Chess Milestone: Assam’s 16-Year-Old Mayank Chakraborty Earns Grandmaster Title

Indian chess witnessed a historic moment when Mayank Chakraborty a -year-old prodigy from Guwahati Assam became India s th chess Grandmaster His achievement carries an added significance he is the first-ever Grandmaster from Northeast India a region that has long produced talented players but had never before reached this pinnacle in international chess By reaching this milestone Mayank has not only added another chapter to India s rapidly growing chess legacy but has also placed the Northeast firmly on the global chess map His historic title was confirmed in March after an outstanding performance at the Hotel Stockholm North Young Talents Tournament in Stockholm Sweden where he secured the final Grandmaster norm required by the International Chess Federation FIDE With a remarkable score of points out of rounds Mayank demonstrated maturity strategic brilliance and calm under pressure qualities that define the world s best chess players This victory marked a

16 Mar 2026

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How Anjali Sardana Turned Pronto Into a $100 Million Household Services Platform

At just Anjali Sardana has already achieved what many entrepreneurs spend years chasing Her startup Pronto an app that connects households with trained domestic helpers in minutes recently crossed a valuation of around million after raising about million in fresh funding in The recognition has placed Sardana among the youngest founders to build a fast-scaling service startup in India s growing quick-commerce economy nbsp What makes this achievement remarkable is not just the funding itself but the simplicity of the idea behind it Sardana saw a problem millions of urban households face every day finding reliable domestic help and decided to solve it with technology The result is Pronto a platform that promises quick verified household services with the ease of booking a ride or ordering food The Observation That Sparked an IdeaBefore launching Pronto Sardana closely observed how the domestic work sector operated in India Most households relied on

14 Mar 2026

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Meghalaya’s Threads Reach the World Stage as Ilamon Wins Global Spotlight

From the scenic hills of Shillong in Meghalaya to international design platforms Ilamonbanrisa Thangkhiew is slowly making her mark in the global textile world Growing up in Meghalaya she was surrounded by the rich traditions of Khasi culture and the beauty of handmade textiles These early influences shaped her love for craft and storytelling Wanting to explore design further she studied textile and apparel design and later pursued a master s degree in textiles from the prestigious Royal College of Art in London nbsp Today she works between India and London carrying with her the inspiration of her homeland Her work reflects not just creativity but also a deep respect for the traditions and stories that come from the Northeast International Recognition at Heimtextil Thangkhiew recently gained global recognition after being named one of the highlights at Heimtextil one of the world s largest international textile trade fairs held in

13 Mar 2026

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Young Pilot, Big Responsibility: Deepika Adhana’s Mission to Evacuate 169 Indians

Mom bye bye I don t know if I will come back or not These were the haunting yet courageous words spoken by -year-old pilot Deepika Adhana from Faridabad before she stepped into the cockpit on the morning of March What lay ahead was not a routine flight but a mission filled with uncertainty tension and responsibility Deepika a pilot with Air India Express had just received sudden instructions to operate a rescue flight to Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates where dozens of Indians were stranded amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East involving Iran Israel and the United States nbsp The assignment had originally been given to another pilot but barely two hours before departure Deepika was asked to take over the mission Without hesitation she accepted Yet she knew the risks The atmosphere across the region had become unpredictable and aviation routes were already

13 Mar 2026

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From One Rescue to 700 Dogs: The Inspiring Journey of Dogfather Rakesh Shukla

On the outskirts of Bengaluru hundreds of dogs run freely across open fields swim in ponds and rest peacefully under shaded trees Many of them carry scars from a painful past injuries from road accidents abandonment or abuse Yet today they live in safety because one man chose to care That man is Rakesh Shukla a former tech entrepreneur who turned his life toward animal welfare Born in Shukla is an electronics engineer with an MBA who built a successful career in the technology and telecommunications industry He worked across India the United States and Singapore before founding his company The Writers Block in The firm quickly grew into a leading technical communication company serving global clients such as Microsoft SAP Oracle and Intel By all standards Shukla had achieved professional success financial stability international exposure and a thriving business Yet despite the accomplishments he felt a growing need for

13 Mar 2026

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The Wall Gets Its Crown: BCCI to Honour Rahul Dravid with Lifetime Achievement Award

Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravid will receive the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Board of Control for Cricket in India at a ceremony in New Delhi on March The award recognises Dravid s extraordinary contribution to Indian cricket over nearly three decades first as one of the greatest batters the game has seen and later as a mentor who shaped the next generation of cricketers Widely known as The Wall Dravid built a reputation for reliability patience and technical brilliance His calm presence at the crease and ability to perform under pressure made him one of the most dependable players in cricket history The ceremony will also honour former women s captain Mithali Raj for her remarkable contributions to the women s game The Making of a Cricketing GiantDravid s cricketing journey began in the mid- s when he made his Test debut in at Lord s What followed

13 Mar 2026

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Manas Dhamne’s Big Break: Joins Lacoste’s Star-Studded Tennis Family

Indian tennis prodigy Manas Dhamne has reached an exciting milestone in his career by signing with Lacoste the renowned French sportswear brand known for its deep connection with tennis For a young player still building his professional journey this association is more than just a sponsorship it is a mark of global recognition Lacoste has long been associated with some of the biggest names in tennis including Novak Djokovic Daniil Medvedev and Grigor Dimitrov nbsp By bringing Dhamne into its athlete roster the brand has signalled its belief in the Indian teenager s talent and future potential This partnership places Dhamne in elite company and highlights how Indian tennis is slowly gaining attention on the international stage Among the Youngest Players in the ATP Top At just years old Manas Dhamne has already climbed to an ATP singles ranking of World No making him one of the three youngest players

12 Mar 2026

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A Historic First: Lt. Deeksha Tripathi Becomes First Woman to Master the AMAR Combat Routine

In a landmark achievement that reflects the changing face of India s armed forces Lieutenant Deeksha Tripathi has become the first female combatant to successfully complete the Army Martial Arts Routine AMAR course at the Army Institute of Physical Training in Pune Known for its extremely demanding nature the AMAR course pushes soldiers to their physical and psychological limits testing endurance resilience and hand-to-hand combat skills Lt Tripathi s success is therefore more than just the completion of a training program it is a moment that quietly but powerfully challenges long-standing assumptions about women s place in combat training At a time when the Indian Army is steadily expanding opportunities for women her accomplishment stands as a bold reminder that capability is not defined by gender but by grit discipline and determination Understanding the Rigorous AMAR Combat SystemThe Army Martial Arts Routine popularly known as AMAR is a specialized close-combat

12 Mar 2026

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The Smiling Everyman of Indian Cinema: Amol Palekar to Receive META Lifetime Achievement Award 2026

My father often speaks about the cinema of the s and s with a certain warmth and nostalgia And whenever those memories surface one name almost always comes up the gentle smiling man with a moustache who looked just like the people sitting in the audience That man was Amol Palekar Unlike the towering heroes of the era Palekar did not arrive on screen with dramatic punches or larger-than-life charisma Instead he represented the everyday Indian shy thoughtful sometimes awkward but deeply relatable For many fathers uncles and families who grew up watching Hindi cinema in that era Palekar was the face of a different kind of hero Now decades later the veteran actor director and theatre practitioner will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the st Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards META The prestigious theatre festival will take place in New Delhi from March to March celebrating

11 Mar 2026

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