024
to begin, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on 11 April took another Adani jibe at
BJP leader and PM Narendra Modi Addressing a political rally in Rajasthan's
Jodhpur, Rahul asked PM Modi what relation he has with Adani!
PM Modi gave all the
benefits to one person. I spoke about it in the Parliament. They took away my
membership. The Supreme Court made me the MP again. I had only asked why Adani
was visible in every industry... I asked PM Modi what relation he has with
Adani. They cancelled my membership and took my house. They think I can be
silenced if they take my home. I handed over the keys and said that I do not
want your house, I have crores of houses in India. I live in the hearts of
crores of people...," news agency ANI quoted him as saying.
4)Lok Sabha
Elections 2024: Here's why BJP is facing dissent in these states ahead of polls
While some of the party’s
prominent leaders have joined the opposition ranks, others have decided to
contest against the saffron party independently due to the growing dissent.The
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is faced with infighting, dissent and defections
in many states as it goes to the Lok Sabha elections 2024 seeking a record
third term for its government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While some of the
party’s prominent leaders have joined the opposition ranks, others have decided
to contest against the saffron party independently due to the growing dissent.
Most of the resentment
stems from the choice of candidates that the BJP has made. The party has
roughly dropped one fourth of the sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) in the
names of the candidates released so far for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
KS Eshwarappa in Karnataka
In Karnataka, the state
where the BJP won 25 of 28 seats in 2019, resentment has been evident ever
since the first list of candidates from this crucial southern state was
released in the second week of March.
Former Deputy Chief
Minister KS Eshwarappa is among the top leaders who have revolted against the
party in Karnataka. Eshwarappa is unhappy with former Chief Minister BS
Yediyurappa after his son KE Kantesh did not feature in the March 13 list. He
wanted the BJP to field his son from the Haveri Lok Sabha seat. However, the
party fielded former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai from the seat.
Eshwarappa, 76, has said
he will contest independently from Shivamogga against BY Raghvendra, son of Yediyurappa.
A popular face among the OBCs coming from the Kuruba community, Eshwarappa is
often regarded as one of the key leaders who helped the BJP expand in
Karnataka, the only state in the south where it has a considerable presence.
Eshwarappa has said that
he will win the seat and dedicate his victory to PM Modi. The BJP has written
to the Election Commission to ensure that Eshwarappa does not use PM Modi's
photo during his election campaign.
Voting for 28 Lok Sabha
seats of Karnataka will be held in two phases on April 26 and May 7. Shivamogga
will go to polls on May
Santosh Gangwar in Uttar Pradesh
The BJP has faced
dissent in Uttar Pradesh, the most crucial political state that sends 80
members to the Lok Sabha. The discontent was triggered after the party denied a
Lok Sabha ticket to Santosh Gangwar, a former minister and Bareilly's sitting
MP. Gangwar resigned as Union Labour Minister ahead of the Lok Sabhe polls.
Last week, supporters of
Santosh Gangwar, a Kurmi leader who was allegedly insulted by Bareilly mayor
Umesh Gautam, staged a protest outside the home of BJP's state president
Bhupendra Chaudhary over the "insult."
The BJP has dropped at
least nine sitting MPs in UP, including Gangwar, Varun Gandhi and General
(retd) VK Singh. There have been signs of dissent over ticket distribution in
some other areas of Western Uttar Pradesh too. On April 7, the Rajputs convened
a Mahapanchayat in Saharanpur. The community is reportedly not happy with the
choice of candidates. The replacement of
General (retd) VK Singh with Atul Kumar Garg in Ghaziabad is a case in point,
according to the reports. Other communities such as Tyagis and Sainis have also
organised panchayats in UP to express their grievances.
Birendra Singh in Haryana
The BJP faced a set back
in Haryana after its Jat MP, Brijendra Singh, from Hisar joined the Congress.
His father and former Union Minister Birender Singh also joined the Congress,
adding to the BJP's woes in the state among the Jat community.
Birender Singh was the
Union Steel Minister in the first government led by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi. He has also held the charge as Minister of Rural Development, Panchayati
Raj, and Drinking Water and Sanitation. He extended his support to the farmers
during the protests against the now-repealed farm laws. He is the grandson of
the popular Jat leader Sir Chhotu Ram, also considered a ‘messiah’ of farmers.
Some reports suggested
that the powerful Bishnoi family, too, is not happy with the BJP in Haryana.
