Month: March 2025

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) recorded a revenue of Rs 30,400 crores (provisional and unaudited) for the financial year that ended March 31, 2025, as against Rs 30,381 crores during the previous year.

“This achievement was despite the shortfall in deliveries of LCA and ALH. The deliveries of LCA were affected due to the non-availability of engines. The ALH delivery schedule also got hit due to the accident in January 2025 and the subsequent grounding of the Fleet. However, the deliveries of other products and services were accelerated, which helped us to maintain the top line,” said Dr DK Sunil, the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of HAL.

With the Company’s order book significantly improving in the last 12 months, the company used the year to add capacities as additional lines for LCA and HTT-40 were put up, besides augmenting the aero engine capacity at Koraput. The order book stood at Rs 1,84,000 crores as against the opening order book position of Rs 94,129 crores and after adjusting the current year’s liquidation.

During the year 2024-25, HAL received new manufacturing contracts worth Rs 1,02,000 crores and ROH contracts worth Rs 17,500 crores. Recently, the company signed a contract with the MoD for the supply of 156 LCH Prachand worth Rs. 62,777 crores. This is the single biggest procurement by the MoD from HAL to date.

Other highlights of 2024-25 were HAL becoming the first Defence PSU to achieve the prestigious `Maharatna’ status, contracts signed for the supply of an additional 12 Su-30 MKI aircraft, the mid-life Upgrade (MLU) of 40 Do-228 aircraft, the supply of 240 AL31FP engines of Su-30 MKI aircraft, and the avionics upgrade of one IL-78 aircraft. The first AL31FP engine was handed over within one month of the contract signature.

With the supply chain issues stabilizing, new orders in hand, and the enhancement of capacities, the company is gearing up for more robust physical and financial performance in the FY 2025-26. (ANI)

Congress MP and party’s General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh on Monday called the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, “a direct attack on Constitution,” vowing to protest against the implementation of the bill, and demanding that NDA allies Telegu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United) clarify their stance on the issue.

“Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a direct attack on the constitution and against its foundation, it has been bulldozed through the JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee). If they implement it, we will we will oppose it democratically,” Jairam Ramesh told ANI.

“Every opposition party opposes it, Samajwadi Party, TMC, AAP, everyone opposes it, but the question is what parties like JD(U) and TDP do? The parties who call themselves secular, who say they believe in it, what is their stand on it?” he added.

Claiming that the bill was “bulldozed” through the Joint Parliamentary Committee, he said that a thorough discussion of each clause was not done in the committee.

“The way JPC was conducted, this was the first time that there was no clause-by-clause discussion in the committee, when it is referred, each clause is debated, even I have been part of many JPC’s, we try to reach a consensus, and if that is not reached then we give a dissent note, but we do try to reach a complete consensus, or a simple consensus,” he said.

Claiming that the parliament was only given two days to read a 450 page report, he added, “But this time, a 450 page report was given to Parliament and we were told to read it in 2 days, and clause by clause discussion was not done then too, this is against Parliamentary traditions and procedures, but also an attack on the Constitution.”

Earlier today, Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) extended support to the Bill, urging MPs to vote in favour of amending the “unconstitutional” and “unjust” provisions of the Waqf Act.

The statement issued by Fr. Thomas Tharayil of the KCBC secretariat said that provisions in the Waqf law, which legitimise the “illegal claims” in such a way that people in Munambam are unable to exercise their revenue claims on the land, need to be amended.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, also called the ‘Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Bill’ aims to address key challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties.

The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments. (ANI)

Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra shared a post on his official ‘X’ handle where he took a jibe the Mumbai police. On Monday teams of the Mumbai Police had reached Dadar where Kunal Kamra was said to be staying, in connection with the probe relation to his alleged disparaging comments on Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde.

In his ‘X’ post, Kunal Kamra claimed that the Police was ‘going to an address’ where he has not lived for the past 10 years and this was a waste of time and ‘public resources’.

“Going to an address where I haven’t lived for the last 10 Years is a waste of your time & public resources…”, Kunal Kamra’s ‘X’ post read.

Earlier, three separate cases were filed against Kunal Kamra at Khar police station over his alleged controversial remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

One of the complaints was filed by the Mayor of Jalgaon city, while the other two complaints came from a hotelier and a businessman from Nashik, as per the Mumbai Police.

Khar police have called Kamra twice for questioning, but he has not yet appeared for the investigation. On March 27, the Mumbai police asked the comedian to appear on March 31 at Khar police station for further questioning in the case. This is the third summon issued to Kamra in the case filed by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel at the Khar police station.

Earlier, the Madras High Court on Marc 28 granted interim anticipatory bail to Kunal Kamra in connection with multiple FIRs lodged against him. Justice Sunder Mohan ordered interim anticipatory bail until April 7 with conditions.

