Ahead of the release of Commando 2, with Vidyut Jammwal in the lead role, the makers of the action drama film released a teaser that depicts the actor's experience with the thrilling action shot during the film.

"It was his dream to do something like this even though it involved the risk of getting injured," a source close to the actor said.

Directed by Deven Bhojani and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, Commando 2 features Adah Sharma, Esha Gupta and Freddy Daruwala besides Vidyut, who was highly praised for his action sequences in his debut film 'Force'.

In the teaser, the 36-year-old actor can be seen performing stunts that involve high risk of injuries. The video features some of the never-seen-before action sequences and training sessions, under which Vidyut went through to perform unique martial arts skills.

The most gripping scenes were of the chase sequences that present the dynamic actor in best shape.

The making video shows how safety precautions were executed well throughout the shooting of action.

Vidyut's skills claimed much praise for 'Commando: A One Man Army' and so its sequel look promising. He will be playing Karanvir Singh Dogra, a spy who is determined to eradicate black money.

The film will be released on March 3, 2017.

Ahead of the release of Commando 2, with Vidyut Jammwal in the lead role, the makers of the action drama film released a teaser that depicts the actor's experience with the thrilling action shot during the film.

"It was his dream to do something like this even though it involved the risk of getting injured," a source close to the actor said.

Directed by Deven Bhojani and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, Commando 2 features Adah Sharma, Esha Gupta and Freddy Daruwala besides Vidyut, who was highly praised for his action sequences in his debut film 'Force'.

In the teaser, the 36-year-old actor can be seen performing stunts that involve high risk of injuries. The video features some of the never-seen-before action sequences and training sessions, under which Vidyut went through to perform unique martial arts skills.

The most gripping scenes were of the chase sequences that present the dynamic actor in best shape.

The making video shows how safety precautions were executed well throughout the shooting of action.

Vidyut's skills claimed much praise for 'Commando: A One Man Army' and so its sequel look promising. He will be playing Karanvir Singh Dogra, a spy who is determined to eradicate black money.

The film will be released on March 3, 2017.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju will felicitate sportspersons of Northeastern states, who participated in Rio Olympics, 2016 at a function here on Tuesday.

Sportspersons, who will be felicitated in Tuesday's function, include Gymnast Dipa Karmakar, P Sushila Chanu (Hockey- Women), H Lal Ruatfeli (Hockey- Women), L Bombayla Devi (Archery), K Chinglensan Singh (Hockey- Men), K Kothajit Singh (Hockey-Men) and Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting), according to a release.

"Each sportsperson will be presented with cash award of Rs.2.00 lakh and given a memento," the release added.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju will felicitate sportspersons of Northeastern states, who participated in Rio Olympics, 2016 at a function here on Tuesday.

Sportspersons, who will be felicitated in Tuesday's function, include Gymnast Dipa Karmakar, P Sushila Chanu (Hockey- Women), H Lal Ruatfeli (Hockey- Women), L Bombayla Devi (Archery), K Chinglensan Singh (Hockey- Men), K Kothajit Singh (Hockey-Men) and Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting), according to a release.

"Each sportsperson will be presented with cash award of Rs.2.00 lakh and given a memento," the release added.

Complete with a virtual museum, an online hub launched by the zoology department of Calcutta University here seeks to connect students and researchers across India and abroad.

The objective is to provide the students and researchers access to natural history resources and pose related queries, said an official on Monday.

The Zoology Hub, launched earlier in February, is aimed at an interdisciplinary approach to the subject and is expected to promote networking in research, education and outreach.

"It started with the restoration and upgradation of the Centenary Heritage Zoological Museum that houses thousands of common, rare, endangered, threatened and even extinct animals from Bengal, from the rest of India and from all over the world," Ena Ray Banerjee of the zoology department said in a statement said on Monday.

"It showcases fauna from almost all zoo-geographical realms of this planet," the statement read.

The endeavour is an off-shoot of an international DNA barcoding programme (iBOL) and encompasses audio resources like animal noises and bird calls, embryological specimens and records of unique specimens like Gila monsters (venomous lizards) with data on their importance and current conservation status.

Complete with a virtual museum, an online hub launched by the zoology department of Calcutta University here seeks to connect students and researchers across India and abroad.

The objective is to provide the students and researchers access to natural history resources and pose related queries, said an official on Monday.

The Zoology Hub, launched earlier in February, is aimed at an interdisciplinary approach to the subject and is expected to promote networking in research, education and outreach.

