Bengaluru philatelist Piyush Khaitan highlights rare Black Cachet covers, underpaid letters, and the lasting legacy of Henri Pequet’s 1911 Allahabad-Naini flight.

Exactly 115 years ago, on a crisp February morning, 23-year-old Frenchman Henri Pequet climbed into the open cockpit of a fragile Humber biplane. As he cleared the banks of the Yamuna River, the roar of his engine announced the birth of a global revolution. It was the day when India became the “Ground Zero” of global airmail.

Today, February 18 is celebrated as World Airmail Day, marking that historic 13-minute hop from Allahabad to Naini. While we live in an era of instantaneous digital pings, the world of aerophilately is turning its eyes back to India to honour the moment communication truly took flight.

For Bengaluru-based Piyush Khaitan, an avid collector and Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London, these 13 minutes represent a lifetime of forensic pursuit.

Khaitan, Founder & Managing Director of fintech firm NeoGrowth Credit Pvt. Ltd, has spent nearly 20 years conducting a detailed census of material from this flight — particularly, the “Holy Grail” of Indian philately, the Black Cachet.

“To an untrained eye, the Black Cachet may appear to be just a different ink impression, but it is the rarest and most selectively used marking of the 1911 First Aerial Post,” Khaitan told PTI.

While most of the 6,500 letters carried that day were struck with magenta ink, Khaitan’s census has confirmed only 22 unique Black Cachet items.

“Earlier research suggested only nine examples, but documentation was scattered across auction records and private collections without verified details,” he said.

The evidence suggests these were likely reserved for prominent personalities, indicating a controlled use at the very birth of airmail.

In high-stakes collecting, perfection is often less interesting than a well-documented error. Khaitan points to a “unique” item in his collection: the first known underpaid airmail cover in the world. A sender in 1911 franked a letter to France with the rate for Britain, falling short of the international requirement.

“A so-called ‘mistake’ reveals how the postal system truly functioned at the very birth of airmail,” Khaitan said.

The letter was franked with 1 anna, the Imperial rate to Britain, but as it was addressed to France, the rate was 2½ annas. Khaitan’s research uncovered that the deficiency was charged at double the shortfall. The cover was marked with a “T” cachet in Bombay and traveled to Paris, where French postage-due labels were applied.

“What makes this extraordinary is that the letter was still accepted and flown on the historic February 18 flight before the underpayment was even processed,” Khaitan noted.

“What makes this extraordinary is that the letter was still accepted and flown on the historic February 18 flight before the underpayment was even processed,” Khaitan noted.

According to him, the choice of Allahabad was not a grand imperial design but a result of practical opportunity.

“The United Provinces Exhibition provided an ideal platform to demonstrate powered flight,” Khaitan pointed out.

Captain W Windham of the Humber Motor Car Company, said Khaitan, was keen to promote his aircraft, and a mail flight offered both publicity and prestige.

“There was also a philanthropic heart to the flight; proceeds from the special airmail cess supported the construction of the Oxford & Cambridge Hostel in Allahabad,” Khaitan said.

Khaitan also believes that despite his youth, Pequet understood the significance. “Aviation was in its infancy, and every organised flight was pioneering,” he pointed out. Pequet’s achievement was later recognised by France, which issued a commemorative stamp in 2011.

For collectors, the chase includes ‘Pequet Cards’ signed by the pilot. “They were estimated at 63 just 25 years ago; my census now has the number at 118,” Khaitan said.

The physical condition of these 115-year-old letters tells its own story. “India’s heat and humidity are not ideal for preserving paper; very few examples survive in pristine condition,” Khaitan added. This rarity attracts forgers “like moths to a flame,” requiring specialised equipment like the VS-6000 series for forensic analysis, Khaitan added.

To promote global awareness, the Air Mail Society India Foundation (AMSI) — where Khaitan serves as chairman — is organising AMSIPEX-26, a virtual exhibition from February 14–22. Featuring 185 frames from 12 countries, the event includes a day-long webinar on Wednesday and the release of a Souvenir Book. Simultaneously, a standing display is being held at the Royal Philatelic Society London, featuring award-winning airmail exhibits.

Reflecting on his study of these 13 minutes, Khaitan noted that the experiment was the catalyst for the global networks we depend on today.

