The Hindu Morning Digest: July 25, 2025
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday (July 24, 2025) that France will recognise Palestine as a state, amid snowballing global anger over people starving in Gaza.
Home Minister to move statutory resolution in Parliament to extend President's Rule in Manipur
Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to move a statutory resolution in the Rajya Sabha in the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Parliament to extend President's Rule in Manipur for another six months.
Modi leaves for Maldives after concluding U.K. trip
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (July 24, 2025) concluded his two-day visit to the U.K. during which the two countries inked a landmark free trade pact.
Over 61 lakh voters may be out of Bihar's draft electoral roll, says ECI data on the eve of SIR deadline
Over 61 lakh Bihar voters may not figure in the State's new draft electoral rolls, which are to be published on August 1. This includes seven lakh people who are yet to submit their enumeration forms under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, a day ahead of the July 25 deadline, according to Election Commission of India data released on Thursday (July 24, 2025). There are also 21.6 lakh deceased electors, 31.5 lakh people who have permanently shifted out of the State, seven lakh who have enrolled at more than one place, and one lakh who are 'untraceable', the ECI said.
Operation Sindoor fallout: Chinese-made surveillance gear banned, aerial monitoring boosted for Independence Day
In the wake of Operation Sindoor, this year's Independence Day celebrations will feature enhanced aerial monitoring and a complete ban on the usage of 'Made In China' surveillance equipment in and around the Red Fort in the national capital. With Prime Minister Nadrendra Modi set to make his Independence Day address from the ramparts of Red Fort on August 15, the venue was taken over by the Ministry of Defence from July 15. This year, more guests are being invited to attended the Independence Day celebrations in comparison to previous years, sources said.
Rahul Gandhi granted bail in Savarkar defamation case
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, was granted bail on Thursday (July 24, 2025) in a private defamation case filed against him for comments on Hindutva ideologue V.D. Savarkar in 2022. Mr. Gandhi, who appeared before the court for 10 minutes via video conferencing, pleaded 'not guilty' to the defamation charges read out to him. His legal team thereafter moved for bail.
India-U.K. trade deal: Agri exports to grow 20% in 3 years, other key sectors to benefit
The government expects the India-U.K. Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) signed by the two countries on Thursday (July 24, 2025) to lead to substantial benefits for a variety of Indian export-oriented sectors such as agriculture, textiles, leather, chemicals, and engineering goods, according to officials aware of the calculations.
Opposition to opt for consensus candidate in V-P election unlike 2022
The Election Commission is expected to notify the vice-presidential election any time soon, but the Opposition parties haven't begun a formal conversation on their position in the poll. However, there is an informal consensus building in the Opposition camp towards the idea that the mistakes made in the 2022 contest should not be repeated.
Stop unlawful deportation of Bengali Muslims, Human Rights Watch tells government
Criticising India's deportation of 'ethnic Bengali migrants' to Bangladesh, the Human Rights Watch on Thursday (July 24, 2025) said the exercise was being done 'without following due process'. Such acts done to 'garner political support' reflect the 'broader discriminatory policies against Muslims', it said in a statement.
Assertions like 'J&K is illegally occupied', 'should separate from India' attract UAPA sections: J&K High Court
The J&K High Court has observed that 'advocating and inciting unlawful activity by asserting that J&K is illegally occupied and must be separated from the Indian Union' attracts sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Mohan Bhagwat meets Muslims religious leaders in Delhi to promote dialogue between communities
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat held a closed-door meeting with Muslim religious leaders in Delhi on Thursday (July 24, 2025).
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New Indian Express
7 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Centre blocks debate on Bihar electoral roll revision, cites EC autonomy; Opposition cries foul
NEW DELHI: The Union government has signaled its unwillingness to allow a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, with Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh invoking a 1988 ruling by former Lok Sabha Speaker Balram Jakhar to reject the Opposition's demand. On Tuesday, Harivansh cited Jakhar's December 1988 decision, which barred parliamentary discussion on the functioning or decisions of the Election Commission (EC), stating that the autonomous body's actions cannot be scrutinized in the House. 'You know that I cannot comment upon the actions and decisions of the EC, which is an autonomous body. Never before have I done it, nor will I do it now. Unless you amend the Constitution and bring the EC under parliamentary purview, we cannot discuss its decisions,' Harivansh said, quoting Jakhar's ruling. The Deputy Chairman's remarks came as he dismissed 34 notices submitted by Opposition MPs, most seeking the suspension of business under Rule 267 to urgently debate the SIR in Bihar and other states. Harivansh cited procedural flaws, including incorrect formatting, the sub judice nature of some matters, and the absence of precedent for such discussions. He expressed concern over the frequent misuse of Rule 267, meant for 'rarest of rare' cases, noting that most notices lacked proper citations or pertained to issues outside Parliament's jurisdiction. 'Despite clear rules, some members are using Rule 267 casually, disrupting proceedings when their notices are disallowed,' he said. Highlighting historical data, Harivansh pointed out that very few such notices had been accepted—none between 2000–2004, only four from 2004–2009, one out of 491 during 2009–2014, and just six out of 3,152 between 2014 and the 2025 Budget Session.