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal's son and BJP leader Kuldeep Bishnoi
posted on social media that his supporters were disappointed over the ticket
distribution for Hisar.
Ire against Parshottam Rupala in Gujarat
The BJP is also facing
an internal crisis in Gujarat, the home turf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The state sends 26 members to Lok Sabha and
has been a BJP stronghold for close to three decades.
Gujarat has witnessed
strikes, rallies, posters and effigy burning over BJP's selection of candidates
for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The state’s party chief CR Paatil on April 10 warned BJP leaders that no
groupism will be tolerated in the state amid growing discontent in local units.
Paatil’s warning comes days after BJP candidates in Vadodara and Sabarkantha
seats Ranjan Bhatt and Bhikhaji Thakor withdrew their nominations for the May 7
Lok Sabha election. There have been protests from the members of Kshatriya
(Rajput) community demanding that the party withdraw Union Minister Parshottam
Rupala's candidature from Rajkot over his “anti-Rajput" remarks. Rupala
triggered a row on March 22 when he was heard saying in a video that “kings
bowed to the British" and “even gave their daughters to them in
marriage."
However, a report in
Economic Times said that the crisis will be resolved once Prime Minister
Narendra Modi campaigns in his home state.
Maheshwar Singh in Himachal Pradesh
In Himachal Pradesh, the
candidature of actor Kangana Ranaut from Mandi has not gone down well with the
party’s old guard. Three-time MP Maheshwar Singh, a forerunner for the Mandi
ticket from BJP, was reportedly miffed for being snubbed. Some reports suggest
that Singh and his supporters have now decided to support Kangana Ranaut in her
campaign.
Apart from these instances,
the BJP has faced dissent elsewhere as well. In Rajasthan, for example, sitting
Churu MP Rahul Kaswan moved to the Congress, potentially affecting the party’s
support among Jats. Kaswan was miffed after the party replaced him with
Devendra Jhajharia for the seat.
Kaswan is the son of Ram
Singh Kaswan, who won the Churu seat thrice between 1999 and 2009.
5)PM Modi makes big
announcement on Kashmir: 'J&K will get the status...'
During an election rally
in Udhampur, PM Modi said that assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir would be
held soon, along with the restoration of statehood. Prime Minister Narendra
Modi announced on Friday, April 12, that assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir
would be conducted soon, alongside the restoration of statehood. The significant
announcement comes ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections that are scheduled
to commence from April 19.
Addressing an election
rally in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur, the Prime Minister said that he
envisions a “wonderful picture of new Jammu and Kashmir".
“Modi thinks far ahead.
So what has happened so far is just the trailer. I have to get busy in creating
a new and wonderful picture of the new Jammu and Kashmir. The time is not far
when Assembly Elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir
will get the status of statehood. You will be able to share your dreams with
your MLA and your ministers…," the PM said. PM Modi said that the upcoming
Lok Sabha polls will take place in Jammu and Kashmir without the fear of
terrorism, strikes, stone-pelting and cross-border firing.
“After decades, this
election is happening without the fear of terrorism, separatism, stone-pelting,
strikes and cross-border terrorism, which are no more election issues. There
used to be a concern regarding the security of the Vaishno Devi and Amarnath
pilgrimages, but the (security) situation has changed altogether. Jammu and
Kashmir is witnessing development and the people's faith in the government is
getting strengthened," he said.The Prime Minister also slammed the Congress
and the INDIA alliance saying that they do not care about the sentiments of the
majority of the people of the country and only enjoy playing with the
sentiments.
Addressing the Udhampur
rally, PM Modi criticized those on bail for visiting convicted criminals'
homes, cooking mutton during Sawan, and sharing videos, comparing their actions
to Mughal aggression towards temples.
“A person who has been
sentenced by the court and who is on bail, they visit the house of such a
criminal and enjoys cooking mutton in the month of Sawan and they make a video
of it to tease the people of the country. The law does not stop anyone from
eating anything but the intentions of these people are something else. When the
Mughals attacked here, they were not satisfied until they demolished the
temples. So just like Mughals, they want to tease the people of the country by
showing the video in the month of Sawan…," PM Modi said.Denying Congress'
claims that Ram Mandir is an election issue for BJP, PM Modi said it was never
an election issue. “The struggle for Ram temple was going on even before the
birth of the BJP. When foreign invaders destroyed our temples, the people of
India fought to save their religious places. The leaders of Congress and its
allies lived in big bungalows but when it came to changing the tent of Ram
Lalla, they used to turn their backs," he said.
