All posts tagged: neutrality

Sanjay Raut alleges election manipulation, questions EC’s neutrality in Bengal

Sanjay Raut alleges election manipulation, questions EC’s neutrality in Bengal

Published by Webster

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday levelled serious allegations against the electoral process in India, claiming that elections are being “manipulated, hijacked and pressured,” and questioned the neutrality of the Election Commission, particularly in West Bengal, reported news agency ANI. ‘Elections not being conducted fairly’ Speaking to reporters, Raut alleged that electoral processes across the country are no longer free and fair. He claimed that since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah assumed power, elections at all levels — from local bodies to the Lok Sabha — have been influenced through various means, reported ANI. “Elections are being manipulated and pressured. Let the world see how they are conducted,” he said. Calls for international scrutiny Raut also called for international oversight, urging the United Nations to send observers to India to assess the conduct of elections. He questioned the government’s claims about the strength of India’s democracy on global platforms and said ground realities should be independently verified, reported ANI. Allegations of bias in West Bengal The Rajya Sabha …

IOC to ‘look into’ Gianni Infantino’s political neutrality after FIFA chief attends Donald Trump peace board event | Football News

IOC to ‘look into’ Gianni Infantino’s political neutrality after FIFA chief attends Donald Trump peace board event | Football News

Published by Webster

3 min readFeb 21, 2026 05:41 PM IST FIFA president Gianni Infantino is under the scanner for taking part in US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace launch. The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry has said that the Olympic body will “look into” Infantino’s conduct. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO Coventry, in her role as the IOC President, and Infantino, as a member of the IOC, are bound by an oath “to always act independently of … political interests.” “The Olympic Charter is very clear on what it expects of its members and we will go and research into the alleged signing of documents, I guess,” Coventry said on Friday at her final news conference at the Milan Cortina Winter Games, adding she had been unaware of Infantino being “front and center” at the board of peace event. “Now that you guys have made us aware of it,” she said after a second question on the subject, “we will go back and we’ll have a look into it.” The IOC’s membership, which …

European Universities Strain for Neutrality Amid Political Chaos

European Universities Strain for Neutrality Amid Political Chaos

Published by Parlour News

(Bloomberg) — Universities on both sides of the Atlantic were under intense pressure to deal with campus conflict over political issues long before the Trump administration started cracking down on higher education. In the past three years, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s war on Gaza, prompted by a Hamas attack, have led to student protests around the world and put university administrators in the uncomfortable position of having to take political positions – or try their best not to.  “These days, there is hardly a crisis that doesn’t hit the campus with unbridled force,” said Ulrich Rüdiger, rector of RWTH Aachen, one of Germany’s top research universities. In countries like Switzerland and Germany, universities have generally tried to stay neutral, which has in turn raised questions about whether that’s a realistic goal, and what such neutrality might be in service of.  At the beginning of March, ETH Zurich received a questionnaire from the Trump administration asking whether a research project that receives US funding was in line with new government policies on diversity, equity …

Net neutrality eviscerated by appeals court ruling

Net neutrality eviscerated by appeals court ruling

Published by Webster

Federal net neutrality rules, which briefly came back from the dead under the Biden administration, have been struck down by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The three-judge panel ruled that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) does not have the authority to impose net neutrality rules on internet service providers (ISPs). The FCC sought to reclassify ISPs as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act in order to impose policies meant to prevent them from discriminating against different internet traffic, like by slowing speeds or blocking content. But the judges disagreed with the agency’s interpretation of how ISPs could be classified and were emboldened by the recent downfall of Chevron deference, a legal doctrine that instructed courts to defer to regulatory agencies in many cases. After the Supreme Court did away with that principle in 2024, courts became more free to favor their own interpretations over the judgment of expert agencies. Net neutrality was immediately seen as a prime target to be struck down without Chevron. While the DC Circuit Court of Appeals …

Senior officer lists shortcomings of women Commanding Officers, calls for policy on gender neutrality

Senior officer lists shortcomings of women Commanding Officers, calls for policy on gender neutrality

Published by Parlour News

 Lt. Gen Rajeev Puri. Photo: X/@easterncomd Calling for a “comprehensive policy” on “gender neutrality” as well as gender-neutral assessments of course performance, a senior Army officer listed out findings from a performance review of women Commanding Officers (CO) under his command in the Eastern sector and flagged several shortcomings which include poor interpersonal skills, over assertion of command, misplaced sense of entitlement, lack of empathy, exaggerated tendency to complain and over ambition to a lack of ambition. In a letter to the Eastern Army Commander Lt. Gen R. C. Tiwari dated October 1, 2024, the same which has also been sent to the Army’s Military Secretary (MS) and the Adjutant General’s (AG) branches, Lt. Gen Rajeev Puri who commanded the Panagarh-based 17 mountain strike Corps called for the need to institute certain long term measures in this regard. He completed his tenure in November 2024. Following a Supreme Court judgement, the Army has opened Command positions for women officers except in fighting arms – infantry, armoured and mechanised infantry. There are eight women COs …

‘If ECI’s goal is to strip itself of neutrality, then it is doing remarkable job’: Congress – India TV

‘If ECI’s goal is to strip itself of neutrality, then it is doing remarkable job’: Congress – India TV

Published by Webster

Image Source : PTI (FILE IMAGE) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi The ongoing war of words between the Election Commission of India and the Congress took a major hitting point after the latter on Friday (November 1) took a major dig at the poll body over their response to its allegations of irregularities in Haryana assembly elections as ‘baseless’.  Citing that the ECI has given itself a clean chit with its reply, the Congress party said normally they would let it be at that; however, the language the poll body has used against the party compels them to submit the counter-response.  “Not surprisingly, the ECI has given a clean chit to yourself. We would normally have let it be at that. However, the tone and tenor of the ECI’s response, the language used, and the allegations made against the INC compel us to submit the counter-response,” the party said.  It is pertinent to note that earlier, the Congress Party raised allegations of irregularities in the recent Haryana elections. They have also …