'Our biggest opportunity lies with the younger age-group teams.' 'If you look at the senior national team, our chances are about 50-50.' 'The gap becomes smaller as you move down the age groups.' 'At the Under-20 level, it's closer to 60-40.' 'By the Under-17 level, it's around 80-20. That's where I feel we have our best chance.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a 100-week nationwide campaign, 'Nasha Mukta Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyaan', on August 2 to combat rising drug abuse in India. Led by MY Bharat youth, the initiative will involve various activities and aims to unite over one crore young people in a pledge against substance abuse, addressing alarming statistics from the Narcotics Control Bureau.
Brigadier Basant Kumar Ponwar (Retd), a distinguished veteran of the 1971 Indo-Pak War and the visionary behind India's modern jungle warfare strategies against Maoist insurgency, has passed away at 77. His extensive career spanned over five decades, contributing significantly to national defence through both the Indian Army and police forces, including founding the Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare College.
Several districts in central and south Gujarat received heavy rainfall on Friday with over 1,500 persons evacuated to safer places in Surat which is the worst-affected, officials said.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announced a Rs 100 crore allocation for sports infrastructure and athlete development during a Sports Conclave in Raipur. The state government is focused on promoting sports, nurturing talent, and providing employment opportunities for outstanding sportspersons, alongside organising major sporting events like the Bastar and Surguja Olympics.
The fourth edition of the Oriental Cup, an inter-school football tournament, is scheduled from July 7 to 16 in New Delhi. It will feature over 45 school teams, 1,500 student-athletes, and offer scholarships worth Rs 2.5 lakh to encourage young talent. Organisers aim to make it India's leading school football competition, with growing participation, especially among girls' teams.
Millions play cricket in India; only a few reach the IPL teams or the Indian team. Sometimes, a player may not get selected not due to lack of skill, at other times it may be due to team balance. But what every youngster should remember is that talent is permanent; selection is temporary, notes K R Nayar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended his best wishes to the Indian contingent participating in the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow. He expressed the nation's hopes for outstanding performances. India has seen promising results, including a bronze medal and advancements in boxing and lawn bowls, while also facing some setbacks. Modi also highlighted a unique Sanskrit language initiative in Keralam.
A Mehsana-based startup, Prime UAV, deployed drones to assist in the evacuation of people stranded due to floods in Dholka, Ahmedabad district. The drones provided surveillance, delivered essential supplies, and supported rescue operations in inaccessible areas, complementing efforts by local administration and the Army.
It's only July but the South Korean drama scene is brimming with action and adrenalin.
Nirmal Purja, the Nepali-British climber famous for scaling all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks in record time, has been confirmed dead after an avalanche on Broad Peak, located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Gilgit-Baltistan.
Thousands of protesters, including children, students, and the elderly, gathered in central Delhi for the Cockroach Janta Party's 'Chalo Sansad' march towards Parliament. The protest, coinciding with the Monsoon Session, led to clashes with police, who used tear gas and lathi-charge, resulting in injuries to both sides and suspension of internet services. Despite police action and barricades, protesters repeatedly attempted to reach Parliament, leading to a day-long standoff.
'We have to pull 80 million workers out of agriculture and go back to where we were in 2014. That itself is going to be a huge task.' 'We have already lost time, and that is a catastrophe impending.''
Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria has called upon schools to play a proactive role in safeguarding youth from drug abuse. He emphasised the role of educational institutions in the statewide anti-drug campaign and criticised the neighbouring country for allegedly pumping drugs into Punjab.
With Main Vaapas Aaunga as his latest release, we rank Imtiaz Ali's romantic dramas from his underrated debut in Socha Na Tha to his most recent offering of love and longing.
Gurugram Police investigated a bomb threat at a private school in DLF Phase 1 after receiving a threatening email. The threat was determined to be a hoax, and the school was declared safe after a thorough search.
'I couldn't do anything, and he kept going.'
Married men reveal the everyday questions from their wives that leave them feeling awkward, guilty or annoyed.
