‘Airlines can’t impose flying ban’
NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha deputy chairman PJ Kurien on Thursday said that airlines had no authority to ban anyone from flying, including MPs, and law should take its course.
Two MPs were recently put on no-flying list by airlines for inappropriate behaviour but their flying status was later restored.
Kurien’s comments came after SP member Naresh Agrawal raised the issue of flying ban imposed by domestic airlines and questioned if the carriers had the power to impose such bans.
Kurien said the SP member had raised a valid point and if any MP has committed a crime, the law of the land should take its course. He said, “Airlines are not given the authority to punish anybody. I think the government should take note of it. MPs are also citizens...”
Meanwhile, during a debate in Lok Sabha, minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha said in a written reply that a total of 455 cases of unruly behaviour by air travellers have been reported since 2016.
SUSHMA ON H1B ISSUE
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump discussed the “spirit” behind H1B visas during their meeting in June “without using the word H1B,” external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj told Rajya Sabha on Thursday. Swaraj also said that PM Modi had made Trump agree on the significant contribution of Indian professionals to the Amercian economy.
Responding to queries on H1B restrictions, the minister said the US President had acknowledged that the contribution of skilled Indian professionals was benefiting both nations. She added that if the US harmed the interests of Indian professionals, it would end up being affected by it.
She said, “I take pride is saying that Modi convinced Trump to admit that Indian skilled professionals have a big contribution in strengthening the US economy.”
Congress leader Anand Sharma and CPI-M’s Tapan Kumar Sen sought to know if Modi had raised the issue with Trump.
NO PLAN TO CONDUCT NET THROUGH OTHER MECHANISM: GOVT
The Central Board of Secondary Education will continue to conduct the National Eligibility Test for post graduate students to make them eligible for assistant professorship or junior research fellowship in universities.
Minister of state for HRD Mahendra Nath Pandey said this in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
DAVP SPENT ₹1,286CR IN 2016-17: GOVT
The Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) has spent about ₹1,286 crore in 2016-17 on advertisements about government policies, schemes, projects and events through various mediums, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.