"It started with the restoration and upgradation of the Centenary Heritage Zoological Museum that houses thousands of common, rare, endangered, threatened and even extinct animals from Bengal, from the rest of India and from all over the world," Ena Ray Banerjee of the zoology department said in a statement said on Monday.

"It showcases fauna from almost all zoo-geographical realms of this planet," the statement read.

The endeavour is an off-shoot of an international DNA barcoding programme (iBOL) and encompasses audio resources like animal noises and bird calls, embryological specimens and records of unique specimens like Gila monsters (venomous lizards) with data on their importance and current conservation status.

The Union Public Service Commision on Monday announced the result of the Engineering Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2017 held on January 8, 2017.

Announcing the result, the UPSC in a release said the selected candidates are qualified for Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2017. Detailed result of exam can be downloaded from the commission’s website http://www.upsc.gov.in.

According to the commission, candidates declared qualified in the prelims exam are required to appear in the Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2017 to be held on May 14, 2017.

It also advised them to refer to the Rules of the Engineering Services Examination, 2017 (Examination Notice No.01/2017 dated 28.09.2016) which is also available on the commission’s website.

"Candidates may download their e-admit cards from the commission’s website around three weeks before the commencement of the Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2017. Candidates are also informed that marks and cut-off marks of Engineering Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2017 will be uploaded on the Commission website i.e. www.upsc.gov.in after the entire process of Engineering Services Examination, 2017 is over." the release stated.

The Union Public Service Commision on Monday announced the result of the Engineering Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2017 held on January 8, 2017.

Announcing the result, the UPSC in a release said the selected candidates are qualified for Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2017. Detailed result of exam can be downloaded from the commission’s website http://www.upsc.gov.in.

According to the commission, candidates declared qualified in the prelims exam are required to appear in the Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2017 to be held on May 14, 2017.

It also advised them to refer to the Rules of the Engineering Services Examination, 2017 (Examination Notice No.01/2017 dated 28.09.2016) which is also available on the commission’s website.

"Candidates may download their e-admit cards from the commission’s website around three weeks before the commencement of the Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2017. Candidates are also informed that marks and cut-off marks of Engineering Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2017 will be uploaded on the Commission website i.e. www.upsc.gov.in after the entire process of Engineering Services Examination, 2017 is over." the release stated.

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Monday wrote to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik, seeking registration of a case against persons threatening Kargil war martyr's daughter Gurmehar Kaur and their arrest.

Kaur met Maliwal earlier in the day and complained against online threats she was receiving ever since she stood up to RSS student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

"Taking cognisance of the complaint, I wrote a letter to the Delhi Police Commissioner and requested him to register an FIR against the culprits and arrest them," Maliwal told reporters here.

"It is a matter of shame that a martyr's daughter is being attacked like this and is threatened with rape and death. If no action is taken against the culprits right now, people will lose faith in the system," she said.

Lady Shri Ram College student Kaur posted a picture of her's holding a poster on Facebook that said: "I am a student from Delhi University. I am not afraid of ABVP. I am not alone. Every student of India is with me."

She hashtagged #StudentsAgainstABVP

Kaur launched the online campaign against the ABVP after the February 22 violence outside Delhi University's Ramjas College.

She then received rape and death threats on social media by some who called her "anti-national".

Speaking to the media on Monday, Kaur said she was not afraid because she was fighting for "the right cause".

"Just because you are a student organisation, which is in power, does not mean you can threaten me. I don't want to be scared of you. 

"A student organisation's job is to work for the welfare of the students, not to rule them or to scare them," she said.

"I am getting hundreds of threats. If I start lodging complaints against each of them, then even the police will ask me to stop," Kaur added.

Along with threats, Kaur has also received the support of innumerable people — young and old — for her stand against the ABVP and violence on the campus.

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Monday wrote to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik, seeking registration of a case against persons threatening Kargil war martyr's daughter Gurmehar Kaur and their arrest.

Kaur met Maliwal earlier in the day and complained against online threats she was receiving ever since she stood up to RSS student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

"Taking cognisance of the complaint, I wrote a letter to the Delhi Police Commissioner and requested him to register an FIR against the culprits and arrest them," Maliwal told reporters here.

"It is a matter of shame that a martyr's daughter is being attacked like this and is threatened with rape and death. If no action is taken against the culprits right now, people will lose faith in the system," she said.

Lady Shri Ram College student Kaur posted a picture of her's holding a poster on Facebook that said: "I am a student from Delhi University. I am not afraid of ABVP. I am not alone. Every student of India is with me."

She hashtagged #StudentsAgainstABVP

Kaur launched the online campaign against the ABVP after the February 22 violence outside Delhi University's Ramjas College.

