The United States (US) should sign the free trade agreement (FTA) with India on the “dotted lines” if Washington is satisfied with New Delhi’s offer, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday, news agency PTI reported. Reacting to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s remarks in Washington that the US had received the “best ever” offer from India, Goyal said, “His happiness is very much welcome. And, I do believe that if they are very happy, they should be signing on the dotted lines.” He, however, declined to disclose the details of India’s proposal. The minister refrained from specifying a timeline for the long-awaited trade agreement. “A deal is only done when both sides stand to benefit. And I don’t think we should ever negotiate with deadlines or hard stops because you tend to make mistakes then,” he said, noting that negotiations with the US are progressing well. Goyal said there have been five rounds of negotiations with the US so far. He added that the ongoing visit of US Deputy Trade Representative Rick Switzer is not focused on negotiations but on strengthening engagement between the two sides. “I had substantial discussions with him,” Goyal said. The two-day talks led by Switzer and India’s Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal concluded on Thursday, PTI reported. PM Modi and Donald Trump hold phone conversation The discussions covered India-US trade and economic ties, including ongoing negotiations for a mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement (BTA). Officials said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke with US President Donald Trump on Thursday, focusing on enhancing economic ties, trade, critical technologies, energy, defence, and security. When asked about Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran’s remark that the pact could be signed in March next year, Goyal said he was unaware of the comment and declined to set any timeline. Greer, speaking at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing in Washington earlier this week, noted challenges on certain US row crops and other products. “They have been very difficult nuts to crack… but they have been quite forward-leaning. The type of offers they have been talking to us about… have been the best we have ever received as a country,” he said. The talks come amid steep US tariffs on Indian goods—25 per cent initially, with an additional 25 per cent on Indian imports related to Russian crude purchases. The tariffs have affected Indian exporters, as the US accounts for around 18 per cent of India’s exports. Resolution of these tariffs is seen as critical for finalising the first phase of the trade deal. As part of the agreement, the US is seeking duty concessions on agricultural products such as almonds, corn, and apples, along with industrial goods. India has maintained it will not compromise the interests of farmers and MSMEs, strongly opposing concessions on agri and dairy sectors. (With PTI inputs)
11 December,2025 09:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPrime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Thursday held a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, with both the leaders reviewing the progress in the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and exploring ways to deepen cooperation across key sectors. In a post on X, PM Modi said, "Had a very warm and engaging conversation with President Trump. We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity." Had a very warm and engaging conversation with President Trump. We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the U.S. will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity.… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 11, 2025 According to an official statement, the two leaders expressed satisfaction with the steady strengthening of India-US ties and stressed the need to maintain momentum in efforts to expand bilateral trade as negotiations continue. "PM and President Trump underlined the importance of sustaining momentum in shared efforts to enhance bilateral trade," the release noted. They also exchanged views on advancing cooperation in critical technologies, energy, defence and security, as well as other priority areas linked to the India-US COMPACT (Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) framework. The two leaders discussed regional and global developments and agreed to work closely to address shared challenges and support common strategic goals. Both sides agreed to remain in touch as high-level engagements move forward. If US happy with India’s offer, Trump administration should sign trade deal: Goyal The US should sign the free trade agreement with India if Washington is satisfied with New Delhi’s proposal, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. Goyal welcomed the positive sentiments from the Trump administration but declined to commit to a timeline for finalising the long-awaited FTA. His remarks came after US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in Washington that the US had received the “best ever” offer from India. "His happiness is very much welcome. And, I do believe that if they are very happy, they should be signing on the dotted lines," Goyal told reporters. He did not disclose details of India’s offer. The minister said five rounds of trade negotiations have taken place so far. He added that the ongoing visit of US Deputy Trade Representative Rick Switzer is not focused on negotiations but is meant to strengthen familiarity and engagement. Switzer, on his first visit to India since assuming office three months ago, held “substantial discussions” with Goyal. The minister has recently been advancing free trade agreements with several countries, including Chile, Israel and New Zealand. (With ANI and PTI inputs)