“The 1911 experiment demonstrated that mail could move through the air, cutting time and reshaping possibilities. It also led to the development of civilian air transport with bigger, faster and safer aircraft, modern airports and navigational facilities,” Khaitan said.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

PM Modi said that India-France relations are very special after bilateral talks with French President Macron in Mumbai.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called France ‘special partner’ as he inaugurated the assembly line of H-125 helicopters with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Modi and Macron virtually inaugurated the H-125 Light Utility Helicopter Final Assembly of Tata Airbus at Vemagal, Karnataka.

Talking about the H-125 helicopter, Modi said that India and France will manufacture in India a helicopter capable of flying to the heights of Mount Everest, adding that the two countries have decided to upgrade relationship to special global strategic partnership. He made the remarks at a joint press meet with Macron in Mumbai.

The two countries also elevated their bilateral ties to ‘Special Global Strategic Partnership’ as PM Modi noted that the friendship between the two countries has “no boundaries” and the partnership can “reach from deep oceans to the tallest mountains”.

“India and France ties know no boundaries. In today’s turbulent world, this is a partnership for global stability,” Modi said at the press meet.

Macron landed in Mumbai after early in the morning on Tuesday for his three-day visit to India during which he is scheduled to attend the India Impact Summit 2026 along with holding key bilateral talks with PM Modi.

Macron will also attend the AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 18 and 19 which is being held in New Delhi.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presented the inaugural Bhavya Bharat Bhushan Awards to a group of distinguished nation-builders during the Mahashivratri celebrations at the Isha Yoga Centre here.

The newly instituted awards recognise exceptional individuals across diverse fields, including science, arts, sports, and military service, for their contributions to India’s progress.

The awards were instituted by the Isha Foundation.

The defence minister said, “Alongside the distinguished stalwarts from these domains who were conferred this honour, three institutions of our Armed Forces were also facilitated in recognition of the remarkable success of Operation Sindoor. These are Western Air Command, Army’s Southern Command and Western Naval Command. Personally, this filled me with great joy and a deep sense of pride.”

Noting that culture and science are often seen as separate from one another, he said in India they have always been complementary. “Culture is not merely a set of rituals, it is our way of life,” he said on Sunday.

Isha Foundation founder and spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev said the awards will be declared annually across seven key categories, including corporate, science and technology, sports and culture.

Among the prominent recipients of the 2026 awards in the science and technology category were Nambi Narayan and Kiran Kumar for their contributions to advancing India’s technological frontiers.

In the field of arts and culture, the honours were conferred upon classical dancer Alarmel Valli, legendary violinist N Rajam, and historian Vikram Sampath.

Badminton icon Saina Nehwal was also recognised for her achievements in sports.

A special recognition was extended to the Indian Armed Forces for their service in Operation Sindoor.

Representatives from the three wings of the military were honoured, including Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra of the Western Air Command, Lt Gen A V S Rathee of the Southern Command, and Vice Admiral R V Gokhale of the Western Naval Command. This category paid tribute to the dual role of humanitarian service and decisive action displayed by the forces.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

Five lives saved after parents consent to multi organ donation following accident as transplants succeed across hospitals.

Alin Sherin Abraham got to live for only 10 months, but she ensured that five people could carry on with theirs.

Alin was left brain-dead after a road accident earlier this month. Her parents decided to donate her kidneys, liver, eyes and heart valves, making her the youngest organ donor in Kerala.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said Alin would be buried with full state honours. Her body will be brought to St Thomas CSI Church at Nedungadappally in Kottayam district for the burial on Sunday.

Alin was the only daughter of Arun Abraham, associated with the Church of South India Synod, and Sherin Ann John, a teacher at Chengaroor Mar Severios BEd Training College. The baby sustained grave injuries after the car she was travelling in, along with her parents and maternal grandparents, collided with another vehicle on February 5.

The doctors on Friday informed her parents that the baby was brain-dead. Rising above their grief and finding hope in the idea that Alin would continue to live through others, her parents decided to donate her organs.

“Despite the grief, the decision taken by the parents to donate Alin’s five organs is a noble gesture. They have set an example for Kerala. I join in the sorrow of Alin’s family and loved ones. She will be sent off with state honours when she is laid to rest,” Vijayan said.

Alin’s organs were transported at 7.13pm on Friday from the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi through a green corridor. The ambulance reached KIMS Health Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram in 3 hours and 20 minutes. Six-month-old Dhriya received Alin’s liver in a transplant surgery that started at 10.30pm. Dhriya became the youngest in Kerala to receive a liver from another infant.

