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The Hindu
2 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Air India plane crashes just moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad; more than 200 killed, one survivor
The Air India passenger plane from Ahmedabad to London carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed just moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, a statement by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said. Reports from the state medical association noted that the aircraft crashed directly on the BJ Medical College UG hostel mess in Meghani Nagar. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the 242 people aboard the ill-fated London-bound Air India I71 flight. He is the second Gujarat CM to die in a plane crash. The pilot of the aircraft gave a mayday call to the Ahmedabad air traffic controller. The Boeing 787 aircraft took off from the airport at 1:39 p.m. with 232 passengers, including 2 infants and 10 crew members. The aircraft was under the command of Capt Sumit Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kundar. Capt Sumit Sabharwal is an LTC with 8,200 hours of experience. The copilot had 1,100 hours of flying experience. 'On 12th Jun, 2025, Air India B787 Aircraft VT-ANB, while operating flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, has crashed immediately after takeoff from Ahmedabad. There were 242 people on board the aircraft, consisting of 2 pilots and 10 cabin crew,' said a senior DGCA official. 'One survivor is confirmed,' said Dhananjay Dwivedi, principal secretary of Gujarat s health department. They were being treated in hospital, he added. 'As per ATC, the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It gave a mayday Call to ATC, but thereafter, no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC. Immediately after departure from Runway 23, the Aircraft fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site,' the official added. The DGCA said that a team has been rushed to the spot for investigation. The Tata group, which owns Air India said, '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.' India suffered three diplomatic setbacks from U.S., foreign policy driven by domestic politics, says Congress The Congress on Thursday claimed India has suffered three 'huge diplomatic setbacks' from the U.S. which is constantly hyphenating India and Pakistan and that the Modi government's foreign policy has 'failed' as it is driven by domestic political considerations. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the U.S.' recent statements were both a 'challenge and a warning' and required serious thinking 'when the PM is only interested in playing divisive politics'. He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should leave aside his 'stubbornness' to call an all-party meeting and a special session of Parliament. 'Yesterday, Indian foreign policy and diplomacy received three huge, undeniable setbacks. The General of the US Central Command gives a statement that Pakistan is a phenomenal partner in counter-terrorism. What is phenomenal? On May 2, 2011, Osama Bin Laden was found in Abbottabad and you are calling that country a phenomenal partner,' Mr. Ramesh told PTI. So, the first 'setback' is the US general giving a 'clean chit' to Pakistan, he said. U.S. Army General Michael Kurilla, Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), has said Pakistan is 'in an active counterterrorism fight right now and has been a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world'. The United States has to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India, and noted that it cannot be a 'binary switch' where Washington cannot have ties with Islamabad if it has relations with New Delhi, Mr. Kurilla said during a testimony before the US House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. Mr. Ramesh further said, 'Failed Marshal Asim Munir, who gave such inflammatory, incendiary and provocative statements, talked about the two-nation theory, Hindus and Muslims, and there is a direct relation between his statement and what happened in Pahalgam on April 22. Same Asim Munir gets a special invitation to go to America on US Army Day on June 14, which is incomprehensible.' The third setback is that the US state department spokesperson again repeated that it was US President Donald Trump who was responsible for bringing about a de-escalation between India and Pakistan, the Congress leader said. He said again the US has hyphenated India and Pakistan while Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are completely silent on it. 'He (Modi) meets members of delegations but does not have time for an all-party meeting to meet leaders of political parties. Our democracy is based on political parties not on individuals,' Mr. Ramesh said. Leaders of opposition parties have written to the Prime Minister to call a special session of Parliament but the government has rejected the request and instead announced the monsoon session from July 21. 