Indian-origin Cincinnati mayor wins second term, defeats VP JD Vance’s half-brother.

Indian-origin politician Aftab Pureval has been re-elected as the mayor of Cincinnati. He won a decisive victory against Republican challenger Cory Bowman, who is also the half-brother of US Vice President JD Vance.

With Pureval’s victory, Democrats have also cemented the control of Cincinnati’s local government and added to Pureval’s growing profile in Ohio politics, Fox News reported.

Pureval defeated Bowman during the May open primary, winning over 80 per cent of the vote. As both men were the top two vote-getters in the primary, they proceeded to compete in the November general election, according to The Hill.

Bowman had never held public office, but he was inspired to run after his half-brother, JD Vance, took office, according to Fox News.

Vance had voiced his support for his half-brother on social media, calling him “a good guy with a heart for serving his community,” and urged followers to “get out there and vote for him”.

Who is Aftab Pureval?

• Pureval is a former special assistant US attorney. The 43-year-old first claimed the mayor’s office in 2021 after winning nearly 66% of the vote.
• Pureval’s Tibetan mother had fled Communist Chinese occupation as a child. He grew up in a refugee camp in southern Indian. His father is an Indian-origin Punjabi. The family moved to Ohio in 1986.
• Pureval studied political science at The Ohio State University before earning a law degree from the University of Cincinnati.
• Pureval began his political career in 2015 while running for Hamilton County Clerk of Courts.
• Aftab Pureval is married to Whitney Whitis, an internal medicine doctor at Bethesda North Hospital. The couple has two sons, Bodhi and Rami.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

On DD Bangla’s 50th birth anniversary, the author profiles a man whose persona remains an indelible part of the channel.

Those who have seen him in his heyday will for sure remember him as the tabla player with thick spectacles, handsome sideburns and hair like the nimbus. In a televised interview of Pratima Bandyopadhyay with Hemanta Mukherjee, or Utpala Sen with Madhabi Mukherjee, he would be in the background. And when the celebrity artiste would break into a song or a bol, his flying fingers would set the tabla achatter and his dark locks would shake from side to side as it rained beats.

The day Doordarshan Bangla was launched — August 9, 1975 — Sanjay Mukherjee was on duty as a tabla accompanist for the inaugural event. “Those days, I was working as a casual instrument player at the All India Radio,” the 72-year-old tells The Telegraph.

Those days, contractual artistes were referred to as “casual” staff.

Mukherjee joined DD Bangla as a full-time employee in 1977. He continues, “Mira Majumdar and Satish Garg were the station director and the assistant station director at the time. They were well aware that viewers liked to watch my hair in action. I used to get numerous phone calls from women through the day. One day, just as I was about to enter the studio, I was asked to attend a call from my residence. I hurried out and took the call, but it was a stranger calling. She wanted to know the colour of the shirt I was wearing!” In 1977, colour television sets were yet to make their India debut.

DD Bangla’s first home was Akashvani Bhawan in central Calcutta but by the time Mukherjee joined, the office had shifted to Radha Film Studio in Tollygunge.

He says, “DD Bangla was different from AIR. The people at the radio station were more inclined towards music and entertainment. DD Bangla was not an entertainment channel. There were news bulletins, educational programmes, programmes on public health and something for farmers too. There were women-centric programmes such as Ghare Baire and there was Darshaker Darbare in which Chaitali Dasgupta and Saswati Guha Thakurta chatted about heritage, culture, food and other things. It was designed as an adda session.”

There were five full-time musicians on the staff of DD Bangla. Mukherjee says, “When there were no live shows scheduled, no recordings to be done, we five musicians composed musical tracks that could be played as title tracks for certain programmes.” He cites the examples of Pallisamaj, a programme on village life, culture, women’s issues, and children’s programmes such as Hore Koro Komba and Chiching Phank.

In 1986, the Doordarshan Kendra shifted to its new centre at Golf Green in south Calcutta where it stands now. “Life got busier when we shifted to this new building. This place is huge,” says Mukherjee.

Earlier, most of the programmes of DD Bangla were live telecasts as the infrastructure for recording was not well developed. But the new studio had advanced recording facilities. So, the musicians were always busy.

Mukherjee talks about “demise recordings”. They were recorded musical compositions played by way of tribute when a celebrity died.

In the new building, the number of studios were more, so live programmes became commonplace. As a tabla player, Mukherjee remembers how his job
suddenly became challenging. He says, “At times, my day would start at 10 in the morning and end at 6am the next day.”

Then adds, “I would first play alongside a classical musician, then go to the next studio to play with the sarangi player and then to another studio where some popular song by Dwijen Mukherjee was to be performed.”

