Sunday, 26 January 2025

Sinner vs Zverev - Australian Open final start time, how you can watch,



Jannick Siner is aiming for a second Australian Open title in a row as he takes on Alexander Zverev Sunday afternoon.


In the final for men on Sunday, defending champion Jannik Sinner is looking to win back-to-back Australian Open and deny Alexander Zverev his first Grand Slam title.


On Sunday, the final of the women's doubles will see top seeds Katerina Simiakova (Lettonia) and Taylor Townsend facing Taiwan's Hsieh su-Wei (Taiwan) and Latvian Jelena Ostapenko.


What is the favorite to win the Australian Open Men's Final?

Jannik Sinner, who won the 2024 final in five sets after defeated Daniil Medivedev in that year's final will be the favourite to win the Sunday decider. He'll become the first man since Novak Djokovic to "three-peat", from 2019-21.


Sinner, the top seed, would be the 11th professional to win back-to-back matches, joining Roger Federer (2006), Andre Agassi (2007), and Andre Agassi (2000).


Sinner, who won the US Open in 2010, could become the first Italian man to win three Grand Slams, surpassing Nicola Pietrangeli's record of two consecutive men's singles titles at Roland Garros, from 1959-60.


How did Sinner make it to the finals?

Sinner, who has won 20 of his last 21 matches, is in excellent form and arrives at the final with a winning streak.


In the quarterfinals, he thumped Australian number one Alex De Minaur and also defeated rising American talent Ben Shelton with straight sets .


The 23-year old has had a few bumps in the road. He suffered from a cramp during the match against Shelton, and also experienced dizziness on a very hot day when he beat Holger Rune by four sets in the fourth-round.


Sinner will be glad to know that Sunday's match is in the cool evening.


What happened to the doping case against Sinner?

The case of doping he has been involved in since March, when he failed a drug test, is still hanging over his head.


The World Anti-Doping Agency is seeking a two-year ban for the Italian, despite the fact that the tennis integrity authority cleared him to play. April is the date of the hearing.


What did Sinner say before the final?

Sinner is a champion who has defended his title and so far, he's been able to withstand external distractions.


He said, "I am trying to remove the things in my mind, the pressure." "Even though it is easy to say but hard to do.


I will do my best to achieve that, but also take time to enjoy the moment. We won six tough matches."


What is the chance of Zverev winning in the final?

Zverev, as a teenager and up-and-coming player, once generated the excitement that Sinner experienced before winning his first Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park in Melbourne Park 2024.


The 27-year old German has not won any major trophies despite some near misses.


In the French Open final, he lost to Carlos Alcaraz by two sets to one. He also fell to Dominic Thiem after a two set lead in the US Open final in 2020.


Zverev, despite having a powerful serve, a backhand that is one of the most powerful in tennis, and a decent court movement, despite being 6 ft 6 in (1.98 metre) tall, can wilt under pressure. He has also struggled to overcome perceptions of mental fragility.


Is Zverev's new beginning?

The younger generation, led by Sinner & Alcaraz, has emerged in recent years to stop Zverev from achieving his goals.


Zverev, who was chastened after his French Open final defeat to Alcaraz in which he tired at the end of the match last year, rehired Jez Green as a trainer to help him build endurance for five-set matches.


Zverev is relatively fresh for Sunday's final after Djokovic was injured and retired after the first set in their semifinal.


What did Zverev say before the final?

Zverev may have the best chance to win by dragging Sinner into a dogfight, and using his serve in tiebreaks.


Zverev said, "My goal is to continue to compete against the top players and win these tournaments."


I'm looking forward Sunday. "I feel ready to go."


Head-to-head

Zverev has a 4-2 record of victories over Sinner, including wins on hardcourt at the US Opens in 2021 and 2023.


Last year, Sinner was untouchable when he won the last match they played on Cincinnati's hardcourt.


What is the prize money?

The total prize money for 2024 is $59.8m. This represents a 12.5% increase.


The Australian Open will award $2.16m to the singles champions, and $502,000 each to the men's and woman's doubles champions.