Kunal Kamra had approached the Madras High Court to seek transit anticipatory bail, claiming he has been receiving many threats following his recent satirical comments. (ANI)

Actor Ananya Panday added Bollywood glamour to the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai just before the start of the IPL match between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) on Monday evening.

The young artiste was chosen to perform at the IPL mega celebrations in Mumbai. With her energetic dance, she definitely excited spectators, especially Bollywood fans.

Ananya’s father and actor Chunky Panday, who was present at the stadium, shared a video from Ananya’s performance and captioned it, “Absolute electric atmosphere.”

Speaking of the match, MI won the toss and opted to bowl against KKR.

Hardik Pandya said after winning the toss, “We gonna bowl first, looks like a good track. Knowing Wankhede, dew may or may not come. There might be some early swing; it plays well, so we thought chasing is a good option. We want to get into a good rhythm and kickstart. Overall, we want to play better cricket, we need to stay calm. Will Jacks come back, and we have a debutant – Ashwani.”

Mumbai Indians are still in the hunt for their first win of the season.

KKR, on the other hand, lost their first encounter against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and won comprehensively against Rajasthan Royals (RR).

Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Ryan Rickelton, Will Jacks(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Ashwani Kumar, and Vignesh Puthur. (ANI)

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has ruled out El Niño conditions for the upcoming monsoon but has warned of an exceptionally hot summer ahead. The latest forecast indicates above-normal temperatures and an increased number of heatwave days across several parts of the country from April to June 2025.

“We are not expecting El Niño conditions during the monsoon season. April- June to be hotter than usual, with more heatwave days likely in many states,” said IMD Director General Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra on Monday.

While addressing a press conference online, Dr Mohapatra spoke about the updated seasonal outlook for the hot weather season (April to June 2025) and the monthly outlook for April 2025 concerning rainfall and temperature.

IMD’s forecast suggests that maximum temperatures will be above normal in most parts of India, except in some areas of west peninsular India, east-central India, and eastern India, where normal temperatures are likely. Minimum temperatures are also expected to remain above normal across most regions.

A significant rise in heatwave days is expected, with several states likely to experience extreme heat conditions.

IMD forecasts predict that Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and northern Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will experience more heatwave days in April- June.

Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, East Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and northern Karnataka have also been predicted to be heatwave-prone areas in April.

Heat waves were already recorded in Western India from March 10-15 and East-Central India from March 15-18, with above-normal heat wave days reported in Gujarat and Odisha.

According to IMD data, all-India rainfall (20.1 mm) until March 31 was the 27th lowest since 1901 and the 10th lowest since 2001. Southern Peninsular India recorded 20.7 mm of rainfall, ranking as the 24th highest since 1901 and the 8th highest since 2001.

March saw normal to above-normal rainfall over South Peninsular India and Eastern India, aligning with IMD’s earlier projections. (ANI)

Days after returning to Earth following their nine-month-long stay on the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams shared their reactions to the unexpected extension of their mission, Fox News reported.

They also thanked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump for their involvement in ensuring their safe return.

Wilmore and Williams spent over 280 days in space after their eight-day mission, which began in June last year, was prolonged due to technical issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft.

In an interview with Fox News, Williams said, “My first thought was we’ve just got to pivot,” recalling the moment when the two astronauts were told that their return would be delayed.

“If our spacecraft was going to go home based on decisions made here, and we were going to be up there ’til February, I was like, ‘Let’s make the best of it,'” she added.

Williams, who has been to the ISS before, said she loved the experience of living in space, witnessing “scientific experiments” unfolding around them, and observing the changes made to the station since her last visit.

“We planned, we trained, that we would be there for some part of a time, so we were ready to just jump into it and take on the tasks that were given to us,” she said.

Meanwhile, Wilmore spoke about coming to terms with the delay. “It’s about what this human spaceflight program is about. It’s our national goals,” he said.

He also mentioned how his family has been trained to be resilient. “And I have to wrap… my mind around, what does our nation need out of me right now? That’s going back to when we’re in the fleet, and we’re operating from the pointy end of the spear… We’re an instrument of our nation, of our national goals,” he said.

“Did I think about not being there for my daughter’s high school year? Of course. But… we’ve trained them to be resilient, my daughters and my family,” he added.

Speaking to Fox News, Wilmore acknowledged the uncertainty of space missions. “We don’t know what’s going to happen. We might not be back in eight days or whatever the plan was. Focus on that; focus on the mission. Certainly [we] deal with the personal side of it, but I can’t let that interfere with what I’m called to do at the moment,” he said.

Wilmore also stated that he trusts and respects Musk and Trump, calling their involvement “empowering and strengthening.”

