Author: Supriya Jena

  • USA Cricket’s U19 Women’s T20 Team: An All-Indian-American Lineup!

    USA Cricket’s U19 Women’s T20 Team: An All-Indian-American Lineup!

    USA Cricket recently announced its 15-player squad for the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia, creating a lot of buzz online. What’s interesting is that every player on the team, including the reserves, has Indian-American roots! The team will be led by Anika Kolan, and Aditiba Chudasama will be the vice-captain. Both players have previously played for the USA in the very first ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup held in 2023.

    Social Media Excitement

    The news sparked a lot of reactions on social media, especially on X (previously known as Twitter). A post by Aryan Trivedi featuring the squad list received over 62,000 views, along with many funny comments. One user joked, “This looks like the India squad,” while another quipped, “USA = United State of Akhand Bharat,” playing on the team’s Indian-American background.

    People continued to have fun with it, with comments such as “Is this India’s Women’s team B squad?” and “So who was talking about H1B again?” This was a nod to the popular work visa often linked to Indian professionals in the U.S.

    The playful jokes kept coming: “Indians took their jobs in tech, and now it’s sports!” and “More like the H-1B squad!”

    This isn’t new—earlier this year, Saurabh Netravalkar, who works at Oracle, captured everyone’s attention with his great play in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The rise of Indian-American players in USA Cricket shows that the world of cricket is changing, becoming more diverse and inclusive.

  • Bangladeshi Hindus Urge India for Help Amid Rising Violence”

    Bangladeshi Hindus Urge India for Help Amid Rising Violence”

    A group of Bangladeshi Hindus living abroad is asking the Indian government to take action to protect Hindu people and other minorities in Bangladesh. They are worried about the safety of Hindus after a new government took over in Bangladesh in August.

    The group, called the Global Bengali Hindu Coalition, is in New Delhi to talk with Indian leaders. They held a news conference to share their concerns and suggested five main ideas to help protect Hindus, tribal people, and other religious minority groups in Bangladesh.

    They want India to ask the United Nations (UN) for help, including sending peacekeepers to Bangladesh to protect these groups. They also want India to push for UN sanctions against the current Bangladeshi government, which they say does not respect the rights of minorities.

    Another idea they proposed is to finish what they call an “unfinished population exchange” from the 1947 Partition. This would involve giving land back to displaced minority communities to help them resettle safely.

    Additionally, they urged the Indian government to convince the new Bangladeshi government to set up safe zones in areas where Hindus live in larger numbers. They also suggested that India reevaluate its support for Bangladesh in UN peacekeeping missions.

    Sitangshu Guha, one of the group’s leaders, highlighted India’s historical help during Bangladesh’s freedom struggle in 1971 and said India can play a crucial role in protecting the 20 million Hindus in Bangladesh. He emphasized that the current situation puts these Hindus at risk of disappearing.

    The Indian government has already expressed its worries about the recent treatment of Hindus and the arrest of a monk in Bangladesh. However, the new Bangladeshi government claims that the reports of violence against Hindus are exaggerated and insists it has arrested many people involved in recent incidents.

    Despite these claims, members of the group insist that attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh are still happening. They criticize all Bangladeshi governments for allowing this situation without offering proper protection for Hindus.

    Another member, Arun Dutta, pointed out that Bangladesh relies heavily on goods from India. He said that cutting off supplies could seriously hurt the country.

    The group mentioned that a recent report documented 51 incidents of violence against Hindu temples and communities in Bangladesh just between August and December this year. They reported a distressing incident where a temple was robbed, and its caretaker was killed.

  • Bihar Extends Land Survey Deadline to 2026: Key Updates and Insights”

    Bihar Extends Land Survey Deadline to 2026: Key Updates and Insights”

    The Bihar government has decided to give more time to finish its big land survey. The new deadline will now be July 2026, one year longer than before. Dipak Kumar Singh, who works as the additional chief secretary (ACS) in the revenue and land department, said this change is to help people and make the survey smoother.

