During his presser, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar light-heartedly said that Form 17C was the country's most popular form and everyone preparing for the UPSC or the civil services ought to know about the form.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections concluded on June 1 with votes to be counted on June 4 by the Election Commission of India.
Former engineer Nishant Agarwal from BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Nagpur district court for leaking sensitive technical information to Pakistan's ISI, leading to his arrest in 2018. He also received a 14-year rigorous imprisonment and a Rs 3,000 fine. BrahMos Aerospace is a collaborative venture between DRDO and NPO Mashinostroyenia.
The Centre has notified new regulations for dam safety, requiring owners of specified dams to install hydro-meteorological instrumentation networks. This is crucial as 'above normal' rainfall is expected, posing flood risks. The specified dams are listed in the National Register of Large Dams.
Karnataka's industries minister MB Patil criticized the Union government for the decline in foreign direct investment in the state, pointing to faulty policies and lack of vision.
A delegation from the BJP, headed by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, met with the Election Commission on Sunday. They requested the EC to ensure a smooth counting process on Tuesday and to take action against those making «systematic attempts» to undermine the electoral process. The BJP also highlighted that opposition parties have been targeting the media.
On Sunday, a delegation of INDIA bloc functionaries visited the Election Commission. They were there to discuss measures ensuring fair play ahead of the Lok Sabha vote counting set for Tuesday. The delegation requested that postal ballots, which can significantly influence poll results, be counted first. They also proposed that the results of these postal ballots be declared before the completion of EVM vote counting.
The nationwide toll of suspected heatstroke deaths surpassed 200, with 211 reported cases, 141 of which were in Odisha. Odisha reported 45 new deaths in the last 24 hours, with 26 confirmed as heatstroke, 8 attributed to other causes, and 107 under investigation. The worst-hit areas in Odisha include Sundargarh with 35 suspected deaths, Balangir with 20, and Sambalpur with 18.
On May 30, India’s power demand reached an unprecedented 250 gigawatts (GW), surpassing the projected 235 GW, yet the national transmission network remained stable without unscheduled outages. Preparations are underway for a peak demand of 258 GW in the coming months. This contrasts sharply with the massive outage in July 2012, when grid overload plunged 620 million people into darkness.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) extended the stay of 400 companies of central forces in West Bengal till June 19 due to post-poll violence. The central forces will stay in sensitive areas to maintain law and order and ensure that the situation is not disturbed.
The Election Commission on Sunday ordered repolling at one booth each in the Barasat and Mathurapur Lok Sabha constituencies, an official said. The decision of repolling, which will be held from 7 am to 6 pm on Monday, was based on reports of the returning officers, the district election officers and observers concerned, he said.
Through a memorandum, the tea plantation sector representatives under North Eastern Tea Association, appealed before the minister to prohibit sale, stock, distribution and, or use of certain pesticides in the Assam in the best interest of the tea industry. Those six pesticides are Cypermethrin, Acephate, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Dinotefuran, and Fipronil.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, accompanied by agencies, discussed critical measures with the Election Commission to safeguard India's electoral process.
Lok Nath Sharma from Sikkim Krantikari Morcha wins in Gyalshing-Barnyak with 5,612 votes, defeating independent candidate Khusandra Prasad Sharma.
The opposition INDIA bloc leaders on Sunday rejected the exit poll results of Lok Sabha elections 2024 as most pollsters gave 350-400 seats to the BJP-led NDA government. The exit polls, released last night, predicted a historic third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Discarding the predictions, the Opposition leaders reiterated that the INDIA bloc will win 295 seats.
Soreng-Chakung Assembly constituency in Sikkim plays a crucial role in state politics. Aditya Tamang of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha won the 2019 elections with 50.08% votes.