NEW DELHI:On Thursday, Parliament approved the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, a landmark legislation designed to replace the nearly century-old Aircraft Act of 1934. This new bill aims to streamline regulations and foster ease of doing business in India’s booming aviation industry.

The Rajya Sabha passed the bill through a voice vote, following its earlier clearance by the Lok Sabha in August, signaling a significant step toward modernizing the framework governing the country’s rapidly evolving aviation sector.

However, the debate in the Rajya Sabha took an unexpected turn, centering around the bill’s Hindi title. Opposition members raised objections to the title, sparking a heated exchange, while BJP members dismissed the concerns, accusing the opposition of holding onto a “colonial mindset.”

YSRCP MP S Niranjan Reddy urged the government to reconsider the title, clarifying that his objection was not against Hindi but stemmed from what he saw as a constitutional issue. Similarly, CPI MP Sandosh Kumar P, TMC MP Sagarika Ghose, and DMK MP Kanimozhi NVN Somu also voiced reservations about the name.

In response, Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu defended the title change, emphasizing that it adhered to constitutional provisions and was chosen to reflect India’s heritage and culture.

Addressing broader concerns, Naidu highlighted measures taken to make air travel more accessible and affordable. He pointed to the success of the Udan scheme, under which 609 new routes had been launched over the past eight years, improving regional connectivity and tackling issues related to rising airfares.