Election Commission removes SIR declaration from online forms, implements administrative reforms

The Election Commission of India has taken significant steps to bring transparency to its functioning and implement administrative reforms. According to a report by India Today, the Election Commission has removed the declaration related to 'Special Intensive Revision' (SIR) from all its online forms. This declaration will now be maintained as a separate document, which will also apply to states where this process is currently underway. This change is specifically based on whether a citizen or their parents were mapped in 2002 or 2003, a declaration that will no longer be part of the main online form.

The Election Commission has implemented new rules to ensure transparency in its internal operations. From now on, it has been made mandatory to send agendas in advance for all high-level internal discussions and meetings, and to release the minutes of the meeting after its conclusion. It has been learned that these steps have been taken following court scrutiny and various disputes.

Additionally, the functioning of the Information Technology (IT) department will now be subject to stricter supervision. For any proposed changes in the IT module or the resolution of server-related issues, investigation and approval by a committee will now be mandatory. Only after the committee's investigation will these matters be presented before the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners. To increase administrative discipline, officials will now also have to obtain prior permission for foreign travel.

Alongside these administrative changes, significant incidents are occurring in other states. In Telangana, more than 30 Congress leaders and workers on a bus were pelted with stones near the Tekriyal bridge on National Highway 44 in Kamareddy district. These leaders were returning to Hyderabad after participating in a protest held at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan. Unidentified miscreants pelted stones at the moving bus twice, causing the window panes to break. However, no passengers were injured in this incident. Congress leader Usman Al-Hajri has lodged a complaint, based on which Devannapally police have filed an FIR and started examining CCTV footage to identify the culprits.

The Karnataka government has implemented a major price hike in Nandini dairy products ahead of the Diwali festival. The price of a 1 litre packet of Nandini ghee has increased from ₹715 to ₹850. The price of 500g salted butter has risen from ₹339 to ₹380, and the price of 1 kg paneer has increased from ₹411 to ₹485. Previously, milk prices had been increased by ₹8, of which ₹7 was allocated to producers and ₹1 to the Milk Federation. According to the government, this decision was taken to assist local dairy farmers facing difficulties due to drought conditions, but middle-class consumers have expressed concern regarding household budgets and competition with other brands.

A political controversy has erupted in West Bengal over changes to the school curriculum. According to the reforms announced by School Education Minister Deepak Barman, chapters on the Singur land acquisition movement and the Kanyashree scheme have been removed from secondary school textbooks. In their place, lessons on the life and contributions of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, the founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, have been added. Additionally, Information and Communication Technology will be included in Classes 5 to 8, third language books in Classes 7 and 8, and the full text of 'Vande Mataram' will be printed at the beginning of every book. The opposition has termed this 'saffronisation', while the government has stated that these changes were made to promote critical thinking and highlight the state's eminent personalities.