New Delhi: IndiGo was quizzed on Wednesday by a parliamentary committee over the misery inflicted on passengers by its mass-cancellation of flights, but it blamed a variety of factors, including system glitch and adverse weather conditions, while DGCA and the aviation ministry parried off criticism of their role in the fiasco.Some committee members termed replies of different stakeholders as “unconvincing” and aimed at washing their hands of the crisis, encapsulated by the response of a govt official that he first came to know of the unfolding ordeal through media reports.The panel, headed by JDU’s Sanjay Jha, decided to wait for the report of an inquiry ordered by DGCA before coming to a conclusion and make its recommendation. It will hold another meeting and is expected to call these stakeholders again. The DGCA-ordered committee was constituted on Dec 5 and was asked to submit its report in 15 days.Captain Sam Thomas, president of Bengaluru-based Airline Pilots Association of India, created flutter at the meeting by alleging corruption in DGCA and was asked by members to refrain from making sweeping allegations without producing evidence. He alleged that one can commit any wrong, but stay safe if he touched right feet.A committee member said IndiGo, which has offered apology for the ordeal, was far from apologetic in its response before the panel. It told the panel that several factors combined to derail its operation, including a glitch in system, which needed rebooting, and adverse weather that had their pilots stuck in different zones.IndiGo was represented by its COO Isidre Porqueras, while officials of Air India, Akasa Air, Spice Jet and Air India Express appeared before the panel as well. Civil aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha and top functionaries of other stakeholders were part of the deliberations.Replying to a query, IndiGo said all luggage, except 52 which remained unclaimed, have already been delivered.The panel’s meeting came against the backdrop of the suspicion, subject of investigation, that IndiGo remained resistant to the implementation of guidelines (Flight Duty Time Limitation) that allowed more rest for pilots in line with global norms aimed at ensuring flyers’ safety.It has been accused of engineering the disruption, leveraging its market dominance, to force the ministry to roll back the regulation as implementing it would have required the airline to hire more pilots. Faced with chaos caused triggered by disruption of IndiGo’s operations, DGCA had to relax the implementation of the guidelines.IndiGo management is reported to have denied allegation in meetings with ministry.

At the ‘Raja Saab’ song launch in Hyderabad, actress Nidhhi Agerwal experienced an intense moment when an enthusiastic crowd of fans overwhelmed her during her departure. Footage reveals her distress as she attempts to navigate through the throng, leaving many viewers outraged over the excessive adoration and the lack of proper crowd control by the organizers.

The Prabhas starrer ‘The Raja Saab’ has been the talk of the town since the announcement. On Wednesday, the makers hosted an event in Hyderabad to launch the song ‘Sahana Sahana’ from the film. Nidhhi Agerwal, who has featured in the track, attended the event. However, while exiting the venue, the actress faced a situation wherein she was mobbed by the sea of fans. Let’s take a look at what happened.

Nidhhi Agerwal gets mobbed by fans at the ‘Raja Saab’ event

A video of Nidhhi Agerwal getting mobbed by fans while exiting the song launch event has gone viral on the internet. The actress can be seen struggling to move towards her car even in the presence of guards. She looked visibly upset as she finally reached her vehicle. The video was shared by the entertainment portal Gulte. Even after getting inside her car, the actress looked upset and angry. Take a look at the clip here. As of now, the makers or the actress has not issued any statement on the incident.

Internet reacts to Nidhhi Agerwal getting mobbed

As soon as the videos surfaced on the internet, netizens strongly condemned the behavior of the fans. A person wrote, “What nonsense is this there’s absolutely no crowd management. This is mismanagement by organizers.” Another one added, “I feel sorry for her because it seems like everyone wants to touch her.” A comment read, “This Is Disturbing And Unacceptable. Admiration Should Never Turn Into Intimidation. Celebrities Are Human Beings, Not Public Property. A Little Discipline And Basic Civic Sense From The Crowd Could Have Prevented This. Safety And Respect Must Always Come First.” A social media user posted, “If you can choreograph an entry with cameras and banners, you can damn well choreograph a dignified exit. She escaped from a possible stampede.” Last but not least, an X user wrote, “Why is personal space such a hard concept for crowds?”

More about ‘The Raja Saab’

Directed by Maruthi, the film stars Prabhas, Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani, Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal, Riddhi Kumar, Zarina Wahab, Samuthirakani, Vennela Kishore, and Brahmanandam. The movie is set to hit theaters on January 9, 2026.

