
Exclusion from Bihar voter roll won't affect citizenship: Poll body to top court
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court refused to pause the electoral roll revision exercise in Bihar, but questioned its timing, coming months ahead of the Assembly elections.The top court also asked the ECI to consider Aadhaar, voter ID card, and ration card as valid documents during the verification drive. These are not included in the current 11-document list.Justifying its decision not to include Aadhaar, the election body said Aadhaar is merely proof of identity, and it cannot be accepted as a standalone document for SIR."Aadhaar does not help in screening the eligibility under Article 326. However, this is not to say that Aadhaar cannot be used to supplement other documents to prove eligibility. It is for this reason that the list is indicative and not exhaustive," the ECI affidavit said.The ECI has claimed that a large portion of the population already possesses one or more of the 11 enlisted documents.FORMS RECEIVED FROM 90% OF ELECTORSThe poll body said, as of July 18, enumeration forms from 90.12% of the 7.9 crore-strong electorate in Bihar have been collected. If deceased individuals and permanently shifted electors are considered, the SIR has effectively covered 94.68% of the electorate.The electors who are untraceable despite multiple visits by the BLOs constitute a mere 0.01% of the electorate. The last date for collection of forms is July 25.- EndsTune InMust Watch
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hans India
22 minutes ago
- Hans India
Rajasthan: Kithana locals recall Jagdeep Dhankhar's lasting legacy
Jaipur: Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation as Vice President of India, citing health concerns, has sent shockwaves across the nation and especially in his native district of Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan. The announcement came unexpectedly on the very first day of the monsoon session of Parliament. Known for his dynamic leadership and administrative efficiency, Dhankhar's sudden departure has left his hometown of Kithana in a state of deep emotional unrest, with villagers gathering late into the night to discuss the news. Villager Hirendra Dhankhar recalled the Vice President's pivotal role in Kithana's transformation. Under his efforts, the village witnessed significant development - including the construction of a college, a stadium, an Ayurvedic hospital, and other key infrastructure. A survey for a National Highway passing through the village also commenced under his guidance. His family actively contributed to the local Gaushala and government schools, further enhancing the village's social and educational landscape. Kithana Sarpanch Subhita says that Dhankhar has contributed a lot to the development of the village. There is a sense of despair in the village due to this news, she added. Despite holding high offices, Dhankhar remained deeply rooted in Kithana. His wife, Sudesh Dhankhar, often visited the village, engaging with locals and following up on development projects. "Whether he remains in office or not, for us he will always be the Vice President," said villagers, many of whom were tearful upon hearing the news. Subhita said a sense of despair has engulfed the village. His nephew, Harendra Dhankhar, shared that Sudesh had mentioned during her July visit that the Vice President had recently undergone a heart operation. Jagdeep Dhankhar was born on 18 May 1951 in Kithana village, Chidawa tehsil. He completed his primary education in government schools in Kithana and Ghardana and pursued higher education at Rajasthan University, where he earned a law degree. A distinguished senior advocate in the Supreme Court, he entered public life when he won the 1989 Lok Sabha election from Jhunjhunu as a Janata Dal candidate backed by the BJP. He served as Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs from 21 April to 5 November 1990. Although he later contested the 1991 elections as a Congress candidate and lost, he was elected as an MLA from Kishangarh (Ajmer) in 1993. Prior to becoming Vice President, he served as the Governor of West Bengal. He is the second of three brothers - the elder, Kuldeep Dhankhar, owns a construction company, and the younger, Randeep Dhankhar, has served as Chairman of the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC). After taking oath as the 14th Vice President of India on 11 August 2022, Dhankhar continued to maintain close ties with his home region. He visited Kithana for the first time as Vice President on 8 September 2022 and participated in various cultural and educational events. These included the Swami Vivekananda Sandesh Yatra inauguration on 19 November 2022, an interaction with students at Sainik School on 27 August 2023, temple visits to Lohargal and the Rani Sati Dadi Temple, and a student address at BITS Pilani on 27 September 2023. He also launched the 'Swachhata Hi Seva 2024' campaign in Jhunjhunu and visited Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kajda, on 20 November 2024. On 5 March 2025, he interacted with students at Mahatma Gandhi English Medium School in Sangasi and attended a relative's wedding on the same day. Known for his love for the land and his deep commitment to education, Dhankhar frequently engaged with school children. He often invited them to Delhi at government expense, encouraging them to aim high. He inspired students across institutions like Sainik School, Pilani, Sangasi, and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kajda, and even donated a Smart TV to the Sangasi Government School, underscoring his belief in digital learning. However, his health began deteriorating in March 2025. He suffered a heart attack and was admitted to AIIMS Delhi on 9 March, where stents were inserted. He was discharged on 12 March, but his health again declined during a visit to Uttarakhand on 25 June, requiring immediate medical care. Although his term was set to conclude on 10 August 2027, Dhankhar resigned nearly two years early, prioritising his health based on medical advice. His resignation surprised many, especially since he had actively participated in Rajya Sabha proceedings earlier that day. In his resignation letter, he cited his decision as one made in the interest of his well-being. Historically, only two other Vice Presidents - V.V. Giri (1969) and R. Venkataraman (1987) - have resigned, both to assume the office of President. Jagdeep Dhankhar, now become the first Vice President in India's history to step down solely due to health reasons. His departure has not only created a vacuum in national politics but has also left a personal void among the people of Kithana, who will always remember him as a proud son of the soil and a lifelong source of inspiration, said locals.