11 December,2025 09:25 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentNDA MPs begun arriving at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg to attend a special dinner hosted by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi. The special dinner is being organised as part of efforts to strengthen coordination between the alliance, news agency ANI reported. The dinner organised by the PM will also focus on enhancing engagement and streamlining floor strategy during the ongoing Winter Session of the Parliament. The dinner meeting is intended to provide a platform for an open, constructive exchange of ideas among alliance partners. It is expected to provide the PM with an opportunity to discuss legislative priorities, review the government's broader agenda for the session and reinforce the NDA's collective political roadmap, reported ANI. Senior ministers, floor leaders and MPs from all constituent parties of the alliance are expected to participate in the interaction organised at the PM's residence. Preparatory strategies for the upcoming West Bengal Elections The discussions at the residence may also include preparatory strategies for the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam, with coalition partners likely to fine-tune their approaches ahead of crucial state polls, reported ANI. BJP MP Anurag Thakur expressed gratitude to PM Modi for inviting the MPs for the special dinner and said that the next dinner will be held after victory in the 2026 West Bengal Elections. Exuding confidence, Thakur emphasised, "PM Modi has invited us after the bumper historic victory in Bihar. Ab Bihar ke baad agla bhoj Bengal ki jeet ke baad phir hoga." "We, the NDA MPs, express gratitude to PM Narendra Modi, who has invited all of us to his residence for a dinner. We will get an opportunity to meet him. We know each other formally, but when PM Modi invites us to his residence, you can see all MPs happy. They are all excited, not just for the dinner but also for the opportunity to meet the PM; if the PM hosts dinner, there can be no bigger opportunity than this," Thakur added. Expressing joy, BJP MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said, "What can be better than this, that the PM has invited us and we are heading to his residence? It is a matter of joy for us. We would like to express our gratitude to him." (With inputs from ANI)
11 December,2025 09:09 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe Maharashtra Government has prioritised providing essential civic amenities to urban residents amid rapidly increasing urbanisation. Pune City is expanding at a significant pace, and 220 development projects have been undertaken in the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) with a total approved fund of Rs 32,523 crore, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said. He also directed that city development plans be prepared only after completing road development planning. The fifth meeting of the Pune Metropolitan Planning Committee was held at the Council Hall of the Legislature under CM Fadnavis’s chairmanship. Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, and MLAs including Tanaji Sawant, Sunil Shelke, Siddharth Shirole, and Shankar Mandekar were present. Structure plan to consider future population growth Fadnavis said that while preparing the “Structure Plan” for Pune within the stipulated timeframe, future population growth and urbanisation should be factored in. He stressed that the overall development of a region should be handled by a single authority, rather than dividing responsibilities among multiple agencies. The Chief Minister also instructed that development planning of the 23 villages merged into Pune Municipal Corporation on June 30, 2021, should be carried out by PMC. He asked that the proposal to prepare the Development Plan for Pune Growth Hub through MITRA, a government institute, be verified. Work on the Mann–Mhalunge Township Planning Scheme should be completed quickly, he added. Fifteen Integrated Town Planning (ITP) projects are already underway, and deadlines must be adhered to for timely completion. Flyover near Pune University to open immediately Fadnavis directed that the newly constructed flyover near Pune University be opened for public use immediately, without waiting for a formal inauguration. He also called for a meeting with all Pune Metropolitan Committee members to prepare a “Comprehensive Mobility Plan” for the city’s future The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Rajesh Aggarwal, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) OP Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development) Asim Kumar Gupta, and other members of the Pune Metropolitan Planning Committee. Divisional Commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar, PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, and District Collector Jitendra Dudi joined via video-conferencing. Pune Metropolitan Commissioner Yogesh Mhase presented the session’s report. Ongoing development works in Pune Metropolitan Region 127 road projects covering 589 km currently underway 83 km Ring Road project within Pune city Road works for connectivity to growth centres, industrial areas, and the airpor Three bridge and flyover projects Three housing projects Four water supply projects, including completion of Wagholi Water Supply Project Upcoming development works Three major river rejuvenation projects for Pavana, Indrayani, Mula, and Mutha rivers 17 projects to resolve traffic congestion at major junctions 10 tourism development centres One skywalk project Five Multi-Modal Hub projects to commence soon Yerawada–Katraj tunnel road A 20 km underground tunnel road has been proposed between Yerawada and Katraj. Feasibility studies are underway, with an estimated project cost of Rs 7,500 crore.
