Anna Hazare takes a U-turn, accepts ‘sarkari bill’; Shocked Kejriwal pledges to fight for Jan Lokpal till last breath

December 15, 2013

New Delhi, Dec 15: Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal Saturday expressed surprise at activist Anna Hazare agreeing to the revised Lokpal bill tabled by the government in parliament and said he will continue his fight for the Jan Lokpal bill till his last breath.

Kejriwal's remarks spelled a clear parting of ways between him and Hazare on an issue with which they are closely identified and which helped bring them into the national limelight.

Both Hazare and Kejriwal had agitated for the Jan Lokpal bill in the national capital. Kejriwal later decided to form a political party and promised to pass the Jan Lokpal bill in Delhi if the AAP formed a government.

Kejriwal Saturday expressed his disappointment in a series of tweets and termed the Lokpal bill tabled by the government as "Jokepal".

"I am really surprised. How can Anna accept sarkari lokpal bill? Sarkari lokpal is a 'jokepal'. Who is misguiding Anna? It is also interesting to see that both BJP n Cong have agreed on this 'jokepal'," he tweeted.

He said the bill does not contain any of the three most important provisions of the Jan Lokpal bill.

"What does this 'jokepal' achieve? CBI has not been made autonomous. CBI will continue to be under govt's control. None of the 3 conditions which were agreed upon when Anna broke his fast in Aug 2011 are there in this jokepal. So why did Anna agree for such a 'jokepal'? Which forces are misleading him? I am really sad," he further tweeted.

"Whatever Anna may say, we will continue our fight for jan lokpal bill till our last breath," Kejriwal said.

Hazare, who has been on a fast at Ralegan-Siddhi in Maharashtra for the last five days for passage of the Lokpal bill, Saturday said he would call off his hunger strike the moment the law was enacted.

Addressing a press conference in Ralegan Siddhi on Saturday, Mr. Hazare said, “I accept it completely. If this Bill is passed, I will end my fast. The Bill will help the poor people of this country.” The activist has been fasting for the last five days demanding that the Lokpal Bill be passed.

Hazare's stance on the Lokpal bill came a day after some AAP leaders Friday attempted to disrupt a meeting by former army chief V.K. Singh at Ralegan-Siddhi.

Soon after Singh started speaking, AAP leader Gopal Rai stood up to interrupt, accusing the former army chief of betraying Hazare at a critical juncture.

Taken aback by the arguments that ensued, a visibly annoyed Hazare virtually asked Rai to "get out".

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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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