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The Print
05-08-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Bihar SIR: Plea in SC seeks constituency, booth details of the 65 lakh excluded voters, reasons for each
The ECI had published the draft electoral roll on 1 August. According to the EC data, the draft electoral rolls based on the SIR exercise do not include over 65.6 lakh voters from 38 districts in Bihar. Of this 65.6 lakh, the EC explained, more than 22 lakh had died, over 36 lakh have permanently shifted or were untraceable, and another 7 lakh voters have enrolled as electors in multiple places. The ECI has, therefore, said that their enumeration forms were not submitted or included in the draft rolls. The application was filed on Tuesday on behalf of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), which is one of the petitioners challenging the SIR exercise in Bihar. The petitions are set to come up in the Supreme Court next week. New Delhi: Days after the publication of the draft electoral roll by the Election Commission of India (ECI) pursuant to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar, an application has been filed before the Supreme Court demanding publication of assembly constituency and booth wise list of names and details of the 65 lakh electors who did not make it to the draft rolls, along with reasons. The ECI has been releasing a daily bulletin since the publication of the draft rolls, pointing out that from 1 August to 3 pm on 5 August, no claims or objections have been filed by any political party. It has pointed out that currently, over 1.6 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) have been appointed by 6 national and 6 state political parties. However, it has received 2,864 claims and objections directly from electors, over inclusion of eligible voters or exclusion of ineligible voters. It has also received 14,914 applications from new electors who have attained the age of 18 years. The ADR application before the Supreme Court now demands 'a full and final assembly constituency and part/booth wise list of names and details of approx 65 lakh electors whose Enumeration Forms were not submitted along with reasons for non-submission (Death, Permanently Shifted, Duplicate, Untraceable, etc.) against each name'. It also demands an assembly constituency and booth wise list of electors whose enumeration forms were 'not recommended' by the Booth Level Officers (BLOs). It explains that the ECI had said that once the BLOs uploaded the forms, they had to give a recommendation against each enumeration form, and claimed that it had received information for two districts—Darbhanga and Kaimur—which show that the BLOs had marked 'not recommended by BLO' against a large percentage of electors whose enumeration forms were uploaded. The application claims that while the ECI has provided a list of approximately 65 lakh electors whose names were not included in the draft rolls to the BLAs of political parties, 'the list with names of 65 lakh deleted electors curiously fails to disclose the reason for non-submission of their enumeration forms, information that the Election Commission evidently possesses'. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Bihar SIR: Gopalganj sees largest dip in voters at over 15%, Seemanchal's Kishanganj & Purnia follow
The Print
30-07-2025
- Business
- The Print
India to get last of Spain-built C-295 next month, focus now on 1st India-made aircraft
According to the Rs 21,000-crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space that Spain signed in September 2021, the first 16 aircraft will to be delivered in 'fly-away' condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain. The delivery was to be completed by September 2025. This means that now the focus will be on the first India-built C-295, which, sources in the defence establishment said, was on track to roll out from the final assembly line in Gujarat's Vadodara. New Delhi: The last of the C-295 transport aircraft that is replacing the ageing Avro fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) will be delivered to India next month, two months ahead of schedule, ThePrint has learnt. The remaining 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies. 'The last of the 16 aircraft which was to come from Spain will be handed over to India next month, two months ahead of schedule. The first India-built C-295 is on track and will roll out in September 2026,' a source said. The remaining 39 will be delivered by 2031. While the final assembly line is in Gujarat, a majority of the work will be done in TASL facilities in Hyderabad and Nagpur. Parts like the fuselage and others will be made in Hyderabad and shipped to Gujarat for the final assembly. Sources said that Airbus and TATA are also in talks with both the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard for another possible order for the 15 aircraft which are specifically made for maritime operations. As reported earlier by ThePrint, the Indian Navy is looking at placing an order for 9 C-295 aircraft while the Coast Guard is looking at 7. This is the first time in Indian history that an Indian private company is making an aircraft. In terms of the collaboration between Airbus and TATA, there is nearly 90 percent technology transfer. In terms of man hours, the aircraft will be built whole in India from the 30th aircraft onwards, he added. This means that there will be no work done by Airbus on the rest of the order outside the country. About 14,000 parts of the aircraft are being indigenised by the TATA group at the rate of about 4,000 every year. The only parts that will not be indigenised are those which are non-Airbus—like the landing gear, engine, avionics. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Modi calls new Airbus C295 plant example of 'New India' at inauguration with Spanish PM
