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When camaraderie, bonding were the key ingredients in India’s Thomas Cup triumph

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India’s maiden Thomas Cup title on Sunday came on the back of some solid camaraderie shown by the players on and off the court. However, HS Prannoy has revealed that ‘bonding’ is something which is not common in a sport like badminton, where shuttlers play individually in tournaments.

The 29-year-old said following India’s gold medal-winning performance against the most successful team in the tournament’s history — Indonesia — that the players made a “conscious effort” to gel and ensure there were slip-ups this time around.

Not getting overawed by Indonesia’s reputatioin — they have 14 titles to their name in the tournament — India defeated the favourites 3-0 on Sunday after previously reaching the Thomas Cup semis in 1952, 1955, and 1979.

Prannoy, whose selection in the side for the tournament had raised questions, said, “The way everyone bonded this week, I think I should give credit to all the players out there and I think we made a conscious effort to do this because we knew this is not something which is very common amongst us… because we play individual events the entire year.

“And, to come to a team event and all of a sudden to gel is slightly tough. But I think we all made this conscious effort,” said Prannoy, who had won the decisive singles game against Rasmus Gemke of Denmark in the semifinal to earn India its maiden entry in the final.

He said that from the day the team left Hyderabad for the tournament in Bangkok, the focus and discussion centred around team bonding, which he felt is the essence of a team sport.

“The day we left Hyderabad, we had a team discussion saying that this is the time where we can win this… we have a team which can actually challenge for the title. But the only thing, which we will have to consciously do is to help and support each other because that’s what is going to change the results in the entire tournament,” opined Prannoy, who played the semifinal with an ankle injury and still managed to guide the team into the final.

Badminton stalwart, Kidambi Srikanth, termed it as one of the biggest achievements in his personal career.

“Individual events are always different from team events and we hardly get to play any team events. Thomas and Uber Cups are one of the biggest team events that we have. So, when you actually end up winning such a big tournament, it really is a very big win. It will actually take a while before you actually know what has happened.

“I would rate this as one of my biggest wins, that’s for sure. Everyone did extremely well. I don’t think there is any one individual to be singled out. Everyone in the team has done extremely well. Having said that, it was one of my best performances also,” said Srikant, who clinched the deciding singles in the final beating world No. 9 Jonatan Christie comfortably to guide India to the historic win.

He said that despite being the oldest member of the contingent in a team comprising of youngsters, he didn’t have to give any motivational speeches.

“Well, I might have played more number of events than anyone else, but I didn’t have to give any big, long-long speeches. It was just about letting them know that they are doing well and it is just that you get just one hour to play… and you really get that one hour to do well every day. I am very happy that all the youngsters really stepped up and played really well when it mattered. Frankly, I didn’t have to tell them anything,” said the 29-year-old Srikanth.

“They were really pumped up, very excited… when we came here we said whatever it takes to win this medal we will do. And, these youngsters handled the pressure well.”

National

Govt to amend MCOCA to contain smuggling of narcotics: CM Fadnavis

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Mumbai, July 2: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday told the state council that the state government will move an amendment during the ongoing monsoon session to the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) to take action against the smuggling of narcotics to deal with the cases in which the accused arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 received bail.

In his reply to a question by BJP legislator Parinay Fuke, the Chief Minister said that a separate NDPS unit has been set up in every police station in the state and officers and other personnel have been appointed in it. Coordination committees have also been set up at the district level. He added that the police have taken action in a large number of cases in the last two and a half years.

Fadnavis said that with the help of the Central Government, the state-level and inter-state coordination has now become more effective. He also said that intelligence sharing is going on with all the states, and due to this, joint action against smugglers has been possible.

The Chief Minister also said that addiction recovery centres are important and that appropriate policies will be formulated to increase their number and quality, and quality addiction recovery centres will be established. Clarifying that cannabis cultivation is banned and is not legal in Madhya Pradesh, he said that strict action will be taken against anyone smuggling cannabis, gutkha or similar substances.

Meanwhile, CM Fadnavis in his reply to another question raised by Shiv Sena UBT legislator Sunil Shinde said that all cases related to compassionate recruitment of police officers will be resolved on a mission mode in the 150-day plan of the state government. At the same time, orders have been given to all departments regarding compassionate recruitment.

Fadnavis said that the concept of 8-hour duty was first implemented in Mumbai itself. Sometimes there are exceptions during festivals, but overall, the 8-hour duty of the police has now become stable. Also, weekly holidays have been started across the state for the police, and if, for some reason, they do not get the leave, their ‘encashment’ has also been increased on a large scale. Earlier, the amount of this encashment was less, but now it has been increased, he added.

Large-scale housing projects for the police are being implemented across the state, including Mumbai. Work is also going on at a rapid pace at the taluka level. He mentioned that the work of the Police Housing Construction Corporation is unprecedented. Referring to the DG Loan Scheme, CM Fadnavis said that this scheme was started, but it was closed during the previous government. Now the scheme has been restarted, and efforts are being made to clear the backlog.