The RBI Ombudsman Scheme has seen a 32.81% increase in complaints from bank customers to 9,34 lakh



In the Reserve Bank's Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, complaints by banking customers increased 32.81 percent in one year. They reached 9.34 lakh. This dramatic increase in complaints suggests that customer service standards have declined within the banking industry, and highlights the need to improve.


The complaints were filed with 24 Offices of RBI Ombudsman and the Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre of the RBI.


The RBI reported in its Annual Report on Ombudsman Scheme that a significant number of 85 281 complaints were received (as high as 29,01 percent of all complaints) regarding loans and advances. This represents a 42.70 percent increase compared to last year.


The number of complaints related to mobile/electronic banking increased by 32.61 percent from the previous year. The report stated that while 46,358 complaints were made about opening and using deposit accounts (showing a 34.45 percent increase), 42,329 complaints (14.40%) were received about credit cards. This was a 23.95 percent rise over the previous years.


The RBI reported that Chandigarh and NCT of Delhi were the top contributors of complaints to ORBIOs, in terms of the number of complaints per lakh accounts (deposits and credits). Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan were the next five highest contributors. Mizoram was the lowest contributor, followed by Nagaland, Ladakh and Manipur.


The Reserve Bank found that lenders were using unfair practices to charge interest during the on-site examinations of banks for the period ending March 31, 2023. Some unfair practices included charging interest from the day of sanctioning the loan or the date the loan agreement was executed and not the actual date the funds were disbursed to the customer. In the same way, when loans were disbursed via cheque, interest was often charged on the date of cheque even though the cheque wasn't handed to the customer for several days. Some REs charge interest on loans disbursed or repaid during a month.


Customers have complained about fraudulent activity, uninvited cards being issued, and disputes with retailers. Customers complained of not receiving promotional and rewards benefits from credit cards, and about arbitrary changes to card norms.


The RBI Ombudsman's report stated that a total 934,355 complains were received between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2024 at ORBIOs. This represents a 32.81 percent increase over the previous years. The ORBIOs received 25.24 percent more complaints from FY2023 than FY2024. The CRPC received 36.59 percent more complaints from FY2023 than FY2024.


In FY 2023-24, the share of individual complaints in total complaints reached its highest level at 256 527 (87.27%). The RBI reported that complaints against banks and non-bank financial companies accounted for 82.28 percent and 14.53 percent of total complaints, respectively.


The ORBIOs handled a total number of 284,355 cases during the past year. This represents a 95.10 percent disposal rate. The ORBIOs have disposed of 192,886 complains, which is 67.83 percent of all complaints.


It said that 57.07 percent of maintainable complaints resolved by mutual settlement, conciliation, or mediation, while 40.78 percent of maintainable complains were rejected due to lack of deficiency in service.


CRPC received 766,957 (including those assigned to ORBIOs/Consumer Education and Protection Cell), a 30.10 percent increase compared to last year. CRPC disposed of 758,483 of these complaints.


While 631.876 complaints were classified as non-complaints/non-maintainable, 126.607 were assigned to ORBIOs/CEPCs for further resolution. Of the non-maintainable cases, 47.75 percent were closed as First Resort Complaints. The report stated that the complainant approached directly RBI before lodging a complaint with the RE concerned.

Saturday, 4 January 2025

Telegram releases 2025 update with collectibles, custom-emojis and more



Telegram's latest update for 2025 includes collectible gifts, improved search filters, service messages reactions, third-party confirmation, customizable chat folders emojis and an integrated QR scanner for easy link access.

Telegram's first major update for 2025 has been released. It includes a number of new features including collectible gifts and enhanced search capabilities.


Instant messaging has recently announced some new features.

CollectiblesTelegram Users can now upgrade gifts received into collectibles. These digital gifts have unique looks created by artists. They feature customised traits such as background colours, icons and unique numbers.


More than 1,400 variations of over 20 gifts such as Homemade Cakes, Jelly Bunnies, and Santa Hats can be upgraded into collectibles. Upgraded gifts are also available for trading with other users, or to be auctioned off on NFT marketplaces. Users can send gifts as upgraded collectibles to add a personal touch. The recipient will unwrap their artwork as they chat. Telegram Stars are required to upgrade the collectibles. These Stars cover the blockchain transaction costs.