Jammu and Kashmir Lok Sabha election date
Lok Sabha elections in
Jammu and Kashmir will be held in five phases. The five Lok Sabha seats that
will go to polls in Lok Sabha elections 2024 in five phases are: Baramulla,
Srinagar, Anantnag-Rajouri, Udhampur and Jammu. Udhampur goes to polls on April
19. The Congress has fielded Choudhary Lal Singh and Democratic Progressive
Azad Party (DPAP) has nominated G M Saroori for the seat.
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6) Misa Bharti
takes U-turn from ‘will jail PM Modi’ remark. ‘I meant the corrupt…’
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad
Yadav's daughter Misa Bharti courted controversy after she said that if the
INDIA bloc comes to power after the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, ‘from PM Modi to
BJP leaders, they will be behind bars’.Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Misa
Bharti on Friday took a U-turn from her ‘jail’ remark against Prime Minister
Narendra Modi. She clarified that her statement meant “the corrupt will go to
jail." However, the RJD leader said on April 11 that “PM Modi would be in
jail" if the NDA were voted out of power from the Centre.
...I said that the
corrupt will go to jail. My statement should not be twisted. The media should
not set the agenda of the country; let politicians set the agenda, whether they
are in power or in the opposition," Bharti told media persons. On Sunday,
Misa Bharti said if the INDIA bloc comes to power after the Lok Sabha Elections
2024, “from PM Modi to BJP leaders, they will be behind bars."She said,
“We are talking about the implementation of MSP, and he (PM Modi) sees
appeasement in that. He always accuses our family of corruption whenever he
arrives here (Bihar). If the people of this country give the INDIA alliance a
chance (to form the government), then…"
Her remarks sparked a
political debate, with the BJP leaders slamming the two-time Rajya Sabha MP.
“Misa Bharti is making her father's (Lalu Prasad Yadav) 'pratigya'
laughable," the saffron party leaders said.
BJP MP Ravi Shankar
Prasad warned her not to make such statements, alleging that her family is
completely immersed in corruption.
“What has happened to
Misa Bharti? The woman's father (Lalu Yadav) has been convicted in the fodder
scam. I warn her not to make such statements. Your family is immersed in
corruption. You need to stop daydreaming," he said.Rashtriya Janata Dal
(RJD) has fielded Lalu Prasad Yadav's eldest daughter, Misa Bharti, from the
Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar. She will contest against BJP
candidate Ram Kripal Yadav, who defeated her in the last elections.
Bihar will go to polls
in seven phases of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, starting 19 April. Bihar
sends 40 members to the Lok Sabha.
Phase one will have
polling in four seats. The second phase will have polling in five seats. The
third, fourth, and fifth phases will have elections in five seats each. In the
final two phases in Bihar, voting will be for eight seats each.
Candidates Chess 2024:
Gukesh was on top of the standings in the open section after Round 6, but his
defeat to Alireza Firouzja in Round 7 means he's now joint 2nd with
Praggnanandhaa and Caruan Gukesh, the 17-year-old prodigy from Chennai, let
slip the chance to stand alone on the top of the open category standings at the
prestigious Candidates chess tournament after seven rounds.
Playing against French
grandmaster Alireza Firouzja, Gukesh had the upper hand before a slip up under
time pressure ended up with him losing the game, the only decisive result in
the open section.
Coming into Round 7,
Gukesh was sharing top spot in the open category standings with two-time World
Chess Championship contender Ian Nepomniachtchi. The Russian was held to a draw
by World no 3 Hikaru Nakamura, which meant that if Gukesh could manage to win,
he would go into the tournament’s second rest day as the sole leader. The rest
day also marks the halfway point of the double round robin tournament.Gukesh’s
defeat aside, there was very little to celebrate for the Indians in action at
the event in Toronto.
Vidit Gujrathi was held
to a draw by rank underdog Nijat Abasov, who had lost to the two Indian
teenagers in the previous two rounds. Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa played out a
smooth draw against the top ranked player at the tournament, Fabiano Caruana.
The two women from India also did not experience too much luck, with Humpy
Koneru drawing against Anna Muzychuk while Vaishali Rameshbabu lost to Lei
Tingjie.
