Top news of the day: Supreme Court to hear pleas challenging Special Intensive Revision in Bihar on July 10; Census data will be available early, says Registrar General of India, and more
The Supreme Court has scheduled an urgent hearing of petitions challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar on Thursday (July 10, 2025). Almost 2.93 crore voters in Bihar must produce documents establishing the date and place of their own birth as well as of their parents in the case of those born after 1987, as an SIR of the State's electoral rolls began on June 28, 2025.
Census data will be available early, residents can self-enumerate: Registrar General of India
Census data will be available early as the ensuing Census will be the first digital Census in the country, Census India 2027, the official handle of Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RGI and CCI) posted on X on Monday (July 7, 2025). The first digital Census and will be conducted in two phases and 'for the first time technology will be used to collect data and send it electronically to the central server' and 'this will result in early availability of Census data,' RGI said.
Modi to have bilateral engagements with several world leaders
The BRICS Leaders' Declaration, adopted at the summit in the Brazilian city on Sunday (July 6, 2025), reflected India's key concerns, especially on cross-border terrorism and global governance reforms. Noting that the Global South has often faced 'double standards', the Prime Minister called for a greater role for the developing world in international decision-making, speaking at the BRICS session on 'Peace and Security and Reform of Global Governance'.
Espionage case: YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra's judicial custody extended till July 21
A court in Hisar on Monday (July 7, 2025) extended by 14 days the judicial custody of social media influencer Jyoti Malhotra, arrested last month on suspicion of espionage. The Hisar Police arrested Ms. Malhotra, who ran a YouTube channel 'Travel with JO', on May 16. Hailing From Hisar, the YouTuber was arrested at the New Aggarsain Extension and booked under provisions of the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Kaliganj blast: Deceased girl's mother alleges Mamata not allowing police to conduct probe properly
The mother of Tamanna Khatun, who was killed in a bomb explosion during an alleged violent celebration of the Kaliganj bypoll results on Monday (July 7, 2025), alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was not allowing the police to conduct a proper investigation into the death of her daughter.
1984 anti-Sikh riots: Court records Sajjan Kumar's statement
A Delhi court on Monday (July 7, 2025) recorded the statement of former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar over the violence in Janakpuri and Vikaspuri areas in the capital during the 1984 anti-sikh riots. Special judge Dig Vinay Singh recorded statement of Mr. Kumar, who said he was innocent as there was not an iota of evidence against him.
Luggage packed, will move out of official residence: ex-CJI Chandrachud
In the wake of the controversy over his stay at the official residence beyond permissible time, former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on Monday (July 7, 2025) cleared the air, saying his luggage was packed and he, along with his wife and children, would soon move to a paid government accommodation.
Peace time is nothing but 'illusion': Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
'Peace time is nothing but an 'illusion,' and India must remain prepared for uncertainty even during periods of relative calm,' Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said while hailing the armed forces for the valour they displayed during Operation Sindoor. In an address at an event, Mr. Singh said the performance of the indigenously built equipment and platforms in the operation increased the global demand for India-built military products.
Pahalgam terror attack: NIA gets custody of two accused for 10 more days
'A special court in Jammu on Monday (July 7, 2025) granted the NIA 10 more days' remand of the two accused arrested for allegedly harbouring Pakistani terrorists involved in the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025,' officials said.
Bangladesh tribunal to decide on charges against Sheikh Hasina on July 10
Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal on Monday (July 7, 2025) set July 10, 2025, to determine whether charges will be framed against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and two of her top aides. Ms. Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun are accused in the case over alleged crimes against humanity committed during the July uprising last year.
Kerala Governor fuelled Bharat Mata row, he must defuse it: Binoy Viswam
The Kerala society 'will not accept' Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who 'studied in a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-run school and became an ideological propagator of the organisation', Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary Binoy Viswam has said.
Winning at Edgbaston will be one of my 'happiest memories' whenever I retire: Shubman Gill
Leading India to their first-ever Test win over England at Edgbaston will remain one of his 'happiest memories' whenever the time comes to call it quits, said India captain Shubman Gill, revelling in the resounding series-levelling victory in Birmingham. For the 25-year-old whose captaincy stint began with India losing the series opener at Leeds, Gill underlined an all-round show from the team to make a strong comeback that was also the team's first win over the hosts in Edgbaston.
