After NDA sweeps Bihar polls, PM urges all parties to participate in SIR to 'clean up' rolls
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged all political parties to participate in the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls by appointing their workers in all polling stations, as he lauded the people of Bihar for "supporting" the exercise to "clean up" the voters' list.
Addressing BJP workers at the party headquarters here after NDA's stunning victory in Bihar elections, Modi said voters of Bihar have given a "massive support" to the special intensive revision (SIR).
He said it was a duty of all political parties to activate their workers in all polling booths and "contribute in purification of voters' list," he said.
In phase two of SIR in nine states and three Union territories, 46.5 crore enumeration forms have so far been distributed.
The states and UTs are: Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep.
Among these, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and West Bengal will go to polls in 2026.
In Assam, where elections are also due in 2026, the revision of electoral rolls will be announced separately.
Phase two of the SIR exercise began on November 4 with the enumeration stage and will continue till December 4.
The EC will release the draft electoral rolls on December 9, and the final rolls will be published on February 7.
The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the DMK in Tamil Nadu have opposed the SIR exercise, claiming it will disenfranchise eligible citizens for want of documents.
After the SIR in Bihar, the EC has included the Aadhaar card in the list of indicative documents people will have to submit in the 12 states and UTs.
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Elephant calf brought from Bijnor kept under care at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Pilibhit (PTI): A 19-day-old elephant calf, brought from Bijnor, was placed under care at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on Sunday, an official said and added that the calf got separated from its mother in the forest area of Bijnor.
The calf was born on December 2 in the Bijnor forest area and got separated from its mother shortly after birth, the official said.
The forest department made several attempts to reunite it with its mother, but without any success. To ensure the calf's safety and better care, it was decided to transfer it to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve on the instructions of senior officials.
On Saturday, Deputy Director Manish Singh received the calf. Special arrangements have been made in the reserve for its care. It has been kept in a safe and clean environment to provide it with a natural setting and protect it from external noise and disturbances.
Singh told reporters that raising an 19-day-old calf is challenging.
It requires a special diet as a substitute for mother's milk and constant monitoring.
He said a special team has been formed to provide 24-hour care. Since the calf is very young, it is being cared for like a newborn baby.
According to Singh, the primary responsibility for monitoring the calf's health has been entrusted to PTR's veterinarian, Dr Daksh Gangwar. Under his supervision, a complete record of the calf's health checkups, diet, and body temperature is being maintained. The team is ensuring that the calf does not contract any infection.
