Latest news with #Vikram
Mint
16 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
India's power grid gets a summer scare
New Delhi: India faced a power grid scare last week as electricity withdrawn from the transmission network exceeded the available capacity, raising fears about the grid's stability. The available transfer capability (ATC) in the western-to-northern corridor was about 22 gigawatts (GW) against the actual flow of 24.14 GW on 15 June, showed a notice sent to utilities by Grid India Corp. ATC is the volume of power that can be safely supplied between two points. The national power grid controller wrote to the generators and electricity distribution companies (discoms) in the northern region to either lower the withdrawal or ramp up generation. Also read: NHPC shelves plan for co-promoter stake buy in PTC India After temperatures eased in May, there was a heat wave in June, which would have increased the demand, mostly in northern India, leading to congestion, said Vikram V, vice-president and co-group head, corporate ratings, ICRA Ltd. A grid collapse is the worst-case scenario. Nearly 620 million people across 19 states and three Union territories went without electricity for hours together when the northern grid collapsed on 31 July 2012. In a wider blackout, the northern, eastern and north-eastern grids broke down on 1 August 2012. India now has a unified national grid. Vikram said instances of overdrawing were quite common till 2014-25, but have declined since then. Usually, in case of congestion, the grid operator may direct the utilities to reduce the offtake to avert any kind of impact on the grid. Issues arise when discoms draw larger than scheduled power from the inter-state grid to meet the high demand, he said. Addressing entities in the northern region 'over-drawing or under-injecting" power to the grid, the controller's notice said: 'The following regional entities, which are downstream of the congested corridor, are advised to reduce their drawal/increase their generation to decongest the system." Also read: EESL signs energy efficiency pacts worth ₹500 crore Grid India told the utilities in western and southern India to increase demand or decrease generation to decongest the corridor. 'This is a warning notice before levy of congestion charges and issued in accordance with the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Measures to relieve congestion in real time operation) Regulations 2009," the notice said. The peak power demand of the country hit 241 GW, the highest this year, on 11 June. That day, the peak demand in the national capital reached 8,231 MW, nearing the record of 8,656 MW recorded last year. The peak demand on 15 June was 226 GW, also on the higher end. Tardy grid expansion Experts suggest that grid expansion is key for reducing incidences of congestion. More so when the installed renewable energy capacity has been rising. Although the government has an ambitious road map to expand the grid, progress has been slow amid land acquisition and right-of-way issues. Data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) showed that in FY25, only 8,830 circuit kilometres (ckm) of transmission lines were added, 37.8% lower than 14,203 ckm in the previous fiscal and way short of the target of 15,253 ckm. Mint earlier reported that clouds over vast swathes of north India in May had caused abrupt dips in solar power production, raising worries about the stability of the power grid that serves millions of Indians. Also read: Top power authority mulls sops for critical components as China curbs rare earth supply In February, the national grid operator asked all electricity companies to be alert and supply power to preserve the grid's stability. An analysis by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in March said that countries seeking to prevent or address grid congestion should adopt a proactive approach to grid expansion by means of anticipatory planning and regulatory reforms that incentivize investments in line with countries' energy policy priorities. Congestion can also be mitigated by implementing grid-enhancing technologies, increasing transparency on available capacity, and creating regulatory frameworks and clear price signals to unlock flexibility from consumers, producers and energy-storage assets connected to the grid.
