General Affairs
In Kashmir, Hundreds Queue Up To Join the Army Amid Unrest
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SHRINAGAR : Amid unrest, hundreds of young men ran, huffed through push-ups and took endurance tests as they tried their luck in an army recruitment drive today in south Kashmir, the epicenter of violent protests in the Valley since July.
The drive took place at Anantnag, around 60 km from Srinagar and one of the districts in Kashmir that have seen clashes between civilians and security forces since July 8, when Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed.
Many of the aspirants had to leave their homes in the dead of night to escape stone-throwing crowds and make it to the recruitment camp safely.
"I'm joining the army to serve my country," declared Zubair Ahmad in a fascinating counter-narrative to the anger on the streets and the slogan-shouting protesters who have clashed against the forces.
"I was in school and now schools and colleges are closed and the government is not able to do anything. I have decided now that I have potential to do anything for our country India," said Hilal Ahmad.
Due to unrest and continued lock down, out of 6,000 applicants, only 400 could make it to the interview round.
Crestfallen, a few of those who failed to qualify pleaded with officers to mark them leniently.
"Because of the situation and administrative problems, the candidates may not be able to turn up. Nonetheless, today being the first day, we had a good response," Brigadier JS Sanyal said.
Over 80 have been killed and around 10,000 civilians and security personnel have been injured in two-and-a-half months of violence.
The drive took place at Anantnag, around 60 km from Srinagar and one of the districts in Kashmir that have seen clashes between civilians and security forces since July 8, when Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed.
Many of the aspirants had to leave their homes in the dead of night to escape stone-throwing crowds and make it to the recruitment camp safely.
"I'm joining the army to serve my country," declared Zubair Ahmad in a fascinating counter-narrative to the anger on the streets and the slogan-shouting protesters who have clashed against the forces.
"I was in school and now schools and colleges are closed and the government is not able to do anything. I have decided now that I have potential to do anything for our country India," said Hilal Ahmad.
Due to unrest and continued lock down, out of 6,000 applicants, only 400 could make it to the interview round.
Crestfallen, a few of those who failed to qualify pleaded with officers to mark them leniently.
"Because of the situation and administrative problems, the candidates may not be able to turn up. Nonetheless, today being the first day, we had a good response," Brigadier JS Sanyal said.
Over 80 have been killed and around 10,000 civilians and security personnel have been injured in two-and-a-half months of violence.
Marathas Take To Streets With Demand For Quota, Say Persecuted By Dalits
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After the huge Patel protests in Gujarat, the BJP is facing an upsurge by Marathas in Maharashtra. Rallies -- held by lakhs of people in absolute silence, have been on across the state for more than a month, said to have been triggered by the rape of a girl by Dalits in Kopardi in July.
Nine large processions -- called "Maratha Kranti Muk (silent) Morcha" have been held in the major cities in the state. Two more were held today in Solapur and Navi Mumbai. Another significant one is scheduled to be held in Ahmednagar on September 23, the district where the teen was raped and killed. And if there is no intervention by the state government, then perhaps the biggest one will be held in Mumbai in October.
What sets the Maratha rallies apart from the Jat and the Patel protests is that these rallies being led by women, who raise the issue of restoring Maratha pride by demanding death for the killers of the girl from Kopardi, measures to prevent the misuse of the Prevention of Dalit Atrocities Act and reservation for Marathas in government jobs and colleges.
The groundswell has come as a boon for the opposition, with Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad Pawar - one of the tallest Maratha leaders in the state -- rushing to support the demand to muzzle the SC/St Act, saying it was a demand that "should be looked into".
Later, when the media extensively reported his statement, he issued a clarification saying, "I did not say the Act should be scrapped but steps should be taken to prevent its misuse."
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray also said, "A special session of the assembly should be called and these demands should be discussed by all parties."
But neither the NCP, the Shiv Sena or the Congress, all of which have a strong Maratha leadership, are openly backing these mass gatherings. Rather, their leaders can be seen on the sidelines of these rallies, well away from the spotlight.
While no party is forthcoming on the subject, part of the reason is seen to be that an open support can lead to a loss of votes among a crucial section, the Dalits.
One of their main demands of the rallyists is death for the three rapists and killers of the Maratha teenager in Kopardi. They also demand a change in the SC/ST Act, claiming it has become the Dalit community's tool to persecute the Marathas.
The organisers of these rallies, though, insist they are not anti-Dalit and their movement is meant at restoring the Maratha pride. A prescribed code of conduct for the participants of the procession says "this is not a movement against people of any particular community," said Mauli Pawar, a member of the organising committee.
Nine large processions -- called "Maratha Kranti Muk (silent) Morcha" have been held in the major cities in the state. Two more were held today in Solapur and Navi Mumbai. Another significant one is scheduled to be held in Ahmednagar on September 23, the district where the teen was raped and killed. And if there is no intervention by the state government, then perhaps the biggest one will be held in Mumbai in October.
The groundswell has come as a boon for the opposition, with Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad Pawar - one of the tallest Maratha leaders in the state -- rushing to support the demand to muzzle the SC/St Act, saying it was a demand that "should be looked into".
Later, when the media extensively reported his statement, he issued a clarification saying, "I did not say the Act should be scrapped but steps should be taken to prevent its misuse."
But neither the NCP, the Shiv Sena or the Congress, all of which have a strong Maratha leadership, are openly backing these mass gatherings. Rather, their leaders can be seen on the sidelines of these rallies, well away from the spotlight.
While no party is forthcoming on the subject, part of the reason is seen to be that an open support can lead to a loss of votes among a crucial section, the Dalits.
One of their main demands of the rallyists is death for the three rapists and killers of the Maratha teenager in Kopardi. They also demand a change in the SC/ST Act, claiming it has become the Dalit community's tool to persecute the Marathas.
The organisers of these rallies, though, insist they are not anti-Dalit and their movement is meant at restoring the Maratha pride. A prescribed code of conduct for the participants of the procession says "this is not a movement against people of any particular community," said Mauli Pawar, a member of the organising committee.
Najeeb Jung Scraps Appointment Of Delhi Power Regulator Chief
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NEW DELHI: Lt Governor Najeeb Jung today scrapped the appointment of Krishna Saini as chairperson of Delhi's power regulator DERC by AAP government on grounds of legal infirmities, further escalating the already intense confrontation between the two sides.
The LG's office said Mr Saini was appointed to the top post of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) in March without approval of Mr Jung as mandated under rules and procedures.
"In the given circumstances, the appointment of Chairperson, DERC has been declared as void, ab initio," the LG's office said in a statement.
Mr Jung has also directed the government to initiate the process for selection of the chairperson of the DERC immediately, in accordance with law.
Mr Saini, a former Chief Income Tax Commissioner, was appointed to head the regulator, which takes crucial decisions relating to power sector including tariff, in March without Mr Jung's approval.
"As per Section 85, Electricity Act, 2003, the Selection Committee is to be constituted by the State Government. The power and functions of the State Government have been delegated to the LG vide government of India notification dated February 20, 2004.
"Further, the Council of Ministers appointed Sh. Krishna Saini as Chairperson, Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) without the approval of the Lt Governor," Mr Jung's office said in a statement.
It said as the constitution of the selection committee as well as the appointment of DERC chairperson was done without putting up the matter to Mr Jung for his concurrence, the entire process has been vitiated right from the beginning and "suffers from serious legal infirmities".
