Indian badminton legend Nandu Natekar dies at 88
Pune: Legendary badminton player Nandu Natekar, the first Indian to win an international title in 1956, died here on Wednesday. The 88-year-old, who won over 100 national and international titles in his career, was suffering from age-related ailments.
He is survived by his son Gaurav and two daughters.
"He passed away peacefully at home and we were all with him and he has been ailing for the last three months and he passed away peacefully," Gaurav told to PTI.
Natekar, who was considered one of most popular sportspersons of his time, was also a former World number three.
Born in Sangli in western Maharashtra, Natekar won over 100 national and international titles in a career spanning over 15 years. He was also conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award in 1961.
"With deepest sorrow, we would like to inform you that our beloved father Nandu Natekar passed away on 28th July, 2021," The Natekar family said in a message.
"Keeping in mind the COVID-19 guidelines, we will not be having a condolence meeting. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers."
In his distinguished career, Natekar made it to the quarterfinals of the prestigious All England Championships in 1954 and became the first Indian player to win an international event when he claimed the Sellanger International in Malaysia in 1956.
He was also won 12 out of the 16 singles matches and 8 out of 16 in doubles as part of the Indian team at the Thomas Cup between 1951 and 1963. He also had the distinction of leading the country in the tournament in 1959, 1961 and 1963.
He had also represented India at the 1965 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica.
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NABARD projects priority sector credit potential of Rs 4.99 lakh cr for K'taka in FY 2026-27
Bengaluru (PTI): NABARD on Thursday projected a priority sector credit potential of Rs 4.99 lakh crore for Karnataka for the financial year 2026-27, registering a 12 per cent increase over the projections made for the previous fiscal.
Releasing its "State Focus Paper for FY 2026-27" at the State Credit Seminar in Bengaluru, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development assessed the exploitable credit potential under priority sectors in the State at Rs 4,99,530.93 crore for the coming financial year.
The projections are aimed at guiding banks and financial institutions in formulating their Annual Credit Plans.
According to NABARD, agriculture and allied sectors account for 45 per cent of the total projected credit potential. Farm credit alone includes Rs 1,90,397.40 crore towards crop loans for agriculture and allied activities and Rs 47,166.71 crore towards term loans. Credit potential for ancillary activities has been estimated at Rs 28,876.81 crore.
The MSME sector has been assigned a credit potential of Rs 2,14,501 crore, constituting 42 per cent of the overall projection. Other priority sector segments include housing at Rs 28,119.01 crore, education at Rs 5,650.12 crore, export credit at Rs 5,983 crore, social infrastructure at Rs 1,936.91 crore and renewable energy at Rs 1,802.14 crore.
Agri infrastructure has been projected at Rs 81,485 crore.
NABARD stated that the enhanced projection reflects the growing credit absorption capacity across sectors and the need to strengthen rural infrastructure, agriculture resilience and enterprise development in the State.
The bank noted that the State Focus Paper is prepared through a consultative process involving banks, government departments and other stakeholders, and serves as a base document for district-level credit planning.
It added that the projections are aligned with sectoral priorities, infrastructure requirements and policy support needed to sustain inclusive and balanced growth across Karnataka.
