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Time of India
13 minutes ago
- Time of India
NHL teams commit to decentralized draft format through 2026 despite mixed reactions
NHL votes to stick with decentralized draft model in 2026 (Getty Images) The NHL has reportedly decided to stick with its decentralized draft model for the 2026 season. The decision was made after two-thirds of the league's clubs voted in favor of continuing this new format, as confirmed by multiple sources, including Sportsnet and The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. 2026 NHL Draft won't return to normal as teams back another year of the decentralized model This move marks a departure from the centralized draft approach that had long been a unique NHL hallmark. In the traditional setup, team executives, coaches, and scouts gathered together on the arena floor, creating a dynamic environment that was both TV-friendly and filled with real-time decision-making energy. However, those inside the league had grown weary of that format, citing issues around privacy, logistical challenges, and the compressed timeline between the draft and the start of free agency. — DarrenDreger (@DarrenDreger) The 2025 NHL Draft, held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, marked the league's first deliberate shift to decentralization, excluding the COVID-era virtual drafts. Teams remained in their respective home markets, while a representative—be it an alumni, current player, or celebrity—announced their selections on-site. A total of 93 prospects were in attendance, receiving their jerseys from Commissioner Gary Bettman and speaking with club officials via virtual interviews. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like One plan. Total peace of mind. ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan Get Quote Undo While fans were treated to a TV broadcast with glitzy production and intriguing storylines, the execution wasn't flawless. The first round extended over four hours, and many viewers described the show as clunky and at times awkward, especially during the 'Draft House' segments where prospects communicated virtually with their new teams—sometimes through shaky connections. Despite the hiccups, deputy commissioner Bill Daly assured that production issues can be easily resolved before the next draft. Ratings for the 2025 event were solid, and by day two, the process felt smoother. That provided a silver lining for league officials aiming to refine the format. More importantly, the feedback from players themselves was largely positive. 'At the end of the day, all of the prospects were there,' said Flyers' second-round pick Shane Vansaghi. 'We were all getting picked, we were all walking up there and putting on our jerseys and we were all getting drafted into the NHL. That's the point of the draft in my opinion.' While some fans and critics lament the absence of a centralized, marquee event like the NFL's draft combine or the NBA Summer League, it appears the NHL is prioritizing operational efficiency and internal comfort. The decentralized model may lack spectacle, but for now, it's here to stay—perhaps signaling a permanent evolution in how hockey's future stars enter the league. Also Read: Artemi Panarin's future with the Rangers hangs in the balance as contract nears expiry For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Manika Batra's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 3. Watch Here!
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Commercial And Govt Units Owe 1.3L Crore Water Dues
New Delhi: Pending water bills have surged to a staggering Rs1.4 lakh crore, with commercial consumers and govt departments accounting for the lion's share of this outstanding amount. While commercial users owed Delhi Jal Board Rs66,000 crore and govt departments Rs61,000 crore, domestic consumers had unpaid dues of Rs15,000 crore, according to govt data. Relief from "inflated water bills" will be provided to domestic water users, said minister Parvesh Verma on Saturday, disclosing, "The software upgradation process has started and we are hopeful of launching it in two months." He said smart meters would be installed to prevent the problem of faulty billing from arising again. In response to public grievances, especially from household consumers, Delhi govt is planning a full waiver of the late payment surcharges. Common complaints from residents include inflated bills caused by faulty or estimated meter readings, bills issued during Covid lockdowns when homes remained vacant and arrears that snowballing into thousands or even lakhs of rupees. Non-payment of disputed bills also triggered increasing late fees, increasing the due amount, a govt official said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 신차장기렌트 선납금 없어도 월 20만원대부터 가능할까? 써치오토모빌 더 알아보기 Undo You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi Officials said that the proposed waiver excludes commercial users and govt departments and limits it to domestic waivers. No decision has yet been taken on relief of the dues. An official said the was firmly on easing the load on domestic consumers even as the authorities try to recover the unpaid amounts. Verma said that DJB's software would also automatically deduct surcharges and issue fresh bills under the new scheme. However, no relief is currently planned for complaints related to false meter readings. Many users stopped paying the post-Covid bills due to faulty bills. In Oct and Nov 2022, the DJB portal logged over 10,000 complaints about wrong billing. The previous AAP govt promised a one-time settlement scheme last year, but could not execute it. To curb future billing disputes, DJB plans to replace the traditional meters with smart ones. Officials said that the smart meters would resolve all billing inaccuracies. The current practice of meter readers submitting outdated or incorrect images resulted in inaccurate billing, which eventually led to a compilation of underpaid bills. An official said that around 1,000 meter readers managed nearly 26.5 lakh water consumers across 41 DJB zones and this has been seen as ineffective over time. Officials said that Verma had asked the water utility to overhaul the billing and payment system as soon as possible. An application to make the payment process easier is also on the anvil. Sources said the DJB top echelon had been intimated that the current billing system led to many users not paying their bills due to several lacunae. Officials claimed the new metering system would eliminate the role of agents and touts who allegedly accepted bribes to clear bills.
