India has scaled down the scope of cooperation between Indian and French aviation regulators, according to sources associated with proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of India (DGCA) and the French Civil Aviation Authority.

The final MOU text, which was approved by the Cabinet on 1st June 2016, has dropped two earlier proposals. These are: 1) Setting up an Academy of Civil Aviation (ACA) for DGCA and 2) Undertaking studies in the field of civil aviation. These planned initiatives were specified as the objectives in the first MOU that lapsed in February 2014 after completion of its four-year validity. 

These objectives have been substituted with two generic ones: Training of personnel engaged in different segments of aviation and “any other subject” that is of mutual interest to DGCA and French Direction Generale de l’Aviation Civile (DGAC).

(A mining site explosion. Edited image courtesy: Vetrivel)

 

Regulatory & safety bumps continue to snare #MakeInIndia initiative in the explosives sector. This is in spite of the fact the process of elaboration, fine-tuning and tightening of regulations has been going for almost a decade. 

 

The Government is now engaged in specifying precise roles to be performed by Nagpur-based Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) and district administration in licensing of explosives production units.

The issue that has lately engaged the Government’s attention is: Whether PESO would carry out inspection and audit of explosives factories as provided for under the Explosives Rules or whether this task should be delegated entirely to the district administration.

This issue has emerged against the backdrop of certain bizarre instances detected by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and State Governments, according to sources associated with the explosives regulation.  

 (Image Courtesy PIB & Deptt of Post)

 

The Tiranga Yatra that Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off on Tuesday from birthplace of great freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad in Madhya Pradesh conveyed a major, silent message. 

The message was embedded in a poster splashed on the dais. It showed picture of Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi on the one side and of Azad on the other side. And there hangs an interesting tale. Providing such parity to two freedom fighters of contrasting approach towards freedom struggle was unthinkable under any Congress regime. 

The Congress Governments normally marginalized or underplayed the importance of freedom fighters who opted for non-Gandhian means for achieving Freedom from British Raj. And the best proof of the raw deal given to the memory of greats like Azad was Indira Gandhi regime’s decision to brush aside plea from many quarters for issue of a postage stamp in the honour of Mr. Azad.