Assam excluded from SIR list: CEC says special orders to hold it there to be issued separately

Vartha Bharati | 27-10-2025 | 22:50:00 IST

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar Gyanesh Kumar

New Delhi (PTI): Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday said separate provisions of the Citizenship Act apply in Assam, and a special order will be issued for the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in the state.

Assam did not figure in the list of 12 states and Union Territories where the electoral roll clean-up exercise has been announced from November 4.

Addressing a press conference here, Kumar said a Supreme Court-supervised exercise to verify citizenship is about to be concluded in Assam, and the state has separate provisions with regard to citizenship under the Citizenship Act.

"A special order will be issued by the Election Commission to hold SIR in Assam," he said.

Assembly elections are due in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry next year. While SIR has been announced for the other four states, Assam has been excluded from it as of now.

"Under the Citizenship Act, there are separate provisions for citizenship in Assam. Under the supervision of the Supreme Court, the exercise of checking citizenship is about to be completed. The June 24 SIR order was for the entire country. Under such circumstances, this would not have applied to Assam," Kumar said.

"So there will be separate revision orders issued for Assam, and a separate SIR date will be announced," he said.

Phase two of the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise will begin on November 4 with the enumeration state and continue till December 4. The EC will release the draft electoral rolls on December 9, and the final electoral rolls will be published on February 7.

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Firms being arm-twisted to divert investment from Karnataka: Priyank Kharge

17-04-2026 ¦ 17-04-2026 IST

New Delhi (PTI): Companies are being arm-twisted to divert their investments from Karnataka despite the state having the best talent ecosystem, state's IT, biotech and rural development minister Priyank Kharge said on Friday.

The minister said it has taken 40 years to develop the entire ecosystem in the state that suits investors.

"Why is semiconductor going to Gujarat, Assam? That's my question? That's what I have been asking. Why is it going to Gujarat? Why is it going to Assam? When PLI comes, they have to choose their state. The name is Karnataka. How does it become Gujarat by the time the application reaches Delhi? They are coming to my state. Why are they being arm-twisted to Gujarat?" Kharge said.

He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a roadshow in the national capital for the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2026 to be held in November.

"They are coming to our state only. They want to invest in our state. It works out for them. It is profitable for them. Our human resource is one of the most agile and best in the world. But yet, they are going to be pushed to Gujarat," Kharge said.

During the event, Kharge said Karnataka is planning to rejig policy on data centres to promote sustainable data centres.

"There is a serious need for states and the central government to bring up policies for sustainable data centres. That's exactly what the government of Karnataka intends to do," Kharge said.