logo
Editorial criticises opposition silence on school timing revision in Kerala

Editorial criticises opposition silence on school timing revision in Kerala

Time of Indiaa day ago

Kozhikode: An editorial published in Suprabhatham, the mouthpiece of Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulema, criticised the silence of the opposition parties over the revision of school timings in the state.
The editorial questioned what the silence of opposition political parties, which have not yet taken a strong stance on the matter, signifies. It suggested that if they support the time change that affects religious education and the general community, they should make it clear. The public will then recognise that the opposition's stance on protecting minority rights is opportunistic, the editorial stated.
It added that the education department claims that extending study time by half-an-hour in the morning and evening will not affect madrasa education.
Madrasa classes for high school students are typically scheduled until 8am in most places, lasting one-and-a-half to two hours.
If school time starts earlier, it will impact madrasa education. Children in villages must reach distant high schools after madrasa classes. Most students rely on public transportation and if transportation is not available on time, religious study time will have to be reduced, the article noted.
Follow more information on
Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here
. Get
real-time live updates
on rescue operations and check
full list of passengers onboard AI 171
.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ahd tragedy ignites aviation safety debate
Ahd tragedy ignites aviation safety debate

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Ahd tragedy ignites aviation safety debate

1 2 Ludhiana: People of Ludhiana have long waited for the Halwara civil airport to become operational, but concerns about aviation safety following the June 12 Air India crash in Ahmedabad have cast a long shadow on the prospects of improved air connectivity. Citizens, alumni groups, and activists are demanding stringent safety measures in the wake of the unprecedented tragedy. It has heightened public fears and ignited debates over infrastructure development around airports. While the demand and anticipation for full-fledged air operations from the the industrial city have remained for years fuelled by aspirations for better connectivity and economic growth, the AI tragedy has raised questions about whether safety is being compromised in the rush to operationalise airports. For years, Ludhiana residents and business leaders have advocated for commercial flights, but now they are demanding a comprehensive re-evaluation of safety regulations and land-use planning around the airport zone. Deeply affected by the Ahmedabad tragedy, the alumni of SCD Govt College said the govt acts only after a tragedy of this scale. Brij Bhushan Goyal, organising secretary of the alumni body, said, "The lives lost are a result of regulatory negligence. Our politicians must act as guardians of public safety, not just as figureheads who react after public outrage." They have raised the demand for a complete ban on further housing or urban development around the airport. They said the periphery of Halwara airport is seeing rapid urbanisation, especially under development schemes by Glada, but it is putting lives at risk in case of any air mishap. "The area is being consumed by housing colonies with no concern for aviation safety," Goyal added. Col JS Gill (retd), a social activist said, "We need population-free safety buffers around all Indian airfields."

India needs a sincere aircraft accident investigation
India needs a sincere aircraft accident investigation

