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A training aircraft of Red Bird Aviation crashed near Baramati airport in Pune district on Tuesday morning after it reportedly developed a technical snag during a low-altitude flight, police said. According to Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill, the incident occurred at around 8.50 am near Gojubaavi village adjacent to the airport.“Today, at around 8.50 am, a training aircraft of Red Bird Aviation made a crash landing near Gojubaavi village adjacent to Baramati airport. According to preliminary information given by eyewitnesses present at the spot, the aircraft developed a technical fault while flying at low altitude. Gill said, during the crash landing, a part of the plane hit a light pole and then the plane fell to the ground. The only trainee pilot on board the aircraft survived without any serious injuries.Gill said, “Only one trainee pilot was on board the aircraft. Fortunately, the pilot did not suffer any serious injuries. On receiving information about the incident, police personnel immediately reached the spot and necessary inquiries and further action are being taken. Further information will be shared as received.”Police said investigation into the incident has been initiated and more details are awaited.

New Delhi: With an aim to strengthen drug safety and improve monitoring of adverse drug reactions, the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) on Tuesday signed an agreement with the pharmacy councils of Bihar, Maharashtra and Mizoram to expand pharmacovigilance and promote rational use of medicines.The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed at the IPC headquarters in Ghaziabad, aims to improve the adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting system, expand ADR monitoring centers and increase awareness among pharmacists and health care professionals on safe and evidence-based use of medicines.Officials said the collaboration will strengthen the Pharmacovigilance Program of India (PVPI), under which health care professionals and patients report side effects and safety concerns related to medicines. The initiative also aims to improve drug safety monitoring and encourage reporting of adverse drug reactions in hospitals and pharmacies in participating states.Under the agreement, State Pharmacy Councils and IPC will work to promote the widespread use of the National Formulary of India (NFI), a reference document designed to guide safe, effective and rational prescribing and dispensing practices. Officials said efforts will also be made to establish the formulary as a standard reference in hospital pharmacies.The partnership will additionally focus on training programmes, workshops and continuing education for pharmacists on rational drug use, pharmacovigilance and patient safety.IPC Secretary-cum-Scientific Director Dr. V. Kalaiselvan signed the MoU with representatives of Bihar, Maharashtra and Mizoram State Pharmacy Councils in the presence of senior health and regulatory experts.Officials said the collaboration aims to strengthen patient safety systems and improve early detection of drug-related risks through broader involvement of pharmacists and health care institutions in drug safety monitoring.

New Delhi: Patients across the country may face disruption in regular medicine purchases on May 20 as over 12.4 lakh drug sellers prepare for a nationwide strike against online medicine sales and heavy discounting by e-pharmacy platforms.The All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) said the protest was aimed at highlighting the risks to patient safety posed by unregulated online sale of medicines. The association alleged that medicines were being distributed without proper verification, allowing repeated use of prescriptions and easy access to antibiotics and habit-forming drugs. It warned that AI-generated counterfeit prescriptions and unregulated drug sales could fuel antimicrobial resistance (AMR).The body also opposed the continuation of Covid-era relaxations under GSR 220(E), alleging that digital platforms were using the temporary provisions to circumvent safeguards under the drug rules. It demanded withdrawal of both GSR 220 (E) and GSR 817 (E) related to e-pharmacy operations.Retail pharmacists said deep discounting by large online platforms is threatening the existence of neighborhood drug sellers, especially in rural and semi-urban areas where local pharmacies remain the first point of health care access. The association claimed that around five crore people dependent on the pharmaceutical trade could be affected.AIOCD president JS Shinde and general secretary Rajeev Singhal said the issue was “not just a trade matter, but a matter of patient safety”, warning that the agitation could intensify if no action was taken before May 20.Drug dealer associations said emergency medicines would be available in many areas during the bandh.

