Latest news with #Chhattisgarh
Muscat Daily
3 days ago
- Sport
- Muscat Daily
Sulakshan Kulkarni appointed deputy head coach of Oman men's cricket team
Muscat – Oman Cricket is pleased to announce the appointment of Sulakshan Kulkarni as the deputy head coach of the Oman men's cricket team. A seasoned cricketing mind and former first-class cricketer, Kulkarni brings with him over two decades of elite coaching experience and a deep understanding of the game, having contributed significantly to Indian domestic cricket and international assignments. A former Mumbai stalwart, Kulkarni played first-class cricket from 1985 to 2002, sharing the dressing room with legends such as Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. He also boasts an illustrious record with seven Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup titles with Mumbai, as a player and coach then. He was also named among the probable squad in India's 1987 World Cup squad. His coaching portfolio spans across top Indian domestic teams, including Mumbai, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra. Under his guidance, Mumbai lifted both the Ranji Trophy and the Deodhar Trophy, while West Zone emerged victorious under his strategic leadership. Kulkarni, a gritty batter and an elite coach, has played a pivotal role in shaping the careers of numerous international stars such as Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Avishkar Salvi. In 2018, he also served as the Batting Consultant for Nepal, during the ICC World Cup Qualifiers Division II, where Nepal secured ODI status for the first time in its history. With over 20 years of coaching experience for National, International and IPL teams, Kulkarni's appointment underscores Oman Cricket's commitment to building a strong and competitive team structure with solid backroom staff led by Duleep Mendis ahead of key international fixtures such as the ICC EAP Asia Qualifier Final and the on-going cycle of the ICC CWC League 2, both of which are a step to the T20 World Cup 2026 and Cricket World Cup 2027 respectively. Oman Cricket extends a warm welcome to Kulkarni and looks forward to his valuable contribution in elevating the performance and development of our national cricket team.
Forbes
15-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Closing The Digital Skills Gap: How UNICEF And Partners Empower Youth
As digital technology rapidly transforms the workforce, a global digital skills gap is leaving many young people behind, especially girls and young women. UNICEF and committed private sector partners are equipping the next generation with essential digital, entrepreneurial and AI skills, empowering them to become innovators, leaders and changemakers. Anjali poses with the sewer cleaning robot protoype that she developed at the Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) at her school in Chhattisgarh, India. UNICEF, along with private sector partners, supports ATLs across India to foster a culture of learning, skilling and entrepreneurship. Why digital skills are essential for today's youth As digital technology reshapes work, too many adolescents and young people are falling behind. Globally, 65 percent of teens lack the digital skills needed for 90 percent of today's jobs, with the widest gaps in low- and middle-income countries and among girls. In many of these places, girls are 25 percent less likely than boys to access the knowledge needed for basic digital tasks. However, 86 percent of employers expect artificial intelligence (AI) and information processing technologies will transform their businesses by 2030. The theme of World Youth Skills Day 2025, 'Youth empowerment through AI and digital skills,' highlights the acute need for an inclusive, ethical and empowering future for all youth. UNICEF's role in youth digital workforce readiness UNICEF is a leader in digital skills programs that prepare young people to take part in a fast-changing economy and become the leaders their communities and the world need. This work is supported by strong private sector partners whose values, interests and corporate philanthropy aims align with UNICEF's goal to create a better world for every child. Private sector partners collaborate with UNICEF in many ways, supplying the knowledge, tools and finances that complement UNICEF's strengths and accelerate young people's path to economic security and opportunity. Trusted private sector partners allow UNICEF to plan long term and scale up programs more effectively. True collaboration and bold innovation can lead to powerful solutions, while UNICEF remains committed to promoting and upholding children's rights as AI policies and practices evolve. How public-private partnerships are transforming youth opportunities Public-private sector collaboration can scale programs from concepts to solutions and achieve greater impact at an accelerated pace than either sector can by working alone. Since 1999, fewer young people around the world have been working, even though the number of young people has grown. When youth are not working, studying or in training, their overall wellbeing suffers, diminishing their