NEW DELHI: The US administration for children and families (ACF) under the department of health and human services wrote to the governors of 39 states, calling on them to safeguard Social Security benefits meant for children in foster care. In letters sent on Thursday, the ACF flagged concerns alleging that state child welfare agencies are collecting Social Security survivor and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits owed to foster children and using the funds to offset foster care costs, rather than preserving them for the children. “Every earned benefit dollar belongs to these foster youth, not government agencies or bureaucrats,” ACF Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams said, stressing that protecting children must remain central to child welfare policy, as reported by Economic Times quoting Daily Express US.Idaho has discontinued the practice under Adams’ leadership, joining ten other states that have enacted policies protecting foster children’s benefits. The federal authorities are now working on ways to reform practices in the states where benefit collection continues.According to a Social Security Advisory Report, published in September, cited by Daily Express US, around 27,000 foster children, i.e. more than 5 per cent of the total foster care population receive Social Security or SSI benefits. Several states routinely divert these funds, saving millions in foster care expenditure, according to the Associated Press. Social Security survivor benefits are based on lifetime contributions made by deceased parents and are considered a critical financial resource for affected children. The agency is now seeking to ensure that benefits are preserved for foster children, particularly as they transition out of state care. The issue has drawn political attention in recent years. In March 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren raised the matter during a Senate hearing, calling for a ban on states collecting foster children’s survivor benefits. She claimed states had taken at least $179 million from foster children in 2018 alone to fund unrelated state expenses. Warren alleged that some states screen children in foster care for Social Security eligibility—sometimes using data-mining firms—and divert the proceeds into state budgets. “Those benefits are being used for everything from office supplies to prisons,” she said.

HYDERABAD: Cyient Semiconductors, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cyient Ltd, is acquiring over 65% stake in San Jose headquartered power semiconductor player Kinetic Technologies for a total cash consideration of up to $93 million (approx. Rs 846 crore). The transaction, which is subject to customer closing conditions, is expected to be completed by April 30, 2026.Cyient Semiconductors Singapore Pte Ltd, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cyient Semiconductors Private Limited, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the majority stake in Kinetic Technologies, Cyient informed the bourses on Wednesday.Kinetic’s current leadership team and engineering organisation will continue to operate within its existing structure, with ongoing alignment to Cyient Semiconductors’ strategic direction and board oversight to ensure continuity for customers, partners, and employees, Cyient said.According to Hyderabad-based Cyient, the acquisition was being done with an eye on driving custom power IC leadership in Edge AI and high-performance compute markets and would be a game-changer for Cyient Semiconductors’ ambition to set up India’s first ASIC-led custom power semiconductor powerhouse.Kinetic, which was incorporated in 2006, develops high-performance ICs for efficient power delivery and signal conditioning for global markets. It has a deep expertise in analog and mixed-signal design, including power conversion solutions, display power, protection, and interface solutions.Bringing together Cyient Semiconductors’ design leadership with Kinetic Technologies’ proven portfolio of high-performance analog and mixed-signal ICs – including power conversion solutions, display power, protection, and interface solutions—the company is positioned to take a strong leadership position in high-growth markets.Cyient Semiconductors CEO Suman Narayan said combining Kinetic’s power management and protection IC depth with Cyient Semiconductors’ custom ASIC engine materially will strengthen their platform strategy to cater to exploding AI demands.“This will help shorten development cycles and scale our ability to solve the toughest power, thermal, and reliability problems in high volume systems. The result is custom application-specific power management ICs for data centers, communications, medical electronics, and industrial IoT, delivering superior performance and total cost efficiency,” he said.Kinetic Technologies CEO Kin Shum said Kinetic Technologies could benefit greatly from the semiconductor market opportunities, talent availability in India with the backing of a partner like Cyient Semiconductors.

