NEW DELHI: Jolted by two crashes involving small charter aircraft within a month that killed 12 people, India may soon rank non scheduled operator permit (NSOP) or charter and private jet operators based on their safety record.While this ranking is proposed to be released on the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) website, operators will now mandatorily have to disclose “critical safety information on their websites, including aircraft age, maintenance history, and pilot experience.” This will be done to ensure people are “fully informed about the standards” of the aircraft they charter.Also, there will now be stricter penalties for operators violating norms regarding aircraft or crew utilisation. While pilots found violating flight duty time limitations (FDTL) or attempting to land below safety minima may face license suspensions of up to five years, operators not meeting compliance standards will have their licenses suspended.The regulator Tuesday met all NSOP or charter/private jet operators to “address a recent surge in aviation incidents” and emphasise on “critical need for increased focus on safety.” Non-adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs), inadequate flight planning, and training deficiencies were identified and the primary cause of accidents at this meeting.Following the meet, the DGCA issued “new measures aimed at enforcing a zero-tolerance policy toward safety compromises within the NSOP sector.” These include:Prioritising safety over commercial interests: The regulator has directed that safety must supersede all commercial considerations, charter commitments or VIP movements. It reaffirmed that the pilot-in-command’s decision to divert, delay, or cancel a flight for safety reasons is final and must be respected by operators without commercial consequences.Enhanced oversight and accountability: Apart from DGCA doing safety ranking of NSOPs and the latter disclosing their fleet and crew information, the regulator will The authority will conduct increased random cockpit voice recorder (CVR) audits and cross-verify fuel records, and technical logs to detect unauthorised operations or falsifying of data.”Accountable managers and senior leadership will be held personally responsible for systemic non-compliances, safety lapses cannot simply be blamed on pilots,” the regulator says. There will now be increased monitoring of older aircraft and those undergoing ownership changes. NSOPs that run their own maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities will be audited. “Those found lacking adequacy will be required to outsource maintenance to approved organisations.”The regulator has found weather-related accidents are “often the result of poor judgment rather than unpredictability of weather.” Operators are mandated to establish real-time weather update systems and strict compliance of established SOPs. Additionally, recurrent training for pilots must have greater emphasis on weather awareness strategies and decision-making in uncontrolled environments.To address systemic weaknesses in decision-making and to ensure operational discipline, the regulator is implementing several immediate measures. A senior official who was at the meeting said: “The message is clear to NSOP operators: Either operate with 100% compliance of all norms or surrender your licence and go home. They have to fall in line or be out of business.”

NEW DELHI: Global communications company Viasat on Tuesday said societies cannot function without reliable access to space, describing satellite communications as the “dual use oxygen” that supports missions ranging from weather forecasting to early warning systems.“Without assured, resilient global SatCom, we would all be in the dark,” Ben Palmer, President of Viasat Commercial, said while addressing the opening plenary session at the DefSat 2026 conference held at New Delhi’s Manekshaw Centre on Tuesday. Highlighting the strategic importance of assured spectrum access and resilient satellite communications, Palmer underscored the role of these technologies in safeguarding national security and sustaining economic stability.Palmer stressed on the necessity of assured connectivity across alternate orbits and radio frequency bands. He also said, “We’re looking at ways to ensure govts have access to assured connectivity via alternate orbits and alternate radio frequency spectrum. We are innovating to deliver cyber and EW resilience, access to different spectrum and new ways to deliver these key enabling capabilities.”The three-day dialogue, which convenes military leadership, policymakers, and industry partners, focused on the future of space-enabled security. The discussion also addressed the increasing use of uncrewed systems in modern conflict.Palmer pointed to recent developments in Ukraine as evidence of how such platforms achieve military effects without risking personnel. He explained that Viasat is focused on developing compact terminals, some no larger than a coffee cup, to provide beyond line-of-sight communications for tactical uncrewed platforms.Regarding India’s strategic position, Palmer acknowledged the govt’s approach to space sovereignty as “long term, strategic and wise”. He said that India’s resistance to market dominance by others in international fora helps maintain freedom of choice. “The grand strategic approach which the Govt of India is adopting to assure its space sovereignty is impressive. This isn’t just about ‘Make in India’ and assuring freedom of operation, it’s also about the responsible, pragmatic approach that India has adopted,” he said. Viasat, which recently integrated Inmarsat, continues to partner with local institutions like BSNL to build domestic capabilities.Besides exhibition by defence and space startups at Manekshaw Centre, DefSat 2026 witnessed eminent military, defence, space and cyberspace experts as part of panel discussions. Building on the success of its first three editions, collectively drawing 500+ participants from 20+ countries, 80+ speakers and representation from 60+ organisations, DefSat 2026 (Feb 24–26) on Day 1 featured a broad agenda spanning operational doctrine, industrial collaboration, technology resilience and geopolitical partnerships. Subba Rao Pavuluri, president, SIA-India, said, “The DefSat 2026 conference underscores a critical strategic reality: an estimated 70–80% of modern military operations today rely on space-based capabilities, underscoring the rising centrality of space in India’s national security architecture. Day One marked a strong turnout as the conference witnessed 600 registered military leadership, govt officials, diplomats, global industry representatives, startups, academia, and strategic experts.”

