Rape and punishment: On the life sentencing of Prajwal Revanna

Powerful perpetrators are rarely made accountable for their actions, and in that backdrop, the conviction and life sentencing of Prajwal Revanna, former Janata Dal (Secular) Member of Parliament and grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, for a heinous crime comes as a relief. This is the first of the four cases of rape … Read more

Revelations on ‘vote theft’ will be as explosive as hydrogen bomb: Rahul Gandhi

Leaders of the INDIA bloc demonstrated solidarity on the final day of the alliance’s Voter Adhikar Yatra (voter rights rally) against the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar on Monday (September 1, 2025). The rally, which was launched on August 17 in Sasaram of Rohtas district, ended in Patna, with Congress president Mallikarjun … Read more

West Bengal to add 14,000 polling booths next year’s Assembly polls

Representative image | Photo Credit: The Hindu The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, on Friday (August 29, 2025) held a meeting with representatives of all major political parties of the State, where the representatives were informed about rearrangement of polling booths. As per the new arrangement a polling booth will have … Read more

Modi wins elections by stealing votes, says Rahul Gandhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wins elections by “stealing votes”, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged on Friday (August 29, 2025) during his ongoing Voter Adhikar Yatra. The Congress leader was addressing a public meeting in Siwan district of Bihar, along with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, Vikassheel Insaan … Read more

Bihar SIR: Supreme Court agrees to hear RJD, CPI(ML) plea to extend deadline for filing claims to September 15

A Booth Level Officer (BLO) checks documents at Jogbani, a municipal council area of Araria District in Bihar on July 8, 2025. | Photo Credit: The Hindu The Supreme Court agreed to hear on September 8, 2025 applications filed by political parties, including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, seeking … Read more

Bihar SIR: Supreme Court agrees to hear RJD, CPI(ML) plea to extend deadline for filing claims to September 15

A Booth Level Officer (BLO) checks documents at Jogbani, a municipal council area of Araria District in Bihar on July 8, 2025. | Photo Credit: The Hindu The Supreme Court agreed to hear on September 8, 2025 applications filed by political parties, including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, seeking … Read more

Bihar SIR: Eight border districts account for most notices by Election Commission of India

A Booth Level Officer checks documents during the Special Intensive Revision drive at Kamalpur village in Bihar’s Purnia district on July 8, 2025. | Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap As the Election Commission of India (ECI) started issuing notices this week to Bihar voters whose documents have not been found satisfactory during the ongoing Special … Read more

Rahul, Tejashwi draw large crowds for ‘voter adhikar yatra’ in Bihar

The voter adhikar yatra (voter rights procession), which began from Sasaram in Rohtas district, has entered its third leg covering 15 districts so far, and has turned into a major crowd-puller. Two main figures, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, have been drawing large gatherings and receiving loud applause … Read more

Delhi High Court asks Election Commission of India to consider political party’s plea for common symbol for Bihar polls

Delhi High Court. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (August 27, 2025) directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider the plea of political party Akhil Bharatiya Jan Sangh for using a common election symbol in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls. The party claimed it was established in … Read more

The medical boundaries for AYUSH practitioners

The recent controversy on X between a hepatologist and an Indian chess Grand Master, on whether practitioners of traditional medicine can claim to be doctors, has sparked much commentary on the role and the status of practitioners of traditional Indian medicine systems such as Ayurveda and Unani, in India. Committees, governments, perspectives The burning issue … Read more

Congress slams Bihar BJP over ‘casteist, racist’ comments against opposition leaders

“No attack on the dignity and honour of the Dalit community will be tolerated. We will file a case under appropriate sections against this shameful act,” Congress leader Pawan Khera said. File | Photo Credit: ANI The Congress on Monday (August 25, 2025) accused the Bihar BJP of using “casteist” and “racist” comments against opposition … Read more

SIR is an institutionalised way of stealing votes: Rahul Gandhi

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi during the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, in Bihar. Photo: AICC via PTI Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday (August 24, 2025) alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is an institutionalised way of stealing votes in Bihar. He however asserted that the Opposition will … Read more

Aadhaar alone is not valid proof, claims BJP

BJP accused the Opposition of indulging in propaganda after the Supreme Court said that voters excluded during the ongoing SIR exercise in Bihar can submit Aadhaar along with other documents, asserting that the apex court did not say Aadhaar alone can be a valid document to get voting rights. | Photo Credit: The Hindu The … Read more

​Turn and churn: On caste count and next Census 

The Centre’s decision to include caste enumeration in the next national Census marks a sharp departure for the ruling BJP from its previous position. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in 2024 targeted the Congress election manifesto promise of a caste census as a reflection of its ‘urban Naxal’ thinking. During the general election last year, … Read more

BJP wants to keep Dalits in the last queue, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi interacting with makhana farmers in Katihar district of Bihar on August 23, 2025. Photo: X/@RahulGandhi via PTI In the second leg of the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ through poll-bound Bihar, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday (August 23, 2025) continued his attack on the BJP, Prime Minister … Read more

INDIA bloc considering motion to remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar addressing the media at National Media Centre in New Delhi on August 17, 2025. | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma The INDIA bloc is considering a motion against Chief Election Commission (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, seeking his removal. The idea was mooted at the meeting of the Opposition’s Parliamentary floor leaders … Read more

Bihar SIR: List of names deleted from Bihar draft rolls shared on district websites, says CEC

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar addresses the media along with Election Commissioners at the National Media Centre in New Delhi on August 17, 2025. | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday (August 17, 2025) said the list of around 65 lakh names deleted from the draft electoral rolls … Read more

CEC Gyanesh Kumar may face impeachment motion by INDIA bloc

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar addressing the media at National Media Centre in New Delhi on August 17, 2025. | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma The Opposition INDIA bloc is considering to move an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, sources told The Hindu. The decision was taken at the meeting of … Read more

How document deficits may risk disenfranchising the poor, eroding trust in the Election Commission

In the first part of this report, published in The Hindu on Saturday (August 16, 2025), we highlighted the substantial limitations on citizen access to documents asked for by the Election Commission (EC). In this second part, we seek answers to two questions: who stands to lose in the special intensive revision (SIR) process, and what it … Read more