The hospital said Dhriya was stable. “The metabolic parameters related to the transplanted liver are showing encouraging improvement. The transplant surgery commenced at 10.30pm on Friday and concluded at 6am on Saturday,” the hospital added.

Alin’s heart valves were donated to Sree Chitra Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram, while her corneas were sent to the eye bank at AIMS, Kochi. They will be preserved for suitable transplant candidates.

Alin’s kidneys were donated to a 10-year-old nephrology patient at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. The surgery was completed successfully early on Saturday. The girl spoke to her parents after the transplant, and her condition is said to be stable.

Kerala governor Rajendra Arlekar condoled Alin’s death on X: “Deeply moved by the noble decision of Shri Arun Abraham and Smt Sherin John, who chose to donate the organs of their little angel Alin Sherin Abraham, after she tragically lost her life in an accident.”

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

The telco has emerged as the largest investor in subsea cable infrastructure, where India’s capacities lag behind many developed countries, in spite of a massive 5G rollout.

Bharti Airtel Ltd. has emerged among the largest investors in undersea cables, which connect Indian networks with the global internet, the firm told The Hindu. “Today, we operate India’s largest undersea cable portfolio, with over 4,00,000 route kilometres across 50 countries in five continents and investments in more than 34 marquee systems such as i2i, EIG, IMEWE, and SEA-ME-WE-4, making us one of the most extensively connected providers globally,” Airtel Business CEO Sharat Sinha told The Hindu.

Much of India’s internet relies on content cached in local data centres. The undersea cables provide crucial infrastructure that allows this content to be transported to India and enable phone calls and other use cases where data must be exchanged with other countries.

India has above 400 terabits per second of capacity on such cables. Indian fixed broadband connections have an average download speed of 62 Mbps. But if all of India’s 4.5 crore fixed-line broadband subscribers attempted to download a file from abroad, and did not have to share subsea capacity with the 94 crore mobile data subscriptions, they would achieve less than a sixth of that download speed. If all internet users, including 4G and 5G users, tried to download a file from abroad at the same time, speeds would drop to less than 512 kilobits per second, a fourth of the official definition of broadband.

Subsea cables currently land mainly at Mumbai and Chennai, from where their bandwidth is made available to Indian networks. India has fewer cables landing than Singapore, a city state with fewer residents than most Indian metros.

Airtel said that nearly half the capacity India does have was from projects where it was a consortium member. In 2025, the firm said, it “brought the SEA ME WE 6 cable to India, landing it in two of our stations, one each in Mumbai and Chennai, connecting India directly to a 21,700 km cable system between Singapore and France and bringing about 220 Tbps of additional capacity into the country.”

“You will continue to see us invest aggressively so that India not only keeps pace with global demand but truly emerges as a regional and global hub for subsea connectivity.”

Policy challenges

Airtel said certain policies needed to be tweaked to encourage more subsea cables to land in India. “The subsea industry is a highly capital-intensive sector, therefore policy interventions that enhance the ‘ease of doing business’ such as tax exemptions for a specific period, customs duty reductions [as most cables and associated equipment are imported into India], streamlined permit & approval process, will be crucial to attract investors to Indian shores,” Mr. Sinha said.

“In addition, recognizing subsea cable operations as “essential services” would drive greater synergy amongst all Government agencies, ensuring faster deployment and reduced maintenance turn-around times.”

The firm said India’s subsea capacities needed to grow multifold to support future needs. “Industry estimates suggest that to fully realise India’s potential as a global transit hub, subsea infrastructure capacity will need to expand by roughly 4-5 times, supported by a strong pipeline of new systems landing on the Indian coastline in the next few years,” Mr. Sinha said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Govt says India has 25,001 licensed pilots under 65; no data maintained on unemployed Commercial Pilot Licence and Airline Transport Pilot Licence holders, Lok Sabha informed.

India has 25,001 pilots under the age of 65 holding valid flying licences, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday. However, it clarified that no centralised data is maintained on how many commercial or airline transport pilots are currently unemployed or not in active service.

In a written reply to a question by Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmaker Sharmila Sarkar, minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol provided category-wise details of licences issued by the civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

According to the data, the country has 10,051 Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) holders for planes and 210 for helicopters. The largest group comprises Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) holders, with 12,480 plane CPL holders and 777 helicopter CPL holders. In addition, 1,483 pilots hold Private Pilot Licences (PPL).

