New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday observed that the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar is constitutionally mandated. The observation came during the hearing of multiple petitions challenging the timing and intent of the revision ahead of the crucial Assembly elections scheduled for October–November this year.

A two-judge bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi heard arguments from both sides. The bench noted that such revisions are permitted under the Indian Constitution and that the last similar exercise in Bihar took place in 2003.

The Election Commission stated that the SIR aims to cover approximately 7.9 crore citizens. It further clarified that the process will not rely exclusively on Aadhaar or Voter ID cards, responding to concerns about exclusions and documentation.

More than ten petitions have been filed in the matter, including one by the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). Several political leaders have also approached the court demanding the withdrawal of the EC order. Among them are RJD MP Manoj Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Congress leader K.C. Venugopal, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, CPI’s D. Raja, Samajwadi Party’s Harinder Singh Malik, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Arvind Sawant, JMM’s Sarfraz Ahmed, and CPI (ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya.

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Bengaluru, Aug 11 (PTI): In response to a planned three-day strike by ASHA workers starting August 12, the Karnataka Health Department on Monday issued a notice prohibiting all officers and staff from taking leave during the protest period, except in cases of medical emergencies.

Accredited Social Health Activists workers are demanding the fixed honorarium of Rs 10,000 promised by the state government in January. They have announced a continuous state-level protest from August 12 to 14.

The notice stated, “Information about ASHA workers absent from duty within district limits will be collected daily from primary health centres, compiled at the district level, and submitted to the commissionerate by 3 pm during the protest.”

The Health Department also urged community health officers, primary health protection officers, health inspectors, and Anganwadi workers to cooperate in ensuring that health services to the public remain uninterrupted.

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