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi flaunts new Rs 22 lakh car

NEW DELHI: Fourteen-year-old cricket prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to make headlines with his record-breaking performances and growing list of rewards. After a sensational IPL 2025 season, he was gifted a brand-new car for winning the “Striker of the Season” award. The top model of the car costs over Rs 22 lakh in Delhi.

Vaibhav has recently been honoured for his performances at the ICC U19 World Cup, where India became champions. He met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and received Rs 50 lakh as a special reward for his achievements. Meanwhile, the BCCI also announced a Rs 7.50 crore reward for the Indian Under-19 team after they won the 2026 U19 World Cup.In the World Cup final against England, Vaibhav played a match-winning knock of 175 runs off just 80 balls, helping India win their sixth U-19 World Cup title. Watch Sooryavanshi receiving the car: He hit 15 fours and 15 sixes and reached his century in just 55 balls, one of the fastest in tournament history. He finished the tournament with 439 runs and was named Player of the Match in the final and Player of the Tournament.He first grabbed global attention in IPL 2025 when he smashed a 35-ball century, the fastest by an Indian and the second-fastest in IPL history. He also became the youngest centurion and debutant in IPL history. Rajasthan Royals signed him for Rs 1.1 crore, making him the youngest player ever bought in the league.Vaibhav is already India’s leading U-19 ODI run-scorer and has broken several youth cricket records with his aggressive batting style. He is now preparing for the 2026 IPL season and is expected to be one of Rajasthan Royals’ key players.

NEW DELHI: In a major preventive health push against cervical cancer, the Centre is set to roll out a nationwide human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive for 14-year-old girls later this month, offering the shot free of cost at govt health facilities across the country.The campaign will target girls turning 14 each year, covering an annual cohort of approximately 1.2 crore adolescents across India. The vaccination will be voluntary and provided at designated govt health centres.Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among Indian women, which causes nearly 80,000 new cases and over 42,000 deaths annually. Persistent infection with high-risk HPV types, particularly 16 and 18, accounts for more than 80% of cases.The move follows sustained emphasis at the highest level. PM Modi has repeatedly highlighted cervical cancer prevention, calling for vaccination, early screening and affordable treatment, including at the Quad Cancer Moonshot event in Sept 2024.Unlike routine immunisation under the Universal Immunisation Programme, the HPV drive will be conducted as a special campaign on designated immunisation days and tracked through the U-WIN digital platform to ensure rapid coverage.The vaccine, Gardasil, protects against HPV types 16 and 18, along with 6 and 11. Gavi has committed 2.6 crore doses, with about 1.5 crore already delivered. Officials estimate roughly almost 1.2 crore doses will be needed annually to cover girls turning 14 each year.Globally, over 500 million doses of the vaccine have been administered.Dr Abhishek Shankar from the department of radiation oncology at AIIMS described the rollout as a historic step that strengthens India’s push to eliminate cervical cancer, protect lakhs of girls from a preventable disease and reduces the future treatment burden in line with the WHO elimination goal.Dr Pragya Shukla, head of clinical oncology at Delhi State Cancer Institute, said, “vaccination before sexual debut is critical, as HPV infection is silent and irreversible, and the vaccine is safe and proven”.India’s single-dose strategy is backed by global evidence.

