Bombay high court slapped a Rs 1 lakh penalty on a Kalyan college for admitting a student to a BMS course despite his ineligibility and then informing him late (Representative image)

MUMBAI: Bombay high court has imposed costs of Rs 1 lakh on a college for belatedly informing a student last February, of his ineligibility to a BMS course he was admitted to in 2022, and denying him permission for final semester examination.The college said he was ineligible as he hadn’t cleared the HSC exam in the first attempt, as required. The cost must be paid in 2 week to the Mumbai University and its Examination Board, Justices RI Chagla and Farhan Dubash held in their July 1 order available on Friday.Mehul Ghavari, the student had last year petitioned the HC to challenge the denial of permission by the college to appear for the sixth semester.The college, Seth Hirachand Mutha College in Kalyan is “entirely to blame” and “student should not be made to suffer,’’ since the college was aware of his ineligibility in December 2022, yet allowed him to continue, said the HC.Mumbai University’s counsel Rui Rodrigues informed the HC that in December 2022 itself following scrutiny the college was informed that the students was amongst two, found to be ineligible.In March the HC had directed the college to comply with its December 2025 order permitting the student, represented by advocate Atharva Dandekar, to fill the exam form and now the student wanted his results.Advocate Sumit Kothari for the college submitted its affidavit dated June 29 which said the Covid-19 pandemic led to remote working, communication challenges, staff shortage and the unprecedented circumstances led to the “oversight in admission’’ to the Bachelor of Management Studies. It was “a human error’’, sans malafides.Rodrigues citing a July 2025 HC order against the same college for a similar oversight in the same course, in 2021-22, where while granting relief to that student, who cleared HSC in his third attempt– said, court imposts costs of Rs 50,000. The HC had directed the college to scrupulously follow the rules on eligibility. This was the second instance and heavy costs be imposed on college, Rodrigues argued.The HC, agreeing with MU counsel, said the college had committed lapse earlier too in student admission for the same course. “The Petitioner should not be made to suffer at the hands of the College,’’ the HC said and directing the results be given to the petitioner in a week, sought an undertaking from the college to not commit such lapses of granting admission to similarly placed students, in the future.

Researchers from IIT Bombay and the ICMR-National Institute for Research on Women’s Health (NIRWoH) have developed an indigenous placenta-on-chip platform that mimics the human placenta in the laboratory.

MUMBAI: In a breakthrough that could make medicines safer for pregnant women while reducing animal testing, researchers from IIT Bombay and the ICMR-National Institute for Research on Women’s Health (NIRWoH) have developed an indigenous placenta-on-chip platform that mimics the human placenta in the laboratory.The placenta is a temporary organ that develops during pregnancy and serves as an interface between mother and baby. It regulates the exchange of nutrients, oxygen, hormones, drugs and waste products while protecting the developing foetus.However, due to ethical and practical limitations, direct investigation of placental function during pregnancy remains extremely difficult.The new device allows scientists to study how medicines, nutrients and waste products move between the mother and foetus.

Major leap

The study, published in the journal Biofabrication, describes a compact two-chamber device containing human placental and blood vessel cells grown on opposite sides of a porous membrane.The model successfully reproduced placental functions, including hormone secretion, nutrient transport, waste exchange and selective barrier function.Unlike many existing organ-on-chip systems that require complex equipment, the Indian platform uses a simpler design that is easier to manufacture and operate.“Many organ-on-chip systems are powerful but often require specialised infrastructure. We wanted to develop a robust platform that could be adopted more broadly by research laboratories,” said IIT Bombay’s Prof Abhijit Majumder, co-corresponding author of the study.The system’s biological validation was led by researchers at ICMR-NIRWoH’s Prof Deepak Modi, who said such human-relevant models are increasingly important for understanding disease biology and evaluating therapeutic safety.“By combining engineering and reproductive biology, we have created a platform that can help bridge this gap and advance research,” he said.

Padmini Kolhapure returns to the stage as a vocalist for Hema Malini’s Diamond Jubilee Concert, celebrating a six-decade cinematic legacy. Reflecting on her own 50-year acting career, Kolhapure emphasizes music’s personal significance and the irreplaceable magic of live performance.

