September 2, 2026

Rahul Gandhi (ANI image) NEW DELHI: Citing huge variations in the pre- and post-SIR voter lists, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said the draft in Maharashtra and the revised Bengal lists prove his allegation that elections in those states were stolen by BJP.Dubbing Election Commission “vote chori commission”, Rahul said EC and BJP keep changing their tactics but their sole objective is “BJP’s victory at any cost, and the end of democracy.”Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said EC included a large number of voters ahead of the assembly elections in Delhi, and has now dropped over 47 lakh voters from the draft list while preparing to send notices to over 30 lakh more. “Congress workers are facing manipulations daily in Telangana and Karnataka as well,” he said.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesRahul said in Maharashtra, 39 lakh new voters were added between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in 2024. “… Now in Maharashtra, 2.1 crore voters have been removed from the draft list – that’s every fifth voter. Lok Sabha 2024: 9.3 crore, Vidhan Sabha 2024: 9.7 crore, SIR 2026: 7.8 crore. Which list was correct?” he asked. Rahul said in Bengal, 91% of all the names removed from the voters’ list after SIR ahead of the 2026 assembly polls has been reinstated. “That means 9 out of every 10 names were wrongly deleted, and added back only after the election… This was vote theft.”Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosManipur Violence: Three Naga Villages Attacked, 10 Houses Torched In Fresh Kangpokpi ClashesUnion Minister Chirag Paswan Gets Death Threat From ‘Terrorists’, Office Seeks Enhanced SecurityS-400 vs Project Kusha: Why India Wants More Russian Air Defence Despite Atmanirbharta’Historic Win’: CJP Hails Supreme Court Verdict As Apex Court Quashes FIRs, Sept 5 CancelledMamata Banerjee’s Niece Found Dead In Birbhum Home, Post-Mortem Underway To Establish CauseSonia Gandhi’s ‘Belonging’ Book Row: Why Did Penguin India Drop the Publishing Deal?Centre Defers Census In Manipur Amid NRC ProtestsCash Shortage Unlocks ₹17 Crore Fake Note Mystery At PNB’s Saharanpur Currency ChestBihar, Jharkhand End 25-Year Dispute, Sign Sone River Water-Sharing Agreement‘Spreading Jhooth Ki Goonj’: PM Modi Hits Out At Rahul Gandhi, Hails 7.8% GDP Growth In New Video123Hot PicksNepal floodGrand Canyon floodsSugar importMumbai milk priceCNG priceGoa anti-conversion billTN milk price hikeMaharashtra SIRDelhi trafficTop TrendingDelhi Teen Gang RapeUS Iran WarNepal FloodsDan DriscollPakistan Hindu Temple DemolishedGlenn PhillipsPascal WehrleinConnor McDavidDelhi SIRLebron James

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Rahul Gandhi (ANI image) NEW DELHI: Citing huge variations in the pre- and post-SIR voter lists, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said the draft in Maharashtra and the revised Bengal lists prove his allegation that elections in those states were stolen by BJP.Dubbing Election Commission “vote chori commission”, Rahul said EC and BJP keep changing their tactics but their sole objective is “BJP’s victory at any cost, and the end of democracy.”Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said EC included a large number of voters ahead of the assembly elections in Delhi, and has now dropped over 47 lakh voters from the draft list while preparing to send notices to over 30 lakh more. “Congress workers are facing manipulations daily in Telangana and Karnataka as well,” he said.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesRahul said in Maharashtra, 39 lakh new voters were added between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in 2024. “… Now in Maharashtra, 2.1 crore voters have been removed from the draft list – that’s every fifth voter. Lok Sabha 2024: 9.3 crore, Vidhan Sabha 2024: 9.7 crore, SIR 2026: 7.8 crore. Which list was correct?” he asked. Rahul said in Bengal, 91% of all the names removed from the voters’ list after SIR ahead of the 2026 assembly polls has been reinstated. “That means 9 out of every 10 names were wrongly deleted, and added back only after the election… This was vote theft.”Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosManipur Violence: Three Naga Villages Attacked, 10 Houses Torched In Fresh Kangpokpi ClashesUnion Minister Chirag Paswan Gets Death Threat From ‘Terrorists’, Office Seeks Enhanced SecurityS-400 vs Project Kusha: Why India Wants More Russian Air Defence Despite Atmanirbharta’Historic Win’: CJP Hails Supreme Court Verdict As Apex Court Quashes FIRs, Sept 5 CancelledMamata Banerjee’s Niece Found Dead In Birbhum Home, Post-Mortem Underway To Establish CauseSonia Gandhi’s ‘Belonging’ Book Row: Why Did Penguin India Drop the Publishing Deal?Centre Defers Census In Manipur Amid NRC ProtestsCash Shortage Unlocks ₹17 Crore Fake Note Mystery At PNB’s Saharanpur Currency ChestBihar, Jharkhand End 25-Year Dispute, Sign Sone River Water-Sharing Agreement‘Spreading Jhooth Ki Goonj’: PM Modi Hits Out At Rahul Gandhi, Hails 7.8% GDP Growth In New Video123Hot PicksNepal floodGrand Canyon floodsSugar importMumbai milk priceCNG priceGoa anti-conversion billTN milk price hikeMaharashtra SIRDelhi trafficTop TrendingDelhi Teen Gang RapeUS Iran WarNepal FloodsDan DriscollPakistan Hindu Temple DemolishedGlenn PhillipsPascal WehrleinConnor McDavidDelhi SIRLebron James


Changes in pre- and post-SIR voter lists prove poll theft by BJP: Rahul

NEW DELHI: Citing huge variations in the pre- and post-SIR voter lists, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said the draft in Maharashtra and the revised Bengal lists prove his allegation that elections in those states were stolen by BJP.Dubbing Election Commission “vote chori commission”, Rahul said EC and BJP keep changing their tactics but their sole objective is “BJP’s victory at any cost, and the end of democracy.”Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said EC included a large number of voters ahead of the assembly elections in Delhi, and has now dropped over 47 lakh voters from the draft list while preparing to send notices to over 30 lakh more. “Congress workers are facing manipulations daily in Telangana and Karnataka as well,” he said.

