Mumbai: Amid mounting concern over a series of fatal BEST bus accidents, BEST committee chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao has widened the spotlight beyond private wet-lease operators, holding sections of the undertaking’s own administration ‘also responsible’ for lapses in safety oversight, vehicle maintenance and driver monitoring.At a BEST committee meeting this week, Vishwasrao said responsibility for recent crashes could not be placed solely on contractors operating wet-lease buses. She alleged that officials in the transport and engineering departments had failed to adequately monitor periodic maintenance, driver training and compliance checks.In a stern directive issued on Tuesday, Vishwasrao asked senior officials to step out of their ‘AC cabins’ in offices and conduct on-ground inspections at bus depots, visit accident sites and interact directly with depot and engineering staff to understand operational shortcomings and prevent future mishaps. The impact was visible from Wednesday, with few senior officials fanning out across depots.Vishwasrao said she has personally visited hospitals to meet injured passengers and the families of those killed in recent crashes. She added that contractors concerned had been asked to provide compensation to victims, while BEST would bear medical expenses.Expressing strong reservations about the wet-lease model, Vishwasrao said she had “lost faith” in the system and favoured a return to a fleet largely operated by BEST’s own buses and drivers.“BEST’s full-time drivers rarely figured in major crashes in the past. Last year there were 15 accidents and 10 so far this year, with a majority involving wet-lease buses,” she said.She revealed that, at her insistence, the administration recently introduced a mandatory four-week training programme for drivers. A joint meeting of BEST management, wet-lease contractors, drivers and conductors is also planned to address grievances regarding pay scales, facilities and working conditions, which contractual staff claim are inferior to those of permanent employees.A crucial meeting involving BEST general manager Sonia Sethi, Vishwasrao and wet-lease contractors has been scheduled for Friday to review safety standards and accountability mechanisms.The chairperson also welcomed deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde’s decision to procure 5,000 BEST-owned buses, saying the move could reduce dependence on private operators.However, she stressed that securing adequate funding remains a challenge. A meeting with the chief minister and deputy chief minister is expected on Friday to discuss financing options. Sethi said funding could come either from the state government or from BEST’s own resources.

Case files and travel documents were submitted to a Mumbai consumer commission after an agency allegedly altered a promised ladies only Thailand trip. (AI-generated image)

MUMBAI: A consumer disputes redressal commission in Mumbai has directed Bengaluru-based travel company East Wing Travel and Tourism Private Limited to pay Rs 60,000 in compensation and litigation costs to a Mumbai resident for deficiency in service, including allowing men to join a tour that had been marketed as a “Ladies Only” trip to Thailand, news agency PTI reported.The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Additional DCF, Mumbai (Suburban), in an order passed earlier this month, found that the travel company “failed to discharge its contractual obligations in the manner promised while marketing the package”.“The unilateral alteration of the itinerary after receiving the entire consideration, failure to conduct the promised visit to James Bond Island and Phi Phi Islands, inclusion of male participants in a package advertised as a ladies only tour and the overall deficient execution of the tour clearly establish deficiency in service,” the commission remarked.The commission further held that misleading representations about the itinerary and the nature of the package also amounted to an unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act, PTI reported.According to the complainant, a resident of Chembur, she had booked a four-night and five-day tour to Phuket and Krabi, scheduled from January 15 to 19, 2025, for Rs 99,500 from East Wing Travel and Tourism Private Limited.The travel agency had marketed and promoted the package specifically as a “Ladies Only” tour. However, male members and families were included in the same tour group despite the representation, the complainant alleged as per the PTI report.She further claimed that two days before the departure, the company issued a revised itinerary that dropped major attractions, including visits to James Bond Island and Phi Phi Islands, and replaced them with a trip to Coral Island.Since the cancellation policy stipulated 100% cancellation charges, the complainant said she had no practical option but to continue with the tour.She also alleged that the group was provided a three-star hotel in Phuket instead of the promised four-star accommodation. Meals were served at unusually late hours, while the Phuket Fantasea Show and dinner were also poorly organised, she claimed.Despite being served notice, the travel agency failed to appear before the commission to contest the allegations. The matter, therefore, proceeded ex parte.After considering the documents placed on record, the commission held that the opposite party had failed to provide the services in the manner represented at the time of booking.However, the commission was not inclined to grant the entire monetary relief sought by the complainant.“It is an admitted position that the complainant availed the international air tickets, hotel accommodation, airport transfers, breakfast, transport and other facilities included in the package,” the commission noted.Partly allowing the complaint, the commission directed the travel company to pay Rs 40,000 towards mental agony, inconvenience and deficiency in service, and another Rs 20,000 towards litigation costs.The total amount payable to the complainant was thus fixed at Rs 60,000, PTI reported.(With agency inputs)

