Shame and theft: 'Leaving a multi-million dollar jet in India can lead to...'; former senior British Navy officer reacts on stranded F-35B fighter jet
A UK F-35B Lightning II fighter jet that made an emergency landing at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport nearly three weeks ago, is now set to be moved for repairs, as a UK engineering team has arrived arrived in India to undertake the complex task.
According to a IANS news agency report, more than a dozen technicians are a part of this crucial repair-work mission. What did British High Commission say on aircraft?
Confirming this development, a British High Commission spokesperson said, 'A UK engineering team has deployed to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to assess and repair the UK F-35B aircraft, which landed following an emergency diversion'.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Cabinet okays bill that seeks to ban ‘online money game'
NEW DELHI: Cabinet on Tuesday approved a bill that seeks to ban "online money game", where users pay a fee or deposit money, proposing a maximum three years in jail or fine of up to Rs 1 crore for those involved in offering, encouraging or inducing players to participate, which also extends to banks facilitating these transactions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now At the same time, Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, which will be introduced in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, seeks to promote e-sports and online social games where no money is involved. A regulator body is planned to oversee the functioning of the sector, sources told TOI. The proposed legislation defines "online money game" as an online game played by a user by paying fees, depositing money or other stakes in expectation of winning. 2 years' jail, ₹50L fine likely for those advertising online games Online social games have been defined as those that don't involve exchange of money, although users may be allowed to pay a subscription or one-time access fee. Govt has proposed the new law considering unregulated online money gaming platforms pose threats to national and economic security as they use digital wallets and cryptocurrencies for money laundering and illicit money transfer, cross-border data flows without compliance of data protection law, sources said. Moreover, offshore entities are seen to be circumventing tax and legal obligations. The proposed legislation also assumes significance as online money gaming poses serious concerns, including addiction among children and youth, mental health issues, financial losses leading to suicides and lack of uniform regulation across states. Law enforcing agencies face problems in tracking and regulating these platforms, particularly those hosted or operated from outside India. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Sources said the govt proposes penalties of up to two years in jail or with a maximum fine of Rs 50 lakh or both for any entity advertising such games in media. For those offering online money games and banks engaged in transactions face violations of the proposed law will be "cognisable and non-bailable" offences. Every subsequent violation after conviction would attract penalties of at least three years' jail and fine of Rs 10-20 lakh. In the case of advertisers, such penalties would be 2-3 years in jail and fine of Rs 5-10 lakh. The bill proposes to hold senior executives of the companies liable, if it's established that the offences have been committed with the consent or connivance or due to their neglect. It also proposes blocking of platforms and money gaming services, if the entities or individuals fail to comply with the law. According to the proposal, the bill seeks to encourage Indian startups to build culturally relevant content, reduce dependence on foreign platforms and promote self-reliance in the digital gaming ecosystem.
The Print
43 minutes ago
- The Print
A Sena minister & a Maratha family that ‘sided with colonial powers'—the Rs 5,000 crore CIDCO land ‘scam'
The plot in Navi Mumbai is currently valued at Rs 5,000 crore and it was reserved for housing for the poor but Shirsat allegedly gave away this land parcel to the Bivalkar family, according to the NCP (SP) MLA. Rohit Pawar of Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) has accused him of bypassing the rules and handing about 15 acre of land of the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) to the heirs of a Bivalkar family, who have been holding this land parcel for over two centuries. Mumbai: Controversial minister Sanjay Shirsat from the Shiv Sena has once again found himself at the centre of a controversy in Maharashtra, this time battling allegations of a land 'scam'. The land parcel is under litigation for years, as the Bombay High Court in 2014 had accepted the ownership of Bivalkar family and directed the CIDCO to furnish the compensation, only to have the decision stayed in the Supreme Court. The Maharashtra government-owned CIDCO is known as a premier town planning and development agency. Shirsat became the CIDCO chairman in 2024. Originally from Ratnagiri and now settled in Pune, the Bivalkar family is said to have been given around 4,000 acres of land in Kolaba (now Raigad) by Raghuji Angre, who controlled the erstwhile state of Kolaba, in 1816 in lieu of its services. The family, according to Pawar, received the land parcel for helping the British against the Maratha empire. 