Vijay Rupani Was Seen Inside Boeing Cockpit Months Before Air India Crash
Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who died in an Air India plane crash on June 12 in Ahmedabad, had visited a Boeing cockpit months before the deadly accident.
Mr Rupani's pictures from his visit to Western India Institute of Aeronautics in Ahmedabad's Indus University have resurfaced days after he was killed when a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner (AI 171) flight, with 242 passengers and crew members on board, crashed into a hostel and canteen of a medical college shortly after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. All but one on board the plane died along with 29 on the ground.
Mr Rupani, who visited the University on April 8, shared pictures of himself inside the cockpit of a decommissioned Boeing 737-200 aircraft.
He was seen sitting in the right-hand seat, which is mostly occupied by the first officer (co-pilot).
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp)
Mr Rupani was also seen interacting with Radhika Bhandari, the Dean of Aviation at the university, while standing at the door of the aircraft.
"Today, during a visit to the campus of "Indus University" in Ahmedabad, I visited the Western India Institute of Aeronautics. During this visit, I saw models of aircraft like Boeing 737, Cessna, Zenith and Mig-21 and real aircraft," he had written in Gujarati in a post on Instagram.
"During this, the conversation with the students of the Aviation Department became very energetic. I wish the Indian student to make his name bright on the global stage," he added.
Captain Umang Jani, a faculty member at the university who had shown Mr Rupani around, said that he was "very curious" and asked them how the aircraft works.
"I tried to explain and answer his queries regarding the aircraft, the various controls in the cockpit and the functioning of the airliner," he told The Indian Express.
Mr Rupani, who was a member of the Rajya Sabha between 2006 and 2012, served as the chief minister from 2016 to 2021.
Vijay Rupani Cancelled London Ticket Twice
Flying to London on June 12 to meet his wife and daughter was not Vijay Rupani's first choice. He had first booked his ticket for May 19 on flight AI171 and intended to fly back to India on June 25.
With a change in plans, Mr Rupani cancelled his ticket for May 19 and decided to fly on June 5.
However, he cancelled his second ticket too and booked seat number 2D on flight AI 171 for June 12.
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A society with limited resources in the past, which once valued humility as a natural way of life, is now brimming with a strange, misplaced arrogance. What a big ego looks like today When I speak of 'big ego' here, I am not talking about healthy self-confidence or self-esteem. I am referring to the toxic, hollow, complex ego that thrives on appearances, not substance. You can spot it almost instantly: ♦ False pride masking insecurity. ♦ Close-mindedness to any perspective that is not their own. ♦ An I-know-it-all attitude that refuses guidance. ♦ Arrogance in tone and body language. ♦ Complex social conduct designed to confuse or intimidate others. ♦ Being difficult to deal with, as a way to feel important. ♦ Insubordination at work without cause. ♦ Disrespect towards people who cannot retaliate. ♦ Highly reactive to the smallest disagreement. ♦ Sharp-tongued in conversations, often without provocation. ♦ A lack of genuineness, where relationships are more transactional than authentic. ♦ Fake social exhibitionism, lies, show-off, and deceit. I have seen it in public spaces, in offices, in families, and even in places meant to serve, hospitals, schools, and government offices. It has become a big social trend to appear inaccessible, unapproachable, to project toughness, to fake wealth and superiority. Why this is happening This rise in inflated egos is not random. There are clear social and economic shifts feeding this behaviour. 1. Economic leap without emotional growth In the last two decades, millions of Indians have moved from modest financial means to far better lifestyles. Many are the first in their families to own cars, travel abroad, or afford luxury brands. While there is nothing wrong with progress, the problem begins when financial upgrades are not matched with emotional upgrades. Money can buy comfort, but it cannot buy stability, maturity and humility. 2. Social media amplification Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn have created a constant stage for self-promotion. Likes and comments have become the new measure of self-worth. This environment encourages 'performance' and 'posturing' over authenticity, credibility and humility. 3. Education without human skills Our education system often rewards memorisation and competition, not real knowledge, congruence or mental acuity. Millions of graduates enter the workforce every year with bare minimum technical skills but mostly without inter-personal skills, social congruence, emotional skills to collaborate, listen, and learn. 4. Workplace insulation High-paying jobs, especially in multinational companies, sometimes shield individuals from criticism. When people work in environments where accountability is diluted and performance reviews are more about managing internal politics than merit, they start believing they are untouchable. The young and the arrogant – a dangerous start This trend is perhaps most alarming among teenagers and young adults. Many of them are stepping into adulthood already wearing the heavy armour of ego. They neither learn from their parents nor from their teachers. In fact, they often dismiss both as outdated or irrelevant. Part of the problem is the absence of powerful role models in their lives. Many do not have mentors they admire or emulate. The cultural and social vacuum is being filled by social media influencers who sell 'attitude', not wisdom. Add to this an overreliance on search engines and Gen AI technology, and you have a generation that feels it knows everything at the tap of a screen. Unfortunately, many can't differentiate between information and experience driven from knowledge application. I have seen youngsters openly mocking experts in highly specialized fields, dismissing decades of earned experience with the confidence of someone who has read a few online articles and watched few subject videos. It is downright silly, but also deeply worrying. The access to information has been confused with ownership of wisdom. Knowledge without humility is like a car without brakes - it will eventually crash, and often at a high speed. This inflated sense of self at such a young age is dangerous when they enter professional life. Imagine a 23-year-old in their first job, convinced they have nothing to learn, quick to dismiss senior colleagues, and allergic to feedback. They are not just limiting their own growth; they are damaging the collaborative culture that workplaces depend on. What they fail to understand is that careers are built not just on a skill-set, but on relationships, reputation, respect and the ability to work with people very different from oneself. Ego blocks all three. Young professionals who cannot manage their egos will find themselves isolated, passed over for promotions, or quietly excluded from high-value projects. The ripple effect The danger of a big ego is not just personal. It has a ripple effect that damages relationships, workplaces, and even national productivity. For the nation, this is not just a generational quirk. 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