February 5, 2026

NEW DELHI: The home ministry on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that questions on caste — which is to be captured in the second phase of Census 2027, that is, the population enumeration phase — will be notified along with rest of the questions, “before the commencement of the second phase of the census operation”.“The questions, including on caste, for the second phase will be finalised and notified as per the established procedure,” junior home minister Nityanand Rai said in reply to a written question. Census 2027 To Kick Off As Government Seeks Data On Homes, Food, Internet And How India Lives Today As per records checked by TOI, the questionnaire for population enumeration stage of Census 2011 was notified by the then UPA govt only towards the end of first stage of the census, that is, on Aug 31, 2010.Answering a separate question, Rai on Wednesday shared that though census 2027 will be digital exercise, there will be provision for offline data collection in the mobile apps. “Only in unavoidable circumstances, enumerators may collect data in paper mode and in such a situation the data will be digitised at the charge level itself,’ he clarified. Stating that the digital census will be conducted through mobile apps, census management and monitoring portal and self-enumeration portal, he said enumerators shall undertake house-to-house field visits in their allotted enumeration block for collection of census data. “Provision of self- enumeration is an additional facility for the respondents to submit data. House-to-house visit of enumerator will ensure that there is no exclusion on any ground,” the minister said and assured that all suitable security measures have been provisioned for data collection, transmission and storage. The govt had on June 16, 2025, notified its intent to conduct Census 2027 in two phases, that is, the house listing operation (HLO) phase and population enumeration (PE). On Jan 22, 2026, it notified the questions for the first phase.While house listing operation involves collection of information regarding housing conditions, assets, amenities, etc. of each household in the country, the population enumeration phase captures the demographic, socio- economic, cultural, and other details of each individual. As clearly stated by the govt in a press note dated Dec 12, 2025, caste is to be enumerated in the PE phase, which is due only in February 2027. Despite this, some opposition parties have raised questions on the govt’s intent regarding caste census, asking why the questionnaire for Phase 1 did not list ‘caste’ as a field.About the AuthorBharti JainBharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the ‘prime’ political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in India’s neighbourhood.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Insulted Sikh Community’: Hardeep Puri Slams Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Traitor’ Remark At Ravneet BittuRahul Gandhi Defends Naravane Memoir Quotes, Priyanka Questions Nishikant Dubey Quotes On Nehru’Justice Is Crying…’: Mamata Banerjee Takes EC Head On In Supreme Court Over SIR Row In Bengal‘Combatise Space Command…L1 Needs To Go.’: Expert Stresses Defence Reforms After Budget 2026India-US Trade Deal Vs India-EU FTA: Which Agreement Delivers Bigger Exports Jobs And GrowthKorean ‘Love Game’ Under Lens After Ghaziabad Sisters Suicide Raises Alarm On Digital AddictionPolitical Storm Erupts As Rahul Gandhi, Ravneet Bittu Clash, Cong Targets PM Modi On Epstein FilesPiyush Goyal Defends India-US Trade Deal in Lok Sabha, Says Farmers And Dairy Interests Fully Safe’Sorry Papa’: Suicide Note From Three Sisters In Ghaziabad Triggers Debate On Gaming AddictionMamata Banerjee Takes SIR Battle Against Election Commission To Supreme Court, Openly Challenges BJP123Photostories10 regional potato dishes that are a must-try once in a lifetime5 OTT hits of 2026 that created a massive buzz and had everyone talkingNot just potato: 9 types of popular fillings that make samosa a true food lover’s delightGaming addiction, school dropout, isolation: Key details in Ghaziabad-Loni sisters’ death caseBengaluru plans 800-metre flyover to decongest Iblur Junction; ORR travel time to dropIs your rice real? Simple home checks for “plastic rice” and 5 recipes to tryBest-rated BTS tours: From ‘Love Yourself’ to ‘The Wings’ toursTop 5 real estate hotspots in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) in 2026Why BMW cars are so expensive: The features that make them stand outWhat is the difference between a lease and a rent agreement123Hot PicksBudget 2026Gold Silver PricesParliament Budget SessionRelationship consentIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays February 2026Bank Holidays februaryTop TrendingArtemi PanarinMLB Trade RumorsAyesha CurryKayla NicoleNHL Injury UpdatePuka NacuaRussell WilsonDenver Nuggets vs Detroit PistonsNikola JokicGold Riyadh Players Ranking

