Even as number of degree holders have been increasing rapidly in India in recent years, the employability outcome has remained stagnant. As per the latest India Skills Report 2025 released by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in collaboration with Wheebox and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) only 55 per cent of Indian graduates are employable, indicating that nearly half of the countrys graduates are still not industry ready. Rajnath Singh, Union Minister of Defence along with Chancellor Satnam Singh Sandhu inaugurating Kalpana Chawla Space & Research Centre at Chandigarh University Gharuan The report clearly highlights a persistent disconnect between academic learning and industry expectations, forcing industries to invest heavily in time-consuming and costly on-the-job training to make new recruits productive. Bridging this widening academiaindustry gap, Chandigarh University has built a strong industry-aligned academic ecosystem, where curriculum across engineering, management and sciences among other academic domains are designed by the industry, for the industry and delivered with active participation of the industry. Chandigarh University offers new-age industry collaborative programmes designed by industry leaders, embedding skills required to thrive in the ever-evolving job market, into academic programs that is guided by Corporate Advisory Boards (CAB) comprising industry experts and CEOs from top Indian and global industry giants. This unique collaborative teachinglearning model at Chandigarh University has been fueling bright young minds through a broad spectrum of industry-ready, future-oriented academic programmes, enhanced by continuous industry insights and exposure to emerging technologies, while empowering students with corporate mentorship, international exposure, value-centric learning, entrepreneurial spirit and professional competencies, collectively strengthening their employability and shaping them into future-ready industry leaders. Continuing with its stellar performance in global rankings, Chandigarh University achieved 1st Rank for the third consecutive year in the QS Asia University Rankings 2026. CU also demonstrated a significant rise across key performance indicators in the coveted ranking by securing 1st rank in Employer Reputation and secured 2nd rank in Academic Reputation among private universities in India. In Employability Rankings which shows universities producing the most employable graduates for the modern workplace, Chandigarh University secured the 1st rank in Engineering and Technology, Computer Science Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Chemistry among private universities in India in the latest edition of QS World University Rankings 2026 by Subject. Cultivating Future-ready Engineering Leaders through Cutting-Edge Industry Collaborative Programs with Global Giants like Microsoft, TCS, Virtusa & IBM Chandigarh University with its world-class, high-tech academic infrastructure has been integrating the latest industry practices and requirements into academic programs by fostering innovation in emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Blockchain, Big Data, Analytics and Fintech. For Engineering students, Chandigarh University has collaborated with tech giant Microsoft to offer BE in Artificial Intelligence and BE CSE (Computer Science & Business Systems) with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Moreover, CU provides six Computer Science Engineering Programs in collaboration with IBM including BE CSE Cloud Computing, BE CSE (AI & IoT), BE CSE Data Science, BE CSE Cyber Security, BE CSE (AI&ML) and BE CSE (Full Stack Development). As part of the collaboration IBM, Indias first advanced information technology lab established at CU that train students in Cloud Computing, Information Security, Big Data and Business Analytics. Chandigarh University also offers a Master of Engineering Program in Computer Science with a specialization in Cloud Computing in collaboration with Virtusa, making it one of the most in-demand CSE- CC programs in India. CU has collaborated with Coforge and established an innovation center focused on conducting R&D in AI applications within healthcare, addressing agricultural issues globally and developing autonomous vehicle technology. CU was ranked 7th among all private universities in the country in Engineering domain in NIRF Rankings - 2025. For Automobile Engineering students, CU has tied-up with industry giants that established high-tech labs including Mahindra and Mahindra T-School, Honda Research and Skill Development Centre, Hyundai Professional Development Centre, VE Commercial Training Centre, MG Motors Lab, Eicher CU Centre of Excellence in Automobile engineering lab, Vehicle Maintenance and Diagnostic Lab, BS-VI engines, EV technologies and intelligent mobility platforms. CU has also collaborated with Coforge and established an innovation center focused on conducting R&D in AI applications within healthcare, addressing agricultural issues globally and developing autonomous vehicle technology. CU holds the prestigious accreditation from the US-based Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), placing it among the top 0.1 percent of Indian universities with accredited Engineering programs CU is accredited with an A+ rating by NAAC, placing it among the top 5 per cent universities in India to get the coveted accreditation. The varsity also holds National Board of Accreditation (NBA) accreditation for Engineering and Management programs. These facilities enable students to transition seamlessly from theory to application, cultivate research thinking and develop innovation-driven solutions aligned with real-world industry needs. Nurturing Future Business Leaders with 17 Industry Collaborative Cutting-Edge Management Programs To nurture future business leaders through its unique experiential learning model, Chandigarh University has established collaborations with as many as 11 industry giants to offer MBA programs. CU collaborated with global consulting giant KPMG one amongst Big Four consulting firms of the world to offer MBA in Global Business Management and BBA in Financial Technology (FinTech). MBA Data Science & Al with SAS, MBA Business Analytics with IBM, MBA in Applied Finance with PWC, MBA with State Bank of India in Banking & Financial Engineering and MBA Fintech with NSE, MBA in Capital Markets with NISM, MBA Strategic HR with AON and MBA in Healthcare and Hospital Management. These academic collaborations not only offer a broad spectrum of industry-oriented, futuristic academic programs but also empower students with corporate mentorship, international exposure, value-driven learning, entrepreneurial development and professional skill-building transforming them into dynamic business leaders of tomorrow. CU has also secured 7 th place among all private universities in the management domain in NIRF Rankings 2025. Chandigarh University offers specialized management programs in emerging and high-growth business areas, enabling students to stay ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving global landscape of industry. With these academic collaborations, CU also ensures that students earn globally recognized certifications that enhance their professional credibility and employability. With a strong focus on outcomes, students gain access to excellent employment and placement opportunities with top global organizations and leading multinational companies. Moreover, students benefit from global exposure through immersive international programs and receive continuous mentorship from experienced industry leaders, preparing them to excel in competitive professional environments. Nurturing Future Leaders with 154 Industry-Oriented Academic Programs, 32 High-Tech R&D Labs, 15 COEs and Mentorship by 980 Industry Stalwarts Chandigarh University provides its students an environment conducive to innovation and discovery with as many as 32 industry-sponsored high-tech R&D labs and 15 Centers of Excellence others established by leading MNCs and global giants such as Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, Hyundai, Tech Mahindra, Capgemini, LinkedIn and IBM among others that play a crucial role in elevating capabilities of students and faculty members through exposure to live industry projects. Chandigarh University continues to set new benchmarks in outcome-driven education by nurturing future leaders across emerging and high-growth domains through its 154 industry-oriented academic programs. Designed in close collaboration with global industry partners, these programs seamlessly integrate cutting-edge curricula, hands-on learning, live industry projects, and real-world problem solving. This unique experiential learning ecosystem is further strengthened with mentorship of 980 seasoned industry stalwarts who bring invaluable insights, practical expertise and market-aligned perspectives into the classroom. This unique combination of academic excellence and industry immersion ensures that students graduate not just with degrees, but with the required skill sets and leadership acumen required to thrive and lead in an ever-evolving global workforce. CU has tied-up with industry leaders that provide hands-on training to students with high-tech labs including Microsoft Innovation Center, Google Android Lab, Adobe Express Lounge Lab, Cloud Computing Lab, Oracle Academy, Tech Mahindra IMS Academy, Unisys Innovation Lab, EMC Academic Alliance, Microsoft Global Technical Support Center, Red Hat Academy Lab, SAP Next Gen Lab, Infor Lab and Microsoft Azure LAAS (Learning as a Service) platform, BOT lab, Bosch Bridge Centre and Cisco Networking Lab among others. Over 40 Industry Collaborations in 2025 with Global Tech Leaders like Microsoft, LinkedIn, Capgemini, Adobe, Altium & Intel to Provide Outcome-Oriented Learning and Enhance Employabiliy Chandigarh University has established Indias first LinkedIn Experience Zone on its campus in association with LinkedIn that empowers students with hands-on access to AI-driven career tools, expert guidance on digital profile building, personal branding and professional networking, while leveraging LinkedIns global network of over 1.2 billion professionals to enhance employability and connect students with global career opportunities. Adobe, the global leader in digital media established Indias first Adobe Express Lounge Lab at CU to empower students with future-ready creative and digital skills. The state-of-the-art lab provides hands-on access to Adobes industry-leading tools, including Adobe Express, Creative Cloud applications, and AI-powered platforms like Adobe Firefly, enabling experiential learning across engineering, media, design, fine arts and business disciplines. Designed as a dynamic innovation hub, the initiative bridges academic learning with real-world applications through certified courses, workshops, mentorship, hackathons and portfolio-building support, significantly enhancing students employability and preparing them for the evolving digital economy. The global consulting giant, Capgemini has established academic collaboration with Chandigarh University to equip engineering students, particularly Computer Science Engineering with industry-relevant skills in emerging technology domains and provide professional mentorship, certifications, internships and placement opportunities, aligning academic outcomes with the evolving demands of Indias digital economy and preparing a future-ready workforce. Similarly, CU has established collaborations with tech giants like Microsoft, Intel and Altium among others to provide outcome-oriented learning and enhance employability prospects of students. 12 Lakh LinkedIn Certifications, 6747 Infosys Springboard, 652 UNESCO Certifications & 99% Paid Internships in 2025 Aligned to the National Education Policy (NEP) guidelines on multidisciplinary approach to education that allow students to combine diverse fields for holistic development, fostering critical thinking and adaptability, Chandigarh University (CU) places strong emphasis on integrated learning that transcends traditional academic boundaries. This approach is strengthened through multidisciplinary courses, focused soft-skills training and continuous enhancement of technical competencies to develop well-rounded, adaptable and future-ready professionals. CU integrates global digital learning platforms into its curriculum. Through LinkedIn Learning, students across Generic Programmes (GP), University Core (UC), Open Electives (OE) and Value-Added Courses (VAC) accessed short, practical, skill-based modules, resulting in over 12 lakh certifications completed by nearly 60,000 students and faculty in a single year (2025). Infosys Springboard further enabled industry-aligned technical and soft-skills learning, with 6,747 certifications earned, while UNESCO-certified courses under GP strengthened global citizenship and sustainability awareness, leading to 652 value-based certifications. Moreover, CU leveraged the SWAYAM government portal to promote flexible, self-paced, credit-based learning in technical and soft skills with 6,825 students completing certifications and 29,849 students registering which is supported by curriculum-mapped assignments. Benchmarking its offerings with global standards, CU has aligned its NEP-driven, outcome-based curriculum with Coursera, where faculty curated 642 multidisciplinary courses mapped to international best practices and integrated into regular teaching. Complementing this academic rigor, CU processed 1,534 internships during the JanDec 2025 cycle across 6 academic clusters and 167 programs, with 99% paid internships and 37 international placements (internship), reinforcing strong industry demand, global exposure and career readiness. Industry-Curated Curriculum Cultivating Future Technocrats Core curriculum offered by CU in emerging areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Virtual Reality, IOT, Bioinformatics, Information Network Security, Grid Computing, Structural Engineering, Geo-Technical Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Construction Technology, Environmental Engineering, GIS, Water Resource Engineering among others is specially designed by industry giants themselves. The industry-oriented curriculum of CU is aligned with leading International Universities and Research Agencies; CSE curriculum is aligned with Stanford University, ISACA, NASSCOM for Civil Engineering, University of Singapore, Imperial College London, ASME and ISTE. The curriculum is prepared by renowned academicians and subject experts from IITs, NITs and industry experts from top MNCs such as IBM and Quark among others top brands. These engagements not only provide students with practical exposure but also equip them with the latest industry trends and practices, enhancing their employability and readiness for the competitive job market. This industry-centric experiential learning model of CU has been instrumental in not just nurturing futuristic workforce and make CU students globally-competitive but also ensure their job placements in top national and international firms, provide exposure to live industry projects and enable them to conduct collaborative research projects at industry-sponsored high-end R&D labs and Centre of Excellences, offer internships, conduct workshops, certifications, hands-on training using the cutting-edge technology and futuristic tools, exposure to case studies and corporate mentorship programs to create the next generation technology and business leaders. About Chandigarh University Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and QS World Ranked University. This autonomous educational institution is approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC. Website address: www.cuchd.in .
Hockey stalwart Manpreet, two others were dropped due to disciplinary issues: Team sources
New Delhi, Jan 30: Hockey Indias surprising decision to drop three players, including veteran midfielder Manpreet Singh, from the list of probables for the upcoming FIH Pro League season stemmed from disciplinary issues during the teams tour of South Africa in December. Sources said a serious case of indiscipline surfaced during the tour, following which Manpreet, Dilpreet Singh and goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak were omitted from the probables list. India toured South Africa for a three-Test series from December 2 [] The post Hockey stalwart Manpreet, two others were dropped due to disciplinary issues: Team sources appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Are VPNs really safe? The security factors to consider before using one
Virtual private networks (VPNs) have been household technology for a while now, but there's still a lot of uncertainty around them. This is partly due to the fact that they can conceal online activity that local or national governments deem illegal up to and including, say, circumventing ID checks for age verification . Consumers aren't helped by the sheer amount of duds sold in app stores right next to the best VPNs , especially when they're purposefully exploiting moments that have people rushing to shore up their online anonymity. If you've almost decided to start using a VPN, you may be wondering if the services you're looking at are actually safe. Unfortunately, the answer is a hard it depends. VPNs are technology that can work well or poorly, just like they can be used for good or evil. There's nothing intrinsically dangerous about using a VPN whether or not one is safe comes down to who built it and how they're running it. The good news is that there are easy ways to tell whether youre using one of the good ones. The question Are VPNs really safe? can also mean something else Is using a VPN enough to keep me safe online? I'll get into that too, but to spoil the ending: VPNs are important security tools, but they aren't enough to protect against all digital threats by themselves. Also, to be clear, I'm talking here about commercial VPNs like Proton VPN and ExpressVPN, not commercial VPNs like NordLayer or Cisco AnyConnect. What makes a VPN unsafe? There are two main things that can make me call a VPN unsafe: negligence and malice. A negligent VPN doesn't protect against the dangers it's supposed to ward off, leaving you more exposed than if you weren't using a VPN at all. A malicious VPN is designed to make you less safe so the people behind it can profit. Some ways a negligent VPN might endanger its users: Using outdated protocols with cracked encryption, like PPTP, or homebrewed protocols with insufficient security. A weakly secured protocol might expose your search activity. Allowing leaks by using public DNS servers rather than setting up their own system to resolve requests. This risks revealing what websites the VPN's users are visiting. Leaking the user's real location by failing to block or properly manage IPv6. Leaving its servers in the hands of unvetted third parties, who might let them get hacked. Failing to include a kill switch, which puts users at risk of connecting to false servers. Some ways a VPN can be malicious: Making its money from in-app ads, especially if those ads contain trackers. Harvesting the user's residential IP address and selling it as a proxy. Tracking the user's activity and selling it to advertisers. Planting malware on the user's device. I want to stress again that none of these risks are inherent to how a VPN works. VPNs aren't required to be dangerous in any way. There are plenty of good ones, which makes it all the more important to pick the bad ones out of the lineup. In the next section, I'll discuss how to do that. How to tell if a VPN is safe The process of checking up on a VPN starts before you buy it. Before you consider downloading any VPN app, do your research and learn as much as you can. Read review sites like Engadget, but also try to get reports from regular users on social media and app stores. Be suspicious of five-star reviews that are light on specifics the more positive reviews from actual users, the better. While researching, look for any cases in which the VPN failed in its mission to protect customers. Did it ever turn information over to police, despite having a no-logs policy? Were any of its servers ever breached by hackers in ways that put other users in danger? Is it cagey about key information, like where it's based or who its parent company is? You can also close-read the VPN's privacy policy, like I do in my VPN reviews. A privacy policy is a legal document that can invite lawsuits if the provider ignores it outright, so most companies prefer to plant vague loopholes instead. Read the policy and decide for yourself if it makes any unacceptable exceptions to no logs ever. If the answer to all those questions is no, your next step is to download the VPN and test it. Every worthwhile VPN has a guaranteed refund within a certain period, so you can use that time to test the factors below. If you like the results, you can subscribe for longer; if not, you can cancel and get your money back. Here's what to look for during the refund period: Check which VPN protocols are available. The best expert-verified protocols are OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard. If the VPN uses a protocol other than these three, make sure it's using an unbreakable encryption cipher like AES-256 or ChaCha20. Test for leaks. You can run a simple leak test using a website like ipleak.net or whatismyipaddress.com . Just check your normal IP address, connect to a VPN server, then check again. If the IP address you see is the same as before, the VPN is leaking. Find the kill switch. A kill switch prevents you from accessing the internet while you're not connected to its associated VPN. This is critical to prevent certain types of hack that rely on fake servers to work. Most top VPNs have a kill switch or a similar feature with a different name (such as Windscribe's Firewall). See if the apps are open-source. A VPN making its services available for viewing on Github states powerfully that it has nothing to hide. Anonymity is an inalienable right for individuals, but VPN apps aren't people the more transparent the code, the better. Test its other security features. If the VPN has a blocker for ads, malware or trackers, see if it prevents banner ads from loading. Try connecting to a test malware site like www.ianfette.org or httpforever.com and check if the VPN blocks it. There's one more factor that generally denotes a safe VPN: paid subscriptions. I'm not going to claim that all free VPNs are dangerous, but if a service claims to be always free with no need whatsoever to pay, you have to ask how it makes money. VPNs that don't charge for subscriptions usually turn their users into the product, selling their data to advertisers or for use as residential proxies. Is a VPN enough to keep you safe online? Another way in which VPNs aren't totally safe is that they aren't, by themselves, a total solution for cybersecurity. A VPN does one specific task: it replaces your IP address with an anonymous server and encrypts communication with that server so your real device can't be seen. This means you won't reveal your identity or location in the normal course of using the internet. However, if you reveal information another way, then all bets are off. If you click a sketchy link that downloads malware onto your computer, that malware doesn't care that your IP address is concealed it's already where it needs to be. Similarly, if you leak critical information in a social post, or privately give it up to a phishing scammer, a VPN won't help. I put together a list of 12 cybersecurity habits that'll keep you safe from nearly all threats online. Getting a VPN is one of them, but there are 11 others, including strengthening your passwords, immediately installing updates and conditioning yourself to spot social engineering hacks. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you're untouchable just because you use a VPN. The safest VPNs It can be a lot of work to figure out whether a VPN is safe and trustworthy. If you just want to pick one you can use without having to open a federal case, check out my best VPN roundup or best free VPN list or just use one of the suggestions in this section. Proton VPN , my favorite VPN, is majority-owned by the nonprofit Proton foundation, has open-sourced its entire product family and has never suffered a serious hack or breach. Despite some controversy around its parent company, ExpressVPN remains secure; its servers have been confiscated at least once and found to hold no information. NordVPN suffered a hack in 2018 and learned the right lessons from it, doubling down on security at its server locations. Similarly, Surfshark was criticized for using a weak authentication method and deprecated it entirely in 2022. Often, a VPN responding correctly to a security breach looks better than one which has never been attacked at all sometimes strength can only be known in adversity. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/are-vpns-really-safe-the-security-factors-to-consider-before-using-one-130000539.html?src=rss