While appointing Mr Saini, the AAP government had cited a Delhi High Court order of February 24 saying it was allowed permission to go ahead with his appointment.
Mr Saini had retired as Chief Commissioner of Income Tax in January.
The LG and AAP government have been at loggerheads over a range of issues including appointments and have even been fighting it out in court. The Delhi High Court had last month held that LG is the administrative head of Delhi following which the AAP government had challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court.
The LG's office said Mr Saini was appointed to the top post of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) in March without approval of Mr Jung as mandated under rules and procedures.
"In the given circumstances, the appointment of Chairperson, DERC has been declared as void, ab initio," the LG's office said in a statement.
Mr Jung has also directed the government to initiate the process for selection of the chairperson of the DERC immediately, in accordance with law.
Mr Saini, a former Chief Income Tax Commissioner, was appointed to head the regulator, which takes crucial decisions relating to power sector including tariff, in March without Mr Jung's approval.
"As per Section 85, Electricity Act, 2003, the Selection Committee is to be constituted by the State Government. The power and functions of the State Government have been delegated to the LG vide government of India notification dated February 20, 2004.
"Further, the Council of Ministers appointed Sh. Krishna Saini as Chairperson, Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) without the approval of the Lt Governor," Mr Jung's office said in a statement.
It said as the constitution of the selection committee as well as the appointment of DERC chairperson was done without putting up the matter to Mr Jung for his concurrence, the entire process has been vitiated right from the beginning and "suffers from serious legal infirmities".
While appointing Mr Saini, the AAP government had cited a Delhi High Court order of February 24 saying it was allowed permission to go ahead with his appointment.
Mr Saini had retired as Chief Commissioner of Income Tax in January.
The LG and AAP government have been at loggerheads over a range of issues including appointments and have even been fighting it out in court. The Delhi High Court had last month held that LG is the administrative head of Delhi following which the AAP government had challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court.
Rafale Deal With France For 36 Fighter Jets Cleared, To Be Signed On Friday
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NEW DELHI: The government has cleared the much anticipated deal with France for 36 Rafale fighter jets which will cost 7.878 billion Euros and will be signed on Friday in the presence of French Defence Minister Jean Yves Le Drian.
Defence sources said that deal for the aircraft, the first fighter jet deal in 20 years, comes with a saving of nearly 750 million Euros than the UPA era one, which was scrapped by the Narendra Modi government, besides a 50 per cent offset clause.
This means business worth at least three billion Euros for Indian companies, both big and small, and generating hundreds of jobs in India through offsets.
The Rafale fighter jets, deliveries of which will start in 36 months and finished in 66 months from the date contract is inked, comes equipped with state-of-the-art missiles like Meteor and Scalp that will give the IAF a capability that had been sorely missing in its arsenal.
Sources said the government today formally cleared the Inter-Governmental Agreement to be signed on Friday in the presence of Drian who arrives tomorrow evening along with CEOs of Dassault Aviation, Thales and MBDA and top government officials.
The contract for the deal was already cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security earlier. The price of the contract was fixed in May, sources said.
Sources said the "vanila price" (just the 36 aircraft) is about 3.42 billion Euros. The armaments cost about 710 million Euros while Indian specific changes, including integration of Israeli helmet mounted displays, will cost 1700 million Euros.
Rest of the cost include spare parts, maintenance among others.
Besides other features that make the Rafale a strategic weapon in the hands of the IAF is the Beyond Visual Range Meteor air-to-air missile with a range in excess of 150 km.
Its integration on the Rafale jets will mean the IAF can hit targets inside both Pakistan and across the northern and eastern borders while still staying within India's own territorial boundary.
Pakistan currently has only a BVR with 80 km range. During the Kargil War, India used a BVR of 50 km while Pakistan had none. With Meteor, the balance of power in the air space has again tilted in India's favour.
Scalp, a long-range air-to-ground cruise missile with a range in excess of 300 km also gives the IAF an edge over its adversaries.
The tough negotiations by the MoD-IAF team extracted man concessions and discounts from the French before arriving at a price that is almost 750 million Euros less than what was being quoted by the French side in January 2016.
This was when the commercial negotiations gathered pace, almost seven months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India's intention to buy 36 Rafales off the shelf from France during his trip to Paris in April 2015.
Defence sources said that deal for the aircraft, the first fighter jet deal in 20 years, comes with a saving of nearly 750 million Euros than the UPA era one, which was scrapped by the Narendra Modi government, besides a 50 per cent offset clause.
The Rafale fighter jets, deliveries of which will start in 36 months and finished in 66 months from the date contract is inked, comes equipped with state-of-the-art missiles like Meteor and Scalp that will give the IAF a capability that had been sorely missing in its arsenal.
Sources said the government today formally cleared the Inter-Governmental Agreement to be signed on Friday in the presence of Drian who arrives tomorrow evening along with CEOs of Dassault Aviation, Thales and MBDA and top government officials.
The contract for the deal was already cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security earlier. The price of the contract was fixed in May, sources said.
Sources said the "vanila price" (just the 36 aircraft) is about 3.42 billion Euros. The armaments cost about 710 million Euros while Indian specific changes, including integration of Israeli helmet mounted displays, will cost 1700 million Euros.
Besides other features that make the Rafale a strategic weapon in the hands of the IAF is the Beyond Visual Range Meteor air-to-air missile with a range in excess of 150 km.
Its integration on the Rafale jets will mean the IAF can hit targets inside both Pakistan and across the northern and eastern borders while still staying within India's own territorial boundary.
Pakistan currently has only a BVR with 80 km range. During the Kargil War, India used a BVR of 50 km while Pakistan had none. With Meteor, the balance of power in the air space has again tilted in India's favour.
Scalp, a long-range air-to-ground cruise missile with a range in excess of 300 km also gives the IAF an edge over its adversaries.
The tough negotiations by the MoD-IAF team extracted man concessions and discounts from the French before arriving at a price that is almost 750 million Euros less than what was being quoted by the French side in January 2016.
This was when the commercial negotiations gathered pace, almost seven months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India's intention to buy 36 Rafales off the shelf from France during his trip to Paris in April 2015.
ISRO To Launch SCATSAT-1, 7 Other Satellites On September 26
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BENGALURU: Indian Space Research Organisation today said it would launch SCATSAT-1 for ocean and weather related studies and seven co-passenger satellites into polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) on September 26.
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its 37th flight, (PSLV-C35) will launch the satellites at 9:12 hours on September 26, 2016 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, ISRO said.
The 377 kg SCATSAT-1 satellite will have satellites from Algeria, Canada and USA, as well as two satellites from Indian Universities as its co-passenger.
ISRO said SCATSAT-1 would be placed into a 720 km Polar SSO, whereas the two Universities satellites and the five foreign satellites will be placed into a 670 km polar orbit.
This is the first mission of PSLV in which it will be launching its payloads into two different orbits.
ISRO said PSLV-C35 will be launched from the First Launch Pad (FLP) of Satish Dhawan Space Centre and it will be the 15th flight of PSLV in 'XL' configuration (with the use of solid strap-on motors).
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its 37th flight, (PSLV-C35) will launch the satellites at 9:12 hours on September 26, 2016 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, ISRO said.
The 377 kg SCATSAT-1 satellite will have satellites from Algeria, Canada and USA, as well as two satellites from Indian Universities as its co-passenger.
This is the first mission of PSLV in which it will be launching its payloads into two different orbits.
