India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
NEW DELHI: India has finally retired its last fleet of MiG-21 fighter jets, infamous for decades as "flying coffins" due to their poor safety record. The farewell marks the end of a 63-year-long era, but also exposes a growing shortage of operational aircraft for the Indian Air Force. On September 26, the Indian Air Force (IAF) held a lavish farewell ceremony at Air Force Station Chandigarh, live-streamed on social media. Senior military officials, including India's defense minister, attended the event. Highlighting the jet's historic role, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh personally piloted a single-seat MiG-21 in the final flypast. The ceremony officially grounded the jets, permanently closing a turbulent chapter in India's military aviation. India was the first non-communist nation to induct the MiG-21 in 1963, with its pilots trained in the Soviet Union. Soon after, Hindustan Aeronautics began producing the jets under license, ultimately building more than 600 aircraft. The MiG-21 became the backbone of the IAF, playing central roles in the 1965 and 1971 wars against Pakistan. It also saw action in later crises, but its record included painful defeats, with jets shot down during the 1999 Kargil conflict and again in 2019. Over the years, the MiG-21 gained notoriety for its alarming safety record. Hundreds of crashes, many fatal, turned the aircraft into a symbol of risk rather than reliability. In Pakistan, the MiG-21 was derisively called a "paper plane," especially after humiliating losses in aerial clashes in 2019 and 2025 against Pakistan's modern fighters. The jet's constant accidents earned it the dreaded nickname "flying coffin" in India. Public criticism intensified in recent years as fatalities mounted. In the 2000s, India attempted to extend the MiG-21's life with an upgrade to the "Bison" standard. These jets received new radars, avionics, electronic warfare systems, and the ability to fire R-77 beyond-visual-range missiles. Despite these improvements, the upgrades could not erase the jet's reputation or compensate for its aging design. While India has retired the MiG-21 after six decades, the fighter still lingers in other parts of the world. Cirium fleet data shows that seven air forces collectively hold 101 MiG-21s, though their operational status is questionable. Major operators include North Korea with 26 jets, Angola with 23, and Yemen with 19. Smaller fleets remain in Libya, Mali, Mozambique, and Sudan. Additionally, 11 MiG-21s are preserved by private owners and museums. With the grounding of its MiG-21 fleet, the IAF now faces a significant shortage of combat aircraft. Despite modernization efforts, India's air power has been stretched thin, raising questions about readiness amid regional tensions. For now, the MiG-21's retirement is both a historic farewell and a stark reminder of India's urgent need to replace outdated aircraft with reliable, modern fighters.
KV Singh Deo (centre) and other officials during the inauguration of the DNN lab on Thursday Sourced by the Telegraph A state-of-the-art Deep Neural Network (DNN) Laboratory has come up on the premises of Krystellar Defence and Aerospace in Nayapally, Bhubaneswar. The lab would work in the area of artificial intelligence and next-generation defence technologies. It is designed to promote research in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), artificial intelligence (AI), electronic warfare, cognitive communications, AI-powered space surveillance, hypersonic threat detection, tracking and situational aw ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Axiom-4 crew members, including Shubhanshu Shukla, were welcomed with hugs and drinks as they stepped into the International Space Station on Thursday. The newly launched spacecraft -- the fifth in the Dragon series and named Grace -- successfully completed a soft docking with the International Space Station at 4.01pm while orbiting above the North Atlantic Ocean."At 6:31 am EDT (4:01 IST) on Thursday, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station for the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4," the National Aeronautics ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], June 26 (ANI): British authorities on Thursday thanked India for their constant support after the British F-35B fighter jet made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport nearly a fortnight ago. The High Commission spokesperson said, "We are working to repair the UK F-35B at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport as quickly as possible. We thank the Indian Authorities for their continued support" Also Read | Shubhanshu Shukla Becomes First Indian To Enter International Space Station, Says 'Privilege To Be Amongst Few To See Earth From This Vant ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], June 27 (ANI): A UK F-35B aircraft is currently awaiting repairs at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport after experiencing an engineering issue, a British High Commission spokesperson confirmed. "A UK F-35B aircraft is awaiting repairs at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport after developing an engineering issue. The UK has accepted an offer to move the aircraft to the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at the airport. The aircraft will be moved to the hangar once UK engineering teams arrive with specialist equipment, thereby ensurin ...Read More >
