Latest news with #AERO
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
ECI summons Bengal Chief Secretary over failure to act against officials in voter roll irregularities
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday summoned West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to New Delhi by Wednesday evening to clarify the reasons action was not taken and FIRs not lodged against Bengal officials, despite the ECI's directives to suspend four Bengal officials and a casual worker, who were allegedly involved in ER related irregularities. The letter has been sent by ECI to Pant and that he has been summoned was confirmed by a top ECI official. Pant will be travelling to Delhi tomorrow, people in the know said. Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 4 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 3 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals By Vaibhav Sisinity View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 2 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass Batch-1 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program On August 5, ECI had directed Pant to suspend four Bengal officials and the data entry operator, lodge FIRs against four officials and a casual worker and start departmental proceedings. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Undo The West Bengal government violated ECI's order for suspension of four officials, including two WBCS officials. Nabanna sources said it was decided that Pant will go to Delhi on Wednesday to appear before the ECI. Live Events On August 5, the ECI had directed the chief secretary to suspend two EROs and two AEROs for committing 'grave lapses' and 'failing to perform their duties', violating the policy of data security by sharing their login credentials of the ER database with unauthorised persons. ECI had then directed the chief secretary to suspend the four officials, lodge FIRs against them and start a departmental enquiry against them. Similar action was to be taken against a casual worker as well. In a letter to the ECI, Pant had written yesterday that 'the services of Sudipta Das, PAAO, Tamluk block and AERO, 206-Moyna AC and Surojit Halder, the data entry operator, 137 Baruipur Purba AC, have been withdrawn from electoral revision and election-related duties.' 'You will kindly appreciate that district-level officials and field officers have a wide range of functions assigned to them by their appointing authorities, in addition to the electoral roll revision works and other election-related works which are time-bound. Therefore, there are occasions where certain functions are delegated to subordinate staff in good faith,' Pant clarified in his letter. The tussle between the ECI and the West Bengal government escalated further on Tuesday after the state government yesterday withdrew an AERO and a data entry operator from election duty. The state government had withdrawn an AERO and a data entry operator from election duty yesterday. The ECI had directed chief secretary Manoj Pant to suspend four officials and a casual worker, lodge FIRs and the data entry operator, lodge FIRs against them and start departmental proceedings.
India Today
19 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Poll body vs Mamata: Top Bengal official summoned amid row over 'fake entries'
The Election Commission (ECI) has summoned the West Bengal chief secretary for not removing and filing FIRs against four state poll officers accused of adding names of fictitious voters to the electoral roll. The chief secretary has been asked to appear before the poll watchdog on Wednesday at 5 August 5, the ECI asked the chief secretary to suspend two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and two Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) for irregularities in the registration of names in voter lists in two constituencies - Baruipur Purba and poll body had also directed registration of FIRs against the EROs and AEROs for "criminal misconduct" as well as the data entry operator. The poll officers named by the ECI include Debottam Dutta Choudhury (ERO), Tathagata Mondal (AERO), Biplab Sarkar (ERO) and Sudipta Das (AERO).The ECI also accused the officers of violating data security policies by sharing their login credentials with unauthorised ECI noted that officers involved in electoral duties were considered to be on deputation to the commission and were subject to its control, superintendence, and discipline during that August 8, the ECI sent a reminder, stating that no compliance report had been received. The ECI then directed that the necessary action be taken, and a compliance report be furnished by 3 pm on August RESPONDSHowever, in its response, the Bengal chief secretary, Manoj Pant, said an internal inquiry and a comprehensive review of existing processes had been argued that district-level officials and field officers have a wide range of responsibilities and sometimes delegate tasks to subordinate staff "in good faith".The letter said taking action before a detailed inquiry could be a "disproportionately harsh measure" that might have a "demoralising impact" on the officers a preliminary measure, the services of Sudipta Das and the data entry operator have been withdrawn from election-related duties, the chief secretary said.- EndsTune InMust Watch
Scroll.in
2 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
EC gave vague, evasive replies to queries on official accountability, consultations: RTI activist