ISRO said PSLV-C35 will be launched from the First Launch Pad (FLP) of Satish Dhawan Space Centre and it will be the 15th flight of PSLV in 'XL' configuration (with the use of solid strap-on motors).
Business Affairs
India posts surprise current account deficit on slower remittances
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India unexpectedly posted a slight current account deficit in the April-June quarter, contrasting with expectations it would post the first surplus in nine years, as citizens abroad sent fewer remittances home.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data on Wednesday showed India posted a current account deficit of $300 million, or 0.1 percent of gross domestic product, in the period. It compared with expectations for a $4 billion surplus that would have been the first positive balance since the first three months of 2007.
{blurb}
The deficit, however, was much narrower than the $6.1 billion, or 1.2 percent of GDP, in the same quarter a year ago.
India has a large number of citizens who work abroad, but what they have been able to send home has fallen due to an economic slowdown in popular work destinations such as the Middle East.
Private transfer receipts, which reflect remittances, fell to $15.2 billion in April-June versus $16.3 billion a year ago, according to the RBI data.
"Going ahead we expect the remittances from Indians mostly staying in the Middle East countries to remain sluggish, which means the current account deficit for the full fiscal year is likely to be nearly one percent and not below one percent of GDP as earlier expected," said A. Prasanna, economist at ICICI Securities Primary Dealership.
A current account deficit of below 1 percent of GDP would still be well below the record high of 4.8 percent of GDP hit in the year ending in March 2013.
But analysts say the current account gap could signal trouble spots in an economy that may be growing at among the fastest pace in the world but is still expanding well below the 8 percent needed to provide full employment.
That is because positive factors such as continued solid inflows into stocks and debt markets - which surged to $2.1 billion from $200 million a year ago - are being offset as weak investment demand hits imports, while exports remain sluggish because of slowing global demand.
The data on Wednesday showed imports slumped in the April-June quarter, even as exports stayed subdued, narrowing the trade deficit to $23.8 billion from $34.2 billion a year ago.
For a developing economy like India slow import growth is a negative sign, as it reflects weak investment demand because Indian firms need to buy capital goods and machinery from abroad.
Meanwhile, India's overall balance of payment surplus narrowed to $7.0 billion from $11.4 billion a year ago, according to the RBI, though it still marked a third straight quarter of surplus.
India unexpectedly posted a slight current account deficit in the April-June quarter, contrasting with expectations it would post the first surplus in nine years, as citizens abroad sent fewer remittances home.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data on Wednesday showed India posted a current account deficit of $300 million, or 0.1 percent of gross domestic product, in the period. It compared with expectations for a $4 billion surplus that would have been the first positive balance since the first three months of 2007.
{blurb}
The deficit, however, was much narrower than the $6.1 billion, or 1.2 percent of GDP, in the same quarter a year ago.
India has a large number of citizens who work abroad, but what they have been able to send home has fallen due to an economic slowdown in popular work destinations such as the Middle East.
Private transfer receipts, which reflect remittances, fell to $15.2 billion in April-June versus $16.3 billion a year ago, according to the RBI data.
"Going ahead we expect the remittances from Indians mostly staying in the Middle East countries to remain sluggish, which means the current account deficit for the full fiscal year is likely to be nearly one percent and not below one percent of GDP as earlier expected," said A. Prasanna, economist at ICICI Securities Primary Dealership.
A current account deficit of below 1 percent of GDP would still be well below the record high of 4.8 percent of GDP hit in the year ending in March 2013.
But analysts say the current account gap could signal trouble spots in an economy that may be growing at among the fastest pace in the world but is still expanding well below the 8 percent needed to provide full employment.
That is because positive factors such as continued solid inflows into stocks and debt markets - which surged to $2.1 billion from $200 million a year ago - are being offset as weak investment demand hits imports, while exports remain sluggish because of slowing global demand.
The data on Wednesday showed imports slumped in the April-June quarter, even as exports stayed subdued, narrowing the trade deficit to $23.8 billion from $34.2 billion a year ago.
For a developing economy like India slow import growth is a negative sign, as it reflects weak investment demand because Indian firms need to buy capital goods and machinery from abroad.
Meanwhile, India's overall balance of payment surplus narrowed to $7.0 billion from $11.4 billion a year ago, according to the RBI, though it still marked a third straight quarter of surplus.
Adani unveils world's largest solar power plant in Tamil Nadu
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Adani Green Energy, part of the Adani Group, today said it has dedicated to the nation the world's largest 648-mw solar power plant in Tamil Nadu entailing an investment of Rs 4,550 crore.
The solar power plant, producing 648 mw at a single location, was formally dedicated to the nation, a company statement said.
"The plant is set up at Kamuthi, Ramanathapuram, in Tamil Nadu with an investment of Rs 4,550 crore. It is part of the state government's ambitious target of generating 3,000 mw as per the solar energy policy unveiled by the government in 2012," it said.
The entire 648-mw plant is now connected with Kamuthi 400 kv sub-station of Tantransco, making it the world's largest solar unit at a single location, it said.
"This is a momentous occasion for Tamil Nadu as well as for the entire country. We are... happy to dedicate this plant to the nation. A plant of this magnitude reinstates the country's ambitions of becoming one of the leading green energy producers in the world," said Gautam Adani, Chairman, Adani Group.
"I would like to express our deepest gratitude to chief minister and the government of Tamil Nadu...," he said.
The plant consists of 3.80 lakh foundations, 25 lakh solar modules, 27,000 mt of structure, 576 inverters, 154 transformers along with 6,000-km cables.
For setting up the factory, the company had sourced equipment and machinery from various parts of the world in a timeframe of eight months.
About 8,500 personnel worked for an average about 11 mw of installation in a day to set up the plant in the stipulated time, it said.
Adani Green Energy, part of the Adani Group, today said it has dedicated to the nation the world's largest 648-mw solar power plant in Tamil Nadu entailing an investment of Rs 4,550 crore.
The solar power plant, producing 648 mw at a single location, was formally dedicated to the nation, a company statement said.
"The plant is set up at Kamuthi, Ramanathapuram, in Tamil Nadu with an investment of Rs 4,550 crore. It is part of the state government's ambitious target of generating 3,000 mw as per the solar energy policy unveiled by the government in 2012," it said.
The entire 648-mw plant is now connected with Kamuthi 400 kv sub-station of Tantransco, making it the world's largest solar unit at a single location, it said.
"This is a momentous occasion for Tamil Nadu as well as for the entire country. We are... happy to dedicate this plant to the nation. A plant of this magnitude reinstates the country's ambitions of becoming one of the leading green energy producers in the world," said Gautam Adani, Chairman, Adani Group.
"I would like to express our deepest gratitude to chief minister and the government of Tamil Nadu...," he said.
The plant consists of 3.80 lakh foundations, 25 lakh solar modules, 27,000 mt of structure, 576 inverters, 154 transformers along with 6,000-km cables.
For setting up the factory, the company had sourced equipment and machinery from various parts of the world in a timeframe of eight months.
About 8,500 personnel worked for an average about 11 mw of installation in a day to set up the plant in the stipulated time, it said.
Indian Railway Budget: Next on the track is cut in expenses
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Post merger of Rail Budget with the General Budget, the Finance Ministry will be exploring ways to cut short railway expenses particularly concession and subsidy on passenger fares. The government will form a committee to look into the aspect of concessions to as many as 53 categories including senior citizens, sportspersons, freedom fighters and differently abled among others.
