Mumbai: A survey of 36 poor air quality index (AQI) sites across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai largely showed “absolute non-compliance” with existing pollution control guidelines. The BMC’s 29-point standard operating procedure (SOP), though technically comprehensive, has not translated into effective on-ground implementation across areas inspected, said a fresh panel set up by the Bombay high court.The compliance across 17 under-construction sites, three ready-mix cement plants, seven road sites, and five infrastructure sites was more “reactive, rather than proactive”, with compliance intensifying after the HC’s suo motu PIL hearing following the recent spike in Mumbai’s AQI, said the panel on Monday. “Water sprinklers, fogging, and smog guns are deployed in a limited, ad hoc, or cosmetic manner and appear largely confined to areas where authorities claim clear jurisdiction,” and vehicles carrying demolition waste had no tracking system, while road cleaning activities were “often spreading pollution” not suppressing it with no wetting measures, the panel observed.Set up by the Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad, the panel comprising SGNP conservator of forests, Anita Patil, advocates Karan Bhosale, Namrata Vinod, and Anant Mallya was tasked with checking ground reality by visiting various parts. The CJ on Monday said, “Let us find some solution” and asked the developer’s body, orally, to inform how many sites are in breach of air pollution mitigation guidelines.Speaking for the panel, advocate Bhosale said they visited sites with high air quality indices (AQIs) from Dec 6 to 13, including RMC plants attached to construction sites. The report said the panel found stop-work notices or inspections were carried out by authorities primarily a few days prior to the committee’s visit. Only four construction sites were found by the panel to be compliant, in Prabhadevi, Cuffe Parade, Navi Mumbai, and Andheri East for sensor-based air quality monitors. At many sites, the monitors are not visible to the public, and readings are not collected in real-time or centralised. Besides, at some sites spread over 10 acres or those with 50-floor construction, there was only one sensor at the entry.The committee said it observed the MPCB air quality monitoring station at Navi Mumbai was poorly maintained and unmanned, and NNMC doesn’t have mandatory CCTV at construction sites. The panel concluded that systemic institutional fragmentation, reactive enforcement, incomplete monitoring data, and the absence of centralised, real-time oversight are the primary factors responsible for sustained air pollution and environmental risk across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.On Monday, the mother of a one-year-old afflicted by coughs and cold due to the incessant digging of roads, cement mixers’ movement, and construction activities invoked the infant’s right to life and filed an intervention plea in the air pollution PIL. Public authorities show scant regard for the plight of babies in the city, with no guidelines to address the growing needs of clean air for children as a preventive measure. Mentioning the plea, Advocate Simil Purohit said that if urgent steps are not resorted to, the city’s so-called development would come at the cost of her “youngest citizens”. The baby is unable to even take proper medicines as its organs are still developing, said the plea. The HC posted its suo motu PIL from 2023 for hearing now on Dec 22. The committee recommended centralised data integration is crucial to ensure AQI does not deteriorate further.

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed a chargesheet in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack case, naming Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)/The Resistance Front (former’s front) among seven accused. Sources said the LeT/TRF role was established after the origin of the two messages put out by TRF on its digital media platform, first claiming responsibility shortly after the attack, and the denial thereafter, were traced to Pakistan.The six other accused listed in the chargesheet, filed before the Special NIA court in Jammu, are top Lashkar mastermind and Pakistani handler Sajid Jatt; neutralised Pakistani attackers Faisal Jatt, alias Suleman Shah, who hailed from Pakistan Punjab, Habeeb Tahir, alias Jibran, from Rawlakote in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Abu Hamza; and arrested Kashmiri locals Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothad, who had harboured the three Pakistani attackers days before the attack.The 1,597-page chargesheet records how NIA, through a meticulous probe spanning eight months, traced the Pahalgam attack conspiracy to Pakistan, “which has been unabatedly sponsoring terrorism against India”. The links to Pakistan were confirmed by belongings and articles – IDs, M4 assault weapons and chocolates – recovered from the hideout of the three attackers who were killed in Operation Mahadev in July.

