The Election Commission has announced the schedule for the Nandigram bypoll in West Bengal, with voting set to take place on October 6. The counting of votes will be held on October 9.

The by-election has been necessitated by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari vacating the Nandigram Assembly seat after winning the constituency as well as Bhabanipur in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Adhikari decided to retain Bhabanipur and give up his Nandigram seat.

The Election Commission said the poll process will formally begin with the issue of the gazette notification on September 9.

Nandigram bypoll schedule

According to the election schedule, candidates can file their nominations until September 16. The nomination papers will be scrutinised on September 17, while September 19 will be the last date for withdrawal of candidature.

Polling in Nandigram will be conducted on October 6 and votes will be counted on October 9. The Election Commission has said the entire election process will be completed by October 11.

Why is a Nandigram bypoll being held?

The Nandigram Assembly seat fell vacant after Suvendu Adhikari resigned from the constituency.

Adhikari had contested the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur and won both seats. He subsequently chose to retain Bhabanipur and vacate Nandigram, making a by-election necessary for the constituency.

The Nandigram contest is also significant because Adhikari had defeated Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee from the constituency in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election.

Rejinagar bypoll also scheduled

The Election Commission has also announced a by-election for the Rejinagar Assembly constituency in West Bengal. The Rejinagar seat became vacant after Aam Janata Unnayan Party founder Humayun Kabir gave it up.

Polling for Rejinagar will also be held on October 6, with counting scheduled for October 9.

The Defence Ministry has cleared military procurement proposals estimated at around Rs. 1.10 lakh crore for the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, in a major push to strengthen operational capabilities and promote indigenous defence manufacturing.

The proposals were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The ministry said the DAC accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for a range of acquisitions. AoN is the first stage of the defence procurement process.

Nearly 98 per cent of the approved procurements are expected to be sourced from Indian industry, according to the Defence Ministry.

What the Army will get

The Army-related approvals include Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) reconnaissance vehicles, high-mobility vehicles, self-propelled mechanical mine layers, Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs), trawl tanks and the Sarvatra bridge system.

CBRN reconnaissance vehicles will be used to detect and monitor areas contaminated by chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear agents.

The high-mobility vehicles are intended to support troop movement and logistics in difficult terrain. The trawl tanks and Sarvatra bridge system will help combat formations with mobility and crossings during military operations.

Advanced Light Helicopters will be used by both the Army and the Air Force for operations across different terrains and mission requirements.

Navy to receive Arudhra radars

For the Indian Navy, the DAC approved the procurement of Arudhra radars, along with the design, development and subsequent procurement of Marine Gas Turbines (MGTs).

The Marine Gas Turbine programme is aimed at developing a key propulsion system for warships while reducing dependence on foreign suppliers.

The Arudhra radars will replace existing air-route surveillance radars at naval air stations and are expected to strengthen the Navy’s surveillance capabilities.

Air Force gets electronic warfare systems

The Indian Air Force also received approval for projects aimed at strengthening the capabilities of its fighter aircraft, transport fleets and helicopters.

Among the approved systems is the Ground-Based Multi-Purpose Jammer (GBMPJ). The ministry said the jammer will provide electronic warfare capability against adversary radar networks.

Approval was also given for the installation of the Defence Forces Secure Access Card system.

Push for domestic defence manufacturing

The latest approvals are part of the government’s broader effort to strengthen the operational capabilities of the armed forces while promoting self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

The Defence Ministry said nearly 98 per cent of the approved procurements will be sourced from Indian industry, potentially giving further impetus to domestic defence production.

The Rs. 1.10 lakh crore figure represents the estimated value of the procurement proposals that received the DAC’s Acceptance of Necessity at this stage. It does not by itself mean that all the equipment has already been contracted or delivered.

The rent agreement of Delhi’s now-collapsed Hostel Daze has come under scrutiny after the five-storey building in Satya Niketan collapsed, killing seven residents.

According to the agreement, students were required to pay three months’ security along with one month’s advance rent. It also stated that the security deposit would not be refunded before the completion of the agreement period and that any damage to furniture or fixtures could be deducted from the deposit.

One clause in the agreement stated that the PG authorities were not responsible for casualties or risks to a student.

A separate terms-and-conditions document linked to the hostel also stated that the management would not be liable for compensation in cases involving personal injury, loss or damage to a tenant’s belongings caused by circumstances described as beyond the PG’s control, including sealing, fire, earthquakes and heavy rains.

Strict conditions for students

The agreement also laid down several conditions for tenants. Students were prohibited from putting posters or stickers on hostel walls.

It further stated that students leaving before the agreed period, including those removed for disciplinary reasons, would not receive a refund of hostel fees or security money.

The hostel management was also given the right to shift students to another room or hostel location when circumstances required it. The terms allowed immediate eviction for disciplinary issues without a refund.

Building was unauthorised, report says

The collapsed structure was a five-storey building in Satya Niketan that housed a boys’ hostel. According to a senior MCD official cited in the report, the nearly 50-year-old building stood on around 55 square yards of land in a resettlement colony where permission had been granted only for a two-storey structure.

No building plan had reportedly been approved for the structure.

The building had earlier been in a dilapidated condition. Its owner, Hari Ram Bansal, subsequently spent several months renovating it, and tenants began moving in during August 2026.

The hostel had around 30 rooms, with each room intended to accommodate two to three students. However, construction work was reportedly still underway when the building collapsed.

Labourers were working in the basement at the time of the incident. Of the 11 people rescued, two were labourers, one of whom later died.

Three arrested in Delhi hostel collapse case

Three people have been arrested in connection with the case — Hariram Bansal, his wife Urmila and their son Mahesh Bansal.

Records cited in the report show that electricity connections for the property were registered in the names of Hariram Bansal and Mahesh Bansal, while the property itself was registered in Urmila’s name.

The report also noted that the building was residential and was not intended for commercial use such as operating a paying-guest hostel.

Delhi civic body suspends five officials

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi suspended five officials a day after the tragedy.

Those suspended were Deputy Commissioner (South Zone) Rakesh Kumar, Superintending Engineer Ranvir Singh, Executive Engineer (Building) Lalit Kumar Goel, Assistant Engineer (Building) Sunil Chauhan and Junior Engineer (Building) Ashish Kumar.

Separately, the Delhi High Court ordered a high-level investigation into the collapse and observed that hostel facilities for students coming from outside Delhi were in a “pathetic condition.”

MCD order concerned neighbouring property

On September 6, the MCD had issued an order concerning the neighbouring property, number 13 in Satya Niketan, directing its owner or occupier to demolish the structure because it posed a threat to residents, visitors, passers-by and neighbouring buildings.

The collapsed building, however, was property number 14, according to an MCD statement.