Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis lauded the announcement of the India-US trade agreement, referring to it as "a new chapter of friendship" between the two nations. Fadnavis further added that the US-India trade agreement would help the state by providing access to significant investments in cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence, as reported by news agency ANI. Fadnavis, while posting on social media platform X, wrote, "A New Chapter of Friendship! The historic trade agreement between India and the United States is truly a victory of the friendship between Hon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and the President of the United States, Donald Trump. This is also an extremely important moment for global trade.” मैत्रीचा एक नवीन अध्याय!भारत आणि अमेरिकेमधील ऐतिहासिक व्यापार करार हा खऱ्या अर्थाने मा. पंतप्रधान नरेंद्र मोदीजी आणि अमेरिकेचे राष्ट्राध्यक्ष डोनाल्ड ट्रम्प यांच्या मैत्रीचा विजय आहे. जागतिक व्यापारासाठी सुद्धा हा एक अत्यंत महत्त्वपूर्ण क्षण आहे.जगातील प्रमुख निर्यात करणाऱ्या… https://t.co/cOSEDXoVWp — Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) February 2, 2026 “India will now receive preferential tariff rates from the United States among the world's major exporting economies. This marks the beginning of a new era in India-US friendship," the CM added. Highlighting the benefits for Indian businesses, the Maharashtra Chief Minister added, "This agreement will open the doors to many new and exciting opportunities for Indian businesses and will prove beneficial for both countries. Maharashtra has always been a leading state in exports. Therefore, this agreement will open new horizons for businesses in our state. Maharashtra will receive significant investment in data centres, artificial intelligence, and revolutionary modern technology." The India-US trade deal was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump during the late hours of Monday, where the US reduced the tariffs on India to 18 per cent from 25 per cent. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hails US-India trade agreement Following the announcement of the US-India trade deal, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hailed the deal as a "landmark moment" for the economic partnership between India and the United States. He further highlighted how this deal would subsequently grant Indian products access to a larger global market. The Uttar Pradesh CM also asserted that this deal will surely then provide fresh opportunities for youth and MSMEs. Yogi Adityanath, while taking it to social media platform X, wrote, "A landmark moment for the India-US economic partnership. A major boost to #MakeInIndia, as Indian products will gain wider global market access, creating fresh opportunities for Indian youth and MSMEs.” Thanking the Prime Minister, he added, “Thank you, Hon. PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji, for your decisive and determined leadership in advancing stronger India-US ties. This milestone reflects rising global confidence in Made in India and reinforces India's position as a key driver of global growth." A landmark moment for the India–US economic partnership.A major boost to #MakeInIndia, as Indian products will gain wider global market access, creating fresh opportunities for Indian youth and MSMEs.Thank you, Hon. PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, for your decisive and determined… — Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) February 2, 2026 PM Modi, while hailing the trade agreement, said that when two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. The PM asserted, "President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights," as cited by ANI. (With inputs from ANI)
03 February,2026 09:43 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentYSRCP has demanded deployment of central forces in Andhra Pradesh in the wake of alleged unabated politically driven arson and vindictive attacks on opposition leaders' residences. Speaking to the media on Monday, Kurnool Party President SV Mohan Reddy claimed the attacks on the houses of Ambati Rambabu and Jogi Ramesh in the last few days showcase the vindictiveness of the coalition government and how TDP goons are allowed to take law into their own hands and alleged that everything was being enforced under the direction of top leadership, while the police remain mute spectators. He further claimed that the attacks went on unabated for six hours, and petrol bombs were hurled in a planned manner. "When such an anarchy is going on, the Central Intelligence too did not take note of such incidents, which concludes that the coalition partners are endorsing the violence and attacks of political adversaries," he accused. "Unless there is the go-ahead from the top leadership, the attacks on the houses of Ambati Rambabu and Jogi Ramesh cannot be executed in such a manner, and days will change, and people involved in the incidents will have to face the consequences," Mohan Reddy claimed. He said, "Chandrababu, Lokesh and Pawan Kalyan have made arrangements for their stay elsewhere, while it will be the cadre that will have to face the consequences once YSRCP returns to power." He asserted that a handful of police officers will bring a bad name to the entire force by allegedly surrendering to the ruling party, and the effectiveness of the police institution will take a heavy beating if such a situation continues. "Before it is too