Mumbai: After drivers of autos and kaali-peelis, the state govt has now made it mandatory for app-based taxi drivers and permit holders of commercial passenger vehicles in Maharashtra to possess a working knowledge of Marathi. It amended Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, on Wednesday to introduce this rule and warned that non-compliance can lead to a three-month suspension and even cancellation of licences or badges.Maharashtra Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules, 2026, cover autos, taxis and app-based cabs fitted with electronic meters. The changes strengthen Marathi language requirements at the entry level, with the amended Rule 4 making it clear that those seeking driving authorisations must fulfil the criterion. According to a notification issued by govt, the level of proficiency must be satisfactory to the competent authority.Govt had on May 1 made basic proficiency in Marathi compulsory for drivers of autos and kaali-peelis and offered a 105-day Marathi training programme across regional transport offices and language training centres. The compliance deadline for these drivers will end on Aug 15 and the state transport department will begin a crackdown on violators on Aug 17. The drive to cover commercial passenger vehicles is expected to begin in a staggered manner thereafter.The most consequential change through the amendments lies in enforcement. Under another rule, if an authorised driver of an app-based cab fails to demonstrate practical knowledge of Marathi, the licensing authority can suspend the relevant authorisation on the licence for up to three months after recording the reasons in writing. Continued non-compliance or repeat violations after the suspension period could lead to cancellation of the authorisation altogether, effectively preventing the person from operating commercial passenger vehicles under that licence category.The obligation goes beyond drivers. The amended Rules 78 and 85 make language proficiency a prerequisite for permit holders of app-based cabs equipped with electronic meters and those looking to renew their permits.Transport minister Pratap Sarnaik said the amendments are intended to remove ambiguities in the existing framework that had allegedly allowed some drivers to evade compliance with the language requirement.More than 1.1 lakh non-Marathi auto and taxi drivers across Maharashtra have completed the functional Marathi language training so far. Marathi Commission chairperson Ravi Gaikwad said the transport department has urged the remaining commercial passenger vehicle drivers to complete the programme before Aug 15. “RTO squads will identify drivers who are unable to speak basic Marathi and penalise them from Aug 17,” he said.Drivers who completed the basic Marathi course will be felicitated at a function at Ram Ganesh Gadkari Rangayatan in Thane on Aug 17. CM Devendra Fadnavis, deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, and Marathi language minister Uday Samant are expected to attend it. Thousands of drivers will receive certificates from Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad.

Mumbai: Industries Minister Uday Samant on Wednesday said that the state govt has no information that over 36,000 companies have shut down in Maharashtra in the last five years.Samant said that though the data has come from the Centre, the figure will have to be investigated. “I’m not saying that the information given by the Centre is wrong. We will investigate it. We need one day for this verification. If this figure is true, then we will find out how and why this has happened,” he said.On Wednesday, TOI had reported that in its reply to a query raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Rajabhau Waje in Lok Sabha, the ministry of corporate affairs said that 36,211 private companies were either liquidated, dissolved or struck off in Maharashtra in the last five years. Of these the highest were in business services (14,613); followed by manufacturing, mining and quarrying (6,582); by trading (4,196); and community, personal and social services (3,361). The highest number of companies were shut down in Mumbai at 12,009, followed by Pune at 6,433 and Thane at 4,704.Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray and NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar slammed the state govt for the closures.Industry experts said the massive wave of company shutdowns in Maharashtra stems from a mix of macroeconomic stress, escalating operational costs, geopolitical shocks, and aggressive regulatory crackdowns by state authorities.“While Maharashtra continues to register the highest number of new businesses in India, it also faces a sharp surge in corporate mortality due to specific structural vulnerabilities. Over two lakh private companies shut down across India over five years, with Maharashtra leading closures at over 36,211 companies. While the state faces high corporate mortality and a purge of defunct companies, it still holds the largest sub-national economy in the country,” an industry expert said. “The high rate of company closures and the migration of industries out of key hubs are widely seen as localised operational failures of both the MIDC and the broader state industries department, combined with macro factors.”

