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Time of India
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
No claim or objection filed by any BLA in Bihar so far; requests received from 45,616 electors: EC
NEW DELHI: Election Commission Monday said all eligible electors left out of Bihar's draft electoral roll published on Aug 1 can file their claim in Form 6, along with a copy of their Aadhaar, before Sept 1. Similarly, if any ineligible elector has been included in the draft roll, any aggrieved elector of that assembly constituency (AC) can file a specific objection in Form 7 within the same deadline. However, if the aggrieved person is not an elector from that AC, they will be required to file a specific objection along with a declaration/oath, as per Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 (RER). It is the same declaration that EC has been asking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to submit. EC Monday shared that no applications have been received by any electoral registration officer (ERO) from any persons other than electors of that assembly constituency under Rule 20(3)(b) of RER, 1960. As per the declaration under Rule 20(3)(b), the aggrieved must "affirm and state on oath that the statement I am about to make under Rule 20 of RER concerning name of person proposed for inclusion or exclusion, part no. and serial no. (in the electoral roll) is true to the best of my knowledge and belief" and that "I am not an elector of the said constituency". The person must also declare that they are aware that a false declaration concerning the electoral roll and submission of false evidence are punishable under Section 31 of R P Act and Section 227 of BNS, respectively. Booth level agents (BLAs) of political parties too can submit claims (collected from aggrieved electors) in Form 6 and file objections in Form 7, along with the prescribed declaration, to the booth level officer. This declaration says that the information being furnished is on the basis of proper verification of the draft electoral roll and any false declaration will invite penal action under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (making a false declaration). In an update Monday, EC disclosed that no claims and objections have been received from party BLAs in Bihar, though 45,616 electors have directly filed these, of which 1,348 have been disposed of. Over 1.5 lakh forms have been received from new electors, including six through BLAs.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bihar SIR row: Election Commission invites claims, objections on Bihar draft rolls till Sept 1- How to file claim?
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Monday said all eligible electors left out of Bihar's draft electoral roll published on August 1, 2025, can file their claim in Form 6, along with a copy of their aadhaar card, before September 1. Similarly, if any ineligible elector has been included in the draft roll, any aggrieved elector of that assembly constituency (AC) can file specific objection in Form 7 within the same deadline. However, if the aggrieved person is not an elector from that AC, he will be required to file a specific objection, along with declaration/oath as per Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Elector Rules, 1960 (RER). It is the same declaration that EC has been asking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to submit. EC on Monday shared that no applications have been received by the electoral registration officer (ERO) from any person other than electors of that assembly constituency under Rule 20(3)(b) of RER, 1960. As per the declaration under Rule 20(3)(b), the one aggrieved must 'affirm and state on oath that the statement I am about to make under Rule 20 of RER concerning name of person proposed for inclusion or exclusion, part no. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like ₹6 Cr+ Max Estates 3 & 4 Bhk In Sector 36A Max Estates - Estate 361 Book Now Undo and serial no. (in the electoral roll) is true to the best of my knowledge and belief' and that 'I am not an elector of the said constituency'. The person must further acknowledge that he is aware that a false declaration regarding the electoral roll and submitting false evidence are punishable under Section 31 of R P Act and Section 227 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) respectively. Booth level agents of political parties too can submit claims (collected from aggrieved electors) in Form 6 and file objections in Form 7, along with the prescribed declaration to the booth level officer. This declaration says that the information being furnished is on the basis of proper verification of the draft electoral roll shared with him and that he is aware that any false declaration will invite penal action under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (making a false declaration). In its update on Monday on claims and objections filed on the Bihar draft roll so far, EC disclosed that no claims and objections have been received from party BLAs, though 45,616 electors have directly made claims and objections, of which 1,348 have been disposed of. Over 1.5 lakh forms have been received from new electors, including six through BLAs.