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Muzaffar Ahmed Sheikh (35) from Ganderbal district in Jammu & Kashmir. NEW DELHI: Challenging the Centre’s claim made in Parliament in the monsoon session that a survey conducted in all districts of the country during the year 2024-25 found no person engaged as a manual scavenger, Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA) on Tuesday brought together women from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and youth from Jammu & Kashmir claiming to be engaged in manual cleaning of human excreta in insanitary latrines to highlight that the illegal practice still persists in atleast 46 districts of these four states.National Convenor and co-founder of SKA, Bezwada Wilson said that they have evidence by way of photographs showing women lifting waste from dry latrines in these districts. “We will be writing to the ministry of social justice and empowerment to seek a fresh survey citing this evidence and demand action to stop the illegal practice in these districts within 60 days,” Wilson said.He, however, made it clear that if the ministry fails to act over the next two months, SKA teams will carry out a survey and put together a report by early next year. “We will highlight the findings across states and share them with Parliamentarians and the Judiciary to seek enforcement,” Wilson said.Former Supreme Court Judges Justice Madan Lokur and Justice Sudhandhu Dhulia and former Patna High Court Judge Justice Anjana Prakash expressed solidarity with the women and men who came forward to share heartwrenching experiences of a life marked by exploitation and untouchability despite the law in place wherein manual scavenging is illegal and dry latrines are banned.At the meeting held at Press Club of India as SKA announced the launch of a year long campaign ‘INDIA @ 80’ to free the country from manual scavenging, the former judges announced full support. Elaborating on the struggle by those involved in manual scavenging to break free, Justice Lokur expressed concern over the practice persisting despite the protection guaranteed by the Constitution of India against untouchability which is abolished and forbidden.He also dwelled on the long and continuing struggle for justice by those affected and how they have repeatedly ended up approaching the judiciary that has resulted in various directions from the Supreme Court from time to time. Justice Lokur highlighted that what is most worrying is the denial by authorities that the problem exists and the approach towards addressing the issue shows that ending the problem of manual scavenging is not a priority of the govt.He asserted that the govt must give priority to remove dry latrines wherever they remain. This he said should be a key focus area under the Swachh Bharat Mission.Justice Dhulia expressed shock that manual scavenging and dry latrines still exist in more than 40 districts and said that everyone must feel shame that such a practice continues to exist in our society.Justice Anjana Prakash too expressed concern over the lack of required efforts to end manual scavenging.As the workers shared their lived experiences as manual scavengers, one heard 71 – year – old Mussi Devi from Sitapur district in UP tell how her entire life has passed cleaning dry latrines and even now she is called by families in her area to manually clean-up and dispose of the waste. “When are we going to get freedom from this untouchability?,” asked Mussi Devi and others in her position. Ageing and frail, Devi is also the caregiver for her husband who is paralysed.35 – year – old Muzzafar Ahmed Sheikh from Jammu and Kashmir shared that he is the third generation in his family engaged in manual scavenging in dry latrines. He shared that his community is subjected to untouchability and even their houses are located in a separate cluster. He hails from Wussan village of Ganderbal. A father of a six – year – old, he says, “I want to break free from this identity of being a manual scavenger and I don’t want my son to grow up to do this ever.”Bezwada Wilson summed up the sentiment of all those seeking justice. “I started the fight when I was 16 and now I am 60. Many things have changed but manual scavenging in dry latrines still remains. We have to end this menace without fail,” he asserted.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesIt is pertinent to point that in the monsoon session of Parliament that concluded in August, in response to a written question in Lok Sabha by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, the minister of state for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale said that as per the “Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (MS Act, 2013)”, a fresh survey has been conducted in all districts of the country during the year 2024-25 in which no manual scavenger has been found. “All the districts of the country have completed the survey and declared themselves as manual scavengers’ free,” he said.However, he also added that 58,098 Manual Scavengers (MS) have been identified during two earlier surveys conducted in 2013 and 2018.Clearly differentiating “manual scavenging” and “hazardous cleaning”, the minister shared while the later pertains to manual cleaning of a sewer or septic tank, without the employer providing protective gear, cleaning devices and safety precautions, a manual scavenger is defined as someone employed for manually cleaning, carrying, disposing of human excreta in an insanitary latrine.