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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Fatal Complacency

Three aviation incidents at Baramati in seven months should be enough to make even the most complacent regulator nervous. Instead, the runway appears to have been allowed to deteriorate while promises of an upgrade gather dust. There is something profoundly disturbing about the latest aircraft incident at Baramati where the two pilots fortunately escaped unharmed. In January this year, a chartered aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others had crashed near...

Fatal Complacency

Three aviation incidents at Baramati in seven months should be enough to make even the most complacent regulator nervous. Instead, the runway appears to have been allowed to deteriorate while promises of an upgrade gather dust. There is something profoundly disturbing about the latest aircraft incident at Baramati where the two pilots fortunately escaped unharmed. In January this year, a chartered aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others had crashed near the Baramati airstrip owing to low visibility, killing everyone aboard. On May 13, another aircraft crash-landed near the airfield. Now, another trainer aircraft has run beyond the runway after two rejected take-offs. The incidents ought to have triggered a more muscular response than another round of assurances. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s preliminary findings that were conducted after the crash that killed Pawar make the situation considerably harder to explain away. The runway had last been re-carpeted in March 2016. Its markings had faded while loose gravel was lying on the surface. There was no dedicated meteorological facility and no in-house aircraft rescue and firefighting unit and boundary fencing was inadequate. Baramati airfield, where regular flying-training and non-scheduled operations take place, is essentially an uncontrolled aerodrome. The question is why the state of things continue to exist? The maddening part is the timing. After the death of Ajit Pawar, did nobody think to ask whether the airstrip was fit for the traffic it was handling? Did nobody think a runway whose markings had faded and whose surface contained loose gravel warranted immediate intervention? Why should an airfield wait for a final accident report before basic safety infrastructure becomes a priority? And where, precisely, is the regulator? The AAIB can investigate. It cannot regulate. That responsibility rests with the civil-aviation system, particularly the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which is now being urged to ensure safety standards at uncontrolled airfields. But aviation safety cannot work on the principle that one agency investigates yesterday’s accident while another waits for tomorrow. The political irony is almost unbearable. Murlidhar Mohol is not merely Pune’s Lok Sabha MP; he is the Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation. This is, quite literally, an aviation-safety problem in his political backyard and within his ministerial brief. The government says Baramati is now set for an upgrade. But infrastructure announcements are not safety measures until they are built, certified and operational. In India’s expanding aviation and developing regional air connectivity, there is an ugly contradiction in celebrating more airports while allowing existing airfields to acquire potholes, gravel and faded markings. Baramati has had its tragedy and two warnings since. The question is whether the government will act before the runway claims lives again.

US Vice President JD Vance, his family arrive in Delhi

  • PTI
  • Apr 21, 2025
  • 2 min read


NEW DELHI: US Vice President J D Vance arrived here on Monday on a four-day visit to India against the backdrop of ongoing negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement between the two strategic partners to address a variety of issues, including tariff and market access.


Vance is accompanied by his Indian-origin wife Usha Chilukuri and their three children Ewan, Vivek, Mirabel and a delegation of senior US government officials.


The US Vice President and the Second Lady were received at the Palam air base by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.


The American leader was also accorded a ceremonial welcome on his arrival.

In the evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a dinner for the Vances after holding wide-ranging talks with the US Vice President.


External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Indian ambassador to US Vinay Mohan Kwatra are expected to be part of the Indian team to be led by PM Modi at the talks.


The focus of the meeting is likely to be on early finalisation of the proposed bilateral trade pact as well as ways to boost overall trajectory of ties between the two countries.


Besides Delhi, Vance and his family will travel to Jaipur and Agra.

Vance's first visit to India comes weeks after US President Donald Trump imposed and then paused a sweeping tariff regime against around 60 countries, including India.


New Delhi and Washington are now holding negotiations to seal a bilateral trade agreement that is expected to address a variety of issues, including tariff and market access.


Vance and his family are scheduled to leave for Jaipur on Monday night.

In Delhi, the US Vice President and his family are staying at the ITC Maurya Sheraton hotel.


On April 22, the Vances will visit a number of historical sites in Jaipur, including the Amer Fort, also known as Amber Fort. The fort is a UNESCO world heritage site.


In the afternoon, the US Vice President is scheduled to address a gathering at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur.


Vance is expected to delved into broader aspects of India-US relations under the Donald Trump administration during his speech that is expected to be attended by diplomats, foreign policy experts, Indian government officials and academia.


The US Vice President and his family will travel to Agra on the morning of April 23, people familiar with the matter said.


In Agra, they will visit the Taj Mahal and Shilpgram which is an open air emporium showcasing various Indian artefacts, they said.


After concluding their visit to Agra, the Vances will return to Jaipur on the second half of April 23.


The US Vice President and his family will depart for the US from Jaipur on April 24, according to the people cited above.

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