Hindustan Times
10-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
EC: Not legally bound to disclose omitted names in Bihar SIR
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has told the Supreme Court that it is under no legal obligation to prepare or publish a separate list of nearly 6.5 million names not included in Bihar's draft electoral rolls, or to disclose reasons for their non-inclusion. The ECI's affidavit came in reply to allegations by ADR that 65 lakh names had been deleted from Bihar's draft electoral rolls without transparency and without disclosure of whether the deletions related to deceased persons, migrants or other categories. (HT File) In its latest affidavit on the contentious special intensive revision (SIR) in Bihar ahead of assembly polls later this year, the Commission emphasised that the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, only require publication of the draft roll and provision for claims and objections, and not any parallel deletion list. ECI argued that non-inclusion in a draft roll is not the same as deletion from the electoral roll. The draft is a work-in-progress document, it said, and names may not appear for a variety of reasons, such as unreturned enumeration forms, or errors detected during house-to-house verification, but these names remain open to restoration through the claims process before final publication. 'The draft roll simply shows that the duly filled enumeration form of existing electors has been received during the enumeration phase,' stated the affidavit, adding individuals missing from the draft can file Form 6 along with the prescribed declaration to claim inclusion during the claims and objections period from August 1 to September 1, 2025. Contesting allegations by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) that the omissions amounted to mass deletions without transparency, the poll body also accused the NGO of making 'patently false and erroneous assertions' and attempting to mislead the court. The ECI's affidavit came in reply to allegations by ADR that 65 lakh names had been deleted from Bihar's draft electoral rolls without transparency and without disclosure of whether the deletions related to deceased persons, migrants or other categories. The petitioners alleged that political parties had not been given full access to the draft lists, and that in many cases, booth-level officers (BLOs) included or excluded names without proper verification of the 11 documents prescribed by ECI. On August 6, a bench led by Justice Surya Kant directed ECI to file a 'comprehensive reply' to the ADR's plea. The matter will be heard next on August 12. In its Saturday night filing, the Commission said ADR's demand for a public list of those not in the draft rolls, along with reasons for each omission, was legally unfounded. Rules 10 and 11 of the RER, it pointed out, only require that draft rolls be made available for public inspection in the relevant areas and supplied to recognised political parties. 'As neither the law nor guidelines provide for preparation or sharing of any such list of previous electors whose enumeration form is not received… no such list can be sought by the petitioner as a matter of right,' the affidavit said. ECI stressed that any individual omitted from the draft roll has a clear statutory route to inclusion, and that the reasons for non-inclusion, whether death, permanent migration or being untraceable, do not alter the remedy available. Providing reasons, therefore, 'serves no practical purpose' at the draft stage, it argued. Moreover, under Rule 19 of RER, the electoral registration officer (ERO) is bound to issue a hearing notice in each case where inclusion is objected to, at which stage reasons will be furnished. Rejecting ADR's claim that voters cannot verify their status without the reasons for exclusion, ECI said every elector with an EPIC card can check the status of their enumeration form online by entering their EPIC number. This facility also provides the contact details of the relevant booth-level officer (BLO) for follow-up. The affidavit detailed steps taken before the draft rolls were published on August 1 to reach voters whose enumeration forms had not been received. Booth-level lists of such individuals were shared with recognised political parties through their district presidents and booth-level agents (BLAs), meetings were held across all districts, and the lists were also acknowledged by parties, including the CPI(M-L). Further, on August 7, BLOs again convened polling station-level meetings to share these lists and seek assistance in contacting such voters. ECI said these measures were publicised in a July 27 press note, which was served on ADR during the previous hearing, making its claim of non-disclosure 'blatantly false'. The Commission also dismissed as 'misconceived' ADR's allegation that it had departed from the past practice of publishing deleted names, clarifying that the example cited by the NGO was a final electoral roll from April 2024, not a draft. 