Author: Sharad Natani
India’s largest airline, IndiGo, is facing one of the most serious operational crises in its history, with passenger compensation payouts expected to cross Rs 500 crore after thousands of flights were abruptly cancelled earlier this month. The aviation regulator has stepped in, ordering the airline to cut 10% of its winter schedule, signalling strong disapproval of what officials describe as systemic planning failures. Between December 3 and December 5, IndiGo cancelled nearly 4,500 flights, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded across major airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The cancellations triggered widespread anger, viral social media backlash, and…
When ISRO’s heavy-lift LVM3 “Bahubali” rocket lifts off from Sriharikota later this year, it will carry more than a satellite into space. The BlueBird-6 mission, scheduled for around December 21, 2025, represents a defining moment for India’s commercial space ambitions and a potential turning point in how the world accesses mobile internet. At the heart of this mission is BlueBird-6, a massive 6.5-tonne low-Earth-orbit satellite built by US-based AST SpaceMobile, designed to do something revolutionary: beam broadband connectivity directly to ordinary 4G and 5G smartphones—without towers, terminals, or dishes. A Satellite Designed to Eliminate Digital Blind Spots BlueBird-6 is part…
In a stunning turnaround that rewrites its own past, the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has achieved what no other education board in India has done before. Once associated with controversies and examination irregularities, the Bihar Board has now emerged as a national benchmark in transparency, technology, and governance by securing three prestigious international ISO certifications simultaneously. With this achievement, BSEB becomes India’s first education board to receive ISO 9001:2015, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and ISO 15489-1:2016 certifications together — a milestone that reflects global standards in quality management, information security, and record management. A Rare Triple Certification Achievement The three ISO…
Pradeep Shukla was once the embodiment of India’s bureaucratic ideal — a UPSC Rank 1 topper, a physics gold medallist, and a 1981-batch IAS officer whose intellect and discipline were widely admired. Four decades later, his name stands etched in public memory not for excellence, but for one of India’s most infamous administrative scandals — the Rs 5,700-crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam. His journey from brilliance to disgrace offers a sobering case study on how unchecked power can corrode even the sharpest minds. An Academic Prodigy Who Topped UPSC Born into a modest background, Pradeep Shukla displayed exceptional…
Noida and Greater Noida have plunged into a severe air pollution crisis, prompting authorities to enforce GRAP-4 (Graded Response Action Plan – Stage 4), the toughest anti-pollution framework in India. With the Air Quality Index (AQI) touching a hazardous 455 in Noida and 442 in Greater Noida, the twin cities are currently among the worst-polluted urban regions in the country. The deteriorating air quality has significantly disrupted daily life, triggering health concerns, traffic chaos, and emergency administrative measures. Dense Smog Chokes Roads, Visibility Drops to Dangerous Levels Early Sunday morning painted a disturbing picture across Noida and Greater Noida. Thick…
India has firmly established itself as a global powerhouse in Artificial Intelligence, ranking third worldwide in AI competitiveness, according to Stanford University’s prestigious Global AI Vibrancy Tool 2025. The country now stands just behind the United States and China, marking one of the most significant technological leaps in India’s recent history. The report, which tracks AI progress across research, talent, innovation, and investment between 2017 and 2024, highlights India’s rapid rise as an emerging strategic hub for artificial intelligence. A Historic Leap in Global AI Rankings Stanford’s findings reveal that India has outperformed several advanced economies to secure the third…