Exit polls patently illegal, yet happening before the eyes of EC: Ex-CEC SY Quraishi
New Delhi, Nov 19: Former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi on Tuesday claimed that the exit polls are patently illegal and they are happening before the eyes of the Election Commission (EC).
Addressing the G V G Krishnamurty Memorial Lecture here, he asked when the conduct of exit polls is banned during the "prohibited period" -- from the day of commencement of voting for the first phase till half-an-hour after the end of polling in the last phase -- how are they being held.
He said when exit polls cannot be conducted in that period, how can be shown soon after conclusion of polls.
"There is one patent illegality happening before our eyes and the eyes of the EC with the involvement of EC," he said.
He said according to a 2009 amendment to section 126 A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the conduct, publication and dissemination of results of exit poll in any manner during the prohibited period is banned.
"How is the illegality happening," he questioned.
Referring to electoral bonds, he said after six years the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional.
He said the SC had no time and kept the issue on the backburner for a long period.
Quraishi was the chief election commissioner (CEC) between July 2010 and June 2012.
Addressing the gathering, he said the judiciary has to be credited for several of the electoral reforms, including the decision to make candidates disclose criminal cases against them as well as their assets and liabilities.
Referring to an index which placed India as a "flawed democracy", Quraishi said initially he was upset at the report and thought it was a "western conspiracy".
"But when I studied, I found exactly the right reasons about which citizens are concerned," he said.
"Only seven per cent of women were in Parliament (then, when the report came). Obviously that is not full democracy," he said, adding that at that time 40 per cent MPs had criminal antecedents.
"We are a flawed democracy but we have no one but ourselves to blame," he said.
Late G V G Krishnamurty was a CEC.
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Air India resorts to cost-cutting ways amid 'tough times'; layoffs not anticipated
New Delhi/Mumbai (PTI): Hit hard by Pakistan airspace closure and Iran war, Air India has resorted to cost-cutting measures, including holding back annual increments for staff and asking them to cut discretionary spending as well as non-critical expenditures, warning of "tough times".
On Friday, Air India Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director (CEO & MD) Campbell Wilson told the staff it is going to be a "very, very difficult year" if things don't improve on the Middle East front.
A day after the loss-making airline's board discussed various cost-saving steps, Wilson, along with Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sanjay Sharma and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Ravindra Kumar GP, addressed the employees during a townhall on Friday where the emphasis on the need to keep a close watch on costs.
With higher jet fuel prices due to the West Asia conflict and airspace curbs, the loss-making airline's expenses have spiralled in recent times and against this backdrop, Sharma also told staffers that FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Calling for a relentless focus on costs in these tough times, Wilson urged employees to suspend discretionary spending, renegotiate rates where feasible, and defer non-critical expenditures.
"There must be a laser-sharp focus on eliminating wastage and leakages," he said.
Stressing the need to tighten the belt for a while, Wilson sounded optimistic that travel demand would rebound and the industry would continue on its upward path.
CHRO Ravindra Kumar told staff that the airline will proceed with variable pay for the last financial year and continue with planned promotions while noting that annual increments will be deferred by at least one quarter.
"We don't anticipate layoffs," he said.
At the airline's board meeting on Thursday, various cost-saving steps, including likely furloughs, were discussed. The Tata Group-owned airline has around 24,000 employees.
Generally, furlough refers to sending staff on unpaid leaves by companies during a tough financial situation.
During the townhall, CFO Sanjay Sharma said while strong revenue growth and fleet expansion drove financial momentum through FY25, FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Air India has seen around 40 per cent CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) in revenue between 2022 and 2025, he added.
The airline was acquired by the Tata Group from the government in January 2022.
The Air India CEO mentioned the external challenges being facing the aviation industry as a whole, including the continued closure of Pakistan airspace that is expected to persist for the foreseeable future and geopolitical conflicts leading to disruptions and airspace closures across West Asia.
Wilson, who is set to step down later this year, also flagged a sharp depreciation of the rupee and a 2.5-3 times increase in jet fuel prices, and added that these factors have adversely affected travel sentiment and consumer confidence, as per the sources.
If the Strait of Hormuz opens, oil prices fall and consumer as well as business confidence come back, there is a decent chance of a solid recovery, Wilson said, adding that unless those circumstances happen, it was going to be "a very, very difficult year".
"I feel somewhat responsible that we ended up with probably the biggest surprise of the year in the external environment which was a full-scale war in our neighbouring region in the Gulf. That has had a huge impact on airspace," he said.
For Air India, Wilson said the situation is compounded by the fact that the airline cannot fly over the neighbouring country and has to take a much longer routing for any west-bound destination.
"Every airline is reporting that they are under some sort of financial pressure as a result of higher fuel prices and economic uncertainty. So, it is unfortunately not a great environment to be running an airline," the Air India CEO said.
The Air India Group -- Air India and Air India Express -- is projected to have incurred more than Rs 22,000 crore loss in the financial year ended March 2026.
At the townhall, Wilson also highlighted various initiatives, including completion of the retrofit of its legacy narrow-body aircraft and rapid network optimisation to redeploy capacity more efficiently.
