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Social media use causing sleep deprivation in pilots, caused a crash: Air Chief Marshal

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8 years ago

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Social media use causing sleep deprivation in pilots, caused a crash: Air Chief Marshal

Air Force pilots spending long hours on social media aren’t getting enough sleep, a factor that was responsible for the crash of a fighter aircraft in 2013, according to Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa.

The air chief, speaking at the 57th Indian Society of Aerospace Medicine conference organised in Bengaluru, sought a system to identify if officers had rested and slept enough before flying sorties.

“Everybody appears to be spending long hours on social media, late nights. Most flight briefings, sometimes, are as early as 6 am and pilots haven’t had enough sleep,” he was quoted by PTI as saying.

Flying sorties when the temperature goes beyond 40 degree celsius is discouraged and so flight briefings are held early, he said.

He also said though social media has become an indispensable communication platform, it is taking away interpersonal and communication skills.

“Earlier if a pilot had one drink too many, the bar man would know. If he failed to notice, the others would know and he would be laid off flying for the day. Today we even have breathanalysers.”

“Therefore, we need a system where one can find out if a pilot had enough sleep,” said Dhanoa.

“The problem that is coming now because of social media is sleep deprivation. Most of the people are active on social media very late. There has to be a check mechanism by which we should be able to make out that a person isn’t fit enough to get in the cockpit,” he said.

“We had an unfortunate air crash at Uttarlai (near Barmer in Rajasthan) in the year 2013 that resulted because of continuous sleep deprivation for a number of days. This is something which is a new challenge for us because of the changes in our society,” he said.

“I request the medical practitioners to find a solution for this problem,” he said.

The Indian Air Force also expects to have its doctors learning to fly military planes so that doctors to understand first-hand the health problems their pilot patients face during and after sorties, media reports said.

The air chief said he has moved the proposal for the Defence Ministry’s approval in what would be a return to a 40-year-old practice, reported The Hindu. He said, “It will be the best thing to happen to us. It is also good for doctors to fly because it is very difficult for pilots to become doctors and it takes them five long years.”

He said he has signed the proposal for the resurrection of the pilot-physician concept programme. The Army’s Director-General Medical Services suggested that the IAF “get its doctors back into the cockpit as motivation and bonhomie. As soon as they clear it, we [may] have them flying with us all over again. And we will catch them young.”

Air Marshal C.K. Ranjan, Commandant Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, said the pilot-physician plan being revived after four decades would help aerospace medicine professionals to handle the Force’s operational challenges better. India has had eight flying doctors before and after 1947.

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India News

West Bengal Governor dissolves Assembly amid political transition 

Governor R N Ravi dissolved the West Bengal Assembly after the 2026 poll results, with the BJP securing a majority in the state elections.

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34 mins ago

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May 7, 2026

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The West Bengal Legislative Assembly was dissolved following the conclusion of the 2026 Assembly elections, in which the Bharatiya Janata Party secured a clear majority in the state.

Governor R N Ravi issued the order dissolving the Assembly as the state prepared for the transition of power after the election results. According to reports, the BJP won 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly, while the Trinamool Congress secured 80 seats.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee questioned the election outcome and alleged irregularities in the poll process, claiming the mandate had been “looted”.

The dissolution came as the tenure of the existing Assembly ended on May 7, 2026. The development has sparked political discussions over the formation of the next government in the state.

Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee held a meeting with newly elected Trinamool Congress MLAs in Kolkata and reportedly raised concerns over internal sabotage during the elections.

The BJP is expected to begin the formal process of government formation in West Bengal after its decisive victory in the Assembly polls.

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Eknath Shinde’s helicopter returns to Mumbai mid-flight due to bad weather

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s helicopter was forced to return to Mumbai after the pilot detected approaching storm conditions during a flight to Thane district.

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54 mins ago

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May 7, 2026

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Eknath_shinde (1)

A helicopter carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was forced to return to Mumbai on Thursday after encountering adverse weather conditions during a flight to Thane district.

According to officials, Shinde had departed from Mahalaxmi Racecourse in south Mumbai around 3.30 pm and was travelling to Murbad in Thane district to attend a wedding function related to a party worker’s family.

The helicopter reportedly reached the Airoli area in Navi Mumbai when the pilot noticed an approaching storm and informed the deputy chief minister about the deteriorating weather conditions. Following the alert, the flight was turned back as a precautionary measure.

The helicopter later landed safely at the Pawan Hans facility in Juhu, Mumbai. Officials said Shinde was accompanied by members of his staff, including personal assistant Prabhakar Kale, special executive officer Balsingh Rajput and media adviser Vinay Patrdukar.

The incident comes amid changing weather conditions and storm activity reported in parts of Maharashtra in recent days.

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Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant among 32 inducted in Bihar cabinet expansion

Nishant Kumar entered the Bihar cabinet for the first time as 32 ministers from NDA allies took oath in a major expansion of the state government.

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4 hours ago

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May 7, 2026

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Bihar government cabinet

A major cabinet expansion took place in Bihar on Thursday, with 32 leaders from the ruling NDA alliance inducted into the state government. Among the prominent names was Nishant Kumar, son of former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who entered the cabinet for the first time.

The expansion included representatives from all major NDA allies in the state. According to reports, the BJP secured 15 ministerial berths, while JD(U) got 13 positions. Two ministers were inducted from Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), while Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha received one berth each.

The oath-taking ceremony was held in Patna in the presence of senior NDA leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Nishant Kumar’s induction comes weeks after he formally entered active politics. His entry into the Bihar cabinet is being viewed as a significant development for JD(U), which had long projected an anti-dynasty image under Nitish Kumar’s leadership.

The cabinet reshuffle follows Nitish Kumar’s move to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year and the formation of the government led by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.

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