Pioneer in short
Assam SR: Over 2.43 lakh names deleted
After a Special Revision (SR), the Election Commission on Tuesday published the final electoral roll for poll-bound Assam, deleting over 2.43 lakh names from the draft list. The final roll has 2.49 crore voters, a decline of 0.97 per cent from the draft roll of 2.52 crore published on December 27, according to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). The list comprises nearly 1.25 crore men, over 1.24 crore women and 343 third-gender voters. During the SR exercise, authorities identified 4.78 lakh deceased electors, 5.23 lakh voters who had shifted residence and 53,619 multiple entries, with changes reflected only after the claims and objections process. The CEO said electors whose names were deleted as “permanently shifted” can seek inclusion under provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, either by appeal or by filing Form 6 at their new address. District election officers have been directed to conduct rigorous checks while processing such applications. The revision has triggered political controversy, with opposition parties alleging voter harassment ahead of the Assam Assembly elections due in a few months.
Macron to visit India from Feb 17
French President Emmanuel Macron will undertake a three-day visit to India beginning February 17, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Tuesday. Macron will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi besides attending the AI Impact summit. Both the leaders will hold discussions on strengthening bilateral cooperation across a wide spectrum of areas, the MEA said. In addition, the leaders will discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest, including cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, it said. Modi and Macron will also be in Mumbai to jointly inaugurate the ‘India-France Year of Innovation’, the MEA said in a statement.
US leader seeks to end H-1B
A Republican lawmaker in the US has introduced a bill seeking to end the H-1B visa programme, alleging that it has been misused by corporations to import cheaper foreign labour at the expense of American workers. US Representative Greg Steube of Florida tabled the “Ending Exploitative Imported Labour Exemptions (EXILE) Act”, which proposes amending the Immigration and Nationality Act to scrap the H-1B system altogether. Steube said prioritising foreign labour undermines US national interests and claimed the programme has displaced American workers and graduates. The statement accompanying the bill said over 80 per cent of H-1B recipients are Indian or Chinese nationals. It cited instances of job losses at major companies, including Disney, Microsoft and Southern California Edison, allegedly linked to H-1B hiring.
