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India Today
a day ago
- Automotive
- India Today
Why users feel Ola, Uber, Rapido's advance tipping is grossly unfair
Uber and Rapido's "advance tipping" feature, where users are prompted to tip drivers before a ride begins, has come under heavy criticism from the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) and consumers. Last week, the CCPA issued a notice to Uber, raising concerns about the feature, which encourages users to "add a tip for faster pickup". The advance-tipping feature is unethical and, in a way, promotes bidding for suggests that drivers may be more likely to accept a ride if a tip is included upfront. Rapido and Ola Cabs have also adopted similar models, nudging users to pay extra to improve their chances of securing a ride Minister for Consumer Affairs, Pralhad Joshi, confirmed that the CCPA was investigating ride-hailing apps, including Ola and Rapido. Uber was already under the CCPA scanner. "Forcing or nudging users to pay a tip in advance for faster service is unethical and exploitative. Such actions fall under unfair trade practices. A tip is meant to be a token of appreciation, not a precondition for service," Joshi DID THE ADVANCE-TIPPING SYSTEM START?Interestingly, this controversial system originated with the Karnataka government-backed app Namma Yatri in adopted it in 2023, and Uber rolled it out in April 2025, after announcing the feature late last has defended the feature, saying it's optional and only appears when no driver accepts a ride within 30 Yatri, interestingly, has tweaked its language from "add a tip" to "add more (voluntary)". It is meant to show that advance-tipping is a customer preference and in the ecosystem where cabs are meant to be booked in real time, advance tipping doesn't remain voluntary. There is always a fear playing out – if I don't, others ARE DARK PATTERNS ON E-PLATFORMS?Advance tipping could also be a case of dark patterns and drip pricing — two deceptive design strategies increasingly criticised in digital services.A dark pattern is a manipulative interface design that tricks or pressures users into making choices they might not otherwise make, typically benefiting the platform at the user's expense. In this case, by subtly nudging users to believe that adding a tip will improve their chances of getting a ride quickly, the apps exploit behavioural psychology to drive higher Indian government has asked e-commerce platforms to conduct internal checks for dark patterns on their Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said, "Companies must not wait for CCPA to intervene. They should proactively recognise and remove these deceptive practices before notices are issued. This is not regulatory compliance: it's about building trust with your consumers," according to a press release by the Ministry of Consumer pricing, on the other hand, involves displaying a low initial price while gradually revealing additional costs, like tips, throughout the transaction process. What seems like a straightforward fare can suddenly inflate, with users feeling cornered into paying more just to ensure basic example of that would be base fares advertised by airlines. While booking air tickets, passengers pay for a host of charges, including seats, which makes the final fare much higher than the one displayed.A study by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) also found that 52 of the top 53 apps have deceptive UI (user interface)/UX (user experience) practices that mislead users into opting for something they originally did not intend to study revealed that these problematic apps have been downloaded 21 billion times and flagged the impact on consumer behaviour because of such deceptive patterns discovered include privacy deception, interface interference, drip pricing, and false urgency, an official statement issued by the advertising industry's self-regulatory body ARE UBER, OLA AND RAPIDO USERS SAYING?Public sentiment has been overwhelmingly negative on advance tipping that most ride-hailing services, including the market-dominating Ola Cabs, Uber and Rapido. Social media platforms are flooded with complaints:"This whole 'advance tip' scam started with Bengaluru autos and was pushed by Namma Yatri. Now it's spread like a virus—Uber and Rapido have picked it up, too. Asking for extra money before the ride in the name of 'better service' is nothing but daylight robbery," wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter)."Some action needs to be taken against Rapido and Uber. They're asking for a tip before the ride is even booked. Booking rides used to be much easier before this feature," wrote user called the practice a scam: "Uber India and rapidobikeapp have created this unfair system. Drivers won't accept rides unless you add a tip–sometimes even waiting until the tip reaches 60% or 80% of the fare (sic)."One comment pointed to the deeper issue: "If you allow unethical pricing like surge charges, the next step is bound to be advance tipping. Thanks PralhadJoshiOfc for calling out Uber India's exploitative practice. This kind of Loot Economics must stop (sic)."advertisementSome have also raised questions about whether the tip truly benefits the drivers:"This was rapidobikeapp urging me to tip just seconds after booking a ride. The wait wasn't even a minute. Do tips go entirely to the drivers, or does the company take a share apart from its aggregator fee?"Others highlighted broader issues. "Uber's upfront pricing is hurting drivers. It doesn't compensate them for pickup mileage, time, or wear and tear. The system isn't sustainable–and now this new tipping model makes it worse."The situation is ironic because users took to the ride-hailing apps to get rid of haggling but are now being forced to do the same with drivers online. That is why Ola Cabs, Uber and Rapido aren't just under the government's scanner over advance tipping, they are facing public backlash too.