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NEW DELHI: The home ministry on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that questions on caste — which is to be captured in the second phase of Census 2027, that is, the population enumeration phase — will be notified along with rest of the questions, “before the commencement of the second phase of the census operation”.“The questions, including on caste, for the second phase will be finalised and notified as per the established procedure,” junior home minister Nityanand Rai said in reply to a written question. Census 2027 To Kick Off As Government Seeks Data On Homes, Food, Internet And How India Lives Today As per records checked by TOI, the questionnaire for population enumeration stage of Census 2011 was notified by the then UPA govt only towards the end of first stage of the census, that is, on Aug 31, 2010.Answering a separate question, Rai on Wednesday shared that though census 2027 will be digital exercise, there will be provision for offline data collection in the mobile apps. “Only in unavoidable circumstances, enumerators may collect data in paper mode and in such a situation the data will be digitised at the charge level itself,’ he clarified. Stating that the digital census will be conducted through mobile apps, census management and monitoring portal and self-enumeration portal, he said enumerators shall undertake house-to-house field visits in their allotted enumeration block for collection of census data. “Provision of self- enumeration is an additional facility for the respondents to submit data. House-to-house visit of enumerator will ensure that there is no exclusion on any ground,” the minister said and assured that all suitable security measures have been provisioned for data collection, transmission and storage. The govt had on June 16, 2025, notified its intent to conduct Census 2027 in two phases, that is, the house listing operation (HLO) phase and population enumeration (PE). On Jan 22, 2026, it notified the questions for the first phase.While house listing operation involves collection of information regarding housing conditions, assets, amenities, etc. of each household in the country, the population enumeration phase captures the demographic, socio- economic, cultural, and other details of each individual. As clearly stated by the govt in a press note dated Dec 12, 2025, caste is to be enumerated in the PE phase, which is due only in February 2027. Despite this, some opposition parties have raised questions on the govt’s intent regarding caste census, asking why the questionnaire for Phase 1 did not list ‘caste’ as a field.About the AuthorBharti JainBharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the ‘prime’ political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in India’s neighbourhood.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Insulted Sikh Community’: Hardeep Puri Slams Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Traitor’ Remark At Ravneet BittuRahul Gandhi Defends Naravane Memoir Quotes, Priyanka Questions Nishikant Dubey Quotes On Nehru’Justice Is Crying…’: Mamata Banerjee Takes EC Head On In Supreme Court Over SIR Row In Bengal‘Combatise Space Command…L1 Needs To Go.’: Expert Stresses Defence Reforms After Budget 2026India-US Trade Deal Vs India-EU FTA: Which Agreement Delivers Bigger Exports Jobs And GrowthKorean ‘Love Game’ Under Lens After Ghaziabad Sisters Suicide Raises Alarm On Digital AddictionPolitical Storm Erupts As Rahul Gandhi, Ravneet Bittu Clash, Cong Targets PM Modi On Epstein FilesPiyush Goyal Defends India-US Trade Deal in Lok Sabha, Says Farmers And Dairy Interests Fully Safe’Sorry Papa’: Suicide Note From Three Sisters In Ghaziabad Triggers Debate On Gaming AddictionMamata Banerjee Takes SIR Battle Against Election Commission To Supreme Court, Openly Challenges BJP123Photostories10 regional potato dishes that are a must-try once in a lifetime5 OTT hits of 2026 that created a massive buzz and had everyone talkingNot just potato: 9 types of popular fillings that make samosa a true food lover’s delightGaming addiction, school dropout, isolation: Key details in Ghaziabad-Loni sisters’ death caseBengaluru plans 800-metre flyover to decongest Iblur Junction; ORR travel time to dropIs your rice real? Simple home checks for “plastic rice” and 5 recipes to tryBest-rated BTS tours: From ‘Love Yourself’ to ‘The Wings’ toursTop 5 real estate hotspots in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) in 2026Why BMW cars are so expensive: The features that make them stand outWhat is the difference between a lease and a rent agreement123Hot PicksBudget 2026Gold Silver PricesParliament Budget SessionRelationship consentIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays February 2026Bank Holidays februaryTop TrendingArtemi PanarinMLB Trade RumorsAyesha CurryKayla NicoleNHL Injury UpdatePuka NacuaRussell WilsonDenver Nuggets vs Detroit PistonsNikola JokicGold Riyadh Players Ranking


Questions on caste to be notified before second phase of Census: Centre in Rajya Sabha

NEW DELHI: The home ministry on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that questions on caste — which is to be captured in the second phase of Census 2027, that is, the population enumeration phase — will be notified along with rest of the questions, “before the commencement of the second phase of the census operation”.“The questions, including on caste, for the second phase will be finalised and notified as per the established procedure,” junior home minister Nityanand Rai said in reply to a written question.

