The report said analytics remained the largest and fastest‑growing segment in FY25, accounting for nearly 60 per cent of the market and expanding 14 per cent, with over 90 per cent of demand driven by international clients. New Delhi: India's research and insights industry is expected to
Timothée Chalamet thanked his girlfriend Kylie Jenner and told her he loved her from the stage, as he won best actor at the 2026 Critics' Choice Awards on Sunday. The 30-year-old won the prize for his performance in Marty Supreme as an ambitious table-tennis player making his name in the 1950s
Shreyas Iyer will lead Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He replaces injured Shardul Thakur. Iyer returns to competitive cricket after a spleen injury. Mumbai plays Himachal Pradesh and Punjab in Jaipur. Qualification for the knockout stage appears likely
In a season that naturally pushes your hair off balance, leaning into a simple, consistent care ritual makes all the difference. With the right nourishment and a little weekly intention, your hair can go through winter feeling healthy, calm and better supported
After Apple, Samsung could indeed be another brand to change the core materials used in its flagship phones. As per the latest leaks, tipster Ice Universe on X, formerly known as Twitter, hints that the Galaxy S26 Ultra could move away from titanium and go back to aluminium or another metal
Mamata Banerjee says will move court on January 6 against 'arbitrary' SIR, human sufferings
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announces a legal challenge against the Election Commission's electoral roll revision. She alleges deaths and hospitalizations due to arbitrary administrative actions. Banerjee claims technology is being used to remove voters' names ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. She plans to approach the Supreme Court to plead for citizens' rights.
Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she would move court against the EC's SIR of electoral rolls, alleging that fear, harassment and administrative arbitrariness linked to the exercise had led to deaths and hospitalisations, as she sharpened her confrontation with the poll body ahead of the state assembly polls.
Addressing a massive public gathering at Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district, Banerjee alleged that technology was being "weaponised" to disenfranchise voters ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls, claiming that artificial intelligence and informal digital platforms were being used to arbitrarily delete names from electoral rolls, undermining democratic safeguards.
"We are moving court tomorrow against the inhumane treatment and the death of so many people due to the SIR," she said, adding that she was prepared to escalate the legal battle if required. She, however, did not clarify whether the petition would be filed by her personally, the state government or her party, the TMC.
Banerjee said she would seek permission to appear before the Supreme Court not as a lawyer but as an ordinary citizen. "If necessary, I will go to the Supreme Court and plead for the people. I will speak for the people," she said, recalling that she is legally trained.
Alleging a "technological conspiracy" behind the SIR, the TMC supremo claimed that opaque digital processes had replaced due mechanism. "Artificial Intelligence has emerged now. Using images and voices, lies can be spread. Names are being removed using AI," she said.
"AI is deciding whose surname has changed, who got married, which girl has gone to her in-laws' house. Even a murderer gets a chance to defend himself. Here, people's names are being removed," Banerjee said, alleging that 5.4 million names had been dropped without adequate opportunity to respond through statutory forms.
In a sharp swipe, she alleged that the poll body was being "run on WhatsApp", warning that erosion of voting rights would have political consequences.
"If people's rights are taken away, you too will vanish, you Vanish Kumar," she said while referring to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, urging citizens to check their names on the draft rolls despite the hardship. "This is a struggle for survival and to protect rights," she added.
The escalation comes a day after Banerjee wrote to the CEC, urging an immediate halt to what she termed an "arbitrary and flawed" SIR, warning that its continuation could trigger "mass disenfranchisement" and "strike at the foundations of democracy".
In the letter, she accused the commission of an "unplanned, ill-prepared and ad hoc" exercise marked by "serious irregularities, procedural violations and administrative lapses", later describing the process as having been reduced to a "farce".
On the ground, Banerjee said, the hearings had extracted a human cost.
She alleged that people with plastered legs, those recently discharged from hospitals and the elderly were being compelled to attend hearings.
