On AAIB’s preliminary report, former fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force, Captain Sharath Panicker says, “It is the duty and responsibility of the AAIB to come out with the preliminary report

“It is the duty and responsibility of the AAIB to come out with the preliminary report, which they have within the 30-day stipulated period. The report is factual mostly, but in my opinion, there are certain areas that lend to a degree of ambiguity. Specifically, I would have liked to have seen something that would have explained the time frame as to what happened exactly at what stage, including the failure of both engines, when this apparent conversation occurred between the pilots, and when the mayday call happened. That would have made the report a little bit more factual. It would have made it a little bit clearer, and it would have lent itself less to this degree of ambiguity which we are seeing at this point in time,” Panicker said.

Last Updated:July 13, 2025, 10:15 IST

The US lifting EDA software sales restrictions to China challenges Indian chipmakers. Experts urge India to speed up chip design efforts to remain competitive.

Indian chipmakers look ahead tough times and stiff competition at the global front after United States has lifted the restriction on the sale of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software to China by US companies.

The lifting of the restrictions will allow the US-headquartered EDA companies including Cadence Design Systems, Siemens EDA and Synopsys to resume the business engagement in China. Eventually, it would harm the interest of India chipmaker firms who are prying to gain the big pie as soon as possible. 

The Trump administration had put the restrictions on US’ EDA companies as part of its overall strategy to halt the access of advanced technologies to Chinses firms, especially those critical to semiconductor and defense industries.

Ruchir Dixit, chairperson of the India Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA) board of directors, told ET that “The strengthening capabilities of China’s industry could create increased competitive dynamics, not only for India’s EDA sector but also across the wider electronics and semiconductor industry.”

He also added that “until a few months ago, nobody thought of software as a supply chain problem. Now, with this action, the supply chain includes software as well. It includes anything that enables creation and employment in India.”

With the lifting of software restrictions, companies reassessing their ‘China Plus One’ strategy should carefully consider the timing of their investments in India for EDA development or other functions, according to Dixit.

Shankar Krishnamoorthy, chief product development officer at Synopsys as quoted by ET report, stated that the company does not expect software export restrictions previously placed on China to be imposed on India, especially given India’s goal to develop its semiconductor ecosystem and the ongoing US-India collaboration in the sector.

Biswajeet Mahapatra, principal analyst at Forrester, noted that this signals increased competition. A more capable Chinese chip industry, with renewed access to critical design software, could accelerate its R&D and manufacturing, potentially intensifying the race for global market share and foreign investment, particularly in design and packaging, areas where India is also making significant progress.

Kunal Chaudhary, partner and co-leader of the Inbound Investment Group at EY India told ET the urgency for India to act quickly. “India must accelerate its chip design efforts. With the US easing EDA export restrictions for China, the global playing field is shifting,” he said.

Chaudhary emphasized that developing India’s own chip design software is a strategic necessity, not just for resilience but to lead in the next era of semiconductor innovation. He called for focused investment in R&D, intellectual property (IP), and deep skilling.

India’s Semiconductor Push Amid Global Headwinds

India is aggressively pushing to become a global semiconductor hub with a Rs 76,000 crore incentive scheme under the Semiconductor India Programme. The government aims to boost domestic capabilities across chip manufacturing, packaging (ATMP/OSAT), and design. Big players like Micron have already committed to setting up chip assembly plants in Gujarat, while Tata Group is also exploring fabrication projects. With global firms looking to diversify away from China, India is positioning itself as a strong alternative through policy support, subsidies, and fast-track approvals.

While India already has a strong chip design talent base, the challenge lies in setting up full-scale fabs, which require high capital, cutting-edge technology, and steady infrastructure. The government has also launched the India Semiconductor Mission to coordinate efforts and support startups in chip design and EDA tools access. With sustained investment, IP development, and skilling, India aims to reduce import dependence and become a competitive player in the global semiconductor race.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously praised the skill and expertise of Chinese assembly workers as a key reason for setting up production in China, beyond just cost advantages.

New Delhi: Foxconn, a Taiwanese multinational electronics contract manufacturer, has reportedly directed hundreds of Chinese engineers and technicians to return home from its iPhone factories in India. The company hasn’t provided any specific reason behind the move. As per a Bloomberg report, more than 300 Chinese workers have left the facilities over the past two months.