    The land survey aims to create clear and easy-to-read digital land records. This will help solve many disputes about land ownership. Singh pointed out that before this survey, over 60% of crimes in Bihar were linked to land issues. That number has now dropped to about 46.69%.

    So far, the survey is nearly done in 20 out of 38 districts, covering 5,657 villages. Soon, the survey will start in the remaining 18 districts, which will include 37,384 villages.

    The state is working on land records not just for rural areas but also for cities. The central government will start a new program called ‘NAKSHA’ to help create land records for urban areas. Six towns have been picked for this.

    The government is also looking for land that was given to the public during a movement started by a leader named Vinoba Bhave in the 1950s. They want to sort out the land and give it to people who don’t own any land. Recent reports say that about 2,56,664.88 acres of this land have been distributed, with 1,04,958.7 acres found suitable for giving to landless families.

    In addition, the Bihar government is working to take control of over 15,358 acres of land that once belonged to a royal family in the area. A new law called the ‘Vesting of Bettiah Raj Properties Act’ 2024 has been put forth. Once the rules for this law are approved, the government will start taking over the land.

  • Bihar Protests: BPSC Exam Complaints and Police Action Explained

    Bihar Protests: BPSC Exam Complaints and Police Action Explained

    Bihar’s Education Minister, Sunil Kumar, announced that the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) will look into complaints from students about the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) held in 2024. Speaking to reporters, Kumar said, “Students have the right to express their concerns, and the Commission will investigate and make the right decision.”

    Many students protested in Patna, asking for the cancellation of the exam conducted on December 13. The situation escalated on Sunday when the police used force to break up the crowd in Gandhi Maidan. Reports say that the police lathi-charged and used water cannons to keep the protesters back.

    After the protests, the Bihar Police filed a complaint against around 600-700 people, including Jan Suraaj leader Prashant Kishore. They are accused of gathering without permission and causing disturbances in Gandhi Maidan.

    The Patna Administration stated that Jan Suraaj Party was not allowed to hold a gathering near the Gandhi statue, but people showed up anyway and caused trouble. The crowd allegedly clashed with the police, damaged loudspeakers, and ignored police warnings. As a result, the police had to disperse them using water cannons.

    The Patna Administration confirmed that an FIR has been filed at the Gandhi Maidan police station against the large gathering for causing chaos and not following the rules.

  • Palantir Technologies: A Rising AI Star or a Bursting Bubble?”

    Palantir Technologies: A Rising AI Star or a Bursting Bubble?”

    Right now, Wall Street is buzzing about big companies like Nvidia, Meta, and Google thanks to their success in artificial intelligence (AI). But there are other important AI stocks, and one of them is Palantir Technologies.

    Palantir is making headlines because it had an incredible year. In fact, it was the best-performing stock on the S&P 500 index last year, jumping a staggering 360% in 2024! That’s a huge growth, but it raises some questions. Many people are comparing its rapid rise to what happened with the internet boom and bust in the early 2000s. Back then, excitement about the internet led to big stock price increases, but it all came crashing down.

    Some experts worry that AI stocks might face a similar fate when the hype around AI fades. This could be a problem for stocks like Palantir, whose values have soared, but whose actual business performance might not support such high prices.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is Palantir Technologies Making Money?
    Yes, Palantir has recently started to make a profit! They used to spend a lot on growing their business, which caused them to lose money for a while.

    Is Palantir a Public Company?
    Yes, Palantir Technologies Inc. is publicly traded. It became available to buy on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2020.

  • Radha’s Journey: From Stateless to Voting in Delhi Assembly Elections”

    Radha’s Journey: From Stateless to Voting in Delhi Assembly Elections”

    Radha is a young girl who came to India from Pakistan when she was just four years old. Now, she is excited to vote for the first time in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. Getting her Indian citizenship means a lot to her. It gives her the chance to have a say in her new home.

    “I got my citizenship certificate earlier this year. We recently applied for voter IDs. This will be the first time I get to vote as a true Indian. I hope the government supports us,” she said.

    Radha is one of about 300 Pakistani Hindus who just got Indian citizenship through the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) of 2019. Many of them lived in India for years without any official identity until now.