In A 1st, Lashkar Charged As A Legal Entity

This is perhaps the first time that LeT has been chargesheeted as a legal entity; earlier chargesheets filed in terror attacks launched by LeT, including the 26/11 Mumbai strikes, had named its top leaders, including chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and Sajid Jatt. There, however, are precedents of an ‘unlawful association’ like Popular Front of India (PFI) being chargesheeted by NIA.“The chargesheet, which details Pakistan’s conspiracy, roles of the accused and supporting evidence in the case, has charged the banned LeT/TRF as a legal entity for its role in planning, facilitating and executing the Pahalgam attack,” NIA said.Pahalgam mastermind listed as an individual ‘terrorist’ under UAPATOI had on July 29 reported that Sajid Jatt, who leads TRF/LeT operations in Kashmir, had masterminded the Pahalgam attack as part of a closely-guarded ISI-LeT conspiracy to carry out a high-impact attack in Kashmir. Jatt was specifically instructed by ISI to only deploy foreign terrorists for the gruesome targeted killings on religious lines, while ensuring minimal involvement of local Kashmiris.Sajid Jatt, alias Saifullah, born on Sept 3, 1982, and hailing from Kasur, Pakistan, is listed as an individual ‘terrorist’ under the UAPA. He was the key handler of terrorists who killed five Indian soldiers in Bhata Dhurian, Poonch in 2023. LeT/TRF as well as the four Pakistani terrorists have been charged under provisions of BNS, Arms Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and for waging war against India. Parvaiz and Bashir had, following their arrest in June, disclosed identities of the attackers, confirming that the latter were Pakistani nationals affiliated to LeT. Sources had earlier told TOI that Parvaiz and Bashir were paid Rs 3,000 by the terrorists.

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Mumbai: A woman, on behalf of her seven-year-old autistic twins, has moved the Bombay high court challenging the refusal by an Andheri West school to admit them under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act.Rita Joshi, an advocate practising in the HC, has challenged the school’s “unlawful and discriminatory” refusal to admit and integrate her twin sons despite their duly allotted admission under RTE disability quota for 2024 on the “illegal ground that the petitioner must personally arrange and finance shadow teachers, thereby defeating the very purpose of inclusive education guaranteed” under articles 14 (equality), 21 (life) and 21A (right to education) of the Constitution. Also, under the RTE Act and Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act.According to her petition, the twins were first diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when they were 2.5 years old. In July 2024, she applied under RTE and was allotted the Andheri school. Although she complied with all procedural requirements, in Aug-Sept 2024 the school orally refused admission, citing lack of facilities for children with special needs and insisted she appoint shadow teachers at her cost. Thereafter, Joshi wrote to the education department seeking enforcement of RTE allotment. However, no action was taken.Her petition questioned “whether a recognised private unaided school can legally demand that a parent personally arrange and finance shadow teachers when Section 16 of RPwD Act mandates schools provide reasonable accommodation and individualised support at their own costs or state’s cost?” Citing an Oct 2021 Supreme Court judgment, she said it is impermissible to deny admission to autistic children on the ground of “lack of facilities”. Her children have been without education for nearly 2 years “due to respondents’ failure to provide inclusive education”. Joshi also explained the delay for filing the petition. In Nov 2024 she was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer and underwent a surgery in Dec 2024. She is undergoing treatment at Tata Memorial Hospital that includes chemotherapy and radiation. “This medical condition has physically limited her capacity to travel and file proceedings earlier; the present petition is filed at the earliest possible time once her health to some extent permitted,” her petition states.Joshi has urged HC to direct the Centre, state, BMC— to re-allot the children the same school and to direct the school to forthwith admit the children to appropriate class as per their age. She also seeks without financial burden to her, a direction to the respondents to provide shadow teachers and other infrastructure facilities till the children complete basic primary education.On Monday, after advocate Ashok Shetty sought an urgent hearing before Justices Ravindra Ghuge and Ashwin Bhobe, they posted it on Thursday.

NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday firmly rejected Pakistan’s reference to Jammu and Kashmir during an open debate at the United Nations Security Council, saying the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India and will always remain so. Speaking at the UNSC Open Debate on “Leadership for Peace”, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish P, said Pakistan’s repeated mention of Jammu and Kashmir reflected an “obsessive focus” on harming India and its people. He said: “I refer to the statement made by the representative of Pakistan today. India would like to reiterate that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India. They were, are, and will always remain so. Pakistan’s unwarranted reference to Jammu & Kashmir in today’s open debate attests to its obsessive focus on harming India and its people. A serving non-permanent Security Council Member that chooses to further this obsession in all meetings and platforms of the UN in pursuit of its divisive agenda cannot be expected to fulfil its designated responsibilities and obligations.”The Indian envoy said India signed the Indus Waters Treaty 65 years ago in good faith and with a spirit of friendship. However, he said Pakistan had violated the spirit of the treaty over the decades by waging three wars and sponsoring thousands of terror attacks against India. He added that tens of thousands of Indian lives have been lost in Pakistan-sponsored terrorism over the last four decades.Referring to the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, the ambassador said, “The Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, involved religion-based targeted killings of 26 innocent civilians by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. It is in this backdrop that India has finally announced that the Treaty will be held in abeyance until Pakistan, which is a global epicentre of terror, credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border and all other forms of terrorism.“Ambassador Harish also criticised Pakistan’s internal political situation, referring to the jailing of a former prime minister, the banning of a political party, and constitutional changes that grant immunity to military leadership.He further India would continue to counter Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in all its forms with full resolve.

