Narayan Chandra Maiti: I went underground to evade arrest, hid in jute fields
Narayan Chandra Maiti: I went underground to evade arrest, used to hide in jute fields
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New Indian Express
8 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Air India cancels Zurich-Delhi flight citing technical issue
MUMBAI: Air India on Monday said it cancelled its Zurich-Delhi flight of August 17 due to a technical reason, days after the Tata Group-owned airline stated that it had carried out a detailed "inspection" of its Boeing 787 aircraft fleet and "no issues" were detected. However, a passenger on board said the flight aborted take-off at the last minute due to an engine issue. In the last two days, Air India has cancelled at least two flights, including one international, at the last moment, citing technical reasons. Air India operates its Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft fleet to cater to the European market. "Flight AI152 scheduled to operate from Zurich to Delhi on 17 August has been cancelled due to a technical reason, and subsequently due to night curfew in Zurich," Air India said in a statement. The airline said it has arranged alternative flights to the passengers' destination and is providing hotel accommodation, along with full refunds on cancellations or complimentary rescheduling options for the passengers. "Air India flight from Zurich to Delhi is cancelled: aborted moments before take-off, technical issue in engine cited," said the passenger in a post on X. A Delhi-bound Air India plane, carrying Lok Sabha Member and Congress leader Hibi Eden among others, aborted take-off at the Kochi airport on Sunday due to a technical issue, officials said. Earlier, the airline was forced to cancel its Milan-Delhi flight owing to a technical issue which was detected during pushback. The airline, which came under private hands in January 2022, has recently been delaying and cancelling some flights at the last minute due to technical and maintenance issues. This comes despite repeated assurances from Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson that the airline has carried out comprehensive checks on its Boeing 787 aircraft fleet. In a message to the customers recently, while listing out the various steps taken after the fatal crash of an AI-171 flight to London soon after take-off from the Ahmedabad airport, Wilson said detailed inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft were done and "no issues were found during inspection".
Mint
8 minutes ago
- Mint
INDIA bloc mulls impeachment motion against CEC Gyanesh Kumar amid Rahul Gandhi's ‘Vote Chori' row
The Opposition INDIA bloc is planning to move an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The move will escalate the Opposition's confrontation with the Election Commission amid Rahul Gandhi's 'Vote Chori' allegation. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain told news agency ANI that the party is ready to use all democratic tools, including an impeachment motion if needed, though no formal discussions have been held so far. "If there is a need, we will use all the weapons of democracy under the rules. We have not had any discussions (about impeachment) as of now, but if needed, we can do anything," Hussain told ANI. While the Congress and other parties are in the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, a 14-day notice period is a requirement for initiating an impeachment process against a President or Vice President in India and the CEC, as per the law. The Monsoon Session of Parliament resumed after Independence Day break on Monday. The INDIA bloc continued to protest against issued, including Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR). 'The ECI cannot relinquish its Constitutional duty and evade genuine queries of political parties. The 'Right to Vote' is the most important right, given to us by the Constitution of India. INDIA will protest any attempt to stifle Democracy,' Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post on X. The decision comes a day after Kumar rebuked Rahul Gandhi over his 'Vote Chori' allegation and urged the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha to either sign an affidavit or apologise to the nation for his remarks, which he described as an 'insult' to the Constitution of India. The Election Commission's remarks came on a day when Rae Bareli Member of Parliament (MP) Rahul Gandhi launched his 1,300 km-long 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' from poll-bound Bihar's Sasaram to step up the Opposition INDIA bloc's campaign against its 'Vote Chori' (vote theft) claims. The CEC can only be removed in the same manner as a Supreme Court judge, requiring a motion of impeachment by Parliament, according to Article 324(5) of the Constitution. On 7 August, Rahul Gandhi had alleged 'vote chori (theft)' of 1,00,250 votesin an assembly of a Karnataka Lok Sabha constituency, with 11,965 duplicate voters in the segment, 40,009 voters with fake and invalid addresses, 10,452 bulk voters or single-address voters, 4,132 voters with invalid photos. After Sunday's press conference by CEC, the Opposition, Congress leader Pawan Khera said the remarks sounded like those of a BJP functionary rather than an independent constitutional authority. 'It seemed like BJP was speaking today. Did he give any response about the one lakh voters we exposed in Mahadevapura?' Khera asked. RJD leader Manoj Jha accused the Commission of ducking 'burning questions' while JMM MP Mahua Maji asked the poll body to clarify the authenticity of documents presented by Gandhi in his press conference. The INDIA bloc had moved an impeachment against former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar in December. The motion was rejected. Dhankhar quit as Vice President on 21 July. Key Takeaways The opposition is mobilizing against perceived electoral misconduct. Impeachment motions are a significant political tool in India, reflecting the gravity of electoral disputes. The ongoing tensions may lead to heightened political unrest and scrutiny of the Election Commission's actions.
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Business Standard
8 minutes ago
- Business Standard
PM's Diwali Dhamaka may come as GST cuts on small cars, insurance premiums
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Diwali 'dhamaka' for consumers may come in the form of cuts in Goods and Services Tax (GST) on small cars and insurance premiums. According to a report by Reuters, citing government sources, Centre has proposed lowering GST on small petrol and diesel cars to 18 per cent from 28 per cent, and reducing GST on health and life insurance premiums to 5 per cent from the current 18 per cent, or even exempting them entirely. If cleared, the relief package could be unveiled before Diwali in October, India's busiest retail season, and just weeks ahead of the Bihar Assembly election. PM Modi, in his Independence Day address, promised 'next generation' GST reforms to ease the burden on consumers and micro, small and medium enterprises. Larger GST overhaul in the works PM Modi's rationalisation agenda is built on three pillars, the Reuters report said. This includes structural reforms, rate simplification, and ease of living. It seeks to correct inverted duty structures, reduce classification disputes, and eventually move towards a simplified two-slab structure with standard and merit rates while phasing out the 12 per cent slab. Moreover, as the compensation cess on luxury and sin goods is set to end, the Centre sees an opportunity to use that room to cut GST on everyday and aspirational products without hurting revenues. Compensation cess expiry and GST review Compensation cess refers to the extra levy introduced in 2017 on luxury and sin goods such as coal, tobacco, aerated drinks, and large cars. It was designed to compensate states for revenue losses after GST replaced earlier state taxes like VAT and octroi. Originally meant to expire in 2022, the cess was extended until March 2026 to help cover revenue shortfalls caused by the pandemic. Once it lapses, the Centre will have greater flexibility to rationalise GST rates without relying on this additional revenue stream. Small cars to see turnaround Small cars, defined as those under four metres with petrol engines up to 1,200cc and diesel engines up to 1,500cc, have steadily lost ground to SUVs, shrinking from nearly half the passenger vehicle market pre-pandemic to about one-third of the 4.3 million units sold in FY24. A lower tax rate could help revive demand in this category, which remains significant for manufacturers such as Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India, and Tata Motors. Big cars may get costlier The government is also considering a 40 per cent special GST slab for larger vehicles, which currently attract 28 per cent GST plus a compensation cess of up to 22 per cent, taking the effective burden close to 50 per cent. Officials are weighing whether to impose supplementary levies to keep the final incidence within the existing 43-50 per cent band. Insurance relief on the cards Households may see additional relief through cheaper health and life insurance. Cutting GST to 5 per cent from 18 per cent or zero would help lower premiums and expand coverage in a country. GST Council to meet in September The matter has been referred to the Group of Ministers set up by the GST Council, which is expected to take place on September 9, according to a report by CNBC-TV18. If approved, the package would mark the most significant GST restructuring since 2017.
