VK News Today https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html He jumped into a canal to escape a wild boar, but it followed him in: How a 14-year-old in Odisha wrestled the animal for 90 minutes ‘Treated with the dignity anyone deserves’: Pat Cummins backs campaign for Imran Khan NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu minister P Viswanathan on Friday dismissed calls to project TVK chief Vijay C Joseph as the INDIA bloc’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, asserting that Rahul Gandhi is the “definitive” choice.“As Congress leaders, we are very clear. Our beloved leader and leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is the INDIA bloc’s prime ministerial candidate for 2029,” Viswanathan said.His remarks came after several TVK leaders pushed for Vijay to be projected as a prime ministerial candidate for 2029 Lok Sabha polls , drawing sharp reaction from Congress.TVK leaders, including KA Sengottaiyan and D Sarathkumar, have compared Vijay with former Tamil Nadu chief ministers MGR and Jayalalithaa, claiming he would not only rule Tamil Nadu but also lead the country in the future.TVK legislator Kallanai, who organised an event marking the party’s 100 days in office, said people had immense faith in Vijay’s leadership. He expressed confidence that Vijay would eventually lead the country and hoist the national flag at the Red Fort as a representative of the Tamil people, news agency PTI reported.Meanwhile, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said that while party workers may have deep admiration for their leader, national leadership ultimately depends on securing the numbers required to form a government.“I fully accept that they have great love, affection, expectation, and admiration for their party leadership. This is their party. What they say within their party makes no difference to the public discourse. In public discourse, what you should ask about is policy and the law. Their wishes within a party make no difference to me,” Chidambaram told reporters, according to ANI.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesHe said every political party has its own ambitions and aspirations, but any prime ministerial aspirant must ultimately have the numbers to command a majority in the Lok Sabha.“Every party has dreams, ambitions, and desires. One cannot pass laws to stop that. Everyone expresses their own wishes and talks about their favourite leader in their party. But we know what the political reality is. There are 543 constituencies,” Chidambaram said.According to the Constitution, the leader of whichever alliance wins 272 constituencies, or whichever party wins, will be the Prime Minister of India. Anyone who achieves that number can become the Prime Minister, individually or collectively. You and I both know what that political reality is,” he added.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.About the AuthorRohitashwa RanjanRohitashwa Ranjan is a digital journalist with The Times of India, where he decodes Indian politics as a carefully staged production with scripts, subtext and everything behind. His stories track elections, party dynamics and the things that often are buried beneath the headlines. When not parsing vote shares or alliances, he is usually reading between the lines, where the real story tends to reside.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos469 Dead In Nepal Floods; 3 Bodies Found In Uttar Pradesh; Kathmandu Declines Foreign Rescue TeamsCongress Alleges ₹36,000 Crore ‘Sugar Scam’, Slams Modi Govt Over Festive Price RisePM Modi’s Central Asia Visit: SCO Summit, Uzbekistan Ties, Putin Meet In FocusCM Suvendu Adhikari Urges Skilled Bengalis Abroad To Return, Promises Jobs Under Double-Engine Govt’Blind Pakistan Activated Spies To Locate India’s S-400′ During Op Sindoor, Ex-Air Marshal RevealsCamac Street Showdown: TMC Blocks Police During Billboard Removal, Banerjee Announces Court MoveNepal Floods: 288 Indians Uncontactable, 21 Rescued So Far, MEA Shares Key Updates | WatchFour Killed, One Missing In Manipur Ambush As Naga-Kuki Tensions Erupt Again, Probe Launch | WatchFake IAS Officer Tripti Rajput Under Probe, Police Recover CBI Cards And Government DocumentsWhy A Supreme Court Judge Wants The Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice Transferred?123PhotostoriesLock Upp 2 fame Akanksha Chamola’s luxurious Mumbai home: Elegant interiors, cosy living room and beautiful mandirH1N1 Or COVID-19? 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It was Raksha Bandhan, and Tagore had repurposed a domestic ritual, sisters protecting brothers, into a public act of protest. Hindus tied rakhis on Muslims, Muslims tied them on Hindus, and for one day at least, the colonial administration’s attempt to engineer division through the Bengal Partition met a street-level answer in silk thread. The gesture was Tagore’s response to a strategy of divide and rule that he saw threatening the nationalist movement at its foundations; the rakhi, in his hands, stopped being only a family custom and became a symbol of a shared, non-negotiable bond between communities.When Tagore turned a ritual into protestMore than a century later, the thread has kept its symbolism but acquired a balance sheet. Raksha Bandhan is now one of the biggest festival-linked retail events in the Indian calendar, and the story of how it got there says as much about India’s e-commerce boom, its gig economy and its small-manufacturing base as it does about siblings and sentiment.A festival with a turnoverThe Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) estimates that India’s rakhi trade could reach nearly Rs 25,000 crore this year. The broader Raksha Bandhan-related trade, including sweets, dry fruits, gifts, apparel, electronics, decorative items, puja articles and other festive products, is expected to cross Rs 30,000 crore nationally. Delhi alone is estimated to account for around Rs 