Assembly elections: Counting begins in four states

December 8, 2013

New Delhi, Dec 8: The results of the Assembly elections to four key heartland States — Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi — to be announced on Sunday will set the stage for the 2014 general election.

BJP leaders, cheered by exit polls predicting the party winning three of the four States and emerging as the single largest party in Delhi, are nevertheless keeping their fingers crossed. A senior leader said on Friday: “I would like to wait till Sunday to accept congratulations.” BJP president Rajnath Singh held a “strategy session” at the party headquarters with senior functionaries.

If the BJP, out of power at the Centre for nine years, has much at stake in these polls, so has Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, now the prime ministerial candidate, who addressed a number of election rallies in all four States. The BJP’s much-publicised “Modi Magic” will face the first litmus test in the verdict in the four States, the polls being dubbed “semi-finals” to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Not surprisingly, a day ahead of the results, the mood in the Congress was downbeat, with its leaders hoping the party would fare better than what the exit polls had suggested.

Congress leaders said if the party failed to win at least one of these four States (counting for Mizoram will take place on Monday), it would not just set the tone for next year’s Lok Sabha elections, it would also make it very difficult for it to persuade the Opposition to cooperate with it in the ongoing Parliament session, in which it has a heavy legislative agenda.

The government is keen on pushing through not just a slew of anti-corruption laws, including the Lokpal Bill and the Whistle-blowers’ Bill but also the key Bill on Telangana. Indeed, if Telangana is created before next year’s elections, the Congress believes, it will give the party an electoral boost in the region. On the other hand, if the new State does not become a ground reality, the party will face the prospect of getting wiped out in both Telangana, and Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.

Publicly, the Congress maintains that the Assembly elections are fought on local issues and the results will have no impact on the general election. “The BJP should be cautious in celebrations, even if opinion and exit polls are true. We won all these 4 States in 1998, 1999. The Lok Sabha results were an eye opener for us,” Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed said on Twitter.

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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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