Dubai-bound woman denied boarding flight due to spelling mistake in covid report

News Network

November 23, 2020

Mangaluru, Nov 23: A woman bound for Dubai from Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district of Karnataka was denied boarding due to a mistake in the spelling of Shivamogga in the Covid-19 negative certificate.

Chand Begum was refused a boarding pass by SpiceJet staff due to the spelling mistake in the Covid-19 negative certificate. In the report, the place where she underwent Covid test was referred to as ‘Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences’. However, the seal by the district surveillance officer had the old spelling ‘Shimoga’.

Begum was scheduled to take the flight at 1.45 am on Saturday. Officials from Shivamogga district tried to explain the matter to the airline staff. They said the Institute in question was a government hospital approved by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). However, all efforts went in vain. The woman had undergone Covid test on November 18 and she received the report on November 19.

Zakir Hussain, brother of Chand Begum, said, “we tried our level best to convince the airlines staff to allow her to board the flight. When they did not heed our request, we had to return. Begum again underwent a Covid-19 test on November 21 in. Mangaluru.”

SpiceJet representatives said that the airline was just following the guidelines issued by the Indian government and the authorities in the UAE.

The rules stipulate that there should not be any error in the Covid negative certificate. “We have intimated the problem to officials in UAE and Chand Begum will be accommodated in the next flight,” the airlines said.

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RuTAGe smart village centres in DK, Udupi to being technology closer to rural communities

News Network

January 20,2026

Mangaluru: In a major step towards strengthening rural innovation, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India is supporting the establishment of RuTAGe Smart Village Centres (RSVCs) across the country through collaborations with academic institutions, civil society organisations and philanthropic partners.

As part of this national initiative, Nitte (Deemed to be University) will set up the first RSVCs in the region at Nitte GP in Udupi district and at the Nitte Health Centre, Sevanjali Trust, Farangipete, in Dakshina Kannada district. The centres will be inaugurated on January 21. In South India, the programme is being implemented by the Section Infin-8 Foundation (SI-8).

Speaking to reporters on Monday, SI-8 founder-director Vishwas US said experts from Nitte University and SI-8 would work closely with farmers, students, youth and local entrepreneurs to adapt and deploy technologies tailored to local needs.

Project head Prof Iddya Karunasagar, representing Nitte DU, said the RSVCs at Nitte and Farangipete would serve as demonstration hubs for a wide range of agriculture, energy, skill-development and assistive technologies. These include solar dryers for fruits, vegetables and crops; soil-testing solutions; power weeders and women-friendly farm tools; wind-powered devices for rural artisans; grain storage systems; grass-cutting and tree-climbing equipment; and liquid fertiliser production using cowshed waste.

SI-8 CEO Aravind C Kumar said the centres would also provide access to digital and knowledge-based platforms such as ISRO applications, government scheme portals, market linkage tools and gamified learning resources, along with assistive technologies for persons with visual impairments.

Highlighting the broader impact of the initiative, Principal Scientific Adviser Prof Ajay Kumar Sood said it demonstrated how applied research could bridge the rural–urban divide and help create self-reliant, technology-enabled villages.

The initiative has been made possible through philanthropic support from Dr NC Murthy of ACM Business Solutions, LLC, USA. Dr Sapna Poti, Director (Strategic Alliances) at the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, said the long-term objective is to build self-sufficient, technology-driven communities capable of generating sustainable livelihoods on their own.

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