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosManipur Violence: Three Naga Villages Attacked, 10 Houses Torched In Fresh Kangpokpi ClashesUnion Minister Chirag Paswan Gets Death Threat From ‘Terrorists’, Office Seeks Enhanced SecurityS-400 vs Project Kusha: Why India Wants More Russian Air Defence Despite Atmanirbharta’Historic Win’: CJP Hails Supreme Court Verdict As Apex Court Quashes FIRs, Sept 5 CancelledMamata Banerjee’s Niece Found Dead In Birbhum Home, Post-Mortem Underway To Establish CauseSonia Gandhi’s ‘Belonging’ Book Row: Why Did Penguin India Drop the Publishing Deal?Centre Defers Census In Manipur Amid NRC ProtestsCash Shortage Unlocks ₹17 Crore Fake Note Mystery At PNB’s Saharanpur Currency ChestBihar, Jharkhand End 25-Year Dispute, Sign Sone River Water-Sharing Agreement‘Spreading Jhooth Ki Goonj’: PM Modi Hits Out At Rahul Gandhi, Hails 7.8% GDP Growth In New Video123Hot PicksNepal floodGrand Canyon floodsSugar importMumbai milk priceCNG priceGoa anti-conversion billTN milk price hikeMaharashtra SIRDelhi trafficTop TrendingDelhi Teen Gang RapeUS Iran WarNepal FloodsDan DriscollPakistan Hindu Temple DemolishedGlenn PhillipsPascal WehrleinConnor McDavidDelhi SIRLebron James

Muzaffar Ahmed Sheikh (35) from Ganderbal district in Jammu & Kashmir. NEW DELHI: Challenging the Centre’s claim made in Parliament in the monsoon session that a survey conducted in all districts of the country during the year 2024-25 found no person engaged as a manual scavenger, Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA) on Tuesday brought together women from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and youth from Jammu & Kashmir claiming to be engaged in manual cleaning of human excreta in insanitary latrines to highlight that the illegal practice still persists in atleast 46 districts of these four states.National Convenor and co-founder of SKA, Bezwada Wilson said that they have evidence by way of photographs showing women lifting waste from dry latrines in these districts. “We will be writing to the ministry of social justice and empowerment to seek a fresh survey citing this evidence and demand action to stop the illegal practice in these districts within 60 days,” Wilson said.He, however, made it clear that if the ministry fails to act over the next two months, SKA teams will carry out a survey and put together a report by early next year. “We will highlight the findings across states and share them with Parliamentarians and the Judiciary to seek enforcement,” Wilson said.Former Supreme Court Judges Justice Madan Lokur and Justice Sudhandhu Dhulia and former Patna High Court Judge Justice Anjana Prakash expressed solidarity with the women and men who came forward to share heartwrenching experiences of a life marked by exploitation and untouchability despite the law in place wherein manual scavenging is illegal and dry latrines are banned.At the meeting held at Press Club of India as SKA announced the launch of a year long campaign ‘INDIA @ 80’ to free the country from manual scavenging, the former judges announced full support. Elaborating on the struggle by those involved in manual scavenging to break free, Justice Lokur expressed concern over the practice persisting despite the protection guaranteed by the Constitution of India against untouchability which is abolished and forbidden.He also dwelled on the long and continuing struggle for justice by those affected and how they have repeatedly ended up approaching the judiciary that has resulted in various directions from the Supreme Court from time to time. Justice Lokur highlighted that what is most worrying is the denial by authorities that the problem exists and the approach towards addressing the issue shows that ending the problem of manual scavenging is not a priority of the govt.He asserted that the govt must give priority to remove dry latrines wherever they remain. This he said should be a key focus area under the Swachh Bharat Mission.Justice Dhulia expressed shock that manual scavenging and dry latrines still exist in more than 40 districts and said that everyone must feel shame that such a practice continues to exist in our society.Justice Anjana Prakash too expressed concern over the lack of required efforts to end manual scavenging.As the workers shared their lived experiences as manual scavengers, one heard 71 – year – old Mussi Devi from Sitapur district in UP tell how her entire life has passed cleaning dry latrines and even now she is called by families in her area to manually clean-up and dispose of the waste. “When are we going to get freedom from this untouchability?,” asked Mussi Devi and others in her position. Ageing and frail, Devi is also the caregiver for her husband who is paralysed.35 – year – old Muzzafar Ahmed Sheikh from Jammu and Kashmir shared that he is the third generation in his family engaged in manual scavenging in dry latrines. He shared that his community is subjected to untouchability and even their houses are located in a separate cluster. He hails from Wussan village of Ganderbal. A father of a six – year – old, he says, “I want to break free from this identity of being a manual scavenger and I don’t want my son to grow up to do this ever.”Bezwada Wilson summed up the sentiment of all those seeking justice. “I started the fight when I was 16 and now I am 60. Many things have changed but manual scavenging in dry latrines still remains. We have to end this menace without fail,” he asserted.