Surge in bomb hoaxes, Know how aviation security responds
New Delhi: A wave of consecutive bomb threats targeting multiple flights over the past week has disrupted airline operations and sparked serious concerns about aviation security protocols in India. Although all the threats were confirmed to be hoaxes, they caused significant delays and inconvenience for passengers and crew members, prompting airlines to initiate anti-terror protocols.
Airlines alerted the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and sought its support for a coordinated response to the threats. The disruptions have raised questions about handling such incidents, even when the probability of a real threat remains minimal.
“We are aware that 99.99 percent of these threats are false alarms. However, no one can afford to ignore the 0.01 percent chance that one may be genuine. This is why, despite stringent pre-departure checks at airports, we treat every threat with the utmost seriousness,” a senior MoCA official told The Indian Express.
When a mid-air flight receives a bomb threat, an immediate alert is issued, and the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) at the nearest airport convenes to evaluate the situation. Depending on the credibility of the threat, pilots coordinate with Air Traffic Control (ATC) to decide whether to return to the point of departure, proceed to the destination, or divert to an alternative airport.
For grounded flights facing similar threats, the aircraft is moved to a remote bay for thorough inspection under BTAC supervision. In cases involving international flights already beyond Indian airspace, Indian authorities collaborate with international ATC and security agencies to determine the next course of action, often diverting the flight to the nearest airport.
The spate of bomb hoaxes has prompted the Indian government and MoCA to explore long-term measures to prevent further disruptions. “These hoax threats are being taken very seriously by the aviation regulator. They are working toward identifying sustainable solutions,” said Asangba Chuba Ao, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, addressing reporters on Sunday.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
