All posts tagged: UTs

Election Commission begins third phase of SIR across 16 states, 3 UTs

Election Commission begins third phase of SIR across 16 states, 3 UTs

Published by Parlour News

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday directed the chief electoral officers of 16 states and 3 Union Territories to commence the third phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a controversial exercise that will cover 367 million people between the end of May and the beginning of December as part of a staggered schedule. The Election Commission announced the rollout of the SIR Phase III of electoral rolls across 16 states and 3 UTs (Hindustan Times) Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh were kept out of the current phase due to ongoing census operations and weather conditions in snow-bound areas, as per the official order issued by the ECI. First launched in Bihar late last year, SIR triggered a major electoral and legal controversy, especially after it led to the disenfranchisement of 2.71 million people in West Bengal during assembly polls last month. “I appeal to all electors to enthusiastically participate in the Phase III of Special Intensive Revision and fill their Enumeration Forms. SIR is being conducted with …

Union government asks states, UTs to be on alert| India News

Union government asks states, UTs to be on alert| India News

Published by Parlour News

The Union government has asked the states and Union territories (UTs) to be alert regarding any possibility of violence in the country in the wake of US and Israeli strikes on Iran and the retaliation, people familiar with the matter said on Monday. Shia groups held protests in Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh. Officials said that a Union home ministry advisory asked them to keep a watch on the protests and on the groups or individuals who could provoke unrest. The ministry particularly advised the state governments to monitor and identify radical pro-Iran preachers delivering inflammatory sermons that could incite communal tensions. It has emphasised the importance of intelligence sharing and preventive measures to maintain law and order, said an official. Shia groups held protests on Sunday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar, Budgam, Bandipora, Anantnag, and Pulwama, as well as in Delhi, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh. A second official said that the states and UTs have been asked to monitor the social media activities of suspected extremists as well as the global …

Kerala To ‘Keralam’: 8 States, UTs Whose Names Have Changed Since India’s Independence | India News

Kerala To ‘Keralam’: 8 States, UTs Whose Names Have Changed Since India’s Independence | India News

Published by Webster

Last Updated:February 24, 2026, 19:00 IST Since India gained independence in 1947, several states and Union territories have undergone name changes to better align with their cultural heritage and linguistic roots Formerly known as the United Provinces, Uttar Pradesh was the first state to change to a traditional Indian name shortly after independence in 1950. (Image: GIS portal) The Union cabinet on Tuesday officially approved a proposal from the Kerala government to rename the state as ‘Keralam’. This landmark decision, which was announced by Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, seeks to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution of India to reflect Kerala’s name as it is spoken in its native tongue. The push for this change stems from a linguistic and cultural identity dating back to the independence struggle, where there was a “strong demand for the formation of United Kerala for the people speaking Malayalam language”. Although states were formed on a linguistic basis on November 1, 1956, the First Schedule to the Constitution recorded the name as ‘Kerala’ rather than the Malayalam ‘Keralam’. …

SIR Concludes In Nine States, UTs; Gujarat Sees Shrink In Voter Roll By 68 Lakh | India News

SIR Concludes In Nine States, UTs; Gujarat Sees Shrink In Voter Roll By 68 Lakh | India News

Published by Webster

Last Updated:February 21, 2026, 21:52 IST Gujarat saw the sharpest decline in its electoral roll, with a 13.4 per cent drop. Image used for representation The Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has led to a sharp fall in the number of registered voters across nine of the 12 states and union territories where the exercise was carried out. The updated rolls show a decline of 1.70 crore voters, or 7.93 per cent. Gujarat Sees Highest Drop Among the larger states, Gujarat recorded the steepest fall. Its voter list dropped by 13.4 per cent, or 68.12 lakh names, shrinking from 5.08 crore to 4.40 crore. Madhya Pradesh saw 34.35 lakh deletions, with its electorate falling from 5.74 crore to 5.39 crore — a decline of 5.96 per cent. Rajasthan’s rolls reduced by 31.36 lakh (5.74 per cent), from 5.46 crore to 5.15 crore. Chhattisgarh recorded a sharper proportional decline of 11.77 per cent, with 24.99 lakh names removed. Its electorate dropped from 2.12 crore to 1.87 crore. Kerala registered the smallest fall among the bigger …

SIR May Start In 22 States, UTs From April As Poll Body Directs Officials To Be Ready | India News

SIR May Start In 22 States, UTs From April As Poll Body Directs Officials To Be Ready | India News

Published by Webster

Last Updated:February 19, 2026, 19:08 IST The Election Commission of India will start Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in April 2026 across multiple states and UTs. The Special Intensive Revision is a key exercise undertaken periodically to update electoral rolls and ensure the accuracy of voter lists. (Representational image: News18) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has written to Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of several States and Union Territories, informing them that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is likely to begin in April 2026. In its letter, the poll body directed that all preparations related to the SIR be completed at the earliest to ensure a smooth and timely process. The SIR is expected to commence from April 2026 in the following states and union territories. These include Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, National Capital Territory of Delhi, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura, Telangana, and Uttarakhand. The poll body emphasised …

