India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
New Delhi: In a move to prevent illegal vending in trains and at stations, the Railway Ministry has issued a standardised format for identification cards for vendors and asked all its zones to implement it immediately. Railway commercial officials said unauthorised vendors have become a real menace in trains and at stations as they sell adulterated food products that can cause serious health issues for passengers. "The issue of unauthorised vending in trains and stations has been examined by (the Railway) Board's office, and the following is advised for implementation with immediate effect to curb unauthorised vending," said a July 17 circular addressed to all zones. The circular added that all authorised vendors/helpers/staff of companies that have been awarded licenses to provide various services inside the trains or at stations must be issued standardised identity cards by the Railway Administration/Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation in the name of the respective individuals. The identity card format has provisions to display name, Aadhaar number, medical fitness certificate and its date of validity, unit of deployment, police verification date and its validity, and the name of the licensee firm. Urging zones to follow the guidelines, the circular said, "Identity cards shall be signed by the station superintendent/station manager of the respective station or IRCTC's authorised official. Identity Cards shall be issued in the name of vendors/helpers/staff only after due process."
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 8 (ANI): The anti-terror squad (ATS) of Maharashtra has arrested 60 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants across the entire state in the year 2024. In December 2024 alone, the ATS managed to arrest 43 Bangladeshi nations residing illegally. In 2025, to date, four cases have been filed against the illegal Bangladeshi nationals and six accused have been arrested. Most Bangladeshis have been arrested from Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi To Inaugurate, Lay Foundations for Projects Over INR 2 Lakh Crore in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam T ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on July 10 a batch of pleas challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) move to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi agreed to list the matter on Thursday and allowed the parties to give advance notice of the petitions to the Election Commission of India and serve copies of the petitions. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Shadan Farasat jointly mentioned the mat ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 9 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear two more pleas challenging the Election Commission of India move to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi agreed to hear the pleas on July 10, along with other pending petitions. Advocate Vrinda Grover and another advocate mentioned for urgent listing. Grover said the plea filed by two social activists, Arshad Ajmal and Rupesh Kumar, challenged the poll panel June 24 decision to conduct the SIR of electoral rolls ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): As Supreme Court of India allowed the Election Commission of India to continue with the Special Intensive Revision of Bihar electoral rolls, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi representing the petitioners challenging ECI's directive said that all the 'merits' remain open to them and court has given the time to reply by the end of July. He mentioned that the Supreme Court 'clearly' suggested the inclusion of three documents, namely Aadhar, EC voter ID, and ration card, to be considered by the EC during the enumeration procedure. 'Since I am the lead counse ...Read More >
New Delhi: India is set to overtake Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy, but must not become complacent, as the country remains far behind Japan in GDP per capita terms, WEF's former MD Claude Smadja said. According to IMF data dated April 2025, India's GDP per capita of USD 2,878.4 is approximately 8.5 per cent of Japan's GDP per capita of USD 33,955.7, meaning Japan's per capita income is about 11.8 times higher than India's. "Yes, it (economy size) is a good indicator because it gives a notion of the economic weight of the country on the global balance. "No, it is not a go ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Supreme Court on Thursday orally observed that the clutch of petitions challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) decision to revise electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar raises an issue which "goes at the very roots of democracy", involving the right to vote. After the petitioners' side presented their oral submissions, a Bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi remarked, "There is no question that the issue raised goes at the very roots of democracy -- the right to vote". "They (petitioners) are challenging not only the powers o ...Read More >
Srinagar- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Tharoor said Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to convey that India acted with restraint and responsibility. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self- ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Centre on Tuesday launched 'RailOne', a super app designed to serve as a one-stop platform for all railway-related queries, passenger needs and services. The app, launched by Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the national capital, aims to enhance convenience by integrating multiple services into a single interface. With a user-friendly interface, the RailOne is live and available to download on Google Play Store and iOS App Store. The new app integrates services such as unreserved and platform tickets with 3 per cent discount, live train track ...Read More >
Patna: RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav led a delegation of the opposition INDIA bloc to meet Bihar's chief electoral officer (CEO) on Friday, lodging strong objections to the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.The opposition claimed the Election Commission's current exercise is "impractical and anti-democratic". They demanded the inclusion of Aadhaar cards, ration cards and MGNREGA cards as valid documents for voter verification under the SIR process in Bihar.Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Tejashwi said, "It is not possible to verify 8 crore voters in 25 ...Read More >
