Latest news with #CS
Man of Many
a day ago
- Automotive
- Man of Many
2026 BWM M2 CS Price and Specs Revealed for Australia
By Somnath Chatterjee - News Published: 30 May 2025 Share Copy Link Readtime: 4 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. Hardcore M2 CS will set you back by AUD$172,900 before on-road costs Coming to Australia in Q4, 2025 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six now makes 390 kW (530 hp) and 650 Nm CS is lighter than the standard M2 by 30 kilograms Non-limited vehicle, deliveries are slated to start by the end of the year The 'CS' badge (Competition Sport) is a hallowed moniker that is not applied to any old BMW. No, the badge is kept for the flagship vehicles and is typically released alongside a power upgrade, aerodynamic changes, and lightweight packages. Now, the latest generation of the M2 has been given just that, signifying how the smallest M car has now grown up. The good news here, and there is plenty, with the 2026 BMW M2 CS is now nearly as powerful as the M4 CS. Under the bonnet, the 3.0-litre in-line 6-cylinder engine has been overhauled to develop an additional 37kW of power and 50Nm of torque over the standard M2, bringing power to 390kW. Hence, the baby M car now knocks at the door of its bigger M3 and M4 siblings. With the power upgrade, the 2026 BMW M2 CS will now accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, which is 0.2 seconds faster than the standard BMW M2 Coupe. Even more significant is the acceleration from 0-200 km/h, where the M2 CS gains a 1.2-second advantage over the standard model before going on to a top speed of 302 km/h. 2026 BMW M2 CS | Image: BMW / Supplied Those are serious numbers, and the engine also gets an M-specific cooling system as well as a map-controlled oil pump. The motor is very close to that of the M4 GT3 EVO. While it sounds overwhelming, the basics are clear as it remains a proper RWD tyre shredder with an 8-speed automatic as standard, as the CS will not come with a manual transmission. However, unlike the Nissan Z NISMO, the M2 was sent to the gym and it has shed approximately 30 kilograms thanks to the generous use of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) as well as forged M light-alloy wheels. Speaking of which, the M2 CS has not been given an extreme makeover, but it did not need it anyway, while some trademark CS styling elements have been carefully poured over here. There is a lot of carbon as standard, including the roof, as well as contrast black painted elements like the front splitter and the grille. At the rear, the boot is now made from lightweight CFRP, along with an integrated ducktail and model designation badge affixed to the rear, which has a red outline. 2026 BMW M2 CS | Image: BMW / Supplied 2026 BMW M2 CS | Image: BMW / Supplied 2026 BMW M2 CS | Image: BMW / Supplied 2026 BMW M2 CS | Image: BMW / Supplied Look inside, and the 2026 BMW M2 CS is a serious place to drive fast, and weight has been stripped away here too with motorsport-inspired Alcantara, carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic centre console and of course, heated M Carbon bucket seats with electric adjustment. CS owners who want to take their garage queen to the track will be able to add a multi-point harness since the integrated head restraints are removable. Elsewhere, there is a standard M Alcantara steering wheel which features a flat-bottomed rim, gearshift paddles and a red centre marker at 12 o'clock plus two M buttons. Just in case owners forget what their new ride is, there are CS logos scattered everywhere, including on the centre console, door sill and even on the door panel. If you want to get your hands on all of this goodness, then you'll have to front up some serious coin because the new M2 CS is priced from AUD$172,900 before on-road costs. That's a hefty AUD$46,600 over the standard BMW M2. However, unlike the previous M2 CS, this will not be a limited edition, but BMW will not make them for long, though. The lucky buyers in Australia can select from four paint options: Black Sapphire metallic, BMW Individual Velvet Blue metallic, M Brooklyn Grey metallic and M Portimao Blue metallic. More information about the M2 CS can be found at the brand's website linked below. 2026 BMW M2 CS | Image: BMW / Supplied 2026 BMW M2 CS | Image: BMW / Supplied 2026 BMW M2 CS | Image: BMW / Supplied 2026 BMW M2 CS | Image: BMW / Supplied 2026 BMW M2 CS | Image: BMW / Supplied
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
The Jackson drive: Baker cooking up a comeback story, starting at home
