Mumbai: State govt has directed all public universities to carry out an immediate and in-depth physical inspection of every law college affiliated to them and submit a detailed report to Bar Council of India (BCI) within six weeks. The state’s directive follows BCI’s order which took serious cognisance of Supreme Court’s oral observations while hearing a petition regarding the deteriorating quality of legal education in the country. The apex court observed that the legal education centres were operating with inadequate facilities and without meeting the prescribed standards.In a letter to the universities, BCI mentioned that the SC observations “underscore the immediate need for every authority in the statutory and academic chain to discharge its own continuing responsibility with complete seriousness”. Mentioning that the universities’ responsibilities do not end with the initial grant of affiliation and that they should ensure that colleges do not merely run on the strength of paper compliance, it has sought a report on every affiliated college within six weeks.Universities have been directed to constitute one or more competent inspection teams to carry out immediate physical inspection of law colleges. The teams have been tasked with verifying the availability of faculty members, adequate classrooms, libraries, reading rooms, journals, law reports, electronic databases, land and building infrastructure, fire and safety compliance, sanitation facilities, legal aid clinics, and other essential requirements. They have also been instructed to notify BCI of any colleges found to have made false declarations, fabricated faculty records, submitted misleading photographs, shifted their premises without approval, or admitted students in excess of the permitted intake.BCI has directed the universities to submit a consolidated report by classifying institutions as fully compliant, deficient but capable of immediate correction without affecting academic standards and seriously deficient requiring suspension, non-renewal or withdrawal of affiliation.Prior to this, state govt and Mumbai University had initiated separate action against colleges that failed to comply with the prescribed norms. While the state took action against 103 colleges that did not have BCI recognition, the university reduced the intake capacity of 50 colleges by up to 50% and imposed fines of up to Rs 10 lakh for failing to appoint approved teachers.

The plan to install bio-absorbent sound barriers along the road bordering the bungalow premises was particularly panned

Mumbai: Hours after TOI’s report on Wednesday that the premises housing her official residence—a heritage bungalow in Byculla zoo—was set to undergo a revamp at Rs 2.9 crore within four months of a Rs 2.4-crore facelift, the BMC administration cancelled the tender and mayor Ritu Tawde distanced herself from it.The move came on the heels of massive public and political outrage, particularly over the plan to install bio-absorbent sound barriers along E S Patanwala Road bordering the premises.Earlier in the day, Tawde sought that the work be stayed. By evening, the zoo director’s department, which had floated the tender, proposed its cancellation and the civic administration accepted it.Tawde, who is also a BJP corporator, asserted that she had no connection with the tender and accused Shiv Sena (UBT) of spinning a “fake narrative”. “I have been staying at the mayor’s bungalow only for one-and-a-half months. I never asked for any upgrade. Mumbaikars are intelligent and will not believe such lies,” she said.Sources said city BJP chief Ameet Satam took cognisance of the matter, which led to Tawde seeking the tender’s cancellation and her office issuing a statement on the controversy. “The works mentioned in the tender are not for the mayor’s residence but for the surrounding areas and the zoo premises as a whole. The mayor has no knowledge of the tender, nor was there any reason for the mayor to be aware of it. The mayor has also not requested any of the proposed works,” said the statement.Opposition parties, however, weren’t convinced. Former mayor Kishori Pednekar from Shiv Sena (UBT) questioned how any work at the mayor’s official residence could have been proposed without her knowledge or consent. “It is impossible for such an upgrade to be undertaken without the mayor being aware of it,” she said.Targeting BJP, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray alleged that public money was being spent on the mayor’s “whims”. In a post on X, he criticised the proposed facelift, questioned the need for sound barriers in an otherwise quiet locality and alleged that BMC was prioritising such expenditure while “handing over Mumbai’s open spaces to private hands”.Congress’s leader in BMC Ashraf Azmi called the planned renovation a waste of taxpayers’ money.Criticism also came from Shiv Sena, BJP’s ally in BMC. Amey Ghole, Shiv Sena’s group leader in the civic House, sought action against the zoo department for proposing the work without the mayor’s consent.Besides the sound barriers, the renovation involved relaying interlocking concrete pavers after laying sewer, stormwater drainage and utility lines, construction of underground and overhead water tanks, renovation of rooms for domestic and security staffers, and fabrication and installation of container-based structures to house a conference hall, according to the tender, which was floated on July 31.