New Delhi: Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has moved a writ petition before the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) decision to revise electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the ensuing Assembly polls. As per the petition, order of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, if not set aside, can "arbitrarily" and "without due process" disenfranchise lakhs of voters from electing their representatives, and disrupt free and fair elections and democracy -- a part of basic structure of the Constitution. "The documentation requirements of the ...Read More >
)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court, on July 10, urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider accepting Aadhaar, ration cards, and electoral photo identity cards (EPIC) as valid documents to establish voter identity during the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls currently underway in Bihar, ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. While the Court declined to stay the SIR process, it repeatedly questioned the ECI's decision to exclude Aadhaar as a valid form of identification. Although no interim order was passed to halt the revision, the Court directed the ECI to provide ...Read More >
Jodhpur (Rajasthan) [India], July 11 (ANI): Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Thursday said that the opposition was blaming the Election Commission amid the ongoing Special Intensive Review (SIR) exercise since they have already anticipated their defeat in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. 'The Constitution has established a process, and the Election Commission operates under a constitutional framework to conduct elections, maintain voter lists, and add or remove names from voter lists. This process has been ongoing in the country for many years, but anticipating their defeat, t ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 12 (ANI): Congress MP Manish Tewari has responded to BJP leader Amit Malviya criticism of the Congress party stand on Aadhaar-Voter ID linkage, stating there is a clear difference between linking Aadhaar to Voter ID and using Aadhaar, which contains biometric identifiers, merely as proof of identity. In a post on X, Manish Tewari wrote, It does not really require rocket science to figure out that there is a difference between linking the Aadhar ID to the Voter ID and the Aadhar ID that has biometric identifier being used as proof of identity. Earlier, BJP leader Amit ...Read More >
New Delhi: With the Bihar elections approaching, the Election Commission has directed Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) across all states to initiate preparations for a Bihar-like Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. However, Opposition parties have criticized the move, questioning the "hurry" of implementing a nationwide SIR without consulting political parties. Parties across the Opposition spectrum, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, and the Left, said on Sunday that the Election Commission should have waited for the Supreme Court to conclude its hearing on the matter befo ...Read More >
Patna: In a development with potential political and electoral implications, a door-to-door verification campaign by the Election Commission (EC) has found the presence of people from Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar residing in Bihar. According to EC sources, many of these people may have unlawfully entered the country's voting system, though officials suggest their names are unlikely to appear in the final electoral roll due to be published on Sept 30.The revelations, it is learned, emerged during ...Read More >
INDIA Bloc leaders will meet virtually on July 19 to discuss the political climate before Parliament's monsoon session. Tejashwi Yadav voiced concerns about Bihar's Special Intensive Revision exercise. He plans to address this at a meeting at Mallikarjun Kharge's residence. Congress leaders also questioned the electoral roll revision in Bihar. The Election Commission reported that 89. The leaders of the INDIA Bloc will virtually meet on July 19 to discuss the prevailing political situation in th ...Read More >
With the deadline for free Aadhaar updates approaching on December 14, 2024, the UIDAI is urging those who received their cards over 10 years ago to update their details. However, updating is recommended, it is not mandatory. To prevent fake identities, Aadhaar assigns a unique number to each person, linked to their biometric data, making duplication impossible. Although updating is optional, it helps improve services, ensures accurate authentication and simplifies daily life. Aadhaar is a vital identification document for every Indian citizen due to its reliability, legal compliance, and ea ...Read More >
After December 14, updates will incur a fee of Rs 50 per request at Aadhaar centers. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has extended the deadline for free Aadhaar updates to December 14. This initiative allows individuals to update their Aadhaar details, such as name, address, or date of birth, online and at no cost. The process is simple and can be completed from the comfort of your home. UIDAI recommends updating Aadhaar details if it has been over 10 years since the last update. Keeping Aadhaar information updated ensures that your records are current, facilitates seamle ...Read More >
DHARMAPURI: For the third time in the past two months, a wild leopard wandered into a private farmland near Valaithottam village near Palacode and hunted chicken raised by a local farmer. Locals are increasingly distressed and urged the forest department to take steps to relocate the leopard. Over the past few months, there have been several reports of leopard sightings in forest areas near Palacode, particularly in Valaithottam village, near the forest's fringe. There have been two instances when the leopard attacked farmlands, taking away a domestic dog and a chicken. On Saturday, the leop ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday attacked the Centre and Rajasthan governments over the reported plan to redraw the boundaries of the Sariska Tiger Reserve for the reactivation of over 50 mining operations, saying the move would be "ecologically devastating". The opposition party also said that with the Rajasthan and Union environment ministers both being from Alwar, this "double engine" cannot be supporting such a move. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a media report which claimed that a plan to redraw the boundaries of Rajasthan's ...Read More >