The Print
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Print
CUET-UG 2025 results announced, only 1 candidate scores 100 percentile in 4 of 5 subjects
In the CUET‑UG 2024, a remarkable 22,920 candidates scored a 100 percentile across 45 subjects, a majority of these students appeared for Commerce and Arts subjects, revealed last year's NTA data. The highest number of students scored full marks in Business Studies, followed by Political Science, History and English. As per data shared by NTA, 150 candidates have scored 100 percentile in 2 subjects, and a total of 2679 candidates have scored 100 percentile in 1 subject. New Delhi: One candidate has scored 100 percentile in four out of five subjects, reveal this year's CUET (Common University Entrance Test) Undergraduate results, while 17 candidates have scored 100 percentile in 3 subjects declared by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday, 4 July. The entrance exam, conducted in computer-based test (CBT) mode, witnessed a total of 13,54,699 unique candidates, slightly higher than last year's 13,47,820. Of these, 10,71,735 appeared, marking a decline of over 41,000 candidates compared to 2024, when 11,13,610 students had taken the test. CUET-UG, introduced to streamline the admissions process for undergraduate programmes in Central and participating universities, was conducted from 13 May to 4 June. This examination acts as a standardised platform for students to apply to multiple universities across India, including Central, State, and Private institutions, making the process more inclusive. The scores of this examination will be accepted by over 250 central, state, and private universities across India for undergraduate admissions. This year's edition offered 37 subjects, including 13 languages, 23 domain-specific subjects, and one General Aptitude Test. Moreover, the question papers were in 13 languages, including English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odiya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. Exams were held in 300 cities across India, and 15 international locations, including Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, Munich, Kuala Lumpur, and Washington, to facilitate access for overseas candidates. While the gender ratio remained balanced, female participation slightly outpaced male registration for the first time: 6.47 lakh female candidates registered, of which 5.23 lakh appeared, compared to 7.06 lakh male registrations and 5.47 lakh appearances. Notably, five candidates identified as third gender, with three appearing for the exam. Candidates with disabilities (PwD) also participated in fair numbers, with 4,354 PwD candidates registering, and 3,632 appearing. General category candidates formed the largest group, with 6.08 lakh registrations and 4.75 lakh appearances. The Other Backward Classes (Non-Creamy Layer) registered 4.44 lakh, followed by Scheduled Castes at 1.44 lakh and Scheduled Tribes at 84,461. Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) showed a drop in participation, with only 73,017 registered, down from over 88,000 last year. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Cost of higher education in India is leaving parents drained, in debt. 'We put our own dreams on hold'
The Print
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Print
No more monopoly: High-stakes contest for 5th-gen fighter begins, private players to take on HAL
The EOI issued by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) aims to shortlist Indian Companies (owned and controlled by resident Indian citizens) for prototype development of AMCA. New Delhi: India has taken a major step towards developing its indigenous fifth-generation fighter jet, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), by inviting Expression of Interest (EOI) for its prototype development. The ADA says the applicant may be a single company, a joint venture or a consortium of companies, which are technically capable of developing and building the prototypes, supporting flight tests and certification of AMCA. It added that the requirement is that those applying should be reputed Indian companies experienced in the Aerospace & Defence sector, with the capability to absorb the design of AMCA and have adequate experience in the field of development & engineering, manufacturing, equipping, integration, testing, quality management, customer