Plane crash on Jan 28 near Baramati airport.

Mumbai: The two independent black boxes of the Learjet aircraft that crashed at Baramati airport, killing the then Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar, sustained fire damage, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said on Tuesday. The AAIB said specialised support from the manufacturer was sought to retrieve data from one of the recorders, the cockpit voice recorder.The Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), manufactured by L3-Communications, was successfully downloaded at the AAIB Flight Recorder Laboratory, it said. The DFDR records technical parameters of the flight like aircraft speed, altitude and heading. “The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), manufactured by Honeywell, is undergoing detailed technical examination. Assistance has been sought from accredited representative of the state of manufacture for specialised support in data retrieval,” it said. The CVR records conversation between the pilots, the radio communications with the air traffic controller and ambient noises in the cockpit. “Both recorders were exposed to intense heat for a prolonged period during the accident and sustained fire damage,” it said.On Jan 28, a Learjet-45 aircraft operated by charter company VSR Ventures crashed during approach and landing at Baramati airport, killing all five people on board. While the fire that broke out after the accident left major portions of the fuselage charred, pictures from the accident site showed the tail section of the aircraft intact.“Both the black boxes are installed in the tail section and that part of the aircraft was largely intact. In fact, cartons and other cargo stored in the tail section can be seen strewn around in the wreckage with hardly any fire damage. So how did the black boxes sustain so much fire damage?” asked Capt Amit Singh, an air safety expert. Black boxes like DFDR and CVR are placed in metal armour and insulation to survive the impact, high temperatures and pressure.Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut said the damage to CVR was “mysterious” and “very serious”. The comments came in the backdrop of allegations by NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar last week. He had hinted at possible conspiracy and sabotage in the crash. Among the allegations he levied against VSR Ventures was one about the CVR. Pawar said he learned from the company’s former employees that they regularly kept the CVR switched off on most flights. It is illegal to keep the CVR off.The wait now is for the preliminary report, which under investigation norms should be submitted to the International Civil Aviation Organisation within 30 days of an accident. The investigating state, India in this case, can decide whether to release the preliminary report to the public or keep it confidential.

French President Emmanuel Macron is in Mumbai for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Defence, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals are key topics.

President Emmanuel Macron extended an invitation to PM Modi to participate in the G7 Summit to be hosted by France in 2026. According to a joint statement, he invited India to participate actively in the discussions and preparatory work ahead of the Summit, mainly on the key issues of tackling global macroeconomic imbalances and defining a new paradigm for international partnerships and solidarity.The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. “The elevation of the relationship will strengthen cooperation between the two countries in sectors of the future, so as to reinforce their sovereignty and decision-making autonomy, and to respond together to the major challenges confronting our world, including through cooperation between India and the European Union,” said the joint statementThey reiterated their call for reformed and effective multilateralism to sustain an equitable and peaceful international order, address pressing global challenges and prepare the world for emerging developments, including in the technological and economic domains. The two leaders stressed, in particular, the urgent need for the reform of the United Nations Security Council, with France reiterating support for India’s permanent membership of the Council.The two leaders also reiterated their concern over the war in Ukraine, which continued to cause “immense human suffering and negative global consequences”.“They stressed the importance of cessation of hostilities and expressed support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine through dialogue and diplomacy in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter and international law, including independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said the statement. They also agreed to intensify joint research, co-design, co-development and co-production of advanced defence platforms, including in the field of air, naval and land systems, and emerging dual-use technologies, in line with the ambitious Defence Industrial Roadmap agreed in 2024.Building on the existing trust in high technology collaboration, both leaders agreed to constitute a Joint Advanced Technology Development Group to explore opportunities to co-develop emerging and critical technologies in identified niche areas to retain a competitive military edge, and mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities.”

Two Pakistani nationals arrested in Ambala after escaping from Jammu Juvenile Observation home

AMBALA/JAMMU: Two Pakistan nationals who fled from a juvenile observation home in Jammu’s RS Pura area Monday were arrested 400km away at Ambala Cantonment railway station by Haryana STF.Mohammad Sana-Ullah, 20, of Jaatala village in Muzaffargarh district of Punjab, Pakistan, and 23-year-old Ahsan Anwar of Mohalla Rashid Park, Buchike village in Nankana Sahib district of Punjab, Pakistan, were handed over to Jammu & Kashmir Police on Tuesday evening, less than 24 hours after their escape.They had broken out of the juvenile home along with a local gangster, Karanjit Singh alias Gugga, who shot at and injured two cops with an illegal pistol. Six policemen deployed at the home, including an ASI, have been suspended for alleged dereliction of duty. They face a departmental probe. Search for Gugga is underway.“Shortly after the breakout, alert was sounded in Jammu region and messages were transmitted to neighbouring states,” said a police officer in Jammu. Ambala STF DSP Aman said they received “specific intelligence” about the three fugitives and tightened security and vigil.“After fleeing Jammu, Karanjit (Gugga) and the two Pakistanis went to his associate, Thakur, and all four of them travelled to Ambala by bus. They had also snatched a two-wheeler on the way. After reaching Ambala, they split up. Karanjit and Thakur went off elsewhere while Sana-Ullah and Anwar were nabbed at Ambala Cantonment railway station,” he added.The DSP said the Pakistani duo planned to enter Nepal via Uttar Pradesh and flee the country.The two injured policemen are in hospital. Officials sources said a fresh FIR under BNS sections 109 (attempted murder), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty), and Arms Act had been registered against the trio.Sources said Anwar, then 16, had crossed over into India in Oct 2019 while playing ‘hide and seek’ and had been in detention since then despite facing a trial and getting a release order on June 30, 2021. Sana-Ullah was captured in 2021 after crossing over illegally.