Results from Round 7 at
Candidates
Open section
Alireza Firouzja beat
Gukesh D
Hikaru Nakamura drew
with Ian Nepomniachtchi
Fabiano Caruana drew with Praggnanandhaa R
Nijat Abasov drew with
Vidit Santosh Gujrathi
Women’s category
Lei Tingjie beat
Vaishali Rameshbabu
Kateryna Lagno drew with
Nurgyul Salimova
Aleksandra Goryachkina
drew with Tan Zhongyi
Anna Muzychuk drew with
Humpy Koneru
RANK PLAYER COUNTRY POINTS
1 Ian Nepomniachtchi Russia
(Playing under FIDE flag) 4.5
2-4 Gukesh India 4
2-4 Fabiano Caruana USA 4
2-4 Praggnanandhaa India 4
5-6 Hikaru Nakamura USA 3.5
5-6 Vidit Santosh Gujrathi India 3.5
7 Alireza Firouzja France 2.5
8 Nijat Abasov Azerbaijan 1.5
(Standings updated after
Round 7 on Friday IST)
RANK PLAYER COUNTRY POINTS
1 Tan Zhongyi China 5
2 Aleksandra Goryachkina Russia
(Playing under FIDE flag) 4.5
3-4 Kateryna Lagno Russia (Playing under FIDE flag) 4
3-4 Lei Tingjie China 4
5 Nurgyul Salimova Bulgaria 3
6-8 Anna Muzychuk Ukraine 2.5
6-8 Vaishali Rameshbabu India 2.5
6-8 Humpy Koneru India 2.5
2) Ishan Kishan
opens up on BCCI contracts snub after returning back to form: 'I was
practicing...'
Kishan's 69 runs off
just 34 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore laid the foundation for
Mumbai Indians' win in the team's chase of 197 runs.Months after returning to
the field, India's star wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan has bounced back to
form for Mumbai Indians in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2024.
Kishan's 69 runs off
just 34 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Wankhede Stadium on
Thursday not only laid the foundation for Mumbai Indians in their chase of 197
runs, but opened the path for Hardik Pandya's squad to win the match. Ishan's
innings was studded with seven fours and five sixes.Meanwhile, Kishan also
opened up on his last few weeks ahead of the start of the IPL, when he was axed
from Board of Control for Cricket in India's Annual Player Contracts for Team
India (Senior Men) for the 2023-24 season.
Before IPL, he was
selected for South Africa series in December 2024, but he withdrew citing
mental fatigue. He also didn't make himself available for international
selection in the coming months.
Despite India's head
coach Rahul Dravid and BCCI secretary Jay Shah requesting him to play Ranji
Trophy, Kishan decided to prepare for IPL with his MI captain Hardik Pandya.
"I was practicing.
When I took time off from the game, people were talking a lot. Many things came
on social media. But you should also realize that many things are not in the
hands of the players," NDTV quoted Kishan as saying during the press
conference after Mumbai Indians' 7-wicket win against RCB on Thursday.The only
thing you can do is utilise the time properly. Also the mindset to think about
the previous Ishan Kishan, I would never leave a delivery in the first two
overs even if they are bowling well. With time, I have learnt that even 20
overs is a big game, you can take your time and you can go ahead. Even though
we have lost matches, we want to work together as a team. Changes have come
like even if I am not performing and if I know someone else is not performing,
I talk to them. I want to know what they are thinking. So these are things which
helped me in the break," he further added.
3) IPL 2024 Points
Table after MI vs RCB match: Mumbai move up after beating Bengaluru;
IPL 2024 Points Table
after MI vs RCB match: Mumbai Indians have moved up after beating Royal
Challengers Bengaluru. Check the full list.Spurred by a solid 7-wicket victory
against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 11, Mumbai Indians (MI) are
now at number 7 with 4 points from 5 matches. MI have a Net Run Rate (NRR) of
-0.073.
Delhi Capitals (DC), who
have lost 4 out of their 5 matches, are at number 10 and have NRR of -1.370. In
their last 2 IPL games, DC were defeated. RCB,
who have suffered 4 consecutive losses, are now at number 9 with 2
points and an NRR of -1.124.Punjab Kings (PBKS) have lost 3 and won 2 so far.
They have 4 points and an NRR of -0.196 and are at the 8th slot. Shikhar
Dhawan’s team's next match is against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 13.