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesIt is pertinent to point that in the monsoon session of Parliament that concluded in August, in response to a written question in Lok Sabha by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, the minister of state for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale said that as per the “Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (MS Act, 2013)”, a fresh survey has been conducted in all districts of the country during the year 2024-25 in which no manual scavenger has been found. “All the districts of the country have completed the survey and declared themselves as manual scavengers’ free,” he said.However, he also added that 58,098 Manual Scavengers (MS) have been identified during two earlier surveys conducted in 2013 and 2018.Clearly differentiating “manual scavenging” and “hazardous cleaning”, the minister shared while the later pertains to manual cleaning of a sewer or septic tank, without the employer providing protective gear, cleaning devices and safety precautions, a manual scavenger is defined as someone employed for manually cleaning, carrying, disposing of human excreta in an insanitary latrine.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosManipur Violence: Three Naga Villages Attacked, 10 Houses Torched In Fresh Kangpokpi ClashesUnion Minister Chirag Paswan Gets Death Threat From ‘Terrorists’, Office Seeks Enhanced SecurityS-400 vs Project Kusha: Why India Wants More Russian Air Defence Despite Atmanirbharta’Historic Win’: CJP Hails Supreme Court Verdict As Apex Court Quashes FIRs, Sept 5 CancelledMamata Banerjee’s Niece Found Dead In Birbhum Home, Post-Mortem Underway To Establish CauseSonia Gandhi’s ‘Belonging’ Book Row: Why Did Penguin India Drop the Publishing Deal?Centre Defers Census In Manipur Amid NRC ProtestsCash Shortage Unlocks ₹17 Crore Fake Note Mystery At PNB’s Saharanpur Currency ChestBihar, Jharkhand End 25-Year Dispute, Sign Sone River Water-Sharing Agreement‘Spreading Jhooth Ki Goonj’: PM Modi Hits Out At Rahul Gandhi, Hails 7.8% GDP Growth In New Video123Hot PicksNepal floodGrand Canyon floodsSugar importMumbai milk priceCNG priceGoa anti-conversion billTN milk price hikeMaharashtra SIRDelhi trafficTop TrendingDelhi Teen Gang RapeUS Iran WarNepal FloodsDan DriscollPakistan Hindu Temple DemolishedGlenn PhillipsPascal WehrleinConnor McDavidDelhi SIRLebron James

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Ramabai ran 3km with the indomitable spirit of a mother competing for a cash prize PUNE: Ramabai Ranvir had no idea what running a race meant. All she had heard was there was Rs 3,000 to be won if she finished first.So, the 47-year-old widow hopped onto the pickup with a group of police aspirants from the Beed academy where she worked, hoping to compete in what would be the first race of her life. It didn’t bother her that she hadn’t trained for the rigours of a long-distance run. It hardly mattered that she was the lone runner without shoes.In her sari, barefoot after her slippers gave up midway through the run, Ramabai ran 3km with the indomitable spirit of a mother competing for a cash prize that would ease her struggle to pay for her daughters’ education, repo-rts Ardhra Nair.”I ran like my life depended on it. I didn’t know how much time I needed to cover the distance. I only sto-pped once I was past the finish line,” she told TOI. “I am so happy they gave me Rs 5,000 instead of Rs 3,000. I bought notebooks and pens for my daughter Pooja. The remaining money is for Arti.”Ramabai works in the kitchen at Dnyandeep Acad-emy, making over 200 chapatis a day for a monthly salary of Rs 9,000.The native of Potra, Hingoli, took the job to fund the education of her two daughters after her husband died in 2012.On Aug 28, her younger daughter Arti (20), a BSc computer science student who lives alone in Nanded, called asking for money for food and rent. Ramabai, who didn’t have any cash to spare, had a sleepless night.At dawn, she heard the academy’s trainers rounding up aspirants for a running competition nearby. She instantly decided to join in.”There is no pain worse than that of not being able to take care of your children. The moment I came to know of the race, winning was the only thing on my mind.”Datta Darade, who heads the academy, said Ramabai’s determination moved him. The academy had enrolled her elder daughter Pooja (22) free of cost and given her employment and a room to stay in. “I was taking my students to the marathon. When Ramabai said she wanted to come along, I asked her, ‘What will you do there?’ She said, ‘I will run.’ I couldn’t believe it when she won in the above-30 category.”Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesPooja finished second in the 18-30 age group and won Rs 2,000. Arti said she was dumbstruck when her sister called to say their mother had won.”Our mother studied till Class 7 and has worked all her life, not taking breaks even when she was unwell. She didn’t hesitate to send me to Nanded for my studies. I am not surprised she decided to win a race for her family,” she said.