NEW DELHI: Days after its announcement in the Budget, the agriculture ministry on Tuesday launched AI-enabled ‘Bharat-VISTAAR’ (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources) that will help farmers in farm-level decision-making by receiving date-driven customised digital advisory.Launched at a time when India is hosting the AI Impact Summit, Bharat-VISTAAR is a multilingual AI tool that will integrate the AgriStack portals and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) package on farm practices with AI systems.Its use is expected to enhance farm productivity, enable better decisions for farmers and reduce risk by providing customised advisory support related to weather, market prices, pests and diseases, soil health, crop management, and information on major central govt schemes.Calling Bharat-VISTAAR a platform of “ask and get direct answers”, agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said farmers will neither have to make rounds of offices nor struggle with digital applications.“They will now just have to dial 155261 by picking up a mobile phone and ask any farm-related question. They will get immediate answer in one’s local language about which medicine (pesticide/insecticide) to apply, when to sow and what rates (of selling price of crops) are available in the markets of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Delhi or Mumbai,” Chouhan said while launching the first phase of Bharat-VISTAAR.The scheme, which is devised as an “AI-based digital security shield”, has initially been started in Hindi and English languages. Farmers will eventually be able to interact in 11 languages under the system in future.Chouhan said a farmer identity card was also being created under the system that would contain all information about the farmer. “Preparations are underway to connect the entire agricultural system with the Bharat VISTAAR scheme,” he added.Currently, a couple of central schemes such as ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana’ and ‘Soil Health Card’ have been included in this scheme. Information about all major central schemes for farmers will be available through it in due course.The minister on the occasion also unveiled AI Hackathon focused on farmers and ‘Agri Kosh AI Strategy Roadmap’, emphasising innovative solutions for agricultural challenges.

NEW DELHI: Veteran leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Tuesday fired a fresh salvo at Congress leadership with party’s history to warn that the party has always thrived on internal dissent and suffered whenever it tried to suppress it.In a video released on his Youtube channel titled ‘No space for dissent in today’s Congress?’ the leader said traced ideological conflicts, leadership rivalries and rebellions stretching back to the party’s founding in 1885 to make the case that disagreement, not conformity, has been Congress’s defining strength. “There was just one time when a complete ban was placed on any kind of dissidents.

That was during Indira Gandhi‘s Emergency,” Aiyar said.

Also Read: From ‘chaiwala’ to ‘Rahulian’ – Mani Shankar Aiyar returns and Congress ducks for cover, againAccording to him, the consequences of silencing dissent during that period were catastrophic. “The Congress not only lost,” he said, “Indira Gandhi lost her Rae Bareli seat and Sanjay Gandhi lost his Amethi seat. That is what happens if you crush dissidents in the Congress party.”Aiyar argued that internal disagreement has existed within Congress almost from its inception and was never treated as an aberration. He cited the selection of Badruddin Tyabji as Congress president in 1888 and the backlash he faced from sections of the Muslim elite, describing it as one of the earliest recorded episodes of dissent within the party.He went on to recount ideological clashes between moderates and extremists in the early 20th century, particularly the split between Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal on one side and leaders like Gopal Krishna Gokhale and M.G. Ranade on the other, culminating in the Surat split of 1907.Also Read: ‘From arsh to farsh’ – Mani Shankar Aiyar’s ‘Rahulian’ outburst and ‘uncle’ syndrome“The real strength of the Congress has been in the variety of opinion which the Congress has always accommodated,” Aiyar said.He noted that despite sharp disagreements, figures like Tilak eventually became Congress president, while Mahatma Gandhi openly acknowledged Gokhale as his political guru, underlining the party’s ability to absorb contradictions rather than eliminate them.Father, son and the ‘Holy ghost’Drawing pointed historical from 1929 when Subhas Chandra Bose sarcastically remarked that the Congress was being run by “the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost”, Aiyar said: “Nobody expelled Subhas Chandra Bose for what he had said.” He described how Bose later walked out of the Congress after fundamental disagreements with Mahatma Gandhi over non-violence, forming the Forward Bloc, but was never expelled. “He walked out of the Congress. He was not expelled,” Aiyar emphasised.Aiyar also recalled intense disagreements between Jawaharlal Nehru and his father Motilal Nehru, noting that “it became impossible to have dinner in Anand Bhavan because the father and son were quarrelling so much among each other”.“That is how you deal with dissidents in the Congress party,” Aiyar said.Aiyar argued that Indira Gandhi marked a decisive break from this tradition. While disagreements with the Congress “Syndicate” were initially accommodated, he said, her decision to split the party and later impose the Emergency represented a fatal intolerance of dissent.“She broke the party only because there were dissidents,” Aiyar said, adding that the Emergency was “the only way in which she could remain prime minister”.The verdict, he argued, came swiftly. “The Congress not only lost,” he repeated, “Indira Gandhi lost her Raebareli seat and Sanjay Gandhi lost his Amethi seat.”He quoted two sentences Rajiv Gandhi uttered in the Lok Sabha on May 5, 1989:“Only a secular Bharat can survive,” Rajiv Gandhi had said. “And if India is not secular, then perhaps it does not deserve to survive.”Turning those words into a challenge, Aiyar said, “I say to the Congress Party high command who have kept me out of the Working Committee, which now has 60 members, do you have the courage to repeat the words in the mouth of the son of Rajiv Gandhi?”Warning the current leadership, Aiyar said, “If, therefore, the current establishment cannot stand a dissident, then I’m afraid it is the doom of the Congress.”“The Congress lives because of dissidents. The Congress grows because there are many opinions,” he added.His final message was blunt: “If we do not have the courage to answer the dissident in polite but firm language, then we do not deserve to rule.”The video comes amid row over his recent remarks on party leadership and praise for Kerala CM. The Congress has officially distaned itself from Aiyar saying he has no connection with the party.In a post on X, Khera said Aiyar “has had no connection whatsoever with the Congress for the past few years. He speaks and writes purely in his personal capacity.”

