Page 2 - Rajiv Kumar

EC will disclose details on electoral bonds in time, says CEC Rajiv Kumar

The Election Commission has received details from the State Bank of India (SBI) related to the electoral bonds and will share all relevant information in time, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said here on Wednesday. The assertion comes in the wake of the Supreme Court directing the SBI to submit the details of the electoral bonds purchased since April 12, 2019 to the EC. SBI is the authorised financial institution to issue the electoral bonds. "The SBI was supposed to submit the data by March 12. They have given to us the details in time. I will go back and look at the data (and) would definitely disclose it in time," Kumar told reporters here. Kumar reached here on Wednesday to review preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. "We are ready for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. We will ensure free and fair elections across the country. We request voters across the country including Jammu and Kashmir to enthusiastically take p

Fully prepared for 2024 parl, Assembly polls in Odisha: CEC Rajiv Kumar

Speaking about violence reported in the last assembly elections in Odisha, the CEC stated that the administration should ensure that incidents of violence are checked in the state

ECI to follow SC's order on electoral bonds issue: Poll panel chief

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday here said the poll panel will act in accordance with the directives of the Supreme Court regarding the electoral bonds scheme. Speaking to reporters, Kumar said the commission always works on the basis of transparency in information flow and involvement. "In its affidavit to the top court, the commission said it is in favour of transparency and when the order is issued, it will take action as directed by the SC," Kumar said. To a question related to a case pending in the SC on conducting elections without EVMs, the chief election commissioner said, "Let the decision comeif required, changes will be made as per the court's direction." In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday struck down the electoral bonds scheme, saying it violates the right to information and the freedom of speech and expression under the Constitution. It has delivered a unanimous verdict on a batch of pleas challenging the legal validity of the cent

Telangana HC declines to rule on published post-revision electoral rolls

The court said that all those not satisfied with the final publication of the electoral rolls have remedies either under Section 22 or 23 of the Representation of People Act

CEC Rajiv Kumar flags voters awareness rally ahead of polls in Rajasthan

A delegation of the Election Commission of India (ECI) spearheaded by CEC Rajiv Kumar arrived in Rajasthan on September 29 to review preparedness for Assembly elections to be held later this year

CEC Rajiv Kumar signs MoU with Seychelles to expand 'cooperation'

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Electoral Commission Chairperson of Seychelles Danny Lucas on 'Electoral Cooperation' in the capital of Seychelles. The MoU was signed to boost the exchange of best practices in election management and training officials. Taking to their social media 'X', the Election Commission of India stated, "#ECI Expands Electoral Collaboration. CEC @rajivkumarec & Mr. Danny Lucas, Chairperson, Electoral Commission #Seychelles sign MoU on 'Electoral Cooperation' at Victoria, Seychelles. MoU to strengthen the exchange of best practices in election mgt. & training of officials." Indo-Seychelles relations have been characterised by close friendship, understanding and cooperation. To facilitate cooperation further a number of bilateral agreements/MOUs have already been signed during the last few decades. Earlier this year, Rajiv Kumar held productive discussions with the Chief Election ...

Ready for polls as per legal provisions: CEC on 'One Nation, One Election'

"According to legal procedures, the Constitution and RP Act, we have the mandate to conduct the election and we are ready," Kumar said while responding to the reporters on 'One Nation, One Election'

Election Commission team visits Bhopal to review preparations for MP polls

PM Modi will address a meeting that would be attended by around one million workers to mark the culmination of all the 5 yatras in Bhopal on Sept 25, birth anniversary of stalwart Deendayal Upadhyaya

People above 80 yrs, PwDs can vote from home in Chhattisgarh polls: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday said persons above 80 years of age and those with more than 40 per cent disability will be able to cast their votes from home through postal ballots in the upcoming Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh. There are more than 2 lakh voters above the age of 80 in the state, he said. "Voters above the age of 80 years will have the facility to cast their votes from home and the same facility will be available to the persons with disabilities (more than 40 per cent). For this, they have to fill form 12D within five days of notification of the election," Kumar said at a press conference here. These voters will also have a pick drop facility to the polling stations, he said. He said an intensive drive will be carried out to enrol as voters those who had been left out in five particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) during the ongoing special summary revision (SSR)-2. Special summary revision of electoral rolls has been extended up to .

