indian express

Nearly 1.2 crore central government employees and pensioners are awaiting the July 2026 Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) revision. A three-percentage-point increase, from 60% to 63%, is expected, but the Centre has not announced the rate or approval date. With Diwali on November 8, employee organisations are pressing for the installment to be released before the festival. The Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers wrote to the Cabinet Secretary on October 14, calling for nationwide lunch-hour demonstrations on October 16. Its demands included immediate declaration of the DA and DR installment due from July 1, alongside festive bonuses. The bonus announcements have since followed. Eligible central government employees will receive a 30-day ad-hoc bonus, capped at ₹6,908. More than 11.4 lakh railway employees will receive a separate 78-day productivity-linked bonus, with a maximum payout of ₹17,951. DA, however, adds to monthly earnings rather th...

India's squads for the ODI and Test series against New Zealand were announced on Friday. Before those assignments, the two teams will face off in a five-match T20I series, beginning on October 22. For India, the most crucial leg of the tour will be the two-Test series as they continue their push for a place in the World Test Championship 2027 final. New Zealand have enjoyed a significant edge over India in recent Test encounters, winning six of their last eight matches against them. Jasprit Bumrah has been included in India's Test squad after being rested for the ODI series. The star pacer, who has battled injury concerns in recent years, is expected to be a key weapon for India. However, former New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee offered an interesting perspective on Bumrah's impact. Southee pointed out that, somewhat surprisingly, Bumrah has never been part of an Indian team that has defeated New Zealand in a Test match. He added that the Kiwis are well aware of how...

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has applied for the vacant senior national selector's post, putting himself in contention for a position that fell vacant after the BCCI decided against renewing Ajit Agarkar's contract. "Yes, I have applied for the job," Jaffer confirmed to PTI. The 48-year-old Jaffer played 31 Tests for India, scoring close to 2,000 runs, including five centuries. His Test hundreds included a double century against the West Indies and a hundred in South Africa. He also scored a double century against Pakistan in Kolkata. If selected by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), comprising Ashok Malhotra and Jatin Paranjape, Jaffer would have the highest number of Test appearances among the candidates being considered for the chairman's position. With 31 Tests, he has a better playing record in the longest format than Pragyan Ojha, who represented India in 24 Tests. Under the existing selection process, the member from the zone with the highest num...

India's teenage prodigy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi , was in attendance among the country's Asian Games 2026 stars at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Delhi Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated the contingent. Sooryavanshi was a part of the Indian men's cricket team that won the gold medal in Tokyo. During the ceremony, PM Modi gave a riveting speech that also captured how 15-year-olds are winning medals for the country at grand events such as the Asian Games. The remark drew a smile even on the face of Sooryavanshi. PM Modi could not stop hailing the Indian athletes during the felicitation ceremony, including the cricketers, hockey teams, and boxers, whilst lauding the records that were broken in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and the historic milestones that were achieved. As PM Modi continued his speech, he made a special mention of the 15 and 17-year-olds who won medals for India at the Games. Although he did not mention Sooryavanshi by name, the mention did see...

Tensions inside the Bigg Boss 20 house appear to be escalating. In the latest episode, a heated confrontation turned physical between wild card contestant Nakul Dhull and Kushal Tanwar, popularly known as Gullu. A clip of the moment has since gone viral, prompting speculation about Nakul's eviction from the house.  The clash began after Nakul took offence at Qazi Touqeer for making fun of the incident in which the Fame Gurukul winner spat in fellow contestant Scout's ear. Qazi was discussing the episode with housemates, including Gullu and Mahhi Vij, and joking about his own actions when Nakul overheard the conversation. He then informed Scout about it. Scout, Yung DSA and Nakul then approached Qazi to confront him. However, the situation took an ugly turn when Gullu intervened and made a remark that angered Nakul. Gullu then challenged him, asking, “Bhidna hai kya (Do you want to fight)?” Nakul immediately moved towards him, triggering a physical altercation. Gullu also r...

Canning Dishahara F.A and Gobindadham Yoga & Sports have emerged as the men's and women's champions, respectively, at the Howrah zonal stage of the CIL Cup, an initiative of Coal India Limited. Both teams will represent their respective categories in the semifinals, which will be held in Purulia. In the men's zonal final, Canning Dishahara F.A prevailed over GB Dham FC after the match ended in a goalless draw and the penalty result stood at 1-1. The winner was subsequently decided by a coin toss. Abdul R Football Academy finished third, while Chakgopal 7 Star secured fourth place. Rajesh Hembram of GB Dham FC was named the Player of the Match. In the women's competition, Gobindadham Yoga & Sports emerged as champions and secured qualification for the semifinals in Purulia. Diamond Harbour Morning Star finished third, while Chakmakrampur Mahila Football Academy took fourth place. Urmila Kishku of Gobindadham Yoga & Sports was named the Player of the Matc...

Amitabh Bachchan may have millions of followers, but that has not kept him away from online trolling. The veteran actor recently shared how social media users have commented on his age and questioned his posts. During an episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 18 , Big B spoke about how these reactions changed his approach to social media and why he no longer writes as much as he used to. The conversation began when a contestant named Vinamra asked Amitabh Bachchan how he deals with criticism online. He pointed out that people from his age group often find it difficult to handle negative comments and wanted to know how the actor manages such reactions. Big B explained that when he first started using social media, he saw it as a space where he could express his thoughts freely. Things changed when he began reading what people had to say about his posts. Recalling the comments, the actor said, “ Pehle humne socha ki yeh bahut accha yantra hai, ismein hum apne dil ki baat bol dete hain… U...