4) Stronger, fitter
Neeraj eyes triumphant start to season
The reigning world and
Olympic champion is working with strength and conditioning expert Spencer
Mackay in the lead-up to the season-opening Doha Diamond League
Olympic champion Neeraj
Chopra is into the final stretch of his pre-season training in Antalya, Turkey,
and the 26-year-old is confident of repeating his top finish at the
season-opening Doha Diamond League on May 10. Chopra won in the Qatari capital
in 2023 with a throw of 88.67m, but this year, more than acing the Diamond
League, the focus is understandably on retaining the Olympic crown.
"Defending my
Olympic gold is my biggest goal this season but there is still time for that.
Before that, I will participate in 3-4 events and the target will be to finish
well in each of them. That will put me in the right space going into Paris,"
Chopra said in an interaction facilitated by JSW Sports. The six-month
off-season since his last competitive appearance at the Hangzhou Asian Games —
where he won the gold medal — has seen him train in Potchefstroom, South Africa
before moving to Gloria Sports Arena in Turkey, primarily working on his
strength.His two-member team of biomechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz and
physiotherapist Ishaan Marwah has seen an addition in the form of strength and
conditioning expert Spencer Mackay. Mackay had worked with Chopra during his
rehabilitation phase post his elbow surgery in 2019 and sensing the need to
raise his level in the Olympic year, the javelin ace has sought his services
again.
"I have been
working on my strength and conditioning for the past 2-3 months. There is a lot
of improvement in my technique when it comes to clean and jerk and snatches. I
have also started javelin-specific workouts. I am really excited going into the
season," Chopra said.
While Olympics remain
the big prize, Chopra is not taking the tune-up lightly. It's a change, he
says, that has been brought about by his success in Tokyo.
"Before Tokyo, I
was satisfied by merely competing. I would finish fourth or fifth and would be
alright. But post Tokyo, I have this desire to do well everywhere. I want to
finish on the podium as much as possible," he said, a testament to his
stunning consistency post his Tokyo high."I was never satisfied after
Tokyo, but consistent results demand consistent training. I enjoy pushing
myself in training, and now is the time to push from the 87-89m bracket and get
consistent with bigger throws," he added.
The reigning world
champion also showered praise on compatriot Kishore Jena — who he reckoned may
throw 90m before him — and Germany's 19-year-old sensation Max Dehning, the
latest entrant in the 90m club.
5) Confident
Mirabai Chanu faces uphill task in Paris
While Chanu's confidence
is commendable, a look at the prospective field and the probable weight she
needs to lift to be a medal contender point to a steep task Mirabai Chanu
marked her return to competitions following a six-month injury layoff with a
lift of 184 kgs (81kg snatch and 103 kg clean and jerk) at the Phuket World Cup
earlier this month, a result that has all but sealed her spot for this year's Paris
Olympics. Coming off a botched Asian Games campaign where she finished fourth,
the 49kg lifter is still easing her way into the sport with the focus currently
on regaining her muscle strength. "I am satisfied with my effort in
Phuket. I have started training only recently, so in that context, 184kgs is
great. I had no injury worries and my hip held up well," Chanu said after
returning to Patiala.
National coach Vijay
Kumar Sharma was also optimistic: "We need to be patient with her.
Weightlifting is all about gradual progression. We started training very
recently but I am very impressed with her technique. She did the best she could
with so little training. Her speed has improved and she was completely
pain-free in the competition. I am satisfied with her performance."
While Chanu and Sharma's
confidence is commendable, a look at the prospective field and the probable
weight she needs to lift to put her in medal contention point at a rather steep
task. Each of the top three finishers in Phuket lifted in the excess of 200kgs
with North Korea's Ri Song Gum heaving an incredible 221kgs. It meant Song Gum
smashed her own world record (216kg), set at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Tokyo
Olympics champion from China, Hou Zhihui, finished second in Phuket with an
aggregate lift of 217kgs while her compatriot Jiang Huihua, a four-time world
champion, logged 208kgs.
Since only one lifter
from an NOC can compete in a single weight class in Paris, Chanu will have one
less Chinese lifter to contend with. However, the presence of Thailand's 2021
world champion Surodchana Khambao and USA's three-time Pan American champion
Jourdan Delacruz will not make things any easier.