New programmes were conceptualised. Mukherjee was required to organise a tabla programme for children. It was titled Tabla Bahaar. He recalls another programme which he had conceptualised. Different kinds of drums from across the country were played in that programme. He says. “Dhak, dhol, pakhawaj, khol, nagara… I had named it Taal Badya Baichitram. DD Bangla allowed us to explore, experiment and come up with such innovative ideas.”

Mukherjee has played with many artistes, so it is natural that he should have many stories. He talks about how most Rabindrasangeet artistes preferred just a theka or a gentle beat of the tabla, but Debabrata Biswas was an exception. Says Mukherjee, “In the middle of a programme he stopped and said ‘uraye bajao’, meaning, play full throttle. The same was true for Subinay Ray. He would say, ‘I don’t want a defence player as my tabla accompanist’.”

Mukherjee remembers how some of the musicians and singers wanted him and no other tabla player. Satinath Mukherjee and Utpala Sen were among them. “They would bring chicken tandoori from Park Circus for me and cajole me into eating it before I played.”

Mukherjee has played alongside Kanika Bandyopadhyay, Suchitra Mitra, Nirmala Mishra, Manabendra Mukhopadhyay, but when it comes to reminiscences, he seems to prefer to recount his experiences of working with the classical singers.

He rattles off the names, “Girija Devi, Bhimsen Joshi, Rashid Khan, Radhika Mohan Moitra, Ghulam Mostafa Khan, V.G. Jog, Ajoy Chakrabarty, M.R. Gautam, Vidushi Kalyani Ray.”

He says, “Pandit Ravi Shankar had suggested I work with him, travel abroad. But I chose to remain with DD Bangla, which was those days my financial backbone. Besides, they had bound me to them with an invisible thread of love and loyalty.”

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

It was a moment to frame when the skipper and her deputy Smriti Mandhana engaged in a bear hug with Jhulan, telling her “Didi, Yeh Aapke liye thaa [Sister, this is for you]”.

At the stroke of midnight, Harmanpreet Kaur created her legacy, “broke the barrier” and declared that this is not the end but just the beginning.

Having taken the World Cup-winning epochal catch, the mercurial Indian women’s team skipper displayed an entire gamut of emotions never seen before.

She ran like crazy as if there was no tomorrow after taking the catch. Stood a bit detached as the youngsters celebrated, trying to soak in the moment.

Touched “Guruji” Amol Muzumdar’s feet and engaged in an emotional hug where the tears burst out of the welled up eyes.

Called the two OGs of Indian women’s cricket — Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami — to hold the Cup. Both the legends broke down.

It was a moment to frame when the skipper and her deputy Smriti Mandhana engaged in a bear hug with Jhulan, telling her “Didi, Yeh Aapke liye thaa [Sister, this is for you]”.

And when Harmanpreet spoke at the post-match presentation ceremony, she didn’t lose the macro picture of what it means to be the first women’s team to achieve the unthinkable.

“This is the start. We wanted to break this barrier. And our next plan is to make this a habit. We were waiting for it, now this moment has come. So many big occasions are coming, and we want to keep improving. This is not the end, just the beginning,” the skipper said.

Captaincy is a lot about planning but just like it was Kapil Dev on June 25, 1983, whose gut feel told him to give one more over to Madan Lal against a rampaging Vivian Richards.

Harmanpreet felt that on Sunday, and her trump card was Shafali Verma, who possibly couldn’t have done any wrong.

“When Laura and Sune were batting, they were looking really good. I just saw Shafali standing there, and the way she was batting, I knew it was our day.”

“I thought I have to go with my gut feeling. My heart was saying, I had to give her at least one over. And that was the turning point for us. In the end, they panicked a little and that is where we cashed (in). at the right time, Deepti came in and took those wickets.”

Shafali had bowled 14 overs in her entire international ODI career and on the day got two crucial wickets.

“When she came to the team, we spoke to her that we might need 2-3 overs, and she said if you give me bowling, I will bowl ten overs. Credit goes to her, she was so positive and she was there for the team. Salute her.”

It was Amol , who would always be on his skipper’s ears about doing something big and something special.

“Amol sir was with the team and he was always telling us to come up with something special, and to keep preparing for the big occasion.”

“We should give credit to the support staff and the BCCI. We did not make too many changes (to our squad), and they really invested in us, and because of everyone, we are standing here.”

For Shafali, who in the past one year saw her international career come to a standstill, must have felt that it had to be God’s decree.