India Today
3 days ago
- India Today
Men in car make lewd gestures at woman, say all women our sisters after arrest
A group of men travelling in a UP-registered Maruti van have been arrested after a video of them harassing a solo female biker on a highway in Haridwar went viral. The incident took place earlier this week on a stretch of road under Haridwar's Mangalore police station video, recorded by the woman herself, shows the men trailing her vehicle closely, making obscene gestures and laughing. At one point, one of the accused can be seen leaning out of the car window while continuing the harassment. The van was later traced to the video, the woman can be heard narrating the ordeal: "The men saw me, a female rider travelling alone, and started misbehaving with me. I didn't think it was safe for me to get into an argument with them." She can also be seen approaching a police patrol vehicle during the video, urging them to take strict action and issue a challan to the cognisance of the viral clip, both Haridwar and Meerut police launched a probe. A case was registered at Pallavpuram police station in Meerut, where the suspects were eventually tracked down. SP City Meerut, Ayush Vikram, confirmed the arrests and stated that the incident took place along NH-58. If confirmed to be within Uttarakhand jurisdiction, the FIR will be transferred accordingly."A video was going viral showing a group of men harassing a woman. The police took cognisance of the video and registered a case under relevant sections. The van has been seized, the men who are on the run will be detained soon," SP Vikram arrested individuals have been identified as Swami Devendra, Rahul (who was driving the vehicle), and Nikhil, who was among those seen making lewd gestures. Two others involved in the incident - Akshay and Pravesh - are currently on the run, and police are conducting raids to detain them. The van used in the incident has been to officials, the conduct of the accused endangered not only the woman's safety but also that of other motorists on the highway. Police said such actions have tarnished the state's image and won't be tolerated.A video of the accused following their arrest has also emerged, showing them expressing regret and seeking forgiveness. "All women are like our mothers and sisters. We will never repeat this mistake again. We won't harass anyone," they can be heard saying while holding their ears in Watch
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Anniyan' completes 20 years! Here's how Chiyaan Vikram nailed the iconic transformation scene in Shankar's directorial
Back in 2005, Chiyaan Vikram shocked the audience with his performance 'Anniyan,' a Tamil psychological action thriller directed by Shankar. The film revolves around a man who struggles with multiple personality disorders caused by disillusionment with rules and a societal lack of concern for justice. Vikram played three distinct personas, but the one transformation that stood out was the chilling switch between the docile Ambi and the fierce vigilante 'Anniyan.' Shankar and Vikram's 'Anniyan' has now completed 20 years of theatrical run, while fans took to social media to remember the classic hit. Vikram reveals the emotional transition In an earlier interview during the promotion of 'Ponniyin Selvan 2' in 2023, Vikram now opened up about the iconic scene in 'Anniyan.' While many believed that it was an emotional drought to replace individuals on the spot, the actor admitted that the infection came to him quite naturally. He revealed that director Shankar initially offered the scene to break into parts to reduce the process. But Vikram confidently suggested shooting in taking it the same. Vikram's confident approach on 'Anniyan' Vikram explained that he had already imagined how the performance should be demonstrated and made Shankar run through his plan. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo The director was impressed and signalled him green. He rolled the cameras and filmed the entire change in tech. Although he took eight for security, Vikram confessed that none of the latter could catch the rawness of the first one. Highlighting Vikram's mastery and commitment The singles in which Vikram originally moved from meek Ambi to ruthless Anniyan, became one of the most talked about moments in Tamil cinema. This scene not only showed the talent of Vikram's acting skills but also had a deep understanding of the minds of the characters. This remains a testament for Vikram's unique dedication to his craft and his ability to bring complications to the screen with striking authenticity.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Thug Life box office verdict: Kamal Haasan's film earns Rs 85 crore, trade analyst predicts ‘losses in Rs 100 cr bracket'
Thug Life box office verdict: Kamal Haasan's Thug Life, which hit the screens on June 5, opened to an average response at the worldwide box office and grossed nearly Rs 38 crore on the first day. In doing so, it failed to beat Indian 2 as the vigilante thriller earned Rs 50 crore on day 1. Thereafter, Thug Life witnessed a massive drop in collections and stayed fairly flat even on weekends. The action thriller is now nearing the end of its run, and its fate is sealed. Thug Life underwhelms at the box office Thug Life, which marks Mani Ratnam's second collaboration with Kamal Haasan, hit the screens on June 5 amid fanfare and failed to deliver at the box office. According to Manobala Vijayabalan, a trade analyst, the biggie earned merely Rs 85 crore worldwide. He added that the makers are set to incur heavy losses. 