When asked what he would like to say to Musk and Trump, he responded, “I respect you, I trust you. You’ve given me no reason not to trust you, either one of them. What they say, I can’t say what they say, I haven’t lived that.”

“I am grateful that our national leaders actually are coming in and taking part in our human spaceflight program, which we see is hugely important global significance, and they take an active role. Based on the past and what we see now, with them doing that, it’s refreshing, not just refreshing, it’s empowering. It’s strengthening, for our nation. I think it’s a good thing for our nation when the national leaders, especially something that’s high visibility, are involved in the process. I’m grateful for that,” he told Fox News.

Sunita Williams echoed a similar sentiment, saying that she is glad to see them “involved and taking notice.” She said that their nine-month-long stay allowed a lot of people, including Musk and Trump, to see what is happening at the ISS and “take it very seriously.”

She further said, “[It allows them to] understand that our involvement as a country, as a spacefaring nation, is really important throughout the world. It sets an example, and it shows our ability to be able to do the hard things, put people in space, operate in space, work in space, and then bring us back. It’s important, and I appreciate that.”

NASA Crew-9 astronauts Sunita Williams, Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov breathed earthly air for the first time in over nine months on Wednesday after the successful splashdown of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule. They returned to Earth at 5:57 p.m. EDT on March 18.

Following their return, the White House highlighted President Trump’s role in prioritising their rescue. It stated that the astronauts had safely landed in the Gulf of Mexico and credited Musk for their return.

In a post on X, the White House wrote, “PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT: President Trump pledged to rescue the astronauts stranded in space for nine months. Today, they safely splashed down in the Gulf of America, thanks to Elon Musk, SpaceX, and NASA!”

Trump had previously accused former US President Joe Biden of abandoning the astronauts in space. On March 7, Trump stated that he had authorized Musk to bring back American astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who had been at the ISS since June last year. (ANI)

Bollywood couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan on Monday celebrated Eid in a fam-jam way.

The duo hosted a special lunch for their loved ones at their residence. Giving a sneak peek into Pataudi’s Eid celebrations, Saif’s sister Saba took to Instagram and shared adorable pictures.

Dressed in ethnic attire, the Patuadis looked extremely happy as they bonded over delicious food and non-stop “gupshup.”

Saif opted for a white kurta pyjama, while Kareena was seen dressed in a printed suit. Sisters Saba and Soha were twinning in green outfits. Kunal also embraced desi fashion by donning a violet kurta.

“Eid moments Family Matters most….Thank you bhai for a beautiful lunch and soha, bebo n kunal for making it special too. Last ..video version,” Saba captioned the post.

Soha also dropped a cute video of Kunal cooking Eid’s mandatory dish seviyan. Take a look at the video

“Is it even Eid without seviyan? Eid Mubarak from ours to yours #eidmubarak,” she captioned the post.

While fans truly loved the Eid celebrations of the Pataudis, they miss the presence of the children, Taimur, Jeh, Inaaya, Sara and Ibrahim. So far, pictures of them have not been shared online. (ANI)

A thick layer of haze enveloped the Kathmandu Valley, pushing the Air Quality Index (AQI) into the ‘Very Unhealthy’ category on Monday.

According to the Ministry of Forests and Environment’s Department of Environment Air Quality Monitoring, the air quality in Bhaisipati was classified as ‘Hazardous,’ with a US AQI reading of 333 as of 2:30 pm (local time).

On Monday afternoon, the dense, polluted haze disrupted flight operations at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), leading to the diversion of at least half a dozen international flights.

According to TIA spokesperson Rinji Sherpa, flights from Jazeera Airways, Air India, and Fly Dubai were unable to land due to poor visibility early in the morning.

“This morning, visibility was only 1,600 meters, which did not meet the required standards for landing,” said Sherpa. “Now, visibility has improved to 3,000 meters, but dust and haze continue to pose challenges.”

Two flights from Jazeera Airways and Air India were redirected to Varanasi, India, while a Fly Dubai flight was diverted to Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa. Other flights faced short delays before landing.

Other flights faced short holds before landing.

Dipesh Darshandhari, a resident of Kathmandu, described the impact of the worsening pollution. “Pollution has increased tremendously. While overseeing the Kathmandu Valley from the top of Swayambhunath Stupa, it is all covered by a thick grey haze, dipping the visibility. I am also experiencing burns in my eyes, and my throat is also itchy,” Darshandhari told ANI.

According to the Air Quality Index, the PM2.5 concentration in Kathmandu Valley stood at 209.8 ug/m3. PM2.5 refers to particulate matter (solid or liquid droplets) in the air that is less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter.

These fine particles are among the most dangerous air pollutants as they can bypass the nose and throat, penetrate the lungs, and even enter the bloodstream. Due to their small size, PM2.5 particles remain suspended in the air for extended periods, increasing the risk of inhalation.

