EC notice to Railways, Civil Aviation ministries over PM pics on tickets
New Delhi: The Election Commission is learnt to have issued a show cause notice to the Railways and Civil Aviation ministries over the use of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pictures on rail tickets and Air India boarding passes as prima facie it violates the model code of conduct.
The code came into force on March 10 when the poll body announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls beginning April 11.
Sources in the poll panel said prima facie the railways and Air India have violated the model code of conduct, and referred to clause VII of the code which states that "issue of advertisement at the cost of public exchequer ... regarding achievements with a view to furthering the prospects of the party in power shall be scrupulously avoided".
In a complaint to the EC, the Trinamool Congress had recently claimed that the "...railway tickets issued by the Indian Railways contain achievements of the party in power at the Centre (BJP) with regard to Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which is being displayed at the cost of public exchequer and obviously to influence minds of the voters."
The display of photograph was part of an Urban Development Ministry advertisement campaign.
A portion of the back side of tickets is often used for advertising.
The railways had last week decided to withdraw the tickets carrying the photographs of the PM, sources in the ministry said.
Nearly one lakh such tickets were printed and a few were remaining in the lot. The ministry is likely to reiterate the same position to EC, they said.
The railways had said all its 17 zones have been directed against using the tickets carrying the picture of the prime minister.
A boarding pass issued by Air India had pictures of PM Modi and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The airline had said the passes featuring the photographs, whicaaaare third-party advertisements, would be withdrawn if they were found to be in violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
Former Punjab DGP Shashi Kant on Monday tweeted a photograph of his boarding pass issued at the New Delhi airport, questioning how pictures of the two leaders could be on it.
An Air India spokesperson earlier said the boarding passes seemed to be the ones printed during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit held in January and the photographs were part of the advertisement from 'third parties'.
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India misses 2025 TB elimination target; cases stand at 185 per 100,000 population
New Delhi: India reported an estimated 2.7 million tuberculosis cases in 2025 which translates into an incidence of 185 cases per 100,000 population, according to the latest official update on the disease burden.
The figure is more than four times the elimination benchmark set under the National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis. The plan had aimed to bring down incidence to 44 cases per 100,000 population and mortality to three per 100,000 by 2025. The target was announced in March 2017 and was set five years ahead of the global End TB goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Data indicate that TB notifications have increased by 13 per cent compared to pre-Covid levels, as IndiaSpend reported in July 2025. Public health experts have said higher notification does not necessarily reflect a rise in incidence, but indicate improved case detection. Authorities have stepped up efforts to improve reporting and plug gaps in diagnosis and treatment, under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).
According to a 2019 study published in PLOS Medicine, the most substantial gap occurs during the testing stage, with nearly half of those with incident tuberculosis not receiving diagnostic tests. Experts say stigma, restricted availability to molecular testing, and dependence on sputum microscopy continue to impede early detection.
According to official data, 19.3 million smear microscopy tests were performed in 2023, compared to 6.83 million molecular tests using the CBNAAT/GeneXpert and Truenat platforms, indicating that smear-based diagnosis will continue to be used. While doctors report inconsistent implementation across regions, legislation mandates 100% molecular testing for suspected tuberculosis patients.
Health officials point to the increase of diagnostic infrastructure, which includes approximately 10,000 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test equipment and over 25,000 microscopy centers across the country. Eexperts identify operational difficulties such as specimen transportation, machine maintenance, supplier chains, and unequal distribution of skilled staff.
Under the TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, the government has expanded active case-finding in high-risk areas and identified 1.58 lakh vulnerable villages and urban wards using an AI-based mapping tool. Under which the latest campaign document states that of the 2.73 million cases reported in 2025, 35 per cent were asymptomatic.
Specialists warn that up to half of microbiologically diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients may not show characteristic symptoms, contributing to continuous community transmission. To increase early diagnosis of drug resistance, it is advised that chest X-rays and molecular testing be used more frequently.
Specialists warn that up to half of microbiologically diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients may not show characteristic symptoms, contributing to continuous community transmission. To increase early diagnosis of drug resistance, it is advised that chest X-rays and molecular testing be used more frequently.
The government increased financial aid for Tuberculosis patients under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana to ₹1,000 per month, as the disease is mostly linked with malnutrition and poor living conditions and those with a BMI less than 18.5 are given energy-dense nutritional supplements for the first two months of therapy.
