New Delhi, Jan 1: GAIL Gas Limited on Thursday announced to reduce the cost of domestic Piped Natural Gas (PNG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by Rs 1 per SCM (Standard Cubic Meter) and Rs 1 per kg respectively, across all its authorised areas in the country.

The price cut comes into effect from January 1 in GAIL Gas Geographical Areas (GAs) in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Odisha.

“The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) continue to implement progressive policy measures that are fostering a favourable and financially sustainable ecosystem for the growth of the CNG and domestic PNG market in India,” said GAIL Gas Chief Executive Officer.

“The recent revision of the Unified Tariff by PNGRB, from January 1, 2026, including the applicability of Zone-1 tariff to City Gas Distribution (CGD) entities for CNG and domestic PNG segments, is set to significantly reduce the transportation cost of natural gas, the GAIL Gas executive added.

The decision to reduce prices is in line with the Government of India’s vision of a gas-based economy and to further encourage the adoption of clean fuels.

GAIL Gas Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Maharatna PSU GAIL (India) Limited and is implementing City Gas Distribution networks in 16 Geographical Areas (GAs).

Meanwhile, GAIL (India) Limited, the country’s largest natural gas company, reported a consolidated performance marked by steady revenue growth and improved profitability in the second quarter of FY 2025-26.

According to a recent Crisil report, city gas distribution (CGD) companies in India are projected to clock an operating profit of Rs 7.2–7.5 per standard cubic metre (scm) this fiscal — up 8-12 per cent compared with the second half of last fiscal when margins dropped because of a sudden and steep decline in gas allocation under the administered price mechanism (APM) for the compressed natural gas (CNG) segment.

Consequently, distributors had to take recourse to the spot gas market for supply, which exerted upward pressure on cost. The companies have, thereafter, transitioned to contracted supplies, which is expected to burnish margins.

Srinagar, Jan 1: The Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch on Thursday said it has filed a chargesheet against the accused in a case involving fake appointment orders in the Agriculture Department.

A statement mentioned that the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Crime Branch Kashmir has filed a chargesheet before the Court of Judicial Magistrate 1st Class, Chadoora, Budgam, against two accused persons in a case related to forged and fake appointment orders in the Agriculture Department, in an alleged attempt to cheat aspirants of government employment.

The statement said the Economic Offences Wing has submitted the chargesheet in connection with FIR No. 43/2021 registered under Sections 420/511, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code.

The chargesheet has been filed against Showkat Ahmad Hajam, son of Mohd Akbar Hajam, resident of Wagoora, Tehsil Chadoora, District Budgam, and Irshad Ahmad Ahanger, son of Ghulam Mohd Ahanger, resident of Ratnipora, District Pulwama.

According to the statement, the case originated from a communication received from the Deputy Director, Agriculture, alleging that a woman had attempted to join the Directorate on the basis of a fake and invalid appointment order.

It was reported that on November 30, 2019, the woman visited the Agriculture Department office with a photocopy of a purported official communication bearing No. Agri/ESstt-NG/2018-19/8451-53 dated November 22, 2019.

On verification, the communication was found to be fake and fictitious, as it had not been issued by the Directorate. Further scrutiny revealed that the appointment orders referred to in the communication — Order No. 385/Estt. of 2019 dated April 26, 2019, and Order No. 16/Estt. of 2019 dated January 29, 2019 — were also forged.

During the course of investigation, it was established that accused Irshad Ahmad Ahanger had obtained the forged communication from co-accused Showkat Ahmad Hajam.

The forged order falsely showed three persons as selected and appointed as orderlies in the Agriculture Department, Kashmir Division.

On the basis of the fake appointment order, one woman from Pathan area of Pulwama district was cheated and induced to believe that she had been legitimately appointed. Acting on this belief, she attempted to join the Agriculture Department, Kashmir, at Srinagar on November 30, 2019.

The investigation further revealed that the accused persons had entered into a criminal conspiracy to prepare and use forged appointment orders with the intention of cheating aspirants seeking government employment. Although no monetary transaction or wrongful gain or loss could be established during the investigation, the act constituted an attempt to cheat, thereby attracting Section 511 of the IPC, the statement said.

Accordingly, upon completion of the investigation, the chargesheet has been filed before the competent court of law for judicial determination, the statement added.

Mumbai: The work on India’s ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project is progressing at full pace, and the Centre has now announced a long-awaited timeline. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said that the country’s first bullet train will begin operations on August 15, 2027, marking a major milestone in India’s railway modernisation journey.

The announcement has brought clarity to a question many citizens have been asking, when will India finally see its first bullet train in operation. The high-speed rail project, which is currently under construction, is expected to majorly reduce travel time between Mumbai in Maharashtra and Ahmedabad in Gujarat and introduce global standards of rail infrastructure in the country.

Meanwhile, Vaishnaw also introduced India’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train, which will soon begin service on the Guwahati–Kolkata route. The train will be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the coming days, the minister said.

Vaishnaw said the Vande Bharat sleeper train has successfully completed its testing and certification process. Highlighting its importance, he said the new service will offer world-class facilities, enhanced safety and a modern travel experience for passengers undertaking long-distance overnight journeys.

“The complete testing and certification of the Vande Bharat sleeper train has been completed. Its first route is proposed to be Guwahati–Kolkata. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first Vande Bharat sleeper train on this route in the coming days. This achievement is a major milestone,” Vaishnaw said.

On December 30, 2025, the railway minister shared a video on social media platform X showing the sleeper version of the Vande Bharat train undergoing high-speed trials. The video demonstrated the train’s stability as its speed increased from 178 kmph to 180 kmph within seconds.According to the Railway Ministry’s year-end review, the Vande Bharat sleeper trains are expected to revolutionise long-distance rail travel in India. Initially, the trains will be introduced on busy routes and later expanded across the network, significantly cutting travel time.

The Vande Bharat sleeper trains are manufactured by BEML Limited using technology developed by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF). Each train consists of 16 coaches, including AC First Class, AC 2-Tier and AC 3-Tier coaches, with a total passenger capacity of 1,128. With a top speed of 180 kmph, the Vande Bharat sleeper ranks among the fastest overnight trains in the country.

Currently, Indian Railways operates semi-high-speed Vande Bharat trains with a design speed of 180 kmph and a maximum operational speed of 160 kmph. The sleeper version aims to combine the comfort of the Rajdhani Express with advanced modern technology, offering a new standard for overnight rail travel in India.