Nirbhaya documentary row: Govt serves legal notice to BBC; YouTube blocks film

March 6, 2015

New Delhi, Mar 6: An upset government on Thursday served a legal notice on BBC over broadcast of controversial interview of Delhi gang-rape convict and said YouTube had removed the video even as it instructed telecom operators to ensure that it is not available to their subscribers.

The government, in its notice, told the BBC that it has "violated" the agreement of not using the documentary for commercial purpose and for this the British media giant was liable for legal action.

"No necessary approval was taken by the BBC for the commercial use of the documentary. We have served the notice and waiting for their response. Further course of action is awaited," a Home Ministry official said.

The notice was served last evening, before the telecast of the film by the BBC in UK at 10 PM (GMT).

It was served by Director General of Tihar jail Alok Kumar Verma through government standing counsel.

Officials claimed that filmmaker Leslee Udwin had agreed to the condition that the documentary would not be used for commercial purposes. However, she sold the rights of the film to BBC allegedly allowing it for using commercial purpose.

The government also asked video sharing website YouTube to remove the documentary as it is "very sensitive".

In the evening, government sources said YouTube had removed it from its website.

However, the documentary could still be viewed on the site. Officials said it could be still viewed because the almost hour-long video was available on the cache servers.

Sources said many people had downloaded the video before it could be removed from the main server and some of them could be uploading it again, as a result of which it could be still seen.

Officials said the government has also instructed telecom operators to ensure that the video is not available to their subscribers, after reports came that the documentary, which has the interview of the convict Mukesh Singh, was available to mobile broadband users.

Earlier in the day, government said necessary action will be taken as the BBC ignored its advice and broadcast the controversial interview of Delhi gang-rape convict.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh also spoke to Communication and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asking him to ensure that the video is removed from all social media sites.

BBC aired the documentary, containing the controversial interview of a convict in the December 16,2012 gang-rape despite a Delhi court prohibiting it.

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PM Modi, King Abdullah II share 8-point vision to deepen India-Jordan ties

News Network

December 16,2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman, during which the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, with the Prime Minister outlining an eight-point vision covering key areas of cooperation.

Describing the meeting as “productive”, PM Modi said he shared a roadmap focused on trade and economy, fertilisers and agriculture, information technology, healthcare, infrastructure, critical and strategic minerals, civil nuclear cooperation, and people-to-people ties.

In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister praised King Abdullah II’s personal commitment to advancing India–Jordan relations, particularly as both countries mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year.

“Held productive discussions with His Majesty King Abdullah II in Amman. His personal commitment towards vibrant India-Jordan relations is noteworthy. This year, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of our bilateral diplomatic relations,” PM Modi said.

The meeting took place at the Al Husseiniya Palace, where the two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), both sides agreed to further deepen cooperation in areas including trade and investment, defence and security, counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation, fertilisers and agriculture, infrastructure, renewable energy, tourism, and heritage.

The MEA said both leaders reaffirmed their united stand against terrorism.

PM Modi arrived in Amman earlier on Monday and was received by Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, who accorded him a formal welcome. Following the talks, King Abdullah II hosted a banquet dinner in honour of the Prime Minister, reflecting the warmth of bilateral ties.

Jordan is the first leg of PM Modi’s three-nation tour. From Amman, the Prime Minister will travel to Ethiopia at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, marking his first official visit to the African nation. The tour will conclude with a visit to Oman.

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India’s Tougher Pilot Fatigue Rules: Why IndiGo’s Operations Crashed Into Turbulence

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December 6,2025

New Delhi: IndiGo, India’s largest airline, faced major operational turbulence this week after failing to prepare for new pilot-fatigue regulations issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The stricter rules—designed to improve flight safety—took effect in phases through 2024, with the latest implementation on November 1. IndiGo has acknowledged that inadequate roster planning led to widespread cancellations and delays.

Below are the key DGCA rules that affected IndiGo’s operations:

1. Longer Mandatory Weekly Rest

Weekly rest for pilots has been increased from 36 hours to 48 hours.

The government says the extended break is essential to curb cumulative fatigue. This rule remains in force despite the current crisis.

2. Cap on Night Landings

Pilots can now perform only two night landings per week—a steep reduction from the earlier limit of six.

Night hours, defined as midnight to early morning, are considered the least alert period for pilots.

Given the disruptions, this rule has been temporarily relaxed for IndiGo until February 10.

3. Reduced Maximum Night Flight Duty

Flight duty that stretches into the night is now capped at 10 hours.

This measure has also been kept on hold for IndiGo until February 10 to stabilize operations.

4. Weekly Rest Cannot Be Replaced With Personal Leave

Airlines can no longer count a pilot’s personal leave as part of the mandatory 48-hour rest.

Pilots say this closes a loophole that previously reduced actual rest time.

Currently, all airlines are exempt from this rule to normalise travel.

5. Mandatory Fatigue Monitoring

Airlines must submit quarterly fatigue reports along with corrective actions to DGCA.

This system aims to create a transparent fatigue-tracking framework across the industry.

The DGCA has stressed that these rules were crafted to strengthen flight safety and align India with global fatigue-management standards. The temporary relaxations are expected to remain until February 2025, giving IndiGo time to stabilise its schedules and restore normal air travel.

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