The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has introduced stringent new policy guidelines, mandating ambulances deployed on national highways to reach accident sites within a 10-km radius in 10 minutes and transfer victims to the nearest hospital within one hour, with penalties for non-compliance.
A landslide near Tunnel 2 on the Khopoli-Kusgaon 'Missing Link' has caused significant traffic diversions on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh has issued a 15-day ultimatum for the voluntary surrender of illegal firearms, warning of strict legal action against non-compliance. The appeal comes as part of ongoing efforts to restore normalcy and peace in the state, which has been affected by ethnic violence since May 2023. Security forces have already seized a significant cache of weapons, and the government is also targeting extortionists and miscreants.
IIT Madras's Centre of Excellence for Road Safety has organised its first international hackathon, focusing on AI in road safety. The event brought together participants from India and other BIMSTEC nations to develop data-driven, technology-enabled solutions for the region, which faces a high number of road fatalities annually. The hackathon aims to foster collaboration among governments, academic institutions, and regional bodies to address this critical issue.
A BEST bus operating on a wet lease crashed into a roadside divider on the Sion-Panvel highway in Mumbai's Mankhurd area, resulting in one fatality and ten injuries. The driver claimed brake failure. This incident marks the third major BEST bus accident in Mumbai this month.
While intense protests were seen in Mandya and preventive detentions carried out at several places, life remained unaffected in major urban centres like Bengaluru and Mysuru.
At least 38 people were killed after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on Saturday, triggering a tsunami warning that was later lifted, CBS News reported.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and several states on a plea demanding a comprehensive national Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the safe and orderly conduct of the annual Kanwar Yatra, including inter-state coordination and effective traffic management.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for 38 operations carried out across Balochistan between August 1 and August 8, alleging that more than 32 Pakistani military personnel and other alleged operatives were killed and dozens more wounded.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has filed a civil suit against Meta, X Corp, Google LLC, and unknown persons in the Bombay High Court over "defamatory" deepfakes and AI-generated posts concerning the ethanol policy. The court will hear the matter on August 5, with Gadkari seeking a permanent injunction and immediate takedown of the fake content, which he claims has harmed his reputation.
The Indian government has defended its E20 ethanol blending programme, stating that extensive testing and field experience show no evidence of abnormal engine wear, corrosion, or reduced vehicle life, despite a potential 2-6% reduction in fuel economy.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has received permission from the Bombay High Court to file a civil suit against Meta Platforms, X Corp, Google LLC, and other unknown entities for allegedly circulating 'defamatory' deepfakes and AI-generated content against him.
The Bombay High Court has ordered major social media platforms, including Meta, X Corp, and Google LLC, to immediately remove 'vile, abusive, obscene, and defamatory' deepfakes and AI-generated content targeting Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, emphasising the urgent need for online platforms to curb malicious digital content.
A man was arrested in Kerala for allegedly transporting MDMA from Coimbatore, with police seizing the drugs and his vehicle after a high-speed chase.
The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to ensure all roads have properly demarcated, encroachment-free spaces for pedestrians, emphasising that the right to walk on a footpath is a fundamental right.
Why the industry's public position changed is difficult to say. What the developments did establish, though, is that ethanol-blended petrol has become one of the country's most politically and commercially sensitive policy issues.
Four individuals, including two Manipur police constables, were arrested in Kangpokpi district for allegedly transporting 6.1 kg of Yaba tablets, a synthetic drug. The arrests followed a police interception on National Highway-2.
Gwadar is viewed as a critical pearl in China's maritime strategy as it would give a permanent logistical footprint near an important choke point - the Strait of Hormuz and the oil rich Persian Gulf, explains Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
A new digital political phenomenon, the 'E20 Janta Party', is gaining traction on Instagram, mobilising Gen Z against the government's mandatory 20% ethanol-blended petrol (E20) and demanding Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's resignation.
Police in Thane, Maharashtra, seized 25,000 litres of diesel worth Rs 24.5 lakh from a tanker transporting the fuel illegally. A case has been registered against eight people, including the tanker owner and driver.
Truck drivers in Manipur's Imphal West district are protesting and have suspended the transport of goods following the killing of a commercial vehicle driver. The protest is taking place at Keithelmanbi, with truckers demanding improved security measures along National Highway 37.
Uttar Pradesh Police have seized an illegal consignment of 14,520 litres of beer, valued at Rs 61 lakh, being smuggled from Punjab to Bihar. Two individuals from Rajasthan have been arrested in connection with the interstate operation.
The devastating floods sweeping Assam's Upper Assam region have exposed the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the state's tea gardens, with a pregnant worker delivering her baby inside a tea factory after rising floodwaters cut off access to a hospital.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has called for Indian companies to form joint ventures with US companies to leverage new technologies, while also expressing an ambitious target to make India's automobile industry the world's number one within five years.
On the back of an aggressive asset monetisation push, the government will press the throttle on the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model - under which private developers fund highway construction - for future highway development, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said.
The PM's landing will be followed by an IAF airshow featuring around 16 aircraft.
A truck driver was killed and a police constable injured in Manipur's Ukhrul district when suspected militants attacked a convoy of goods vehicles. The Chief Minister condemned the attack and vowed to restore peace.
Major General Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri (retd), former Uttarakhand chief minister and respected BJP leader, has died at 91.
A 22-year-old man died after his motorcycle was struck by a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus in Beed. The accident occurred near Neknoor on the Ahilyanagar-Ahmedpur highway. Police are investigating the incident.
Four tourists from Haryana were arrested for allegedly assaulting a bus driver in Shimla after he overtook their vehicles on the National Highway.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah met President Droupadi Murmu, following a similar meeting by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, intensifying speculation about an imminent reshuffle of the Union Council of Ministers. Recent resignations and new organisational appointments for some ministers are contributing to the buzz.
The Zojila tunnel, a crucial infrastructure project connecting the Kashmir Valley to Ladakh, achieved a significant breakthrough, connecting its two ends and moving closer to providing all-weather connectivity, reducing travel time from 1.5 hours to just 15 minutes.
India has launched its first hydrogen-powered train, the 'Namo Green Rail', from Jind, Haryana, marking a significant step towards sustainable railway mobility. The 10-coach train, which emits only water vapour, is currently operating on the Jind-Sonipat route and represents a major technological advancement for the country's transport sector.
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has launched the Wagon R, India's first flex-fuel car, capable of running on any blend of ethanol and petrol from E20 to E100, aligning with national energy security and sustainability goals.
As per the amended rules, an NOC for transfer of ownership or transfer of a vehicle from one state to another will not be granted until any unpaid user fee is cleared.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Northeast's first Emergency Landing Facility in Assam, boosting regional defense and disaster response capabilities.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 3,00,000 sticks of foreign-origin cigarettes worth approximately Rs 45 lakh in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. The cigarettes were being smuggled from Myanmar into India and transported from Assam, concealed within a truck carrying bamboo cuts.
Oil-marketing companies (OMCs) are set to significantly expand the sale of flex fuel (E85) across India, with plans to reach 5,000 outlets in major cities by the end of next year, according to Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. This move aims to boost ethanol demand, reduce crude oil imports, and cut carbon emissions, coinciding with the launch of India's first flex-fuel vehicles by Maruti Suzuki and Hero MotoCorp.
Monsoon rains have unleashed widespread destruction across India, claiming seven lives in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka due to landslides and floods, while heavy downpours have disrupted normal life and triggered red alerts in Maharashtra and other regions.
A 60-year-old man died after being hit by a speeding pickup truck on the Gorakhpur-Deoria highway. The driver and his associate were critically injured in the incident.
