Screengrab from video shared on X

NEW DELHI: AAP MP Raghav Chadha on Monday shared a teaser video showing him dressed as a Blinkit delivery partner. The clip offered a brief glimpse into the daily life of a gig worker.The short clip, posted on X, shows the Rajya Sabha MP wearing the company’s delivery uniform and spending a day as a delivery executive, concluding with the caption, “Stay Tuned.”In his post, Chadha wrote, “Away from boardrooms, at the grassroots. I lived their day. Stay tuned!” The teaser quickly drew attention on social media, with many users reacting to the AAP MP’s attempt to experience the life of a gig worker first-hand.While several users praised the move, others raised questions. One user tagged the company and wrote, “Did Raghav sign up as a rider or just decided to tag along with a delivery partner. If he did not sign up then it’s a violation of your terms.” Another user welcomed the gesture, saying, “This is what representative leadership looks like. Not just talking about workers’ dignity, but experiencing their realities firsthand. Empathy on the ground creates better policy at the top. Well done.”The teaser comes amid Chadha’s vocal advocacy for gig workers’ rights. Just days earlier, the Aam Aadmi Party MP defended delivery partners who went on strike, accusing platform companies of politicising demands for fair pay and dignity. He had said that gig workers were being treated like “hostages with helmets” rather than employees with basic rights.

Why gig workers went on strike

Gig workers across food and grocery delivery platforms launched a nationwide strike on New Year’s Eve to protest falling earnings, unsafe work pressure and the absence of social security benefits.Workers said frequent changes in payout structures and algorithm-driven incentives have sharply reduced per-order income, making it difficult to cover basic expenses despite long working hours.A key demand was the removal of 10-minute delivery models, which workers argue force them to ride recklessly, increasing the risk of accidents, injuries and mental stress. Many also complained about penalties, arbitrary ID blocking and lack of transparent grievance redressal.While platforms offered higher incentives and festive bonuses on New Year’s Eve, unions said these were short-term measures with unrealistic targets that failed to address long-standing issues. Gig worker groups demanded fair pay, safer working conditions, social security coverage and recognition as workers under labour laws.In a post on X during the strike, Chadha wrote, “Workers asking for fair pay are not criminals. And if your system needs police to keep running on its biggest day, that is not proof the system works. That is an admission it doesn’t.” He added that he supports businesses and startups, but not exploitative practices, saying, “I am pro-industry, not pro-exploitation.”He argued that workers logging in during strikes should not be seen as acceptance of unfair conditions, but as a matter of survival. “When one day’s income decides rent, electricity, or a child’s school fee, logging in on a strike day is not approval, it is survival,” he wrote.The MP had earlier raised these issues in the Rajya Sabha and has since met delivery workers to hear their experiences directly. Last month, he hosted a Blinkit delivery partner at his residence after the worker’s video on low daily earnings went viral, further fuelling debate around the gig economy.