When COVID stopped professional surfing, Jackson Baker worked as a courier to make ends meet. The Merewether surfer had been inching towards the Championship Tour (CT) for several years, but when events were scrapped and travel was halted, so too was Baker's competitive progression. The time spent on the road making deliveries was the reality check Baker needed to throw everything at chasing his surfing dream. In early 2021, he made his CT debut as a one-off wildcard when Newcastle hosted the pandemic-impacted season, before landing a full-time spot for 2022 via his ranking in the second-tier Challenger Series (CS). But several years on, Baker is again chasing a spot in surfing's top tier. After falling off the CT in 2023, and failing to re-qualify via the Challenger Series in both that year and 2024, Baker approaches the opening contest of this year's CS, next week's Burton Automotive Newcastle Surfest, desperate to get back to where he feels he belongs. So in added motivation, the 28-year-old recently spent some time on the tools. He took a page out of the Melbourne Storm playbook, where new players at the NRL club spend a fortnight labouring full-time, around their training commitments, to get a better idea of what life is like without professional sport. "I've helped a few mates out labouring and things like that to stay busy. Surfing doesn't pay like it once was," Baker said. "So it's kind of been, not a fall from grace, but I've gone from the highs of the sport to the lows in a few years. "But I was in this position a few years ago before I made the tour. So I know that my surfing is there, I know my belief is there. I know I made it there before, and I was probably half of the competitor that I am now, and the experience that I've had. "Yeah it would have been lovely to stay on tour after those few years, but when I do get back at the end of this year, the highs and lows of life and competing that I've gone through this past year and a half, have been very character building. "Probably before in my career I was a bit lackadaisical ... but I think now, it's a bit more hard work, that discipline ... and helping a few mates out labouring, and working, I definitely don't want to be doing that. "That can be a later in life thing, I still have a lot to achieve in my career. "I'm 28. You say in sports you're getting a little older, and I joke about it, but I'm still pretty youthful. "I've got a lot of energy and I'm a pretty knockabout, happy bloke, which I think the tour is missing at the moment, so I'd love to get back there and fill that void." In 2023, Baker fell off the CT after missing the mid-season cut and then narrowly missed re-qualifying for the following year, finishing 13th in CS. He lost a heat in the last round of the CS by a matter of points. Had he won, the door opened to a top-10 spot and CT return. Last year, Baker was behind from the outset, missing the opening two rounds of CS due to a fractured foot. It was a frustrating period. When he returned, he struggled to make an impact, ultimately finishing 36th in the rankings, well outside the top-10 and zone required to earn a spot in the following year's CT. But a semi-final and third-placed finish at the season-ending CS event in Brazil was a positive note to conclude the year on. "I thought about pulling the pin," Baker admitted of last year's CS campaign. "I was really battling mentally, just with the highs and the lows of surfing, of being a professional athlete. "I had battled with falling off the [CT] the year before, and then just missing out on [re]-qualifying ... to come into last year and break my foot and have that disrupt the year, it was a struggle. "But it's how you come back from them. I got third in Brazil, that was great. I had an extra motivator. I was surfing for a family friend here at home who was battling breast cancer. That was really special. I just needed to find an extra motivator to stick at it last year." Baker, who lost his mum to breast cancer in 2016 and is regularly involved in awareness and fund-raising campaigns - often using pink surfboards - has watched from afar as fellow Novocastrian Ryan Callinan has continued on the CT over the past two years. In recent months, he has also watched Merewether clubmate Morgan Cibilic enjoy time back on the CT, the 25-year-old reaching the semi-finals at Bells Beach as a wildcard and quarter-finals on the Gold Coast as a late replacement for Callinan, who skipped the event for the birth of his first child. Adopted Novocastrian Julian Wilson, who is making a professional comeback after a few years away from surfing's top tier, also made the Gold Coast final as a wildcard. "I'm all fired up," Baker, a former Surfest winner, said. "I've seen Julian and Morgan get opportunities that I would have got last year without my injury, which is really firing me up. "I'm like, OK - I don't want to be back there part-time, I don't want a wildcard, I want to be back there full-time. I know I deserve to be there. "It's been interesting to watch those events and not be a part of it, and not be there. People are like 'Why don't you go watch it?'