As frustrating as it is that governments and businesses are running roughshod over our online freedoms, at least we have plenty of good VPNs to keep us protected online. There are so many fast, intelligently designed, full-featured and affordable services on the market that the biggest problem is picking one. For any use case, you can bet at least two providers will be neck-and-neck for first place. On the other hand, the VPN world is still the Wild West in some ways. It's easy enough to slap a cheap VPN together that the market is flooded with low-quality apps that put more money into advertising than infrastructure. They may look good, but it's all styrofoam under the hood. I built this list of the best VPNs after intensive testing to help you reorient your focus on the providers that actually deserve your time and money. Which one truly fits your needs is dependent on who you are and what you do online, but if you pick any of my seven recommendations, you can't go too far wrong. If you're interested in a service you can use without paying, head over to my list of the best free VPNs and if you're willing to pay but want to save money, I keep a list of the best VPN deals updated weekly. For each VPN on this list, I've shared which platforms it works on, how much it cuts into your download speed, where it offers servers, what other features are included and how much the best available deal costs. At the end, I'll list some honorable and dishonorable mentions, then answer some of the most common questions I hear about VPNs. Editor's note: This list is up-to-date as of January 2026. We intend to revisit this list every three months at a minimum, at which time our picks may be adjusted based on changes in pricing, features, testing results and other factors. Table of contents Best VPNs for 2026 Other VPNs we tested What to look for in a VPN VPN FAQs Best VPNs for 2026 Other VPNs we tested The VPNs in this section didn't crack our top list above, but we're summarizing them here so you can see their positives and negatives as of the time of our evaluation. Windscribe Windscribe is another well-known free VPN supported by paid subscriptions. In many ways, it takes the best from both Mullvad and Proton VPN, with the former's no-nonsense privacy and the latter's healthy free plan. Without paying, you can connect to 10 of Windscribe's server locations on an unlimited number of devices at once. We've just published a full Windscribe review that can tell you more. Unfortunately, Windscribe didn't copy the most important part of Proton VPN's free plan the unlimited data. You're only allowed to use 10GB per month, which isn't enough for regular streaming. It's also committed to a cramped and headache-inducing user interface that stands out from the crowd in all the worst ways. Private Internet Access Private Internet Access (PIA VPN) has a deeply annoying name I assume whoever invented it also likes to hop in their Toyota Forward Motion to grab a gallon of Sustaining Cow Extract from the grocery store but it's a worthwhile VPN whose pricing provides incredible value. Its monthly and yearly plans are good enough, but its three-year plan is the clincher. Not only is it longer than average, but you can continue to renew at the three-year level, so you won't see an unpleasant price jump the first time you re-up. PIA's apps have a dark UI reminiscent of Proton VPN, which is always a good thing. It also supports port forwarding, custom DNS and the use of a SOCKS5 or Shadowsocks proxy as a second step in the VPN connection. You can even set the maximum data packet size to help out a struggling connection, as I cover in my full PIA VPN review . The downside is that your connection will struggle a lot. While well-designed, PIA's apps have a tendency to lag. In my most recent battery of tests, it dragged oddly on my internet in ways that weren't directly reflected in the speed tests. It's also not always capable of unblocking streaming services in other countries, and while its server network offers 152 IP address options in 84 countries, it's heavily bulked out by virtual locations. TunnelBear TunnelBear has a decent interface, which its target audience of VPN beginners will find very easy to use. Its speeds are perfectly good too, and I appreciate the depth and breadth of its transparency reports. But it's far too limited overall, with few extra features, less than 50 server locations and a free plan that caps data at 2GB per month. VyprVPN VyprVPN often flies under the radar, but it has some of the best apps in the business and a very good security record (there was a breach in 2023, but it didn't crack the VPN encryption itself). It's also got a verified privacy policy, a solid jurisdiction and runs every connection through an in-house DNS to prevent leaks. Despite all that, it didn't make the top seven because its connection speeds aren't up to scratch you'll likely notice a bigger slowdown than average. It also has a troubling history of wild, seemingly experimental swings in its pricing and simultaneous connection limits. Norton VPN Norton VPN is part of the Norton 360 package that includes the well-known antivirus software and other security apps. It's a nice bonus if you use Norton already, but as a standalone VPN, it falls short. My tests repeatedly showed it dropping encryption and revealing my IP address whenever I switched servers, and not all of its locations managed to unblock Netflix. This isn't to say Norton VPN is terrible. It has a fairly large server network, user-friendly apps and some cool features like an IP rotator. It also recently revamped its OpenVPN infrastructure to improve speeds on Windows. But you probably won't find those things sufficient to balance out significant speed drops on other platforms or poorly written FAQs. I especially advise against Norton VPN for Apple users, as its Mac and iPhone apps are much more limited than their Windows and Android counterparts. What to look for in a VPN Choosing a VPN can quickly get you mired in analysis paralysis. We're here to help, but since only you know your particular needs, you should know the major red and green flags so you can make the final call yourself. Every reputable VPN provider offers a free trial or refund guarantee you can use to run the tests below. For more advice and dangers to look for, check out my article on how to tell if your VPN is working . Compatibility: First, make sure your VPN works on all the platforms you plan to use it on. Most VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, but those apps aren't always created equal check that the app for your chosen OS is user-friendly and has all the features you need. Speed: Use a speed testing app to see how fast your internet is before and after connecting to the VPN (I use Ookla's speedtest.net ). To check security, look up your IP address while connected to a VPN server and see if it's actually changed your virtual location. Be sure it's using expert-vetted protocols like OpenVPN, WireGuard and IKEv2. Try connecting to streaming services and seeing whether the VPN changes the available content. Background: Do some outside research into the VPN's origins, especially its parent company, privacy policy and any past incidents. It's a dealbreaker if you can't figure out where the VPN is headquartered (which indicates a lax approach to transparency) or if it seems to have never passed a real third-party audit. Server network: Look at the server network to make sure the VPN has locations near you and in any countries where you'll want an IP address e.g. if you need a VPN to unblock Canadian Netflix, look for multiple server locations in Canada. Customer Service: I also advise testing the customer support options by looking for the answer to a straightforward question. If phone support (versus email and chat) is important to you, make sure to prioritize that and make sure it's available at convenient times in your timezone. Pricing: Finally, check prices. See if the VPN is affordable and decide whether you're comfortable taking a long-term subscription for better savings. If you do get a multi-year plan, check what price it will renew at, since many of the cheapest subscriptions are only introductory deals. VPN FAQs To wrap up, let's answer some of the most common questions we get about VPNs. Feel free to get in touch if you have a query I don't cover here. What is a VPN? VPN stands for virtual private network. There are a few different types of VPNs, including corporate VPNs like Cisco AnyConnect, Perimeter81 and NordLayer, which are used to access a single network securely. For this list, though, we're talking about commercial services that let individual users access the internet with an assumed identity. Whenever you get online, you're assigned an IP address a digital nametag that tells websites where to send the information you request. For an IP address to work, it needs to be unique, which means it's possible to create a record of what an individual does online. When you use a VPN, all the data you send to the internet goes through one of the VPN's servers before heading to its final destination. The VPN encrypts the connection between your computer and its server so the data won't trace back to you. Any website, ISP or third party that cares to look will only see the VPN's IP address, not yours. If you're interested in more detail, I've written a whole article on how a VPN works . What are some things VPNs are used for? The three main use cases for a commercial VPN are security, privacy and entertainment. Using a VPN conceals your real IP address from anyone who might want to use it for nefarious purposes like cyberstalking, DDoS attacks or deducing your real location. It also keeps your ISP from profiling you for ads based on where you live or what you do online. One side effect of borrowing a VPN's IP address is that you can make it appear as though your connection is coming from another country. You can use this to access streaming content and platforms that are only available in certain regions due to copyright. Changing your location can even get you better prices when shopping online. Location spoofing can also be used to get online in countries that censor internet access, like China and Russia, as well as certain US states or countries like the UK that are adding barriers like age-gating to previously unfettered online access. All you have to do is connect to a neighboring country (or locality) where the internet isn't blocked. If you plan to do this while traveling, make sure you have the VPN downloaded before you go, as some nations prevent you from even loading a VPN's homepage. Make sure you check with local laws regarding the legality of VPN use as well just because your VPN traffic is encrypted doesn't mean that authorities can't detect that it's being used in a given location. Are VPNs worth it? Whether a VPN is worth the price depends on how much you value those three use cases above. It's no secret that your personal information is profitable for a lot of people, from illicit hackers to corporations to law enforcement. A VPN will not make you completely anonymous, nor is it a license to commit crimes (see the next question) but it will give you a lot more control over what you transmit to the world. With entertainment, the value is even clearer. You can use a VPN to fight back against streaming balkanization by getting more shows and movies out of a single platform for example, a lot of shows that have been kicked off American Netflix are still on Netflix in other countries. What information does a VPN hide? A VPN does not make it impossible for you to be unmasked or taken advantage of online. It prevents you from passively leaking information, keeps your IP address undiscoverable on public wi-fi networks and gets you around online censorship. However, if you share personal information of your own volition, there's nothing the VPN can do. If you reveal your password in a social media post or click a link in a phishing email, that information bypasses the VPN. Likewise, if you do anything sensitive while logged into an account, the account holder will have that information even if you're using a VPN. A VPN is a critical part of your online security, but it can't do the whole job by itself. Healthy passwords, malware scanners, private search engines and common sense all have roles to play. Never forget, too, that using a VPN means trusting the VPN provider with access to information that's concealed from everyone else make sure you trust the privacy policy before signing up. Are VPNs safe? As far as we can determine, all the VPNs recommended in this story are safe to use. As with anything you subscribe to online, due diligence is important, but there's very little inherent risk; generally, the worst thing a bad VPN will do is fail to work, leaving you no worse off than before. All that said, there are some VPNs (usually offered for free) that transmit malware, and others that pretend to be independent services while all secretly working off the same backend . Always make sure to look up any complaints or warnings about a service before you download it. Can you get a VPN on your phone? Absolutely almost every VPN has apps for both desktop and mobile devices . A good VPN will redesign its app to be mobile-friendly without dropping too many features. Both iOS and Android natively support VPN connections, so you're free to choose whichever provider you like. What about Google's One VPN? Google One VPN was, as you might expect, a VPN provided by Google. It was launched in 2020 for Google One subscribers and discontinued in 2024 due to lack of use. If you really want a Google VPN, you can still get one if you have certain Pixel models or if you're a Google Fi subscriber. That said, I don't recommend using a VPN from Google even if you do still have access to one. Google is one of the worst big tech companies at protecting user privacy . While its VPN might not leak, I wouldn't trust it to guard your sensitive information. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/best-vpn-130004396.html?src=rss
The best VPN deals: Up to 87 percent off ProtonVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, NordVPN and more
If one of your New Year's resolutions was to improve your cybersecurity , it's not too late. Most of the holiday deals are over by now, but plenty of services are still offering excellent prices. With access to a virtual private network (VPN) , you can keep your activity hidden from your ISP and any advertisers it may sell that data to all while streaming sporting events and TV dramas from all across the globe. We strongly recommend using a VPN , but if you jump on the very first deal you see, you might get stuck with a substandard app. It's also easy to mistakenly end up paying more than you want to, as otherwise respectable VPNs sometimes frame their prices in misleading ways, with advertised deals not always as available as they seem to be. Even with all those caveats, there are some great bargains on the table. Many of the best VPNs including our top pick, Proton VPN have deals that save you anywhere from 70 to 87 percent on annual subscriptions. Most of these discounts only apply if you sign up for a year or more, but if you divide the cost by the months of subscription, it's much cheaper over time. Best VPN deals ExpressVPN Basic $78.18 for a two-year subscription with four months free (78 percent off): This is one of the best VPNs, especially for new users, who will find its apps and website headache-free on all platforms. In tests for my ExpressVPN review , it dropped my download speeds by less than 7 percent and successfully changed my virtual location 14 out of 15 times. In short, it's an all-around excellent service that only suffers from being a little overpriced which is why I'm so excited whenever I find it offering a decent deal. This discount, which gets you 28 months of ExpressVPN service, represents a 78 percent savings. Be aware, though, that it'll renew at the $99.95 per year price. ExpressVPN Advanced $100.58 for a two-year subscription with four months free (74 percent off): ExpressVPN recently split its pricing into multiple tiers , but they all still come with similar discounts for going long. In addition to top-tier VPN service, advanced users get two additional simultaneous connections (for a total of 12), the ExpressVPN Keys password manager, advanced ad and tracker blocking, ID protection features and a 50 percent discount on an AirCove router. As above, note that it renews at $119.95 annually. NordVPN Basic $81.36 for a two-year subscription (70 percent off): NordVPN gets the most important parts of a VPN right. It's fast, it doesn't leak any of your data and it's great at changing your virtual location. I noted in my NordVPN review that it always connects quickly and includes a support page that makes it easy to get live help. NordVPN includes a lot of cool features, like servers that instantly connect you to Tor. This deal gives you 70 percent off the two-year plan. NordVPN Plus $93.36 for a two-year subscription (74 percent off): NordVPN has also taken 70 percent off its Plus subscription. For only a little more, you get a powerful ad and tracker blocker that can also catch malware downloads, plus access to the NordPass password manager. A Plus plan also adds a data breach scanner that checks the dark web for your sensitive information. Surfshark Starter $53.73 for a two-year subscription with three months free (87 percent off): This is the asic level of Surfshark , but it includes the entire VPN; everything on Surfshark One is an extra perk. With this subscription, you'll get some of the most envelope-pushing features in the VPN world right now. Surfshark can rotate your IP constantly to help you evade detection it even lets you choose your own entry and exit nodes for a double-hop connection. That all comes with a near-invisible impact on download speeds. With this year-round deal, you can save 87 percent on 27 months of Surfshark. Surfshark One $67.23 for a two-year subscription with three months free (87 percent off): A VPN is great, but it's not enough to protect your data all on its own. Surfshark One adds several apps that boost your security beyond just VPN service, including Surfshark Antivirus (scans devices and downloads for malware) and Surfshark Alert (alerts you whenever your sensitive information shows up in a data breach), plus Surfshark Search and Alternative ID from the tier below. This extra-low deal gives you 88 percent off all those features. If you bump up to Surfshark One+, you'll also get data removal through Incogni, but the price jumps enough that it's not quite worthwhile in my eyes. CyberGhost $56.94 for a two-year subscription with four months free (84 percent off): CyberGhost has some of the best automation you'll see on any VPN. With its Smart Rules system, you can determine how its apps respond to different types of Wi-Fi networks, with exceptions for specific networks you know by name. Typically, you can set it to auto-connect, disconnect or send you a message asking what to do. CyberGhost's other best feature is its streaming servers I've found both better video quality and more consistent unblocking when I use them on streaming sites. Currently, you can get 28 months of CyberGhost for 79 percent off the usual price, but it'll renew at $56.94 per year. hide.me $69.95 for a two-year subscription with four months free (75 percent off): Hide.me is an excellent free VPN in fact, it's my favorite on the market, even with EventVPN and the free version of Proton VPN as competition. If you do want to upgrade to its paid plan, though, the two-year subscription offers great savings. Hide.me works well as a no-frills beginner VPN, with apps and a server network it should frankly be charging more for. Windscribe $69 for a one-year subscription (32 percent off): It's not nearly as steep a discount as some of the others on this list, but Windscribe was cheap to begin with, so 32 percent off its monthly price is a bigger savings than it might seem. As I just covered in a detailed Windscribe review , it's worth upgrading from the free service to get full access to Windscribe's all-real server network (and remove the free plan's data cap). Private Internet Access $79 for a three-year subscription with four months free (83 percent off): With this deal, you can get 40 months of Private Internet Access (PIA) for a little bit under $2 per month an 83 percent discount on its monthly price. You can also get a shorter one-year subscription for $40 ($3.33 per month). Despite being so cheap, PIA has plenty of features, coming with its own DNS servers, a built-in ad blocker and automation powers to rival CyberGhost. However, internet speeds can fluctuate while you're connected. What makes a good VPN deal Practically every VPN heavily discounts its long-term subscriptions year-round, with even sharper discounts around occasions like the holidays. The only noteworthy exception is Mullvad, the Costco hot dog of VPNs (that's a compliment, to be clear). When there's constantly a huge discount going on, it can be hard to tell when you're actually getting a good deal. The best way to squeeze out more savings is to look for seasonal deals, student discounts or exclusive sales like Proton VPN's coupon for Engadget readers . One trick VPNs often use is to add extra months onto an introductory deal, pushing the average monthly price even lower. When it comes time to renew, you usually can't get these extra months again. You often can't even renew for the same basic period of time for example, you may only be able to renew a two-year subscription for one year. If you're planning to hold onto a VPN indefinitely, check the fine print to see how much it will cost per month after the first renewal, and ensure that fits into your budget. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-vpn-deals-up-to-87-percent-off-protonvpn-surfshark-expressvpn-nordvpn-and-more-120056484.html?src=rss
