India set to give new energy to global aviation market: PM Modi
Bengaluru (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lauded the strides made by India in aviation and aerospace and the growing role of women in the sector, while asserting that the country will spur the global aviation market.
In his address after inaugurating aircraft maker Boeing's new global engineering and technology centre campus near here, he said women were leading in the aviation and aerospace sector, be it fighter or civil aircraft. They constituted about 15 per cent of the total pilots in India, which was three times the global average.
The time for women-led development has come, Modi said. India, he said, has become the third major domestic aviation market in the world and, in a decade, the number of passengers will double.
The 'UDAN' scheme has played a vital role in enhancing the domestic aviation market, the PM said. Due to the growing demand, airlines in India have ordered hundreds of aircraft. "India is set to give new energy to the global aviation market" he said.
Further, "we gave priority to connectivity infrastructure making India a well connected market", Modi said.
Taking a dig at the Congress, he said earlier India was unable to transform its potential into performance.
The PM also launched the Boeing Sukanya Programme. The company said the initiative aims to support the entry of more girl children from across India into the country's growing aviation sector.
The 43-acre state-of-the-art Boeing India Engineering and Technology Centre (BIETC) campus is the planemaker's largest such investment outside the US, the company said. It has been built at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore.
The campus at Hightech Defence and Aerospace Park in Devanahalli on the city outskirts will become a cornerstone for partnerships with vibrant startups, private and government ecosystem in India, and will help develop next-generation products and services for the global aerospace and defence industry, Boeing said.
The Boeing Sukanya programme will provide opportunities for girls and women from across India to learn critical skills in the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) fields and train for jobs in the aviation sector, a company statement said.
For young girls, the programme will create STEM Labs at 150 planned locations to help spark interest in related careers. It will also provide scholarships to women who are training to be pilots. Investments will support flight training curriculum, obtaining certifications, funding for simulator training, and career development programmes, Boeing said.
"We are honored and privileged to support Prime Minister Modi's transformative vision for India, and we are grateful to have him dedicate the Boeing campus to foster aerospace innovation in the country," said David L Calhoun, Boeing president and CEO.
Over the years, the statement said, Boeing India has grown its team in engineering and R&D talent to the largest number of employees in any country outside the United States, with more than 6,000 as of December 2023.
Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Assembly, R Ashoka, and Boeing Chief Operating Officer, Stephanie Pope, were among those present on the occasion.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
