First Hajj flight from Kerala departs from Kochi Airport

27 May 2024 CW Team

Saudi Airlines' SC There were 128 ladies and 150 males aboard aircraft number 3783. Manaf, a guide for the pilgrims on the same aircraft, was P.A., a native of Muvattupuzha who worked for the Kerala Police. In a ceremony held in the camp courtyard at 8 a.m., Benny Bahanan MP, Mohammad Mohsin MLA, and Anwar Sadat MLA waved off the bus carrying the pilgrims who were to embark on the first flight.

Nedumbassery Hajj Committee General Convener A Zafar Kayal, Former Hajj Committee Chairman Thodiyur Muhammad Kunj Maulavi, Hajj Committee Members Kadaikal Abdul Aziz Maulavi, PP Muhammad Rafi, P.T. Akbar, Adv. BA Abdul Muttalib, T.M. Zakir Hussain, former Hajj committee members Anas Haji, H Musammil Haji, C. Hydros Haji, Muhammad Kunj Muchat, Nedumbassery Hajj Committee Coordinator Saleem, Hajj Special Officer U Abdul Karim, SIAL Director G. Manu, and Saudi Airlines Station in Charge S Smith participated in the function. Thodiyur Muhammad Kunj Maulavi led the gathering at the camp. Hajj Cell Officer M. N. Shaji took classes for pilgrims. MP Benny Bahanan, together with MLAs Mohammad Muhsin and Anwar Sadat, waved off the van containing pilgrims who took off on the inaugural Hajj flight. Minister P. Rajeev officially started handing out travel papers to Hajj pilgrims.

Notably, on May 9, at 2:20 am, Delhi's IGI airport saw the departure of India's first flight carrying Hajj pilgrims, bound for Madinah. Following the signing of the Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 between India and Saudi Arabia (KSA) in Jeddah in January of this year, a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims from India have been confirmed for the Haj this year.

Smriti Ir, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs, and V Muraleedharan, the Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, signed the Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs said in an official press release earlier that a total quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims from India has been finalised for Haj 2024, with 1,40,020 seats reserved for pilgrims to proceed through the Haj Committee of India, which will greatly benefit the common first-time pilgrims intending to undertake the Haj pilgrimage in 2024, whereas 35,005 pilgrims would be permitted to proceed through Haj Group Operators.

On Sunday, 278 pilgrims from the State Hajj Committee's Nedumbassery Hajj Camp departed Kochi International Airport for Jeddah to complete their Hajj. The Hajj cell officer said that although 279 individuals were scheduled to travel, one person's trip was cancelled. Saudi Airlines' SC There were 128 ladies and 150 males aboard aircraft number 3783. Manaf, a guide for the pilgrims on the same aircraft, was P.A., a native of Muvattupuzha who worked for the Kerala Police. In a ceremony held in the camp courtyard at 8 a.m., Benny Bahanan MP, Mohammad Mohsin MLA, and Anwar Sadat MLA waved off the bus carrying the pilgrims who were to embark on the first flight. Nedumbassery Hajj Committee General Convener A Zafar Kayal, Former Hajj Committee Chairman Thodiyur Muhammad Kunj Maulavi, Hajj Committee Members Kadaikal Abdul Aziz Maulavi, PP Muhammad Rafi, P.T. Akbar, Adv. BA Abdul Muttalib, T.M. Zakir Hussain, former Hajj committee members Anas Haji, H Musammil Haji, C. Hydros Haji, Muhammad Kunj Muchat, Nedumbassery Hajj Committee Coordinator Saleem, Hajj Special Officer U Abdul Karim, SIAL Director G. Manu, and Saudi Airlines Station in Charge S Smith participated in the function. Thodiyur Muhammad Kunj Maulavi led the gathering at the camp. Hajj Cell Officer M. N. Shaji took classes for pilgrims. MP Benny Bahanan, together with MLAs Mohammad Muhsin and Anwar Sadat, waved off the van containing pilgrims who took off on the inaugural Hajj flight. Minister P. Rajeev officially started handing out travel papers to Hajj pilgrims. Notably, on May 9, at 2:20 am, Delhi's IGI airport saw the departure of India's first flight carrying Hajj pilgrims, bound for Madinah. Following the signing of the Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 between India and Saudi Arabia (KSA) in Jeddah in January of this year, a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims from India have been confirmed for the Haj this year. Smriti Ir, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs, and V Muraleedharan, the Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, signed the Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024. The Ministry of Minority Affairs said in an official press release earlier that a total quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims from India has been finalised for Haj 2024, with 1,40,020 seats reserved for pilgrims to proceed through the Haj Committee of India, which will greatly benefit the common first-time pilgrims intending to undertake the Haj pilgrimage in 2024, whereas 35,005 pilgrims would be permitted to proceed through Haj Group Operators.

Infrastructure Urban

27 Oct 2025

Coal Ministry Achieves Milestones under Special Campaign 5.0

The Ministry of Coal and its Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) have achieved notable milestones under the Special Campaign 5.0, focusing on cleanliness, operational efficiency, and sustainability across the coal sector. During the implementation phase from 2–31 October 2025, over 1,205 sites were cleaned, covering 68,04,087 sq ft, nearing the target of 82,51,511 sq ft. Scrap disposal of 5,813 MT against a target of 8,678 MT generated Rs 228.7 million in revenue. In addition, 1,11,248 physical and 30,331 electronic files were reviewed, with 74,123 weeded out or closed. Key initiatives showc..

Infrastructure Energy

27 Oct 2025

Vesting Orders Issued for Three Coal Blocks under Commercial Auctions

The Ministry of Coal’s Nominated Authority has issued vesting orders for three coal blocks under commercial coal block auctions on 23 October 2025. The Coal Mine Development and Production Agreements (CMDPAs) for these mines were earlier signed on 21 August 2025. The three blocks include Rajgamar Dipside (Deavnara), Tangardihi North, and Mahuagarhi. Of these, two are partially explored while one is fully explored, with a combined peak rated capacity of around 1 MTPA and geological reserves of approximately 1,484.41 million tonnes. These mines are expected to generate annual revenue of abou..

Infrastructure Urban

27 Oct 2025

TEC, IIT-Hyderabad Partner to Boost 6G and Telecom Standards

The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT Hyderabad) for joint research and technical collaboration in advanced telecom technologies and standardisation. The partnership focuses on developing India-specific standards and test frameworks for next-generation networks, including 6G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs). It also aims to enhance India’s participation in international standardisation f..