ECI publishes draft electoral rolls in Bengal; over 58 lakh names deleted under SIR
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) published West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls of West Bengal following SIR, with officials indicating that the names of more than 58 lakh voters have been deleted on various grounds, including death, migration and non-submission of enumeration forms. After these deletions, the State’s draft electoral rolls are expected to carry the names of 7,08,16,631 voters, 58,20,898 fewer than 7,66,37,529, which was the electorate before SIR, according to official data.
Declared ‘dead’ in draft rolls, Trinamool councillor walks into crematorium, demands own last rites
A Trinamool Congress councillor on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) walked into a crematorium near Kolkata and demanded that his last rites be performed, claiming that the Election Commission of India (ECI) listed him among the “dead” in the draft electoral rolls. A booth-wise list of the deceased and migrated voters was released ahead of West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls earlier in the day. Surya Dey, the Trinamool councillor of Dankuni Municipality’s Ward 18, said that while checking the lists linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, he claimed his name figured among the “dead”, though he had filled and submitted his enumeration form to the booth-level officer.
Trinamool says Bengal draft rolls ‘puncture’ BJP’s ‘one crore Rohingyas’ claim as ‘ghost voters’ at 1.83L
The ruling Trinamool Congress on said that West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls published on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) under the ECI’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) have sharply undercut BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s claim that the state hosts “one crore Rohingyas and Bangladeshis”, with the number of voters identified as ‘fake’ or ‘ghost’ pegged at 1,83,328. The draft rolls, released after a month of enumeration, verification and scrutiny ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, detailed deletions on grounds ranging from death and permanent migration to duplication and non-submission of enumeration forms.
West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns over chaos at Lionel Messi’s event at Salt Lake stadium
West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) resigned over the chaos at Lionel Messi’s event at Salt Lake stadium on December 13. Mr. Biswas tendered his resignation to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who accepted the Minister’s request. “As per the enclosed letter, I appreciate the sentiment and intention of the Sports Minister to offer a relief from the Sports Department for the sake of impartial inquiry into the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) incident on 13th December, 2025,” a letter signed by the Chief Minister said.
One of two Bondi Beach attackers is an Indian, last visited Hyderabad in 2022: Indian officials
Sajid Akram, 50, one of the two Bondi Beach attackers who killed at least 16 people at a Jewish event on Sunday (December 14, 2025) in Australia, is from Hyderabad, Indian government officials who ran a background check on the deceased told The Hindu. He last came to India in 2022. After migrating to Australia on a student’s visa in 1998, Akram, a resident of Tolichowki in Hyderabad, came to India only on “two-three occasions,” officials said.
Bondi Beach shooting: Three Indian students among those injured, says report
Three Indian students were among 40 people injured in the terrorist attack on Sydney’s Bondi Beach in Australia, according to a media report on Tuesday (December 16, 2025). Two out of these three students are believed to be receiving treatment in the hospital, The Australia Today news portal reported. The names of the Indian students injured during Sunday’s attack have not been disclosed yet.
Supreme Court hearing on SIR: Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay submits SIR should be conducted at regular intervals
The Supreme Court continued hearing on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) petitions challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to undertake a special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across several States. Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay submits that SIR should be conducted during regular intervals to weed out illegal aliens. In the brief sitting today, the CJI Surya Kant said the case would be posted on Wednesday (December 17, 2025), and that Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi could outline his arguments if time permits. Or else, he could begin in earnest on December 18.
Policeman killed in Udhampur encounter; operation under way as terrorists flee into forests
A policeman was killed in an ongoing anti-terror operation in Jammu’s Udhampur on Tuesday (December 16, 2025). “A small team of SOG (Special Operation Group) had an encounter with three terrorists, and our officer, Amjad Ali Khan, was hit during the firing. We tried to rescue him but lost him due to the excessive blood loss,” Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bhim Sen Tuti said.
Lok Sabha refers Bill to set up higher education commission to joint committee of Parliament
The Lok Sabha on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) passed a resolution to refer a bill to set up a 13-member body for regulating higher education institutions to a joint committee of Parliament. The proposal was moved by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and it was approved by voice vote in the House. While introducing the Bill on Monday (December 15), the government said it would like the ‘Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill’ to be sent to a joint panel of both Houses.