NEW DELHI: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the death of former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash in Baramati last month.A delegation of senior party leaders, including his wife Sunetra Pawar, NCP National Working President and MP Praful Patel, State President and MP Sunil Tatkare, Maharashtra medical education minister Hasan Mushrif and youth leader Parth Pawar, submitted a memorandum to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking a CBI-led investigation.Ajit Pawar and four others were killed on the morning of January 28 when the aircraft carrying them crashed while attempting to land at the Baramati airport in Pune district. The incident has since triggered political controversy, with the NCP (SP), along with Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Indian National Congress, raising questions and alleging possible “foul play”.Earlier in the day, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule said that there was growing unease over the circumstances surrounding Pawar’s death and that the civil aviation ministry should clarify the facts.“Ajit Pawar was Rohit Pawar’s uncle. Rohit Pawar, along with several others, has concerns and uneasiness regarding this matter. Amol Mitkari has also raised questions. Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress have fully supported us. They have said that this issue should be discussed in Parliament and even met the Speaker in this regard. There are many questions in the minds of the people, and they deserve answers,” Sule said.NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar criticised the pace of the investigation, alleging that nearly 20 days after the crash, there had been little visible progress.“20 days have passed since the unfortunate accident, yet the investigation hasn’t gained any momentum. Is the delay solely to allow the VSR company to destroy evidence or does the company have someone’s protection? This question has arisen in the minds of common citizens. The information emerging today about the black box being damaged makes it seem like the possibility I predicted five days ago is turning out to be true. Be that as it may, we will not rest until we get answers whether it was an accident or a murder in the case of Dada!” he said.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India and France would jointly manufacture the world’s first helicopter that would fly to the heights of Mount Everest.During the joint press briefing alongside French president Emmanuel Macron, PM Modi said the partnership between New Delhi and Paris “knows no boundaries” and that it “can reach from deep oceans to the tallest mountains”.PM Modi and French president Macron virtually inaugurated assembly line for production of Airbus H125 helicopters at Vemagal in Karnataka.“In India, the initiation of his helicopter assembly is another bright example of this relationship. We are proud that India and France will build a helicopter which will be able to take flight to Mount Everest. We will also export this. The India-France partnership knows no boundaries. It can reach from deep oceans to the tallest mountains,” PM Modi said in Mumbai.Before the media briefing in the coastal city, PM Modi held comprehensive talks with Macron, with both leaders focusing on strengthening cooperation in trade, defence, energy and critical technologies.Top quotes from PM Modi:

H125 Light Utility Helicopter’s significance The H125 Light Utility Helicopter Final Assembly Line at Vemagal is expected to strengthen India’s indigenous aerospace manufacturing capabilities and further deepen India-France defence and industrial cooperation.The facility is designed to produce H125 helicopters for civil and parapublic operations, including emergency medical services, law enforcement, and passenger transport.The delivery of the first ‘Made in India’ H125 is expected in early 2027. The helicopter will also be available for export in the South Asian region.Emmanuel Macron on 3-day visitMacron arrived in Mumbai earlier in the day on a three-day visit, during which he is scheduled to attend the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi and meet Modi.The visit comes shortly after India cleared a long-pending proposal to acquire 114 Rafale fighter jets from France under a government-to-government framework, a deal described as one of the world’s largest military procurement programmes in recent years.Sources told news agency PTI that deepening defence collaboration and expanding engagement in critical and emerging technologies are among the top priorities guiding the next phase of bilateral ties.