Author: Sharad Natani
India’s biggest airline, IndiGo, is battling one of the toughest operational crises in its history. New pilot duty norms, longer rest hours, and restricted night flights have triggered massive cancellations across the country—leaving thousands of passengers stranded and bringing intense public scrutiny on the airline. And at the centre of this storm is Rahul Bhatia, the low-profile billionaire who built IndiGo from scratch into a global aviation success story — and is now steering it through unprecedented turbulence. Who Is Rahul Bhatia? The Quiet Businessman Who Changed Indian Aviation Rahul Bhatia is the co-founder of InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company…
Indian students planning to study in the United States have a major reason to celebrate this admission season. In a surprising move, the US has significantly reduced visa wait times across multiple categories, easing one of the biggest stress points for students and travellers. According to the latest data on the US Department of State’s Global Visa Wait Times portal, the waiting period for F-1 (student), M-1 (vocational), and J-1 (exchange visitor) visas at the US Embassy in New Delhi has dropped from two months to just 15 days — a dramatic improvement just ahead of the new academic intake.…
In a historic boost to India’s border security and connectivity, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday dedicated 125 newly completed Border Roads Organisation (BRO) projects to the nation — the highest number of infrastructure projects inaugurated at one time in the organisation’s history. Valued at Rs 5,000 crore, the projects span some of India’s toughest frontiers — Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Mizoram and West Bengal. The infrastructure package includes 28 roads, 93 bridges, and four key operational facilities, drastically improving last-mile access to remote villages and high-altitude military posts. Shyok Tunnel: A New…
In Telangana’s remote tribal block of Narnoor—where health awareness once struggled to enter homes and classrooms—a quiet revolution is taking shape. What began as an experiment is now being hailed as one of India’s most innovative school-based wellness models. Led by Rajarshi Shah, IAS (2017 batch), District Collector & DM, the district has introduced “Aarogya Patashala,” a transformative wellness-centric school programme that is rewriting how children learn, practise, and internalise healthy habits. A Classroom That Teaches Life, Not Just Lessons Unlike traditional health lectures that are forgotten soon after the bell rings, Aarogya Patashala turns every school day into a…
Uttar Pradesh, home to some of India’s richest culinary traditions, is set to rewrite its tourism story—this time, through food. After the massive success of the One District, One Product (ODOP) initiative, the state government has unveiled an ambitious new mission: One District, One Cuisine (ODOC), a scheme designed to celebrate local flavours, revive forgotten recipes, and transform every district into a culinary destination. The ODOC initiative aims to map and market signature dishes of all 75 districts, turning them into powerful cultural and economic assets. From Awadhi delicacies to Bundelkhandi staples and Purvanchal’s festive foods, Uttar Pradesh plans to…
In the ancient city where tradition runs deep, a quiet digital revolution is transforming how women experience pregnancy and motherhood. The newly launched e-SAATHI WhatsApp Chatbot is emerging as a lifeline for thousands of pregnant and lactating mothers in Varanasi, bringing stage-based guidance, real-time support, and health empowerment directly to their phones. Built to deliver the right information at the right time, e-SAATHI — short for Electronic Support and Assistance for Timely Health Information — is not just another government app. It acts like a personal health companion, speaking to each woman in simple language, understanding her stage of pregnancy,…