South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad (AFP Photo)

NEW DELHI: South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad acknowledged on Saturday that using the word “grovel” overshadowed his team’s historic Test win over India, though he reiterated there was no “malice” behind it. Conrad made the remark after day four of the second Test in Guwahati when South Africa were dominating, but the term — carrying racial undertones in cricket history — sparked strong reactions.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“I think on reflection, it was never my intention to cause any malice or not be humble about anything. How could I have chosen a better word on reflection? Yeah, I could have been smarter,” Conrad said after the third ODI.

“It (the word) left it open to people putting their own context to it, where the only context I ever intended it to be was for India to spend a lot of time and make it really tough for them,” he added.Conrad said he will now be more mindful of language used in public spaces.“I’m going to be careful what word I use here now, because context would be attached to that as well. It’s really a pity. Maybe what it did do was to spice up the ODI series, especially with them winning that now, the T20 series becomes even more so.”He admitted the controversy diverted attention from South Africa’s first Test series win over India in 25 years.“The unfortunate thing is, with all the noise that word caused, I don’t think it’s a perfectly good English word, but like I said, it just left it open to too many interpretations.“What it did was take away the gloss of what was a really special win for our Test team. It’s unfortunate, but like I said, there was definitely no malice intended.”Conrad added that humility remains central to the team’s culture.“Being humble is a cornerstone of our Test team and all our teams for that matter. It’s unfortunate that the noise and the talk became around the coach.“People shouldn’t even know who the coach is. It should be about the players. That’s the unfortunate bit and I’d like to think that it’s going to be put to bed now,” he said.“We missed a special chance”Conrad also expressed regret that South Africa couldn’t secure another series win over India at home after claiming the Test victory.“Yes, we had a chance to do something really special,” he said.“I think the last time India lost both the Test and ODI series goes back to the 1990s. We missed out on that opportunity. But look, they’re a world-class side with world-class players.“When Rohit (Sharma) is in this type of form, you cannot afford to yield your game. But like I said, part of this is building towards 2027, the World Cup in South Africa. I’d like to think that a few things are starting to fall into place with that. A lot of experience built in you,” he noted.“Chance to learn from RoKo”Virat Kohli finished the ODI contest as Player of the Series with two centuries and a fifty, while Rohit Sharma also contributed with two half-centuries. Conrad said watching them was a learning experience for his young squad.“Therein lies the learnings for us, for our young batters to see what the world’s best does, i.e. Virat and Rohit, how they go about their business. And I’d like to think that we will take that learning with us and then grow from there, especially our younger batters,” he said.Conrad admitted South Africa fell short with the bat in the final ODI.“I’d like to think that we were a little bit short with the bat. We started off really well with the ball, but because we didn’t post a score big enough, the Indian opening batters didn’t have to take any risks and they put us under pressure.“But I think we let ourselves down with the bat. We needed to post something a lot more competitive to put India under pressure. But, such are the margins when two equally matched teams are up against each other, (and) when one team is slightly off,” he said.Finally, Conrad and the team manager confirmed that Tony de Zorzi will miss the upcoming T20I series after suffering a hamstring injury during the second ODI in Raipur.“He was out earlier today, so he was out of the T20 series as well. Yeah, it’s really tough. Obviously, we were, I guess I should use the term hamstrung. But we were hamstrung by Tony’s injury,” they said.