Windscribe review: Despite the annoyances, it has the right idea
Windscribe is a virtual private network (VPN) with intense How do you do, fellow kids? energy. It has servers in 69 countries and an annual plan that costs $69, an obsession with the sex number that rivals Elon Musk's. I'm shocked that it doesn't have a subscription costing $4.20 per month. But there's another side to Windscribe's cringe: an obsession with independence and a Bernie Sanders-like anger on behalf of an exploited public. In a market where the best VPNs aim for professionalism, Windscribe aspires to be punk. Its iconoclasm may have led it to develop an app that looks like ExpressVPN in a trash compactor, but it also spurred Windscribe to offer a strong free plan and forgo financial relationships with VPN reviewers. That attitude earned it a spot on my list of the best free VPNs . Although Windscribe's heart is in the right place, my job is to figure out whether that translates into a good product. I used our rigorous VPN testing procedure to rate Windscribe in 11 categories. You can find my results in the table below and a final verdict at the end of the review. Editor's note (1/27/26): We've overhauled our VPN coverage to provide more detailed, actionable buying advice. Going forward, we'll continue to update both our best VPN list and individual reviews (like this one) as circumstances change. Most recently, we added official scores to all of our VPN reviews. Check out how we test VPNs to learn more about the new standards we're using. Findings at a glance Category Notes Installation and UI Installation and setup are always straightforward Apps look very similar on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android App design is overly compact and often impenetrable, but hides a solid program Browser extensions allow one-click bypassing of security features on the current page, much like common ad blockers Speed Average latency below 300 worldwide Some slowdown in download and upload speeds, but not severe Speeds were highly consistent everywhere except some African servers Security Six solid protocols WireGuard, IKEv2, and four based on OpenVPN Most protocols available on all platforms, except IKEv2 on Android No leaks detected, even while switching servers Packets are encrypted as expected Pricing $9 per month, $69 for one year ($5.75 per month) Custom plans cost $1 per country plus $1 for unlimited data; must spend at least $3 Static IPs available for $2 per month or $8 per month for a residential address Free plan gives you 10 locations and 10GB per month with a confirmed email Bundles Shares coupon codes for various discounts on five partners in privacy Privacy policy Retains very little information, none of it personally identifiable Can make an account without an email address All apps have been audited by independent overseers Fought Greek court case in 2025 because it had no logs to turn over Virtual location change 15 different servers in five locations unblocked Netflix Content changed each time, suggesting the destination site was completely fooled Server network 193 server locations in 122 cities across 71 countries Only two virtual server locations in the entire network Real servers in Russia and India risk abrupt shutdowns Features Standout extras include the customizable R.O.B.E.R.T blocker and split tunneling on Windows, Mac and Android Network Options offers lots of automation choices, but terminology makes it needlessly confusing Includes obfuscation to get online in restrictive regions Firewall is a stronger version of a kill switch, preventing any access unless the VPN is connected Customer support Knowledgebase search bar is good at finding articles, and articles themselves are useful Garry AI chatbot is helpful, but pushed way too hard at the expense of access to human agents Active Reddit and Discord communities for peer-to-peer help Background check Founded in Canada in 2016 No significant controversies in 10 years Canada is a Five Eyes nation, but this shouldn't matter if Windscribe is keeping to its no logs policy Installing, configuring and using Windscribe The first step is always to figure out how easy or hard the VPN is to use. Windscribe and other VPNs are important tools, but you'll never use them if the UI gets in the way. I tested Windscribe's desktop apps on Windows and Mac, its mobile apps on iOS and Android and its Chrome and Firefox browser extensions. To start with, let me say that installing Windscribe is a breeze no matter where you do it. The downloaders and installers handle their own business, only requiring you to grant a few permissions. The apps arrive on your system ready to use out of the box. Windows The first thing you'll notice about Windscribe is that it's not even slightly interested in looking like any other VPN. It crams everything into an extremely compact window, which has some advantages mainly that it's easy to operate it while looking at another app. On the downside, well, it looks like this. Windscribe's UI on a Windows laptop. Sam Chapman for Engadget The Windscribe team will probably just say that I'm brainwashed by the establishment, but there's a good reason that most VPNs choose designs with a little more space. This fiddly console, most of which is taken up by information you can't interact with, is likely to confirm all a newcomer's worst fears about using a VPN. Private Internet Access had a similar problem of tightening its app design to the point of being incomprehensible. The problems persist when you get to the settings page. It's easy to make sense of a VPN without technical knowledge, but Windscribe's preferences menu does everything it can to obscure that truth. Highly technical features are mixed in with options for casual users, and the explanatory blurbs usually cloud the issue even further. Even the Look & Feel settings somehow manage to be confusing. What is the difference between the Stretch, Fill and Tile modes for aspect ratio? What the heck is a Bundled background, and what does it matter whether it's Square, Palm, Ripple, Drip or Snow? The answers to all these can be found by playing around or looking in the knowledgebase, but a VPN really shouldn't require that for its most basic toggles. Once you get used to Windscribe and learn where to find the features that actually matter, it runs quite smoothly. Connections are never delayed and there are none of the random error messages that have dogged me on other VPNs. In a world of VPNs that look great but run clunkily, Windscribe has built one that looks terrible but runs great. I can't complain about how well it works, but is it too much to ask for a provider that does both? (Oh, wait, that's Proton VPN .) Mac Windscribe's macOS app is almost identical to its Windows app. That deserves praise in itself you'll get much the same experience no matter which type of computer you use. But it also means the Mac app shares the same problems. Windscribe's app for Mac desktops and laptops. Sam Chapman for Engadget There's the same overly compact design cluttered with too much information. The same technobabble-filled options menu. And the same fundamental solidity underlying it all: a VPN that does the job beautifully but has no interest in being accessible. It would be a mistake to write Windscribe off because of its app design, but it's important to know what you'll have to work through. Android One thing I can't fault Windscribe for is a lack of consistency. The Android app looks a lot like the Windows and Mac apps, only lightly adapted for the mobile format. On these devices, the design decisions make more sense the UI writing is still impenetrable for casual users, but the compact pages look a lot more normal on a phone screen. A comparison of Windscribe's extremely similar apps on Android and Mac. Sam Chapman for Engadget iOS There's not a lot to say about Windscribe on iOS that I haven't already said about the other three main platforms. Looking over all my screenshots, it seems fairly clear that Windscribe's problems much like PIA's come from starting on mobile and trying to make that same design work on desktop. It's still not great to look at, but I can at least see where they're coming from. Windscribe's iOS app. Sam Chapman for Engadget Browser extensions Windscribe's extensions for Chrome and Firefox look a little like its desktop and mobile VPN apps, but they act a little differently. They serve the same basic purpose as the standalone apps changing your IP address and location but they're also customizable ad blockers for the web page you're currently on. Windscribe's Google Chrome extension. Sam Chapman for Engadget For example, in the image above, I can control what location Google perceives me to be in. But I can also control what gets blocked by choosing to let Google bypass certain features. Clicking the leftmost button makes the current website skip the VPN tunnel. The central button shuts off the ad blocker and the right-hand button shuts off the features on the Privacy section of the preferences menu. Like everything else about Windscribe, it's unintuitive but works great once you figure it out. Windscribe speed test I used speedtest.net to test Windscribe's speeds. In case you aren't familiar with the jargon, Ping measures a server's latency, which is how long it takes a single packet of data to reach it from your device. Download speed measures how much data can be downloaded at a time, while upload speed shows how quickly you can send data to the network. Think of ping as your car's speed in miles per hour and download and upload speed as the amount of traffic on the road. As usual, I used the WireGuard protocol to run these tests, since it's almost always the fastest. Starting with my unprotected speeds at home in Portland, I moved gradually farther away until I was connecting to the other side of the world. Ideally, ping should increase linearly (not exponentially), while download and upload speeds don't dip much at all. I've recorded Windscribe's performance in the table below. Server location Ping (ms) Increase factor Download speed (Mbps) Percentage drop Upload speed (Mbps) Percentage drop Portland, USA (unprotected) 22 59.35 5.92 Vancouver, Canada (fastest location) 27 1.2x 55.89 5.83 5.56 6.08 Boston, USA 161 7.3x 48.49 18.30 5.66 4.39 Quito, Ecuador 283 12.9x 46.46 21.72 4.68 20.95 London, UK 287 13.0x 43.70 26.37 4.51 23.82 Nairobi, Kenya 595 27.0x 32.63 45.02 3.57 39.70 Seoul, South Korea 258 11.7x 43.27 27.09 4.48 24.32 Average 269 12.2x 45.07 24.06 4.74 19.93 Windscribe gave me some of the shortest latencies I've ever seen comparable to CyberGhost, whose ping lengths I was also very impressed by. Its download and upload speeds also look a lot like CyberGhost's, with both firmly in good-but-not-amazing territory. However, Windscribe's speeds were a lot more consistent. Throughout the tests, I hardly ever saw major fluctuations in the same location, on any metric. The Nairobi server seemed to be under some strain, but that's not unusual for a VPN in Africa. Every location except for that one followed a smooth downward curve. I'm happy with that; speed is one of the areas where you want your VPN to be reliably boring, not flashy. Practically, a speed test like this suggests that Windscribe is best for gaming, livestreaming and video chatting, and that it's perfectly serviceable for any other task you could do online. You may not get the best speeds you've ever seen, but unless your internet is bad to begin with, Windscribe should not slow it down enough to be noticeable. Windscribe security test I can say up top that Windscribe doesn't seem to have any dangerous security flaws, but I'll take this section to explain why I think that. To start with, it uses only the three VPN protocols currently known to be secure: WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2, plus a few other options all based on OpenVPN. With those options, you can be sure you're getting encryption that's currently uncrackable. It also passed two batteries of tests I ran on its security. The first set of tests looks for DNS leaks, WebRTC leaks and other slip-ups that might reveal your real IP address . The second checks whether data packets sent through the VPN tunnel are actually getting encrypted. Check each section below for details on how Windscribe did. VPN protocols A VPN protocol determines how exactly a VPN makes contact between its own servers, your device and your ISP. Certain protocols can make your VPN run faster, stabilize a shaky connection or get into websites other protocols fail to unlock. If you're having a problem with your VPN, changing the protocol is one of the first troubleshooting steps. Windscribe makes a total of six protocols available, though it's really just three, since four of the six are variations on OpenVPN. WireGuard works on every platform, and is currently the fastest and most stable its drawback used to be that it was new, but with the passage of time, it's no longer new enough to make it suspect. IKEv2 is a connection protocol that uses the separate IPSec protocol for its security. This double team's main strength is reconnecting to the VPN when a device switches networks; it's also good at not draining phone batteries. Windscribe supports IKEv2 on Mac, iOS and Windows. OpenVPN is the oldest open-source VPN protocol, refined by over a decade of repeated probing by volunteers. It's not only relatively fast and highly secure, but comes in two flavors: TCP , which makes connections more stable, and UDP , which is usually faster and should be your first resort with OpenVPN. Windscribe supports OpenVPN on all platforms. Windscribe rounds out the selection with two unique protocols, both focused on hiding your VPN traffic from firewalls and censors. Stealth uses the same connection ports as HTTPS, so it can't be blocked by shutting certain ports down entirely. WStunnel obfuscates connections even further by using the extremely common WebSocket technology to establish VPN connections. Both these proprietary protocols are much slower than the other options, but can save you if you find yourself repeatedly blocked while using Windscribe. Leak test I started my leak tests by using ipleak.net to check several Windscribe servers for IP leaks of all sorts. Each time I connected and checked my location, I only saw the VPN server's IP address, never my real one. I tried to trip Windscribe up by switching servers while remaining connected, even changing continents, but my true location never once slipped out. This puts its security solidly above CyberGhost, Norton VPN and many others. I couldn't find any holes in Windscribe's armor. Sam Chapman for Engadget Windscribe automatically blocks IPv6 traffic while connected, so IPv6 leaks weren't going to be a thing. I finished the test by checking five servers using browserleaks.com/webrtc, finding no issues each time. Encryption test The final step is to make sure Windscribe is applying encryption properly through its VPN protocols. For this test, I used a free packet sniffer app called Wireshark to look directly at what my computer was sending out. Windscribe's encryption looks solid. Sam Chapman for Engadget It's a bit hard to tell what's going on, but to summarize, I've loaded a website without HTTPS protection and checked whether Windscribe managed to apply that protection. The lack of readable information in the data stream proves that its encryption is indeed working as expected. How much does Windscribe cost? Windscribe has three subscription options (not counting its free plan, which I'll discuss in a moment). One month of Pro service costs $9.00 after Mullvad, the second-cheapest monthly subscription to a top-tier VPN. You can also pay $69 for a 12-month Pro subscription, working out to $5.75 per month. Both of these tiers give you the exact same set of Pro features and can be used on unlimited simultaneous devices. The cost of Windscribe Pro at publication time. Sam Chapman for Engadget The third option is to build your own plan. Build-A-Plan is an interesting beast that's unique to Windscribe. When you choose a custom plan, you must spend at least $3 per month. Gaining access to all the Pro servers in a country costs $1. For each country you add, you get an additional 10GB of data per month on top of the 10GB already included for free. If you'd rather not budget your data at all, you can pay another $1 for unlimited data, plus 10 custom rules for the R.O.B.E.R.T. content blocker (I'll untangle the tortured acronym soon). It's a little convoluted, but wonderfully flexible. You can even change your Build-A-Plan in the middle of the subscription period. Windscribe also offers shared static IPs for an extra fee. You can add a datacenter IP to any plan for $2 per month or a residential IP (usually better at getting around restrictions) for $8 per month. Team billing is also available through ScribeForce at $3 per seat per month, including a centralized management panel. The Windscribe free plan Windscribe isn't the overall best free VPN hide.me wins that honor with its more flexible data limit but it's close. Free users get access to servers in 10 countries: the US, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, Norway, France, Germany, Switzerland, Romania and Hong Kong. If you plot that on a map, you'll see that the Windscribe free plan is most useful in North America and Europe. Free users start with a data allotment of 2GB per month. The monthly limit rises to 10GB if you sign up with a confirmed email address and 15GB if you post about Windscribe on Twitter/X. That's enough for casual browsing, but streaming in standard definition takes about 1GB per hour, so you won't be doing much binge-watching. On the upside, a free plan gives you access to all Windscribe's features except for dynamic port forwarding. You can set three R.O.B.E.R.T. rules and use your free account on an infinite number of devices (subject to the usual restrictions about exploiting that for commercial purposes as Windscribe itself states, no one person has 30 devices that need a VPN). Windscribe side apps and bundles Windscribe doesn't have any add-ons of its own except for static IP addresses. However, it does offer discount codes for a group of partners in privacy that share its business ethics. The coupon codes are available here and don't require a Windscribe subscription to use. The five members of Windscribe's gang. Sam Chapman for Engadget There are currently five allies in the gang. Control D offers DNS filtering for organizations to block unwanted websites; the Windscribe coupon gives you 50 percent off. You can get 25 percent off a one-year subscription to addy.io , an open-source email anonymizer, and Ente , an encrypted storage space for photos and videos. Rounding out the team are Kagi , a private search engine which you can use for three months free with the Windscribe coupon, and Notesnook , an encrypted notes app. Windscribe's coupon gives you a 10% discount on Notesnook's yearly plans in perpetuity. Close-reading Windscribe's privacy policy Windscribe's marketing positions it as serious about user independence, so I came into this section hoping for a privacy policy that backs those words up. An early green flag is that the policy is short, succinct and obviously written to be read by the users themselves. It's also fantastic that you can sign up without an email address (though you will need one to get the full data allotment on the free plan). Windscribe gathers information on its website using Piwik, an open-source analytics tool that it manages itself; no third parties are involved. The Windscribe app itself collects no information except for the amount of data used in a month, the time of your last connection and the number of devices you have online at once. When actively connected, it also gives you an anonymized username necessary for the OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols. My only quibble is that Windscribe is oddly reluctant to identify which third-party payment processors it uses. The information does exist elsewhere an article in the knowledgebase states that payments are handled by trusted third party processors such as PayPal and Stripe, and another page says that CoinPayments handles cryptocurrency transactions. It's a small thing, but the rest of the policy is so airtight that it stands out. Independent privacy audits Windscribe's apps are fully open-source (you can find them on Github here ). In addition to this general exposure, it's also undergone three intensive audits from security firms. Leviathan Security looked into its desktop apps in 2021 and its mobile apps in 2022. The auditors made a total of five high-severity recommendations, all of which Windscribe claims to have addressed. More recently, Windscribe had its entire codebase audited by PacketLabs. The auditors' June 2024 report found that some of Windscribe's code was storing more user information than it strictly needed to. Windscribe also claims to have handled this risk. More importantly, PacketLabs found no intentional subversions of Windscribe's no-logs policy, so its privacy statements can likely be trusted. Further corroboration of the latter came from a 2025 court case in which Windscribe founder and CEO Yegor Sak was indicted in Greece and charged with a crime committed by a Windscribe user through an IP address in Finland. This case is obviously absurd like charging the head of GM with a single instance of vehicular manslaughter committed by someone driving a Buick but Sak was obliged to appear in court anyway. As Sak writes in the linked post, he could have turned over the logs and shown who actually committed the crime, but he couldn't since Windscribe doesn't keep that information. Had there been an alternative to waging an expensive and inconvenient legal campaign in