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In a recent <keyword id="19895345" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Supreme Court" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Supreme Court">Supreme Court</keyword> decision, Justice J.B. Pardiwala raised a red flag regarding <keyword id="23574724" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Section-6A" source="keywords">Section 6A</keyword> of the <keyword id="20932920" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Citizenship-Act" source="keywords">Citizenship Act</keyword> of 1955, a provision that grants citizenship to immigrants who entered <keyword id="19911206" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="assam" source="keywords">Assam</keyword> between 1966 and 1971. While the majority ruling upheld Section 6A as constitutional, <keyword id="23584391" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Justice-Pardiwala" source="keywords">Justice Pardiwala</keyword>’s dissenting opinion suggests that the provision is both arbitrary and prone to abuse. Here’s what you need to know: <h2>What is Section 6A?</h2>Section 6A of the Citizenship Act was introduced in 1985, following the <keyword id="20000897" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Assam-Accord" source="keywords">Assam Accord</keyword>, a historic agreement aimed at addressing the concerns of <keyword id="19959299" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="illegal-immigration" source="keywords">illegal immigration</keyword> in Assam. Under this section, people who entered Assam between January 1, 1966, and March 25, 1971, are eligible for citizenship if they meet certain residency requirements. <h2>Why does Justice Pardiwala think Section 6A is unconstitutional?</h2>Justice Pardiwala argued that Section 6A is problematic because of its “open-ended nature,” which lacks a clear deadline for identifying and deporting illegal immigrants. He emphasised that the provision makes it easier for individuals to exploit the system using forged documents. “The open-ended nature of Section 6A has, with the passage of time, become more prone to abuse due to the advent of forged documents,” he wrote, adding that such documents often provide false dates of entry or inaccurate family histories. Justice Pardiwala argued that Section 6A has become “arbitrary and constitutionally invalid” over time. He believes the lack of a specific timeline for detecting immigrants allows for prolonged misuse, as it gives people an indefinite period to remain in Assam and potentially establish citizenship claims based on falsified information. He further explained that government records deteriorate over time, making it harder to verify or disprove these claims accurately. <h2>What did the majority ruling say?</h2>In contrast to Justice Pardiwala’s dissent, the Supreme Court’s majority opinion, led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, upheld Section 6A. The court ruled that the Assam Accord was intended as a political solution, and the section remains a valid legal mechanism to address Assam’s historical challenges with illegal immigration. This decision was celebrated by the All Assam Students Union (<keyword id="20938945" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AASU" source="keywords">AASU</keyword>), who consider the verdict a “historic” validation of the Assam Accord’s original intent. Matiur Rahman, a former AASU leader and petitioner in the case, expressed disappointment with the verdict, calling it “unfortunate.” Rahman, who has long advocated for using 1951 rather than 1971 as the cut-off year for citizenship eligibility, argued that the ruling jeopardizes the rights of Assam’s indigenous population. “You can’t make Assam a dumping ground for illegal immigrants,” he remarked, suggesting that his organisation may continue to explore legal options to challenge the decision. Justice Pardiwala’s dissent sheds light on ongoing concerns about immigration laws and their long-term effects on local communities in Assam. While the majority ruling supports Section 6A, Pardiwala’s warning raises questions about the effectiveness and fairness of India’s approach to citizenship, as well as the broader implications for Assam’s demographic and political landscape. (With inputs from agencies)

India’s Citizenship Act: What you need to know about Justice Pardiwala’s warning on Section 6A for Assam citizenship