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The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
U.S. Supreme Court clears way for Trump's plans to downsize federal workforce
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) cleared the way for President Donald Trump's plans to downsize the federal workforce despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be out of their jobs. The Justices overrode lower court orders that temporarily froze the cuts, which have been led by the Department of Government Efficiency. The Court said in an unsigned order that no specific cuts were in front of the justices, only an executive order issued by Mr. Trump and an administration directive for agencies to undertake job reductions. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only dissenting vote, accusing her colleagues of a 'demonstrated enthusiasm for greenlighting this President's legally dubious actions in an emergency posture.' Mr. Trump has repeatedly said voters gave him a mandate to remake the federal government, and he tapped billionaire ally Elon Musk to lead the charge through DOGE. Mr. Musk recently left his role. Downsizing of federal workforce Tens of thousands of federal workers have been fired, have left their jobs via deferred resignation programs or have been placed on leave. There is no official figure for the job cuts, but at least 75,000 federal employees took deferred resignation and thousands of probationary workers have already been let go. In May, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston found that Trump's administration needs congressional approval to make sizable reductions to the federal workforce. By a 2-1 vote, a panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals refused to block Illston's order, finding that the downsizing could have broader effects, including on the nation's food-safety system and health care for veterans. Illston directed numerous federal agencies to halt acting on the President's workforce executive order signed in February and a subsequent memo issued by DOGE and the Office of Personnel Management. Illston was nominated by former Democratic President Bill Clinton. The labor unions and nonprofit groups that sued over the downsizing offered the justices several examples of what would happen if it were allowed to take effect, including cuts of 40% to 50% at several agencies. Among the agencies affected by the order are the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Labour, the Interior, State, the Treasury and Veterans Affairs. It also applies to the National Science Foundation, Small Business Association, Social Security Administration and Environmental Protection Agency.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
The ECI does not have unfettered powers
The Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, which will be facing Assembly elections in November. Political parties in the Opposition have alleged that the SIR is aimed at disenfranchising thousands of voters in Bihar by disqualifying them on the ground that they are not citizens of India. The ECI has denied this allegation and justified the revision. In the meantime, many petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the ECI's order. While the controversy centres on the motive behind this exercise being conducted just a couple of months before elections, especially when electoral rolls were revised in 2024, this article focuses on the legality of this exercise and the powers of the ECI to undertake it. Reasons for disqualification Article 326 of the Constitution declares that elections to the Lok Sabha and the Assemblies shall be held on the basis of adult suffrage. This means every adult person is entitled to be a voter provided they are not disqualified on certain specified grounds. There are two essential qualifications of being an elector under this Article: the person should be citizen of India and should be aged not less than 18. The Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1950, lays down disqualifications for registration as an elector. These are namely unsoundness of mind as declared by a competent court, and disqualification from voting as provided in Section 11A of the 1951 RPA. Conditions for registration as a voter are laid down in Section 19 of the RPA: the person should not be less than 18 years of age and they should be ordinarily resident in a constituency. The term 'ordinarily resident' is explained in Section 20, which says a person shall not be deemed to be ordinarily resident merely because they own or possess a dwelling house in that constituency. Also, a person does not cease to be ordinarily resident if they absent themselves temporarily from their ordinary place of residence. The ECI enjoys enormous powers in respect of the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections to Parliament, the State Legislatures, and to the offices of the President and Vice President. Article 324 of the Constitution, which empowers the ECI to undertake these tasks, is characterised by the Supreme Court as a 'reservoir of power'. Since the conduct of free and fair elections is an essential feature of the basic structure of the Constitution, the ECI needs to be vested with all the necessary powers to complete its task. Nevertheless, it is inconceivable that the Constitution should confer on any authority unfettered powers. The Supreme Court has made it clear that the ECI can exercise all powers in its discretion in areas which are not covered by any statute but shall act in accordance with the law wherever it exists. In Mohinder Singh Gill v. Chief Election Commissioner (1978), the Court stated the law as follows: 'Firstly when Parliament or any State Legislature has made valid law relating to or in connection with elections, the Commission shall act in conformity with, not in violation of, such provisions but where such law is silent, Article 324 is a reservoir of power to act for the avowed purpose of pushing forward a free and fair election with expedition.' The qualifying date Let us look at the relevant provisions of the the RPA to get a perspective on the powers of the ECI in regard to revision of the electoral rolls. Section 21 of the 1950 RPA deals with the preparation and revision of electoral rolls. It speaks of four stages of revisions: (1) before elections to the Lok Sabha or Assembly; (2) before each by-election; (3) on the direction of the ECI in any year; and (4) a special revision for a constituency or part of a constituency with the ECI recording reasons for doing so. All revisions except (4) are done with reference to a qualifying date, which, under Section 14, is the first day of January. The only exception is (4): no qualifying date is mentioned because it can be done any time. The ECI order of June 24 mentions the qualifying date as 01/07/2025 and is a direction under Section 21(2)(b) of the RPA. It can be assumed that the revision being done in Bihar is under the same Section. But under this provision, the qualifying date should be 01/01/2025. The revision then should have been done from January 1, 2025. The qualifying date mentioned in the ECI order has no sanction under the law. Similarly, the term 'special intensive revision' is not found in the law. The only case where a special revision can be ordered by the ECI at any time is in relation to a constituency or a part of it and not in relation to an entire State. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that the SIR in Bihar is not in conformity with the provisions of the RPA. The ECI has claimed in its order that it has power under Section 21 to undertake the exercise. True, but that power is limited to a constituency or part of it under Section 21(3) of the Act. While enjoying enormous powers under Article 324, the ECI is responsible to the rule of law and should be amenable to the norms of natural justice as per the Supreme Court. Electoral registration officers cannot summarily reject applications on the ground that foolproof documents are not being furnished to prove citizenship. Rule 8 of the Registration of Electors Rules clearly state that information shall be furnished 'to the best of ability' of the citizens. The ECI cannot ignore this statutory stipulation.
