It was after two years that an international fixture returned to Bengaluru’s iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday. And the common factor between the previous international match at the venue (October 16, 2024) and Saturday’s fixture, as any cricket fan could guess, was anticipation of rain. With one crucial difference — while the 2024 match ended in a result, the 2026 one had to be abandoned midway with rain playing spoilsport. What had promised to be a high-voltage series decider between India and the West Indies had to be abandoned with rains coming thick and strong. Earlier in the day, fans had braved intermittent rains and Bengaluru’s nightmare traffic to reach the venue. By sunset on Saturday, thousands of cricket fans thronged Queens Road and M.G. Road, donning India jerseys and creating a sea of blue around the stadium. Traffic crawled along waterlogged Queens Road, but the police barricading ensured that fans did not spill over onto the road to further exacerbate it, facilitating the smooth movement of vehicles.

The stadium is a familiar setting for Virat Kohli (now retired from T20Is), who represents the home team, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, in the Indian Premier League (IPL). But on Saturday, it was the name of his IPL teammate Bhuvneshwar Kumar that echoed through conversations among fans.

It was Kumar’s international comeback after four years, with his last international appearance dating back to 2022. Since then, Kumar, popularly known as the ‘Swing King,’ had not featured in India’s colours. Many had written him off, but his comeback became a story that resonated with Bengaluru. Social media was abuzz with the connection between Kumar and Bengaluru since Friday — how he began his IPL journey with an RCB contract, how his T20 international debut for India against Pakistan in 2012 was at the Chinnaswamy and so on.

Sadly, all that buzz and enthusiasm eventually came to naught.

Manoj Garg, a fan, said a match in Bengaluru is always at the mercy of weather gods. “It could be a rain of sixes or just rain that ends it all!”

The Delhi government has approved the setting up of the Go-Delhi Foundation, an initiative aimed at promoting startups, innovation and entrepreneurship in the capital. The foundation will provide young people, researchers and entrepreneurs with integrated support to turn their ideas into practical products and successful enterprises, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a statement on Sunday. It will have an initial budgetary outlay of ₹50 crore.

The Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, recently approved the foundation and sanctioned funds to help turn ideas into products and bring them to market.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the initiative is an important step towards bringing together Delhi’s existing entrepreneurial capabilities, educational institutions and research facilities. “Delhi has nearly 21,000 start-ups recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Through the Go-Delhi Foundation, these resources will be brought together on a common platform, with a focus on developing new enterprises, attracting investment and creating employment opportunities,” she said.

The foundation will help startups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) access product engineering, prototyping, laboratory and testing facilities. It will also offer mentorship and support entrepreneurs at different stages, from product development and testing to certification preparation and market access, Ms. Gupta said.

The foundation will be established as a not-for-profit company under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013, and function under the Delhi government’s Department of Industries.

Real-world solutions

Government departments will be able to bring their real-world challenges to Delhi’s innovators through the foundation, Ms. Gupta said. Products and technologies developed to address these challenges could be tested through pilot projects, with successful solutions taken forward for adoption.

“This would give government departments an opportunity to access new technologies and practical solutions, while allowing startups to demonstrate the usefulness of their products. The initiative would seek to strengthen collaboration among the government, industry, educational institutions and innovators,” the CMO statement said.

West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya on Saturday (October 17, 2026) called for a fresh special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the State, amidst protests raging across the country demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and scrapping of the SIR exercise.

Mr. Bhattacharya alleged that there was disruption and violence during the SIR exercise. “There is a need to have SIR once again here, because SIR was not properly carried out here. Papers were snatched away and set on fire. Papers were taken out from the vehicle of our MLA Agnimitra Paul and set on fire in presence of the police. BDO and Anagnwadi workers were attacked and roads were blocked,” he said.

The SIR process was held from October 2025 to February 2026 in West Bengal, just before the assembly elections. The exercise saw deletion of 91 lakh electors from the electoral rolls which was about 13% of all the voters in the State before the start of the voter list revision. The fate of about 38 lakh electors still hangs in balance before SIR tribunals set up before the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Kolkata protest

Protests against Gyanesh Kumar and SIR were also held in Kolkata last week with supporters of Left parties, Congress and Mamata All India Trinamool Congress (MAITC) holding protests.

Mr. Bhattacharya, who was speaking to a Bengali TV news channel ABP Ananda said that people in West Bengal “hero-worship” Gyanesh Kumar and there are demands that the country should honour him with Padma Awards.

Speaking about the protests by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), the BJP leader said that the agitation was being driven by politically irrelevant forces rejected by voters and lacked public support.

“Mobocracy can never replace democracy,” he said, cautioning against attempts to create disorder and directly challenge the administration and judiciary.

The Mangaluru police have arrested Siprian Pinto, the priest at St. Vincent Ferrer Church at Valencia in Mangaluru, for alleged aggravated sexual assault on five 14-year-old boys.

Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said Pinto was arrested at the house of his relatives.

The police will produce him before the magistrate after the interrogation and completion of other procedures.

In the complaint before the Mangaluru South police on the night of October 15, one of the victims, a 14-year-old boy, claimed that Pinto gave him a chocolate and said he loved the boy’s smile.

He then took the boy to a room in the church and inappropriately touched him.

Subsequent visits

On his subsequent visits to the church for prayers, the boy alleged that Pinto touched him inappropriately.

On the evening of August 14, Pinto called the victim to the receptionist room, hugged him and put his hands inside the boy’s undergarments.

