Business
KC Venugopal Urges Centre To Reverse Air Indias Flight Reductions From Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress leader and AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal on Thursday has written to the Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu urging immediate intervention to halt Air India’s proposed cuts to both domestic and international services from four Kerala airports. Air India and Air India Express operates a sizeable number of flights, especially to the various Middle East countries and it’s the backbone for the Kerala diaspora.
Venugopal warned that the reduction of flights would severely affect the state’s expatriate community, particularly those working in the Gulf, who rely on affordable travel options to return home. “With Air India Express cutting services, other airlines may hike fares, creating a significant financial burden for thousands of Malayalis who are employed on modest incomes abroad,” he said.
Venugopal, the Alappuzha MP, pointed out that Air India’s move would not only inconvenience workers during festival seasons and peak travel periods but could also disrupt educational and employment-related travel for students and professionals from Kerala.
According to reports, the airline plans to suspend services to major Gulf destinations, including Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, from this month.
Venugopal highlighted the broader implications, saying the flight reductions threaten to erode essential connectivity for the large expatriate community, many of whom depend on these services for both work and family reasons.
He reminded the ministry that repeated representations had been made regarding exorbitant airfare hikes and travel difficulties, but effective intervention had yet to occur.
“It is imperative that the Centre restores and maintains these crucial Air India services, ensuring that travel remains affordable and accessible for all Malayalis living and working abroad,” added Venugopal.
The letter underscores the growing concern among Kerala’s large expatriate population over dwindling flight options and rising costs, highlighting the need for immediate policy action to protect their travel needs.
Around 2.5 million people constitute the Kerala diaspora of which around 85 per cent work in the various Middle East countries.
Business
Aadhaar Update Charges Revised From October 2025: Check How Much You Need To Pay For Address, Identity And Biometric Update

New Delhi: Aadhaar issuing body Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has announced hike in charges related to Aadhaar services. The revised charges are effective from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2028.
UIDAI, in an office memorandum has given all the details pertaining to revised charges for Aadhaar related services.
Charges Effective for the period from 1.10.2025 to 30.9.2028:
S. no. | Service | Rate of assistance to registrar* ( , incl. GST) | Fee to be collected from resident by registrar/service provider ( , incl. GST) |
1 | Aadhaar Generation of residents in 0-5 age group (ECMP/ UC or CEL Client enrolment) | 75 | Free of cost |
2 | Aadhaar Generation of residents more than 5 years age | 125 | Free of cost |
3 | Mandatory Biometric Update (5 to 7 years and 15 to 17 years) | 125 | Free of cost |
4 | Aadhaar Generation of residents more than 5 years age | – | 125 |
5 | Other Biometric Update (with or without Demographic Update) | – | 125 |
6 | Demographic update (update of one or more fields) in online mode or at Aadhaar Enrolment Centre using ECMP/ UCL/ UC/ CELC | – | 75 |
7 | PoA/PoI Document Update at Aadhaar Enrolment Centre | – | 75 |
8 | PoA/PoI Document Update through SSUP (myAadhaar) Portal | – | 75 |
9 | Aadhaar Search using eKYC/ Find Aadhaar/any other tool & colour printout on A4 Sheet | – | 40 |
Charges Effective for the period from 1.10.2028 to 30.9.2031
S. no. | Service | Rate of assistance to registrar ( , incl. GST) | Fee to be collected from resident by registrar/service provider ( , incl. GST) |
1 | Aadhaar Generation of residents in 0-5 age group (ECMP/ UC or CEL Client enrolment) | 90 | Free of cost |
2 | Aadhaar Generation of residents more than 5 years age | 150 | Free of cost |
3 | Mandatory Biometric Update (5 to 7 years and 15 to 17 years) | 150 | Free of cost |
4 | Mandatory Biometric Update (7 to 15 years & more than 17 years) | – | 150 |
5 | Other Biometric Update (with or without Demographic Update) | – | 150 |
6 | Demographic update (update of one or more fields) in online mode or at Aadhaar Enrolment Centre using ECMP/ UCL/ UC/ CELC | – | 90 |
7 | PoA/PoI Document Update at Aadhaar Enrolment Centre | – | 90 |
8 | PoA/PoI Document Update through SSUP (myAadhaar) Portal | – | 90 |
9 | Aadhaar Search using eKYC/ Find Aadhaar/any other tool & colour printout on A4 Sheet | – | 50 |
UIDAI said the charges for Home enrolment services shall be 700 (including GST) and will be charged in addition to the normal fee applicable for demographic/biometric update in Aadhaar. If the service is availed by more than one resident at the same address (as per Aadhaar), 700 service charge (including GST) will be charged for first resident and Rs 350 (including GST) for each additional resident.
Business
Heating engineers urged to sign up to heat pump ‘giveaway’ for their own homes

