ELECTORAL BILL
The Central Government has been receiving proposals for electoral reforms from various quarters, from time to time, including the Election Commission of India (the Election Commission). Based on the proposals taken up by the Election Commission, it is proposed to amend the provisions of the RP Act, 1950 and the RP Act, 1951. Accordingly, a Bill, namely, the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 has been proposed.”
In 2015, the Election Commission undertook pilot projects to use Aadhaar data to remove duplications and fake entries from electoral rolls before the Supreme Court struck the exercises down. In the 2017 Puttaswamy judgment, the top court enumerated only certain areas – mostly subsidies – for which Aadhaar could be made mandatory. The government in 2019 amended the Aadhaar Act, allowing for the 12-digit identity number to be used for more utilities and services.
The issue has been controversial with civil society and opposition parties flagging implications for privacy and potential voter profiling. Digital rights groups including the Association for Democratic Reforms, Bahujan Economists, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties and the Internet Freedom Foundation, have also criticised the Bill.
The bill, however, makes a provision that no application for inclusion of name in the electoral roll “shall be denied and no entries in the electoral roll shall be deleted for inability of an individual to furnish or intimate Aadhaar number due to such sufficient cause as may be prescribed, provided that such individual may be allowed to furnish such other alternate documents as may be prescribed”.
The bill further proposes a change to clause (b) of section 14 of the RP Act, 1950 allowing voters to register four times a year, instead of just once. The new dates for registration will be January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1. By amending section 20 of the RP Act, 1950 and section 60 of the RP Act, 1951, the bill calls for
substitution of the word “wife” with the word “spouse” making the statutes gender neutral. It also seeks to enable the requisition of premises for the purpose of being polling stations, counting, storage of ballot boxes, voting machines and poll related materials by proposing a change to section 160 of the RP Act, 1951.
The bill also explains the power of delegated legislation with the government which will allow it to formulate rules regarding the new provisions.
passed from the northwestern region last week. Very cold, dry northerly winds are blowing over entire northwestern region which is bringing down both night and day temperatures. This may abate after December 22. Ground frost can impact agriculture in some parts but not if it’s for a very short time,” DS Pai, who heads climate research and services at IMD, Pune said on Sunday.
Ground frost has been reported from many parts particularly east and west Rajasthan.
Low temperatures and ground frost have varying impacts on rabi crops. IMD has recommended application of light and frequent irrigation in the evening hours to protect the crops from cold injury; cover young fruit plants with straw / polythene sheets / gunny bags; keep cattle inside the sheds during night and provide dry bedding to protect them from cold; in poultry, keep the chicks warm by providing artificial light in the poultry sheds.