“I said at the start, that God has sent me here to do something nice, and that reflected today. Very happy that we won and I cannot express it in words.”

Coming for two knock-out games isn’t easy but Shafali had belief in her abilities.

“It was difficult but I had confidence in myself – that if I can stay calm, I could achieve everything. My parents, my friends, my brother, everyone supported me and helped me understand how to play.”

“It was very important for my team and myself, and I just wanted to make my team win. My mind was clear and I worked on my plans.”

“So happy that I could execute and Smriti di and Harman di, everyone was supporting me. They (seniors) asked me just to play my own game, and when you get that clarity, that is all you need. It is a very memorable moment.”

With Sachin Tendulkar in the stands, it couldn’t have been more special for Shafali to do it in front of her idol.

“When I saw Sachin sir, it gave me an incredible boost. I keep talking to him, he keeps giving me confidence. He is the master of cricket, and we keep getting inspired just looking at him.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Records achieved under the Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan for mass registration on health platforms and screenings.

The Union Health Ministry has achieved three Guinness World Records titles under the nationwide Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan (SNSPA) campaign, according to a release issued by the Ministry on Friday.

The records include – the most people to register for a healthcare platform in one month (3,21,49,711 or over 3.21 crore), the most people to sign up for a breast cancer screening online in one week (9,94,349 or over 9.94 lakh), and the most people to sign up for vital signs screening online in one week at the State level (1,25,406 or over 1.25 lakh).

The Ministry said the achievements were part of the nationwide campaign launched on September 17 and concluded on October 2, 2025, in conjunction with Poshan Maah. The initiative focused on improving the health and nutrition of women, adolescent girls, and children, with the goal of strengthening early detection, ensuring access to essential health services, and empowering families to adopt healthier lifestyles for a stronger and healthier India.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

A Kolkata scientist conducted artificial rain decades before Delhi’s cloud-seeding attempt.

The much-talked-about artificial rainfall experiment by the Delhi government in partnership with IIT Kanpur wasn’t India’s first cloud-seeding attempt. A Kolkata scientist carried out a similar experiment — with nearly 100 per cent success — over seven decades ago.

Dr Sudhanshu Kumar Banerji, the first Indian director general of the India Meteorological Department, lovingly called “Megh (cloud) Banerji” by his close ones, made it rain over Kolkata in 1952 with limited resources at the College of Engineering and Technology, Jadavpur.

High success rate with cost-effective measures

In the early 1950s, when cloud seeding was still a new concept even in the United States, Banerji began studying it closely. He had observed early experiments during a visit to the US and believed the process could be adapted and made more cost-effective in India.

At Jadavpur, he designed his own tall glass cloud chamber to simulate rainfall in controlled conditions. “He spent nearly two years conducting experiments in that chamber before moving to outdoor trials,” said his grandson Ranjan Banerji, now a 72-year-old engineering consultant and IIT Kanpur alumnus.

When the time came for field trials, hydrogen-filled balloons were fitted with small mechanisms that released silver iodide vapour, dry ice, and a controlled charge of gunpowder to disperse the seeding material. “He didn’t have access to aircraft, so he improvised using balloons, which he was already familiar with from his meteorological work,” Ranjan explained.

The results were dramatic for the time. “The experiments were successful almost every day,” Ranjan said. “In fact, the rainfall was sometimes so heavy that people in the surrounding areas complained about waterlogging.”

The successful trials were later presented at the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Memorial Lecture at the Bose Institute and published by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 1955 as Artificial Rainfall.

The scientist who loved improvising

Banerji’s journey began in Kolkata, where he studied mathematics at Presidency College and Calcutta University, later earning a D.Sc. He started teaching at Science College and worked as C.V. Raman’s first research assistant at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science.

Later, he joined the India Meteorological Department (IMD), eventually becoming the first Indian director general of Observatories in 1944. “He was more of an experimental scientist than a theoretical one,” Ranjan recalled. “He was deeply interested in instruments and in understanding how weather could be studied and predicted.”

During World War II, when imported meteorological instruments were unavailable, Banerji developed indigenous alternatives to keep the weather network running — his initiatives earned him the Order of the British Empire (OBE). After independence, Banerji represented India, and later Asia, at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) under the United Nations.

When he retired in 1950, Banerji returned to teaching — joining the newly formed College of Engineering and Technology in Jadavpur as professor of mathematics. There, his curiosity led him back to experimentation, and to the pursuit of creating rain.

Working against the odds

The project was done on a shoestring budget. “He didn’t receive funding from the Meteorological Department because they thought it was a waste of money,” Ranjan explained. “He got some support from the Scientific Research Council and Jadavpur Engineering College, but it was limited. So he built much of the setup himself.”

