Air India on Monday said a Mumbai-bound flight returned to Delhi shortly after take-off due to a technical issue. The flight AI887 was being operated with a Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft and was airborne for about an hour after taking off around 6.30 am. “The crew operating flight AI887 from Delhi to Mumbai on 22 December decided to return to Delhi shortly after take-off due to a technical issue as per standard operating procedure. The aircraft landed safely at Delhi and the passengers and crew have disembarked. Air India sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused due to this unforeseen situation," an airline spokesperson said in a statement. The aircraft is undergoing the necessary checks, the spokesperson added. “Our ground team at Delhi is providing immediate assistance to the passengers and alternative arrangements have been made to fly them to their destination shortly. At Air India, the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain top priority,” according to the airline.As per a PTI report, a source at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the plane made an air turn back as during flap retraction after take-off, the flight crew observed low engine oil pressure on the right-hand engine. The engine oil pressure dropped to zero, and the inspection is in progress, the source said.The source also noted that review of previous records does not indicate any abnormality in oil consumption. DGCA to conduct detailed probe into Air India incident The Ministry of Civil Aviation said it has taken note of the incident and has sought a detailed report from Air India. In a post on X, the ministry said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been directed to conduct a thorough investigation into the technical issue. The ministry also directed the airline to extend all assistance to affected passengers and accommodate them on subsequent flights, reiterating that passenger safety remains paramount. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has taken note of the Air India flight AI-887 incident involving a technical issue shortly after take-off. The aircraft landed safely. The Ministry has sought a detailed report from Air India, and DGCA has been directed to conduct a thorough… — MoCA_GoI (@MoCA_GoI) December 22, 2025
22 December,2025 01:15 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent | mid-day online correspondentAsserting that 90 per cent of the Aravalli region will remain "protected", the Centre on Sunday rejected claims that the new definition of the Aravalli range will allow large-scale mining and cited a Supreme Court-ordered freeze on new mining leases in the region, reported news agency PTI. It said a Supreme Court-approved framework provides for stronger protection of the mountain system and places a freeze on new mining leases until a comprehensive management plan is finalised. Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said that the SC-approved definition will bring more than 90 per cent of the Aravalli region under "protected area," reported PTI. Beware of Misinformation on Aravallis!Of the total area of 1.44 lakh square kilometers of the Aravalli Ranges, only 0.19% of the area is eligible for mining activities.The rest of the entire Aravalli is preserved and protected.#AravallilsSafe🔗https://t.co/Xwil42RNxA pic.twitter.com/IWorw9EtuJ — MoEF&CC (@moefcc) December 21, 2025 Replying to queries from mediapersons after a meeting on Project Elephant and the National Tiger Conservation Authority in the Sundarbans of West Bengal, Yadav also emphasised that "no relaxation has been granted" with regard to the protection of the Aravalli region and claimed "lies" have been spread on the issue. "Stop spreading misinformation!" "Stop spreading misinformation!" he said in a post on X, amid allegations by the Congress and others that the step will destroy the Aravallis. "In the total area of 1.44 lakh square kilometres of the Aravalli, mining eligibility can only be in 0.19 per cent of the area. The rest of the entire Aravalli is preserved and protected," said Yadav, the Union minister for environment, forest and climate change. The Supreme Court, on November 20, 2025, accepted the recommendations of a committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on the definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges. According to the new definition, "Aravalli Hill is any landform in designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above its local relief" and an "Aravalli Range is a collection of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other", reported PTI. The government, however, asserted that it is "incorrect to conclude" that all landforms below 100 metres are open for mining. In an explanation issued amid the controversy over the "100-metre" criterion, the government rejected claims that mining had been permitted in areas below 100 metres and said the restriction applies to entire hill systems and their enclosed landforms and not merely to the hill peak or slope, reported PTI. It said the definition of the Aravalli hills and range has been standardised across states on the directions of the Supreme Court to remove ambiguity and prevent misuse, particularly practices that allowed mining to continue dangerously close to hill bases. Sources in the Environment Ministry said the Supreme Court, while hearing long-pending cases on illegal mining in the Aravallis, had constituted a committee in May 