On Monday, Cognizant and Microsoft announced a broader alliance aimed at enabling millions of users to access the tech giants’ Copilots and generative AI (GenAI) to revolutionize enterprise business operations, improve employee experiences, and spur cross-industry innovation.

In order to increase productivity, optimize workflows, and improve customer experiences, Cognizant bought 25,000 Microsoft 365 Copilot seats for its employees, in addition to 500 seats for sales and 500 seats for services.

“Generative AI can be a game-changer for virtually every business in every industry, opening up new possibilities for innovation, efficiency and growth,” Ravi Kumar S., CEO, Cognizant, said in a statement.

“That’s why we are investing $1 billion in GenAI over the next three years and leading the development of new research to explore its potential for our clients, their employees and end customers,” he added.

Furthermore, Cognizant announced that it will endeavor to roll out Microsoft 365 Copilot to a million users throughout its global clientele of 2,000 and in 11 different industries.

“We will help drive AI adoption and innovation for millions of users across its network by combining Cognizant’s industry expertise with Microsoft’s Copilot capabilities, including Copilot for Microsoft 365 and GitHub Copilot,” stated Judson Althoff, executive VP and chief commercial officer at Microsoft.

The company claims that this collaboration could greatly speed up AI innovation and adoption in India.

According to the company, AI is predicted to increase India’s GDP by $450 billion to $500 billion by 2025, or 10% of the country’s $5 trillion GDP target.

The legendary batsman Virat Kohli scored an incredible 77 runs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Monday. Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik hit an undefeated 10-ball 28-ball blitz to lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first IPL 2024 victory, defeating Punjab Kings by four wickets.

Following their bowlers’ outstanding efforts, which included spells of 176/6 from Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal, and Glenn Maxwell, restricting PBKS to 176/6, Kohli wowed the packed house with a breathtaking 49-ball 77 that featured two sixes and eleven fours, demonstrating yet another masterclass in T20 chasing. At the beginning of the chase, he was lucky to be dropped for nought by Jonny Bairstow, which proved to be a crucial moment.

However, RCB appeared to be in trouble when Harshal Patel removed him in the 16th over, needing 47 runs off of 22 balls.With four balls remaining, Karthik helped RCB cross the finish line with ease. He came in and hit an undefeated 28 off 10 balls, laced with three fours and two sixes, while holding a continuous 48-run stand with Mahipal Lomror (17 not out).

Chasing 177, Kohli started by edging against Curran without using any footwork, which resulted in Bairstow failing to catch the ball and giving up a boundary. Later, he would take 16 runs off the first over by driving Curran through covers twice and clipping past short, fine leg.

While Kohli launched the RCB innings with three resounding boundaries off Arshdeep Singh, wickets fell at the other end when Cameron Green nicked behind off the fast bowler and captain Faf du Plessis misjudged a loft off Kagiso Rabada to mid-on.

Curran and Harshal Patel used their pace and variation to slow down PBKS, while Harpreet Brar bowled mostly in the length area and kept a stump-to-stump line. However, it had little impact on Kohli, who reached his fifty in thirty-one balls after swatting Rahul Chahar for six over extra cover.

The captain of the Punjab Kings thought they could have bowled a little bit more. “We could have bowled better in the last over, but the match went to the wire.” On a small field, Harpreet is bowling really well, especially against left-handers. Under intense pressure, he made progress. Captain of PBKS Shikhar Dhawan says, “We paid the price for dropping Kohli” following the team’s defeat by RCB. People relate to his thigh-five and are pleased to see him doing it, Dhawan said.

Holi, the bright and colorful festival observed in India and other countries, is a time for happiness, community, and festivity.In addition to bringing joy to people of all ages and welcoming spring, Holi fosters unity during this time of year. But it’s important to remember that colors can have negative effects.

It’s celebrated for its vibrant array of colors, water balloons, and fun antics, and it heralds the arrival of spring. But in the middle of all the celebration and fun, it’s important to keep in mind the security and welfare of our communities’ youngest residents, the “Kids.”

Children’s respiratory systems and skins are delicate. Handling the chemicals and dyes used in traditional Holi colors carelessly can put their health at serious risk. For babies, the loud noises and splashing water can also be overwhelming, resulting in discomfort and distress. Therefore, if you are taking care of children, it is best to keep some essential tips in your mind on this Holi celebrations.