The balloons were made in Nagpur, while hydrogen was sourced locally. Using these modest means, he developed a method of seeding clouds from the ground — far cheaper than the aircraft-based methods being tried abroad.

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology later acknowledged his work, noting that “the pioneering attempts in the field of rainmaking were made at Calcutta in 1952 by Dr S.K. Banerji. Even BBC News, in a 2023 report on Delhi’s cloud-seeding project, referred to Banerji as the first Indian climatologist to experiment with artificial rain.

After his experiments, the government transferred further research to the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) for large-scale development. Banerji, meanwhile, moved to Ratanpalli in Shantiniketan, where his neighbours affectionately called him “Megh Banerji” — the man who could make cloud rain.

The rainmaker lost to time

Much of this story might have been lost to time if not for his grandson. “My grandmother had written a biography of my grandfather in Bengali,” said Ranjan. “When I translated it into English, I came across many details of his rainmaking experiments. That’s when I began reaching out to institutions like the IMD to verify them.”

To his surprise, the IMD not only confirmed the information but had also preserved his legacy. “His photograph is displayed at the IMD headquarters in Delhi, and the conference room at the Alipore Regional Met Office in Kolkata is named after him,” Ranjan said.

He later presented copies of his grandmother’s translated biography to the IMD libraries across India, ensuring that the story of Dr S.K. Banerji of 3 Ramani Chatterjee Road, Ballygunge — the man who made it rain over Kolkata — would not be forgotten again.

“Artificial rain experiments are being done today with advanced technology,” Ranjan said. “But he was doing it with balloons and limited resources seventy years ago. He may not have had recognition in his lifetime, but the work he did was remarkable for its time.”

A legacy in the clouds

As India once again turns to cloud seeding for answers — from drought relief to pollution control — the story of Dr S.K. Banerji remains an important chapter, reminding many of the power of curiosity and perseverance.

“He was a pioneer who believed in practical science,” said Ranjan. “He didn’t wait for the right conditions or funding. He simply found a way to make it work.”

And somewhere between Ballygunge and Shantiniketan, between his chalkboard equations and hydrogen balloons, India’s first rainmaker left a legacy that continues to ripple through the skies.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

Rajnath Singh who met his American counterpart Peter Hegseth, says the pact will provide policy direction in the entire spectrum of the India-U.S. defence relationship.

India and the United States on Friday (October 31, 2025) inked a 10-year defence framework agreement, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh describing it as a “signal” of growing strategic convergence between the two nations.

The pact was sealed at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur between Mr. Singh and his American counterpart Peter Hegseth.

The firming up of the pact came amid efforts by the two sides to repair ties that came under severe strain following Washington’s slapping of 50% tariffs on Indian goods.

“We signed the 10 years ‘Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership’. This will usher in a new era in our already strong defence partnership,” Mr. Singh said on X, formerly Twitter, after talks with Mr. Hegseth.

The Defence Minister said the pact will provide policy direction in the entire spectrum of the India-U.S. defence relationship.

“It is a signal of our growing strategic convergence and will herald a new decade of partnership,” he said.

“Defence will remain as a major pillar of our bilateral relations. Our partnership is critical for ensuring a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region,” Mr. Singh added.

Mr. Hegseth said the agreement “advances our defence partnership, a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence.” “We’re enhancing our coordination, info sharing, and tech cooperation. Our defense ties have never been stronger,” he said.

Mr. Hegseth and Mr. Singh are in Kuala Lumpur to attend a meeting of a grouping of nations comprising ASEAN member states and some of its dialogue partners.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Granules India’s active pharmaceutical ingredient Unit-1 in Bonthapally, Hyderabad, one of the largest single-site paracetamol API manufacturing plants by volume globally, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s establishment inspection report with a voluntary action indicated (VAI) classification.

The U.S. FDA had issued one observation following an inspection of the facility in June. The company submitted its response within the stipulated time, the generic drugmaker said on Wednesday, announcing receipt of the EIR.

Along with Paracetamol APIs, the company has established Metformin and Guaifenesin API manufacturing plants in the same facility, it said. Granules shares closed less than 1% higher at Rs.571.25 apiece on the BSE.

“The successful completion of this U.S. FDA inspection and the subsequent receipt of the EIR with a satisfactory VAI classification reflects our commitment to maintaining the highest quality standards in manufacturing operations,” Chairman and Managing Director Krishna Prasad Chigurupati said in a release.