Reactions to Service Messages

Telegramhas added reactions to service messages. This allows users to interact and respond with notifications such as group joinings, changes in profile photos, or gift receptions. This feature allows users to respond directly to updates within the chat.


Message Filter

Telegram has also improved its search capabilities. Users can filter the results on the 'Chats tab' to see messages from specific channels, groups or private chats.


Verification by a Third Party

Telegram now offers a decentralised platform to verify third parties, bringing additional security and transparency. Third-party services that have been verified can assign verification icons for users and chats. These icons are displayed next to usernames and indicate the verification status. They also provide an explanation in user profiles.


Custom Emoji in Folder Names

Premium users can now customize their chat folders using custom emojis. This allows for expressive or minimalist designs. This feature allows for greater flexibility when it comes to organising conversations.


In-App QR Code Scanner

This update contains an in-app scanner for QR codes. allows users to access links without having to leave the app. This feature is built into the camera in-app, and can be accessed by a simple swipe or tap.

Elon Musk announces that X will prioritise entertaining and informative content when overhauling its algorithm.



Elon Musk announced a major update to X’s algorithm that prioritizes engaging content. More details will be provided via @XEng. Users will have more control over the feeds.

Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and tech mogul, has revealed plans to update the algorithm for X. This social media platform was formerly known by the name Twitter. Musk stressed the importance of prioritising the content that users find engaging and valuable in a series posts on the platform.


"Algorithm tweak coming soon to promote more informational/entertaining content. We will announce the changes on @XEng. "Our goal is to maximize unregretted-user-seconds," Musk said. He said that negative content can increase the time users spend on the platform but it doesn't contribute to "unregretted time."


Musk revealed that the platform was developing tools to allow users more control over their feeds. In a subsequent tweet, Musk said: "We are also working on ways to allow you to easily adjust the feed dynamically so that you can have whatever you want at any moment."


Musk has a broader vision of how to redefine the way users interact with X. The goal is to create a positive, personalised experience. The changes will appeal to long-term users as well as newcomers by addressing the concerns regarding the negativity that is prevalent on the platform.



More details on the algorithmic changes will be provided by @XEng 's official engineering handleforX. The announcement has generated a lively discussion online. Users speculated about how the system could change their interactions on the platform.


Musk acquired X in the year 2022 and has since implemented a number of updates and reforms that have positioned the platform as a hub to meaningful conversation and entertainment.


Musk has advocated improved accessibility for X's mute words feature. Musk's remarks came after a recent post from Dan, an X-employee, who highlighted the functionality of the tool on the platform.


Dan said, "As a friendly reminder, you can mute certain words in X by navigating settings > privacy > mute. You can do this permanently or temporarily if needed. This feature allows users the ability to customize their feeds by blocking certain words or phrases.


Musk responded by acknowledging the importance of this feature, but admitting that users may have difficulty finding it. Musk replied, "We need to make it easier to locate."

Wednesday, 25 December 2024

The economy is on a recovery path in the third quarter, driven by festive activity and rural demand.



A Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in an article, said that the Indian economy was showing signs of recovery after a slowdown in momentum in the previous quarter. (April to June 2024).


In July-September of 2024, the country's real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is a measure of gross domestic product, fell to its lowest level in seven quarters at 5.4 percent. The RBI projected that the economy would grow by 6.8 percent in the quarter of October-December 2024.


The article titled 'State of the Economy,' published in the December Bulletin of the RBI, stated that "High frequency indicators" (HFIs), for the third quarter of FY2024-25, indicate the Indian economy has recovered from the slowdown of momentum seen in Q2 of FY2025. This recovery is attributed to strong festival activity as well as a sustained increase in rural demand.