4,000 crore, with major markets such as Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazaar, Karol Bagh, Lajpat Nagar, Kamla Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Gandhi Nagar, Khari Baoli and Laxmi Nagar seeing increased shopping activity ahead of Raksha Bandhan. These figures are CAIT estimates based on inputs from traders and trade associations, rather than audited market data.Much of the physical production still runs through India’s traditional craft clusters. Kolkata remains a major wholesale and manufacturing hub, supplying rakhi traders across the country. Khadi rakhis from Nagpur, Sanganeri prints from Jaipur, seed rakhis from Pune, tea-leaf rakhis from Assam, jute rakhis from Kolkata, and bamboo and Madhubani-art rakhis from Bihar now sit alongside mass-produced options, driven in part by women’s self-help groups and artisan collectives for whom the rakhi season is a source of supplementary household income.Threads with a message, threads with a nameWhat has changed most visibly is the design vocabulary. This year’s rakhi shelves carry threads built around Viksit Bharat, BrahMos and women’s-empowerment themes alongside the more familiar Rudraksha, Swastik and Bhaiya-Bhabhi pairs, a sign of how quickly manufacturers now respond to the news cycle and government messaging, treating the rakhi as a wearable billboard as much as a ritual object. Superhero and cartoon-branded rakhis for children, evil-eye designs marketed as fashion accessories that can be worn past the festival, and premium metal or stone-studded pieces round out a market that has moved well beyond plain thread.Personalisation has become the dominant pitch, and not just at the top end.A thread for every trendSellers now routinely offer rakhis with a brother’s name sublimated onto acrylic or wood, or a sibling photograph printed directly onto the pendant, products that would have required a jeweller or an artist a decade ago and are now templated, priced from under Rs 50 apiece, and turned around in bulk by small manufacturing units in cities such as Ahmedabad, Delhi and Jaipur. The wider gifting trend has moved the same way: industry trackers this year note a decline in generic mass-market combo set, the standard thread-plus-sweets hamper, in favour of curated boxes that buyers can customise by age, taste or budget, from wellness kits to eco-friendly packaging.Minutes, not daysThe most disruptive change, though, has been in delivery. Quick-commerce platforms have turned the rakhi thali, once assembled by a sister at home or bought over a shop counter, into a same-day, sometimes same-hour order: thread, roli-chawal, sweets and a small gift bundled and dispatched from a neighbourhood dark store. For siblings living in different cities, or those who simply left the shopping too late, this has effectively replaced the courier parcels and last-minute market runs of previous years.That speed now comes with an asterisk. Since January this year, the quick-commerce platforms have all dropped explicit “10-minute” delivery claims from their branding, after the Union Labour Ministry pushed quick-commerce companies to stop advertising rigid delivery windows, citing rider safety concerns following gig-worker protests. Blinkit’s tagline shifted from promising goods “in 10 minutes” to simply listing what it delivers; some of them now advertise “groceries in minutes” rather than a fixed number. The underlying model, dark stores, real-time inventory, delivery fleets built for speed, is unchanged, and rakhi orders still move fast during the festival rush; platforms have simply stopped putting a number on it.The vendors left behindFor the street sellers who used to own this season, the shift has been harder to absorb than a change in app copy. Rakesh, who sells rakhi threads and thalis from a stall in one of Delhi’s older markets, has watched the balance of the trade move online over the past few years.”The availability of Rakhi threads and thalis online have changed things a lot for us,” he said. “People get things delivered in minutes, there is also the aspect of personalisation. Customers can get their money back if they do not like a design but that is not the case for us. The demand has not dropped dramatically but we can definitely sense a shift now.”His account captures something the trade-body turnover figures don’t: this isn’t a market in collapse so much as one being quietly redistributed. Total demand for rakhis hasn’t fallen, traders’ projections for this year are, if anything, higher than last year’s, but a growing share of it is being captured by platforms that can offer instant refunds, endless design catalogues and delivery to a doorstep hundreds of kilometres away, none of which a pavement stall can match. A street vendor operates on thin, fixed margins and cannot offer the kind of no-questions-asked returns that have become standard on e-commerce and quick-commerce apps; a design that doesn’t suit a customer is a sunk cost for him in a way it isn’t for a platform with centralised inventory. What he is describing is less a festival in decline than a festival whose profits are migrating toward whoever controls speed, choice and convenience, the same forces reshaping most other categories of Indian retail.Opportunity online, obstacles offlineThe same platforms squeezing street vendors have opened a door for a different kind of small operator: the home-run, social-media-first rakhi business. Instagram and WhatsApp catalogues have made it possible for someone with no shop and little capital to sell personalised or handcrafted rakhis directly to customers, without a physical stall or a wholesaler in between.But reach isn’t the same as revenue, says says a woman running an online rakhi business. “The biggest opportunity is using social media to reach more customers and promote products,” she said. “But the biggest challenges for a new small business are building a customer base, increasing sales, competing with larger companies and recovering costs. When sales are low in the initial stages, profits can be very small, or there may be no profit at all.