Indian Railway incurs a whopping Rs 34,000 crore annually towards social service obligations which essentially includes cross-subsidies involving fares and freight and nearly 53 types of concessions.
It offers 43 per cent subsidy on a single train journey to its passengers. Comprehensive data shows the railways incurred the expenditure of Rs 34,000 crore on 'social service obligation' for the year 2015-16. Out of this, Rs 1500 crore was spent on myriad concessions on train travels. This is in addition to the free journeys permitted to certain sections like MPs, MLAs and railway officers.
"As far as the burden of concessional fare in different categories including sportspersons and patients is concerned, the government will constitute a separate committee to find out a way forward for it," a senior railway ministry official said. He, however, said these concessions were essentially populist measures announced by successive governments. "With scrapping of the railway budget, the finance ministry may consider cutting short on these concessions," he indicated.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu claimed that merger of the two budgets will not affect the 'distinct identity' of the railways and its functional autonomy. "The government will also take an initiative to ensure that there is a separate discussion to the railways expenditure each year so that there is a element of detailed Parliamentary scrutiny and accountability," Prabhu said. However, on financial implications of the move, officials claimed that the railways will now also be relieved of the burden of major expenses on salary and pension and fuel expenditure. This assumes greater significance in wake of the additional burden of nearly Rs 32,000 crore on salary and pension after implementation of the 7th pay commission.
At present, the wage bill of railways is around Rs 70,000 crore and pension bill amounts to nearly Rs 45,500 crore while the annual fuel bill is more than Rs 30,000 crore. While it spends Rs 18,000 crore on diesel purchase, Rs 12,000 crore is the annual cost of electricity purchase. Salary and pension bill along with fuel expenses account for nearly 75 per cent.
Post merger of Rail Budget with the General Budget, the Finance Ministry will be exploring ways to cut short railway expenses particularly concession and subsidy on passenger fares. The government will form a committee to look into the aspect of concessions to as many as 53 categories including senior citizens, sportspersons, freedom fighters and differently abled among others.
Indian Railway incurs a whopping Rs 34,000 crore annually towards social service obligations which essentially includes cross-subsidies involving fares and freight and nearly 53 types of concessions.
It offers 43 per cent subsidy on a single train journey to its passengers. Comprehensive data shows the railways incurred the expenditure of Rs 34,000 crore on 'social service obligation' for the year 2015-16. Out of this, Rs 1500 crore was spent on myriad concessions on train travels. This is in addition to the free journeys permitted to certain sections like MPs, MLAs and railway officers.
"As far as the burden of concessional fare in different categories including sportspersons and patients is concerned, the government will constitute a separate committee to find out a way forward for it," a senior railway ministry official said. He, however, said these concessions were essentially populist measures announced by successive governments. "With scrapping of the railway budget, the finance ministry may consider cutting short on these concessions," he indicated.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu claimed that merger of the two budgets will not affect the 'distinct identity' of the railways and its functional autonomy. "The government will also take an initiative to ensure that there is a separate discussion to the railways expenditure each year so that there is a element of detailed Parliamentary scrutiny and accountability," Prabhu said. However, on financial implications of the move, officials claimed that the railways will now also be relieved of the burden of major expenses on salary and pension and fuel expenditure. This assumes greater significance in wake of the additional burden of nearly Rs 32,000 crore on salary and pension after implementation of the 7th pay commission.
At present, the wage bill of railways is around Rs 70,000 crore and pension bill amounts to nearly Rs 45,500 crore while the annual fuel bill is more than Rs 30,000 crore. While it spends Rs 18,000 crore on diesel purchase, Rs 12,000 crore is the annual cost of electricity purchase. Salary and pension bill along with fuel expenses account for nearly 75 per cent.
GST Council to hold first meeting today
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The all powerful GST Council, which will decide on tax rates, exempted goods and threshold, will meet for the first time tomorrow as it races against time to iron out issues between Centre and states for rolling out the new indirect tax regime from April 1, 2017.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and has Minister of State in charge of revenue and state finance ministers as members.
The two-day meet of the GST Council beginning tomorrow is likely to take up the discussion on issues of dual control and threshold with states demanding that they be given the legal and administrative power for imposing tax on entities with turnover of up to Rs 1.5 crore.
In their last meeting with Jaitley on July 26, states had made it clear that small businesses with turnover of Rs 1.5 crore and below should be taxed only in the hands of state.
In the GST structure, while the states have proposed that taxpayers with annual turnover of over Rs 1.5 crore should be taxed by the Centre, which will later disburse to states their share.
Those entities with turnover below Rs 1.5 crore would pay their taxes to states, which would subsequently pass on to the Centre its share.
Further, the Centre has proposed that small traders having annual turnover of up to Rs 20-25 lakh can be exempted from GST, but states have demanded that the limit be kept at Rs 10 lakh. The same limit should be Rs 5 lakh for special category and NE states.
Currently, the threshold for Value-Added Tax (VAT) is Rs 10 lakh in most states.
Tomorrow's meeting, according to sources, is also likely to select a Vice Chairman for the Council who would be one of the state finance ministers.
GST, which is considered as the biggest tax reform since Independence, will subsume excise and service tax, and various other local levies including VAT and octroi.
The GST Council is likely to work out a consensus on all the key issues, including GST rate, within two months so that those can be incorporated in the CGST and IGST laws.
The government is planning to introduce GST legislations -- Central GST (CGST) and Integrated GST (IGST) -- in winter session of Parliament in November.
The all powerful GST Council, which will decide on tax rates, exempted goods and threshold, will meet for the first time tomorrow as it races against time to iron out issues between Centre and states for rolling out the new indirect tax regime from April 1, 2017.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and has Minister of State in charge of revenue and state finance ministers as members.
The two-day meet of the GST Council beginning tomorrow is likely to take up the discussion on issues of dual control and threshold with states demanding that they be given the legal and administrative power for imposing tax on entities with turnover of up to Rs 1.5 crore.
In their last meeting with Jaitley on July 26, states had made it clear that small businesses with turnover of Rs 1.5 crore and below should be taxed only in the hands of state.
In the GST structure, while the states have proposed that taxpayers with annual turnover of over Rs 1.5 crore should be taxed by the Centre, which will later disburse to states their share.
Those entities with turnover below Rs 1.5 crore would pay their taxes to states, which would subsequently pass on to the Centre its share.
Further, the Centre has proposed that small traders having annual turnover of up to Rs 20-25 lakh can be exempted from GST, but states have demanded that the limit be kept at Rs 10 lakh. The same limit should be Rs 5 lakh for special category and NE states.
Currently, the threshold for Value-Added Tax (VAT) is Rs 10 lakh in most states.
Tomorrow's meeting, according to sources, is also likely to select a Vice Chairman for the Council who would be one of the state finance ministers.
GST, which is considered as the biggest tax reform since Independence, will subsume excise and service tax, and various other local levies including VAT and octroi.
The GST Council is likely to work out a consensus on all the key issues, including GST rate, within two months so that those can be incorporated in the CGST and IGST laws.
The government is planning to introduce GST legislations -- Central GST (CGST) and Integrated GST (IGST) -- in winter session of Parliament in November.
Indian digital classified industry to grow 3X to $1.2 billion by 2020, says Google-KPMG study
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The digital classifieds industry in India is projected to grow three times by 2020 to US $1.2 billion according to a Google and KPMG report 'Digital Classifieds in India 2020'.