The move by Foxconn to call back its engineers and technicians is likely to hit the production costs and affect the efficiency on iPhone assembly lines in India. The decision will also slow down the training of the local workforce and the transfer of manufacturing technology from China. According to Bloomberg, the timing is particularly challenging as Apple prepares to ramp up production of the new iPhone 17 with its manufacturing partners in India.

The move also appears to be part of Beijing’s broader strategy to curb technology transfers and equipment exports to India and Southeast Asia. Earlier this year, Chinese officials verbally encouraged regulatory agencies and local governments to restrict such transfers, potentially aimed at preventing companies from shifting manufacturing away from China.

The Indian government has not witnessed any major impact on phone production yet, according to a person familiar with the matter. It is important to note that Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously praised the skill and expertise of Chinese assembly workers as a key reason for setting up production in China, beyond just cost advantages.

Here are some of the key details:

• Foxconn is replacing departing Chinese staff with Taiwanese and Vietnamese workers. This will mitigate the impact.
• The company is converting machinery to be operated by Indian employees.
• The company has asked the suppliers to retrofit existing machinery that largely runs on Chinese-language software to be used by English-speaking engineers.
• Foxconn is expected to receive the retrofitted machinery in a few months
• The company continues building a new iPhone plant in southern India as part of Apple’s plans to manufacture most iPhones for the US market in India by late 2026.

The departure of these seasoned engineers from India marks a major setback for Apple’s diversification efforts, especially as the company aims to lessen its reliance on Chinese manufacturing amid persistent geopolitical tensions.

The Apple ecosystem in India employs approximately 200,000 people across various vendors, making it one of the country’s largest job creators in the technology sector.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has dismissed the idea of a nuclear exchange with India during the recent conflict, stating that the country’s nuclear programme is strictly for “peaceful activities and self-defence.” Sharif made the comments while addressing a group of Pakistani students in Islamabad on Saturday.

55 Pakistanis were killed

Recalling the four-day military confrontation, Sharif said that 55 Pakistani citizens were killed during the Indian military strikes. However, he stressed that Pakistan retaliated with full force, showcasing its military strength.

When asked about the possibility of using nuclear weapons, Sharif replied, “Pakistan’s nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes and national defence, not for aggression.”

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. The operation specifically targeted terrorist infrastructure located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Sharif denies rumours of Zardari stepping down

Sharif also dismissed rumours that President Asif Ali Zardari might be forced to resign or that Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir had aspirations to take over the presidency. Sharif called these reports “mere speculations”.

“Field Marshal Asim Munir has never expressed any desire to become the president, nor is there any such plan in the offing,” he told The News on Friday.

Sharif added that he, Zardari and Munir shared a relationship built on mutual respect.

The clarification followed interior minister Mohsin Naqvi’s statement on X on Thursday, in which he denounced the “malicious campaign” targeting Zardari, Sharif, and Munir. “We are fully aware of who is behind the malicious campaign,” said Naqvi, who is considered close to the top military leadership.

“I have categorically stated there has been no discussion, nor does any such idea exist, about the president being asked to resign or the COAS aspiring to assume the presidency,” he added.

(With PTI inputs)

Also Read: Pakistan terror groups LeT, JeM may use Nepal route to strike India: Nepalese official

Also Read: Bilawal Bhutto admits Pahalgam was a terror attack, acknowledges presence of LeT and JeM in Pakistan

Last Updated:July 13, 2025, 05:12 IST

Bridges continue to collapse in Bharat at an alarming frequency: some during construction, after completion, before inauguration, and during usage

On Wednesday, July 9, at around 7.30 am, nightmare was unleashed in broad daylight in Gujarat when a 15-20-metre segment of the 40-year-old 830-metre-long Gambhira bridge—a key connector between central Gujarat and the Saurashtra region—caved in, resulting in more than half a dozen vehicles getting submerged into the underneath Mahisagar river.

The bridge connecting the Vadodara and Anand districts of Gujarat was heavily patronised by truckers, tankers, and people wanting to avoid the toll on the Vadodara-Ahmedabad Expressway.