A Right to Information activist on Saturday claimed that the Election Commission gave 'vague' responses to queries about the accountability of officials for wrongful inclusion of voters, and about consultations held with political parties. Venkatesh Nayak, the director of non-governmental organisation Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, remarked that the poll panel seemed to think that 'opacity will serve its purpose better than transparency'. Nayak filed the first RTI application on June 27, three days after the Election Commission announced the special intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar. This query was about the legal provisions that required action to be initiated against electoral registration officers or assistant electoral registration officers responsible for the inclusion of persons in the electoral rolls who are later suspected to be foreign nationals. The application sought a copy of the provisions and the designation of the authority that can order legal action against the EROs or AEROs. It further sought a state and Union Territory-wise list of officials against whom legal action had been initiated since 2015 till date on the grounds of issuing such orders. The reply to the query by Shilpi Srivastava, the poll panel's central public information officer, was 'vague and evasive', Nayak said. Replying to the first part of the query, Srivastava claimed that 'providing legal advice/opinion/interpretation of election laws and providing replies to hypothetical questions is beyond the scope of the RTI Act'. Replying to the second and third parts of the application, Srivastava said that the information sought was not available with the Election Commission and added that it may be available with the chief electoral officers and district election officers of the states and Union Territories. 'She refused to transfer the RTI application to the CEOs/DEOs as she described the RTI as being related to more than one public authority,' he added. Citing Section 32 of the Act, Nayak claimed that it was 'crystal clear' that it was an omnibus penal provision related to the breach of official duty, which would pertain to non-performance according to statutory requirements. Noting that it was not strong enough to cover the serious problem of inclusion of ineligible persons, he added that the 1960 Registration of Electors Rules contained an 'elaborate procedure' that poll panel officials must follow to determine whether a person is eligible to be entered into the rolls. 'An application cannot simply be accepted for inclusion of the applicant's name just because it has been submitted by somebody,' he said. 'Due diligence must be performed like publishing a list of claims for inclusion on the notice board of the ERO/AERO, inviting objections and then conducting an inquiry, if required, by inviting the applicant to make submissions in support of his claim.' He added that although the statutory provision for taking action against an ERO or AERO itself was weak, the poll panel had not mentioned in its reply any other applicable provisions in penal laws, including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative director also said that it was clear that the Representation of the People Act cannot be invoked against an errant ERO or AERO without the approval of the Election Commission or the CEO of the concerned state and Union Territory. 'The ECI claims that it has no data about the use of this provision to fix the accountability of such errant officers since 2015,' he said. 'Is this because this provision has never been invoked despite ECI's knowledge of the inclusion of ineligible persons which is demonstrated in its June 2024 Bihar SIR order?' Nayak asked why the Election Commission had not acted so far to investigate the 'phenomenon of wrongful inclusion of ineligible persons' in the electoral rolls. 'Or is the ECI trying to shield the errant offices for whatever reason?' he asked. Second RTI query Nayak said that the second Right to Information query submitted earlier this year pertained to the meetings that the Election Commission had initiated with political party representatives after the current chief election commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, took charge in February. He added that the poll panel had issued a press release in April about the meetings held. 'Within a span of 25 days by the end of March, CEOs [chief electoral officers] are said to have held 40 meetings, DEOs [district electoral officers] held 800 and EROs [electoral registration officers] held 3,879 apparently engaging with more than 28,000 political party representatives,' Nayak said. The purpose of these meetings was to resolve any pending issues regarding the electoral process, within the framework of existing laws and rules, he added. In his Right to Information application submitted on April 25, Nayak sought to know the state and Union Territory-wise dates on which the 40 meetings were held across the country, and the names of the political parties that sent representatives for it. The CHRI director also sought a copy of all action taken reports received till date from the chief electoral officer of every state and Union Territory after the meetings were held. The Election Commission, however, said on May 20 that it did not have any of the information that he sought. It said that the information may be available with state chief electoral officers, but did not transfer the application to them on the grounds that they are all separate authorities. Nayak noted that the Election Commission itself had publicly declared in its press note about the meetings in April that the CEOs may send an action taken report about the meetings they conduct along with those held by the EROs and DEOs. 'Irrespective of whether there may be unresolved issues the report must be sent,' he said. 'If the CPIO claims that the ECI has no information about these reports, can that be believed? Even if all pending issues were resolved in these meetings, the CEOs would have sent the action taken reports.' The RTI activist claimed that what was 'intriguing' about both the replies was the denial of the existence of even basic information that the poll panel tells the electoral bureaucracy across the country to send to them. 'Despite taking so much flak every week, every month and every year in recent times, the ECI seems to think that opacity will serve its purpose better than transparency,' he said. 'With enormous power comes enormous responsibility.' Bihar voter roll revision The Election Commission's responses to the RTI queries came ahead of the publication of the draft electoral rolls in Bihar after a 'special intensive revision' exercise. As part of the exercise, persons whose names were not on the 2003 voter list needed to submit proof of eligibility to vote. Voters born before July 1, 1987, were required to show proof of their date and place of birth, while those born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, had to also submit documents establishing the date and place of birth of one of their parents. Those born after December 2, 2004, needed proof of date of birth for themselves and both parents.