NEW DELHI: Speculations are rife over a possible merger between the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) after Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule hinted at a reunion in the future.This comes as both Ajit Pawar’s NCP and NCP(Sharad Pawar) decided to join hands to contest the upcoming local body elections in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune.While speaking to news agency IANS, Sule was asked whether a merger is possible between the two factions. Sule stressed that the alliance between the NCP and NCP(SP) has been formed for the upcoming local body elections in Pune. She, however, said that no decision has yet been taken on a permanent merger between the two parties.“Our alliance is formed for the Pune Municipal Corporation elections. We will see about it in the future,” Sule said.Ajit Pawar also made a similar statement, claiming that the upcoming elections are the primary focus of both parties.“We have not thought about this yet. Our primary focus is on the upcoming elections. Only after the elections will we see,” he said.Earlier Ajit Pawar had said that party workers from both sides were in favour of a union and that friction within the Pawar family had been resolved.Also read | ‘Will let you know if signal is green’: Strong buzz around merger of 2 NCPs after Ajit Pawar’s interviewOn Saturday, Ajit and his cousin Sule also shared the stage for a “common political programme” to release a combined NCP manifesto for the January 15 Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation polls.Cracks within Mahayuti alliance?Meanwhile, cracks appeared within the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis took a swipe at Ajit Pawar for criticising the BJP during the poll campaign.Speaking during an interaction with actor Girija Oak, Fadnavis said the BJP and the NCP had decided well in advance that they would not contest the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic elections as allies, since both were strong parties in the region.“Ajit dada only speaks, but my work speaks. We had already decided that even if we contest against each other, it would be a friendly contest and that we would refrain from criticising each other or each other’s parties. I have followed that rule till now, but his restraint is somewhat shaken,” Fadnavis said.However, Ajit Pawar will not “speak” after January 15, when votes will be cast, Fadnavis said, exuding confidence in the BJP’s performance.Ajit Pawar-led NCP and NCP (Sharad Pawar) have decided to join hands to contest the Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune local body elections.This comes two years after Ajit Pawar, along with a group of senior leaders, parted ways with his uncle Sharad Pawar and joined hands with the BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. He had raised objections to Sharad Pawar continuing to lead the party despite his old age.Ajit was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister under the new alliance. He favoured aligning with the ruling coalition, while Sharad Pawar’s faction insisted on remaining with the opposition.The Election Commission later recognised Ajit’s faction as the legitimate NCP, retaining the ‘clock’ symbol. Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar’s faction (NCP-SP) adopted the ‘tutari’ (curved trumpet) symbol.Both factions contested elections separately. After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, in which his faction faced setbacks, Ajit Pawar acknowledged that turning his back on his family had been a “mistake”.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday welcomed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Ahmedabad during his first official visit to India. The two leaders attended the International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati Riverfront, where they were seen flying kites. Visuals from the event showed both leaders interacting with participants and taking part in the colourful festivities, which drew kite enthusiasts from India and abroad. Held ahead of Makar Sankranti, the three-day International Kite Festival will conclude on January 14 and features 135 international kite flyers from 50 countries, along with 65 participants from across India and 871 local flyers from Gujarat.Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad ahead of the festival’s inauguration.Merz arrived in India on Sunday for a two-day official visit from January 12 to 13, his first since assuming office, and was welcomed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Sabarmati Ashram. The two leaders are scheduled to hold bilateral talks from 11.15 am at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, where they will review progress in the India–Germany Strategic Partnership, which recently marked its 25th anniversary.The discussions will focus on strengthening cooperation in trade and investment, technology, education, skilling and mobility, as well as advancing collaboration in defence and security, science, innovation and research, green and sustainable development, and people-to-people ties. PM Modi and Merz will also exchange views on regional and global issues and engage with business and industry leaders from both countries.The visit is expected to build on ongoing high-level political engagement and reaffirm a shared commitment to a forward-looking partnership. On January 13, Chancellor Merz will visit Bosch and the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) before departing for Germany.PM Modi and Merz last held talks on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada, where they agreed to further expand the bilateral strategic partnership. The visit also comes ahead of the India–EU Summit scheduled for January 27.German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann recently underscored cooperation in defence and security, saying that “the strategic partnership between the nations has grown over the years.”

MNS chief Raj Thackeray (ANI photo)

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, who recently forged an alliance with his estranged cousin Uddhav Thackeray ahead of the BMC polls, warned Uttar Pradesh and Bihar migrants against the Hindi imposition. Thackeray said he would “kick” people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh out of Maharashtra if they “try to impose Hindi”.

“People from UP and Bihar should understand that Hindi is not your language. I don’t hate the language… But if you try to impose it, I’ll kick you. They’re coming from all sides to Maharashtra and snatching away your share… If land and language are gone, you will be finished,” Raj Thackeray was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.Calling the BMC polls the “last election for the Marathi man”, Thackeray said: “If you miss this opportunity today, you will be finished. Unite for Marathi and Maharashtra.” “Today, this crisis has arrived at your doorstep… This is the last election for the Marathi man… If you miss this opportunity today, you will be finished. Unite for Marathi and Maharashtra. Mumbai was obtained through the sacrifices of so many people… What will we tell them?… The BLA (Booth Level Agents) appointed at 6 AM should be ready on election day… Be alert, be vigilant, don’t be careless… If anyone comes to vote again, throw them out,” Thackeray said.Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray on Sunday mounted a joint attack on the rival BJP over what they described as “fake Hindutva” at a rally held ahead of the civic polls, saying their political reunion was prompted by an imminent “danger” to Mumbai.Uddhav said he and Raj Thackeray, who heads the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), had set aside their differences in the interest of the Marathi manoos, Hindus, and Maharashtra.Appealing to the core Marathi votebank, Raj said the two leaders had come together as Mumbai was facing danger.“This is the last election for Marathi manoos. If he makes a mistake now, the battle (for Mumbai) will be lost forever,” he said.Speaking after Raj, the Sena (UBT) chief questioned whether the BJP wanted to rename Mumbai as “Bombay”, referring to remarks made by Tamil Nadu BJP leader K Annamalai.Accusing the BJP of practising divisive politics ahead of elections, Uddhav said, “BJP’s Hindutva and nationalism are fake.”“The BJP has become a party which says corruption first, instead of nation first,” he added.

