EC appoints 5 senior IAS officers as Special Roll Observers for SIR in West Bengal
Kolkata (PTI): The Election Commission on Monday appointed five senior IAS officers as Special Roll Observers (SRO) for various divisions of West Bengal to oversee the work relating to the SIR exercise, officials said.
Ministry of Defence Joint Secretary Kumar Ravi Kant Singh was appointed the SRO for the Presidency division, while Ministry of Home Affairs Joint Secretary Niraj Kumar Bansod was assigned the responsibility of the Medinipur division.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Joint Secretary Krishna Kumar Nirala was named the SRO for the Burdwan division, Department of Economic Affairs Joint Secretary Alok Tiwari has been made the SRO for the Malda division, and Department of Rural Development Joint Secretary Pankaj Yadav has been appointed the SRO for the Jalpaiguri division.
The EC had earlier appointed retired IAS officer Subrata Gupta as the Special Roll Observer in connection with the SIR, besides setting up a team of 12 IAS officers as Electoral Roll Observers to oversee the key aspects of preparation of the electoral roll and help the DEOs and EROs in taking corrective measures.
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"The appointment of SROs ensures enhanced scrutiny and transparency in the SIR process across all divisions. Their presence will strengthen monitoring and compliance with EC norms," an official at the CEO's office said.
"The observers will supervise electoral roll-related activities and ensure adherence to EC guidelines in their respective jurisdictions," he said.
The special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state began on November 4 with the distribution of enumeration forms, which will continue till December 11.
The draft electoral rolls will be published on December 16, and the final voters' list will be issued on February 14, 2026.
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Karnataka Governor gives assent to legislation against ‘honour killing’ in inter-caste marriages
Bengaluru: The government has brought into force the Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the name of honour and tradition (Eva Nammava Eva Nammava) Act, 2026, intended to restrict ‘honour killings’ in inter-caste marriages.
According to The Indian Express, the legislation received assent from Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on April 9 and was officially notified in the state gazette on April 10. The law had been passed unanimously by the state legislature last month.
The Bill was proposed by the Congress government in the wake of caste-linked ‘honour killings’ in the state, including the December 21, 2025, murder near Hubli of a 20-year-old Lingayat woman by her father for marrying a man from another caste.
The phrase ‘Eva Nammava Eva Nammava’ in the title is in reference to the message of universal humanity that the Lingayat saint Basavanna espoused. Basavanna, who rebelled against the caste system to lay the foundation of the Lingayat faith system, an amalgamation of all castes, used the words meaning ‘he is a part of me’ to say all people are one.
Under the new law, crimes committed in the name of ‘honour’, including murder, assault, threats, and social boycott, are specifically addressed with stringent punishments. ‘Honour killing’ offences carry a minimum imprisonment of five years, while serious assaults attract at least three years in jail.
The new law defines the social boycott of inter-caste couples as forcible eviction to remote corners of villages, refusal to provide services, refusal to provide work, refusal to conduct business, denial of loans and admissions to schools, and makes it punishable.
In the case of ‘honour killings’ per se, the new law prescribes a minimum imprisonment of five years, and in the case of assaults, a prison term that is not less than three years for serious injury and two years for minor injuries.
The offences under the proposed law are cognisable and non-bailable, which means police can carry out arrests without court permissions after taking up a case.
The legislation follows several reported inter-caste relationship-related killings in Karnataka in 2025, including cases in Raichur and another involving 18-year-old Kavita.
The law to protect the freedom of choice in marriages is among several social bills that the Congress government has brought out in line with its policies for the backward and downtrodden communities in the state.