ability to contribute to future economic development and sociopolitical stability. To flip the script, more young people must be able to identify and access the skills to participate in a digital and green economy. UNICEF and SAP piloted an innovative, scalable workforce readiness program for marginalized youth in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa that supports learning to earning pathways. The program leverages Generation Unlimited's Youth Agency Marketplace (Yoma), a digital platform that connects young people with social impact tasks and learning to earning opportunities. Scaling digital learning with Yoma: a youth-led innovation The Yoma platform for youth was developed by young Africans seeking to address the stark reality that youth comprise 60 percent of all of Africa's jobless. Since 2022, the SAP and UNICEF partnership has reached over 815,000 and helped improve the lives of 250,000 more through engagement with foundational and digital skills for youth. Overall, thanks to SAP and other partners' support, Yoma has reached over 5 million engagements, which include registering more than 500,000 youth in over eight countries registered to access skilling, earning and impact opportunities through the Yoma ecosystem. Muhammad Abdullahi applies skills he learned from UNICEF Youth Agency Marketplace (Yoma) in Bauchi State, Nigeria, to his work as a health care innovator and employer. Yoma is a digital marketplace for youth to gain individualized learning and align opportunities with their aspirations. Muhammad Abdullahi, a health educator from Azare in Nigeria's Bauchi State, uses his Yoma-acquired skills to inspire change around him. Bauchi State has a high number of children who are out of school. "Growing up in a community like Azare gave me a sense that we need to call on our young people to change the narrative of how our people survive here,' he says. Muhammed used the money he earned scavenging plastic waste to pay for his university tuition. "I was afraid to graduate from university because I may not get a job, but after utilizing opportunities from Yoma, I am a proud health innovator and employer now.' How Skills4Girls builds confidence, STEM access and leadership Investment in girls' education and skills-building forges a critical pathway to dignified work and economic security. About 1 billion girls and women worldwide lack the skills to keep up in today's job market. For teenagers between 15 and 19, twice as many girls (1 in 4) are not working, learning or training compared to boys (1 in 10). With support from several private sector partners, UNICEF's Skills4Girls is closing the gap between the education girls traditionally receive and the digital skills to thrive in today's economy. The Skills4Girls develops girls' skills in STEM, digital technologies and social entrepreneurship areas and bolsters life skills like problem-solving, communication, teamwork and self-confidence. For example, thanks to Sylvamo'spartnership with UNICEF, Skills4Girls expanded its work in countries like Bolivia and Brazil to give girls greater access to STEM education and leadership training, unlocking their individual potential and yielding greater societal benefits. With more than 640 million adolescent girls living on the planet today, programs like Skills4Girls play a crucial role in supporting their growth and potential. Mary Luz, 15, of La Paz, Bolivia, created an award-winning robotic boat to collect trash from rivers and lakes. In Bolivia, only 24 percent of students in STEM are women. A UNICEF Skills4Girls program is teaching Bolivian girls to design and build robot prototypes. In Bolivia, only 24 percent of students in technological and scientific careers are women. Skills4Girls is working to improve that reality and build a better future by teaching Bolivian girls to design and build robot prototypes. 15-year-old Mary Luz from La Paz, Bolivia, dreamed of seeing nearby Lake Titicaca clean – free from pollution and plastic waste. Driven by that vision, she created a prototype robotic boat that collects trash from rivers and lakes. Mary's invention is equipped with weather sensors, a live camera and an anemometer to measure wind speed. With support from UNICEF, her creativity and determination led her to represent Bolivia at the world's largest robotics tournament. Grassroots innovation, generational power Partnerships are a means to an end, not the end itself. Each UNICEF and private sector initiative is a dynamic collaboration to lead young people somewhere better than where they started. And when young people are actively involved in crafting solutions, that goal is often reached faster. Crocs, Inc., one of UNICEF's newest skills partners, has committed to a 3-year partnership to support UNICEF's UPSHIFT, a social accelerator that prepares young people between 10 and 24 to become community changemakers and innovators. UPSHIFT aligns with Crocs, Inc.'s Step Up To Greatness program values and goals to support building skills and confidence in young people to unlock their potential. UPSHIFT equips youth with professional and transferable skills through experiential learning. Participants identify challenges in their communities and devise local, innovative solutions to address them. For example, in Ukraine, where approximately 1.5 million children are at risk of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, UPSHIFT has equipped young people to take action to address issues they care about the most. One solution is Teenage Island – created by teens for teens – on the social platform Discord. Teenage Island provides a safe virtual space for young people to connect over shared struggles. 