The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on May 1, 2025, a significant step to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls by integrating electronic death registration data from the Registrar General of India.

This initiative aims to streamline the updation of voter lists, ensuring greater purity and efficiency. By accessing real-time death records, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) can promptly identify deceased voters, enabling Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to conduct field verifications without relying on formal requests from family members.

This process leverages the ECI’s authority under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, to access such data, marking a shift toward technology-driven electoral management.

To enhance voter accessibility, the ECI has also revamped the design of Voter Information Slips (VIS).

The updated format prominently displays the voter’s serial and part numbers in a larger font, simplifying the process for voters to locate their polling stations and aiding polling officials in efficiently verifying names on the electoral roll. This redesign reflects the ECI’s commitment to making electoral processes more user-friendly, ensuring clarity and convenience on polling day.

Additionally, the ECI has mandated the issuance of standardized photo identity cards for all BLOs, who serve as the primary link between voters and the commission. These cards will make BLOs easily recognizable during house-to-house visits for voter verification and registration drives, fostering trust and confidence among citizens.

As grassroots representatives of the ECI, BLOs play a critical role in maintaining accurate voter records and facilitating voter engagement, and their identifiable presence strengthens public interaction.

This initiative aligns with broader efforts to modernize India’s electoral framework, incorporating digital tools to enhance transparency and efficiency.

By adopting electronic data integration and improving voter interface mechanisms, the ECI aims to uphold the integrity of the democratic process, ensuring that electoral rolls reflect accurate and current voter information. These measures are expected to bolster public trust in the electoral system, facilitating smoother and more inclusive elections across the country.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sharply criticized yoga practitioner and entrepreneur Ramdev, declaring him “uncontrollable” and living “in his own world” after finding him in prima facie contempt of its earlier order.

The court’s ire stemmed from Ramdev’s controversial “sharbat jihad” remarks targeting Hamdard’s Rooh Afza, despite a prior directive on April 22 prohibiting him from making statements or sharing videos about Hamdard’s products.

Justice Amit Bansal, addressing the issue, stated, “His affidavit and the video clearly violate our order. This is prima facie contempt, and I will issue a notice summoning him.” The court was informed that Ramdev had posted a video with objectionable content, flouting its instructions. When Ramdev’s counsel requested a delay due to the unavailability of their lead lawyer, the court postponed the hearing briefly.

The case originates from a plea by Hamdard National Foundation India against Ramdev and Patanjali Foods Ltd., challenging his inflammatory remarks. On the previous hearing, the court had condemned Ramdev’s “sharbat jihad” comment as “indefensible” and conscience-shocking, prompting him to promise the immediate removal of related videos and social media posts.

Hamdard’s counsel alleged that while promoting Patanjali’s “gulab sharbat,” Ramdev claimed profits from Rooh Afza were funneled into constructing madrasas and mosques, a statement deemed derogatory and misleading.

The court’s strong remarks underscore its frustration with Ramdev’s defiance, setting the stage for a contentious legal battle as it seeks to enforce compliance and address the fallout from his provocative statements.

The Congress sharply criticized the government on Thursday, May 1, following its announcement to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making grand promises without clear timelines.

Congress general secretary for communications Jairam Ramesh, speaking at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi, questioned the government’s sincerity and demanded an immediate roadmap for the census, emphasizing the need for transparency and urgency.

Ramesh took a dig at Modi, calling him a “master of crafting headlines without deadlines.” He reiterated the Congress’s long-standing demand for a constitutional amendment to lift the 50% reservation cap, arguing that a caste census would only be meaningful if this barrier is removed.

“What’s stopping the Modi government from abolishing the cap?” he asked, challenging the administration’s commitment to social justice.

Highlighting past delays, Ramesh recalled a December 2019 Cabinet press release approving the 2021 census with a budget of ₹8,254 crore, which made no mention of caste enumeration. “Six years later, the census remains undone.

The government now makes this sudden announcement, but what’s the plan?” he questioned. He pointed out the meager ₹575 crore allocated to the census commissioner’s office in the 2025-26 Budget, casting doubt on the feasibility of conducting a comprehensive census. “Is this just another headline, or is there a genuine intent? The public deserves answers,” he said.

Ramesh dismissed the government’s COVID-19 excuse for delaying the census, noting that over 50 countries conducted theirs during the pandemic. “There was no pandemic in 2023 or 2024, yet the census wasn’t held,” he said.

He also referenced Modi’s 2024 remarks labeling caste census advocates as “urban naxals,” sarcastically asking, “Since when did the PM and Home Minister Amit Shah become urban naxals?”

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi welcomed the government’s “abrupt” decision to include caste enumeration, a first since Independence, but demanded a specific timeline, suspecting delays akin to the women’s reservation bill.

Gandhi credited the Congress’s persistent campaign for pressuring the government, saying, “Our push for a caste census has clearly worked.”

The announcement, made by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw after a Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs meeting, acknowledged state-led caste surveys in Bihar, Telangana, and Karnataka but criticized their lack of transparency.

The opposition, particularly the Congress, has made the caste census a key electoral issue, arguing it’s essential for equitable policy-making.