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Cryptocurrency Live News & Updates : Harvard Reveals $116M Investment in BlackRock Bitcoin ETF
Cryptocurrency News & Live Updates In a significant move, Harvard Management Company has reported a $116 million investment in BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust, highlighting the growing trend of institutional adoption of bitcoin ETFs. This comes as total assets in U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs surge, driven by both retail and institutional investments. Meanwhile, Aerodrome Finance's token, AERO, surged over 25% following Coinbase's integration of decentralized exchange trading, marking a notable increase in trading volume. Additionally, Exodus has partnered with Superstate to tokenize its shares on Solana, aiming to enhance digital asset adoption. In Switzerland, Sui's token (SUI) saw a 4% rise as Sygnum Bank expanded its services for institutional clients, indicating a broader acceptance of blockchain technology among regulated financial institutions. Lastly, the launch of the satirical memecoin Solfart has captured attention, with its ambitious liquidity goals and unique marketing approach, positioning it as a potential contender in the memecoin space. Together, these developments reflect a dynamic and evolving landscape in the cryptocurrency market, with traditional finance increasingly intersecting with digital assets. Harvard disclosed a $116 million stake in BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust as of June 30, signaling increased institutional interest in spot bitcoin ETFs. Aerodrome Finance's AERO token surged over 25% in 24 hours, driven by Coinbase's DEX integration, resulting in a significant spike in trading volume. Exodus partners with Superstate to tokenize its shares on the Solana blockchain, aiming to enhance digital asset adoption and public capital markets. SUI's price increased to $3.82 after Sygnum Bank introduced custody and trading services for institutional clients, marking a significant expansion in regulated access to the blockchain. The satirical memecoin Solfart, created by crypto veterans Mark Zuckerfart and Fart McSatoshi, aims to build a $6 million liquidity pool, drawing attention with its humor and marketing strategies similar to Dogecoin and Bonk Inu. Shiba Inu's price has risen for three days, hitting $0.00001315, fueled by a significant 1,823% increase in its burn rate, although it still faces challenges like declining demand and underperformance in its layer-2 network, Shibarium. A negative net gamma exposure in the Deribit ether options market suggests a potential rally for ether (ETH) to $4,400, as dealers may be forced to buy to hedge their positions. The GLXU ETF offers enhanced exposure to Galaxy Digital, highlighting its role in crypto finance and investment banking, according to REX Financial's COO. Hyperliquid is testing a crucial resistance level at $42.24, which will determine its trend direction in the near future. A report by 10x Research reveals ongoing market challenges, including low volatility and seasonal weakness, as Trump's push for cryptocurrency access in 401(k) accounts stirs cautious sentiment. Bao Fan, founder of China Renaissance, has been released after his detention in February 2023, though he will no longer manage the company, which is focusing on expanding digital asset services. Foresight News reports that CrediX suffered a cyberattack on August 4, leading to a loss of $4.4 million. The platform's website has been offline since the incident, and its social media presence is currently inactive.
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Cryptocurrency Live News & Updates : AERO Surges Past $1 with 25% Increase
09 Aug 2025 | 01:55:11 AM IST Aerodrome Finance's AERO token surged over 25% in 24 hours, driven by Coinbase's DEX integration, resulting in a significant spike in trading volume. Aerodrome Finance's AERO token has experienced a remarkable 25% surge, climbing from $0.81 to $1.06, following Coinbase's announcement of its in-app decentralized exchange trading. This integration allows over 100 million Coinbase users to access a variety of assets, significantly boosting AERO's trading volume by 420%. Meanwhile, Exodus has partnered with Superstate to tokenize its shares on Solana, expanding its offerings beyond Algorand. This collaboration aims to enhance digital asset adoption and transform public capital markets. In Switzerland, Sui's token (SUI) rose 4% as Sygnum Bank and Amina Bank began offering regulated services for institutional clients, indicating growing acceptance of blockchain technology among financial institutions. Additionally, the launch of the satirical memecoin Solfart has garnered attention, aiming to create a $6 million liquidity pool, while Shiba Inu (SHIB) has seen a 30% rise amid a significant increase in its burn rate. However, SHIB faces challenges with its layer-2 network and declining trading volumes, suggesting a cautious outlook ahead. Show more
