Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. (SAM) is proud to announce that its Executive Chairman, Dr. Shardul S. Shroff, has been conferred the prestigious ACES 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award, a recognition reserved for leaders whose integrity, governance standards, and long-standing influence have shaped Asia's corporate landscape. The ACES (Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability) Awards are among the region's most respected platforms celebrating leadership and sustainability.

Accepting the accolade at a gala ceremony in Jimbaran Bay, Bali, Dr. Shroff expressed deep gratitude to the ACES jury and to the many individuals who have contributed to his journey. "This award belongs not to me alone, but to every person who has walked this journey with me," he said, acknowledging his family, partners, colleagues, and generations of young professionals who continue to inspire him. Emphasising the values of purpose and courage in a rapidly transforming world, he urged young leaders to "stay curious, stay principled, and be bold."

The central government has so far released around Rs 37,000 crore as grant under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) for improving the quality and reliability of power supply to consumers through a financially sustainable and efficient distribution sector.

The funds released so far account for 38 per cent of the total sanctioned Gross Budgetary Support for the scheme, Minister of State for Power Shripad Yesso Naik said in a written reply in Parliament on Thursday.

The release of funds under the scheme is contingent upon distribution companies (DISCOMs) achieving milestones and completing other requirements as per fund release guidelines, without delay.

West Indies right-arm offspinner Sunil Narine has become only the third bowler to take 600 wickets in T20 cricket. The mystery spinner, famous for his variations, reached the milestone during an ILT20 match. Playing for the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Narine secured his 600th wicket by dismissing the Sharjah Warriors’ Tom Abell.

Narine is now the second spinner, after Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, and the third bowler overall, after his compatriot Dwayne Bravo, to register 600 or more wickets in T20 cricket. The 37-year-old has represented the West Indies in 51 T20Is, taking 52 wickets.

He has one five-wicket haul in T20s, with his best bowling figures being 5 for 19. Narine averages 22.09 with the ball, and his economy rate of 6.16 is the best among all-time top-ten wicket-takers. Over the years, Narine has played for the Kolkata Knight Riders, Melbourne Renegades, Oval Invincibles, Sydney Sixers, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Trinbago Knight Riders, and Los Angeles Knight Riders across various global leagues.

Gaganjeet Bhullar, who began the week in a modest manner, closed it in a masterly fashion to become the first player to win three times on IGPL Tour. Bhullar, who opened the week with a round of 1-under 71, that included a hole-in-one, added solid rounds of 67-67 on the last two days to total a winning 11-under at the splendid Glade One Resort and golf club.

The 21-year-old Raghav Chugh gave it all but with three pars in last three holes, he fell one short and ended a creditable sole second. Chugh shot 4-under 68 and totalled 10-under for the week.

Three internationals, Filipino Justin Quiban, Mexican Santiago de la Fuentes and Indian-American Manav Shah, all hoping to become the first international to win on the IGPL were thwarted at the finish, and ended Tied-third at 8-under.

Veteran Tamil cinema producer and owner of AVM Studios in Chennai, M. Saravanan, died on Thursday morning (December 4, 2025) due to age-related illness, his family said. He was 86.

Born in 1939, Saravanan, also known as AVM Saravanan, along with his brother, M Balasubramanian, assisted their father, veteran A.V. Meiyappan, in managing AVM studio since the 1950s. He took over the studio in 1979 after his father’s death.

Under his stewardship, AVM continued as a major production house and diversified its work across Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and other language films.

Former Mizoram Governor and eminent lawyer Swaraj Kaushal, father of BJP Lok Sabha MP Bansuri Swaraj and husband of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, passed away here on Thursday at the age of 73.

Kaushal, a Socialist, had several feathers in his cap, though he generally avoided the limelight. He was designated as a senior advocate in the Supreme Court at just 34 and became the youngest person to become Governor when he was appointed the Governor of Mizoram in 1990. Just 37 years old at the time, he remained in the post till 1993.

Born in 1952 in Solan in present-day Himachal Pradesh, Kaushal went to school in Chandigarh and studied law at Panjab University, Chandigarh. He married Sushma Swaraj, who was to later become Leader of the Opposition and Minister of External Affairs, in 1975.

The Parliament today passed the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 with the Rajya Sabha approving and returning it to the Lok Sabha.

The legislation is aimed to amend the Central Excise Act, 1944, specifically to raise excise duties and cess on tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, hookah tobacco, chewing tobacco, zarda and scented tobacco. The amendment is required to give the government the fiscal space to increase the rate of central excise duty on tobacco and tobacco products so as to protect tax incidence, after the cess ends. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary moved the bill.

The Bill is intended to increase central excise duty on unmanufactured tobacco, manufactured tobacco, tobacco products, and tobacco substitutes. While the Central Excise Act, 1944 levies an excise duty ranging between 200 rupees and 735 rupees per thousand cigarettes, the enhanced duty under the Bill ranges between two thousand 700 rupees and 11 thousand rupees per thousand cigarettes. The Bill also prescribes higher excise duties for manufactured tobacco products. For instance, the duty on chewing tobacco will increase from 25 percent to 100 percent. Duty on hookah will increase from 25 percent to 40 percent. For smoking mixtures for pipes and cigarettes, the duty is proposed to be increased from 60 percent to 325 percent. The purpose of the bill is to protect people from the ill effects of tobacco and to discourage them from its consumption.

Vivek Chaturvedi, a 1990 batch Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes) officer, has been appointed chairman of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). He will assume charge on Monday, following the superannuation of Sanjay Kumar Agarwal. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet cleared his appointment on Friday.

Chaturvedi, who currently serves as member (tax policy & legal) on CBIC, has over three decades of experience in customs administration, intelligence, data analytics and vigilance.

Previously he served as the principal director general in the Directorate General of Vigilance and chief vigilance officer of the board, where he was responsible for internal oversight and integrity processes. Prior to this, he served as Director General (DG) at the Directorate General of Analytics and Risk Management, under the CBIC.

The director general of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Praveen Kumar, took on additional charge of the Border Security Force (BSF) Director General on Sunday following the retirement of the incumbent Daljit Singh Chawdhary.

Chawdhary, a 1990-batch IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, handed over the responsibilities to Kumar, a 1993-batch officer of the West Bengal cadre, at a BSF camp in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur. Notably, the handing-over ceremony usually takes place at the force headquarters in Delhi. However, this time, it was held in Raipur as the two directors general were there to take part in the DGs-IGs national police conference held from Friday to Sunday.

On Friday, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order assigning the additional charge of BSF Director General to Kumar “till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier.”

The ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute will host 7th India International Seaweed Expo and Summit 2026 (IISE&S 2026), one of the largest seaweed industry gatherings, on January 29-30 next year.

The event will be organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce, CMFRI and CSIR-Central Salt Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI).

The Expo is expected to draw participation from Brazil, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, Sweden, and several other countries, making it a crucial globally diverse platform for exploring the prospects of the marine algae. Delegates from Latin America, South Asia, and Europe have already confirmed interest, offering opportunities for cross-border partnerships, technology transfer, and international market linkages, said a press release.