Rescue and Relief

As is the case with most disasters in Bharat today, ill-equipped villagers from the nearby area were the first to take on the challenge of the rescue and relief operations before the team of NDRF, SDRF and fire brigade reached the site. Ironically, but for an eight-wheeled tanker precariously hanging like a Damocles’ Sword tethering at the brink of the ill-fated bridge, more vehicles could have drowned in the river, resulting in a much bigger casualty.

The rescue and relief operations continued on the fourth day after the collapse of the Gambhira Bridge over the Mahi River in Padra taluka. Though the rescue teams with great difficulty have managed to retrieve all the vehicles from the riverbed, there is no final word yet on the rescued injured and the retrieval of the bodies of the dead from beneath the river.

The rescue and relief work was rendered extremely difficult with the recovery operations hindered by the incessant rains and thick mud in the riverbed.

Casualties

On Wednesday, the day of the accident, the original casualty number reported was 12 dead, including three from a family. Also, 9 injured people were saved by the rescuers. By the time I began writing this piece on July 10, the number of dead had jumped to 18. When I was close to finishing the piece on July 11, the number of dead climbed to 20 with the recovery of one more body and the death of an injured person. As I conclude the piece on July 12, the number of dead has climbed to 21, with one more death.

Sadly, even this is not likely to be the final number of casualties because at least two more persons are missing.

The Root Cause

It is too early to say with a reasonable degree of confidence why and how the Gambhira bridge collapsed. Nonetheless, one palpable reason is evident: the bridge was constructed in another era, 1985 to be precise. In those days, two-axle trucks, smaller light commercial vehicles, and lighter passenger vehicles plied Indian roads and highways, and a bridge constructed then was unfit for handling the fast-growing movement of multi-axle trucks, trailers and tankers, and passenger automobiles.

That being the case, the Gambhira bridge collapse was just waiting to happen.

But why did the bridge collapse? It will take time to unravel the root cause of the collapse. It is possible, like most bridge collapses in the country, that the root cause may not be known or may not be made public even if known.

In the interim, Rushikesh Patel, Gujarat Health Minister and government spokesperson, stated on Friday, July 11, that as per the preliminary investigation, the collapse of the Mujpur-Gambhira bridge was due to the structural failure, specifically the crushing of pedestals and articulation joints.

But the moot question that begs an answer is why too many bridges in Bharat keep tumbling down with alarming frequency?

I will address this question in a short while. Before that, here in brief are the rituals that are performed after every major accident.

Rituals Completed

As happens in the aftermath of every such tragic accident, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, and others have expressed shock at the unfortunate accident and expressed their condolences to the affected families.

Also, true to their salt, the opposition parties of all hues have squarely blamed the government for the mishap. A spokesman of the Congress party has gone to the extent of asserting that the “hollow Gujarat Model is another name for corruption”.

With rituals of expressing shock, offering condolences and the blame game for the accident done with, it is time for yet another ritual—the customary ex gratia announcement to the accident victims.

Pricing the Lives Lost

Next comes the existential question—how much worth is the life of hapless victims of such accidents, whose only fault was that they were crossing the bridge constructed, managed, and maintained by governments?

Make no mistake, the innocent victims are not responsible for their deaths in accidents like the latest bridge collapse. Whether their gruesome death was owing to the structural flaws in the bridge or improper maintenance, indubitably, the blame squarely rests with the government departments responsible for keeping them in safe, usable conditions.

Above being the case, what should be the reasonable compensation payable to the victims, both dead and severely injured?

The governments have put the price of life lost to a paltry sum of Rs 6 lakh to the next of the dead—Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s relief fund and Rs 4 lakh from the Gujarat government. As regards the injured, irrespective of the severity of injuries, the compensation to be dispensed is an abysmal Rs 1 lakh (Rs 50,000 each from the central and the state governments).

I often wonder, is this the fair value of the life of innocent Bharatiyas whose death or injury is caused by the negligence of governmental authorities? I admit that no amount of monetary compensation can replace the life lost, dreams shattered, and families driven to penury, but I get genuinely baffled by the prevailing situation in Bharat for a valid reason.

Here goes my reason: victims of the latest Air India disaster at Ahmedabad will each receive Rs 1 crore from the Tata Group and almost the same amount from the insurance proceeds.

