KOZHIKODE, 2 June 2007 — The Kerala Haj Committee yesterday began issuing application forms for this year’s Haj. Application forms and guidelines can be downloaded from the official website http://haj.kerala.nic.in. Application forms will also be available at the information offices in all district headquarters except Kozhikode till June 8. In Kozhikode, the forms will be available at the State Haj Committee’s office at Puthiyara. Those not selected in Haj 2006-II will have to apply afresh with a photocopy of Haj Registration Card to get application forms. Those who have performed Haj within the last five years need not apply except those with genuine reasons (Mehram). Pregnant women are not eligible.

Abdul Aziz Is New AMU Chief

Cochin University of Science and Technology Vice Chancellor professor P.K. Abdul Aziz will take oath as the vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University on June 11.

“I received the proclamation of President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam naming me as the vice chancellor of AMU and I hope to take oath on June 11,” Aziz, who was here to meet Education Minister M.A. Baby, told Arab News.

Aziz had worked in the Research and Development Center of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation in Saudi Arabia as chairman and vice chairman at the Department of Ecology and Marine Biology. He stayed in the Kingdom for eight and a half years.

“It’s a national honor for me to be appointed the vice chancellor of the prestigious university that had played an active role in India’s freedom movement,” Aziz said. His predecessor Naseem Ahmad resigned last month after an undergraduate student was killed in a shootout between rival student groups on the campus.

“Let me understand the situation on the campus and see what I can do. I will try to maintain the unique character of the university and my focus will be on academic excellence and research programs,” Aziz said.

At the University of Kerala, Aziz worked on the diverse types of aquatic ecosystems such as coastal waters and beaches, estuaries, freshwater lakes, rivers and the impact of river basin projects and other human activities on ecosystems and their sustainability.

His work in Saudi Arabia has been globally recognized by the desalination industry and he is a leading ecology consultant for urban development projects and for desalination and power industry.

Huge Increase in Passenger Traffic

Passenger traffic through the Cochin International Airport, India’s first corporate airport, has grown by 35.9 percent during the last fiscal year, making it the fourth largest airport in India in terms of passenger traffic. During 2006-07, 2,563,236 people traveled through the airport compared to 1,886,614 passengers the pervious year. Of the total passengers, 1,134,604 were domestic travelers, according to the Airport Authority of India. The 55.1 percent growth in the domestic sector is attributed to more budget airline services to Chennai and Bangalore. International passenger traffic grew by 23.7 percent to touch 14,28,632 in 2006-07.

New Ration Cards

Seven million households in the state will now get a new laminated ration card with the photo of the head of the family affixed on it. The card, which was launched here last week by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, could be used as an ID for other purposes as well. “The ongoing survey to identify below poverty line (BPL) and above poverty line (APL) families would be completed soon. As per the present list, there are five million APL and 20 million BPL card-holders in the state,” Food Minister C. Divakaran said. The process would be completed within three years.