GOA: At least 23 people have died after a fire tore through a popular nightclub in North Goa’s Arpora village late on Saturday night, officials said. Most of the victims were staff members working at the venue. Goa’s police chief Alok Kumar told news agency PTI that the blaze was triggered by a cylinder blast inside Birch by Romeo Lane, a nightclub that opened last year and is located about 25km from the state capital, Panaji. “All the 23 bodies have been recovered,” he said, adding that the victims were almost entirely club employees. Three women were among the dead, according to chief minister Pramod Sawant. Sawant, who visited the site shortly after the fire was brought under control, said that while three people died of burn injuries, the remaining victims appeared to have succumbed to suffocation. He added that initial information suggested the club had not complied with fire safety norms. “We will take action against the club management and also against the officials who allowed it to operate despite flouting safety norms,” the chief minister said. “This is an unfortunate incident during the peak tourist season.” Earlier statements from local authorities suggested no tourists were harmed, but Sawant later said that “three to four tourists” were also among those killed. Local MLA Michael Lobo, who was also at the scene, told reporters that all the bodies had been sent to the Goa Medical College in Bambolim. He said firefighters and police teams worked through the night to recover the victims and secure the area. Lobo said the Calangute panchayat would issue notices to all nightclubs on Monday, asking them to furnish valid fire safety permissions. Licences of establishments found operating without the necessary clearances would be cancelled, he added. Authorities have ordered a detailed inquiry into the incident, and a fire safety audit of all clubs in the area is expected to begin shortly.Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to chief minister Pramod Sawant to enquire about the fire incident in Goa. Modi said that the fire mishap in Arpora, Goa, is deeply saddening.“My thoughts are with all those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. The state govt is providing all possible assistance to those affected,” PM Modi said.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar

NEW DELHI: Amid calls by Bangladesh for ex-PM Sheikh Hasina’s extradition, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said Saturday her stay in India is her personal decision influenced by what transpired in the country last year.India has so far not acceded to Dhaka’s demand for the extradition of Hasina, who was sentenced to death last month for crimes against humanity.Asked if she could stay as long as she wanted, the minister said this was a different question. “She came here in a certain circumstance, and I think that circumstance clearly is a factor in what happens to her. But again, that is something in which she has to make up her mind,” he said. He also said India is a well-wisher of Bangladesh.

“As a democratic country… we would like to see the will of the people ascertained. I’m quite confident that whatever comes out… would have a balanced and mature view about the relationship and, hopefully things would improve,” he said at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.On the visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said the India-Russia partnership has been among the “steadiest big relationships” in the last 70-80 years.Unreasonable for nations to expect say in our foreign ties: EAMForeign minister Jaishankar disagreed that Putin’s visit could complicate India’s negotiations with the US on a bilateral trade agreement.“I think everybody knows that India has relations with all the major countries in the world,” Jaishankar said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. “I think for any country to expect to have a veto or a say in how we develop our relations with others is not a reasonable proposition,” he said.Jaishankar was asked if Putin’s two-day visit to New Delhi that focused largely on significantly enhancing the economic dimension of India-Russia ties will have a bearing on the negotiations with the US for the proposed trade deal. “Because remember, the others can expect the same. I think we’ve always made it very clear that we have multiple relationships. We have a freedom of choice,” he said. “We talk about what is called strategic autonomy and that continues and I cannot imagine why anybody would have reason to expect the contrary,” he added.The minister acknowledged that the focus of the Trump administration has been on trade and noted that India’s approach in navigating it is totally driven by national interests. “I think clearly right now trade is the most important issue there. We have, it’s clearly very central to the thinking in Washington, much more than it was to earlier administrations, which is something which we have recognised and we are prepared to meet,” he said.“But we are prepared to meet it on reasonable terms. I mean, for those of you who think that diplomacy is about pleasing somebody else I’m sorry, that’s not my view of diplomacy. I mean, to me, it is about defending our national interests,” he said.The India-US relations are going through possibly the worst phase in the last two decades after Washington imposed a whopping 50% on Indian goods, including 25% levies for New Delhi’s procurement of Russian crude. The two sides are currently holding negotiations for the proposed a trade deal “We believe that there can be a landing point for our respective trade interests. Obviously, that is something which will be negotiated hard because it has an implication for livelihoods in this country,” he said.“At the end of the day, for us the interests of the workers and the farmers and the small business and the middle class matters. When we look at a trade agreement with a country like the US, you have to be extremely judicious about your position, about what you put on the table,” he said.On President Putin’s trip to India, Jaishankar said for a “big” and “rising” country like India, it is important to maintain good cooperation with as many important players as possible in the world in line with freedom of choice.

