Author: Rasmita Jena

  • Sebi Orders Return of ₹6.17 Crore for Insider Trading by Mawana Sugars

    Sebi Orders Return of ₹6.17 Crore for Insider Trading by Mawana Sugars

    The stock market watchdog, Sebi, has asked a man named Krishna Shriram to return Rs 6.17 crore that his late father, Siddharth Shriram, made by trading shares based on confidential information about Mawana Sugars Ltd. This order comes after Sebi looked into the trading activities of Siddharth from September 2017 to February 2018, when he was reportedly aware of important information that had not yet been made public.

    Siddharth Shriram passed away in May 2021, and the shares he owned were transferred to Krishna, who is now the Chairman of Mawana Sugars. Sebi noted that Siddharth avoided losing money during his trades, which weren’t fair because he had access to sensitive information about the company’s financial performance.

    Due to these reasons, Sebi directed Krishna to pay back the gains of Rs 6.17 crore within 45 days, plus interest at 12% starting from November 24, 2017. If he does not pay within this time, more interest will continue to accumulate until the amount is paid. The money collected will go into the Investor Education and Protection Fund to help educate investors.

  • Shardul Thakur Set to Join Essex for County Championship 2025

    Shardul Thakur Set to Join Essex for County Championship 2025

    Indian cricketer Shardul Thakur has signed a seven-match deal to play for Essex in the County Championship starting in April and May 2025. The 33-year-old all-rounder is eager to impress and hopes to make a return to the Test team.

    Later this year, India will play five Test matches in England. If Shardul performs well, he could earn a spot on the team. Recently, he was not included in India’s squad for the Test series against Australia, and the coach is focusing on younger players like Nitish Kumar Reddy instead.

    Shardul has played 83 matches for India across all formats and has taken 129 wickets, with 31 of those coming from 11 Test matches. He started his international career in August 2017 with an ODI against Sri Lanka, followed by his Test debut against the West Indies in September 2018.

    In first-class cricket, Shardul has taken 296 wickets with an average of 27.45 and scored over 2,000 runs, including two centuries and 15 half-centuries.

    Recently, he had an incredible performance in a Ranji Trophy game against Meghalaya, scoring 84 runs in just 42 balls and taking a hat-trick, finishing with great figures of 8/91. Just before that, he scored 51 and 119 in a match against Jammu and Kashmir, partnering for a key 184-run stand for the eighth wicket.

    Shardul Excited About Joining Essex
    “I am excited to join Essex this summer. It brings new challenges and opportunities to show my skills,” Shardul said in a statement.

    Chris Silverwood, Essex’s Director of Cricket, expressed his happiness about Shardul joining the team. “We’re thrilled to sign Shardul. We needed a quality bowler who can bat well, and he fits perfectly. We can’t wait to see him play in the County Championship,” he said.

  • Rupee Declines to 86.96 as Foreign Investors Sell Off Stocks

    Rupee Declines to 86.96 as Foreign Investors Sell Off Stocks

    The Indian Rupee fell by 8 paise, closing at 86.96 against the US Dollar. This drop happened because foreign investors are selling Indian stocks, and the US Dollar is getting stronger. Forex traders believe the Rupee is likely to keep slipping as investors continue to pull out.

    Today, the Rupee opened at 86.94, reached a high of 86.91, and a low of 86.98 before ending at its current value. This follows a bigger drop where the Rupee fell by 17 paise to 86.88 just two days ago.

    The trade deficit in India is also affecting the Rupee. Exports dropped for the third month in a row, down 2.38% year-on-year to USD 36.43 billion, while imports increased by 10.28% year-on-year to USD 59.42 billion, mainly due to rising gold shipments.

    The US Dollar Index, which shows how strong the Dollar is compared to other currencies, rose by 0.35% and is now at 106.95. In the oil market, Brent crude oil prices went up by 0.77% to USD 75.80 per barrel.

    In the stock market, the BSE Sensex fell 29.47 points, settling at 75,967.39, and the Nifty dropped by 14.20 points to 22,945.30. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) sold stocks worth ₹3,937.83 crores on Monday, based on exchange data.

    Experts believe the Rupee will continue to weaken due to weak stock markets and the stronger US Dollar. However, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) might step in to support the Rupee. Traders will also be looking for updates from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) members for guidance.

    In another note, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a meeting with business leaders, including billionaire Jack Ma, to help improve business confidence as the Chinese economy faces challenges.

  • Israel Initiates Gaza Ceasefire Talks: Hostages and Demilitarization

    Israel Initiates Gaza Ceasefire Talks: Hostages and Demilitarization

    Israel is ready to start talking about the next part of the deal to stop fighting in Gaza. This includes swapping the remaining Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, said that they want Gaza to be completely disarmed.

    Even though talks should have begun before the first part of the ceasefire ends on March 2, Qatar mentioned that nothing official has started yet. Saar stressed that Israel will not allow a situation similar to Hezbollah in Lebanon to happen in Gaza. They insist there must be no weapons in Gaza and that the Palestinian Authority should not have a role there.