late, the situation should be corrected, and the Centre should intervene and send forces to control the situation," he stated. Former Andhra Pradesh Minister and YSR Congress Party leader Jogi Ramesh's house was vandalised and set on fire in Ibrahimpatnam, Vijayawada, as political tensions rise in the state. According to sources, a large mob ransacked the premises, damaged household articles, and torched parts of the house, triggering panic in the locality on Sunday. Residents said the attackers acted in an organised manner, leaving behind destruction and fear. YSRCP leaders alleged that Jogi Ramesh, a well-known BC leader, was deliberately targeted, pointing to a pattern of political intimidation. "Back-to-back attacks on former ministers within two days point to a complete breakdown of law and order and reflect a pattern of political intimidation," YSRCP leaders said. This comes a day after the former minister Ambati Rambabu's house and office were allegedly attacked by a group of TDP workers. Ambati Rambabu has been remanded to 14 days' judicial custody over the alleged remarks against Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. YSRCP leaders have condemned the attack on Ambati Rambabu, accusing CM Chandrababu Naidu of the "violence and lawlessness" in the state. 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
03 February,2026 09:08 AM IST | Kurnool | ANIThe Union Health Budget 2026 has unveiled a push to the healthcare sector that will make the country self-reliant and globally credible in the long term. "The Union Budget 2026-27 lays a strong foundation for positioning India as a global hub for life sciences innovation and advanced biopharma manufacturing. The Rs 10,000 crore outlay under the Biopharma Shakti initiative, coupled with the expansion and upgradation of NIPERs, will significantly strengthen India's research, talent and innovation ecosystem in high-value biologics and advanced therapeutics. Measures to enhance CDSCO capabilities and streamline clinical trial compliances are particularly encouraging, as they will improve regulatory efficiency and global credibility. The integrated focus on innovation and manufacturing scale-up will accelerate innovation-led pipelines and enable deeper global collaborations," said Mayank Singhal, Vice Chairperson & Managing Director, PI Industries. According to Dr GSK Velu, Chairman & Managing Director, Trivitron Healthcare, Maxivision Eye Hospitals & Neuberg Diagnostic, "Budget 2026 positions India to accelerate its transition from volume-driven production to value-driven global leadership across pharmaceuticals, biopharma, and medical devices, with Biopharma Shakti as its anchor and a renewed focus on regulatory and manufacturing reforms that assure reduced compliance." "The Rs 10,000 crore commitment to strengthening the biopharma, biotech, and life sciences ecosystem, alongside support for the drug regulatory framework and biopharma R&D, creates a strong foundation for raising quality benchmarks and aligning Indian innovation with global standards. This integrated approach will help move ideas from the laboratory to the bedside more efficiently, while encouraging closer collaboration between industry, academia, and care providers," he explained. JS Shinde, President, and Rajiv Singhal, General Secretary, of the All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), stated that in the interest of patients, the proposal to grant complete exemption from Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on 36 life-saving medicines used for cancer and other serious diseases is a highly sensitive and humane decision. This will lead to a significant reduction in treatment costs and make critical therapies more affordable. "Similarly, the inclusion of 37 new medicines and 13 new programmes under patient assistance initiatives clearly reflects the Government's commitment to placing patient welfare at the highest priority," they said. "The proposal to establish three new National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs) and to upgrade seven existing institutions will provide fresh momentum to pharmaceutical education, quality research, innovation, and the development of skilled human resources. In the long run, this will serve as a strong bridge between industry and academia," they further added. Dr Gowthami AV, CEO, Yatharth Hospital, Noida, said, "The Union Budget 2026's focus on upgrading existing institutions for allied health professionals is a highly progressive step towards strengthening India's healthcare delivery ecosystem. By enhancing training infrastructure, modern curricula and hands-on skill development, this initiative will help bridge the critical workforce gap across diagnostics, rehabilitation, emergency care and clinical support services. A stronger allied health workforce will improve patient outcomes, reduce pressure on doctors and hospitals, and ensure more accessible, high-quality care across urban and rural regions alike." 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