NEW DELHI: Communities living around areas in India that witness mining operations are showing measurable signs of lung impairment and heavy-metal exposure, according to new data tabled in Lok Sabha.The health ministry, citing Indian Council of Medical Research studies, has confirmed that residents in mining belts face risks comparable to those for workers directly involved in extraction.A National Institute of Occupational Health study of 1,202 people living near coal mines found abnormal pulmonary function in 14.3% of miners, 10% of supervisory staff and 7.8% of residents. Chest X-rays showed interstitial lung fibrosis in 2.5% of miners, 2.3% of supervisors and 2.7% of residents. Mercury levels above the permissible exposure limit (<5.8 Mu/dl) were detected in 6.8% of miners and 8% of residents, indicating exposure well beyond workplace boundaries.“These patterns tell us that fine coal dust and silica are travelling far into homes, schools and community spaces,” said Dr Dhiren Gupta, paediatric pulmonologist and allergy specialist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. “When non-workers show lung abnormalities comparable to miners, it means even children and families are facing occupational-level exposure without protection.”In Bhilwara district, Rajasthan, children living near the Rampura Agucha mine had higher blood lead levels than control groups, though researchers did not detect toxicity or IQ decline. In Angul and Damanjodi in Odisha, an ICMR assessment found 2.35% and 2.04% respiratory impairment, respectively, among community members.Experts warn that such findings suggest deeper environmental lapses. “If residents show structural lung changes, it strongly indicates that dust suppression and emission control measures are nowhere near sufficient,” said Dr Pritpal Kaur, senior consultant, Pulmonology, Apollo Spectra Hospital, Delhi. She added that community-level exposure points to presence of fugitive dust, inadequate green buffers and outdated dust-control technology.Despite the red flags, mining companies told govt they already provided wide-ranging healthcare in affected areas. Coal India Limited runs 64 hospitals, 300 dispensaries and 18 mobile vans, while NLC India Ltd and Singareni Collieries conduct periodic screening through Occupational Health Centres.But public health specialists say these initiatives fall short of the long-term surveillance mining communities need. “Health camps and mobile units are episodic and basic,” said Dr Neetu Jain of PSRI Hospital. “Only structured programmes with regular screenings, specialist clinics and environmental audits can catch disease early and prevent irreversible damage.”The health ministry said it maintained coordination with the ministry of coal and district authorities to run national programmes relating to respiratory diseases, but experts believe the new data underscores the need for more rigorous monitoring and stronger environmental safeguards in India’s mining belts.

LG Sinha and CM Abdullah (File photo)

SRINAGAR: A political face-off erupted Saturday over age relaxation for J&K’s civil services exam, with chief minister Omar Abdullah accusing LG Manoj Sinha of stalling a crucial file and the latter’s office firing back that “misleading” claims are being spread as the Dec 7 test looms.Abdullah said that uncertainty has gripped aspirants because of “Lok Bhavan’s delay in approving age relaxation, a provision granted multiple times in the past”, and urged J&K Public Service Commission (JKPSC) to postpone the combined competitive (preliminary) exam. He also cited travel chaos caused by ongoing airline disruptions.The row comes amid student protests seeking an increase in the age limit. J&K currently caps the age at 32 for open-category candidates and 37 for reserved categories. Aspirants said other states such as Uttarakhand and Haryana allow candidates up to 42 years, while UP, MP and Rajasthan set the limit at 40.With five days left for the exam, thousands of candidates remain caught between a stalled decision and the risk of missing what many call a once-in-a-year chance.The LG’s office said it received the age relaxation file on Dec 2 and returned it the same day with a query on whether it was “logistically possible” to alter eligibility criteria so close to the exam. “Despite lapse of four days Lok Bhavan did not receive any response. I fully sympathise with young aspirants,” the statement said, adding that social media posts on the issue were “misleading”.The LG’s office also underlined that JKPSC had published the exam advertisement on Aug 22 and notified Dec 7 as the exam date on Oct 6.NC spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq had earlier claimed the CM had already approved the age relaxation proposal and forwarded it to the LG on Dec 2. After the LG’s statement, Sadiq said there was “absolutely no reason for any further queries” if the file had already been cleared by the CM.Parties trained fire on both sides. “JKAS age relaxation issue is turning out yet another classical case of passing the buck at the cost of young aspirants,” Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone said. Congress urged both LG and CM to resolve the standoff without further delay, while PDP president Mehbooba Mufti called it “passing of responsibility”.