11 December,2025 07:31 PM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondentShiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of protecting his "corrupt" cabinet colleagues and criticised the delay in appointing Leaders of Opposition (LoPs) in the state legislature, reported the PTI. Speaking to reporters at the party office in the Vidhan Bhavan premises during the winter session, Thackeray alleged that corruption among ministers was emerging daily. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader had shared videos on social media allegedly showing a rival party MLA amid bundles of cash "Videos of their leaders with bundles of cash are coming out. Even then, the chief minister is not taking cognisance of the issue," he said. He further remarked, "I would say the chief minister should start a ‘shielding portfolio’ and take charge of it. I feel pity for the chief minister. What you were in the past and what you have become now," according to the PTI. Uddhav Thackeray, a former ally of the BJP, has been critical of the current government’s approach to corruption. Recently, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve shared videos on social media allegedly showing a rival party MLA amid bundles of cash. While Danve claimed the cash belonged to MLAs from the ruling parties, Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat dismissed the clips as morphed or AI-generated. A day later, Chitralekha Patil of the Peasants and Workers Party made a similar claim regarding a Shiv Sena minister. Uddhav Thackeray questions delay in appointing LoPs Uddhav Thackeray also questioned the delay in appointing LoPs in both the Legislative Assembly and the Council, noting that the Shiv Sena (UBT) had proposed MLA Bhaskar Jadhav for the Assembly LoP post months ago, but no progress has been made. He asked, "If the BJP-led Mahayuti government can name two deputy chief ministers, why is it not appointing LoPs?" Thackeray further raised concerns about financial aid for farmers affected by excessive rains. He said that last month, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that his ministry had not received any proposal from Maharashtra. Only in the last week of November did the state government send a proposal to the Centre for assistance. "We want to know what the state government has sent to the Centre, how much relief is demanded, and who will benefit. The details should be tabled in the legislature so people know whether the central government will help," Thackeray said. He also highlighted that farmers were not receiving crop insurance benefits and urged the government to discuss cultivator-related issues during the ongoing session. (with PTI inputs)
11 December,2025 06:55 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAir India on Thursday announced a new unilateral interline partnership with Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA), expanding its connectivity across Southeast Asia, North Asia, and Australia via Singapore. The collaboration enables Air India passengers to seamlessly access most of Scoot’s network — covering over 70 destinations across 18 countries — through convenient transfers at Singapore Changi Airport. As part of the expanded network access, passengers flying with Air India will now be able to travel to several destinations not previously covered under any of the airline’s partnerships. These include Macau SAR (China), Padang and Labuan Bajo (Indonesia), Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Langkawi, Ipoh, Kuantan, Miri, Sibu, Malacca, and Kota Bharu (Malaysia), Davao and Iloilo City (Philippines), Koh Samui, Chiang Rai, and Chiang Mai (Thailand), and Nha Trang and Phu Quoc (Vietnam). Passengers will be able to fly non-stop from Delhi, Mumbai or Chennai to Singapore and take onward connections operated by Scoot. To enhance convenience, the airlines have also activated inter-airline through check-in (IATCI), allowing travellers booked on a single ticket to receive boarding passes for both Air India and Scoot flights at the origin airport. Baggage can be checked through to the final destination, subject to local regulations. Air India operates 49 weekly flights to Singapore “Asia Pacific remains the world’s fastest-growing region for aviation, with intra-regional air travel demand surging at significant rates,” said Nipun Aggarwal, chief commercial officer, Air India. “Our new interline partnership with Scoot taps into that momentum, meeting the rising Indian traveller appetite for seamless access to far-flung corners of the continent — from Malaysia’s rainforests to Vietnam’s beaches and Indonesia’s emerging cities,” he added. Scoot’s Chief Commercial Officer, Calvin Chan, said, “This partnership marks an important step in broadening travel options for customers in India to discover unique destinations across Scoot’s extensive network via Singapore. We look forward to welcoming Air India customers onboard and connecting them to new experiences with Scoot.” Air India currently operates 49 weekly flights to Singapore, including thrice-daily services from Delhi, twice-daily services from Mumbai and twice-daily services from Chennai. The airline also has an existing codeshare agreement with Singapore Airlines, offering seamless connectivity to over 60 destinations worldwide. The new Air India–Scoot interline itineraries will be progressively rolled out across Air India’s booking channels, including its website, mobile app and travel agents globally.