"By 2020, 650 million people in India will be online from which 500 million will own a smartphone, which is the key tool to access these verticals. Also, 450 million will be in urban areas where these services are used often," pointed out Nitin Bawankule, Industry Director, Google India. There will also be a 55 per cent increase in disposable income in the next five years in India, he added.
Majority of the growth will come from three sectors of classifieds portals namely e-services, real estate and automobiles. The report evaluated a total of six digital classifieds verticals which also included job portals, matrimony platforms and B2B service providers.
Real Estate and e-services are expected to increase by 4X and 7X, respectively by 2020. Within the e-services classifieds, dining, auto rentals, relocation services and home services like beauty services, repair, tutoring, personal trainers are the most popular segments.
The report outlines that next phase of growth of digital classifieds will be driven by local searches across these three categories that has grown by 4X in the last four years as seen by Google search trends. These searches were led by non-metros such as Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Kochi, Coimbatore, Indore and Jaipur.
However, it is the horizontal classifieds players that serve a broader reach will still continue to lead with about 30 per cent market share of total digital classifieds in 2020.
From the other popular classified verticals, online jobs market is set to double by 2020 with 63 per cent consumers accessing e-classifieds. Bengaluru, Mumbai, NCR and Hyderabad are the top ranked cities for online job searches, with 'SarkariNaukri' as one of the top searched Indic terms.
The report further highlights that consumers are happy to pay for value added services provided by these classifieds platforms. Fifty-nine per cent of used goods buyers are willing to pay for quality verification of goods or home delivery; 43 per cent of job portal users are willing to pay for auto application for jobs and 40 per cent of consumers searching for real estate are ready to invest more for legal verification and property check.
Talking about the challenges and growth opportunities for the industry, Sreedhar Prasad, Partner, e-commerce and startups, KPMG India said, "As the digital classified segment undergoes a rapid transformation it is facing a few challenges like unverified listings and low customer loyalty. However, it is expected that there will be convergence of online businesses since the end customer is the same, thus a high possibility of e-tailing, e-services and digital classifieds coming together as a strong one stop value proposition in the coming years."
The insights of the report are based on KPMG's data analysis , a qualitative and quantitative research executed by IPSOS which included a primary survey of 2,000-plus consumers across 11 cities and Google search data trends.
The digital classifieds industry in India is projected to grow three times by 2020 to US $1.2 billion according to a Google and KPMG report 'Digital Classifieds in India 2020'.
"By 2020, 650 million people in India will be online from which 500 million will own a smartphone, which is the key tool to access these verticals. Also, 450 million will be in urban areas where these services are used often," pointed out Nitin Bawankule, Industry Director, Google India. There will also be a 55 per cent increase in disposable income in the next five years in India, he added.
Majority of the growth will come from three sectors of classifieds portals namely e-services, real estate and automobiles. The report evaluated a total of six digital classifieds verticals which also included job portals, matrimony platforms and B2B service providers.
Real Estate and e-services are expected to increase by 4X and 7X, respectively by 2020. Within the e-services classifieds, dining, auto rentals, relocation services and home services like beauty services, repair, tutoring, personal trainers are the most popular segments.
The report outlines that next phase of growth of digital classifieds will be driven by local searches across these three categories that has grown by 4X in the last four years as seen by Google search trends. These searches were led by non-metros such as Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Kochi, Coimbatore, Indore and Jaipur.
However, it is the horizontal classifieds players that serve a broader reach will still continue to lead with about 30 per cent market share of total digital classifieds in 2020.
From the other popular classified verticals, online jobs market is set to double by 2020 with 63 per cent consumers accessing e-classifieds. Bengaluru, Mumbai, NCR and Hyderabad are the top ranked cities for online job searches, with 'SarkariNaukri' as one of the top searched Indic terms.
The report further highlights that consumers are happy to pay for value added services provided by these classifieds platforms. Fifty-nine per cent of used goods buyers are willing to pay for quality verification of goods or home delivery; 43 per cent of job portal users are willing to pay for auto application for jobs and 40 per cent of consumers searching for real estate are ready to invest more for legal verification and property check.
Talking about the challenges and growth opportunities for the industry, Sreedhar Prasad, Partner, e-commerce and startups, KPMG India said, "As the digital classified segment undergoes a rapid transformation it is facing a few challenges like unverified listings and low customer loyalty. However, it is expected that there will be convergence of online businesses since the end customer is the same, thus a high possibility of e-tailing, e-services and digital classifieds coming together as a strong one stop value proposition in the coming years."
The insights of the report are based on KPMG's data analysis , a qualitative and quantitative research executed by IPSOS which included a primary survey of 2,000-plus consumers across 11 cities and Google search data trends.
General Awareness
Indian Airways At A Glance
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An airway is defined as the corridor that connects one specified location to another at a specified altitude, along which an aircraft that meets the requirements of the airway may be flown.
First in Airways:
- First commercial civil aviation flight took place between Allahabad and Naini in 1911 – 6 miles .This is considered to be the world’s first airmail service
- First International flight introduced between London -Karachi – Delhi flight in 1912
- First flight flew between Karachi and Bombay by JRD Tata In 1932
- First civil aviation airport was formed in 1928 at Juhu, Mumbai
- India’s first airline is Imperial Airways
- First aircraft the Harlow trainer was rolled out for test flight in 1941
- First Director general of Civil Aviation(DGCA)-Lt.Col. Shelmerdine in 1931
- First International services flight between Bombay and London via Cairo and Geneva started in 1948
- First Civil Helicopter Services introduced in 1953
- East-West Airlines was the first scheduled private airline in 1991
- IC 814 flight of Indian Airlines was hijacked to Kandahar in 1999
- Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata was the India’s first licensed pilot in 1929.
- Sarla Thakral. Sarla Thakralwas the first Indian woman pilot license in 1936
- First Boeing all-women crew flight commanded by Captain Saudamini Deshmukh on September 1989
- First youngest pilot Captain Nivedita Bhasin(26) of Indian Airlines in 1990
- First woman commercial pilot Prem Mathur flying for Deccan Airways in 1948
- First Asian airline Boeing 707–420(Gauri Shankar) inducted a jet aircraft in its flee in 1960
- First national level private airline East West Airlines to operate in the country after 37 years in 1990
Some Important facts :
India crowned world’s fastest growing aviation market in 2015 by the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
- India is the ninth largest civil aviation market in the world with a market size of $16 billion and aims to become the 3rd largest market by 2020
- Bangalore is the aviation manufacturing hub in India(65%)
- Three largest airline in India in terms of passengers – IndiGo, Jet Airways and Indian Airlines
- Air Corporations Act was passed by Indian Parliament in 1953
- International Airports Authority of India (IAAI) was constituted in 1972
- National Airports Authority was constituted in 1986.
- Eight companies were in service within and outside the country at the time of independence, namely Tata Airlines, Indian National Airways, Air service of India, Deccan Airways, Ambica Airways, Bharat Airways and Mistry Airwa
- Air India is commended in the Guinnes Book of World Records for the largest evacuation effort by a civil before the first Gulf War in 1990
- India’s first ever budget airline Air Deccan begins operations on 25th August. The first flight is from Bangalore to Mangalore.