another country, Sak would surely have taken it. The fact that he didn't is strong proof of Windscribe's no-logging policy. Can Windscribe change your virtual location? Changing your IP address with a VPN can do more than just anonymize your internet activity. A service like Windscribe can give you an IP address associated with a certain country or region, letting you use the internet like you were there. This has applications ranging from the serious (break out of a nationwide firewall to document human rights issues) to the fun (get new titles on streaming platforms without paying for a new subscription). Netflix is a great tool for testing whether a VPN can change your virtual location. Like most streamers, it tries to block all VPN access to protect the copyrights it holds. Consequently, if a VPN can crack Netflix, it must be serious about keeping its server network fresh to foil any potential blockers. A successful location change on Netflix using Windscribe. Sam Chapman for Engadget For this test, I tried to access Netflix three times each through five different Windscribe server locations, refreshing the connection to use different servers each time. I looked for successful Netflix access, plus different content to prove my location had actually changed. Server location Unblocked Netflix? Changed content? Vancouver, Canada 3/3 3/3 Queretaro, Mexico 3/3 3/3 Tokyo, Japan 3/3 3/3 London, UK 3/3 3/3 Auckland, NZ 3/3 3/3 Windscribe got a perfect score. Netflix loaded easily every time, and the content was always localized to the country I chose. With this performance combined with its fairly consistent speeds over long distances, Windscribe makes a nearly perfect streaming VPN. The only downside is that the data limits on the free plan mean you'll probably have to pay for serious streaming time. Investigating Windscribe's server network Windscribe has 193 server locations in 71 countries, which it insists on listing as 69+ (again, hilarious). Although 193 sounds like a lot, many of them are duplicate locations in the same city. This isn't necessarily a problem, but for accuracy's sake, the total number of cities with Windscribe servers is 122. Region Countries with servers Cities with servers Total server locations Virtual server locations North America 6 40 61 0 South America 7 7 9 0 Europe 38 47 75 0 Africa 3 3 5 0 Middle East 2 2 2 0 Asia 12 16 28 1 Oceania 2 6 12 0 Antarctica 1 1 1 1 Total 71 122 193 2 (1 percent) The bigger story here is Windscribe's spurning of virtual servers. A virtual server location is physically located in a different region than the one it outwardly displays. For example, a server with an Indian IP address might really be in Singapore. Throughout the entire Windscribe network, only two servers are virtual: one in India and one in Antarctica. This is both good and bad. On the positive side, the near-total lack of virtual servers means you can be sure of how any server will perform. If it says it's in Buenos Aires, it'll run like it's in Buenos Aires you won't be surprised with lagging speeds because it's really in Miami. This also makes it clear that Windscribe isn't interested in pumping up its network size for marketing purposes. Windscribe's server selection list on the Mac app. Sam Chapman for Engadget On the other hand, virtual locations aren't an inherently bad thing. Windscribe acts as though advertising hype is the only reason any VPN would employ them, but there are real use cases. Virtual servers can be used to place locations inside countries where real servers would risk confiscation by the government, like Russia, India and China. Windscribe chooses instead to place real servers in Russia and India, both of which have data retention laws that directly conflict with its own privacy policy. Does this mean that using Windscribe's Russian servers will earn you a midnight visit from the FSB? Probably not. Assuming Windscribe is following its no-logs policy (which appears to be the case), there won't be any user data on those servers if the government seizes them. But it does mean they're effectively running illegal data centers which could be raided and shut down at any time. Be aware of this if you depend on Windscribe's locations in Russia or India. Extra features of Windscribe As covered in the UI section, Windscribe has a lot going on in its apps. The Connection tab alone has 13 different features, including two submenus with several options of their own. With this many options, and so many of them highly situational, I won't be able to cover every nook and cranny without this review getting seriously bloated. I've instead chosen some of the most important and illustrative features to give you a clear sense of the whole picture. Network Options You'll find this feature at the top of the Connection tab. When you click Network Options, you should see the name of your current Wi-Fi network and all the others your Windscribe account has discovered. This feature lets you control how the VPN reacts to each network it encounters, not unlike CyberGhost's Smart Rules . Just switching around a few terms would make this a lot less confusing. Sam Chapman for Engadget The app does a remarkably poor job of explaining how this works, so I'll break it down for you here. When the Auto-Secure Networks switch is turned on, Windscribe will automatically mark each new network as Secured a word which here means Windscribe turns on when it encounters the network. So far, so good. But if you turn Auto-Secure Networks off, things get weird. Without it, Windscribe tags every network you encounter as Unsecured. Whenever you connect to an Unsecured network, Windscribe immediately disconnects itself. This means it secures all Secured networks and does not secure any Unsecured networks. It feels backwards until you realize that Windscribe is referring entirely to itself here. Secured doesn't mean that the Wi-Fi network is password-protected or otherwise considered safe, and Unsecured doesn't mean that it's open to the public without a password. All that matters is whether or not you want Windscribe to activate or deactivate on that network. It's a useful feature that even lets you choose a VPN protocol for each network, but it would help to bring it more in line with mainstream terminology. R.O.B.E.R.T. This mouthful of a feature name allegedly stands for Remote Omnidirectional Badware Eliminating Robotic Tool. This is perhaps the apex of the VPN industry's unfortunate habit of saddling perfectly good features with word-salad names (yes, I'm aware it's supposed to be funny). R.O.B.E.R.T. is perhaps the most customizable content blocker on any VPN right now. To start with, it includes eight lists of sites it blocks at the DNS level: Malware, Ad + Trackers, Social Networks, Porn, Gambling, Clickbait, Other VPNs and Crypto. These vary in usefulness, and you can't determine the contents of each list, but it's nice to have such a range of choices. It eliminates all the badware, remotely AND omnidirectionally! Sam Chapman for Engadget Where R.O.B.E.R.T really shines, though, is in its browser-based customization dashboard. Each Free user can make three custom rules, and Pro upgrades that to 10. Each custom rule can be used to block a specific website or network or allowlist it from one of the other general blocklists. You can also set it to spoof a domain, though there's no practical reason to do this (Windscribe's idea of a useful application is making your friends think your post made the front page of Reddit). Split tunneling Split tunneling sends some of your internet requests through the VPN tunnel while others go unencrypted as normal. This can be useful if you get worse-than-usual speeds and want to minimize the amount of traffic going through the VPN, or for certain websites that refuse to work with any VPN server. You can split tunnel on Windscribe's apps for Windows, Mac and Android. Windows and Android users can split by app or website, while Mac users can only split by website. Windscribe lets you choose whether your split tunnel will be inclusive (only apps and IPs on the list will go through the VPN) or exclusive (the apps and IPs on the list will not go through the VPN). Note that R.O.B.E.R.T. rules apply to the entire system, even excluded apps and domains. Firewall and Always On VPN Instead of a kill switch, which it derides as an incomplete solution, Windscribe includes a Firewall feature on desktop and an Always On VPN feature on mobile. The Firewall can be considered a strong kill switch that prevents any internet traffic from going outside the VPN tunnel something doesn't have to go wrong for the blocks to activate. Always On VPN on iOS and Android is functionally the same. A more proactive defense has its advantages, but it would be nice if Windscribe included the weak kill switch option. Kill switches and firewalls can be overactive, and sometimes, you don't want the strongest level of security. Circumvent Censorship This feature is designed to let you access Windscribe on networks that don't want you to use a VPN, from school and work systems to entire censorious countries like China. Windscribe isn't forthcoming about how it works, but it's probably a deep-packet obfuscation that makes VPN traffic look like regular traffic. I didn't have time to pop over to China and test Circumvent Censorship, but I'm glad it exists. Windscribe customer support options Clicking the question mark tab on the Windscribe app shows you the full list of support options. You can peruse the knowledgebase, ask their chatbot Garry, talk directly to a human or check out their user communities on Reddit and Discord. Most of these lead back to Garry. Sam Chapman for Engadget I started with the written FAQs. At the top of the knowledgebase, there's a row of buttons you can click to see only articles relating to a particular operating system. This is a good idea in theory, but it's not implemented very well there's no visible tagging system, so we can't see how it's deciding which articles to filter. The search bar is much more likely to get you where you need to go. It works instantaneously and always turns up relevant articles, though it's weirdly insistent on showing exactly 10 results. I have few complaints about articles themselves, which are written in a way any user should find useful (give or take yet more attempted humor). I tested the chatbot, Garry, by asking it about the mysterious Advanced Parameters tab of the Windscribe app. It explained each feature on that tab (none of which should be touched except by users with technical knowledge) in a spiel that was clearly pre-written but nonetheless useful. Garry was launched in 2018, when IBM Watson was the biggest thing in AI, and recently revamped into Garry 2.0 whether this is based on OpenAI or another platform is anyone's guess at the moment. Live support Windscribe appears to handle all of its own support, without outsourcing to Zendesk or a similar third party. If you decide not to go through Garry, Windscribe does have the option of connecting directly to a human. However, the Contact Humans option on the app sends you directly back to Garry. It's eventually possible to get Garry to connect you to a real person, but that doesn't excuse Windscribe building an outright lie into its app. The Contact Support button on the knowledgebase, which I expected to lead to a ticket submission, also sends you straight to Garry. Windscribe really, really wants you to use Garry, in case that wasn't clear. You might have a better time going straight to the Windscribe Discord server or the r/Windscribe subreddit, both of which are linked to in the app. Windscribe background check Windscribe eschews a lot of the things we've come to expect from a VPN provider. It doesn't pay for ads anywhere. It has no affiliate relationships with news sites. The only thing resembling a Windscribe ad campaign is the free-plan data reward for Xeeting about it. It doesn't even have any venture capital investors it's completely self-funded and self-hosted. As a jaded and cynical reviewer who was already annoyed by Windscribe's memelord attitude, I was prepared to sniff out any hypocrisy in its background, which makes it all the more impressive that I didn't find any. Since its founding in Canada in 2016, Windscribe has never once been involved in any public doings that contradict its statements of ethics . It's even given free unlimited VPN access to every journalist working in Ukraine. The only thing I could find resembling a controversy was an incident in July 2021 when Ukrainian police confiscated two servers that weren't fully encrypted. Although this would only have posed a risk to users running a customized connection profile under very specific conditions, it was still a lapse. Windscribe responded appropriately in my view, ending the legacy OpenVPN implementation that caused the problem. Canadian headquarters Windscribe is based in Canada, which is one of the Five Eyes nations (along with the U.S., the U.K., Australia and New Zealand). This sounds scary, but it's not actually an issue, as Yegor Sak himself points out in a blog post I reference frequently. Five Eyes is not an organization, but an agreement between five allied countries to share necessary intelligence with each other. This can absolutely be misused. If the U.S. government wants to spy on someone without running into the 4th Amendment, it can ask the Brits to spy on that person instead and tell them what they find, knowing the Constitution can't determine what other countries do to our citizens. As bad as that is for our civil liberties, it doesn't actually change anything where VPNs are concerned. If a VPN isn't logging user data, there shouldn't be anything for any of the Five Eyes (or Nine Eyes or Fourteen Eyes) nations to find. And if it is keeping logs, you shouldn't be using it no matter where its headquarters are. Final verdict You might wonder, at this point, why my distaste for Windscribe's tryhard sense of humor has featured so prominently in this review. One reason is that I had to read a lot of it this week, and you must suffer as I have suffered. But it also makes Windscribe look very good by implication. Having no patience for the discount-4chan act that pervades Windscribe's brand, I was primed to dislike the VPN itself and I simply couldn't. This is not to say I had no problems at all with Windscribe. Its physical servers in Russia are difficult to trust. Its help options lean way too heavily on Garry the chatbot. Its app design and UI writing are significant faults. The free plan doesn't give you enough data for streaming. Having said all that, though, Windscribe does everything else right. It changes virtual locations and unblocks Netflix without breaking a sweat. Its servers keep latencies low, and download speeds remain solid across the world. The apps may look bad, but they never break down. Some features, like R.O.B.E.R.T. and Auto-Secure, are both useful to everybody and deeply customizable for power users. Windscribe may be best for privacy nerds who know how all its doohickeys work, but it's a VPN I recommend for everybody. In a world of predatory software, it's a relief to use an app that's unabashedly on the customer's side. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/windscribe-review-despite-the-annoyances-it-has-the-right-idea-120000837.html?src=rss
Techie Husband Installs Malware, Tracks Estranged Wife For 6 Months In Bengaluru
Investigation suggests that the husband had been monitoring the womans phone for 6 months. He allegedly tracked her movements in real time and kept tabs on her communications.
Dharmendra, ex-Kerala CM Achuthanandan awarded Padma Vibhushan posthumously
New Delhi: Veteran actor Dharmendra and Left stalwart and former Kerala chief minister VS Achuthanandan have been awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously on the occasion of the Republic Day 2026, late JMM founder and former Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren, singer Alka Yagnik, and Malayalam superstar Mammotty the Padma Bhushan, and sportspersons Harmanpreet Kaur, Rohit []
Shibu Soren Will Forever Remain 'Bharat Ratna': Hemant Soren On Padma Bhushan To Father
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Sunday expressed gratitude to the Centre for conferring the Padma Bhushan on his late father Shibu Soren, as his party, the JMM, demanded a Bharat Ratna for the tribal stalwart.
Five Andhra Stalwarts Shine in the Limelight With Padma Honours
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu conveyed his best wishes to AP Padma awardees.
Beyond Politics: Modi Governments Civilian Honours Reflect Cross-Party Recognition
Over the past decade, leaders from opposition parties, regional stalwarts, and ideological rivals have featured prominently in the honours list.
Wall Street mogul Jamie Dimon spoke about how JPMorgan Chase will hire employees in the near future due to the impact of AI. He said that he has plans to employ fewer employees in the next five years while speaking at Davos. The JPMorgan Chase CEO gave the example of truckers in the US, saying 2 million truckers can't be laid off tomorrow as the process can be phased in over time.
APSCC condoles demise of renowned cultural icon Kanwal Kashmiri
Jagmohan Singh Raina,otherspay heartfelt tributes to legendary litterateur SRINAGAR: Chairman of the All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC), Jagmohan Singh Raina, along with a galaxy of eminent social, religious, and academic figures, has expressed deep anguish over the demise of legendary litterateur, scholar, and cultural stalwart S. Paramjit Singh Bali, popularly known as Kanwal Kashmiri. []
Two Murder Convicts Marry Secretly on Parole in Rajasthans Alwar
Priya Seth, a resident of Pali, was convicted in the 2018 murder of Dushyant Sharma
2 Murder Convicts And A Love Story That Started From Rajasthan Jail
A woman convicted of murdering a man she met on a dating app and a man who killed five people are set to tie the knot in Rajasthan's Alwar, in what appears to be right out of a film script.
MCA names squad for Senior Womens One Day Trophy
By Our Reporter Shillong, Jan 19: A 15-member squad was named on Monday by the Meghalaya Cricket Associations senior womens selection committee for the BCCIs Senior Women One Day Trophy 2025-26 plate group, which will be held next month. The team will be captained by stalwart Debasmita Dutta, with Monica Lyngdoh Phawa as the vice-captain. []
Kauvery Hospital Alwarpet Performs Rare, High-Risk Vertebral Artery Stenting to Prevent Major Stroke
Kauvery Hospital Alwarpet has successfully performed a rare and technically complex neurovascular procedure to prevent a potentially devastating stroke in a patient with rapidly progressive vertebral artery stenosis, a condition that is distinct from routine stroke interventions and far less commonly encountered. Kauvery Hospital Alwarpet Performs Rare, High-Risk Vertebral Artery Stenting to Prevent Major Stroke The patient,a 42 year old gentleman with a history of diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol, had been asymptomatic until six months ago. While driving from Bengaluru to Chennai, he suddenly experienced difficulty controlling his car steering, noticing that the vehicle was drifting to one side. Recognising the seriousness of the episode, he immediately sought neurological consultation. A CT angiogram revealed moderate (approximately 60%) narrowing of the left vertebral artery, one of the major arteries supplying blood to the brainstem and posterior parts of the brain. The right vertebral artery was normal. As this was his first episode, he was treated with optimal medical therapy, including dual antiplatelet agents, statins, and strict metabolic control, and was discharged with close follow-up. However, a few months later, despite strict compliance with medication, the patient experienced a recurrence of symptoms while driving. A repeat CT angiogram showed rapid progression of the narrowing to nearly 95%, placing him at very high risk of a posterior circulation stroke, which can be life-threatening and often disabling. Although the patient was young and initially stable on medication, the sudden progression of the blockage made intervention essential. Treating it in time ensured complete recovery without neurological damage ,, said Dr Venkatraman Karthikaeyan, Senior Consultant Neurologist, Kauvery Hospital Alwarpet. Given the recurrence of symptoms and the unusually rapid progression despite optimal medical therapy, the multidisciplinary team recommended endovascular vertebral artery angioplasty and stenting. Unlike routine stroke procedures, which commonly involve the carotid or intracranial arteries, vertebral artery interventions are infrequently performed and are technically demanding, as the artery supplies critical areas such as the brainstem and cerebellum. The minimally invasive procedure was successfully performed by the Interventional Radiologist of Kauvery Hospital Alwarpet. Through a tiny puncture in the groin or wrist, a catheter was navigated to the severely narrowed vertebral artery. Balloon angioplasty followed by stent placement was used to completely reopen the artery, restoring normal blood flow to the posterior circulation of the brain. The patient was monitored in the ICU for 24 hours and shifted to the ward the next day. He was discharged on the third postoperative day. On follow-up, he remained asymptomatic and has returned to normal daily activities without any neurological deficit. Speaking about the case, Dr. Sathya Narayanan R, Senior Consultant Interventional Radiology , said, This was not a routine stroke procedure. Vertebral artery stenosis progressing so rapidly despite optimal medical therapy is uncommon and potentially dangerous. Intervention in this artery requires high technical expertise, as it supplies vital structures of the brain. Endovascular angioplasty and stenting allowed us to restore blood flow safely without open surgery or prolonged hospitalisation . Commenting on the hospitals advanced capabilities, Dr. Aravindan Selvaraj, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Kauvery Group of Hospitals, said, This case reflects our focus on handling complex, high-risk conditions that go beyond standard stroke care. By combining experienced specialists with advanced minimally invasive technology, we were able to prevent a major posterior circulation stroke and ensure an excellent recovery for the patient. Vertebral artery angioplasty and stenting is a specialised neurovascular procedure, performed through a tiny puncture without any surgical incision. The successful outcome in this case highlights how rare, high-risk stroke conditions can be treated effectively with minimal pain, no visible scars, and faster recovery. Kauvery Hospital Alwarpet continues to be a regional referral centre for complex neurovascular and interventional radiology procedures, offering comprehensive stroke prevention and advanced endovascular care under one roof.