Addressing the increasing incidence of lifestyle-related diseases among the police, health check-ups have been made mandatory once a year for police officers above the age of 40 and twice a year for police officers above the age of 50. The Chief Minister said that a special scheme of counselling and interaction with senior officers is being implemented for the mental health of the police.

State’s home minister Yogesh Kadam said that the government is implementing many measures for the welfare of the police, in which free treatment is being provided for 40 types of diseases. For this, tie-ups have been made with 270 hospitals in the state. Cancer screening camps have been organised with various hospitals, and Yoga, meditation and gymnasium have been started for the police.

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National

Ahmedabad plane crash: Gujarat govt intensifies relief, insurance, identification efforts

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Ahmedabad, June 16: In the wake of the tragic Air India AI-171 crash, which claimed 270 lives near Ahmedabad, the Gujarat government has swiftly ramped up rescue, relief, and administrative support measures to assist grieving families and ensure a streamlined response to the crisis.

District Collectors have personally reached out to the families of victims, while nodal officers have been appointed across districts to oversee the disbursement of insurance and compensation to legal heirs. These officers, drawn from district-level accounting departments and relevant government bodies, are tasked with ensuring that claims are processed efficiently and empathetically.

To facilitate insurance processes, a joint coordination cell has been set up at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, in line with IRDAI guidelines. New India Assurance has taken the lead for general insurance claims on behalf of the General Insurance Council, and HDFC Life has been designated to handle life insurance claims. Alongside LIC, both companies have established help desks at the hospital to assist families with documentation, claims guidance, and other support.

Meanwhile, district authorities are actively aiding insurance teams by providing key documents, including the passenger manifest, to accelerate claim verifications. Twelve dedicated teams are working in rotational shifts to conduct DNA sample collection and matching. As of now, 250 blood samples have been collected from relatives and local residents.

So far, 62 DNA matches have been confirmed, and 35 mortal remains have been handed over to the respective families — 27 after DNA verification and eight through other forms of identification. Only three passenger identifications remain pending, with relatives currently en route from the United Kingdom to submit samples.

To ensure the dignified and smooth transfer of mortal remains, more than 250 nodal and assistant nodal officers have been deployed. These officers remain in touch with families throughout the process — from initial contact and DNA collection to the final rites — ensuring transportation of remains under police escort, handing over personal belongings, and staying present until funerals are complete.

More than 850 medical personnel, including 100 staff members at the trauma centre, have been deployed as part of the emergency medical response. This includes both permanent hospital staff and additional manpower mobilised specifically for this crisis. Counselling services are also being offered to families coping with trauma.

For families arriving from other states, the Gujarat government is coordinating with State Emergency Operation Centres across the country. Regular contact has been established with nodal officers in other regions to provide logistical and emotional support to affected relatives. A team from Air India remains stationed at the Civil Hospital round-the-clock to assist families. Free air travel arrangements are being provided to relatives based on individual needs.

The Roads and Buildings Department has arranged for accommodation and ground transportation to ensure that visiting families face minimal inconvenience. To manage inquiries and streamline support, state-run helplines and control rooms have been receiving and acting on calls from across the country. Over 1,700 calls have been registered as of Sunday evening, with authorities maintaining active coordination across all departments involved.

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General

New Tatkal Ticket Booking Rules 2025: Indian Railways Announces Compulsory Aadhaar Authentication From July 1; What It Means For Passengers

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New tatkal ticket booking rules from July 1: In a big move, Indian Railways has announced that from July 1, 2025 onwards, only Aadhaar authenticated users will be able to book tatkal train tickets. The Railway Ministry has issued a directive on June 10, 2025, to all railway zones, stating that this requirement aims “to ensure that the benefits of the Tatkal Scheme are received by the common end users.”

The official communication specified that “With effect from 01-07-2025, tickets under Tatkal scheme can be booked through the website of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)/ its app only by Aadhaar authenticated users.”

Furthermore, the ministry has stipulated that from July 15, 2025, passengers will need to complete an additional Aadhaar-based OTP authentication step for Tatkal bookings.

New Tatkal Ticket Rules 2025 Explained:

  • From July 1, 2025, train tickets under the Indian Railways’ Tatkal scheme will be exclusively available for booking through the IRCTC website or its mobile application only for passengers or users who have completed their Aadhaar authentication process.
  • Additionally, starting July 15, 2025, the ministry has mandated that travellers must undergo a supplementary Aadhaar-linked OTP verification process whilst making Tatkal reservations.
  • The directive additionally outlined restrictions for Indian Railways’ authorised ticketing agents regarding Tatkal bookings.
  • These agents will face a prohibition on securing first-day Tatkal tickets during the initial 30-minute period of the booking window. The restriction applies from 10.00 am to 10.30 am for air-conditioned classes and from 11.00 am to 11.30 am for non-air-conditioned classes.

The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) and IRCTC have received instructions from the ministry to implement required system alterations and relay these updates to every zonal railway division.

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