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India Gazette
25-05-2025
- Health
- India Gazette
"Important to stay healthy for a prosperous nation": Mansukh Mandaviya during 'Fit India Sundays On Cycle'
New Delhi [India], May 25 (ANI): The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday, during the 'Fit India Sundays On Cycle' event, noted the importance of fitness in today's time. Mandaviya participated in the 'Fit India Sundays On Cycle' campaign with journalists today. Speaking during the event, Mansukh Mandaviya told ANI, 'I came to Parliament 12 years ago and used to come regularly by bicycle... Now that Prime Minister Modi has put forward the vision of 'Developed India', it is important for citizens to stay healthy to realise this vision of a prosperous nation. So cycling, exercise and fitness should become a passion. Even if it is a fashion for the society, we should take it that way...' Earlier on May 18, Actor and fitness icon Suniel Shetty gave a powerful call for consistent wellness at the 'Fit India Sundays on Cycle' event, hosted by the Fit India Movement in collaboration with CBIC-GST here. Shetty joined participants at the GST Commissionerate in Mumbai, adding star power and substance to an initiative that's fast becoming a people's movement. The event on May 18 marked eight years of GST and celebrated a nationwide commitment to fitness, uniting thousands across CBIC-GST centres in a synchronised push towards health, community, and cleaner air. The 'Fit India Sundays on Cycle' is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, in collaboration with the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) and MY Bharat. Events are simultaneously held across the Sports Authority of India regional centres, National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs) and the Khelo India centres (KICs) across the country. Till now, 'FIT India Sundays on Cycle' has been organised nationwide across 4200-plus locations, witnessing the participation of more than 2 lakh individuals. The movement also promotes environment-friendly practices to decrease air pollution levels across the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Fit India' initiative in 2019 with the motto of promoting a healthy and active lifestyle among citizens. (ANI)
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Hubballi's para shooter aims for global glory
Hubballi: Rakesh N Nidagundi, a para shooter from Hubballi, will represent India at the World Shooting Para Sport (WSPS) event in Changwon, South Korea, starting May 28. Hailing from Kalghatagi, Rakesh has won 27 medals, including 11 gold, since 2019. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now His consistent performance earned him a spot on the Indian team, marking him as the first para shooter from the state to achieve this honour. He also impressed at the Paralympic Games India. Rakesh was born in 1988 into a middle-class agricultural family. His father is Nagappa and his mother is Shankarevva. Despite facing challenges related to physical mobility, he completed bachelor's degree in fine arts. Nidagundi suffered from a polio reaction in his childhood. Born in Kuruvinakoppa, Kalghatagi taluk, he studied in a rural setting. In 2019, he started learning shooting at Hubli Sports Shooting Academy. Later, he was selected for the National Centres of Excellence, Delhi, in 2023. Nidagundi told TOI that he is working hard for the World Cup. He dreamed of representing his country, and now the time has come to prove himself. His family is supporting him. In addition to his achievements in sports, his journey into professional shooting began when a a coach, inspired him by sharing insights about sports for individuals with disabilities. This encouragement motivated him to pursue a career in shooting. He wishes to become a world-class rifle shooter and represent India at the highest levels of competitive shooting. Ravichandra Balehosur, a coach at Hubli Sports Shooting Academy, said they are hoping that Rakesh will win a medal for the country, as he is a hard worker with a positive attitude and has won many medals at the national level. He was with their academy for four years and has travelled around the country. "We wish him great success," he expressed.
