Centre push for Hindi on UN list

New Delhi (PTI): The Centre is making all efforts to enlist Hindi as an official language in the UN, the Lok Sabha was told on Wednesday.

A high-level committee under the chairmanship of Rao Inderjit Singh, the minister of state for external affairs, has been set up to pursue the matter, the government told the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs.

Minister of state for external affairs E. Ahmed said the possibility of holding the next World Hindi Conference in the Netherlands is being explored.

The ministry is examining a proposal for organising a regional Hindi conference either in Minsk, Belarus, or Warsaw, Poland, he said.

Ahmed said the government would pursue the committee’s recommendation for formation of an organisation of countries where Hindi is spoken and written.

An “advocacy paper” is being brought out to bring about an awareness of Hindi at the international level, he added.

The minister said Hindi software, dictionaries and other teaching aids are being sent to most missions abroad. Over 100 missions and posts abroad subscribe to 16 Hindi magazines, he added.

The Indian mission in London has been given a grant to bring out the Bharat Bhawan, a Hindi magazine.

Sample check for chillies

New Delhi (PTI): The Spice Board of India has started conducting compulsory sampling of chilli and chilli products in order to monitor the quality of exported chillies.

The move follows the UK’s Food Standard Agency ordering a recall of 575 products in which red chilli powder was allegedly contaminated with Sudan I dye.

The board will sample all export consignments and test it for Sudan I, II, III and IV and Aflatoxin.

Minister of state for commerce and industry E.V.K.S. Elangovan said since March 10, each consignment of chill, chilli products or any food products containing chilli require a clearance certificate issued by the board stating that the products for export do not contain Sudan I to IV and Aflatoxin beyond acceptable levels.

Snag forces plane to land

Chennai (PTI): A Delhi-bound Indian Airlines plane returned to base 10 minutes after taking off because of a snag in one of its engines.

Airport and airline sources said the Airbus 320 landed safely at 9 am. Alternative flights to Delhi were arranged for all 145 passengers, the sources said.

Surjeet surgery

Noida (PTI): CPM leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet on Wednesday underwent surgery for his kidney problem at a hospital here. He is recovering and will be discharged in a week, the hospital spokesperson said. The 89-year-old leader recently stepped down as party general secretary, citing ill health.

Food poisoning

Rajkot (PTI): A primary teachers’ workshop took a wrong turn after 51 trainee teachers were hospitalised because of food poisoning. The trainees complained of giddiness and vomited after having a meal at the workshop in Jamnagar on Tuesday. Barring 21, who are still undergoing treatment, the others have been discharged.

Jaguar crash

Basti (UP) (PTI): A Jaguar deep-penetration strike aircraft of the Indian Air Force on Wednesday crashed near the Gorakhpur air base minutes after take-off. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant A. Singh, was killed and three women on the ground were injured.

Industrialist dead

Chennai (PTI): Industrialist T.T. Vasu died in a private hospital after a brief illness, his family said. He was 76 and is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. Vasu, the son of the late Union finance minister T.T. Krishnamachari, was the director of the TTK group of companies.

Bar owner killed

Mumbai (PTI): A bar owner from Ulhasnagar in Thane district was shot dead in Kalyan on Tuesday. Dhruv Bar owner Rakesh Shetty was also the local bar association’s president.

Twenty farmers tonsured their heads to perform the last rites of a temple bull. The animal was hit by a speeding vehicle in Tamil Nadu’s Kottakudi village on Tuesday.