Mumbai: She is neither a student preparing for competitive examinations nor someone directly affected by the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.Yet Rhiya, the Mumbai actor-model whose image of standing in front of a police van during Wednesday’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest went viral, says she felt compelled to take to the streets because she believed the alleged police action against protesting students in Delhi was “wrong” and that someone had to take responsibility.The image of Rhiya, dressed in a grey hoodie with her arms outstretched in front of a police van carrying detained protesters, became one of the defining visuals of Mumbai’s solidarity protests as heavy rain lashed the city.The demonstration was part of protests held across Mumbai in support of the CJP agitation over alleged examination irregularities and the police crackdown during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march in Delhi.Explaining why she joined the protest despite not being personally connected to the issues being raised, Rhiya said the alleged treatment of students in the national capital had disturbed her.“While the police are doing their job, they are not doing it responsibly. If no one is taking responsibility, we will take responsibility for our citizens,” she told local reporters.She stressed that she was not directly affected by the issues at the centre of the agitation.“I am not a student, my father is not a farmer, nor am I. I am not a Dalit or belong to the OBC community, but what they did to the students (in Delhi) is wrong. They have to own up to their actions,” she said.Questioning the government’s response to the agitation, Rhiya asked why Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan could not meet the protesters if they were not being allowed to march to Parliament.The viral protest image also drew attention to Rhiya herself. According to her Instagram profile, she is an actor, model and entrepreneur with around one lakh followers on the platform.She has featured in music videos, including Dilbara.Her remarks came as political parties, activists and students staged protests across Mumbai for the third consecutive day, condemning the alleged police action against protesters in Delhi and demanding accountability over alleged examination irregularities.Mumbai Police have registered multiple FIRs in connection with the demonstrations, while prohibitory orders remain in force across the city.As demonstrations spread beyond Delhi, several videos from the city’s protests went viral, capturing dramatic scenes of protesters confronting police, freeing detained demonstrators and receiving support from local residents.As the CJP protest over alleged examination irregularities continued in Delhi, youngsters took to the streets of Mumbai on Wednesday in solidarity, condemning the alleged police brutality against protesters during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march.In one widely shared video, the woman, dressed in a grey hoodie, is seen standing in front of a police van carrying detained protesters, refusing to move despite heavy rain.Fellow demonstrators surrounded the vehicle, raising slogans that brought traffic on the busy road to a halt.Speaking to local reporters, she said, “While the police are doing their job, they are not doing it responsibly.If no one is taking responsibility, we will take responsibility for our citizens.”“I am not a student, my father is not a farmer, nor am I. I am not a Dalit or belong to the OBC community, but what they did to the students (in Delhi) is wrong. They have to own up to their actions,” she said.She also questioned why, if protesters were not allowed to march to Parliament, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan could not meet them at the protest site.The woman, identified as Rhiya, is an actor, model, and an entrepreneur, as per her Instagram bio. She has around a lakh followers on Instagram and has been seen in music videos.She featured in the video song ‘Dilbara’.Another video from the protests also went viral, showing a group of youngsters running behind a police van and opening its rear door from the outside, allowing detained protesters to step out of the moving vehicle.Mumbai Police have registered 13 FIRs since July 18 in connection with the ongoing protests, booking around 400 people on charges including unlawful assembly and violation of prohibitory orders.According to police, demonstrations were held at several locations, including Shivaji Park, Chaityabhoomi, Chembur and Shiv Sena Bhavan, despite no permission having been granted for the gatherings.Social media also highlighted several heart-warming moments from the protests.One widely circulated video showed demonstrators marching through the rain while senior citizens cheered them from the balconies of nearby chawls.Another clip, reportedly filmed in Dadar, showed a large crowd of protesters respectfully making way for children heading towards a school bus.Meanwhile, Mumbai Police have imposed prohibitory orders banning the assembly of five or more people in public places from July 23 to August 6, citing apprehensions of breach of peace and disturbance to public tranquillity.(With PTI inputs)