. But I'm like, I don't really care. I'd rather be there [competing]. "I'm just focusing on here in Newcastle and the whole year. " Callinan, who has been Newcastle's sole representative on the CT the past two years, missed last week's mid-season cut, where only the top-22 ranked surfers continue for the remainder of the CT season. After missing two of the opening seven contests, he was ranked 34th. The 33-year-old will now join Baker, Cibilic and Wilson in the CS and at the opening event in Newcastle. All four will vie for a spot in the top 10 at the end of the CS season, to earn a place in next year's CT. There is a very real chance all four could re-qualify for the CT together. It's a dream outcome which has Baker, who won Surfest's main event in 2022, excited ahead of next week's series opener. "As much as it's an individual sport, to be able to be a little four-pack that does a lot of damage here at home and finishes the year strong, would be pretty cool," Baker said. "We've had myself, Morgs and Ryan in a six-month period [on the CT], but that was after Julian went off [for a break]. "Hopefully that's the final four, the semis ... that'd be sick." When COVID stopped professional surfing, Jackson Baker worked as a courier to make ends meet. The Merewether surfer had been inching towards the Championship Tour (CT) for several years, but when events were scrapped and travel was halted, so too was Baker's competitive progression. The time spent on the road making deliveries was the reality check Baker needed to throw everything at chasing his surfing dream. In early 2021, he made his CT debut as a one-off wildcard when Newcastle hosted the pandemic-impacted season, before landing a full-time spot for 2022 via his ranking in the second-tier Challenger Series (CS). But several years on, Baker is again chasing a spot in surfing's top tier. After falling off the CT in 2023, and failing to re-qualify via the Challenger Series in both that year and 2024, Baker approaches the opening contest of this year's CS, next week's Burton Automotive Newcastle Surfest, desperate to get back to where he feels he belongs. So in added motivation, the 28-year-old recently spent some time on the tools. He took a page out of the Melbourne Storm playbook, where new players at the NRL club spend a fortnight labouring full-time, around their training commitments, to get a better idea of what life is like without professional sport. "I've helped a few mates out labouring and things like that to stay busy. Surfing doesn't pay like it once was," Baker said. "So it's kind of been, not a fall from grace, but I've gone from the highs of the sport to the lows in a few years. "But I was in this position a few years ago before I made the tour. So I know that my surfing is there, I know my belief is there. I know I made it there before, and I was probably half of the competitor that I am now, and the experience that I've had. "Yeah it would have been lovely to stay on tour after those few years, but when I do get back at the end of this year, the highs and lows of life and competing that I've gone through this past year and a half, have been very character building. "Probably before in my career I was a bit lackadaisical ... but I think now, it's a bit more hard work, that discipline ... and helping a few mates out labouring, and working, I definitely don't want to be doing that. "That can be a later in life thing, I still have a lot to achieve in my career. "I'm 28. You say in sports you're getting a little older, and I joke about it, but I'm still pretty youthful. "I've got a lot of energy and I'm a pretty knockabout, happy bloke, which I think the tour is missing at the moment, so I'd love to get back there and fill that void." In 2023, Baker fell off the CT after missing the mid-season cut and then narrowly missed re-qualifying for the following year, finishing 13th in CS. He lost a heat in the last round of the CS by a matter of points. Had he won, the door opened to a top-10 spot and CT return. Last year, Baker was behind from the outset, missing the opening two rounds of CS due to a fractured foot. It was a frustrating period. When he returned, he struggled to make an impact, ultimately finishing 36th in the rankings, well outside the top-10 and zone required to earn a spot in