11 December,2025 06:53 PM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentIndiGo on Thursday said it has initiated all the necessary refunds for flights cancelled during the recent operational disruption, adding that most amounts have already been credited to customers, with the remaining refunds set to reflect shortly. The airline said refunds for bookings made through travel partners have also been actioned, but passengers may need to write to customer.experience@goindigo.in if their complete details are not available in IndiGo’s system. Airline to compensate stranded passengers with year-valid vouchers The airline acknowledged that a section of passengers travelling on December 3, 4, and 5 were stranded for several hours at various airports and that a number of them were “severely impacted” due to congestion. The airline announced it will offer travel vouchers worth Rs 10,000 to such passengers, which can be used for any future IndiGo journey over the next 12 months. This compensation will be in addition to the amount mandated under government regulations, which entitles customers to Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 depending on the flight’s block time if their service was cancelled within 24 hours of departure. Reiterating its commitment to restoring customer confidence, IndiGo said it remains focused on delivering the safe, smooth and reliable experience expected from the airline. “Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you again,” the statement added.
11 December,2025 06:50 PM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday condemned the assault on two food vendors at a recent Gita recital in Kolkata, asserting that such acts of intimidation would not be tolerated in the state. Addressing a public meeting in Krishnanagar in Nadia district, the chief minister said, "All of them (accused) have been arrested. This is West Bengal, not Uttar Pradesh. They beat up patty sellers... we arrested everyone last night." She accused the BJP of trying to import a culture of communal division into the state. Training her guns on the saffron party, Banerjee said, "I do not believe in communal divisions. I want to walk with all religions. What is the need to hold a public meeting just to read the Gita? Those who pray to God or seek blessings from Allah do so in their hearts." Taking a dig at "those invoking religious texts for political mobilisation", she added, "I want to ask those who keep chanting 'Gita, Gita' -- what did Sri Krishna say about dharma? Dharma means to uphold, not to divide. They want to destroy West Bengal. They want to capture the state and stop people from speaking in Bengali. We all read and recite the Gita. What is the need to hold a meeting for that?" Kolkata Police arrested three men on Wednesday night for allegedly assaulting two food vendors at the 'Paanch Lokkho Konthe Gita Paath' (Gita recitation in five lakh voices) at Brigade Parade Ground here on December 7. The arrests were made on the basis of two complaints lodged at Maidan police station, a senior officer said. The complainants, hailing from Topsia in Kolkata and Arambagh in Hooghly district, had gone to the venue to sell chicken patties when they were allegedly attacked. The accused reportedly threw away their stock and forced them to perform sit-ups while holding their ears. A video of the incident went viral on social media. Police said the arrests were made after verification of footage and other evidence. 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.