The Hindu
7 minutes ago
- The Hindu
SIR in Bihar an 'invasive reconstruction of electoral roll:' Dipankar Bhattacharya
Describing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive under way in Bihar as 'an invasive reconstruction of the electoral roll,' Dipankar Bhattacharya, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, said States including Kerala should be on guard as it could be applied in other parts of the country as well. 'If they get away with it in Bihar, they will apply it everywhere,' he said, delivering the 24th memorial lecture in memory of the journalist N. Narendran on the topic 'Bihar: Trial run for Mass Disenfranchisement.' 'In fact, some people in Kerala and Tamil Nadu may still be believing that, well, this is something only happening in north India. If it is happening in north India, it is only a matter of time it happens here. No part of India is secure. Every State, every community, every political geography, every social equation, is vulnerable,' he said. The concept of citizenship as Indians have known it no longer remains valid as people will now be forced to prove their citizenship. The migrant workers of Bihar have emerged as one of the most vulnerable sections of electors in the SIR in Bihar, given the Election Commission of India's definition of 'ordinary resident.' This could have implications for Kerala as well, which has a large migrant population, he said. The SIR in Bihar, he said, was not just about rewriting the electoral roll, but it was about rewriting the electoral rules, he said. 'By rewriting the electoral rules, you are rewriting the entire grammar of elections in India,' he said. Mr. Dipankar Bhattacharya said that the INDIA Bloc was the need of the hour, observing that the BJP has grown at the expense of all other parties. 'If we cannot identify who the common enemy is, we will be doing so at our own peril,' he said. He underscored the need for a broad-based, sustained and multi-pronged resistance against what he described as the 'fascist offensive' of the BJP-RSS in the country. On the BJP's 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, Mr. Bhattacharya said it holds grave implications for the concepts of democracy and federalism. 'Every election has its own context. A Lok Sabha election has its own context, an Assembly election has its own context, a panchayat election will have its own context. If you bulldoze, flatten everything into one single narrative, and one single context for the whole elections, there will be nothing left of India's federalism and democracy as we have known it all these years,' he said, adding that the current challenges facing the Indian people is unlike any other in the post-Independence era.
Hindustan Times
7 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Plan to implement NRC under cover of Election Commission's SIR: Mamata Banerjee
KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday targeted the Election Commission of India over its plans to conduct the special intensive revision (SIR), saying a plan had been hatched to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) under the guise of SIR. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee along with MP Dev Adhikari visited the flood-affected areas of Ghatal to assess the situation firsthand in West Medinipur district (AITC Photo) Banerjee also asked people to ensure that their names were in the electoral rolls and offered support to fight any effort to remove their names. 'There is a plan going on to implement NRC in the name of SIR. There shouldn't be a single person whose name is not there in the voters' list. Everyone should enrol their name. If you find that names are being deleted, approach the authorities. We will help you,' Banerjee declared at Ghatal in West Midnapore on Tuesday. The chief minister was visiting some of the flood-hit areas in Hooghly and West Midnapore. Heavy rain and the water released by the Damodar Valley Corporation have inundated large areas in some districts of south Bengal. In Bihar, the draft electoral roll published on August 1 indicated that ECI had removed roughly 6.56 million names on account of deaths, permanent shifts and multiple enrolment, marking potentially the largest single deletion of such entries in the history of independent India. Opposition parties have expressed concern at the exercise, which disregards many identity documents, and demanded a special discussion on the issue in Parliament. At its hearing on July 29, the Supreme Court on Tuesday warned that it would 'step in' if there was any mass exclusion of voters in poll-bound Bihar. Banerjee said, 'This is entirely a planted game. The plan is the brainchild of the double-engine government with the help of the Election Commission of India. We will not accept and tolerate this. The plan is being hatched in Gujarat. It has to be foiled,' she added. The poll panel in West Bengal has already asked all political parties to submit the names of booth level agents as a part of the preparation for the possible rollout of the SIR. 'On the direction of the ECI, we have written to all the political parties in the state to appoint booth level agents. We will send the list to the ECI. These steps are being taken as preparations for the SIR,' Manoj Kumar Agarwal, chief electoral officer of West Bengal (WBCEO) told the media last week.