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosManipur Violence: Three Naga Villages Attacked, 10 Houses Torched In Fresh Kangpokpi ClashesUnion Minister Chirag Paswan Gets Death Threat From ‘Terrorists’, Office Seeks Enhanced SecurityS-400 vs Project Kusha: Why India Wants More Russian Air Defence Despite Atmanirbharta’Historic Win’: CJP Hails Supreme Court Verdict As Apex Court Quashes FIRs, Sept 5 CancelledMamata Banerjee’s Niece Found Dead In Birbhum Home, Post-Mortem Underway To Establish CauseSonia Gandhi’s ‘Belonging’ Book Row: Why Did Penguin India Drop the Publishing Deal?Centre Defers Census In Manipur Amid NRC ProtestsCash Shortage Unlocks ₹17 Crore Fake Note Mystery At PNB’s Saharanpur Currency ChestBihar, Jharkhand End 25-Year Dispute, Sign Sone River Water-Sharing Agreement‘Spreading Jhooth Ki Goonj’: PM Modi Hits Out At Rahul Gandhi, Hails 7.8% GDP Growth In New Video123Hot PicksNepal floodGrand Canyon floodsSugar importMumbai milk priceCNG priceGoa anti-conversion billTN milk price hikeMaharashtra SIRDelhi trafficTop TrendingDelhi Teen Gang RapeUS Iran WarNepal FloodsDan DriscollPakistan Hindu Temple DemolishedGlenn PhillipsPascal WehrleinConnor McDavidDelhi SIRLebron James

Ramabai ran 3km with the indomitable spirit of a mother competing for a cash prize PUNE: Ramabai Ranvir had no idea what running a race meant. All she had heard was there was Rs 3,000 to be won if she finished first.So, the 47-year-old widow hopped onto the pickup with a group of police aspirants from the Beed academy where she worked, hoping to compete in what would be the first race of her life. It didn’t bother her that she hadn’t trained for the rigours of a long-distance run. It hardly mattered that she was the lone runner without shoes.In her sari, barefoot after her slippers gave up midway through the run, Ramabai ran 3km with the indomitable spirit of a mother competing for a cash prize that would ease her struggle to pay for her daughters’ education, repo-rts Ardhra Nair.”I ran like my life depended on it. I didn’t know how much time I needed to cover the distance. I only sto-pped once I was past the finish line,” she told TOI. “I am so happy they gave me Rs 5,000 instead of Rs 3,000. I bought notebooks and pens for my daughter Pooja. The remaining money is for Arti.”Ramabai works in the kitchen at Dnyandeep Acad-emy, making over 200 chapatis a day for a monthly salary of Rs 9,000.The native of Potra, Hingoli, took the job to fund the education of her two daughters after her husband died in 2012.On Aug 28, her younger daughter Arti (20), a BSc computer science student who lives alone in Nanded, called asking for money for food and rent. Ramabai, who didn’t have any cash to spare, had a sleepless night.At dawn, she heard the academy’s trainers rounding up aspirants for a running competition nearby. She instantly decided to join in.”There is no pain worse than that of not being able to take care of your children. The moment I came to know of the race, winning was the only thing on my mind.”Datta Darade, who heads the academy, said Ramabai’s determination moved him. The academy had enrolled her elder daughter Pooja (22) free of cost and given her employment and a room to stay in. “I was taking my students to the marathon. When Ramabai said she wanted to come along, I asked her, ‘What will you do there?’ She said, ‘I will run.’ I couldn’t believe it when she won in the above-30 category.”Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesPooja finished second in the 18-30 age group and won Rs 2,000. Arti said she was dumbstruck when her sister called to say their mother had won.”Our mother studied till Class 7 and has worked all her life, not taking breaks even when she was unwell. She didn’t hesitate to send me to Nanded for my studies. I am not surprised she decided to win a race for her family,” she said.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosManipur Violence: Three Naga Villages Attacked, 10 Houses Torched In Fresh Kangpokpi ClashesUnion Minister Chirag Paswan Gets Death Threat From ‘Terrorists’, Office Seeks Enhanced SecurityS-400 vs Project Kusha: Why India Wants More Russian Air Defence Despite Atmanirbharta’Historic Win’: CJP Hails Supreme Court Verdict As Apex Court Quashes FIRs, Sept 5 CancelledMamata Banerjee’s Niece Found Dead In Birbhum Home, Post-Mortem Underway To Establish CauseSonia Gandhi’s ‘Belonging’ Book Row: Why Did Penguin India Drop the Publishing Deal?Centre Defers Census In Manipur Amid NRC ProtestsCash Shortage Unlocks ₹17 Crore Fake Note Mystery At PNB’s Saharanpur Currency ChestBihar, Jharkhand End 25-Year Dispute, Sign Sone River Water-Sharing Agreement‘Spreading Jhooth Ki Goonj’: PM Modi Hits Out At Rahul Gandhi, Hails 7.8% GDP Growth In New Video123Hot PicksNepal floodGrand Canyon floodsSugar importMumbai milk priceCNG priceGoa anti-conversion billTN milk price hikeMaharashtra SIRDelhi trafficTop TrendingDelhi Teen Gang RapeUS Iran WarNepal FloodsDan DriscollPakistan Hindu Temple DemolishedGlenn PhillipsPascal WehrleinConnor McDavidDelhi SIRLebron James