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Khelo India Youth Games 2025: Maharashtra bags hat-trick of titles; Bihar impresses on home turf
Maharashtra has, time and again, managed to convince that its on-field prowess isn't a sporting fluke. The seventh edition of the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) in Bihar was no different, as Maharashtra's Under-18 athletes completed a hat-trick of team championships in the multi-discipline event. The state not only accounted for close to 17 per cent of the medals on offer, but also ensured there was daylight on the tally between itself and second-placed Haryana. Maharashtra's players won 158 medals (58 gold, 47 silver, and 53 bronze), while the runner-up bagged 117 (39 gold, 27 silver, and 51 bronze). Rajasthan finished third with 60 medals (24 gold, 12 silver, and 24 bronze). Maharashtra's gold medals were won across 14 sports, with an overwhelming majority coming from athletics (10), swimming (seven), gymnastics (seven), archery (six), and weightlifting (five). According to a statement from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, most of Maharashtra's standout performers — especially the archers and weightlifters — already train at Khelo India centres or the National Centres of Excellence (NCoEs) of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Aurangabad, Patiala, and Sonepat. SAI's talent development team also deserves a hat tip for identifying and nurturing 186 of the 5,071 athletes — 50 per cent of them girls — who participated in these Games. Meanwhile, Bihar, enjoying the privilege of competing in its own backyard, sprang the biggest surprise, significantly improving its rank to 15th after finishing 21st in the previous KIYG in Tamil Nadu. It registered seven gold, 11 silver, and 18 bronze medals. The host recorded a growth of 620 per cent over its showing in 2023, where it won five medals, including two gold, two silver, and one bronze. RELATED | Sports Minister announces multiple Games under Khelo India scheme Raveendran Sankaran, Director General and CEO of the Bihar State Sports Authority, attributes the roaring success to multiple factors. 'It didn't happen overnight. It took us four years. We initially concentrated on talent scouting. We empanelled the right persons for the right games; Dronacharya and Arjuna awardees from across the country helped us identify talent. For coaching too, we had national and international awardees and Olympians mentoring our kids,' he tells Sportstar. A lot of wrestling's history can be traced back to the akhadas of Haryana. Therefore, it came as no surprise when the state claimed eight of its gold medals in the sport. What's worth further praise is that Haryana's boxers also bagged eight, while its fencers won seven gold medals, indicating the state's foray into non-conventional sporting ecosystems. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary (centre), Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse (right) and Director General and CEO of the Bihar State Sports Authority, Raveendran Sankaran (centre left), during the closing ceremony of the 'Khelo India Youth Games 2025'. | Photo Credit: PTI Bihar tried something similar. It won both the gold medals on offer in Rugby 7s, a sport in which they have been improving by leaps and bounds for a while now. In fact, less than a month ago, the senior women's team from the state had lifted the trophy at the Nationals. 'I can't compete with Haryana in wrestling in the next 10 or maybe even 20 years. The same is true of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in basketball and volleyball. They are far ahead of us. So, we selected such sports where not only is the potential there in our athletes, but also where the competition is thin. But at the same time, those sports had to be part of the Olympics or Asian Games programme. Like Rugby 7s is part of the Olympics, and we won both titles. We chose games where our medal probability would be higher,' explains Raveendran. India's 🇮🇳 youth didn't just show up—they stole the show at the 7th #KheloIndiaYouthGames in Bihar, smashing numerous youth national and meet records. Congratulations to every athlete and their support staff. #KhelKeRangBiharKeSang@mansukhmandviya@khadseraksha@BSSABihar… — Khelo India (@kheloindia) May 15, 2025 A total of 26 records were broken at KIYG 2025. Girls established eight of these records. Incidentally, five also became national youth records in weightlifting. Sairaj Pardeshi of Maharashtra accounted for three of these records himself, breaching the earlier Snatch, Clean and Jerk, and Total marks in the 81kg category. Union Sports Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya elucidated how the Khelo India programme, launched on October 14, 2017, will help India realise its Olympic dream. He said, 'Over the past decade, Indian sports have undergone a remarkable transformation. Under the Khelo India initiative, we have created a dynamic and inclusive sporting ecosystem with regular national-level competitions. Tamil Nadu's players pose with medals after winning gold medal in the women's volleyball event at the Khelo India Youth Games 2025, at Patliputra Sport Complex, in Patna. | Photo Credit: PTI Taking this vision forward, we will soon introduce a series of Khelo India Games throughout the year, including formats like the Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) and others. These events will further strengthen our domestic sports structure and serve as a vital talent pipeline as we gear up for the Commonwealth Games 2030 and the Olympic Games 2036. India is on the move and the youth are at the heart of this sporting revolution.' The Khelo India caravan has hence set up camp in the picturesque Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, where the inaugural KIBG — a landmark event to draw national attention to coastal and beach sports — is currently underway.