Padmini Kolhapure is set to return to the stage as a vocalist at Hema Malini’s Diamond Jubilee Concert on July 10. As she prepares to celebrate the Dream Girl’s six-decade journey in cinema, Padmini, whose acting career has spanned 50 years, reflects on her enduring bond with music, the changing face of the entertainment industry, and the importance of continually reinventing oneself. BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN Though she became one of Hindi cinema’s most beloved actresses, Padmini says music has always occupied a special place in her heart. “Music was my first love long before acting happened,” she says. “Singing has always been deeply personal because it comes directly from the soul. Acting allows you to portray different characters, but music allows you to express your own emotions.” For Padmini, performing at Hema Malini’s Diamond Jubilee Concert carries both personal and emotional significance. She believes the concert, conceived under RJ Anirudh Chawla’s Legends Ki Kahani, Legends Ki Zubaani format, will be a fitting tribute to Malini’s extraordinary six-decade legacy. THE IRREPLACEABLE MAGIC OF LIVE PERFORMANCE Having recently returned to the stage through theatre, Padmini says live performance offers a thrill that cinema cannot replicate. “In films, you have retakes and editing. On stage, there are no second chances,” she says. “The audience is right there with you, sharing every emotion in real time.” While digital platforms dominate entertainment today, Padmini remains encouraged by audiences’ continued appetite for live storytelling. “Theatre reminded me that genuine human connection will never go out of fashion,” she says, adding that performing live prepares an artiste for special evenings where emotions, memories and music converge before an audience. STARDOM MAY EVOLVE, BUT LONGEVITY REMAINS UNCHANGED As she reflects on Hema Malini’s enduring appeal, Padmini notes how the nature of stardom has evolved in the age of social media. “In our time, there was a certain mystery associated with stars. Audiences connected with us primarily through our work,” she says. “Today, social media has made artistes far more accessible.” Yet she believes the fundamentals of a lasting career remain unchanged. “Longevity still comes from talent, discipline, hard work and the ability to connect with audiences over time,” she says, pointing to Malini as a perfect example of an artiste whose contribution continues to inspire admiration decades later. HAS THE INDUSTRY LOST SOMETHING ALONG THE WAY? Asked whether the industry has lost patience in craft, respect for senior artistes or emotional depth in storytelling, Padmini prefers to see it as a shift rather than a decline. “The pace of life today is much faster and entertainment reflects that reality,” she says. “Earlier, there was more time for nurturing stories, music and performances.” She acknowledges that songs and films from earlier decades often enjoyed a deeper emotional rhythm, but maintains that every generation develops its own creative language. “I still believe that good storytelling, meaningful music and genuine talent will always find an audience. The mediums may change, but the power of emotion remains timeless.” REINVENTING WITH AGE AND EXPERIENCE Over the years, Padmini has moved seamlessly between films, music, television and theatre. While many actresses from her generation have spoken about being sidelined with age, she says she chose to focus on growth rather than relevance. “Every artiste faces phases of transition. As women, we have often had to redefine ourselves and seek meaningful opportunities beyond conventional roles,” she says. Instead of resisting change, she embraced it. “Creativity has no age limit. Whether through acting, music, television or stage performances, I embraced every new opportunity with gratitude.” Today, she says, experience has brought a different kind of fulfilment. “I feel more confident and comfortable in my own skin than ever before. The love and support I continue to receive from audiences have been my greatest strength.” As she takes the stage once again on July 10, Padmini sees the evening not only as a tribute to Hema Malini but also as a celebration of artistic longevity, reinvention and the enduring power of music.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a health alert against three skin-lightening creams, including one allegedly manufactured in Pakistan, after laboratory tests found they contained mercury and lead far above the permissible limits, making them unsafe for use.An FDA release, issued on Saturday evening, ordered an immediate stop to the use, sale and distribution of these three creams.One of the products, Goree Beauty Cream, is reportedly of Pakistani origin. A few days ago, Mumbai police registered a criminal case against a Chembur shopkeeper for allegedly stocking and selling Goree cream despite the Centre’s ban on imports from Pakistan.The other two products declared “Not of Standard Quality (NSQ)” are Face Fresh Gold (Beauty Cream & Beauty Serum) and Golden Star Beauty Cream.Tests conducted at FDA’s laboratory found excessive levels of the toxic heavy metals, which can damage the skin, kidneys and nervous system with prolonged exposure.The FDA release said that these products didn’t have the mandatory labelling details, including the manufacturer’s name and address, batch number, manufacturing date and expiry date, in violation of cosmetic regulations.The FDA has advised consumers to stop using or purchasing the products immediately. Retailers, wholesalers, distributors and e-commerce platforms have been directed to halt their sale, stocking and distribution, while stockists have been asked to recall available stocks and report the quantity recovered to the nearest FDA office.The alert comes amid an intensified statewide crackdown on substandard medicines and cosmetics. FDA commissioner Tukaram Munde on Saturday said the department raided 34 manufacturing units in June, seizing illegal drugs, medical products and cosmetics worth Rs 4.12 crore. Of these, products worth Rs 2.86 crore were seized, while the sale of products worth Rs 1.26 crore was prohibited.In June, FDA laboratories tested 787 samples of drugs, cosmetics and medical products. While 752 met quality standards, 35 were declared NSQ. These included sunscreens, kumkum, syrups, tablets, creams, shampoos and injections that failed tests for microbial contamination, potency, dissolution, sterility or labelling. Nine FIRs were registered and two persons were arrested.

