India to operate 270 repatriation flights from UAE between October 1-25
New Delhi: India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation on Monday added that it will operate 270 flights repatriation flights from the United Arab Emirates, starting October 1 to bring its citizens back who want to return home amidst COVID-19.
The ministry said its new schedule, which will run until Oct. 25, constitutes the seventh phase of its repatriation mission, known as Vande Bharat. The state-owned budget airline, Air India Express will operate these flights. They may be supplemented later, if needed, by other Indian carriers, it added.
The flights will leave for India from Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai airports to several domestic destinations in India. The seventh phase of the repatriation mission covers a number of new Indian airports.
The schedule announced on Monday also includes flights to bring back Indians from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. In Oman, the flights will operate from both Muscat and Salalah airports. From Saudi Arabia, the airports of origin are Dammam and Riyadh.
Meanwhile, 269 flights will be operated to the UAE from Indian cities by Air India Express for 24 days from Oct. 1. These flights will take back Indians who live and work in the UAE.
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Sabarimala gold loss probe: Sample collection enters second day
Pathanamthitta (Kerala) (PTI): The SIT on Friday continued its sample collection for scientific analysis at the Sabarimala temple as part of the probe into the alleged loss of gold from artefacts at the hill shrine, police sources said.
Sample collection for scientific analysis at the Sabarimala temple as part of the SIT probe into the alleged loss of gold from artefacts at the hill shrine entered its second day on Friday, police sources said.
The Special Investigation Team, led by SP S Sasidharan, reached Sabarimala and began collecting samples from various artefacts at the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) on Thursday evening.
According to police sources, the officials assisting the Special Investigation Team (SIT) removed the gold-plated covering from artefacts in a portion of the Sreekovil on Thursday.
The remaining gold-plated coverings at the Sreekovil are being removed on Friday as part of the sample collection process.
The SIT is looking to complete the sample collection procedure on Friday and reinstall the gold covering soon, sources said.
The Lord Ayyappa temple is currently open for the monthly pooja and will close on the night of February 17.
The SIT decided to collect fresh samples for scientific analysis after being granted permission by the Kerala High Court on Monday.
The SIT is probing two cases related to the alleged loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idol plates and the doorframes of the Sreekovil.
The SIT had informed the court that it proposes to conduct X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) to determine surface elemental composition, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) for ultra-trace impurity and elemental profiling, and Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) to analyse alloy composition and metallurgical uniformity.
Earlier, the SIT had collected similar samples last year for analysis at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, but the required facilities were not available there.
While granting permission, the Kerala High Court observed that allegations involving the removal and substitution of precious gold cladding from the holy shrine strike at the very sanctity of the temple and cannot rest solely on testimonial assertions or documentary records, which may be susceptible to omission, manipulation or interpretative dispute.
