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.
MUMBAI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered the immediate grounding of four Learjet 40/45 aircraft operated by VSR Ventures following a special safety audit conducted after the crash of a Learjet 45 at Baramati on Jan 28. The accident killed five people, including the then Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. The regulator said a multi-disciplinary audit team found "several non-compliances of approved procedures in the organisation in the area of airworthiness, air safety, and flight operations.""In view of the non-compliances observed and considering the gaps in maintenance procedures it is decided to initiate the corrective measures by immediately grounding Learjet 40/45 aircraft with registration VT-VRA, VT-VRS, VT-VRV, and VT-TRI till continued airworthiness standards are restored," the DGCA said. The regulator added that deficiency reporting forms have been issued to the operator in the identified areas. The company has been asked to submit a root cause analysis on the non-compliances for further assessment by the DGCA. Further regulatory action will depend on the operator's response and restoration of compliance with prescribed standards, it said.
Mumbai: Air India has issued a statement explaining the reason behind the delay in the take off of the Bangkok-bound Air India Flight AI 2354, on June 25. The flight was delayed for more than 5 hours after hay was discovered lodged beneath the left wing of the aircraft, the airline confirmed in a statement. Reportedly, Flight AI 2354, operated by an Airbus A320Neo, was scheduled to depart Mumbai at 7:45 AM but took off only around 1:00 PM. The airline's immediate action in the matter resulted in the quick removal of the hay, stated the airline. The aircraft was subsequently deemed fit for ope ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 9 (ANI): Senior officials of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) told a parliamentary panel on Wednesday that the preliminary report on the plane crash in Ahmedabad is likely to be placed in the public domain in the next few days, sources said. Parliament's Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture met here on Wednesday with members making queries and seeking clarifications on the issue of safety and aircraft maintenance. The members, sources said, talked about the vast expansion of air sector in India, the projected growth and the need to exp ...Read More >
New Delhi: In a decisive move to tighten aviation safety, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday ordered the immediate grounding of four Learjet aircraft operated by VSR Ventures, following last month's fatal crash that killed Ajit Pawar and others near Baramati. The January 28 accident involving a Learjet 40/45 aircraft has triggered heightened scrutiny of non-scheduled aviation operators across the country. In the aftermath, the DGCA conducted a special safety audit of VSR Ventures, which revealed multiple lapses in critical areas such as airworthiness, flight safety, a ...Read More >
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) informed a parliamentary panel that the initial investigation report on the Air India Flight AI-171 incident in Ahmedabad is still pending, contrary to media reports. The AAIB clarified that the preliminary report will be released within 30 days of the June 12 crash, setting a timeline for the public disclosure of findings. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has clarified to a parliamentary panel that it has not yet submitted the i ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): Members of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday raised serious concerns over aviation safety following the Air India Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad and the sudden surge in flight fares from Srinagar to other cities after the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, according to sources. The Parliamentary panel today met with top officials from the Civil Aviation Ministry and representatives from major airlines. As per sources, several committe members have expressed strong dissatisfaction over the way various airlines drastically increased their ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Aviation regulator DGCA said on Tuesday it will put in place a mechanism to curb whopping surge in air ticket prices, recently witnessed during the Maha Kumbh and post-Pahalgam terror attack, as the issue coupled with concerns over air safety after the Ahmedabad plane crash dominated proceedings at a parliamentary panel meeting. Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson told the committee his airline will complete retrofitting of its fleet in two years to address frequent complaints about its seats and other facilities, and underscored its commitment to flight safety, source ...Read More >
Baramati (Maharashtra) [India], February 24 (ANI): The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a special safety audit of M/s VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd following the fatal crash of a Learjet 45 (VT-SSK) at Baramati on January 28 that claimed five lives, including 66-year-old Ajit Pawar. Pawar died on the morning of January 28 when the Learjet 45 aircraft (VT-SSK) carrying him crash-landed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district. The aircraft went down near the runway threshold, killing all five people on board. Among the deceased were Pawar, his personal secur ...Read More >
New Delhi, April 7: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has temporarily allowed airlines to extend flight duty time for pilots on long-haul flights as planes have to take longer routes on international flights due to the Iran war, a senior official of the Civil Aviation Ministry said on Tuesday. The easing of the pilot flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norm has been permitted as airlines were facing problems due to the longer flying hours that are now required for flights, as the Middle East countries have shut airspace, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Asangba Chuba ...Read More >
