'People have been facing significant difficulties due to skyrocketing airfares, and road transportation was inaccessible until now.'
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.
Traffic between Assam and Meghalaya was disrupted after Guwahati-based cab operators blocked National Highway-27, protesting alleged attacks on people from Assam during a Khasi Students' Union (KSU) rally in Shillong, which saw 31 vehicles damaged and several pedestrians assaulted.
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.
Eight labourers were killed and 32 others injured in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district when their pickup vehicle collided with a dumper truck. The accident occurred early Tuesday as the labourers were returning to Uttar Pradesh after paddy transplantation work. Preliminary investigations suggest the driver lost control while avoiding cattle. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced financial assistance for the victims' families.
The Supreme Court has declared the right to walk on demarcated footpaths a fundamental right, directing all states and Union Territories to ensure proper, encroachment-free pedestrian spaces. The court emphasised that footpaths are integral to human life and safety, and states must respond to advisories issued by central ministries regarding their implementation.
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.
A landslide near Tunnel 2 on the Khopoli-Kusgaon 'Missing Link' has caused significant traffic diversions on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
Four tourists from Haryana were arrested for allegedly assaulting a bus driver in Shimla after he overtook their vehicles on the National Highway.
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.
Major General Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri (retd), former Uttarakhand chief minister and respected BJP leader, has died at 91.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
'I've seen a lot of meetings over the years, but this was the first time I've seen the deputy chief minister and the industries minister sit through something like this with 200 to 300 industrialists, local residents and politicians from both the ruling side and Opposition, all in the same room.'
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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).
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.
The Supreme Court has directed the removal of all cattle and other stray animals from highways and expressways, citing safety concerns and frequent accidents.
Transporters across Maharashtra have announced a statewide strike to protest against e-challans and other issues, potentially disrupting transport services including school buses and commercial vehicles.
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.
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.
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 petroleum ministry on Friday reaffirmed the government's commitment to maintaining stable petrol and diesel prices, despite India's high dependence on imports.
Two separate accidents in Jharkhand, India, resulted in the deaths of two individuals. A truck accident in Hazaribag district claimed two lives, while a road construction incident in Chatra district led to another fatality.
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.