'Is he (PM Modi) going to allow a special debate on our challenges with China and Pakistan, and now our challenge with the US. We thought that we were having an extended honeymoon with the US but it has delivered three huge setbacks to Indian diplomacy yesterday,' Mr. Ramesh said. This is a 'failure' of the government of India, of the PM, of his External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, of his Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and of his drum beaters, Mr. Ramesh said. 'I am shocked that these setbacks have come two days after the prime minister has met the delegation of MPs,' he told PTI. Mr. Ramesh accused the PM of playing politics by picking and choosing individuals. 'We are saying call an all-party meeting, an all-party meeting where you don't determine who will be there like you did in picking delegations,' the Congress leader said. He alleged that the government's diplomacy is 'totally domestic oriented'. 'Whatever we do abroad — how does it play domestically? It is for domestic consumption. All observers are saying that these delegations were for domestic consumption,' he said. Mr. Ramesh claimed that the foreign policy of the Modi government is being dictated by domestic political considerations. Earlier, in a post in Hindi on X, Ramesh asserted that decades of diplomatic progress cannot be allowed to be weakened so easily. 'It is reported that Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir has been invited to the event organised in Washington DC on the occasion of US Army Day (14 June). This news is a big setback for India from a diplomatic and strategic point of view,' Ramesh said. 'This is the same person who used provocative and inciting language just before the Pahalgam terror attack — the question arises what is America's intention,' the Congress general secretary said. Recently, the head of the U.S. Central Command also stated that Pakistan is a 'great partner' of America in the fight against terrorism, Ramesh said. 'The Modi government is saying that Operation Sindoor is still going on. In such a situation, the Pakistani army chief's participation as a guest in the U.S. Army Day is definitely a matter of serious concern,' he said. Mr. Ramesh said the Trump administration is constantly making statements which can only be interpreted to mean that it is 'hyphenating' India and Pakistan. 'The Prime Minister is welcoming the delegations that returned after informing the entire world, including the US, about Pakistan's role in supporting terrorism, and at the same time, such news is coming from Washington DC makes India's diplomatic position even more uncomfortable,' Ramesh said. 'The Prime Minister should now leave aside his stubbornness and concern for prestige and call an all-party meeting and a special session of Parliament, so that the nation can clearly express its collective will and a concrete roadmap can be presented to the country,' he said. The statements from the US come days after an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation visited the country to convey India's strong resolve to combat terrorism emanating from Pakistan in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. Speeding SUV with BJP flag kills woman constable in Patna; three arrested A woman police constable was killed and two other officers sustained serious injuries after a speeding SUV mowed them down during a vehicle checking drive in Patna in the early hours of Thursday (June 12, 2025). The vehicle involved in the incident bore a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) flag. The incident took place at 12:30 a.m. on Atal Path under the jurisdiction of the S.K. Puri Police Station. Three police officials were inspecting vehicle documents when the SUV rammed into them, killing constable Komal Kumari on the spot. A sub-inspector and an assistant sub-inspector were critically injured in the incident. The deceased, 25-year-old Komal Kumari, hailed from Nalanda district and was attached to Dial 112, the emergency response unit of Bihar Police. Komal's mother, Ranju Devi, said her daughter was the family's sole breadwinner among five daughters. 'I received the call at around 2 a.m. from Patna that my daughter had met with an accident and she died. I do not have any earning member in the family; how will we survive now? I don't have any son,' Ms. Devi said. Komal's father, Pramod Prasad, works as a labourer in Ludhiana. Komal had joined the Bihar police force four years ago. Sub-inspector Deepak Kumar and assistant sub-inspector Awadhesh, who were injured in the collision, are currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital. Addressing the media on Thursday, Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Awakash Kumar said, 'Out of four who were sitting in the car at the time of incident, three have been arrested. Police are continuously conducting raids to arrest the fourth accused. Nikhil Raj is the owner of the car and he was the one driving the car. He was also arrested.' He added, 'During the investigation we have got several other pieces of evidence which would be used in the case. Only the last accused is left, as soon as he gets arrested, we will file the chargesheet as soon as possible. We will also go for speedy trials so that they get the