Sushma Swaraj's plane 'goes missing' for 14 minutes
New Delhi, June 3: In a major scare, an Indian Air Force plane carrying External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj lost contact with air traffic control for almost 14 minutes on Sunday.
Sushma Swaraj, who was traveling to Mauritius for the BRICS summit, departed from Thiruvananthapuram at 2.08 pm.
While the aircraft changed over from Indian airspace and established contact with the Male air traffic control (ATC) at 4.44 pm, it could not contact Mauritius ATC after entering Mauritius airspace, the Airports Authority of India said in a statement.
After the Mauritius ATC activated the uncertainty code "INCERFA" -- used for the phase where uncertainty exists regarding the safety of an aircraft and its occupants -- the flight came in contact with the Mauritius ATC at 4.58 pm and landed later.
"Mauritius ATC activated INCERFA (uncertainty phase) without allowing the stipulated time period of 30 minutes to lapse from the time when aircraft last contacted ATC. This was perhaps done because the flight was carrying a VIP," the statement said.
The other codes used in emergency situations include ALERFA (when apprehension exists as to the safety of an aircraft and its occupants) and DETRESFA (when there is a reasonable certainty that an aircraft and its occupants are threatened by grave and imminent danger and require immediate assistance).
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Affront to non-Hindi speaking people: Chidambaram slams use of Hindi words in bills' names
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader P Chidambaram has slammed the "increasing practice" of the government using Hindi words in the titles of the bills and said the change is an "affront" to the non-Hindi-speaking people.
Chidambaram said the non-Hindi-speaking people cannot identify a Bill/Act with titles that are in Hindi words written in English letters, and they cannot pronounce them.
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"I am opposed to the increasing practice of the government using Hindi words written in English letters in the title of the Bills to be introduced in Parliament," the former Union minister said late Monday night.
Hitherto, the practice was to write the title of the Bill in English words in the English version and in Hindi words in the Hindi version of the Bill, Chidambaram said.
"When no one pointed out any difficulty in the 75 year practice, why should government make a change?" he said.
"This change is an affront to non-Hindi speaking people and to States that have an official language other than Hindi," the Congress leader said.
Successive governments have reiterated the promise that English will remain an Associate Official Language, Chidambaram said.
"I fear that promise is in danger of being broken," the Congress MP said.