2024 to recommend a "uniform definition", as different states were following inconsistent criteria while granting mining permissions, reported PTI. The committee, chaired by the Environment Ministry Secretary and comprising representatives from Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and Delhi along with technical bodies, found that only Rajasthan had a formally established definition, which it has been following since 2006. That definition treats landforms rising 100 metres or more above local relief as hills and prohibits mining within the lowest bounding contour enclosing such hills, irrespective of the height or slope of landforms inside the contour, they said, reported PTI. "People have created confusion that you can mine below the 100 metre elevation in a hill, but it is not so... .The bottom area will be protected. And if there is a gap of 500 metres between two hills, then that area will also be considered part of the range. After this definition, more than 90 per cent of the area will be protected," Yadav said, reported PTI. The minister asserted that the government has taken a number of steps like the 'Green Aravalli' movement for the preservation of the mountain range and is committed to their protection. "Lies are being spread on the (definition) issue," he alleged. The sources said all four states agreed to adopt this long-standing Rajasthan definition, along with additional safeguards to make it objective and transparent, reported PTI. These include treating hills located within 500 metres of each other as a single range, mandatory mapping of hills and ranges on Survey of India maps before any mining decision and clear identification of core and inviolate areas where mining is prohibited. The government said the apex court has accepted the committee's recommendation to prohibit mining in core and inviolate areas, including protected areas, eco-sensitive zones, tiger reserves, wetlands and areas close to such sites, while allowing limited exemptions only for critical, strategic and deep-seated minerals in national interest. According to the Supreme Court's directions, no new mining leases will be granted in the Aravalli region until a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining is prepared for the entire landscape by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education. Existing mines may continue operations only if they strictly comply with sustainable mining norms laid down by the committee. The government said district-level analysis across Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat shows that legally approved mining currently covers only a very small fraction of the Aravalli region, amounting to about 0.19 per cent of the total geographical area of 37 Aravalli districts. Delhi, which has five Aravalli districts, does not permit any mining. The government said the primary threat to the Aravallis remains illegal and unregulated mining, and the committee has recommended stronger monitoring, enforcement and use of technology such as drones and surveillance to address this issue. (With inputs from PTI)
22 December,2025 12:50 PM IST | New Delhi/Kolkata | mid-day online correspondentCongress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday said the "demolition" of the historic Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) will have catastrophic consequences for crores of people across rural India and called upon all to unite and safeguard the rights that protect everyone, reported news agency PTI. In an editorial in a leading daily titled "The bulldozed demolition of MGNREGA", the former Congress chief said the "death" of MGNREGA is a collective failure. This comes a day after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, which replaces the MGNREGA and has a provision for 125 days of wage employment for rural workers. "MGNREGA realised the Mahatma's vision of Sarvodaya (welfare of all) and enacted the constitutional right to work," Gandhi said, reported PTI. "It is imperative, now more than ever, to unite and safeguard the rights that protect us all," she added, reported PTI. Gandhi said the employment guarantee scheme to deal with rural distress has now been "bulldozed and demolished". MGNREGA was a rights-based legislation inspired by Article 41 of the Constitution of India, which calls upon the government to secure citizens' right to work, she said. "Over the past few days, the Narendra Modi government worked to bulldoze MGNREGA's abolition without any discussion, consultation, or respect for parliamentary processes or Centre-State relations. The removal of the Mahatma's name was only the tip of the iceberg. The very structure of MGNREGA, so integral to its impact, has been annihilated," she said, reported PTI. She described VB-G RAM G as "nothing but a set of bureaucratic provisions". The Modi government's new Bill has restricted the ambit of the scheme to rural areas as notified by the Union at its discretion, Gandhi said. Against uncapped central allocation, there is now a pre-determined budgetary allocation that caps the number of days of employment provided in each state. The number of workdays provided are, therefore, left to the Centre's priorities rather than the people's needs, she said, adding that the all-year guarantee of employment has been finished off, reported PTI. Gandhi said one of the greatest impacts of MGNREGA was increased bargaining power of the landless poor in rural India, which elevated agricultural wages. Bargaining