Dr. Jayshree Pagare Dr. Vishal Kewari Neral (Raigad): The death of two-and-a-half-year-old Jaydeep Wagh from Kurkulwadi village in Karjat taluka has taken a troubling turn, with local citizens alleging grave medical negligence and deliberate suppression of evidence by health officials. Residents claim that official lapses at the Kalamb Primary Health Centre (PHC) not only delayed the detection of a suspected murder but also co

THE ETHANOL CONUNDRUM - Part - 3 Ethanol producers raced ahead of targets, but engine upgrades lag Kolhapur: The current crisis confronting India’s ethanol industry is increasingly being attributed to the automobile sector’s sluggish pace in upgrading vehicle engines. The Centre’s ambitious ethanol blending programme rested on two pillars — ethanol production and vehicle manufacturing. While the ethanol industry surged ahead, meeting targets well before schedule and expanding

Every Laturkar mourns the sad demise of legendary statesman Shivraj Patil Chakurkar. We express our heartfelt condolences and pray to the Almighty that 'May his soul attain Sadgati.' His long association and guidance to me and all people associated with him will always be remembered and will keep inspiring us in the service of the Nation. As we vividly walk down the memory lane we stand inspired with every gesture of respect and love Shri Patil Saheb treated us. On many Socia

The ethanol conundrum — Part 2 In just five years, grain-based ethanol availability rises to over 10.28 billion litres; policy incentives spur production, but industry walks a tightrope Kolhapur:  When the Narendra Modi-led NDA government assumed office in 2014, ethanol blending in petrol stood at a modest 1.5 per cent. By December 2025, that figure had climbed to 20 per cent — a steep rise over 11 years that has helped the country save an estimated Rs 1.4 lakh crore in forei

Maharashtra’s leopard attacks are the bloodied consequence of unbridled urbanisation, where the appetite for ‘development’ has devoured habitats. The growing number of leopard attacks in ‘progressive’ Maharashtra should be a concern for all those humans who seemingly insatiable appetite for infrastructural development and expansion of cities comes at the cost of nature. Thus far, almost 40 casualties have been reported from Nashik, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Pune and Ahilya Nagar ar

India’s tallest Christmas Tree touches skies, hearts Douglas Saldanah with India's tallest, 72-feet high, Christmas Tree in Worli. Mumbai : On a quiet by-lane in Worli, hemmed in by concrete towers and the ceaseless beats of Mumbai, rises a breath-taking spectacle that makes people stop in their tracks.   A towering Pine Conifer, glowing with more than 12,000 twinkling fairy lights, smiling angels, glittering reindeers and lots of cotton snow, stretches 72 feet into the night

THE ETHANOL CONUNDRUM - Part - 1 Entrepreneurs unhappy as expansion plans stall Kolhapur: An ambitious government programme that once drew enthusiastic participation from industry is now threatening to trip up the very sector it sought to promote. India’s ethanol manufacturing industry is grappling with a paradox: despite strong policy backing, assured pricing and generous financial incentives, producers are staring at excess capacity and inadequate procurement orders. The C

When we take responsibility, we reclaim control—not through blame, but through awareness. In our everyday lives, we often crib over the smallest things. The tea is too hot. The food lacks salt. Traffic feels unbearable. The weather seems unpleasant. Someone doesn’t respond as expected. Things don’t always go exactly as planned. Before we realise it, complaining becomes a habit—almost a reflex. Cribbing may feel harmless, even comforting. It offers a momentary release, a false

Globally-curated new CSMVS gallery wows Mumbai Mumbai : A new, globally-curated gallery - affording an insight into how the ancient world was not secluded but interconnected 5,000 years ago through trade, religion, arts, communication and common purpose - which opened this month enthralls locals and tourists alike.  Envisioned by the 103-year-old Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) in Mumbai, the expo - titled ‘Networks of the Past: A Study Gallery of India

Mumbai: India is set to enter 2026 as one of the most resilient and opportunity-rich real estate markets in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Knight Frank’s Asia-Pacific Outlook 2026. At a time when global economic uncertainty, shifting trade policies and geopolitical volatility are forcing markets to recalibrate, India stands out for its robust domestic fundamentals, deep talent pool and a steadily maturing real estate ecosystem. While Asia-Pacific’s overall economic gro