The government on Wednesday said it has simplified and streamlined the visa process for Indian companies seeking to bring in foreign professionals, including engineers and technical experts, whose services are required for production-related activities such as machine installation, quality checks, training and plant design.The move is expected to benefit domestic firms that import machinery from overseas, including from countries such as China, and have faced delays in securing visas for foreign experts whose technical support is required.The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) said it has launched an online module that allows Indian companies to digitally generate sponsorship letters for inviting foreign professionals under the e-Production Investment Business Visa, also known as the e-B-4 Visa.The module, launched on November 29, is part of a broader set of reforms under the business visa regime aimed at improving the ease of doing business, DPIIT said. As of now, 129 sponsorship letters have been generated by Indian companies through the new system.An official said the earlier process was “cumbersome and lengthy”, and the new digital platform will significantly reduce the time taken for companies to secure e-visas for foreign experts. “Business visitors were coming to India earlier also but now the visa process has been streamlined and simplified. It is much structured now,” the official said.Foreign professionals will use the digitally generated sponsorship letters to apply for visas and visit Indian manufacturing facilities to offer their services. The official added that the time taken to grant visas will now be “significantly shorter”.The facility is available to both production-linked incentive (PLI) beneficiary firms and non-PLI companies. In August 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a circular to address issues related to employment visas, business visas and e-PLI business visas.Under that circular, two categories of activities earlier covered under the employment visa — foreign nationals coming for installation and commissioning of equipment as part of supply contracts, and those paid fees or royalties by Indian companies — were shifted to the business visa regime.“Further, a new sub-category of Production Investment Visa has been created under the Business Visa regime and called the B-4 Visa for enabling foreign subject matter specialists/ engineers/ technical people being engaged by Indian companies,” DPIIT said.The department said the experts may be engaged for installation and commissioning, quality checks and essential maintenance, production, IT ramp-up, training, supply chain development for vendor empanelment, plant design and bring-up, as well as visits by senior management and executives for production investment activities. “Moreover, the existing e-PLI business visa was dispensed with,” it added.The Production Investment Visa will now be issued as an e-visa through the online visa portal. To facilitate applications, Indian companies are required to generate sponsorship letters digitally through the National Single Window System (NSWS).DPIIT said it launched the e-Production Investment Business registration module on NSWS on November 29, which can be used by both PLI and non-PLI businesses. “Processes have been streamlined with simpler forms, and the recommendation requirement of the Line Ministry has been done away with,” it said.The department added that auto-population of data and authentication through existing databases such as the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and the GST Network have eliminated the need for line ministry approvals. The unique ID generated with each sponsorship letter will be cited by the foreign professional while applying for an e-visa, with the system integrated with NSWS through an application programming interface.

Silver prices on Wednesday breached the Rs 2 lakh-per-kilogram mark in the national capital for the first time, driven by strong demand in domestic and overseas markets, according to the All India Sarafa Association, PTI reported.The white metal surged Rs 7,300 to hit an all-time high of Rs 2,05,800 per kg, compared with the previous close of Rs 1,98,500 per kg.“Silver continued its ascent with prices touching record high levels in the domestic markets as the white metal surged to hit a new peak in the international markets,” Dilip Parmar, Research Analyst, HDFC Securities, said.So far this year, silver prices have jumped by Rs 1,15,300, or 127.40%, from Rs 90,500 per kg recorded on January 1, 2025.In the local bullion market, gold prices also edged higher, rising Rs 600 to Rs 1,36,500 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes), against the previous close of Rs 1,35,900 per 10 grams, the association said.Renisha Chainani, Head – Research at Augmont, said the US dollar index has slipped to a two-month low, making dollar-priced bullion more affordable for overseas buyers.In the international markets, spot gold climbed $18.59, or 0.43%, to $4,321.06 per ounce.“Spot gold is trading with a gain of around 0.4% at $4,320 per ounce as traders await the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) data to be released on Thursday,” Praveen Singh, Research Analyst, Mirae Asset ShareKhan, said.Echoing similar views, Parmar said gold prices are hovering near record highs as investors track escalating geopolitical tensions in Venezuela. He added that markets are also watching for signals of further monetary easing after the US Federal Reserve’s third consecutive rate cut last week, which supports non-interest-bearing assets. Investment demand from both retail and institutional investors is expected to remain strong, potentially pushing prices higher, he said.Meanwhile, spot silver in overseas trade crossed the $66-per-ounce level for the first time, jumping $2.77, or 4.35%, to a fresh record of $66.52 per ounce.“Silver extended its remarkable rally, breaking above the $66 per ounce level for the first time on record, driven by a combination of tight physical supply conditions, rising safe-haven demand, strong inflows into silver-backed ETFs, and growing expectations of US Federal Reserve rate cuts,” Kaynat Chainwala, AVP – Commodity Research, Kotak Securities, said, PTI quoted.Chainwala added that momentum has been amplified by reports that China plans to restrict silver exports from 2026, which could disrupt a key supply source. “With Chinese silver inventories already at their lowest levels in a decade, any export curbs risk worsening the physical squeeze, reinforcing the bullish narrative and potentially sustaining elevated prices in the near term,” she said.During the year, silver prices have climbed $36.96, or 125.05%, from $29.55 per ounce on January 2, 2025. Chainwala noted that silver’s rally has outpaced gold, gaining over 120% year-to-date, reflecting a historic squeeze driven by tight supply, rising lease rates and stronger demand linked to silver’s growing role in the global green energy transition.