Mumbai: Recurring aircraft defects, unserviceable ground handling gear, and faded runway markings are among a range of safety lapses discovered by the civil aviation regulator after an intensive survey of key airports including Delhi and Mumbai. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered airport operators and airlines to address these safety concerns within a week. The inspections come on the heels of the June 12 crash of an Air India plane in Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 1(ANI): An Air India flight en route to Vienna from Delhi experienced a serious mid-air incident on June 14, during which the aircraft suddenly lost altitude by nearly 900 feet, prompting an investigation by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Air India, in an official statement, confirmed that both pilots involved in the incident have been removed from active duty pending the outcome of the probe. The airline stated that the matter was reported to the DGCA immediately, by aviation regulations. Also Read | India Developing Its Own Bunker-Buster Missile? ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 9 (ANI): The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture is holding a meeting at Parliament House Annexe. The meeting will focus on the Overall review of safety in the civil aviation sector Committee Chairman Sanjay Kumar Jha, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, and Officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, and the Airports Authority of India. are attending the Tuesday meeting being held at Parliament House Annexe On Tuesday, Members of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) raised serious concerns ...Read More >
The captain of an Air India plane that crashed last month killing 260 people had promised he would return home hours before jetting off on the doomed flight. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, was the senior pilot onboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that plummeted into a residential area in Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 241 people on board and 19 people on the ground. The veteran aviator, who had more than 8,200 hours in the cockpit, is being looked into by investigators over suggestions he turned off t ...Read More >
The father of an Air India pilot killed in a June crash has petitioned India's Supreme Court for an independent investigation, arguing the current probe unfairly focuses on pilot error. He seeks a new panel of aviation experts to examine technical and procedural causes, challenging the government's handling of the disaster. The 91-year-old father of the Air India pilot in a June crash that killed 260 has asked India's Supreme Court to order an independent investigation that takes into account ca ...Read More >
New Delhi, April 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has temporarily allowed airlines to extend flight duty time for pilots on long-haul flights as planes have to take longer routes on international flights due to the Iran war, a senior official of the Civil Aviation Ministry said on Tuesday. The easing of the pilot flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norm has been permitted as airlines were facing problems due to the longer flying hours that are now required for flights, as the Middle East countries have shut airspace, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviatio ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) Lab in New Delhi, is currently working intensively to examine data retrieved from the black boxes of Air India Flight AI-171, which crashed in Ahmedabad earlier this month. Also Read | Ahmedabad Plane Crash Probe: Parliamentary Committee To Grill Boeing and Air India Executives, DGCA Officials; Sources Say 'Multiple Shortcomings' Matter of Concern. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Crash Protection Module (CPM) from the front black box was safely retrieved, and on June 25, 2025, the memory modu ...Read More >
BENGALURU: BBMP marshals deployed at lake security and supervision wing, ward monitoring and Indira Canteens are working without salaries since March. The situation has arisen after Bangalore Solid Waste Management Limited was carved out of BBMP for garbage management. Their salaries are usually given through the Ex-Servicemen Welfare Society and each marshal is paid Rs 17,500 monthly. "Supervisors say the delay is due to a set of procedures. Earlier, the amount was given to the Ex-Servicemen Welfare Society towards payments from BBMP. Now the files have to be cleared from BWSML to ward mars ...Read More >
New Delhi: Amid mounting concerns over aviation safety caused by a series of aircraft accidents in the country, from the Air India crash to the latest Redbird air ambulance crash, India's aviation regulator has announced stricter surveillance and accountability measures. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday said it will impose stringent safety rules for non-scheduled operators. Operators that fail to meet requirements for compliance could face penalties and even suspension of their licences. The regulator also stated unequivocally that corporate responsibility is not t ...Read More >
Baramati, April 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Jay Pawar, the younger son of the late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, speaking on the Baramati by-election slated for April 23, said on Saturday that he never imagined he had to fight without Ajit Dada. He remained confident in the local support base, stating, "If the opposition wants to fight, they should. Everyone knows what the people of Baramati will do in this election." His mother and NCP candidate Sunetra Pawar will file her nomination on April 6. Jay emphasised that he is currently focused on ground-level organisation rather than pers ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 28 : The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) Lab in New Delhi, is currently working ... New Delhi [India], June 28 : The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) Lab in New Delhi, is currently working intensively to examine data retrieved from the black boxes of Air India Flight AI-171, which crashed in Ahmedabad earlier this month. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Crash Protection Module (CPM) from the front black box was safely retrieved, and on June 25, 2025, the memory module was successfully accessed and its data downloaded at the A ...Read More >
