Maharashtra

Mumbai: The Central Railway Mumbai Division has taken strict measures to curb the rising use of fake tickets and passes on AC locals, general first-class, and mail-express trains. The move targets passengers misusing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate counterfeit tickets. AI Misuse Under ScannerTo tackle the problem, railway authorities have introduced a dedicated TTE App and an accompanying guidebook. With this tool, ticket inspectors (TTEs) can quickly verify the authenticity of any ticket or pass. The initiative comes after repeated cases of passengers using AI-generated fake tickets, particularly in AC locals and first-class compartments of general locals and mail-express trains. Officials warn that large-scale misuse of AI has led to a surge in counterfeit tickets. Action ...

Mumbai: Starting January 1, 2026, Central Railway will implement significant changes to the timetable of several trains, including the high-speed Vande Bharat Express and key services between Mumbai and Pune. Commuters are advised to check updated train timings before planning their journey. What’s Changing and Why?According to railway authorities, the revised schedule aims to enhance passenger convenience and improve train speeds. The new timetable will adjust departure and arrival times by 5 to 15 minutes for several trains. These changes are part of ongoing efforts to streamline operations and accommodate growing passenger traffic. Vande Bharat Express AdjustmentsThe timings of the Vande Bharat trains running on the Mumbai-Pune-Solapur and Mumbai-Sainagar Shirdi routes have been r...

Mumbai – The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced that it will contest all 227 seats in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on its own. Party MP Sanjay Singh released the first list of 21 candidates on Friday, while AAP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi unveiled the party’s election manifesto for Mumbai. Manifesto Highlights: Free Utilities and Women’s ServicesIn its manifesto, AAP has promised 200 units of free electricity, 24-hour free water supply, and free bus services for women if it comes to power in BMC. The party also plans to introduce neighborhood clinics in every locality, following a model similar to Delhi’s successful civic healthcare system. Criticism of Mumbai’s Civic AdministrationSanjay Singh criticized Mumbai’s civic governance...

Mumbai: With just a day remaining for the nomination process in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has suffered a significant setback. Former NCP leader and 2017 BMC winner Rakhee Jadhav has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of BJP MLA Parag Shah. Rakhee Jadhav, who won as a corporator from Ghatkopar in 2017 and later served as the NCP leader in the BMC house, has now shifted allegiance to BJP. According to her social media biography, she also served as the president of NCP (Sharad Pawar) Mumbai. Her full name is Rakhee Harishchandra Jadhav. BMC Elections Scheduled for January 15Voting for the Mumbai BMC elections will take place on 15 January, with results announced on 16 January. BJP aims to secu...

Nagpur: A disturbing case of prolonged ragging has come to light at the Government Ayurveda College and Hospital in Nagpur, Maharashtra, following an anonymous complaint that exposed systematic harassment of junior students. Acting on the findings of an internal inquiry, the college administration has expelled 19 second-year female students from the hostel for a period of three months. The action was taken after the institution’s Anti-Ragging Committee conducted a detailed investigation and found the students guilty of participating in ragging activities. While the accused students have been allowed to continue attending classes, the administration has issued them strict written warnings. College authorities have made it clear that any repeat involvement in ragging will invite severe...

Vasai: The Mumbai–Ahmedabad National Highway has turned into a nightmare for commuters and transporters alike, with massive traffic jams persisting for the past four days. Thousands of passengers, truck drivers, and emergency vehicles are being forced to spend hours stuck in congestion, particularly during the night, exposing deep-rooted infrastructural and planning failures. Despite an expenditure of nearly ₹621 crore, the condition of the highway has failed to improve. Negligence during white-topping work has resulted in potholes and damaged stretches, triggering frequent traffic snarls and accidents. While daytime traffic sees marginal relief due to police deployment, the situation deteriorates sharply after sunset, when queues stretch between 12 and 20 kilometers. The problem has...

PUNE: The ambitious 1,386-kilometer Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, one of India’s largest infrastructure projects with an estimated cost of ₹1.04 lakh crore, has suffered significant delays due to underperformance in key sections. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued a contract cancellation notice to Pune-based Roadways Solutions India Infra Limited (RSIIL) for failing to meet construction targets on a 35-kilometer stretch in Gujarat. Minimal Progress Raises ConcernsAccording to NHAI, physical and financial progress on this section was only 4.9% and 4.6%, respectively, against the planned targets. Two other stretches under RSIIL—27 kilometers and 25 kilometers—have shown 23% and 36% progress. These delays may push the project’s revised completion timeline beyond March 20...

As the countdown to the December 31 deadline begins, Maharashtra’s drive to install High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) on older vehicles is facing serious challenges—particularly in Pune. Despite repeated extensions, a staggering 1.6 million vehicles in Pune alone are still without HSRP, raising concerns over compliance and enforcement. Low Compliance Despite Multiple Extensions According to transport department data, Pune has nearly 2.6 million vehicles that are required to install HSRP. However, so far, only 10 million vehicle owners have registered for the plates, and just around 800,000 vehicles have actually had the plates installed. Even more worrying is the trend in December: only 50,000 vehicle owners registered for HSRP in the entire month, indicating poor public re...

Work on India’s much-anticipated Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train project has been temporarily suspended following strict action by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), acting under the directions of the Bombay High Court. The stoppage comes after serious violations of air pollution control norms were found at the construction site of the Bullet Train station at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). The Bombay High Court, while monitoring the alarming rise in air pollution levels across Mumbai, took note of a ground-level reality report submitted by a four-member expert panel. Based on the findings, the court summoned Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani and the Member Secretary of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), seeking personal explanations over administrative inaction. ...