The Maharashtra Forest Department organised an international training session in Pune on Friday to strengthen the skills of officers working in areas affected by human-wildlife conflict, officials said. Two experts from South Africa — Hein Schoeman, a wildlife capture specialist, and Dr Josephine Skaarup Petersson, a wildlife veterinarian — led the interaction. They shared global practices on wildlife capture, conflict mitigation, population management and safe handling techniques. The discussions focused on field-level applications, safety measures, ethical practices and ecosystem-based management. Officers actively participated and shared challenges faced during real conflict situations in Maharashtra. The event was held under the guidance of Ashish Thakare, Conservator of Forests, Pune Circle, in collaboration with RESQ Charitable Trust. More than 40 officers from the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, Junnar, Pune and Solapur divisions attended the session. These officers regularly deal with difficult wildlife situations, boundary management and conflict zones. Conservator Ashish Thakare said that although conditions in South Africa are different, the principles and methods shared were very useful. He added that such sessions help officers gain broader perspectives and improve their skills. Tuhin Satarkar, Director of Wildlife Operations at RESQ Charitable Trust, said that knowledge exchange strengthens decision-making and helps build long-term partnerships that benefit wildlife conservation.
06 December,2025 03:54 PM IST | Pune | Ranjeet JadhavAmid the ongoing air-travel crisis across the country, IndiGo, since the last five days, has cancelled a total of 405 domestic flights. However, Indian Railways stepped in to help the harassed passengers by adding extra coaches to its trains to accommodate the rush of people. With a daily operation of 2,300 flights and a fleet exceeding 400 aircraft, IndiGo's punctuality has drastically declined due to ongoing operational issues that are likely to persist for several more days, reported by news agency IANS. The root of the current crisis primarily lies in an unexpected shortage of pilots due to planning shortcomings, and authorities are closely monitoring the situation. Scenes of total disarray have occurred at airports nationwide as IndiGo's domestic passengers voiced their frustration over delays and cancellations of their flights. Amid a sharp rise in passenger demand following widespread IndiGo flight cancellations, the Indian Railways has stepped in. Taking cognisance of the worsening travelling situation in the country, railways has deployed 116 additional coaches across 37 premium trains, covering 114 enhanced trips nationwide, easing the congestion at the airports across the country. The Railway Ministry, while assessing the ongoing crisis while issuing a statement, said that “Southern Railway recorded the highest number of augmentations, increasing capacity in 18 trains,” as cited by news agency IANS. The statement also added, "Additional Chair Car and Sleeper Class coaches have been deployed on high-demand routes. These augmentations, implemented from 6 December 2025 onwards, substantially expand accommodation capacity in the southern region, as per IANS. While highlighting more about the addition of extra coaches in trains, the Ministry of Railways also said, "Northern Railway (NR) follows with augmentations on eight trains, adding 3AC and Chair Car coaches. These measures implemented from today onwards enhance availability on heavily travelled northern corridors." According to the ministry, Western Railway has also strengthened four high-demand trains with the addition of 3AC and 2AC coaches, effective from December 6, to accommodate heavy passenger movement from western states to the national capital. Furthermore, the officials have also confirmed that East Central Railway has increased capacity on the Rajendra Nagar–New Delhi (12309) service by adding 2AC coaches over five trips scheduled between December 6 and 10. The initiative by the East Central Railway will improve the connectivity on the crucial Bihar–Delhi route. East Coast Railway has also augmented the Bhubaneswar–New Delhi services (Trains 20817/20811/20823) by adding 2AC coaches across five trips, enhancing travel options between Odisha and the capital, reported IANS. Speaking to the media about the ongoing situation, Indian Railway Board Executive Director of Information and Publicity (EDIP) Dilip Kumar further said, "Considering the rush of passengers, Indian Railways has decided to add extra coaches to several trains. In addition, plans have been made to operate several special trains. So far, 116 extra coaches are planned to be added to 37 trains, and work is underway accordingly,” as cited by news agency IANS. Special trains Along with these augmentations, four special train services have been introduced to further assist travellers. The Gorakhpur–Anand Vihar Terminal–Gorakhpur Special (05591/05592) will operate four trips between December 7 and 9. Furthermore, the New Delhi–Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan–New Delhi Reserved Vande Bharat Special (02439/02440) will run on December 6, offering fast connectivity to the Jammu region. To accommodate high demand towards the western sector, the New Delhi–Mumbai Central–New Delhi Reserved Superfast Special (04002/04001) will operate on December 6 and 7. Additionally, the Hazrat Nizamuddin–Thiruvananthapuram Central Reserved Superfast Special (04080) will run one way on December 6, providing long-distance connectivity to the south. (With inputs from IANS)