power will definitely be eroded under the new law: Sonia Gandhi "This bargaining power will definitely be eroded under the new law. The Modi government is attempting to suppress wage growth and that too at a time when the proportion of employment in agriculture has risen for the first time since Independence, contrary to what should have been the case," she noted, reported PTI. She also said by transferring a significant portion of the expense onto the states, the Modi government is discouraging them from providing work under the scheme. The finances of states, already under severe stress and strain, will be further devastated, the Congress leader said, reported PTI. Under the VB-G RAM G Bill, the cost-sharing pattern is 60:40 between the Centre and states, 90:10 for northeastern and Himalayan states, and 100 per cent central funding for Union territories without legislatures. Gandhi further said that aside from demolishing the demand-based nature of the programme, the Modi government has ended the decentralised nature of the scheme. "The Modi government is resorting to fraudulent claims that it has enhanced the employment guarantee from 100 days (under MGNREGA) to 125 days. For all the reasons outlined above, that will certainly not be the case. Indeed, the real nature of the Modi government's intentions can be understood from its decade-long track record of throttling MGNREGA. It began with the Prime Minister's (in)famous mocking of the scheme on the floor of the House and proceeded apace through a 'death by a thousand cuts' strategy through, for instance, stagnant budgets, the use of disenfranchising technology and delayed payments to workers," she said in the article, reported PTI. Gandhi said the demolition of the right to work must not be seen in isolation but as part of the long assault by the ruling establishment on the Constitution and its right-based vision for the country. "The most fundamental right to vote is under unprecedented assault. The Right to Information has been desecrated with legislative changes that weaken the autonomy of Information Commissioners, and by wholesale exemptions from the Act for ill-defined 'personal information data," she said, reported PTI. The Right to Education has been undermined and The Forest Rights Act, 2006, was markedly weakened by the Forest (Conservation) Rules (2022), which removed the gram sabha from any role in permitting the diversion of forest land, the Congress leader said, adding that The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 has been significantly diluted. "Through the three black farm laws, the government attempted to deny farmers the right to a minimum support price. The National Food Security Act, 2013, may very well be next on the chopping block," Gandhi said, reported PTI. (With inputs from PTI)
22 December,2025 12:46 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe Supreme Court on Monday stayed conviction of former Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate in a cheating and forgery case, reported news agency PTI. A vacation bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notice to the Maharashtra government on Kokate's plea. "Issue notice. In the meanwhile, conviction of petitioner shall remain stayed to the extent that there shall be no disqualification as a member of legislative assembly. However he shall not hold any office of profit," the bench said, reported PTI. Kokate's conviction and two-year sentence by a magistrate in February this year were upheld by the Nashik sessions court last Tuesday, holding that he and his brother dishonestly induced the state government to allot them flats. HC grants bail to former Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate in cheating case Earlier, on Friday (December 19), in a partial relief to former Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate, the Bombay High Court suspended his two-year jail term in a cheating and forgery case and granted him bail, but refused to stay his conviction. Justice R N Laddha said in the order that the court cannot stay the conviction as there was prima facie evidence pointing to the NCP leader's involvement in the case where he was accused of securing a flat in a government scheme meant for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) by submitting false affidavits. The HC noted that the jail term handed to him by the magistrate's court was only two years and he had been on bail throughout the trial and hearing of his appeal before the session's court, hence it was inclined to grant him bail. "The application for suspension of sentence is allowed.....The applicant has to deposit a sum of Rs one lakh as surety," HC said. Justice Laddha also admitted for hearing Kokate's revision petition against the sessions court order upholding his conviction. But rejecting his plea for a stay to the conviction, the court said "permitting a person convicted of criminal offence (to hold a cabinet position) solely on account of suspended sentence would cause grave and irreparable prejudice to public service." It would erode public confidence in democratic institutions and demoralise those who adhere to law, the high court added. Kokate's conviction and two-year sentence by a magistrate in February this year were upheld by the Nashik sessions court on Tuesday, holding that he and his brother had dishonestly induced the state government to allot them flats. On December 18, he resigned from the Maharashtra cabinet. The case dates back to 1989-1992, concerning a housing scheme for EWS with an annual income limit of Rs 30,000. (With inputs from PTI)