NAGPUR: An Artificial Intelligence-driven cheating racket during the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC Class 12) examinations was busted last week in the once Maoist-hit Gadchiroli district, known for its backwardness and low internet penetration. Education department sources said the political science, chemistry and physics papers were likely compromised. The racket using ChatGPT unfolded at an exam centre in Chamorshi on February 18.A surprise raid by a flying squad led by zilla parishad chief executive officer (CEO) Suhas Gade exposed the racket. Arriving just minutes before the exam ended around 4.55pm, the team caught the exam centre staff with chits, which turned out to be answers generated from ChatGPT.

While the squad was collecting chits strewn in the premises, they noticed the peon, Suraj Kelzarkar, making a suspicious entry. His mobile phone was seized and a scrutiny revealed he had forwarded question papers to a teacher at the same school, Mahendra Kirme.An inquiry unearthed that questions were photographed or relayed out of the hall, fed into ChatGPT for instant, accurate responses, printed nearby, and smuggled back to students for mass copying. This ‘hi-tech’ method replaced traditional copying techniques, marking a new low in exam fraud.ZP CEO Gade stated he was conducting checks when he stumbled upon chits with answers written on them. “We formed a probe committee under the education officer. Actions were initiated to suspend four persons,” he said.Vasudev Bhuse, education officer (secondary), stated the matter was already reported to the HSC board. “School teacher Sushil Lanjewar, exam centre conductor Mahendra Burlewar, another teacher Mahendra Kirme and a peon Suraj Kelzarkar have been named in an FIR. While Lanjewar has been suspended, action will be taken against other accused too,” said Bhuse.Gadchiroli, once a hotspot for Maoist activities, was striving to improve schooling and youth opportunities, making this malpractice particularly alarming as it erodes trust in the system meant to uplift backward areas.

As Pakistan prepares to face England in a high-stakes T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on February 24, 2026, the subcontinental conditions are expected to play a decisive role. With the surface likely to offer significant turn, England’s premier leg-spinner Adil Rashid looms as a major threat to the Pakistan batting lineup.

Ahead of this critical fixture, veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has offered strategic advice to the Salman Ali Agha-led side, focusing on how to dismantle England’s spin duo of Rashid and Liam Dawson. Ashwin believes that the tactical blueprint for success has already been laid out by an unlikely source: the Nepal cricket team.

T20 World Cup 2026: R Ashwin lays out Pakistan’s path to success vs England in Pallekele

Ashwin has urged Pakistan to reintegrate Fakhar Zaman into their middle order, specifically to counter the threat posed by England’s spinners in the middle overs. While Zaman has had a quiet tournament thus far, Ashwin highlights his superior technical ability to handle high-quality spin through aggressive footwork and the use of the sweep shot.

By promoting the left-hander, Pakistan can disrupt the rhythm of Rashid, who has already taken eight wickets in the tournament but remains susceptible to batters who target the square boundaries. Ashwin points to Nepal’s performance on February 8, where their batters targeted Rashid relentlessly, forcing him into a wicketless spell of 0/42 in just three overs. This aggressive approach forced England into a defensive shell and nearly resulted in one of the greatest upsets in T20 World Cup history.

“If Pakistan is serious about this World Cup campaign, they need to think about giving Fakhar Zaman a go in the middle order. He can sweep and use his feet against Rashid and Dawson to inflict some serious damage through the middle overs. This was Nepal’s success formula against Rashid and there are some key learning’s that the other teams can try to imbibe. Access the square boundaries to earn balls in the step hit zone.” Ashwin wrote on X.

If Pakistan are serious about this World Cup campaign, they need to think about giving Fakhar Zaman a go in the middle order.

He can sweep and use his feet against Rashid and Dawson to inflict some serious damage through the middle overs.