06 December,2025 12:45 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe national capital woke up to a thick blanket of smog on Saturday morning, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 333, placing it in the “very poor” category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Although there has been a slight improvement compared to recent weeks, several parts of the city remained shrouded in dense haze, significantly reducing visibility. Areas such as Ghazipur Mandi, Anand Vihar, and Wazirpur reported particularly heavy smog, while many regions across Delhi continued to fall in the very poor AQI range, the CPCB said, reported news agency ANI. The area around Anand Vihar was blanketed in a dense layer of toxic smog, with an AQI of 366 in the 'very poor' category. According to CPCB data, Sonia Vihar recorded an AQI of 352, Wazirpur measured 359, while Ghazipur Mandi recorded 366. Bawana recorded the highest AQI of 375 at 7 am, placing it in the 'very poor' category. In contrast, NSIT Dwarka recorded an AQI of 260, which falls under the 'poor' category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The India Gate and Kartavya Path area is blanketed by a layer of toxic smog that covers the city. The AQI (Air Quality Index) in the area is 311, categorised as 'Very Poor'. According to AQI categorisation, 0-50 is 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'. Further to combat the continuously deteriorating air quality in the national capital and its adjoining areas, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, has released a statement regarding the alarming levels of pollution in Delhi. The statement was issued on Friday in response to a question raised by MP Dr Laxmikant Bajpayee in the Rajya Sabha, asking whether it is a fact that "one in every seven deaths in Delhi can be attributed to the city's toxic air as claimed by several studies and reported in the media". The Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, responded by saying various studies have been conducted by academic and research institutes on the impact of air pollution. During the year 2025, not a single day has the AQI reached the severe plus level in Delhi. The government continues to take measures to address the issue in Delhi-NCR, reported news agency ANI. The government has established the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) under the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021, to oversee air quality management in Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas. The Commission has been addressing the issue of air pollution in Delhi-NCR in a collective, collaborative, and participative mode involving all major stakeholders. The Commission has issued 95 Statutory Directions to guide and direct various actions toward the abatement of air pollution in the region and has prepared a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to tackle pollution during peak winter months. The government has also implemented stricter emission norms for polluting activities in NCR and conducts regular review meetings to monitor progress. (With ANI inputs)
06 December,2025 11:59 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe Jammu and Kashmir Police’s State Investigation Agency (SIA) Friday carried out raids in Srinagar and Ganderbal districts as part of its investigations into the “white collar” terror module, officials said. The early morning raids were carried out by the SIA in Srinagar and Ganderbal districts in central Kashmir, including at the residence of Tufail Bhat at Diyarwani area of Batamaloo locality of the city here, they said. Bhat was arrested here by the SIA last month in connection with the “white collar” terror module case. The raids were a part of the SIA’s investigations into the case, the officials added. The white collar terror module refers to professionals, including doctors, who have been radicalised and allegedly involved in the November 10 Delhi blast. NIA gets 10 more days to grill Soyab A Delhi court on Friday extended the NIA custody of Soyab, a Faridabad resident accused of harbouring Red Fort bomber Umar-un Nabi, for 10 more days.The probe agency produced Soyab at the Patiala House Court amid tight security on Friday upon the expiry of his previous 10-day custody, which was granted on November 26. Media persons were barred from covering the proceedings. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 December,2025 11:05 AM IST | Srinagar | AgenciesThe Aravali Hills, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world that spans approximately 700 km in length, has long served as a natural shield for blocking sand and dust from the Thar Desert while also aiding groundwater recharge and sustaining rich biodiversity for multiple states. But, with the Supreme Court recently accepting a new government definition that only hills taller than 100 meters will count, experts have warned that many parts of the ecologically vital Aravalis may no longer be protected and thus could expose many regions, including Delhi, to harsher weather and drought conditions. “Calling only hills above 100 metres ‘Aravalis’ erases the landscape that keeps North India breathing and feeds our wells. On paper, it’s ‘sustainable mining’ and ‘development’, but on the ground it is dynamite (with) roads and pits cutting through leopard corridors, village commons and Delhi-NCR’s last green shield,” said Harjeet Singh, founding director, Satat Sampada Climate Foundation. “Shrinking the definition means 90 per cent of this 700-km spine can be legally wiped away, a slow deletion of a mountain range and, with it, the water, wildlife and weather it steadies,” climate activist said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 December,2025 11:02 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesThe Lok Sabha passed a bill to levy a cess on manufacturing units of