India re-elected to UNESCO executive board for 2021-25 term
United Nations, Nov 18: India has been reelected to the UNESCO Executive Board, one of the three constitutional organs of the United Nations, for the 2021-25 term.
The election of members of the executive board took place on Wednesday.
"India gets reelected to the Executive Board of UNESCO with 164 votes for the term 2021-25, the Paris-based Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) said in a tweet.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took to Twitter on Thursday to applaud the good work of the MEA and the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO.
Good work #TeamMEA and @IndiaatUNESCO, he said in a tweet.
Reacting to India's election, Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi thanked countries for supporting India's candidature.
Delighted to inform that India has made it to the Executive Board Of UNESCO. Heartiest congratulations and thankful to all the member countries who supported our candidature, she said on Twitter.
In Group IV Asian and Pacific States, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Cook Islands and China also were elected.
The UNESCO Executive Board is one of the three constitutional organs of the United Nations' agency (the others being the General Conference and the Secretariat) and it is elected by the General Conference.
Acting under the authority of the General Conference, the board examines the programme of work for the organisation and corresponding budget estimates submitted to it by the Director-General.
It consists of 58 member-states each with a four-year term of office, according to the UNESCO website. UNESCO has 193 member states.
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Delhi airport incident: AI Express issues show cause notice to pilot
External inquiry panel to be set up
New Delhi (PTI): Air India Express will set up an external committee next week to inquire into the incident of one of its off-duty captain assaulting a passenger at the Delhi airport on Friday, sources said.
Soon after the incident on Friday, the Tata Group-owned airline suspended the pilot and the sources told PTI that a show cause notice has also been served to him seeking an explanation.
The proceedings are being carried under the labour laws as a pilot comes under the workmen category. An external inquiry committee will set up next week to probe the incident, the sources said.
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The incident occurred at Terminal 1 (T1) of the Delhi airport on Friday.
The passenger Ankit Dewan, on Friday, shared his experience in a social media post, along with a photo showing blood on his face after the altercation. He also shared a photo of the pilot Virender Sejwal.
On Saturday, the civil aviation ministry said it has taken serious cognizance of the incident and directed the airline to ground the pilot with immediate effect.
"A formal enquiry has been ordered. Detailed reports have been sought from BCAS and CISF," the ministry had said in a post on X in a response to a post by Dewan.
In a statement on Friday, Air India Express said it is aware of an incident at the Delhi airport involving one of its employees, who was travelling as a passenger on another airline, and had an altercation with another passenger.
"We unequivocally condemn such behaviour. The employee concerned has been removed from official duties with immediate effect, pending investigation.
"Appropriate disciplinary action will be initiated based on the findings of the inquiry," the airline had said.
Air India Express officials had also contacted the passenger.