Guwahati: Assam will soon get three national highway stretches equipped for emergency aircraft landings, including the first such facility in the Northeast, which shares a long border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China. "The first emergency landing facility on a national highway in North East is expected to be ready in eastern Assam by October, in a boost to national security and disaster preparedness," Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday. Once completed, these stretches will boost Assam's strategic and transport infrastructure, Sarma said. "Once completed, it will supp ...Read More >
New Delhi, May 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) The pilots of the IndiGo plane, which was damaged in rough weather en route to Srinagar, were denied permission by the Lahore ATC to venture briefly into Pakistan airspace to escape the hailstorm, in complete violation of humanitarian norms. India's civil aviation regulator, the DGCA, said the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of approximately 36,000 feet near Punjab's Pathankot when it ran into a thunderstorm and hailstorm. Experiencing severe turbulence, the crew first requested the Northern ATC of the Indian Air Force to allow the flight to deviate to ...Read More >
Hyderabad: In a significant boost for 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbharta' in the aerospace and defence sector, and Hyderabad's growing stature as a global aerospace hub, the complete fuselage of the Rafale fighter jet will now be made in India at Hyderabad. This move marks the first time that these Rafale components will be manufactured outside France for the Indian as well as global markets.French aerospace major Dassault Aviation has signed four production transfer agreements with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) for manufacturing key sections of the Rafale fighter jet, including the lateral ...Read More >
Bengaluru Power Cuts: Citizens of Bengaluru brace yourself for long hours of power outages from June 29 and June 30. More than 100 areas will be impacted as BESCOM undertakes its quarterly maintenance work in various of its division. Bengaluru Power Outages June 29: According to the update by BESCOM on its X handler, there will be power outages in Kittaganahalli, Palasandra, Saptagiri, Maruthinagar, Sankapur, Raghavendra Nagar, Goolarivee, Baddihalli, Kesaramadu, C.M Badawan, Kalalli and SKS village on June 29 from 10 am to 5 pm. BESCOM's executive engineer has appealed to consumers to coop ...Read More >
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 10 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday met Minister Delegate to the Minister of Defence and Chief of Staff of the National Army of Algeria General Said Changeriha in Bengaluru at Aero India 2025. Singh called their meeting a "great interaction." Also Read | US: Judge Finds Trump Administration Hasn't Fully Followed Order To Unfreeze Federal Spending, Orders White House To Release All Money. In a post on X, he said, "Great interaction with the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Defence and Chief of Staff of the National Army of Algeria Ge ...Read More >
Mhow, Jun 7 (PTI) In a disturbing incident, a stray dog was seen clutching a dead newborn in its jaws near the toilet of a government hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district on Saturday before a security guard managed to retrieve the body after shooing away the animal. Authorities at the civil hospital in Mhow, some 25 kilometres from the district headquarters, and police have begun a probe into the antecedents of the newborn and the chain of events that followed. ...Read More >
AP EAMCET Result 2025: APSCHE has declared the results for AP EAPCET today, June 8, 2025. AP EAMCET Result 2025: The Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) has declared the results for Andhra Pradesh Engineering, Agriculture, and Pharmacy Common Entrance Test (AP EAPCET) 2025 today, June 8, 2025. Candidates who appeared for the examination can login and check their results on the official website, cets.apsche.ap.gov.in. AP EAMCET is now called as AP EAPCET. AP EAMCET Result 2025: How To Download Your Result? Visit the official website, cets.apsche.ap.gov.in.Click on "AP E ...Read More >
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, June 27: Nearly two weeks after it made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport, the UK F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet will be moved to the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at the airport as it awaits repairs, the British High Commission stated on Friday. "A UK F-35B aircraft is awaiting repairs at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport after developing an engineering issue. The UK has accepted an offer to move the aircraft to the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at the airport. The aircraft will be moved to the hangar onc ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Aviation engineers from the UK are arriving in Thiruvananthapuram to repair an F-35B Lightning jet of Britain's Royal Navy as the aircraft continued to be stranded after making an emergency landing 12 days ago.The aircraft is part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group of the UK's Royal Navy.The jet, worth over USD 110 million and known to be one of the most advanced fighters globally, made the emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport on June 14.The aircraft is awaiting repairs at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport after developing an engineering issue, a B ...Read More >
