Mumbai Scan

To make the Boeing 747 lighter, defuelling operations were carried out and cargo off-loaded before the pull out, airport officials said. The aircraft had blocked the main runway 09-27 and the first flight could take off only after 8.30 ams, three hours after the Saudia Boeing was towed away. The alternate runway 14-32 was put to use during this period.

Airport Authority of India officials waited for the team of Saudia Airline officials to arrive yesterday before the aircraft was removed. The Cockpit Voice Recorder and Digital Flight Data Recorder, which together constitute the Black Box8217; have been removed to carry out investigations.

Customs, Excise stir from Sept 15

About 50,000 Customs and Central Excise staffall over India will launch an indefinite strike from September 15 in support of their demands. These include merger of deputy office superintendents8217; posts and pay parity with the inspectors8217; scale, upgradation of the inspector8217;s post to be adjusted against the direct recruitment quota and creation of adequate staff for newly created commissionerates.

According to the Central Excise and Customs Ministerial Officers8217; Association general secretary S Venkata Subramaniam, meetings with the chairperson and member personnel of the Central Board of Excise and Customs have failed. The association had also agitated on August 4, when its members went on mass casual leave countrywide.

Best Teacher Bharucha felicitated

Khorshed Maneck Bharucha, principal of J B Vachha High School for Parsi Girls and the Cowasjee Jehangir Primary and Infant School has been awarded the National Award for The Best Teacher, 1997. She received this award from the Ministry of Human Resource and Development of Education, NewDelhi on the occasion of Teachers8217; Day at the hands of the President of India, K R Narayanan. Today the school also felicitated Bharucha at a grand function attended by its trustees, staff and parents of students as well as ex-students.

Bharucha has also won numerous other awards including The Best Teacher Award from the National Welfare Teachers Foundation, the H D Mehta Rotating Trophy for the Best School in the area8217; for six successive years for obtaining 100 per cent result at the SSC examinations. This year found her receiving three other awards for Best School8217;, The Best Principal8217; and the Best Management8217; instituted by the Lions Club of Sion for 1997-98.

George Fernandes visits BARC

Union Defence Minister George Fernandes has stressed the need to translate the spin-offs of atomic energy research and development for the benefit of Indian industry and agriculture.

At a meeting with top scientists and technocrats at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre BARC in Mumbai today, Fernandesheld discussions with Atomic Energy Commission Chairperson Dr R Chidambaram and BARC Director Dr Anil Kakodkar. He also applauded the efforts of the Department of Atomic Energy towards nation-building. The minister also visited the Dhruva reactor, computer facilities and food irradiation laboratories and other departments of the BARC. He attended a technical presentation on reactor technology as well.

Former State minister Namjoshi dead

Prof Anant Namjoshi, ex-Minister for Education amp; Sports, Govt of Maharashtra expired on Saturday, September 12, after a brief illness. The funeral will leave the residence at 10.30 am for Chandanwadi electric crematorium