Among the most
consistent lifters currently, Khambao routinely lifts in excess of 190kgs and
knows a thing or two about raising her level when the stage demands. At the
Asian Championships in Jinju last year, the Thai finished behind the Chinese
duo of Huihua (207kg) and Zhuhui (204kg) with a total of 200kgs, her best
effort in the Paris qualifying period. Chanu, then returning from a five-month
injury break, had managed 194kgs for a sixth-place finish. Crucially, all the lifters
listed above are younger than Chanu (29), meaning they are at an intimidating
intersection of peak performance and ideal age.
6) Sumit Nagal
takes a set off World No. 7 Holger Rune before exiting Monte Carlo Masters
Sumit Nagal lost 3-6,
6-3, 2-6 after battling hard for two hours and 11 minutes in the prestigious
clay court event. Putting up a brave fight, India's Sumit Nagal took a set off
world number seven Holger Rune before losing his rain-hit second round match of
the Monte Carlo Masters on Thursday.In an impressive show of grit and gumption,
Nagal threatened to spoil Rune's party by taking the second set after the
second round match, which was suspended due to rain on Wednesday, resumed.
However, he lost his serve twice in the final set.
The Indian qualifier was
behind 1-2 against seventh seed Rune in the second set, when the heavens opened
up.
He lost 3-6 6-3 2-6
after battling hard for two hours and 11 minutes in the prestigious clay court
event. Nevertheless, it was a memorable tournament for him as he became the
first Indian to win a singles main draw match at a Masters event on clay.
Nagal had taken a set
off the great Roger Federer at the 2019 US Open. The 26-year-old Nagal dropped
his serve in the second game of the final set to fall behind but broke back
immediately and held his own serve to make it 2-2. However, he lost his serve
again in the sixth game and the match was settled there.
At the
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin clay court, he first humbled the eight seeded Flavio
Cobolli in the qualifier, and then third seeded Facundo Diaz Acosto to sail
into the main draw of the tournament.
India's flagbearer in
singles tennis, then, stunned Italian Matteo Arnaldi in the first round with a
5-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory.Meanwhile, India's Rohan Bopanna and his Australian
partner Matthew Ebden had lost their round of 16 men's doubles match to Mate
Pavić of Croatia and Marcelo Arévalo of El Salvador on Wednesday. "I agree that the competition will be stiff, but
I don't look at my opponents. I focus on what I am going to lift. Tougher the
competition, more motivated I get," Chanu said. It makes for a good quote,
but a closer, comparative look doesn't paint a rosy picture.
While Chanu is
not new to 200kg lifts, it has been a while since her injury-ravaged body has
lifted four times its weight. The last time she registered 200kg was back in
2022 when her 201kg gold medal-winning effort at the Birmingham Commonwealth
Games was followed by the 200kg lift at the Bogota World Championships that
earned her a silver medal. The latter remains the only instance where Chanu has
managed to get the better of a Chinese in her long career — she finished ahead
of Zhihui. In Tokyo, Chanu's 202kg lift was enough to win her a silver medal,
but in Paris, it may not be enough considering the alarming consistency with
which the lifters have been overhauling that mark. Even the Olympic record of
210 kgs — set by Zhihui in Tokyo en route her gold — is not exactly safe. Song
Gum has breached it twice already while Zhihui and Huihua have bettered it at
least once each.
It's of little
wonder that Chanu and Sharma have set 205kg as their target for Paris. It may
still not guarantee a medal, but it'll be enough to keep her in the hunt. Chanu
has hit the mark only once, back in 2020 at the Asian Championships, but four
years of wear and tear have taken an obvious toll on her. In Patiala's National
Institute of Sports, Chanu's aging, tiring body is being put through the grind.
Coach Sharma is confident that Chanu will hit her peak in time for Paris.
"We are
planning her peak by July-end or the first week of August. As of now, she is
mainly into strength-based workouts and we shall commence classical lifts only
in May. If she can lift 184kgs with 60-70% of training, I am confident she'll
be a force once she gets into proper training rhythm," he said.
GAAMI – ZEE5
Vishwak Sen teamed up
with Chandini Chowdary, and Abhinaya for writer-director Vidyadhar Kagita’s
adventure flick, Gaami which tells the story of an aghora who embarks on a
mission in the Himalayas to find a cure for his fear of touch.
STOLEN – NETFLIX
The list of new OTT
releases arriving this Friday includes Stolen, an intense thriller drama that
follows a young woman from Sweden’s Sami community who tracks down a killer to
settle a personal score. The movie starring Elin Kristina Oskal, Martin
Wallström, andLars-Ánte Wasara is inspired by real events.