Mumbai: A young woman standing with her arms outstretched in front of a police van amid heavy rain has emerged as one of the defining images of Mumbai’s protests in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) agitation over the alleged NEET paper leak.As demonstrations spread beyond Delhi, several videos from the city’s protests went viral, capturing dramatic scenes of protesters confronting police, freeing detained demonstrators and receiving support from local residents.As the CJP protest over alleged examination irregularities continued in Delhi, youngsters took to the streets of Mumbai on Wednesday in solidarity, condemning the alleged police brutality against protesters during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march.In one widely shared video, the woman, dressed in a grey hoodie, is seen standing in front of a police van carrying detained protesters, refusing to move despite heavy rain.Fellow demonstrators surrounded the vehicle, raising slogans that brought traffic on the busy road to a halt.Speaking to local reporters, she said, “While the police are doing their job, they are not doing it responsibly. If no one is taking responsibility, we will take responsibility for our citizens.”“I am not a student, my father is not a farmer, nor am I. I am not a Dalit or belong to the OBC community, but what they did to the students (in Delhi) is wrong. They have to own up to their actions,” she said.She also questioned why, if protesters were not allowed to march to Parliament, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan could not meet them at the protest site.The woman, identified as Rhiya, is an actor, model, and an entrepreneur, as per her Instagram bio. She has around a lakh followers on Instagram and has been seen in music videos.She featured in the video song ‘Dilbara’.Another video from the protests also went viral, showing a group of youngsters running behind a police van and opening its rear door from the outside, allowing detained protesters to step out of the moving vehicle.Mumbai Police have registered 13 FIRs since July 18 in connection with the ongoing protests, booking around 400 people on charges including unlawful assembly and violation of prohibitory orders.According to police, demonstrations were held at several locations, including Shivaji Park, Chaityabhoomi, Chembur and Shiv Sena Bhavan, despite no permission having been granted for the gatherings.Social media also highlighted several heart-warming moments from the protests.One widely circulated video showed demonstrators marching through the rain while senior citizens cheered them from the balconies of nearby chawls.Another clip, reportedly filmed in Dadar, showed a large crowd of protesters respectfully making way for children heading towards a school bus.Meanwhile, Mumbai Police have imposed prohibitory orders banning the assembly of five or more people in public places from July 23 to August 6, citing apprehensions of breach of peace and disturbance to public tranquillity.(With PTI inputs)

Student politics in Mumbai has seen a significant decline in recent years (Representative image, enhanced with AI)

The anti-CAA-NRC protests of December 2019 were among the last instances when Mumbai’s campuses appeared politically vibrant.Though it briefly seemed student politics in the city was witnessing a revival, the momentum quickly faded. With student union elections absent from most campuses and increasing curbs on student activities at several institutions in recent years, student politics in Mumbai gradually died a slow death, say former student leaders.In the absence of traditional student organisations gaining traction on these issues, some say students seem to have found a leader in Sonam Wangchuk, while social media has given the students’ movement fresh momentum, helping issues reach a wider student audience.Amarjit Singh Manhas, from the Congress, who was elected consecutively to the Mumbai University’s senate for more than 30 years until 2010, said the allowed to keep term (ATKT) policy was introduced at the university following a student movement in the late 1970s.Recalling another major protest in 1978, when student leader Saroj Tripathi occupied the vice-chancellor’s Fort office over a fee hike, Manhas said what is missing in campus politics today is leadership.“There is no proper leadership within the academic community today to mobilise the youth. People are only communicating in writing, and this is not yielding results. Agitations are not being organised the way they used to be. Earlier, colleges had their own students’ unions and we managed to get around 510 representatives from each college who were willing to participate in agitations,” said Manhas.Sandesh Kondvilkar, a Congress politician who was part of a state committee formed to examine the implementation of the Lyngdoh Commission report on student elections, agreed that leadership has declined.“With the student election system gone, leadership within student politics failed to develop the way it once had. Former student leaders such as Jeetendra Awhad, Vinod Tawde, Parag Lalwani, and Ashish Shelar went on to become prominent political figures,” said Kondvilkar.“The absence of regular student elections has created a leadership vacuum increasingly filled by the children of established politicians rather than by students rising through campus politics,” said Mrudul Nile, a Mumbai University professor in the department of civics and politics.“A large proportion of students enrol in commerce and management programmes and focus on corporate careers, entrepreneurship and opportunities abroad, rather than the civil services, public life or political engagement. With relatively few students exposed to the social sciences, there is also less space on campuses for sustained reflection on public policy,” said Nile.The student movements that remain visible are often driven by Left-leaning organisations, said Nile.In recent years, campuses such as TISS and IIT, which have traditionally had active student collectives, have introduced stricter rules for organising protests and events.State universities, including Mumbai University, have also issued circulars restricting gatherings and demonstrations on campus without prior permission.

