SIR 2.0 draft rolls: 13% electors deleted in nine states, three UTs

A total of 6.56 crore electors, or nearly 13% of the registered electors, in nine states and three Union Territories have been deleted from the draft rolls in the second round of the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls - an increase from the 8.3% deletions seen in the first round of SIR in Bihar last year.

The Donroe Doctrine and a dangerous new world

Today, Venezuela is more than a Latin American crisis. It has become a stage on which a new expression of American power is being articulated with unusual clarity. What is being called the "Donroe Doctrine" owes its name to two parents: The 19th-century "Monroe Doc-trine" and the 21st-century worldview of Donald Trump. From President James Monroe, in 1823, came the assertion that the Western Hemisphere constitutes a special strategic space in which external powers have no legitimate role. From Trump in 2026 comes unapologetic primacy, readiness to use force, and the belief that the United States may not only intervene but also supervise political outcomes. This fusion produces the Donroe Doctrine: An explicit claim not just to influence, but to guardianship.

Compassion for stray dogs reflects constitutional ethos

The Supreme Court (SC) is the ultimate protector of our Constitution. Its decisions matter for all who live in its jurisdiction, and also internationally as India's power rises. The choice of Vasudhaiva Kutum-bakam (that the entire Earth - with all its human and more-than-human beings-forms one family) as the theme of its G20 presidency was a pioneering move, highlighting the importance of planetary rights. This is why the SC's suo motu writs with reference to stray animals matter more than ever.

UAPA's ever-widening definition of terrorism

In Denying bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots case, the Supreme Court Monday relied on an expansive statutory definition of a "terrorist act". Both Khalid and Imam are accused under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), India's principal antiterror law.

At the heart of SC's reasoning lies UAPA Section 15, which defines terrorism in exceptionally broad terms. The provision goes beyond specifying weapons such as explosives, firearms, or poisons and includes acts committed through "any other means."

'The Chinese are using ambiguity on the LAC and unsettled borders as a pressure point against us'

China's 'grey-zone' tactics

• Over the last decade or so, China has increasingly asserted its contested territorial claims, including through "grey zone operations".

• Under this strategy, it incrementally tries changing the situation on the ground, while staying under the thresh-old of an outright military conflict.

India's trade deficit with FTA countries widening: Niti Aayog

At a time when India is accelerating free-trade agreement (FTA) negotiations to diversify exports and soften the impact of US tariffs, a Niti Aayog report has said that India's trade deficit with its FTA partner countries is rising sharply, but exports from sunrise industries such as electronics are growing foot-hold globally.