North Korea-linked hackers target Naver, Google ads to spread malware
Seoul: A North Korea-linked hacking group has recently conducted a sophisticated malware distribution campaign by abusing online advertising systems operated by Naver and Google, a report showed on Monday, January 19. According to the online threat assessment report released by Genians Security Center, Konni, the hacking group tied to Kimsuky and other Pyongyang-sponsored hacking groups, Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Its now or never for Indias FIFA World Cup push: Ashalata
New Delhi, Jan 17: Indian womens football stalwart Ashalata Devi says the dream of seeing the country play at the FIFA Womens World Cup remains alive, but stressed that sustained progress at the grassroots level is crucial to bridge the gap with the worlds elite. Our dream of the World Cup is still alive. We []
Assault on democracy: Gehlot alleges 1,300 fake objections in Alwar draft voter roll
Mr. Gehlot alleged that similar attempts were made across the State but were exposed in time.
Ashok Gehlot alleges nearly 1,400 fake objections in Alwar draft voter list
Congress leader Ashok Gehlot has raised serious concerns over electoral roll revisions in Ramgarh, Alwar. He claims a BJP election agent filed 1,383 fake objections in one day. Gehlot alleges this is a conspiracy to undermine democracy and steal the public mandate. He has demanded criminal cases against those involved and strict action.
Veteran freedom fighter and former Karnataka minister Bheemanna Khandre has passed away at 102. A prominent Congress leader and cooperative movement stalwart, Khandre served as Transport Minister and was instrumental in keeping Bidar district within Karnataka. His contributions to agriculture and education were significant. He is survived by his son, current Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre.
Asmitai Vars unveiled to celebrate 60 yrs of historic Opinion Poll
Margao: Terming it a timely and meaningful initiative, senior advocate and Opinion Poll stalwart Uday Bhembre said that Madganvcho Awaazs decision to commemorate 60 years of the historic Opinion Poll of 1967 through year-long activities would help create milestones for future generations rather than one-day events that are soon forgotten. He was speaking at the []
Syed Jaleel Ahmed, legal luminary and social pillar, passes away
Hyderabad grieves the loss of one of its most distinguished legal minds and community stalwarts, Senior Supreme Court and High Court advocate Syed Jaleel Ahmed, who succumbed to a brief illness on Wednesday, January 14. He was 85. Born in the modest lanes of the Old City, Ahmed rose from humble beginnings to become a Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Maharashtra civic poll results: Congress sweeps Latur Municipal Corporation with 43 seats
Local political observers believe Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan's controversial remarks on Congress stalwart and late CM Vilasrao Deshmukh, who hailed from Latur, backfired
Bomb-Like Object Found in Rajasthan's Alwar, Bomb Squad to Examine Object
Following the discovery, police cordoned off the area and immediately moved the object to an isolated location near Jaisamand dam, about six-and-a-half kilometres from the city, as a precautionary measure
Kallis, Boucher back Rohit, Kohli for 2027 ODI World Cup
Paarl, Jan 11: Two of South Africas modern greats Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher have thrown their weight behind Indian stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, backing the veteran duo to feature at the 2027 ODI World Cup despite advancing age and mounting scrutiny over longevity. In recent weeks, debate has intensified over []
Chennai Metro Rail train chugs along from Porur to Vadapalani
The Chennai Metro Rail Limited conducted a trial run after the elevated viaduct fromPorurtoVadapalaniwas completed. The sectionincludes a 4-km double-decker line from AlwarthirunagartoAlapakkam
17.5 Million Instagram Accounts Compromised In Massive Data Leak: Report
A data breach affecting around 17.5 million Instagram accounts has been reported by cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes. The leaked data is already being shared freely on hacker forums and the dark web, putting millions of users at risk
Last week, several Instagram users reported receiving unexpected password reset emails, sparking concerns of a possible data breach. The users were asked to reset their Instagram passwords not initiated by them and the concerns drew more attention after Malwarebytes claimed the activity was linked to a breach associated with 17.5 million Instagram users. Meta has denied these claims.
Kauvery Hospital & Tamil Nadu Seniors Tennis Club Organise Open Tennis Tournament
Kauvery Hospital and Tamil Nadu Seniors Tennis Club successfully organised the Open Tennis Tournament for senior citizens on January 3rd and 4th at the YMCA Grounds, Nandanam, Chennai. Tennis Tournament The two-day tournament witnessed enthusiastic participation from around 210 senior tennis players from Chennai and nearby regions. The matches were conducted across multiple age categories, including 4550, 5055, 5560, 6065, 6570,7075 and 75 above, highlighting the growing passion for competitive sport among senior citizens. The tournament featured seven categories each in singles and doubles, offering players an excellent platform to compete, stay active, and engage socially. The matches were played in a spirited yet friendly atmosphere, reflecting the importance of physical fitness, mental well-being, and camaraderie in promoting healthy and active aging. The awards were presented by Dr. Singaravadivelu V, Senior Orthopaedic Surgeon, Kauvery Hospital Alwarpet who graced the valedictory function. Participants expressed their appreciation for the smooth organisation and facilities provided throughout the event. The successful conduct of the tournament reaffirmed the commitment of Tamil Nadu Open Senior Tennis Club and Kauvery Hospital towards encouraging fitness, wellness, and active lifestyles among senior citizens through sports initiatives.
It would be silly to underestimate Kohli, Rohit: Bracewell
NEW ZEALAND ODIS Mumbai, Jan 6: New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell on Tuesday said it would be silly to underestimate Indian batting superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and backed the stalwarts to play next years ODI World Cup. Kohli and Rohit, now only single-format players for India, will be back in action in the []
Rajasthan: Elderly man brutally attacked by mob over petty theft
Jhalawar: A group of eight to 10 men assaulted an elderly man on Saturday, January 3, in the Aklera town of Jhalwar district in Rajasthan, after they suspected him of petty theft. A video of the incident shared on social media shows the unidentified elderly man surrounded by a group of men who were seen Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Mood Of The Nation Today Is Dhurandhar
The word Dhurandhar () is a powerful Hindi and Sanskrit term that essentially describes a stalwart or an expert. Top gun. It is used to honour someone who is a master of their craft or who carries immense responsibility with ease. Depending on the context it is Ace, Top gun or veteran. In modern Continue reading Mood Of The Nation Today Is Dhurandhar The post Mood Of The Nation Today Is Dhurandhar appeared first on OurVoice | WeRIndia - Analysis & Opinion .
Can't Erase My Dad's Name: Riteish Deshmukh on BJP Leader's Remarks
In controversial remarks, Ravindra Chavan said memories of the late Congress stalwart would be wiped out from his hometown Latur
Single Papa: Kunal Kemmus comedy-drama renewed for season 2
The show also stars Prajakta Koli, Manoj Pahwa, Ayesha Raza, Neha Dhupia, Suhail Nayyar, Dayanand Shetty, Aisha Ahmed, Dhruv Rathee and Isha Talwar
Drifting Quicksands of Bengal Politics: Can Mamata Hold Fort?
By Anjan Roy West Bengal is witnessing hectic political manoeuvring by leading political figures, even though the assembly elections are a clear six months away at least. One of these, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who was once a stalwart of the Congress, not only in the state but nationally, is being seen on his home turf, Murshidabad and nearby areas, seeking to regain his lost ground. Chowdhury had been Congress state president and later, leader of the Congress party in [] The post Drifting Quicksands of Bengal Politics: Can Mamata Hold Fort? appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
InnovHer Enters a New Growth Chapter with Jeet Vijay Joining as Co-Founder
InnovHer has announced a major leadership milestone with Jeet Vijay joining the organization as Co-Founder. The appointment marks a defining moment in InnovHers journey as it formally transitions into InnovHer 2.0, its next phase as a full-scale venture institution focused on startups, SMEs, and regional economic development. Jeet Vijay Joins InnovHer as Co-Founder, Ushering in InnovHer 2.0 and a New Era of Institutional Venture Building Over the past two years, InnovHer has steadily built credibility as a Tier-2 venture platformdeploying capital, enabling co-investments, facilitating early exits, and positioning Jaipur as an emerging national convergence point for founders and investors. With this transition, InnovHer is sharpening its focus on institutional design, governance rigor, and long-term capital stewardship. The inclusion of Jeet Vijay significantly strengthens this ambition by adding policy depth, national-global perspective, and execution discipline. A Leader Shaped by Policy, Capital, and Ecosystem Building Jeet Vijay brings over 18 years of experience across venture capital, private equity, startup policy, and ecosystem leadership. Most recently, he served as the CEO of MeitY Startup Hub, the Government of Indias nodal agency for technology startups. In this role, he operated at the center of Indias innovation architectureworking closely with central ministries, investors, incubators, accelerators, and founders across the country. His work has spanned national advisory roles, startup funding frameworks, and large-scale ecosystem programs, giving him a rare vantage point on what differentiates activity-driven initiatives from institution building. Beyond domestic policy leadership, Jeets international exposureincluding collaborations with the University of Texas (USA)has shaped his understanding of how mature ecosystems integrate universities, capital, and enterprises into long-term economic engines. Equally significant is Jeets strong regional grounding. Hailing from Alwar, Rajasthan, and coming from a business family, he brings first-hand insight into the realities of Tier-2 and Tier-3 India. This perspective aligns closely with InnovHers founding belief that regional India requires durable institutions, not episodic programs, to unlock sustainable growth. Commenting on his decision to join InnovHer, Jeet Vijay said, Coming from Alwar, Rajasthan, I have always believed that regional India should not just export talent to metros, but build strong institutions at home. Joining InnovHer is my way of contributing backby bringing policy experience, global exposure, and capital discipline to strengthen startups and SMEs in Rajasthan and other Tier-2 regions. If we want sustainable growth, we must build local economic engines that can compete nationally and globally while remaining rooted in their communities. Strengthening InnovHers Strategic and Institutional Output As Co-Founder, Jeet Vijays role will focus on sharpening InnovHers strategic direction, governance frameworks, and institutional architecture. His presence brings greater rigor to venture selection, capital structuring, and policy alignmentensuring that InnovHers growth is disciplined, auditable, and scalable. More importantly, his inclusion expands InnovHers horizon. With a deep understanding of national policy, global best practices, and regional execution, Jeet strengthens InnovHers ability to support startups and SMEs as long-term economic contributors, not merely high-growth bets. This approach is increasingly relevant as Indias next growth cycle is expected to be driven by MSMEs, regional enterprises, and innovation-led local economies. InnovHer 2.0: Building a Venture Institution from Tier-2 India InnovHer 2.0 represents a deliberate shiftfrom a venture platform to a venture institution . The next phase is designed to deliver deeper, more structured support to: SMEs seeking capital readiness and sustainable growth pathways Startups requiring governance-first scaling frameworks Local economies aiming to build durable innovation capacity With Jeet Vijay joining as Co-Founder, InnovHer reinforces its commitment to institution-grade execution, long-term capital stewardship, and ecosystem accountability. The organization aims to demonstrate that venture institutions built from Tier-2 India can deliver outcomes on par with, or better than, metro-centric models. A Shared Vision for National Impact The alignment between InnovHers founding leadership and Jeet Vijay is rooted in a shared conviction: Indias most resilient innovation will emerge from regions when supported by strong institutions. InnovHer 2.0 seeks to set a national benchmark by proving that disciplined venture building, policy alignment, and regional grounding can coexist with scale and global competitiveness. As InnovHer steps into this new chapter, the appointment of Jeet Vijay is not merely a leadership announcementit is a signal. A signal that InnovHer is building for scale with discipline, for growth with purpose, and for impact with longevity.
Clicking on Happy New Year Link on Whatsapp Could Empty Your Bank Account
As India gears up for New Year celebrations, cybercrime authorities warn of a new 'greeting scam' targeting users on messaging platforms. Fraudsters disguise malware as festive greetings to steal personal data and drain bank accounts, exploiting the holiday season's goodwill.
India vs New Zealand ODI 2026 squad announcement - All you need to know
India are set to host New Zealand for an eight-match limited-overs series featuring three ODIs and five T20Is from January 11 to 31. The ODI leg of the series is expected to draw significant attention, particularly with stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma making their anticipated return to the 50-over format after the South Africa series. Meanwhile, the T20Is will act as a final testing phase for Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian side as they prepare for their T20 World Cup title defence.
Shah: Infiltration Main Poll Plank In WB for 2026
Throwing a volley of questions to Ms Banerjee, the BJP stalwart wondered, People of Bengal are terrorised by infiltrators everywhere. Can there be any government that turns its own state into a safe haven for infiltrators? The CM must answer in the polls how big a threat the infiltrators have posed to national security? What are her plans to stop infiltration?
Punjab: How a School Protest Turned Against RSS in This Hindu Majority Town
A proposal to privatise the BBMB DAV School has sparked outrage across Talwara, with some calling it an RSS ploy.
UniAcoustic has been awarded the Most Innovative Products honour at FOAID Mumbai 2025, Indias foremost Festival of Architecture and Interior Design. This recognition marks the brands second consecutive industry accolade in 2025, following its win at ORGATEC India earlier this year, underscoring UniAcoustics growing influence on the future of acoustic design in India. Team UniAcoustic receiving the Most Innovative Products Award at FOAID 2025 The FOAID recognition reflects direct appreciation from the architecture and interior design community. UniAcoustics showcase drew strong engagement from leading architects, designers, consultants, and industry stalwarts many of whom personally visited the booth to experience the products, material innovations, and design language firsthand. What set UniAcoustic apart was not just performance, but the introduction of acoustic designs the industry has not seen before solutions that challenge the traditional perception of acoustics as purely functional elements. The brands systems were widely appreciated for their ability to seamlessly integrate into architectural narratives, offering visual richness, depth, and material expression without revealing their acoustic core. A central reason for this distinction lies in UniAcoustics patented Virtual Material Technology (VMT), which enables hyper-realistic, lifelike surface expressions on high-performance acoustic substrates. VMT allows designers to achieve the visual richness of natural and architectural materials while eliminating the instability, maintenance challenges, and environmental impact associated with conventional finishes making it a sustainable alternative to material-heavy design approaches. Sustainability remains a key pillar of UniAcoustics innovation philosophy. The brands products are engineered to reduce material waste, extend lifecycle performance, and support healthier indoor environments through low-emission surfaces. All systems comply with stringent global standards including EPD Certification, ISO 354, ISO 11654, EN 13501-1, ASTM E84, and E1/VOC, ensuring alignment with WELL, LEED, and IGBC frameworks. The award also recognises UniAcoustics solutions-led approach, where acoustics are not treated as afterthoughts but as integral components of spatial design whether for workplaces, hospitality environments, retail spaces, educational institutions, residential projects, or large public buildings. With sound absorption values reaching NRC 0.95, the brand delivers performance that is both measurable and experiential. In India, UniAcoustics innovative acoustic systems have already been deployed across several landmark projects for leading organisations including HDFC, SwissRe, Avalara, IBM, Coco-Cola, AstraZeneca, Accenture, NPCI etc reflecting strong client confidence in the brands design-led and performance-driven approach. Receiving this recognition at FOAID a platform defined by design leadership is especially meaningful , said Mr. Shabir Rajkotwala, Managing Director, UniAcoustic . It reflects how the industry is responding to acoustic solutions that are expressive, responsible, and genuinely innovative. Our focus remains on empowering architects and designers with materials that expand creative freedom while meeting the highest performance and sustainability benchmarks . As part of a Great Place to Workcertified organisation, UniAcoustic also reflects a culture rooted in people-centric values, long-term thinking, and continuous improvement principles that directly influence how its products are conceived, engineered, and delivered. With sustained recognition across two of Indias most influential design platforms, UniAcoustic continues to set new benchmarks for what acoustic products can be visually, technically, and responsibly shaping more human-centric, high-performing, and future-ready environments across India and beyond. About UniAcoustic UniAcoustic is shaping a new direction for acoustic design in India with its commitment to design-first thinking, sustainability, and patented next-generation technologies. Through its strategic collaboration with Vicoustic, the brand brings globally recognised expertise to introduce unique, never-seen-before acoustic solutions tailored for modern Indian spaces. With strong technical support, customisation capabilities, and a solutions-led approach, UniAcoustic delivers high-performance systems that enhance comfort, aesthetics, and overall spatial experienceoffering architects and designers a refined balance of functional excellence and visual sophistication.
Vaikunta Ekadashi at Hare Krishna Golden Temple Hyderabad
The auspicious festival marks the transcendental occasion when Lord Sri Vishnu Himself welcomed His dear devotee Sri Nammalwar into Vaikunta.
Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat divided over khap panchayats ban on smartphones, dress code for minors
BAGHPAT: People in Baghpat district are divided over the khap panchayats ban on the use of smartphones and wearing half-pants in public places by those under 18. In its Saturday diktat, the panchayat also objected to holding weddings in banquet halls, asserting that marriages should be held in villages and homes. It suggested the kurta-pyjama for boys and the salwar-kurta for girls. While some sections have welcomed the decisions, several intellectuals and social activists have strongly opposed them. Historian Amit Rai Jain termed the decisions Tughlaqi diktats and said mobile phones have become a necessity in present times. Talking to PTI, Jain said education, social networking and work are heavily dependent on mobile phones, making any ban impractical. He also pointed out that the authority to frame laws rests with the government and administration, not with panchayats. Deshkhap Mavi's Thambedar Chaudhary Yashpal Singh said he did not oppose the decisions but added that nothing could be imposed forcibly. He stressed the need to counsel children and instil good values, saying cultured children naturally stay away from wrong practices. The khap's decisions have also received political support. Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) MP from Baghpat, Rajkumar Sangwan, and senior Congress leader Chaudhary Yashpal Singh said preserving social values is the need of the hour. Sangwan said the khap's views were respectable as they strengthen the community. Thamba Patti Mehar Deshkhap's Chaudhary Brijpal Singh and khap leader Subhash Chaudhary said efforts would be made to implement the decisions by holding discussions with responsible members of village communities. They added that attempts would be made to extend these decisions across Uttar Pradesh by coordinating with other khaps. Former Chhaprauli MLA Sahendra Singh Ramala said the foundation of values begins at home. He said if the panchayat had taken such a decision, its members must first set an example themselves. He also stressed the need for balance in the use of mobile phones, adding that spending time with children and being their friend is equally important.
Humpy and Erigaisi settle for bronze at World Rapid Cships
Doha, Dec 29: Indian chess stalwart Koneru Humpy suffered a massive heartbreak in her bid for a third world rapid title, finishing with a bronze in the womens section of the FIDE World Rapid Championships after being cruelly done in by the tie-break rule, here on Sunday. Humpy, the winner of the world rapid title []
Jaipur Diary: Hard launch of junior Pilot Aarav at Save Aravallis rally?
Dhankhar makes quiet appearance in Jaipur Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhars quiet return to Jaipur on Thursday set political circles abuzz. On a one-day visithis first since stepping down as the Vice-PresidentDhankhar briefly interacted with the media, sharing warm memories of late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Away from the spotlight for several months, Dhankhar chose to keep it low-key, having lunch with family at his brother Randeep Dhankhars residence before meeting a senior Vishva Hindu Parishad leader. By the evening, he quietly drove back to Delhi. Notably, Dhankhar had largely vanished from public view after his sudden resignation in July. Hard launch of junior Pilot Aarav at rally? The Congress has seized the row over the Aravallis to train guns on the BJP. State president Govind Singh Dotasra and Leader of the Opposition Tikaram Jully have led protests in Jaipur and Alwar, while former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has kept the issue alive on social media. But it was AICC General Secretary Sachin Pilots teenage son Aarav Pilots presence at an NSUI rally in Jaipur to save the Aravallis that has got tongues wagging. Political observers are seeing the fresh-faced boys appearance at the event as a symbolic launch, reading it as Pilots bid to project himself as a seasoned leader with a long-term vision. Social media storm over reel star IAS officer Barmer district collector Tina Dabi is back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Some students taking part in a protest at a girls postgraduate college faced police action for allegedly calling her a reel star, sparking political chatter and online furore. Dabi, however, dismissed the drama in a written statement to a private channel, calling it an attempt to defame me and gain cheap popularity on social media. Known for her academic brilliance and penchant for making reels, Dabi frequently finds herself in the headlines. Now, the debate has shifted to whether administrative officers should face restrictions on creating reels. Rajesh Asnani Our correspondent in Jaipur rajesh.asnani@newindianexpress.com
Save Aravalli, Save Life drive gains currency in Rajasthan
JAIPUR: The Congress on Saturday intensified its agitation across all districts in Rajasthan over the exclusion of hills below 100 metres from the Aravalli range across all districts. Under the banner of Save Aravalli Save Life, state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra and Leader of Opposition Tikaram Juli participated in a major protest organised by the Alwar district party committee. In Jaipur, Congress leaders and workers marched from the PCC headquarters to Shaheed Smarak, raising slogans against the Centre and the state government. On Friday, the NSUI and Youth Congress organised protest marches joined by Congress general secretary Sachin Pilot. The agitation has gained momentum across the state, drawing participation from thousands. Protesters say excluding hills below 100 metres could lead to severe and irreversible environmental damage. Addressing the gathering, Juli alleged that a deliberate conspiracy was underway to destroy the Aravalli range. He warned that while affluent sections might escape the consequences, local communities would be left to face environmental devastation. The Congress will continue its struggle until the Aravallis receive complete protection, he added. In Jaipur, city Congress submitted a memorandum to the Police Commissioner addressed to the President. Protests in several districts turned confrontational. In Dausa, Congress workers attempted to force their way into a locked Dak Bungalow meeting hall. In Ajmer, tensions escalated when police objected to the use of a DJ system during the march, leading to clashes. Similar confrontations were reported from Dholpur. In Tonk, Deputy CM Premchand Bairwa defended the governments position. The Aravalli range is a national heritage. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and Union ministers have made it clear that the Aravallis are already protected and reserved. No harm will be allowed. Attempts to politicise the issue are unacceptable, he said. Activists demanded stronger legal safeguards, emphasising that the Aravalli range is not merely a chain of hills but a vital ecological shield that sustains groundwater, biodiversity, and life across Rajasthan. The Centre and the state governments were accused of colluding with mining mafia to facilitate environmental destruction.
JAIPUR: Under the banner of 'Save AravalliSave Life', large-scale protests were organised by Congress across Rajasthan on Saturday, highlighting growing political and public concern over the future of one of the worlds oldest mountain ranges. On Friday, the NSUI and Youth Congress organised protest marches joined by Congress General Secretary Sachin Pilot, followed by large-scale demonstrations led by the state Congress committee on Saturday. Protesters warned that excluding hills below 100 metres could lead to severe and irreversible environmental damage. State Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra and Leader of the Opposition Tikaram Juli participated in a major protest organised by the Alwar District Congress Committee. Addressing the gathering, Tikaram Juli alleged that a deliberate conspiracy was underway to destroy the Aravalli range. He warned that while affluent sections might escape the consequences, local communities would be left to face environmental devastation. As part of the Alwar Save Aravalli Campaign, a massive demonstration took place at Kati Ghati, where hundreds of Congress workers climbed the Aravalli hills holding flags bearing the message Save Aravalli. Youth participation stood out, with several young activists shaving their heads and writing Save Aravalli on their scalps as a symbolic pledge to protect the mountain range. In Jaipur, Congress leaders and workers marched from the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) headquarters to Shaheed Smarak, raising slogans against the Centre and the State government. The city edition of Congress submitted a memorandum to the Police Commissioner addressed to the President of India. However, protests in several districts turned confrontational: In Dausa, Congress workers attempted to force their way into a locked Dak Bungalow meeting hall; in Ajmer, tensions escalated when police objected to the use of a DJ system during the march, leading to clashes; similar confrontations were reported from Dholpur as well. Deputy Chief Minister Premchand Bairwa defended the governments position: The Aravalli range is a national heritage. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and Union Ministers have made it clear that the Aravallis are already protected and reserved. No harm will be allowed. Attempts to politicise the issue are unacceptable. Activists demanded stronger legal safeguards, emphasising that the Aravalli range is not merely a chain of hills but a vital ecological shield that sustains groundwater, biodiversity, and life across Rajasthan. The BJP government at the national and state levels were accused of colluding with mining mafias to facilitate environmental destruction. Recently, the Supreme Court accepted the Environment Ministrys definition that considers only hills above 100 metres as mountains. This effectively removes nearly 90 percent of the Aravalli rangemuch of which lies between 30 and 80 metresfrom the protected mountain category. While the Central Government has directed that no new mining leases be issued before scientific mapping, environmental experts remain concerned about the future of the lower-height Aravallis. The central question persists: if these hills are no longer legally classified as mountains, how will one of the worlds oldest mountain ranges be protected from mining and exploitation?
JAIPUR: Despite the Centre's assurance that no new mining leases will be granted in the Aravalli range, the political controversy over the protection of the ancient mountain system continues to intensify in Rajasthan. On Friday, the National Students Union of India (NSUI) organised a protest march in Jaipur as part of its campaign to save the Aravallis. The march was attended by Congress National General Secretary Sachin Pilot and NSUI state president Vinod Jakhar. Sachin Pilots son, Arhaan Pilot, also took part in the rally, marking his first appearance at a political protest. The Congress will continue its campaign on Saturday by holding a public awareness march in Alwar led by AICC General Secretary Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra, Leader of the Opposition Tikaram Jully, and AICC media coordinator Pawan Khera. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has also been consistently raising this critical issue on social media. Earlier, on Wednesday, a petition was submitted to the Presidents Secretariat in the name of President Droupadi Murmu opposing the definition that considers only hills with an elevation of 100 metres or more as part of the Aravalli mountain range. The petition demanded that the definition be revised on the basis of ecological and environmental considerations. The petition was filed by Charmesh Sharma, former director of the Rajasthan Seed Corporation and a Congress leader from Bundi, who has been vocal on Aravalli conservation. A complaint has also been filed with the National Human Rights Commission on the same issue. Row over Aravalli redefinition intensifies in Rajasthan even as Centre announces mining ban Congress sources say that while the party has staged protests on issues such as changes related to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGA) and the National Herald case, they have not generated a widespread public response. In contrast, they claim there is huge public concern over the Supreme Courts decision related to the Aravalli range, with several social and environmental organisations openly expressing opposition. They argue that Rajasthan remains central to the issue, as nearly 90 percent of the Aravalli range passes through the state. According to departmental sources, the Aravalli hills extend over more than 50,000 square kilometres across 20 districts of Rajasthan. Of this, only about 8,000 to 10,000 square kilometres fall under areas with an elevation of 100 metres or more. Officials said the exact extent of the Aravalli range will be determined only after the preparation of the Master Plan for Sustainable Management (MPSM) by the Union Ministry of Environment. The Congress has indicated that protests may intensify in the coming days. Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra recently said the party is preparing a strategy to hold demonstrations at district, block, and state levels in 19 districts of the state. Political observers also suggest the party may consider coordinated movements in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi, where the Aravalli range extends. The issue has put the BJP on the defensive, with senior leaders largely avoiding detailed public responses. While Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has defended the governments position, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma has assured that no harm will come to the Aravalli range. Opposition leaders, however, claim these assurances have yet to address public concerns.
PM Modi: Freed country from tendency to link all good works with one family
Prime Minister Modi, inaugurating a memorial in Lucknow, criticized past governments for glorifying a single family and neglecting national heroes. He stated the BJP government is rectifying this by honoring all contributors and dismantling barriers like Article 370. The memorial celebrates Jan Sangh stalwarts, emphasizing the BJP's commitment to merit-based recognition over dynastic politics.
Memorials of Vajpayee, two other BJP icons ready, Modi to inaugurate today
LUCKNOW: Spread over 65 acres next to the embankment of the River Gomti on Hardoi Road, on the outskirts of Lucknow, the memorial Rashtra Prerna Sthal dedicated to BJP icons Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, and Deen Dayal Upadhyay will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. The complex will open to the public after its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25, which happens to be Vajpayees birth anniversary, an official statement said. Shaped like a lotus reflecting BJPs election symbol, the memorial features three towering bronze statues of Vajpayee, Mookerjee, and Upadhyay. It also showcases poems and speeches of Vajpayee, nationalist quotes by Shyama Prasad Mookerjee and Deen Dayal Upadhyay, and audio presentations highlighting their contributions to nation-building. Developed at a cost of Rs 230 crore, the memorial comprises three statues, each measuring 65 feet and weighing 42 tonnes, making them the tallest among all statues of personalities in the state capital. The platform on which the statues stand is surrounded by a water body. A major attraction is a two-storey museum covering 6,300 sqm, with five galleries, 12 interpretation walls, and two theatres screening orientation films on the lives of the BJP icons. Galleries display texts noting the Jana Sanghs 1952 election success, the deepak election symbol, and a lamp, Sudarshan Chakra, and Bharat Mata statue. Other features include an amphitheatre for 3,000 people, a meditation hall, yoga centre, musical block, helipads, and a rally ground accommodating over two lakh people. Party sources said it is the first memorial to house statues of three BJP stalwarts at a single location.
PM Modi to inaugurate Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow on December 25
LUCKNOW: Spread over 65 acres, next to the embankment of River Gomti on Hardoi Road on the outskirts of the state capital Lucknow, the memorial, Rashtra Prerna Sthal, dedicated to BJP icons Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Shyama Prasad Mookerjee and Deen Dayal Upadhyay, will be inaugurated by PM Modi on Thursday. Shaped like a lotus reflecting the BJPs election symbol, the memorial has three towering bronze statues of Vajpayee, Mookerjee and Upadhyay. Replete with poems and speeches of Vajpayee, nationalist quotes by Shyama Prasad Mookerjee and Deendayal Upadhyaya and audio presentations highlighting their contributions to nation-building, the memorial has many features. The complex will open to the public after its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25, which happens to be Vajpayees birth anniversary. According to the officials of Lucknow Development Authority, developed at a cost of Rs 230 crore, the memorial comprises three statues, each measuring 65 feet and weighing 42 tonnes, being the tallest among all statues of personalities installed in the state capital. The platform on which the statues stand is surrounded by a water body. One of the main attractions of the Rashtra Prerna Sthal is a two-storey museum developed over an area of 6,300 sqm. It has five galleries and 12 interpretation walls dedicated to three leaders. Two separate theatres are there where orientation films on the lives of the BJP icons will be screened. The displayed text on the walls reads that in the 1952 elections, the Jana Sangh achieved a remarkable success, and its election symbol the deepak became a symbol of the emerging nationalist politics in independent India. The lamp, Sudarshan Chakra and a statue of Bharat Mata have been installed in a gallery of the museum. There is also an amphitheatre, with a capacity to host 3,000 people, a meditation hall, a yoga centre, a musical block, helipads, and a rally ground that can accommodate over 2 lakh people. According to party sources, it is a unique memorial as it would be the first such project where statues of three of the stalwarts of the party are placed in a single place. Ahead of the inauguration on Thursday, the BJPs UP unit is working to ensure the presence of nearly 2 lakh people at the ground during PM Modis address. On Tuesday, BJP state president Pankaj Chaudhary inspected preparations. The party is also holding an organisational meeting in Lucknow and adjoining districts to make the event a success by ensuring the rally ground remains fully occupied during the PMs address.
Heroes, Villains, Side Artistes and Extras in Indias Politics of 2025
Stalwarts like Union home minister Amit Shah failed to douse the grave Opposition doubts in Parliament over the ECs functioning and the SIR issue.