She then received rape and death threats on social media by some who called her "anti-national".

Speaking to the media on Monday, Kaur said she was not afraid because she was fighting for "the right cause".

"Just because you are a student organisation, which is in power, does not mean you can threaten me. I don't want to be scared of you. 

"A student organisation's job is to work for the welfare of the students, not to rule them or to scare them," she said.

"I am getting hundreds of threats. If I start lodging complaints against each of them, then even the police will ask me to stop," Kaur added.

Along with threats, Kaur has also received the support of innumerable people — young and old — for her stand against the ABVP and violence on the campus.

Union minister Uma Bharti on Monday said the BJP made "a huge mistake" by not fielding any Muslim candidate in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

"I am really feeling sorry that we could not field a Muslim. I spoke with (BJP President) Amit Shah and (state party President) Keshav Prasad Maurya about how we could have brought a Muslim to the Assembly," Uma Bharti told CNN-News18. 

"Rajnathji has said the right thing, we could have given ticket (to Muslims)," she said, referring to Home Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajnath Singh.

Uma Bharti's comments met with opposition from her colleague, with Rajya Sabha member Vinay Katiyar questioning the logic behind fielding Muslims. 

"When Muslims do not vote for us, then why should we give ticket to them," asked Katiyar. 

Union minister Uma Bharti on Monday said the BJP made "a huge mistake" by not fielding any Muslim candidate in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

"I am really feeling sorry that we could not field a Muslim. I spoke with (BJP President) Amit Shah and (state party President) Keshav Prasad Maurya about how we could have brought a Muslim to the Assembly," Uma Bharti told CNN-News18. 

"Rajnathji has said the right thing, we could have given ticket (to Muslims)," she said, referring to Home Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajnath Singh.

Uma Bharti's comments met with opposition from her colleague, with Rajya Sabha member Vinay Katiyar questioning the logic behind fielding Muslims. 

"When Muslims do not vote for us, then why should we give ticket to them," asked Katiyar. 

The Delhi High Court on Monday set aside the trial court order granting custody parole to MLA Mukhtar Ansari for canvassing in the UP Assembly polls.

Justice Mukta Gupta allowed the Election Commission's plea seeking cancellation of Ansari's parole.

"The petition (poll panel plea) is allowed," the court said.

Ansari, an MLA who recently joined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to contest from Mau Assembly seat in UP, was given custody parole till March 4, enabling him to campaign in the election.

The high court, however, on February 17 had stayed its operation after the poll panel moved a plea seeking cancellation of his parole on the ground that he may influence witnesses in the 2005 murder case of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai, in which he is facing trial.

Later the State of Uttar Pradesh, the prosecuting agency and the complainant in the BJP MLA's case also moved the high court opposing Ansari's release from jail in Lucknow.

However, their contention was opposed by Ansari's counsel, who had said that Election Commission of India's claims are baseless and it is not the ground to restrict his movement in his constituency from where he is contesting, as none of the witnesses are from there.

Senior advocates Salman Khurshid and Sudhir Nandrajog, appearing for the leader had said that only in an extraordinary situation, the EC can come to court.

"Participation of candidates in free and fair election is also a basic structure of the Constitution," the counsel had submitted.

They had contended that Ansari has been elected from Mau constituency for a record four times and he is willing to give an undertaking to the court that he will not violate its order.

This was strongly opposed by the poll panel, which was represented by senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, who had said that the release of the accused would have a direct impact on conduct of free and fair election in Mau constituency.

The EC had further submitted that the judgement of this court is going to have far reaching consequences on the poll panel's power.

"We have material to oppose the parole," Krishnan had argued.

The trial court had on February 16 granted him custody parole.

The accused, while seeking the relief, had told the trial court that he has been in judicial custody since December 2005 and was granted parole to contest polls earlier too.

Ansari has over 40 criminal cases against him, including that of murder and kidnapping.

Amid tight security, an estimated 52 per cent of 1.81 crore electorates on Monday cast their votes till 4 pm during the fifth phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh where all eyes are set on Amethi and Faizabad.

Polling is on, by and large peacefully, in 51 Assembly constituencies spread over 11 districts of the state.

"Over 52 per cent polling was recorded till 4 pm," poll officials said here.

The exercise was slow in the first two hours but picked up pace gradually, with the first-time voters seen exercising their franchise quite enthusiastically.

Prominent contestants in this phase include controversial minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati from the ruling Samajwadi Party, who is facing Amita Singh from Congress and BJP's Garima Singh in Amethi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Rahul Gandhi.

