A major scare unfolded at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Tuesday afternoon after a bus parked close to an Air India aircraft caught fire near Terminal 3. Fortunately, no passengers or staff were injured in the incident.

Fire doused quickly, operations remain normal

According to Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which manages IGIA, the bus—operated by SATS Airport Services Private Limited—was parked near bay 32 when the blaze broke out. “In a stray incident, a bus operated by one of the ground handlers caught fire around noon today. Our expert ARFF team on the ground immediately swung into action and extinguished the fire within a couple of minutes,” DIAL said in a statement on X.

Officials confirmed that the bus was stationary and unoccupied when the fire began. The airport operator added that all operations at the terminal continued as normal and that passenger and staff safety remains its top priority.

Cause under investigation

Airport sources said SATS has initiated an internal investigation to determine the cause of the fire. The Delhi Police also confirmed that the vehicle was empty at the time, except for the driver, who escaped unhurt. “Examination of the bus will be carried out to find out the cause of the fire,” officials said.

Terminal 3, one of the world’s largest airport terminals inaugurated in 2010, handles both domestic and international flights. It has the capacity to serve up to 40 million passengers annually.

With the Bihar election just days away, the political battle over the revered socialist leader Karpoori Thakur’s legacy has escalated into a full-blown war of words. The Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Samajwadi Party (SP) are vying for the symbolic title of “Jan Nayak” — a label deeply associated with Thakur, the former Bihar Chief Minister and social justice icon.

Congress sparks row by calling Rahul Gandhi ‘Jan Nayak’

The controversy began when the Congress declared Rahul Gandhi as “Jan Nayak,” a move swiftly dismissed by Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, who is part of the BJP-led alliance. “The title is given by the people… it can’t be self-assumed,” Manjhi said.

He also rejected the RJD’s claim that Tejashwi Yadav deserved the same title, arguing that it insulted the stature of Karpoori Thakur. “Karpoori Thakur ji was called ‘Jan Nayak’. What has Tejashwi done for the state?” Manjhi remarked.

BJP, JDU join in criticism

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan took a sharp dig at the opposition, asserting that “there is only one ‘Jan Nayak’ in Bihar — Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur ji. People will never accept anyone trying to copy him.”

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, too, weighed in. “These days, some are busy declaring themselves ‘Jan Nayak’. It is shameful to appropriate such a title,” he said in a post on X.

SP and RJD also claim the title

The Samajwadi Party joined the row with Lucknow MLA Ravidas Mehrotra saying, “All INDIA parties will decide together who is ‘Jan Nayak’. If Congress claims Rahul Gandhi, then we say Akhilesh Yadav is ‘Jan Nayak’.”

The RJD, meanwhile, continues to project Tejashwi Yadav as the people’s hero and the face of the INDIA bloc in Bihar.

Legacy politics before polling

Political analysts see Congress’s move as a strategic bid to connect with voters who revere Karpoori Thakur, especially ahead of polling next week. The BJP, however, accused the party of “title chori,” claiming it was attempting to hijack the emotional connect of Thakur’s legacy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited Thakur’s native village in Samastipur to pay homage before launching his party’s campaign, underlining the continued electoral importance of the socialist leader’s legacy.

Born in 1924, Karpoori Thakur was Bihar’s first non-Congress socialist Chief Minister and introduced the state’s landmark alcohol prohibition policy. His influence continues to shape Bihar’s political identity across party lines.

OpenAI announced that its subscription service, ChatGPT Go, will be available free of cost for one year to users in India who register between November 4 and the end of a limited-time promotional period. The initiative coincides with the company’s first-ever DevDay Exchange event in Bengaluru.

Designed to enhance access to advanced AI features

Launched in India in August, ChatGPT Go was created in response to user feedback seeking affordable access to advanced AI tools. The plan offers higher message limits, image generation capabilities, and file uploads — features previously limited to premium tiers.

According to OpenAI, the number of paid ChatGPT subscribers in India doubled within the first month of ChatGPT Go’s introduction. Following this strong adoption, the company has expanded the service to nearly 90 countries.

Boost to India’s growing AI ecosystem

OpenAI highlighted that millions of Indians, including developers, students, and professionals, use ChatGPT daily. The company described the offer as part of its “India-first” commitment, supporting the IndiaAI Mission and reinforcing the country’s growing momentum in artificial intelligence as it prepares to host the AI Impact Summit next year.

Existing ChatGPT Go subscribers in India will also benefit from the free 12-month promotion.

Nick Turley, OpenAI’s Vice President and Head of ChatGPT, said the initiative is inspired by the creativity and enthusiasm of Indian users. “Ahead of our first DevDay Exchange event in India, we’re making ChatGPT Go freely available for a year to help more people across India easily access and benefit from advanced AI,” he added.