Jairam Ramesh Raises Questions Over SIR, Claims Millions of Voters Affected

New Delhi: Congress General Secretary (Communications) and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh has raised concerns over the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, claiming that millions of voters have either been removed from the rolls or asked to provide additional documents to retain their registration. According to figures cited by Ramesh, around 78 million names were removed from electoral rolls during the first two phases of the SIR exercise. He said this amounted to roughly 13 percent of the electoral rolls covered by those phases.…

Employment Opportunities for Youth Expand, Says Union Minister L. Murugan

Chennai: Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan said various government initiatives aimed at employment generation, entrepreneurship and skill development have created wider opportunities for young people across the country. Referring to employment trends, Murugan said the unemployment rate had declined from 6 per cent to 3.2 per cent. He also highlighted the rapid expansion of India’s startup ecosystem, saying the number of startups had increased from around 400 in 2014 to more than 2.5 lakh. According to the minister, a significant proportion of startup founders…

Cases Linked to Kudmi Agitation to Be Withdrawn; ₹50 Crore Earmarked for Community Welfare

Kolkata: During the Karam Utsav celebrations held in Purulia, West Bengal, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a series of measures concerning the Kudmi community, including the withdrawal of cases registered in connection with earlier protests and increased government support for community development. The Chief Minister said criminal and other cases registered against members of the Kudmi community during agitations under the previous government would be withdrawn. He also said the state government would pursue the inclusion of the Kudmali and Rajbanshi languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of…

The children who understand everything and say nothing: Reshmi R Nair 

Why the second generation keeps the language and loses the script – and what actually works A mother in New Jersey wrote to me last year with a sentence I have now heard in some form a hundred times. ‘My son understands every word I say in Malayalam. He answers me in English. Have I lost him?’ She had not lost him. But she had run into something with a name, a well-documented shape, and a fairly short window in which it can be changed. Applied linguists call it receptive…

Delhi University election results: ABVP wins three key posts; independent candidate claims Vice-President seat

New Delhi: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) secured three of the four central posts in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections after a closely fought vote-counting process that saw leads change hands several times. Independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen won the Vice-President post, producing the other major result of the election. The ABVP emerged victorious in the contests for President, Secretary and Joint Secretary, while the Vice-President position went to Shokeen, who contested as an independent candidate after being associated with the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI). According…

Imran Masood attacks BJP over Nandigram candidate’s arrest, alleges misuse of Election Commission

Nandigram: Political tensions have escalated in West Bengal’s Nandigram constituency ahead of the upcoming Assembly by-election, following the arrest of Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in connection with an old criminal case. The arrest, coming amid rapidly changing political equations in the constituency, has triggered strong reactions from Congress leaders, who have alleged political interference and questioned the timing of the police action. The political situation in Nandigram took a significant turn after Trinamool Congress candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew from the electoral contest. Following her withdrawal, West Bengal Chief Minister…

Employee Agitation Puts Pressure on Mann Government; 8% DA Hike Comes as AAP Launches Punjab Poll Campaign

Ludhiana: Political activity in Punjab has gathered momentum ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) formally beginning its election campaign from Ludhiana. The campaign launch comes immediately after the Bhagwant Mann government announced an 8 per cent increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees and pensioners following weeks of protests and negotiations with employee organisations. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched AAP’s election pamphlet in Ludhiana on September 19, marking the beginning of an intensified statewide outreach programme. The party is also preparing…

Aditi Singh Meets CM Yogi Amid Congress Return Buzz, Shifting Focus in UP Political Circles

Lucknow: With preparations beginning to gather pace for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, political activity across the state is intensifying. Parties are reviewing electoral strategies, regional equations and potential alliances, while the political future of individual leaders is also attracting attention. Against this backdrop, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Aditi Singh’s meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has drawn particular interest. Singh, who represents the Rae Bareli Sadar Assembly constituency, met the Chief Minister in Lucknow on September 18 amid reports and speculation that she could leave the…

The Snoring Mother (Short story): Karoor Soman, Charummoodan

Shankunni felt the cold breeze brush up on his face whilst he dawdled through the place that held his darkest and blemished memories. He knew that he picked the right time to come back, when he saw that not an open eye was in sight on that unusually cold night. It was when he was only 12 years old that he lost his Dad. Shankunni remembers that night all too well, he remembers getting out of his house with his Dad to gather honey from the forest and how things…

Ranveer Singh to Support Education of 1,000 Girls; Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt Pledge to Upgrade 20 Schools

Mumbai: Bollywood stars Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt have announced new initiatives aimed at supporting education and improving school infrastructure in Mumbai. On the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, Ranveer Singh visited Mumbai’s famous Lalbaugcha Raja pandal to seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha. During the visit, the actor announced that he would support the education of 1,000 girls as part of the “Seva Sankalp Abhiyan.” Announcing his participation in the initiative, Ranveer said he was committing himself to helping 1,000 girls pursue their education. He expressed hope that…