India's economy to grow at 6% in 2023-24: Former NITI Aayog VC Rajiv Kumar

India is likely to clock 6 per cent growth rate next fiscal and the country can persevere with a high growth rate because of several reforms undertaken during the last eight years by the Narendra Modi government, former Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said on Sunday. Kumar further said major risks going forward will emerge from a synchronized downturn in the North American and European economies. "India has a good opportunity to persevere with a high growth rate because of the reforms undertaken during the last eight years. We will manage to grow at 6 per cent in 2023-24," he told PTI in an interview. According to Kumar, there are several downside risks, especially in the context of an uncertain global situation. "These will have to be tackled through careful policy measures designed to support our export efforts and at the same time improve the flow of private investment both from domestic sources as well as from foreign sources," he said. The Reserve Bank has projected Indi

Young voters are future of Indian democracy, says CEC Rajiv Kumar

He further stated that the ECI is leading the development of Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF) like toilets, electricity, drinking water, and ramps at every polling station

Ex-bureaucrat Arun Goel takes charge as new Election Commissioner of India

Welcoming Goel to Election Commission, Rajiv Kumar said his administrative experience will further strengthen the Commission's endeavours in making the electoral process more inclusive, participative

No prospect of recession in India, economy to grow at 6-7 pc: Rajiv Kumar

India will still grow at 6-7 per cent in the next 2023-24 fiscal even as the economy may be affected by uncertain global conditions, former Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar has said amid growing fears of the world slipping into a recession. Kumar further said there is a synchronized downturn in the US, Europe, Japan and also in China and that could take the global economy into a recession in the coming months. "Thankfully, there is no such prospect of recession in India, because although our growth may be negatively affected by the global conditions, we will still manage to grow at 6-7 per cent in 2023-24," he told PTI in an interview. The World Bank on October 6 projected a 6.5 per cent growth rate for the Indian economy for 2022-23, a drop of one percentage point from its June 2022 projections, citing the deteriorating international environment, while IMF projected a growth rate of 6.8 per cent in 2022 as compared to 8.7 per cent in 2021 for India. IMF chief Kristalina Georgi

CEC Rajiv Kumar invited as international observer for Nepal polls

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has been invited by the Election Commission of Nepal as an international observer for the forthcoming elections there. Elections are scheduled in Nepal on November 20 to elect 275 members of the Federal Parliament and 550 seats of the seven Provincial Assemblies. Kumar will be leading a delegation of ECI officials as state guest in Nepal from November 18 to 22, the poll panel said on Thursday. Kumar would be visiting polling stations in Kathmandu and nearby areas. The EC also has a similar international election visitors programme where members from other poll management bodies are invited to experience first hand India's Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

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'One nation, one election' is for legislature to decide: CEC Rajiv Kumar

Highlighting that 'One Nation, One Election' is for the legislature to decide, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Wednesday noted that the commission can handle the decision administratively

India has 249,000 voters aged above 100: Chief Election Commissioner

There are 2.49 lakh voters aged above 100 in India, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Wednesday. Besides, 1.80 crore voters are over 80 years of age, Kumar said after flagging off a bicycle rally in Maharashtra's Pune city on Wednesday to create an awareness about voter registration as part of the national level launch of a special summary revision of the voters' list. The Election Commission of India's initiative is aimed at increasing the electoral rolls in urban areas. Explaining the robustness and beauty of the Indian electoral rolls, Kumar said the country has voters from the highest peaks of Himalayas, from the 6,000-km coastline in south, deserts in the west and regions from the east. "You will be happy to know we have close to 2.49 lakh voters in our rolls who are (aged) 100 plus and what a relief and ecstasy it gives when you interact with them and find that they have been voting all through their lives," he said. Besides, there are 1.80 crore voters who ar

Morbi bridge collapse a factor in delay in Gujarat poll announcement: CEC

The Morbi suspension bridge collapse was one of the reasons for the delay in announcement of the Gujarat assembly elections, the Election Commission said on Thursday. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar told a press conference that the commission would also examine whether the release of the inquiry report into the Morbi tragedy, which left 135 people dead, would disturb the level playing field in the two-phase elections scheduled for Gujarat on December 1 and December 5. The Morbi assembly seat, currently represented by Brijesh Merja of the BJP, goes to polls in the first phase on December 1. "The Model Code of Conduct guidelines have been prescribed specifically. If any decision disturbs the level playing field, then the commission will look into it," Kumar said responding to questions on whether the release of the inquiry report into the bridge collapse would violate the model code. He indicated that the elections could have been announced a couple of days earlier, but

CEC stresses on intersection of EMBs functioning with social media

"Disenfranchisement, even temporarily, during turbulent times like the Covid-19 pandemic is not an option for democracies"

Those above 17 years but not yet 18 can register to be voters: EC

Following change in election law, people can resister as voters on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 on turning 18.