SUNDAY FEATURE

Hanoi-based carrier Vietjet on Wednesday announced four new flights linking India and Vietnam. Among them are Mumbai - Hanoi, Mumbai - Ho Chi Minh City, New Delhi – Phu Quoc and Mumbai - Phu Quoc.

The airline said that the direct services from Mumbai to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi will commence operation on June 3 and June 4, with a frequency of four weekly return flights and three weekly return flights respectively. "From September 9, onwards, the Mumbai - Phu Quoc route will operate four round trips per week while the New Delhi – Phu Quoc will operate with a frequency of three round trips per week," itadded.

Indian Railways is working towards achieving the government’s goal of Green Energy! In this direction, the electricity requirement of railway is being met from solar energy generated at Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. MG Ramachandran Central railway station in Chennai and Vijayawada railway station in Andhra Pradesh, according to the Railway Ministry. The move results in reduction of carbon emissions and environmental protection, it further stated. According to the Railway Ministry, 13 station buildings have been equipped with solar photovoltaic panels. These panels are capable to fulfil their 100% energy requirements.

Former Assam Congress chief and Rajya Sabha ex-MP Ripun Bora, who switched to the Trinamool Congress recently, has said that he repeatedly alerted the party high command about the “corrosive effects of infighting, but no action was taken”. In an interview to Sourav Roy Barman, Bora said the TMC is starting from the scratch in Assam and the party plans to reach out to the people from all spheres of life to include their needs and aspirations in its agenda. Excerpts:

Your resignation letter suggests that Congress is a divided house in Assam. How serious was infighting in the state unit?

The appointment of Lt General Manoj C Pande as the new Chief of Army Staff is set to bring a happy coincidence to the Indian armed forces after a long time. With his elevation, all three of the chiefs of the Indian armed forces will be from the same NDA batch.

The three service chiefs of the Indian armed forces will be from the 61st batch of the National Defense Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla, after the Army chief -designate Lt Gen Manoj C Pande takes over as the 29th Chief of Army Staff on April 30.

Speaking at a rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on April 2, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray raised the issue of loudspeakers in mosques, and warned that if they were not removed by May 3, his party would play the “Hanuman Chalisa” on loudspeakers installed outside mosques. Since then, he has lost no opportunity to bring up the issue.

While the MNS's threat is in line with its hardline Hindutva position, this time, Raj Thackeray's statements are as much directed at the Shiv Sena as it has been made with an eye on the party's rapidly shrinking vote base ahead of the crucial local body elections, including to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).