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Activists Slam State Over Decline in Marathi School Enrolment, Demand White Paper on Language Policy
Nagpur: Expressing serious concern over the closure of Marathi medium schools, a group of activists has questioned the Maharashtra government's commitment to its Marathi Language Policy. The campaign group 'Chalval Marathi Chya Vyapak Hitasaathi', in a strongly worded letter addressed to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, school education minister Deepak Kesarkar, and Marathi language minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, has demanded urgent corrective measures and a white paper detailing the state's language policy. The group highlighted the closure of 40 Marathi-medium schools in Mumbai alone and a drop of nearly 50,000 students in Marathi as a subject. Campaign convener Shripad Bhalchandra Joshi stated that the government claims "not a single school will be shut", yet the ground reality is entirely different. Joshi described the government's approach to language policy as "confused, contradictory, and opaque." Despite having adopted a formal policy mandating administration in Marathi, he argued, the state lacks the awareness or the political will to enforce it. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo He reiterated the long-standing demand for a government-issued white paper on the current status of Marathi across sectors in Maharashtra. Calling the decline in Marathi-medium schools and student enrolment "painful and unacceptable," Joshi urged the government to immediately announce concrete steps to stop the erosion and revive shuttered institutions. He further questioned whether the government's objective is to preserve Marathi-medium education or to systematically dismantle it. He demanded that the government disclose the total number of Marathi schools shot down across the state and detail any revival efforts. Joshi also criticised the state for invoking the National Education Policy (NEP) to push Hindi as a third language from early grades, despite the Supreme Court clarifying that NEP is not binding on states. Ironically, he noted, the same policy advocates instructions in the mother-tongue — yet the state continues to justify closures based on low enrolment and has declared 25,000 teachers as excess. Nagpur: Expressing serious concern over the closure of Marathi medium schools, a group of activists has questioned the Maharashtra government's commitment to its Marathi Language Policy. The campaign group 'Chalval Marathi Chya Vyapak Hitasaathi', in a strongly worded letter addressed to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, school education minister Deepak Kesarkar, and Marathi language minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, has demanded urgent corrective measures and a white paper detailing the state's language policy. The group highlighted the closure of 40 Marathi-medium schools in Mumbai alone and a drop of nearly 50,000 students in Marathi as a subject. Campaign convener Shripad Bhalchandra Joshi stated that the government claims "not a single school will be shut", yet the ground reality is entirely different. Joshi described the government's approach to language policy as "confused, contradictory, and opaque." Despite having adopted a formal policy mandating administration in Marathi, he argued, the state lacks the awareness or the political will to enforce it. He reiterated the long-standing demand for a government-issued white paper on the current status of Marathi across sectors in Maharashtra. Calling the decline in Marathi-medium schools and student enrolment "painful and unacceptable," Joshi urged the government to immediately announce concrete steps to stop the erosion and revive shuttered institutions. He further questioned whether the government's objective is to preserve Marathi-medium education or to systematically dismantle it. He demanded that the government disclose the total number of Marathi schools shot down across the state and detail any revival efforts. Joshi also criticised the state for invoking the National Education Policy (NEP) to push Hindi as a third language from early grades, despite the Supreme Court clarifying that NEP is not binding on states. Ironically, he noted, the same policy advocates instructions in the mother-tongue — yet the state continues to justify closures based on low enrolment and has declared 25,000 teachers as excess.