NEW DELHI: The first impact of the labour codes will be felt in the Dec quarter results with companies making higher provision for gratuity. “Companies will need to update their gratuity liability provisions in line with Ind AS 19, recognising past service liabilities as the new labour codes came into effect on Nov 21, 2025. Many companies are in the process of obtaining actuarial valuations to true up their gratuity liability provisions, and the impact may be reflected in the Dec quarterly results. If such a true-up is not performed, companies may provide a disclosure explaining why it was omitted unless the impact is immaterial,” said Kuldip Kumar, partner at Mainstay Tax Advisors, a consulting company. Auditors told TOI that there may be some impact on the bottom lines of some of the companies, while some others may use the opportunity to update their provisions.

“Companies are evaluating the impact of the change in definition of wages and the impact on the provisions required in the quarterly accounts, in view of the labour codes, FAQs issued by the labour ministry and the Accounting Standards Board of the ICAI,” added Amarpal Chadha, partner at consulting firm EY India. Under the new law, at least half the earnings of an employee will be treated as basic salary and dearness allowance and companies will have to provide gratuity based on that. “The extent of the impact will depend on the existing compensation structure, for example, where excluded allowances exceed 50% of salary or the number of fixed-term employees, who now become eligible for gratuity after one year of service,” said Kumar. Besides, he said, according to draft rules for the new labour codes for calculating gratuity, items such as performance bonuses, stock option benefits, telephone, internet and medical reimbursements, creche allowance, and the value of meal vouchers are excluded. Therefore, it will not be surprising if some organisations can dodge the big jumps in gratuity liability. Higher provisions will be required by companies that did not always stick to the 50% gratuity formula as the rules have now categorically provided for the payment.

AHMEDABAD: Reliance Industries CMD Mukesh Ambani on Sunday hailed India’s resilience amid global uncertainty and said challenges created by this geopolitical situation cannot touch or trouble the country due to the “invincible protective wall called Narendra Modi“.Let the world know that this is India’s defining decade under the PM’s leadership, Ambani asserted while addressing the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) for Kutch and Saurashtra region in Rajkot.

The Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) was inaugurated on Sunday afternoon by the PM, who said India is currently witnessing an era of unprecedented certainty and political stability, a time when the world is experiencing uncertainty.Underlining India’s resilience amid global uncertainty, the billionaire industrialist said, “The world is changing very fast, the geopolitical situation is creating new challenges and unexpected turbulence. What is reassuring for India is that these challenges cannot touch or trouble our people because India has the invincible protective wall called Narendra Modi.” The country is not just preparing for the future but shaping it, he said.“From Saurashtra and Kutch we in industry are happy to participate in this growth and direction that PM Modi has shown all of us,” Ambani said.Speaking at VGRC, Ambani said Reliance is committed to make Gujarat India’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) pioneer, adding that his companies will double their investment in the state from Rs 3.5 lakh crore to 7 lakh crore in the next five years.“Reliance is committed to making Gujarat the AI pioneer of India. In Jamnagar we are building India’s largest AI ready data centre with a single goal – affordable AI for every Indian.,” he said.Jio will launch a people-first intelligent platform in India, for India and the world for enabling every citizen, starting from Gujarat, to access AI services in their own device and language everyday to make them more efficient and productive, Ambani added.Ambani also committed to invest at an “unprecedented scale” in Gujarat and said that he would double his investment in Gujarat.“Reliance is already Gujarat’s largest investor. In the last five years, we have invested over Rs 3.5 lakh crore. I am pleased to announce we will double this to Rs 7 lakh crore over the next five years, creating exponential employment, livelihoods and greater ‘sampathi’ (wealth) for every Gujarati, and every Indian,” he said.Ambani said Reliance is committed to global leadership in clean energy and green materials.“At Jamnagar, we are building the world’s largest integrated clean energy ecosystem, spanning solar, battery energy storage, green hydrogen, green fertilizer, sustainable aviation fuel and maritime fuels and advanced materials. These are not only industries of the future, they are foundations of India’s prosperous tomorrow,” he pointed out.Jamnagar, once the largest hydrocarbon energy exporter, will in the coming years become India’s largest exporter of green energy and materials, Ambani added.“Industry stands for transforming Kutch into a global clean energy hub. Our multi-gigawatt utility scale solar project, among the world’s largest, will deliver round-the-clock clean power through advanced storage and modern grid integration, powering India’s green future and reinforcing Gujarat’s leadership in renewables,” the industrialist said.Partnering in India’s Olympic ambitions and social progress, the Reliance Foundation is prepared to support the Prime Minister’s vision of hosting the 2036 Olympic Games in Ahmedabad, Ambani said.“As a concrete step, Reliance will partner with the Gujarat government to manage the Veer Savarkar Multi-Sports Complex in Naranpura. The complex is envisioned as a hub for hosting national and international sporting events and for training India’s future champions,” Ambani said.