Viral Tadka

An Indian Railways train at a station platform. The Railways is reviewing its decades-old RAC system, under which two passengers share a single berth while paying full fare. (Photo: Pexels — representative image) If you have ever travelled overnight on an Indian train, you probably know the three letters every passenger dreads — RAC. It stands for Reservation Against Cancellation, and for decades it has meant the same thing: you are allowed to board, but you may have to share one berth with a complete stranger, even though you paid the full ticket fare. Now, Indian Railways is examining whether to scrap the system — a change that could transform how millions of people book train tickets. What Is RAC, and Why Is It Under Review? Under the RAC system, a passenger who cannot get a confirmed berth is still given a seat — usually half of a side-lower berth — and is allowed to travel. If a confirmed passenger cancels, the RAC holder may be upgraded to a full berth. But if no berth frees ...

Passengers wait at airport gates. The FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop on Friday after a communications failure hit air traffic control centres. (Photo: Pexels — representative image) On Friday afternoon, the United States did something it almost never does — it stopped every single aeroplane from taking off. At 3:54 p.m. Eastern Time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a nationwide ground stop after a communications failure hit air traffic control centres across the country. Planes already in the air were allowed to land, but nothing on the ground could leave. For more than four hours, the busiest aviation system in the world stood still. A Shutdown Ordered in Minutes The FAA's order was blunt: all departing traffic at every airport in the United States was to remain on the ground until further notice, citing "extraordinary circumstances" and "reasons of safety". At the moment the order was issued, 4,042 flights were already airborne and ...

Two young boxers trade punches in the ring. India's Ambekar Meetei and Gunjan won the country's first-ever Youth Olympic boxing golds in Dakar. (Photo: Pexels — representative image) Indian boxing has a new golden chapter. On Thursday, two teenagers in Dakar, Senegal, did what no Indian boxer had ever done before — win a gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games. And they did it twice in a single day. Lairenlakpam Ambekar Meetei, a 17-year-old from Manipur, opened India's account with a hard-fought 3-2 split-decision win over Ireland's Kristian Jubani in the men's 50kg final. Hours later, Gunjan dominated Algeria's Bensalah Bouthaina 5-0 in the women's 48kg final to complete a historic double. Together, they gave India its first two gold medals of the Dakar 2026 Games — and its first-ever boxing golds at the Youth Olympics. A Split Decision That Made History Ambekar's final was a thriller from the first bell. The youngster from Manipur, who trains at th...

A batsman takes guard in a packed stadium. India face Pakistan in the Under-19 Asia Cup final in Oman today. (Photo: Pexels — representative image) It is the fixture every cricket fan in South Asia waits for, and this time it comes with a trophy on the line. India Under-19 face Pakistan Under-19 in the final of the ACC Men's Under-19 Asia Cup 2026 at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman on Saturday, November 14. For India, it is a shot at revenge and a record ninth title. For Pakistan, it is a chance to defend the crown and finish the tournament unbeaten. The match begins at 10:30 AM IST, with the toss at 10:00 AM. It will be telecast live on the Sony Sports Network and streamed on SonyLIV. The forecast in Al Amerat is sunny, around 29 degrees, with only a small chance of rain. A Final With a Score to Settle India have more than a trophy to play for. In last year's Under-19 Asia Cup final, Pakistan did not just beat India, they dismantled them. Sameer Minhas smashed 172, P...

A yellow taxi on a busy Indian street. The CCPA has fined Ola Rs 10 lakh over its pre-ride tip prompts. (Photo: Pexels — representative image) India's consumer protection regulator has fined ride-hailing platform Ola Rs 10 lakh for asking passengers to pay a "tip" before their cab was even confirmed. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) ruled that the pre-ride payment prompts misled consumers, amounted to an unfair trade practice and used a prohibited dark pattern. The order, dated November 10, 2026, was passed against ANI Technologies Private Limited, which operates Ola, by CCPA Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra. Ola must stop the practice immediately, pay the penalty and file a compliance report within 15 days. It was made public on Friday, November 13. What Ola's App Was Doing While customers waited for a driver to accept their booking, the Ola app showed messages such as "Adding a tip might help increase the chance...

India has recorded its highest-ever monthly export earnings, with total exports touching $89.99 billion in October 2026. The figure, announced by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Friday, November 13, marks a sharp 29.9 per cent jump over the same month last year and signals strong momentum in the country's trade performance. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal shared the numbers during a virtual media briefing on Friday, describing October as a record month for Indian exports. The growth was driven mainly by a surge in merchandise shipments, supported by steady services exports. ## Goods Exports Lead the Record Surge Merchandise exports rose 45.06 per cent to $49.47 billion in October, up from $34.11 billion in the same month last year. This is also the highest monthly value ever recorded for India's goods exports, and the third-highest monthly growth rate in the last five years. Services exports were estimated at $40.51 billion, up from $35.17 billion a year earlie...