Oscar-winning Hollywood actor and environment activist <keyword id="26566" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="leonardo-dicaprio" source="Orion">Leonardo DiCaprio</keyword> has lauded the <keyword id="6354915" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="assam" source="Orion">Assam</keyword> government for its efforts that has resulted in no poaching of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros in the Indian state in 2022. The Assam government on January 1 announced that for the first time since 1977, there was no case of poaching of the animal in the state in 2022. The actor took to Instagram, where he said: "In 2021, the government of the Indian state of Assam set out to end the poaching of the Endangered Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park following the killing of around 190 animals for their horns between 2000 and 2021." "In 2022, they met their goal and no rhinos were poached in the area for the first time since 1977." The actor called it "good news". "Kaziranga National Park is home to 2,200 greater one-horned rhinos, which is about two-thirds of the world's population. This triumph in India also comes with more good news, as @wwf (<keyword id="95620" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="world-wildlife-fund" source="Orion">World Wildlife Fund</keyword>) also reports that the world population of the rare rhino soared to around 3,700 from about 200 at the turn of the 20th century," he added. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/what-does-it-cost-to-find-love-on-a-dating-app-and-is-the-price-worth-it/articleshow/97775287.cms">What does it cost to find love on a dating app, and is the price worth it?</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/srks-dilwale-dulhania-le-jayenge-is-set-for-a-wider-release-on-valentines-day/articleshow/97793277.cms">SRK's Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is set for a wider release on Valentine's Day</a>

Leonardo DiCaprio praises Assam govt for zero rhino poaching

The pre-monsoon season hasn’t started on a pleasant note for <keyword id="6354915" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="assam" source="Orion">Assam</keyword>. Every year, the rainy season brings destruction to the most-populated northeastern state. It brings chaos, displacing thousands of people and animals, and damaging crops and properties worth billions. However, this time, the monsoons are yet to arrive and according to the <keyword id="645470" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="assam-state-disaster-management-authority" source="Orion">Assam State Disaster Management Authority</keyword> (ASDMA), at least <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/over-four-lakh-people-affected-as-pre-monsoon-rains-trigger-floods-in-assam/articleshow/91632004.cms">4 lakh people have been affected and 24 people</a> have lost their lives so far due to the floods which have ravaged the state. On May 24, Assam floods witnessed a surge in the death toll, as it rose to 25 and 6.5 lakh people remained affected. These <a href="https://weather.com/en-IN/india/news/news/2022-05-24-assam-floods-improve-but-rains-prevail-over-northeast-india">6,50,402</a> affected, which include 1,25,471 children, reside in 1,709 villages based in 22 of the state's 34 districts. Close to 82,503 hectares of crop areas in flood-hit areas also remain affected. <div type="image" title="Flood hazard map of Assam, where colours represent different hazard classes" msid="91820351" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Flood hazard map of Assam, where colours represent different hazard classes&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Why are floods an annual occurrence in the state of Assam? Assam is one of the most flood-prone states in India and it has almost become an annual calamity. In terms of impact on <a href="https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/07/20/assam-floods/">human lives</a>, the floods of 1988, 1998 and 2004 were the worst – the 2004 floods alone affected 12.4 million people and claimed 251 lives. According to the Assam government, the <a href="https://waterresources.assam.gov.in/portlets/flood-erosion-problems#:~:text=The%20flood%20prone%20area%20of%20the%20country%20as%20a%20whole,prone%20area%20of%20the%20country.">flood-prone area</a> of the state is 31.05 lakh hectares, against a total area of 78.523 lakh hectares – this means nearly 40% of the state’s area is flood-prone. Overall, Assam accounts for