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Karthigai Deepam Controversy Reaches Supreme Court: Temple Festival Sparks Political and Legal Turmoil in Tamil Nadu

6Dec

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Nation, Politics

Karthigai Deepam Controversy Reaches Supreme Court: Temple Festival Sparks Political and Legal Turmoil in Tamil Nadu

New Delhi, India: The traditional Karthigai Deepam festival in Tamil Nadu has stirred political and legal tensions, bringing the Stalin-led DMK government before the Supreme Court. The issue centers around the lighting of the Mahadeepam on the hilltop at Thirupparankundram, which some groups claim has been restricted in violation of tradition. On Thursday evening, BJP leaders and right-wing supporters staged protests when police denied permission to light the hilltop lamp, despite Madurai Bench of Madras High Court orders lifting restrictions on large-scale celebrations. The case is now under consideration by a bench of CJI Sunil Suryakant and Justice J. Bagchi, who indicated that the petition will be listed for hearing after reviewing submissions from the Tamil Nadu government. Sign...

Airline Fares Soar Amid IndiGo Crisis; Passengers Left Helpless as Government Faces Wake-Up Call

6Dec

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Nation

Airline Fares Soar Amid IndiGo Crisis; Passengers Left Helpless as Government Faces Wake-Up Call

New Delhi, India: India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has plunged the country’s aviation sector into chaos, leaving over one million passengers stranded over four days. The crisis caused by widespread flight cancellations has led to domestic airfares skyrocketing 5 to 10 times, while international fares, paradoxically, became comparatively cheaper. On Friday, 235 IndiGo flights were cancelled at Delhi airport alone, with the airline later announcing a complete suspension of all flights for the day. Passengers struggled to adjust plans for urgent meetings, weddings, or other critical engagements as alternative options were either unavailable or prohibitively expensive due to the steep fare hike by other airlines. Passenger Outcry and Government Inaction Travelers expressed frustration...

Here’s a professional, newspaper-ready English version of your news report on the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding Arundhati Roy’s book cover:

6Dec

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Nation

Here’s a professional, newspaper-ready English version of your news report on the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding Arundhati Roy’s book cover:

New Delhi, India: The Supreme Court of India on Friday delivered a key judgment, stating that the image of author Arundhati Roy smoking a beedi on her book cover does not contravene the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003. The bench clarified that the photograph does not promote tobacco products and therefore no statutory warning is required on the cover. The ruling arose from a petition filed by Rajasimhan, represented by senior advocate S. Gopakumaran, challenging a Kerala High Court decision that had refused to direct the publisher to include a health warning on the cover. The petitioner argued that the image could potentially encourage tobacco use and thus violated the 2003 Act. Bench Observations The bench, comprising Chief Justice Sunil Suryakant and Just...

Lok Sabha Approves Pan Masala Cess; Funds to Strengthen National Security and Public Health

6Dec

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Nation

Lok Sabha Approves Pan Masala Cess; Funds to Strengthen National Security and Public Health

New Delhi, India: The Lok Sabha on Friday passed a significant bill imposing a cess on pan masala manufacturers. The revenue generated from this tax will be allocated to enhancing national security and improving public health infrastructure. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, responding to discussions on the “Health Security to National Security Cess Bill, 2025,” emphasized that the government’s aim is to raise resources responsibly, without imposing additional burden on essential goods. She highlighted that the bill specifically targets harmful products, including pan masala, rather than basic necessities. “We are not taxing staple items that affect ordinary citizens. The cess is applied only to harmful goods. Revenue from this will also support defense and infrastructure project...

IndiGo Crisis Sparks Outrage: Pilot Associations Claim Passenger Safety Jeopardized

6Dec

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Nation

IndiGo Crisis Sparks Outrage: Pilot Associations Claim Passenger Safety Jeopardized

Airline Allegedly Exploited FDTL Rules to Force Regulatory Concessions New Delhi, India: The ongoing IndiGo flight disruptions have drawn sharp criticism from India’s leading pilot associations, who claim the airline deliberately created the crisis, putting passenger safety at risk. The Airline Pilots Association of India (ALPA) and the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) have strongly opposed the government’s decision to ease regulations for IndiGo instead of penalizing the airline for its mismanagement. Deliberate Crisis Allegations Both associations have questioned why the crisis emerged only in December, despite new Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) rules taking effect on November 1. “Was this a calculated move by IndiGo to force the government into granting exemptions from new regu...

