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Centre replaces Gajendra Chauhan with Anupam Kher as FTII Chairman

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A critically-acclaimed actor, Anupam Kher has also been a vocal supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi while his wife Kirron Kher is a BJP MP

A little over a year after it appointed B-list actor Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of the prestigious Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) triggering howls of protests by students and film fraternity members, the Centre on Wednesday cleared the name of acclaimed actor and BJP sympathizer Anupam Kher to head the institute.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Kher, who has earlier headed the Central Board of Film Certification (Censor Board) and the exalted National School of Drama (NSD), is a versatile actor of international repute, having acted in the Oscar-winning blockbuster, Silver Linings Playbook while picking up various awards – including a national award – for his roles in various films back home in India.

In what is pertinent to note, considering the nature of his appointment and his predecessor in FTII, Kher is also a hugely vocal supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has often spoken out – even in views contrary to equally or more acclaimed members of the Indian film fraternity – against people’s movements and campaigns by the Opposition which dent the image of the BJP government. Kher’s wife, Kirron Kher – an accomplished actor in her right – is the BJP’s Lok Sabha MP from Chandigarh.

Compared to his predecessor Gajendra Chauhan – whose appointment as FTII chief had led to an unprecedented 139-day strike by the institute’s students who wanted his ouster – Kher, is at least an actor who has an individual standing as an artist, both within India and abroad. The 62-year-old self professed admirer of the Prime Minister also has to his credit over 500 films.

“It is an amazing feeling. It is a very humbling feeling and a great honour to be the chairman of FTII. It is so amazing that two institutions (FTII and NSD) where I studied as an actor and as a student, I have become the chairman of the same. I think we will work very hard. The actor will take a back seat and the teacher will come to the forefront,” Anupam Kher said after the announcement.

Although Kher has always ruled out joining politics, his very political utterances have often raised suspicions over his claims. He was among the few celebrities who had supported BJP’s stand on the crackdown against JNU students Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid during the February 2016 sedition controversy.

On critics describing him as Modi’s ‘chamcha’, Kher had once said: “If you use the word ‘chamcha’ for admiration, it is perfectly alright with me, because after a long time we now have a Prime Minister who has brought emotions in me for my country, a man whose career graph is not a fluke, a man who did not enter politics as part of any legacy.”

Though he had backed the protests against Gajendra Chauhan’s appointment, Kher had also drawn the ire of several members of the film fraternity, civil society groups and the intelligentsia for his ‘2015 March For India’ which he had embarked on as his response to the growing ‘intolerance debate’ against the Modi government and what the BJP had termed as the ‘award wapsi’ campaign under which several leading film and academic personalities had returned to the government the awards they had been conferred with while protesting against incidents of lynch mobs and communal violence.

Anupam Kher’s wife, Kirron Kher, expectedly welcomed the appointment. “He will be a very good chairman. He has the credentials for this. I am very happy…thank you (Narendra) Modi ji, thank you Smriti Irani for this,” she said while several other comrades-in-arms – many of whom also share his affinity for the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi – too welcomed the Centre’s decision.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]

India News

Asian Games 2026: India wins 3 shooting medals, medal tally rises to 6

India added four medals on Day 2 of the Asian Games 2026, including three in shooting and a bronze for Suchika Tariyal in MMA.

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India enjoyed a strong outing on Day 2 of the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, adding four medals to its overall tally.

The biggest haul came from shooting, where India secured three medals in the men’s 10m air rifle events. Himanshu Dhillon won silver and Rudrankksh Patil claimed bronze in the individual final, while the duo had earlier combined with Parth Mane to secure silver in the team event.

India’s medal tally subsequently rose to six at the Asian Games 2026. Alongside the three shooting medals, Suchika Tariyal secured bronze in the women’s traditional 60kg MMA category.

Double podium finish for India in shooting

Himanshu Dhillon produced a strong performance in the men’s 10m air rifle individual final to claim the silver medal, while Rudrankksh Patil finished with bronze.

The individual medals followed India’s silver in the men’s 10m air rifle team event earlier in the day. Dhillon, Patil and Parth Mane combined to finish second in the team competition.

Patil and Dhillon had also made it through to the individual final after their qualification performances. Patil finished third in qualification with 631.8, while Mane ended 11th with 628.3 and missed out on the individual final.

Suchika Tariyal wins MMA bronze

India also added a bronze medal in mixed martial arts through Suchika Tariyal in the women’s traditional 60kg category.

Tariyal lost her semifinal against Singapore’s Teo Hui Hoon after a closely contested bout. The Indian contingent subsequently challenged the decision.

According to Suchika’s coach, the bout was level before going into overtime, with Singapore awarded the victory after the extra period. The challenge was made in the arbitration zone.