NEW DELHI: More than 20 years after her marriage, Rousanara Begum finally heard the words she had waited for when the Supreme Court recently ruled that a divorced Muslim woman can reclaim the wedding gifts her parents gave her at the time of marriage.Now nearly 45, she told TOI on Saturday: “It started two decades ago. I had to fight a lot for the victory.” For her, the SC’s decision is not just a legal victory. It is the closing of a wound she has carried since 2005. Rousanara was barely married when her marital life collapsed. According to her case records, she was married in 2005 but the relationship fell apart almost immediately.By late 2005, the first cracks had appeared. In 2008, after allegations of dowry harassment, mental cruelty, and being forced out of her marital home, she returned to her parents. The talaq eventually came in 2011. The gifts her father had given — 7 lakh rupees in cash and some gold that were part of her wedding — were never returned to her. “(Rs) Seven lakh is a lot of money for folks like us,” she said in broken Urdu.Unlike many families who fear the social judgement that comes with a daughter’s divorce, her parents stood rock-solid behind her. However, despite winning in the lower courts more than once, Rousanara’s fight ran into a wall at Calcutta HC, which in Jan 2024 reversed the earlier orders and denied her the right to reclaim the cash and gold her parents had given when she married. HC ruled in favour of the divorced husband, SK Salahuddin. This prompted Rousanara to move the SC.Through the years of litigation, Rousanara rebuilt her life even as she walked in and out of courtrooms. Today she works as a primary school teacher in a govt school, is remarried, and has two sons.For her lawyer, Syed Mehdi Imam, it is one of the most meaningful victories he has seen. “This was a grey area. Till today, no clear judgment existed on whether the money and gold given to a bride at marriage, but kept with the groom, must be returned after divorce,” he told TOI. “I urged the court: decide this once and for all.” Imam said there was hesitation in some quarters because the matter could have been misread as a religious flashpoint. “There could potentially have been pushback from some corners,” he said. “Some feared it could flare into a religious controversy since this issue had never been adjudicated before. It could have blown out of proportion as it was sensitive.” Then, finally on Dec 2, SC placed equality and dignity at the heart of its interpretation of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, observing that law must be read in light of the lived experiences of women, especially in rural and small-town India, where patriarchal discrimination remains embedded.Muslim bodies have welcomed the ruling. Maulana Raziul Islam Nadwi, national secretary of JIH and its Shari’ah Council, said, “Husband’s gifts to the wife, even if the marriage does not last, cannot be taken back under Islamic law. Women’s gifts have a different status. Shari’at gives the wife this right, unless she or her family willingly relinquishes it. There is no contradiction in the SC order.” When the verdict came, Imam typed three words to her during the court lunch break: “Won the matter.” That night, his phone rang. She was in tears. “I am very happy,” she said. “This win is for all Muslim women like me.” For many divorced Muslim women across India, this case from rural Bengal is a precedent: one that finally clarifies that what is given to a bride at marriage belongs to her alone.

India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

NEW DELHI: Yashasvi Jaiswal scored his first ODI century as India secured a 2-1 series victory with a dominant nine-wicket win against South Africa in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.India successfully chased the target of 271 runs, with Jaiswal remaining unbeaten at 116. He formed a crucial 155-run opening partnership with Rohit Sharma, who contributed 75 runs.

Jaiswal celebrated his century after facing 111 balls in what was only his fourth ODI appearance since his debut this year. The 23-year-old left-handed batsman has now achieved centuries across all three international formats.Rohit Sharma initially led the batting charge while Jaiswal took time to settle. During his innings, Rohit achieved a milestone of 20,000 international runs, joining the elite company of Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Rahul Dravid.Keshav Maharaj dismissed Rohit after his 73-ball innings, which included seven fours and three sixes. Jaiswal then accelerated his scoring rate after reaching his fifty.Virat Kohli remained unbeaten on 65 off 45 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes. He finished the series with an impressive 302 runs and scored the winning boundary.India’s bowling attack, led by Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna with four wickets each, restricted South Africa to 270 runs in 47.5 overs.KL Rahul won India’s first ODI toss after 20 consecutive losses and chose to field first.Quinton de Kock‘s aggressive 106 off 89 balls, including eight fours and six sixes, helped South Africa reach a promising position at 168-2 before their batting collapsed.Krishna’s double strike removed Matthew Breetzke for 24 and Aiden Markram for one. He later dismissed de Kock shortly after the batsman’s century.Dewald Brevis and Marco Jansen attempted to stabilise the innings with a 35-run partnership. However, Kuldeep Yadav dismissed both batsmen in quick succession.Kuldeep finished with figures of 4-41, while Krishna’s crucial wickets helped bowl out South Africa, with Maharaj remaining not out on 20.This ODI series victory follows India’s 2-0 Test series win against South Africa. The team benefited from the presence of Kohli and Rohit, who now only participate in the 50-over format after retiring from T20Is and Tests.The teams will now compete in a five-match T20 series starting Tuesday in Cuttack.

