Indian-American on Trump's list of Supreme Court nominees
Washington, June 28 : Amul Thapar, an Indian-American appeals court judge from the US state of Kentucky is on President Donald Trump's short list of potential nominees to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who announced his retirement a day before.
The first South Asian to be named to a lifetime federal judgeship, Thapar is one of three minorities on Trump's list of 25 names, which was put together in consultation with conservative legal scholars, the US media reported.
The others are Federico Moreno, a federal district judge in South Florida, who is Hispanic, and Robert Young, a retired Michigan Supreme Court judge, who is African-American.
Thapar, 49, currently sits on the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals and is a favourite of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Courier-Journal reported.
He was previously floated as a possible pick to replace associate Justice of the Supreme Court Antonin Scalia but he and others on the list of potential nominees were passed over for now Justice Neil Gorsuch.
Kennedy, who provided key votes for same sex-marriage, abortion access and affirmative action, announced his retirement on Wednesday. The development has reopened the door for Thapar's consideration.
McConnell has praised Thapar in the past. "He is a well-qualified jurist, and a man of high integrity," McConnell said in a statement last year following a Senate committee's approval of Thapar serving on the appeals court. The 6th Circuit covers Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.
Thapar is likely near the top of McConnell's list, if not at the top, said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond. "You certainly can't rule him out. He has to be considered a contender," Tobias said.
Prior to his confirmation to the 6th Circuit, Thapar served as a US district court judge and US attorney in the Eastern District of Kentucky. He also served as an assistant US attorney in Ohio and Washington.
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New Delhi: Since the closure of airspace in West Asia, Indian airlines have brought back around 15,000 stranded passengers from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (India), recovery flights began on March 2. These figures cover operations through March 5. On Friday, March 6, a total of 40 inbound flights returned people to India.
As many as 51 flights are scheduled to arrive on Saturday, March 7 which is the highest number since airstrikes in the region began on February 28, according to The Hindu.
Besides Indian carriers, Gulf airlines are also engaged in the airlifting activity. The Emirates, flydubai and Etihad Airways have operated some special flights and limited commercial services.
The ministry has set up a control room and helpline for passengers seeking travel assistance and can be contacted on 011-24604283 and 011-24632987.
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