Alliance Air, under the Government of India, connectssmaller cities and Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns to the main aviation network,bringing remote regions into India's aviation network. Building on this regional focus, the state-owned carrier introduced the Fare Se Fursat (One Route, One Fare) model last month, marking a significant step towards affordable, uniform ticketing across its routes. The initiative covers sectors such as Delhi-Shimla, Shimla-Dharamshala, Hisar-Chandigarh, Jabalpur-Jagdalpur, and Jalgaon-Ahmedabad, among others. These routes underscore the enduring significance of a public airline in connecting diverse geographies and fostering balanced regional development. Further connections such as Vidyanagar-Bengaluru, Kochi-Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar-Rourkela, and those in the northern and northeastern regions, including Guwahati-Aizawl, Imphal-Dimapur, and Jorhat-Tezu, demonstrate the airlines expanding network. By bringing previously unexplored destinations into focus, Alliance Air supports the governments effort to strengthen regional air connectivity. Meanwhile, the introduction of Fare Se Fursat reflects a well-structured measure to encourage domestic air travel and reinforce Indias aviation ecosystem. Industry experts view this model, launched under the broader framework of the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) regional connectivity programme, as a potential turning point for affordable and inclusive air travel nationwide. Jaideep Mirchandani, Group Chairman Sky One The purpose of aviation itself is to make air travel more people-oriented. One of the major concerns for passengers has always been the airfare. During peak seasons, they often have to pay higher prices, and when booking at short notice, they bear the impact of volatility. And if the state comes forward to address this concern, it is undoubtedly a positive step , ,said Jaideep Mirchandani, group chairman of Sky One . According to the official statement, Alliance Air will introduce a single fixed fare that remains unchanged, regardless of the booking date, even on the day of departure. This pilot initiative will be in effect from October 13 to December 31, 2025. Although it will initially apply only to selected routes, further decisions will be taken after assessing its operational feasibility and passenger response. The key question however is just who stands to benefit the most from this move? I think passengers who travel frequently between Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities will benefit the most. Alliance Air generally operates on short and medium routes under the UDAN scheme. Its fleet mainly consists of ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft, which are suitable for smaller airports and can carry up to 72 passengers. The airline also operates a few ATR 42-600 aircraft with a capacity of 48 passengers and one Indian-made Dornier 228 aircraft that can accommodate 17 passengers. Naturally, this approach will make air travel more people-friendly, added Mr Mirchandani . The aviation expert says that measures related to fares and amenities, which may seem insignificant to high-net-worth individuals, hold great value for the common traveller. Without assigning blame, he points out that initiatives such as UDAN Yatri Cafes, offering tea for Rs 10, coffee for Rs 20, and snacks for Rs 20 at airports, can make a real difference to regular passengers. Gone are the days when air travel was seen as a privilege of the elite. It should be accessible to more people, ensuring dignity and affordability. We are now addressing one of the biggest concerns of passengers: airfare. I am curious to see howthis move will impact private airlines in the country after the pilot phase. It will be interesting to observe how they adapt and incorporate similar measures within their domestic realms , concluded Mr Mirchandani .
Steel Minister announces capacity expansion plan for SAIL's Rourkela plant
Union Steel Minister HD Kumaraswamy announced a significant 9.8 million tonne capacity expansion plan for SAIL's Rourkela Steel Plant, aiming to double its current output. This move, following the inauguration of a modern steelmaking facility, is expected to boost supplies for critical sectors and support the nation's steel capacity vision.
South Eastern Railway has proposed new Vande Bharat Express trains from Ranchi to six destinations, including Raipur, Rourkela, Pune, New Delhi, LTT, and Varanasi. The proposal, sent to the Railway Board, aims to meet rising passenger demand as current routes see high festive-season bookings.
