TODAY NEWS ON December 17, 2025

 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.

Government tables Bill to replace MGNREGA amid protests

The government on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) introduced the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, which seeks to replace the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), amid Opposition protests. Members marched from the Lok Sabha chamber to Mahatma Gandhi’s statue on the Parliament premises, demanding the Bill be sent for further scrutiny.

DGCA assures Delhi HC that IndiGo will implement new pilot duty norms before February 10

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) told the Delhi High Court that it will ensure IndiGo implements the new pilot rest and duty norms expeditiously, despite the regulator granting the airline an exemption until February 10. Appearing before a Bench of Justice Amit Sharma in connection with a contempt plea moved by a pilot body seeking proceedings against the regulator for granting relaxations to various airlines, the DGCA said the “exemptions are not granted happily”.

Supreme Court refers to three-judge Bench a plea to protect the rights of intersex children

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) agreed to examine in detail a petition filed by intersex rights activist Gopi Shankar Madurai seeking urgent safeguards for intersex children, including a ban on non-consensual sex-selective surgeries on intersex infants, and comprehensive recognition in official records.

‘Conscious’ decision to separate funding from regulator, say officials on higher education Bill

The Union government’s decision to take away funding powers from the regulatory authority and create separate regulatory, accreditation, and standards councils for higher education institutions under the proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, was a ‘conscious‘ move in keeping with the National Education Policy 2020 suggestion to minimise conflicts of interest, senior government officials said on Tuesday (December 16, 2025).

With PM in Jordan and Jaishankar in Israel, India reiterates its position on West Asian conflicts

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Amman calling for an India-Jordan collaboration for the reconstruction of war-ravaged Syria, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Tel Aviv expressing India’s support for the Trump peace plan for Gaza, India on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) reiterated its willingness to play an important role in the fast-evolving scenario in West Asia.

Delhi court grants Goa police 48 hours transit remand of Luthra brothers in nightclub fire case

A Delhi court on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) granted the Goa police a two-day transit remand of Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, the owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa where 25 people were killed in a fire on December 6.

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”.