India to observe National Integration Week from Thursday

New Delhi, Nov 18 (ANI): The National Integration Week will be observed in India from Thursday.

The National Integration Week is observed from November 19-25 every year to foster and re-inforce the spirit of communal harmony, national integration and pride in India's vibrant composite culture and nationhood.

The occasion provides an opportunity to reaffirm age old traditions and faith in the values of tolerance, co-existence and brotherhood in a multi-cultural and multi-religious society.

The week would begin with National Integration Pledge.

National integration, welfare of minorities, linguistic harmony, weaker sections, cultural unity, women's issues and conservation are the themes for the Week. Activities related to a specific theme would be under focus on each day.

The Union Home Ministry has decided to take all possible measures for dissemination and reaffirmation of these values among all sections of the society in view of recent developments in various parts of the country.

The Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has written to different ministries under Central Government to organize the programmes and events befitting the occasion.

The National Foundation for Communal Harmony (HFCH), an autonomous organization with the Home Ministry also organizes communal harmony campaign during the week.

The observation of the National Integration Week would also help to highlight the inherent strength and resilience of the nation to withstand actual, and potential threats to the eclectic and secular fabric of our country, and nurture a spirit of communal harmony in its widest sense.(ANI)

NBCC reviews bird strike incidents and safety measures of flights |National[New Delhi{New Delhi, Nov 18 (ANI): The Civil Aviation Ministry's National Bird Control Committee (NBCC) has met here and addressed the serious safety issue of bird strike which result in aircraft accidents.

Civil Aviation Ministry Secretary, M.M. Nambiar chaired the meeting.

The meeting reviewed the action taken by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on directions issued by the NBCC.

The meeting asked the state government to direct the Chief Secretary, the Commissioner or Head of the District in the Airfield Environment Management Committee (AEMC) along with local civic bodies and police.

The meeting recommended amendments to certain sections of the Aircraft Rules to allow for imposing of fine a Rs.100,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or both for the offence of leaving any animal, object or bird in the movement area of an aerodrome.

Equipments and methods used at various airports both public and private for bird strike prevention being reviewed by the DGCA.

The meeting made online system of bird strike reporting by airline operators has been made mandatory and asked the DGCA to put it on its website so that pilots have been instructed to follow correct bird strike reporting procedure.

The incidents of bird strikes have been increasing one hundred and sixty seven bird strikes were reported in 2006, in 2007, 217 and in 2008, 304.

This year till October 241 bird strikes have been reported to the DGCA. In 2008, till October, there were 277 bird strike cases reported.

This year, till October, Air India has reported 24 bird strikes, Jet Airways- 49, Kingfisher Airlines-60, Indigo-27, Spice Jet-30, Paramount-1, Go Airways-7, 34 by the International airlines and 6 by other kinds of aircrafts.

The financial loss suffered by airlines this year because of bird strike are Jet Airways-8.91 lakhs, Indigo-87 lakhs, Spice Jet-557 lakhs, Go Air-45.6 lakhs. (ANI)