SC seeks ECI’s response on omission of voters in Bihar draft rolls

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New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to a plea seeking disclosure of details of nearly 65 lakh voters whose names were omitted in the recently published draft electoral rolls in Bihar. A Bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan, and N.K. Singh passed the order after advocate Prashant Bhushan mentioned the application filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).The ADR’s application demanded that…

11,535 coaches fitted with CCTV cameras to enhance passenger safety: Ashwini Vaishnaw

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New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) Indian Railways has so far fitted 11,535 coaches across zones with CCTV cameras to improve the safety and security of passengers, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.According to Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, CCTV cameras will be installed in approximately 74,000 coaches and 15,000 locomotives.”Each coach will be provided with four CCTV cameras – two in each entrance way. Each locomotive will have six CCTV cameras, one camera each at the front, rear and on both…

India Post undertakes nationwide rollout of advanced postal tech under IT 2.0

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New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) As part of its digital transformation under IT 2.0, India Post has undertaken a massive nationwide rollout of the Advanced Postal Technology (APT) application, the Ministry of Communication said on Wednesday. This transition from the legacy system marks a major step toward delivering faster, smarter, and more customer-centric postal services.Meanwhile, given the scale and complexity of this migration, spanning over 1.64 lakh post offices across urban, rural, and remote ar…

Parliament being disrupted, confusion over SIR unfortunate: Giriraj Singh slams Oppn

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New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday slammed the Opposition, accusing them of allegedly spreading confusion over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections in the state and stalling Parliament proceedings. His remarks came after the Election Commission of India (ECI) released Bihar’s draft electoral roll following the completion of the first phase of the SIR.The poll body reported that, despite the nois…

People in hills gripped by fear: Leaders express grief over Uttarkashi cloudburst

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New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) The devastating cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district has triggered a wave of grief and concern across political lines, with leaders calling the tragedy a painful reminder of the vulnerability of the hill regions to extreme natural disasters.BJP MP and actress-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut expressed deep anguish, saying, “Everyone is deeply pained by this incident. Those living in the hills are gripped by fear in the wake of such natural calamities.”BJP…

PIL in Calcutta HC to prevent protest march by RG Kar victim's parents

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Kolkata, Aug 6 (IANS) A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday to prevent ‘Nabanna Avijan (march to the state secretariat)’, a call for which has been given by the parents of R. G. Kar rape and murder victim. A resident of Kolkata-adjacent Howrah district, where the state secretariat of Nabanna is housed, filed the PIL at the division bench of Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Smita Das De, seeking intervention to prevent the said march.The petitione…

Violence mars Kannur University elections, several injured

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Kannur (Kerala), Aug 6 (IANS) Tension flared up at Kannur University on Wednesday during the union elections as a violent clash broke out between SFI (Students’ Federation of India) and UDSF (United Democratic Students’ Front) activists.The confrontations primarily involved the SFI on one side and opposition student groups, including the Muslim Student Federation (MSF) and Kerala Students Union (KSU) on the other.The situation persisted since the polling started, leading to multiple instances …

Lok Sabha passes Merchant Shipping Amendment Bill amid Oppn uproar

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New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) In a stormy session of the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the House passed the Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Bill, 2024, through a voice vote, despite sustained protests and disruptions from Opposition members demanding a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar. The proceedings, which resumed post-adjournment at 2 p.m. with Sandhya Rai in the chair, quickly descended into chaos as Opposition MPs raised slogans and created a ruckus, stalling normal …

Heavy rainfall likely in Uttarkashi, light showers expected in Delhi-NCR: IMD

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New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued a red alert for Uttarkashi and several other Uttarakhand districts, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall there. The department also predicted light to very light showers in Delhi-NCR over the coming week.Meanwhile, an orange alert has been issued for parts of western Uttar Pradesh, where heavy to very heavy rainfall is also expected at several places.Speaking to IANS, IMD scientist Akhil Srivastava said: “Du…

Kerala HC stops toll collection for four weeks at Kochi's Paliyekkara

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Kochi, Aug 6 (IANS) The Kerala High Court on Wednesday ordered a temporary suspension of toll collection at the Paliyekkara Toll Plaza on the Edappally-Mannuthy National Highway, near here, for four weeks, citing the authorities’ failure to resolve the severe traffic congestion in the region.The Division Bench comprising Justice Muhammad Mustaque and Justice V. Harishankar Menon issued the order while considering a batch of petitions seeking a stay on toll collection until the traffic snarls a…