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines”It’s a reminder that the barriers for small players haven’t disappeared with the shift online — they’ve simply moved. A social media page can put a home business in front of thousands of potential buyers, but it competes in the same feed as established D2C brands and marketplace sellers with bigger budgets, faster fulfilment and the cushion to absorb a slow first season. For someone starting out, the gap between visibility and an actual, sustainable customer base can take more than one festival cycle to close.A hundred and twenty years of the same threadThe distance between Tagore’s Kolkata processions and this year’s app-driven rush is, on the surface, total: one was a deliberate refusal of commerce, staged to make a political point about unity in the face of engineered division; the other is commerce itself, organised around choice, speed and margin. But the thread running between them, literally, is the same one: an ordinary domestic ritual, elastic enough to be pressed into whatever a moment demands, whether that moment calls for resistance or for a same-day delivery slot. What has changed is not the rakhi but who gets to decide what it means, and increasingly, that decision is being made by whoever can get it to your wrist the fastest.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.About the AuthorAadrita HalderWrites on social matters, geopolitics, and trending issues for the Times of India.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos469 Dead In Nepal Floods; 3 Bodies Found In Uttar Pradesh; Kathmandu Declines Foreign Rescue TeamsCongress Alleges ₹36,000 Crore ‘Sugar Scam’, Slams Modi Govt Over Festive Price RisePM Modi’s Central Asia Visit: SCO Summit, Uzbekistan Ties, Putin Meet In FocusCM Suvendu Adhikari Urges Skilled Bengalis Abroad To Return, Promises Jobs Under Double-Engine Govt’Blind Pakistan Activated Spies To Locate India’s S-400′ During Op Sindoor, Ex-Air Marshal RevealsCamac Street Showdown: TMC Blocks Police During Billboard Removal, Banerjee Announces Court MoveNepal Floods: 288 Indians Uncontactable, 21 Rescued So Far, MEA Shares Key Updates | WatchFour Killed, One Missing In Manipur Ambush As Naga-Kuki Tensions Erupt Again, Probe Launch | WatchFake IAS Officer Tripti Rajput Under Probe, Police Recover CBI Cards And Government DocumentsWhy A Supreme Court Judge Wants The Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice Transferred?123PhotostoriesLock Upp 2 fame Akanksha Chamola’s luxurious Mumbai home: Elegant interiors, cosy living room and beautiful mandirH1N1 Or COVID-19? 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I am not closed to the idea of anything’ Jennifer Lawrence fell while accepting her Oscar in 2013: Why ‘if you fall, fall in Dior’ became an iconic Hollywood moment Fresh flood threat for Nepal as barrier lake breaches near China border Indian-origin US couple on group pilgrimage to Mount Kailash goes missing after Nepal-Tibet floods Shobhaa De on Yash’s ‘Toxic’ getting ‘dreadful’ reviews: ‘To get over it, I watched Vikrant Massey’s Musafir Cafe’ Too much assistance? Why Nepal declined help but agreed for aid from India, China & others Manipur ambush survivor says attackers wore camouflage uniforms A survivor of the ambush that killed four members of the Liangmai Naga community in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Friday has recalled how armed attackers, dressed in full camouflage uniforms, opened fire on their vehicle in a forested area.Forty-four-year-old Gaikamang Ringkangmai, who sustained a bullet injury to his left arm, was rescued by security forces from the ambush site and admitted to Senapati district hospital.Recalling the attack, Ringkangmai said as quoted by news agency PTI, “I am from Makui village. Yesterday, there were six of us in a vehicle. We frequently travelled by that route. We were going to Senapati district when we were ambushed by militants. Four of our colleagues died on the spot, while two of us escaped.”He said he was injured during the firing but managed to flee the vehicle and take shelter in nearby bushes.”I received bullet injuries on my arm but jumped from the vehicle and ran to hide in the bushes,” he added.Describing the attackers, Ringkangmai claimed they were positioned in pairs and wore full camouflage uniforms. “They had red ribbons tied to the top of their rifles, from which they continued firing,” he added.The other person who survived the ambush has been identified as Japou MK.The attack took place around 8.30 am on Thursday in an isolated, forested stretch between Makui Ashang and Thabamba Naga villages in Kangpokpi district. According to reports, the armed attackers targeted the vehicle carrying the group, killing four people on the spot and injuring another.The deceased have been identified as Tadsongbou Ringkangmai, founder and principal of a private school; M Wijunamai; Anil Wijunamai; and Wisobou Charenamai, chairman of the Chawangkining Village Authority. All six people travelling in the vehicle belonged to the Liangmai Naga community.The killings have triggered demands for justice from the Naga community, even as authorities move to identify and apprehend those responsible.W Charenamei, younger brother of deceased Wisobou Charenamai, said the family and community were not seeking retaliation.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines”We don’t seek any revenge against the militants. We just want the facts to be established and swift justice for our murdered brothers.”Manipur chief minister Y Khemchand Singh has directed security officials to arrest those involved in the killings and initiate action against them.The United Naga Council (UNC), the apex Naga body in Manipur, has alleged that two Kuki militant outfits, the Kuki National Front (P) and Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA), were behind the ambush.