the following year's CT. But a semi-final and third-placed finish at the season-ending CS event in Brazil was a positive note to conclude the year on. "I thought about pulling the pin," Baker admitted of last year's CS campaign. "I was really battling mentally, just with the highs and the lows of surfing, of being a professional athlete. "I had battled with falling off the [CT] the year before, and then just missing out on [re]-qualifying ... to come into last year and break my foot and have that disrupt the year, it was a struggle. "But it's how you come back from them. I got third in Brazil, that was great. I had an extra motivator. I was surfing for a family friend here at home who was battling breast cancer. That was really special. I just needed to find an extra motivator to stick at it last year." Baker, who lost his mum to breast cancer in 2016 and is regularly involved in awareness and fund-raising campaigns - often using pink surfboards - has watched from afar as fellow Novocastrian Ryan Callinan has continued on the CT over the past two years. In recent months, he has also watched Merewether clubmate Morgan Cibilic enjoy time back on the CT, the 25-year-old reaching the semi-finals at Bells Beach as a wildcard and quarter-finals on the Gold Coast as a late replacement for Callinan, who skipped the event for the birth of his first child. Adopted Novocastrian Julian Wilson, who is making a professional comeback after a few years away from surfing's top tier, also made the Gold Coast final as a wildcard. "I'm all fired up," Baker, a former Surfest winner, said. "I've seen Julian and Morgan get opportunities that I would have got last year without my injury, which is really firing me up. "I'm like, OK - I don't want to be back there part-time, I don't want a wildcard, I want to be back there full-time. I know I deserve to be there. "It's been interesting to watch those events and not be a part of it, and not be there. People are like 'Why don't you go watch it?'. But I'm like, I don't really care. I'd rather be there [competing]. "I'm just focusing on here in Newcastle and the whole year. " Callinan, who has been Newcastle's sole representative on the CT the past two years, missed last week's mid-season cut, where only the top-22 ranked surfers continue for the remainder of the CT season. After missing two of the opening seven contests, he was ranked 34th. The 33-year-old will now join Baker, Cibilic and Wilson in the CS and at the opening event in Newcastle. All four will vie for a spot in the top 10 at the end of the CS season, to earn a place in next year's CT. There is a very real chance all four could re-qualify for the CT together. It's a dream outcome which has Baker, who won Surfest's main event in 2022, excited ahead of next week's series opener. "As much as it's an individual sport, to be able to be a little four-pack that does a lot of damage here at home and finishes the year strong, would be pretty cool," Baker said. "We've had myself, Morgs and Ryan in a six-month period [on the CT], but that was after Julian went off [for a break]. "Hopefully that's the final four, the semis ... that'd be sick." When COVID stopped professional surfing, Jackson Baker worked as a courier to make ends meet. The Merewether surfer had been inching towards the Championship Tour (CT) for several years, but when events were scrapped and travel was halted, so too was Baker's competitive progression. The time spent on the road making deliveries was the reality check Baker needed to throw everything at chasing his surfing dream. In early 2021, he made his CT debut as a one-off wildcard when Newcastle hosted the pandemic-impacted season, before landing a full-time spot for 2022 via his ranking in the second-tier Challenger Series (CS). But several years on, Baker is again chasing a spot in surfing's top tier. After falling off the CT in 2023, and failing to re-qualify via the Challenger Series in both that year and 2024, Baker approaches the opening contest of this year's CS, next week's Burton Automotive Newcastle Surfest, desperate to get back to where he feels he belongs. So in added motivation, the 28-year-old recently spent some time on the tools. He took a page out of the Melbourne Storm playbook, where new players at the NRL club spend a fortnight labouring full-time, around their training commitments, to get a better idea of what life is like without professional sport. "I've helped a few mates out labouring and things like that to stay busy. Surfing doesn't pay like it once was," Baker said. "So it's kind of been, not a fall from grace, but I've gone from the highs of the sport to the lows in a few years. "But