A 100-year-old freedom fighter from Goa, a Dhak player from West Bengal who trained 150 women in the male-dominated field, and India's first woman puppeteers are among 30 unsung heroes who were awarded Padma Shri on Republic Day. Libia Lobo Sardesai, who played an important role in Goa's freedom movement, cofounded an underground radio station -- 'Voz da Liberdabe (Voice of Freedom)' -- in a forested area in 1955 to rally people against the Portuguese rule. She has been awarded the Padma Shri by the President on the occasion of 76th Republic Day. Also among the awardees is Gokul Chandra Dey, a 57-year-old Dhak player from West Bengal who broke the gender stereotype by training 150 women in the male-dominated field. Dey also created a lightweight Dhak type, 1.5 kg less than the conventional instrument, and represented India at various international platforms and performed with Maestros like Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Zakir Hussain. A vocal advocate of woman empowerment, 82-year-old Sally Holkar transformed once dying Maheshwari craft and founded Handloom school in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, to give training in traditional weaving techniques. Born in America and Inspired by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar's legacy, she devoted five decades of her life to revitalise 300-year-old weaving legacy. She has also been awarded Padma Shri.
'He was like a sponge. He soaked up everything we taught him -- and when it came time to play, he'd squeeze out exactly what was needed on the board during tournaments.'
As festivities for Independence Day begin, the Centre on Thursday awarded Vir Chakra to nine Indian Air Force officers for their brave contributions in the service of the nation during Operation Sindoor.
War 2 offers you exactly what you'd expect from a mass entertainer: some escapist fun, some truly knockout action scenes, and overall a good time at the movies, observes Mayur Sanap.
A large group of players, including Mohammed Siraj, the hero of the victory, boarded an Emirates flight early Tuesday morning, heading to Dubai en route to their respective home cities in India.
Inspired by the iconic trophy lift of cricket captain Rohit Sharma during the 2024 T20I World Cup in June, the chess players replicated the gesture.
Siraj dismissed Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton before bowling Gus Atkinson to end the match.
With six titles -- four more than Pakistan -- and unmatched consistency, Sri Lanka has quietly been the tournament's second-most dominant force.
Indian army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday said that the surgical strikes carried out during Operation Sindoor were a clear message to Pakistan that supporters of terrorism will not be spared.
This Superman likes a cuppa of hot cocoa, trusts people around him quite easily, gets hurt by social media trolls (the '#Supershit' particularly irks him), and admits to 'screwing up' all the time, discovers Mayur Sanap.
Sourav Ganguly set to re-enter administration, to file nomination for CAB presidency
Former India batter Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday lauded current head coach Gautam Gambhir for his conviction during the gruelling England tour and asked his detractors if they would now "stand up and salute him" for the 2-2 draw.
Long lost brothers, downtrodden masses, a long forgotten prophecy, and a psychotic drug cartel out for blood, Kingdom plays out with the familiar ethos of umpteen films we have seen. But the execution is slick, notes Arjun Menon.
Rhea Purvi Sarvanan edged out amateur Saanvi Somu in the first play-off hole after both players were tied at 1-under 215 for three days.
Glimpses from India and around the world that will make you smile and cry.
Because of Mukesh's much-hailed association with Raj Kapoor, it is often overlooked that the singer has also scored hits with almost all major heroes. On Mukesh's 102nd birth anniversary on July 22, Dinesh Raheja recalls some of his classic songs.
Concerns mount as Pakistan Cricket Board struggles to get renovated venues in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi ready by the January 31 deadline.
Double Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen described a childhood marked by fear and manipulation when he took the witness stand on Tuesday to testify against his father and former coach.
Siraj was the day's hero and India have pulled ahead, but England are not out of the contest by any stretch of imagination.
Among Sensex firms, Maruti zoomed the most by 8.94 per cent. Bajaj Finance rallied over 5 per cent, UltraTech Cement by 3.71 per cent, and Bajaj Finserv by 3.7 per cent. Mahindra & Mahindra, Hindustan Unilever and Trent were also among the gainers. However, ITC was the biggest loser, dropping by 1.26 per cent. Eternal, Tech Mahindra and Larsen & Toubro also declined.
