
Air India to provide Rs 25 lakh to victims' families, survivor in Ahmedabad plane crash
New Delhi [India], June 14 (ANI): Air India on Saturday announced that an interim financial assistance package of Rs 25 lakh (approximately GBP 21,000) will be provided to the 'families of the deceased and to the survivor' in the tragic crash of the London-bound Air India flight that rammed into a doctors' hostel in the Meghani Nagar area in Gujarat's Ahmedabad shortly after it took off from Sardar Vallabhai Patel International Airport on Thursday.
In a post on X, the Tata-owned airline stated that the package was in addition to the Rs 1 crore support already announced by Tata Sons.
The airline further expressed its solidarity with the families of the people who lost their lives.
'Air India stands in solidarity with the families of the passengers who tragically lost their lives in the recent accident. Our teams on the ground are doing everything possible to extend care and support during this incredibly difficult time. As part of our continued efforts, Air India will be providing an interim payment of 25 lakh or approximately 21,000 GBP each to the families of the deceased and to the survivor to help address immediate financial needs. This is in addition to the 1 crore or approximately 85,000 GBP support already announced by Tata Sons. All of us at Air India are deeply saddened by this loss. We mourn with the families, loved ones, and everyone affected,' the airline stated on X.
Earlier on Thursday, the Tata Group had announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore each for the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic crash.
'Tata Group will provide 1 crore to the families of each person who has lost their life in this tragedy. We will also cover the medical expenses of those injured and ensure that they receive all necessary care and support. Additionally, we will provide support in the building up of the B J Medical's hostel,' N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, said in a post on X.
On Thursday, the Air India flight AI171 was en route to London from Ahmedabad when it crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhai Patel International Airport, ramming into a doctors' hostel of BJ Medical College in Gujarat's Ahmedabad.
There were 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Of the passengers, 241 died in the crash. The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment. (ANI)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Economic Times
26 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Fed meeting outcome among 6 factors likely to impact D-Street activity next week
Markets faced sustained pressure throughout the week, slipping by over a percent amid escalating geopolitical tensions and uncertain global signals. After a tepid start, benchmark indices steadily moved lower as volatility picked up, eventually closing near their weekly lows. The Nifty settled at 24,718, while the Sensex ended at 81,118 — both marking a significant retreat from recent highs. ADVERTISEMENT On the domestic front, investor sentiment took a hit due to concerns over rising oil import costs and lingering global uncertainty. Persistent selling by foreign institutional investors (FIIs) contributed to the downward pressure, driven by elevated U.S. bond yields and a stronger dollar, which triggered capital outflows. While domestic macro indicators, including further easing in inflation, offered some comfort, the broader caution in global markets continued to overshadow the positive data. 'The Nifty slipped sharply, breaching the 21-EMA—a key short-term moving average. However, it found support near the recent consolidation lows, leading to a strong intraday recovery. Going forward, the recovery could gain traction if the Nifty sustains above the 24,700 level. On the upside, the index may move towards 25,000 in the short term. Conversely, a decisive fall below 24,700 could trigger renewed bearish bets in the market,' Rupak De, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP that are likely to impact movement when markets reopen this week: The U.S. Federal Reserve's upcoming policy decision will be closely tracked, as market participants look for clarity on the timing and magnitude of potential rate cuts, especially in light of mixed economic signals. ADVERTISEMENT Tensions between and Israel and Iran are likely to be closely monitored by the market participants. The trend in foreign institutional investor (FII) flows will also be closely monitored. On Friday, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net sellers at Rs 1,233.47 crore, while the domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers at Rs 2,906.13 crore. 'Technically, the Nifty has re-entered its consolidation range, and a decisive move beyond the 24,400–25,200 zone will be required to establish the next directional trend. In the event of a breakdown, the 24,000 level is expected to act as a crucial support, whereas a breakout above 25,200 could trigger a sustained rally toward the 25,600 mark,' said Ajit Mishra – SVP, Research at Religare Broking. ADVERTISEMENT He also noted that the banking index, which plays a key role in market sentiment, has failed to hold its breakout above the 56,000 mark and is now expected to find support in the 54,000–54,600 range. A decisive move above 56,500 will be essential to revive momentum in the financial oil futures surged over 10% to $76 per barrel, the highest in two months and logged the biggest single-day rally in the last 5 years, as escalating tensions between Israel and Iran sparked fears of severe supply disruptions. With Israel launching a pre-emptive strike and Iran vowing retaliation, including potential attacks on US bases, the threat to the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil artery, looms large. ADVERTISEMENT 'Supporting the price rally, U.S. crude inventories fell more than expected, signalling robust demand. Additionally, weaker U.S. inflation data reinforced expectations of a Fed rate cut by September, potentially lifting future oil demand,' said Rahul Kalantri, VP Commodities at Mehta Equities.'In the international market, WTI crude oil prices are expected to find support near $70, with resistance at $74.80. Domestically, key levels are seen at ₹6,100 for support and ₹6,480 as resistance,' he traded very weak below 86.05, down by 0.52 rupees, despite a softer dollar index, as risk sentiment deteriorated sharply following Israel's attack on Iran. The escalation in Middle East tensions pushed WTI crude prices above $74, marking a 9% surge, which added significant pressure on the rupee. ADVERTISEMENT Jateen Trivedi, VP Research Analyst - Commodity and Currency at LKP Securities, said that the currency is expected to trade in a volatile range between 85.60 and 86.50 in the near term. (Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times) (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel)