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New Delhi: The unemployment rate for those in the 15 years and above age group dipped to an eight-month low of 4.7% in Nov from 5.2% in the previous month while the overall Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for the same age bracket rose to a seven-month high of 55.8% during the month.The monthly bulletin of Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for Nov, released Monday, showed rural joblessness fell to a new low of 3.9%, while the urban rate dipped to 6.5%, matching its previous lowest level recorded in April. The monthly PLFS bulletin started in April.The data showed a decline in joblessness rate across gender and segments. Unemployment rates for both males and females aged 15 years and above displayed a decline in Nov. Among females, it fell to 4.8% in Nov, down from 5.4% in Oct. The dip was led by reduction in both rural and urban unemployment rate among females, which decreased from 4% to 3.4% and 9.7% to 9.3%, respectively.The overall male unemployment rate slowed to 4.6% in Nov, compared with 5.1% in Oct. Disaggregated by sector, rural and urban male joblessness rate stood at 4.1% and 5.6% in Nov, compared with 4.6% and 6.1% recorded in the previous month, according to data released by the statistics office.“Unemployment rates showed a steady and broad-based decline across male, females, and all persons during April-Nov 2025. The fall was more pronounced in rural areas, where both male and female unemployment reached their lowest levels in Nov,” the statistics office said in a statement.“Urban unemployment remained higher but showed improvement towards the end of the period. Overall, the trends suggest strengthening labour market conditions, supported by gains in rural employment, rising female participation, and a gradual recovery in urban labour demand,” it added.The data showed overall LFPR among those in the 15 years and above age group increased to 55.8% in Nov, the highest level recorded since April. The increase was largely driven by rural areas, where it rose to 58.6% in Nov from 58.0% in April. Compared with the previous month, rural LFPR increased from 57.8%, while urban LFPR decreased marginally from 50.5% to 50.4%, according to survey results.

Mumbai: Just hours before the model code of conduct kicked in, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Monday announced a slew of big-ticket civic projects alongside municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani.Addressing the media, Shinde announced that plans for an almost 300-acre central park—integrating open spaces from the Mahalaxmi Racecourse and the Coastal Road—will be fast-tracked.A Rs 550-crore tender for a 1,200-metre-long subway linking the two sites has already been floated, which will connect the Science Centre Metro station. The entire project, including the central park and an underground sports complex designed by architect Hafeez Contractor, is expected to cost Rs 700–750 crore, said Shinde.Gagrani said, “The metro station will be connected to the central park via an underground passage, which will extend through Annie Besant Road, reach Haji Ali, connect to parking facilities, and further link to the Coastal Road. The upcoming Coastal Road parking facility will accommodate 1,200 cars and 100 buses.”“A world-class central park will be developed on 125 acres at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, along with 170 acres of land from the Coastal Road, creating a total of 295 acres of a grand central park. There will be no concrete construction on the surface of this park. The central park will be directly connected to the Coastal Road through an underground passage. There will be no harm caused to the racecourse,” said Shinde, adding that additionally, a 10 lakh square feet world-class underground sports complex will be developed beneath the Central Park. “This complex will host international-level sports facilities along with traditional Indian sports such as kho-kho and kabaddi. Visitors will be able to watch horse racing while walking inside the park. Except for walking paths, there will be no construction on the surface—the entire area will remain a green park,” said Shinde. The project has been designed by architect Hafeez Contractor.Shinde further spoke about other civic projects. He said a substantial portion of Phase I and II road concretisation works will be completed by May 2026. He also announced that six of Mumbai’s seven upcoming sewage treatment plants (STPs) will be ready by December 2026, ensuring untreated sewage no longer flows into the sea.Beyond Mumbai, Shinde outlined a development plan for Thane, his home constituency, including a 260-metre-tall viewing tower, the tallest in India, to be constructed on 50 acres along the Thane Creek, a convention centre at Kasarvadavli, a 25-acre town park at Kolsheth, an Agri–Koli museum, a science centre, an international-standard snow park, an amusement park, an adventure park, a bird sanctuary on 12.5 acres, a musical concert centre on 25 acres, and an ultra-modern sports complex on 50 acres.Additionally, the Thane Municipal Corporation will develop an 18.4 km “Anandvan Green Corridor”, connecting the Sanjay Gandhi National Park near the Mira-Bhayandar boundary, he said.The announcements came just hours before the election code of conduct was scheduled to be enforced at 4 pm.

