Jagdeep Dhankhar resigns as Vice President, cites health concerns
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
21 minutes ago
- NDTV
Karnataka Electoral Officer Denies Rahul Gandhi's Claims On Alleged Voter Fraud
Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer on Thursday refused the charges of Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, of election cheating, asserting that the electoral rolls are prepared transparently and copies were shared with the recognised parties. "As informed by the Election Commission of India already, Electoral Rolls are shared with all recognised political parties. During Special Summary Revision-2024, which was taken up before the General Elections to Lok Sabha-2024, the copies of draft and final electoral rolls of all 224 assembly constituencies were provided to representatives of all registered and recognised political parties, including the Indian National Congress (INC)," said Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka V. Anbukumar. Anbukumar pointed out that between the draft and final publication of rolls, about 9.17 lakh claims and objections were received for consideration. His statement also highlighted that no appeals were received at that time, even as the political parties can file an appeal against wrongful additions or deletions in the Electoral Rolls. "As per law, an appeal can be filed against wrongful additions or deletions in the Electoral Rolls. No appeals received," said Anbukumar. Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that he too has conducted an investigation in the Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha constituency, where several irregularities have taken place. "I will address the issue in detail later," said the Deputy Chief Minister. Earlier, LoP Rahul Gandhi said that the Election Commission is not functioning as the Election Commission of India. "Today, they (ECI) made a statement. This is complete nonsense. The fact of the matter is that the Election Commission is not doing its job. We have concrete, hundred per cent proof of the Election Commission allowing cheating in a seat in Karnataka," said LoP Rahul Gandhi. "It is a hundred per cent proof. We just looked at one constituency, and we found it. I am absolutely convinced that constituency after constituency, this is the drama that is taking place. Thousands and thousands of new voters, aged 50 years, 45 years, 60 and 65 years are added. We have caught them. I want to send a message to the Election Commission: if you think you are going to get away with this, if your officers think they can get away, you are mistaken. We are going to come for you," said LoP Rahul Gandhi. The ECI has clarified that as far as Karnataka elections are concerned, it is highly unfortunate that rather than filling election petition as per section 80 of the Representation of People Act 1951 or if filed, awaiting the verdict of High Court, Rahul Gandhi has not only made baseless allegations but also chosen to threaten ECI, which is a Constitutional body.
The Hindu
21 minutes ago
- The Hindu
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. According to the Rajya Sabha bulletin, Mr. Shah's notice was admitted for Thursday (July 24, 2025) but the House was adjourned around 2:15 p.m. following protest by the Opposition against the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. The statutory resolution notice said, 'That this House approves the continuance in force of the Proclamation dated the 13 February, 2025 in respect of Manipur, issued under Article 356 of the Constitution by the President, for a further period of six months with effect from 13 August, 2025.' Manipur was placed under President's Rule on February 13 following the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on February 9. As per Article 356(3) of the Constitution, President's Rule, which is enforced through the Governor's office, usually lasts six months and can be extended every six months with the approval of the Parliament for up to three years. The Hindu had reported on July 17 that Central rule is likely to be extended for another six months in the State as government focusses on opening of national highways and recovery of looted police weapons. The ethnic violence between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei people that erupted in the State on May 3, 2023 has claimed the lives of 250 people and displaced more than 60,000 people from their homes. National Highways 2 and 37, which are key to connect the land-locked Imphal valley to Nagaland and Assam respectively and critical for supply of essentials and other commodities, pass through Kuki-Zo inhabited areas. Meitei people who live in the valley have not been able to access the highways since the violence began in May 2023. Over 6,000 police weapons were also looted in the State.
The Hindu
21 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Clean house: on India's septic tank desludging
Behind the hazardous cleaning deaths of 150 people in 2022 and 2023, a social audit of 54 of which the Ministry of Social Justice has tabled in Parliament, lies a deleterious business model. Local contractors had hired 38; only five were on a government payroll. The rest were public sector workers 'loaned' to private employers, obscuring liability. Progress on this front has lagged despite the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013, court orders, Swachh Bharat advisories, and the 2023 National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme. A 2024 Parliament reply said 57,758 workers were engaged in hazardous cleaning nationwide but only 16,791 PPE kits were supplied. Fewer than 14,000 had received health cards and only 837 safety workshops had been conducted in 4,800 urban local bodies. There are at least two bright spots, however. In Odisha, identified workers have PPE kits and access to mechanised desludging vehicles and Tamil Nadu has piloted sewer robots in Chennai to clean over 5,000 manholes. Technology and political will can thus deliver the desired results but little has reached most districts. Experts also flagged a near-complete lack of data on rural sanitation workers. India's real problem is enforcement. Industry members have said most underground infrastructure can be cleaned robotically if capital subsidies and operator training expand, yet government tenders often solicit manual bids. Most emergency response sanitation units are paper tigers. Only ₹14 crore has been released so far under the NAMASTE scheme, insufficient to mechanise sewer cleaning in even one major city. In the event of a worker death, police routinely book the lowest ranking supervisor or classify the death as an accident. The Supreme Court has asked for offending contracts to be cancelled and monetary liabilities imposed on principal employers, but local bodies are still to notify such rules. Two-thirds of validated workers are also Dalits, yet rehabilitation packages rarely include housing or scholarships that might help families exit contemptible occupations. Women who still sweep dry latrines receive even less policy attention. Among other measures, urban local bodies must mechanise sewer-cleaning post haste, and make it a licensed trade, and operating without a valid certificate a cognisable offence. Loans for workers to operate the machines that replace manual entry should be upscaled and linked to guaranteed service contracts from municipalities. Finally, the national government should include septic tank desludging under the Swachh Bharat rural budget and extend NAMASTE profiling to gram panchayats.