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Consumer Affairs Minister chairs governing council meeting of Bureau of Indian Standards
New Delhi [India], May 29 (ANI): Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New & Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi presided over the ninth meeting of Governing Council of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in New Delhi. He is ex-officio President of the Governing Council of BIS, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution. During his presidential address, the Union Minister said BIS has brought 371 districts in the country under mandatory hallmarking scheme of jewellery thereby, providing quality assurance to consumers, as per an official statement on Thursday. He directed that more districts be also added in the coming year. He laid special emphasis on making industry and other stakeholders more aware of BIS initiatives. He also stressed upon the importance of Indian standards for various products and services and appreciated the milestone achievements of BIS with formulation of 23,798 Indian standards across sectors. Joshi mentioned the support provided by BIS to various ministries, departments in increasing the number of QCOs from 14 in 2014 to 191 today, covering 774 products along with two horizontal QCOs, which would contribute towards safety of consumers. He highlighted the contribution of BIS in promoting a quality ecosystem. The Minister said that BIS is more than a regulator and urged the Bureau to act as a facilitator by adopting industry friendly approach and promoting the adoption of BIS mark on voluntary basis. Appreciating that the laboratories processed over 2.5 lakh samples in 2024-25, he also said that BIS should make concerted efforts to enhance transparency in sample testing and issuing certifications. He placed importance on the need for increased engagement with MSME sector to handhold these small units and ensure their preparedness for compliance with technical regulations. Appreciating initiatives such as Manak Manthan and Manak Samvaad at the level of Branch offices of BIS, he laid emphasis on closer engagement with industry, accessibility and prompt redressal of any problems faced by the small industries. In order to strengthen the regulatory system, he emphasised that BIS should have zero tolerance towards any malpractices. Approving proposals worth Rs 78 crore to strengthen testing capacity in areas such as aerospace components, solar PV modules, organic food, and high-voltage equipment, he expressed the need to boost the testing infrastructure in the country to match the demands of an emerging economy. He pointed out that all these holistic efforts will help in positioning India as a global leader in standardisation. Ministers from Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Gujarat and Assam, who are members of the Governing Council, were also present during the meeting. Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Nidhi Khare and senior officers from Department and BIS also attended the meeting. BIS gave a detailed presentation on its key activities of standardisation, certification and lab activities. BIS presented before the Governing Council the Annual Programme on Standardisation (APS), Laboratory Activities, and Conformity Assessment for the year 2025-26. BIS informed that India is hosting the 89th edition of IEC General Meeting from 8 - 19 September in New Delhi, where more than 1,500 participants from over 150 countries are expected to participate and a series of management meetings, technical committee meetings, workshops, exhibition and other events will be organised, as per the ministry. The Governing Council reviewed key developments and achievements and endorsed the way forward for BIS's strategic initiatives such as Annual Programme for Standardisation (APS) 2025-26: Formulated through enhanced engagement with 40 Central Ministries and 84 industry associations, and focused on filling sectoral gaps and aligning standards with national priorities; Laboratory Modernisation Plan: Infrastructure upgrades, automation, digitisation, and creation of complete test facilities for critical products have been identified as key areas of focus for year 2025-26. (ANI)
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Diu is national example of renewable energy: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi
New Delhi [India], May 29 (ANI): Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said that Diu is a national example in renewable energy adoption, with its entire daytime electricity demand being met through solar energy, said a statement from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy on Thursday. The Minister also congratulated Diu on its exceptional milestone as the first district in India to meet its entire power demand with solar energy, achieving 11.88 MW (9 MW ground-mounted + 2.88 MW rooftop) capacity. Joshi visited Diu today to review its remarkable progress in solar energy adoption and assess the implementation of the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. The Minister chaired a high-level meeting at Diu, with senior officials of the UT administration to review the status of solar energy generation, its current supply framework, and future expansion prospects. During the meeting, T Arun, Energy Secretary of the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, made a detailed presentation on existing solar energy plants, their production capacities, and household-level benefits. He informed the Minister that a large number of families in the UT are now benefiting from solar energy. Later, the Minister undertook a field visit to key solar energy facilities in Diu, including the 9 MW Solar Park located in Fudam. The Solar Park stands as a symbol of Diu's sustainable transition and plays a vital role in meeting the region's clean energy requirements. The Minister noted that the Fudam solar park has contributed significantly to reducing transmission and distribution (T&D) losses and enabled the revision of electricity tariffs, making them more affordable for consumers. He also praised UT Administrator Praful Patel's leadership, stating that his proactive approach and vision have been instrumental in realising this clean energy transformation. Speaking on the long-term impact, the Minister remarked that the capital investments made over the past decade in renewable energy infrastructure in Diu have already been recovered through the supply and sale of solar power. He called for even faster and more effective implementation of the PM-Surya Ghar Yojana to maximise its benefits for the residents of the Union Territory and achieve total household saturation. The visit reaffirmed the Government of India's commitment to accelerating clean energy deployment in every part of the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (ANI)
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Diu first district in India to meet entire power demand with solar energy
Diu has become the first district in India to meet its entire power demand with solar energy, achieving 11.88 MW capacity, an official statement said on Thursday. Minister for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) Pralhad Joshi said Diu is a national example in renewable energy adoption , with its entire daytime electricity demand being met through solar energy. Joshi visited Diu on Thursday to review its remarkable progress in solar energy adoption and assess the implementation of the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Here's The Estimated Cost of a 1-day Gutter Guards Installation HomeBuddy Undo The minister chaired a high-level meeting at Diu, with senior officials of the UT administration to review the status of solar energy generation, its current supply framework, and future expansion prospects. The minister remarked that the capital investments made over the past decade in renewable energy infrastructure in Diu have already been recovered through the supply and sale of solar power. Live Events He called for even faster and more effective implementation of the PM-Surya Ghar Yojana to maximise its benefits for the residents of the Union Territory and achieve total household saturation.