Census 2027 To Kick Off As Government Seeks Data On Homes, Food, Internet And How India Lives Today

As per records checked by TOI, the questionnaire for population enumeration stage of Census 2011 was notified by the then UPA govt only towards the end of first stage of the census, that is, on Aug 31, 2010.Answering a separate question, Rai on Wednesday shared that though census 2027 will be digital exercise, there will be provision for offline data collection in the mobile apps. “Only in unavoidable circumstances, enumerators may collect data in paper mode and in such a situation the data will be digitised at the charge level itself,’ he clarified. Stating that the digital census will be conducted through mobile apps, census management and monitoring portal and self-enumeration portal, he said enumerators shall undertake house-to-house field visits in their allotted enumeration block for collection of census data. “Provision of self- enumeration is an additional facility for the respondents to submit data. House-to-house visit of enumerator will ensure that there is no exclusion on any ground,” the minister said and assured that all suitable security measures have been provisioned for data collection, transmission and storage. The govt had on June 16, 2025, notified its intent to conduct Census 2027 in two phases, that is, the house listing operation (HLO) phase and population enumeration (PE). On Jan 22, 2026, it notified the questions for the first phase.While house listing operation involves collection of information regarding housing conditions, assets, amenities, etc. of each household in the country, the population enumeration phase captures the demographic, socio- economic, cultural, and other details of each individual. As clearly stated by the govt in a press note dated Dec 12, 2025, caste is to be enumerated in the PE phase, which is due only in February 2027. Despite this, some opposition parties have raised questions on the govt’s intent regarding caste census, asking why the questionnaire for Phase 1 did not list ‘caste’ as a field.



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Nishikant Dubey NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha, already deadlocked over Rahul Gandhi’s insistence on referring to an unpublished book, was plunged into deeper impasse on Wednesday as BJP MP Nishikant Dubey turned to a pile of books with uncharitable references to members of the Nehru-Gandhi family to “expose” Congress.PM Modi’s reply to the motion of thanks on the President’s address had to be called off due to the stepped-up protest from the opposition.Dubey’s move was seen as BJP’s bid to turn the heat on Congress, which has been attacking Modi over bits of the unpublished book authored by ex-Army chief Gen M M Naravane (retd), and it further riled up the protesting opposition MPs in LS, who turned up the noise and tore papers, but not before the fourth-term member had his say for over a couple of minutes.TDP MP Krishna Tenneti, who was in the Chair, kept asking Dubey not to carry on and that his speech was against Speaker Om Birla’s ruling. “You listen to me. You cannot do this,” Tenneti said even as the BJP MP continued.The Chair later adjourned the House, but several opposition MPs questioned why Dubey was allowed to go on. Congress members later met LS Speaker Birla and demanded his suspension.The books Dubey mentioned included ‘Reminiscences of the Nehru Age’ by former private secretary to India’s first PM, M O Mathai; ‘Edwina and Nehru’, ‘Ceasefires’ and ‘The Red Sari’, and then touched on their content, including some controversial references to private lives besides allegations of corruption, amid furious protests.These books were either banned when Congress was in office or restricted to the extent that they were not available. “Since a book which is not published is being discussed, I want to speak about books which are full of stories of the corruption, deviousness, wanton indulgences and corruption of the Nehru family,” Dubey alleged, a charge he elaborated during a press conference later.Congress MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi, K C Venugopal and Deepender Hooda, urged Birla to suspend Dubey, and demanded that Rahul be allowed to speak before Modi’s reply on motion of thanks on the President’s address.Unrelenting protest from opposition members meant that Modi’s address scheduled for 5 pm was called off.In his comments to the media later, Dubey referred to more books, many of them he said were banned, to target Congress’s leading family over a host of allegations, including personal indulgences. This included ‘Himalayan Blunder’, a damning account of Indian leadership during the 1962 war with China which was banned, but became available later.