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.About the AuthorAastha JhaAastha Jha is a writer at The Times of India, covering politics. She also writes on business, global affairs, social issues, with a focus on policy, governance and their impact on everyday lives. Her work brings together reportage and analysis, tracking developments in India and abroad while examining the broader social and economic currents shaping public discourse.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos469 Dead In Nepal Floods; 3 Bodies Found In Uttar Pradesh; Kathmandu Declines Foreign Rescue TeamsCongress Alleges ₹36,000 Crore ‘Sugar Scam’, Slams Modi Govt Over Festive Price RisePM Modi’s Central Asia Visit: SCO Summit, Uzbekistan Ties, Putin Meet In FocusCM Suvendu Adhikari Urges Skilled Bengalis Abroad To Return, Promises Jobs Under Double-Engine Govt’Blind Pakistan Activated Spies To Locate India’s S-400′ During Op Sindoor, Ex-Air Marshal RevealsCamac Street Showdown: TMC Blocks Police During Billboard Removal, Banerjee Announces Court MoveNepal Floods: 288 Indians Uncontactable, 21 Rescued So Far, MEA Shares Key Updates | WatchFour Killed, One Missing In Manipur Ambush As Naga-Kuki Tensions Erupt Again, Probe Launch | WatchFake IAS Officer Tripti Rajput Under Probe, Police Recover CBI Cards And Government DocumentsWhy A Supreme Court Judge Wants The Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice Transferred?123PhotostoriesLock Upp 2 fame Akanksha Chamola’s luxurious Mumbai home: Elegant interiors, cosy living room and beautiful mandirH1N1 Or COVID-19? Symptoms may look the same, but the diagnosis can mean a very different treatment approachMakeup not lasting all day? Here’s why your base melts by noonThe ‘ick’ explained: 7 reasons attraction between partners can suddenly disappear (and how to bring the spark back)5 reasons people pull away even when they have feelings7 signs you like the idea of a romantic relationship more than your partnerCuff too tight, legs crossed or talking? Cardiologist reveals 5 home BP mistakes that can alter readings5 habits that can quietly damage a marriageNepal flash flood: 7 glacial hotspots around the world facing rising climate risksChettinad to Molakalmuru: Underrated South Indian sarees rich in heritage123Hot PicksNepal floodUPTET Result 2026Sunny LeoneKerala name changeRRB NTPC UG CBT 2 examAnkit Baliyan murderSridhar VembuDelhi murderNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingAnkit Balyan MurderChandigarh MurderSamay RainaUdaipur HotelFlorida Car CrashUS Green Card HolderBengal HospitalTamil Nadu Son MurderElon MuskKanpur Aircraft Crash ‘Absolutely ridiculous’: Marizanne Kapp slams Cricket Australia’s decision on Anaya Bangar 2026 TIME100 AI: From nuclear science to Cognizant CEO, how Ravi Kumar S is preparing workers for the AI era Tamil film industry strike over OTT release dispute postponed: ‘Sardar 2’, ‘Demonte Colony 3,’ ‘Immortal,’ and other films get relief Sixth‑generation race intensifies as India eyes global collaborations Ramesh cited the latest report of the parliamentary standing committee of the ministry of social justice and empowerment, tabled on August 10, to question the government’s record on its existing free coaching scheme. NEW DELHI: Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Friday slammed the Centre over its recent digital education initiatives, alleging that the government was pushed into announcing free online coaching after Rahul Gandhi highlighted the rising burden of private coaching on Indian families.Ramesh questioned the Centre’s ability to implement such schemes, citing a parliamentary panel report that found the existing free coaching programme had achieved only 26 per cent of its enrolment target.Ramesh targets Centre over free online coaching planIn a post on X, Ramesh accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of attempting to deflect attention from deeper problems in India’s education system by turning to online coaching instead of strengthening public education.”Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi at the Chhatron ki Goonj event in Kota on June 17th 2026, raised one of the most important issues in education today: that an extractive coaching industry has supplanted the public education system and that Indian families are now spending 2.5 times more on coaching centres than the Govt of India invests in education.”Ramesh claimed that Rahul Gandhi’s disclosure was followed by the Prime Minister’s announcement of free online coaching for students on August 15.”It was this disclosure that forced the Prime Minister, in a desperate attempt to escape growing public pressure, to announce free online coaching for students on 15th August. But his Government’s track record hardly inspires any confidence. Its existing Free Coaching scheme has been missing its target for 3 years,” he said.Existing free coaching scheme misses targetRamesh cited the latest report of the parliamentary standing committee of the ministry of social justice and empowerment, tabled on August 10, to question the government’s record on its existing free coaching scheme.”The Ministry of Social Justice was to enrol 10,500 candidates for free coaching over 3 years, but it has only enrolled 2,790 students – just 26% of the target. The budget for this scheme has reduced every year, and last year’s spending was less than half the budget. These startling facts have been revealed in the latest report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, tabled on Aug 10, 2026,” he wrote.The Congress leader argued that the government’s focus should be on fixing structural weaknesses in the education system rather than expanding digital coaching initiatives.”Rather than fundamentally fix India’s broken education system or re-invest in public education, the Prime Minister has decided to instead invest public