VAI is one of the three classifications the U.S. FDA issues, as part of the EIR, to determine the outcome of its inspection. VAI means objectionable conditions or practices were found, but the regulator is not prepared to take or recommend any administrative or regulatory action.

No action indicated or NAI is another classification, which means no objectionable conditions or practices were found during the inspection. The third category of classification is official action indicated (OAI) that means regulatory and/or administrative actions are recommended.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

The tax status of the 29-year-old Indian expat living in Abu Dhabi, identified as Anilkumar Bolla Madhavrao Bolla, would depend on where he pays taxes.

Among the chief questions in people’s minds after an Indian man won a massive lottery of 100 million dhirams — ₹240 crore — in the UAE recently were: if he has to pay any tax on it, and whether or not he can bring this to India.

The tax status of the 29-year-old Indian expat living in Abu Dhabi , identified as Anilkumar Bolla, would depend on where he pays taxes. There are no local UAE taxes on such lotteries, even when it’s the biggest such jackpot ever won in the country. So that means he gets all the money in his bank in the UAE.

In India, however, lottery prizes are taxed at a flat 30%, followed by a 15% surcharge on the tax amount (for winnings above ₹1 crore) and a 4% Health and Education Cess on the total, as per Mint. A person would be subject to this tax if he has resident status in India.

Resident/NRI rules matter

An individual will be treated as a resident in India in any previous year if he satisfies any of the following conditions, says the government : If he/she is in India for at least 182 days during the previous year; or for a period of 60 days or more in the previous year and overall 365 days during four years immediately preceding the previous year.

If he does not fall into either of these conditions, the lottery winner would have non-resident Indian (NRI) status, and not have to pay tax in India.

But if he has resident status, the following rule would apply as per the Directorate of Income Tax: “The total world income of a resident is liable to income tax in India… even if it is not received or brought into India.”

Anilkumar Bolla is a long-time Abu Dhabi resident who has lived in the UAE for over one and a half years, said a TOI report. That should mean he does not have to pay Indian taxes.

As to whether he can bring the lottery winnings to India – irrespective of tax status — the simple answer is in the negative.

According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), remitting lottery winnings to India is prohibited.

So here’s the simple breakdown:

• No tax in UAE
• No Indian tax if you have NRI status, depending on time spent outside India
• Indian tax will apply if considered ‘resident’, even if such income is not brought to India
• Lottery winnings anyway cannot be brought into India

What’s The UAE Lottery?

The UAE Lottery’s first-ever Dh 100 million jackpot is a record-breaking grand prize. The most recent draw was held on October 18 in which the jackpot number was 251018, and it made Bolla a multimillionaire after he matched all seven numbers in the exact winning combination, defying odds of 1 in 8.8 million.

Bolla told TOI his immediate plans are simple: “I plan to buy a supercar first and treat myself to a month-long stay at a seven-star hotel.”

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

The US Treasury has called Moscow’s public joint stock company UAC a key enterprise in Russia’s military-industrial complex. India has said it does not subscribe to unilateral sanctions.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), a company under US, UK and EU sanctions, for the joint production of the SJ-100 civil commuter aircraft.

“This will also be the first instance wherein a complete passenger aircraft will be produced in India. The last such project was HAL’s production of AVRO HS748, which started in 1961 and ended in 1988,” HAL said in a statement.

The SJ-100 is a twin-engine, narrow-body aircraft, and is in the fleet of around 16 commercial airlines. HAL said that SJ-100 will be the game changer for short-haul connectivity. Under this arrangement, HAL will have the rights to manufacture SJ-100 aircraft for domestic customers.

The joint venture was finalised a little more than a month before an expected visit to India by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia’s public joint stock company UAC is under US, European Union, and British sanctions. The US treasury has called the firm a key enterprise in Russia’s military-industrial complex.

India has said it does not subscribe to unilateral sanctions and has criticised the targeting of its ties with Moscow as unjustified and unfair, while accusing the West of double standards because the EU and the US still buy Russian goods worth billions of dollars.

“This collaboration between HAL and UAC is the result of mutual trust between the organisations,” HAL said in a statement. “It’s a step towards fulfilling the dream of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) in the civil aviation sector.”

HAL has long partnered with the UAC, mainly by building under licence the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet for the Indian Air Force.

The collaboration is also expected to address India’s growing regional aviation demand. Estimates suggest that over the next decade, the country will require more than 200 jets in this category to support regional connectivity and an additional 350 aircraft for the Indian Ocean region to serve nearby international tourist destinations.

The agreement with United Aircraft Corporation marks a step towards producing a passenger aircraft in India for the first time, but risks stoking tensions with Western countries trying to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)