Heating engineers across Britain are being urged to take up the offer of a government-funded heat pump to install in their own homes, as part of efforts to roll out the clean technology.
Research and innovation firm Nesta is running a “start at home” initiative to provide heating engineers with a funded heat pump and training on how to install it, so they can learn the ropes before fitting the technology for customers.
The initiative comes after a pilot scheme by Nesta found supporting heating engineers to install their first heat pump in their home boosted their technical knowledge, understanding of living with the technology, and confidence in promoting them to customers.
Experts warn large-scale deployment of clean electric-powered heat pumps is key to replacing the widespread use of gas boilers in homes to reduce carbon emissions as part of targets to cut greenhouse gases to “net zero” by 2050.
That means installing round 450,000 heat pumps in existing homes a year by 2030, requiring 38,000 more installers trained and confident to install heat pumps before then, Nesta said.
The organisation said heat pumps were more efficient than gas boilers, potentially lowering energy bills, and tend to require less maintenance and last longer, keeping homes warm for years.
But Nesta pointed to research by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) suggesting only 27% of newly trained installers have gone on to complete an installation within a year, partly due to a lack of a confidence in the technology and the process of putting it in.
So the start at home scheme is being rolled out with partners across England, Wales and Scotland, providing heat engineers with heat pumps for their own homes and expert support, and putting them on the path to the accreditation needed to install the technology for customers under government schemes.
Madeleine Gabriel, Nesta’s director of sustainable future, said: “As more and more households look to switch their home heating, it will be all hands to the pump – and we want to help ensure that Britain’s heating workforce is ready to respond.
“Although lots of heating engineers are curious about heat pumps, many rarely get the chance to see one, let alone install one.
“The ‘start at home’ scheme changes that by beginning where it makes most sense – at home.
“Our message to all heating engineers is simple: secure your future by getting hands-on with the tech with installation yourself.”
Eric MacRae, a heating engineer who took part in the pilot which ran across Scotland, added: “I have confidence now that I’ve got one running in my own property that I have 24/7 experience of.
“Instead of giving people a spiel, I can now speak from personal experience of using it myself.
“It’s giving me an extra edge, and I feel that I can emphasise more of the advantages than I previously would have been able to.”
Business
Stocks fall as selling pressure persists | The Express Tribune

KARACHI:
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) endured another volatile session on Tuesday, where the benchmark KSE-100 index shed 1,579 points, or 0.94%. After opening on a positive note, the index touched the intra-day high of 168,519, but selling pressure emerged immediately, dragging the market down.
The index hit the intra-day low of 165,997 towards the end of trading. Tuesday’s decline marked the second consecutive session of losses, following a 0.73% drop on Monday. Despite early optimism, investors remained cautious, leading to profit-taking in key sectors. The index appears to be in a consolidation phase, hovering around key support zones.
Arif Habib Limited (AHL) remarked that selling pressure persisted for the second session, when the KSE-100 traded down to Monday’s low of 166k. Some 26 shares rose while 73 fell with HBL (+3.56%), Engro Fertilisers (+1.54%) and Askari Bank (+3.85%) contributing the most to index gains. On the flip side, Hub Power (-3.75%), Engro Holdings (-2.7%) and Lucky Cement (-3.09%) were the biggest drags, it said.
Among economic news, AHL mentioned, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor sees inflation holding steady, although further interest rate cuts will depend on the impact of recent floods and the outcome of ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF) review. For the index, 166k is emerging as a key level and it will need to immediately regain 167.2k to target the 170k mark, AHL added.
KTrade Securities, in its market wrap, noted that the PSX concluded another volatile session in negative territory as the benchmark KSE-100 index lost 1,579 points (-0.94%) to close at 166,174. The decline was driven by rising geopolitical tensions with India and ongoing economic concerns, particularly in the context of IMF review and fiscal scrutiny.
Heavyweight stocks from sectors such as power, energy, cement, fertiliser and oil & gas exploration were among the major contributors to the downside. Despite the market-wide sell-off, investor sentiment remained cautiously optimistic, with many participants staying engaged in anticipation of clarity on macroeconomic developments, KTrade said.
Topline Securities commented that following Monday’s downbeat momentum, bears kept their firm control in Tuesday’s session as well. The KSE-100 index opened on a positive note, with bulls charging ahead to push the market up by 766 points. However, the optimism was short-lived as selling pressure intensified midway through the day.
The index nosedived to the intra-day low of 1,755 points before eventually settling at 166,174, down 1,579 points. It attributed the negative close mainly to heavy profit-taking by local institutions, which overshadowed early gains and dragged the market into the red.
The decline was driven by losses in Hub Power, Engro Holdings, Lucky Cement, Mari Energies and UBL, which pulled the index down by 986 points. Partial support came from HBL, Engro Fertilisers, Askari Bank and Allied Bank, which contributed 380 points, Topline stated. JS Global analyst Mohammed Waqar Iqbal said that the benchmark index remained under pressure and faced volatility as profit-taking continued to impact the market.
Overall trading volumes slightly decreased to 1.266 billion shares from Monday’s tally of 1.274 billion. The value of shares traded stood at Rs54.2 billion. The PSX announced on X that on Tuesday, 54% of the total traded value was in Shariah-compliant stocks.
Shares of 487 companies were traded. Of these, 183 closed higher, 267 fell and 37 remained unchanged.
PTCL was the volume leader with trading in 180.6 million shares, falling Rs0.27 to close at Rs31.14. It was followed by The Bank of Punjab with 134.7 million shares, rising Rs0.62 to close at Rs35.08 and Cnergyico PK with 90.7 million shares, edging down Rs0.03 to close at Rs8.76. Foreign investors sold shares worth Rs614 million, the National Clearing Company reported.
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