03 February,2026 08:52 AM IST | New Delhi | ANIA row erupted in Lok Sabha on Monday when Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi sought to quote from a “memoir” of former Army chief M M Naravane on the 2020 India-China conflict but faced strong opposition from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other BJP members who accused the Congress leader of misleading the House, leading to uproar and adjournment of proceedings for the day. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla disallowed Gandhi from raising the issue, but he did not relent and several Opposition leaders also rallied behind him. The House was adjourned twice and later for the day. Earlier, as Gandhi rose to speak on the Motion of Thanks to the president’s address, he said he would first like to respond to the charges made by the previous speaker, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, against the Congress on nationalism and began quoting from what he stated was the “memoir” of Gen. Naravane talking about the India-China conflict of 2020. However, Defence Minister Singh strongly protested this and asked Gandhi to clarify whether the book had been published or not. The uproar went on for about 50 minutes with Speaker Om Birla repeatedly stating that no book or newspaper clipping can be quoted on a matter not related to the proceedings of the House, and Gandhi insisting that the document was authenticated and he could quote from it. Government sources said Gandhi was reading “concocted things” on China. They said there was ample material in the public domain on the decisions taken by India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, on China, and alleged that he “surrendered thousands of acres of land just to further his own statesmanship.” Who is ex-Army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane? General Manoj Mukund Naravane is a former Chief of the Indian Army who served as the 27th Chief of Army Staff from December 31, 2019, to April 30, 2022. Born on April 22, 1960, in Pune, he is the son of a former Indian Air Force officer. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, Naravane holds an MPhil in defence studies. Commissioned into the 7th Battalion of the Sikh Light Infantry in 1980, he commanded key formations including Rashtriya Rifles units in Jammu and Kashmir, an infantry brigade, and the Assam Rifles. He led the Army during critical periods, including the Galwan standoff with China, and also served briefly as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee before retirement. Govt heckled Rahul to gag truth: Cong The Congress on Monday alleged that the Modi government “heckled” Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to stop him from speaking in the Lok Sabha on the India-China border conflict of 2020 from former Army chief Manoj Naravane’s “memoir” as it was afraid that the “truth of its incompetence” would be exposed. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said that the government had deployed senior-most Cabinet ministers and “misused” rules to “silence” Gandhi in the House. “This faux nationalist government is so afraid of the truth of their incompetence coming out that they have deployed a bunch of seniormost Cabinet Ministers to prevent LOP Sh. Rahul Gandhi ji from speaking. “They moved heaven and earth to stall the publishing of Ex Army Chief Gen. Manoj Naravane ji’s book - and now when excerpts are coming out which expose their so-called nationalist commitments, they are heckling and silencing the Leader of Opposition,” the Congress leader said in a post on X. 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
03 February,2026 08:17 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesAn Air India pilot on Monday reported a possible defect with the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 plane, which has now been grounded for checks, and the incident comes amid the ongoing probe into the airline’s Dreamliner crash last June. The aircraft operated the flight AI132 from London to Bengaluru, and it landed at Bengaluru on Monday morning. There were more than 200 people on board, according to sources. Another source aware about the incident said the fuel control switch failed to be in the ‘RUN’ position and moved towards ‘CUT OFF’ position. ‘RUN’ and ‘CUT OFF’ are used to start or shut down engines, respectively. It could not be immediately ascertained at what stage of the flight did the Air India pilot notice the possible malfunctioning of the fuel control switch. The functioning of the fuel control switch is in focus following the crash of Air India’s Boeing 787-8 aircraft or Dreamliner that killed 260 people last June, as the preliminary probe report mentioned about fuel supply being cut off soon after take-off. 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
03 February,2026 08:12 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesIndia and the US agreed to a trade deal under which Washington will bring down reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18 per cent from current 25 per cent, US President Donald Trump said on Monday after a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The prime minister said he was delighted that "Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent". "Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," Modi said. The prime minister said when two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together, it benefits the people and "unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation". "President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace," he said on 'X'. Modi noted that he looked forward to working closely with Trump to take the bilateral partnership to unprecedented heights, without mentioning many of the other issues that figured in Trump's post on social media. Trump said India will move forward to reduce "tariffs and non tariff