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Delhi HC asks Centre to consider PIL against ‘VT’ on Indian aircraft

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 The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Centre to consider a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to change the Call Sign ‘VT’ written on Indian aircraft stating that it stands for ‘Victorian Territory and Viceroy Territory’, a legacy of the British Raj, as a representation.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad pointed out that only the government can act on such matters.

Granting liberty to the petitioner BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay to approach the government with the plea as a representation, the court also directed the Ministry concerned for considering it in accordance with the law in a reasonable period of time.
Accordingly, the PIL has been withdrawn by the petitioner.

In the PIL, Upadhyay stated that being a ‘Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic’, the Call Sign ‘VT’ is contrary to the Rule of Law, Right to Freedom and Right to Dignity of Indians guaranteed under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution.

The prefix ‘VT’ stands for ‘Victorian Territory and Viceroy Territory’, which is the nationality code that each aircraft registered in India is required to carry. The Code is generally seen just before the rear exit door and above the windows. All domestic airlines have the prefix, which is followed by unique alphabets that define the aircraft and who it belongs to.

For example, on Indigo flights the registration VT is followed by IDV, i.e., VT-IDV, for Jet, it is VT-JMV, the plea stated.

It further said the prefix marks that the aircraft has been registered in the country and it is mandatory in all countries. The registration of the aircraft is required to appear in its Certificate of Registration and an aircraft can only have one registration in one jurisdiction.

The PIL contended that Britain set the prefix ‘VT’ for India before the partition in 1929. The British set the code for all the colonies starting with V. However, countries like China, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka changed their codes later. While in India, the prefix has remained on the aircraft even after 93 years, which offends the right to dignity of citizens.

The registration is as per international laws and every aircraft must specify which country and airline it belongs to, using a unique alpha-numeric code, which is of five characters, that is in IndiGo’s case, VT-IDV and for Jet, it is VT-JMV. In simple words, the call sign or the registration code is for the identification of the aircraft, it said.

The petitioner submitted that the registration number of Indian aircraft marks the legacy of ‘British Raj’. ‘VT’ code is a reflection of colonial rule. India is a sovereign country, hence cannot be a territory of the Viceroy. Why is India continuing with VT code? The efforts of the government to change the registration code have been fruitless.

In 2004, the aviation ministry approached the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to change the code but no decision has been taken so far.

It is a code given to us in 1929 by British rulers, denoting us as British territory. India, even after 75 years of Independence, retains the symbol of slavery ‘VT’.

The use of VT symbol denotes us still being Victorian Territory and Viceroy Territory, which is true but the government refuses to get it changed or even make an effort even after 75 years of Independence.

The petitioner submitted that most of the countries which went through colonial servitude have got rid of their colonial signs and launched nationalist codes.

He submitted that the call sign ‘VT’ was assigned to India during the International Radiotelegraph Convention of Washington signed at Washington on November 27,1927. Like India, every country has a one-or-two-character alphanumeric code for the identity of aircraft. Like the US has ‘N’, UK has ‘G’, UAE has ‘A6’, Singapore has ‘9V’ and so on.

According to the World Factbook placed in the website of cia.gov, these codes indicate the nationality of civilian aircraft.

National News

US Open 2025 Prize Money: Carlos Alcaraz Pockets ₹44 Crore After Beating Jannik Sinner In The Final

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Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday defeated Jannik Sinner in the US Open men’s singles final 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York and took home the largest prize money purse ever in tennis. Alcaraz claimed his second career Grand Slam title in the US Open, having earlier won in 2022, and a sixth overall in his career.

By winning the 2025 US Open title, Carlos Alcaraz won 44 crore ($5 million) as prize money a record in the tournament’s history. This year’s prize money went up from $3.6 million compared to last year. The event also upped the overall prize money to $90 million, up 20% from 2024.

Alcaraz claims his sixth major title and is the second youngest male player (22 years and 125 days) to reach six major titles, older only than Bjorn Borg. The Spaniard reached his seventh major final, and is tied with Jim Courier and Mats Wilander for second on the all-time list for major finals reached before turning 23.