"In two months, nearly 70 people have died. Does no heart ache? If your 85-year-old mother were dragged into an ambulance, what answer would Delhi's leaders give?" she asked, questioning whether those ordering deletions had their own parents' certificates.
She questioned the haste of the exercise, arguing that voter list corrections should be spread over two years rather than forced through in months. "We want names to be included, not excluded. Why this coercion?" she said.
Framing the issue in a wider political and cultural context, Banerjee alleged intimidation of Bengali-speaking migrants in BJP-ruled states and challenged what she described as majoritarian politics.
"I dare them to kill me, but I will not stop speaking my mother tongue, Bengali. Is it a crime now?" she asked.
She also accused the BJP of keeping a pattern of pre-election inducements followed by repression. "They will give Rs 10,000 before elections and use the bulldozer once it's over," she said. "You can torture as much as you want, it won't yield results."
The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected allegations of arbitrariness, maintaining that the SIR is a routine exercise aimed at ensuring clean and accurate electoral rolls.
Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now!
Source: EconomicTimes
Related Posts: Republic Day 2026 Parade Ticket Sale From January 5 - Check All Details EAM S Jaishankar To Visit France And Luxembourg From January 4 Today Gold, Silver Rate January 04 Bank Employees Plan Nationwide Strike On January 27 Over 5-Day Work Week Demand Delhi HC seeks CBI reply to Lalu Yadav’s plea against framing of charges in IRCTC scam case Tarot Card Reading For January 5 Weekly Love Horoscope for January 5-11 What Delhi’s wilderness says about the city’s politics Bharat Coking Coal IPO Opens January 9 Trump warns new Venezuelan leader as Maduro set to appear in court
Guwahati, Shokir Kholikov-directed Uzbek film, 'Sunday', will be the opening cinema of the 2nd Guwahati Asian Film Festival , scheduled from January 22, officials said on Monday. The much-talked-about GAFF 2026 is set to take place on January 22-25
1 minutes ago
Tech is not always about the latest flagship phone or the most powerful laptop. Sometimes, it is the little things, the simple gadgets you use without even thinking about them, that end up making everyday life a lot easier. Whether it is saving a few minutes, avoiding small frustrations
1 minutes ago
Nayak is a political action film which was originally co-written and directed by Shankar. New Delhi: Seasoned star Anil Kapoor is all set to return as Shivaji Rao in Nayak 2 - the sequel to Nayak: The Real Hero (2001) release. According to Hindustan Times report
1 minutes ago
Veteran Tamil filmmaker Bharathiraja has been hospitalised with a lung infection, and doctors have confirmed that his condition is stable while he remains under critical care. Chennai: The health condition of veteran Tamil film director and actor Bharathiraja
1 minutes ago
The recently released courtroom drama Haq stars Emraan Hashmi, Yami Gautam, and debutant actor Vartika Singh. But do you know who she is? Directed by Suparn S Varma, Haq released in theatres on November 7, 2025. Vartika Singh, a model, represented India at the 68th edition of the Miss Universe
1 minutes ago
It was a glass-walled boardroom on the 18th floor of a large enterprise client's office. The kind of room where every decision carries reputational risk. As he presented, the room stayed calm. Heads nodded. Notes were taken. Halfway through, the client leaned back and said
1 minutes ago
Four Indian expatriates in the UAE, including three young siblings and their domestic help, were killed in a car accident in Abu Dhabi in the early hours of Sunday, Gulf News reported. The family, originally from Kerala, was returning to their home in Dubai after attending the Liwa Festival when
1 minutes ago
Whether you opt for the old tax regime with deductions or the new simplified regime, NPS contributions can help you reduce your tax liability while building a retirement corpus. New Delhi: The National Pension System (NPS) remains one of the most tax-efficient retirement savings options for
1 minutes ago
Under the initiative, the government proposes to set up a minimum of one and a maximum of two libraries in each of its 70 Assembly constituencies under the "Bhagidari" scheme, an order issued by the Department of Art, Culture and Language said
1 minutes ago
A bulky bluefin tuna made a splash at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market on Monday morning, fetching a record 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) at the market's first auction of the year. The winning bid for the 243kg fish came from Kiyomura Corp, the operator of popular sushi chain Sushi Zanmai
1 minutes ago