Many non-resident Indians plan to sell Indian properties soon (Representative image)

MUMBAI: A growing wave of non-resident Indians (NRIs) looking to sell residential properties in India is unlikely to dent the country’s housing market.Instead, it could improve choices for homebuyers by increasing the supply of ready-to-move-in homes while reflecting a broader shift in how globally settled Indians manage their wealth, according to a new report and an urban planning expert.The Remittor Annual NRI Wealth Report 2026 found that 46.4% of surveyed NRI property owners want to sell immediately, while another 26.2% plan to exit within six months, signalling a preference for liquidity and portfolio rebalancing rather than distress selling.However, the report says its findings are based on proprietary data from around 150 NRI clients and should be viewed as indicative of behavioural trends rather than representative of the overall Indian property market.The report attributes the trend to a structural shift among overseas Indians who migrated during the past two decades, particularly those who have now settled permanently in countries such as Canada, the US, the UK and Australia.Having established careers, homes and financial commitments abroad, many are reassessing Indian property as a financial asset rather than a legacy holding.Overseas mortgages, currency movements, tax compliance requirements and the desire to diversify investments are increasingly driving decisions to monetise real estate.Urban planner Dikshu C. Kukreja, Managing Principal of CP Kukreja Architects, said the trend should not be misconstrued as a sign of weakening confidence in India.“If a large proportion of NRIs choose to monetise their residential assets over the coming months, it should not necessarily be viewed as a sign of weakening confidence in India’s real estate market,” Kukreja said.“It reflects the natural evolution of a globally mobile investor who is rebalancing assets across geographies as financial priorities change.”For homebuyers, particularly in Mumbai and other major metros, the development could bring a wider selection of resale properties to the market.According to the report, well-located homes in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Hyderabad continue to benefit from robust end-user demand, improving infrastructure and better urban connectivity.Additional resale inventory could enhance market liquidity, provide more ready-to-move-in options and promote more realistic price discovery without necessarily triggering a fall in property prices.Quality housing in established micro-markets is expected to remain resilient.The report identifies Maharashtra as the largest contributor to NRI resale listings, with most properties located in Mumbai, Thane and Pune.While Mumbai’s residential market has seen slower sales and a moderation in launches, it remains among India’s most liquid housing markets.Demand has increasingly shifted towards suburban locations such as Thane, Navi Mumbai and the western suburbs, supported by Metro expansion, the Coastal Road and the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport.Residential properties account for 88.8% of NRI assets being sold, with apartments making up nearly two-thirds of listings.The report says apartments are easier to transact because they typically have clearer titles, standardised documentation, structured housing society governance and lower management requirements for overseas owners.The study also highlights the growing complexity of owning property across borders.More than half of respondents reported difficulties accessing Indian tax portals, while many face compliance requirements related to tax deduction at source (TDS), FEMA regulations and overseas tax disclosures, factors that increasingly influence decisions to exit Indian real estate.Kukreja said the trend underscores the importance of continued investment in Indian cities rather than signalling a market slowdown.“The stronger our urban ecosystems become, the more Indian real estate will continue to attract both domestic and global capital, regardless of whether investors are buying, holding or monetising their assets,” he said.For developers and investors, the report concludes, the emerging trend is less about capital leaving India and more about the evolution of NRI wealth management, where property is increasingly treated as one component of a globally diversified investment portfolio rather than an asset to be held indefinitely.