Mumbai: In the wake of student protests against paper leaks, the state govt on Wednesday announced the formation of a committee to interact with students and educational institutions’ managements to frame a new policy to ensure safe and secure examinations.CM Devendra Fadnavis said the govt will set up 25,000 safe classrooms to conduct examinations. It will hold dialogue with students at the revenue division level. The recent law passed by Parliament on paper leaks and examination malpractices will be made applicable in the state as it is more stringent than the state law, he added.Fadnavis said the high-level committee has been constituted to recommend comprehensive, more secure, and unanimous reforms in the examination system for various service recruitment exams conducted in the state. “This committee will visit every department in the state and interact with students and submit a report on comprehensive reforms,” he said.The meeting held at the official residence of the CM was attended by Dy CM Eknath Shinde and chief secretary Rajesh Aggarwal.This high-level committee will be headed by additional chief secretary (GAD) V Radha and will include state director general of Police Sadanand Date, secretary, Information Technology, Virendra Singh , secretary, animal husbandry, Dr. N. Ramaswamy and Nashik Divisional Commissioner Praveen Gedam. This committee will visit each revenue division, hold discussions with students , educational institution owners and other stakeholders and understand their views before framing the policy.The recently passed Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, by Parliament against paper leaks and examination malpractices will be made applicable in the state, said Fadnavis. “Maharashtra also has its own law. However, since the law passed by Parliament is stricter, the process to implement it in Maharashtra should be completed in the next fortnight,” said Fadnavis.He also directed the setting up of at least 25,000 safe classrooms across the state. The meeting also discussed coordination between the district collector, police commissioner, police superintendent, senior officers of the education dept along with examination methods adopted in various countries for competitive exams.

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra food and drug administration (FDA) has suspended the food business licences of four Domino’s Pizza outlets, including three in Mumbai.The action has been taken for alleged violations of food safety and hygiene norms, officials said on Wednesday.The fourth outlet is located in Satara district of western Maharashtra, the FDA, headed by IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe, said in a statement.In Mumbai, action was taken against Domino’s Pizza outlets operated by Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd at Vile Parle West, Borivali West and R-City Mall in Ghatkopar West during a special drive against chain restaurants, news agency PTI reported.The Vile Parle outlet was found to have deficiencies related to the display of its FSSAI licence, potable water, food storage, pest control and hygiene facilities.The FDA directed it to ensure proper temperature monitoring of frozen food, segregation of food and non-food items, rodent and pest prevention, and adequate hand-washing and hygiene facilities.At the Borivali outlet, the FDA found 15% non-compliance and directed corrective measures covering food storage, temperature monitoring, food testing, cleanliness and pest control.It also sought proper segregation of raw and cooked food as well as vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, along with regular sanitisation of equipment and utensils.The Ghatkopar outlet was found deficient in cleanliness, sanitation scheduling and pest control measures.It also failed to follow FIFO (First In, First Out) and FEFO (First Expired, First Out) practices and maintain proper temperature control in food storage, the FDA said.The authority also flagged the absence of food-grade certificates and records relating to calibration, preventive maintenance, food and water testing and food safety.The licence of the Domino’s Pizza outlet operated by Jubilant FoodWorks at Malkapur and two other fast-food outlets operated by Sapphire Foods India at Karad in Satara district were also suspended, the FDA said.The Malkapur outlet was found to have about 40% non-compliance, with deficiencies in basic facilities, equipment, cleanliness and pest control.At the Karad establishments, the FDA prescribed corrective measures for pizza preparation, including separate ovens and proper segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian pizzas, separate pans, and appropriate labelling of sauces and pizza toppings with packing and expiry dates.The special drive covered 104 chain restaurant establishments across Maharashtra.Two establishments were ordered to stop business, 95 were served improvement notices, and licences of five establishments were suspended, the FDA said.The drive covered brands including Domino’s Pizza, KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Subway, Burger King, Starbucks and Monginis, PTI reported.In Nashik district, the FDA suspended the licences of five food establishments.They included Hotel Sayali Restaurant and Bar in Satpur, Hotel Chhote Miyan on College Road, Mani Mark on Peth Road in Panchavati, Abhishek Bakery and Sweets in CIDCO and Mohanlal Namkeen in Dindori.The FDA cited deficiencies related to cleanliness, food storage, water, equipment and pest control, among others.In Mumbai, the authority also suspended the licences of Mumbai Metro Dhaba in Mulund and Gulshan-Da-Punjabi Dhaba in Bhandup after inspections found shortcomings in basic facilities, cleanliness, water, ventilation, pest control and food storage.Overall, the FDA inspected 120 establishments over the last few days, issued 54 improvement notices and suspended 11 food business licences, it said.The authority has launched a massive crackdown against violations of food safety and hygiene norms at food establishments, including famous hotels and clubs, ever since Mundhe took over as FDA commissioner in May.(With agency inputs)