nearly 10% of the total flood-prone area of the country. The average <a href="https://waterresources.assam.gov.in/portlets/flood-erosion-problems#:~:text=The%20flood%20prone%20area%20of%20the%20country%20as%20a%20whole,prone%20area%20of%20the%20country.">annual loss</a> due to floods in Assam is to the tune of ₹200 crore and particularly in 1998, the loss suffered was about ₹500 crore and during the year 2004 it was about ₹771.00 crore. Apart from the natural topography and annual excessive rainfall in Assam, there are various reasons – both man-made and natural – behind the destructive floods that hit Assam every year. Assam is home to a vast network of rivers, including the Brahmaputra and Barak River, and more than 50 tributaries feeding them. Assam also receives river water from <a href="https://waterresources.assam.gov.in/portlets/flood-erosion-problems#:~:text=The%20flood%20prone%20area%20of%20the%20country%20as%20a%20whole,prone%20area%20of%20the%20country.">neighboring states</a> like Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. <a href="https://waterresources.assam.gov.in/portlets/flood-erosion-problems#:~:text=The%20flood%20prone%20area%20of%20the%20country%20as%20a%20whole,prone%20area%20of%20the%20country.">In 2004 and 2014</a>, the south bank tributaries of the Brahmaputra in lower Assam experienced flash floods of high magnitude due to cloud bursts in the catchment areas in Meghalaya. A similar incident occurred in <a href="https://waterresources.assam.gov.in/portlets/flood-erosion-problems#:~:text=The%20flood%20prone%20area%20of%20the%20country%20as%20a%20whole,prone%20area%20of%20the%20country.">Arunachal Pradesh in 2011</a>, further aggravating floods in Assam. Bank erosion caused by the river Brahmaputra is one of the major reasons why Assam gets flooded every year. It means the removal of soil, sediment, or rock fragments along the banks, which results from high water flow. Due to erosion, the width of the river increases and it changes its course. According to the Assam government, more than <a href="https://waterresources.assam.gov.in/portlets/flood-erosion-problems#:~:text=The%20flood%20prone%20area%20of%20the%20country%20as%20a%20whole,prone%20area%20of%20the%20country.">4.27 lakh hectares</a> of land, which is 7.40 % area of the state, has been eroded by the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries since 1950. The width of the river Brahmaputra has increased up to 15 kilometres at some places due to bank erosion, making it the widest river in India. It is estimated that annually nearly 8,000 hectares land is lost to erosion. The surveys carried out at different periods reflect an alarming picture regarding the widening of river Brahmaputra which is as follows: <div type="image" title="River Brahmaputra has been widening at an alarming rate" msid="91820475" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;River Brahmaputra has been widening at an alarming rate&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Floods are also caused by human intervention – like encroachment of river banks and wetlands, lack of drainage, unplanned urban growth, hill cutting and deforestation. The dams that are being built are further aggravating these disasters. Government measures to control floods in Assam In 1982, the <keyword id="905955" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="brahmaputra-board" source="Orion">Brahmaputra Board</keyword> suggested that dams and reservoirs be built to mitigate floods in Assam. While dams are meant to regulate the flow of water, they can also be beyond the capacity of the channels downstream, proving to be a double-edged sword. The <keyword id="14039836" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="water-resources-department-of-assam" source="Orion">Water Resources Department of Assam</keyword> has constructed embankments and flood walls across the state. River training, bank protection, anti-erosion and town protection are also in the works. Here’s how their plan has progressed thus far: <div type="image" title="Assam govt&amp;#39;s measures to control floods in the state" msid="91820500" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Assam govt&amp;#39;s measures to control floods in the state&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Here's a short video <div type="image" title="Why Assam gets flooded every year" msid="91820530" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Why Assam gets flooded every year&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

