Mangaluru, August 10: Dakshina Kannada District Kannada Sahitya Parishat president S Pradeep Kumar Kalkura said that as Kasargod was integral part of Karnataka state, the administration and education there should be in Kannada.

Addressing a protest staged in front of the deputy commissioner’s office here on Friday by the Kasaragod Kannada Action Committee to prevail upon the Kerala government to cancel the order to teach Malayalam in Kannada medium schools in Kasaragod, he said that Kannada was facing a threat in Kasargod due to the imposition of Malayalam. The voice for Kannada in Kasaragod should reach New Delhi, he said.

Though the Karnataka government has given reservation in entrance exam for higher education for Gadinadu Kannadigas, this reservation was being misused. Non-Kannadigas have been getting admission into higher education courses by producing false certificates. So, the government should take steps to ensure the seats only to those who have completed their education from 1st to 10th standard in Kannada medium or Kannada as a language. The KSRTC should consider the senior citizens of Kasargod district for concession passes. Steps should be taken to use Kannada language in railway stations along with Malayalam from Mangaluru to Kanhangad, he demanded.

Action Committee president Muralidhar Ballakkuraya, general secretary Bhaskar Kasargod, KSP former state president Harikrishna Punaroor, Kasargod District KSP leader SV Bhat, Kasaragod ZP member Harshad Varkadi, Kasaragod Kannada Teachers Association leader Mahalingeshwar Bhat, Kannada Jagruta Samiti president Satyanarayan, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike leader Anildas, and others were present.

 

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New Delhi: Loss-making Air India has reduced the free cabin baggage allowance to 15 kilogram from 20 kilogram for the lowest economy fare segment on domestic flights.

The changes have been made in the menu-based pricing model fare families that were introduced by the Tata Group-owned Air India last August, with the airline saying that a one-size-fits-all approach is no longer ideal.

There are three fare families — Comfort, Comfort Plus and Flex — that offer different levels of benefits and fare restrictions at various price points, an airline spokesperson said on Saturday.

With effect from May 2, the free cabin baggage allowance for the ‘Comfort’ and ‘Comfort Plus’ categories has been reduced to 15 kg from 20 kg and 25 kg, respectively.

Prior to the introduction of the fare families concept, passengers on Air India’s domestic flights were allowed to carry 25 kilograms of cabin baggage free of any additional charge.

“On domestic routes in Economy Class, both ‘Comfort’ and ‘Comfort Plus’ fare families now provide 15 kg baggage allowance, while ‘Flex’ provides 25 kg allowance.

“The Business Class baggage allowance on domestic routes ranges from 25 kg to 35 kg. The free baggage allowance on international flights varies from market to market,” the spokesperson said.

In other domestic airlines also, passengers are allowed to carry 15 kg of cabin baggage without additional charge.

The Air India spokesperson said the fare families are designed to let passengers choose the kind of fare and services that best suit their requirements, given that travellers today have varied preferences, and a one-size-fits-all approach is no longer ideal.

Elaborating on the proposition, the spokesperson said that for example, the price difference between ‘Comfort Plus’ and ‘Flex’ fares would typically be around Rs 1,000 in a domestic sector like Delhi-Mumbai, with the ‘Flex’ fare providing the value of nearly Rs 9,000, including 10 kilograms extra baggage and zero change or cancellation fees.

The introduction of fare families is in response to customer feedback and Air India’s own comprehensive study. It is also benchmarked against the offerings of relevant competition in each of the markets we have introduced it in, the spokesperson added.

Tata Group has embarked on an ambitious plan to revive the fortunes of the loss-making Air India, which it had acquired from the government in 2022.