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- The Hindu
Environment Ministry exempts 78% of coal plants from installing key anti-polluting systems
The Environment Ministry has exempted the majority of India's thermal power plants from installing flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems, which are designed to cut sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) emissions. Flue gas, a residue from thermal power plants, emits SO 2 , which can mix in the atmosphere and create secondary particulate matter. These are linked to air pollution. There are about 180 thermal power plants in India. A single plant can have multiple units. Now on, only about 11% of India's 600 thermal power plant (TPP) units have to mandatorily install FGD systems. These plants, called 'Category A', are the ones located within 10 km radius of the National Capital Region or are cities with a population of at least a million (2011 Census). Originally, these plants were to have put in place FGD systems by 2017 but have been given multiple extensions to comply. The latest – as per a gazette notification this week – is December 30, 2027. Another 11% of TPPs, called Category B – located within 10 km radius of critically polluted areas (CPA) or non-attainment cities (NAC) – may or may not have to install FGD. This would depend upon a decision by a committee of experts (Expert Appraisal Committee) – an existing body constituted by the Environment Ministry that grants environment clearances to proposed coal plant projects. Category B plants that comply with the EAC norms have a deadline of December 30, 2028, to install the FGD. CPA are regions or industrial clusters that are extremely polluted and deemed so according to a specified criteria by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). NAC – there are 131 of them – are those that have the worst air quality and haven't met the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for at least five years. The remaining 78% of thermal power plants , or 'Category C', and are now exempt from installing FGD. The updated rules regarding the installation of FGD are exactly in line with the recommendations of an expert committee constituted by Principal Science Adviser Ajay Sood this April. The Hindu had reported on this. Several hurdles Last month, Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the Central Pollution Control Board was examining this committee's recommendations and would be taking a call on the future of FGD. Only about 8% of India's TPPs have installed FGD units. The limited number of vendors capable of installing such equipment in India, the high installation costs, the potential rise in electricity bills, and disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been some of the reasons historically cited by the Power Ministry, the overseer of India's TPPs, for the plants' inability to adhere to previous deadlines. In theory, the costs of non-compliance could run to crores of rupees in fines, though these have not materialised thanks to deadline extensions. The guiding principles behind the committee's recommendations were: SO 2 levels in ambient air across the country are around 10-20 micrograms/cubic metre, well below India's air quality norms of 80; Indian coal is low in sulphur; SO 2 levels in cities near plants with operational FGD units do not differ significantly from those without these units, and all of these were anyway well below permissible levels. The committee had said that the concerns about sulphates – a potential by-product when SO 2 emissions reach certain atmospheric levels, thus forming particulate matter (PM) – are unfounded. They cited an analysis of 5,792 PM samples across the country, which found 'low elemental sulphur' content (max 8 micrograms/m3 after outlier removal), which was deemed 'insignificant — for considering PM removal as a benefit of FGD'. 'The CPCB and MoEFCC (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) should have carried out a more diligent benefit cost assessment of the retrofit for SOX control. With nearly 15% of India's ambient PM2.5 attributable to the combustion of coal, this latest notification is a short-sighted one that is not founded in the science of how and where PM2.5 forms, especially from large stacks,' Kartik Ganesan, an expert on energy and environment, at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a think tank, told The Hindu. Manoj Kumar, who has researched the FGD's impact at the Centre for Research and Energy on Clean Air, criticised the decision. 'Power plants are known to impact areas 200 kilometres away from their location. Thus, they are a source of transboundary pollution, regardless of the category they fall into. Additionally, using tall chimneys is not an effective pollution-control measure; it merely disperses sulfur dioxide higher into the atmosphere, where it eventually forms toxic fine particles. This decision will affect millions of lives in India by increasing the risk of lung and heart diseases,' he told The Hindu.
