SIR begins in Uttar Pradesh; BLOs to visit households with forms
Lucknow (PTI): The Election Commission on Tuesday began the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Uttar Pradesh to clean the voter list.
The exercise was launched under the theme 'Shuddh Nirvachak Namavali – Majboot Loktantra' (Clean Electoral Roll – Strong Democracy), officials said.
As part of the exercise, booth-level officers, or BLOs, will visit every household from Tuesday to December 4, to verify and update voters' details, they said.
The BLOs will provide voters with pre-printed forms in duplicate and assist them in filling them out.
Each voter has been requested to fill out and sign both copies of the form, affix a recent photograph, and return the form to the BLO at the earliest, the UP Chief Electoral office (CEO) said in a statement.
Voters can also download the form online from https://voters.eci.gov.in.
Voters may call the helpline numbers 1950 or 1800-180-1950 for information on the exercise, it said.
According to the EC's schedule, a draft of the electoral roll will be published on December 9.
The people can file claims and objections between December 9 and January 8. Hearing and disposal of claims or verification will be done between December 9 and January 31.
The final publication of the electoral roll will be one February 7, 2026.
The special revision aims to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the electoral rolls ahead of future elections, officials said.
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Watch: Tusker rescued from 20-foot well in Sullia after 16-hour operation
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Mangaluru (PTI): A lone tusker that had fallen into an abandoned 20-foot-deep well in Dakshina Kannada district was successfully rescued after forest officials constructed an earthen ramp, allowing the animal to walk out safely, officials said.
The incident occurred when the elephant, aged about 30 years and roaming in the forested Sampaje range of Sullia taluk in the Western Ghats, accidentally fell into the well in the early hours of Monday and was rescued at around 4 pm the same day, they said.
Initially, when the operation began, officials suspected it was a calf. But midway through the rescue, as it made its way out, they realised it was actually an elephant.
The animal remained trapped inside the well for nearly 16 hours before being rescued, officials added.
Huge relief, the elephant is out of the well.
— Harish Upadhya (@harishupadhya) April 13, 2026
The animal has moved into nearby plantations instead of heading back to the forest. Forest teams remain on high alert.#ElephantRescue #Karnataka https://t.co/ZCLU6COXTv pic.twitter.com/begPVx1oki
According to officials, acting swiftly, the Karnataka Forest Department created a gradual ramp from the bottom of the well to ground level using earth-moving equipment, ensuring a safe exit path for the animal.
After spending about 16 hours inside the well, the elephant walked out safely using the ramp and disappeared into the nearby forest, officials said.
A wild elephant trapped in a well in Peraje, Sullia. Rescue underway. Forest officials on-site for hours, digging to bring the animal out safely. Prayers for the gentle giant. #elephants #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/GZ7yp7pA8q
— Harish Upadhya (@harishupadhya) April 13, 2026
Forest department officials told PTI that the tusker did not sustain any injuries despite the fall and remained healthy and alert throughout the operation.
They monitored the animal as it climbed the ramp and returned to its natural habitat.
The timely intervention prevented any harm to the elephant and highlighted the swift response of the forest team in wildlife rescue operations in the Western Ghats region, which is known for human-elephant conflict incidents.
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