NAGPUR: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the BJP has set a record in local body polls with 48 per cent of councillors winning on the party symbol, and its candidates elected as presidents in 129 municipal councils. He attributed the Mahayuti alliance's success in the municipal council and nagar panchayat elections to the BJP organisation and development agenda of the government. Counting of votes for elections to the posts of president and members in 286 municipal councils and nagar panchayats held in two phases began in the morning. Fadnavis said the BJP has once again emerged as the single largest party. 48 per cent councillors have been elected on the BJP symbol, which is a record. The BJP has created another record with 3,300 councillors being elected from the party. BJP candidates have been elected as presidents in 129 municipal councils. In 75 per cent of the local bodies, Mahayuti nominees have been elected as municipal presidents, he said. Fadnavis emphasised that the BJP's national leadership has put faith in the state leadership for elections. It is the team effort - the organisation and government. We fought the polls on the development plank. I led a positive campaign on the development agenda. I never criticised any political leader or party. I solicited votes on the development agenda, the work done by the government so far, and our blueprint for the future, the chief minister told a press conference. In the multi-dimensional contests, Mahayuti allies- the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar's NCP- contested against each other in some places. There were alliances as well as friendly fights among Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents- the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP), and Congress. The opposition Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) virtually conceded defeat in the elections, accusing the election commission of facilitating the victory of the ruling Mahayuti. State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal congratulated the party candidates who won the posts of municipal president and councillors. In a terse comment, he congratulated the state poll body for helping the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the elections. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut attributed the victory of Mahayuti to ampering of EVMs. He said the opposition couldn't withstand a hailstorm of money. His party colleague Ambadas Danve alleged money and muscle power shaped the Mahayuti win. The Mahayuti has bagged a larger number of seats as compared to constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, thanks to the muscle and money power deployed by the ruling parties, Danve told PTI in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan claimed the party had got a decisive mandate as voters had rejected the Opposition's fake narrative. He claimed the Mahayuti had won more than 250 councils, nagar parishads and nagar panchayats out of 288, with BJP candidates securing 134 out of 236 council chief posts and over 3,000 councillor seats. The Opposition levelled all kinds of allegations during the campaign, but people saw through them. Uddhav Thackeray himself said he had nothing to offer to the people and that is why his party was rejected. His party could not even win council chairperson posts in double digits, Chavan claimed. Now, Mumbaikars too would reject the opposition's narrative in the upcoming BMC polls, he said. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said the overwhelming success of the BJP was a victory of the (party) workers. This is a victory of our workers. Thank you to the people who supported the BJP by maintaining faith in its development-oriented working style, the Union minister stated. Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule claimed the Mahayuti is headed to secure two-thirds seats. The Mahayuti has taken a very good lead in Maharashtra and the people have rejected the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), he added. State minister Shivendrasinh Bhosale claimed BJP candidate Amol Mohite was elected municipal president in Satara district by 42,000 votes, an outcome that even surpassed the vote margins typically seen in assembly elections. Minister of state for home Yogesh Kadam claimed the Mahayuti had registered a clean sweep in Khed municipal council in Ratnagiri district by winning all 21 seats, including 17 seats won by Shiv Sena. The BJP has won the president's post in four out of five local bodies in Udgir, Ahmedpur, Nilanga, and Renapur in Latur district, while its ally NCP bagged the seat in Ausa. In the Beed district, the Mahayuti combine has taken a decisive lead. People have demolished the plot of the Opposition to defame Parli and Beed through the results of the local body polls, former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde claimed. The Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) claimed they had retained their party bastions in Chandrapur and Sangli districts. The Congress won the municipal council president's post as well as 21 of the 23 seats in the Brahmapuri municipal council in Chandrapur district, party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said. The BJP and NCP have secured one seat each. In the Urun-Ishwarpur municipal council in Sangli district, the NCP (SP) has won 23 seats as well as the post of council president, senior leader Jayant Patil claimed. In Palghar district, the Shiv Sena has won the president's election in the municipal councils of Palghar and Dahanu, while the BJP bagged the president's posts in Jawhar municipal council and Wada Nagar Panchayat. Recounting of votes was ordered after the Congress objected to the 116-vote win of BJP candidate Ajay Agrawal in Kamptee municipal council polls in Nagpur district, an official said. In a setback for the BJP, the party candidate for the post of Loha municipal council president, Gajanan Suryavanshi, and his five kin lost. The post was won by Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party, whose candidate, incidentally, is named Sharad Pawar. The NCP emerged victorious in Loha, Kandhar, Degloor and Umri, while the BJP won in Kundalwadi, Mudkhed and Bhokar in Nanded district. The Shiv Sena and Marathwada Janhit Party won from two places each, while the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress emerged victorious from one place each, officials said. Only the NCP (SP) led by opposition stalwart Sharad Pawar failed to capture any of the municipal councils that went to polls in the district, they added. BJP consolidates Mahayuti dominance in Maharashtra local body polls, big blow to MVA
Supreme Court ruling on Aravalli definition triggers huge protests in Rajasthan
JAIPUR: The Supreme Courts recent acceptance of the Union Environment Ministrys definition of the Aravalli hills -- restricting the range to landforms with an elevation of more than 100 metres -- has triggered widespread protests across Rajasthan. Political leaders, environmental activists, social media influencers and citizens have expressed strong opposition and warned that the move will entail serious ecological and economic consequences. Under the revised definition, nearly 90 per cent of the Aravalli range in Rajasthan, consisting of hills lower than 100 metres, will no longer be classified as part of the protected range. According to available data, only 1,048 out of nearly 1.6 lakh hillocks in the state meet the 100-metre criterion, effectively excluding the vast majority from regulatory safeguards. SC ruling on Aravalli definition sparks opposition in Rajasthan, former CM Gehlot warns of ecological disaster Laxmikant Sharma, professor at the Department of Environmental Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, said the governments stance that only hills above 100 metres qualify as Aravalli would automatically exclude most of the range. In Rajasthan, the Aravalli hills are largely between 30 and 80 metres in height. This means nearly 90 per cent of the range is directly under threat, he said. Though the Supreme Court order states that new mining is not permitted, critics argue that illegal mining continues unabated. A 2018 report by the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) revealed that around 25 per cent of the Aravalli hills in Rajasthan had already been destroyed. Against this backdrop, the Aravalli Heritage Peoples Campaign was launched a few days ago from Vinoba Gyan Mandir in Bapu Nagar in Jaipur. Kavita Srivastava, national president of the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), urged the government to repeal the uniform definition of the Aravalli proposed by a committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, calling it a threat to Indias ecological and cultural heritage. SC ruling on Aravalli definition sparks opposition in Rajasthan, former CM Gehlot warns of ecological disaster 'Road to hell is paved with good intentions': Congress slams government over new Aravalli definition Activists have demanded that the Aravalli rangespread across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhibe declared an Ecologically Critical Area and that the use of raw stone mined from the hills be stopped. Neelam Ahluwalia, founding member of People for Aravalli, said the recent court decision would leave more than 90 per cent of the range unprotected and vulnerable to mining. The situation is particularly alarming in Alwar district, where 31 of the 128 identified hills have reportedly been completely flattened due to mining. Environmental experts warn that excluding large parts of the Aravalli range from protection could further embolden mining mafias. Experts have also cautioned that extensive degradation of the Aravallis could alter regional rainfall patterns. Some warn that if the range is destroyed, monsoon moisture could shift westwards towards Pakistan, adversely affecting rainfall in Rajasthan. Nearly 80 per cent of the 700-kilometre-long Aravalli range passes through 27 districts of Rajasthan, forming the ecological backbone of eastern Rajasthan. Agriculture and farmers livelihoods in these regions depend heavily on the hills, as several seasonal riversincluding the Chambal, Banas, Sahibi, Sota, Katli, Kasavati, Gambhiri and Moreloriginate from the Aravallis. Modi government has 'nearly signed death warrant' for Aravalli hills: Sonia Gandhi Rainwater stored in the hills flows through streams and underground channels, sustaining these rivers and supporting small-scale farming and animal husbandry throughout the year. The Aravallis are also home to diverse plant species and vegetation. As the worlds oldest mountain range, their rock formations have a strong water-holding capacity, allowing groundwater to be stored for long periods. Rajasthan has around 32 major potable water reservoirs, many of which depend on the Aravalli system. In a desert state like Rajasthan, environmentalists point out that nearly 22 per cent of the Aravalli hills have already been destroyed due to excessive mining. According to studies, the unique structure of the Aravallis helps recharge nearly two million litres of groundwater per hectare annually, making the range the largest source of water in the region. As protests intensify, environmental groups have demanded an immediate review of the definition, warning that Rajasthans ecology, water security and rural economy are at serious risk. It remains to be seen how the agitation unfolds in the coming days. On International Mountain Day, campaign launched to save India's oldest mountain range Aravalli
Malayalam film stalwart Sreenivasans legacy: A timeline
Malayalam film veteran Sreenivasan passed away due to ailments on December 20, 2025. Here is a look at his journey in film.
MFA to honour stalwarts of Meghalaya football
Shillong, Dec 19: The Meghalaya Football Association (MFA) will honour past and present footballers, coaches and referees who have lifted the standing of the sport in the state over the years at an awards night on Monday. The function will take place at the State Convention Centre at 6pm where 40 individuals, both men and []
Koil Alwar Thirumanjanam in Tirumala on December 23
The purificatory ritual will be performed from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., during which period Astadala Pada Padmaradhana Seva will remain cancelled
JAIPUR: The Supreme Courts recent ruling, issued on the recommendation of the central government, to limit the definition of the Aravalli mountain range to landforms rising more than 100 metres above their surroundings, has triggered sharp opposition in Rajasthan. Joining the growing protests, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot has warned that the decision could lead to huge ecological damage. Gehlot termed the ruling a red carpet for illegal mining, and a direct invitation to environmental destruction. On November 21, the apex court held that only hills in the Aravalli region with a relative height of 100 metres or more would be considered part of the mountain range. The Aravalli is not just a mountain range for Rajasthan; it is our protective shield, Gehlot said. He argued that narrowing the definition on the Centres recommendation amounts to a death sentence for nearly 90 per cent of the states hills. According to him, almost 90 per cent of the Aravalli formations in Rajasthan are below the 100-metre threshold. Gehlot cautioned that excluding these hills from the legal definition is not a technical adjustment but the removal of a critical layer of environmental protection, leaving vast areas vulnerable to mining and degradation. Highlighting the ecological importance of the Aravallis, Gehlot said the range plays a crucial role in preventing desertification by blocking hot winds from the west and stopping the Thar Desert from advancing into eastern Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Experts, he noted, have pointed out that even small hills and mounds measuring 10 to 30 metres are effective in checking dust storms. Allowing mining in these areas, he warned, could accelerate desert spread towards the national capital. He further said that the rocky structure of the Aravalli range enables rainwater to percolate underground, making it a major source of groundwater recharge across the region. Removing these hills could prove disastrous for northwest India, which is already facing a severe water crisis, Gehlot said. He added that history would not forgive the injustice being done to future generations, alleging that although the Supreme Court proceedings began to protect the Aravalli, acceptance of the Centres recommendation has effectively erased 90 per cent of the range. He urged the court to reconsider the decision in the interest of future generations, calling it a direct invitation to destruction. Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly, Tikaram Jully, also strongly criticised the move, warning that without the Aravalli range, nothing will be left. Launching a sharp attack on the central government and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, Jully said the looming threat to the Aravallis existence has become a question mark on the future of Rajasthan. Jully said that the fight to save the Aravalli range is no longer the responsibility of any single political party but a collective social duty to protect the state and the future of the coming generations. Targeting Union environment minister and Alwar MP Bhupendra Yadav, Jully said it was the greatest irony of democracy that those entrusted with environmental protection were now paving the way for destruction. He pointed out that Yadav was educated in Ajmer and represents Alwar, both regions closely linked to the Aravalli range and home to important pilgrimage sites such as Pushkar. Despite this, Jully alleged, the minister was acting like Dhritarashtra, the blind king from the Mahabharata, silently witnessing the destruction of the Aravalli range and ignoring the future of his own land and its people.
A legacy lost to neglect and silence
Remembering Kashyap Bandhu Avtar Nehru Many stalwarts and scholars within the Kashmiri Pandit community privately concede that Pandit Kashyap Bandhu was among its greatest figures for much of the twentieth century. He was widely respected as a public intellectual and, importantly, was deeply networked with the leading minds and institutions of his time. His stature was formally acknowledged when he was included among the 75 Personalities commemorated during Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM), marking seventy-five years of Indias independence in [] The post A legacy lost to neglect and silence appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Beachville Caf hosts Carnatic concert series this Margazhi
As Margazhi fills Chennais sabhas, a parallel Carnatic concert series unfolds inside a caf in Alwarpet, where proximity, timing, and format reshape how the music is experienced
Congress stalwart Shivraj Patil passes away at 90
PTI Latur Veteran Congressman Shivraj Patil, who served as the Lok Sabha speaker and was Union home minister during the 26/11 attacks, passed away at his hometown Latur in Maharashtra on Friday morning, family sources said. Patil (90) passed away at his residence Devghar after a brief illness, they said, adding his funeral will be [] The post Congress stalwart Shivraj Patil passes away at 90 appeared first on The Navhind Times .
The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Monday disclosed that incidents of GPS spoofing and interference with flights have been reported at major airports in the country, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. In a written reply to questions raised by YSRCP MP S Niranjan Reddy in the Rajya Sabha, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu confirmed that GPS spoofing was reported in the vicinity of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi. Some flights reported GPS spoofing in the vicinity of IGIA, New Delhi while using GPS based landing procedures, while approaching on RWY (runway) 10. Contingency procedures were used for GPS spoofed flights approaching to RWY 10. There were no effects on movements of flights, on other runway ends having conventional navigational aids being operational, the minister said. Global Positioning System (GPS)/ Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) spoofing and jamming refer to attempts to manipulate a user's navigation system by giving false signals. The minister stated that the Wireless Monitoring Organisation (WMO) has been directed to identify the source of the spoofing. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has also requested Wireless Monitoring Organisation (WMO) to possibly identify the source of interference/ spoofing. During the high-level meeting, WMO was directed to mobilise more resources to identify the source of spoofing based on approximate spoofing location details shared by DGCA and AAI, Naidu said in a written reply. WMO comes under the Department of Telecommunications. After being mandated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to report instances of GPS jamming/ spoofing since November 2023, regular reports are being received from other major airports in the country. GNSS interference reports are being received from Kolkata, Amritsar, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai airports, the minister said. Last month, DGCA asked airlines, pilots and air traffic controllers to report GPS spoofing incidents within 10 minutes of the occurrences, amid recent such incidents at the Delhi airport. In the written reply, Naidu said Minimum Operating Network (MON), consisting of Conventional (Ground-based) Navigation and Surveillance Infrastructure, are retained in accordance with global best practices. India is also participating in global platforms to keep itself abreast of the latest methodology and technology for the timely implementation of the same. To a query, Naidu said the global cybersecurity threats to the aviation sector are in the form of ransomware/ malware. To enhance cyber security against global threats, AAI is implementing advanced cyber security solutions for IT networks and infrastructure. These actions have been taken in accordance with the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) and Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) guidelines. Cyber security is ensured by continuous upgradation. As the nature and type of the threat changes, new protective measures are being taken, he added. (With inputs from PTI)
Travel Chaos Fears Ease After Airbus Update On A320 Software Upgrade
Fears of days of travel chaos across Europe and the world eased on Saturday after plane manufacturer Airbus intervened rapidly to implement a software upgrade it had said was immediately needed on some 6,000 of its stalwart A320 planes.
Cong Worked Hard To Erase Sardar Patel From History, Says Nadda; Slams Nehru For Article 370
Vadodara, Nov 29: BJP president JP Nadda on Saturday said the Congress made great efforts to erase Sardar Patel from history, with the party even questioning the cost and need for the Statue of Unity constructed as a memorial to the stalwart by the Narendra Modi government. The Congress did not want Sardar Patel to be remembered, Nadda said while addressing a gathering at the Sardar@150 Unity March at Atladra village here. He also said the countrys first prime minister [] The post Cong Worked Hard To Erase Sardar Patel From History, Says Nadda; Slams Nehru For Article 370 appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Delhi Police warns against fake traffic challan messages with malware links
Delhi Police warns of a surge in fraudulent WhatsApp and SMS messages impersonating traffic challan notifications. Scammers trick users into downloading malicious APK files to install malware, steal financial information, and gain remote control of devices. Citizens are urged to verify challans only through official portals and never click on suspicious links or download unknown files.
While the results of the Bihar assembly elections were agonizing to the Congress, the party is now faced with another serious pain in Karnataka, where it held power for the past over two and a half years. Two stalwarts behind the partys big electoral win there in 2023, namely Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief []
Pakistan's New WhatsApp-Based Spy Tactic Targets CAPF Officers After Red Fort Blast | Exclusive
Agents posed as officials on WhatsApp, lured CAPF officers into fake groups, then used the join link to infect devices with Trojan malware and gain remote access to sensitive data
Two more convicted in Vizag Navy espionage case
Ashok Kumar of Jhunjhunu district and Vikas Kumar of Alwar district in Rajasthan have bee awarded simple imprisonment of five years and 11 months
2 More Accused Get Imprisonment in Visakhapatnam Navy Espionage Case
The accused, identified as Ashok Kumar of Jhunjhunu district and Vikas Kumar of Alwar district of Rajasthan, will have to undergo SI of five years and 11 months under each of section 18 of UA(P) Act and section 3 of Official Secrets Act
Iconic film personality, phenomenal actor: PM Modi's tribute to Dharmendra
The legendary Dharmendra, a stalwart of Indian cinema, has sadly left us at the age of 89. In a heartfelt tribute, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recognized him as a timeless icon and extraordinary performer. Spanning an impressive sixty years and more than 300 films, Dharmendra's passing signifies the conclusion of a cinematic chapter that shaped millions.
Meet Swiftee: The AI companion by ConveGenius Turning Education HarDware into Heartware
ConveGenius, a leading Indian AI and edtech company, unveiled Swiftee, its on-device multimodal AI companion, at SwiftEdge 2025 the companys flagship partner summit held in New Delhi. The event brought together 40+ OEM leaders and education innovators, including representatives from HP, Lenovo, and Google Chromebook. Mr Jairaj Bhattacharya, CEO & MD, ConveGenius Group at the launch of Swiftee Despite the rapid scale of device shipments, most classroom hardware still functions as passive screens, with limited ability to support how children actually learn. ConveGenius is addressing this gap by introducing a new category that shifts Indias devices from Hardware to Heartware. Heartware is the AI layer that makes hardware emotionally aware, contextually relevant, and purpose-driven for learning. At the centre of this shift is Swiftee, an on-device multimodal AI companion that transforms any tablet, panel, or device into an active, guided learning tool. Positioned as a heartware layer, Swiftee sits atop existing hardware to make digital learning safer, more personal, and more meaningful for children aged 5 to 18. Built on ConveGenius decade-long research in AI-led learning, Swiftee offers capabilities such as homework support, safe search, creative exploration, emotional check-ins, and guided engagement. Live demos at the summit showcased Swiftee running seamlessly across diverse hardware ecosystems and operating systems, reinforcing how easily it integrates with both entry-level and premium devices. Unlike generic cloud-AI tools, Swiftee works in low-connectivity settings, understands multilingual inputs, and responds safely around children. For OEMs, this means a device is no longer just a screen. It becomes an intelligent assistant built for real learning use cases, an evolution the education sector has long awaited. On the vision behind Swiftee, Jairaj Bhattacharya, CEO, ConveGenius Group said: Over the last ten years, weve learned that AI becomes meaningful only when it fits the lives of the people it is meant to support. Weve seen this firsthand across 22 states and 170 million users. That is why we built Swiftee-to make AI relevant for students, helpful for teachers, and dependable for parents and schools. It is intelligence shaped by India and not imported for India. Swiftee has the potential to immensely contribute towards accomplishing Indias commitment for ensuring inclusive and quality education to all children by 2030 . With Swiftees API framework, hardware companies can also build custom AI agents to shape solutions around the exact needs of their buyers. Wellbeing support for students, assistance for teachers, lesson planning automation, curriculum-aligned remediation, and much more. The possibilities are endless. Everyone is excited about AI, but operational challenges like cloud costs, unpredictable behaviour, and constant oversight often hold hardware players back , said Viprav Chaudhary, Senior Vice President, ConveGenius . Swiftee removes those constraints. It runs locally, operates on safe AI guardrails, and works with all types of hardware. Theres no need to rebuild systems, one can plug into our stack and start delivering value immediately . Industry partners echo this sentiment. Mrs. Kamini Talwar from Iris Global Services said, Education has long needed a solution that goes beyond hardware upgrades and brings educational intelligence directly into the device. An AI layer like Swiftee makes hardware truly meaningful for classrooms, adapting to real use cases for students, supporting teachers in instruction, and helping schools deliver better learning outcomes. This is the kind of custom-built innovation the education sector has been waiting for . As Indias device market continues to grow, the next phase will not only be defined by bigger screens or faster processors, but also by the intelligence that lives inside them. Swiftee represents this new category of Heartware, where devices become intelligent companions that understand classroom realities and accordingly support learning. About ConveGenius ConveGenius is a leading AI and EdTech company delivering learning, assessment, and data-intelligence solutions for state governments and education partners. Its data and AI tools power decision-making at Vidya Samiksha Kendras (VSKs) and bring data-driven governance to public education across India.
