18.5% increase in passenger numbers at Mangaluru International Airport
Mangaluru: Mangaluru International Airport has reported a significant increase in passenger numbers and flight traffic for the first half and second quarter of the 2025 fiscal year, showing impressive performance.
In the first quarter of 2025, the airport handled a total of 1,121,410 passengers, marking an 18.5% increase compared to 946,233 passengers managed during the first quarter of 2024. On August 15, 2024, alone, the airport handled 7,402 passengers, currently offering services to six domestic and eight Middle Eastern destinations.
Domestic passenger numbers saw a 25% rise, with Bengaluru and Mumbai emerging as major destinations. International travel also grew by 5.58%, with Dubai, Muscat, and Dammam being the key international destinations.
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SC upholds inclusion of ‘secular, socialist’ in Preamble of Constitution
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the inclusion of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the Preamble of the Constitution, confirming their retrospective application from November 26, 1949. The court ruled that the power to amend the Constitution under Article 368 extends to the Preamble, which is an integral part of the document.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna stated, “The power under Article 368 cannot be curtailed. It will equally apply to the Preamble.” The 42nd Constitutional Amendment, which introduced these terms in 1976 during the Emergency, was challenged on grounds of its retrospective application and the lack of states’ ratification.
The petitioners, including BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, argued that the amendment forced a particular economic theory on the nation and violated the original intent of the Constitution. Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay contended that the Preamble reflects the will of the people at the time of adoption in 1949 and is therefore unalterable.
The court dismissed these objections, affirming that both socialism and secularism are part of the Constitution's Basic Structure. The Bench clarified that socialism refers to a welfare state ensuring equality of opportunity without negating private sector participation or individualism. It emphasised that secularism is embedded in the Constitution, particularly in the principles of equality and fraternity.
Chief Justice Khanna remarked, “Secularism has always been a core feature of the Constitution.” He added that the amendment did not impose socialism as dogma but aligned with the welfare goals enshrined in various constitutional provisions.
