No Plans To Make Indian Music Mandatory in Flights, Airports: Minister VK Singh

Singh was replying to a question asked by Congress's Rajya Sabha MP Ambika Soni during the Parliamentary session.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation, V K Singh, on Monday, 14 March, said that the Centre has no plans to make it mandatory for Indian airplanes and airports to play Indian music. Image used for representation purpose.

(Photo: iStockphoto)

Minister of State for Civil Aviation, V K Singh, on Monday, 14 March, said that the Centre had no plans to mandate Indian airplanes and airports to play Indian music.

Singh was replying to a question asked by Congress' Rajya Sabha MP Ambika Soni during the ongoing parliamentary session. She had asked if "the government had a proposal to make it mandatory for Indian airports and airlines to play Indian classical or light vocal or instrumental music."

Background

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) had on 28 December, asked all airlines and airports to consider playing Indian music in their flights and premises.

Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Joint Secretary Usha Padhee, in a letter addressed to airlines and airport operators, lamented that Indian airlines seldom play Indian music on their flights.

"Music played by most of the airlines across the globe is quintessential of the country to which the airline belongs, for example, jazz in American airlines or Mozart in Austrian airlines and Arab music in an airline from the Middle East. But, Indian airlines seldom play Indian music in the flight, whereas, our music has a rich heritage and culture and it is one of the many things every Indian has a reason for (being) truly proud of it."

"It is, therefore, requested to kindly consider playing Indian music in the aircraft being operated in India and at airports following the regulatory requisites," the ministry stated in the letter.

The MoCA's directive came after the Indian Council of Cultural Research (ICCR) had requested "the promotion of Indian music in flights operated by the Indian air companies."