India’s pension regulator has relaxed exit and withdrawal norms under the National Pension System (NPS), giving non-government subscribers greater flexibility over their retirement savings and extending the investment horizon to age 85, PTI reported.Under the revised rules, non-government NPS subscribers will now be allowed to withdraw up to 80% of their accumulated pension wealth at the time of exit, up from the earlier limit of 60%, with only 20% required to be deployed towards annuity purchase, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) said.The changes are part of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (Exits and Withdrawals under the National Pension System) (Amendment) Regulations, 2025, dated December 12, 2025, which will come into effect upon publication in the official Gazette.“The subscriber shall have the right to seek financial assistance from a regulated financial institution to the extent permitted…and for which purpose, the subscriber may make any assignment, pledge, contract, order, sale or security of any kind with respect to any benefit receivable under the National Pension System in favour of the lender,” PFRDA said.Higher withdrawal flexibility, loan access addedIn another major shift, the regulator has allowed NPS accounts to be pledged as collateral for loans from regulated financial institutions, within limits prescribed by PFRDA. This move is expected to enhance liquidity options for subscribers without forcing premature exits.Further, if the total pension corpus at exit is less than Rs 8 lakh, non-government subscribers will have the option to withdraw the entire amount as a lump sum or opt for periodic payouts through systematic withdrawals or other PFRDA-approved mechanisms.The regulator has also increased the number of partial withdrawals allowed during the subscription period from three to four, with a mandatory gap of four years between each withdrawal. After attaining the age of 60, partial withdrawals will be permitted up to three times, with a minimum gap of three years.Exit age raised to 85 across categoriesA key reform under the amended rules is the extension of the maximum exit age from 70 to 85 years for non-government subscribers. Government sector subscribers will also now be allowed to remain invested until age 85, up from the earlier limit of 75 years.For government employees opting for normal exit, the existing structure remains unchanged: 60% of the accumulated pension wealth (APW) can be withdrawn, while 40% must be used to purchase an annuity. The 60% withdrawal can be taken either as a lump sum or through systematic withdrawals.However, in cases of premature exit by government employees due to resignation, removal or dismissal, 80% of the APW must be mandatorily annuitised, with only the remaining portion available for lump-sum withdrawal.If the total APW is Rs 5 lakh or less, full withdrawal in lump sum will continue to be permitted across normal exit, premature exit, or exit due to death.Greater freedom for retirement planningBy lowering the mandatory annuity requirement for private subscribers to 20% and expanding withdrawal and investment options, PFRDA said the revised framework aims to offer greater autonomy and flexibility to subscribers in managing their retirement savings.Under the amended regulations, subscribers across government, non-government and NPS-Lite categories can remain invested in the NPS up to age 85, unless they choose to exit earlier under the prescribed conditions, the regulator added.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ 2025 season came crashing down in the most painful way possible, and Travis Kelce finally put words to the emotion many in the locker room were feeling. After a Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers eliminated Kansas City from playoff contention, the night grew even heavier with the confirmation that Patrick Mahomes had suffered a season-ending ACL injury.Speaking on the latest episode of the New Heights podcast with his brother Jason, Kelce delivered an unfiltered and emotional reaction to watching his longtime quarterback and closest on-field partner go down.

A moment that stunned the Chiefs locker room

Kelce described the moment Mahomes was injured as surreal, admitting it took time to process what had just happened. The veteran tight end said seeing Mahomes fall on a “freakish play” was one of the toughest moments he has experienced in his career.“It was almost like it wasn’t real,” Kelce said, adding that the injury “just sucks” given how much Mahomes puts into the game every single week. Kelce repeatedly emphasized the work ethic and toughness that have defined Mahomes’ rise, calling him the “face of the franchise” and a leader who gives everything for the team.For a Chiefs offense that has revolved around the Mahomes-Kelce connection for nearly a decade, the injury felt symbolic of a season that steadily slipped away.

Travis Kelce backs Patrick Mahomes to rise again

Despite the disappointment, Kelce made it clear he has no doubts about Mahomes’ ability to return at full strength. He described the quarterback as a “fearless warrior” and expressed confidence that Mahomes will attack rehab with the same intensity he brings to the field.Kelce pointed out that Mahomes has battled through adversity throughout his career, and he expects this challenge to be no different. While the timeline for Mahomes’ return stretches into the 2026 season, Kelce believes the setback will only add to his quarterback’s story.The loss to the Chargers marked the Chiefs’ first missed postseason since 2014, a stunning outcome for a franchise that has dominated the AFC for much of the past decade. For Kelce, the emotional weight of the moment extended beyond a single game.Kansas City now faces a difficult final stretch without its quarterback, with games remaining against the Titans, Broncos, and Raiders. More importantly, the franchise heads into the offseason with unfamiliar questions surrounding health, aging stars, and direction.For now, Kelce’s focus remains clear. The season may be lost, but his respect and loyalty to Mahomes and the bond they’ve built remains unshaken.Also Read: Patrick Mahomes’ family wealth: How rich is the Chiefs star’s inner circle?