Close shave for passengers on Tapaswini Express as goods train derails in Jharkhand
RANCHI: Rail traffic on the HatiaRourkela section was disrupted on Wednesday after a goods train carrying iron ore from Rourkela to Bokaro derailed near Kanarowan railway station in Jharkhand's Simdega. At least 10 wagons went off the tracks. Of the 10 derailed wagons, five to seven bogies were reported to be completely damaged. The accident also damaged approximately 100 metres of both up and down lines. The Puri-Hatia Tapaswini Express was traveling directly behind the freight train at the time of the accident. Due to the alertness of railway personnel, the train was stopped at Tati station, averting a major loss of life. Although no casualties have been reported, the railways has suffered losses estimated in crores of rupees. The track, sleepers, overhead power lines, and signal systems were severely damaged. The exact cause of the derailment is yet to be ascertained. According to officials, the incident took place at around 10:13 am on Wednesday near the northern cabin of Kanaroan railway station under Bano police station area. A freight train carrying iron ore from Rourkela to Bokaro suddenly derailed between poles 524/29 and 524/36. After receiving information about the accident, RPF and GRP teams rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area, establishing security. No one is allowed to approach the accident site. Senior officials, including the DRM, at Hatia Railway Division also reached the spot and assessed the situation. Work to remove debris and repair the track was subsequently initiated on a war footing. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager at Ranchi Rail Division Shuchi Singh said that the operation of approximately 11 trains has been affected due to the incident. However, alternative arrangements have been made to ensure that passengers do not face any inconvenience. Every effort is being made to ensure the safe arrival of passengers to their destinations, she said. According to railway officials, technical teams are working continuously, and if everything goes as planned, the track repairs will be completed within 10 to 12 hours. Partial train operations are expected to resume by late evening. Meanwhile, all train services on the Bano-Rourkela section have been suspended, diverted or short-terminated after the incident. Many passenger trains have been stranded at various stations. The Tapaswini Express was terminated at Tati station and sent back to Rourkela in Odisha. According to officials, about 1,300 passengers were travelling on that train. Buses were arranged for passengers at Rourkela station to bring them to Hatia, they said. The Hatia-Rourkela passenger and Hatia-Sanki-Hatia passenger have been cancelled for Wednesday, while the Hatia-Jharsuguda MEMU train has been short-terminated. At least nine trains, including the Sambalpur-Gorakhpur Maurya Express (15027), Visakhapatnam-Banaras Express (18523), Sir M Visvesvaraya Bengaluru Terminal-Hatia Express (12836) and Dhanbad-Alappuzha Express (13351), were diverted.
CRPF head constable martyred in Jharkhand IED blast, two colleagues critically injured
RANCHI: CRPF Head Constable Mahendra Laskar, who got injured in an IED blast triggered by Maoists in Jharkhand's Chaibasa late in the evening on Friday, succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Notably, three CRPF personnel, including the Head Constable, were injured in the Maoist attack. CRPF Battalion Inspector Kaushal Kumar Mishra and Sub-Inspector Ramchandra Gogi were also critically injured in the blast and are undergoing treatment at the hospital in Rourkela. Head Constable Mahendra Laskar, who got martyred in the incident, was a resident of Nagaon in Assam. His body is being brought to Ranchi, where a final salute will be given to him at the CRPF camp after the post-mortem. Notably, the CPI (Maoists) have declared the observance of a Resistance Week from October 8 to 14 to mobilize support and register opposition to the ongoing campaign by the security forces in the five states. They have also announced a Band on October 15 against the alleged suppression by the security forces in Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and Chhattisgarh. As per the information provided by Jharkhand Police Headquarters, three personnel of CRPF 60 Battalion, including an Inspector, were injured in an IED blast triggered by Maoists in the Saranda Jungles under Manoharpur Block of Chaibasa late in the evening on Friday. Head Constable Mahendra Laskar was martyred while undergoing treatment hours after the incident, they said. Chaibasa SP Amit Renu informed that two IED blasts took place during an anti-Maoist operation conducted by security forces in Saranda. Three CRPF personnel, including an Inspector, were injured and admitted to Rourkela Hospital in Odisha for treatment. IG Operations and Jharkhand Police spokesperson Dr. Michael Raj confirmed that CRPF Head Constable Mahendra Laskar, who was injured in the IED blast triggered by Maoists, succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Notably, three security personnel have been martyred and nine others seriously injured in IED blasts triggered by Maoists since March this year. Sunil Kumar Singh, a CRPF battalion sub-inspector, was martyred in a blast in Chota Nagpur, Saranda, on March 22, while Sunil Dhan, a Jharkhand Jaguar jawan, was martyred in a blast on April 12. Mahendra Laskar of the CRPF was martyred on Friday, October 11.
