Operation Sindoor sansad showdown now, fiery debate next week
Meanwhile, the government has expressed readiness for a discussion on Operation Sindoor next week, but the opposition claims the topic was not on the business advisory committee's agenda. The show also touches on the controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, with opposition leaders protesting the exercise. The Election Commission has responded in the Supreme Court, stating that the petitions against the revision are based on misleading reports and that no eligible elector will be excluded.
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The Hindu
5 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Almost 66 lakh voters may not make it to draft electoral roll in Bihar SIR exercise
Almost 66 lakh voters are unlikely to make it to the draft electoral roll to be published on August 1, according to Election Commission of India data released on Friday (July 25, 2025), the last day for submission of enumeration forms in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Bihar had over 7.89 crore voters according to the 2025 electoral rolls. The forms of 7.23 crore electors have been received and digitised, and the names of all these electors will be included in the draft electoral roll, the ECI said in a statement. The poll body said that the digitisation of forms of the remaining electors will also be completed by August 1, along with Booth Level Officer (BLO) reports. During the month-long SIR exercise, which began on June 24, the local BLOs have reported the names of approximately 22 lakh deceased electors, 7 lakh registered in more than one location, and 35 lakh who have either permanently migrated or could not be traced. In addition, the enumeration forms of approximately 1.2 lakh electors are yet to be received. Consensual sex between adolescents aged 16 to 18 years must not be treated as abuse: amicus curiae to SC Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae and senior advocate Indira Jaising has argued that consensual sexual acts by teenagers, aged between 16 and 18, in voluntary relationships cannot be classified as 'abuse' or prosecuted as a crime. The written submissions filed by Ms. Jaising in the apex court is part of a petition filed by advocate Nipun Saxena dating back to 2012. The amicus's brief has challenged the age of pegged at 18 years by the enactment of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO) to the extent that it works to criminalise 'consensual sexual activity between children between the age of 16-18'. 'The only solution lies in declaring that sex between consenting adolescents between the age of 16, an almost universal age of sexual maturity, and 18 is not a form of 'abuse',' Ms. Jaising's submissions said. Maldives President Muizzu thanks India for 'pivotal' economic assistance Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu on Friday (July 25, 2025) thanked India for its 'pivotal role' in helping the island nation deal with its economic crunch and liquidity challenges, and said he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have 'charted a clear path' for future cooperation. Mr. Muizzu's statement came on the first day of Mr. Modi's two-day state visit to the Indian Ocean archipelago, following his visit to the United Kingdom. Following a steady reset in ties since October 2024 when President Muizzu visited India — following a serious strain in the preceding year after Mr. Muizzu's election — Mr. Modi's visit is seen as reflecting a significant improvement in India's relationship with a crucial neighbour. Maldives is an important part of India's 'neighbourhood first' policy, PM Modi said in his media statement in Male. In a social media post on the release of a stamp to mark 60 years of India-Maldives friendship, he said it commemorated 'a very cherished friendship'. Parliament Monsoon session: Differences between Oppn., govt. continue over holding debate on SIR of electoral rolls A meeting of senior political leaders with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday (July 25, 2025) decided that the Lower House of Parliament would function smoothly as both the Houses are all set to take up the special discussion on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor next week. But Friday's meeting failed to break the deadlock over the Opposition's insistence on having a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls. From citing precedence, when former Speaker Balram Jhakhar had rejected a discussion on Election Commission (EC) to pointing out the autonomous status of the EC to asking which minister would reply on behalf of the EC, the government managers pointed out the problems in agreeing to a discussion on SIR. Lok Sabha to take up Justice Varma's removal Lok Sabha will take up a bipartisan motion to remove Justice Yashwant Varma, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Friday (July 25, 2025), adding that it was a unanimous decision of all political parties, and that 152 MPs from the ruling alliance and the Opposition have signed the motion. Mr. Rijiju said all parties had agreed that the removal of Justice Varma should be a joint call, adding that the proceedings will be taken up in Lok Sabha and then move to Rajya Sabha in line with the Judges (Inquiry) Act. 