22 December,2025 12:21 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe national capital continued to reel under heavy smog on Monday morning, with air quality levels remaining in the “very poor” category and several areas slipping into “severe” pollution levels. The deteriorating conditions once again raised health concerns for residents and disrupted normal daily activities across the city. According to data from the Sameer app, Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 366 at around 7.05 am The worst air quality was reported from the Narela monitoring station, which logged an AQI of 418, the highest in the city so far on Monday. Several other areas, including Anand Vihar, Bawana, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Rohini, and Wazirpur, also witnessed severe air quality, with AQI readings ranging between 401 and 408. Even the least polluted parts of the city failed to offer respite. Dilshad Garden recorded the lowest AQI among the 40 monitoring stations at 301, which still falls under the “very poor” category. As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), AQI levels between 301 and 400 are categorised as “very poor”, while readings between 401 and 500 are considered “severe”. Such pollution levels can cause respiratory discomfort, particularly among children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing health conditions. Dense smog affects visibility The dense smog also affected visibility across the national capital, prompting Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport to issue a passenger advisory. In a post on the social media platform X at 7 am, airport authorities stated that low-visibility procedures were in place, although flight operations were continuing normally. Passengers were advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest updates, as delays could occur due to weather conditions. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast moderate fog for the day. The maximum temperature in Delhi is expected to be around 21 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature may hover near 9 degrees Celsius. On Sunday, the city recorded a minimum temperature of 9.4 degrees Celsius, which was 1.3 degrees above the seasonal average. The maximum temperature settled at 18.1 degrees Celsius, adding to the cold and polluted conditions prevailing in the national capital. (With inputs from Agencies)
22 December,2025 10:09 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe number of elephant deaths in a collision between a train and a herd of jumbos in Assam's Hojai district rose to eight, as a calf succumbed to its injuries on Sunday, officials said. Seven elephants were killed, and one was injured, after a herd of tuskers was hit by the Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express in Changjurai village on Saturday. “The calf, the only tusker which had survived the accident, died this morning while undergoing treatment at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in Kaziranga,” Nagaon Division's Forest Ranger Shamim Akhtar said. Five coaches and the train's engine had also derailed, though no passenger was injured in the accident. Centre seeks report Union Minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday said the Centre has sought a report on the death of elephants in a collision between a train and a herd of tuskers in Assam’s Hojai district a day 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
22 December,2025 07:34 AM IST | Nagaon | AgenciesIndia on Sunday trashed as “misleading propaganda” media reports in Bangladesh that a demonstration outside Bangladesh's mission in New Delhi against the killing of a Hindu man in that country attempted to create a security situation. Certain reports in Bangladeshi media claimed that the youths protesting outside the Bangladesh High Commission tried to breach the security of the premises. There was “no attempt to breach the fence or create a security situation at any time”, the ministry said, adding the police dispersed the group after a few minutes and visual evidence of these events is publicly available. “We have noted misleading propaganda in sections of the Bangladesh media on the incident,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. “The fact is that about 20-25 youths gathered in front of the Bangladesh high commission in New Delhi on December 20 and raised slogans in protest against the horrendous killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, while also calling for the protection of all minorities in Bangladesh,” he said. Jaiswal said there was “no attempt to breach the fence or create a security situation” at any time. India suspends visa ops India on Sunday suspended visa operations at the Indian Visa Application Centre in Bangladesh’s southeastern port city of Chattogram until further notice in the wake of heightened tensions following the death of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, local media reported. The decision came into effect on Sunday following a recent security incident at the AHCI in Chittagong. 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