'The final roll, which will be published after the present SIR exercise… will contain all such information,' it said. Addressing ADR's concern over a 'huge percentage of electors marked 'not recommended'' by BLOs, ECI said the recommendation mechanism was purely administrative, intended to minimise inadvertent errors, and carried no bearing on eligibility. Inputs from BLOs are 'suggestive rather than conclusive' and subject to verification by the ERO and Assistant ERO, it added. No deletion, ECI stressed, can occur without giving the voter a hearing and a reasoned order. Accusing ADR of a 'consistent attempt to malign the ECI by building false narratives on digital, print and social media', the affidavit urged the Supreme Court to impose 'heavy costs' and initiate contempt proceedings against the NGO for trying to mislead the court. Meanwhile, the controversy has drawn sharp political lines. On Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused the Opposition of opposing the revision because 'names of infiltrators' were being struck off. 'Infiltrators have no right to vote… The RJD and Congress are opposing SIR because these names are being deleted,' he told a rally in Sitamarhi. The Opposition INDIA bloc has alleged that the process is designed to disenfranchise marginalised communities ahead of the Bihar polls and could set a precedent for similar purges nationwide. The Opposition INDIA bloc said the deleted electors should be mentioned separately for 'public scrutiny.' The leader of the opposition in the Bihar assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, said on Sunday in a press conference that ECI should release the list of names deleted on specific grounds for 'public scrutiny' and also wondered whether the deletions on account of death were supported by any documentary evidence. The NDA said that the ECI was doing its job right and that the Opposition parties were unnecessarily making hullabaloo over nothing. As reported by HT on August 10, ECI, in a separate affidavit, assured the Supreme Court that no eligible voter in Bihar would be struck off the rolls without prior notice, a hearing, and a reasoned order. The poll body stressed that 'strict directions' had been issued to prevent wrongful deletions and highlighted a ten-point inclusion plan involving door-to-door verification, party agents, urban camps, migrant outreach, and special assistance to vulnerable voters.
Hindustan Times
10-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
No law requires publishing names of 65 lakh omissions in Bihar draft rolls: ECI
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has told the Supreme Court that it is under no legal obligation to prepare or publish a separate list of nearly 65 lakh names not included in Bihar's draft electoral rolls, or to disclose reasons for their non-inclusion. Election Commission of India In its latest affidavit on the contentious special intensive revision (SIR) in Bihar ahead of assembly polls later this year, the Commission emphasised that the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, only require publication of the draft roll and provision for claims and objections, and not any parallel deletion list. ECI argued that non-inclusion in a draft roll is not the same as deletion from the electoral roll. The draft is a work-in-progress document, it said, and names may not appear for a variety of reasons, such as unreturned enumeration forms, or errors detected during house-to-house verification, but these names remain open to restoration through the claims process before final publication. 'The draft roll simply shows that the duly filled enumeration form of existing electors has been received during the enumeration phase,' stated the affidavit, adding individuals missing from the draft can file Form 6 along with the prescribed declaration to claim inclusion during the claims and objections period from August 1 to September 1, 2025. Contesting allegations by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) that the omissions amounted to mass deletions without transparency, the poll body also accused the NGO of making 'patently false and erroneous assertions' and attempting to mislead the court. The ECI's affidavit came in reply to allegations by ADR that 65 lakh names had been deleted from Bihar's draft electoral rolls without transparency and without disclosure of