'The family tried to get the land allotted to them but despite repeated attempts, the family's claims were rejected. Yet, Shirsat Saheb, ignoring all norms, handed over 15 acres back to them,' Pawar told the media. 'The rightful share of the poor has been gifted to the heirs of those who once sided with colonial powers. We demand that this land, which is illegally being given to the family, should be taken back by the government and also request the government to take the resignation of Shirsat.' Last month, the social justice minister was earlier in the news after a widely-shared video showed him purportedly sitting on a bed and smoking while a bag full of currency lies near him. ThePrint reached Shirsat for comment via phone calls. This report will be updated if and when a response is received. CIDCO PRO Priya Ratambe refused to comment on the allegations brought against CIDCO and the minister. Also Read: Malegaon ruling, 'Sanatani terror'—Mahayuti, MVA draw battlelines in Maharashtra The legal quagmire Yashwant Bivalkar, who dragged the CIDCO to the court over compensation for a 157-acre parcel, had petitioned that his great-great-grandfather was a minister in Angre's state, which came to prominence when its then ruler Kanhoji Angre led the Maratha navy against the Europeans in the 1700s. Kolaba was annexed by the British in 1840, but the land stayed with the Bivalkars even post-Independence. In fact, it held the properties even after the Bombay Personal Inam Abolition Act was enacted 1 August 1953. Later, according to an agreement dated 21 January 1959, and gazette on 21 October 1959, between the Colaba collector and the Bivalkars under the Indian Forest Act, the management of 'private forest lands' was handed over to the forest department, as 'reserved forest', on certain terms and conditions. The ownership was never divested even then. In 1960, the Bivalkars saved their property by bringing their property under the ambit of the Bombay Court of Wards Act. On 3 February 1970, a notification was brought out under the Land Acquisition Act, announcing that land is likely to be needed for the planned development and utilisation of the land in the trans harbour, Panvel and trans Thane Creek area for industrial, commercial and residential purposes. Three years on, the Maharashtra government directed that the land cease to be 'protected forest' from the date of the notification, facilitating its transfer to the CIDCO for the planned development of the area. For this purpose, about 150 acres of land was to be used. In 1985, the Bivalkars contended that they should get compensation under the Land Acquisition Act and not the Forest Act. Four years later, their ownership was upheld, but compensation was granted under the Forest Act for 157 acre of land. Yashwant's mother Indirabai Bivalkar challenged the order in the Bombay High Court seeking compensation under the Land Acquisition Act. Since then the land is entangled in legal matters. According to the HC, the Bivalkar family's ownership was not questioned till 2010. On 17 September 2010, the CIDCO filed a petition to hold and declare that Bivalkars are not the owners and that the property was finally vested with the government and transferred to the CIDCO. In turn, the HC acknowledged the government's standing that the Bivalkars were the land owners and their proprietary rights till the year 2014. It also ordered the CIDCO to pay compensation but also did not stop the land from being used for Navi Mumbai International Airport, as required by CIDCO, the nodal agency of implementing the airport project. The CIDCO challenged the order in the Supreme Court in 2015, and the apex court has given a stay on the HC order. What oppn MLA says According to Rohit Pawar, since 1990, the Bivalkars have approached CIDCO multiple times to get the allotment of land under the 12.5 percent scheme brought in by then CM Sharad Pawar and local leader late for development of land for the sons of soil. Under this scheme implemented in 1994, the CIDCO allocates 12.5 percent of developed land to project affected persons (PAPs) in lieu of their acquired land. But, the CIDCO is said to have rejected their applications on the grounds that they are not the cultivators of the land. The latest request was made in 2023, which was again rejected citing that the issue is subjudice, according to a copy of the letter from CIDCO seen by ThePrint. But in 2024, through the urban development department, the CIDCO was asked to give away plots to the family, Pawar alleged. When Shirsat became the CIDCO chairman in September 2024, he allotted the land measuring about 15 acre worth Rs 5,000 crore to the family just about a month before the Model Code of Conduct kicked in, he further alleged. This land is for the poor people and on that land, about 8,000-10,000 houses could have been built for the locals, he said, while announcing a protest at the CIDCO office in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: Hindi imposition, English preference, Maharashtra's Marathi schools are vanishing amid a language war
Indian Express
44 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Operation Sindoor a military success, tech breakthrough, political message all rolled into one: NCERT's new module
