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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The ministries of Road Transport & Highways and Railways have exceeded the national average capital expenditure (capex) by spending 63 per cent and 57 per cent of Budget estimates (BE), respectively, in the first half of 2025-26 (FY26). The total capital expenditure for April-September of FY26 stood at 52 per cent of the BE, according to the latest data by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA).
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.
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.
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.
The project is aimed at enabling faster movement of security forces and military equipment during exigencies, while also improving connectivity to Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and other north eastern states.
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.
The Supreme Court of India has issued a series of nationwide guidelines aimed at improving road safety on national highways, addressing issues such as illegal parking and accident blackspots.
The petroleum ministry on Friday reaffirmed the government's commitment to maintaining stable petrol and diesel prices, despite India's high dependence on imports.
The Supreme Court of India is considering formulating pan-India guidelines to prevent road accidents on expressways and national highways, following a fatal accident in Rajasthan. The court is focusing on the issue of illegal 'dhabas' and encroachments along highways as potential causes of accidents.
Cash payments will be discontinued at toll plazas on national highways from April 10, with FASTag as the primary mode of payment and UPI as a fallback option at a higher charge.
Months after the government increased renewal charges for older vehicles, the transport ministry has raised the fitness test fee for all motor vehicles older than 20 years to discourage people from keeping them.
The Supreme Court has declared the right to walk on demarcated footpaths a fundamental right, prioritising it over motorised vehicle movement, and has called for the establishment of a regulatory body to ensure its enforcement and provide restitutionary remedies for violations.
The Supreme Court has directed the removal of all cattle and other stray animals from highways and expressways, citing safety concerns and frequent accidents.
'Within six months I expect petrol, diesel, and electric vehicles (EVs) to reach cost parity,' says Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed Harsh Malhotra as the president of its Delhi unit, sparking speculation about an imminent reshuffle of the Union Council of Ministers. This move follows the BJP's 'one person, one post' principle and comes as the party prepares for upcoming elections and a review of ministerial performance.
The Indian government is actively developing a policy for flex-fuel vehicle adoption and aiming for 100 per cent ethanol blending in petrol to enhance energy self-reliance, particularly in light of supply disruptions from the West Asia conflict.
The swift operation ensured that the cadets would safely reach their destinations in time for their examinations, bringing relief to anxious parents.
'We hope we will be able to at least end crashes that involve collisions with stationary vehicles as there will be an automatic warning.'
The UK government has announced a new road safety strategy, including 'Dev's Law' named after an Indian-origin boy killed in a road accident, to reduce deaths and serious injuries on British roads.
Among India's 150,746 railway bridges, 25.8 per cent are over a century old.
Under the new regulations, known as the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Amendment Rules, 2024, fees will now be charged on the actual distance travelled if the distance exceeds 20 kilometres.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the government will introduce a FASTag-based annual pass for private vehicles, priced at Rs 3,000, effective from August 15, in a step towards hassle-free highway travel.
'With new projects and recently awarded projects kicking in, capital expenditure should only increase going forward.'
After the success of the National Highways Authority of India's (NHAI's) first infrastructure investment trust (InvIT) with foreign institutional investors, the Centre is working on a proposal to launch a fresh InvIT for national highways, where domestic retail investors can hold units of the trust
Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highway Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said his ministry can address the water woes faced in parts of the country.
Commuters on national highways and expressways will need to pay more for their road journeys, as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has increased toll charges by an average of 4 to 5 per cent on highway sections across the country. The revised toll charges for motorists on national highways across the country have come into effect from Tuesday, a senior highways ministry official told PTI.
While presenting the Union Budget 2021-22 in Parliament, the finance minister said poll-bound West Bengal will see highway projects worth Rs 25,000 crore. She also announced that highway projects worth Rs 65,000 crore will be undertaken in Kerala. She also announced an Rs 18,000-crore scheme to augment public transport in urban areas.
Ministry has set a target to spend Rs 5 lakh crore in road infrastructure
'The recent occurrences of tunnel collapses during construction have prompted a critical assessment of current implementation methodologies and the necessary improvements to prevent such incidents from recurring.'
MCA is a legal contract, which prescribes the terms and conditions for executing a road project.
33 per cent of all road accidents and 35 per cent of fatal accidents took place on national highways and expressways.
The road transport ministry has allowed cab aggregators to charge up to two times the base fare during peak hours, as against 1.5 times earlier, while for non-peak hours the fare has to be a minimum of 50 per cent of the base fare.
'I am not an aspiration-oriented politician.' 'This is the time to redefine politics.' 'Politics of power is not real politics.'
'The petrol lobby is very rich and strong.'
'The Mumbai-Goa highway touches 66 tourism spots in Maharashtra's Konkan. It will give development a high boost. It will also ensure quick transportation of fruits and other produce the region is famous for.'
