New Delhi, Nov 28: Airlines received 999 hoax bomb threats this year till November 14 and as many as 256 FIRs have been filed while guidelines have been issued by aviation security regulator BCAS for objective assessment of threats, the government said on Thursday.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said a total of 1,148 hoax bomb threat messages/calls have been received since August 2022 till November 14, 2024 threatening the operations of international and domestic air travel.

While 999 threats were received by airlines during the period from January to November 14, 2024, the count stood at 122 last year and at 27 for the August-December 2022 period.

"256 FIRs have been filed since January 2024 till 14 November 2024, out of which 163 FIRs have been filed during 14 October- 14 November 2024. 12 arrests have been made in view of hoax bomb threat since January 2024 till 14 November 2024," the minister said.

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has issued guidelines for objective assessment of threats. The indicative factor has been useful in reducing time taken by the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) during the decision-making process.

"Also, to reduce the overall time taken for convening BTAC to less than 5 minutes, virtual assembly of BTAC through pre-generated video link has been set up. Further, advisories for compulsory 10 per cent of secondary ladder point check-in for all flights, strict monitoring of non-scheduled flight operations, enhanced security measures and surveillance at cargo terminals were issued," Mohol said.

Further, the minister said the government is considering amending the Aircraft (Security) Rules, 2023 to put hoax threat messenger in the no-fly list.

"It is also being considered to amend Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation for covering Aircraft in flight as well as on ground, airport etc," he added.

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(Press Release)- Mangalore, November 28, 2024: The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Bearys Institute of Technology (BIT), in association with the BIT NSS, organized a Constitution Day event under the theme “My Constitution, My Pride.” The event, held at the International Seminar Hall, saw active participation from students, NSS volunteers, and faculty.

The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Pushparaj, a distinguished academic from SDM Law College, Mangalore, who highlighted the significance of constitutional principles in shaping a progressive and inclusive society.

The event commenced with a welcome address by Head of Mechanical Engineering Department Dr. Vasantha Kumar, followed by an inaugural address by Dr. S I Manjur Basha, Principal of BIT.

The ceremony featured notable activities, including the watering of a plant to symbolize growth and sustainability, the oath taking of constitution's Preamble led by Dr. Mohamed Kafeel Delvi.

The Chief Guest, Prof. Pushparaj, was introduced by Dr. Imran Mokashi,Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering.

The event was coordinated by Dr. Mohamed Kafeel Delvi, NSS Program Officer & Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering.

The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Sandeep Nambiar S, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Saifulla, a student of the 3rd Semester, Mechanical Department, served as the Master of Ceremonies, ensuring the program flowed seamlessly.

This celebration reinforced the importance of the Constitution and inspired attendees, to uphold its values in their daily lives.