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosEAM Jaishankar, Marco Rubio Underscore De-Risking Supply Chains At US Critical Minerals MeetOppn Women MPs Storm Treasury Benches Amid Protests: Inside PM Modi’s Lok Sabha Speech Cancellation‘This is the era for India’: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Hails New Delhi’s Economic Rise’Agriculture, Dairy Protected’: Piyush Goyal Cheers India-US Pact; Jaishankar Meets Trump Top Aides’Insulted Sikh Community’: Hardeep Puri Slams Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Traitor’ Remark At Ravneet BittuRahul Gandhi Defends Naravane Memoir Quotes, Priyanka Questions Nishikant Dubey Quotes On Nehru’Justice Is Crying…’: Mamata Banerjee Takes EC Head On In Supreme Court Over SIR Row In Bengal‘Combatise Space Command…L1 Needs To Go.’: Expert Stresses Defence Reforms After Budget 2026India-US Trade Deal Vs India-EU FTA: Which Agreement Delivers Bigger Exports Jobs And GrowthKorean ‘Love Game’ Under Lens After Ghaziabad Sisters Suicide Raises Alarm On Digital Addiction123Photostories5 types of main door locks and which one is perfect for apartments6 reality TV couples who didn’t last: Nick Thompson and Danielle Ruhl, Josh Oyinsan and Mimii Ngulube and moreWhat’s streaming on Apple TV+ in February 2026: New seasons, romance, and monster mayhemFrom India to Russia: Stunning frozen rivers from around the world10 oldest restaurants in Bengaluru and their most popular dishesMeryl Streep films on OTT that highlight her timeless talent5 most expensive buildings from across the world and why they cost so muchMumbai–Pune Expressway turns parking lot as vehicles remain stuck for 12 hoursThis Royal in Asia owns 7000 luxury vehicles including 500 Rolls-Royce, 450 Ferraris and 380 BentleysRosa Parks once said, “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up…”: 5 lessons it teaches students123Hot PicksBudget 2026Gold Silver PricesParliament Budget SessionRelationship consentIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays February 2026Bank Holidays februaryTop TrendingNBA Trade NewsMLB Trade RumorsCardi BKayla NicoleLindsey Vonn ACL InjuryCooper DeJeanTom BradyDenver Nuggets vs Detroit PistonsWho is Mickey Lolich WifeMickey Lolich Passes Away

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File photo Election Commission and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee locked horns over the legality of engaging micro-observers by the poll panel for SIR work, the issue of spelling errors in names leading to categorisation of voters under ‘logical discrepancy’ and issuance of notices to them, and the “hurried manner” of scrutiny of voters’ identity.Mamata alleged EC was illegally employing micro-observers, who are officers from BJP-governed states or Union govt officials, as electoral officers, who are indiscriminately deleting names from rolls.EC counsel Rakesh Dwivedi said micro-observers are engaged following due process. They had to be engaged as the WB govt, despite several written requests from EC, has not provided adequate number of Class-II officers of SDM rank to carry out the scrutiny work, which involves adjudication.EC said given the fact that 1.5 crore notices were issued after finding that scrutiny is needed for over 2.1 crore voters, including the 58 lakh absent, shifted and dead, “the electoral roll of 2025 with such questionable sanctity can’t be used to conduct upcoming assembly polls (in Bengal) as this would put the entire poll and the legitimacy of the elected govt under a cloud of doubt.”The bench said no one can dispute that dead persons and illegal migrants must be removed from voters’ list but at the same time no citizen, who is a Bengal resident, should be removed from the list, it said.Mamata and advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the state govt, said of the 1.36 lakh ‘logical discrepancy’ category voters, EC has heard only 88 lakh people till date, and claimed that to complete the hearing for 63 lakh more, EC will need time beyond the Feb 7 deadline. The bench said it will extend the deadline, if needed.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosEAM Jaishankar, Marco Rubio Underscore De-Risking Supply Chains At US Critical Minerals MeetOppn Women MPs Storm Treasury Benches Amid Protests: Inside PM Modi’s Lok Sabha Speech Cancellation‘This is the era for India’: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Hails New Delhi’s Economic Rise’Agriculture, Dairy Protected’: Piyush Goyal Cheers India-US Pact; Jaishankar Meets Trump Top Aides’Insulted Sikh Community’: Hardeep Puri Slams Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Traitor’ Remark At Ravneet BittuRahul Gandhi Defends Naravane Memoir Quotes, Priyanka Questions Nishikant Dubey Quotes On Nehru’Justice Is Crying…’: Mamata Banerjee Takes EC Head On In Supreme Court Over SIR Row In Bengal‘Combatise Space Command…L1 