    Dharamvir Solanki, the leader of their community, mentioned that they have around 217 families, totaling about 1,000 people. He said, “Of these, 300 people have applied for voter IDs. We also want to get ration cards soon.”

    The main issue for these families is unemployment. Radha shared, “A lot of us don’t have jobs. We want more job opportunities.” Most men in the community work as daily laborers or sell small items like phone accessories, while the women mostly take care of the home.

    Older members of the group hope citizenship will help them find better jobs or land to farm on. Puran, who has been in Delhi since 2013, explained, “In Pakistan, we were farmers. We fled to escape problems. Here, it’s nice, but we need land to farm.” He hopes the government will help them by giving them land to grow food.

    After many years of waiting, these families are finally looking for a stable life in India.

  • ITC Ltd to Invest ₹1500 Crore in New Hotel Business Structure!”

    ITC Ltd to Invest ₹1500 Crore in New Hotel Business Structure!”

    ITC Ltd, a major company based in Kolkata, has announced it will give ₹1500 crore (15 billion) in cash to its hotel business, ITC Hotels. This money will help ITC Hotels grow and prepare for any emergencies. The hotel business plans to spend 8-10% of its earnings on renovations and ongoing projects.

    ITC Ltd will keep trademarks for its famous restaurants like Bukhara, Dum Pukht, and Dakshin. ITC Hotels will use these names under a trademark license agreement, and the ITC logo will also be shared.

    The demerger of ITC Hotels will take place on January 1, 2025. The record date, which helps determine which shareholders will get shares of ITC Hotels, is January 6, 2025. After receiving approval, the shares of ITC Hotels will be listed within 60 days.

    As part of this plan, ITC Hotels will issue shares directly to ITC shareholders. About 60% of ITC Hotels will be owned directly by these shareholders, with the remaining 40% held by ITC Ltd. So, all ITC shareholders will own 100% of ITC Hotels—60% directly and 40% through ITC.

    The company mentioned an agreement for ITC to manage and run ITC Grand Central in Mumbai. Other assets related to the hotel business will also be transferred to ITC Hotels.

    ITC Hotels aims to have no debt and generate enough cash for growth. They plan to take advantage of new opportunities. Over the next few years, ITC Hotels plans to build over 300 new hotel rooms, including projects in Puri and Bhubaneswar, and will utilize its land for more hotels.

    ITC Hotels also has plans for 45 managed hotels with around 4,000 rooms and aims to increase management fees significantly by 2030. Recently, they opened 28 managed hotels in just two years and plan to open more than one hotel each month for the next two years. In five years, ITC Hotels expects to have over 200 hotels with 18,000 rooms, focusing heavily on managed properties.

    Meanwhile, ITC Ltd’s share price fell by 0.38% to ₹477.10 on the BSE while the broader Sensex index dropped by 0.57%.

  • Rohit Sharma’s Ongoing Struggles: Is Captaincy Affecting His Game?”

    Rohit Sharma’s Ongoing Struggles: Is Captaincy Affecting His Game?”

    India’s cricket captain, Rohit Sharma, is having a tough time scoring runs in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. He tried to bounce back by facing 40 balls in the second innings of the Melbourne Test, but was dismissed for only 9 runs by Pat Cummins.

    After India’s disappointing 184-run loss in Melbourne, former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan openly expressed his worries about Rohit’s current performance, noting that Rohit averages just over 24 in Test matches in 2024. According to Irfan, Rohit might not be playing if he weren’t captain; his recent scores show he has made only 31 runs in five innings at an average of just 6.20.

    Rohit had a great start to 2024, scoring 400 runs in the series against England, but his performance has declined in Tests since then. Irfan commented, “A player who has scored nearly 20,000 runs is struggling like this. If he were not captain, he might not have a spot in the team. KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill could be playing instead.”

    Rohit began the series batting in the middle order, while KL Rahul was performing well. Due to poor scores, Rohit was moved back to open, but now he has managed just 3 and 9 runs in the latest Melbourne Test.

    Irfan added, “As captain, Rohit will play as the team needs to win the next match to tie the series. Sadly, his form is troubling. Even before this series, he wasn’t scoring many runs.”