Kathmandu, a city known for its medieval palaces and temples, is the largest metropolitan area in Nepal. It serves as a hub for history, art, culture, education, healthcare, and the economy.

In recent years, air pollution in Nepal has become a major environmental and public health crisis, with pollution levels recorded at 4.9 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended standards.

The deteriorating air quality in Kathmandu is placing hundreds of thousands of Nepalese at risk of severe health problems. The WHO has consistently identified air pollution as the leading risk factor for death and disability in Nepal.

The worsening air quality has become a significant public health concern, contributing to air pollution-related illnesses and deaths. It also places an economic burden on the country due to lost productivity and increased pressure on healthcare resources. Additionally, there is a lack of comprehensive health impact assessments to determine the full extent of air pollution’s health and economic consequences, as well as the sectoral measures required to combat this environmental challenge. (ANI)

Another Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit report will be presented in the Delhi assembly on the “Prevention of Air Pollution from Vehicles” on April 1.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is set to present the CAG report in the House.

Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, during a discussion on the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit report on the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), alleged that DTC suffered a loss of Rs 70,471 crore under the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.

“They turned a profitable department into a loss-making one. DTC suffered a loss of Rs 70,471 crore. There was an operational loss of Rs 14,198 crore. Buses were run on only 468 routes out of 814. Money was spent only on advertisements. Even the Rs 233 crore received from the Centre was not spent. There used to be 4344 buses, but during their tenure, the number reduced to 3937,” Delhi CM said.

She further alleged that IDFC, a DTC partner agency, had advised the Delhi government to purchase its shares.

“They did not accept and IDFC sold the shares worth 95 crores to a private company for just 10 crores. Did the government not have even 10 crores? Today, the value of DTC is only 20 crores. They crippled DTC. Today 4 thousand bus drivers are being paid salaries without work because there are no buses,” she said.

CM Rekha Gupta said that the CAG report should be sent to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

“We will not only bring DTC into profit but will also make DTC a revenue generator. We will issue cards for free travel to women. Today, there is no data on how many women are travelling for free,” she added.

The House held a detailed discussion on the CAG report concerning the “Functioning of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC),” with several members expressing concerns in this regard.

The CAG audit covers the period from 2015-2016 to 2021-2022. This report highlights serious irregularities in the functioning of DTC. The CAG report suggests that due to the government’s mismanagement and negligence, crores of rupees from Delhi taxpayers have been wasted.

This report is now being referred to the Committee on Government Undertakings with instructions to submit its report within three months. Additionally, the Transport Department and DTC must submit their Action Taken Note to the Legislative Secretariat within one month from now. (ANI)

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday conveyed his best wishes on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, a festival marking the end of the holy month of Ramzan.

Owaisi hoped that peace and justice would prevail in the country.

“I extend my best wishes to all on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr, and we hope that peace and justice will prevail in our country…” Owaisi told reporters.

Samajwadi Pary Chief Akhilesh Yadav also extended his wishes saying, “Today I extend my warm greetings to all the people of the entire state, country and the world. We all celebrate the festival of Eid with joy by hugging each other and hope that we all respect each other by hugging each other… This is the beauty of our country, where people following different religions live together.”

Eid-ul-Fitr, the festival marking the end of the holy month of Ramzan, is being celebrated with joy and unity across India. The sighting of the moon has led to special prayers (Namaz) being offered at mosques, Eidgahs, and open grounds, with people from different parts of the country coming together to celebrate the occasion.

In Delhi, children and families gathered at the historic Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India, to offer Namaz.

In cities like Vadodara, Agra, and Ghaziabad, Muslims participated in Eid prayers and greeted each other with hugs. In Agra, Eid prayers were offered near the Taj Mahal, where many devotees gathered to pray for peace and unity. The prayers were followed by warm greetings among the community.

However, in some areas, protests broke out against the Waqf Board Amendment Bill. In Hyderabad, a protest was held outside the Ujale Shah Eidgah in Saidabad, where a group of people tied black bands around their hands to express their opposition to the Waqf bill. Similarly, in Aishbagh, people gathered to offer prayers, but a few also took part in protests against the bill.

Security measures were heightened in several cities to ensure the smooth and peaceful celebration of Eid.

Eid-ul-Fitr, which means “Festival of Breaking the Fast,” is celebrated at the conclusion of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.

After a month of abstaining from food, drink, and other physical needs during daylight hours, Eid marks a time of festivity, where Muslims express their gratitude for the strength and patience shown during Ramadan.

Eid reinforces the values of charity, kindness, and compassion. In addition to giving Zakat, many people choose to help others by providing meals, clothing, and support to those less fortunate, reflecting the Islamic principles of empathy and care for others. (ANI)