Why does Bharat price the cost of human casualties by the type of mode of travel? It must end forthwith.

It is time for a drastic overhaul of the current paradigm of the way the country values the cost of the lives of innocents dying with alarming frequency in eminently avoidable disasters on roads, highways, bridges, and railways.

It is time to shift to a just and fair compensation regime.

Case Closed

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has ordered a high-level enquiry to be conducted by the State’s Roads and Buildings Department. The committee must submit its report directly to the CM within 30 days. In the interim, four junior engineers (executive engineers and assistant engineers) have been suspended.

The bridge collapse story from the breaking news on TV channels and front-page coverage in the print media has already exited the media coverage till the next such accident happens somewhere in the country.

Going by the past track record of such major accidents in the country, I can say so with reasonable degree of confidence that nothing much will emerge from the inquiry (by the department which itself was responsible for the upkeep of the bridges), no accountability will be fixed, and no real punishment meted out.

A case in point is the Morbi bridge collapse in 2022, in which 141 people lost their lives. While some individuals, including those from the contractor side, were arrested and charged in connection with the collapse, no one has been convicted or sentenced yet, and the case is ongoing. Many victims’ families are still seeking justice and accountability.

The above being the case of the more serious Morbi accident, it is reasonable to expect that, sooner rather than later, the Gambhira bridge accident too will be forgotten, and the case shall stand closed.

Falling Again and Again

I wish the Gambhira bridge collapse were an isolated event. Sadly, it is not the case. Only in Gujarat, at least six bridge collapses have been chronicled since 2021, with the latest accident next only to Morbi in scale of the disaster, casualties, and damage to property.

Bridges continue to collapse in Bharat at an alarming frequency: some during construction, after completion, before inauguration, and during usage.

A typical case is that of Bihar, where nearly 2 dozen bridges collapsed in two years between 2022 and 2024, out of which 14 collapsed in just one month in 2024. Though ten engineers were suspended (suspension is no punishment), no concrete measure was taken to prevent the frequent collapse of bridges.

Bridge collapses are not confined to Bihar and Gujarat. Here are some more recent cases of 2025:

First, on June 15, 2025, an iron pedestrian bridge over the Indrayani River collapsed near Pune, Maharashtra. At least four people died, and dozens were injured. The reason for the collapse was ascribed to the overloading of the British-era Bridge.

Second, on May 3, 2025, at least three persons were killed and two others critically injured after a concrete slab fell on them during the construction of a bridge near Khannagar. The bridge was part of the six-lane road conversion from the Kathajodi riverside of NH-16 to Cuttack Netaji Bus Terminal (CNBT).

There were many more cases in 2024, 2023, and 2022—for example, Mumbai Ghatkopar (17 dead in 2024), girder failure of an under-construction railway bridge in Mizoram (30 dead in 2023), and the most gruesome Morbi bridge collapse (141 killed in 2022).

Moreover, the above is not even a partial story.

Collapses Galore

A study published in 2020 in the international journal Structure and Infrastructure Engineering reported that between 1977 and 2020, Bharat accounted for the collapse of more than 2,130 bridges (excluding culverts and pedestrian bridges), including many under construction.

Alarmingly, the study further noted that while the average life of Indian bridges was 35 years, the global average was more than 50 years. At the same time, Indian bridges reported a 25 per cent higher mortality rate than the global average.

Only God Knows

The task of preventing bridge collapses begins with knowing how many bridges Bharat has, knowing their precise conditions through structural audits and frequent inspections and taking timely preventive and corrective measures.

When Bharat does not count its bridges properly, how can it have the framework of robust maintenance? Bridge construction and maintenance in the country are in the hands of many institutions: the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Indian Railways, Border Road Organisation, State PWDs, city governments, and others.

Worse, there is no uniform practice of inspection, structural audit and taking other measures to prevent bridges from collapsing.

With each agency maintaining its own records in its own way, India lacks a unified database of bridges, making it almost impossible to have a composite picture of the total number of bridges and their condition.