Indian Express
34 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Explained: Centre's rationale behind MGNREGS spending cap, the problems with it
Second byline: Purbayan Chakraborty The Union Finance Ministry has capped spending under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) at 60% of its annual allocation for the first half of Financial Year (FY) 2025-26. There was no such spending limit until now. The programme has been brought under the Monthly Expenditure Plan/Quarterly Expenditure Plan (MEP/QEP), a spending control mechanism introduced by the Finance Ministry in 2017. MGNREGS, which provides up to 100 days of employment to any rural household on demand, was thus far exempt from MEP/QEP on account of being demand-driven. Civil society groups and MGNREGS worker unions have raised concerns about the move. Here's why. Finance Ministry's rationale MGNREGS has long been plagued with financial troubles, which are perhaps what the Finance Ministry hopes to address by implementing the MEP/QEP mechanisms. Data from the Ministry of Rural Development show that over the last few years, more than 70% of the budget is frequently exhausted by September, and while supplementary allocations are often made in December, even these run out by January. This leaves significant pending dues by the end of the FY — over the last five FYs, pending dues have ranged between Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 25,000 crore. On average, 20% of the subsequent FY's budget is spent in clearing these. By implementing an expenditure cap, the Finance Ministry is likely ensuring an adequate budget will remain for the latter half of the FY, so that no supplementary allocation will have to be made. The MGNREGS budget for FY 26 stands at Rs 86,000 crore, and FY 25 ended with pending dues of Rs 21,000 crore. As on June 12, the Centre has released 28% of FY 25-26's budget. Pending dues for FY 26 stand at Rs. 3,262 crore, and for FY 25 at Rs 19,200 crore. Just clearing these dues will exhaust approximately 50% of the budget. Issue of fluctuating demand By design, MGNREGS acts as a buffer for rural citizens, especially during times of lean harvests, freak weather events, and rural distress. Work demand under the scheme fluctuates throughout the year due to a number of reasons, primarily agricultural activities and weather patterns. MGNREGS work demand is highest between April and June, and picks up again after the kharif sowing season in September. But weather abnormalities such as delayed rains can lead to high MGNREGS work demand even in July or August. In 2023, for instance, low rainfall led to 20% higher work demand than usual in July and August, with Karnataka in particular spending more than 70% of the annual MGNREGS budget within six months due to extreme drought conditions. The expenditure cap does not take into account these contingencies. There is a legal issue too. Social security and welfare in India is implemented either via schemes designed and executed by the government of the day (for instance, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi or the LPG scheme), or through schemes based on specific legislation which establish certain programmes as statutory rights, like MGNREGS (based on MGNREG Act, 2005) or the Public Distribution System (based on National Food Security Act, 2013). The former can, and often are, altered, discontinued, or repackaged when a new government comes to power. For the latter, while the government does have the power to determine the modalities of implementing legislation, this power is conferred by the legislature and is limited in its scope. The MGNREGA recognises employment as a statutory right. The Act signified a critical shift from this being a negative right under Article 21 of the Constitution (which mandated that the state must not interfere with your livelihood unreasonably), to a positive statutory obligation on the government to provide employment on demand. The 60% spending cap ordered by the Finance Ministry makes it virtually impossible to realise an entitlement that is legally guaranteed under the Act once the ceiling is reached. Constitutional courts have held that financial inability cannot be a reason to disregard statutory or constitutional duties, including in Swaraj Abhiyan v Union of India (2016), Municipal Council, Ratlam vs Shri Vardhichand (1980), and Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity v State of W.B. (1996). Lack of clarity There is currently no clarity on what will happen once the ceiling is reached. States could be forced to deny employment even when there is demand, or workers may have to work without timely payment. In both scenarios, statutory rights of the workers may be violated — the right to to receive employment within 15 days of raising the demand, as provided under section 3 of the MGNREGA, and the right to receive wages within 15 days of closure of work, as mandated under para 29 of schedule II of Act. To be sure, wage delays have been rampant in the scheme for years, and unemployment allowances and compensation for delayed payments have gone unpaid or been poorly calculated (as the Supreme Court has observed). However, the Finance Ministry's decision undermines the letter and spirit of the Act in an attempt to address the financial problems in MGNREGS. Laavanya Tamang is Senior Researcher with the Foundation for Responsive Governance, and affiliated with the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha. Purbayan Chakraborty is a Calcutta-based lawyer and works closely with the Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, a trade union representing rural workers in West Bengal. All data accessed from MGNREGS MIS on June 12


News18
39 minutes ago
- News18
Sacheerome IPO Listing Tomorrow: What Does Latest GMP Signal?
Sacheerome IPO Listing Date: Fragrances and flavours maker Sacheerome is set to make a stock market debut on Monday, June 16. Its shares will be listed on both BSE and NSE. The SME IPO, which was open between June 9 and June 11, received a whopping subscription of 312.94 times subscription. Its allotment was finalised on June 12. The Rs 61.62-crore NSE SME IPO received a whopping 312.94 times subscription, garnering bids for 1,25,76,46,800 shares as against 40,18,800 shares on offer. The retail and NII participation stood at 180.28 times and 808.56 times, respectively. The qualified institutional buyers (QIB) category has received a 173.15 times subscription so far.