Needs To Go.’: Expert Stresses Defence Reforms After Budget 2026India-US Trade Deal Vs India-EU FTA: Which Agreement Delivers Bigger Exports Jobs And GrowthKorean ‘Love Game’ Under Lens After Ghaziabad Sisters Suicide Raises Alarm On Digital Addiction123Photostories5 types of main door locks and which one is perfect for apartments6 reality TV couples who didn’t last: Nick Thompson and Danielle Ruhl, Josh Oyinsan and Mimii Ngulube and moreWhat’s streaming on Apple TV+ in February 2026: New seasons, romance, and monster mayhemFrom India to Russia: Stunning frozen rivers from around the world10 oldest restaurants in Bengaluru and their most popular dishesMeryl Streep films on OTT that highlight her timeless talent5 most expensive buildings from across the world and why they cost so muchMumbai–Pune Expressway turns parking lot as vehicles remain stuck for 12 hoursThis Royal in Asia owns 7000 luxury vehicles including 500 Rolls-Royce, 450 Ferraris and 380 BentleysRosa Parks once said, “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up…”: 5 lessons it teaches students123Hot PicksBudget 2026Gold Silver PricesParliament Budget SessionRelationship consentIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays February 2026Bank Holidays februaryTop TrendingNBA Trade NewsMLB Trade RumorsCardi BKayla NicoleLindsey Vonn ACL InjuryCooper DeJeanTom BradyDenver Nuggets vs Detroit PistonsWho is Mickey Lolich WifeMickey Lolich Passes Away

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File photo NEW DELHI: Govt Tuesday informed Parliament that the Enforcement Directorate has achieved a 95% conviction rate in money laundering cases in which trials have been completed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).“As on Dec 31, 2025, the special PMLA courts have delivered judgments, on merits, on the issue of money laundering in 58 cases, out of which conviction orders have been passed in 55 cases, convicting 123 accused,” MoS for finance Pankaj Chaudhary told Rajya Sabha in a written response to a question.He said that “accordingly, the conviction rate, i.e., total number of cases in which accused have been convicted as a percentage of total cases decided on merits on the issue of money laundering is 95%”.Since 2005, the agency has registered investigations under PMLA in 8,391 cases, he said. “In 1,960 of them prosecution complaints have been filed before the special courts praying for conviction of accused persons for money laundering offences and confiscation of proceeds of crime involved,” Chaudhary added.While providing year-wise details of convictions, Chaudhary said ED has secured conviction in 43 cases since 2020-21, wherein 104 accused have been convicted in the last six years under PMLA.“Enforcement Directorate follows a multi-pronged approach for registering a case based on money-laundering risks and threats and by examining information received through several sources. After completion of investigation, a prosecution complaint is filed before the special court”, he explained.Chaudhary said efforts have been made to fast-track investigations and conclude cases efficiently through the enhanced use of technology.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosEAM Jaishankar, Marco Rubio Underscore De-Risking Supply Chains At US Critical Minerals MeetOppn Women MPs Storm Treasury Benches Amid Protests: Inside PM Modi’s Lok Sabha Speech Cancellation‘This is the era for India’: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Hails New Delhi’s Economic Rise’Agriculture, Dairy Protected’: Piyush Goyal Cheers India-US Pact; Jaishankar Meets Trump Top Aides’Insulted Sikh Community’: Hardeep Puri Slams Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Traitor’ Remark At Ravneet BittuRahul Gandhi Defends Naravane Memoir Quotes, Priyanka Questions Nishikant Dubey Quotes On Nehru’Justice Is Crying…’: Mamata Banerjee Takes EC Head On In Supreme Court Over SIR Row In Bengal‘Combatise Space Command…L1 Needs To Go.’: Expert Stresses Defence Reforms After Budget 2026India-US Trade Deal Vs India-EU FTA: Which Agreement Delivers Bigger Exports Jobs And GrowthKorean ‘Love Game’ Under Lens After Ghaziabad Sisters Suicide Raises Alarm On Digital Addiction123Photostories5 types of main door locks and which one is perfect for apartments6 reality TV couples who didn’t last: Nick Thompson and Danielle Ruhl, Josh Oyinsan and Mimii Ngulube and moreWhat’s streaming on Apple TV+ in February 2026: New seasons, romance, and monster mayhemFrom India to Russia: Stunning frozen rivers from around the world10 oldest restaurants in Bengaluru and their most popular dishesMeryl Streep films on OTT that highlight her timeless talent5 most expensive buildings from across the world and why they cost so muchMumbai–Pune Expressway turns parking lot as vehicles remain stuck for 12 hoursThis Royal in Asia owns 7000 luxury vehicles including 500 Rolls-Royce, 450 Ferraris and 380 BentleysRosa Parks once said, “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up…”: 5 lessons it teaches students123Hot PicksBudget 2026Gold Silver PricesParliament Budget SessionRelationship consentIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays February 2026Bank Holidays februaryTop TrendingNBA Trade NewsMLB Trade RumorsCardi BKayla NicoleLindsey Vonn ACL InjuryCooper DeJeanTom BradyDenver Nuggets vs Detroit PistonsWho is Mickey Lolich WifeMickey Lolich Passes Away

