The Congress has come out lashing at the Narendra Modi government after it cut excise duty by ₹10 each on petrol and diesel on Friday but did not pass on the benefit to the final consumer — meaning the rates at fuel stations stay the same.. Congress lashes out at Modi government for claiming that excise duty cuts on petrol, diesel will provide relief to consumers. (PTI). BJP leaders, from home minister Amit Shah to defence minister Rajnath Singh, thanked Prime Minister Modi, meanwhile, for “providing relief to citizens” by reducing the levy.. However, Congress leaders have questioned the government’s claims, asking whether the excise duty cut will actually reduce fuel prices for consumers.. Congress leader Pawan Khera argued that the excise duty cuts are for oil marketing companies and not a relief for the common people, as they will end up paying the same amount even after the reduction. He also said that the government has raised excise duty 12 times in the last 11 and a half years, and cutting it now is no favour to the people of India.. “Look at the audacity of (oil minister) Hardeep Puri. He says they want to provide relief to the people of India so they don’t face the burden, and therefore the Government of India is taking the burden. The Government of India is the government of the people of India. The money belongs to the people of India,” Khera added.. Further, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the BJP of slashing excise duty to “influence” assembly elections in four key states—Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Assam — and the UT of Puducherry in April.. In a post on X, Ramesh pointed out that when global crude oil prices fell over the past 12 years, the government did not reduce consumer fuel prices in India. He asserted that the latest move was made solely due to the impending elections.. “When global crude oil prices fell, as they did on seven different occasions in the past 12 years, consumer prices in India were not reduced. Today’s announcement was because of assembly elections. Wait till April 30,” the post read. Voting for all these elections ends on April 29, though results are scheduled for May 4.. DK Shivakumar, the deputy chief minister of Karnataka, also reiterated his party colleagues’ stance that the government is acting to influence the outcome of the upcoming elections.. “The Government of India is burdening us… they are doing it for the election. The Nayara company has already increased prices. We will highlight this issue to the people of the state,” Shivakumar told reporters, referring to private company Nayara Energy’s price-hike decision.. Asked if the state government would take any measures to bring down prices, he said, “We will talk about it later.”. Also Red: Will petrol, diesel prices go down after excise duty cut by govt amid Iran war? Big question answered. What does the government say on excise duty cuts on petrol and diesel?. The price of petrol a 

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the first phase of the Noida International Airport in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, March 28. After multiple delays, the airport is finally set for inauguration, and to become the second international airport serving the Delhi-NCR region.. A view of New Noida International Airport at Jewar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the airport on March 28, in Greater Noida, India. (HT Photos ). At 12pm on Saturday, PM will inaugurate phase 1 of the much-awaited airport and will address a public gathering on the occassion. The government termed the airport as ‘major international gateway for the National Capital Region (NCR)’ that represents a significant step in strengthening the country’s airport infrastructure and enhancing regional and international connectivity.. The airport will serve as the primary international airport for major Uttar Pradesh cities such as Noida, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Mathura and Agra. It will also act as a gateway to several pilgrimage and tourist destinations.. Also read: Married man staying in live-in relationship not a crime: Allahabad high court. Initial commencement date for the airport was December 1, 2024 which was deferred to April 2025. It was again postponed to September 1,2025 and then finally to early 2026.. Here is all you need to know about the Noida International Airport:. Noida International Airport will be the first airport in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state with a 70 million capacity, complementing the existing 110 million passenger capacity at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in neighbouring Delhi.. The two airports, IGIA and Noida International Airport, will function as an integrated aviation system that will ease congestion, expand passenger capacity, and position Delhi-NCR among leading global aviation hubs, the government said.. Phase I of the airport is developed at a total investment