I was in this position a few years ago before I made the tour. So I know that my surfing is there, I know my belief is there. I know I made it there before, and I was probably half of the competitor that I am now, and the experience that I've had. "Yeah it would have been lovely to stay on tour after those few years, but when I do get back at the end of this year, the highs and lows of life and competing that I've gone through this past year and a half, have been very character building. "Probably before in my career I was a bit lackadaisical ... but I think now, it's a bit more hard work, that discipline ... and helping a few mates out labouring, and working, I definitely don't want to be doing that. "That can be a later in life thing, I still have a lot to achieve in my career. "I'm 28. You say in sports you're getting a little older, and I joke about it, but I'm still pretty youthful. "I've got a lot of energy and I'm a pretty knockabout, happy bloke, which I think the tour is missing at the moment, so I'd love to get back there and fill that void." In 2023, Baker fell off the CT after missing the mid-season cut and then narrowly missed re-qualifying for the following year, finishing 13th in CS. He lost a heat in the last round of the CS by a matter of points. Had he won, the door opened to a top-10 spot and CT return. Last year, Baker was behind from the outset, missing the opening two rounds of CS due to a fractured foot. It was a frustrating period. When he returned, he struggled to make an impact, ultimately finishing 36th in the rankings, well outside the top-10 and zone required to earn a spot in the following year's CT. But a semi-final and third-placed finish at the season-ending CS event in Brazil was a positive note to conclude the year on. "I thought about pulling the pin," Baker admitted of last year's CS campaign. "I was really battling mentally, just with the highs and the lows of surfing, of being a professional athlete. "I had battled with falling off the [CT] the year before, and then just missing out on [re]-qualifying ... to come into last year and break my foot and have that disrupt the year, it was a struggle. "But it's how you come back from them. I got third in Brazil, that was great. I had an extra motivator. I was surfing for a family friend here at home who was battling breast cancer. That was really special. I just needed to find an extra motivator to stick at it last year." Baker, who lost his mum to breast cancer in 2016 and is regularly involved in awareness and fund-raising campaigns - often using pink surfboards - has watched from afar as fellow Novocastrian Ryan Callinan has continued on the CT over the past two years. In recent months, he has also watched Merewether clubmate Morgan Cibilic enjoy time back on the CT, the 25-year-old reaching the semi-finals at Bells Beach as a wildcard and quarter-finals on the Gold Coast as a late replacement for Callinan, who skipped the event for the birth of his first child. Adopted Novocastrian Julian Wilson, who is making a professional comeback after a few years away from surfing's top tier, also made the Gold Coast final as a wildcard. "I'm all fired up," Baker, a former Surfest winner, said. "I've seen Julian and Morgan get opportunities that I would have got last year without my injury, which is really firing me up. "I'm like, OK - I don't want to be back there part-time, I don't want a wildcard, I want to be back there full-time. I know I deserve to be there. "It's been interesting to watch those events and not be a part of it, and not be there. People are like 'Why don't you go watch it?'. But I'm like, I don't really care. I'd rather be there [competing]. "I'm just focusing on here in Newcastle and the whole year. " Callinan, who has been Newcastle's sole representative on the CT the past two years, missed last week's mid-season cut, where only the top-22 ranked surfers continue for the remainder of the CT season. After missing two of the opening seven contests, he was ranked 34th. The 33-year-old will now join Baker, Cibilic and Wilson in the CS and at the opening event in Newcastle. All four will vie for a spot in the top 10 at the end of the CS season, to earn a place in next year's CT. There is a very real chance all four could re-qualify for the CT together. It's a dream outcome which has Baker, who won Surfest's main event in 2022, excited ahead of next week's series opener. "As much as it's an individual sport, to be able to be a little four-pack that does a lot of damage here at home and finishes the year strong, would be pretty cool," Baker said. "We've had myself, Morgs and Ryan in a six-month period [on the CT], but that