AI image (Picture credit: Gemini)

At airports, there was a time when a crackling announcement – “This is the last call for …” – meant panic, urgency, a frantic dash through terminals. When a voice reverberating in mechanical voice announced, “your flight has been delayed”, it was no less than a nightmare as it tested the patience. However, today, for IndiGo passengers, now these same words land like reassurance. It means the flight exists. It means the crew showed up. It means travel is still possible. In a week when cancellations ran into four digits a day, travellers like Soubik Majumder clung to every announcement not as a warning, but as hope because silence, not sound, has become the true alarm. With abrupt cancellations running into hundreds, sometimes even over 1,000 flights a day in the last week, the news of a delay has, ironically, offered some relief.Majumder had booked an IndiGo flight in advance from Delhi to visit Agartala for his brother’s wedding.

However, what should have been a pleasant ride home turned into a desperate hunt for buses, trains and anything that moved, all in a bid to reach the ceremony on time.He had booked the tickets one month before his actual flying date but the ongoing chaos and disruptions left him with nothing but a cancelled flight. “I booked my ticket almost a month in advance so that I wouldn’t have to face any hassle. But because of the changes that happened later due to the new aviation law, I am now facing problems for the same ticket that I booked one month earlier,” he told TOI.Delays came first, followed by endless queues and cancellations and gradually, everything erupted into utter chaos, turning airports into scenes similar to a fish market, with suitcases scattered everywhere. IndiGo’s flight disruption worsened on Friday as the airline cancelled over 1,000 flights across major cities. After remaining silent for three days during the crisis, CEO Pieter Elbers finally issued a video apology, expressing regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers.Delhi bore the brunt with 235 cancellations, followed by Mumbai with 104, Bengaluru with 102 , and Hyderabad with 84 cancelled flights.

Now boarding – Frustration

For many passengers, the trouble began long before the cancellation alert flashed on screens. Vaishnavi Shree, travelling from Tirupati to Delhi, recalled the confusion that unfolded in real time.“There’s only one direct flight from Tirupati to Delhi, it departs at 9 am and usually lands by around 11.30 pm. We completed all the usual procedures, but while going through security, I overheard a guard mention that the Delhi flight might be cancelled. No one seemed sure, so we continued to the gate,” she said.The uncertainty only grew. “The flight was delayed first by one hour, then two and finally it was cancelled,” she said.Passengers were offered two choices: reschedule for the next day with hotel accommodation and meals, or cancel their tickets. But those who urgently needed to reach Delhi were left stranded, with connecting routes via Hyderabad, Bengaluru or Chennai either fully booked or cancelled.Playback singer and performer Abhijit Ghoshal told TOI, ‘I paid around Rs 14,000 for my flight. It wasn’t cancelled, but it was delayed by nearly six hours. After landing in Mumbai at 8.51 pm, it took 40 minutes just for the doors to open, and I received my luggage only at 10.45 pm.”

Sunil D Shaligram said his son remained stuck at the airport for over 14 hours. “Despite repeated requests, we received no assistance,” he told PTI.Another parent, S Arora, said the airline “should have foreseen the chaos their decisions would trigger.”Several passengers said they were asked to deboard after being told there was “no pilot available.”Stranded travellers are now demanding clearer communication from the airline and better arrangements to deal with disruptions of this scale.

Refunds … but at what cost?