Mumbai: A Chennai homemaker filed a police complaint on Monday after she found valuables worth Rs 49,000 missing from her bag after travelling on an Air India flight from Mumbai to Chennai on July 29.Sahar police registered an FIR against an unknown person but did not track down the accused and suspected the theft occurred while the bag was sent for cargo loading. The complainant, Hajira Abutahir (36), flew to Mumbai specially to file the complaint after flying to Chennai 10 days ago.Since 2024, over two dozen thefts have reportedly occurred inside the two Mumbai airports, but not a single case has been solved and no thief has been caught. Sahar police probed at least 10 thefts registered between Jan and Aug 2016. The last theft of baggage was registered on Aug 2 and was filed by a first-year MBBS student who is an Irish national.“We have sought CCTV footage from the airport authorities and other agencies to track the case. There are 10 pending cases this year alone. The team is gathering information of all the loaders and other staffs hired from third party agencies whose role is suspected to be in the crime. Probe is also on to find out whether these suspects carry any scanner to identify the valuables from the passengers baggage to steal before loaded into the flight,” said a police officer of Sahar police station.The Chennai resident said two gold earrings, one gold ring with a floral design, and a silver anklet, collectively valued at Rs 49,000, were stolen in Mumbai after she handed over the bag for cargo and boarded the flight. “On reaching my Chennai I checked my baggage and found the valuables missing. I went to Chennai Airport and checked the entire CCTV footage, and it was found that there was no tampering with my bag. But the valuables was missing and is confirmed stolen in Mumbai airport,” said Abutahir in the FIR.Abutahir visited Mumbai’s Dharavi locality on July 18 after her brother Abdulrazzak had a son. “I stayed at my maternal home for a few days. On July 29 at 7 pm, I left Dharavi in my brother’s car for the airport. I deposited my grey suitcase and a black bag at the Air India checking counter at the airport. However, the following valuables was stolen at Mumbai airport after the bags were given to load for cargo in the flight,” she said in the FIR.The theft was reported a week after a first-year MBBS student and Irish citizen reported that her baggage containing clothes, make-up sets and other items went missing at Mumbai International Airport in June. The student, Harshita Agarwal (19), was on a two-month vacation and travelled to Mumbai to visit her maternal uncle’s home in Jalna in June. The case was registered at Sahar police station on Aug 2 after Jalna police took Agarwal’s complaint two weeks earlier and transferred the case file to Mumbai for further probe.“As the incident occurred almost a month and a half ago, our team have sought the CCTV footage to track down the person who took Agarwal’s baggage,” said a police officer of Sahar police station.Unsolved Past Cases:Feb 2026 | Powai police registered an FIR of theft against an unidentified person for allegedly stealing Rs 1.5 lakh from the baggage of a 42-year-old businessman who travelled from Delhi to Mumbai. The complainant, identified as Afzal Zafar Chaudhary (42), a construction material-supplying businessman and a resident of Uttar Pradesh, told police he travelled on Spicejet flight SG 385 between 6:15 am and 8:30 am and reached Mumbai Airport Terminal. Case still unsolvedJune 2025 | A flyer, AD Jain, vice president of a real estate company, discovered that gold ornaments worth Rs 5.5 lakh, belonging to his wife, were missing from his laptop bag upon landing at Mumbai International Airport from Delhi at 4 am. Case registered with Shivaji Park police and it is unsolved.April 2025 | A nurse, aged 50, discovered that her gold jewellery valued at Rs 1.25 lakh had vanished during her journey from Kochi to Mumbai on Akasa flight on Mar 28. The ornaments were stored in a purse within her handbag, which she had placed in the aircraft’s luggage compartment. Upon arrival at Mumbai airport, Rosamma Joseph realised that whilst her handbag remained intact, the purse containing the precious items was missing. Case with Airport police which is unsolved.Feb 2025 | A 63-year-old retired mechanical engineer from Navi Mumbai faced a distressing situation at Mumbai International Airport after his flight from Kolkata when thieves stole his password-protected iPhone from his shirt pocket on Feb 8. The victim, Badal Dutta, later discovered that the accused had carried out 10 unauthorised transactions from his three bank accounts within an hour of the theft after reaching home, according to police. Case still unsolved.