Scroll.in
22 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Rush Hour: Assam constable's son held as suspected Bangladeshi, blasts acquittal challenged and more
We're building a brand-new studio to bring you bold ground reports, sharp interviews, hard-hitting podcasts, explainers and more. Support Scroll's studio fund today. The Maharashtra government moved the Supreme Court challenging a Bombay High Court order on Monday acquitting all 12 persons accused in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case. The High Court said that the prosecution had 'utterly failed' in establishing the guilt of the 12 men. This came nearly 10 years after a special court had sentenced five of them to death and others to life imprisonment. It remarked that while punishing the perpetrators of a crime is an essential step, creating a 'false appearance of having solved a case' leads to a misleading sense of resolution. The Supreme Court will hear the matter on Thursday. The Supreme Court refused to examine the legality of the directives issued by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments requiring eateries along the Kanwar Yatra pilgrimage route to display quick response codes with their owners' identities. The bench reiterated that the eateries must display their licences and registration certificates as required by law. The petitioners had argued that the governments' orders violated the court's 2024 interim order that prohibited vendors being forced to disclose their identities. The pleas had contended that the directives not only undermine the spirit of the court's stay, but also risks discriminatory profiling, particularly of vendors from minority communities, under the guise of public safety and licencing requirements. Read on. An Assam Police constable has said that his son is among nine Muslims of Bengali origin who have been detained in Gurugram since Sunday on suspicion of being undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants. Sannat Ali, a constable in the Assam Industrial Security Force, told Scroll that his son, 23-year-old Ashraful Islam, is a resident of Barbala village in Barpeta district. He had gone to Haryana on July 11 to work at a construction site, said Ali. Ali said that his son had submitted his voter ID card, school certificates, Aadhaar card and PAN card, which were not accepted by the police. 'They call them illegal Bangladeshis,' Ali alleged. He added: 'We have sent more documents like my service identity card and voter cards. Senior police officials have contacted me this morning. They are working to release him.' An assistant commissioner of police-rank in Gurugram told Scroll that the action was taken as per the Union home ministry's guidelines to verify the credentials of persons suspected to be undocumented migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar. Read on. A day after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as the vice president, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished him good health and said that the Rajya Sabha chairperson had 'got many opportunities to serve our country in various capacities'. Dhankhar had cited medical reasons for stepping down with immediate effect on Monday, which was the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. Several Opposition leaders raised questions about the timing of Dhankhar's resignation. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that there were 'far deeper reasons' behind Dhankhar's decision.


New Indian Express
22 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Supreme Court rejects PIL against political parties using national tricolour in their flags
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday in its order refused to entertain a PIL seeking action against political parties for allegedly using flags with the tricolour along with party symbols. "Since when are they (Political parties) doing it? Some parties are doing it before Independence, dismissed," said the top court's three-judge bench, headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria. The apex court passed the order, after hearing a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) filed by a petitioner-in-person, Sanjay Bhimashankar Thobde, against using the tricolour of the National Flag as part of their political campaign, replacing the Ashoka Chakra with their symbols. The petitioner, Thobde, who appeared in person, to argue his case submitted before the apex court that certain political parties have been using flag designs closely resembling the national tricolour in their political campaigns, often replacing the Ashoka Chakra with party symbols.