Here are some essential tips to ensure the safety and well-being of kids:

Host Holi celebrations indoors: if at all possible to reduce exposure to outside elements like water balloons, paint, and other potentially dangerous festival-related items. Use safe, non-toxic colors and floral decorations to create a vibrant, celebratory ambiance indoors.

Employ Safe and Natural Colors: Whenever possible, choose organic and natural colors derived from flower, vegetable, or herb extracts. These hues are kinder to skin and are less prone to irritate or trigger allergies. Avoid using artificial coloring because it contains chemicals that are dangerous for the baby’s health.

Put them in Protective Clothes: To avoid direct color contact, dress your baby in long sleeves and light-colored pants made of supple, breathable materials, ideally cotton. Put on a hat or cap to shield their sensitive scalp from the sun and color. Protect their eyes with sunglasses or baby-safe goggles while they celebrate Holi.

Prevent Inhaling Holi Colors and Sudden Water Splashes: It is advisable to keep infants away from direct contact with colored powders or water as these may cause respiratory harm. Instead, engage them in safe, gentle activities like putting a tiny dab of color on their hands or cheek.

Remain Hydrated: Throughout the celebrations, kids should drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. It helps the body expel toxins and eases any respiratory issues that may develop from breathing in colored powders.

Seek Medical Attention: Take your child to the doctor right away if they have trouble breathing, wheeze, or cough. Prompt action guarantees appropriate treatment and stops respiratory issues from getting worse.

Celebrate Sensibly: Set a good example for others by celebrating Holi in a responsible manner as parents and caregivers. Inform people of the value of safety, particularly for young children and infants.

Children love celebrating holidays like Holi, which is all about happiness, but it’s crucial to consider their health, particularly in terms of their respiratory systems. It is important to raise awareness of the potential risks associated with using Holi colors and to take precautions before acting.

The recently finished IPL 2024 auction, which took place in the opulent surroundings of a magnificent arena in Dubai, was an incredible occasion. With eight franchise tables filled with their individual owners—accountants, statisticians, cricket players serving as advisors, astute businessmen—it exuded a lively atmosphere.

They gathered together, each placing a bid for a combination of players that would win them the game. If something had gone wrong, they would have spent many hours debating, researching, and hiring potential candidates in order to find the best permutation and combination of options.

The winning bidder was delighted when the wooden gavel struck the word “SOLD” at the end of a player bid, which was handled by the very clever and graceful Mallika Sagar. It transported one back to Mumbai’s 1970s cricket era, when her father Virenchee Sagar, a passionate cricket fan, put together the legendary Sunil Gavaskar-led Nirlon cricket team.

Back then, corporate cricket had an air of professionalism, and a strong showing could catapult a cricketer into the public eye. Nirlon boasted a stellar team of first-class and Test cricket players, each carefully chosen to fulfill a particular role.

The IPL’s glamorous franchisees are currently performing a similar job, supporting every decision with a plethora of research data and extensive knowledge about cricket.

The BCCI and the global cricket community have reaped enormous financial benefits from the IPL. The franchisees’ squads have been inconsistently changed on a regular basis.

In2024, the IPL will celebrate its 17th season, and the majority of fans have expressed concern about the players’ frequent transfers between teams.
Everyone at the franchise level works very hard to win over players and win their commitment. Each side has a distinct culture and methodology, and it does take time for them to mould players to understand it.

Australia’s fast-bowling tandem of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, who received salaries of INR 24.75 crore and 20.50 crore, respectively, made history at the IPL 2024 player auction held in Dubai.

Among the other high earners in the IPL Player Auction were Daryl Mitchell (INR 14 crore), Harshal Patel (INR 11.75 crore), and Alzarri Joseph (INR 11.50 crore).

Several players who were not very expensive at the auction received large salaries this season.

Sameer Rizvi – base price of INR 20L, earns INR 8.40 crore deal with CSK
Kumar Kushagra – base price of INR 20L, earns INR 7.2 crore deal with DC
Shubham Dubey – base price of INR 20L, earns INR 5.8 crore deal with RR
Robin Minz – base price of INR 20L, earns INR 3.6 crore deal with GT
Sushant Mishra – base price of INR 20L, earns INR 2.2 crore deal with GT
Yash Dayal – base price of INR 20L, earns INR 5.0 crore deal with RR
Shahrukh Khan – base price of INR 20L, earns INR 7.4 crores deal with GT
M Siddharth – base price of INR 20L, earns INR 2.4 crores deal with LSG

The ongoing phrase, “Ee Sala Cup Namde,” which means “this year the cup is ours,” and its associated mockery came to an end when RCB achieved their long-awaited goal of winning the WPL and became only the second team to do so in the competition’s history.