MUMBAI: The insurance sector is expected to see significant investments with the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025, to be introduced by the government in the winter session of Parliament.The Bill seeks to enable 100% FDI in insurance and allows Irdai, the regulator, to issue sector-specific licences, permitting new insurers to operate in single or niche lines of business such as cyber, property or marine insurance. The Bill does not specify whether composite licences permitting both life and non-life insurance under one entity will be allowed. The amendment states that govt can notify such other class of business that can be licenced in consultation with Irdai.The proposed law amends the Insurance Act, 1938, the LIC Act, 1956, and the IRDA Act, 1999. The amendments seek to widen capital access, modernise regulation, and expand insurance coverage by shifting oversight from statute to regulation.

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The regulator’s financial powers are also proposed to be strengthened. According to the Bill, Irdai will be allowed to retain 25% of its annual surplus in a reserve fund to meet its expenses. A policyholders’ education and protection fund will be created, funded through penalties imposed on insurers. The definition of insurance intermediary has been expanded to include entities such as insurance repositories.A key change is the shift from detailed statutory prescriptions to a regulation-driven framework, under which Irdai will set several operational norms through regulations rather than through Parliament-approved legislation. Under the amendments, parameters such as minimum capital requirements, solvency margins, and investment norms will be moved out of the Act and placed under regulatory control. This allows Irdai to prescribe different capital requirements for different categories of insurers. Fixed statutory investment mandates, including compulsory allocations to government securities and approved investments, will be replaced by investment conditions specified through regulations.The Bill also removes commission and remuneration caps for agents and intermediaries from the statute, giving Irdai the authority to set these limits. Licensing requirements for surveyors and loss assessors are proposed to be eased, with oversight shifting to a regulatory framework. The Bill allows LIC to establish zonal offices without prior approval from the Centre. Overseas LIC branches will be permitted to maintain funds.

Tushar Deshpande of Rajasthan Royals (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

Jaipur: Rajasthan Royals will head into the auction with a moderate Rs 16.05 crore purse and nine slots to fill, including one overseas position. It’s far from the largest budget available, but with key players retained and additions secured through trades, their core squad is largely in place. As a result, the remaining purse should be sufficient to address the specific gaps they still have. Their primary focus will be securing a high-quality Indian spinner. Having released their previous spin options, the Royals are prepared to bid aggressively for a leg-spinner like Ravi Bishnoi or Rahul Chahar, someone capable of controlling the middle overs alongside Ravindra Jadeja.

They will also be in the market for a dependable Indian pacer and potentially an overseas fast bowler. With Jofra Archer returning from a demanding international schedule, and his injury record remaining a concern, the franchise will prioritise building depth to ensure their pace attack stays potent throughout the season. The top order appears covered, boasting a blend of youth and flair in Yashasvi Jaiswal, teenage prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel. This means any batting additions are likely to be strategic backups. During the recent trade window, the Royals strengthened their core dramatically by acquiring all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, alongside the explosive Donovan Ferreira, moves that have significantly bolstered their flexibility. RCA’s Ashok, Kartik tipped for big deals: Twelve Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) players have registered for the mini-auction. Franchises are poised to show strong interest in Rajasthan’s pace sensation Ashok Sharma, whose raw speed has impressed scouts throughout the domestic season. The 23-year-old from Jaipur, currently the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 19 scalps so far, is expected to attract significant bids as an uncapped fast bowler capable of clocking speeds in the high 140s kmph. Another promising talent from the RCA likely to spark bidding wars is 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma. His explosive performances in the 2024–25 domestic circuit, highlighted by a century on first-class debut and consistent power-hitting, prompted trials with multiple franchises ahead of the 2025–26 season. Several established Rajasthan players, released by their IPL teams, will also enter the auction pool: middle-order batter Deepak Hooda, leg-spinner Rahul Chahar, southpaw Mahipal Lomror, keeper-batter Kunal Singh Rathore and fast bowler Kamlesh Nagarkoti. Lesser-known RCA prospects set to feature include first-class standout Ajay Singh Kookna, along with Mukul Choudhary, Izaz Sawariya, Deependra Singh and Aman Shekhawat, who could emerge as value picks for teams seeking depth.