Fake call centre targeting US citizens busted in Navi Mumbai; 20 held
THANE: Police have busted a fake call centre in Navi Mumbai, from where cyber frauds involving at least Rs 12 crore were allegedly committed mostly against US citizens, and arrested 20 persons in this connection, officials said on Thursday. The police suspect that the scale of the crime is very large and many wanted accused are involved in it. The action against this call centre, which was in operation in Turbhe area of Navi Mumbai was taken on Thursday, they said. Navi Mumbai Cyber police station and the Crime Branch took the action. The police received a tip-off on November 18 that a call centre was in operation under the guise of various bogus companies to defraud citizens. Immediately, a joint team of police conducted a raid and uncovered two distinct methods of fraud being run from there. In the first method, the employees of the call centre targeted US-based citizens through WhatsApp groups and lured them by promising high returns on stock market investments. Separately, they also targeted the American citizens by carrying out ransomware or malware attacks on their computers, an official statement said. The raid brought to light a massive scale of the financial crime, it said. The investigators found 97 persons working at the fake call centre. They also found several WhatsApp numbers and bank accounts being used by those found at the location, it added. The transactions of 71 bank accounts, details of which were sent to US citizens and others, for fraud were checked. Out of these, 61 accounts were found to have transactions worth a total of Rs 12.29 crore. Some of these bank accounts were checked on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) developed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It was found that 31 cyber fraud complaints have been registered across the country, the statement added. The police seized 108 computers, 38 mobile phones, and 5 GSM servers, it said. A case was registered at the Cyber police station in Thane under Sections 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 319(2) (punishment for cheating by personation), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with sections of the Information Technology Act. So far 20 accused have been arrested and remanded in police custody till November 23 by a local magistrate, the police said. The scale of the crime is very large and many wanted accused are involved. After a thorough technical investigation of the crime, the amount of fraud is likely to increase further, the police said in the statement.
Nineteen years and counting: Nitishs unbroken grip on Bihar
On Thursday, Nitish Kumar achieved yet another rare political milestone, becoming Bihars longest-serving chief minister, despite his party repeatedly finishing as the second-largest partner in both the Mahagathbandhan and NDA alliances in recent times. With this latest swearing-in , he joins the group of Indias ten longest-serving chief ministersa list long dominated by political stalwarts such as Sikkims Pawan Kumar Chamling and Odishas Naveen Patnaik. Chamling served as chief minister for 25 years, while Patnaik has held office for 24 years. West Bengals Jyoti Basu governed for more than 23 years, and Arunachal Pradeshs Gegong Apang for over 22 years. Mizorams Lal Thanhawla also crossed the 22-year mark, while Himachal Pradeshs Virbhadra Singh served more than 21 years. Tripuras Manik Sarkar held office for 19 years. Nitish Kumar, similarly, has now completed roughly 19 years as Bihars chief minister. Tamil Nadus M. Karunanidhi served for more than 18 years, and Punjabs Parkash Singh Badal is also credited with over 18 years in office. In Bihar, however, what distinguishes Nitish Kumar most is his repeated return to the top post, even after shifting between alliances. While Prime Minister Modi promotes the mantra of Sabka Vikas with Sabka Saath through Sabka Prayas, Nitish Kumar is often described as Sabka CM. Political observers in the state believe this contributes to his steady influence among minority voters. He has again included a Muslim minister in his cabinet, and the JD(U) fielded four Muslim candidates in the recently concluded Bihar Assembly elections. Another point of alignment between him and Prime Minister Modi is his refusal to allow family members to hold roles within the JD(U), reflecting his firm stance against dynastic politicssomething that contrasts with many parties in the Mahagathbandhan. Just as Modi maintains a stance of zero tolerance for corruption and nepotism, Nitish Kumar has ensured that neither corruption, nepotism, nor communalism gains a foothold in his administration. The political chemistry between Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi within the NDA is often regarded as one of the most dependable partnerships in Bihar. Both leaders have no family members active in politics and are widely seen by the public as hardworking, sincere, and trustworthy.
A massive collection of 2 billion email addresses and 1.3 billion passwords has been compiled. These credentials come from hundreds of past data breaches and malware infections. Users can now check if their information is exposed through Have I Been Pwned. This data helps identify compromised accounts. It is crucial to change passwords if found in the database.
Body of MBBS student found dead in Russia brought back to Rajasthan; family suspects foul play
JAIPUR: Ending an agonizing 11-day wait for the family, the body of Ajit Chaudhary, an MBBS student from Laxmangarh in Rajasthan's Alwar district, arrived in India from Russia on Monday morning. A medical board conducted a re-postmortem soon after the body reached Alwar, and the funeral was finally conducted. Ajits body arrived at Delhi airport at around 4:05 AM and was taken to Alwar District Hospital by 9 AM. Although a post-mortem had already been conducted in Russia, the family requested another examination. For this, a group of doctors was formed. Ajits father, Dharm Singh, a farmer, said his son was studying MBBS at Bashkir State Medical University in Russia and was in his third year. The family last spoke to him on 19 October, after which he suddenly went untraceable. A friend had called him, after which he disappeared. Later, we were told that Ajits clothes and shoes were found on the riverbank. His body was found 18 days later on November 6, Dharm Singh said. The grieving father further added, His mother was dying waiting for her son. Alleging negligence by both the administration and the government, Ajit's family bid him a tearful farewell and reiterated their demand for an impartial investigation into the circumstances of his death. Ajits uncle, Bhom Singh, expressed strong suspicion regarding the circumstances. He questioned why another student, Jeet Kasana, informed the family of the disappearance when the college had the familys contact details. He also raised doubts about why the body was found without clothes, saying, Why would someone committing suicide remove his clothes? He added that Ajit had asked for money shortly before 19 October and had reportedly argued with another student. We dont believe our son committed suicide; we suspect it is murder, he said. The family has already spent around Rs 29 lakh on Ajits education. Ajit had travelled to Russia in October last year to pursue MBBS at Bashkir State University in the Ufa region. His family had arranged the funds for his education by selling three acres of agricultural land. Since recieving the news about his death, Ajit's family had been struggling to bring the body home. Frustrated by the delay, relatives and locals last week staged a shutdown in Laxmangarh, demanding swift action from the government to expedite the repatriation.
Watch: Indian student found dead in Russia: Family demands probe
A 22-year-old Indian MBBS student from Rajasthan, missing since October 19, was found dead near the White River in Ufa, Russia. His body has been brought back to Alwar after a post-mortem. The family, who had sold farmland for his education, suspects foul play and has urged the Indian government for a thorough investigation and urgent action.
Not giving first over to your best bowler Jasprit Bumrah was questionable: Kumble
The opening Test saw India falling short against South Africa by 30 runs, sparking a discussion on the effectiveness of the Indian bowling strategy. Anil Kumble, a stalwart of cricket, expressed concern over the missed opportunity to utilize Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball on a pitch that demanded precision.
Bengaluru tech park scam: How fraudsters used ads, malware and fear to loot U.S. victims
Chhote Sarkar of Mokama wins from jail, Shahabuddins son retains Siwan
NEW DELHI: The Bihar elections witnessed numerous family members and even bahubalis (strongmen) themselves contesting, but the results, dashed the hopes of many of them who were aspiring to enter the House as peoples representatives and lawmakers. The RJD had fielded the son of former Siwan MP Md Shahabuddin, Osama Shahab, from the Raghunathpur Assembly seat against JDUs Vikash Kumar Singh. He won the seat by 9,248 votes, defeating the JDU candidate. Similarly, another bahubali, Anant Singh widely referred to by his supporters as hhote Sarkar also contested from the Mokama seat on a JDU ticket and won, defeating the RJD candidate Veena Devi, who is the wife of another stalwart, Suraj Bhan Singh. The RJD also fielded Shivani Shukla, daughter of jailed Munna Shukla and a UK-educated law graduate, from the Lalganj Assembly seat. After a neck-and-neck contest against BJP MLA Sanjay K Singh, Shukla lost the election. Rital Lal Yadav, another bahubali contesting on an RJD ticket from the Danapur seat, lost to BJP candidate Ram Kripal Yadav by a margin of 29,000 votes. Hulas Pandey -the LJP candidate and bahubali, also lost from Brahampur. According to rough data, 15 candidates who were either bahubalis or members of their families contested. Of these, eight were fielded by the NDA and seven by the Mahagathbandhan. Amrendra Singh, another bahubali candidate, won the Kuchaikote seat on a JDU ticket, while Anita Devithe wife of strongman Ashok Mahtoalso won the Warisaliganj seat. Manoranjan Singh won the Ekma Assembly seat on a JD(U) ticket. Chetna Anand, son of Anand Mohan, won Nabinagar on a JD(U) ticket.
Bihar election result: Big day of mandates dawns, political futures of many a stalwart at stake
Bihar Assembly election results: Most exit polls suggest the NDA, led by the BJP and JD(U), is on course for a comfortable victory with 130170 seats, well past the majority mark of 122. But beyond the numbers lies a deeper story -- about leadership fatigue, shifting loyalties and the search for new political narratives.
Congress leader Bhanwar Jitendra Singh faces court case over alleged custody of MF Husain painting
JAIPUR: Assam Congress in-charge and former Minister of State for Home Affairs Bhanwar Jitendra Singh is set to face trial in Delhis Rouse Avenue Court for allegedly failing to return a painting by renowned artist Maqbool Fida Husain (M.F. Husain). According to the complaint, Singh, a member of Alwars erstwhile royal family, had borrowed the artwork from then Congress MP Prabha Thakur in 2014. Despite repeated requests from Thakur and her family, the painting was allegedly never returned. Prabha Thakurs son, Rohit Singh, has filed a petition in court over the matter. The court accepted the petition on November 11, 2025 and scheduled the hearing for November 25. Rohit Singh alleged that the former Union Minister had offered to give the family miniature Bundi paintings in exchange for the Husain artwork. However, despite several written and verbal reminders from his mother, the painting was never returned. The petitioner informed the court that he and his mother had purchased the M.F. Husain painting from Saatchi Gallery, Mumbai, in 2013 for Rs 2.25 lakh. He further claimed that the artworks current market value exceeds Rs 1 crore. Earlier, Rohit Singh had approached the Magistrate Court in March, but the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate dismissed the complaint, ruling that no case of fraud or criminal breach of trust had been established. However, the Special Judge later set aside that order, observing that the painting had been handed over to Bhanwar Jitendra Singh in April 2014 merely for viewing and possible purchase, not as a gift. Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, a senior Congress leader considered close to the Gandhi family, has previously served as a two-time MLA from the Alwar City Assembly constituency and was elected MP from Alwar in 2009. He later lost two consecutive Lok Sabha elections, and the party did not field him from Alwar in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Soch's Strategic Pivot Fuels E-commerce with 65% Growth and Disciplined Retail Expansion
Soch , India's leading evening and occasion wear brand, announced a significant leap in its e-commerce performance alongside a disciplined, profitability-driven retail strategy. The brands online business is on track to grow 65% year-on-year, looking to close at 90 crore this fiscal, underscoring the success of a purposeful pivot toward sustainable omni-channel growth. Soch's E-commerce site The Indian retail industry is entering a new era where profitability and sustainable growth are the north stars, not just raw expansion. Apparel and fashion brands are embracing a fewer, better philosophy, curating memorable destinations, integrating digital experiences, and leveraging analytics for sharper store selection. Reflecting this macro shift, Soch has redefined its growth playbook with an equal focus on disciplined offline expansion and accelerated e-commerce growth and profitability. While Soch continues to remain predominantly an offline-first brand, its e-commerce business has grown tenfold over the past five years, from INR 5.3 crore in FY20 to INR 54 crore in FY25, and is now targeting over six-fold growth to INR 350 crore by FY30 . The online channel contributed 12% of total revenue last year, projected to rise to 18% this year and to 30% of overall business within five years. This impressive jump in e-commerce revenue has not come at the sacrifice of profitability. On the contrary, its online division has transitioned from breakeven to delivering a 10% profit margin this fiscal, powered by exclusive online collections, sharper product curation, and data-led innovations. The brands omni-channel approach has also been a key enabler, integrating store-level inventory with digital fulfilment to ensure speed and availability across channels. While many brands began digital-first and are now exploring offline channels, Soch represents the next evolution, an offline-first brand mastering online with speed and precision. Our e-commerce transformation reflects the strength of our brand trust combined with the agility of technology. Its proof that growth and profitability can and should coexist , said Vinay Chatlani, CEO & Co-Founder, Soch . Soch exemplifies the Offline First, Digital Fast approach, leveraging its established offline trust to swiftly scale online. This blend of strong offline credibility with rapid digital growth creates a powerful growth flywheel, amplifying both brand loyalty and ecommerce profitability. Despite the recent success with its Online platforms, retail operations remain Sochs core strength. On this front the Brand is taking a measured approachfortifying its retail base while advancing in product and customer innovation. Over the last two years, the brand has consolidated its offline portfolio with a clear focus on performance. While continuing to expand new outlets in high-potential markets, it has closed its underperforming stores. This strategic optimisation is projected to deliver over 2.5% improvement in store-level EBITDA. With over 175 stores across India, Canada and Malaysia, Soch now prioritises same-store growth by driving customer conversion, ticket size, and average transaction value. This has been one of the outcomes of its premiumisation journey, which has seen the brand expand its evening and occasion wear portfolio to meet evolving customer expectations. In a 5-year period the brand has seen a 40% jump in ASP (average selling price), 50% increase in average transaction value along with a 10% increase in average basket size. The brand also records one of the highest trading densities in its category, exceeding INR 16,000 per sq. ft. Store openings today are sharper and more strategic , added Chatlani . We close locations that dont meet benchmarks and double down on those that drive value and engagement. Its not about being everywhere; its about being of substance wherever we are . Through a blend of offline trust and digital speed, Soch has built a resilient growth engine designed for the future of Indian retail. Our investments in technology, digital capability, and disciplined retail operations are already yielding strong results , said Chatlani . Weve built a business thats both resilient and ready for scale, anchored in profitability and confident in our ability to sustain and accelerate this momentum . The Brand has successfully navigated a challenging consumer environment where many have faced revenue and margin pressures. Soch is building a future-ready omnichannel business for steady, sustainable growth, positioning itself as a confident leader in Indian ethnic and occasion wearharnessing e-commerces momentum while strengthening its retail foundation for long-term success. About Soch Soch Apparels, the largest evening-occasion wear ethnic brand for women in India, seamlessly combines tradition and modern artistry. Our meticulously crafted outfits, featuring elaborate embroideries and handpicked fabrics, celebrate the rich heritage of Indian aesthetics. It offers a wide range of stylish designer ethnic wear, including sarees, salwar suits, kurtas, tunics, kurta sets, lehengas, and kaftans. With over 175 stores nationwide, Soch is the go-to destination for stylish and elegant designer ethnic wear. The brand has been consecutively recognized as the Best Ethnic Fashion Retailer of the Year 2023 and 2024 by IREC (Industry of Retail & eCommerce) and continues to redefine traditional Indian fashion. soch.com to explore our collection.
Koil Alwar Thirumanjanam Purifies Padmavathi Temple Ahead of Brahmotsavams
Singhal told reporters that elaborate arrangements were in place. Around 1,600 police personnel would be deployed, the TTD Annaprasadam wing will serve free meals to about 10,000 devotees daily, and nearly 75,000 devotees on Panchami Theertham day on November 25.
Sikar Chills at 7C as Cold Wave Grips Rajasthan
Fatehpur, Ajmer, and Alwar also record single-digit temperatures; dry weather likely to continue through next week, says Jaipur MeT Centre
Kids Can Grow Up But Should Be Obedient: BJP On Ajit Pawar's Land Scam Reply
The controversial land deal linked to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son, Parth, has given a new handle to the NCP stalwart's traditional political rivals to target him over his response to allegations.
Pak-linked hacker group targets Indian government, military networks with advanced spyware: Report
NEW DELHI: An Intelligence Agencys report has alerted the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to a major cyber-espionage campaign by Pakistan-linked hacker group Transparent Tribe, which is targeting Indian government and military networks with an advanced spyware called DeskRAT, sources said on Friday. The report warns that the group has upgraded its tactics this year, moving from public cloud platforms like Google Drive to private servers, making detection and blocking more difficult. According to sources, the hackers are believed to be exploiting ongoing border tensions in Ladakh, attempting to intercept intelligence related to Chinas military movements through compromised Indian systems. Agencies said the attackers are using sophisticated phishing emails disguised as government notices, ZIP files and intelligence briefings, often timed with security alerts or border incidents, to trick officials into downloading infected attachments. Once installed, DeskRAT, a remote access tool tailored for BOSS Linux systems widely used in government offices, can secretly monitor, extract and transmit sensitive files without detection. The latest attacks are faster, stealthier and harder to detect, a source said. The report also highlights the hackers use of artificial intelligence and large language models (LLMs) to rapidly develop new malware variants, outpacing traditional cybersecurity defences. Experts have warned that only automated, real-time threat detection can counter such adaptive attacks aimed at long-term espionage of Indias defence and administrative networks. The Transparent Tribe has been previously linked to attacks distributing Crimson RAT malware, often through phishing documents disguised as security briefings. During the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, the group allegedly circulated fake government messages to lure officials into opening infected attachments. Following the alert, the MHA has directed all ministries and defence units to step up cyber vigilance and strengthen security protocols, calling the threat a matter of national security.
Films from Palestine and movies of stalwart filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak to be in the limelight in the coming week
Former BJP Leader and Ex-union Minister Rajen Gohain Joins Assam Jatiya Parishad
Mr Gohain, once regarded as a BJP stalwart in the state, had resigned from the party on October 9, citing growing discontent with its leadership and direction.