This was Nepals success formulae… pic.twitter.com/QMAhQm2GZR

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) February 24, 2026

Also READ: ENG vs PAK, T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium Pitch Report, T20I Stats and Records

Must-win Super 8 clash looms for Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2026

The clash in Pallekele is essentially a must-win for Pakistan after their opening Super 8 fixture against New Zealand was abandoned due to rain, leaving them with just a single point. England, meanwhile, enters the match with immense confidence following a 51-run demolition of Sri Lanka, where Will Jacks and Jofra Archer proved lethal in the powerplay.

Pakistan’s hopes rest on the form of Sahibzada Farhan, who leads the tournament scoring charts with 220 runs, and a spin-heavy attack featuring Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed. However, as Ashwin notes, the key to victory lies in the middle-order battle; if Pakistan can utilize Zaman to ‘access the step-hit zone,’ they may finally find the formula to halt England’s unbeaten run in the Super 8s.

Also READ: PAK vs ENG, T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 Match Prediction – Who will win today’s game between Pakistan and England? 

Representative image (File photo)

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Tuesday permitted the Calcutta HC chief justice to requisition judicial officers from neighbouring Jharkhand and Odisha to help such officers in West Bengal in expeditiously scrutinising and determining validity of claims of voters falling under ‘logical discrepancy’ or ‘unmapped’ categories of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral roll process. These voters in WB have been put under the categories because of, what Election Commission (EC) considers, illogical inconsistencies in their details, documents and family tree. The order came from a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi after the Calcutta HC CJ informed that though 294 serving and retired district judges and additional district judges have been assigned SIR work, they would take at least 80 days to scrutinise documents of 50 lakh voters in these two categories even if each judicial officer decided 250 cases a day.The bench allowed the Calcutta HC CJ to draft judicial officers in the state with three years’ experience for SIR work and said if more additional hands are required to complete the task expeditiously, then he could requisition similarly experienced judicial officers from neighbouring Jharkhand and Odisha. Significantly, the bench said EC will be publishing the final voter list on Feb 28 containing the names of all those who have been verified. However, as the process of verifying the 50 lakh voters’ documents along with claims would take some time, EC would be publishing supplementary voter lists after Feb 28.SC said the 11 documents notified by EC for SIR work as well as with Class X examination admit card along with marksheet would be considered as valid documents to claim inclusion in the voter list, while making clear yet again that Aadhaar would be used only for identification purposes.“There is no question of Aadhaar card being used to claim citizenship,” the bench said, adding that only cases of voters who have submitted their documents by Feb 14 will be verified by the judicial officers while determining their claim for inclusion in the voter list.Invoking its powers under Article 142, the bench said the supplementary voter lists would be deemed to be part of the final list published on Feb 28. Laying importance on completion of SIR of WB’s voter list, the bench said the Calcutta HC CJ would request his counterparts in Jharkhand and Orissa HCs for additional hands – civil judges with three-year experience – to help in verification of documents and claims of voters bracketed in ‘logical discrepancy’ and ‘unmapped’ categories. SC asked EC to bear the expenses towards travel, lodging and honorarium of the judicial officers who would be coming to WB from Jharkhand and Odisha. Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay told the court that most illegal migrants across India have Aadhaar cards which have been made in WB. He said the SC could give a direction to control and curb these fake Aadhaar cards.CJI said this may require a deeper probe, but this is not the time to do so. “Let the right atmosphere be there for such an exercise,” CJI Kant said. Justice Bagchi said the best way forward is for Upadhyay to make a representation to solicitor general Tushar Mehta who could in turn forward it to the Union govt for appropriate action and amend the Representation of the People Act.Justice Bagchi said, “If Aadhaar is procured fraudulently on an industrial scale as you are alleging, then it requires to be statutorily regulated. Because the RP Act was amended and Aadhaar was brought in as a document which will prove identity. We must acknowledge that.” “We have already clarified that Aadhaar is for identity purposes. So, there is no question of citizenship being canvassed through Aadhaar,” he said.