SIMPLY PUT: Why Assam gets flooded every year

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> is taking a leaf from <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>'s <keyword id="48933" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="population">population</keyword> playbook with a proposed two-child policy in two states.</li><li>The two-child policy in Uttar Pradesh would give cash benefits to couples who opt for voluntary sterilization.</li><li>Meanwhile, those who choose to have more than two kids could have their government subsidies taken away.</li></ul>On <a href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-population-day">World Population Day</a> on July 11, India proposed a series of fresh population control measures reminiscent of China's two-child policy.The slate of proposed measures was announced in two states - <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/up-law-panel-proposes-two-child-population-policy-all-you-need-to-know-101625905036415.html">Uttar Pradesh</a>, the most populous state in India that is <a href="https://www.populationu.com/in/uttar-pradesh-population">home to more than 240 million people</a>, and Assam, in northeastern India.While the country has not yet adopted China's now-overturned policy of <a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202012/1210955.shtml">fining couples for having more than two children</a>, these statewide proposals are an attempt to control its fast-increasing population numbers. India is currently expected to overtake China as the world's most populous country by 2027, per a <a href="https://population.un.org/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2019_Highlights.pdf">2019 UN report.</a> <a href="https://www.unicef.org/india/key-data#:~:text=With%20the%20birth%20of%2025,first%2024%20hours%20after%20birth.">UNICEF</a> estimates that around 25 million children are born every year in India, accounting for a fifth of the world's annual births.And much of this booming population growth is happening in Uttar Pradesh, which - if it were considered a country - would be the world's fifth-largest nation, <a href="https://www.census.gov/popclock/print.php?component=counter">just behind the US and Indonesia</a>. Uttar Pradesh's proposed new approach to managing its population <a href="https://www.firstpost.com/india/yogi-adityanath-releases-uttar-pradeshs-new-population-policy-for-2021-2030-9796391.html">will span the next decade</a>. Titled the <a href="https://www.firstpost.com/india/uttar-pradesh-govt-to-release-new-population-policy-for-2021-2030-today-9795811.html">"New Population Policy,"</a> the proposed <a href="https://www.firstpost.com/india/no-govt-job-no-subsidies-for-those-with-more-than-two-kids-says-up-govts-draft-population-control-law-9793891.html">measures</a> would reward those who stick to having two kids, and punish those who have more than two.Most drastically, Uttar Pradesh's <a href="https://www.livelaw.in/pdf_upload/up-population-control-bill-draft-396420.pdf">draft bill on population management</a> states that couples with two children who opt for voluntary sterilization would get incentives. If one member of the couple goes under the knife for voluntary sterilization, the family could get a range of benefits including tax rebates, subsidies for home purchases, and receiving cash back on their power and utility bills.At the same time, the proposed Uttar Pradesh policy regulations would bar those who have more than two children from receiving any government subsidies, applying for jobs in the local government, and running for political office in local elections, per the <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/explained-what-is-uttar-pradeshs-population-draft-bill/articleshow/84318025.cms">Times of India</a>."Increasing population is the root of major problems including inequality prevailing in the society. Population control is the primary condition for the establishment of an advanced society," wrote Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on <a href="https://twitter.com/myogiadityanath/status/1414023266323165186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1414023266323165186%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.firstpost.com%2Findia%2Futtar-pradesh-govt-to-release-new-population-policy-for-2021-2030-today-9795811.htmlhtml">Twitter</a> on July 11."Let us on World Population Day take a pledge to make ourselves and the society aware of the problems arising from the increasing population," he added. The draft bill on population control in Uttar Pradesh is currently open for public consultation <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/up-law-panel-moots-proposals-to-promote-two-child-norm/article35251590.ece">until July 19</a>. From there, the bill will be <a href="https://accountabilityindia.in/blog/the-process-of-lawmaking-in-india/">moved to the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly to be read and debated</a> before it can be written into law. In <a href="https://www.census2011.co.in/census/state/assam.html">Assam</a>, where 36 million people live, the state's chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/jul/05/assam-to-form-sub-groups-to-contain-its-population-2325548.html">announced</a> on Sunday that a "population stabilization" roadmap will be developed by the state government. Sarma <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/assam-cm-meets-muslimteam-on-population-control-101625425324376.html">earlier hinted on June 18</a> that he would introduce plans to make having two children the norm, by withholding subsidies and other benefits to those who choose to have more than two kids. Assam in 2016 recorded a fertility rate of 2.3 children per family, per <a href="http://niti.gov.in/content/total-fertility-rate-tfr-birth-woman">statistics from the Indian government</a>."Population explosion in some parts of Assam has posed a real threat to the development of the state," Sarma said on Sunday to the <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/what-is-two-child-policy-what-assam-and-uttar-pradesh-have-proposed-101625911705691.html">Hindustan Times</a>.India's population control plans come just as China relaxes its two-child limit.On May 31, China <a href="https://www.insider.com/china-3-child-policy-combat-aging-population-2021-5">announced a landmark policy shift to allow couples to have three children</a> in an attempt at <a href="https://www.insider.com/chinas-3-child-policy-wont-work-heres-why-2021-6">raising its flagging birth rate</a>. The change comes five years after the country's 2016 decision to <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/120114/understanding-chinas-one-child-policy.asp#:~:text=History%20of%20China's%20One%2DChild%20Policy,-Increased%20Population%20Growth&amp;text=Chinese%20leader%20Deng%20Xiaoping%20introduced,Republic%20of%20China%20in%201949.%201949.">scrap its one-child policy</a> and raise the quota to two-kids-per-family.

