Latest news with #RegistrarGeneral
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Procedural reforms, technology upgrade under way to strengthen election exercise, says EC official
The Election Commission of India (EC) is in the process of implementing several technology-level changes and on-the-ground procedural reforms aimed at strengthening election integrity, boosting elector participation and improving voter convenience, said its Deputy Director P. Pawan on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. While several improvements were targeted at electors, who were the building blocks of democracy, the EC has also initiated pan-India all-party meetings at the CEO/DEO/ERO level and interactions with the heads of national and State political parties, the deputy director at EC's media division said at an interaction with select media persons. 'This approach of proactively engaging with political parties is a paradigm shift,' Mr. Pawan said. On the technology front, an upgraded digitisation effort to build an ECINET platform is under way to facilitate rapid dissemination of VTR (voter turnout) figures, other electoral data and statistical reports. It will feature an integrated dashboard that can replace at least 40 different apps/websites and provide all election-related information at a single point. The platform is being beta tested and is likely to be launched before the Bihar elections, expected later this year, Mr. Pawan said. A new mechanism for unique Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) is also being put in place. This will largely eliminate duplication of EPIC numbers arising from increase in the proportion of voters that led to situations of different voters sharing identical alpha-numeric sequence. 'However, the instances of EPIC number duplication have been found to be minuscule,' Mr. Pawan said. Meanwhile, the EC is also exploring modalities of EPIC-Aadhaar linkage to avoid duplication or abuse. Technical consultations are in progress in this regard. According to Mr. Pawan, another measure was to break a nearly two-decade hiatus in conducting a special summary revision ahead of byelections scheduled in four places this month. 'While usually, these exercises are conducted annually, the law provides for undertaking a revision ahead of a byelection,' he said. The other changes, among the set of 23 new initiatives launched since Gyanesh Kumar took charge as Chief Election Commissioner earlier this year, were to introduce mobile phone deposit boxes at polling stations and reduce the number of electors per polling booth from 1,500 to 1,200 per booth to ease crowding, the EC official said. 'The phone deposit facility follows an assessment that barring the device was a likely factor dissuading people turning out to vote,' the official added. Another measure is to directly obtain particulars of death registration from the data base of the Registrar General to verify and update the electoral roll eliminating the need for the bereaved kin to submit Form 7 and to accentuate critical information in voter slips. The establishment of additional polling booths are envisaged in high-rises and residential colonies. Structured capacity building workshops under the auspices of the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in Delhi have been initiated for booth-level agents of political parties with a priority on the States that would enter the election cycle next. Booth-level officers are being assigned a standard photo id card while engaging in door-to-door visits. Also, a legal defence team is being constituted to disseminate outcomes of various writ challenges relating to the electoral processes via media platforms, he said. P. Jawahar, Chief Electoral Officer, M. Adarsh, Deputy CEO and other Elections Department officials participated.