Transport commissioner Rajesh Narwekar directed manual processing of affected applications (File photo enhanced with AI)

MUMBAI : Thousands of vehicle owners and transport operators across Maharashtra have received much-needed relief after the Maharashtra transport department stepped in to address a technical issue that had stalled several key Regional Transport Office (RTO) services.The intervention by transport commissioner Shri Rajesh Narwekar, IAS, has ensured the continuation of essential services while efforts are underway to resolve the underlying system-related problem.Over the past several days, transactions relating to Transfer of Ownership, Hire Purchase Agreement (HPA), HP Termination and No Objection Certificate (NOC) had been severely affected due to a technical mismatch between vehicle owners’ names recorded in the Registration Certificate (RC) and those linked with their Aadhaar details.As a result, the online system automatically rejected applications, causing significant inconvenience to vehicle owners, transport operators and members of the public dependent on timely processing of these services.The matter was brought to the attention of the transport commissioner by Shri Bal Malkit Singh, advisor and former president of the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), following numerous complaints and representations received from transporters and affected vehicle owners from various parts of the state.Responding swiftly, Shri Rajesh Narwekar directed RTO authorities to process such affected applications manually until the technical issue is fully resolved.The decision has enabled pending cases to move forward and has prevented disruptions that could have adversely impacted vehicle transactions and transport operations.Welcoming the move, Shri Bal Malkit Singh said, “The prompt intervention of the Hon’ble Transport Commissioner has provided immediate relief to thousands of vehicle owners and members of the transport fraternity. We sincerely appreciate the proactive approach of the Maharashtra Transport Department in addressing public grievances and ensuring that essential RTO services continue uninterrupted.”He also urged the authorities to expedite a permanent technical solution so that seamless online processing can resume across Maharashtra at the earliest.Shri Singh further expressed gratitude to the officers and staff of the Maharashtra Transport Department for their cooperation, responsiveness and commitment to public service.

Bombay high court on Wednesday granted urgent interim relief to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari

MUMBAI: Observing that some of the content was “vile’’ “abusive’’ and “certainly defamatory’’, Bombay high court on Wednesday granted urgent interim relief to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and directed Social Media intermediaries to remove posts including videos that linked him to the ethanol-blended fuel (EBP) controversy.Gadkari had sought judicial intervention against Meta Platforms, X Corp, Google LLC, and others to delete online content he alleged was “false, fabricated, and defamatory”, AI-generated deepfake videos and other manipulated digital content linking him incorrectly to EBP programme.Justice Arif Doctor sitting singly who heard the matter and passed the order, said the online platforms ought to have or prepare a framework to take down such content without necessitating a court intervention each time.The posts went beyond acceptable political criticism or satire, said his suit and transgressed on his personal rights, his public persona, his personality rights with “profane and abusive’’ content, Gadkari’s suit contended.He sought ₹11 crore in damages from John Doe (the unnamed and unidentified persons or entities) that posted content he submitted was “malicious, false…’’Gadkari’s counsel Sandeep Ladda submitted that the ‘defamatory and deepfake contents’ ought to be taken down, as they were harming the Minister’s reputation and goodwill, as well his personality rights and public standing.“I can only say that the same is absolutely vile and abusive,’’ Justice Doctor said on seeing the content Ladda cited. The HC Judge added, “Such material should have no place on a public platform, which is accessible to everyone, including young.’’The HC asked the counsel for Meta and others, if the intermediaries had any measures in place for taking down defamatory content.Justice Doctor directed the platforms to give the “basic customer information’’ of content creators and granted liberty to Gadkari to add them as parties to the suit.There is a rising pushback against the blended fuel programme introduced to curb crude oil imports. Motorists and critics said it corrodes fuel tanks in older or non-compliant cars.Gadkari’s suit said the Centre had way back in 2003 introduced Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) as a national policy initiative to blend ethanol with petrol in a phased manner. Gadkari has been serving as the Minister of Road Transport since 2014.The implementation and progress details of EBP policy are handled by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, his suit added.In 2025-26 the Centre achieved 20%blending of ethanol with petrol or E20 as it is called. His suit claims though he has no role in the programme, some content circulated online in July falsely associates him with the EBP and E20 initiative.His suit stressed that he has “no role or nexus whatsoever with EBP or the E20 initiative which is administered exclusively by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas’’ and the content online “falls out of the ambit of legitimate political criticism or satire.”Gadkari’s suit says it is not intended to prevent public discussion or criticism of his public duty actions or government policies.It said he “does not seek to stifle or restrain fair criticism, dissent, debate or bona fide expression of opinion concerning his public life, governmental policies or official functions.”The HC granted Gadkari the liberty to convey to the online platforms any future abusive content and to approach the court in case of any “grey area’’.The HC will hear the matter next after 4 weeks.