was after Julian went off [for a break]. "Hopefully that's the final four, the semis ... that'd be sick." When COVID stopped professional surfing, Jackson Baker worked as a courier to make ends meet. The Merewether surfer had been inching towards the Championship Tour (CT) for several years, but when events were scrapped and travel was halted, so too was Baker's competitive progression. The time spent on the road making deliveries was the reality check Baker needed to throw everything at chasing his surfing dream. In early 2021, he made his CT debut as a one-off wildcard when Newcastle hosted the pandemic-impacted season, before landing a full-time spot for 2022 via his ranking in the second-tier Challenger Series (CS). But several years on, Baker is again chasing a spot in surfing's top tier. After falling off the CT in 2023, and failing to re-qualify via the Challenger Series in both that year and 2024, Baker approaches the opening contest of this year's CS, next week's Burton Automotive Newcastle Surfest, desperate to get back to where he feels he belongs. So in added motivation, the 28-year-old recently spent some time on the tools. He took a page out of the Melbourne Storm playbook, where new players at the NRL club spend a fortnight labouring full-time, around their training commitments, to get a better idea of what life is like without professional sport. "I've helped a few mates out labouring and things like that to stay busy. Surfing doesn't pay like it once was," Baker said. "So it's kind of been, not a fall from grace, but I've gone from the highs of the sport to the lows in a few years. "But I was in this position a few years ago before I made the tour. So I know that my surfing is there, I know my belief is there. I know I made it there before, and I was probably half of the competitor that I am now, and the experience that I've had. "Yeah it would have been lovely to stay on tour after those few years, but when I do get back at the end of this year, the highs and lows of life and competing that I've gone through this past year and a half, have been very character building. "Probably before in my career I was a bit lackadaisical ... but I think now, it's a bit more hard work, that discipline ... and helping a few mates out labouring, and working, I definitely don't want to be doing that. "That can be a later in life thing, I still have a lot to achieve in my career. "I'm 28. You say in sports you're getting a little older, and I joke about it, but I'm still pretty youthful. "I've got a lot of energy and I'm a pretty knockabout, happy bloke, which I think the tour is missing at the moment, so I'd love to get back there and fill that void." In 2023, Baker fell off the CT after missing the mid-season cut and then narrowly missed re-qualifying for the following year, finishing 13th in CS. He lost a heat in the last round of the CS by a matter of points. Had he won, the door opened to a top-10 spot and CT return. Last year, Baker was behind from the outset, missing the opening two rounds of CS due to a fractured foot. It was a frustrating period. When he returned, he struggled to make an impact, ultimately finishing 36th in the rankings, well outside the top-10 and zone required to earn a spot in the following year's CT. But a semi-final and third-placed finish at the season-ending CS event in Brazil was a positive note to conclude the year on. "I thought about pulling the pin," Baker admitted of last year's CS campaign. "I was really battling mentally, just with the highs and the lows of surfing, of being a professional athlete. "I had battled with falling off the [CT] the year before, and then just missing out on [re]-qualifying ... to come into last year and break my foot and have that disrupt the year, it was a struggle. "But it's how you come back from them. I got third in Brazil, that was great. I had an extra motivator. I was surfing for a family friend here at home who was battling breast cancer. That was really special. I just needed to find an extra motivator to stick at it last year." Baker, who lost his mum to breast cancer in 2016 and is regularly involved in awareness and fund-raising campaigns - often using pink surfboards - has watched from afar as fellow Novocastrian Ryan Callinan has continued on the CT over the past two years. In recent months, he has also watched Merewether clubmate Morgan Cibilic enjoy time back on the CT, the 25-year-old reaching the semi-finals at Bells Beach as a wildcard and quarter-finals on the Gold Coast as a late replacement for Callinan, who skipped the event for the birth of his first child. Adopted Novocastrian Julian Wilson, who is making a professional comeback after a few years away from surfing's top tier, also made the Gold Coast final as a wildcard. "I'm all fired up," Baker, a former Surfest winner, said. "I've seen Julian and Morgan get opportunities that I would have got last year without my injury, which is really firing me up. "I'm like, OK - I don't want to be back there part-time, I don't want a wildcard, I want to be back there full-time. I know I deserve to be there. "It's been interesting to watch those events and not be a part of it, and not be there. People are like 'Why don't you go watch it?'