'You can get away from unwanted reality. For us, that is the war,' says Oleksii, 22, a Teenage Island member. ofia, 17, hosts a podcast on Teenage Island, a teen-led virtual space offering connection and psychological support to young Ukrainians. UNICEF UPSHIFT participants identify challenges in their communities and devise local, innovative solutions. On Teenage Island, adolescents and young people can talk to a psychologist in group sessions, explore creative writing or dive into fantasy role-playing adventures. The team also launched a podcast series in which Sofia, a 17-year-old Ukrainian, openly discusses grief, mental health and war with a psychologist. Teenage Island exemplifies how partner funding doesn't just support immediate needs but can strengthen systems and services for sustainable progress long after UNICEF's interventions end. Partnering for a brighter future UNICEF's public-private sector partnerships for youth can bring the tech, experience and talent, and critical investment needed to supercharge skills development. Together, UNICEF and partners create scalable, forward-thinking solutions that fast-track young people's access to opportunity and build a brighter future for the next generation. Learn more about UNICEF's private sector partnerships that help bridge the digital divide and support every child's right to learn. UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, organization, product or service.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
HC to govt: Consider plea to notify Marathi-speaking community as linguistic minority in state
Raipur: The Chhattisgarh High Court directed state authorities to consider a representation seeking the identification of linguistic minority languages and communities, specifically including Marathi. The petitioner seeks to have Marathi notified as a linguistic minority language and, subsequently, for Marathi-speaking communities to be declared a linguistic minority in the state. The court noted that Dr Sachin Ashok Kale, the petitioner, filed a representation on 22 April 2023, followed by another on 27 Nov 2024, addressing his grievance to the President, Minority Commission, Raipur. The bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru directed the authorities to decide on 27 Nov 2024 representation within three months of receiving a certified copy of the order, if it was not considered already. The petitioner, appearing in person, highlighted that the Centre notified Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis), and Jains as minority communities under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. He cited Articles 29 and 350A of the Constitution, which protect linguistic and religious minorities. The petitioner referred to the Supreme Court's decision in the TMA Pai Foundation case, which clarified that linguistic and religious minorities are covered under Article 30 of the Constitution. He argued that for determining minority status, the state, not the entire country, should be the unit. He also pointed out that the Chhattisgarh Rajya Minorities Commission (Amendment) Act, 2013, allows for communities notified by the state govt to be considered minorities. He further submitted that states such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh have already recognised languages like Urdu, Marathi, Hindi, Tulu, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam as minority languages. He also mentioned that Maharashtra notified Jews as a minority community in 2022. Government counsel Sangharsh Pandey argued that the petition seeking a mandamus to declare Marathi as a linguistic minority language was a policy decision and beyond the court's jurisdiction. He stated that the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, and the Chhattisgarh Rajya Alpsankhyak Ayog Adhiniyam, 1996, define minorities as communities notified by the Central or State Govt. Pandey contended that Marathi is already listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and is one of India's most widely spoken languages, making its declaration as a linguistic minority unwarranted, particularly as there is no evidence of socio-economic or educational backwardness among Marathi speakers in Chhattisgarh. The court disposed of the public interest litigation with the direction for the state govt, Chhattisgarh Minorities Commission, and Minority Welfare Department to consider the petitioner's representation. The petitioner has been asked to submit a copy of the order to the authorities concerned within two weeks, and the state counsel has been directed to communicate the order for compliance.
