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New Delhi: The Civil Aviation Minister on Friday briefed Parliament on the ongoing Indigo Airlines crisis, which has caused nationwide flight disruptions for a week. He said the government is monitoring developments closely and listed measures aimed at steadying operations.
He noted that the UDAN scheme has opened previously unserved routes and that a tariff monitoring unit is now functioning within the DGCA. He added that three new airlines have secured no-objection certificates, signalling moves to bolster competition as the sector absorbs Indigo’s operational fallout.
Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of Birch by Romeo Lane where a fire in Goa killed 25 people, are unlikely to return to India before next week due to slow moving legal and bureaucratic procedures.
The brothers are currently in Thailand, and authorities said weekend schedules further delay documentation and clearances required for their travel. Sources added that the Indian Embassy in Bangkok is in regular contact with Thai officials as the process continues.
The BJP will elect a new president for its Uttar Pradesh unit on Sunday. The election will be held on December 14, with nomination papers to be filed on December 13. The process has been initiated because the current state chief, Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, completed his term in January last year.
Organisational election officer Mahendra Nath Pandey said nominations will be accepted at the party office on Saturday between 1 pm and 3 pm. Central election officer and Union minister Piyush Goyal will announce the new Uttar Pradesh BJP president on Sunday.
At a forum in Turkmenistan marking 30 years of the country’s permanent neutrality, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting was delayed, and footage shared by RT India shows Sharif unintentionally walking into a closed door session between Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Officials said Sharif had waited for about 40 minutes with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar before attempting to enter the venue for a brief exchange. The mix up has drawn attention on the sidelines of the international event.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a significant order concerning notorious gangster Anmol Bishnoi, according to NIA sources. The directive, issued under Section 303 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, bars all state police forces and investigative agencies from taking him into physical custody for one year.
Officials said that any agency seeking to question Bishnoi during this period must do so inside Tihar Jail, where he is currently lodged. The order effectively centralises access to the high risk inmate and introduces tighter security controls over ongoing investigations.
The Border Security Force on Friday stopped an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control in the Pargwal sector of Jammu and Kashmir and detained a suspected militant. Officials said arms and ammunition were recovered during the operation.
The incident comes at a time when security forces have intensified surveillance across border areas following alerts about renewed cross border activity. The detained individual has been taken into custody for questioning as agencies assess the scale of the latest attempt.
Security forces have strengthened counter terror measures along the border and in the hinterland after intelligence inputs suggested Pakistan has reactivated several launch pads across the International Border and the LoC in Jammu region.
Sources said the detained infiltrator, identified as Abdul Khaliq from Darhal in Rajouri district, has links to Jaish e Mohammad. His capture has prompted agencies to review infiltration routes and increase patrols as the threat environment heightens ahead of the winter period.
IndiGo said it operated more than 2,000 flights on Friday as the airline works to restore normal schedules after over ten days of mass cancellations that left passengers stranded at airports nationwide. The carrier said operations are gradually stabilising, though delays continue on some routes.
In a significant development linked to the crisis, the DGCA has suspended four Flight Operations Inspectors for lapses connected to the disruptions. These inspectors are responsible for monitoring airline safety, pilot training and operational compliance. The regulator is continuing its investigation as the airline attempts to recover from one of the worst operational breakdowns in its history.
The Union Cabinet has cleared 11,718 crore rupees for the 2027 Census, confirming that the upcoming exercise will be fully digital and will include caste enumeration for the first time.
The minister said the government is tightening fare oversight through a new tariff monitoring unit in the DGCA and by making airline fare sheets more transparent. He said festive season fares cannot be capped and must follow demand and supply. Increasing airline capacity, he added, is the most effective way to manage rising fares. The ministry has already facilitated extra flights during peak periods such as Onam and the Maha Kumbh. He also urged Tamil Nadu to cut ATF tax to help reduce operating costs for airlines.
The Civil Aviation Minister said the UDAN scheme has transformed regional connectivity by bringing airports to locations that never expected air links. The programme has been extended for ten more years and India now has 164 airports, with plans to add 120 destinations in the coming decade. He said new airlines are joining the sector and many are connecting tier three cities for the first time. Three new carriers have received no objection certificates and two more have applied, reflecting growing interest in the expanding aviation market.
The Civil Aviation Minister told Parliament that airfares cannot be capped during the festival season, stressing that pricing must remain market driven. He said India faces a significant aircraft shortage, noting that Boeing and Airbus together have nearly 1,700 pending orders from Indian carriers, which is slowing expansion and affecting capacity.
The minister added that the limited availability of aircraft continues to put pressure on the sector. He reiterated the government’s aim to bring many more airlines into the market to boost competition and improve passenger options, particularly at a time when demand is rising faster than fleet additions.
The Civil Aviation Minister on Friday briefed Parliament on the continuing crisis involving Indigo Airlines, which has triggered nationwide flight disruptions over the past week. He said the government is closely monitoring the situation and outlined steps being taken to stabilise operations.
The minister highlighted that the UDAN scheme has opened air routes that previously had no connectivity and noted that a tariff monitoring unit has been established within the DGCA to oversee fare related issues. He also informed members that three new airlines have recently been granted no objection certificates, signalling efforts to expand competition and strengthen the aviation sector as it grapples with the fallout from Indigo’s operational problems.