Government introduces Bill in Lok Sabha to hike FDI in insurance sector to 100%
A Bill seeking to raise Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the insurance sector to 10% was on Tuesday (December 16) introduced in the Lok Sabha amid strong protest from the Opposition. The Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Act, 2025, seeks to amend the Insurance Act, 1938, the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956, and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999, as per the Bill circulated to members of Parliament.
Supreme Court agrees to hear Justice Yashwant Varma’s plea challenging constitution of Inquiry Panel
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) agreed to hear Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma’s plea challenging the constitution of an Inquiry Committee by Lok Sabha Speaker to probe corruption charges against him. The Inquiry Committee comprises Supreme Court judge Aravind Kumar, Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, and senior Karnataka High Court advocate B.V. Acharya.
Supreme Court suggests cases involving ‘hardcore, professional’ criminals could be taken over by NIA
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) suggested the National Investigation Agency (NIA) takeover of cases prosecuted under central penal laws involving “organised, professional and hardcore” criminals. A Bench of Chief Justices of India Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said these cases could be transferred to special courts exclusively trying NIA cases in Delhi.
No fuel for vehicles without valid PUC from December 18: Delhi Minister Sirsa
Vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate will not be allowed to refuel at petrol pumps in the national capital from Thursday (December 18, 2025), Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said. On Tuesday (December 16, 2025), Mr. Sirsa said owners have been given one day to comply with the rule. “After tomorrow, vehicles that do not have a valid PUC certificate will not be provided fuel,” he said.
Goa nightclub fire: Luthra brothers deported from Thailand, taken into police custody
Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa where 25 people were killed in a fire, were deported from Thailand on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) and taken into custody by Delhi and Goa police as soon as they landed in Delhi. The brothers arrived in the Indian capital in an Indigo flight and were immediately handed over to authorities for further legal proceedings, 10 days after a blaze tore through the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora in North Goa.
Jaishankar arrives in Israel on two-day visit; to hold talks with top leadership
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in Israel on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) on a two-day visit during which he will hold talks with the country’s top leadership on bilateral and regional issues. The visit comes as preparations are underway for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed trip to India.
China reiterates demand that Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi retract remarks about Taiwan
China on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) reiterated its demand that Japan retract Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks about Taiwan, more than a month after Ms. Takaichi said an attack on the democratically governed island could be deemed an existential threat to Japan. “On key issues, Japan is still ‘squeezing toothpaste’ and ‘burying nails’, attempting to obfuscate and muddle through,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during a regular press briefing, adding that Beijing is “firmly opposed to this”.
Russia rules out territorial concessions in talks on Ukraine: report
Russia is not willing to make any territorial concessions in talks on ending the Ukraine war, State news agency TASS quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Tuesday (December 16, 2025). It said Mr. Ryabkov was talking about the Donbas, Crimea and the swathe of land that Moscow calls “Novorossiya”.
Pakistan seeks oil deal with Russia as energy ministries hold talks: report
Russia and Pakistan are in talks on a potential oil-sector agreement, Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told RIA news agency in remarks published on Tuesday (December 16, 2025). “All of these areas are Russia’s strengths. And we would be very happy if Russia agreed on an agreement in this sector with Pakistan,” Aurangzeb told RIA in an interview when asked about wider cooperation in exploration, production and refining between the two countries.
Search for Brown University shooter continues as questions swirl about U.S. campus security
Authorities knocked on doors and scoured yards Monday (December 15, 2025) in search of any video or other evidence that might lead them to the Brown University gunman, whose face was covered or not visible in footage captured before and after the weekend attack that killed two students and wounded nine others.
IPL 2026 Auction: CSK goes big on youth, pays ₹14.2 crore each for uncapped Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma
Chennai Super Kings splurged a record-breaking ₹28.4 crore for uncapped Uttar Pradesh spinner Prashant Veer and wicketkeeper batter Kartik Sharma, both going for ₹14.2 crore each. Veer, 20-year-old, has featured in just nine T20 games for Uttar Pradesh in his young career. But as an accurate left-arm spinner and big-hitting left-hand batter, he had done his bit in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season to garner the interest of Chennai Super Kings in particular. Given that CSK has parted ways with Ravindra Jadeja, the franchise’s keenness to rope in a youngster in Jadeja’s mould was expected.
