It survives the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, the new airbill which aimed to streamline and transform the aviation industry. It would replace the Aircraft Act, 1934, which was a component of measures to simplify the business environment in the budding sector in India. Already approved in Lok Sabha back in August 2024, therefore was approved by voice vote by Rajya Sabha. While this is a massive step forward for Indian aviation, this bill has also brought forth the debate on the title of the Hindi bill-to match with the rest of the debates happening in India on the subject of language and cultural identity.
Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024: A New Day for the Aviation Industry
The new Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak is the replacement of the Aircraft Act of 1934. The bill looks forward to the streamlining and modernization of the body of law that governs India’s aviation industry. Reforms have been incorporated in the proposed bill in order to make it easier to expand the aviation sector and reduce red tape.
The key driving factor behind the bill is to promote the rising booming aviation market in India, emerging to be the world’s fastest-growing market. The vision depicted here in the focus of the bill is towards further modernization of infrastructure toward air travel in the future for India.
Dispute Over Hindi Version of Bill
Although the bill content was basically related to the development of the aviation sector, controversy arose during the debate on its title in the Rajya Sabha. Objections were raised by opposition parties over the use of Hindi in the title and hence demanded reconsideration on it.
YSRCP leader S Niranjan Reddy leads a protest demanding the government to think over the title. He clarified that it is not against Hindi, but against the constitutional provision under which all official business must necessarily be done in both English and Hindi. This was well supported by CPI’s Sandosh Kumar P who also says that the title of the bill is a violation of norms in the constitution.
Besides, members of TMC and DMK Sagarika Ghose and Kanimozhi NVN Somu have opposed the Hindi title of the bill. They argued that this would be an example of “Hindi imposition” against the plural fabric of India.
Response of the Government to the Debate
Responding to protests against this, Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu explained that in renaming the bill from English to Hindi, there has not been a breach of the Constitution. According to him, it is an attempt in order to reflect the heritage and culture of the country. He has said that this showed the increased importance of language within the official discourse of the nation.
He also addressed the rising price of flying in the country. He agreed that but stated the Udan scheme is a scheme the government brought in to ensure affordable flying for its citizens. The period has witnessed the incorporation of 609 new routes, thereby upgrading the air connectivity of the region.
Primary Aim of Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024
The Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, is titled not only on the bill but also brings in some very important reforms in the workings of India’s aviation sector.
The important provisions are as follows:
Regulatory streamlining: This would mean simplifying the regulatory framework to make it easier for businesses to operate within the aviation sector.
Wider Inclusive Coverage: Increased regional connectivity under programmes such as Udan so that the air journey would be available to the more number of citizens in India at an affordable price.
Development of Infrastructures:
Motivating expansion of aviation infrastructure, including airports and facilities of the regional network, which could be done to cater for demand.
Enhancing security and safety to strengthen it at par with international benchmarks.
Conclusion
The Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, is a landmark step toward modernizing India’s aviation sector and enhancing the accessibility of air travel throughout the country. Controversy was created through the debate over the Hindi title of the bill, but the government maintained that this change reflects a desire to honor India’s heritage and culture. Easy thrust in the bill will be to improve regional connectivity, enhance safety, ease air travel in store, and augurs well for a brilliant future of Indian aviation. There may well be a growing need in the days to come to closely monitor all these changes, as they lead toward desired goals like improving accessibility, bring down fares to make the air travel more affordable and a general growth in the sector.
Refer :
TOI, Link to article
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