Chandigarh War Memorial to anchor UT’s Republic Day tableau debut | Chandigarh News

Chandigarh War Memorial to anchor UT’s Republic Day tableau debut | Chandigarh News

Published by Parlour News

When Chandigarh rolls out its first-ever tableau at Bharat Parv 2026, the city has chosen to place the Chandigarh War Memorial at its forefront, signalling that remembrance and sacrifice will lead its national narrative on Republic Day. The tableau, to be displayed at the Red Fort from January 26 to 31 as part of the Union government’s Republic Day celebrations, will open with a sculptural representation of the memorial, underscoring the city’s collective tribute to soldiers from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh who laid down their lives for the nation after Independence. Located in the Bougainvillea Garden in Sector 3, adjacent to the Leisure Valley, the Chandigarh War Memorial is among the country’s largest post-Independence war memorials. It commemorates between 8,459 and 11,000 martyrs who died in conflicts such as the Indo-Pak and Indo-China wars, as well as later military operations, including Sri Lanka and Kargil. Conceived in 2003–04 by Lt Gen J F R Jacob (retd), hero of the 1971 war and then Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, the memorial was …

Draft voter rolls released after SIR in 3 states, 2 UTs

Draft voter rolls released after SIR in 3 states, 2 UTs

Published by Parlour News

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday published draft electoral rolls in three states and two Union Territories after the completion of the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), marking potential deletions largely in the 7.5%-10% range. The enumeration exercise was conducted between November 4 and December 11 and the draft rolls have been uploaded on the websites of the respective Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) and District Electoral Officers (DEOs), besides being shared in hard copy with recognised political parties. (ANI) In West Bengal, which goes to the polls next summer, the SIR excised nearly 5.82 million names from the draft roll, as reported by HT on Sunday. This meant the potential deletions in the state with 76.6 million voters stood at around 7.6%, close to the 8% deletions seen in Bihar after the SIR earlier this year. The state chief electoral officer said 2.41 million names were marked as deceased, 3.26 million as shifted or absent, and 138,000 as ‘enrolled in multiple places’. In Rajasthan, where polls are not due till …

EC launches Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls in 12 states and UTs

EC launches Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls in 12 states and UTs

Published by Webster

The Election Commission’s (EC) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls began on Tuesday across nine states and three Union Territories, sparking political uproar in several regions. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led the Opposition charge, calling the exercise “silent, invisible rigging” during a rally in Kolkata, news agency PTI reported. Apart from Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC), Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its allies have also opposed the EC’s move. On Monday, DMK approached the Supreme Court, terming the SIR “unconstitutional” and a “de facto NRC (National Register of Citizens)”. The EC said booth-level officers (BLOs) have started visiting households to distribute semi-filled enumeration forms and assist voters in completing documentation. The enumeration phase will continue until December 4, followed by the publication of draft rolls five days later and the final rolls on February 7. The SIR exercise covers Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. A similar revision in Assam will be announced separately, as …

Home Ministry asks states, UTs to strengthen civil defence measures amid India-Pakistan conflict

Home Ministry asks states, UTs to strengthen civil defence measures amid India-Pakistan conflict

Published by Webster

In a letter, the Home Ministry asked the states and UTs to invoke Section 11 and grant emergency procurement powers to their respective Directors of Civil Defence. This step is aimed at enabling swift and efficient implementation of precautionary and protective measures. New Delhi: In the wake of the rising conflict between India and Pakistan, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday asked all states and Union Territories (UTs) to augment civil defence measures under the Civil Defence Act and Rules of 1968. Highlighting Section 11 of the Civil Defence Rules, 1968, the Home Ministry in a letter titled “augmentation of civil defence measures in the states/UTs” reminded that state governments are empowered to undertake all necessary actions for the protection of people and property, and to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of vital services during a hostile attack. In the letter issued, considering the last night attacks by Pakistani forces in Jammu and Jaisalmer regions, the provision also authorises the use of local authority funds for such emergency measures, giving them precedence over …

States, UTs hunker down for civic defence exercise | Latest News India

States, UTs hunker down for civic defence exercise | Latest News India

Published by Parlour News

Authorities across India geared up to hold the widest set of civil defence drills in the country in nearly half a century on Wednesday as New Delhi firmed up its response to Islamabad in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. States, UTs hunker down for civic defence exercise Officials selected schools, airports, malls, residential buildings and busy public spots to conduct the decentralised drills that will focus on air raid warning sirens, rescue of people, communication systems and training civilians to respond in the event of an attack. The drill will be held across the 244 civil defence districts in the country. In Delhi, the drill is expected to begin at 4pm with air raid sirens going off at 55 designated locations across the Capital, including Khan Market, Terminal 3 of the Delhi airport, the Saket district court complex and Lajpat Nagar central market. A second round of the drill involving possible power outages is also being planned around 7pm but no final decision has been taken, said officials. “Delhi …