barriers" against the US to zero, adding New Delhi would buy American goods, including energy, worth more than USD 500 billion. "Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a trade deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced reciprocal tariff, lowering it from 25 per cent to 18 per cent," the US president said on social media. India will "likewise move forward to reduce their tariffs and non tariff barriers against the United States, to zero", he said. Trump said Modi also committed to buy American goods at much higher level, in addition to over USD 500 billion dollars of US energy, technology, agricultural, coal, and many other products. "Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that get things done something that cannot be said for most," he said. In his remarks, Modi said, "When two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation." "I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights," he added. Trump said Modi and he also discussed ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. "He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela," the US president said. "This will help end the war in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week," Trump said. Trump and Modi last spoke on phone in October 2025. The two leaders had agreed at a meeting in February last year to finalise the first tranche of a bilateral trade agreement by the autumn. Though the two sides held several rounds of negotiations, forward movement on the trade deal stalled after Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, including the 25 per cent punitive tariffs for India's procurement of Russian crude oil. The Modi-Trump phone talks came on a day External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar travelled to Washington DC. India has now lower tariff compared to competing export economies, officials said. They cited 19 per cent American tariffs on Indonesia, 20 per cent on Vietnam, 20 per cent on Bangladesh and 34 per cent on China. Official sources last week said India and the US have made "very significant" progress in the negotiations for the trade deal. 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.
03 February,2026 08:07 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIFormer Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was questioned by the state police’s SIT at his residence here on Sunday in connection with a case related to alleged “phone tapping” during the previous BRS regime. A team of SIT officials questioned the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president for nearly five hours. After the questioning, flanked by his son and BRS working president K T Rama Rao and other leaders, the former chief minister greeted the party cadre and supporters who had gathered in large numbers outside his residence. In a post on X, Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar said: “The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has concluded the questioning of Gajwel MLA and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in connection with the illegal phone-tapping case.” 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
03 February,2026 08:07 AM IST | Hyderabad | AgenciesIndia and the United States have agreed a trade deal, US President Donald Trump said on Monday following a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reported the PTI. According to Trump, Washington will reduce the reciprocal tariff on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. In a post on social media, Trump claimed that India would also move to reduce its tariffs and non-tariff barriers against US goods to zero. At the time of reporting, India had not issued an immediate reaction to the announcement. Trump said the agreement was made “out of friendship and respect” for Prime Minister Modi and added that the deal would take effect immediately. The US President said that PM Modi had committed to “buy American” at a significantly higher level. Trump also stated that India would purchase over USD 500 billion worth of US energy, technology, agricultural products, coal and other goods. Trump hails strong relationship with India Trump described the US-India relationship as “amazing” and said it would grow even stronger going forward. He added that he and Modi were “two people that get things done”, a quality he said was rare In a social media post, US Ambassador Sergio Gor said that Trump had spoken with Modi on Monday, adding, “President Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Modi. STAY TUNED.” Congress questions communication Responding to the development, Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said that the information appeared to have come from the US side rather than India. He commented, “It seems that PM Modi and President Trump spoke to each other today. This information has been provided not by the Indian side but by the US Ambassador to India.” He added that this seemed to have become a regular occurrence, with India finding out about its government’s actions only through President Trump or his appointees, dubbing it “Trump-nirbharta”. Diplomatic talks amid Jaishankar’s US visit The telephone conversation took place on the same day that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar began a three-day visit to Washington. The two countries have been working in recent weeks to resolve tensions and move forward on finalising the proposed bilateral trade deal.