PV Sindhu makes her comeback at the Malaysia Open 2026, marking her return to international badminton after a break due to injury. The tournament begins Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur. Other Indian players like Lakshya Sen and Chirag Shetty Satwiksairaj Rankireddy are also competing
1 minutes ago
Days after his faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) announced an alliance with Sharad Pawar's NCP for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Ajit Pawar addressed the differences between national, state, and local politics
1 minutes ago
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday blasted former US Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats for denouncing the US operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Rubio contended that the Biden administration had been pursuing his arrest for an
1 minutes ago
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal's experimental “Temple” device has once again become a talking point online after a startup founder called it “wild and fascinating”, even as doctors continue to question its scientific basis
1 minutes ago
A “wolf supermoon” is a nickname that combines two distinct ideas: a wolf moon and a supermoon. The January 2026 wolf supermoon occurred late last week, reaching the peak of its brightness on January 2 evening (IST). ‘Wolf moon' is a traditional name for the first full moon that
1 minutes ago
South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung is meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping as he seeks to reset frayed ties with his country's biggest trading partner. Regional security and Beijing's unofficial ban on Korean pop culture are also on the agenda for Monday's meeting
1 minutes ago
There's no sugar-coating it: Manchester United are in full-blown chaos, and they've just poured petrol on the fire. The club have officially sacked Ruben Amorim just 14 months after appointing him, a decision taken by the senior leadership team led by CEO Omar Berrada and Director of Football Jason
1 minutes ago
Strolling through the streets of Qatar's man-made islands, you'll encounter a new indulgence at every turn. This lavish, community-led lifestyle finds its finest expression at The Pearl, a man-made island off Doha's coast. With sun-drenched promenades lined with designer boutiques
1 minutes ago
Sydney loses more days to rain than any ground in Test cricket. Drizzle arrived in the final moments of day two of the fifth Ashes Test but this was a day English misery poured. Joe Root's fine 160 put them in a decent position - a rare example of England putting up a score in this series with 384
1 minutes ago
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter's residence in the national capital. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter's residence in the national capital on Monday
1 minutes ago
BofA has also upgraded its India GDP estimate for fiscal year 2027 to 6.8 per cent, compared to the previous estimate of 6.5 per cent for FY27. New Delhi: As the Indian economy continues to grow over robust policy reforms and strong consumption
1 minutes ago
Your current health isn't just about the present; it's a glimpse into the years ahead. Beyond weight and BMI, key metabolic markers reveal more about long-term risks. Monitoring these key indicators early allows you to spot potential issues before they turn into serious problems
1 minutes ago
Long before conversations around female objectification became common, Smita Patil was already questioning the system. At a time when glamour was being pushed as the easiest way to sell films, Smita stood her ground and spoke openly about how women were being used as marketing tools in cinema
1 minutes ago
Gold prices climbed on Monday (January 5, 2026) and other precious metals surged, after the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend, escalating geopolitical tensions and lifting safe-haven demand. As of 0508 GMT, spot gold rose 1.8% to $4,406
1 minutes ago
BSEB STET Result 2025 OUT: Bihar School Examination Board has officially declared the results for the BSEB Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test (STET) 2025 today at bsebstet.org. BSEB STET Result 2025 OUT: Bihar School Examination Board has officially declared the results for the BSEB Secondary
1 minutes ago
Bihar STET 2025 Result Date: The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB), Patna is expected to announce the results of the Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test (STET) 2025 soon, according to reports. Candidates who appeared for the examination will be able to check and download their scorecards from
1 minutes ago
The Rajasthan government has made daily newspaper reading compulsory in all government schools in an effort to promote reading habits, improve vocabulary and enhance general awareness among students. According to a December 31 order, students will be required to read newspapers for at least 10
1 minutes ago