India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam ShowQuick Read Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed Political leadership forbade targeting Pakistani air defences in initial phase, Captain Shiv Kumar saidCongress criticised the BJP government for "misleading" the public on Operation SindoorOpposition demanded all-party meeting and special parliament session on the issue Did our AI summary help? Let us know. New Delhi: A comment by India's defence attache ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) India has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for a major Indian Air Force (IAF) exercise scheduled to take place near the southern sector of the India-Pakistan International Border in Rajasthan from Saturday, June 7, to Sunday, June 8. The exercise is part of the IAF's regular operational preparedness and will be conducted in airspace near the border. According to the NOTAM, the aerial drill will commence at 3:30 p.m. on June 7 and conclude at 9:30 p.m. the following day. During this period, airspace over the designated region will be restricted to ensure t ...Read More >
New Delhi: Alleging "blatant misuse" of agencies to defame its leaders, AAP on Thursday questioned why the first information report filed against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain was being kept under wraps and "selective" press notes were being leaked to the media.Bharadwaj, who is Delhi AAP convener, alleged that only two former ministers were named in the case without any reasonable cause while all the officers of the health and public works departments, who were actually responsible for executing the hospital projects, were spared. "Is the FIR so baseless that BJP ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday cited the reported comments of India's defence attache to Indonesia that the Indian Air Force lost fighter jets to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor and accused the government of having "misled" the country. The party also asked why is Prime Minister Narendra Modi "refusing" to preside over an all-party meeting to take the Opposition into confidence and why has the demand for a special session of Parliament been rejected. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared a media report on X which quoted Captain (Indian Navy) Shiv Kumar ...Read More >
Russian drone attacks injured eight and damaged buildings in Kyiv and Odesa. Ukraine's air force downed many of the 132 drones launched overnight. Increased drone warfare marks significant territorial gains for Russia. Emergency services reported extensive damage in several Kyiv districts. In a significant escalation of hostilities, Russian drone attacks on Ukraine have injured at least eight people and caused widespread damage to residential buildings in Kyiv and the Odesa region. These attacks come as part of Russia's increased efforts along the eastern frontlines, with territorial gains be ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], January 31 (ANI): Parents of Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla were elated after their son was selected as the pilot for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Axiom-4 mission, scheduled this year. The parents credited Shubhanshu's hard work and dedication for his success and also acknowledged the contribution his wife behind his success. Expressing her immense happiness in an interaction with ANI, Shukla's mother Asha Shukla said she can't express her emotions in words. "We cannot express our feelings in words," she said. "Our joy is unlimited; we cannot p ...Read More >
Nagpur, May 23 (PTI) India's indigenously developed 'Akashteer' air defence system performed "exceedingly well" during 'Operation Sindoor', said Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Samir V Kamat, who expressed confidence that its success will draw international interest. India had deployed the indigenously developed and fully automated 'Akashteer' air defence control and reporting system, which emerged as the invisible force of new war capabilities during Operation Sindoor, launched against nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. "Definitely, our a ...Read More >
Gurgaon: Two days after a law student died and his friend suffered critical injuries when a car knocked them down as they stood near railing on the service lane of Delhi-Jaipur highway in the early hours of Tuesday, a civil engineer was arrested on Thursday.Mohit (31), an employee of a private company in the city, told police that he got drowsy while driving. He is staying at a PG facility in Sector 14.The student who died, Harsh Singhal (25), was a resident of Om Nagar colony. His friend Abhishek Kumar (23), who is from Shanti Nagar in Sector 11, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital ...Read More >