. But I'm like, I don't really care. I'd rather be there [competing]. "I'm just focusing on here in Newcastle and the whole year. " Callinan, who has been Newcastle's sole representative on the CT the past two years, missed last week's mid-season cut, where only the top-22 ranked surfers continue for the remainder of the CT season. After missing two of the opening seven contests, he was ranked 34th. The 33-year-old will now join Baker, Cibilic and Wilson in the CS and at the opening event in Newcastle. All four will vie for a spot in the top 10 at the end of the CS season, to earn a place in next year's CT. There is a very real chance all four could re-qualify for the CT together. It's a dream outcome which has Baker, who won Surfest's main event in 2022, excited ahead of next week's series opener. "As much as it's an individual sport, to be able to be a little four-pack that does a lot of damage here at home and finishes the year strong, would be pretty cool," Baker said. "We've had myself, Morgs and Ryan in a six-month period [on the CT], but that was after Julian went off [for a break]. "Hopefully that's the final four, the semis ... that'd be sick."
Indian Express
a day ago
- Business
- Indian Express
3rd-party evaluation must for Central schemes to go on beyond March 2026
As the government prepares to prioritise its schemes for the 16th Finance Cycle starting on April 1st next year, the Ministry of Finance has told all ministries and departments that no Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) or Central Sector Scheme (CS) will be considered for continuation beyond March 31st, 2026, unless a third-party evaluation of the scheme is carried out. This was conveyed to all Secretaries of the Government of India and Financial Advisors (FAs) during a meeting chaired by Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan on Thursday. The meeting, which was attended by Secretaries of Government of India and Financial Advisors, discussed the appraisal and approval process of CSS and CS for the 16th Finance Commission cycle (2026-31). Before the meeting, the Department of Expenditure had circulated to the ministries 'a note on the points to be discussed in the meeting and context'. 'No Scheme (CSS and CSs) which is to continue over the next FC cycle will be taken up for appraisal unless a Third Party evaluation of the scheme is conducted. The Evaluation Report must demonstrate positive 'outcomes' as well as the need for continuing the scheme in view of its mandate and performance,' reads the note. According to sources, NITI Aayog, the government's top think tank, is currently conducting evaluation of the CSSs. This exercise is to be completed shortly and the draft reports will be shared with the respective ministries and departments, the sources said. NITI Aayog officials present in the meeting, made a PowerPoint presentation on the ongoing evaluation studies. The sources say that ministries and departments have been asked to conduct evaluation studies of their schemes by the end of July this year and get approval for continuation of schemes beyond March 31, 2026 from the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) before the start of the budget making process. The Ministries and Departments have been informed that in the 16th Finance Commission cycle (2026-31), they will receive allocation 5.5 times their average actual annual expenditure during the last five fiscal years (2021-22-2025-26). During the meeting, several ministries are learnt to have sought higher allocation for their programs. For instance, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare sought additional funding for vaccinations, it is learnt. When officials from several ministries made demands for higher allocation in the next Finance Commission cycle, the Cabinet Secretary is learnt to have made a remark that they should propose realistic outlays and not 'inflated' figures while seeking outlay for the next five years. In November 2023, the government approved the constitution of the 16th Finance Commission. It is expected to make its report available by October 31, 2025. The recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission will be for a period of five years commencing on the 1st day of April, 2026. Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister's Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