11 December,2025 06:23 PM IST | Kolkata | PTIDelhi's Karkardooma Court on Thursday granted bail to Umar Khalid to attend his sister's wedding. Umar Khalid is an accused in the North East Delhi riots larger conspiracy case. As reported by news agency ANI, Umar Khalid’s sister, Ayesha Fatima Syeda, is scheduled to marry on December 27 in New Delhi. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai has reportedly granted interim bail to Umar Khalid from December 16 to December 29. While granting the interim bail to Umar, the court has directed him to surrender on the evening of December 29. While passing the interim bail order, the court has also directed that Umar Khalid will not contact any witness or person connected with the case. The accused in the North East Delhi riots has also been directed not to use social media during the interim bail. During the interim bail period, Umar shall meet only his family members, relatives, and friends, the court directed while passing his interim bail orders. The court also added that “He shall remain at his home or at the places where the ceremonies of marriage, as mentioned by him, will take place,” as reported by ANI. Umar Khalid had earlier sought interim bail from December 14 to 29. Counsel for Umar Khalid submitted that the function of marriage will commence on December 17. Furthermore, it was also submitted that the applicant's father is 71 years old and his mother is 62 years old, and during the period of interim bail, the applicant will see and spend some time with his parents, as per ANI. The counsel arguing for Umar also said, “He has been in custody since September 13, 2020, approximately 5 years and three months, and will be able to meet his elder sister and her children, as per ANI. Earlier, two years ago, Umar Khalid was granted an interim bail for his other sister's wedding. He has been charge-sheeted in a case under UAPA. While the Delhi High Court and Karkardooma Court had already rejected his earlier bail pleas, his bail plea is still pending before the Supreme Court. In relation to the Delhi riot case, Sharjeel Imam, Tahir Hussain, Shifa Ur Rehman, Abdul Khalid Saifi, Meeran Haider, Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita and the other accused along with Umar Khalid. (With inputs from ANI)
11 December,2025 06:18 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentBJP member Anurag Thakur on Thursday accused an unnamed TMC MP of smoking an e-cigarette in the Lok Sabha, with Speaker Om Birla assuring action. During Question Hour, while asking a supplementary, Thakur wondered whether e-cigarettes are allowed in the House. When Birla replied in the negative, the BJP MP said a TMC member has been "constantly smoking e-cigarettes in the House for the past several days". Several BJP members then demanded action against the opposition MP. Amid uproar, Birla urged member to maintain dignity of the House. He said if a written complaint is lodged, he will take action. E-cigarettes were banned in the country a few years ago. 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.
11 December,2025 05:58 PM IST | New Delhi [India] | PTIAadhaar-based OTP verification for online Tatkal ticket booking is now active in 322 trains, helping curb misuse and improve fairness in the system, the Parliament was informed on Thursday, reported the IANS. According to the government, the introduction of the verification method has increased the availability window for confirmed Tatkal tickets by around 65 per cent in these trains. Aadhaar OTP verification for Tatkal bookings at reservation counters is also being implemented in phases and is currently operational in 211 trains as of 4 December. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Lok Sabha in a written reply that, because of this measure, confirmed Tatkal ticket availability time has risen in nearly 95 per cent of the 96 most popular trains, according to the IANS. The minister further said that strict revalidation and verification of user accounts had been carried out. Since January 2025, approximately 3.02 crore suspicious user IDs have been deactivated. Anti-bot solutions such as AKAMAI have been deployed to block non-genuine users and ensure smooth booking for legitimate passengers, the news agency reported. Complaints regarding suspiciously booked PNRs were being submitted to the National Cyber Crime Portal, he added. Ashwini Vaishnaw also stated that the use of several protective layers, including network firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, application delivery controllers and web application firewalls, to safeguard the ticketing system from cyber threats, as per the IANS. The reservation system is hosted in a dedicated, access-controlled data centre equipped with CCTV surveillance and end-to-end encryption. The centre holds certification under the ISO 27001 Information Security Management System (ISMS) standards, he said. To further reinforce cyber security, RailTel Corporation of India Ltd. provides advanced threat intelligence services, including take-down services, threat monitoring, deep and dark web surveillance, and digital risk protection. These services offer early warnings on emerging cyber threats and enable quicker incident response. The reservation system also undergoes regular security audits by CERT-In-empanelled Information Security Audit Agencies. Additionally, internet traffic related to the ticketing platform is continuously monitored by CERT-In and the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) to detect and prevent potential cyberattacks, the IANS reported. (with IANS inputs)
11 December,2025 04:51 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