punishment. Murder case has been registered in the case.' When asked about the vehicle bearing a BJP flag, Mr. Kumar said, 'The person may have affiliation with any political parties, it hardly matters for us. It is murder case executed by these four accused and I don't see anything apart from this.' Meanwhile, the Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) criticised the BJP, posting on social media platform X, 'Last night, BJP hooligans ran over 3 policemen on Patna's Atal Path with their Scorpio car speeding at 90 kmph! Female constable Komal died! The other 2 are in critical condition in the hospital! The entire country knows that in the 'Amrit Kaal,' rules, regulations, laws, police, courts... nothing can restrain the BJP supporters, which is why they roam the streets with full arrogance, proudly displaying the BJP flag, believing they have complete immunity!' India slips to 131st position in Global Gender Gap Index 2025 India has ranked 131 out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2025, slipping two places from its position last year. With a parity score of just 64.1%, India is among the lowest-ranked countries in South Asia, according to the report released on Thursday (June 12, 2025). India ranked 129 last year. The Global Gender Gap Index measures gender parity across four key dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. The Indian economy's overall performance improved in absolute terms by +0.3 points. 'One of the dimensions where India increases parity is in Economic Participation and Opportunity, where its score improves by +.9 percentage points to 40.7%. While most indicator values remain the same, parity in estimated earned income rises from 28.6% to 29.9%, positively impacting the subindex score,' the report said. Scores in labour force participation rate remained the same (45.9%) as last year — India's highest achieved to date. In educational attainment, the report said, India scored 97.1%, reflecting positive shifts in female shares for literacy and tertiary education enrolment, which result in positive score improvements for the subindex as a whole. 'India also records higher parity in health and survival, driven by improved scores in sex ratio at birth and in healthy life expectancy,' it said. However, similar to other countries, parity in healthy life expectancy is obtained despite an overall reduction in the life expectancy of men and women, the report said. 'Where India records a slight drop in parity [-0.6 points] since the last edition is in Political Empowerment. Female representation in Parliament falls from 14.7% to 13.8% in 2025, lowering the indicator score for the second year in a row below 2023 levels,' it said. Similarly, the share of women in ministerial roles falls from 6.5% to 5.6%, moving the indicator score (5.9%) further away this year from its highest level (30% in 2019), it said. With notable gains in political empowerment and economic participation, Bangladesh emerged as the best performer in South Asia, jumping 75 ranks to rank 24 globally. Nepal ranked 125, Sri Lanka 130, Bhutan 119, Maldives 138 and Pakistan 148. The report said the global gender gap has closed to 68.8%, marking the strongest annual advancement since the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet full parity remains 123 years away at current rates, according to the report. Iceland leads the rankings for the 16th year running, followed by Finland, Norway, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. The 19th edition of the report, which covers 148 economies, revealed both encouraging momentum and persistent structural barriers facing women worldwide. The progress made in this edition was driven primarily by significant strides in political empowerment and economic participation while educational attainment and health and survival maintained near-parity levels above 95%. However, despite women representing 41.2% of the global workforce, a stark leadership gap persists with women holding only 28.8% of top leadership positions, the report said. 'At a time of heightened global economic uncertainty and a low growth outlook combined with technological and demographic change, advancing gender parity represents a key force for economic renewal,' said Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director, World Economic Forum. 'The evidence is clear. Economies that have made decisive progress towards parity are positioning themselves for stronger, more innovative and more resilient economic progress,' Ms. Zahidi said. In brief: Iran and the United States will hold a sixth round of negotiations over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme this Sunday in Oman, the sultanate's Foreign Minister said on Thursday, as regional tensions have spiked in recent days. The announcement by Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi comes as the U.S. is drawing down the presence of staffers who are not deemed essential to operations in the Middle East and their loved ones due to the potential for regional unrest. Meanwhile, there have been warnings that ships could be targeted in regional waters over the tensions. Mr. Al-Busaidi made the announcement on the social platform X. 'I am pleased to confirm the 6th round of Iran US talks will be held in Muscat this Sunday the 15th,' he wrote. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