'We shouldn't remain in any doubt, proceedings will begin in the Lok Sabha,' he said. His remarks have to be seen in the backdrop of an Opposition-sponsored motion that was moved in the Rajya Sabha on July 21, the same day the process was set rolling in the Lok Sabha. Official sources said the notice in the Rajya Sabha has not been admitted. Vice-President election: ECI appoints Rajya Sabha Secretary General as Returning Officer The Election Commission of India has appointed Secretary General, Rajya Sabha, P.C. Mody as the Returning Officer for vice-presidential polls. By convention, the Secretary General, Lok Sabha or the Secretary General, Rajya Sabha is appointed as the Returning Officer, by rotation. Two other senior officers of the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha Secretariat are appointed as the Assistant Returning Officers. Garima Jain, Joint Secretary, Rajya Sabha Secretariat and Vijay Kumar, Director, Rajya Sabha Secretariat have been appointed as Assistant Returning Officers. On Wednesday, the poll body said it would announce the poll schedule 'as soon as possible'. Govt. silent on reforms to address judicial misconduct At a time when the government is seeking to remove Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma after burnt currency notes were found at his official residence in Delhi this March, the Law Minister, while speaking in Parliament, did not specify the government's stance on legislative reforms regarding the Supreme Court's in-house procedure to address judicial misconduct. Responding to a question in Lok Sabha whether reforms were required in the top court's procedure, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal only described the existing rules and regulations for removal of judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts and did not speak on the need for reforms. Apart from Justice Varma's case, questions on judicial integrity were raised by the Opposition when Allahabad High Court judge Justice Shekhar Yadav, last December, made veiled attacks on the Muslim community while speaking about Uniform Civil Code at a Vishwa Hindu Parishad event. The judge had said that the country would run as per the wishes of the 'majority'. The Opposition, across party lines, had objected to the speech and had demanded his removal. In the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, CPI(M) MP John Brittas said that the integrity and transparency of the judiciary needed to be maintained. 'We are for the removal of Justice Varma. We have already expressed our desire to be part of that process,' he said. In brief: Eight years after witnessing a stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops, Sikkim's Doklam is set to open for tourists. Located 68 km east of the State capital, Gangtok, and at an altitude of 13,780 feet, Doklam is a plateau in the Chumbi Valley at the tri-junction of Bhutan, China, and India. It became a flashpoint in June 2017 when China attempted to build a road in territory claimed by Bhutan. The Evening Wrap will return tomorrow
The Hindu
5 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Caught in crackdown against illegal immigrants, two Assam residents recall perilous trip across the border
May 23 started like any other Friday for Khairul Islam. In the afternoon, he visited the police station for his weekly signature in the register -- a trip he has been making at least since 2020 when he was released on bail from a 'foreigners' detention camp' in Assam. Around 11:30 p.m., he woke up to an unusual knock on the door of his small house in Morigaon district. 'It was the border police,' he said. Within days, Mr. Islam found himself in the no man's land between India and Bangladesh. He said his hands and eyes were tied with gamchas (traditional towel) as he was transported to Bangladesh, with no opportunity to even make a phone call until he was already across the border. A government schoolteacher, Mr. Islam, 52, lives with his wife and children in the Mikirbheta police station area. He has been teaching Classes 1 to 5 at the Thangshali Khandapukuri LP primary school since 1996. In 2016, he was declared a foreigner by a tribunal and spent a couple of years appealing his case. With the Gauhati High Court having turned down his appeal and his case pending in the Supreme Court, he has been reporting at the local police station every week. However, little did he expect that he would be among thousands of 'undocumented migrants' that India had been 'pushing back' into Bangladesh. The 'pushback' exercise had begun after the Union Home Ministry asked police across the country to identify Bangladeshis who had illegally entered India and were living on forged documents. The Home Ministry's direction, which came in the wake of the regime change in Bangladesh last year, gained fresh urgency after the Pahalgam terror attack in April, with data reported by The Hindu showing that about 2,500 people had been 'pushed back' by the end of June. 'I remember being scared,' Mr. Islam says of his journey across the border in a 'large vehicle'. 'I couldn't see anything, but I could hear.' There were at least a dozen people in the vehicle along with him, he said. 'It was horrific. They were all shouting. Some were asking for water, some screamed that they wanted to relieve themselves. The officials told us to urinate in the vehicle and handed us plastic bags.' 'Throughout the journey I kept reasoning with them that I am an Indian citizen but they would not listen,' Mr. Islam said. 'I never thought I would be thrown out of my own country,' he told The Hindu, adding all were handed about 200 to 300 takas (Bangladeshi currency) before being deboarded. Mr. Islam said the group crossed the no man's land and met locals, who informed security officials in Bangladesh. After spending about a day with the officials, Mr. Islam said the group started making its way back to India. 'But suddenly, we started hearing gunshots from the Indian side. They were firing rubber pellets at us. A few more hours later, we realised that India was now asking Bangladesh for proof that we were Indians.' It was after this that Mr. Islam got the chance to make a phone call for the first time. 'The Bangladeshi officers asked us to call home, get documents if we had, and arranged to have it sent over. After that, all I remember was being ferried from one place to another until I got home. When I reached home, I found out that my wife had to file an application for my return to the district Superintendent of Police office as well,' he said, adding he was the only one in his batch to return. 