- Indian Airlines was rebranded as Indian in 2005
- The Regional Airlines Policy was announced in 2007
- The path breaking Greenfield Airport Policy of the Government was announced in 2008
- AERA was established to regulate the economic aspects of airports. It is an autonomous body set up by an Act of Parliament in 2009
- Airport Economic Regulatory Authority Appellate Tribunal (AERAAT) was established in 2010
- The real ‘Airlift’: Air India’s rescue mission in Kuwait won it a place in Guinness Records in 2016
List of Hijackings:
- Indian Airlines plane Fokker F27 Friendship aircraft named Ganga on its way from Srinagar to Jammu was hijacked by Hashim Quereshi and Ashraf Quereshi of the JKLF on 1971 January 30
- Delhi-Jaipur-Mumbai flight (IC 491) was commandeered and taken to Lahore where the hijackers were overpowered on September 10,1976.
- Devendra Nath Pandey and Bhola Nath Pandey hijacked Indian Airlinesflight IC-410 as it flew over Aligarh, to protest the imprisonment of Indira Gandhi by the Janata Party government on December 20, 1978.
- An Indian airlines plane Jetliner (Boeing 737) on flight from Srinagar to Delhi is hijacked by Sikh Terrorists and taken to Lahore on September 29, 1981
- Boeing 737 a scheduled flight from Bombay to New Delhi hijacked on August 22, 1982
- An Indian Airlines flight from Jodhpur to Delhi was hijacked. The hijacked plane landed at Amritsar in 1982
- 1984 July 6 – An Indian Airlines jet carrying 255 passengers and a crew of nine on flight from Srinagar to New Delhi was hijacked and forced to land in Lahore, Pakistan.The hijackers were reported to be armed with pistols, daggers and explosives. The hijackers’ surrender to Pakistan authorities ended a 17- hour ordeal for the plane’s passengers and crew, who remained aboard the A-300 Airbus in suffocating heat, with little food and water.
- An Indian Airlines flight IC 405 from Pathankot to Lahore was hijacked between Srinagar and Mumbai on July 1984
- Seven young hijackers demanded an Indian Airlines jetliner, on a domestic flight from Chandigarh to Srinagar to be flown to the United States. The plane was taken to Lahore and then to Karachi and finally to Dubai where the defense minister of UAE negotiated the release of the passengers on 1984 August 24
- TheAir India 182 Kanishka from Toronto via Montreal and London to New Delhi exploded off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985 by Inderjit Singh Reyat
- A Patna-Lucknow-Delh iIndian Airlines flight IC-810 was hijacked by Satish Chandra Pandey on Jan 22, 1993
- Indian Airlines Flight IC427 hijacked between April 24 and April 25, 1993. Commandos from the National Security Guard (NSG) by Mohammed Yousuf Shah. The rescue was code-named Operation Ashwamedh.
- Indian Airlines Lucknow-Delhi Flight IC-436 was hijacked by four college students of the Lucknow Arts College seeking to postpone their college exams in April 1993
- A Delhi – ChennaiAir India Airbus 320 was hijacked by a man who wanted Marathwada University to be renamed after Dr B R Ambedkar on January 13th, 1994.
- Indian Airlines Flight 814 known as IC 814 was an Indian Airlines Airbus A300 en route from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, hijacked on 24 December 1999 by Harkat-ul-Mujahideen
International Airports of India
Name of the Airport City State Veer Savarkar International Airport Port Blair Andaman and Nicobar Islands Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport Guwahati Assam Gaya Airport Gaya Bihar Indira Gandhi International Airport New Delhi Delhi Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport Ahmedabad Gujarat Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru Karnataka Mangalore Airport Mangalore Karnataka Cochin International Airport Kochi Kerala Calicut International Airport Kozhikode Kerala Trivandrum International Airport Thiruvananthapuram Kerala Raja Bhoj Airport Bhopal Madhya Pradesh Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport Indore Madhya Pradesh Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Mumbai Maharashtra Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport Nagpur Maharashtra Pune Airport Pune Maharashtra Zaruki International Airport Shillong Meghalaya Biju Patnaik International Airport Bhubaneshwar Odisha Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport Amristar Punjab Jaipur International Airport Jaipur Rajasthan Chennai International Airport Chennai Tamil Nadu Civil Aerodrome Coimbatore Tamil Nadu Tiruchirapalli International Airport Tiruchirappalli Tamil Nadu Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Hyderabad Telangana Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport Lucknow Uttar Pradesh Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport Varanasi Uttar Pradesh Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport Kolkata West Bengal
Domestic Airports
Airport City State Donakonda Airport Donakonda Andhra Pradesh Cuddapah Airport Kadapa Andhra Pradesh Daporijo Airport Daporijo Arunachal Pradesh Tezu Airport Tezu Arunachal Pradesh Dibrugarh Airport Dibrugarh Assam Rupsi Airport Dhubri Assam Tezpur Airport Tezpur Assam Jogbani Airport Jogbani Bihar Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport Patna Bihar Jagdalpur Airport Jagdalpur Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekananda Airport Raipur Chhattisgarh Diu Airport Diu Daman and Diu Vadodara Airport Vadodara Gujarat Kandla Airport Kandla Gujarat Bhavnagar Airport Bhavnagar Gujarat Keshod Airport Keshod Gujarat Porbandar Airport Porbandar Gujarat Rajkot Airport Rajkot Gujarat Surat Airport Surat Gujarat Gaggal Airport Kangra Himachal Pradesh Shimla Airport Shimla Himachal Pradesh Bhuntar Airport Kullu Himachal Pradesh Jammu Airport Jammu Jammu & Kashmir Dhanbad Airport Dhanbad Jharkhand Sonari Airport Jamshedpur Jharkhand Birsa Munda Airport Ranchi Jharkhand Belgaum Airport Belgaum Karnataka Hubli Airport Hubli Karnataka Mysore Airport Mysore Karnataka Vidyanagar Airport Toranagallu Karnataka Agatti Aerodrome Agatti Lakshadweep Gwalior Airport Gwalior Madhya Pradesh Jabalpur Airport Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh Khajuraho Airport Khajuraho Madhya Pradesh Khandwa Airport Khandwa Madhya Pradesh Akola Airport Akola Maharashtra Aurangabad Airport Aurangabad Maharashtra Jalgaon Airport Jalgaon Maharashtra Kolhapur Airport Kolhapur Maharashtra Nanded Airport Nanded Maharashtra Gandhinagar Airport Nashik Maharashtra Ozar Airport Nashik Maharashtra Ratnagiri Airport Ratnagiri Maharashtra Solapur Airport Solapur Maharashtra Tulihal Airport Imphal Manipur Lengpui Airport Aizawl Mizoram Dimapur Airport Dimapur Nagaland Biju Patnaik Airport Bhubaneswar Orissa Jharsuguda Airport Jharsuguda Orissa Berhampur Airport Berhampur Orissa Jeypore Airport Jeypore Orissa Hirakud Airport Hirakud Orissa Nuagaon Airport Nuagaon Orissa Utkela Airport Utkela Orissa Madurai Airport Madurai Tamil Nadu Salem Airport Salem Tamil Nadu Tuticorin Airport Tuticorin Tamil Nadu Agartala Airport Agartala Tripura Kailashahar Airport Kailashahar Tripura Khowai Airport Khowai Tripura Jolly Grant Airport Dehradun Uttrakhand Pantnagar Airport Pantnagar Uttrakhand Balurghat Airport Balurghat West Bengal Cooch Behar Airport Cooch Behar West Bengal
Future Airports
Airport City State Warangal Airport Warangal Andhra Pradesh Bijapur Airport Bijapur Karnataka Karwar Airport Karwar Karnataka Shimoga Airport Shimoga Karnataka Gulbarga Airport Gulbarga Karnataka Hassan Airport Hassan Karnataka Bidar Airport Bidar Karnataka Kannur International Airport Kannur Kerala Navi Mumbai International Airport Navi Mumbai Maharashtra Yavatmal Airport Yavatmal Maharashtra Naini Saini Airport Pithoragarh Uttrakhand Malda Airport Malda West Bengal
Two types of fund provided by GOI
GREEN INVESTMENT
- Fresh Investment i.e. to build up airport from scratch
- Bangalore & Hyderabad Airports
BROWN INVESTMENT
- Renovation of old Airports
- Delhi & Mumbai Airports
Awards & Recognitions received by Indian Airports:
- World’s largest ‘charkha’ displaye at IGI airport
- Mangaluru Airport conferred as best in the country
- Cochin International Airport become India’s first green airport -world’s first solar powered airport
- Indira Gandhi International adjudged as world’s best airport in 2015
- Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has won three international awards for 2015 year given by the Airports Council International (ACI).
- Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has been named as the world’s number 1 position for the second consecutive year in 25-40 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA) category
Indira Gandhi International Airport to get India’s first body scanner
- Airports in Jaipur and Lucknow which are managed by the Airports Authority of India, have won the first and second place of the 2015 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards
- Golden Peacock National Quality Award 2015 for Delhi Airport
- Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore is India’s First to Receive Green Co Platinum Rating
Important Persons to know
- Guruprasad Mohapatra – Chairman of Airports Authority of India
- Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju – Union Minister for Civil Aviation
An airway is defined as the corridor that connects one specified location to another at a specified altitude, along which an aircraft that meets the requirements of the airway may be flown.
First in Airways:
- First commercial civil aviation flight took place between Allahabad and Naini in 1911 – 6 miles .This is considered to be the world’s first airmail service
- First International flight introduced between London -Karachi – Delhi flight in 1912
- First flight flew between Karachi and Bombay by JRD Tata In 1932
- First civil aviation airport was formed in 1928 at Juhu, Mumbai
- India’s first airline is Imperial Airways
- First aircraft the Harlow trainer was rolled out for test flight in 1941
- First Director general of Civil Aviation(DGCA)-Lt.Col. Shelmerdine in 1931
- First International services flight between Bombay and London via Cairo and Geneva started in 1948
- First Civil Helicopter Services introduced in 1953
- East-West Airlines was the first scheduled private airline in 1991
- IC 814 flight of Indian Airlines was hijacked to Kandahar in 1999
- Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata was the India’s first licensed pilot in 1929.
- Sarla Thakral. Sarla Thakralwas the first Indian woman pilot license in 1936
- First Boeing all-women crew flight commanded by Captain Saudamini Deshmukh on September 1989
- First youngest pilot Captain Nivedita Bhasin(26) of Indian Airlines in 1990
- First woman commercial pilot Prem Mathur flying for Deccan Airways in 1948
- First Asian airline Boeing 707–420(Gauri Shankar) inducted a jet aircraft in its flee in 1960
- First national level private airline East West Airlines to operate in the country after 37 years in 1990
Some Important facts :
India crowned world’s fastest growing aviation market in 2015 by the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
- India is the ninth largest civil aviation market in the world with a market size of $16 billion and aims to become the 3rd largest market by 2020
- Bangalore is the aviation manufacturing hub in India(65%)
- Three largest airline in India in terms of passengers – IndiGo, Jet Airways and Indian Airlines
- Air Corporations Act was passed by Indian Parliament in 1953
- International Airports Authority of India (IAAI) was constituted in 1972
- National Airports Authority was constituted in 1986.
- Eight companies were in service within and outside the country at the time of independence, namely Tata Airlines, Indian National Airways, Air service of India, Deccan Airways, Ambica Airways, Bharat Airways and Mistry Airwa
- Air India is commended in the Guinnes Book of World Records for the largest evacuation effort by a civil before the first Gulf War in 1990
- India’s first ever budget airline Air Deccan begins operations on 25th August. The first flight is from Bangalore to Mangalore.
- Indian Airlines was rebranded as Indian in 2005
- The Regional Airlines Policy was announced in 2007
- The path breaking Greenfield Airport Policy of the Government was announced in 2008
- AERA was established to regulate the economic aspects of airports. It is an autonomous body set up by an Act of Parliament in 2009
- Airport Economic Regulatory Authority Appellate Tribunal (AERAAT) was established in 2010
- The real ‘Airlift’: Air India’s rescue mission in Kuwait won it a place in Guinness Records in 2016
List of Hijackings:
- Indian Airlines plane Fokker F27 Friendship aircraft named Ganga on its way from Srinagar to Jammu was hijacked by Hashim Quereshi and Ashraf Quereshi of the JKLF on 1971 January 30
- Delhi-Jaipur-Mumbai flight (IC 491) was commandeered and taken to Lahore where the hijackers were overpowered on September 10,1976.
- Devendra Nath Pandey and Bhola Nath Pandey hijacked Indian Airlinesflight IC-410 as it flew over Aligarh, to protest the imprisonment of Indira Gandhi by the Janata Party government on December 20, 1978.
- An Indian airlines plane Jetliner (Boeing 737) on flight from Srinagar to Delhi is hijacked by Sikh Terrorists and taken to Lahore on September 29, 1981
- Boeing 737 a scheduled flight from Bombay to New Delhi hijacked on August 22, 1982
- An Indian Airlines flight from Jodhpur to Delhi was hijacked. The hijacked plane landed at Amritsar in 1982
- 1984 July 6 – An Indian Airlines jet carrying 255 passengers and a crew of nine on flight from Srinagar to New Delhi was hijacked and forced to land in Lahore, Pakistan.The hijackers were reported to be armed with pistols, daggers and explosives. The hijackers’ surrender to Pakistan authorities ended a 17- hour ordeal for the plane’s passengers and crew, who remained aboard the A-300 Airbus in suffocating heat, with little food and water.
- An Indian Airlines flight IC 405 from Pathankot to Lahore was hijacked between Srinagar and Mumbai on July 1984
- Seven young hijackers demanded an Indian Airlines jetliner, on a domestic flight from Chandigarh to Srinagar to be flown to the United States. The plane was taken to Lahore and then to Karachi and finally to Dubai where the defense minister of UAE negotiated the release of the passengers on 1984 August 24
- TheAir India 182 Kanishka from Toronto via Montreal and London to New Delhi exploded off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985 by Inderjit Singh Reyat
- A Patna-Lucknow-Delh iIndian Airlines flight IC-810 was hijacked by Satish Chandra Pandey on Jan 22, 1993
- Indian Airlines Flight IC427 hijacked between April 24 and April 25, 1993. Commandos from the National Security Guard (NSG) by Mohammed Yousuf Shah. The rescue was code-named Operation Ashwamedh.
- Indian Airlines Lucknow-Delhi Flight IC-436 was hijacked by four college students of the Lucknow Arts College seeking to postpone their college exams in April 1993
- A Delhi – ChennaiAir India Airbus 320 was hijacked by a man who wanted Marathwada University to be renamed after Dr B R Ambedkar on January 13th, 1994.
