Author: Sharad Natani
Passengers travelling by Indian Railways will have to pay extra charges if they carry luggage beyond the prescribed free limit, the Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha. The clarification has brought renewed focus on long-standing baggage rules that many passengers remain unaware of. Replying to a question in Parliament, the minister said that Indian Railways already follows a structured baggage policy similar in principle to airlines, where free luggage allowance and maximum permissible limits depend on the class of travel. Any luggage exceeding the free allowance but within the maximum limit is permitted only after paying additional…
In a landmark reform aimed at simplifying access to retirement savings, the Central government is preparing to allow Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawals through ATMs and UPI, marking a historic shift in India’s social security system. The new facility is expected to be rolled out before March 2026, offering faster settlements and minimal paperwork for millions of salaried employees. The initiative, led by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, seeks to bring EPF withdrawals at par with everyday banking transactions. Once implemented, members will no longer need to navigate lengthy forms or wait weeks for approvals to access their own…
India’s aviation sector has entered a decisive new phase as IndiGo has emerged as the country’s largest international airline by passenger traffic, overtaking the Air India Group for the first time in nearly six years. According to the latest data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), IndiGo carried 4.14 million international passengers between July and September 2025, narrowly surpassing the Air India Group’s 4.10 million during the same period. While the numerical gap is small, the shift carries significant strategic and symbolic weight. This marks the first occasion since Tata Group’s consolidation of Air India and Air…
In a major tightening of America’s immigration policy, the Trump administration has announced a significant expansion of the US travel ban, barring nationals from five additional countries and suspending entry for travellers holding Palestinian Authority–issued or endorsed documents. The new restrictions are set to take effect from January 1, the White House confirmed. The latest executive action places Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria under full entry suspension, effectively prohibiting their citizens from travelling to the United States. In a further escalation, Laos and Sierra Leone, previously under partial restrictions, have now been shifted to the full ban…
Sending a strong message to banks, telecom operators, and regulators, the Supreme Court on Monday took a tough stand against the rising menace of cyber fraud, declaring that any lapse by banks enabling fraudsters to siphon off customers’ money would amount to a “deficiency of service.” The top court called for an urgent, system-wide alert mechanism to detect and stop suspicious transactions in real time. A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi described the scale of cybercrime in India as “alarming” and expressed deep concern over the vulnerability of the banking ecosystem in the face of…
A sudden EMI reminder, persistent recovery calls, or an unexpected dip in your credit score can be alarming—and for many Indians, these are the first signs that a loan has been fraudulently taken in their name. With the rapid rise of digital lending platforms, misuse of PAN and Aadhaar details has emerged as a growing financial threat. Experts warn that fraudsters often exploit casually shared identity documents, unsecured phone storage, or repeated KYC uploads across apps to secure instant loans. Once approved, the burden falls on unsuspecting citizens to prove they never borrowed the money. If you suspect identity misuse,…