The Hindu

timean hour ago

  • The Hindu

India needs a sincere aircraft accident investigation

In a country where every life lost in an aircraft accident should result in justice, transparency, and reform, we find ourselves, instead, battling a system that is seemingly designed to obscure the truth. On paper, India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is a statutory and autonomous investigative body. In reality, it is anything but independent. It functions as an office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the very same authority that oversees airlines, regulates aviation through the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and, crucially, appoints the leadership of the AAIB and the DGCA. This structure presents an apparent conflict of interest. In railway accidents, investigations are typically carried out by the Commissioner of Railway Safety or, occasionally, a judicial authority, and not by the Ministry of Railways. Although, technically, under the MoCA, the Commissioner is functionally independent of railway operators, this ensures that those running trains are not the ones investigating the derailments. But in aviation, the MoCA controls airline operations and accident investigations. Stop the firefighting The accident on June 12, 2025, at Ahmedabad was not just an operational occurrence. It was a full-fledged aircraft accident that should serve as a wake-up call. Is India's aviation safety framework keeping pace with its exponential growth? There have been a number of helicopter crashes, accidents involving flying schools, there was a weather-related incident in May 2025 that affected a Delhi-Srinagar IndiGo flight, and, in addition, troubling ground handling lapses, that include the cancellation of ground handler Çelebi Aviation's permit over security concerns. These are not isolated incidents but point to something more profound. Are we identifying and fixing risks before they become headlines? Or are we merely reacting? We cannot keep firefighting. We need a system that prevents failures, and not just manages the damage. The high-level committee appointed to investigate the Air India AI171 crash must go beyond reviewing a single event. It must recognise that India's aviation ecosystem has outgrown the current National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP). In a complete revamp of the NCAP, 'safety' should be deeply woven into every regulation, operation and decision. That is how we prepare for the responsibilities that come with being one of the largest aviation markets in the world. A report that told inconvenient truths The Air Marshal J.K. Seth Committee Report in 1997 was India's most honest and far-reaching review of aviation safety. But it was quietly buried because it told the truth. It highlighted key systemic flaws: fragmented oversight; lack of independence; inadequate training and resources, and regulatory capture. These issues remain largely unresolved. Any new committee must reckon with these truths and not repeat the pattern of superficial reviews and buried reports. Too many accident reports have internal contradictions. In an accident in 2001, that claimed the life of a former Union Minister, 'entry into the cloud' was cited as the cause, while the meteorology section confirmed that there were no clouds around. Was it a mistake or does it point to something else? Overloading was evident in the Indian Airlines crash (IC491) in Aurangabad in 1993. Yet, the final report did not spell it out so clearly. This writer has pursued data for years in another case of suspected overloading on an Air India Express flight (IX611), in October 2018, from Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu to Dubai, only to be denied access. What is being protected? The Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017 make one point clear — that the purpose of an investigation is to prevent future accidents, and not to assign blame. Yet, law enforcement and courts routinely misuse the AAIB's findings. The police, lacking the expertise and jurisdiction in aviation matters, rely almost entirely on the AAIB's reports, treating them as conclusive. The AAIB's findings are meant for safety learning, and not legal prosecution. When these reports are interpreted outside their technical scope, truth becomes a casualty. Investigating officers unfamiliar with aviation treat the AAIB's 'probable cause' as a legal verdict. The judiciary focuses on what is immediately visible, while the AAIB is meant to dig deeper. But both often end up blaming the pilot, the case is closed and the truth is left behind. Why is pilot error so often the conclusion? Because it is convenient. Legally, it simplifies matters. From an insurance standpoint, a conclusion of pilot error helps expedite payouts. It closes the loop quickly, shielding other accountable entities — airlines, maintenance providers, and air traffic control, from scrutiny. The pilot becomes the system's scapegoat, even in death. A front to protect people Too often, accident investigations in India are reshaped to protect institutions, and not the people they serve. The MoCA holds all the levers, policy, regulation, appointments and investigations. With that much control, real accountability becomes a myth. Each time a family receives a hollow, contradictory report instead of honest answers, the system not only fails but also breaks faith. At times, the structure is so well-insulated from responsibility that it has perfected the art of getting away with murder — through delay, dilution and the quiet deletion of truth. The International Civil Aviation Organization's State Safety Briefing (2022) says that India has had zero fatal accidents recently. But 21 lives were lost in the Kozhikode air crash in August 2020. The recommendations in the investigation and those of the committee to review the accident report have not been implemented duly. There is no accountability. No systemic change. Just silence. India cannot claim global leadership in aviation while hiding behind data. Absolute safety comes from integrity. These are the steps needed. First, move the AAIB and DGCA to an independent statutory body that reports to Parliament. Second, stop having parallel committees that bypass or undermine established investigative bodies. Third, take legal steps to prevent the AAIB's findings from being used in criminal trials unless independently validated. Fourth, amend Rule 19(3) of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, which holds the powers to penalise a pilot for any mistake. There is a need to protect a pilot with a genuine no-blame culture, unless gross negligence is proven. Fifth, appoint an independent ombudsman to review how accident reports have been handled and mishandled. It is not that India lacks the talent or the tools to investigate accidents. What it lacks is the institutional courage to tell the truth. Therefore, this writer's plea. Have an honest, sincere aircraft accident investigation; one that shows that India values truth and precious lives over image. Let that be India's legacy for those lives lost, not only in the skies but also in the silence. Captain Amit Singh is an aviation safety expert, author, and Royal Aeronautical Society Fellow, pioneering human factors and cultural integration in aviation

We spoke about life's unpredictability: Minister on relative who died in plane crash
We spoke about life's unpredictability: Minister on relative who died in plane crash

India Today

time2 hours ago

  • India Today

We spoke about life's unpredictability: Minister on relative who died in plane crash

Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Aditi Tatkare has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic death of her relative, who was killed in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on a post on Facebook, Tatkare, who is Maharashtra's Woman and Child Development Minister, said her cousin sister-in-law Aparna Mahadik was a senior crew member with Air India. She recalled that she had a conversation with Mahadik about the unpredictability of life and never thought that the words would come back to haunt is with deep sorrow that I share the tragic loss of my cousin sister-in-law, Aparna Mahadik, Senior Crew Member with Air India, who passed away in the devastating plane crash in Ahmedabad," she said. She wrote that she had met Mahadik a few days back before the tragic incident and shared the moments spent with her in her post. She also said how both of them had discussions about the unpredictability of life. "Her untimely demise has taken away not just a beloved member of our family, but also a determined and self-reliant woman who touched many lives with her grace and spirit," she also expressed her heartfelt condolences towards the grieving members of Mahadik's family and her daughter Amaira."Our hearts go out to our grieving family Aatya and Kaka (Mrs Sulabha and Mr Yashwant Mahadik), my cousin Amol Mahadik and little Amaira, and Aparna Vahini's mother and sister, whose loss is immeasurable," she said, adding that her family stood with Aparna's daughter Amaira during their tough Air India flight AI 171 crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon killing 241 out of 242 people on Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among those who were killed in the crash. A total of 270 people have succumbed to their injuries following the crash. This includes the 241 people on board and others on the identification of the bodies of the deceased is being done through DNA testing.A total of 32 bodies have been identified so far out of the 270 victims who died in the InTrending Reel

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store