File photo NEW DELHI: Govt Tuesday informed Parliament that the Enforcement Directorate has achieved a 95% conviction rate in money laundering cases in which trials have been completed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).“As on Dec 31, 2025, the special PMLA courts have delivered judgments, on merits, on the issue of money laundering in 58 cases, out of which conviction orders have been passed in 55 cases, convicting 123 accused,” MoS for finance Pankaj Chaudhary told Rajya Sabha in a written response to a question.He said that “accordingly, the conviction rate, i.e., total number of cases in which accused have been convicted as a percentage of total cases decided on merits on the issue of money laundering is 95%”.Since 2005, the agency has registered investigations under PMLA in 8,391 cases, he said. “In 1,960 of them prosecution complaints have been filed before the special courts praying for conviction of accused persons for money laundering offences and confiscation of proceeds of crime involved,” Chaudhary added.While providing year-wise details of convictions, Chaudhary said ED has secured conviction in 43 cases since 2020-21, wherein 104 accused have been convicted in the last six years under PMLA.“Enforcement Directorate follows a multi-pronged approach for registering a case based on money-laundering risks and threats and by examining information received through several sources. After completion of investigation, a prosecution complaint is filed before the special court”, he explained.Chaudhary said efforts have been made to fast-track investigations and conclude cases efficiently through the enhanced use of technology.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosEAM Jaishankar, Marco Rubio Underscore De-Risking Supply Chains At US Critical Minerals MeetOppn Women MPs Storm Treasury Benches Amid Protests: Inside PM Modi’s Lok Sabha Speech Cancellation‘This is the era for India’: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Hails New Delhi’s Economic Rise’Agriculture, Dairy Protected’: Piyush Goyal Cheers India-US Pact; Jaishankar Meets Trump Top Aides’Insulted Sikh Community’: Hardeep Puri Slams Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Traitor’ Remark At Ravneet BittuRahul Gandhi Defends Naravane Memoir Quotes, Priyanka Questions Nishikant Dubey Quotes On Nehru’Justice Is Crying…’: Mamata Banerjee Takes EC Head On In Supreme Court Over SIR Row In Bengal‘Combatise Space Command…L1 Needs To Go.’: Expert Stresses Defence Reforms After Budget 2026India-US Trade Deal Vs India-EU FTA: Which Agreement Delivers Bigger Exports Jobs And GrowthKorean ‘Love Game’ Under Lens After Ghaziabad Sisters Suicide Raises Alarm On Digital Addiction123Photostories5 types of main door locks and which one is perfect for apartments6 reality TV couples who didn’t last: Nick Thompson and Danielle Ruhl, Josh Oyinsan and Mimii Ngulube and moreWhat’s streaming on Apple TV+ in February 2026: New seasons, romance, and monster mayhemFrom India to Russia: Stunning frozen rivers from around the world10 oldest restaurants in Bengaluru and their most popular dishesMeryl Streep films on OTT that highlight her timeless talent5 most expensive buildings from across the world and why they cost so muchMumbai–Pune Expressway turns parking lot as vehicles remain stuck for 12 hoursThis Royal in Asia owns 7000 luxury vehicles including 500 Rolls-Royce, 450 Ferraris and 380 BentleysRosa Parks once said, “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up…”: 5 lessons it teaches students123Hot PicksBudget 2026Gold Silver PricesParliament Budget SessionRelationship consentIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays February 2026Bank Holidays februaryTop TrendingNBA Trade NewsMLB Trade RumorsCardi BKayla NicoleLindsey Vonn ACL InjuryCooper DeJeanTom BradyDenver Nuggets vs Detroit PistonsWho is Mickey Lolich WifeMickey Lolich Passes Away