- Indian Airlines Flight 814 known as IC 814 was an Indian Airlines Airbus A300 en route from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, hijacked on 24 December 1999 by Harkat-ul-Mujahideen
International Airports of India
| Name of the Airport | City | State |
| Veer Savarkar International Airport | Port Blair | Andaman and Nicobar Islands |
| Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport | Guwahati | Assam |
| Gaya Airport | Gaya | Bihar |
| Indira Gandhi International Airport | New Delhi | Delhi |
| Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport | Ahmedabad | Gujarat |
| Kempegowda International Airport | Bengaluru | Karnataka |
| Mangalore Airport | Mangalore | Karnataka |
| Cochin International Airport | Kochi | Kerala |
| Calicut International Airport | Kozhikode | Kerala |
| Trivandrum International Airport | Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala |
| Raja Bhoj Airport | Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh |
| Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport | Indore | Madhya Pradesh |
| Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport | Mumbai | Maharashtra |
| Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport | Nagpur | Maharashtra |
| Pune Airport | Pune | Maharashtra |
| Zaruki International Airport | Shillong | Meghalaya |
| Biju Patnaik International Airport | Bhubaneshwar | Odisha |
| Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport | Amristar | Punjab |
| Jaipur International Airport | Jaipur | Rajasthan |
| Chennai International Airport | Chennai | Tamil Nadu |
| Civil Aerodrome | Coimbatore | Tamil Nadu |
| Tiruchirapalli International Airport | Tiruchirappalli | Tamil Nadu |
| Rajiv Gandhi International Airport | Hyderabad | Telangana |
| Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport | Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh |
| Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport | Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh |
| Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport | Kolkata | West Bengal |
Domestic Airports
| Airport | City | State |
| Donakonda Airport | Donakonda | Andhra Pradesh |
| Cuddapah Airport | Kadapa | Andhra Pradesh |
| Daporijo Airport | Daporijo | Arunachal Pradesh |
| Tezu Airport | Tezu | Arunachal Pradesh |
| Dibrugarh Airport | Dibrugarh | Assam |
| Rupsi Airport | Dhubri | Assam |
| Tezpur Airport | Tezpur | Assam |
| Jogbani Airport | Jogbani | Bihar |
| Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport | Patna | Bihar |
| Jagdalpur Airport | Jagdalpur | Chhattisgarh |
| Swami Vivekananda Airport | Raipur | Chhattisgarh |
| Diu Airport | Diu | Daman and Diu |
| Vadodara Airport | Vadodara | Gujarat |
| Kandla Airport | Kandla | Gujarat |
| Bhavnagar Airport | Bhavnagar | Gujarat |
| Keshod Airport | Keshod | Gujarat |
| Porbandar Airport | Porbandar | Gujarat |
| Rajkot Airport | Rajkot | Gujarat |
| Surat Airport | Surat | Gujarat |
| Gaggal Airport | Kangra | Himachal Pradesh |
| Shimla Airport | Shimla | Himachal Pradesh |
| Bhuntar Airport | Kullu | Himachal Pradesh |
| Jammu Airport | Jammu | Jammu & Kashmir |
| Dhanbad Airport | Dhanbad | Jharkhand |
| Sonari Airport | Jamshedpur | Jharkhand |
| Birsa Munda Airport | Ranchi | Jharkhand |
| Belgaum Airport | Belgaum | Karnataka |
| Hubli Airport | Hubli | Karnataka |
| Mysore Airport | Mysore | Karnataka |
| Vidyanagar Airport | Toranagallu | Karnataka |
| Agatti Aerodrome | Agatti | Lakshadweep |
| Gwalior Airport | Gwalior | Madhya Pradesh |
| Jabalpur Airport | Jabalpur | Madhya Pradesh |
| Khajuraho Airport | Khajuraho | Madhya Pradesh |
| Khandwa Airport | Khandwa | Madhya Pradesh |
| Akola Airport | Akola | Maharashtra |
| Aurangabad Airport | Aurangabad | Maharashtra |
| Jalgaon Airport | Jalgaon | Maharashtra |
| Kolhapur Airport | Kolhapur | Maharashtra |
| Nanded Airport | Nanded | Maharashtra |
| Gandhinagar Airport | Nashik | Maharashtra |
| Ozar Airport | Nashik | Maharashtra |
| Ratnagiri Airport | Ratnagiri | Maharashtra |
| Solapur Airport | Solapur | Maharashtra |
| Tulihal Airport | Imphal | Manipur |
| Lengpui Airport | Aizawl | Mizoram |
| Dimapur Airport | Dimapur | Nagaland |
| Biju Patnaik Airport | Bhubaneswar | Orissa |
| Jharsuguda Airport | Jharsuguda | Orissa |
| Berhampur Airport | Berhampur | Orissa |
| Jeypore Airport | Jeypore | Orissa |
| Hirakud Airport | Hirakud | Orissa |
| Nuagaon Airport | Nuagaon | Orissa |
| Utkela Airport | Utkela | Orissa |
| Madurai Airport | Madurai | Tamil Nadu |
| Salem Airport | Salem | Tamil Nadu |
| Tuticorin Airport | Tuticorin | Tamil Nadu |
| Agartala Airport | Agartala | Tripura |
| Kailashahar Airport | Kailashahar | Tripura |
| Khowai Airport | Khowai | Tripura |
| Jolly Grant Airport | Dehradun | Uttrakhand |
| Pantnagar Airport | Pantnagar | Uttrakhand |
| Balurghat Airport | Balurghat | West Bengal |
| Cooch Behar Airport | Cooch Behar | West Bengal |
Future Airports
| Airport | City | State |
| Warangal Airport | Warangal | Andhra Pradesh |
| Bijapur Airport | Bijapur | Karnataka |
| Karwar Airport | Karwar | Karnataka |
| Shimoga Airport | Shimoga | Karnataka |
| Gulbarga Airport | Gulbarga | Karnataka |
| Hassan Airport | Hassan | Karnataka |
| Bidar Airport | Bidar | Karnataka |
| Kannur International Airport | Kannur | Kerala |
| Navi Mumbai International Airport | Navi Mumbai | Maharashtra |
| Yavatmal Airport | Yavatmal | Maharashtra |
| Naini Saini Airport | Pithoragarh | Uttrakhand |
| Malda Airport | Malda | West Bengal |
Two types of fund provided by GOI
GREEN INVESTMENT
- Fresh Investment i.e. to build up airport from scratch
- Bangalore & Hyderabad Airports
BROWN INVESTMENT
- Renovation of old Airports
- Delhi & Mumbai Airports
Awards & Recognitions received by Indian Airports:
- World’s largest ‘charkha’ displaye at IGI airport
- Mangaluru Airport conferred as best in the country
- Cochin International Airport become India’s first green airport -world’s first solar powered airport
- Indira Gandhi International adjudged as world’s best airport in 2015
- Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has won three international awards for 2015 year given by the Airports Council International (ACI).
- Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has been named as the world’s number 1 position for the second consecutive year in 25-40 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA) category
Indira Gandhi International Airport to get India’s first body scanner - Airports in Jaipur and Lucknow which are managed by the Airports Authority of India, have won the first and second place of the 2015 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards
- Golden Peacock National Quality Award 2015 for Delhi Airport
- Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore is India’s First to Receive Green Co Platinum Rating
Important Persons to know
- Guruprasad Mohapatra – Chairman of Airports Authority of India
- Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju – Union Minister for Civil Aviation
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