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) Season 2 champion Royal Challengers Bangalore was congratulated on Sunday by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah. He also expressed his “heartfelt” gratitude to everyone who contributed to the season’s continued success.

Shah hailed the tournament as a spectacular celebration of women’s cricket and acknowledged the overseas players for showcasing their brilliance, while also applauding Smriti Mandhana for leading the charge as she contributed with her bat and displayed “exceptional captaincy” in “steering RCB to a well-deserved title”. “Wow, what a magnificent celebration of cricket for women! Jay Shah wrote on X, the former Twitter platform, “This tournament has truly been a testament to the growing prowess of women’s cricket in India, from outstanding performances to electrifying crowd support.”

Ellyse Perry displayed composure with an unbeaten 35, and spinners Shreyanka Patil, Sophie Molineux, and Asha Sobhana combined for nine wickets to help Royal Challengers Bangalore win the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 title with an eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Sunday.

With the ball, Shreyanka proved to be the hero, taking 4-12 to take the lead in wickets for the tournament. Meanwhile, Asha claimed 2 wickets and Sophie struck 3 strikes to ensure that DC was bowled out for 113 in 18.3 overs, having earlier been 64/0. Ellyse, the competition’s top run scorer, persevered through to the very end of the chase, finishing it in 19.3 overs.

Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine took their time, scoring 25 runs in Power-play, including three boundaries between them off Marizanne Kapp, despite the chase being only 114. In the seventh over, Sophie swept off Radha Yadav twice before dancing down the field to hit the left-arm spinner for a six, giving RCB the momentum they had been waiting for in the 18-run over. However, she was trapped leg before wicket (LBW) after playing all around Shikha Pandey’s nip-backer at number 32 in the ninth over.

Even though RCB’s runs dried up, Smriti and Ellyse managed the chase by being patient and keeping an eye out for an opportunity to raise the stakes. Ellyse gave them a chance when she pulled Arundhati Reddy for a boundary, and in the 13th over, Smriti perfectly timed a drive past the backward point for another four. Then, Ellyse lofted Jess Jonassen over mid-off for four, but Minnu Mani claimed Smriti after Minnu Mani was beaten in flight and holed out to mid-on. Before Richa Ghosh cut Minnu through point for four, Ellyse and she briefly switched places with their strikes.

To move the RCB closer to victory, Ellyse first pulled Jess through mid-wicket for four, and then she swept Alice Capsey past fine leg for another boundary. When Richa lofted Arundhati over mid-off for four, she effectively sealed the deal for RCB and ignited wild celebrations throughout the Bengaluru city and camp as they won the WPL 2024 trophy.

Virendra Sehwag, a former opener for India, commended the RCB team for their poise under pressure. “RCB deserves much congratulations for winning the WPL. Excellent temperament demonstrated in stressful situations and worthy winners. #WPLFinal,” Sehwag uttered.

“We extend our sincere congratulations to the RCB Women’s Team on their WPL victory. If the long-overdue RCB Men’s Team were to win the IPL, it would be an incredible double. Good Luck,” Mallya wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Thousands of fans of the team praised the players on social media as Kohli and Chahal, who spoke with RCB Women captain Smriti Mandhana via video call, referred to the team’s female players as “Superwomen“.

The Kannada post that Chahal made on X said, “Ananda, Paramananda, Paramananda.” We are so proud of our RCB team.

Lastly, Smriti Mandhana told to Jay Shah, “Thank you sir, big thanks to BCCI for their support and everyone involved in WPL Season 2!” on X, formerly Twitter.

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Social media personality and wildcard entry Manisha Rani emerged victorious from Season 11 of the popular dance reality series “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.”

Manisha received a check for Rs 30 lakh in addition to returning home with the winner’s trophy, and her choreographer, Ashutosh Pawar, received a check for Rs 10 lakh. The two also won a trip to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island.

The ‘Murder Mubarak’ cast, consisting of Sara Ali Khan, Vijay Verma, and Sanjay Kapoor, joined the contestants on stage for a dance during the finale.

Manisha Rani, Shoaib Ibrahim, Dhanashree Verma, Adrija Sinha, and Sreerama Chandra were the five finalists; however, only Manisha, Shoaib, and Adrija advanced to the top three.

Manisha sang her final renditions of “Thumkeshwari,” “Do You Love Me,” “Param Sundari,” and “Saami Saami” in those songs.