To support affected passengers, IndiGo announced automatic refunds for cancelled flights.The airline said, “All refunds for cancelled flights will be processed automatically to your original mode of payment. Additionally, we are offering a full waiver on all cancellations and reschedule requests for bookings between 5 and 15 December 2025.”However, frustration runs far deeper than refunds, with passengers now facing fares nearly ten times higher than their original bookings. Many received cancellation alerts just hours before departure.“My flight was at 9.00 am and I got the message at 4.00 am,” Majumder said. “In a way, it was slightly helpful that I didn’t have to go to the airport … but when you find out four to five hours before your flight that it’s cancelled, you can’t do much urgently.”Talking about the refunds, he added, “IndiGo is covering the amount I originally paid, yes, but that doesn’t solve the problem … I can’t find anything below Rs 50,000–70,000, and even then only connecting flights, no direct options.”After spending roughly Rs 8,000 for his tickets, Majumder believed his plans were set, until the chaos left him scrambling. “They are charging ten times that now … it feels like the aviation industry is taking advantage of the public,” he said.

Despite already missing part of the family wedding, he insisted he would try every possible route to attend the remaining ceremonies.Nomad Travel CEO and former Travel Agents’ Association of India president Ajay Prakash told PTI, “If a Rs 10,000 ticket is being sold at Rs 60,000 … I would call it black marketing, profiteering.” He argued the sector is now driven “purely by profit motives,” with IndiGo’s 64–65% market share giving it near-monopoly power.Fare spikes followed the chaos: after 1,000 flights were cancelled, a one-way economy ticket on SpiceJet from Kolkata to Mumbai touched Rs 90,000, while Air India’s Mumbai–Bhubaneswar fare hit Rs 84,485.It wasn’t just airfares that shot up. Ghoshal said even cab prices had tripled. “My usual fare … is between Rs 550 and Rs 650, but yesterday … it was showing Rs 1,871.”He added the crisis has hit livelihoods. “Many of my peer musicians have missed their concerts … We artists usually fly on the day of the performance itself,” he said, calling the situation “ridiculous” and deserving serious action if caused by mismanagement.Another passenger, Ritik Jha, also told TOI how his entire travel plan collapsed.“Initially the flight was scheduled for December 3 at 9.15 am, booked much in advance — in October — and was cancelled a few hours before take-off,” he said. Jha had booked four tickets at Rs 8,855 per person, but the last-minute cancellation forced him to look for alternatives that were 300–400% higher than his original fare.“Air India was charging Rs 33,353 per person for two of us in the morning, while Akasa was Rs 22,532 per person in the afternoon — which again caused delays for a planned event,” he said, adding that the entire schedule went haywire, leading to “inflated costs, delays, and complete chaos.”Jha also mentioned that an international client travelling with him faced similar issues. “He was supposed to fly from Pune to Bengaluru with IndiGo, but the last-minute cancellation made him take a connecting flight via Chennai, again costing much higher and causing delays and chaos.”

What the airline has offered

Beyond refunds, IndiGo has been providing accommodation and meals to stranded passengers. Shree said, “We were provided accommodation and food at Fortune Grand ITC.”“We got the cab that they (IndiGo airline) provided, and the food is there, three meals a day, and the hotel and everything is good.”For Ghoshal, however, the experience was far less satisfying.“On December 2, when I flew from Ranchi to Delhi and it was delayed in the Delhi–Prayagraj sector, they offered very meagre food. The quantity of food for delayed passengers was almost 30% of a usual thali. But at Prayagraj airport on December 4, IndiGo did give snacks, packets and tasty food (lunch) at around 3 pm.”

No hellos, no goodbyes!

The disruption at IndiGo, India’s largest airline by market share, has not just crippled aviation operations, it has pushed passengers into deep emotional distress. Weddings, work commitments, medical emergencies and even final goodbyes now hang in uncertainty.In Guwahati, one passenger described the agony, “I have come all the way from Shillong this morning. My husband passed away, and I have come here to transport the casket to Kolkata so he can be buried in his hometown.”“We booked an IndiGo flight, and till now there is no information on whether it will take off. I don’t know if the flight will be cancelled or if it will actually depart,” the flyer told ANI.Another flyer from Delhi reached the airport at 2 in the afternoon, excited to attend an important wedding function, waited all day at the airport, only to return back home after spending almost 12 chaotic hours at the airport, and no flight in sight.