Family injured; the animal caught after seven hours Mumbai: A groggy Bhayander family had an unexpected guest for breakfast – a young male leopard – which created mayhem in their first floor flat, leaving at least five of the hosts injured, and triggering terror in the vicinity, police said. A daylong drama started around 8 am when the adult feline sneaked into the flat, suspectedly from the balcony as the family was just preparing for their morning cuppa and other routine ch

Long-term expansion plans take shape Mumbai: Even as long-term expansion plans gather momentum, Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is preparing to mark a defining milestone with the commencement of commercial operations from December 25, 2025. Sources familiar with the development confirmed that the first flight is scheduled to land at NMIA at around 8.30 am from Bengaluru, operated by IndiGo. The same aircraft will subsequently depart for Delhi, symbolically placing th

Growing older isn’t slowing down—it’s choosing joy, peace, and what truly matters. AI generated image Growing older doesn’t mean slowing down; it means moving differently—living for your own joy, valuing peace over opinions, and choosing quality over quantity. Old age becomes beautiful when you decide: I will not suffer. I will not depend. I will not stop living. I will celebrate every day. As we grow older, we all need to prioritise the list. Emotional independence Your firs

Mumbai’s metro today is a testament to the collective effort of multiple agencies—MMOPL, MMMOCL, MMRDA, MMRCL, Maha Metro, and CIDCO, each contributing to a network that’s rapidly redefining how the city moves. From where I stand in the mobility space, the next big leap is clear: bringing these strong systems even closer together so the experience feels unified, intuitive, and truly designed around the commuter. I see the unification of metro rail operations across the MMR as

Unchecked migration in Arunachal Pradesh is the predictable consequence of decades of political indulgence, weak enforcement and selective secularism. Arunachal Pradesh has long been treated as India’s remote frontier, more a buffer against foreign powers than a society to be governed. Last week, Itanagar witnessed a fierce display of civic mobilisation in form of a 12-hour bandh against rampant illegal Bangladeshi immigration called by three indigenous youth organisations th

Assam’s cultural void and the Post Malone moment. The cultural vacuum left by the demise of Zubeen Garg continues to echo through Assam, resurfacing sharply during the recent Post Malone concert in Guwahati. Zubeen, the state’s most beloved musical icon, had dominated the cultural landscape for over three decades. With songs in more than 40 languages and dialects, and a career spanning 33 years, he was not just a singer but a cultural force whose music stitched together gener

An 11th-century temple and 21st-century nationalism are keeping the Thai–Cambodia border perpetually on edge. Once again, artillery has spoken along the jungle-clad frontier between Thailand and Cambodia. As fighter jets roar overhead, civilians have fled to makeshift shelters even as a ceasefire signed only weeks ago collapsed with indecent speed. The latest bout of violence, featuring air strikes, casualties and mass displacement, has revived a familiar question in South-Ea

It was a sultry evening, not long ago, when my phone buzzed with a breaking news alert: Air India Dreamliner crashes. 241 feared dead. In an instant, life took an unscheduled exit for hundreds of unsuspecting souls. Just like that, the sky transformed from a flight path into a graveyard. Alas, an ordinary day became their final farewell and the nation gasped in horror. Only days earlier in Bangalore, jubilation had turned into horror. After 18 long years, Royal Challengers Ba

My name is Punjab, the land graced by five mighty rivers. My story is one of resilience, woven deeply into India's fabric since 1947, a year that marked both heartbreak and hope. The trauma of the Partition ripped through me, leaving scars that time has not erased. Yet, I rose from those ashes to cultivate my fields once again. The Green Revolution flourished here, transforming me into the breadbasket of India. Though I lost my beloved city, Lahore, I embraced change and buil

Mumbai doesn’t need more projects—it needs a unified, high-capacity public transport system. Mumbai continues to expand its transport network, yet daily travel remains slow, unsafe and costly. The problem is no longer the number of projects but the lack of a unified, high-capacity public transport system. To assess the financial viability of a transportation project, one must calculate the Internal Rate of Return (IRR). This is followed by estimating the annual commuter-kilom