After a riveting rendition of “Zinda Banda” from the Shah Rukh Khan film “Jawan,” Shoaib performed “Badshah O Badshah,” which was based on SRK and Twinkle Khanna in the Abbas-Mustan film “Badshah” from 1999.

Adrija’s dance acts, choreographed to songs like “Chammak Challo,” “Nadiyo Paar,” and “Move Your Body,” won her hearts as well, if not enough to rank first.

Manisha, a Munger, Bihar native, characterized her experience as nothing less than a dream realized.

“I owe it all to the love, support and encouragement of the judges and the audience,” she stated.

“I had no doubt that this encounter would transform my life, and it has. I had to prove myself twice as hard as usual because I was a wildcard entry, but every moment has been exciting and has helped me grow as a dancer.”

Manisha previously won the second runner-up prize on ‘Bigg Boss OTT 2’. She gained notoriety during the Covid lockdowns for her dance reels on TikTok and Instagram.

Ashutosh, her choreographer, has been understanding and has pushed Manisha to explore new aspects of her dancing abilities every week. She expressed her gratitude to him for this. This victory belongs to everyone who encouraged and believed in me, not just me.”

One of the three judges on the show, choreographer-turned-filmmaker Farah Khan, said of Manisha: “Her innate talent for dancing has really set the stage on fire. She has continuously challenged herself and performed a variety of dance styles with grace and accuracy.”

“Manisha has swiftly carved a niche in everyone’s heart with her outstanding talent and mesmerising performances,” said fellow judge Arshad Warsi.

She amazed us every week with her amazing versatility, and every performance showed her commitment to excellence as she skillfully and gracefully tackled a variety of dance genres.”

The third judge, Malaika Arora, declared in closing, “Her performances were simply outstanding throughout the show.” She is undoubtedly my “Versatile Rani,” as she consistently wows us all with her performances.”

Manisha enchanted everyone with her lively personality and gentle manner in addition to her dancing skills.

Actor Shahid Kapoor was spellbound by her dance moves and wondered if he should learn from her. She also used the occasion to share some photo-ops advice with Juhi Chawla, who is always so elegant, and to dazzle Nora Fatehi with her belly dancing prowess.

‘Madness Machayenge India Ko Hasayenge’s” Huma Qureshi, host Harsh Gujral, and comedian Inder Sahani were also present at the finale.

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In a Women’s Premier League (WPL) Season 2 match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Monday, Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated UP WArriorz by a margin of 23 runs thanks to half-centuries from Ellyse Perry and skipper Smriti Mandhana, as well as a clinical performance from their bowlers.

Batting first, Royal Challengers Bangalore amassed 198/3 in 20 overs thanks to blows of 80 off 50 balls from Mandhaha and 37 off 58 balls from Perry, who hit four boundaries and three sixes in as many balls.

In reply, UP Warriorz got off to a strong start, but despite Alyssa Healy’s half-century (55 off 38, 7×4, 3×6), Deepti Sharma’s 22-ball 33, and Poonam Khemnar’s 31 off 24 balls, they could only muster a 175/8 in 20 overs, falling short by 23 runs.

After this victory, RCB’s standings on the table stood at six points, the same as the Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, but third on the basis of net run rate. UP Warriorz suffered their third loss in a row.

Warriorz won the toss and RCB was asked to bat first. Mandhana and Sabbhineni gave them a great start. In the sixth over, Meghana scored 51 runs to take the first wicket. However, she was caught for 28 by Chamari Athapaththu off Anjali Sarvani. Mandhana, who reached her half-century off 34 balls after being dropped by Athapaththu at age 29, also survived a stumping opportunity and hit Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Athapaththu for six each.

In the fifteenth over, Mandhana hit the Sri Lankan all-rounder for three boundaries, two of which came back-to-back, as she carried on her assault. She threatened K Anjali Savani again in the next over, hitting him for three fours in an over and two fours off consecutive deliveries, the second of which found its way into the boundary off Sophie Ecclestone’s reach as the RCB captain led a lucky life. Together with Ellyse Perry, who began her innings with a four off Sarvani and hit back-to-back sixes off Gayakwad in the 18th over, she amassed 96 runs for the second wicket. In addition, she hit Deepti Sharma for a huge six before getting caught by Ecclestone with the opening ball of the last over.