Following the tragic death of a student in Mumbai due to a tree collapse, Thane Mayor Sharmila Pimpalolkar has mandated a city-wide safety survey of dangerous trees. The survey will cover schools, colleges, housing societies, hospitals, and major traffic junctions, with a focus on identifying and addressing unstable trees and branches to prevent future incidents, especially during the monsoon season.
Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has expressed strong "anguish" over the Indian hockey team's decision to change its traditional blue jersey to saffron for the upcoming FIH World Cup. Patnaik, whose state government previously sponsored the team, criticised the move as "petty politics" and an attempt to erase sporting legacy, alleging pressure from the BJP government in Odisha. Hockey India stated the saffron colour symbolises courage, sacrifice, and new beginnings, inspired by the national flag.
Some doors, it turns out, you can knock on for years and they still won't tell you what's really behind them.
The ministry of education is contemplating significant reforms to the admission process for crucial entrance exams like NEET and JEE. Proposed changes include giving 50 per cent weightage to board exam marks, aligning entrance tests with school syllabi, and introducing multiple attempts and computer-based tests. These reforms aim to reduce the high-stakes nature of exams and address issues like evaluation errors and paper leaks.
Long before social media reels and tagged Instagram stories, friendships were celebrated with simple rituals that made the day unforgettable, says Divya Nair.
If Elle is to turn into its own franchise, it needs a lot more substance, notes Deepa Gahlot.
Subedar Hokato Sema lost his leg in a mine blast on the Line of Control. Today he is a champion para shot-putter and among the most decorated para soldier-athletes.
There are friends you make because life brings you together. And then there are friends who become part of the place you call home. Mine lived across my building.
Ten people were killed in rain-triggered floods in China as Typhoon Noul made landfall early Sunday in the southern province of Guangdong.
'Guide is my dad's most beloved film. It's also the film closest to his fans' heart.' 'The film's theme is timeless, so we felt it was the right thing to do.'
Indian para-athlete Dilip Mahadu Gavit, fresh off winning the Commonwealth Games 2026 gold medal in the men's T47 100m with a Games record, dedicated his triumph to his coach Vaijanath Kale on Guru Purnima, crediting him for spotting his talent and transforming his career.
A man and his two children were killed in Muzaffarnagar after their motorcycle was hit by a school bus. The man's wife is critically injured. Police have arrested the bus driver and seized the vehicle.
A 40-year-old school teacher was killed in a hit-and-run accident on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway in Palghar district, Maharashtra. Police are investigating the incident and searching for the driver.
From comic-book recreations and Daredevil connections to hints about Silk and the X-Men, here are 15 details you may have missed in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Assam's flood death toll has climbed to 75 with seven new fatalities, even as the number of affected people decreased. The state government has increased the ex gratia payment to Rs 9 lakh per deceased family and relaxed norms for claiming compensation, including waiving mandatory post-mortem reports.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk has decided to continue his indefinite hunger strike despite appeals, stating that ending it without government response would send the wrong message. He is urging supporters to join the Cockroach Janta Party's Parliament march on July 20 to press for accountability regarding alleged NEET irregularities.
rediffGURU Komal Jethmalani explains if bananas and curd are safe to eat when you have a cold or a sore throat.
Sharmila Dhankar, a polio-afflicted survivor of domestic abuse, clinched a gold medal in the women's F57 seated shot put at the Commonwealth Games, marking a triumph of resilience and athletic prowess.
Enforcement Directorate officials conducted a raid at the Kolkata residence of former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee in connection with the ongoing school jobs recruitment scam investigation.
The proposed order will state that students currently in Classes 7, 8 and 9 who have opted for two foreign languages under the existing framework will be allowed to continue with the same combination until Class 10.
Mumbai's suburbs were hit by intense overnight rainfall, with some areas receiving over 100 mm in four hours, causing waterlogging and traffic disruptions. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reported significant downpours in both eastern and western suburbs, while the island city experienced moderate showers.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a raid at the residence of former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee in connection with the school jobs scam. This follows his release on bail after being arrested in 2022.
