AAP falls short of fund collection target

February 8, 2015

New Delhi, Feb 8: Aam Aadmi Party might be frontrunner in the race to take over the reins in Delhi but it has fallen way short of achieving its target of collecting Rs 30 crore before the February 7 polling.

With around Rs 18 crore in its kitty, AAP has fallen short of its target of collecting Rs 30 crore before the elections, despite employing a number of innovative initiatives like fundraiser dinners, 'Coffee with Kejriwal', and 'Selfie with Mufflerman'.

However, the party has taken it in a positive stride and refused to pin the blame on its donors.

"Our target was raising over Rs 30 crore by the polling day and we haven't been able to cross that, but it's also true that whatever we have done is in just two months," said AAP's fund collection in-charge Arvind Jha.

In the 2013 elections, the party had to ask people to stop giving money as donations saw a rise.

Elaborating further, Jha said, "One must not forget that we started in late November which is much shorter a span of time than we had with us in 2013."

He said data showed that the party had more small token donors, a symbol of its "increasing base" both inside and outside India.

"It's a reaffirmation of the fact that we accept all kind of donations and in the most transparent way possible," Jha told media.

The AAP had been using improved ways of fund collection, one of which is an 'App' called "Aap Ka Daan" created by Prasenjit Pati, a Bhubaneswar-based volunteer who was a junior of party convener Arvind Kejriwal at IIT-Kharagpur.

"The app was created in order to reduce the hassles in the donation process as there were a number of small token donors who could not contribute to the party online," said Pati.

Asked whether there was any kind of "pressure" from the party leadership to gather more funds, Jha said, "The pressure is not from the top but from within the fund collection team."

The party's fund collection will continue till a decision is arrived at by the central leadership of the party, he said.

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India’s Tougher Pilot Fatigue Rules: Why IndiGo’s Operations Crashed Into Turbulence

News Network

December 6,2025

New Delhi: IndiGo, India’s largest airline, faced major operational turbulence this week after failing to prepare for new pilot-fatigue regulations issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The stricter rules—designed to improve flight safety—took effect in phases through 2024, with the latest implementation on November 1. IndiGo has acknowledged that inadequate roster planning led to widespread cancellations and delays.

Below are the key DGCA rules that affected IndiGo’s operations:

1. Longer Mandatory Weekly Rest

Weekly rest for pilots has been increased from 36 hours to 48 hours.

The government says the extended break is essential to curb cumulative fatigue. This rule remains in force despite the current crisis.

2. Cap on Night Landings

Pilots can now perform only two night landings per week—a steep reduction from the earlier limit of six.

Night hours, defined as midnight to early morning, are considered the least alert period for pilots.

Given the disruptions, this rule has been temporarily relaxed for IndiGo until February 10.

3. Reduced Maximum Night Flight Duty

Flight duty that stretches into the night is now capped at 10 hours.

This measure has also been kept on hold for IndiGo until February 10 to stabilize operations.

4. Weekly Rest Cannot Be Replaced With Personal Leave

Airlines can no longer count a pilot’s personal leave as part of the mandatory 48-hour rest.

Pilots say this closes a loophole that previously reduced actual rest time.

Currently, all airlines are exempt from this rule to normalise travel.

5. Mandatory Fatigue Monitoring

Airlines must submit quarterly fatigue reports along with corrective actions to DGCA.

This system aims to create a transparent fatigue-tracking framework across the industry.

The DGCA has stressed that these rules were crafted to strengthen flight safety and align India with global fatigue-management standards. The temporary relaxations are expected to remain until February 2025, giving IndiGo time to stabilise its schedules and restore normal air travel.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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