Thiruvananthapuram: With protests, social media campaigns and factional muscle building threatening to eclipse the UDF’s massive election victory, Congress leaders on Tuesday moved closer to ending the week-long standoff over the post of Kerala chief minister.The final round of negotiations involves Mallikarjun KhargeMP Rahul Gandhi Party sources said Sonia Gandhi is expected to seal the decision on the successor to the Left Front’s 10-year tenure in Kerala. AICC officials also called senior officials from Kerala to New Delhi. Leaders emerging from meetings with Rahul Gandhi indicated that the announcement could come on Wednesday.After eight days of suspense and behind-the-scenes bargaining, Congress officials admitted that the long uncertainty had led to an emphatic victory for the Congress-led UDF over the CPM-led LDF. The UDF secured 103 seats in the 140-member assembly, but the delay in naming the CM reopened factional fault lines that had disappeared during the campaign.Three stalwarts remain in the fray – KC Venugopal and MLAs VD Satheesan and R Chennithala. The Venugopal camp claimed the support of 43 MLAs in the 63-member Congress block, while the Satheesan and Chennithala factions estimated the support of 35 and 22 MLAs respectively.Sources said Gandhi sought clarification on the delay and coordinated protests. Leaders said public sentiment, mood of the cadre and views of colleagues will shape the final decision.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has officially reduced the size of his convoy at his behest, a significant step towards austerity that will act as an inspiration for others in the government to follow.Sources said the PM has asked the Special Protection Group (SPG) – the elite security corps that looks after his security – to try to reduce the number of cars in his convoy by 50%. Furthermore, he wishes to encourage the number of electric vehicles in the fleet, but without purchasing new vehicles to avoid additional expenses.SPG has already started implementing the directive, while ensuring that there is no compromise on the mandatory safety guidelines laid down in the Blue Book. Sources said the size of the carcade was visible during the PM’s recent visits outside Delhi and the SPG will take the first step to evolve ways to ensure strict adherence to the dos and don’ts in the Blue Book.During his visit to Hyderabad on Sunday, the PM called on people to cut down on fuel and gold consumption.People familiar with the developments said the PM taking the lead is a signal for the rest of the government to quickly follow suit. In fact, there are indications that ministries and departments are gearing up for austerity measures in the coming days. This could include urging employees to use the subway more often, opt for carpooling, and avoid large gatherings.An official said, “Talks are going on across departments to identify all the steps that can reduce fuel consumption. The PM’s message is for everyone including us. We are waiting for communication from the Department of Personnel on what we should do. But every department will have to work on its own plans.”The issue of reducing fuel usage by cutting unnecessary travel was discussed at a meeting of the informal group of ministers chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday.

New Delhi: India Meteorological Department Two new services were launched on Tuesday, including an AI-enabled monsoon advance forecast system that will provide information on the progress of seasonal rainfall and “local weather information” up to four weeks in advance to support farmers in 16 states and over 3,000 sub-districts.The second product, launched as a pilot service, will provide high-resolution spatial rainfall forecasts for Uttar Pradesh. It can generate operational rainfall forecasts at 1 km resolution up to 10 days in advance using dense observation networks and AI techniques. Similar services will be gradually extended to other parts of the country with the continued growth of observational infrastructure.The pilot system uses advanced AI-powered downscaling techniques and integrates data from automated rain gauges, automated weather stations, Doppler weather radar, and satellite-based precipitation datasets.Apart from using various methods including mobile applications, SMS alerts, WhatsApp, farmer portals, other digital platforms and television, hyperlocal forecast information will also be disseminated through displays installed in vegetable and other markets.Union Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh said these products mark a major shift from traditional weather forecasting towards impact-based and decision-support forecasts, capable of providing “accurate, location-specific and actionable information” to farmers, administrators, disaster managers and citizens.

New Delhi: CBI Rajshekhar Jha reports, has registered an FIR for the murder of Chandranath Rath, former personal assistant of West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari, and has taken over the investigation. The agency has constituted a seven-member SIT headed by a DIG-rank officer to investigate the case. A meeting was held at the CBI headquarters in Delhi on Tuesday to review the incident. The team has sought remand of the arrested suspects. According to an office order issued for the formation of the SIT, the step has been taken after a case was registered by the anti-corruption branch of the CBI in Kolkata. The SIT is headed by DIG Pankaj Kumar Singh of CBI’s Special Crime Division in New Delhi. The team comprises a diverse group of high-ranking officers, including New Delhi SP Subhash Chandra Kundu and SP Anil Kumar Yadav along with DSPs and inspectors drawn from the bureau’s branches in Dhanbad, Patna, Ranchi and Lucknow. The operational monitoring of the work of the SIT will be the responsibility of the Joint Director, Kolkata Zone, who has been authorized to draft additional personnel from local units as and when required to ensure a detailed investigation.