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Supreme Court Tuesday sought Centre’s response to the use of a ‘totaliser’ mechanism to mix votes NEW DELHI: Supreme Court Tuesday sought Centre’s response to the use of a ‘totaliser’ mechanism to mix votes from different EVMs before counting, to prevent any backlash from candidates by preserving voter anonymity.Petitioner advocate Ashwini Upadhyay said a totalisation system hides booth-wise voting patterns by mixing up votes from multiple electronic voting machines (typically around 14) before displaying the count, which helps protect voters from post-poll violence and political victimisation.Election Commission, through senior advocate D Seshadri Naidu, said the issue was referred by EC to govt, which consulted stakeholders and found it inadvisable to employ the ‘totalisation’ mechanism, mainly because of staunch opposition by political parties. He said a switch to this method would require changing the statute which the commission could not bring about.When Upadhyay pointed out that the totalisation mechanism was adopted by EC to count paper ballots, a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana asked Centre to respond on why the same mechanism could not be adopted for EVMs. Upadhyay also said in Jan 2018, EC itself had told the court that the “time had come” to introduce the totaliser to “protect secrecy of the ballot and privacy of the individual”.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines It had said that “the right of the people staying in a particular locality should not be exposed, and any kind of prejudice or discrimination because of the voting pattern should be avoided”.In a U-turn, EC in its affidavit filed on Aug 31 said, “Experience of litigations has revealed that the present system which includes a simultaneous audit by the candidates is necessary to ensure that frivolous and baseless allegations do not cloud the outcome…” It said the introduction of the totaliser system would give fresh anxieties, misgivings and allegations regarding data, machine tampering and transmission glitches.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosManipur Violence: Three Naga Villages Attacked, 10 Houses Torched In Fresh Kangpokpi ClashesUnion Minister Chirag Paswan Gets Death Threat From ‘Terrorists’, Office Seeks Enhanced SecurityS-400 vs Project Kusha: Why India Wants More Russian Air Defence Despite Atmanirbharta’Historic Win’: CJP Hails Supreme Court Verdict As Apex Court Quashes FIRs, Sept 5 CancelledMamata Banerjee’s Niece Found Dead In Birbhum Home, Post-Mortem Underway To Establish CauseSonia Gandhi’s ‘Belonging’ Book Row: Why Did Penguin India Drop the Publishing Deal?Centre Defers Census In Manipur Amid NRC ProtestsCash Shortage Unlocks ₹17 Crore Fake Note Mystery At PNB’s Saharanpur Currency ChestBihar, Jharkhand End 25-Year Dispute, Sign Sone River Water-Sharing Agreement‘Spreading Jhooth Ki Goonj’: PM Modi Hits Out At Rahul Gandhi, Hails 7.8% GDP Growth In New Video123Hot PicksNepal floodGrand Canyon floodsSugar importMumbai milk priceCNG priceGoa anti-conversion billTN milk price hikeMaharashtra SIRDelhi trafficTop TrendingDelhi Teen Gang RapeUS Iran WarNepal FloodsDan DriscollPakistan Hindu Temple DemolishedGlenn PhillipsPascal WehrleinConnor McDavidDelhi SIRLebron James

Supreme Court Tuesday sought Centre’s response to the use of a ‘totaliser’ mechanism to mix votes NEW DELHI: Supreme Court Tuesday sought Centre’s response to the use of a ‘totaliser’ mechanism to mix votes from different EVMs before counting, to prevent any backlash from candidates by preserving voter anonymity.Petitioner advocate Ashwini Upadhyay said a totalisation system hides booth-wise voting patterns by mixing up votes from multiple electronic voting machines (typically around 14) before displaying the count, which helps protect voters from post-poll violence and political victimisation.Election Commission, through senior advocate D Seshadri Naidu, said the issue was referred by EC to govt, which consulted stakeholders and found it inadvisable to employ the ‘totalisation’ mechanism, mainly because of staunch opposition by political parties. He said a switch to this method would require changing the statute which the commission could not bring about.When Upadhyay pointed out that the totalisation mechanism was adopted by EC to count paper ballots, a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana asked Centre to respond on why the same mechanism could not be adopted for EVMs. Upadhyay also said in Jan 2018, EC itself had told the court that the “time had come” to introduce the totaliser to “protect secrecy of the ballot and privacy of the individual”.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines It had said that “the right of the people staying in a particular locality should not be exposed, and any kind of prejudice or discrimination because of the voting pattern should be avoided”.In a U-turn, EC in its affidavit filed on Aug 31 said, “Experience of litigations has revealed that the present system which includes a simultaneous audit by the candidates is necessary to ensure that frivolous and baseless allegations do not cloud the outcome…” It said the introduction of the totaliser system would give fresh anxieties, misgivings and allegations regarding data, machine tampering and transmission glitches.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosManipur Violence: Three Naga Villages Attacked, 10 Houses Torched In Fresh Kangpokpi ClashesUnion Minister Chirag Paswan Gets Death Threat From ‘Terrorists’, Office Seeks Enhanced SecurityS-400 vs Project Kusha: Why India Wants More Russian Air Defence Despite Atmanirbharta’Historic Win’: CJP Hails Supreme Court Verdict As Apex Court Quashes FIRs, Sept 5 CancelledMamata Banerjee’s Niece Found Dead In Birbhum Home, Post-Mortem Underway To Establish CauseSonia Gandhi’s ‘Belonging’ Book Row: Why Did Penguin India Drop the Publishing Deal?Centre Defers Census In Manipur Amid NRC ProtestsCash Shortage Unlocks ₹17 Crore Fake Note Mystery At PNB’s Saharanpur Currency ChestBihar, Jharkhand End 25-Year Dispute, Sign Sone River Water-Sharing Agreement‘Spreading Jhooth Ki Goonj’: PM Modi Hits Out At Rahul Gandhi, Hails 7.8% GDP Growth In New Video123Hot PicksNepal floodGrand Canyon floodsSugar importMumbai milk priceCNG priceGoa anti-conversion billTN milk price hikeMaharashtra SIRDelhi trafficTop TrendingDelhi Teen Gang RapeUS Iran WarNepal FloodsDan DriscollPakistan Hindu Temple DemolishedGlenn PhillipsPascal WehrleinConnor McDavidDelhi SIRLebron James