In November, the volume of e-way bills increased 16.3 percent (y-o y) (Graph III.4a). In November 2024 toll collections grew by double digits, both in volume and value terms. In November 2024, vehicle registrations grew by double digits year-over-year (y-o y), with an increase in non-transport vehicles. Fuel consumption in the country increased in November 2024 due to farm harvesting, rural activity, and robust air travel.


Michael Patra, the RBI's deputy governor, and other officials from central banks prepared this article. The RBI stated that the opinions expressed in the article were those of the authors, and not the institution.


India's growth trajectory will accelerate in the second half 2024-25, primarily due to a resilient demand for private consumption at home. The article stated that rural demand is growing, mainly due to the record-high foodgrain production.


It said that "sustained government expenditure on infrastructure will further stimulate economic activity, and investment."


The global headwinds pose a risk to the future outlook of growth and inflation .


In the article, it was also stated that India's growth trajectory is expected to be resilient in the future, but with a more sustainable foundation, as a result of climate action. This includes a greater focus on renewable energies, electric vehicles (EVs), and green hydrogen.


These coordinated efforts point to a promising route towards achieving net-zero emission. The use of global frameworks to facilitate carbon trading, and the scaling up of climate finance including green bonds will reinforce the decoupling between growth and emissions.


India, too, is riding the digitalisation wave to boost its growth, increase productivity, and expand the reach of services and products. This is a result of a shift in consumer behavior and the growing popularity of online shopping in small towns.


The article stated that "this surge also highlights a growing investor's confidence and the momentum behind innovative energies which are driving India's FinTech ascent."

After 5 years of diluted RTE Act, the government ends its no-detention policy for KVs and JNVs. The decision will impact 3,000 schools



If a student is held, the class teacher will guide both the child and the parent, if needed, as well as provide specialised inputs, after identifying learning gaps in various stages of assessment.

The Centre has abolished the policy of no-detention in all schools under its control, including Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV) and Jawahar Nvodaya Vidyalayas (JNV). This allows students from Classes 5 and 8, to be kept back during the current academic session.


Around 3,000 Central Schools will be affected by the decision, including Sainik Schools that function under the Ministry of Defence and Eklavya Model Residential Schools under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.


This comes five years after the Right to Education Act of 2009 was amended in 2019. The amendment included a clause allowing the "appropriate governments" to decide whether to hold back children in Class 5 and 8. In the five years since, 18 states and union territories (UTs), have abolished this policy.


In a notice issued last week, Ministry of Education added a section to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules of 2010, which deals with the detention of students in classes 5 and 8.


According to the new rules, if the student in Class 5 or 8 does not meet the promotion criteria at the regular examination held at the end academic year, they will be given "additional instruction and the opportunity for retesting within two months" following the declaration of results. The student can be held back if he/she still fails to meet the promotion criteria following the re-examination.


If a student is held, the class teacher will guide both the child and the parent, if needed, as well as provide specialised inputs, after identifying learning gaps in various stages of assessment.


The rules add that the "head of the school" must keep a record of all children who have learning gaps and monitor their progress in relation to those identified gaps.


The examination and re-examination are "competency-based exams to achieve the holistic growth of the child", and "not based upon memorisation or procedural skills". The rules stipulate that no child will be expelled until the completion of elementary school.


Section 16 of Right to Education Act 2009 prohibits schools from detaining children up to class 8. The no-detention rule was implemented to prevent students from dropping out of school if they are detained.


Since then, several states have called for the scrapping of the policy. In 2016, the Central Advisory Board of Education adopted a resolution that called for the scrapping of the policy, citing the fact that students no longer took their studies seriously.


In 2019, the Act was amended to allow "appropriate governments...to hold back an child in fifth class, eighth class, or both classes" if they fail the re-examination. The decision to scrap the policy of no-detention was left to the states.


Then HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said, "it's a very important law and the majority of state governments support this proposal." When the Bill to amend the RTE Act was introduced in the Lok Sabha he had stated that it is "a very important legislation" and the majority of the state governments have supported the proposal. This brings accountability to our elementary education. He added that, "Schools are only used for the mid-day lunch and education is missing."