    He also mentioned that Israel knows about a plan from some Arab countries that aims to undermine a past U.S. proposal to manage Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes this new plan is worth considering. However, Saar made it clear that Israel does not agree with any plan that would give control of Gaza from Hamas to the Palestinian Authority.

  • Licious Aims for Profit & IPO in 2026: Fast Store Opens and Delivery Plans

    Licious Aims for Profit & IPO in 2026: Fast Store Opens and Delivery Plans

    Online meat seller Licious, supported by the big investment firm Temasek Holdings, wants to make money before it goes public in 2026. The company, which runs Delightful Gourmet Pvt Ltd, is opening more physical stores and speeding up deliveries to compete with fast delivery services.

    Licious aims to make a profit by August this year, as stated by co-founder and CEO Vivek Gupta. He mentioned, “We want to be ready for our IPO in 12 months.” Founded in 2015 and based in Bengaluru, Licious is targeting a company value of over $2 billion for its upcoming IPO. It was worth $1.5 billion during its last funding round in 2023.

    India has a booming IPO market, and Licious is joining in. The company plans to use the money from its IPO to buy smaller stores and give its investors a chance to sell their shares. Almost 75% of India’s 1.4 billion people eat fish, chicken, or meat, making it a huge $26 billion meat market and a $59 billion fish market. Licious is already in 20 cities and believes people will pay more to have meat delivered to their homes instead of going out.

    Currently, Licious promises deliveries in 90 minutes but is working on getting it down to just 30 minutes to compete with quick delivery services like Zomato and Swiggy.

  • Top 10 All-Time Wicket-Takers in ICC Champions Trophy History

    Top 10 All-Time Wicket-Takers in ICC Champions Trophy History

    In cricket, there’s a popular saying: “Batters win matches, but bowlers win tournaments.” Any team hoping to win the ICC Champions Trophy needs a strong bowling team. Over the years, many amazing bowlers have led their teams to victory. The surprise leader in the most wickets taken during the Champions Trophy is former New Zealand bowler Kyle Mills, with an impressive 28 wickets in just 15 games!

    Next on the list is Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga, with 25 wickets, and another Sri Lankan legend, spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, with 24. Interestingly, there are no current players or Indian bowlers among the top, although Ravindra Jadeja leads Indian bowlers with 16 wickets. Surprisingly, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar is also on the list as India’s third-highest wicket-taker, with 14 wickets.

    Here’s a look at the top 10 bowlers with the most wickets in the Champions Trophy:

    – Kyle Mills (New Zealand): 28 wickets in 15 matches, with an average of 17 and best figures of 4/30.
    – Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka): 25 wickets in 16 matches, with an average of 30.60 and best figures of 4/34.
    – Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka): 24 wickets in 17 matches, with an average of 20 and best figures of 4/15.
    – Brett Lee (Australia): 22 wickets in 16 matches, with an average of 26.
    – Glenn McGrath (Australia): 21 wickets in 12 matches, with an average of 19 and one five-wicket haul.
    – James Anderson (England): 21 wickets in 12 matches, with an average of 21.
    – Jacques Kallis (South Africa): 20 wickets in 17 matches, with an average of 26 and best figures of 3/30.
    – Mervyn Dillon (West Indies): 19 wickets in just 7 matches, with the best average of 16 and best figures of 5/29.
    – Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka): 18 wickets in 16 matches, with an average of 27 and a low economy rate of 3.93.
    – Daniel Vettori (New Zealand): 18 wickets in 17 matches, with the best economy rate of 3.65.

    This list shows how bowlers have played an essential role in the Champions Trophy, helping their teams achieve great success!

  • Varun Dhawan and Sunny Deol Share Sweet Moments on Border 2 Set!

    Varun Dhawan and Sunny Deol Share Sweet Moments on Border 2 Set!

    Actor Varun Dhawan posted a sweet behind-the-scenes picture with Sunny Deol from the filming of Border 2. This exciting sequel to the 1997 movie is currently being shot in the military town of Jhansi.

    In the photo, Varun and Sunny sit on a military truck. Varun wore a white tank top and a blue shirt with brown pants, black sneakers, and sunglasses. Sunny Deol was in a blue shirt and green cargo pants. Varun captioned the picture, “Sunny days. Hameraa saab ji (Our sir). #border2 #indianarmy Jan 2026.”

    T-Series, the company making the movie, also shared a picture of the whole team in Jhansi. It included producers Bhushan Kumar and Nidhi Dutta, along with Sunny, Varun, and others. Their caption said, “Action, legacy, and patriotism! #Border2 is going to be a story of bravery and sacrifice!”

    Directed by Anurag Singh, Border 2 promises to be a big and exciting film with famous actors like Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty. Sunny is returning to play his beloved character from the first film.