resources in online coaching. It is an accountability-evading gimmick, and this Government has already shown little capacity to implement this scheme successfully,” Jairam Ramesh wrote.Rahul Gandhi’s student campaignRamesh’s criticism follows Rahul Gandhi’s wider campaign highlighting concerns faced by students, including rising education costs, examination irregularities, paper leaks, recruitment issues and unemployment.The Congress leader launched the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ campaign in 2026 to bring student concerns into the national political discourse. The campaign has been held in Kota, Dehradun and Prayagraj, among other places.At a recent ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme in Maharashtra, Rahul also spoke about the role of women in India, describing them as the country’s biggest strength.”Women are the strength of India – its foundation, its present, and its future.”Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines”You belong to no one but yourself. Be loud. Be proud. Fight for your space. Smash the patriarchy!” he said in a post on X.Addressing the programme, Rahul Gandhi said India’s greatest strength lay in the aspirations and potential of its women.”Many times, people ask me, ‘What is India’s biggest strength?’ You get many answers when you ask this question. Somebody will say our economy. Somebody will say our military. Somebody will say our medical system. Somebody might even say our people, but I am very clear on what is India’s biggest strength, our biggest asset, and that strength is 70 crore unique journeys, unique imaginations, unique dreams that the women of India are living,” he said.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos469 Dead In Nepal Floods; 3 Bodies Found In Uttar Pradesh; Kathmandu Declines Foreign Rescue TeamsCongress Alleges ₹36,000 Crore ‘Sugar Scam’, Slams Modi Govt Over Festive Price RisePM Modi’s Central Asia Visit: SCO Summit, Uzbekistan Ties, Putin Meet In FocusCM Suvendu Adhikari Urges Skilled Bengalis Abroad To Return, Promises Jobs Under Double-Engine Govt’Blind Pakistan Activated Spies To Locate India’s S-400′ During Op Sindoor, Ex-Air Marshal RevealsCamac Street Showdown: TMC Blocks Police During Billboard Removal, Banerjee Announces Court MoveNepal Floods: 288 Indians Uncontactable, 21 Rescued So Far, MEA Shares Key Updates | WatchFour Killed, One Missing In Manipur Ambush As Naga-Kuki Tensions Erupt Again, Probe Launch | WatchFake IAS Officer Tripti Rajput Under Probe, Police Recover CBI Cards And Government DocumentsWhy A Supreme Court Judge Wants The Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice Transferred?123PhotostoriesH1N1 Or COVID-19? Symptoms may look the same, but the diagnosis can mean a very different treatment approachMakeup not lasting all day? Here’s why your base melts by noonThe ‘ick’ explained: 7 reasons attraction between partners can suddenly disappear (and how to bring the spark back)5 reasons people pull away even when they have feelings7 signs you like the idea of a romantic relationship more than your partnerCuff too tight, legs crossed or talking? Cardiologist reveals 5 home BP mistakes that can alter readings5 habits that can quietly damage a marriageNepal flash flood: 7 glacial hotspots around the world facing rising climate risksChettinad to Molakalmuru: Underrated South Indian sarees rich in heritageFriday OTT releases (August 28 2026): ‘Babita Singh Reporting’, ‘Chumbak’, ‘Part-Timers’, ‘Dark Matter Season 2’, Graveyard Season 3 amd more123Hot PicksNepal floodUPTET Result 2026Sunny LeoneKerala name changeRRB NTPC UG CBT 2 examAnkit Baliyan murderSridhar VembuDelhi murderNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingAnkit Balyan MurderChandigarh MurderSamay RainaUdaipur HotelFlorida Car CrashUS Green Card HolderBengal HospitalTamil Nadu Son MurderElon MuskKanpur Aircraft Crash Aug 28, 2026, 09:13 IST England 252/9 in 56.4 Overs Punjab Neet Ug Counselling: Punjab NEET UG counselling 2026: BFUHS announces Round 1 seat allotment for 2,410 seats ‘Toxic’: K Annamalai calls for stricter CBFC rules amid Yash starrer release; raises concern over violence and portrayal of women She survived an earthquake in Japan and made it out, but lost her life after her manager ordered her back in to collect the store’s money Centre cuts red tape to fast-track India’s defence exports – what it mean Nepal Floods: Nepal floods: How two reports warned of this disaster months ago 2026 TIME100 AI: He worked as a Supreme Court clerk; now Utkarsh Saxena is using AI in thousands of Indian courtrooms Prabhas’ ‘Salaar Part 1: Ceasefire’ KHANSAAR seal finds new life as special rakhis this Raksha Bandhan – Find out Tesla Cybertruck goes full desi with ‘Dekho, Magar Pyaar Se’ makeover in America | ’20k women promised gifts’: 1 dead, 3 injured after ‘stampede’ breaks out at BJP mayor’s Raksha Bandhan event in Bareilly Meet Cathal Sweeney, the 16-year-old Irish student who turned the frustration of losing hurling balls in winter darkness into a glow-in-the-dark ball that generated €40,000 in four months The leaders extended warm greetings to the citizens on the auspicious occasion. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday celebrated Rakshabandhan with schoolgirls at his residence, 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. Wishing Indians on the occassion, he prayed that the auspicious festival bring happiness, prosperity, and success into everyone’s lives.PM Modi shared images of the event on X and said, “May this festival deepen the bonds of affection and harmony. May it bring happiness and prosperity to everyone.”He was also seen shaking hands and offering belssings to schoolgirls.Defence minister Rajnath Singh also celebrated Rakhi at his residence, with schoolgirls and NCC cadets tying him the sacred thread.”The festival offers a beautiful glimpse into our rich cultural heritage and values. It also inspires us to remain committed to the respect, security and dignity of women”, he wrote in a prior post on X.Congress president and Rajya Sabha leader of opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge said the festival also connects us through a sense of mutual respect, equality, and responsibility towards one another.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines”Rising above the boundaries of caste, religion, and sect, this festival conveys the message of brotherhood and social harmony, serving as a symbol of the beautiful traditions of our society”, said Kharge, in his post.Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and congress MP Rahul Gandhi also shared a picture with his sister Priyanka GandhiHe gave warm greetings to all countrymen on the festive occasion.”May this unbreakable bond of brother and sister, bound by the thread of affection, be further strengthened through love and trust”, he wrote.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.About the AuthorPranjal PandeyPranjal Pandey is an intern at The Times of India. He holds a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication and covers Real Estate, Defence, and International Relations, among other beats.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos469 Dead In Nepal Floods; 3 Bodies Found In Uttar Pradesh; Kathmandu Declines Foreign Rescue TeamsCongress Alleges ₹36,000 Crore ‘Sugar Scam’, Slams Modi Govt Over Festive Price RisePM Modi’s Central Asia Visit: SCO Summit, Uzbekistan Ties, Putin Meet In FocusCM Suvendu Adhikari Urges Skilled Bengalis Abroad To Return, Promises Jobs Under Double-Engine Govt’Blind Pakistan Activated Spies To Locate India’s S-400′ During Op Sindoor, Ex-Air Marshal RevealsCamac Street Showdown: TMC Blocks Police During Billboard Removal, Banerjee Announces Court MoveNepal Floods: 288 Indians Uncontactable, 21 Rescued So Far, MEA Shares Key Updates | WatchFour Killed, One Missing In Manipur Ambush As Naga-Kuki Tensions Erupt Again, Probe Launch | WatchFake IAS Officer Tripti Rajput Under Probe, Police Recover CBI Cards And Government DocumentsWhy A Supreme Court Judge Wants The Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice Transferred?123PhotostoriesH1N1 Or COVID-19? Symptoms may look the same, but the diagnosis can mean a very different treatment approachMakeup not lasting all day? Here’s why your base melts by noonThe ‘ick’ explained: 7 reasons attraction between partners can suddenly disappear (and how to bring the spark back)5 reasons people pull away even when they have feelings7 signs you like the idea of a romantic relationship more than your partnerCuff too tight, legs crossed or talking? Cardiologist reveals 5 home BP mistakes that can alter readings5 habits that can quietly damage a marriageNepal flash flood: 7 glacial hotspots around the world facing rising climate risksChettinad to Molakalmuru: Underrated South Indian sarees rich in heritageFriday OTT releases (August 28 2026): ‘Babita Singh Reporting’, ‘Chumbak’, ‘Part-Timers’, ‘Dark Matter Season 2’, Graveyard Season 3 amd more123Hot PicksNepal floodUPTET Result 2026Sunny LeoneKerala name changeRRB NTPC UG CBT 2 examAnkit Baliyan murderSridhar VembuDelhi murderNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingAnkit Balyan MurderChandigarh MurderSamay RainaUdaipur HotelFlorida Car CrashUS Green Card HolderBengal HospitalTamil Nadu Son MurderElon MuskKanpur Aircraft Crash Aug 28, 2026, 14:28 IST 2026 TIME100 AI: She lost her nephew to sepsis; now Suchi Saria’s AI is helping doctors detect the deadly condition earlier ‘Once More’ Twitter review: Arjun Das and Aditi Shankar starrer win hearts, netizens praise the feel-good drama Second flood ‘imminent’? Nepal halts rescue ops as China border lake begins overflowing A Missouri grandma started serving free breakfasts to neighbors in a town of fewer than 300; months later, health officials said she needed a permit to continue Penguin India on Sonia Gandhi Book NEW DELHI: Penguin Random House India on Friday clarified that it is not the publisher of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love in India.The Publishing house rejected reports that it decided against publishing the book because the author declined editorial changes.In a statement posted on X, the publishing house said it had remained “willing and keen to publish” the memoir and stressed that fact-checking and providing editorial recommendations are a normal part of the publishing process.”In response to the news reports about Sonia Gandhi’s book ‘Belonging’,Penguin Random House India is not the publisher of ‘Belonging’ in India. Any suggestion that Penguin Random House India decided not to publish ‘Belonging’ because the author declined editorial changes does not accurately reflect the circumstances.As a publisher, it is both our prerogative and our responsibility to fact check and provide authors with recommendations that are in the best interests of their books. This is a normal part of the publishing process. Throughout the relevant discussions, Penguin Random House India’s position was that we remained willing and keen to publish the book.We will not comment further on confidential discussions with the author.”The clarification comes weeks after US publisher Alfred A Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House, announced that Belonging would be released on November 10.The status of the memoir’s publisher or distributor in India remains unclear. An e-commerce listing has shown an ebook edition of Belonging available for pre-order at Rs 2,615, with William Collins, an imprint of HarperCollins UK, listed as its publisher.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesSonia Gandhi, 79, is expected to offer a personal account of her life, including her childhood in post-war Italy, her marriage into the Nehru-Gandhi family and the death of her husband Rajiv Gandhi, according to Alfred A Knopf.The memoir will also cover her entry into the “public world of politics” following Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination and her decision to turn down the prime minister’s post in 2004.The publisher had earlier described the book as tracing Sonia Gandhi’s life “from her childhood in post-war Italy, to the romance that brings her to India, to the shattering losses that will reshape not only her own future but also that of her adopted home”.Sonia Gandhi has rarely discussed her private life at length in public, making the memoir one of the most closely watched political books ahead of its release.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.About the AuthorAyush PandeyAyush Pandey is a journalist at The Times of India, covering breaking news, politics, defence, and major legal and policy developments across India and the world. His reporting focuses on elections, national security, and institutional affairs, tracking the decisions and conflicts that shape public life. He specialises in sharp explainers and in-depth feature stories that go beyond headlines to decode political shifts, defence strategy, geopolitical flashpoints, and changing public sentiment. His work combines speed, clarity, and depth for a fast-moving digital audience.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos469 Dead In Nepal Floods; 3 Bodies Found In Uttar Pradesh; Kathmandu Declines Foreign Rescue TeamsCongress Alleges ₹36,000 Crore ‘Sugar Scam’, Slams Modi Govt Over Festive Price RisePM Modi’s Central Asia Visit: SCO Summit, Uzbekistan Ties, Putin Meet In FocusCM Suvendu Adhikari Urges Skilled Bengalis Abroad To Return, Promises Jobs Under Double-Engine Govt’Blind Pakistan Activated Spies To Locate India’s S-400′ During Op Sindoor, Ex-Air Marshal RevealsCamac Street Showdown: TMC Blocks Police During Billboard Removal, Banerjee Announces Court MoveNepal Floods: 288 Indians Uncontactable, 21 Rescued So Far, MEA Shares Key Updates | WatchFour Killed, One Missing In Manipur Ambush As Naga-Kuki Tensions Erupt Again, Probe Launch | WatchFake IAS Officer Tripti Rajput Under Probe, Police Recover CBI Cards And Government DocumentsWhy A Supreme Court Judge Wants The Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice Transferred?123PhotostoriesThe ‘ick’ explained: 7 reasons attraction between partners can suddenly disappear (and how to bring the spark back)5 reasons people pull away even when they have feelings7 signs you like the idea of a romantic relationship more than your partnerCuff too tight, legs crossed or talking? Cardiologist reveals 5 home BP mistakes that can alter readings5 habits that can quietly damage a marriageNepal flash flood: 7 glacial hotspots around the world facing rising climate risksChettinad to Molakalmuru: Underrated South Indian sarees rich in heritageFriday OTT releases (August 28 2026): ‘Babita Singh Reporting’, ‘Chumbak’, ‘Part-Timers’, ‘Dark Matter Season 2’, Graveyard Season 3 amd moreFrom battling alcohol addiction and depression to drastic weight loss transformation; Ram Kapoor says, ‘Was 140 Kilos During Niyat, Couldn’t Walk 20 Steps…’Madras checks to kimono sleeves: Fashion trends the world rediscovered from Asia123Hot PicksNepal floodUPTET Result 2026Sunny LeoneKerala name changeRRB NTPC UG CBT 2 examAnkit Baliyan murderSridhar VembuDelhi murderNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingAnkit Balyan MurderChandigarh MurderSamay RainaUdaipur HotelFlorida Car CrashUS Green Card HolderBengal HospitalTamil Nadu Son MurderElon MuskKanpur Aircraft Crash 2026 TIME100 AI: How Arvind Raman is shaping AI testing, standards and safety in the US ‘Hi’ Twitter review: Fans call Kavin-Nayanthara’s rom-com refreshing and feel-good entertainer Neelam Kothari Morning Routine: Neelam Kothari shares her healthy morning routine at 56: Protein-rich meal, detox shots, and a skincare-friendly drink that she drinks every morning’ ‘She didn’t approve entry’: How a 2.30am food delivery triggered ugly clash at Greater Noida society In 2013, Nasa sent 20 giant balloons drifting over Antarctica to track particles falling from space and uncover what happened when they reached Earth Palbociclib is a generic breast cancer drug NEW DELHI: Contradicting the government claim that generic breast cancer drug palbociclib can be used as an alternative to patented drugs in the same group, noted oncologist and Magsaysay award winner Dr R Ravi Kannan has opined that these drugs are not interchangeable. He explained that ribociclib benefits early-stage breast cancer and can reduce recurrence and improve overall survival, while palbociclib trials have shown that it has no role in early breast cancer treatment.Dr Kannan, the director of Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Silchar, a nonprofit hospital that provides free cancer treatment, gave his opinion in a case before the Kerala High Court filed by a patient seeking access to expensive patented breast cancer drugs. After the patient’s death, the court took it up suo moto in public interest. It concerned the most common breast cancer subtype, hormone receptor positive and HER2-negative tumors.The petition sought a government use licence under section 100 of the Patent Act, to enable access to ribociclib, a patented drug, at affordable prices. However, government refused to issue a government use licence stating that breast cancer did not constitute a matter of national emergency and that the National Cancer Institute in Jhajjar, and Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute in Kolkata had said that generic palbociclib could be used as an alternative to ribociclib.Dr Kannan’s letter stated that despite palbociclib, abemaciclib and ribociclib being CDK4/6 inhibitors, they “cannot be interchanged in the early breast cancer (adjuvant) setting”. He cited the trial which showed that adding abemaciclib to endocrine therapy significantly reduced recurrence, and extended follow up of seven years showed significant invasive disease-free survival and improved overall survival. He also cited trials that found that giving ribociclib for three years along with non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor, a type of hormone therapy drug used to treat hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, significantly improved the outcomes. The trial showed significant improvement in invasive disease-free survival and reduction in recurrence of the cancer in parts of the body far from the original breast tumor. He added that two large trials had shown that palbociclib in early breast cancer did not show similar advantages.Citing the trial results, Dr Kannan stated that the approval of generic palbociclib in India should not be seen as providing an equivalent adjuvant option. “Clinicians must use the evidence-based drugs–abemaciclib or ribociclib–when indicated for high risk early-stage patients, since palbociclib’s adjuvant trials showed no benefit,” stated the letter.He pointed out that the high cost of abemaciclib and ribociclib meant that vast numbers of high-risk patients who could benefit from these drugs simply could not obtain them. Ribociclib is over Rs 78,400 per month and Abemaciclib Rs 47,700 to 95,500 per month.“Generic entry has historically been the single most reliable lever for expanding access to targeted cancer therapies in resource-limited settings, and there is no clinical reason to expect abemaciclib and ribociclib to be an exception,” stated Dr Kannan adding that only by substantially lowering prices can the lifesaving benefits of these drugs reach the broad population of high-risk patients in India.The latest affidavit submitted on August 14 by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), the apex regulator for pharmaceuticals in India, includes tables that show that both palbociclib and ribociclib are approved for HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer. But the affidavit also records a separate January 2026 approval for ribociclib for early-stage breast cancer in patients at high risk of recurrence. “CDSCO’s own data shows an additional early-stage breast cancer indication for ribociclib that is not shown for palbociclib. Yet the affidavit then says the two medicines have been approved for the same indications. This is a serious contradiction. A drug regulator has a responsibility to place clear and accurate information before the court, particularly when women’s access to life-saving treatment is at stake,” said Gargeya Telakapalli, co-ordinator, Working Group on Access to Medicines and Treatments.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines“Nearly one lakh women are dying of breast cancer every year. If that is not a public health emergency, what is? This case has been going on since 2022. The woman who first approached the Court died before she could get the medicine she needed. Many more women have died while this case has continued. The government cannot keep treating access to breast cancer medicines as an ordinary pricing dispute. Women need the best available treatment when it can still save their lives,” said Jyotsna Singh, co-convener of the Working Group.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos469 Dead In Nepal Floods; 3 Bodies Found In Uttar Pradesh; Kathmandu Declines Foreign Rescue TeamsCongress Alleges ₹36,000 Crore ‘Sugar Scam’, Slams Modi Govt Over Festive Price RisePM Modi’s Central Asia Visit: SCO Summit, Uzbekistan Ties, Putin Meet In FocusCM Suvendu Adhikari Urges Skilled Bengalis Abroad To Return, Promises Jobs Under Double-Engine Govt’Blind Pakistan Activated Spies To Locate India’s S-400′ During Op Sindoor, Ex-Air Marshal RevealsCamac Street Showdown: TMC Blocks Police During Billboard Removal, Banerjee Announces Court MoveNepal Floods: 288 Indians Uncontactable, 21 Rescued So Far, MEA Shares Key Updates | WatchFour Killed, One Missing In Manipur Ambush As Naga-Kuki Tensions Erupt Again, Probe Launch | WatchFake IAS Officer Tripti Rajput Under Probe, Police Recover CBI Cards And Government DocumentsWhy A Supreme Court Judge Wants The Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice Transferred?123Photostories5 reasons people pull away even when they have feelings7 signs you like the idea of a romantic relationship more than your partnerCuff too tight, legs crossed or talking? Cardiologist reveals 5 home BP mistakes that can alter readings5 habits that can quietly damage a marriageNepal flash flood: 7 glacial hotspots around the world facing rising climate risksChettinad to Molakalmuru: Underrated South Indian sarees rich in heritageFriday OTT releases (August 28 2026): ‘Babita Singh Reporting’, ‘Chumbak’, ‘Part-Timers’, ‘Dark Matter Season 2’, Graveyard Season 3 amd moreFrom battling alcohol addiction and depression to drastic weight loss transformation; Ram Kapoor says, ‘Was 140 Kilos During Niyat, Couldn’t Walk 20 Steps…’Madras checks to kimono sleeves: Fashion trends the world rediscovered from AsiaFlying soon? 5 things you should never do on a flight123Hot PicksNepal floodUPTET Result 2026Sunny LeoneKerala name changeRRB NTPC UG CBT 2 examAnkit Baliyan murderSridhar VembuDelhi murderNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingAnkit Balyan MurderChandigarh MurderSamay RainaUdaipur HotelFlorida Car CrashUS Green Card HolderBengal HospitalTamil Nadu Son MurderElon MuskKanpur Aircraft Crash Apaar Id: UP Board asks schools to create APAAR IDs for Classes 9 to 12 students, link academic records Celina Jaitly pens emotional Raksha Bandhan note for brother Vikrant, detained in UAE since 2024 Quote of the day by Nelson Mandela on finding strength after failure: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall” OpenAI, Google, Microsoft and over 100 other tech companies write letter to energy, healthcare and other industries: ‘Prepare for AI-enabled hacking’ Scientists are turning discarded wood into foam to replace plastic in packaging and construction industries; it can decompose in soil within months