Indian cinema is celebrating a significant achievement at the 2025 Academy Awards. “Anuja,” a live-action short film backed by prominent Indian and international producers Guneet Monga and Priyanka Chopra, has earned a prestigious nomination in the Best Live Action Short Film category.

This marks Monga’s third Oscar nomination, adding to her impressive track record with previous wins for “The Elephant Whisperers” and “Period: End of Sentence,” both of which brought significant accolades to Indian filmmaking.

The nomination announcement, made on Thursday by presenters Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott, highlights “Anuja’s” selection from a highly competitive pool of 180 qualifying films. The film now contends against “Alien,” “I’m Not a Robot,” “The Last Ranger,” and “A Man Who Would Not Remain Silent” for the coveted award.

“Anuja” itself is a powerful and moving narrative centered around a nine-year-old girl working in a back-alley garment factory. The film poignantly explores the challenges and resilience of working children, following the young protagonist as she confronts a crucial decision that will shape her future and her family’s destiny.

Director Adam J. Graves describes the film as “a heartfelt tribute to the resilience and untold stories of working children,” capturing the spirit of the young protagonist’s strength and vulnerability.

The production of “Anuja” is a collaborative effort, reflecting a commitment to telling authentic stories. It was produced by Graves’ wife, Suchitra Mattai, in collaboration with the Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT), a non-profit organization supporting street and working children founded by Mira Nair’s family.

Shine Global, known for its Oscar-winning films “War/Dance” and “Inocente,” and Krushan Naik Films also contributed to the project. The film stars Ananya Shanbhag, Sajda Pathan, and Nagesh Bhosle and boasts a strong supporting cast. While the official release date on Netflix is yet to be announced, the nomination itself ensures “Anuja” will receive significant global attention.

The 97th Oscars ceremony, hosted by Conan O’Brien, will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 2nd. The nomination of “Anuja” marks not only a personal triumph for its creators but also a significant moment for Indian cinema on the global stage.

On January 23, OpenAI’s popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT, suffered a significant global outage, leaving millions of users unable to access the service. The disruption affected multiple access points, including the web interface, the mobile application, and even integrations on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter). This widespread failure quickly drew significant attention, with reports flooding in from users worldwide.

The outage tracking website, Downdetector, registered a surge in user reports, exceeding a thousand complaints within a short period. This volume underscored the scale of the disruption and the significant impact on ChatGPT’s user base.

The majority of these reports indicated a complete inability to use the chatbot, highlighting the severity of the problem. A smaller percentage of users reported encountering difficulties with the website or API, suggesting a less comprehensive but still noticeable impact.

OpenAI swiftly acknowledged the outage, publishing updates on their dedicated status page. This transparency, while offering little in the way of immediate solutions, served to reassure users that the company was actively addressing the situation.

The official statements consistently described the problem as “degraded performance” and “elevated error rates” within the API, hinting at underlying technical issues that required investigation. However, specific details regarding the root cause remained undisclosed, pending a more thorough examination.

According to reports, the outage commenced around 5 PM IST and persisted for several hours. The lack of a definitive timeline and the ongoing nature of the disruption underlined the complexity of the problem and the challenges faced by OpenAI’s engineering teams in resolving the issue.

As of the latest updates, the exact cause of the outage remains under investigation by OpenAI. The company is actively working to restore full functionality and provide a more comprehensive explanation once the underlying problem has been identified and rectified.

The ongoing Maha Kumbh, revered as one of the largest spiritual assemblies on the planet, has reached a historic milestone this year, recording an attendance of over 10 crore pilgrims at the Triveni Sangam. This confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers has been the site of profound religious activities since January 13, with the festival set to conclude on February 26.

This year’s event, presided over by the Uttar Pradesh government under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has drawn attention worldwide for its scale and the deep spiritual fervor it inspires. The government’s initial projections estimated a turnout of about 45 crore visitors throughout the duration of the Kumbh, highlighting the event’s massive appeal and importance.

Daily arrivals have surged into the lakhs, with devotees coming from across India and abroad, eager to partake in the sacred bathing rituals believed to cleanse sins and bring spiritual merit. This influx peaks significantly during special bathing days like Makar Sankranti and Paush Purnima, where numbers have reached around 3.5 crore and 1.7 crore, respectively.

The 10 crore milestone, achieved by noon last Thursday, not only underscores the festival’s massive draw but also the logistical prowess in managing such a vast crowd without disrupting the daily life of Prayagraj significantly. The city has continued to function smoothly, with only necessary restrictions applied on major bathing days to accommodate the large numbers.

The participation of ‘kalpvasis’, devout pilgrims who stay at the Sangam for the entire month, dedicating their time to ascetic practices and religious observances, has been particularly noteworthy. Their presence adds a profound spiritual depth to the occasion, enhancing the sanctity of the month-long religious observance.

The local administration has successfully balanced the city’s routine operations with the extraordinary influx of pilgrims. Schools, businesses, and government offices remain open, with only slight modifications to their schedules on key festival days.

The Maha Kumbh not only serves as a beacon of faith but also as a significant event for cultural exchange and spiritual rejuvenation, attracting scholars, spiritual leaders, and tourists keen to observe and participate in this ancient tradition. This year’s record-setting attendance highlights the enduring appeal and spiritual significance of the Kumbh Mela, reinforcing its status as a crucial event in the Hindu religious calendar.