AMAR SINGH CHAMKILA
– NETFLIX
After impressing
everyone with his performance in Crew co-starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Tabu,
and Kriti Sanon, Diljit Dosanjh is back with another entertaining film titled
Amar Singh Chamkila. Releasing directly on Netflix, the upcoming film is based
on the life of Punjabi singer Chamkila and his wife Amarjot, whose songs went
on to become massive hits despite criticism in the ‘80s. The biopic also
features Parineet Chopra in a pivotal role.
SHRI SWAPANKUMARER
BADAMI HYENAR KOBOLE – HOICHOI
Headlined by Abir
Chatterjee, Shruti Das, and Paran Bandopadhyay, Shri Swapankumarer Badami
Hyenar Kobole is an action comedy film that revolves around a fictional
detective created by writer Shri Swapankumar, who attempts to save Kolkata from
an evil force. A binge-worthy title on the list of new OTT releases this
Friday.
Anthracite
Plot: In 1994, a group
in a small Alpine village committed mass suicide. Now, 30 years on, a woman has
been killed. This disturbs the peace of the villagers, who spot an eerie
resemblance to the group's activities.
Cast: Fanny Robert,
Maxime Berthemy, Hatik
Genre:
Crime/Mystery/Thriller
Platform: Netflix
Release Date: April 10
Bade Miyan Chote
Miyan
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’
goes out all guns blazing to make for an entertaining potboiler with
heart-pounding action, cheeky humour and barely a dull moment. Story: When a
powerful enemy threatens to destroy India with his technological prowess, two
soldiers must use their tact and uninhibited strength to save the day.
Captain Rakesh aka Rocky
(Akshay Kumar) and Captain Firoz aka Freddy (Tiger Shroff) are the best assets
of the Indian army. They are brave, honest and unapologetically patriotic.
However, they are also a bit uncontrolled and defiant. But, when it comes to
tackling an imminent threat from an enemy within, there’s no one else who can
be trusted. India’s future is in jeopardy because of a tech-savvy villain, who
is about to unleash an AI-powered mayhem on the country that can lead to a
war-like situation with its volatile neighbours. It can also destroy India’s
financial and defence capabilities. It’s a clear and present danger and for our
men in uniform, it’s a race against time.
BOOK OF THIS WEEK:
THE MANUSCRIPTS
CLUB:The People Behind a Thousand Years of Medieval Manuscripts BY Christopher
de Hamel
The illuminated
manuscripts of the Middle Ages are among the greatest works of European art and
literature. We are dazzled by them and recognize their crucial role in the
transmission of knowledge. However, we generally think much less about the
countless men and women who made, collected and preserved them through the
centuries, and to whom they owe their existence.
This entrancing book
describes some of the extraordinary people who have spent their lives among
illuminated manuscripts over the last thousand years: a monk in Normandy, a
prince of France, a Florentine bookseller, an English antiquary, a rabbi from
central Europe, a French priest, a Keeper at the British Museum, a Greek
forger, a German polymath, a British connoisseur and the woman who created the
most spectacular library in America—all of them members of what Christopher de
Hamel calls the Manuscripts Club.
This exhilarating
fraternity, and the fellow enthusiasts who come with it, throw new light on how
manuscripts have survived and been used by very different kinds of people in
many different circumstances. Christopher de Hamel’s unexpected connections and
discoveries reveal a passion that crosses the boundaries of time. We understand
the manuscripts themselves better by knowing who their keepers and companions
have been.
In 1850 (or thereabouts)
John Ruskin bought his first manuscript “at a bookseller’s in a back alley.”
This was his reaction: “The new worlds which every leaf of this book opened to
me, and the joy I had in counting their letters and unravelling their
arabesques as if they had all been of beaten gold—as many of them were—cannot
be told.” The members of de Hamel’s club share many such wonders, which he
brings to us with scholarship, style and a lifetime’s experience.
Christopher de
Hamel is the author of
Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts, winner of both the Wolfson History Prize
and the Duff Cooper Prize. Over the course of a long career at Sotheby’s he
catalogued more illuminated manuscripts than any other person alive, and very
possibly more than any one individual has ever done. Christopher de Hamel is
now a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He was the former librarian
of Parker Library, which includes many, even most, of the earliest manuscripts
in English language and history. De Hamel lives in London and Cambridge.
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Time Mag
Unexplained Mysteries