Mumbai: In the early hours of Wednesday, around 3.48 am, amid the ongoing wet spell, residents of Ashok Nagar in Ghatkopar, a landslide-prone area of approximately 1,000 residents, were jolted awake by the sound of debris and boulders crashing down the hillside. A large peepal tree was also uprooted in the incident, which claimed seven lives and left seven others injured.Civic data shows Mumbai has seen 95 landslide incidents over the past six years, resulting in 39 deaths and 28 injuries.Among the deceased in Wednesday’s tragedy are Arif Halim Shaikh (28), his wife Marjina Arif Shaikh (27) and their two children Aban Arif Shaikh (2) and Mannat Arif Shaikh (4). The Shaikh family had reportedly arrived in Mumbai from Uttar Pradesh just four days ago. Another deceased was Viket alias Rahul Yadav, who was helping his widowed mother meet the family’s expenses. The two other deceased were Sahil Husain Abdul Kadri (19) and Mohammed Sayeed Ansari (14). The seven injured were Sohail Ansari (18), Mohamad Ansari (14), Naimuddhin Iqbal Khan (28), Sajid Ansari (16), Farana Dilber Khan (28), Dilber Amnulla Khan (38) and Shamin Muslim Khan (26).Rescue teams who reached the spot found that around eight people were initially feared trapped under the debris. A search and rescue operation was immediately launched in the presence of the local ward-level officials, NDRF personnel, local police and fire brigade officials. Around 70-75 personnel, including BMC workers, private contractor workers, fire brigade personnel and NDRF teams, were involved in the operation. By 2 pm, a total of seven bodies had been recovered from the debris and sent to Rajawadi Hospital, Ghatkopar, and civic-run Bhabha Hospital in Kurla for postmortem.Since the landslide occurred before daylight, it made the initial rescue operation particularly difficult. “The congested and narrow lanes leading to the affected houses added to the challenge, with rescue machinery unable to reach the site easily. NDRF and fire brigade personnel had to form human chains to move debris and carry out the search operation,” said additional municipal commissioner Avinash Dhakane, who was also at the disaster site, adding that the disaster site was so narrow that it allowed only one person to pass at a time.BMC authorities also pointed out that residents in this vulnerable location had previously been warned and advised to move to safer areas during the monsoon, when the risk of landslides increases. Officials suspect that the recent spell of rain may have weakened the rocks and soil on the hillock. Continuous rainfall over the past two days could have seeped into the rocks and weakened the rock and root systems, triggering the collapse of boulders and the uprooting of the tree.Locals said the houses at the lower end of the landslide-prone hillock were the worst affected, as debris and boulders came hurtling down from the upper portion of the slope directly onto the structures below. Anil Sandade, an idli maker operating from Ghatkopar railway station who lived in the area, said, “The boulders came falling from three separate sides leading to some entrances into the locality completely getting blocked.” Sandade (45) said he was born in the same area and hence believes the locality could be easily around five decades old.Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde, who visited the site, announced financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of each person who lost their life in the incident. She also announced Rs 50,000 in medical assistance for each injured person to help cover treatment expenses.Assistant municipal commissioner of L ward Anil Jadhav said that the entire area was on collector land. “Only houses before 2011 are protected structures while the remaining are all illegal,” said Jadhav.Ghatkopar police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in connection with the landslide. Police personnel were present at the site and assisted the fire brigade and other agencies in the rescue operation. “We have recovered seven bodies, while the injured have been shifted to various government hospitals. After receiving information that some more houses in the vicinity were located in a danger zone, we, along with BMC officials, evacuated around 50 houses. The affected families have been shifted to accommodation arranged by the BMC or to the homes of relatives,” said DCP Ganesh Shinde (Zone 7).Police said relatives of the Arif family have requested that the bodies of all four family members be taken to their native place in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh. The police are facilitating the necessary permissions and procedures for transporting the bodies.