Since the amendment 18 states and UTs no longer have a policy of no-detention: Assam (Bihar), Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir, Jharkhand Punjab, Rajasthan Sikkim Tamil Nadu Tripura Uttarakhand West Bengal Delhi Dadra Nagar Haveli Daman Diu, Daman and Diu, Dadra Nagar Haveli, Daman Diu, Daman and Diu, Daman and Diu, Daman and Di


According to the Ministry of Education Haryana and Puducherry have yet to make a final decision.


The rest of the States and UTs - Andhra Pradesh (including Arunachal Pradesh), Goa, Chhattisgarh (including Kerala), Karnataka (including Kerala), Maharashtra, Manipur and Mizoram), Odisha, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh - continue to follow this policy.


A senior official was asked why the Centre had waited so long to end the policy of no-detention. He said that the National Education Policy came out in 2020, and the Centre chose to wait until the National Curriculum Framework for School Education also came out in 2023 to "take a holistic approach" to the issue.

Omi Vaidya, aka Chatur, gave up her role in How I Met Your Mother to audition for Aamir Khan's film. 15 Years of 3 Idiots



Omi Vaidya, aka Chatur Ralingam, or Silencer is one of the most memorable character from Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots. The American actor was also known for his Hollywood stints on The Office, From Embers and Shameless. Omi recalls his audition, first-day on set, relationship with the team and more as the timeless film celebrates its 15th anniversary.


15 Years of 3 Idiots


In an exclusive interview with SCREEN he says, "It's great, and it hasn't felt that long." The people keep watching the film, and that keeps it alive. This film is the exception. Movies come and go, but this one stays. "I knew it was a great film, but I never imagined it would still resonate 15 years later."


'I had watched 2-3 Hindi films in my entire life'


The actor admits that he didn't want to do 3 Idiots but was offered the role. "I was concentrating on my Hollywood roles and the development of The Office. At that time, they were searching for newcomers to America. At that time, none of the roles had been cast, and the half of the script hadn't yet been written. They were looking only for American-Indians. One of my Ohio friends told me to audition when I was in India attending a wedding. She was working as the assistant co-writer for the film Abhijat Joshuai at the time. She asked me to come to their office in Bombay. "I said that in my life I'd only seen 2-3 Hindi movies, and I didn't have much interest in them," he says.


Omi adds: "I never worked on Bollywood films, but always on American projects. She told me that I probably won't be able to get the job, but she said to send them your The Office material and we'll see what happens. My mother told me that auditioning for a Bollywood movie is a great experience. They gave me Raju's lines when I went. I practiced two pages of lines for four hours. The casting director told me that I didn't know the language. Thanks for coming, but you could leave. "I never auditioned for this role."


He was then called back, and given Sanjay's Lage Raho Munna Bhai script. They called me again and told me that they would give me a script to practice at home. The script is from a film called Lage Raho Munna Bhai. I had never seen the movie and knew nothing about its plot. The script said that SanjayDutt was talking about injustice. I told them I wouldn't be able do justice to his performance, as he takes it so seriously. I'll have some fun and pretend I don't understand what he's saying. I knew that I wouldn't be getting the role, and I was auditioning for fun. I was confident during my audition. I made mistakes on purpose. "They were laughing. I went back to America and didn't even think about it," he says.


"Had To Give Up A Role In How I Met Your Mother"


The 42-year old had to turn down a fantastic offer to star in a popular Hollywood series so that she could go to the next round. "I almost got the role in How I Met Your Mother. These guys said we also liked your audition. The video was circulated and everyone loved me. Aamir had been cast by that time. The company asked me to go to New Mexico to audition again, so I had to turn down the very good offer for HIMYM. After the audition Raju called to say, "You are improving in Hindi, do not do better." We want you to have weak Hindi. Omi says, "Don't even think about learning it.


The actor decided to accept the role against the advice of his American agents. I did stereotypical roles for my Hollywood projects. I didn't even read the script, but I knew that it would be a decent part. I decided to do just one Bollywood movie in my lifetime. All of my American agents said that I was crazy to do the movie and risk my career. It was the Indian wave that swept through here, and I missed out on many projects. "But I enjoyed making that film," he says. I had to gain weight or lose weight and shave my hair to look older. The script was given to me three days prior to the shoot. "They did it on purpose to get me to use raw language."


