BJP MP is not happy with 'GAY' code for an airport in Bihar, raises objection in the Rajya Sabha
Gaya International Airport
in Bihar, calling it 'socially and culturally offensive.' The matter was formally brought up through a written query to Parliament.
Rajya Sabha MP Bhim Singh from Bihar asked why the 'GAY' code remains in use despite being uncomfortable for some people. The code, assigned by IATA, is used for identifying airports in
airline operations
and travel-related systems.
Productivity Tool
Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide
By Metla Sudha Sekhar
View Program
Finance
Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory
By Dinesh Nagpal
View Program
Finance
Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code
By CA Rahul Gupta
View Program
Digital Marketing
Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel
By Neil Patel
View Program
Finance
Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading
By Kunal Patel
View Program
Productivity Tool
Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide
By Study at home
View Program
Artificial Intelligence
AI For Business Professionals Batch 2
By Ansh Mehra
View Program
In response,
Minister of State for Civil Aviation
Murlidhar Mohol stated that three-letter airport codes, once assigned, are considered permanent and are typically changed only in cases involving
air safety concerns
.
Previous requests to change code rejected
According to Mohol, requests to change the Gaya airport code have been received by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airports Authority of India in the past. Air India had also approached IATA seeking a change.
However, Mohol clarified that under IATA Resolution 763, such codes are not altered except under exceptional circumstances. 'IATA location codes are primarily intended for commercial airline operations and are issued at the request of airline operators,' he said.
Live Events
Purpose of IATA codes
IATA airport codes are essential for airline operations, ticketing, and baggage handling. The codes are generally derived from the name of the city or airport they represent. In this case, 'GAY' is based on the city name Gaya.
The code has remained unchanged since its assignment, with IATA maintaining that such identifiers are meant solely for operational use, not cultural or social interpretation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
21 minutes ago
- The Hindu
BJP reaches out to Chirag Paswan, asks him to tone down criticism of Nitish government
In an effort to prevent history from repeating itself, the senior leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been at pains to ensure that Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader and Union Minister Chirag Paswan refrains from making critical remarks against the Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar. However, it has so far seen mixed results. According to a senior national office-bearer of the BJP, Mr. Paswan has been asked to tone down his criticism of the State government, particularly following his recent remarks on a series of murders in Bihar. 'I feel sad to support a government under which crime is out of control,' Mr. Paswan had said. The remarks did not go down well with Mr. Kumar's party, the Janata Dal(U), which fears that Mr. Paswan might end up splitting NDA votes, as in the 2020 Assembly election. According to one estimate by the JD(U), the party lost at least 12 seats in that election because Mr. Paswan, after breaking away from the NDA, fielded candidates against the JD(U) who made inroads into the NDA votes. 'We have conveyed to Chirag Paswan that he is on a good wicket, he has age, and a significant support base on his side, he should pull together with NDA, there is no need to be isolated within the alliance,' said a BJP leader. Mr. Paswan, who often refers to himself as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hanuman, or disciple, even when he was not a part of the NDA, has never hidden either his antipathy towards Mr. Kumar and the JD(U) or even his own ambitions. His party's MP Arun Bharti (also Mr. Paswan's brother-in-law) had, in an interview to The Hindu, said that Mr. Paswan was a 'Bahujan leader and LJP(RV) is a Bahujan party', signalling Mr. Paswan's intentions of casting his net wider in terms of communities other than his own Dalit constituency. Recently, Mr. Paswan's absence from a meeting presided over by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Sitamarhi raised eyebrows, but he later said that this was not deliberate but due to a scheduling conflict. 'We will be reaching out to him again,' said a senior BJP leader. The BJP assesses that the upcoming Bihar Assembly election has a couple of unpredictable factors — Mr. Kumar's health and the impact of Prashant Kishor and his Jan Suraaj Party. In the highly caste sensitive political landscape of Bihar, the Opposition party workers often refer to Mr. Kishor as 'Prashant Kishor Pandey', underlining his Brahmin lineage. Much will depend on the candidates selected by Mr. Kishor, and if he puts strong candidates, especially in the seats held by the JD(U), the upper caste voters may choose to go with him. In such a scenario, Mr. Paswan's remarks and the perception that the NDA may not be the united house it should be in the run-up to the polls is something that the BJP wants to squash as early as possible.
