National News
Where was Maha FM in pre-budget meeting: MoS Finance Karad
Minister of State (MoS) for Finance Dr Bhagwat Karad made a sensational revelation that Finance Minister of Maharashtra Ajit Rao Pawar, who is also the deputy Chief Minister of the state, was absent in state finance ministers’ pre-budget meeting called by Union Minister of Finance Nirmala sitharaman to know the budget expectations from the state governments.
“He (Ajit Rao Pawar) was not present in the pre-budget meeting of all the finance ministers of state governments. we sent invitations to all, others were there, sans Maharashtra’s finance minister. This was an important meeting as the union finance minister wanted to know the budget expectations from all the state governments, it’s the platform where all state governments participate and let the union finance ministry know about their financial requirements, but unfortunately Maharashtra’s finance minister Ajit Rao Pawar didn’t attend the meeting, even after repeated calls”, revealed MoS Dr Bhagwat Karad.
This verbal spat started after Ajit Pawar commented that his state got nothing in this union budget-22, despite having a Union minister of state for finance from Maharashtra. This was actually a direct comment on MoS finance Karad, who hails from Maharashtra.
Dr Karad specially pointed out the pre-budget consultations with the Finance Ministers of States and Union Territories (with Legislature) for Union Budget 2022-23, chaired by the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman on December 30. The meeting was attended by Union Minister of State for Finance, Chief Ministers, Deputy Chief Ministers, Finance Ministers, Ministers and Senior Officers from the States and Union Territories (with Legislature) and the Union Government.
“He (Ajit Pawar) is the finance minister of Maharashtra, why didn’t he come when he had an opportunity to convey his state’s expectations before the Union finance ministry regarding the union budget-22? They sent an IAS officer, who didn’t have any idea about the budgetary expectation of the state, what is the use?” added Karad.
Karad also mentioned one more meeting, where Ajit Pawar was invited as the deputy CM of Maharashtra, called by the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman via virtual conference on November 15, with a view to enhance the investment climate in the country in the wake of strong recovery and the opportunities accorded by a shift in geo-political realities post pandemic.
The states like Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, and Delhi sent their deputy CMs in the meeting as their CMs were not available or the Deputy CMs have finance portfolios, but from Maharashtra, it was attended by state officials.
“I can understand that the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray was not keeping well at that time, so he was not in condition to attend the meeting, but what about the deputy CM of the state, Ajit Pawar? Remember, along with holding the finance portfolio, he is also the Deputy CM, but he didn’t attend”, said Karad.
Crime
Mumbai: Man Arrested At Airport For Derogatory Social Media Posts On Bhagavad Gita & Women

Mumbai: Mangaluru City Police have arrested a Mumbai native accused of uploading social media posts that promoted feelings of enmity or hatred in 2024.
The accused, who was working in Saudi Arabia, was arrested at Mumbai Airport based on a Look Out Circular (LOC).
The accused, Felix Edward Mathais (aged 56), is alleged to have circulated derogatory posts about the Bhagavad Gita and women in February 2024.
A case was registered against him at the Kankanady City Police Station under sections 153(A), 504, 507, 509 of the IPC and Section 66(D) of the IT Act.
At the time the case was filed, Mathais was in Saudi Arabia for employment, which prevented his arrest. The accused, originally from Charkop, Mumbai, was the subject of an LOC issued by the police following information gathered about his overseas employment.
The accused landed at Mumbai Airport from abroad. Immigration officials detained him and informed the Mangaluru Police. Subsequently, he was arrested at the Airport on December 5, 2025.
He was brought to Mangaluru for investigation and produced before the Court. A report has been submitted to the court requesting the confiscation of his passport.
Another accused in the case, Evigin John D’Souza (aged 57), was previously arrested on August 11, 2024, and produced before the court.
The investigation into the case is ongoing.
National News
Mumbai Weather Update For Dec 9, 2025: City Wakes Up To Sunny Skies With Thin Layer Of Smog; AQI Improves Marginally From Unhealthy To Poor At 139

Mumbai: Mumbai woke up on Tuesday to a pleasant winter morning, complete with clear blue skies, cool breezes and a refreshing nip in the air. Yet, despite the seemingly ideal weather conditions, a thin layer of smog hovered across the city, muting visibility and reminding residents of Mumbai’s persistent air quality troubles.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast clear skies with minimum temperatures around 16°C and maximums touching 33°C, but the rising pollution levels overshadowed the winter charm.
The worsening air quality coincides with the city’s rapid construction expansion. Mumbai continues to be shaped by an array of large-scale government infrastructure projects, including metro lines, bridges and extensive road-widening works, along with numerous private real estate developments underway simultaneously.
By today morning, the air quality monitoring platform AQI.in recorded Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 139, categorising it as ‘poor’. Although this marked an improvement from the more hazardous levels logged late last month and in early December, the city’s air remained far from healthy.
Several areas stood out as pollution hotspots. The Wadala Truck Terminal topped the list with an alarming AQI of 346, falling into the ‘severe’ category and posing major health risks. Mumbai Airport also registered worrying levels, recording an AQI of 213 in the ‘unhealthy’ bracket.
Industrial and residential pockets such as Deonar and Chembur followed, with AQIs of 180 and 177 respectively, marking them as ‘poor’. Kurla matched Chembur with 177, while coastal Worli recorded 173, both remaining firmly in the poor category.
Suburban regions, though relatively better, were not entirely free from pollution concerns. Charkop reported an AQI of 73 and Jogeshwari East 78, placing them in the ‘moderate’ category. Kandivali East (82), Govandi (83) and Mulund West (100) also fell within the moderate range, staying inside acceptable limits though still noticeably polluted.
To put these numbers into perspective, an AQI of 0–50 is considered Good, 51–100 Moderate, 101–150 Poor, 151–200 Unhealthy and anything above 200 Hazardous. Despite the pleasant weather, Mumbai’s battle with smog and dust continues to shape the city’s winter mornings.
Business
IndiGo disruptions may cause revenue loss, penalties to company: Report

New Delhi, Dec 8: Widespread flight disruptions at IndiGo are credit negative, and refunds and compensation could cause it “significant financial damage”, credit rating agency Moody’s warned on Monday.
In a note, Moody’s said that regulatory penalties from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) remain possible as the airline failed to plan for aviation rules communicated over a year earlier.
The crisis struck as the airlines entered their peak winter schedule, with “significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management” as the Phase 2 of the Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules were introduced on November 1, 2025, after being communicated more than a year earlier, it noted.
The rules reclassified midnight–6 a.m. duties as night duty and cut permissible landings in 24 hours from six to two or three. The agency said that IndiGo’s lean operating model lacked resilience to integrate the change, forcing a system‑wide schedule reset.
Over 1,600 flights were cancelled on December 5, and over 1,200 were grounded in November, with cancellations beginning on December 2. Moody’s said IndiGo is yet to fully restore normal operations.
IndiGo said it was set to operate over 1,800 flights on Monday, up from 1,650 on Sunday, adding that more than 4,500 bags have been delivered to respective customers, and “we are on track to deliver the rest in the next 36 hours”.
The airline said it expects a return to full schedules by mid-December, adding that it is working “round the clock” to normalise operations.
It has so far refunded Rs 827 crore to affected passengers, and the rest is under process for cancellations up to December 15.
Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu said in the Parliament on Monday that the government has initiated a thorough inquiry into the matter.
“IndiGo was supposed to manage the crew and roster…We will take strict action. We will set an example for every airline. If there is any non-compliance, we will take action,” he said on the floor of the Rajya Sabha.
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