Category: News

Bhubaneswar, Apr 27 (BNP): Gymnast Tapan Mohanty delivered a strong performance at the Junior & Senior Artistic Gymnastics National Championships 2026–27 held at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

He won the All-Around Champion title in the Senior Men’s Artistic Gymnastics (MAG) category with a total score of 73.433.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi congratulated Mohanty and praised his achievement, saying it was a proud moment for the state. He also wished success to the Odisha team, which has reached the final of the Senior MAG Team Championship.

Mumbai, April 27: S8UL, a global name in esports and gaming content, has once again cemented its status as India’s leading Pokémon UNITE team by winning the India Qualifier of the Pokémon UNITE World Championship Series 2026. With the victory, the organization will represent the nation at the prestigious Pokémon UNITE World Championships 2026 in San Francisco, where the world’s top teams will compete for a share of the USD 500,000 prize pool (~INR 4.7 crore) from August 28 to 30.

This marks a historic fourth time that S8UL will represent India at the global tournament, more than any other Indian team. Impressively, across the five Indian qualifiers held so far for the global event to date, S8UL has emerged victorious in four, underlining the organization’s sustained dominance in the title.

The India Qualifier featured a double-elimination format, with all matches played as best-of-three series except the grand finals, which were contested in a best-of-five showdown. Led by captain Manmohan Singh (All Might), the S8UL roster comprising Anklesh Satelkar (Novaa), Darshan Nate (Kai), Naitik Jain (Wolf), and Md Sarim Hasan (Qing) delivered a commanding performance throughout the tournament.

S8UL began their campaign with a clinical 2-0 victory over Anti Secure in the upper bracket (UB) quarterfinals, before defeating GodLike and Team QML by identical 2-0 margins in the UB semifinals and UB final respectively. In the grand finals, S8UL faced Revenant XSpark in a thrilling five-game battle. Drawing on their composure and experience on the big stage, S8UL edged out a hard-fought 3-2 victory to lift the trophy. For their triumph, S8UL claimed USD 15,000 (~INR 14.1 lakh) from the tournament’s overall USD 25,000 (~INR 23.5 lakh) prize pool.

Speaking on the victory, Manmohan Singh aka All Might, Captain of S8UL’s Pokémon UNITE team, said,

“Every qualifier brings a different kind of pressure because the competition keeps improving and every team comes prepared to challenge you. For us, the focus was on staying disciplined, communicating clearly, and adapting quickly in every match. I’m proud of the way everyone on the team stepped up when it mattered most. Qualifying for the World Championships again is a proud achievement, and also an opportunity to show how far Indian Pokémon UNITE has come and how seriously we approach international competition.”

This result adds to S8UL’s growing list of triumphs across multiple titles since the start of the year. Its BGMI roster clinched the BGMI India Series (BGIS) 2026 championship, India’s premier mobile esports tournament, while the MOBA Legends 5v5 team emerged victorious at the Rai Star x Gyan Gaming Cup. Grandmaster Nihal Sarin secured a major international win at the Menorca Open, the VALORANT roster won the VCSA Split 1, and the Honor of Kings team claimed the Kings Arise India City Tour – Mumbai title. Moreover, S8UL’s Apex Legends roster delivered a historic Top 5 finish at the global ALGS 2026 Championship, the best-ever result by an Indian organisation in the title.

“What makes this roster truly special is their ability to turn success into a culture of consistency. In esports, sustaining performance at the highest level is never easy, but this team has continued to evolve and deliver results season after season.They carry not just the pride of an organization, but the aspirations of an entire community of Indian fans who believe in their journey. As they head to San Francisco, we’re incredibly proud to see them represent the country once again and showcase their talent on the global stage,” said Naman Mathur, Co-founder, S8UL.

With this, S8UL continues to carry the Indian flag on the global stage after once again being selected as a Club Partner by the Esports Foundation (EF), placing it among an elite group of 40 global organizations representing their regions at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026. S8UL will pursue qualification across 13 titles for the EWC 2026 – Apex Legends, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Call of Duty: Warzone, Chess, EA Sports FC, FATAL FURY, Fortnite, Honor of Kings, MOBA Legends 5V5, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, Street Fighter 6, TEKKEN 8, and Trackmania.

As one of India’s most decorated esports organizations, S8UL continues to make its mark across global titles, with the Pokémon UNITE roster adding yet another milestone to the organization’s growing international legacy.

