Population 50 years ago

Two years ago, at the age of 33, homemaker Libas Sadhique decided to make a comeback to powerlifting – a sport she had given up a decade ago post her marriage and a Caesarean delivery. Her only goal then was to compete at the Asian level. A few days ago, she accomplished that feat at the Asian Powerlifting Championships in Kazakhstan and won a gold medal for the country while doing so. However, the road to the medal was never easy. In 2017, when she made her return, the Kaloor-based athlete won the district and state powerlifting championships and got selected to compete in the national level. “I knew if I finished in the top three, I would earn a spot in the national team at the Asian championships. But I fell short and was fifth,” she says. While most at her age would probably give up, Libas decided to up her game. “I realised that the training I did so far wasn’t enough to get me to the Asian championships, and so I hired a coach named Krishnakumar and … [Read more...] about ‘I looked at the Indian flag before summoning all my strength to win the gold’

A small detour from the busy Rewari-Sohna Road via scores of tiny shops leads to the very congested Ward Number 6 in Tauru, Nuh. Located at a distance of 39 kilometres from the heart of Gurugram, Tauru is peppered with several heritage structures that date back to a period marked by the presence of Baloch chieftains and, later, the Jat kings of Bharatpur. One such remnant of history, a 16th-century fort, is tucked away in a corner of the Ward 6 locality. THE FORTLocally known as ‘Raja ka mahal’ or ‘Qila (fort)’, it stands amid multi-storeyed buildings that have sprung up all around it. It is located near what is locally known as the ‘thaane wali gali’— a street that owes its name to the city police station located in the vicinity. The only way of reaching the fort is through the police station located in one corner of a huge compound. The compound, as it appears today, is part of the area where the Tauru fort once stood. A bustling two-storey … [Read more...] about A fort in Haryana’s Nuh with Baloch, Jat connections

        Neeraj Arora, vice president of business development for Facebook’s WhatsApp, has resigned from Paytm’s board as the Indian company cries foul over the manner in which Silicon Valley giants are operating in the country.Arora, an ex-Googler who has played an instrumental role in increasing the reach of WhatsApp, had joined the Paytm board in 2015. His resignation comes in the backdrop of Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the founder and chief executive of Paytm, criticising companies such as Facebook over the way they are doing business in India.“India must welcome global tech companies,” Sharma, who has been vocal about his discomfort over the rise of international giants in India, tweeted on Wednesday. But “it must not let them colonise our Internet. Their ambitions and intentions are clear in last few weeks,” he added. Sharma’s remarks comes days after WhatsApp began rolling out the payment feature on its messaging … [Read more...] about Here’s why Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar is unhappy with WhatsApp’s UPI payment feature

In a respite for enthusiasts and collectors of vintage cars, classic vehicles of more than 50 years of age may flash special number plates and enjoy exemption from scrappage once the regulation for these vehicles are formalised. For facilitating regulation and registration of old vintage vehicles, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has come out with a draft notification that provides for a special number plate with ‘VA’ letters signifying vintage in the registration number.“...it is expedient to provide for the preservation of vintage vehicles owing to their historic, cultural, technical and aesthetic significance. In exercise with the powers conferred by...the Motor Vehicles Act...the central government on being satisfied that steps are required to encourage and regulate vintage motor vehicles being a part of technical, motoring and cultural heritage is pleased to make order of regulation for their registration or re-registration,” the draft … [Read more...] about Regulation for vintage vehicles soon, number plates to display ‘VA’

        WhatsApp has started rolling out its payment service to select users in India. The Facebook-owned firm had confirm working on this feature early last year.WhatsApp uses the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) for its payment service on the messaging app. This payments method enables one to send and money receive through their UPI-linked bank accounts. It ensures a fast and swift transfer of money without having to store balance in a wallet.WhatsApp’s UPI payment service hasn’t officially been rolled out to users. Only select users have been discovering the feature on their iOS and Android devices. If you haven’t received the feature, there’s a workaround to get it. You will first need to ensure that your bank account is UPI-enabled and you have a friend who has the feature available on their device. The process of getting the payment feature is very similar to WhatsApp’s voice calling feature, which debuted approximately three … [Read more...] about WhatsApp introduces UPI-based payment feature in India: Here’s how it works