World University Rank 2026: IISc Bangalore rated best in country
NEW DELHI: Next to the United States, India has the highest number of educational institutions figuring in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026. A total of 128 institutes from India have made it to the rankings, with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore rated the best in the country and categorised in the 201-250 rank band. For the tenth consecutive year, the University of Oxford was rated the best in the world, the rankings state. A total of 2,191 institutions across 115 countries were assessed for this 22nd edition of these rankings. In a statement, THE said, India now has the second highest number of ranked universities, behind only the US. The US has 171 institutions, making it the No. 1 country in the rankings, while Japan stands third with 115 institutions figuring here. The Indian institution which figures next to IISc Bangalore is Chennais Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, which was classified in the 351-400 band. Two universities are in the 401-500 band Delhis Jamia Millia Islamia University and Himachal Pradeshs Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences. The institutes falling in the 501-600 rank band are Banaras Hindu University, IIT Indore, Bhubaneswars KIIT University, Lovely Professional University, Kottayams Mahatma Gandhi University, and Dehraduns UPES. The rankings also listed these universities in the 601-800 rank band IIT Patna, IIIT Hyderabad, Amity University, Noida, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Central University of Punjab, Aligarh Muslim University, Graphic Era University in Dehradun, Chitkara University in Chandigarh, NIT Rourkela, Punjab University, University of Delhi and VIT University. The universities that have made it to the top ten ranks globally are Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States (2); Princeton University, US, and University of Cambridge, UK (jointly ranked 3); Harvard University and Stanford University (5th rank jointly); California Institute of Technology, US (7); Imperial College London, UK (8); University of California, US (9); and Yale University, US (10). When compared among Asian countries alone for the top slots, China leads the rankings.
NIT Rourkela Patents AI Model for Safer Roads
VANETs are expected to power future transport ecosystems, enabling cars to warn each other about sudden braking, road hazards, or traffic bottlenecks
Two Brothers Killed By RourkelaBiramitrapur Train While Crossing Tracks In Odisha
Local passersby discovered the brothers lying motionless on the tracks and alerted authorities. An ambulance was rushed to the spot, but doctors later confirmed both had died on the spot.
Maoists blow up track near Jharkhand-Odisha border, trains get additional security
RANCHI: Freight movement was disrupted for several hours on Saturday night after Maoists triggered an explosion on the railway track between Karampada and Rengda sidings under Chakradharpur Rail Division. The Jharkhand Police confirmed the explosion and subsequent damage. There has been information about the blowing up of railway tracks in Rourkela, Odisha. Jharkhand Police is on high alert due to the bandh. A special campaign is being carried out against Maoists across Jharkhand, said Jharkhand Police spokesperson and IG (Operations), Dr Michael Raj. Notably, the CPI (Maoist) is observing Shahid Diwas (Martyr Week) from July 28 to August 3 and has called for a bandh in five states, including Jharkhand, on August 3. The Maoists had also put up a banner on the railway line in this regard. Maoist pamphlets and posters were spotted at several locations, appealing to the people for 'public resistance against police repression. In the wake of the bandh called by Maoists, a large number of security forces have been deployed on the borders of Jharkhand and Odisha. The Jharkhand government has already issued an alert in this regard, and additional forces have been provided to the trains. The explosion took place shortly after midnight on Saturday, when Maoists targeted the railway track. The blast was of low intensity and resulted in partial damage, affecting only a concrete sleeper. The railway department and local administration responded swiftly to the incident. Meanwhile, in another incident early Sunday morning, a railway gangman was killed and another injured in an IED blast while inspecting the track near Bimalgarh railway station at the OdishaJharkhand border under the Chakradharpur Division. According to railway officials, gangmen Atua Oram and Budhua Munda were injured in the blast and rushed to Bimalgarh Hospital in Odisha. While Atua succumbed to his injuries on the way, Budhua is undergoing treatment and is in stable condition. Currently, Maoist activity in Jharkhand is largely confined to the Saranda forest, as they have been pushed out of other strongholds. According to an estimate, around 8590 Maoists are supposed to be hiding in the Saranda jungles, where they have planted thousands of IEDs, which have become a challenge for the security forces. A joint operation was launched in the Saranda and Kolhan forest regions in November 2022, based on intelligence inputs suggesting that senior Maoist leaders like Misir Besra and Patiram Majhi alias Anal Da were present in the area, which is considered strategically crucial. The incidents, which took place under the Chakradhapur Railway Division, once again suggest that Maoist organisations are still not eliminated in the bordering areas and they know how to make their presence on some select occasions.
