Bengaluru: Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran was elected President of the court of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) for three years, the institute announced on Friday.

"Chandrasekaran has been elected as the eighth President of the institute for the period 2018-21 and takes over from K. Kasturirangan," said the city-based institute in a statement here.

The court is the apex body of the autonomous and deemed university, comprising its senior academics, officials of the central and Karnataka governments, industry and civil society.

Sir M. Visvesvaraya, J.R.D. Tata and Ratan Tata were among those who occupied the distinguished post of the 109-year-old institute in the past.

Set up in 1909 by renowned industrialist Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata and then Maharaja of Mysore Krishnaraja Wodeyar, IISc is a primary institute for advanced scientific and technological research and education in the country.

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New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.

Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.

"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.

Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.

"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.

On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".

Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.

"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.

The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.

B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.

"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.