22 December,2025 07:19 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone of a Rs 10,601-crore brownfield ammonia-urea plant in Dibrugarh district of Assam. The facility — Assam Valley Fertiliser and Chemical Company Ltd (AVFCCL) — will have an annual urea production capacity of 12.7 lakh metric tonnes and the project is scheduled for commissioning in 2030. The PM, on the last day of his two-day Assam visit, laid the foundation stone of the plant here, located within the existing premises of the Brahmaputra Valley Fertiliser Corp Ltd (BVFCL). In July this year, AVFCCL was incorporated at Namrup in Dibrugarh. The project was approved by the Union Cabinet in March this year. AVFCCL is a joint venture among the Assam government, Oil India, National Fertilisers Ltd (NFL), Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd (HURL) and BVFCL. Modi arrived in Assam on Saturday on a two-day visit, during which he unveiled multiple projects worth R15,600 crore, months before the Assembly polls next year. “The AVFCCL Namrup ammonia-urea project is being established as a modern, energy-efficient, world-class fertiliser complex with an annual urea production capacity of 12.7 lakh metric tonnes, at an estimated investment of R10,601 crore,” the company said in a statement. It said this upcoming facility will play a pivotal role in meeting the fertiliser requirement of Assam, the northeast region, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Tribute to martyrs of Assam Agitation PM Modi on Sunday paid homage to martyrs of the Assam Agitation, a movement against illegal immigrants, at the ‘Swahid Smarak Kshetra’ here. Modi paid floral tribute in front of a lamp, which always remains lit in memory of the 860 martyrs of the six-year-long movement that ended in 1985. He garlanded the bust of Khargeswar Talukdar, the first martyr of the Assam Agitation. Talukdar had died on December 10, 1979, and the memorial was inaugurated earlier this month to mark his death anniversary. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who accompanied Modi, said that the PM remembered the sacrifices of the people for protecting the state’s culture. 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
22 December,2025 07:16 AM IST | Namrup | AgenciesThe ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), recorded a resounding victory in the Maharashtra local body elections, winning 207 out of 288 municipal council and nagar panchayat president posts on Sunday. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) managed a collective tally of just 44, according to the state election commission (SEC). Among the Mahayuti allies, the BJP secured 117 posts, followed by Shiv Sena (53), and the NCP (37). The Congress bagged 28 posts, the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) seven, and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) nine. Registered but unrecognised parties won 28 seats, while Independents bagged five. The Congress claimed 41 municipal president posts and 1,006 councillor positions, with most victories in Chandrapur district, where it won eight of the 11 municipal council president posts along with 128 members. Congress also contested in seven local bodies in Beed district after several years and secured a few seats in each. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attributed the Mahayuti’s success to the BJP’s organisational strength and development-focused agenda. “It is a team effort — organisation and government. We fought the polls on the development plank. I led the campaign on a positive development agenda and never once criticised any political leader or party,” he said. Fadnavis highlighted that 48 per cent of councillors were elected on the BJP symbol, with BJP candidates emerging as municipal presidents in 129 local bodies. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also congratulated the Mahayuti leaders for the sweeping victory. “Thanks to the people of the state for giving overwhelming support to the Mahayuti in the Maharashtra Nagar Panchayat and Nagar Parishad elections. This victory is the people's blessings on the vision of the welfare of every section under the central and state governments of the NDA led by Modi ji. On this victory, I extend my best wishes to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde, and Ajit Pawar, and all the workers of the NDA,” Shah wrote on X. He added, “At the same time, congratulations to state president Ravindra Chavan, and all the workers of BJP Maharashtra for the BJP winning the maximum number of seats!” Vote counting for 286 municipal councils and nagar panchayats began at 10 am on Sunday. The elections were conducted in two phases, with some councils going to polls on December 2, and others on Saturday. (With PTI and ANI inputs)
21 December,2025 11:22 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPresident Droupadi Murmu on Sunday gave her assent to the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and providing for 125 days of wage employment for rural workers, news agency PTI reported. Following the presidential approval, the Bill is now the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, as notified in the Gazette of India. The Rural Development Ministry described it as a decisive reform in India’s rural employment and development framework. According to the government, the VB-G RAM G scheme aligns rural development with the national vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’. Besides guaranteeing 125 days of wage employment, the Act allows states to notify a pause period of up to 60 days in a financial year to ensure adequate availability of agricultural labour during peak sowing and harvesting