IndiGo feels the heat

InterGlobe Aviation, also known as IndiGo, is reeling from the disruption not just on the ground, but also at Dalal Street. In the past 5 trading sessions, the airline’s stock price has tumbled down by over 7%.The company’s stock has been under pressure for four consecutive sessions, slipping 7.23% on the Bombay Stock Exchange and 7.30% on the NSE over the period. On Friday, it closed 1.22% lower at Rs 5,371.30 on the BSE after falling as much as 3.15% intraday to Rs 5,266, while on the NSE it ended 1.27% down at Rs 5,367.50. Since December 1, the firm’s market capitalisation has eroded by Rs 16,190.64 crore to Rs 2,07,649.14 crore.IndiGo’s on-time performance also collapsed amid worsening operational disruptions, plunging to just 8.5% on Thursday, according to data from the civil aviation ministry.The decline has been sharp, as the airline’s OTP dropped from 35% on Tuesday to 19.7% on Wednesday before hitting single digits a day later, a major setback for an airline that has long positioned punctuality as its key strength.

What’s next

The government on Saturday intervened to control spiralling ticket prices as IndiGo’s operational crisis entered another day, triggering widespread cancellations, passenger unrest and uncertainty over return travel.The ministry of civil aviation said it had taken “serious note of unusually high airfares being charged by certain airlines during the ongoing disruption” and invoked its regulatory powers to ensure “fair and reasonable fares across all affected routes.”

The ministry has also instructed IndiGo to promptly process all outstanding passenger refunds. It has been mandated that refunds for all cancelled or disrupted flights must be completed by 8:00 pm on Sunday, December 7. Additionally, airlines have been directed not to charge rescheduling fees to passengers whose travel arrangements were impacted. The ministry cautioned that any delays or failure to comply with the refund processing will result in immediate regulatory measures.Meanwhile, passengers who have even travelled one way are still worried about their return plans. Hardik Sharma, who was one of the lucky ones who got to board their scheduled flight from Delhi to Vizag, is now feeling anxious about his return journey.“Thankfully, my flight was on time, but there’s still uncertainty about my return flight to Delhi on Sunday night”, he said.With thousands stranded nationwide, Delhi airport released a statement on Saturday afternoon saying operations were gradually improving, “We are glad to update that IndiGo flight operations are now steadily resuming and getting back to normalcy following the brief disruption. Please check the status of your booking and flight before leaving home.”In order to help passengers with no travel options, the South Central Railway announced four special trains to Chennai, Mumbai and Shalimar (Kolkata) to clear the extra rush. The move followed long queues and overcrowding at the airport due to the large-scale grounding of flights.Union civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said restoring normalcy across airports “remains the immediate priority”. He added that authorities are closely monitoring the airline’s scheduling network and compliance with pilot duty and rest norms. “The immediate priority for us is to bring back normalcy and provide all the support to the passengers. We are deeply observing this, and observing the FDTL norms, scheduling network. We will thoroughly look into this and ensure that all airlines follow due diligence,” he said.IndiGo, which usually operates around 2,300 flights a day, has been cancelling services to manage the worsening operational disruptions tied largely to crew shortages, causing massive distress for passengers and triggering knock-on effects across the aviation and railway networks.How long it will take for IndiGo to resolve the ongoing disruptions remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: passengers will end up paying a price far beyond just their airfares.Even if this chaos resolves within the coming days and normalcy returns soon, it is certain that neither the emotional damage caused to passengers can be undone nor the trust shaken in the reliability of the airline can be restored in the near future.IndiGo will fix its roster, the ministry will probe and issue new directives, and eventually airports will go back to being temples of impatience, not despair. But until then, every time a speaker crackles, passengers will inhale sharply – not worried they’re late, but relieved they’re still on the list. In a week when ‘delay’ became the new ‘on time,’ travellers learned the hardest lesson of all – that in aviation, the most expensive seat isn’t business or premium economy. It’s certainty.