Dakar rally: The Dakar Rally is one of the world’s toughest off-road races. It is a multi-stage event covering almost 8,000 kilometres over deserts, dunes, rocks, and rough terrain. Originally held in Africa, the rally has taken place in Saudi Arabia in recent years, attracting top riders, drivers, and teams from across the globe. Participants riding cars, bikes, trucks, light vehicles, and classic vehicles take part in this rally. Harsh temperatures, navigation challenges, and mechanical stress make it a highly competitive race.

The 2026 Dakar Rally was a 14-day, 13-stage, 8,000 km event that took place from January 3 to January 17, 2026, in Saudi Arabia. It saw dramatic racing and close finishes. In the overall motorcycle category, Argentina’s Luciano Benavides clinched victory by just two seconds, one of the closest margins in the event’s history.

In the car category, Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah secured his sixth Dakar Rally title, driving for the Dacia Sandriders team and reinforcing his position as one of the sport’s all-time greats. He led over 8,000 km of racing across Saudi Arabia and finished with a strong lead over the competition. Other notable performances included strong showings from Ford Racing, with podium finishes and stage wins.

India’s participation at Dakar 2026

Indian competitors also secured notable achievements at the 2026 Dakar Rally, with two key figures drawing attention:

Sanjay Takale’s historic run: Veteran Indian rally driver Sanjay Takale made history at the Dakar Rally by winning the H3 class prologue and standing on the Dakar podium in the four-wheel category – a first for an Indian. He finished 35th overall in the cars classification and became the first Indian to achieve this milestone.

Takale’s effort marked a significant moment for Indian motorsport. However, his Dakar campaign later ended due to a mechanical failure, forcing him to withdraw before the end of the event.

Harith Noah competes in bikes: On the two-wheeled side, Harith Noah, a top Indian rally-raid rider from Kerala, also competed in the Dakar Rally’s bike category. Noah has been part of multiple Dakar campaigns and brought valuable experience to one of the world’s most challenging motorsport events.

Indian teams such as Hero MotoSports also participated in the event, maintaining India’s growing presence at Dakar with competitive stage results and notable finishes.

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Dakar is more than just a race

The Dakar Rally is more than a race; it is a test of endurance, skill, and strategy. Competitors drive through extreme temperatures, unpredictable terrain, and strict navigation rules that can change standings dramatically from stage to stage. Finishing this event earns respect in the motorsport world, and individual stage wins or class podiums are celebrated worldwide.

The 2026 Dakar Rally showcased challenging terrains, historic individual achievements, and competitive performances across categories.

New Delhi: The India-US trade agreement is expected to play a pivotal role in India achieving its intended target of $100 billion textiles exports in 2030, the government said on Saturday. 

The deal is expected to provide the requisite momentum, with the US to contribute to more than one-fifth of this target, according to Ministry of Textiles.

The ministry welcomed the landmark agreement between India and the US as a major catalyst enhancing the textile trade relations between the nations. 

The textile industry expressed the hope that this is a major economic game changer for the sector.

For textiles exports, the deal opens up a USD 118 billion US global imports market of textiles, apparels and made ups. With the US being India’s largest export destination of around USD 10.5 billion exports, comprising around 70 per cent apparel and 15 per cent made ups, this is a major opportunity. 

The 18 per cent reciprocal tariffs on all the textiles products including apparel and made-ups will not only remove the disadvantage that Indian exporters had, but would place them in a better position than most competitors like Bangladesh (20 per cent), China (30 per cent), Pakistan (19 per cent) and Vietnam (20 per cent) who have higher reciprocal tariffs.

“This would alter the market dynamics as large buyers would surely relook at their sourcing in the light of this agreement,” said the ministry.

The agreement would also enable the industry to be cost competitive and diversify their risks by sourcing intermediates for the textiles sector from the US. 

This would facilitate manufacturing of value-added textiles in the country and diversify our production and exports. The deal would generate additional employment and encourage investments by US entities, said the ministry.

The US trade agreement framework represents a historic milestone for India’s textiles and apparel sector.

New Delhi: For many urban families in India, a child’s education has always been seen as the key to a brighter future. But today, that dream is coming with a growing price tag. The steady and often steep rise in school fees is no longer just a budgeting issue but it’s also becoming a major source of anxiety for parents. From cutting back on expenses to postponing savings goals, households are increasingly adjusting their lifestyles and financial plans just to keep up with the cost of schooling.

School fees don’t just test a parent’s income.

They test their silence.

Every year, the number rises.

And parents quietly adjust life around it.

Fewer vacations. Delayed dreams. Extra shifts.

No complaints. Just quiet sacrifice.

We are told it’s for “quality education.”

But…

— Dr SHRADDHEY KATIYAR (@Wegiveyouhealt1) February 3, 2026

When School Fees Begin to Weigh on Families

For many parents, rising school fees are not just figures on a receipt but they carry an emotional cost too. Dr Shraddhey Katiyar, a Noida-based doctor, recently shared a heartfelt post on X, drawing attention to the silent stress families experience as education expenses continue to climb. His words struck a chord with many parents who see their own struggles reflected in the issue.

“School fees don’t just test a parent’s income. They test their patience, their silence, and their endurance,” Katiyar wrote. He noted that many families adjust their lives silently by skipping holidays, postponing personal goals, or taking on extra work, simply to ensure their children’s education continues smoothly.

According to him, most parents do not openly complain about rising school fees. Instead, they quietly make adjustments in their daily lives. Family holidays are put on hold, personal ambitions take a back seat, and longer working hours become the norm, all to manage the growing expenses.

“Every year, the number rises. And parents quietly adjust life around it. Fewer vacations. Delayed dreams. Extra shifts. No complaints. Just quiet sacrifice,” he added.

Katiyar also questioned the reasons often given by schools for repeated fee hikes. He pointed out that even though parents are told the higher fees will improve the quality of education, classrooms continue to remain crowded and teachers’ salaries do not always reflect those increases. “Education should not feel like a monthly threat,” he wrote, stressing that learning must remain a basic right and not turn into a financial strain.

He further warned that when education starts feeling like a luxury instead of a necessity, many deserving children risk being left behind, and families are left emotionally drained. “Education should lift families up, not leave them exhausted. Children often realise later that their parents bore the cost quietly,” Katiyar noted.

Parents Share Their Concerns

Many parents say the financial pressure begins much earlier than expected, sometimes as early as playschool. Ishani Bhatt, a mother of a 2.5 year old living in Greater Noida West, says education costs start piling up right from toddlerhood.

“My child goes to a reputed playschool, but the expenses are steep. For 3-4 hours, you will shell out Rs 6-7k per month, not to take into account the one-time admission fee, which was nearly Rs40,000. Initially, we were told that this would cover all extra curriculum activity expenses, but every other day, there’s some expense or the other, albeit small ones,” she says.

Bhatt explains that apart from direct fees, there are several indirect expenses too. “Even if they are not direct expenses, there are several indirect expenses. For instance, schools will have different ‘days’ – say tomorrow is ‘purple colour day’. Schools ask parents to send wards in clothes of that shade. Now if they don’t have that colour, parents often end up buying new clothes. While our school doesn’t make it mandatory, yet as a parent, you might feel your child should not be the one feeling left out. These create indirect pressure. Then again recently, school charged around Rs 500 for a photobook of class picture. There are several such instances. So we are left wondering what were the extracurricular fees that we paid at the beginning of the season for?”

She adds that education should remain a right and not feel like a privilege that only some families can afford, and that this principle should apply right from playgroup and nursery.