of around Rs.11,200 crore under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. It is among the largest greenfield airport projects in the country, the government said.. While the airport will initially have a passenger handling capacity of 12 million passengers per annum (MPPA), it can handle up to 70 MPPA once complete. As per the master plan submitted by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), initial passenger traffic is forecast at 4 MPPA.. The runway of the airport, that spans over 3,900-metres, can handle wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777-300ER, along with modern navigation systems, including Instrument Landing System (ILS) and advanced airfield lighting.. The government said the airport also incorporates a cargo ecosystem, including a multi-modal cargo hub featuring an integrated cargo terminal and logistics zones. The cargo facility is designed to handle over 2.5 lakh metric tonnes annually, expandable to around 18 lakh metric tonnes, and includes a dedicated 40 acre Maintenance, Repair and Overh 

 A former US official is not pleased with the prospect of Pakistan becoming a negotiator in mediating peace between Iran and the US amid the ongoing war. Questioning Pakistan’s credibility former US Army combatant, Colonel Douglas Macgregor (retd) said that Israel wouldn’t view the country as neutral in the negotiations and would “laugh off” the prospect of Islamabad as the venue for talks.. US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands during a joint press conference at the White House in Washington, DC, US, on February 13, 2025. (Reuters). Instead, the official proposed that India should step in and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should give US President Donald Trump a call.. “If the Israelis heard that they were supposed to show up in Islamabad for a meeting, I think they’d laugh it off. This is ridiculous. Why should we trust anything those people say? That’s not true for India. India is in a very good position that way,” he was quoted as saying in a report by news agency ANI.. ‘More comfortable with India’. Macgregor, who served as the advisor to the US Secretary of Defence in the first Donald Trump Administration, finds India much more well-positioned to offer assistance because PM Modi commands global respect and maintains working relationships with multiple international leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders in Tehran. He also cited PM Modi’s recent official visit to Israel and said: “The Israelis are comfortable with him. We are more comfortable with India.”. Also Read: ‘PM Modi and I, two people that get things done’: Trump’s surprise praise. Pakistan, on the other hand, has its own economic concerns to tend to, the US official said. “For the Pakistanis to offer help is sort of like a man who is in a burning building offering you a spare room in the building. Pakistan’s not going to be viewed in any way, shape or form as neutral by the Israelis,” Macgregor said.. “They’re going to view Pakistan as part of the problem. Why would you go to Pakistan to Islamabad to try and close a deal, if you will, on ending the war? That’s an impossibility. It strikes me as just ludicrous nonsense,” he added.. ‘Pakistan not civilisational, India is’. The geopolitical risk advisor also said that Pakistan cannot be considered a civilisational state, but that is not the case for India. “Pakistan is not what I would call a civilisational state. It’s part of a civilisational complex. But India itself is one of these core civilisational states, which is desperately needed, you know, in the world today,” Macgregor said.. He said that PM Modi should speak to his advisors and call President Trump amid the ongoing West Asia conflict. “I think we would be better off if India exerted a great deal more influence in a place like the Indian Ocean and its surroundings,” Col Macgregor said.. He said that he cannot foresee direct negotiations between Iran and US-Israel and said that if there’s anyone Trum 

 Malabar Gold & Diamonds announced on Wednesday (March 25) that it will allocate ₹200 crore to its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes in the financial year 2026-27. One of the largest retail jewellery groups in the world, Malabar made the announcement at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, with Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal present at the event.. At the programme, Union minister Piyush Goyal launched the distribution of educational scholarships for 33,000 girl students across the country.. The event was also attended by Malabar Group chairman MP Ahammad, managing director – India operations O Asher, executive directors Nishad AK and Abdulla Ibrahim, Kerala House resident commissioner Puneet Kumar, IAS, Pratham CEO Rukmini Banerji, and Thanal chairman Idris, among others.. At the programme, the minister launched the distribution of educational scholarships for 