Daily Mail
28-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Horrific moment rabid bear pins down terrified ranger and starts gnawing on his head before mauling two other men to death
What was meant to be a simple father-and-son outing to collect firewood ended in tragedy after a bear launched a violent attack, killing both men and leaving a forest ranger critically injured. Father Suklal Darro, 45, and 22-year-old son Ajju Kureti set off into the forest to gather wood in the Kanker area of Chhattisgarh in east India. But in an gruesome twist, their peaceful day out turned deadly after a rabid sloth bear mauled the father and son to death. A terrifying video captured the moment the tragedy unfolded and how the ferocious beast attacked forest guard, Narayan Yadav, who heroically jumped in to save the father and son. The video shows the bear angrily charging towards Mr Yadav as a man can be heard shouting: 'Don't run away!', while the animal gets close to the ranger. The bear then jumps onto Mr Yadav and attacks him before pinning him down against the forest floor. Pressing its massive paws on his chest, the bear is heard growling as it bites into a helpless Mr Yadav's neck, face and torso as he screams for help. Luckily, the forest guard escaped, but sustained severe injuries to his hands and was rushed to hospital, where he was in critical condition. But Mr Darro and Mr Kureti were not so lucky and tragically died as a result of the violent attack. Despite efforts from paramedics, Mr Darro succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital, while Mr Kureti was pronounced dead at the scene of the attack. The scene of the attack was so horrific that officers had to use JCB's to remove Mr Kureti's body from the forest. Forest officers believed that the bear was infected by rabies. The horrific attack in January came months after a 28-year-old man was killed while two others were seriously injured after they were attacked by a sloth bear in the same state of Chhattisgarh. The incident took place on August 4, 2024, near the village of Badraudi when the victim, named locally as Chhablal, along with two pals went to collect wood. After encountering the bear, Chhablal tried to scare the animal away, but was mauled to death. His friends were also attacked and sustained critical injuries. Sloth bears are native to India, and despite their fuzzy facade, they are some of the deadliest of their species. According to National Geographic, sloth bears have mauled thousands of people and killed hundreds over the last two decades, making the species responsible for more human fatalities per capita than any other type of bear. A sloth bear's aggressive disposition, strong jaw and large canine teeth make them particularly deadly when attacked, either by humans or Bengal tigers, who occasionally see them as food. However, their typical diet is fruit, termites and bees. Sloth bears are under threat in the Indian subcontinent and they are often hunted for their meat or claws. Others are taken into captivity, treated incredibly cruelly and used as performing pets. Sloth bears are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, but they have often been used to entertained crowds by playing imaginary guitars, smoking cigarettes and dancing to the pounding of drums, providing an income for their handlers. Scientists believe sloth bears are one of the most aggressive species because of the large human populations often existing in close proximity to their habitats. In one of the most horrific cases, an Indian farmer died after a sloth bear partially ate him in a violent attack. The farmer is understood to have ventured into a wooded area of this property near the remote village of Madhugiri in Karnataka state when the bear launched its attack. Identified only as 45-year-old Somanna, the man is understood to have come face-to-face with the bear and, fearing for his life, attacked it with a machete. The beast retaliated, mauled the farmer to death and then proceeded to eat his remains. The farmer's frantic calls for help alerted a crowd, who then began to throw stones in the hope of scaring the animal away from the village. The bear then charged at the crowd, seriously injuring a second man, before police arrived approximately four hours later and shot the animal dead
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Ayush Pandey's century powers Bilaspur Bulls; Raipur Rhinos win
RAIPUR: Day six of the Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League (CCPL) Season 2, organised by the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh, delivered two exciting matches at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In the first match, Bilaspur Bulls defeated Surguja Tigers by 28 runs. Put in to bat first after Surguja Tigers won the toss, Bilaspur Bulls posted a challenging 191 for the loss of 4 wickets in 20 overs. Ayush Pandey scored the season's first century, remaining unbeaten on 102 runs off 66 balls, which included 10 fours and 3 sixes. Captain Shashank Singh contributed 40 runs, and Shubham Maurya made 31. In response, Surguja Tigers managed 163 for the loss of 9 wickets in their 20 overs. Ashutosh Singh was the top scorer with 62 runs, while Sanidhya Hurkat added 37. Md. Irfan was the pick of the bowlers for Bilaspur, claiming 4 wickets, while Varun Singh Bhuie took 2 wickets. In the second match, Raipur Rhinos secured a 5-wicket victory over Raigarh Lions. Raipur won the toss and elected to field. Raigarh Lions were bowled out for 121 in 19.4 overs. Mayank Verma scored 37 runs off 31 balls, and Ashish Pandey added 19. Raipur's bowlers shared the wickets, with Mayank Yadav, Ashish Chouhan, Shreyam Sundaram, and Gaurav Chaturvedi taking 2 wickets each. Chasing 122, Raipur Rhinos reached 127 for 5 wickets in 18.5 overs. Anuj Tiwari led the chase with 35 runs, and Amandeep Khare contributed 27. For Raigarh, Pawandeep and Praveen took a wicket each. Shreyam Sundaram was declared Man of the Match.