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Modi said countries that use terrorism as an instrument of state policy must be sent a strong message Framing security as a non-negotiable prerequisite for regional progress, PM Narendra Modi delivered a thinly veiled warning to Pakistan over state-sponsored terrorism at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. With Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif in attendance, Modi said countries that use terrorism as an instrument of state policy, and provide shelter and support to terrorists, must be sent a strong message that terrorism can never be a strategic asset for anyone.The remarks are significant also because of the timing. Pakistan assumed rotating chairmanship of SCO from Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday and will host the heads-of-state summit next year, for which it will invite Modi, along with others.Modi made the remarks, in which he also warned against double standards on terrorism, while expanding on India’s SCO vision – Security, Connectivity and Opportunity – that he articulated in Tianjin last year.With Chinese President Xi Jinping also present, PM reiterated India’s position that all connectivity initiatives must respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states as this is also the “fundamental spirit” of SCO charter. Modi said that terrorism continued to pose a serious challenge to humanity and it’s important to not remain confined to an action-reaction approach in the fight against the menace.“We must dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation, and safe havens. We must speak with one voice and make it clear that there can be no place for double standards on this serious issue,” said PM, without naming Pakistan as SCO charter doesn’t allow members to raise bilateral differences.India and Pakistan together joined the China-dominated Eurasian grouping as full members in 2017. For India, the security-oriented SCO has served as a platform not just to assert its strategic autonomy but also flag regional risks from state-sponsored terrorism. Modi said that the bloc’s shared aspiration for a peaceful and secure Eurasia is also closely linked to peace and stability in Afghanistan and that India will continue to contribute to the development and provision of humanitarian assistance to people of the country.Modi addressed West Asia crisis, saying it was affecting energy security, maritime trade and supply chains around the world and recalling his message earlier that conflicts cannot be resolved on the battlefield. “Countries of Global South bear greatest brunt of such disruptions. Therefore, India has consistently called for all tensions and conflicts to be resolved not on battlefield, but through dialogue and diplomacy,” he added.While underlining the importance India attaches to SCO, Modi said that at a time when the world is passing through instability, the organisation must transform the shared geography into opportunities and bring about positive change in people’s lives. Describing SCO as a confluence of great civilisations, cultures, and ideas, he said that over next 25 years, people-to-people ties should remain at the heart of cooperation among the member states.“True measure of our success should be how many new opportunities our efforts create, how many new markets open up for entrepreneurs, how much farmers benefit from tech, and how much better the lives of our citizens become,” said the PM. According to an Indian readout of PM’s participation, Modi stated that strong and trusted connectivity initiatives were important for the group’s shared progress and prosperity.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines“Underlining that India supports connectivity efforts that link markets, enhance trade and open new opportunities for development, he reiterated such efforts should respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations,” said the readout.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosManipur Violence: Three Naga Villages Attacked, 10 Houses Torched In Fresh Kangpokpi ClashesUnion Minister Chirag Paswan Gets Death Threat From ‘Terrorists’, Office Seeks Enhanced SecurityS-400 vs Project Kusha: Why India Wants More Russian Air Defence Despite Atmanirbharta’Historic Win’: CJP Hails Supreme Court Verdict As Apex Court Quashes FIRs, Sept 5 CancelledMamata Banerjee’s Niece Found Dead In Birbhum Home, Post-Mortem Underway To Establish CauseSonia Gandhi’s ‘Belonging’ Book Row: Why Did Penguin India Drop the Publishing Deal?Centre Defers Census In Manipur Amid NRC ProtestsCash Shortage Unlocks ₹17 Crore Fake Note Mystery At PNB’s Saharanpur Currency ChestBihar, Jharkhand End 25-Year Dispute, Sign Sone River Water-Sharing Agreement‘Spreading Jhooth Ki Goonj’: PM Modi Hits Out At Rahul Gandhi, Hails 7.8% GDP Growth In New Video123Hot PicksNepal floodGrand Canyon floodsSugar importMumbai milk priceCNG priceGoa anti-conversion billTN milk price hikeMaharashtra SIRDelhi trafficTop TrendingDelhi Teen Gang RapeUS Iran WarNepal FloodsDan DriscollPakistan Hindu Temple DemolishedGlenn PhillipsPascal WehrleinConnor McDavidDelhi SIRLebron James