    Seeing Rohit struggle is disappointing for fans. “I love watching Rohit bat, but right now, something seems off about him—maybe his mindset or how he is moving,” Irfan concluded.

  • Simple Resolutions for a Successful 2025: Goal Setting Made Easy

    Simple Resolutions for a Successful 2025: Goal Setting Made Easy

    As we get closer to 2025, it’s a great time to think about setting goals for the new year! Whether you want to grow personally, get healthier, or manage money better, having resolutions can help you stay motivated. Here are some easy goals for 2025!

    1 .For Financial Health
    Many people want to improve their money situation in 2025. Here are some easy resolutions to help you:
    – Save More, Spend Less: Set a goal to save some money each month. Every little bit counts!
    – Track Your Spending: Use an app or a notebook to see where your money goes. This can help you find spots to save.
    – Build an Emergency Fund: Try to save enough to cover three months’ worth of expenses to be ready for surprises.

    2.For Health and Fitness
    2025 is the right time to focus on your body and mind. Here are some resolutions to help:
    – Exercise Regularly: Try to be active for at least 30 minutes most days. It could be a walk or a fun workout!
    – Eat Healthier: Add more fruits and veggies to your meals. Even small changes can help you feel better.
    – Practice Mindfulness: Spend a few minutes each day to relax or meditate to reduce stress.

    3.For Daily Routine and Productivity
    A good daily routine can make your year better. Try these ideas:
    – Set a Morning Routine: Start your day with some stretching, a healthy breakfast, and a plan for the day to feel ready.
    – Limit Screen Time: Cut down on phone and TV time. Use that time for something fun or learning!
    – Prioritize Tasks: Make a to-do list each morning, focusing on the most important tasks first to stay organized.

    4. For Personal Growth
    Focusing on yourself can make 2025 a year of learning. Check out these resolutions:
    – Learn a New Skill: Pick up a new hobby, like playing an instrument, learning a language, or cooking.
    – Read More Books: Aim to read one book each month to gain knowledge and improve your focus.
    – Practice Gratitude: Spend a moment each day thinking about what you’re thankful for. This helps create a happy mind.

    5. For Relationships and Social Connections
    Use the new year to strengthen your bonds with family and friends:
    – Spend More Time with Loved Ones: Plan family dinners, outings, or weekend trips for cherished memories.
    – Be More Present: When with others, put away your phone and enjoy the moment.
    – Show Appreciation: Let others know you value them with kind words or small acts of kindness.

    Starting the new year with these resolutions can help you feel focused and motivated. Whether you want to grow personally, get healthy, manage money, or strengthen relationships, 2025 can be your best year ever!

  • Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner Shine at Jeff Bezos’ Aspen Holiday Party”

    Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner Shine at Jeff Bezos’ Aspen Holiday Party”

    husband, Jared Kushner, were seen enjoying a cozy date night at a fancy party hosted by Jeff Bezos in Aspen. The couple walked hand-in-hand while leaving the Matsuhisa sushi restaurant on Saturday night and looked happy to be out together.

    For the special evening, Ivanka wore a stylish brown suede dress with a shiny belt. She completed her Western-style look with a chic tan leather jacket, which had a fur collar, and brown knee-high boots. Ivanka’s long blonde hair was down, and she accessorized with long gold earrings that had pretty ice-blue stones.

    Jared dressed smartly in a navy blue shirt and black pants, wearing matching black shoes. He carried a black puffer jacket as they left the restaurant.

    The couple had just arrived in Colorado after celebrating Christmas Eve at Mar-a-Lago, a private beach club owned by Donald Trump in Florida.

    At the party, they weren’t the only famous faces. Kevin Costner, the star of Yellowstone, was seen enjoying drinks nearby with Jennifer Lopez at another lively spot called Kemo Sabe, known for its Western-style fashion.

    Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, hosted the party and responded to false reports about getting married to his girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, for a huge $600 million wedding. He tweeted that the rumors were completely untrue, reminding everyone to be cautious about believing everything they read.