Nonetheless, here is an attempt to quantify the problem—as per GoI Press Information Bureau data, as on 01.04.2019, there were 1,50,74 Bridges on Indian Railways’ network. Also, as per another GoI data reported by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, as on 1-1-2019, there were 1,72,517 bridges inventoried under the Indian Bridge Management System. If one adds the number of rail and road bridges constructed since 2019 and further adds up the bridges under state and city governments and organisations like BRO, it is highly probable that the country has no less than 500,000 bridges.

Proper maintenance of 500,000 plus bridges in Indian conditions, where bridges are under continuous stress of fast-growing goods and passenger traffic (90 per cent of goods throughput and an equal percentage of passenger traffic) requires a robust maintenance paradigm and a move away from the “Chalta Hai Attitude”.

Keeping Bridges Fighting Fit

Bharat is today the most populous country in the world. It also boasts the world’s second-largest urban population after China. The current urban population is more than one and a half times the total population of the USA. Also, the urban population will be 600 million by 2023 and 822-877 million by 2050.

Also, the Indian economy is growing fast. By the end of 2025, Bharat will have the fourth largest economy, by 2028 the third largest economy of the world and by 2047, it aspires to be a developed economy. Bharat also aims to be the manufacturing capital of the world.

That being the case, roads and rail bridges in India must manage more fast-growing goods and passenger traffic without the periodic shock of caving in. And to increase bridges’ life, their ability to carry fast-increasing loads of traffic, the integrity and stability of the bridges must be enhanced many notches.

The reasons for bridge collapses are well known. These include the design flaws including but not limited to inadequate load-bearing capacity, improper material selection, or faulty engineering calculations compromising the structural integrity of a bridge, poor construction material and poor workmanship, comprehensive maintenance neglect and lack of proper inspection and audit, lack of upgradation in time to handle increasing traffic, overloading, and natural causes like floods and extreme weather conditions that impact the integrity of the bridges.

The list of causes of bridge collapses is myriad, but the nation has no option but to make bridges accident-proof using a robust combination of design, construction and maintenance-related world best practices and Indian Next Practices. If cutting corners is not stopped today, if the collapse of bridges is not stopped forthwith, and concrete measures are not taken today to build and maintain bridges to the highest level of safety, it will not be consistent with the dream of making the country Viksit Bharat.

The author is a multidisciplinary thought leader with Action Bias, India-based international impact consultant, and keen watcher of changing national and international scenarios. He works as president, advisory services of consulting company BARSYL. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.

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Union civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu on Saturday said not to jump to any conclusions on the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report of the Air India AI-171 crash, noting it as a preliminary submission on which comment can wait till the final report is out. “No conclusions can be drawn based on the pilots’ conversation as it is very brief. Further investigation is necessary. We should wait for that report,” he said.

Naidu said the ministry is currently analysing the preliminary report and coordinating with AAIB to provide necessary support and resources. He added he firmly believes India has one of the finest aviation workforces in the world, terming pilots and crew the backbone of civil aviation. 

He said their dedication deserves full appreciation with their welfare is a top priority.

Naidu said these are technical matters best handled by the investigation agency, and while the preliminary report has been received, concrete comments should await the final report. The minister said he appreciates the transparent, professional, and mature manner in which the investigation has been conducted, following all the international protocols.

NEW DELHI (AP) — Fuel control switches for the engines of an Air India flight that crashed last month were moved from the “run” to the “cutoff” position moments before impact, starving both engines of fuel, a preliminary investigation report said early Saturday.

The report, issued by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, also indicated that both pilots were confused over the change to the switch setting, which caused a loss of engine thrust shortly after takeoff.

The Air India flight — a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner — crashed on June 12 and killed at least 260 people, including 19 on the ground, in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. Only one passenger survived the crash, which is one of India’s worst aviation disasters.

The plane was carrying 230 passengers — 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian — along with 12 crew members.

According to the report, the flight lasted around 30 seconds between takeoff and crash. It said that once the aircraft achieved its top recorded speed, “the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another” within a second. The report did not say how the switches could have flipped to the cutoff position during the flight.

The movement of the fuel control switches allows and cuts fuel flow to the plane’s engines.

The switches were flipped back into the run position, the report said, but the plane could not gain power quickly enough to stop its descent after the aircraft had begun to lose altitude.

The report stated: “One of the pilots transmitted ‘MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY’.”