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Bengaluru Crime: A woman's body, believed to be between 30 and 35 years old, was found stuffed inside a sack and dumped in a garbage truck in Bengaluru early Thursday. The identity of the woman is yet to be confirmed. Police said the sack was discovered by BBMP sanitation workers who immediately alerted the authorities. The body was found with her hands and neck tied, raising strong suspicion of murder. Officials stated that the body had been placed inside a gunny bag before being thrown into the garbage vehicle. Joint Commissioner of Police, C Vamsi Krishna, confirmed that the body has been ...Read More >
New Delhi: India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), had reprimanded Air India Express -- the low-cost subsidiary of Air India -- in March for failing to promptly replace engine parts on an Airbus A320, as mandated by the European Union's aviation safety agency. The airline was also accused of forging records to show compliance, according to a confidential memo accessed by Reuters. Air India Express told Reuters that it had acknowledged the violation to the DGCA and had taken "remedial action and preventive measures." The memo, sent to the airline read tha ...Read More >
Nearly a month after the death of then Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has grounded four aircraft operated by the same charter company that was flying him. The regulator also announced a slew of measures for charter companies across the country, following "a recent surge" in incidents to ensure tighter oversight, after a high-level meeting on Tuesday with several charter operators. Also Read | Baramati plane crash: ...Read More >
Mumbai: Upset by the city police's alleged pressure to remove loudspeakers from mosques, some mosques in the city have found a solution through the introduction of a dedicated mobile Azaan app to relay call to prayers five times a day, directly to the worshippers.Globally, Muslim citizens, including those in the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia and UAE, use Azaan apps to get notification for Azaan time for the masjid located in specific areas.Developed by a group of volunteers in Tamil Nadu , the online azaan app has been in use in TN for over three years. "Most people go out to work and their place o ...Read More >
NEW DELHI -- The Parliamentary Affairs Committee of the Lok Sabha will meet in New Delhi on Tuesday. The meeting will be attended by top officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The tragic Ahmedabad plane crash is likely to be discussed during the meeting. According to reports, the officials of the civil aviation ministry will be asked questions about the cause of the crash, the status of the investigation into the tragic incident and over all safety in the aviation sector. As many as 260 people, including 241 passengers and crew me ...Read More >
New Delhi: Aviation watchdog DGCA on Tuesday said safety lapses cannot be simply blamed on pilots as it announced a slew of strict safety measures for non-scheduled flight operators, including public disclosures of aircraft maintenance history and a safety ranking mechanism, in the wake of recent plane crashes. A day after a plane, operated by a non-scheduled operator (NSOP), crashed in Jharkhand, killing seven people onboard, DGCA held a meeting with all such operators on Tuesday. Also read: DGCA grounds select Learjet 40/45 aircraft after Ajit Pawar's plane crash The meeting was held to " ...Read More >
Ranchi: A day after an air ambulance crashed in Jharkhand's Chatra district killing all seven people on board, two teams from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) arrived in the state on Tuesday and began investigating the accident, an official said. After post-mortem examination at Sadar Hospital in Chatra, the bodies of the victims were handed over to their families, barring one from Amritsar. Also read: Ranchi-Delhi air ambulance crashes in Jharkhand's Chatra, all seven on board killed The Beechcraft C90 air ambulance, operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, was en route to Delh ...Read More >
New Delhi, Mar 31 (PTI) A new Director General is set to take over the reins of DGCA after many challenging months as it works to ensure high safety standards, help airlines navigate the headwinds of the West Asia conflict and implement various passenger-friendly initiatives. During the tenure of incumbent chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, who is being replaced by Vir Vikram Yadav, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) grappled with multiple challenges, including massive disruptions at IndiGo in December last year, lapses at various airlines, crashes involving aircraft of non-scheduled oper ...Read More >
The Supreme Court has asked the Central government and Directorate General of Civil Aviation to respond to the Air India plane crash incident in Ahmedabad. The court wants a fair and quick investigation by experts. Safety Matters Foundation seeks an independent probe into the accident. They claim the initial report is incomplete and lacks transparency. The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) "for the limited purpose of ensu ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], February 24 (ANI): Directorate General of Civil Aviation held a high-level meeting on Tuesday with all Non-Scheduled Operators (NSOPs) to address a recent surge in aviation incidents and emphasised prioritizing safety over commercial interests while affirming that the pilot-in-command's decision to divert delay or cancel a fight for safety reasons is final and must be respected by operators without commercial considerations. The aviation regulator announced new stringent safety mandates following High-Level meeting with non-scheduled operators. Also Read | Maharashtra NMMS ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Senior bureaucrat Vir Vikram Yadav has been appointed Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), replacing Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, according to an official order issued on Tuesday, cited by PTI. Yadav, a 1996-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, is currently serving as additional secretary in the ministry of environment, forest and climate change. Kidwai, who headed the aviation safety regulator for a little over a year, has been appointed additional secretary in the department of personnel and training. The leadership change comes at a time when the DGCA is ...Read More >