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File photo NEW DELHI: Election Commission on Wednesday sought Supreme Court’s urgent intervention to curb and prevent, what it called, a systematic pattern of violence and threats against its officials conducting the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal and alleged that while the CM’s speeches encouraged such situations, police are reluctant to register FIRs against the perpetrators.Comparing smooth conduct of SIR in other states to that in Bengal where those involved in the roll revision have been “targeted”, EC, in its affidavit, said, “It unequivocally illustrates that the challenges encountered in West Bengal are not intrinsic to the SIR process itself, but are a direct result of the inadequacies of the state machinery and the prevailing climate of political interference therein.”“This singular and alarming breakdown demands immediate intervention of SC to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process,” it said, adding “the CM has persistently delivered a series of public addresses that are inherently provocative, thereby engendering an atmosphere of intimidation among election officials”.EC claimed that on Jan 14 the CM, during a press conference, “engaged in fear mongering, disseminated misleading and erroneous information regarding the SIR process, overtly threatened and targeted poll officials, and sought to incite alarm among the electorate”.“The CM explicitly identified and targeted a micro-observer Hari Das, thereby publicly isolating an election official performing statutory duties and subjecting him to unwarranted pressure and intimidation… gravely compromising the independence, neutrality and safety of election officials,” the poll panel said on a day when CM Mamata Banerjee argued against the roll revision in SC.As a result, nine micro-observers in Murshidabad constituency collectively wrote to the West Bengal chief electoral officer (CEO), formally withdrawing from the SIR process due to violent assaults perpetrated by miscreants and inadequate security provisions, it said, adding on Jan 15, a mob of 700 attacked the place where SIR work was being carried out in Uttar Dinajpur district.Complaining that police authorities are reluctant to register FIRs on complaints lodged by booth level officers (BLOs), EC said, “In certain instances, FIRs were documented only subsequent to intervention by the district election officer, with arrests occurring belatedly thereafter.” It said other state police have promptly registered FIRs on complaints by EC officials.Given the ground situation, the Centre has provided ‘Y+ security’ cover to the WB CEO, the only officer among his peers in all states to get such security cover, EC said.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosEAM Jaishankar, Marco Rubio Underscore De-Risking Supply Chains At US Critical Minerals MeetOppn Women MPs Storm Treasury Benches Amid Protests: Inside PM Modi’s Lok Sabha Speech Cancellation‘This is the era for India’: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Hails New Delhi’s Economic Rise’Agriculture, Dairy Protected’: Piyush Goyal Cheers India-US Pact; Jaishankar Meets Trump Top Aides’Insulted Sikh Community’: Hardeep Puri Slams Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Traitor’ Remark At Ravneet BittuRahul Gandhi Defends Naravane Memoir Quotes, Priyanka Questions Nishikant Dubey Quotes On Nehru’Justice Is Crying…’: Mamata Banerjee Takes EC Head On In Supreme Court Over SIR Row In Bengal‘Combatise Space Command…L1 Needs To Go.’: Expert Stresses Defence Reforms After Budget 2026India-US Trade Deal Vs India-EU FTA: Which Agreement Delivers Bigger Exports Jobs And GrowthKorean ‘Love Game’ Under Lens After Ghaziabad Sisters Suicide Raises Alarm On Digital Addiction123Photostories5 types of main door locks and which one is perfect for apartments6 reality TV couples who didn’t last: Nick Thompson and Danielle Ruhl, Josh Oyinsan and Mimii Ngulube and moreWhat’s streaming on Apple TV+ in February 2026: New seasons, romance, and monster mayhemFrom India to Russia: Stunning frozen rivers from around the world10 oldest restaurants in Bengaluru and their most popular dishesMeryl Streep films on OTT that highlight her timeless talent5 most expensive buildings from across the world and why they cost so muchMumbai–Pune Expressway turns parking lot as vehicles remain stuck for 12 hoursThis Royal in Asia owns 7000 luxury vehicles including 500 Rolls-Royce, 450 Ferraris and 380 BentleysRosa Parks once said, “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up…”: 5 lessons it teaches students123Hot PicksBudget 2026Gold Silver PricesParliament Budget SessionRelationship consentIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays February 2026Bank Holidays februaryTop TrendingNBA Trade NewsMLB Trade RumorsCardi BKayla NicoleLindsey Vonn ACL InjuryCooper DeJeanTom BradyDenver Nuggets vs Detroit PistonsWho is Mickey Lolich WifeMickey Lolich Passes Away

