Author: Sharad Natani
Delhi witnessed scenes of confusion, long queues, and last-minute compliance on the eve of the enforcement of the government’s stringent ‘No Pollution Under Control (PUC), No Fuel’ policy, aimed at tackling the city’s worsening air pollution. Official data shows a dramatic surge in demand for PUC certificates just a day before the rule came into force. On December 17, as many as 31,197 PUC certificates were issued across the capital — a sharp 76 per cent jump compared to 17,732 certificates issued on December 16. The spike highlights a frantic rush by vehicle owners to secure compliance and avoid disruption…
India’s wealth landscape is undergoing a decisive transformation, and at the forefront of this shift stands Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal. According to the Hurun India Self-Made Billionaires of the Millennia List 2025, released in partnership with IDFC FIRST Private Banking, Goyal has emerged as India’s most valuable self-made billionaire, overtaking retail veteran Radhakishan Damani. With Eternal (Zomato’s parent company) valued at an estimated Rs 3.2 lakh crore, Goyal’s rise to the top symbolises the growing dominance of technology-led, consumer-first businesses in India’s new economic order. This marks the first time a food-tech entrepreneur has topped the prestigious list, underlining the…
Mumbai Customs has unearthed a major gold smuggling operation at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, exposing how smugglers are using innovative concealment techniques and alleged internal collusion to bypass airport security. In a series of coordinated actions carried out between December 15 and 17, 2025, customs officials seized 24-carat gold worth Rs 2.89 crore, dealing a significant blow to organised smuggling networks. Gold Dust Smuggling Raises Alarm According to officials, smugglers attempted to bring 2.270 kilograms of 24-carat gold dust into India, cleverly concealed to evade routine screening systems. Unlike traditional gold bars or jewellery, gold dust is harder to…
The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, or VB-G RAM G Bill, marking a major shift in India’s rural employment policy. The legislation, which seeks to replace the nearly two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), was cleared by a voice vote amid fierce protests by Opposition parties. As the Bill was taken up for passage, Opposition MPs stormed the well of the House, raising slogans, tearing copies of the legislation, and accusing the government of diluting the legally enforceable right to work. Despite the uproar, the government…
Bihar has emerged as one of India’s most vulnerable regions for cyber fraud, witnessing a sharp rise in digital scams that target families, students and job-seeking youth, according to a report released by Quick Heal Technologies Ltd, a leading cybersecurity solutions provider. The findings are based on research conducted by Seqrite Labs, the enterprise security arm of Quick Heal. The report warns that cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting the rapid expansion of digital payments, online education and app-based services across Bihar—often in areas with limited cyber awareness. According to the report, fraudsters are actively using UPI-based payment scams, fake QR codes…
A startling discovery in Maharashtra has exposed what officials believe could be one of the largest birth certificate frauds in the state’s history. A small village with a population of just 1,500 people allegedly recorded 27,397 births within three months, setting off a massive administrative and cybercrime investigation. The irregularities surfaced in Shendurusani gram panchayat, located in Arni tehsil of Yavatmal district, during a government-led verification drive conducted between September and November 2025. The audit, aimed at reviewing delayed birth and death registrations, quickly raised red flags when officials noticed numbers that defied basic demographic logic. Digital Records Show Signs…