First Phase Of Pan-India SIR Announced; Justice Surya Kant To Be Next CJI; And More

Election Commission Orders Voter Roll Revision in 12 States, 51 Crore Electors to Submit Forms

The Election Commission on Monday announced a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 12 states and Union Territories, requiring all 51 crore registered voters to submit enumeration forms by December 4 to remain on the draft roll.

The exercise covers Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

Electors unable to trace themselves to the 2002-2005 intensive revision rolls must submit eligibility documents. The EC has expanded acceptable documents from 11 to 13, adding Aadhaar (for identity, not citizenship) and Bihar SIR roll extracts. Those born after July 1, 1987, must provide documents for themselves and their parents.

House-to-house enumeration by 5.33 lakh booth officers begins November 4, with the draft roll publishing December 9 and final roll on February 7, 2026. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the move addresses long-standing political party complaints about electoral roll impurity due to migration, duplicate registrations, and deceased voters.

Cyclone Montha Intensifies, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha Brace for Landfall Tonight

Cyclone Montha intensified into a severe cyclonic storm on Monday, with Andhra Pradesh and Odisha rushing evacuations ahead of expected landfall near Kakinada tonight. Packing winds up to 110 kmph, the storm has unleashed heavy rain across coastal areas.

The India Meteorological Department located Montha 190 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam and 340 km south of Visakhapatnam on Monday morning, expected to cross between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam by evening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured Andhra Pradesh of central assistance as the state battles flooding and high tides.

Six Visakhapatnam-Chennai flights were cancelled, with IndiGo advising passengers to check status amid "prevailing cyclone conditions". Railways cancelled multiple services, including short-terminating the Howrah-Jagdalpur Samaleswari Express at Rayagada.

Other developments

Two US Navy Aircraft Crash in South China Sea, All Crew Survive

A US Navy fighter jet and helicopter from aircraft carrier USS Nimitz crashed into the South China Sea within 30 minutes on Sunday, with all five personnel surviving. Three crew members aboard the MH-60R Seahawk were rescued, while two F/A-18F Super Hornet aviators ejected safely.

The Nimitz, the Navy's oldest active carrier, is returning to Naval Base Kitsap after Middle East deployment responding to Houthi attacks. This is its final deployment before decommissioning.

The incidents follow recent USS Harry S Truman accidents, including a cruiser mistakenly shooting down a fighter jet and an F/A-18 rolling into the Red Sea, raising concerns about maintenance standards and operational fatigue across the carrier fleet.

Bangladesh's Yunus Gifts Pakistan Military Chief Book with Distorted India Map

Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Mohammed Yunus presented a book to Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General Sahir Shamshad Mirza on Saturday depicting parts of northeast India as Bangladeshi territory. The controversial map appeared on the book's cover during their meeting at Dhaka's Jamuna state guest house.

India has not officially responded, though the Ministry of External Affairs lodged a strong protest last December when student adviser Mahfuz Alam posted a similar expanded Bangladesh map on social media, which was subsequently removed.

Supreme Court Summons Chief Secretaries Over Stray Dog Management Non-Compliance

The Supreme Court on Monday reprimanded states and Union Territories for ignoring its August 22 directive on stray dog management, ordering Chief Secretaries—except West Bengal, Telangana, and Delhi's MCD—to appear personally on November 3.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria noted only three compliance affidavits were filed despite eight weeks elapsing. "No response, nothing," Justice Nath remarked, warning of costs and coercive measures.

The August order had modified earlier directives requiring all strays be sheltered, instead mandating sterilised, vaccinated dogs be released into their localities—excluding rabid or aggressive animals. Authorities were directed to designate feeding zones, establish helplines, and penalize obstruction.

Treating it as a pan-India issue, the court seeks uniform national policy under Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023.

CJI Gavai Recommends Justice Surya Kant as Next Chief Justice of India

Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai has formally recommended Justice Surya Kant to succeed him as the 53rd Chief Justice of India, conveying the recommendation to the Union Law Ministry.

Justice Kant, currently the senior-most judge after CJI Gavai, is set to assume office following the convention of appointing the senior-most eligible judge. CJI Gavai retires on November 23, 2025.

Justice Gavai, elevated in May 2019 and appointed CJI in May 2025, has authored around 300 judgments across constitutional, civil, criminal, and environmental law during his tenure on over 700 benches.

Justice Kant, who joined the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019, chairs the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee. Born in Hisar, he previously served as Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice and Haryana's youngest Advocate General. He will retire on February 9, 2027.

Ayodhya Ram Temple Construction Completed, PM Modi to Hoist Flag on November 25

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust announced Monday that all construction work for Ayodhya's Ram Temple has been completed. The main temple and six subsidiary shrines dedicated to Mahadev, Ganesh, Hanuman, Suryadev, Maa Bhagwati, Maa Annapurna, and Sheshavatar are finished, with flags and kalash installed.

Seven mandapas honoring Rishis Valmiki, Vashishtha, Vishwamitra, Agastya, Nishadraj, Shabari, and Devi Ahilya, plus the Sant Tulsidas Temple, are complete. Statues of Jatayu and the sacred squirrel have been installed.

Devotee facilities including pathways and darshan areas are operational. Larsen & Toubro is finishing road work while GMR handles landscaping. The boundary wall, Trust office, and guest house remain under construction.

Prime Minister Modi will hoist the temple flag during a grand ceremony on November 25.

Bihar election corner

Prashant Kishor Enrolled as Voter in Two States: Bengal and Bihar

A leading national daily reported that Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor is enrolled as a voter in both West Bengal and Bihar.

In Bengal, Kishor's address is listed as 121 Kalighat Road—the Trinamool Congress office in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Bhabanipur constituency—where he worked as political consultant during the 2021 Assembly polls. His polling station is St Helen School.

In Bihar, he's registered under Sasaram parliamentary constituency in Kargahar assembly seat, with his paternal village Konar as address.

Although, this phenomenon is not rare. The Election Commission in fact cited multiple enrollments as a key reason for Bihar's Special Intensive Revision, which removed 7 lakh duplicate entries.

INDI Alliance to Release Bihar Election Manifesto Today

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and INDI Alliance chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav will release its manifesto for the Bihar Assembly election on today, October 28.

Yadav earlier told the press the manifesto will address the needs of youth, farmers, workers, women, and senior citizens, while outlining the path for education, health, and law and order reforms in the state.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will join the election campaign from October 29, conducting joint rallies in Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga districts alongside other INDIA bloc candidates.