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
CJI Gavai felicitated by Maharashtra Assembly, hailed as
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 8 (ANI): Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai was felicitated by the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Monday in recognition of his appointment as the country's 51st Chief Justice. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde hailed Gavai as a 'jewel of Maharashtra' and a symbol of justice for the marginalised. In his remarks at the event, Shinde said, 'He holds the highest position in the country--it's a joy, and he is a jewel of Maharashtra. He is the pinnacle of our nation's judicial system. He granted rights to Dalits, the oppressed and afflicted. When a true diamond falls, it shines wherever it lands.' Praising the judiciary's role in recent constitutional matters, Shinde referred to the Supreme Court's upholding of the revocation of Article 370, stating, 'Article 370 was removed by Amit Shah--many went to the Supreme Court, and in every judgment, a decision was delivered in accordance with social justice and the law. This will make the justice system even stronger.' CJI Gavai, on Saturday strongly supported the abrogation of Article 370, saying the abrogation was aligned with the ideology of Dr BR Ambedkar. Speaking at an event in Nagpur, CJI Gavai said, '... If the country wants to remain united, the country needs only one Constitution. A separate Constitution for a state was not in line with Babasaheb Ambedkar's ideology, so we unanimously accepted the decision (of abrogation of Article 370) taken by the Parliament, so that the country will be governed by only one constitution.' On August 5, 2019, the Centre decided to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and divide it into two Union Territories. 'Babasaheb Ambedkar was criticised for our Constitution being too centralised... Babasaheb had replied to that criticism by saying... 'We are giving the country a Constitution suitable for all challenges, and I can assure you that it will keep the country united in times of war and peace.' Today, we are seeing in our 75-year journey what the situation around us is. Whenever this country has faced any crisis, it has remained united...' he told ANI. On Friday, Chief Justice of India Gavai also emphasised the importance of the Indian Constitution, stating that it has 'defined the boundaries' of the three branches of government: the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary. CJI Gavai highlighted that lawmaking is the responsibility of the legislature and state assemblies, while the executive functions within the framework of the Constitution and the law. Addressing the issue of 'judicial activism,' the CJI asserted that it is necessary for 'upholding' the Constitution and rights of the citizens. 'Judicial Activism is bound to stay, and it is necessary for the upholding of the Constitution and the upholding of the rights of citizens. At the same time, I am of the view that the Indian Constitution has defined the boundaries of its three wings, whether it is the Legislature, the Executive, or the Judiciary. The work of making laws belongs to the Legislature, whether it is the Parliament or the various State Assemblies. It is expected that the Executive functions according to the Constitution and the law', CJI BR Gavai said while addressing an event in Nagpur on Friday. However, CJI Gavai opined that despite 'judicial activism' being bound to stay in the judicial system, it should not be allowed to be converted into judicial adventurism or judicial terrorism. 'If the Judiciary tries to interfere in the Executive and Legislative fields in every matter, then I always say, though Judicial Activism is bound to stay, it should not be permitted to be converted into Judicial Adventurism and Judicial Terrorism', BR Gavai said. The Chief Justice further stated that when a law is enacted beyond the authority of Parliament or a State Assembly, and it violates constitutional principles, it is imperative for the judiciary to step in. 'When any law is made beyond the authority of Parliament or the Assembly, and it breaches the constitutional principles at that time, the Judiciary can step in', he said. (ANI)