pan masala, and utilise the fund for strengthening national security and improving public health. Replying to the debate on the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the cess will be shared with the states, as public health is a state subject. The bill was later passed by voice vote by the Lok Sabha. The bill seeks to augment the resources for meeting expenditure on national security and for public health by levying a cess on the machines installed or other processes undertaken to manufacture pan masala and similar goods. The purpose of the bill is to create a “dedicated and predictable resource stream” for two domains of national importance — health and national security, she said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 December,2025 11:00 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesRailway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday informed the Rajya Sabha that work on the automatic train protection system, which should have been done during the 1980s or 1990s, is being carried out now at a fast pace and is giving good results. Replying to supplementaries during the question hour, the minister said what the entire world has installed long back, India is doing it now as previous governments did not carry out the same earlier. “This is a very complex system. It has to be designed for each and every section of the train. Our team is working day and night to make sure that this thing, which should have been installed in the 1990s or in the 1980s, is being done from 2014 onwards. “Something which the rest of the world has done way back, that work has now been taken up by PM Narendra Modi. Since then the development work has started,” the minister told the Upper House. He said this is called the automatic train protection system. “This work is going on at a very fast pace. Throughout the country, the work is going on and Odisha is included as a part of this project. This is giving us very good result,” he noted. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 December,2025 10:57 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday exuded confidence that the USD 100 billion bilateral trade target between India and Russia will be achieved ahead of 2030.Speaking at the India-Russia Business Forum, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Modi invited Russian businesses to ‘come and Make In India...and partner with India’. The Prime Minister recalled that last year, President Putin and he set a target of reaching USD 100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030. “However, after further discussions with President Putin and considering the tremendous potential in our partnership, I am confident that we will achieve this target well ahead of schedule. We are making rapid progress towards this goal,” Modi said. He further said that simplified and predictable mechanisms are being created for businesses, and discussions have begun on the FTA between India and the Eurasian Economic Union. Whether it is business or diplomacy, the foundation of any partnership is mutual trust, he noted. “The greatest strength of India-Russia relations is this trust. It is this trust that gives direction to our joint efforts and also provides momentum,” the Prime Minister said, adding that this is the launchpad that gives inspiration to take flight towards new dreams and aspirations. He noted that India is a global leader in affordable, efficient electric vehicles, two-wheelers, and CNG mobility solutions, while Russia is a major producer of advanced materials. By partnering in EV manufacturing, automotive components, and shared mobility technologies, the two countries can not only meet their domestic demands but also contribute to the development of the Global South, Modi said. President Putin said Russia is for strengthening its multifaceted relations with India in various fields. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 December,2025 10:54 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesIn a landmark achievement and a proud moment for the nation, an Indian Army mountaineering team from Eastern Command has successfully summited Mount Kangto (7,042-metre)--the highest and hitherto unconquered sentinel peak of Arunachal Pradesh--approaching from the challenging Southern route, a release said. This accomplishment marks the first recorded successful ascent of the formidable Mount Kangto, long regarded as an unclimbed guardian of the Kameng Himalayas, the Army said in the release on Friday. The expedition team was 'Flagged In' by Lt Gen RC Tiwari, Army Commander, Eastern Command, who lauded the mountaineers for their courage, professionalism and perseverance. The team was formally 'Flagged In' by Lt Gen RC Tiwari, Army Commander, Eastern Command, who commended the mountaineers for their extraordinary courage, professionalism and perseverance. Flagged Off on November 3 from a forward base by the General Officer Commanding, Gajraj Corps, the 18-member team undertook a gruelling expedition across rugged Himalayan terrain, the release said. "Braving extremely rarefied air, harsh sub-zero conditions, treacherous icy ridgelines, deep crevasses, and near-vertical ice walls, the climbers showcased the hallmark attributes of the Indian Army--unmatched grit, discipline, teamwork and an indomitable spirit," it said. The historic ascent stands as a tribute to the majestic Eastern Himalayas and reflects the Indian Army's unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of human endurance and operational excellence. The Army described the ascent as a moment of national pride, stating, "Nothing is impossible for the Indian Army." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 December,2025 10:50 AM IST | Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) | AgenciesUnion Home Minister Amit Shah has reviewed the progress of the pond interlinking works being carried out in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar districts. The review meeting, held by the Irrigation Department in Gandhinagar on Friday, focused on the coordinated efforts underway to link ponds for improved water management in the region. Officials informed that 1,349 ponds across 162 villages in the two districts are being connected under the project. The work is being undertaken jointly by multiple government agencies, including the Irrigation Department, AUDA, GUDA, GMC, and the Narmada Corporation. During the meeting, Shah instructed officials to resolve all obstacles to pond coverage and to ensure that the deepening work is completed before the monsoon, enabling smoother flow and storage of water once the rains begin. Shah emphasised the importance of completing the project on time, highlighting its long-term benefits for water conservation and rural development. Earlier, the Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the two-day "Earth Summit 2025-26" at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, as per an official release by the Chief Minister's office. The summit is jointly organised by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). On this occasion, the Union Cooperation Minister and the Chief Minister also visited various stalls at the event. On this occasion, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that a series of three "Earth Summits" has been organised to position the rural economy as the largest contributor to the nation's GDP. Union Minister Shah emphasised that the cooperative sector cannot advance without technology; however, developing software and managing data storage costs is not feasible for small cooperative societies. To overcome this challenge, NABARD has introduced over 13 digital services as portals under the 'Sahakar Sarathi' initiative, including Sahakar Sarathi, Sahakar Setu, Sangrah Sarathi, and others. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 December,2025 10:26 AM IST | Gandhi Nagar (Gujarat) | ANIIndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on Friday said that given the size, scale, and complexity of their operations, it will take some time to return to a full normal situation, "which we do anticipate between the 10 to 15th of December". Addressing the passengers in a video message amid the unprecedented situation where the airline had to cancel over a thousand flights in the last three days, the CEO apologised to the customers, saying the situation is a result of various causes and the company is taking a few fresh measures to address the situation. "We have experienced severe operational disruptions for the past few days. Since then, the crisis continued to aggravate, with today, December 5th, being the most severely impacted day with the number of cancellations well over a thousand or more than half of our number of daily flights," Elbers stated. "I, on behalf of all of us at Indigo, would like to extend our sincerest apologies for the major inconvenience this has caused to many of our customers on account of delays or cancellations," he added. The CEO of the airline, having over 60 per cent share in the domestic aviation market, said that amid the chaos and a lot of miscommunication, the company has decided on some lines of action, including detailed communication through major channels, and providing travel facilities to those who are stranded at various airports. "The situation is a result of various causes, yet for you as a customer, it's important how we as Indigo address this. We have defined three lines of action," Elbers emphasised. The first measure is customer communication, and for this, he said that messages have been sent on social media, and the company will extend more detailed communication with information on refunds, cancellations and other customer support measures. He further said that the company had stepped up our call centre capacity. "Secondly, due to yesterday's situation, we had customers stranded mostly at the nation's largest airport. Our focus was for all of them to be able to travel today itself, which will be achieved. For this, we also ask customers whose flights are cancelled not to come to airports as notifications are sent," he noted. The third step is the cancellations that were made for today are to align the crew and planes to be where they need to start tomorrow morning afresh. Earlier measures of the last few days, regrettably, have proven not to be enough, the CEO admitted. "So we've decided today for a reboot of all our systems and schedules, resulting in the highest number of cancellations so far, but imperative for progressive improvements starting from tomorrow," he highlighted. "With these actions, we expect tomorrow to have cancellations below 1,000, " Elbers said. He thanked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for providing specific flight duty time limitation (FDTL) implementation relief during this high time. "Still, there's lots of work in progress, but going forward from here, in alignment with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA, we do expect to further improve every day," the CEO noted. Meanwhile, the government said it has decided to institute a high-level inquiry into the massive IndiGo disruption, which will examine what went wrong at the airline, determine accountability wherever required for appropriate actions, and recommend measures to prevent similar disruptions in the future -- ensuring that passengers do not face such hardships again. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 December,2025 09:59 PM IST | New Delhi | IANSADVERTISEMENT