June 25 (Rtrs) - India would not allow a UN investigator to join a probe of a crashed Air India jet that some safety experts had criticized for delays in analysis of crucial black box data, two senior sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Earlier this week, the United Nations aviation agency took the unusual step of offering India one of its investigators to provide assistance following the Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab 787-8 Dreamliner crash killing 260 people in Ahmedabad on June 12. ...Read More >
'As humans, we haven't changed much' IMAGE: India's first man in space, Rakesh Sharma, reflects on his journey and India's future in space travel. Photograph: Courtesy Ministry of Defence Astronaut Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to journey into space in 1984, says space travel alters the mindset of humans and makes them see the world from a perspective that "this planet belongs to everyone" and not a sole preserve of anyone. He shared his thoughts in a recorded podcast shared by the Ministry ...Read More >
New Delhi: Starting July 2025, goods and services tax or GST compliance will undergo a shift with two key changes -- locking of GSTR-3B forms and a three-year deadline for filing returns. These changes, introduced by the GST Council, aim to improve accuracy and transparency in return filing, while reducing mismatches and fraudulent claims. The move is aimed at ensuring consistency between GSTR-1 (which records outward supplies) and GSTR-3B (used to pay tax), reducing revenue leakages due to mismatches. As per the GST rule, from the July 2025 return period, the GSTR-3B form will become non-edi ...Read More >
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Thursday took strong action against the police officers allegedly responsible for the Bengaluru stampede, suspending several high-ranking officials, including the city's police commissioner. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also announced a one-man commission to probe the lapses that triggered the deadly stampede. "Cubbon Park Police Station police inspector, station house master, station house officer, ACP, Central Division DCP, cricket stadium in-charge, additional commissioner of police, commissioner of police have been susp ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): Amid the ongoing Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, the Defence Ministry is going to take up Rs 10,000 crore proposal to buy three sophisticated spy planes to help Indian Air Force get a clear air-to-ground picture to carry out precision strikes against enemy ground targets like radar stations, air defence units and other mobile objects. The Rs 10,000 crore project for the Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (I-STAR) is expected to be taken up for clearance at a high-level defence ministry meeting scheduled to be held in the four ...Read More >
Pune: Civil aviation experts sought more action against rampant and illegal construction activities near Lohegaon airport, citing that flights' funnel zone was at risk of being compromised.Referring to the Pune Municipal Corporation's action this week against illegal under-construction buildings in the vicinity of the airport, the experts said too little was being done too late. An Indian Air Force (IAF) veteran, requesting anonymity, said rampant construction around airports couldn't have happened without collusion."This is a huge problem. No one is speaking about it. Collusion between law en ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: At a time when Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is in space as part of the Axiom-4 mission, India's first spaceman Rakesh Sharma, who went there as part of the Indo-Soviet space programme in 1984, has said that space travel alters the mindset of humans and makes them see the world from a perspective that "this planet belongs to everyone" and is "not the sole preserve" of anyone."We really need to preserve what we have, which means we need to end conflicts, we need to forget about our weapons, we need to forget about confrontation and we need to start collaborating instead," he sai ...Read More >
Gurgaon: MCG additional commissioner Yash Jaluka directed bulk waste generators (BWG) across the city to ensure proper disposal of waste by private agencies who are assisting them. Giving these instructions in a meeting held on Friday, he said it is often observed that BWGs hand over their waste to private agencies, which only sort valuable items and dump the remaining waste on roads, drains, vacant land or public places. This, he said, not only affects cleanliness of the city but also poses a threat to public health."Under the Solid Waste Management Rules-2016, it is the legal and moral respo ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI) A controversy has erupted over the remarks by the Indian defence attache in Indonesia suggesting that the Indian Air Force lost fighter jets in the initial phase of Operation Sindoor as it was constrained by the mandate to not attack Pakistani military establishment and only target terrorist infrastructure. As the purported video of the remarks made by Captain Shiv Kumar on June 10 at a gathering surfaced on Sunday, the Indian embassy in Jakarta said the officer only stated the fact that the Indian armed forces serve under political leadership, unlike some other countr ...Read More >