The 22 year old has now won two Wimbledon titles on grass (2023 and 2024), two Roland Garros titles on clay (2024 and 2025) and two US Open titles on hard courts (2022 and 2025)

Sinner and Alcaraz have combined to win each of the last eight Grand Slam singles titles, the longest such streak since Federer and Nadal compiled 11 consecutive major titles from 2005-2007.

By reaching the final without dropping a single set, Alcaraz became the fourth men’s singles player to do so in the last 25 years, along with Lleyton Hewitt (2005), Rafael Nadal (2010) and Roger Federer (2015). Alcaraz has dominated the 2025 season with a tour-leading seven titles and the best record in men’s tennis at 61-6.

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National News

Maha Government Set To Launch 10 New Waterways In MMR, Including Four Routes Connecting To Navi Mumbai Airport; Check Out Details

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Mumbai: Numerous waterways in the city and the surrounding metropolitan area have been shut down over the past 30 years. These routes were shut down because of insufficient passengers and high ticket prices. The state government plans to initiate 10 new waterways in the Mumbai metropolitan area. These consist of four pathways linking Navi Mumbai International Airport.

The primary goal of this waterway is to alleviate traffic congestion and boost income from coastal shipping. Officials stated that Kochi Water Metro, which manages internal waterways in the Kochi region, will draft a comprehensive project report for the planned 10 routes.

The consulting company needs to conduct several analyses, including a survey of passenger boarding and alighting, an impact assessment near the suggested jetty, a passenger usage survey for that region, a household and preference survey, an analysis of travel demand, terminal facility planning, and a conceptual design of the terminals.

At present, waterways are functioning on 21 routes within the Mumbai metropolitan area. According to officials, these routes have been in operation for many years and primarily cater to the local residents near the jetty. In 1992-93, Damani Shipping Company was tasked with launching hovercraft services from Gateway of India-Navi Mumbai to Juhu and Girgaum Chowpatty along the west coast. Nonetheless, both routes were shut down because of elevated fares.

Over the next few decades, tenders for water transport services were issued repeatedly, but in most cases, the services never commenced. In 2003, Satyagiri Shipping was awarded the contract by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation to initiate water transport services along the city’s west coast.

In 2010, Pratibha Industries was awarded the contract to commence water transport services from Nariman Point to Borivali. In 2015, a bid was announced for ferry services connecting Belapur and Nerul. All contracts were terminated since the ferry services did not commence under any circumstances

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Business

Banks Expect Increased Credit Demand Across Retail, MSME, & Agricultural Segments After GST Reforms

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New Delhi: With the Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms, banks expect increased credit demand across retail, MSME, and agricultural segments as incomes rise and business investment picks up.

According to Ajay Kumar Srivastava, MD and CEO, Indian Overseas Bank, the reform will create a strong effect across the economy, leading to improved cashflows for distributors and retailers, greater working capital access for small businesses, and expanded credit requirements amid rising demand.

“Overall, this decision acts as a catalyst for inclusive growth and economic transformation aligning itself to India’s vision of Viksit Bharat”, said Srivastava. This move makes taxation more transparent and easier to follow. “We expect these measures will drive an estimated growth in consumption over 8-10 per cent in the next two quarters in rural markets, particularly benefiting farmers through reduced costs on agricultural products where GST has been brought down from the 12 per cent to 5 per cent,” according to Srivastava.

The price cuts on daily essentials like dairy products, household items, and consumer durables will provide more relief and reduce the burden to the consumers. The reduced GST on vehicles, electronics, and housing materials will create demand for these segments, while making insurance policies completely tax-free will enhance financial inclusion.

According to Sanjay Agarwal, Senior Director, CareEdge Ratings, GST rate cuts result in a decrease in the final price of goods and services, which enhances consumer purchasing power and could stimulate demand across various sectors.

The impact is generally visible in the consumer durables segment. Lower GST rates on automobiles, electronics, and appliances not only make these products more affordable but also expand the addressable market to include price-sensitive consumers who were previously priced out.

“Banks could see an increase in auto loans, personal loans for electronics purchases,” he mentioned. Outstanding housing loans, vehicle loans, credit card and consumer durables account for around 16.7 per cent, 3.5 per cent, 1.6 per cent and 0.1 per cent of banking credit, respectively.

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