Air India denies putting pressure on families of AI-171 Boeing crash victims

Debris of Air India Flight AI171 seen at the crash site, in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. (IANS File Photo)

New Delhi, (IANS): Air India has denied that families of victims of the AI-171 Boeing crash in Ahmedabad, which occurred on June 12, 2025, are being pressured to sign legal waivers in exchange for compensation.

The Tata Group airline said that there is "absolutely no deadline or pressure" on anyone to accept its final settlement offer.

Gujarat's former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani's daughter had alleged that the airline was exerting pressure on the families of the crash victims to sign legal waivers for getting compensation. The former Chief Minister of Gujarat was among the 260 victims who were killed in the crash, which took place merely seconds after the plane's take-off from the Ahmedabad airport.

In a statement issued in response to concerns raised by some families, Air India said relatives are free to wait for the official investigation findings before deciding whether to accept compensation.

With most of the interim payments having been disbursed, Air India has begun the process for final compensation and is engaging with families. Families or individuals have absolutely no deadline or pressure to accept our offer within a set timeframe, the statement said.

The airline also said that the wording in its Receipt, Discharge & Indemnity (RDI) document is intended only to ensure that compensation settlements remain final and to protect the airline from future claims, not to shield manufacturers or other third parties from potential legal liability.

Air India said in a statement that it has provided an interim payment of Rs 25 lakh (21,000 GBP) each to the families of the deceased to help address immediate financial needs.

Interim compensation has been paid to families of 96 per cent of the deceased. The remaining cases are primarily those where documentation is incomplete or where there are ongoing family disputes. Also, 94 per cent of those who were injured on the ground have either got one time full and final compensation or interim compensation, based on the nature of injury incurred and any loss of livelihood. The remaining individuals collected a form from the helpdesk after the crash, but have since not submitted it, the airline said.Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran had announced ex gratia financial assistance of Rs 1 crore for families of all the deceased as part of Tata Group’s philanthropic commitments - a measure that goes beyond legal compensation requirements. Ex gratia payments of Rs 1 crore have been disbursed to 91 per cent of the families of the deceased, with the remaining cases primarily constituting situations in which documentation is incomplete or where families have declined to accept payment, the statement added. Air India denies putting pressure on families of AI-171 Boeing crash victims | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........ → June 12, 2026

Japan births, fertility rates dropped to record low in 2025: Report

Pedestrians walk across a street in Tokyo, Japan on July 8, 2021. (Christopher Jue/Xinhua/IANS File Photo)

Tokyo, (IANS): The number of babies born in Japan to Japanese citizens in 2025 dropped to a record low of 671,236, while the country's total fertility rate also reduced to a new low, government data revealed on Wednesday, local media reported.

Births in Japan reduced by 2.2 per cent or 14,937 from the previous year, and the fertility rate dropped by 0.01 percentage point to 1.14, both witnessing a decline for the 10th consecutive year. However, the rate slowed in comparison to recent trends, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare revealed in a data, Japan's leading Kyodo News Agency reported. The slow pace of drop in the number of newborns may be due to the stable population of 25 to 35-year-olds who were born around the 1990s.

The number of marriages, a key factor attributable for future birth trends, increased for the second consecutive year to 489,119, with the average age of men getting married at 31.0 while women at 29.7, both down from the previous year.

Meanwhile, 1,589,489 deaths were reported in Japan, down for the first time in five years, as per the data. Deaths outnumbered births by 918,253, marking the 19th straight year of drop in the population.

Earlier in May, government data revealed that child population in Japan has reduced to an estimated 13.29 million as of April 1, showcasing a decline of 350,000 from a year earlier and marking a new record low. The figure has declined for 45th consecutive year.

The ratio of children aged below 15 years dropped 0.3 percentage point to 10.8 per cent of the total population, lowest since comparable data became available in 1950, according to data released by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication, Kyodo News reported.

The figures, including foreign residents, were calculated based on population estimates mentioned in national census conducted every five years.

The decline in population has continued for 45 years despite several measures taken by the Japanese government like increasing financial support for families who are raising a child. In order to address the declining birthrate, the Japanese government has declared the period through 2030 as a "final opportunity to reverse the trend."According to the data, there were 6.81 boys and 6.48 million girls. As many as 3.09 million children were aged between 12-14 years while 2.13 million were zero to two years, showcasing a trend of fewer children being born. Japan births, fertility rates dropped to record low in 2025: Report | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........ → June 10, 2026