Australia all out for 191, India take 53-run lead
Adelaide, Dec 18: India bowled out Australia for 191 for a handy first-innings lead of 53 runs on the second day of the first Day/Night Test here on Friday.
India were all out for 244 in the first session of play, adding only 11 runs to an overnight score of 233 for six. The visitors were cleaned up by Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins at the Adelaide Oval.
However, India staged a remarkable fightback with the ball as pace ace Jasprit Bumrah and seasoned off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin reduced the hosts to 79 for five.
Marnus Labuschagne (47) and skipper Tim Paine (73 not out) tried to rebuild the innings but just when he was starting to take the fight to the charged-up Indians, the former was dismissed by Umesh Yadav three short of his half-century.
Brief scores:
India 1st innings: 244 all out in 93.1 overs (Virat Kohli 74; Mitchell Starc 4/53, Pat Cummins 3/48)
Australia 1st innings: 191 all out in 72.1 overs (Marnus Labuchagne 47, Tim Paine 73 not out; R Ashwin 4/55, Umesh 3/40).
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Maharashtra government reduces Ladki Bahin Yojana stipend for 8 lakh beneficiaries: Report
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has reportedly cut down on the stipend received by eight lakh beneficiaries of the Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana.
Under the revised structure, the beneficiaries will receive Rs 500 instead of Rs 1,500 per month because they already receive Rs 1,000 under another government scheme, the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi (NSMN), as reported by the Times of India.
The Ladki Bahin scheme has the stipulation that its beneficiaries can avail other government schemes only if the benefit is capped at Rs. 1,500 per month.
“There has been an ongoing scrutiny. First to scan the applications that were sent by the districts to the state headquarters. And then to re-scrutinise the eligible cases,” TOI report quoted an official as saying.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier said he expected the number of beneficiaries to reduce by 10-15 lakh after the scrutiny process. "We are not changing criteria or funding, just ensuring only eligible ones get the stipend," he claimed.
The Opposition remarked that the state government is cheating the women who voted them to power.
The Mahayuti government had launched the Ladki Bahin Yojana in July 2024, where it provides Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women under the scheme. In its poll manifesto ahead of the state Assembly elections, the Mahayuti had promised to increase the amount to Rs 2,100. However, this commitment has not been fulfilled.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s debt projection is Rs 9.3 lakh crore for 2025-26. The outlay for the Ladki Bahin scheme was reduced from Rs 46,000 crore to Rs 36,000 crore in the 2025-26 budget.
