Reading the above I swore I would not get involved in the never-ending debate between pilots and automatic pilot status monitors. Clear day - low traffic? Stone the bloody crows chum - are you that blindly dependant on the crutch of automation that you need a CAVOk condition to (shudder in fright) turn off the automatics and actually take control of the aeroplane and fly it.
Can't you see the obvious? It is because blind reliance on automation at all costs degrades pure airmanship and flying ability that these pilots are incompetent to seamlessly switch from automation to manual flying when the circumstances demand. And you say that even more automation is safer? I don't think so.
There are major airlines out there, based not too far away from India, which have SOPS demanding that pilots use maximum levels of automation available
at all times on the line. There are some among that airline's line pilots who do see the obvious you refer to, (and have said so), but not a one among the management who have brought in that rule (some years ago now).