Modi said countries that use terrorism as an instrument of state policy must be sent a strong message Framing security as a non-negotiable prerequisite for regional progress, PM Narendra Modi delivered a thinly veiled warning to Pakistan over state-sponsored terrorism at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. With Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif in attendance, Modi said countries that use terrorism as an instrument of state policy, and provide shelter and support to terrorists, must be sent a strong message that terrorism can never be a strategic asset for anyone.The remarks are significant also because of the timing. Pakistan assumed rotating chairmanship of SCO from Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday and will host the heads-of-state summit next year, for which it will invite Modi, along with others.Modi made the remarks, in which he also warned against double standards on terrorism, while expanding on India’s SCO vision – Security, Connectivity and Opportunity – that he articulated in Tianjin last year.With Chinese President Xi Jinping also present, PM reiterated India’s position that all connectivity initiatives must respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states as this is also the “fundamental spirit” of SCO charter. Modi said that terrorism continued to pose a serious challenge to humanity and it’s important to not remain confined to an action-reaction approach in the fight against the menace.“We must dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation, and safe havens. We must speak with one voice and make it clear that there can be no place for double standards on this serious issue,” said PM, without naming Pakistan as SCO charter doesn’t allow members to raise bilateral differences.India and Pakistan together joined the China-dominated Eurasian grouping as full members in 2017. For India, the security-oriented SCO has served as a platform not just to assert its strategic autonomy but also flag regional risks from state-sponsored terrorism. Modi said that the bloc’s shared aspiration for a peaceful and secure Eurasia is also closely linked to peace and stability in Afghanistan and that India will continue to contribute to the development and provision of humanitarian assistance to people of the country.Modi addressed West Asia crisis, saying it was affecting energy security, maritime trade and supply chains around the world and recalling his message earlier that conflicts cannot be resolved on the battlefield. “Countries of Global South bear greatest brunt of such disruptions. Therefore, India has consistently called for all tensions and conflicts to be resolved not on battlefield, but through dialogue and diplomacy,” he added.While underlining the importance India attaches to SCO, Modi said that at a time when the world is passing through instability, the organisation must transform the shared geography into opportunities and bring about positive change in people’s lives. Describing SCO as a confluence of great civilisations, cultures, and ideas, he said that over next 25 years, people-to-people ties should remain at the heart of cooperation among the member states.“True measure of our success should be how many new opportunities our efforts create, how many new markets open up for entrepreneurs, how much farmers benefit from tech, and how much better the lives of our citizens become,” said the PM. According to an Indian readout of PM’s participation, Modi stated that strong and trusted connectivity initiatives were important for the group’s shared progress and prosperity.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines“Underlining that India supports connectivity efforts that link markets, enhance trade and open new opportunities for development, he reiterated such efforts should respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations,” said the readout.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosManipur Violence: Three Naga Villages Attacked, 10 Houses Torched In Fresh Kangpokpi ClashesUnion Minister Chirag Paswan Gets Death Threat From ‘Terrorists’, Office Seeks Enhanced SecurityS-400 vs Project Kusha: Why India Wants More Russian Air Defence Despite Atmanirbharta’Historic Win’: CJP Hails Supreme Court Verdict As Apex Court Quashes FIRs, Sept 5 CancelledMamata Banerjee’s Niece Found Dead In Birbhum Home, Post-Mortem Underway To Establish CauseSonia Gandhi’s ‘Belonging’ Book Row: Why Did Penguin India Drop the Publishing Deal?Centre Defers Census In Manipur Amid NRC ProtestsCash Shortage Unlocks ₹17 Crore Fake Note Mystery At PNB’s Saharanpur Currency ChestBihar, Jharkhand End 25-Year Dispute, Sign Sone River Water-Sharing Agreement‘Spreading Jhooth Ki Goonj’: PM Modi Hits Out At Rahul Gandhi, Hails 7.8% GDP Growth In New Video123Hot PicksNepal floodGrand Canyon floodsSugar importMumbai milk priceCNG priceGoa anti-conversion billTN milk price hikeMaharashtra SIRDelhi trafficTop TrendingDelhi Teen Gang RapeUS Iran WarNepal FloodsDan DriscollPakistan Hindu Temple DemolishedGlenn PhillipsPascal WehrleinConnor McDavidDelhi SIRLebron James

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