New Delhi, Apr 27 (BNP): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting, a key multilateral forum focused on regional security and defence cooperation.

Ahead of the visit, Singh said he looks forward to representing India at the meeting and will underscore the country’s commitment to global peace amid ongoing security challenges worldwide. He also reiterated India’s consistent policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism and extremism.

The SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting brings together member states to discuss critical issues such as counter-terrorism, regional stability, and enhanced military cooperation across the Eurasian region. This year’s discussions are expected to focus on emerging security threats and coordinated responses to extremism.

During his two-day visit on April 27–28, the Defence Minister is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from participating countries to strengthen defence ties and expand strategic cooperation. He will also interact with members of the Indian community in Bishkek.

India has consistently used the SCO platform to advocate stronger global action against terrorism and radicalisation, while promoting trust-building and peaceful regional engagement. In previous meetings, India has emphasised the need for clearer and more robust language on terrorism-related concerns.

The visit reflects India’s ongoing effort to deepen defence diplomacy while reinforcing its position on global security issues through multilateral engagement

New Delhi, Apr 27 (BNP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Prof. Gobardhan Das, a newly inducted member of NITI Aayog, in New Delhi, where discussions focused on his role in contributing to India’s evolving policy and development priorities.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister acknowledged Prof. Das’s background in public health and immunology, noting that his academic experience could help strengthen evidence-based policymaking in key sectors such as healthcare and scientific research.

Prof. Das recently joined NITI Aayog as part of efforts to bring domain expertise into national planning and has expressed his commitment to supporting India’s long-term development goals, including the vision of a developed nation by 2047.

He has highlighted the need to improve healthcare and education systems, particularly in underserved regions, and stressed that reducing regional disparities will be essential for balanced national growth.

He also pointed to the importance of boosting industrial and manufacturing capabilities to create employment opportunities and support economic resilience. Strengthening local economies, he noted, would help address migration pressures and improve living standards.

The meeting comes as the government continues to emphasise expert-driven policymaking and inclusive development, with a focus on innovation, sustainability, and equitable growth across states.

New Delhi, Apr 17 (BNP): Commuters in Bengaluru received significant relief as the city’s first double-decker metro flyover at the Central Silk Board junction became fully operational with the opening of Flyovers D and E.

With this development, all five flyovers forming part of the structure are now open to traffic, marking a major milestone in easing congestion at one of the city’s busiest and most traffic-heavy corridors.

 The project, built by Afcons Infrastructure Limited, is part of a larger elevated metro and road infrastructure initiative along the Outer Ring Road–Central Silk Board stretch. The structure is also notable for being South India’s first combined road-and-rail (metro) double-decker flyover system.

The newly operational flyovers are expected to significantly reduce travel time and ease daily traffic bottlenecks for thousands of commuters who regularly navigate the junction, which has long been considered one of Bengaluru’s most congested points.

Officials said the project aims to improve urban mobility by integrating metro rail infrastructure with road transport, offering a more seamless and efficient commuting experience.

Overall, the completion of the full flyover system marks a key step in Bengaluru’s ongoing efforts to modernise transport infrastructure and address chronic traffic congestion in the city.

New Delhi, Apr 27 (BNP): As heatwave conditions intensify across India, a major platform workers’ union has called for legally enforceable protections for gig workers exposed to extreme outdoor working conditions.

The Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers has written to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, urging the government to introduce binding safeguards under the Code on Social Security, 2020 to protect delivery personnel, ride-hailing drivers, and other platform-based workers.

 The union has proposed a range of measures, including paid cooling breaks during severe heat alerts issued by the India Meteorological Department, along with protection from penalties, account blocks, or loss of incentives if workers pause duties due to extreme heat conditions.

It has also recommended basic welfare provisions such as access to drinking water, oral rehydration solutions, and designated cooling shelters for workers operating in high-temperature environments. Additionally, it has called for emergency in-app distress features and public compliance monitoring systems to ensure accountability from digital platforms.

Highlighting growing occupational risks, the federation noted that gig workers continue to operate in harsh summer conditions without adequate safety measures, increasing their vulnerability to heat-related illnesses.

The body also cited international examples, pointing to countries such as South Korea, Singapore, France, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States (California), where similar heat protection frameworks for outdoor and platform workers have already been introduced.

It emphasised that heat protection should be treated not as a discretionary benefit, but as a fundamental labour right and a public health necessity, given the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves.