Harivansh Re-Elected Unopposed as Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha

New Delhi, Apr 17 (BNP): Harivansh Narayan Singh was re-elected unopposed as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha on Friday, marking a continuation of his tenure in the Upper House leadership.

His nomination to the Rajya Sabha came from President Droupadi Murmu after a vacancy arose following the retirement of former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi as a nominated member.

The position of Deputy Chairman had fallen vacant after the completion of Harivansh’s earlier term as a Rajya Sabha member on April 9. Subsequently, Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan scheduled the election for April 17, 2026, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Council of States.

With no other nominations filed, Harivansh was elected unopposed, ensuring continuity in the functioning of the Upper House.

Gautam Adani Leads Asia Wealth Rankings on Bloomberg Index

New Delhi, Apr 17 (BNP): Billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani has emerged as Asia’s richest individual, surpassing Mukesh Ambani, according to the latest update of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The change in ranking reflects a fresh surge in Adani’s net worth driven by recent gains in the market value of his listed companies. The Bloomberg index tracks daily fluctuations in billionaire wealth based on movements in global financial markets and asset valuations.

As per the latest estimates, Adani’s wealth has seen a strong upward move in 2026, placing him ahead of Ambani in Asia’s billionaire rankings. The shift underscores the sharp volatility in global wealth standings, where changes in stock prices can quickly alter positions among the world’s richest individuals.

Both industrialists continue to remain among the top global billionaires, with their fortunes closely tied to the performance of their respective conglomerates—Adani Group and Reliance Industries.

Market analysts note that such rankings can change frequently as equity markets fluctuate, especially in sectors linked to infrastructure, energy, and technology.

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index is updated daily based on closing market values in New York and provides a real-time snapshot of global wealth movements.

Punjab Kings Crush Mumbai Indians; Gujarat Titans Take on Kolkata Knight Riders in Key IPL Showdown

Mumbai, Apr 17: Punjab Kings delivered a dominant all-round performance to defeat Mumbai Indians by 7 wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in an IPL 2026 clash, extending Mumbai’s losing streak to four matches.

After being put in to bat, Mumbai Indians posted a competitive total of 195/6 in 20 overs, powered by a century from Quinton de Kock, who remained unbeaten and anchored the innings. Naman Dhir contributed with a valuable half-century, providing late momentum to the total.

However, Punjab Kings made light work of the chase, reaching 198/3 in just 16.3 overs. The innings was headlined by a blistering knock from Prabhsimran Singh, who set the tone early, and a commanding innings from skipper Shreyas Iyer. The duo stitched together a massive 139-run partnership, effectively sealing the match with 21 balls to spare.

With the ball, Arshdeep Singh stood out for Punjab Kings, picking up three crucial wickets and restricting Mumbai from crossing the 200-run mark. In contrast, Mumbai’s bowling attack struggled to contain the opposition, with even Jasprit Bumrah going wicketless.

Punjab Kings’ clinical chase and disciplined bowling effort propelled them higher up the points table, while Mumbai Indians continue to face challenges near the bottom.

Playing XIs:

Mumbai Indians: Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Sherfane Rutherford, Naman Dhir, Mayank Rawat, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah

Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (c), Cooper Connolly, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

The result strengthens Punjab Kings’ playoff push, while Mumbai Indians will look to regroup quickly as the tournament progresses.

Gujarat Titans Set to Face Kolkata Knight Riders in Crucial IPL Clash

Gujarat Titans will take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the 25th league match of IPL 2026 today, promising an exciting contest between two competitive sides at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Both teams enter the match with strong ambitions as the tournament gains momentum. Gujarat Titans will look to capitalize on their home advantage and deliver a solid all-round performance, while Kolkata Knight Riders aim to maintain consistency and strengthen their position in the points table.

The match is expected to witness key battles across departments, with Gujarat’s bowling attack likely to challenge Kolkata’s dynamic batting lineup. On the other hand, Kolkata’s bowlers will aim to restrict Gujarat’s top order and control the game in the middle overs.

Match Preview: What to Watch

• Home Advantage: Gujarat Titans have historically been strong at Ahmedabad and will look to leverage familiar conditions.
• Key Players: Both sides boast impactful match-winners capable of turning the game at any moment.
• Pitch Conditions: The surface at Narendra Modi Stadium is expected to favor batters initially, with some assistance for bowlers as the game progresses.
• Tournament Context: With the league stage heating up, every win is crucial for playoff positioning, making this encounter significant for both teams.

Fans can expect a high-intensity clash as Gujarat Titans and Kolkata Knight Riders battle it out in what promises to be an engaging IPL fixture.

 

Over 3,000 Enumerators Deployed as Door-to-Door Census Begins in Odisha Capital

Bhubaneswar, Apr 17 (BNP): A door-to-door, digital-first census exercise has begun in Bhubaneswar and across Odisha, marking the next phase of preparations for Census 2027 after the completion of the self-enumeration process earlier this month.

The self-enumeration phase, conducted from April 1 to 15, saw participation from over two lakh residents who filled out detailed forms covering 33 questions. Authorities have now deployed more than 3,000 enumerators to carry out door-to-door verification and collect additional information from households that were not covered earlier.

Mayor Sulochana Das said the exercise is aimed at building a comprehensive and accurate database that reflects the city’s social and economic realities. The information gathered will play a crucial role in shaping future development plans and welfare initiatives.

She urged residents to cooperate fully with enumerators and ensure that the details they provide are accurate. According to her, the success of the census depends heavily on public participation, as the data collected will directly influence government policies and planning.

Officials noted that while the digital self-enumeration option received a strong response, a significant number of households are yet to be covered, making the door-to-door campaign essential.

Census 2027 will be India’s 16th national census and the eighth since Independence. It is also the first to introduce a digital self-enumeration feature, reflecting a broader shift towards technology-driven governance.

ETRI Develops Ultra-Lightweight Elastic Suit Weighing Under 1kg

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced that it has developed an ultra-lightweight wearable assistive device based on a tensegrity structure to help the physical activities of the elderly, rehabilitation patients, and workers, and confirmed the effect of improving physical functions through clinical trials.

The elastic suit developed by the researchers this time was designed to solve the weight, price, and wearing burden problems of existing wearable robots. It is notable that the device is designed to deliver a sub-1kg lightweight wearing experience, affordability, and sufficient physical assistive functions.

The tensegrity structure applied to the elastic suit by the researchers helps the suit maintain a stable shape through a balance of tension and structural integrity, which is similar to how umbrellas or tents secure a stable structure through light strings and frames.

ETRI applied this principle to human assistive devices to naturally and smoothly support the spine and lower limbs, successfully reducing the user’s physical burden in basic daily movements such as sitting and standing, walking, and lifting objects.

In particular, this technology promotes efficient movement by naturally assisting balance at necessary moments without hindering the user’s movement, and assists the muscle strength and endurance of users with reduced physical functions.

Dr. Shin Hochul of the ETRI Human Enhancement & Assistive Technology Research Section, who is developing this technology, explained,

“This technology was inspired by the musculoskeletal structure of the human body, and it is a platform that can be expanded from passive products under 1kg to active systems equipped with motors and AI.”

ETRI conducted clinical trials on 20 elderly people aged 65 and older or people with physical disabilities in collaboration with the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Chungbuk National University Hospital to verify the effectiveness of the elastic suit. The joint research team analyzed major physical functions such as walking speed and balance, lower limb muscle strength, and cardiorespiratory endurance before and after wearing.

The result showed that walking speed increased by approximately 14%, the time taken to carry objects was reduced by about 22%, and stair climbing and descending time by about 18%. The ability to perform sit-to-stand, which indicates lower limb muscle strength, improved by about 40%, and walking distance, an indicator of cardiorespiratory endurance, also increased by about 9%, confirming the overall physical function improvement effect. In addition, high satisfaction was shown in subjective survey results such as wearing effect, perceived weight, and structural safety.

Professor Kong Hyunho of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Chungbuk National University Hospital, who was in charge of the clinical trial, said,

“The elastic structure naturally supports movement and balance, so a significant improvement effect seems to have appeared especially for the elderly with reduced physical functions. Going forward, we plan to further optimize the auxiliary effect through customized designs tailored to the degree of disability and body type. The results of this study will be an important basis leading to the possibility of various clinical applications such as walking assistance for the elderly and rehabilitation training.”

Based on this elastic suit technology, ETRI is currently preparing for actual use tests of the elastic suit at various sites such as elderly rehabilitation centers, day care centers, and industrial sites. Furthermore, it plans to promote commercialization in the future to contribute to solving medical, care, and labor environment problems faced by an ultra-aging society.