Responding to queries on the number of CPL and ATPL holders who are unemployed or not in active service, the minister said, “No such detail of unemployment of pilots holding Commercial Pilot License (CPL) or Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) is maintained.”

The reply also included year-wise data on ATPLs issued since 2014.

A total of 6,775 ATPLs were issued between 2014 and 2025. The numbers peaked at 752 in 2019 but dropped to 398 in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic. They, however, recovered in subsequent years, with 720 ATPLs granted in 2022 and 646 in 2025.

The data comes at a time when Indian airlines are expanding their fleets and placing large aircraft orders, amid ongoing discussions around pilot availability and crew planning norms.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

Hindustan Aeronautics has nearly 180 of the advanced Mk-1A variants on order domestically, but has yet to begin deliveries due to engine supply chain issues at GE Aerospace.

India’s Defence Acquisition Council on Thursday cleared an initial proposal to buy 114 Rafale fighter jets from France’s Dassault Aviation for 3.25 trillion rupees ($280.4 billion), local media reported.

The air force’s fighter squadron strength has shrunk to 29 in recent months, well below the approved number of 42. Its workhorse MiG-21 was retired in September and other early variants of the MiG-29, the Anglo-French Jaguar and the French Mirage 2000, are also set to fly off into the sunset in the coming years.

New Delhi has long relied on importing machinery and weapons for its armed forces, but a recent push by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has helped boost indigenous manufacturing.

For the Indian Air Force, the era of domestic manufacturing began in the 1980s but was fruitful only in the last decade when the Tejas fighter jet was introduced to replace Soviet-era MiG-21s.

.Hindustan Aeronautics has nearly 180 of the advanced Mk-1A variants on order domestically, but has yet to begin deliveries due to engine supply chain issues at GE Aerospace.

Heightened tensions with its neighbours have required India’s military to modernise.

The proposal paves the way for commercial and technical details of the deal to be discussed between the two countries, after a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to India.

source/content: thetelegraphindia.com (headline edited)

The fresh set of guidelines were uploaded on the MHA’s website on February 6 but no formal announcement or a statement was issued; it states that whenever the official version, around 3.10 minutes long, is sung or played, the audience shall stand to attention.

The Union government has said in a set of instructions to States and other government bodies that the national song Vande Mataram should be sung or played before the national anthem Jana Gana Mana when both the songs are played at an event.

The fresh set of guidelines were uploaded on the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) website on February 6 but no formal announcement or a statement was issued.

It states that whenever the official version of the national song, around 3.10 minutes long, is sung or played, the audience shall stand to attention. “However, when in the course of a newsreel or documentary, the national song is played as a part of the film, it is not expected of the audience to stand as standing is bound to interrupt the exhibition of the film and would create disorder and confusion rather than add to the dignity of the national song,” it said.

Instructions for guidance

The MHA said the instructions are being issued for general information and guidance on the official version of the song, the occasions on which it is to be played or sung, and the need for paying respect to the song by observance of proper decorum on such occasions.

It said that the song Vande Mataram written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee is known as the “national song which is to be sung on arrival and departure of the President at formal State functions and other functions organised by the government, immediately before and after the President addresses the nation over All India Radio and television, on arrival and departure of the Governor/Lieutenant Governor at formal State functions, when the national flag is brought on parade, any other occasion for which special orders are issued by the Government of India”.

“When the national song is played by a band, the song will be preceded by a roll of drums to assist the audience to know that it is going to be played, unless there is some other specific indication that the national song is about to be played,” the Ministry said in the guideline.

The official version shall be played accompanied by mass singing on the unfurling of the national flag, on cultural occasions or ceremonial functions other than parades. The mass singing could be arranged by having a choir of adequate size, suitably stationed, which would be trained to coordinate its singing with the band, etc. There should be an adequate public audition system so that the gathering in various enclosures can sing in unison with the choir while printed lyrics of the official version of the song may be circulated amongst the participants, wherever required, the MHA said.

It may be sung on occasions which, although not strictly ceremonial, are nevertheless invested with significance because of the presence of Ministers, etc., the Ministry stated.

“It is not possible to give an exhaustive list of occasions on which the singing (as distinct from playing) of official version of the national song can be permitted. But there is no objection to the singing of the national song accompanied by mass singing so long as it is done with due respect as a salutation to the motherland and proper decorum is maintained,” the MHA said.