India is proposing a 2-child policy to keep its population under control, and it includes cash benefits for couples who opt for voluntary sterilization

The government is all set to carry out two mega exercises -- the Census and the update of the <keyword id="101292" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Population-Register">National Population Register</keyword> (NPR) across the country involving every resident next year. Below are the objectives, characteristics and differences between the NPR and the Census. The National Population Register (NPR):
 The NPR is a register of usual residents of the country. It is being prepared at the local (village/sub-town), subdistrict, district, state and national level under provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.
 A usual resident is defined, for the purposes of the NPR, as a person who has resided in a local area for the past six months or more, or a person who intends to reside in that area for the next six months. The law compulsorily seeks to register every citizen of India and issue a national identity card.
 The NPR exercise will be carried out between April and September 2020 in all states and UTs, except Assam, along with the house listing phase of the census exercise.
 Assam has been excluded because the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise has already been conducted in the state.
 The objective of the NPR, being carried out under the aegis of the Registrar General and ex-Officio Census Commissioner, India, is to create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country. The database would contain demographic as well as biometric particulars.
 The demographic details of every individual are required for every usual resident: name, relationship to head of household, father's name, mother's name, spouse's name (if married), sex, date of birth, marital status, place of birth, nationality (as declared), present address of usual residence, duration of stay at present address, permanent residential address, occupation, educational qualification.
 The data for NPR was last collected in 2010 along with the house listing phase of the Census 2011. Updating of this data was done during 2015 by conducting door to door survey.
 A gazette notification for the forthcoming NPR has been published by the central government in August.
 On Tuesday, the Union Cabinet approved funds to the tune of over Rs 8,500 crore for the NPR exercise. 
 The Census:
 The decennial census is the largest single source of a variety of statistical information on different characteristics of the people of India conducted on the basis of the Census Act enacted in 1948.
 The census, 2021 will be done in two phases. In the first phase, the work of house-listing or housing census will be conducted from April to September, 2020. In the second phase, the enumeration of population will be done from February 9 to February 28, 2021 with reference moment as 00:00 hours of March 1, 2021.
 For snow-bound areas in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be October 1, 2020.
 The census is the basis for reviewing the country's progress in the past decade, monitoring the ongoing schemes of the government and plan for the future.
 The census provides detailed and authentic information on demography, economic activity, literacy and education, housing and household amenities, urbanisation, fertility and mortality, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, language, religion, migration, disability besides others.
 The enumerators also collect data related to cultivators and agricultural labourers, their sex, occupational classification of workers in non-households industry, trade, business, profession or service by class of worker and sex.
 There will be detailed survey on gender and literacy rate, number of towns, slum households and their population.
 Information is also collected on sources of potable water, energy, irrigation, method of farming, whether a house is concrete, thatched or others.
 With a history of more than 130 years, this reliable, time tested exercise has been bringing out a veritable wealth of statistics every 10 years, beginning from 1872 when the first census was conducted in India non-synchronously in different parts.
 The government of India decided in May 1949 to initiate steps for developing systematic collection of statistics on the size of population, its growth, etc., and established an organisation in the Ministry of Home Affairs under Registrar General and ex-Officio Census Commissioner, India.
 This organisation was made responsible for generating data on population statistics including vital statistics and census. Later, this office was also entrusted with the responsibility of implementation of Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 in the country. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-will-spend-rs-8500-crore-for-updating-the-national-population-register/articleshow/72952994.cms">India will spend ₹8,500 crore for updating the national population register</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/assam-national-register-of-citizens-excludes-1-9-million/articleshow/70920758.cms">1.9 million people left out of Assam's National Register of Citizens</a> <a href="http://businessinsider.in/india/news/indian-government-releases-five-clauses-to-acquire-indian-citizenship/articleshow/72908709.cms">Indian government outlines conditions for Indian citizenship -- depending on when you were born</a>

Everything you need to know about the Census and National Population Register update