When asked about Silencer's famous Chamatkar speech scene (Balatkar), when he said the wrong one in college, he replied, "I never saw the humor in it. I even didn't try to play up comedy in the movie. It was a tragic character who couldn't speak Hindi. That's all it was for me. If he could speak Hindi well, he wouldn't be funny. When I first saw the speech I was only thinking about the character. I think it's an amazing speech he wrote, and he's unaware that the words were changed. "It's his time to shine. That's what I read in the script!"


He then reveals that he knew the exact meaning of every speech. "I speak Marathi. It was easy to understand. My character does not know this. It's rumored that I didn't understand what I said, but it's not the truth. He continued to address the jokes surrounding the topic - "Memes have become a part the culture and that's awesome." I'm from America, so I don't see these things very often. However, people have sent them to me on occasion. "I see these and I feel good about Chatur's power and his presence everywhere."


A joke by Rajkumar Hirani


Omi also reveals that Rajkumar Hirani played a hilarious joke on him on the first day of filming 3 Idiots. We were filming the ragging scenes on the first day of shooting. I'm a dedicated actor and I trust my director. When it came time to shoot they brought in something shiny and gold. "I was uncomfortable in such little clothing, and then it was a gold thong. But I wanted to do my best for my director," he says.


The actor continues to laugh and says, "I talked to Rajkumar, and I said that, 'I'm not sure if this is good for the character. I think the American version would be a better choice'. He said, "Oh no, it was just a joke." It's funny you actually planned to wear it. Everyone knew that it was Raju’s joke."


When asked about Silencer's famous Chamatkar speech scene (Balatkar), when he said the wrong one in college, he replied, "I never saw the humor in it. I even didn't try to play up comedy in the movie. It was just a tragic, non-Hindi speaking character for me. I think he wouldn't be funny if he could speak Hindi. I was only thinking about the character's perspective when I watched the speech. I think it's an amazing speech that he wrote, and he's unaware that the words were changed. "It's his time to shine. That's what I read in the script!"


He then reveals that he knew the exact meaning of every speech. "I speak Marathi. It was easy to understand. My character does not know this. It's a rumour I didn't understand what I said, but it's not true. He continued to address the jokes surrounding the topic - "Memes have become a part our culture and that's awesome." I'm from America, so I don't see these things very often. However, people have sent them to me on occasion. "I see these and I feel good about Chatur's power and his presence everywhere."


A joke by Rajkumar Hirani


Omi also reveals that Rajkumar Hirani played a hilarious joke on him on the first day of filming 3 Idiots. We were filming the ragging scenes on the first day of shooting. I'm a dedicated actor and I trust my director. When it came time to shoot they brought me a shiny, gold thing. "I was uncomfortable in such little clothing, and then it was a gold thong. But I wanted to do my best for my director," he says.


The actor continues to laugh and says, "I talked to Rajkumar, and I said that, 'I'm not sure if this is good for the character. I think the American version would be a better choice'. He said, "Oh no, it was just a joke." It's funny you actually planned to wear it. Everyone knew that it was Raju’s joke."


Rajkumar Hirani's unique filmmaking style


Omi says "I've worked with many directors, and they all seem to be very serious, focused and stressed while shooting. He was so easy to work with. He appeared to be so prepared, he could relax. It was like an uncle having fun, but still very present, for making something timeless. He used to chat and have some tea with Aamir, as well as play badminton in the morning. He trusted his characters, just as he cast the best actors and let them do their job."


He calls him a great actor and reveals that was never afraid to give his suggestions. “Of all actors, he gave the most suggestions. He would ask the most questions during rehearsals. It was wonderful to have someone so involved in his role and other roles. He did not want to change anything but to improve the situation. His suggestions were not always implemented, but sometimes they were extremely beneficial. There was no ego in his refusal to use them. "He was only interested in making sure the film came out well," he concludes.