support. The shortlisted entity must possess the capability of setting up a manufacturing facility for series production. The duration of the contract for development, prototyping, flight test and certification of AMCA shall not exceed eight years from the effective date of contract, the EOI issued by ADA said. The last date for submission is 16 August. In a first-of-its-kind move, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had, last month, approved the the execution model for the AMCA project which provides equal opportunities to both private and public sectors on a competitive basis. They can bid either independently or as joint ventures or as consortia. This means that no one entity will be considered as a natural choice and everyone will have to bid to win the contract. This implies that HAL, which has been the only entity in India to manufacture fighter planes, will have to compete against private companies, like TATA, Adani, L&T and other interested players to bag the contract to build the prototype, as reported by ThePrint earlier. This goes against the current practice, where HAL would have been the natural choice as the production agency, which would have then tied up with private players for manufacturing components and parts. The five prototypes of AMCA are set to be rolled out by 2031, and the series production is slated to start by 2035. The first prototype is expected to come out by 2028. The IAF plans to have seven squadrons of the AMCA, starting 2035. The development comes amid reports that China is expediting delivery of its fifth-generation fighter—J-35A—to Pakistan, which will widen the capability gap with the IAF. While in terms of pure numbers the IAF has more fighters, Pakistan has a higher mix of 4.5-generation fighter jets. China also unveiled what are claimed to be two sixth-generation fighter jets—Chengdu J-36 and Shenyang J-50—last December. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Stage set for Russian 5th-gen fighter Su-57 demo at Aero India 2025, F-35 to be on static display
The Print
14-06-2025
- Health
- The Print
Not enough cold storage, Air India crash victims' bodies in AC mortuary—inside Civil Hospital's morgue
ThePrint had, last night, witnessed several bodies on the floor of the post-mortem room at Civil Hospital Ahmedabad, before they were eventually moved to the mortuary. With cold storage capacity limited, the bodies, that should ideally be stored at 2-6 degrees Celsius, are currently kept in the air-conditioned mortuary of Civil Hospital Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad: In the wake of the Air India tragedy, the authorities in Ahmedabad are racing to complete DNA sampling so that bodies of victims of Air India Flight 171 can be identified and handed over to their families. Hospital sources said the city's combined morgue facilities, including those at the Civil Hospital, simply do not have enough cold storage capacity to accommodate so many bodies. Only a handful of other hospitals in Ahmedabad have cold storage, and even that is limited. 'At Asarwa Civil Hospital, where the bodies have currently been taken, there is cold storage space for only 36. Across Ahmedabad, total capacity is just 66—36 at Asarwa, 18 at Sola Civil Hospital, and 12 at VS Hospital—according to a senior doctor at Asarwa. During a media briefing, ThePrint asked Minakshi Parikh, professor and Dean of BJ Medical College, about the storage capacity constraints, but she did not respond. Doctors are working to to preserve the bodies until DNA identification can be completed and matched with samples from relatives. Many families are still in the process of submitting their DNA for testing But in this heat, bodies are now decomposing fast. 'All bodies were shifted to the mortuary complex. We cleaned this area but the smell of dead bodies is still in the air,' said a medical staff member of the post-mortem room. The yellow building of the post-mortem complex is locked and a security guard has been posted to stop anyone from entering. According to sources, by 15 June, DNA reports of those relatives who gave their samples on Thursday night should be ready. Only then can the victims' bodies be matched with their relatives. 'But all the bodies are highly charred. Doctors can't even identify them,' said a doctor who is part of the DNA sampling team, on condition of anonymity. He said collecting the samples was not an easy task considering the condition of the bodies. At the BJ medical College, collection of samples from the victims' families is underway. A dedicated team of around 30 lab technicians were manning five desks collecting samples. The aircraft, carrying 242 people, including 230 passengers, 10 crew members, and two pilots, plunged into a residential complex near BJ Medical College's boys hostel on Thursday. Tata Sons, who owned the aircraft, announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore to each family and the civil aviation ministry has ordered a high level probe. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Charred remains to make DNA matching in Air India crash challenging, says forensic university in Gujarat
