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AERO dies by suicide in Kolkata, family alleges extreme election duty pressure and humiliation
A 48-year-old Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) died by suicide in South Kolkata’s Bansdroni area after consuming pesticide, the tragic death of Malabika Roy Bhattacharyya has sparked serious concerns regarding the immense pressure placed on government officials tasked with SIR/Election duties, with her family explicitly blaming the ECI for the extreme workload
Proposed Amendments to Gujarat Marriage Registration Rules Unconstitutional: NAJAR, NAPM
Members of National Alliance for Justice, Accountability and Rights (NAJAR - Gujarat) - a pan Indian collective of progressive lawyers and law professionals and the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM Gujarat), along with many civil society organisations of the state have strongly objected to the proposed amendments to the Gujarat Registration of Marriages Rules, 2006, notified on February 20, 2026
Parental consent for marriage? Gujarat’s curious political consensus
The other day, a discussion broke out among ten...
“RTI Was Our Lifeline”: How the 2025 amendment impacts people at the grassroots level
Through a look at the grassroot uses of the path-breaking 2005 Right to Information Act, the authors examine how recent amendments have completely diluted if not nullified its impact on transparency in governance
Data is real, true wealth: SC issues notice in yet another plea challenging DPDP Act; highlights privacy concerns
This petition, filed by journalist Geeta Seshu, along with the Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC) that also challenges the constitutional validity of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 will now be heard with other petitions filed in the matter by Reporter’s Collective, Nitin Sethi and Venkatesh Nayak, on March 23
Union government revokes Sonam Wangchuk’s detention under NSA after nearly six months!
Move comes days before Supreme Court hearing in habeas corpus petition filed by his wife; Ladakh activist had been detained following September 2025 protests over statehood and Sixth Schedule protections
35 civil society groups oppose Maharashtra’s proposed anti-conversion law, warn of threat to women’s autonomy and constitutional freedoms
Coalition, which also included CJP who is the lead petitioner on challenge to anti-conversion laws in SC, demands draft bill be made public, calls for consultations and legislative scrutiny; says existing criminal law already addresses coercion
The Throttling of Free Discussion in Academia: Strong-arm Tactics by ABVP and Cave in by Azim Premji University
– A Free Speech Collective Commentary The vandalism and violence...
Censorship Broken: Naseeruddin Shah speaks on the Urdu language at Kalina, Mumbai & recites from its rich poetry
Mumbai for Peace organised its first event, Preet Nagar, under the series ‘Lectures That Needed to Happen’ on February 28, 2026
Temple Leases, Food Morality: Rajasthan’s new Panchayat order
The recent decision by the BJP-led government in Rajasthan of granting land parcels to temples, moreover those controlled by Brahmins and Banias, and further making it “mandatory” for meat shops to obtain NOCs from the local Panchayat, privileges caste elites and food choices while also being fundamentally exclusionary
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AERO dies by suicide in Kolkata, family alleges extreme election duty pressure and humiliation
A 48-year-old Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) died by suicide in South Kolkata’s Bansdroni area after consuming pesticide, the tragic death of Malabika Roy Bhattacharyya has sparked serious concerns regarding the immense pressure placed on government officials tasked with SIR/Election duties, with her family explicitly blaming the ECI for the extreme workload
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