Cricket prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi conferred with Rashtriya Bal Puraskar
New Delhi (PTI): The 14-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who has taken the cricket world by storm with his audacious stroke-play, and seven-year-old chess prodigy Vaka Lakshmi Pragnika were among a host of children who were on Friday conferred with the prestigious Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar by President Droupadi Murmu here.
Swimming sensation Dhinidhi Desinghu was also among the recipients of the award given for exceptional achievements in the field of sports, bravery, social service and environment.
Just a few days back, Suryavanshi slammed 190 runs off 84 deliveries, studded with 16 fours and 15 sixes, for Bihar against Arunachal Pradesh in a Vijay Hazare Trophy Plate group match in Ranchi.
With that effort, he became the youngest male cricketer to score a century in List A cricket at just 14 years and 272 days. He reached the three-figure mark off just 36 balls.
Suryavanshi's unprecedented batting saw Bihar pile up 574 for 6, the highest total ever recorded in List A cricket.
Earlier in the year, Suryavanshi became the youngest centurion in men's T20 cricket when he smashed 101 off 38 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans an IPL game in Jaipur. His hundred, which came off 35 deliveries, was the second-fastest in IPL history.
The India U-19 cricketer had slammed a century in a four-day game against Australia Under-19 this year.
Hailing from Surat in Gujarat, Pragnika won the Under-7 Girls title at the 2025 FIDE World Schools Chess Championship in Serbia, where she scored a perfect 9 out of 9 points.
Karnataka swimmer Dhinidhi had qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics in women's 200m freestyle, becoming the country's youngest athlete at the quadrennial showpiece.
She has won seven gold medals at the National Games in Goa and also participated in the World Championships in Doha.
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Karnataka leads in AI: Minister Priyank Kharge at Impact Summit
Bengaluru (PTI): Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday highlighted the state’s leadership in AI and deep technology while engaging with global industry leaders and startups at a four-day summit held in New Delhi, officials said.
During the event, Priyank witnessed the signing of a strategic MoU between H Company and St John’s Medical College & Research Institute, Bengaluru, to pilot advanced enterprise AI for hospital operations and workflow automation, strengthening responsible AI in healthcare, the minister’s office said in a statement here.
Speaking on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit, the minister said Karnataka is ahead of the curve in AI.
“We are already home to leading global AI players such as Harvey AI and Anthropic, and The Walt Disney Company is expanding its AI network in Bengaluru,” he added.
Noting Bengaluru’s position among the top global cities for AI talent, he added, “Under our DeepTech Decade, we are supporting startups with grants of up to Rs 1 crore. We are engaging with global leaders and innovators to ensure responsible AI use, build the right skill sets, create strong incubators, and establish Centres of Excellence that can foster startups and strengthen e-governance.”
The minister also attended a roundtable organised by the US-India Business Council (USIBC), where discussions focused on strengthening technology collaboration, investment partnerships, and innovation-led growth between Karnataka and global enterprises.
He met Timo Harakka, Member of Parliament of Finland, to explore possibilities for collaboration between Karnataka and Finland in AI and deep-tech sectors, including joint research, innovation partnerships, and startup exchanges.
The Karnataka IT Minister also visited the Indian Army showcase at the summit, which featured advanced AI-driven defence and strategic technology applications, highlighting the role of AI in national security and modernisation efforts.
He toured the Karnataka Pavilion and the ArtPark Pavilion, interacting with founders and teams from Karnataka’s innovation ecosystem and reviewing emerging AI and deep-tech solutions, the statement added.