    Ahan Shetty, the son of actor Suniel Shetty, shared his feelings about being in the film. He wrote on Instagram, “Border is more than a movie—it’s a legacy and a dream come true.” Ahan shared a touching story about how he has loved the Border movie since he was a baby and thanked the filmmakers for this opportunity.

    In a special video, old scenes from Border mix with Ahan’s emotional words, showing how proud he is to continue his family’s legacy in this film.

  • Introducing Grok 3: Elon Musk’s Smartest AI Chatbot Yet!

    Introducing Grok 3: Elon Musk’s Smartest AI Chatbot Yet!

    Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, just launched its newest chatbot called Grok 3, which Musk claims is the smartest AI on Earth. The event took place on February 17, 2025, at 9:30 am, and it attracted around 100,000 viewers who watched the event online.

    Here are some important things to know about Grok 3:

    – Musk thanked his team for working hard to create Grok 3, stating he was honored to work with such talented people.
    – The name “Grok” comes from a science fiction book called “Stranger in a Strange Land” by Robert Heinlein. In the book, “grok” means to understand something deeply, which is what Grok 3 aims to do.
    – Grok 3 is Musk’s challenge to other leading AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Google’s Gemini. It can analyze images, respond to questions, and power various features on Musk’s social media platform, X.
    – To make Grok 3 better, the team used 100,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs, giving them 200 million GPU-hours for training—ten times more than Grok 2. This means it can process big data more quickly and accurately.
    – Musk and his team say Grok 3 is much more powerful than Grok 2, which was released in August 2024. They shared that it performs better than big AIs like Google’s Gemini 2 Pro and OpenAI’s GPT-4o, especially in areas like science and coding.
    – At the launch, Musk said Grok 3 is “scary smart”, and it runs on xAI’s powerful supercomputer. This system took just a little over eight months to build.
    – Grok 3 not only shows intelligence but also creativity. It even created a new game that combines Tetris and Puyo Puyo. Premium users can now use Grok 3, which promises better problem-solving and gaming abilities.
    – Musk encouraged everyone to update their X app to access all the new features and announced a special subscription called Super Grok for fans who want even more advanced capabilities and early access to new features.
    – If you prefer a more polished version of Grok 3, Musk suggested waiting a week, as they are also working on a voice interaction feature for a more conversational experience.
    – To make Grok 3 even better, the xAI team improved the training methods, using special datasets and new learning techniques.

    With all its cool features, Grok 3 aims to take AI to the next level!

  • Indo-Canadian Candidate Faces Backlash Over Offensive Social Media Posts

    Indo-Canadian Candidate Faces Backlash Over Offensive Social Media Posts

    Toronto: An Indo-Canadian candidate running for the Ontario provincial election has come under fire for some offensive posts on social media. These posts involve the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a pro-Khalistan figure, and use a mean term against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

    Viresh Bansal, who is the Liberal Party candidate for Oshawa, allegedly made these comments in 2023. However, his accounts on X and Facebook have been cleaned up recently.

    One post was a reaction to Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democratic Party, who suggested that India might be involved in Nijjar’s death. Bansal replied, saying, “You can thank India for cleaning trash people,” and added, “Ask your gay friend @JustinTrudeau to do the same.”

    This began after Trudeau mentioned in parliament that there were “credible allegations” linking Indian agents to Nijjar’s murder.

    Another post, replying to Conservative MP Tim Uppal, said, “It’s Indian internal matter. You better take care of your own. Dekhi kitten tere naal vi kutt khanni na hoje,” which roughly means “be careful or something may happen to you.”

    Uppal’s post was about actions taken in India against Amritpal Singh, who was later arrested.

    Because of these rude posts, many people are asking the Liberal Party to cancel Bansal’s candidacy. The election in Oshawa is mainly between Jennifer French from the NDP and Jerry Ouellette from the ruling Progressive Conservative Party.

    Elections are set for February 27, and recent polls show that the Conservatives are expected to retain power by a large margin.

  • International Artists’ Concerts in India: A Smart Business Move!

    International Artists’ Concerts in India: A Smart Business Move!

    In recent weeks, concert fans in India have enjoyed performances by big international artists like Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, and Coldplay. Amit Trivedi, a well-known musician, shared his thoughts with India Today about why these global stars choose to perform in India.

    He said that international artists are very smart and go where they can make the most money. They know that India has a huge population and a big market for music. Amit explained, “They don’t care about us. They are here for business.” He believes that acts like Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa see India as an important place to earn money because many fans are eager to buy tickets to their shows.

    Amit also mentioned that Western artists might collaborate with Indian musicians if it benefits them. He stated, “They will happily work with us if it helps their business.” Recently, Amit created a project called Azaad Collab, featuring 22 Indian artists, including Armaan Malik and Neha Kakkar.

    During the recent concerts, Coldplay performed in Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Ed Sheeran also toured places like Gurugram and Bengaluru. Other artists like Maroon 5 and Bryan Adams played sold-out shows, and Green Day and Shawn Mendes are set to perform later this year.