The Hindu
16-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Covid's true toll, cervical cancer kit, MODY discovery & more Health Wrap by The Hindu
This week on Health Wrap by The Hindu, we explore how new data and emerging technologies are reshaping public health in India and beyond. The latest maternal mortality figures from the Registrar General show a steady national decline, yet states such as Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Uttar Pradesh continue to report alarmingly high numbers, highlighting the urgent need for equitable access to maternal healthcare. Meanwhile, India's COVID-19 death toll is under renewed scrutiny, as Civil Registration System data reveals 15.5 lakh excess deaths in 2020–21—figures that contrast sharply with earlier international estimates. In a breakthrough for women's health, the US FDA has approved an at-home HPV screening kit, reflecting a shift towards decentralised diagnostics that could hold relevance for India. Scientists in Chennai, in collaboration with researchers in the US, have identified a new subtype of MODY, a rare genetic form of diabetes, reinforcing the call for wider genetic screening. A migraine drug is also showing promising results in reducing depressive symptoms, offering new hope in the overlap between neurological and mental health. As we approach World Hypertension Day, new data from the ICMR shows nearly one in three Indian adults suffers from high blood pressure—yet more than half are unaware of their condition. These developments underscore the importance of accessible data, inclusive care, and innovation-led health systems that leave no one behind.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
More than 1,000 US kids were named ‘King' last year. But in New Zealand, that name is banned
It seems some parents in New Zealand just can't get the message. Once again, King has topped the list of baby names rejected by the country's Registrar General. The royal title led the list of banned baby names for 14 years in a row until 2023 when it was replaced by Prince, which ranks second in the latest iteration. Other regal references including Duke, Majesty and Emperor are also a no-go in the country, which polices birth names under its strict registration law. New Zealand registered 60,000 births last year and rejected 38 proposed names, according to a letter from John Crawford-Smith, Principal Advisor of the Department of Internal Affairs, in response to a written inquiry. Under the law, baby names must not be offensive, unreasonably long, or include numbers and symbols. They must also refrain from resembling official titles and ranks 'without adequate justification,' according to the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021. New Zealand is part of the British Commonwealth and a constitutional monarchy that calls Charles III its King. It's not known if the 11 parents who applied to call their child King meant it as an ode to Charles, but all were asked to have a rethink, according to Crawford-Smith. In 2024, more than 1,000 children in the United States were called King, according to the Social Security Administration. (Liam and Olivia were the top US names last year). Most of New Zealand's rejected names had royal links. Ten applications for Prince were rejected, followed by four for Princess. Names like Kingi, Kingz, Prinz, Prynce, and Royallty were also banned – potentially because department staff also consider how names sound when spoken when deciding if they'll be approved. Officials also consider community perceptions of the proposed name. That may be why other names, including Sativa and Indica, both strains of cannabis, were rejected. Fanny, once a popular first name, was also declined. Parents are given an opportunity to explain their rationale before the Registrar General makes a final decision. 'We continue to urge parents to think carefully about names,' Crawford-Smith wrote in the letter. 'Names are a gift,' he added. New Zealand is not the only country that imposes laws to regulate newborns' names. In 2015, a French judge in the northern part of the country refused to let two parents name their child Nutella because of the risk of humiliation. Sweden also has a naming law and has nixed attempts to name children 'Superman,' 'Metallica,' and 'Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116.' In the United States, some naming fights have centered on adults. In 2008, a judge allowed an Illinois school bus driver to legally change his first name to 'In God' and his last name to 'We Trust.' But the same year, an appeals court in New Mexico ruled against a man – named Variable – who wanted to change his name to 'F— Censorship!'
The Hindu
08-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
India's latest MMR shows a declining trend
The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in India declined to 93 per lakh live births in 2019-21 from 97 in 2018-20, and 103 in 2017-2019, according to the latest data released by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. The data show the highest MMR occurs in the 20-29 years age group, and the second highest MMR is seen in the 30-34 years age group. Several States, including Madhya Pradesh (175), Assam (167), Uttar Pradesh (151), Odisha (135), Chhattisgarh (132), West Bengal (109), and Haryana (106), have high MMRs. The Registrar General arrives at estimates on fertility and mortality using the Sample Registration System, one of the largest demographic sample surveys in the country. The MMR in a region is a measure of the reproductive health of women in the area. One of the key indicators of maternal mortality is the MMR, defined as the number of maternal deaths during a given time period per 100,000 live births during the same time period as reported. The U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim at reducing global MMR to to less than 70 per 100,000 live births. Many women in the reproductive age span die due to complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth, or abortion. 'Maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes,' according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The data states that maternal deaths, being a rare event, require prohibitively large sample sizes to provide robust estimates. The WHO notes that, every day in 2023, over 700 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. 'A maternal death occurred almost every 2 minutes in 2023. Between 2000 and 2023, the by about 40% worldwide. Just over 90% of all maternal deaths occurred in low- and lower-middle-income countries in 2023. Care by skilled health professionals before, during and after childbirth can save the lives of women and newborns,'' the WHO said.