“In all schools, the day’s work may begin with community singing of the national song. School authorities should make adequate provision in their programmes for popularising the singing of the national song, national anthem and promoting respect for the national flag among students,” the MHA added.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has made mandatory biometric updates (MBU) free for children in the age group of 7 to 15 years for one year period.

Aadhaar custodian UIDAI has completed mandatory biometric updates (MBU) for one crore school children covering 83,000 schools across the country, an official statement said.

A child under the age of five can enrol for Aadhaar by providing the photograph, name, date of birth, gender, address and birth certificate but the fingerprints and iris biometrics of a child are not captured for Aadhaar enrolment below the age of five as these indicators are not mature by then.

Therefore, providing fingerprints and iris information in Aadhaar by following the process of MBU, upon crossing the ages of 5 and 15 years, is an essential requirement for children.

Lack of MBU in Aadhaar may lead to difficulties while carrying out authentication for receiving benefits under various government schemes, registering in competitive and university examinations like NEET, JEE, CUET etc.

“The UIDAI has crossed the milestone of completing over one crore Mandatory Biometric Updates (MBUs) for school-children studying in 83000 schools across the country,” the statement said.

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has made MBU free for children in the age group of 7 to 15 years from October 1 for one year period.

“UIDAI had initiated this special MBU drive for school-children in September 2025 after a successful technological integration with the Unified District Information System for Education Plus application, that enabled visibility of MBUs status of children at schools. This breakthrough helped the UIDAI and schools to jointly identify children who were due for an MBU, and hold camps at schools to complete the MBU,” the statement said.

UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar has written to Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories about the initiative by the authority and requested their support in conducting focussed MBU camps at schools.

“The mission mode campaign continues to be operational till such time all schools in the country are covered. This initiative has already benefited 1 crore children in 83,000 schools and many more are set to gain from it,” the statement said.

In addition to camps held at schools, children can also complete their MBU at any of the Aadhaar enrolment centres and Aadhaar Seva Kendras running across the country.

“About 1.3 crore MBU transactions have also been completed in the same period, by children visiting these centres,” the statement said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Assistant Professor Ejaz Ahmed further informed that the carbon nanotubes produced during the separation of hydrogen from methane are a high-strength material.

Second-year students of the Chemical Engineering department at IIT-ISM Dhanbad have developed a technology to convert greenhouse gases like coal bed methane into environmentally friendly fuel, which can be used directly in CNG cars.

The eco-friendly fuel has been named as H-CBM (Hydrogen Enriched Coal Bed Methane). Chemical engineering students Kailash Krishna, Nitin Gaur, and Devashish Das, under the guidance of Assistant Professor Ejaz Ahmed, have also developed a hydrogen-enriched coal bed methane-powered car. Professor Alok Das of Mechanical Engineering Department also helped them in research work.

Coal-bed methane gas is released during coal mining. It is a dangerous greenhouse gas, considered to be approximately 25 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.

Ahmed said they are using a waste product that previously polluted the environment and creating an environmentally friendly fuel that can be used in any CNG car without any modifications.

Coal bed methane contains sulphur and methane, he said. “It is purified to produce pure methane. Then, a portion of the methane is cracked, through which hydrogen and carbon nanotubes are obtained. The hydrogen-enriched coal bed methane, produced through this process, can be used directly in cars as a substitute for CNG,” said Ahmed.

He further informed that the carbon nanotubes produced during the separation of hydrogen from methane are a high-strength material. They are used in bulletproof jackets and the steel industry. Its market price is up Rs 500,000 per kilogram, he said. The associate professor said that since carbon nanotubes are produced alongside hydrogen, the cost of the hydrogen becomes virtually zero.

Ahmed informed that the release of coal bed methane significantly increases environmental pollution. However, capturing coalbed methane offers considerable benefits. “Capturing 1 kilogram of coalbed methane is equivalent to reducing pollution by the same amount as 25 kilograms of carbon dioxide, which is crucial for environmental protection,” said the professor. It will prove to be a game-changer in the field of green mining, he added.

Second-year student Devashish Das, who is also a part of the research team, explained that CNG cars emit less carbon dioxide than petrol and diesel vehicles, but the emissions are not completely eliminated.

“Coal bed methane gas, extracted from the coal mines of Dhanbad, is far more dangerous. Considering this, hydrogen fuel has been developed from CBM,” said Das. Because hydrogen has a higher calorific value than CNG, it also provides better fuel efficiency for vehicles, he added

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)