Also read: Priest found guilty of abusing minor girl under guise of rituals

The victim then told his four friends, all aged 14, about Pinto’s conduct. His friends said that they too had experienced the same.

The victim said he informed his parents about the sexual harassment, and they all went to the Mangaluru Bishop. On his instructions, they lodged a complaint.

The complaint was registered for offences under Sections 8 (sexual assault) and 9 (aggravated sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and Section 75(2) (sexual harassment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

The ten-day Khadi Festival and Exhibition organised by the Uttar Pradesh Khadi and Village Industries Board commenced in Meerut, showcasing a wide variety of traditional Indian products, handicrafts, textiles and indigenous goods from different parts of the country.

The exhibition features a collection of products, including Khadi garments, Banarasi silk sarees, warm clothes, Kashmiri shawls, dry fruits, crockery and several other traditional items.

“Visitors can explore brass products from Moradabad, exquisite Kantha embroidery from West Bengal, silk products from Banaras, bedsheets from Pilkhuwa, and wooden handicrafts from Saharanpur. Khadi institutions from various regions of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar have also set up stalls displaying their diverse range of handwoven textiles and indigenous products,” said Shishir Singh, Chief Executive Officer of the Uttar Pradesh Khadi and Village Industries Board. 

Mr. Singh added, “with the festive season underway, the exhibition offers a wide range of products suited to celebrations such as Durga Puja, Dussehra, Dhanteras and Diwali. From traditional clothing and home décor to handcrafted decorative items, wooden artefacts, brassware and other festive essentials, the exhibition provides visitors with an opportunity to shop for unique, locally produced goods while supporting traditional artisans and small entrepreneurs,”. 

In the exhibition, a Gandhi Pavilion has been established at the centre of the exhibition, featuring a spinning wheel that highlights the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and the importance of Khadi in India’s freedom movement. Rajya Sabha Member Dr. Laxmikant Bajpayee and other public representatives inaugurated the Khadi Festival on Saturday (October 18, 2026). The representatives toured the exhibition and felicitated traders participating from different states.

Such Khadi exhibitions are organised across Uttar Pradesh to promote traditional industries, generate employment opportunities and provide market access to entrepreneurs associated with village industries. The initiative aims to connect Khadi with India’s cultural heritage while encouraging self-reliance and supporting local artisans under the vision of “Vocal for Local.”

The exhibition showcases a wide variety of products, including handwoven Khadi garments, stoles, handicrafts, herbal products, home décor items and region-specific traditional goods, offering visitors an opportunity to celebrate India’s rich craftsmanship while contributing to the growth of the rural economy.

MP and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has urged the State government to announce the State Advised Price (SAP) for sugarcane without delay and evolve a permanent formula for price fixation in consultation with farmers and sugar factories.

Speaking to presspersons in Hubballi on Saturday (October 17), he said a committee formed to examine the issues faced by sugarcane growers would meet on Monday (October 19) and hold discussions with farmer leaders, with a solution expected within a week.

He suggested the formation of a technical committee comprising farmers and factory representatives to assess sugar recovery rates through laboratory tests and establish a transparent mechanism for determining prices and weight. He also urged the government to prevent sugarcane grown along the Maharashtra border from being diverted to factories in the neighbouring State.

Sting operation

On the alleged sting operation involving Ministers, Mr. Bommai demanded a comprehensive investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He alleged that the State-level probe was progressing slowly.

Mr. Bommai also called on the Union government to act against what he alleged as the use of foreign funds for activities against India and sought stricter scrutiny of foreign contributions to non-governmental organisations.

Criticising Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on democracy during overseas visits, he said they presented an inaccurate picture of democratic freedoms in India.

On Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s demand for an all-party meeting before implementing women’s reservation, Mr. Bommai said a meeting would be held before the special session of Parliament.

About 10 grams of ganja was seized during a search conducted in a block at the Central Prison here a few days ago.

Police sources said jail officials, led by a prison officer, conducted a ward search acting on information. The team found ganja hidden in a bucket in one of the cells where two prisoners identified as P. Kunjayee alias Deva, 27, and S. Rajan alias Pandian, 34, were lodged.

The prison officer lodged a complaint at K.K. Nagar police station, and a case naming the two prisoners as accused was registered under the NDPS Act read with section 42 of the Prisoner Act. The ganja was seized, with the case under investigation.

In another incident, E. Pudur police seized 1.4 kg of ganja in the alleged possession of a 50-year-old woman near Rettamalai here on Friday. The action was taken based on information. E. Pudur police also confiscated ₹19,500 in cash and a cell phone from the woman, who was later sent for remand, said police sources.

Samskrita Bharati, Coimbatore, will conduct a special admission camp for its Sanskrit correspondence course and Balakendram children’s programme on Vijayadashami, October 20.

The morning session will be held at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, R.S. Puram, from 10 a.m. to noon, and the afternoon session at the Samskrita Bharati office in Tatabad, near Power House and Aachi Mess, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The correspondence course, Subodhini, is open to those aged 13 and above. Classes will be conducted online twice a week, with Tamil as the medium of instruction. A contribution of ₹300 will cover study materials, examination and certificate fees.

Balakendram is open to children aged five to 12 and will teach Sanskrit songs, slokas, stories, subhashitas and basic reading, writing and speaking skills through weekly in-person classes on Sundays. The children’s programme is free.

For details and registration, contact 94892 81557 or 94873 41306.