Aviation expert and former airline pilot Terry Tozer said the engine cutoff switches being switched to off only seconds after takeoff was “absolutely bizarre.”

“Unfortunately, the altitude was so low that the engines were only beginning to recover and they didn’t have enough time,” Tozer told Sky News.

The report also indicated confusion in the cockpit moments before the crash.

In the flight’s final moment, one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. “The other pilot responded that he did not do so,” the report said.

The preliminary report did not recommend any actions for Boeing, which said in a statement that it “stands ready to support the investigation led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.”

“Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected in Ahmedabad,” the statement added.

India’s civil aviation minister, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, said the report’s findings were preliminary and one should not “jump into any conclusions on this.”

“Let us wait for the final report,” Naidu told reporters.

Air India, in a statement, said it is fully cooperating with authorities investigating the crash.

“Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully cooperate with the AAIB and other authorities as their investigation progresses,” it said.

The plane’s black boxes — combined cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders — were recovered in the days following the crash and later downloaded in India.

Indian authorities had also ordered deeper checks of Air India’s entire Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet to prevent future incidents. Air India has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet.

The final cockpit recording from the AI-171 crash revealed startling concerns of a technical glitch after an unexpected engine fuel cut-off. Adding to the controversy, it emerged that the FAA had issued a 2018 advisory flagging potential issues with the Boeing 787’s fuel control switch lock. Meanwhile, in a bizarre case of love across borders, a Bangladeshi woman was jailed in Tripura after illegally crossing into India to meet her Instagram boyfriend. On a brighter note, Isro cleared a key hurdle in its Gaganyaan mission after successfully passing final tests. In Uttar Pradesh, ATS officials demolished a ₹3 crore villa belonging to Chhangur Baba, the alleged mastermind of a mass religious conversion racket. Here are today’s top developments at a glance.Inside the cockpit: ‘Why did you cut off …?’ What was the last conversation between AI 171 pilotsThe final exchange between flight captain Sumeet Sabharwal and first officer Clive Kunder was captured on the cockpit voice recorder of the London-bound Air India 787 that crashed in Ahmedabad. According to a 15-page preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), one pilot was heard asking, “Why did you cut off?” after the fuel supply to both of the aircraft’s engines was cut off. The other pilot responded, “I did not do so,” implying a possible technical issue or involuntary activation. Read more‘Advisory, not mandatory’: Did FAA flag fuel control switch issue on Boeing jets in 2018?According to the first investigation on the Ahmedabad Air India tragedy, a 2018 US report had identified the “potential for disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature.” The report states that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified a possible disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature in Boeing aircraft, including the B787-8 equipped with comparable part numbers, in their Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) No. NM-18-33, which was issued in December 2018. Read more‘Met on Instagram’: Bangladeshi woman crosses border to meet lover from Karnataka; lands in jailA Bangladeshi woman has landed in a Tripura jail after she crossed the international border to meet the love of her life, whom she met virtually eight months ago. Her boyfriend, who traveled from Karnataka to meet her, is in judicial custody as well. Datta Yadav from Karnataka met Gulshana Akhter, a resident of Palsa village in the Bogura area of Bangladesh, on Instagram. Their relationship got stronger over the months courtesy of many texts, shared images, and video conversations filled with promises. Read moreIndia’s crewed space mission: Gaganyaan Propulsion System clears tests — Why this mattersAnother significant milestone in India’s crewed space voyage has been reached with Shubhanshu Shukla, the country’s first astronaut, aboard the International Space Station. On Saturday, Isro announced that it has successfully finished the Gaganyaan Service Module Propulsion System (SMPS) qualifying testing. This brings Isro one step closer to sending humans into space, including Shubhanshu Shukla, who is presently aboard the ISS. Read moreChhangur Baba weeps as Rs 3 cr villa razed; ran conversion racket for 15 yearsConversion syndicate mastermind Jalaluddin, also known as Chhangur Baba, was taken by UP ATS on Friday to his vast Balrampur home, which the government has since largely demolished after his network was exposed. Baba was taken inside the sealed premises by the ATS commandos, where senior officers retrieved important documents linked to the case of alleged forced religious conversions and performed a 40-minute on-site inquiry. Read more