The Hindu
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Depleted field for Indian Grand Prix
Thiruvananthapuram: The absence of several prominent stars and a lacklustre field in many events have diminished the excitement surrounding the Indian Grand Prix - 2 which will get under way at the LNCPE Athletics Stadium here on Saturday. Only a handful of internationals have chosen to test the waters in the summer heat and focus will be on national campers attached to the National Centres of Excellence. In the men's section, among the country's leading sprinters only National record holder Animesh Kujur has chosen to compete here and he starts as the overwhelming favourite to win a sprint double. Delhi's Jayakumar, Kapil and Rince Joseph will be the prominent runners in the men's 400m event. Mohammed Afsal will be the man to beat in the depleted 800m event. In the absence of leading names in triple jump, the fight for the gold medal will be between Tamil Nadu's K. Yuvraj and Navy's Vimal Mukesh. In the women's section, Tamil Nadu's R. Vithya Ramraj is the biggest draw and she will be taking part in 400m hurdles and in 200m. Vithya will be the favourite to win the 400m hurdles but she surprisingly has skipped the 400m and instead will compete in 200m where she has her task cut out. Subha Venkatesan, Gowri Nandana and Jisna Mathew are familiar faces in the women's 400m race. The field is too thin in women's 800m, javelin throw and long jump events with only two competitors taking part in javelin and long jump.
Mint
07-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Cabinet approves fresh coal linkages to boost procurement and capacity addition by thermal plants amid high power demand
New Delhi: The cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved fresh coal linkages in a revised SHAKTI policy to reduce import dependency and increase capacity addition by thermal power plants. The union cabinet also approved an academic and infrastructure capacity increase for five IITs (Indian Institute of Technology), upgradation of the National Scheme for Industrial Training Institute (ITI) and setting up of five National Centres of Excellence (NCOE) for Skilling as a centrally sponsored scheme. The new SHAKTI policy, which stands for Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala Transparently in India, will help thermal power generators procure coal for long-term use with some procedural easement compared with the previous iteration of the same policy. The policy, first announced in 2017, has been implemented in 2019 and 2023, before its latest revision on Wednesday. The new policy will allow thermal power generators to procure coal in two windows. The first window will be for coal linkages to central government generator companies and states at notified prices, while the second window will offer linkages to all generator companies at a premium above the notified price, a CCEA statement said, adding that state-run Coal India Ltd and Singareni Collieries Co. Ltd would receive directions to implement the policy. The new policy is also expected to reduce coal imports and may push the setting up of greenfield thermal power projects at pithead sites, a CCEA statement said. Pithead sites are those which are nearer to the coal source. "It (the new SHAKTI policy) will enable thermal capacity addition, reduce dependency on imported coal, and strengthen the country's energy self-reliance," said Rohit Bajaj, joint managing director, Indian Energy Exchange. "Further, allowing sale of un-requisitioned surplus power under PPAs in power markets will increase liquidity on exchanges and will present an opportunity for DISCOMs and C&I consumers to meet their demand efficiently and at competitive rates," he added. The CCEA's decision comes at a time when India's power demand has been hitting record-high levels for the past three years due to industrial revival after the pandemic as well as rising global temperatures. The peak power demand this year is expected to reach an all-time high of 270 gigawatt (GW) surpassing the previous high of 250GW registered on 30 May 2024. The cabinet on Wednesday also approved the infrastructure and academic expansion of five IITs in the country, with an outlay of with an outlay of over ₹ 11,800 crore over four years from FY26 to FY29. The plan is expected to increase the student strength in these five IITs—Tirupati, Palakkad, Bhilai, Jammu and Dharwad—by 6,500 in this period, the cabinet statement said. The cabinet also approved the creation of 130 professor-level faculty posts in these IITs, the statement said, adding that five new research parks will also be created to foster industry-academia collaboration. Cabinet also approved the National Scheme for Industrial Training Institute (ITI) and the creation of five COEs after an announcement was made in the budgets for FY25 and FY26, a press statement said. The total outlay for this would be ₹ ₹ 60,000 crore, with the centre financing half, states providing ₹ 20,000 crore, and industry providing ₹ 10,000 crore, as well as co-financing by multilateral banks such as Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, as per the statement. The scheme will upgrade 1,000 government ITIs aiming to skill 2 million youth over a five-year period, the statement said. "The financial assistance provided under various schemes in the past was suboptimal to meet the full upgradation needs of ITIs, particularly in addressing growing investment requirements for infrastructure upkeep, capacity expansion, and the introduction of capital-intensive, new-age trades," the statement said, adding that funding will now be on a need-based investment basis. For the first time, the upgradation of ITIs will also adopt an industry-led Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) model, the statement said.