'If they can be duplicitous, we can be equally duplicitous.' 'If they offer friendship, we reciprocate.' 'If they choose hostility, we respond with equal hostility.'
East Bengal ride Diamantakos brace to knock out Bagan, set Durand Cup semis against Diamond Harbour
The gesture was reminiscent of fan reverence in a similar manner for Gaikwad's Chennai Super Kings teammate and former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mumbai 'Chai Wala' known as 'Chhotu' aka Mohammed Taufiq, whose alertness saved lives during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks stated that there is no need for India to provide Tahawwur Rana with cell and Biryani and facilities which were provided to Ajmal Kasab, one of the terrorists involved in Mumbai attacks.
Saiyaara has emerged as a blockbuster, and it's time to welcome the two newcomers, Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, to Bollywood.
'Gen Z was devoid of love stories with sad endings like Heer Ranjha, Laila Majnu or Romeo Juliet; they have never seen something like this in their lifetime.' 'Saiyaara is a rooted love story.'
The matter of Bumrah's availability for the series should have been a highly-guarded secret. That it was bandied about all through suggests the matter was deliberately placed in the public domain. This has become the basis of the hounding of Bumrah, by some former players and fans, asserts Rohit Mahajan.
'I played five different versions of Woh Subah Kabhie Toh Aayegi for Raj Kapoor, only to be greeted with a totally blank reaction.' 'Thereafter, for 40 minutes, he disappeared, leaving us baffled.' 'But when he emerged, he couldn't stop appreciating our efforts!' 'He said Sahir Ludhianvi's writing was sheer poetry and since all my five tunes were equally wonderful, he would leave it to my discretion to chose the final tune.' 'What could be greater appreciation for an artiste?'
Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian to travel to space in 1984. Here's what you should know about the national icon.
Rahul failed to convert his resilient start into a three-digit score across both innings but was pivotal in India's fight to draw the Test and keep India alive in the series.
Major Mohit Sharma was one of India's bravest military officers who died fighting terrorists in Kashmir.
'Editor M S Shinde deserves full credit because, I'm told, Ramesh Sippy had shot 300,000 feet of footage, which was brought down to 18,000. 'He died in 2012, in a 126 square foot flat in Dharavi, penniless, a forgotten hero.'
Most pitch curators are possessive about the main square on a cricket field but Lee Fortis, the chief curator at The Oval, takes that obsession to a sacrosanct level.
Playing in only her second singles match of the year, Bouchard blasted a forehand winner to take the first set but Colombian Arango turned the tables in the second set amid a cascade of unforced errors from her opponent.
As Thalapathy Vijay embarks on a career in politics, Arjun Menon looks closer at his glorious filmography.
'I suppose if RCB waited for 17 (18) years to become champions and organisers, whosoever it may be, could have waited for a while for things to settle down and then organise a show to felicitate these great heroes of RCB.'
Retail sales of electric passenger vehicles (ePVs) nearly doubled in July 2025, surging 93 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to 15,528 units, even as overall passenger vehicle (PV) retail volumes declined marginally. In contrast, electric two-wheeler (e2W) sales dropped by 4.3 per cent to 102,973 units, according to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (Fada) data.
'I think we've seen on various stages around the world now that they are proper X-factor players and that they have taken to international cricket quite easily.'
The Indian Army will bear the study expenses of a ten-year-old boy, Shvan Singh, who supplied meals to soldiers during Operation Sindoor. The army's Golden Arrow Division has committed to fully sponsor Shvan's education in recognition of his courage and enthusiasm.
'Abhishek is known to launch new 'stars' and not 'kids.' He has always been successful with that. He has a lot of patience for new people. I won't say to tolerate them, but to nurture them. All of them have done very well.' Rediff.com's Mayur Sanap, Hitesh Harisinghani and Afsar Dayatar report from the trailer launch.
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