THE PAHALHAM attack was 'directly ordered by Pakistan's military and political leadership', and the Indian Air Force 'took out command and control centres, radars, surface-to-air guided weapons, runways, and hangars with aircraft' during Operation Sindoor, breaching Pakistan's air defence and 'creating visible gaps that the world saw', according to the NCERT's new module on Operation Sindoor for school students. It refers to Operation Sindoor as a 'military success, a technological breakthrough, and a political message all rolled into one'. Two modules have been released – one for the preparatory (classes 3 to 5) and middle stage (classes 6 to 8), and another for the secondary stage (classes 9 to 12). The NCERT's modules – separate from the textbooks — are short publications on specific topics that schools can use as an additional resource. In the form of a conversation between the teacher and students, the module for the secondary stage – 'Operation Sindoor – A Mission of Honour and Bravery' – states that since Independence, Pakistan 'has often tried to disturb peace in India – sometimes through war, and at other times, through terrorism'. In 2019, Article 370 was abrogated, paving the way for development in Jammu and Kashmir, including improved infrastructure, upgraded schools, and direct rail links connecting the region more closely with the rest of India, the module says, adding: '…by 2023, Kashmir saw the highest number of tourists ever. People were living in peace. But unfortunately, Pakistan was not ready to accept this progress.' 'After years of calm', in April 2025, terrorists attacked tourists in Pahalgam, killing 26 innocent people. The terrorists' 'goal' was to create fear and religious tension, going by the module, and Operation Sindoor was a 'strong and clear response to that cowardly attack.' Before it goes into Operation Sindoor, the module features a section on the 2019 Pulwama attack, and India's response in the form of the Balakot air strike. It specifies that India chose to target terrorist camps, not civilian areas. On the Pahalgam attack, the module states: 'TRF (The Resistance Front) first claimed responsibility, then denied it four days later. But India's National Investigation Agency confirmed the group was behind it— with solid evidence and eyewitness accounts. Indian agencies found that the attack was a well-planned conspiracy led by Pakistan's ISI and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). It was directly ordered by Pakistan's military and political leadership.' In addition to the details of Operation Sindoor, the module refers to 'a coordinated and extensive exercise' taken to 'reach out diplomatically by our missions abroad.' Pointing to Operating Sindoor as a strategic move that 'told the world – India will protect its people and values' and 'restored faith in our armed forces and reassured citizens that justice would not be delayed', the module refers to the Indian Armed Forces' planning – pinpointing terrorist infrastructure, choosing the right weapons for precision strikes, setting the date and time for the attack, and strategically moving naval assets forward. The armed forces were directed to identify multiple targets related to terrorism, minimise civilian casualties, and gather evidence after the strike. The nine targets that were attacked were directly linked to terror networks threatening India, it states. Pakistan then resorted to ceasefire violations all along the Line of Control, and 'escalated the conflict by attacking our bases, logistic nodes, forward posts all along the Line of Control and Army formation headquarters – some using Unmanned Aerial Systems, or UAS'. The module refers to India's defence systems: 'Our integrated air defence grid and Counter-UAS grid were already in place. These systems—like the S-400, MRSAM, AKASH, and traditional air defence guns—proved highly effective. Along with legacy platforms like Pechora, L-70, ZU-23 and OSA-AK, we created a layered defence.' On May 8, India targeted select Pakistani air defence systems and sensor networks using precision air launched munitions, and 'it was a calibrated response—sending a strong message while avoiding civilian population.' Pakistan's ceasefire violations continued on May 9, and they intensified attacks not only on military sites, but also schools, religious places, and civilian infrastructure, killing 14 Indian civilians, it added. The Indian army 'neutralized 35-40 Pakistani Army personnel.' In another attack on May 10, Pakistan targeted Indian Air Force bases, army ammo depots and cantonments, but 'not one critical Indian asset was damaged.' 'The Indian Air Force took out command and control centres, radars, surface-to-air guided weapons, runways and hangars with aircrafts. The response shook Pakistani establishment as our airstrike breached their air defence, creating visible gaps that the world saw,' the module reads. It also refers to the Indian Navy's contribution in asserting maritime dominance by deploying its Carrier Battle Group 'with Integral MiG-29K fighter jets, early warning helicopters, and surveillance systems in the North Arabian Sea, to protect Indian maritime interest and prevent any misadventure by Pakistan in the maritime domain.' Pointing to the use of Indian-made systems, the module states that Operation Sindoor was a symbol of technological self-reliance. '…it also shows we don't depend on foreign tech anymore. We are building our own systems, and they're actually working when it counts,' it added.