The <keyword id="40807" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-Commission">Election Commission</keyword> is confident of holding the five <keyword id="6372725" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="assembly-polls">assembly polls</keyword> due early next year, including in <keyword id="6357713" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> and <keyword id="6354953" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="punjab">Punjab</keyword>, on time as the poll panel has gained a lot of experience from the electoral exercise in Bihar, West Bengal and four other assemblies amid the coronavirus pandemic, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra has asserted. The terms of the legislative assemblies of Goa, Manipur, Punjab and Uttarakhand are coming to an end in March 2022, while the term of the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly is scheduled to end in May. "That is the foremost duty of the Election Commission that we should hold the <keyword id="6355644" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="elections">elections</keyword> and submit the list of the winning candidates (to the governor) before the term of the assembly expires," Chandra told In an interview. He was asked whether the poll panel will be able to hold the assembly polls due in five states on time due to Covid-19 as recently it has deferred some Lok Sabha and assembly bypolls due to the second wave of Covid-19. Some Rajya Sabha bypolls and biennial legislative council elections were also deferred due to the second wave of the pandemic. "As you are aware that the second wave of COVID-19 is also receding and the numbers (of infections) are quite less. We have done elections in Bihar during the pandemic, we have done elections in four states and one UT. We have experience... We have learned various experiences on how to hold polls during the pandemic also," he said. "I am very much sure that with the receding pandemic now, and I wish the pandemic is over soon, we will absolutely be in a position to hold elections next year which are scheduled in five states on time, as per the schedule," Chandra said. While Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur have BJP-led governments, Punjab has a Congress government. Uttar Pradesh, the country's most populous state, has approximately 14.66 crore voters, while Punjab has over 2 crore electors, according to January 1, 2021 data of the Election Commission. Uttarakhand has 78.15 lakh voters while Manipur has 19.58 lakh and Goa has 11.45 lakh electors. The five states together have an estimated 17.84 crore voters. Ahead of the Bihar polls held last year, the EC had taken various steps to ensure a "Covid-free" election such as allowing people above 80 years of age and those suffering from COVID-19 to use postal ballot and reducing the number of voters per polling station from 1500 to 1000 to ensure distancing norms. The number of polling stations had increased by nearly 80,000 in the four states and one Union Territory due to the distancing norms as a lesser number of voters were allowed per polling station. The same principles were adopted in elections to West Bengal, <keyword id="6354915" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="assam">Assam</keyword>, <keyword id="20154" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>, <keyword id="28504" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala">Kerala</keyword> and Puducherry. However, after it found that Covid safety norms were being flouted in West Bengal during campaigning, the Election Commission had banned roadshows and vehicle rallies in the state and capped the maximum permissible number of people at public meetings at 500. The decision was taken when the last few phases of polls in West Bengal were still to be held. The EC had said at that time that it was noting "with anguish" that many political parties and candidates were still not adhering to the prescribed safety norms during the public gatherings. The Commission had also banned victory processions during and after counting of votes. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/google-photos-alternatives-are-hardly-any-good/articleshow/83138238.cms">Google Photos alternatives are hardly any good – here’s what made the Google service so good</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/economy/news/indias-gdp-has-contracted-five-times-since-1947-but-never-as-bad-as-7-3/articleshow/83135455.cms">India’s GDP has contracted five times since 1947, but never as bad as 7.3%</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/xiaomis-latest-wired-charging-tech-can-fully-charge-a-phone-in-just-8-minutes-and-wirelessly-in-15-minutes/articleshow/83136172.cms">Xiaomi’s latest wired charging tech can fully charge a phone in just 8 minutes and wirelessly in 15 minutes</a>

You Searched For "assam population" and got 6 results

India’s Citizenship Act: What you need to know about Justice Pardiwala’s warning on Section 6A for Assam citizenship

BI India Bureau

Leonardo DiCaprio praises Assam govt for zero rhino poaching

IANS

SIMPLY PUT: Why Assam gets flooded every year

India is proposing a 2-child policy to keep its population under control, and it includes cash benefits for couples who opt for voluntary sterilization

Cheryl Teh

Everything you need to know about the Census and National Population Register update

PTI

India's election commission is confident of holding five state polls in 2022 on time, even as the pandemic continues to spread

PTI

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