No question of Aadhaar being used to claim citizenship: Supreme Court

The order came from a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi after the Calcutta HC CJ informed SC that though 294 serving and retired district judges and additional district judges have been assigned SIR work, they would take at least 80 days to scrutinise documents of 50 lakh voters even if each judicial officer decided 250 cases a day.The bench allowed the Calcutta HC CJ to draft judicial officers in the state with three years’ experience for SIR work and said that if more additional hands are required to complete the task expeditiously, he could requisition similarly experienced judicial officers from neighbouring Jharkhand and Odisha.Significantly, SC said EC will publish final voter list on Feb 28 containing the names of all those who have been verified. However, as the process of verifying the 50 lakh voters’ documents along with claims would take some time, EC would publish supplementary voter lists after Feb 28.SC said the 11 documents notified by EC, as well as Class X exam admit card along with the marksheet, would be considered valid to claim inclusion in the voter list, while making clear yet again that Aadhaar would be used only for identification purposes.“There is no question of Aadhaar being used to claim citizenship,” SC said, adding that only cases of voters who have submitted their documents by Feb 14 will be verified by the judicial officers while determining their claim for inclusion in the voter list.Invoking its extraordinary powers under Article 142, the CJI-led bench said that the supplementary voter lists would be deemed to be part of the final list published on Feb 28.SC asked EC to bear the expenses towards lodging and honorarium of the judicial officers who would be coming from Jharkhand and Odisha.Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay told SC that most illegal migrants have Aadhaar cards that have been made in WB. He said the SC could give a direction to control and curb these fake Aadhaar cards.The CJI said this may require a deeper probe, but this is not the time to do so. Justice Bagchi said the best way forward is for Upadhyay to make a representation to SG Tushar Mehta, who could in turn forward it to the Union govt for appropriate action.

Judges on SIR work get bomb threats

Hoax emails threatening suicide bomb attacks and RDX blasts were sent Tuesday to district judges supervising SIR verification work in Kolkata, West Burdwan, Hooghly and Murshidabad, prompting drills in at least six courts. Searches found nothing. Bengal Chief secretary Nandini Chakravorty termed the threat a hoax.

Steve Bucknor and Sachin Tendulkar. (Pic Credit – X)

The younger generation may not fully grasp the impact West Indies umpire Steve Bucknor had on Indian cricket fans and Sachin Tendulkar. Now 79, Bucknor was one of the most respected umpires of his time, officiating over 120 Test matches and serving in multiple World Cups. However, he is still remembered for several controversial decisions against Tendulkar, often in the biggest matches.One of the most famous incidents was during the Brisbane Test between India and Australia in 2003–04. Tendulkar, at the peak of his career, was given out LBW by Bucknor after a loud appeal from Jason Gillespie, Adam Gilchrist, and the Australian team. Tendulkar was dismissed for just three runs in the first innings—a huge shock to fans.

Now, 22 years later, Bucknor has admitted he made a mistake. He said Tendulkar should not have been given out because the ball was clearly missing the stumps. This confession confirms what fans have long believed about one of cricket’s most controversial decisions.“Giving Sachin Tendulkar out leg before wicket, and it’s a matter of knowing that it was a mistake, but until this day, every day, people talk about it,” Bucknor said in an interview with the West Indies Cricket Umpires’ Association.“Why did I give him out? Was he out and so on? But then in life, mistakes happen. I have accepted that it was a mistake, and life goes on,” he added.How did the dismissal come about?During that dismissal, Sachin Tendulkar tried to leave the ball, but it struck his pads. Jason Gillespie and the Australian team appealed, and the experienced umpire Steve Bucknor gave him out. However, he clearly misjudged the ball’s height. Tendulkar had misread the delivery, leaving his arms across, as the ball pitched outside off and swung sharply back in line.When Bucknor raised his finger, Tendulkar looked shocked and couldn’t believe the decision. Commentator Tony Greig called it a “dreadful decision” live on air. Replays later showed the ball would have gone well above the stumps, proving Bucknor’s call was a major error that ended Tendulkar’s innings prematurely.“That is a dreadful decision. Have a look at this, look at the bounce and movement,” Greig had said then.