Mumbai: The delayed, fiercely-debated and much-litigated elections to the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, one of the city’s premier institutions of research and scholarship, finally took place on Saturday with former BJP Rajya Sabha member Vinay Sahasrabuddhe of the ‘Asiatic Tomorrow’ panel voted in as president and his group sweeping all the other 18 posts. The ‘Save Asiatic’ panel led by former Congress Rajya Sabha member Kumar Ketkar ended as runners-up.The poll had become a high-stakes one with the group led by Ketkar alleging a “BJP-RSS and right-wing bid” to take over the 222-year-old institution with “an openly political campaign”, while the Sahasrabuddhe group had countered the attack by claiming decades of “gatekeeping” and “exclusionary strategies aimed at throttling intellectual openness” at the institution. The Sahasrabuddhe panel had said that for years anyone who did not subscribe to the left worldview had been kept out.For the president’s post, Sahasrabuddhe secured 349 votes while Ketkar did not cross 150 as the elections, which are usually noted for their poor polling percentage, saw more than 500 members out of a total of 2,500-plus turn out at the famous Durbar Hall to cast their ballot on a day of non-stop rain.Originally scheduled to be held in Nov 2025, the elections were delayed owing to three rounds of litigation and allegations of a deliberate influx of party-affiliated members by both the major groups, with one group saying even membership fees were being allegedly paid from the NCP (SP) accounts. Two petitions, filed by Ketkar and Deepak Pawar, against the charity commissioner’s March 13 order to stay the elections were dismissed by the Bombay high court in April.The stay had come after complaints of irregularities related to addition of over 1,460 names to the list of members. Apart from deferring elections, the charity commissioner had also ordered preparation of a fresh list of eligible voters and the holding of polls to the posts of president (one member), vice-presidents (4), managing committee (6), scrutinising committee (7) and honorary secretary (1), that is, 19 posts in all.The charity commissioner had appointed K D Talokar as election officer to oversee the poll process. Just two days before the election, the high court dismissed a third petition filed by eight society members led by Vivek Monteiro challenging the decision to exclude them from the voters’ list.After the results, Sahasrabuddhe posted on X, “Deeply grateful to all voters who have given a resounding mandate to our Asiatic Tomorrow panel… Personal thanks for electing me as President of the 222-yr-old knowledge-institute of great repute. We are committed to ensure that Asiatic Society of Mumbai regains the glory and evolves while building bridges with the NextGen and extends its activities beyond South Mumbai with an all-inclusive, non-partisan approach! Thanks to CM Devendra Fadnavis for his promise of all support!”