'The moment I was brought back, I was taken to the SP office. All he could say was, 'This was a mistake. Please don't think too much of it and don't feel too bad',' Mr. Islam recalled. As he tries to recover from the trauma, he says painful memories of his journey across the border still flash in his mind. Rahima Begum, 50, was taken away from her home in Golaghat district on the eastern border of the State, during the same week as Mr. Islam. And like him, Ms. Rahima too was among the several Indians caught in the police crackdown on illegal immigrants. In a matter of days, Ms. Rahima was crawling across paddy fields under the midnight sky in the no man's land, with about 22 fresh stitches on her abdomen from a kidney-stone related surgery she had undergone days before. She was too scared to walk. Ms. Begum is now in a 'serious condition' at the Diphu Medical College Hospital in Assam, her husband Malekuddin Chowdhury said. 'After she returned, we saw that many of the 22 stitches had come apart.' A daily wage labourer all his life, Mr. Chowdhury has not been working for a few years now since he lost his sight partially. His teenage sons now support the family with their daily wages. As Ms. Rahima recovers in the hospital, Mr. Chowdhury said he was running out of things to sell for her treatment. 'Whatever livestock we had... ducks, chicken, goats... we sold it all.' Ms. Rahima's husband recalled that she left behind her post-surgery medication and about ₹3,000 in cash that her family members had handed over to her. He too said she was given Bangladeshi currency at the border post. However, while Ms. Rahima said she faced hostility from the security forces in Bangladesh, Mr. Islam said they were nice enough to let him make a phone call and prove that he was Indian. However, Ms. Rahima too said that her return to India did not look possible until the Bangladesh security officials had been alerted. 'We did not know what was happening. One day, we got a call from local police in Assam that we had to pick her up from there,' her husband said. Mr. Islam returned home to his wife and children days before Eid in June. 'I am still scared. I don't know what will happen going forward,' he said.
Mint
5 minutes ago
- Mint
India's friendship package for Maldives: FTA talks, ₹4,850 crore line of credit, 72 large vehicles, and more
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu on Friday during a two-day visit to the island nation. After receiving a ceremonial welcome at the Republic Square in Male, PM Modi was escorted to the President's Office in a cultural procession accompanied by the MNDF Drum and Trumpet Band. The Maldives National Defence Force on Friday said they presented PM Modi with the traditional 'Haiykolhu', a cherished Maldivian gesture of hospitality and honor. PM Modi was also honoured with a 'Guard of Honour' by the MNDF earlier, news agency ANI reported. Several key agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between the two nations – from India pledging a Line of Credit to Maldives to launching negotiations on a free trade agreement between the two countries. India on Friday singed a MoU to extend a ₹ 4,850 crore line of credit to the Maldives, continuing its long-standing tradition of supporting the developmental needs of the South Asian nation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, addressing a press briefing, said that this will be the first line of credit extended to the Maldives denominated in Indian rupees, replacing the earlier dollar-denominated credit. "We have signed an MoU related to the extension of a fresh line of credit, of ₹ 4,850 crore to the Maldives. This is the first Line of Credit extended to the Maldives that is denominated in Indian rupees. The Line of Credit represents a continuation of the tradition of assistance to the development needs of the Maldives, and we expect that several infrastructure projects will be carried out as a result of this Line of Credit agreement, benefiting the lives of citizens here in the Maldives," Misri said. He added that the two sides also signed a mandatory agreement to amend the existing dollar line of credit between India and the Maldives. Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu announced the beginning of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries during a joint press conference in Male with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Muizzu said, "I am also pleased to announce the initiation of negotiations for a free trade agreement between India and the Maldives. This landmark initiative marks a significant step forward in strengthening our economic partnership." On trade cooperation, the Foreign Secretary expressed optimism over the early conclusion of the proposed India-Maldives Free Trade Agreement (IMFTA). "I cannot point to an exact timeline... This is an FTA that we should be able to conclude rather quickly," he said. According to an ANI report, India and the Maldives also signed agreements to enhance cooperation in multiple sectors, including fisheries and aquaculture, as well as to promote digitalisation. An MoU was signed between the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Ministry of Earth Sciences, and the Maldives Meteorological Services (MMS), Ministry of Tourism and Environment. The Maldives has also agreed to recognise the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) -- India's official book of drug standards. Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu said that the two leaders discussed ways to expand the tourist sector through enhanced cooperation and connectivity, including the commencement of direct flights to further enhance connectivity. He said, 'Our flagship greater Male connectivity project, once completed, will stand as a lasting symbol of the enduring partnership between India and Maldives. I express my sincere appreciation to India for the provision of 72 vehicles to the Maldives National Defence Force.' 'The handover of the remaining 3,300 housing units from the 4,000 housing units project marks a major step forward in my government's policy in addressing housing needs across the Maldives,' the president said, adding, 'I thank the Government of India for its role as the Maldives principal partner in the health sector. India remains a key source market for Maldivian tourism.' 'We discussed ways to expand this vital sector through enhanced cooperation and connectivity, including the commencement of direct flights to further enhance this connectivity,' Muizzu further said.