The Hindu
21 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Assam Congress begins training booth level agents in anticipation of SIR
With Assam administration indicating that the State will soon be holding Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, State Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi said that the party has begun the process of recruiting and training its Booth Level Agents (BLAs). The SIR is currently underway in Bihar and the Election Commission (EC) has indicated that it will be held across the country. 'So far we have registered close to 28,880 BLAs. We have also started a training programme for these agents. On Sunday, we concluded one round of training. At the end of the month, we will hold a week-long training programme. In the first module, we are briefing them on how voter list manipulation has been undertaken in Maharashtra and in Karnataka. We will show them the evidence that Rahul Gandhi's team had provided,' Mr. Gogoi told The Hindu. The party is also prepping up its legal team to support the BLAs to file objections and claims. The SIR exercise in Assam, Mr. Gogoi said, will be particularly difficult because of the demographic complexities, which he accused the BJP government of further complicating. 'NRC in limbo' 'The NRC (National Register of Citizens) remains in a limbo in Assam. The BJP government is not willing to address the issue of foreigners since they have no solutions to offer. Instead with the Citizenship Amendment Act, they have issued guidelines by which several Bengali speaking people have to give a written affidavit that they are from Bangladesh to apply under the Act,' he said. Instead of identifying illegal Bangladeshis as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had claimed, Mr. Gogoi pointed out that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, today says that he is unable to address the issue. 'Instead of making Assam safe and secure, he is absolving himself of responsibility and wants to distribute guns to the people,' he said.
Indian Express
21 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Parliament passes National Sports Bill after extensive discussion
The National Sports Governance Bill was on Tuesday passed by the Parliament with Rajya Sabha giving its nod a mere 24 hours after Lok Sabha, marking a historic first for India's sports administration that is now set to be regulated by a national board and have its own dispute resolution mechanism. The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, which reinforces NADA's autonomy as required by the World Anti-Doping Agency, was also passed by the Parliament. The two bills now await presidential assent to be notified as acts. Soon after Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya moved the bills for consideration and passage in the Upper House at 3pm, there were vociferous opposition protests over revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. The opposition eventually staged a walkout led by Leader of Opposition and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who demanded a discussion on the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. 'In 20 countries, there is sports law. I request the Rajya Sabha to make India the 21st country with a sports law,' Mandaviya said in his address which was followed by a discussion that lasted over two hours. During the discussion, BJD MP Subhashish Khuntia raised concerns about the centralisation of sports governance due to the bill. He also felt that the bill did not have clarity on district and block level development of athletes. 'The bill should empower, not control,' he said. Mandaviya responded by saying that the government is only seeking to be a facilitator. 'In this bill, we are bringing transparency, not control, not interference. Government doesn't want to control. We are being the supporters and providers of a structure,' he asserted. Former All India Football Federation President and NCP leader Praful Patel and Indian Olympic Association President P T Usha, who is a nominated member, were among the prominent voices who lauded the bill. 'It was a long-standing legislation that was required. We have had a sports code, it's been a loose code and never stood any legal scrutiny. What is happening today is the need of the hour,' Patel said. 'We are hoping to win the 2036 bid of Olympics. That itself would be a redefining moment for Indian sports. This bill is absolutely in the right direction. We need this to achieve glory that is beyond cricket. It is imperative that this bill be passed with fullest support,' he added. Usha expressed similar sentiments and said, 'This bill will usher in transparency, accountability, and gender parity. It will empower athletes and build confidence among sponsors and federations. It is about justice and fair-play.' Mandaviya has described it as 'the single biggest reform in sports since independence.' The most striking aspect of the bill is the NSB to create a stringent system of accountability. The NSB will have the mandate to de-recognise a national body that fails to hold elections for its Executive Committee or has committed 'gross irregularities in the election procedures.' Failure to publish annual audited accounts or 'misused, misapplied or misappropriated public funds' would also be liable for action by the NSB but it would be required to consult the concerned global body before making its move. Another feature is the proposal for a National Sports Tribunal, which will have the powers of a civil court and decide disputes ranging from selection to election involving federations and athletes. Once instituted, Tribunal's decisions can only be challenged in the Supreme Court. The bill makes some concessions on the issue of age cap for administrators by allowing those in the bracket of 70 to 75 to contest elections if the concerned international bodies' statutes and bylaws allow for it. It is a departure from the national sports code that capped the age limit at 70. All recognised national sports bodies would also come under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, something that the BCCI has vehemently opposed since it is not dependent on government funding. However, the cricket board has got some leeway on that front with the government amending the bill to ensure that RTI would be applicable only on bodies that rely on government funding or support. Another significant amendment made to the draft is the mandatory term of two tenures in the EC to be eligible for fighting NSF elections. That mandatory tenure has been reduced to one term, clearing the decks for the likes of IOA President P T Usha to seek a re-election. The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill-2025 incorporates the changes sought by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which objected to 'government interference' in the functioning of the country's Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). The act was originally passed in 2022 but its implementation had to be put on hold due to objections raised by WADA. The world body objected to the institution of a National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports, which was empowered to make recommendations to the government on anti-doping regulations. The Board, which was to comprise a chairperson and two members appointed by the central government, was also authorised to oversee the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and even issue directions to it. WADA rejected this provision as government interference in an autonomous body. In the amended bill, the Board has been retained but without the powers to oversee NADA or the advisory role it was previously assigned. The amended bill asserts NADA's 'operational independence'.