33,000 girl students across the country. The company plans to carry out its CSR initiatives in more than 3,000 locations across 19 states, covering 15 major projects and aiming to benefit over 2 lakh people.. Speaking at the event, Goyal said India’s progress depends on empowering its people, especially women and girls. He praised the company’s efforts in promoting change through education and said such initiatives set an example for other organisations.. Addressing students at the event, the minister urged them to aim high, move beyond limitations and make the most of the opportunities available in India. He also said the choice of venue was appropriate, as BR Ambedkar believed that “communities only prosper when women of the country prosper”.. Referring to global challenges linked to the West Asia crisis, Goyal said the country has come together to “rally as one”. He added that in recent years, India has signed 9 free trade agreements with 38 developed nations.. Speaking on the occasion, Malabar Group chairman Ahammad said, “Nurturing talent through quality education is essential, and the scholarship programme enables students to achieve academic success and contribute to the country’s development.”. A major share of the funds will go towards education, with ₹114 crore earmarked for initiatives such as micro-learning centres for street children and scholarship programmes for girls.. The company has set aside ₹30 crore for food distribution under the Hunger Free World project and ₹14.2 crore for healthcare programmes.. Housing initiatives, including the ‘Grandma Home’ project for destitute mothers, will receive ₹25 crore. In addition, ₹6.8 crore will be used for other humanitarian efforts and ₹10 crore for environmental protection, according to the jewellery group.. These activities are carried out through the Malabar Charitable Trust, which allocates 5% of the company’s net trading profit to CSR work.. Notably, the group has set up 1,543 micro-learning centres across 17 states in partnership with the Prat 

 Air-conditioned cabins, business class pushback seats for VIP and VVIPs, vegan leather, hand rests with wooden finish, premium aesthetic look and more – an array of amenities were planned for two boats, worth over ₹3 crore each in Delhi. The purpose? Inspections of river Yamuna by dignitaries.. The VIP boats plan was supposed to be an effort as part of the Delhi’s government’s Yamuna cleaning plans for which the river requires frequent inspections by dignitaries. (HT file photo). Following criticism of these extravagant plans, the tender process for these boats now stands cancelled, with two senior officials involved with the procurement of these boats suspended.. A day after HT reported on the tender in its March 18 report, an enquiry was launched into the tender dated March 12, to understand “the circumstances under which they were issued”. A political controversy erupted over reports of these VIP boats, as the AAP and the Congress lashed out at the BJP-led Delhi government, and labelled the boat plan a “wastage of public funds and case of misplaced priorities.”. Rooftop marine ACs, vegan leather, ‘aesthetic’ look. As reported by HT earlier, the “luxury” boats that the previous tender aimed to procure had many amenities and features, including the capacity to accommodate 16 to 20 persons, “cassette-type rooftop marine air conditioners,” “customised business class push-back VIP seats” and “a dedicated pantry for serving food”, among others.. The customised seats for VIPs were “made of vegan leather with exquisite stitching” and a “premium aesthetic look” with concealed LED lights and ambient lighting, as reported by HT earlier.. Also Read: HT Impact: Inquiry ordered into ₹6.2 crore Yamuna VIP boat plan. To further faciliate the VIP public appearances, each boat was supposed to include an open-rear deck with three-to-four-seater sofas. Among other features were integrated hand rests with wooden finish and bottle holders on the VIP seats.. Here are some more features, according to the tender for the two boats:. Capacity to accommodate 16 to 20 persons.. 300 HP four-stroke engines with tanks capable of holding 700-1,000 litres of fuel.. Dedicated pantry for serving food.. Fresh water storage capacity of 400 litres.. Boat’s specifications were: 13 metres long, 4.3 metres wide and 2.1 metres tall.. “These boats will be equipped with all amenities to facilitate these visits. In emergency, they can also be used for rescue operations,” a senior official of the I&FC department earlier told HT on condition of anonymity.. The VIP boats plan was supposed to be an effort as part of the Delhi’s government’s Yamuna cleaning plans for which the river requires frequent inspections by dignitaries. Presently, the I&FC department hires boats whenever required, including for bathymetric surveys, rescue operations, monsoon monitoring, and inspections during festivals like Chhath, according to the annual report of the department