02 February,2026 11:30 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentA traffic police constable from Beed district in Maharashtra was suspended on Monday for allegedly abusing and threatening his colleagues while on duty, an official said, reported the PTI. The cop was identified as Siddhant Gore. He was posted with the Beed city traffic branch, officials said. They said that he is accused of abusing his colleagues on Saturday evening following a trivial argument, the official added, reported news agency PTI. “After CCTV footage confirmed the misconduct allegations against Gore, he was placed under suspension by Beed Superintendent of Police Navneet Kanwat. The inquiry into the incident was carried out by Assistant Inspector Subhash Sanap. Gore had been dismissed from service in an earlier case but was reinstated following an order by the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT),” the official added, reported PTI. Two Wadala TT cops, caught taking bribe by ACB, dismissed from service In a similar incident, in a rare move under Article 311(2)(b) of the Constitution of India, Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Shukla dismissed two police officers from Mumbai’s Wadala TT Police Station—a senior inspector and a sub-inspector—who were earlier caught red-handed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for accepting bribes in a dispute case. Senior Police Inspector Chandrakant Sudhakar Sarode (52) and Police Sub-Inspector Rahul Ramesh Waghmode (37) were arrested by the ACB in September after they allegedly demanded and accepted illegal gratification from a complainant involved in a community hall dispute. According to the ACB, the complainant, a 59-year-old man, approached the bureau after the officers allegedly sought bribes to ensure his daughter was not named as an accused in a Thane police case filed by a rival group. PSI Waghmode allegedly demanded Rs 50,000 for himself and Rs 5 lakh for Sarode, and had already accepted Rs 20,000 on September 10 and another Rs 30,000 later during verification. On September 26, Sarode was caught accepting Rs 2 lakh—the first instalment of the Rs 4 lakh bribe he had agreed to take—while Waghmode had already collected Rs 30,000 earlier. Both were caught red-handed in an ACB trap in the presence of five witnesses. Following their arrest, the duo was immediately suspended. However, a fresh dismissal order issued by DGP Rashmi Shukla has now removed both officers from service with immediate effect. The order cites their conduct as a “conscious betrayal of public trust” and states that a departmental inquiry was deemed “not reasonably practicable” due to their influence, intimidation, and “deep-rooted connections” within the police establishment. It further notes that Sarode had a history of previous departmental punishments, including a prior suspension in a 2001 corruption case registered in Nagpur city under the Prevention of Corruption Act. “Their actions amount to grave misconduct, gross dereliction of duty, and conduct unbecoming of police officers,” the order states, adding that their dismissal was necessary “in the larger public interest.” (With PTI inputs)
02 February,2026 10:42 PM IST | Beed | mid-day online correspondentAn Air India pilot has reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, prompting the airline to ground the aircraft and inform the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), reported the PTI. The aircraft had operated flight AI132 from London to Bengaluru and landed safely in Bengaluru on Monday morning, sources said. In a statement, Air India confirmed that one of its pilots had flagged a potential issue with the fuel control switch of the Dreamliner, according to the PTI. The airline said the aircraft has been grounded as a precaution, and the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) has been involved to examine the pilot’s concerns on a priority basis. The issue has also been formally reported to the DGCA. Air India said it had earlier inspected the fuel control switches across its entire Boeing 787 fleet following a directive from the DGCA and had found no issues at that time, as per the PTI. Incident raises safety sensitivities The latest report has drawn attention due to ongoing concerns in some quarters about the functioning of fuel control switches, especially in the context of the Air India Dreamliner crash in June last year. June 2025 Dreamliner crash On June 12, 2025, an Air India Boeing 787-8 operating flight AI171 to London Gatwick crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people, including 241 passengers. It was one of the deadliest air accidents in India. The crash is being investigated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). Preliminary findings of AAIB In its preliminary report released on July 12, 2025, the AAIB said that fuel supply to both engines was cut off within a gap of one second, leading to confusion in the cockpit soon after take-off, the news agency reported. According to the cockpit voice recording, one pilot was heard asking the other why the fuel was cut off, to which the second pilot replied that he had not done so. Fuel control switch issue in Dreamliner must be investigated thoroughly: Expert According to the ANI, an