Pak warned not to meddle in India's internal affairs

March 17, 2017

New Delhi, Mar 17: India on Thursday asked Pakistan not to meddle in its internal affairs after the neighbouring country protested against the acquittal of former RSS activist Swami Aseemanand in the 2007 Ajmer dargah blast case.

India also protested against Pakistan’s recent move to declare Gilgit-Baltistan region as its fifth province. New Delhi pointed out that Gilgit-Baltistan region is part of Indian territory that it (Pakistan) has been illegally occupying.

“The entire State of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) acceded to India in 1947. It has been, is and will always be an integral part of India. A part of Jammu and Kashmir has been under illegal occupation of Pakistan. Any unilateral step by Pakistan to alter the status of that part will have no basis in law and will be completely unacceptable,” Gopal Baglay, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), told journalists in New Delhi.

“India completely rejects Pakistan’s effort and intention to meddle in our internal affairs, including in judicial process,” said Baglay.

He was reacting to Pakistan’s criticism of Swami Aseemanand’s acquittal by a special court in India.

Swami Aseemanand is also an accused in the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast case.

“We also totally reject the completely untenable link sought to be established by Pakistan with any other matter currently under purview of the Indian courts,” said Baglay.

India’s Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan, J P Singh, had been called by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of that country on March 10. Senior officials of MoFA conveyed to Singh Islamabad’s concerns over acquittal of Swami Aseemanand in Ajmer Sharif blast case.

“Strong Indian democracy and justice system need no self-serving sermons, that too from a country like Pakistan,” said Baglay.

“Pakistan is well advised to refrain from interfering in internal affairs of India in any form; not to resort to denial from the reality of terrorism emanating from its soil; and take action to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism in the territory under its control and bring to justice the masterminds in its territory who commit, promote and support terrorism against its neighbours,” added the MEA spokesperson.

Baglay noted that Islamabad’s move to declare Gilgit-Baltistan as a province of Pakistan would also be a violation of the agreement between India and the neighbouring country to address all issues bilaterally through peaceful means, as was enshrined in Shimla Agreement of 1972 .

“I must also say that such a step will not camouflage the illegality of Pakistan’s occupation of parts of J&K and the gravely concerning and serious human rights violations there, as well as denial of democracy to the people there,” 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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