Tariyal had reached the semifinals after defeating her Mongolian opponent 2-0, guaranteeing herself a medal.

India beat Pakistan in women’s table tennis

India’s women’s table tennis team also advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Pakistan 3-0 in their Group F match.

Sreeja Akula completed India’s victory with an 11-4, 11-4, 11-5 win over Fatima Khan.

More Indian results on Day 2

In swimming, Srihari Nataraj qualified for the men’s 50m backstroke final after finishing third in his heat in 25.37 seconds. Rishabh Das finished fourth in the same heat and was listed as a reserve. Dhanush Suresh, meanwhile, missed the men’s 100m breaststroke final after finishing 22nd overall in 1:03.46.

In boxing, Sumit Kundu advanced to the Round of 16 in the 70kg division after defeating Thailand’s Bunjong Sinsiri by unanimous decision.

India’s Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena also advanced to the Round of 16 in mixed doubles soft tennis despite losing their final group match against South Korea.

The Indian men’s sepaktakraw team, however, lost 2-1 to Japan in its Group B match.

India also had action scheduled in women’s hockey, with the team taking on Indonesia in its second group-stage match after a 19-0 win over Uzbekistan in its opening game.

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Karnataka Congress MLA H K Patil threatens to quit over drought

Congress MLA H K Patil has threatened to resign if Karnataka’s Gadag taluk is not declared drought-hit by October 10.

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Karnataka MLA

Congress leader and former Karnataka minister H K Patil has threatened to resign as MLA if Gadag taluk is not declared drought-hit by October 10.

Speaking to farmers on Sunday, Patil said he would respect their demand for his resignation if the drought declaration was not made within the deadline. He also said he would make efforts to get Gadag declared drought-hit before October 2, which is Gandhi Jayanti.

Patil said he was not helpless on the issue and would work to ensure the declaration was made at the earliest.

He further warned that he would resign if anyone tried to prevent Gadag taluk from receiving drought-hit status despite its eligibility.

More Karnataka taluks may be declared drought-hit

So far, 124 taluks in Karnataka have been declared drought-hit, while assessment is continuing in other parts of the state.

Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, who also holds the Revenue portfolio, said earlier on Sunday that more than 200 taluks across Karnataka are likely to be included in the drought-affected list.

According to Parameshwara, the government is assessing areas in phases based on prescribed criteria and ground-truthing. He said 101 taluks were declared drought-affected in the first phase, followed by another 24.

An additional 52 taluks are expected to be declared drought-affected in the next three to four days.

Patil has meanwhile set October 10 as the deadline for Gadag taluk, saying he would submit his resignation if the area is not declared drought-hit by then.

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India News

Delhi voter list row: Poll body says notice doesn’t mean exclusion

The Election Commission clarified that notices issued during Delhi’s Special Intensive Revision do not mean voters have been excluded from the electoral rolls.

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Delhi Voter list

The Election Commission has clarified that receiving a notice during Delhi’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls does not mean that a voter’s name has been excluded or will automatically be deleted from the voter list.

The clarification came after notices issued to several prominent individuals, including former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj, former Delhi BJP president Virendra Kumar Sachdeva, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and senior BJP leader L K Advani, drew attention.

The poll body said the notices indicate discrepancies in voter documentation that require verification.

What the Election Commission said

An Election Commission official said the issuance of a notice does not mean an individual has been excluded from the electoral roll. According to the official, the notices are issued when there is a discrepancy in the documentation and voters are required to provide the necessary information or documents for verification.

The Delhi election body also issued a clarification stating that system-generated notices are being sent to certain categories of electors to correct their data in ECINET.

It said that no name can be deleted from the electoral rolls without giving the concerned person an opportunity to be heard and issuing a proper speaking and appealable order.

Why are Delhi voters receiving notices?

The poll body said notices have been issued to electors whose details could not be linked with the electoral roll from the last intensive revision, as well as those whose linking showed logical discrepancies.

The draft electoral rolls were published on August 31 based on information provided by voters through enumeration forms.

Of around 97 lakh voters included in the draft rolls, about 33.13 lakh were identified for notices over discrepancies in their enumeration forms. More than 31.63 lakh notices had been served so far, according to the poll body.

What happens after receiving a notice?

Voters who receive notices can submit their replies and the required documents to the concerned Electoral Registration Officer or Booth Level Officer.

The poll body said the list of documents prescribed by the Election Commission is indicative and not exhaustive. The EROs will take decisions on individual cases based on the available documents and the BLO’s report.

The disposal of notices is scheduled to be completed by October 29, 2026. The names of such electors are to be included in the final electoral roll scheduled to be published on November 4, 2026.

The Election Commission said the revision process is intended to ensure that eligible voters remain included in the electoral roll while ineligible names are not included.

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