In Pictures: Remembering Vijay Rupani (1956 - 2025)
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani (83) was killed in the London-bound Air India plane that crashed near the Ahmedabad airport soon after take-off on June 12, 2025. He was among the 242 people aboard the ill-fated London-bound Air India I71 flight that crashed minutes after it took off from Ahmedabad. He is the second Gujarat CM to die in a plane crash. Also Read: Air India plane crash brings back memories of 1988 Indian Airlines flight 113 accident in Ahmedabad Rupani had taken over as the Chief Minister in August 2016 after the sudden resignation of the then CM Anandiben Patel. He stepped down in 2021, paving way for Bhupendra Patel to take over as the 17th Chief Minister of Gujarat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the then Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in New Delhi on September 22, 2016 Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is being congratulated by the then outgoing CM Vijay Rupani at state BJP headquarters Kamlam in Gandhinagar on September 12, 2021 Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani offers sweet to BJP president Amit Shah for winning Rajya Sabha election, at party office in Gandhinagar on August 9, 2017 Vijay Rupani during the 'Gujarat Panchayat Mahasamelan' in Ahmedabad on March 11, 2022 Vijay Rupani is being administered oath of office by Governor O.P. Kohli at the swearing-in ceremony in Gandhinagar on August 7, 2016 President Ram Nath Kovind is accompanied by Vijay Rupani during his visit to Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad on September 3, 2017. Vijay Rupani during his campaign ahead of Gujarat assembly election in Ahmedabad on November 8, 2017 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah at the swearing-in ceremony of Vijay Rupani on December 26, 2017 Five days ahead of the Gujarat state Assembly election, Vijay Rupani takes part in a roadshow in Ahmedabad on December 4, 2017 Vijay Rupani is felicitated by the then Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, former state president Faldu in Gandhinagar on February 19, 2016, after his election as BJP state president Observers Nirmala Sitharaman and Vijay Rupani arrive for the BJP legislative meet at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai on December 4, 2024 The then Chief Minister Vijay Rupani with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in Gandhinagar in December 2017 Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj interacts with the then Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani at Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2019 in Gandhinagar on January 19, 2019 The then Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani inspects the last touches at the sight of Statue of Unity, touted as the world's tallest statue, near Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat on October 18, 2018, a fortnight ahead of inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vijay Rupani, the then BJP MP from Gujarat at Parliament House, following the verdict on the 2002 Godhra train incident, in New Delhi, during the Budget session on March 1, 2011 The then Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani reviews the construction work of Metro Rail at Vastral, Ahmedabad on April 4, 2017 The then BJP national president Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani share a light moment during an event in Gandhinagar on August 19, 2016 The then Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani greeted by his supporters on August 7, 2016 after he was sworn-in. Gujarat Chief Minister Gujarat Vijay Rupani addressing during an event at Gandhinagar on January 11, 2020 The then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley felicitates Vijay Rupani after his election as Gujarat Chief Minister, at Kamalam in Gandhinagar on December 22, 2017 Former Union Cabinet Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala with Vijay Rupani on April 16, 2024
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Top news of the day, June 11, 2025: Air India plane crashes in Ahmedabad, former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani among victims
