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SIR Notices in Spotlight: from Amartya Sen, war vetereran Arun Prakash to Mohammed Shami summoned for SIR hearing
West Bengal’s ongoing and controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has—rather shockingly-- summoned Nobel laureates, actors, athletes, poets, ministers, and war heroes for verification hearings! While the ECI defends itself citing ‘due process’, reports from the ground suggest both haste and pre-determined bias; now, because of SC monitoring, the ECI has been compelled to publicise the list of 1.25 crore voters categorised under the ‘logical discrepancy’ category
The Mess, called ECI’s Final Voter List for Bihar
In 243 assembly constituencies, analysis shows at least 14.35 lakh suspect duplicate voters and 1.32 crore voters of different families, castes and communities bundled and registered at dubious and fictitious addresses
On living the legacy of Fr. Stan Swamy
Late evening of 8 October 2020, Fr Stan Swamy was...
Smoke & Mirrors, 130th Constitution Amendment Bill: Real issue is the trading of MLAs
Not only is the proposed law, not referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) a harmful attempt to change the fundamental nature of Indian criminal law and ratify this harmful change by a constitutional amendment, it also completely side-lines a long overdue and crucial discussion on the unethical topping of popular governments by horse-trading of MLAs
TJS George: Ink in His Veins And Fire in His Pen
The newsroom of The Searchlight in Patna, in the...
ECI alters vote counting protocol, mandates postal tally completion before final EVM rounds
The Election Commission of India has issued a binding directive requiring postal ballots to be fully counted before the final EVM rounds, a move that comes in the wake of significant allegations of procedural irregularities during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections
Bihar SIR: final voter list sees 47 lakh names removed, total electorate drops to 7.42 crore
Following claims and objections, the final electoral roll is out: 47 lakh names removed, 21.53 lakh added, the list now stands at 7.42 crore voters — a huge drop from 7.89 crore before the revision process began
How the Centre used a ‘Draconian’ law to silence Sonam Wangchuk and Ladakh’s aspirations
In the fragile ecosystem of Ladakh, a celebrated innovator and climate activist, Sonam Wangchuk, finds himself branded an alleged threat to national security, his preventive detention under the National Security Act, 1980 (NSA) reveals the harsh response to a people's democratic movement for identity
Ancestral home of Olympic Gold Medallist & Padma Shri Mohd. Shahid demolished in Varanasi Road widening drive
In Varanasi’s road-widening drive, 13 homes fell — including hockey legend Mohammad Shahid’s ancestral house, despite compensation and notices, pleas for delay were ignored, a landmark of sporting pride is gone, the city now faces a question of memory and honour
Protecting India’s future: Why Ladakh, Himachal and Uttarakhand deserve special status
The demand for special protection of the Himalayan states...
SC fines Uttarakhand Election Commission Rs. 2 Lakh for flouting voter roll rules
Supreme Court raps Uttarakhand State Election Commission for defying settled legal provisions on voter rolls, slaps Rs. 2 lakh costs for allowing nominations despite duplicate entries, “You can’t override the law with a clarification,” observed the top court sternly
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SIR Notices in Spotlight: from Amartya Sen, war vetereran Arun Prakash to Mohammed Shami summoned for SIR hearing
West Bengal’s ongoing and controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has—rather shockingly-- summoned Nobel laureates, actors, athletes, poets, ministers, and war heroes for verification hearings! While the ECI defends itself citing ‘due process’, reports from the ground suggest both haste and pre-determined bias; now, because of SC monitoring, the ECI has been compelled to publicise the list of 1.25 crore voters categorised under the ‘logical discrepancy’ category
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