Mumbai remains under an orange alert for heavy rainfall and strong winds (Representative image)

MUMBAI: Mumbai remained under an orange alert for the third consecutive day on Thursday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places along with gusty winds of 60-70kmph.Neighbouring Palghar continued under a red alert, while Thane also remained under an orange alert.Despite the warning, rainfall within Mumbai was moderate compared with other parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).In the 24 hours ending 8.30am Thursday, the IMD’s Santacruz observatory recorded 63.6 mm of rainfall, while Colaba received 22.2mm. Thane recorded 99.32mm and Navi Mumbai 56.87mm.The heaviest rainfall was reported from Palghar district, where several areas received triple-digit rainfall.Jawhar topped the chart with 274mm, followed by Palghar (254mm), Wada (166mm) and Vasai (102mm) in the 24 hours ending Thursday morning. The IMD has forecast extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in the district.Within Vasai taluka, Agashi (Virar West) recorded 123mm, Bolinj (Virar) 104mm, Kaman 101mm, Manikpur (Vasai West) 98mm, Mandvi 74mm, and Pelhar (Vasai East) 70mm.The fresh spell of rainfall significantly boosted water reserves in the seven lakes supplying Mumbai, with live storage rising to 70% of capacity, an increase of nearly 8% points in a single day.Modak Sagar became the fourth lake to overflow this monsoon after reaching its full supply level at around 2am on Thursday.The lake supplies 440 million litres per day (MLD) of water to Mumbai.Mumbai receives 4,100 million litres of water per day (MLD) from seven lakes, Modak Sagar, Bhatsa, Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Vihar, Tulsi and Tansa.To meet the city’s annual water requirement, the reservoirs need a combined storage of 14.47 lakh million litres.

Rhiya Ahir confronted police in Mumbai, questioning their response to student demonstrations (Photo credit: X, shared by multiple users)

MUMBAI: A young woman who stood her ground in front of a Mumbai Police vehicle during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest has emerged as one of the defining faces of the agitation.The video of Rhiya Ahir, 27, confronting police officers has gone viral across social media.In the viral clip, Ahir is seen standing before a police vehicle, raising slogans and questioning the police response to the student-led protests over the alleged NEET paper leak, news agency PTI reported. “I understand that they are doing their job, but they are not doing it responsibly. If they don’t behave responsibly, we must take responsibility for our citizens. What they did with students in Delhi was wrong, and they have to own up,” she says in the video.She further demanded that Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan either resign or directly engage with the protesters.“We cannot go to Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan should resign. If not, then he should go to Jantar Mantar and talk to students,” Ahir says in the viral clip.The video has surfaced amid expanding demonstrations by the Cockroach Janta Party across several cities following the police action during the July 20 ‘Sansad Chalo’ march in Delhi.According to Mumbai Police, 13 cases have been registered between July 18 and July 22 in connection with the ongoing protests, PTI reported.Police said around 400 people have been booked on charges of unlawful assembly and violating prohibitory orders imposed in parts of the city.The protests, led by activist Sonam Wangchuk and the CJP, seek the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak controversy and have triggered demonstrations in multiple states.The Mumbai protests come days after clashes in Delhi during the CJP’s march to Parliament, where police and protesters accused each other of violence, with both sides reporting injuries.The agitation has since evolved into a nationwide campaign, drawing support from students, civil society groups and Opposition leaders, while the Centre has maintained that it is prepared to discuss the alleged paper leak issue in Parliament.(With agency inputs)