whether the deletions related to deceased persons, migrants or other categories. The petitioners alleged that political parties had not been given full access to the draft lists, and that in many cases booth level officers (BLOs) included or excluded names without proper verification of the 11 documents prescribed by ECI. On August 6, a bench led by Justice Surya Kant directed ECI to file a 'comprehensive reply' to the ADR's plea. The matter will be heard next on August 12. In its Saturday night filing, the Commission said ADR's demand for a public list of those not in the draft rolls, along with reasons for each omission, was legally unfounded. Rules 10 and 11 of the RER, it pointed out, only require that draft rolls be made available for public inspection in the relevant areas and supplied to recognised political parties. 'As neither the law nor guidelines provide for preparation or sharing of any such list of previous electors whose enumeration form is not received… no such list can be sought by the petitioner as a matter of right,' the affidavit said. ECI stressed that any individual omitted from the draft roll has a clear statutory route to inclusion, and that the reasons for non-inclusion, whether death, permanent migration or being untraceable, do not alter the remedy available. Providing reasons, therefore, 'serves no practical purpose' at the draft stage, it argued. Moreover, under Rule 19 of RER, the electoral registration officer (ERO) is bound to issue a hearing notice in each case where inclusion is objected to, at which stage reasons will be furnished. Rejecting ADR's claim that voters cannot verify their status without the reasons for exclusion, ECI said every elector with an EPIC card can check the status of their enumeration form online by entering their EPIC number. This facility also provides the contact details of the relevant booth level officer (BLO) for follow-up. The affidavit detailed steps taken before the draft rolls were published on August 1 to reach voters whose enumeration forms had not been received. Booth-level lists of such individuals were shared with recognised political parties through their district presidents and booth level agents (BLAs), meetings were held across all districts, and the lists were also acknowledged by parties, including the CPI(M-L). Further, on August 7, BLOs again convened polling station-level meetings to share these lists and seek assistance in contacting such voters. ECI said these measures were publicised in a July 27 press note, which was served on ADR during the previous hearing, making its claim of non-disclosure 'blatantly false'. The Commission also dismissed as 'misconceived' ADR's allegation that it had departed from past practice of publishing deleted names, clarifying that the example cited by the NGO was a final electoral roll from April 2024, not a draft. 'The final roll, which will be published after the present SIR exercise… will contain all such information,' it said. Addressing ADR's concern over a 'huge percentage of electors marked 'not recommended'' by BLOs, ECI said the recommendation mechanism was purely administrative, intended to minimise inadvertent errors, and carried no bearing on eligibility. Inputs from BLOs are 'suggestive rather than conclusive' and subject to verification by the ERO and Assistant ERO, it added. No deletion, ECI stressed, can occur without giving the voter a hearing and a reasoned order. Accusing ADR of a 'consistent attempt to malign the ECI by building false narratives on digital, print and social media', the affidavit urged the Supreme Court to impose 'heavy costs' and initiate contempt proceedings against the NGO for trying to mislead the court. Meanwhile, the controversy has drawn sharp political lines. On Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused the Opposition of opposing the revision because 'names of infiltrators' were being struck off. 'Infiltrators have no right to vote… The RJD and Congress are opposing SIR because these names are being deleted,' he told a rally in Sitamarhi. The Opposition INDIA bloc has alleged that the process is designed to disenfranchise marginalised communities ahead of the Bihar polls and could set a precedent for similar purges nationwide. As reported by HT on August 10, ECI, by a separate affidavit, had assured the Supreme Court that no eligible voter in Bihar would be struck off the rolls without prior notice, a hearing and a reasoned order. The poll body stressed that 'strict directions' had been issued to prevent wrongful deletions and highlighted a ten-point inclusion plan involving door-to-door verification, party agents, urban camps, migrant outreach, and special assistance to vulnerable voters.