Upendra Kushwaha, RLM leader and NDA ally, voiced concerns about the ECI's SIR exercise in Bihar, emphasizing the need to ensure no genuine voter is excluded. He suggested the ECI should have started the revision earlier, given the large population and migrant worker base. Kushwaha highlighted fears among migrant voters and those lacking required documents about potential voter list exclusion.Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) leader and NDA ally Upendra Kushwaha on Friday raised concerns regarding the S ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) recent directive mandating large sections of voters in Bihar to furnish proof of citizenship in order to remain on the electoral rolls. Filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, the petition seeks to quash the ECI's June 24 order initiating a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar. The plea argues that the directive violates constitutional provisions inclu ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday raised serious concerns over the timing of the Election Commission's special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, stating that while the process itself may be lawful, its execution so close to the upcoming Assembly elections risks disenfranchising eligible voters. A bench headed by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia remarked, "Your exercise is not the problem... it is the timing." The court observed that voters whose names are omitted from the rolls during this revision may not have sufficient time to appeal or seek redress before the elections. "The ...Read More >
Srinagar, July 10: The Supreme Court on Thursday (July 10) told the Election Commission of India to consider Aadhaar card, voter ID card and ration card also as acceptable documents for the "Special Intensive Revision" of electoral rolls in Bihar. The Court also recorded the ECI's submission that the list of eleven documents specified by it in its June 24 order as acceptable documents to show citizenship was not exhaustive and was illustrative. The observation was made during a high-stakes hearing in the Supreme Court regarding the Election Commission's controversial decision to carry out a ' ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 11 (PTI) The Congress on Friday said the Supreme Court order on pleas challenging the Election Commission's special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar makes it clear that "no stay was asked for by any of the petitioners", and hoped the ruling will save a vast majority of voters from being disenfranchised. The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission to consider Aadhaar, voter ID and ration cards as valid documents during its ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, set to go to polls later this year. Calling SIR a "consti ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 11: Three out of every four Bihar electors have submitted their enumeration forms as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, taking the total coverage of the drive to 74.39 per cent, an ECI official said on Friday. "As of 6 p.m. on Friday, 5.87 crore Enumeration Forms, which is 74.39 per cent of the total forms, have been collected in the last 17 days, since the issue of SIR instructions on June 24. Enumeration Forms can be submitted before July 25," said the Election Commission of India (ECI) in a statement. The official said that with 14 m ...Read More >
Guwahati: Manipur has established stringent protocols for issuing Aadhaar cards to adults, implementing comprehensive authentication processes and enhanced security protocols under which each adult Aadhaar application has to be mandatorily scrutinised and approved only at the level of state headquarters at the office of the special home secretary.State home commissioner N Ashok Kumar issued a statement noting, "One of the UIDAI officials present at the meeting (chaired by the governor at the Raj Bhavan) observed that Manipur's adult Aadhaar process is perhaps the most stringent in the country. ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 6: Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has petitioned the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India (ECI) decision to order Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, apprehending that such a second revision of the voters list could be replicated in West Bengal. In her petition, filed through advocate Neha Rathi, Moitra claimed that she has information that the "said (SIR) exercise is stated to be replicated in West Bengal from August 2025 for which instructions have already been given to EROs". Bihar Electoral Roll Revision Row: P ...Read More >
Kolkata: BJP MLA and leader of opposition in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Sunday welcomed the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, where assembly polls are due later this year, and said such an exercise should also be conducted in the Trinamool Congress-ruled state. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued instructions to carry out the exercise in Bihar to weed out ineligible names and ensure that all eligible citizens are included in the electoral roll, allowing them to exercise their franchise in the polls. "This is a good step, and there will ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI): Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare & Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday inaugurated the 11th edition of the India Maize Summit, organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in association with (IIMR) Indian Institute of Maize Research. Speaking at event, Chouhan emphasized that 'Farmers' sewa is our mool mantra,' reaffirming the government's commitment to farmer-centric policies. He outlined a multi-pronged strategy to boost maize production, and increase farmer incomes, while ensuring environme ...Read More >