Air India Express crisis: 5 flights cancelled in Kolkata; efforts on to get back to normalcy
Kolkata (PTI): Air India Express on Friday cancelled five flights on four routes from Kolkata as the airline is making efforts to get back to normalcy following the cabin crew-related crisis, an official said.
The airline cancelled two flights between Kolkata and Hyderabad, one each to Chennai, Cochin and Ayodhya, an Air India Express spokesperson told PTI.
These were among the total of 120 flights, both domestic and international, that were cancelled across the country on Friday, even after the section of the cabin crew who had been on strike since Tuesday night had called it off on Thursday.
According to the spokesperson, besides the 120 cancellations, the airline operated 246 flights to various destinations of which 20 flights were operated by Air India and two by Vistara.
Sources in the airline said though the cabin crew started reporting back to work, putting them on flights was not possible immediately due to a lot of technicalities related to rostering and re-rostering.
Things are expected to be fully normal in one-and-a-half days.
Sources also said that some time will also be consumed in the medical check-up of the cabin crew who reported back to work, besides working out the entire duty roster.
Notably, the strike (sudden mass sick leave) by a section of the cabin crew since Tuesday night had resulted in cancellation of more than 170 flights was called off on Thursday evening.
The airline also had withdrawn the termination letters issued to 25 striking cabin crew.
The cabin crew had started reporting sick to protest against alleged mismanagement at the airline.
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Ordinance issued to increase number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38
New Delhi (PTI): The government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from the present 34 judges to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The law ministry notified the ordinance on Saturday, which amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of the top court.
So far, the sanctioned strength of the top court was 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Now, the number of judges has been increased by four, taking the sanctioned strength to 38.
The top court will now have 37 judges, other than the CJI.
With the apex court having two vacancies at present, and the ordinance coming into force immediately, the Supreme Court Collegium will now have to recommend six names for appointment as judges in the top court.
A bill will be brought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to convert the ordinance – an executive order – into a law passed by Parliament.
The Union Cabinet had cleared a draft bill on May 5 to increase the number of apex court judges.
The strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI) in 2019.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.
This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges), Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by another amendment to the law.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986, augmented the strength of judges from 17 to 25, excluding the CJI.
A fresh amendment in 2009 further increased the strength from 25 to 30.
Article 124(3) of the Constitution lists the qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge.
An Indian citizen who has either served as a high court judge for at least five years, or as an advocate for 10 years, or is a distinguished jurist, can be appointed to the top court.
The strength of the Supreme Court is increased based on the recommendations of the CJI, who writes to the Union law minister. After consulting the finance ministry, the Department of Justice under the law ministry moves the Cabinet with a draft bill.
