Sitaram Yechury unanimously elected new general secretary of CPI-M

April 19, 2015

Visakhapatnam, Apr 19: Senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury was today unanimously elected the new general secretary of the party.

The party also elected 91 members of its central committee and also the 16-member politburo on the concluding day of its 21st congress here today.

Addressing the CPI(M) meet here, Yechury, after getting elected as the general secretary, said this is the congress of future, future of our party and our country.

"Our task is to strengthen unity of Left and democratic forces. The unmistakable conclusion of this congress is that the crisis in capitalism continues to deepen in the world. There is no alternative except to strengthen the struggle for socialism. If there is any future for human civilisation, that future lies in socialism," the 62-year-old CPI(M) leader said.

Yechury's name for the post was proposed by outgoing general secretary Prakash Karat and seconded by S Ramachandran Pillai.

Prior to his election, Yechury was considered as the front-runner for the post of general secretary.

Pillai had yesterday rubbished the reports suggesting that he was also in the race for the top job in CPI(M), saying the party will decide the candidate for the post.

During its 21st congress which concluded here, the CPI(M) said that the immediate task on its hand was the fight against the Narendra Modi government's policies and "communal" agenda of the Hindutva forces, but ruled out joining hands with Congress in its campaign.

"This (fight against BJP and its policies) is the main task at hand. This requires a concerted opposition to the Modi government's economic policies and its Hindutva-oriented social and educational policies," said the draft political resolution adopted by party yesterday.

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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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