MAM
Madras high court orders unblocking of Tamil magazine website
MUMBAI: Some are labeling it a victory of sorts for Anand Vikatan managing director B. Srinivasan – albeit a conditional one at that. The Madras high court has ordered the Indian central government to restore access to the website of Tamil weekly magazine Ananda Vikatan, provided a controversial cartoon is removed from the site.
Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy of the Madras high court issued the interim order on Thursday in response to a petition filed by the magazine, whose website (www.vikatan.com) was blocked by authorities in mid-February.
The cartoon at the centre of the dispute depicted Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, which the government claimed was “detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India and its friendly relations with foreign states.”
In his ruling, Justice Chakravarthy reasoned that since the caricature appeared to be the only objectionable content, the remainder of the magazine’s website should remain accessible to subscribers.
“The block of the website shall be lifted without waiting for a certified copy of the Court’s order,” the judge directed, after ordering Ananda Vikatan to email confirmation to the government that it had removed the contentious material.
The magazine argued in court that the cartoon constituted legitimate political satire related to the mistreatment of Indian deportees from the US. Its legal team, led by senior advocate Vijay Narayan, contended that blocking the entire website was “unjustified, disproportionate and excessive” and resulted in the “suppression of critical journalism.”
Government counsel defended the blocking action under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, arguing it represented a reasonable restriction on fundamental rights. The court granted the government’s request for two weeks to file a formal reply.
The judge noted that the court must ultimately determine whether the caricature falls under protected artistic and journalistic freedom or whether it is appropriately restricted under the IT Act.
The case will be heard next on 21 March.
Brands
YES Bank hands the keys to SBI veteran Vinay Tonse as it bets on a new era
Former SBI managing director appointed as YES Bank’s new MD and CEO
MUMBAI: YES Bank is done rebuilding. Now it wants to grow. The private sector lender has appointed Vinay Muralidhar Tonse as managing director and chief executive officer-designate, with RBI approval secured and a start date of April 6, 2026 confirmed. The three-year term signals the bank’s intent to shift gears from crisis recovery to full-throttle expansion.
Tonse, 60, is no stranger to scale. Most recently managing director at State Bank of India, he oversaw a retail book of roughly $800bn in deposits and advances, one of the largest in the country. Before that, he ran SBI Mutual Fund from August 2020 to December 2022, a stint that saw assets under management surge from Rs 4.32 lakh crore to Rs 7.32 lakh crore across market cycles. Add stints in Singapore and four years leading SBI’s overseas operations in Osaka, and the incoming chief arrives with a genuinely global CV.
His academic grounding is equally solid: a commerce degree from St Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bengaluru, and a master’s in commerce from Bangalore University.
The appointment follows an extensive search and evaluation process by the bank’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee. NRC chairperson Nandita Gurjar said the committee unanimously backed Tonse, citing his leadership track record, governance credentials and ability to drive the bank’s next phase of transformation.
Non-executive chairman Rama Subramaniam Gandhi was unequivocal. “I am certain that Vinay Tonse, with his vast experience as a senior banker, will propel YES Bank to its next phase of growth,” Gandhi said, adding that the bank remains focused on strengthening its retail and corporate banking franchises and expanding its branch network.
Rajeev Kannan, non-executive director and senior executive at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, the bank’s largest shareholder, said Tonse’s experience across retail, corporate banking, global markets and asset management positioned him well to lead the lender. SMBC said it looks forward to working with Tonse and the board as YES Bank pursues its ambition of becoming a top-tier private sector lender anchored in strong governance and sustainable growth.
Tonse succeeds Prashant Kumar, who took the helm in March 2020 when YES Bank was in freefall following a severe financial crisis, and spent six years painstakingly stabilising the institution, rebuilding governance and restoring operational scale. Gandhi was generous: “The bank remains indebted to Prashant Kumar, who is responsible for much of what a strong financial powerhouse YES Bank is today.”
Tonse, for his part, struck a purposeful note. “Together with the board and my colleagues, I remain deeply committed to creating long-term value for all our stakeholders,” he said, pledging to build on Kumar’s foundation guided by his personal motto: Make A Difference.
Beyond the balance sheet, Tonse played cricket at college and club level and represented Karnataka in archery at the national championships — sports he credits with teaching him teamwork, situational leadership, discipline and focus. In quieter moments, he reaches for retro Kannada music, classic Hindi songs, and the crooning of Engelbert Humperdinck, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar.
YES Bank has its steady-handed rebuilder in Kumar to thank for survival. Now it has a scale-obsessed growth banker at the wheel. The next chapter starts April 6.