Business Wire
17-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Rare Earth Demonstration Plant Update Following Comprehensive Review
LITTLETON, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rare Element Resources Ltd. (the 'Company' or 'RER') (OTCQB: REEMF) is pleased to provide an update on the development progression of the Company's rare earth processing and separation demonstration plant in Upton, Wyoming (the 'Demonstration Plant' or 'Plant'). As noted in our April 2025 announcement, the trajectory toward commencement of operations was halted for a thorough review of the as-built Demonstration Plant to review all materials of construction, piping and electrical design, and other key items to ensure an efficient and safe operation. That review has been steadily progressing which has resulted in several areas of improvement being identified requiring rework, and in some cases equipment upgrades, which are now being sourced. The schedule to incorporate these rework activities into the Plant's operation is now being finalized and is expected to be completed in August, with expected final inspection and shake-down activities taking place by the end of 2025. Plant operations are now expected in the first quarter of 2026. The data gathered from the operation of the Demonstration Plant will be critical in advancing the design and economics of a commercial plant utilizing the Company's proprietary processing and separation technology. Once operational, the Demonstration Plant is planned to operate for up to 10 months and produce up to 10 tons of separated neodymium/praseodymium (Nd/Pr) oxide. Ken Mushinski, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer stated, 'As we focused the prior weeks on the full system connectivity and materials of construction, we are pleased to report that our team has now completed the updated Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams and are sourcing the necessary additional equipment and construction materials. Further, we have begun updating our system control narratives to align with the upgraded design.' Mr. Mushinski added, 'We believe our innovative technology, along with our world-class Bear Lodge mineral deposit, can become a cornerstone of America's rare earth needs at a time when the U.S. government recognizes China's market dominance must be addressed.' As the Company continues to advance its Demonstration Plant project, the Company is participating in the continuing national conversation focused on securing a reliable domestic supply of critical rare earths to meet the nation's defense and high-tech needs. On June 24, 2025, Mr. Mushinski was invited to testify at the U.S. House Committee on Small Business' hearing on critical minerals titled ' Securing America's Mineral Future: Unlocking the Economic Value Beneath Our Feet.' Reflecting on this experience, Mr. Mushinski commented, 'I was gratified to provide RER's perspective on a sustainable rare earth supply chain and encourage the federal government to support the establishment of a diversified source of rare earths to meet our domestic and allied partners' needs, such that the China market dominance will no longer control America's technology future.' Rare Element Resources Ltd. is a publicly traded, strategic materials company focused on delivering rare earth products for technology, energy, and defense applications by advancing the Bear Lodge Rare Earth Project in northeast Wyoming incorporating the Company's proprietary rare earth processing and separation technology. Bear Lodge is a significant mineralized district containing many of the less common, more valuable, critical rare earths that are essential for high-strength permanent magnets, electronics, fiber optics, laser systems for medical technology and defense, as well as technologies like electric vehicles, solar panels, and wind turbines. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of securities legislation in the United States and Canada (collectively, 'forward-looking statements'). Except for statements of historical fact, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are usually identified by our use of certain terminology, including 'will,' 'believes,' 'may,' 'expects,' 'should,' 'seeks,' 'anticipates,' 'plans,' 'has potential to,' or 'intends' (including negative and grammatical variations thereof), or by discussions of strategy or intentions. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding (i) expectations that the Demonstration Plant will generate the operational and economic data necessary for the design of a commercial-scale plant; (ii) the Company's ability to timely complete a design and equipment review at the Demonstration Plant, followed by implementation of upgrades and commence operations in the first quarter of 2026; (iii) anticipated delays and the expected timeline for shake-down activities and commencing operations of the Demonstration Plant in late 2025; (iv) the Company's ability to meet the demand for a secure and diversified domestic source of critical rare earths for U.S. defense and high-tech applications; and (v) expectations that the Demonstration Plant will operate for up to 10 months and produce up to 10 tons of Nd/Pr oxide, supporting discussions with potential strategic partners and offtake customers. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, the ability to operate the Demonstration Plant for a sufficient amount of time to ascertain commercialization decisions, the ability to maintain Demonstration Plant licensing and permits, the possible full impacts of inflation and supply chain issues, such as delays or further cost increases, tariffs or trade restrictions, and other matters discussed under the caption 'Risk Factors' in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, and our other periodic and current reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC') and available on and with the Canadian securities commissions available on There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by management. Please refer to the discussion of these and other uncertainties and risk factors set out in our filings made from time to time with the SEC and the Canadian regulators, including, without limitation, our reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this news release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. While we may elect to update our forward-looking statements at any time, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