File photo NEW DELHI: Election Commission on Wednesday sought Supreme Court’s urgent intervention to curb and prevent, what it called, a systematic pattern of violence and threats against its officials conducting the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal and alleged that while the CM’s speeches encouraged such situations, police are reluctant to register FIRs against the perpetrators.Comparing smooth conduct of SIR in other states to that in Bengal where those involved in the roll revision have been “targeted”, EC, in its affidavit, said, “It unequivocally illustrates that the challenges encountered in West Bengal are not intrinsic to the SIR process itself, but are a direct result of the inadequacies of the state machinery and the prevailing climate of political interference therein.”“This singular and alarming breakdown demands immediate intervention of SC to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process,” it said, adding “the CM has persistently delivered a series of public addresses that are inherently provocative, thereby engendering an atmosphere of intimidation among election officials”.EC claimed that on Jan 14 the CM, during a press conference, “engaged in fear mongering, disseminated misleading and erroneous information regarding the SIR process, overtly threatened and targeted poll officials, and sought to incite alarm among the electorate”.“The CM explicitly identified and targeted a micro-observer Hari Das, thereby publicly isolating an election official performing statutory duties and subjecting him to unwarranted pressure and intimidation… gravely compromising the independence, neutrality and safety of election officials,” the poll panel said on a day when CM Mamata Banerjee argued against the roll revision in SC.As a result, nine micro-observers in Murshidabad constituency collectively wrote to the West Bengal chief electoral officer (CEO), formally withdrawing from the SIR process due to violent assaults perpetrated by miscreants and inadequate security provisions, it said, adding on Jan 15, a mob of 700 attacked the place where SIR work was being carried out in Uttar Dinajpur district.Complaining that police authorities are reluctant to register FIRs on complaints lodged by booth level officers (BLOs), EC said, “In certain instances, FIRs were documented only subsequent to intervention by the district election officer, with arrests occurring belatedly thereafter.” It said other state police have promptly registered FIRs on complaints by EC officials.Given the ground situation, the Centre has provided ‘Y+ security’ cover to the WB CEO, the only officer among his peers in all states to get such security cover, EC said.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosEAM Jaishankar, Marco Rubio Underscore De-Risking Supply Chains At US Critical Minerals MeetOppn Women MPs Storm Treasury Benches Amid Protests: Inside PM Modi’s Lok Sabha Speech Cancellation‘This is the era for India’: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Hails New Delhi’s Economic Rise’Agriculture, Dairy Protected’: Piyush Goyal Cheers India-US Pact; Jaishankar Meets Trump Top Aides’Insulted Sikh Community’: Hardeep Puri Slams Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Traitor’ Remark At Ravneet BittuRahul Gandhi Defends Naravane Memoir Quotes, Priyanka Questions Nishikant Dubey Quotes On Nehru’Justice Is Crying…’: Mamata Banerjee Takes EC Head On In Supreme Court Over SIR Row In Bengal‘Combatise Space Command…L1 Needs To Go.’: Expert Stresses Defence Reforms After Budget 2026India-US Trade Deal Vs India-EU FTA: Which Agreement Delivers Bigger Exports Jobs And GrowthKorean ‘Love Game’ Under Lens After Ghaziabad Sisters Suicide Raises Alarm On Digital Addiction123Photostories5 types of main door locks and which one is perfect for apartments6 reality TV couples who didn’t last: Nick Thompson and Danielle Ruhl, Josh Oyinsan and Mimii Ngulube and moreWhat’s streaming on Apple TV+ in February 2026: New seasons, romance, and monster mayhemFrom India to Russia: Stunning frozen rivers from around the world10 oldest restaurants in Bengaluru and their most popular dishesMeryl Streep films on OTT that highlight her timeless talent5 most expensive buildings from across the world and why they cost so muchMumbai–Pune Expressway turns parking lot as vehicles remain stuck for 12 hoursThis Royal in Asia owns 7000 luxury vehicles including 500 Rolls-Royce, 450 Ferraris and 380 BentleysRosa Parks once said, “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up…”: 5 lessons it teaches students123Hot PicksBudget 2026Gold Silver PricesParliament Budget SessionRelationship consentIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays February 2026Bank Holidays februaryTop TrendingNBA Trade NewsMLB Trade RumorsCardi BKayla NicoleLindsey Vonn ACL InjuryCooper DeJeanTom BradyDenver Nuggets vs Detroit PistonsWho is Mickey Lolich WifeMickey Lolich Passes Away

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