aviation expert has said that the reported defect in the fuel control switch of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a highly sensitive issue that requires thorough investigation, especially in the aftermath of the Air India flight AI171 crash. Aviation expert Harsh Vardhan said the fuel control mechanism of Boeing 787 aircraft has been under scrutiny since the crash, making the latest report significant. He noted that Air India has taken the correct step by grounding the aircraft and must now verify the pilots’ observations by matching them with flight data recorder information and other technical records. #WATCH | Delhi: On an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner grounded after pilots reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch, Aviation Expert Harsh Vardhan says, "... After the Air India 171 crash, the fuel control mechanism of the 787 and Boeing aircraft has come into… https://t.co/AeNgrO1Pdd pic.twitter.com/cnTBjdX7Mz — ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2026 Vardhan recalled that as early as 2018, Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued guidelines regarding the sensitivity of the fuel control mechanism, indicating that the issue is not new and needs closer attention. He added that while there are multiple aspects under investigation in the AI171 crash, a possible system malfunction linked to the fuel control mechanism cannot be ruled out. According to him, the exact cause will only be known once the full investigation is completed. (With PTI and ANI inputs)
02 February,2026 10:13 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentMaharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said that the state was planning to raise monthly aid under the Ladki Bahin scheme from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100, reported the PTI. He said that despite observations by the CAG on the Ladki Bahin scheme, the government will continue providing monthly financial aid to women, ahead of the Zilla Parishad Elections 2026. According to the PTI, while speaking at a rally while campaigning for Zilla Parishad Elections 2026 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, he also announced that the monthly assistance would be raised from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100 at an appropriate time. "An amount of Rs 45,000 crore is disbursed through the Ladki Bahin scheme. Earlier, I saw reports about the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) censuring this scheme. However, the scheme will continue as it has been helping women immensely. It has spawned several stories of women entrepreneurship," he said. "If we conduct a survey, we will realise that women beneficiaries have started small businesses using the monthly aid. They are using the stipend to manage their lives efficiently," he added, reported PTI. "Initiating such welfare measures is the duty of the government towards the people. This scheme will never be discontinued, whatever the rumours," Shinde said. About Ladki Bahin scheme The "Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin" scheme was launched in June 2024 when Shinde was Chief Minister. Under this flagship initiative, eligible women aged 21 to 65 receive a financial benefit of Rs 1,500 per month via DBT. The scheme is believed to have played a crucial role in the victory of the BJP and Shiv Sena in the 2024 assembly elections. Shinde, meanwhile, accused the Opposition of doing nothing for people affected by floods and rains earlier last year. "They didn't even distribute small packets of biscuits and are questioning us why we are giving Rs 1,500 to women beneficiaries. The state government will increase the amount under the 'Ladki Bahin' scheme to Rs 2,100 at the right time," he said, reported PTI. Shinde also assured that the loan waiver promise will be honoured by the Mahayuti government soon. Ladki Bahin scheme funds to be disbursed only after e-KYC verification Maharashtra’s Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare, earlier in January, emphasised that e-KYC remains mandatory to ensure transparency and to confirm that the financial assistance reaches only eligible beneficiaries. Minister Tatkare clarified that specific groups, including widows, divorcees, and women whose husbands or fathers have passed away, must not only complete the online e-KYC but also submit the relevant supporting documents to their respective District Women and Child Development Officers to ensure uninterrupted benefits. Speaking to the media, Tatkare stated, "This scheme is a revolution for women's empowerment. Following instructions from the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers, we have extended the date so that no eligible sister is deprived of the benefits due to natural calamities or technical difficulties." The Minister urged all remaining beneficiaries to visit the official website (ladakibahin.maharashtra.gov.in) and complete their Aadhaar-linked e-KYC as soon as possible to avoid any delays in future instalments of the Ladki Bahin Yojana. (With PTI inputs)
02 February,2026 09:44 PM IST | Chhatrapati Sambhajingar | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
-1770085674237_d.png "Narendra Modi (L) and Donald Trump (R). File Pic")
