Daily Bulletin

Former Union Minister Raj Kumar Singh, an ex-BJP leader, has accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of violating electoral law during the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging a mission to 'disenfranchise people'. Singh contended that the nationwide SIR contravenes Sections 21 and 22 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, by conducting a general revision instead of a special one and by using revised rolls with an estimated 13 crore deletions before appeals are resolved. He also questioned the unauthorized addition of a new appendix to Form 6, which he claimed has halted young voter registration. Separately, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), led by President Mallikarjun Kharge, demanded the immediate removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the restoration of 130 million (13 crore) deleted voters, alleging a 'vote-demonetisation' conspiracy and citing a 32.8% decline...

Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam has formally requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to implement four critical software modifications aimed at restoring local decision-making authority for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). These requests echo concerns previously raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, seeking greater flexibility for EROs to waive personal hearings, accept a wider range of documents, and independently verify discrepancy cases in voter rolls.

The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly today passed five Bills, including amendments to the Goods and Services Tax Act and the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act, 2000, along with measures promoting Ease of Doing Business. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah moved the Bills, while two other Bills proposing an increase in the salaries of ministers and legislators were withdrawn by the Assembly.

The Gujarat High Court today rejected an appeal filed by AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal against an earlier order that quashed the Central Information Commission's (CIC) directive to disclose Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree. This decision upholds the previous ruling, maintaining the non-disclosure of the Prime Minister's academic qualifications.

Goa is commemorating the 500th anniversary of the "Foral de Goa", a 16th-century Portuguese decree promulgated on September 16, 1526, by King João III of Portugal. This document, officially titled "Foral dos Usos e Costumes dos Gancares e Lavradores desta Ilha de Goa e outras Anexas a Ella", codified 49 laws that historians consider Goa’s first 'constitution' and one of South Asia's earliest preserved paper documents of its kind. It formalized indigenous village administrative and revenue systems, recognizing the rights of Gaunkars (village landowners) concerning land, inheritance, and taxes, with its principles still influencing the Comunidade system today.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Crime Branch is investigating a widespread land mafia in Kashmir involving the manipulation of revenue records, where the same plots of land were allegedly sold multiple times to different buyers. A key case involves retired Fisheries Director Mufti Manzoor, whose land in Balhama, Srinagar, purchased in 2012, was resold in 2017 through alleged connivance between Tehsildar Nusrat Aziz, broker Riyaz Ahmad Bhat, and other revenue officials. The investigation revealed discrepancies where Patwari's office records were altered, but central records (Parti-Sarkar) remained unchanged, and forensic analysis confirmed Aziz's signatures on manipulated documents.

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Shri Manohar Lal today launched a new set of initiatives under PRAGATI 50, aiming to develop a Model City Framework for 50 cities of economic, cultural, heritage, pilgrimage, tourism, and administrative significance across 24 states. The initiative focuses on visible improvements in urban cleanliness, solid waste management, used water management, sanitation, and citizen participation. Additionally, the Swachh Bharat Test Bed and Innovation Centre was launched at Durgapur in collaboration with the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, and a Reduce Reuse and Recycle (RRR) Centre was inaugurated at Sankalp Bhawan, New Delhi, as part of Swachhata Hi Seva 2026.

A performance audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) for 2015-16 to 2023-24 revealed significant irregularities in the utilisation of District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds in Odisha. Out of ₹10,104.28 crore spent across six audited districts, only ₹5,477.75 crore (54.21%) was allocated to directly affected areas, falling short of the mandated 60% as per state DMF rules. The audit highlighted expenditures on projects like the Rourkela International Hockey Stadium (₹136.77 crore), foreign university studies (₹6.06 crore for five students in Keonjhar), and government vehicles, often in indirectly or non-affected areas, while no Endowment Fund was established despite collecting over ₹22,500 crore.