Prajapati, against whom an FIR has been lodged in an alleged rape case, said the people were with him and there was a strong wave in the favour of ruling SP. "Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will become the CM again," he claimed.

Amita, wife of Congress leader Sanjay Singh, hoped people would support the best candidate "and I will definitely win."

Garima, the first wife of Sanjay, on the other hand said there was no development in the constituency and people were facing problems.

The districts going to polls in this phase are Balrampur, Gonda, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Bahraich, Shravasti, Basti, Siddharth Nagar, Sant Kabir Nagar, Amethi and Sultanpur.

Faizabad is another hot seat with BJP's Ram Temple issue once again figuring in its manifesto this time.

Ayodhya Assembly seat, which falls in Faizabad district, used to be a traditional stronghold of BJP since the Ram Temple movement days. But it was snatched by SP in 2012 and this time the saffron party is trying to wrest it back.

Due to death of SP candidate Chandrashekhar Kanaujia in Alapur (Ambedkar Nagar), the EC has announced fresh date of voting in this constituency on March 9.

The SP had won 37 seats out of 52 (total seats in this phase including Alapur) in the 2012 Assembly polls. While the BJP and Congress won five seats each, the BSP had won 3 and the Peace Party 2.

The turnout in these constituencies in 2012 was 57.09 per cent.

American tennis player Serena Williams led the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) world rankings on Monday.

German Angelique Kerber came second with 7405 points, followed by Czech Karolina Pliskova with 5640.

The current WTA rankings and points scored are as follows:

1. Serena Williams (US) 7780 points

2. Angelique Kerber (Germany) 7405

3. Karolina Pliskova (Czech) 5640

4. Simona Halep (Romania) 5172

5. Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) 5075

6. Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 4670

7. Garbiñe Muguruza (Spain) 4585

8. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 3915

9. Madison Keys (US) 3897

10. Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) 3890.

Inspired to make science accessible to Bengali-speaking masses, creators of a popular science web portal plan to distribute Foldscopes — a $1 origami paper microscope — to schools in rural areas of West Bengal, free of cost.

Kazi Rajibul Islam, Anirban Gangopadhyay, Dibyajyoti Ghosh and Kunal Chakraborty from West Bengal — all researchers-cum-co-founders of Bigyan.org.in which completes three years on National Science Day (on Tuesday) — have taken it upon themselves to dispel fear of science and intimidation among students in the state by churning out peer-reviewed articles on every sphere of science.

"We did not just publish an article on the innovation of Foldscope. We contacted the inventors (researcher Manu Prakash from Stanford University) who sent us about two dozens of those microscopes that we distributed to various schools in West Bengal and Bangladesh. We also translated the assembly instructions of the Foldscope for its official website," Islam, a faculty at University of Waterloo, Canada, told IANS via mail.

Now the team is ready to disseminate its second lot of Foldscopes.

"We have recently acquired our second lot from Manu Prakash and this will be distributed among school teachers on priority basis and at free of cost," added Islam.

Spread across labs in the US, Canada and India, the brains behind the not-for-profit web initiative, feel it is necessary to apprise high school students of cutting-edge science across the world, in their mother tongue, to boost excitement and further their love for the subject.

"We got a researcher involved in the LIGO project (Laser Interferometer Gravitational Waves Observatory) to write on gravitational waves detection," said Islam.

One of their most popular endeavour is the digital archiving programme under which classical articles by renowned scientists such as entomologist Gopal Chandra Bhattacharya and Jagadish Chandra Bose have been made available to the layman.

"We have introduced mobile phone screen friendly e-pub magazine and will also bring out audiobooks and podcasts of our articles soon," he added.

British tennis player Andy Murray stayed at the top of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) world rankings released on Monday.

The 29-year-old Scot led the rankings for the first time in his career on November 7 and kept the lead since with 11.540 points, reports Efe.

Serbian Novak Djokovic came in second with 9.735 points, followed by Swiss Stan Wawrinka.

French Jo-Wilfried Tsonga jumped four places to occupy seventh position in the rankings.

Swiss Roger Federer fell to 10th place with 3.260 points.

The current ATP rankings and point scores are as follows:

1. Andy Murray (Britain) 11,540 points

2. Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 9,735

3. Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) 5,195

4. Milos Raonic (Canada) 5,080

5. Kei Nishikori (Japan) 4,730

6. Rafael Nadal (Spain) 4,115

7. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 3,480

8. Marin Cilic (Croatia) 3,410

9. Dominic Thiem (Austria) 3,375

10. Roger Federer (Switzerland) 3,260.