seasons, PTI reported. The Ministry said the Act aims to transform rural employment from a standalone welfare measure into an integrated instrument of development. The Bill was passed in Parliament last week amid Opposition protests. The Congress continued its nationwide protests on Sunday, accusing the Narendra Modi government of "desecrating the groundbreaking law" and claimed that two decades of progress under MGNREGA had been overturned "without consultation" and by bypassing parliamentary conventions. Dismissing such criticism, Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleged that misinformation was being spread about the new scheme, which he described as a step forward from MGNREGA. In a video posted on X, Chouhan said that over Rs 1,51,282 crore will be allocated to the VB-G RAM G scheme to ensure adequate funding for rural employment. "There is a conspiracy to misguide the country, and false information is being spread, while the truth is that the VB-G RAM G scheme is a step ahead of MGNREGA," he said. 'Act modernises rural employment framework, links wage work to productive assets' The Ministry said the Act modernises the statutory framework, enhances livelihood security, strengthens income stability for rural households, and links wage employment with the creation of durable and productive rural assets, laying the foundation for a prosperous and resilient rural India. The Act mandates payment of wages on a weekly basis, or within 15 days of work completion, PTI reported. Delay compensation is payable in case of late payment. Wage employment under the Act is aligned with four priority domains: water security and water-related works, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure, and mitigation of extreme weather events. All works are derived from Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans (VGPPs), prepared at the gram panchayat level through participatory processes and approved by the gram sabha. These plans are digitally and spatially integrated with national platforms, including ‘Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti’. "This integrated planning framework will enable Ministries and Departments to implement works more effectively, avoid duplication and wastage of public resources, and accelerate development through saturation-based outcomes," the Ministry said. The cost-sharing pattern is 60:40 between Centre and states, 90:10 for North Eastern and Himalayan States, and 100 per cent Central funding for Union Territories without legislatures. The Ministry clarified that normative allocations pertain to budgeting and fund flow and do not affect legal entitlements to employment. The administrative expenditure ceiling has been raised from 6 per cent to 9 per cent, allowing better staffing, training, technical capacity, and field-level support. Technology under the Act is designed as an enabling mechanism, not a barrier, the Ministry added. (With PTI inputs)
21 December,2025 11:01 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentMaharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday described the Mahayuti’s success in the municipal council and nagar panchayat elections as a result of a collective effort by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organisation and the government, news agency PTI reported. “It is a team effort – organisation and government. We fought the polls on the development plank. I led the campaign on a positive development agenda, and never did I even once criticise any political leader or party,” the Maharashtra CM said. He added that the BJP sought votes based on its development agenda, the work accomplished so far, and the blueprint for the future, PTI reported. “The BJP has once again emerged as the single-largest party in an election,” noted Fadnavis. Counting of votes for the posts of president and members in 286 municipal councils and nagar panchayats across Maharashtra began at 10 am on Sunday. Initial trends showed the Mahayuti – comprising the BJP, Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena – comfortably ahead. “Forty-eight per cent of the members have been elected on the BJP’s symbol. A total of 129 BJP candidates have been elected as municipal presidents. In 75 per cent of local bodies, Mahayuti candidates have been elected as presidents,” Fadnavis said, adding that the BJP’s national leadership has placed faith in the state unit. Maharashtra local polls: Opposition blames election commission and 'money power' The opposition Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Sunday largely conceded defeat in the municipal council and nagar panchayat elections, blaming the State Election Commission and “money power” for the Mahayuti’s dominance, PTI reported. State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal congratulated party candidates who won municipal president and councillor posts but also tersely remarked that the poll body had “helped” the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the elections. Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve attributed the Mahayuti’s win to “money and muscle power.” "The Mahayuti has bagged a larger number of seats as compared to constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, thanks to the muscle and money power deployed by the ruling parties," Danve told PTI in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. (With PTI inputs)
21 December,2025 06:22 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