Rahul Gandhi today urged the Lok Sabha to take up a structured debate on India’s worsening air pollution, calling it a public health emergency. The government signalled its readiness, with Kiren Rijiju stating that time could be allotted soon.
The government is likely to approve a new rural employment guarantee bill titled the Pujya Bapu Rural Employment Guarantee Bill, which aims to provide 125 days of assured work each year to disadvantaged households in villages. The proposal carries a financial outlay of 1.51 lakh crore rupees and is designed to strengthen livelihood security for rural communities.
Officials said the Cabinet granted its approval earlier today, paving the way for the legislation to be introduced in Parliament. The measure is expected to expand upon existing employment schemes and offer more predictable income support for low income families in rural areas.
Reports from Washington suggest United States President Donald Trump is considering an ambitious geopolitical grouping that would bring India, the US, Russia, China and Japan into a single strategic forum. The concept, informally labelled the "Core 5", is being discussed as a possible counterweight to the G7 and could dramatically alter global power dynamics by placing the world’s largest superpowers and Asia’s biggest democracy in one strategic circle.
According to Politico, which cited Defence One, the idea appeared in an unpublished draft of the US National Security Strategy. The White House has declined to confirm whether such a proposal exists, and analysts note that the grouping remains speculative given current global tensions.
Former CM N. Biren Singh says, "India's President paid floral tributes at Nupi Lal (meaning women's war against British colonialism). There can be nothing bigger than this. I welcome the President on behalf of the people of Manipur."
On impeachment motion against Madras High Court Judge, Tamil Nadu BJP chief spokesperson, Narayanan Thirupathy, says, "He is favouring a particular community, which is really untrue and very shocking that a government is doing this, because this Dravidian model government is trying to woo the minority votes... The politicians, particularly the ruling party, don't want the litigation to end.... The DMK has an anti-Hindu, anti-Brahmin mindset... The DMK and its allies are trying to flare up communal tensions in Tamil Nadu."
Congress MP and Lok Sabha LoP tweets, "The news of the demise of former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Shri Shivraj Patil ji is extremely heartbreaking and an irreparable loss for the party. His dedication to public service and his contributions to the nation will always be remembered. In this hour of grief, my condolences are with the entire Patil family, their well-wishers, and supporters."
BJP MP Anurag Thakur has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker, strongly objecting to the alleged use of an e-cigarette inside the House. He stated that the open use of prohibited substances and banned devices within Parliament is not only a serious breach of parliamentary etiquette and discipline but also a punishable offense under laws passed by the House itself.
Thakur said such conduct undermines the dignity of Parliament, sets a poor precedent, and sends a harmful message to the nation’s youth—especially when the government is taking a firm stance against tobacco and nicotine products.
He urged the Speaker to take immediate cognizance of what he called a serious violation of rules. Thakur also sought an inquiry through the appropriate Lok Sabha committee or mechanism and requested that strict disciplinary action be initiated against the member involved.
A massive fire erupted at a bar in Bhubaneswar’s Satyabihar area Friday morning, sparking panic among residents as thick plumes of smoke rose from the building.
Officials have not yet determined whether it was triggered by an electrical fault, a kitchen mishap or another cause.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken strict action against IndiGo Airlines following recent significant operational disruptions. Four flight operations inspectors, responsible for overseeing the safety and operations of IndiGo flights, have been removed from their positions.
The move is believed to be a response to negligence in inspection and monitoring, highlighting the regulator’s focus on ensuring airline operational standards and passenger safety.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge tweets, "Deeply saddened by the passing of former Union Home Minister, Former Lok Sabha Speaker and veteran Congress leader Shri Shivraj Patil. He was an honoured senior colleague with whom I shared a close bond and many cherished memories. A statesman of great dignity, Shri Patil served the nation with distinction, holding key Constitutional and Parliamentary responsibilities and contributing significantly to India’s Democratic institutions. His demise is a profound loss for the Congress Party and for all who admired his integrity, composure and commitment to public service. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and countless supporters. May they find strength in this difficult hour, and may his soul rest in peace."
Bangladesh on Thursday announced that it will hold the 13th National Parliamentary Election on February 12, 2026, marking the first general polls since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Congress leader Srikant Kumar Jena said, "The Malkangiri situation could have been controlled had the police taken the right step at the right time. The government didn't take it very seriously, and that's why we're in this situation... Now the government is seriously studying the social chemistry there to figure out why this tension is popping up. The government could have moved a motion in the assembly so that all political parties could make this appeal... All-party committees should visit that area to build up the confidence among both the communities.
Eleven Pakistani fishermen were caught entering Indian waters near Jakhau without permission. The Indian Coast Guard arrested the Pakistani fishermen along with a boat named 'Al Wali'. All of them were brought to Jakhau Port along with the boat. The search of the boat and interrogation of the Pakistani fishermen is ongoing.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Thursday made a historic announcement in the Legislative Assembly through a statement, declaring that a separate regulatory framework will be created to free Mumbai from the pagdi system and to ensure fair and proper redevelopment of pagdi buildings. He also stated that the rights of both tenants and landlords will be protected.
Deputy Chief Minister Shinde said that approximately more than 19,000 cess buildings are known as pagdi buildings. These are pre-1960 buildings. Some of these buildings have already been redeveloped, some have deteriorated and collapsed, while nearly more than 13,000 buildings are still awaiting redevelopment.