IndiGo Flight Chaos Leaves Over 1 Million Passengers Stranded Across India

6Dec

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Nation

IndiGo Flight Chaos Leaves Over 1 Million Passengers Stranded Across India

Nation’s Largest Airline Faces Historic System Failure, Over 1,000 Flights Cancelled in a Single Day New Delhi, India: India’s aviation sector faced unprecedented disruption as IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, experienced a system-wide collapse, leaving passengers stranded across airports nationwide. The chaos, which lasted four days, impacted over 1 million travelers, with more than 1,000 flights cancelled on Friday alone, setting a historic record. In response, IndiGo announced a postponement of the new FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limit) regulation that triggered the crisis. System Glitch Exposes Operational Shortcomings IndiGo admitted that the sudden implementation of new FDTL rules requiring additional pilots and crew overwhelmed its operations. Experts noted that the airlin...

“Together We Walk, Together We Grow”: Putin Echoes Modi’s Vision During India Visit

6Dec

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Nation

“Together We Walk, Together We Grow”: Putin Echoes Modi’s Vision During India Visit

New Delhi, India: Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded his two-day visit to India, reaffirming the deep-rooted ties between Moscow and Delhi. Echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”, Putin conveyed his own vision of partnership with the words “Together we walk, together we grow”, highlighting the spirit of long-standing cooperation between the two nations. Speaking at a state banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Putin said: “I know in India, you say ‘Together we walk, together we grow.’ These words perfectly reflect the spirit, character, and traditions of Russian-Indian relations. We will make every effort to ensure that our strategic partnership continues to strengthen and develop for the benefit of our peoples.” Acknowledging India’s Hospitali...

Modi–Putin Summit in Delhi: India and Russia Seal Major Agreements Across Defence, Trade, Energy and Education

5Dec

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Nation

Modi–Putin Summit in Delhi: India and Russia Seal Major Agreements Across Defence, Trade, Energy and Education

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a high-level bilateral summit at Hyderabad House on Friday, marking the beginning of the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit. The two leaders discussed an extensive agenda ranging from defence cooperation and energy security to trade, technology, education and health. Multiple agreements covering economic partnership, cultural exchange and academic collaboration were formally signed. After the summit, PM Modi announced that India and Russia have finalised a new programme of economic cooperation extending to 2030, aimed at deepening bilateral ties across critical sectors. “India–Russia friendship is like the Pole Star”: PM Modi Welcoming President Putin, PM Modi said he was delighted to host him at a time...

Supreme Court Issues Strict Warning: File Charges Only When Evidence Is Strong

5Dec

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Nation

Supreme Court Issues Strict Warning: File Charges Only When Evidence Is Strong

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has taken a firm stance against the growing trend of filing criminal charges and framing accusations in cases where prima facie evidence is weak or non-existent. The court emphasized that such practices unnecessarily burden the judicial system and urged police and lower courts to act as preliminary filters, ensuring that only cases with strong grounds proceed to trial. The Case from KolkataA bench comprising Justice N.K. Singh and Justice Manmohan quashed a criminal case arising from a civil property dispute in Kolkata. The court noted that the police and lower courts failed to recognize that the matter was primarily a civil dispute and that the complainant had refused to provide any judicial statement. There was no substantial evidence to justify p...

Indigo Crisis: Rahul Gandhi Reacts, Slams Government Over Airline Flight Cancellations

5Dec

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Nation

Indigo Crisis: Rahul Gandhi Reacts, Slams Government Over Airline Flight Cancellations

New Delhi: Congress leader and former party president Rahul Gandhi has broken his silence on the ongoing crisis at Indigo Airlines, India’s largest carrier, which has seen hundreds of domestic and international flights canceled over the past few days. Reacting to the disruption on social media platform X, Gandhi sharply criticized the central government, alleging that Indigo’s operational failures are a direct result of the government’s “monopoly model.” Over 550 flights were canceled in the past few days, causing major inconvenience to thousands of passengers due to delays and abrupt cancellations. Gandhi’s Statement on the CrisisIn his post, Rahul Gandhi wrote:"Indigo’s failure is the outcome of this government’s monopoly model. Once again, the cost is borne by ordinary Indians in ...