2030 Commonwealth Games on SA radar; 2036 Olympic deadline looms
South Africa has been asked by Commonwealth Sport (CS) to bid for the 2030 Games, says South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) president Barry Hendricks. But the country's hope of bidding for the 2036 Olympics has yet to be approved by cabinet, with the deadline coming up within the next two weeks. Hendricks wasn't fazed at the prospect of missing the deadline, saying they could still bid for 2040, describing the process as 'a learning curve'. The CS request to South Africa — with five other countries apparently interested in the centennial Commonwealth Games — comes eight years after the country gave up the 2022 edition scheduled for Durban. Hendricks pointed out the nature of hosting had changed since then, with multi-city bids now being acceptable as a way of keeping costs down. '[For 2022] we couldn't get the security or surety for the R4.5bn [cost]. The fundamental concept of the Commonwealth Games has changed, where we have Scotland now running on a £1m (R2.4bn) budget, which is not too bad. That budget was provided by Commonwealth Sport.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
BMW Just Unveiled the Most Powerful Rear-Wheel Drive M Car Yet
BMW's smallest sports car just got a serious power boost. The German marque has just unveiled the new 2026 M2 Competition Series (CS). The high-performance variant lacks a manual transmission option that is one of the base model's most attractive features, but it makes up for it by being the most powerful rear-wheel drive M car you can buy. More from Robb Report An L.A. Home With Ties to Leonardo DiCaprio and Adrian Grenier Can Now Be Yours for $25 Million Here's How You Can Attend the Premiere of Brad Pitt's 'F1' Movie Jefferson's Just Added a Straight Rye Whiskey to Its Core Lineup of Bourbons Since its introduction in 2016, the M2 has carved out a niche for itself as the enthusiast's M car of choice. Look at the second-generation CS features and specs, and it's easy to see why. It may be compact—it measures just over nine feet bumper-to-bumper—but it's also a beast. The latest range-topping model comes with an upgraded version of the car's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six that produces 523 horsepower and 479 ft lbs of torque. That's 50 hp more than the standard M2 and 79 hp more than the last-generation M2 CS. Not bad as far as performance bumps go. Thanks to the added horsepower, the new M2 CS can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds, which is 0.4 seconds quicker than the standard M2. Top speed comes in at 188 mph, which his 11 mph faster than the base model equipped with the M Driver's package. Unfortunately, those dreaming of shifting through the M2 CS's gears themselves will be left disappointed. Unlike the standard M2, the variant is exclusively available with an eight-speed automatic gearbox that sends power to the rear axles. This decision is sure to disappoint those who love the M2's six-speed manual—an option reportedly chosen by 50 percent of customers—but it has allowed BMW to deliver more power and better performance than before, which seems like a fair trade to us. Automatic gearboxes weigh more than their manual counterparts, but BMW has utilized carbon-fiber parts and forged wheels to keep the variant's weight down to 3,770 pounds, which is 44 pounds less than the standard automatic M2. It's not light per se, but it does weigh less than any of the other M car currently on the market. The suspension has been tuned to account for the additional power and lower curb weight. The M2 CS doesn't look all that different M2 inside and out. Its muscular shape is more sculpted, especially in the rear, where you'll find a ducktail spoiler coming off the trunk lid. Despite looking similar, the two models will feel different, though. That's because more carbon fiber body panels—including the roof, mirror caps, and rear diffuser—were utilized to keep weight down. The M2 CS will cost $99,775 (after destination) when it goes on sale later this year. BMW has yet to announce how much the standard 2026 M2 will cost, but the difference between the two models is likely to be around $30,000. That's steep, of course, but it's also significantly less than the $124,675 it costs to get into an M4 of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Click here to read the full article.