As they chased 199, UP Warriorz found early success thanks to 47 runs made by Alyssa Healy and Kiran Navgire for the first wicket. Nevertheless, UP collapsed to 89/4 at the halfway point as Chamari Athapaththu (8), Grace Harris (5), and Shweta Sehrawat (1) fell cheaply. And the Warriorz were 113/5 in the 13th over and in serious trouble after Healy was out for 55. Poonam Khemnar and Deepti Sharma continued the battle, but ultimately their efforts were in vain because the task was too difficult.

Regarding RCB. Each of Asha Sobhana, Georgia Wareham, Sophie Molineux, and Sophie Devine claimed two wickets.

Brief scores:

Royal Challengers Bangalore 198/3 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 80, Ellyse Perry 58, S Meghana 28; Sophie Ecclestone 1-22) beat UP Warriorz 175/8 in 20 overs (Alyssa Healy 55, Deepti Sharma 33, Poonam Khemnar 31; Sophie Devine 2-37, Sophie Molineux 2-29, Georgia Wareham 2-38, Asha Sobhana 2-29) by 23 runs.

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On Tuesday, the massive South Korean tech company Naver announced that it will present the world’s first robot operating system (OS) built on a web platform.

Naver is participating in the “LEAP 2024” event this week in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, alongside other major international tech companies like Google, Apple, Meta Platforms, and AWS.

According to its representatives, the Korean company will showcase “ARC mind powered by Whale OS,” the first web platform-based robot operating system, at the event. This will assist robotics developers globally in creating a variety of robot services.

According to the Yonhap news agency, the ARC mind will enable the integration of current applications with robot services and feature a web application programming interface for the command, reasoning, and mobility of robots.

Naver stated that it intends to initially equip its robots with the ARC mind, which is lighter and faster than the original robot operating systems, and then develop an open ecosystem.

During the event, the company will also introduce a next-generation robot platform that it co-developed with Samsung Electronics.

Together, the two companies have combined Samsung’s semiconductor solutions, such as system on a chip and image sensors, with Naver’s OS and software solutions to create a robotics edge computing platform.

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Vaibhav Gupta, star of “Kanpur ka Tarana,” has won the coveted trophy of the singing competition “Indian Idol 14.” The trophy was accompanied by a ‘Hot and Techy’ Brezza car and a cheque for Rs 25 lakh.

Along with Shubhadeep Das Chowdhury, Ananya Pal, Adya Mishra, Piyush Panwar, and Anjana Padmanabhan, Vaibhav was one of the six finalists.

After being named the first and second runners-up, Shubhadeep and Piyush received a trophy and a cheque for Rs 5 lakh each, and they returned home. Ananya won a trophy and Rs 3 lakh for placing third, along with other benefits.

Sonu Nigam served as the special judge for the grand finale. Sonu Nigam previously judged the show’s second and ninth iterations. Neha Kakkar, who will appear in the final episode of the reality show “Superstar Singer” as the “super judge,” was also present.

Vaibhav performed a rendition of “Jumma Chumma” for the “Pyarelal Symphony” challenge. The song is from the 1991 action crime drama “Hum,” which starred Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Govinda, Kimi Katkar, and Anupam Kher.

A duet between Vaibhav and Sonu Nigam was played during the finale.

They performed the title song from the 2000 comedy, “Joru Ka Ghulam,” which starred Govinda, Johnny Lever, Twinkle Khanna, and Kader Khan.

Taking up the legacy of this cherished and esteemed show is an immense honour, Vaibhav said, expressing how strange it felt to lift the coveted ‘Indian Idol 14’ trophy, which initially belonged to Abhijeet Sawant. This trip has been an incredible rollercoaster full of difficult situations, intense feelings, and priceless memories.”

Vaibhav is appreciative of everyone who had faith in him, including the judges who offered him advice based on their experience and the amazing group that developed his skills and made his dream come true.

Above all, though, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the incredible audience, whose unwavering support gave me the motivation to give it my all. I appreciate your support of my journey, your votes, your encouragement, and your ability to make me feel” Vaibhav added.

“Watching Vaibhav lift the trophy gives me immense happiness,” said renowned playback singer Kumar Sanu, one of the three judges on the show. His enormous potential was evident as soon as I saw his performance.”

Kumar Sanu’s feelings were echoed by fellow judge Shreya Ghoshal, who said, “Vaibhav has shown versatility right from the audition and throughout the competition, he has kept surprising us with his performances.”

The third judge, Vishal Dadlani, concluded by observing that Vaibhav had demonstrated “versatility in his vocals” and that it had been “incredible to see him perform live”.

He continued: “Personally, I can’t wait to see the success that comes his way.”

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