'Thug Life has grossed just ₹85 cr from worldwide box office. We are looking at losses above ₹100 cr considering its mammoth budget (of nearly Rs 300 crore),' he told Indiatimes. This essentially means that it has failed to beat the lifetime collection of Vikram and Indian 2, Kamal Haasan's last two releases. The Lokesh Kanagaraj-directed actioner earned over Rs 400 crore in its full run and emerged as a blockbuster. Similarly, Shankar's magnum opus made Rs 151 crore despite being a flop. Similarly, Thug Life hasn't lived up to the standards set by Mani Ratnam's previous films. It has failed to match the performance of Poonniyin Selvan (Rs 500 crore) and Ponniyin Selvan 2(Rs 345 crore). Thug Life received negative reviews with critics panning the screenplay and the execution. This affected its performance, preventing it from enjoying a long run 'The audience rejected it due to its story which was boring and completely failed to grip the viewers on the edge of their seats,' added Manobala. Thug Life was not released in Karnataka, an important market for Tamil movies. This came after Kamal Haasan's 'Kannada came from Tamil' remark created controversy. About Thug Life Thug Life is an action thriller that centres on a kingpin who is forced to lock horns with the family he once nurtured. The cast is headlined by Kamal Haasan, Simbu, Trisha, Ali Fazal, and Joju George. AR Rahman serves as the music director. For all the latest coverage on Southern cinema & OTT shows, click here
The Review Geek
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
The Librarians: The Next Chapter – Season 1 Episode 5 Recap & Review
And the Memory Crystal Episode 5 of The Librarians: Next Chapter begins with Vikram and Lysa discussing science and the marvels of what its done for our world. Lysa also brings up an astrophysicist called Roslyn Kirch, and suggests they go and check out her work. Her papers on superclusters of stats (called Quasars) is well-known and she's a big name in the community. The pair show up to see Rosyln during her big speech… but there's a problem. She winds up having a neurocognitive issue and has to be taken off stage. While Lysa believes this is simple medical science, Vikram is convinced it's a spell. The 3D map whirs and comes to life back at the Annex when they look into this, with the pendulum pin-pointing the College of Science Observatory as the area most likely responsible. Eventually Lysa concedes, thanks to her AI software, and believes it could well have been magic. This memory loss appears to be spreading around campus, as during Vikram's rant about smartphones making us more stupid, students and the faculty are also experience memory loss too. The group split up, with Connor and Lysa go hunting for the magical artifact, with Lysa distracting the teaching assistant while Connor sneaks into the library and grabs some important documents called the Culpepper papers. Culpepper was a 17th Century collector and at one point was in possession of the Crystal of Doctor John Dee. This is a magical artifact that could well be their memory loss trinket. Unfortunately, these papers are written in Enochian, which is a language only a few people on Earth know how to translate. Thankfully, we have Vikram. Now, the crystal is harmless in necklace form but once its taken out, it has the power to offer a single desired glimpse in the future. The cost, however, is a memory from the past. The necklace was initially in the London Museum but its recently been stolen, so it must be somewhere inside this College. Unfortunately, Charlie begins to lose her memories while stopping the teaching assistant from crashing his car (which he's forgotten how to drive), and it makes their job that much harder. With Charlie cautious around Vikram and his involvement with the library, given her memories are gone, Lysa and Connor break into the vault downstairs. Whilst there, they realize that Doctor Stonaris is our culprit, and he's using the telescope with the crystal to consume people's memories. The more people who look through it, the more powerful it becomes. Dr Stonaris locks the group in the vault though and decides he's going to go down as one of the best brilliant minds ever. Unfortunately, he doesn't realize the danger he's put them all in. The crystal is becoming overcharged, and in doing so, the ripple effects in our reality will be so profound that it won't just cause memories to erase, but the entire timeline as we know it. With Stonaris pressing ahead with his plan involving the telescope, Vikram decides to sacrifice himself to try and stop him. He steps into the spectral bubble, using his trained brain to stave off the effects of memory loss to stop Stonaris before it's too late. Unfortunately, Stonaris disrupts Vikram's concentration by bringing up Anya, whose memory causes him to lose concentration. Vikram uses the necklace shielding Stonaris from the memory loss, ripping it from round his neck and throws it up to Connor, who's in the process of stopping the telescope. The group are successful and manage to stop Stonaris. Thankfully, Charlie hasn't faded out of existence either. With the world saved, the good doctor is thrown into psychiatric care and our team prepare for their next case! The Episode Review This episode sees a simple but effective mission diving into the world of memory loss and how important our memories actually are to our wellbeing. However, it does come with some silly scenes too, like Charlie somehow managing to ride a bicycle as fast as a car? I understand the car is still spinning in circles but it's pretty amusing that she was able to do this. We do get a little rant here about smartphones and how they're counter-productive to our memory, while the main plot has a decent conclusion. The doctor wanted to be famous and I guess now he's become infamous in a way, thrown into lock-up to make sure he doesn't hurt anybody else. The team do have a nice chemistry now, although it would be good to see them branch out a bit and be tested beyond their capabilities. The earlier arguments between Lysa and Connor seem to have disappeared now too, which is disappointing as it cuts out some of the initial friction within the team. All in all, this is a decent if unremarkable episode. Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