Air India flight crashes into medical college building inAhmedabad; 204 bodies retrieved A London-bound Air India plane carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed in a residential area near Meghaninagar minutes after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday (June 12, 2025) afternoon, killed 204 people and injured 41 others. Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani killed in Ahmedabad plane crash Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was killed in the London-bound Air India plane that crashed near the Ahmedabad airport soon after take-off on Thursday (June 12, 2025). Union Minister C.R. Patil confirmed the death of the former CM. He was among the 242 people aboard the ill-fated London-bound Air India I71 flight that crashed minutes after it took off from Ahmedabad. He is the second Gujarat CM to die in a plane crash. Air India plane crashed just moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad; pilot gave mayday call The Ahmedabad-London Air India passenger plane crashed just moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday (June 12, 2025) afternoon, a statement by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said. The pilot of the aircraft gave a mayday call to the Ahmedabad air traffic controller. The Boeing 787 aircraft took off from the airport at 1:39 p.m. with 232 passengers, including 2 infants and 10 crew members. Bengaluru stampede: Karnataka High Court orders release of RCB's Nikhil Sosale and others on bail In a major set back to the police and the State government, the High Court of Karnataka on Thursday (June 12, 2025) ordered the release on bail of four representatives of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL) and DNA Networks Pvt. Ltd., who were arrested on the wee hours of June 6 in connection with the June 4 stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru during the celebration of RCB's victory in IPL-2025 tournment. Kamal Haasan, P. Wilson, Salma among six elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan, former Additional Advocate General and incumbent MP P. Wilson, poet Rajathi alias Salma, and S.R. Sivalingam — all backed by the DMK and its allies — were on Thursday (June 12, 2025) declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK's I.S. Inbadurai and M. Dhanapal were also elected unopposed to the Upper House. Ship on fire: salvage operation delayed as salvor's vessel runs out of fuel Even as the authorities have been struggling to contain the raging fire onboard the Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire off the Kerala coast on June 9, the vessel, Offshore Warrior, deployed by the owners of the ship to mitigate the imminent danger of a possible explosion had to leave the site of the accident after running short of fuel, delaying the entire emergency response operations. India slips to 131st position in Global Gender Gap Index 2025 India is ranked 131 out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2025, slipping two places from its position last year. With a parity score of just 64.1%, India is among the lowest-ranked countries in South Asia, according to the report released on Thursday (June 12, 2025). India was ranked 129 last year. Trump unveils website for $5 million U.S. residency visa U.S. President Donald Trump touted a new website for his planned $5 million U.S. residency permit on Wednesday, saying the waiting list for the golden visa has opened on 'Thousands have been calling and asking how they can sign up to ride a beautiful road in gaining access to the Greatest Country and Market anywhere in the World,' Trump wrote in a social media post. Sixth round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and U.S. on June 15, says Oman Foreign Minister Iran and the United States will hold a sixth round of negotiations over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme this Sunday (June 15, 2025) in Oman, the sultanate's Foreign Minister said on Thursday (June 12, 2025), as regional tensions have spiked in recent days. Boeing shares decline 8% pre-market after Air India crash Shares of North American airplane manufacturer Boeing fell 8% in pre-market trade on NASDAQ after the Air India aircraft crash Ahmedabad airport on Thursday (June 12, 2025). Australia's Cummins rips through South Africa batting in WTC final Australia captain Pat Cummins produced a sensational spell of four wickets for just one run as the title-holders seized control of the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's on Thursday (June 12, 2025).
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Vijay Rupani, ex Gujarat CM, killed in Ahmedabad plane crash
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was killed in the London-bound Air India plane that crashed near the Ahmedabad airport soon after take-off on Thursday (June 12, 2025). Union Minister C.R. Patil confirmed the death of the former CM. He was among the 242 people aboard the ill-fated London-bound Air India I71 flight that crashed minutes after it took off from Ahmedabad. He is the second Gujarat CM to die in a plane crash. Rupani had taken over as the Chief Minister in August 2016 after the sudden resignation of the then CM Anandiben Patel. He stepped down in 2021, paving way for Bhupendra Patel to take over as the 17th Chief Minister of Gujarat. Seen as Amit Shah's protégé, Rupani was a first time MLA from Rajkot West when he took oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He was serving as State BJP president and a State Minister when the central leadership named him as Ms. Patel's successor. Rupani's public life started with his association with RSS' student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. He has been with the BJP since its inception in 1980. As a pracharak of RSS, he was jailed for his opposition to the Emergency. He served as a Rajya Sabha member between 2006 and 2012.
