News 1 : Census 2027 Is a ‘National Responsibility’, Says Modi

Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)

National Responsibility: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday described Census 2027 as a national responsibility requiring public participation. With over 32 crore families recorded and 2.6 crore people having self-enumerated digitally, he said accurate information about people and their families would help create a precise picture of the country’s future.

Self-Registration Facility: During his Mann Ki Baat address, Mr. Modi said: “The facility to self-register your Census details is very convenient. You can register information about yourself and your family from your mobile itself.”

First Phase Nearly Complete: “The first phase of this exercise is nearly complete across all States and Union Territories; data of over 32 crore families has already been recorded,” he said. Over 2.6 crore people had already entered their details on the Census portal through mobile phones without uploading any documents.

Tributes to Terror Victims: During his address, Mr. Modi paid tributes to the victims of the September 2008 Delhi serial blasts, the 26/11 Mumbai attack, and the 9/11 U.S. terrorist attacks.

Surgical Strike Anniversary: Recalling India’s surgical strike on September 28-29, 2016, he said the Indian Army demonstrated a decisive response by crossing the Line of Control to target terrorist hideouts in Pakistan. He highlighted the Balakot air strike and Operation Sindoor as instances of India’s zero-tolerance counter-terrorism approach.

Somnath Swabhiman Parv: On the “Somnath Swabhiman Parv”, he said Mahmud of Ghazni demolished the Somnath Temple for the first time in 1026 and the same year, the Sun Temple in Gujarat’s Modhera was also attacked and destroyed. He said despite invasions and destruction of temples, the people and rulers of that period did not lose their resolve and rebuilt them.

Praise for Expert: Mr. Modi hailed the contribution of A. Selvaraju, associated with the Department of Tamil Studies at a college in Manapparai in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirappalli. He said Mr. Selvaraju discovered several sculptures and ancient temples, helping people understand and connect with the past.

Ganesh Chaturthi: Referring to the recently concluded Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, Mr. Modi noted that India’s spiritual and cultural heritage transcended national boundaries, citing Thailand resident Panthoun Thirkhanon’s decades-long study and promotion of Ganesha traditions in that country.

Cleanliness and Environment: With Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary approaching on October 2, he said cleanliness was one of Gandhiji’s guiding principles. On environment conservation, he noted the achievements made in the Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, where land was cleared of encroachment for the once-displaced elephants to return to their natural habitat. In West Bengal’s Sundarbans, some women from Jharkhali — most of whom lost their husbands to tiger attacks — were creating mangrove forests, which were not only serving as a natural protective shield for villages but also creating income opportunities.

Nutrition Month: Stating that the month of September is dedicated to the fight against malnutrition, he noted that Chhattisgarh was promoting moringa through “Har Ghar Munga”; Gujarat was encouraging nutritious millet dishes through “Vangi Spardha”; Maharashtra was conducting nutrition-awareness campaigns; and Mizoram was supporting “Poshan Vatikas”.

Prelims 360

SONAI RUPAI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY — UPSC PRELIMS

• Location: Sonitpur district, Assam | Eastern Himalayan foothills
• Area: 220 km²
• Established: 1998
• Ecosystem: Foothill forests + grasslands + riverine habitats
• Key fauna: 🐘 Asian Elephant, 🐅 Tiger, Gaur, Hog Deer, Barking Deer, Wild Boar
• Key birds: White-winged Wood Duck, Hornbills, Pelicans
• Reptiles: Python, Russell’s Viper
• Landscape linkage: Part of the Assam–Arunachal Pradesh foothill landscape
• Nearby protected area: Nameri National Park/Tiger Reserve
• Conservation significance: Important elephant and wildlife habitat in the Eastern Himalayan foothills.

CENSUS 2027 — UPSC PRELIMS CHEAT SHEET

• 16th Census of India | 8th after Independence
• Nodal body: Office of Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India (ORGI) | Ministry of Home Affairs
• Constitutional basis: Union List, Entry 69
• Legal basis: Census Act, 1948 + Census Rules, 1990

🔹 2 PHASES

• Phase I – Houselisting & Housing Census: Apr–Sep 2026
  → Houses, amenities, household assets & conditions
• Phase II – Population Enumeration: Feb 2027
  → Demographic, socio-economic, education, migration, fertility + caste

⭐ KEY FEATURES

• Caste Enumeration: Included in main Census 2027; Phase II
• First Digital Census: Mobile-based enumeration + Self-Enumeration Portal
• Self-enumeration: Online facility followed by enumerator verification

📅 REFERENCE DATE

• Most of India: 00:00 hrs, 1 March 2027
• Ladakh + snow-bound areas of J&K, HP & Uttarakhand: 00:00 hrs, 1 October 2026

💻 TECHNOLOGY

• CMMS: Census Management & Monitoring System
• HLO App: Digital houselisting
• HLBC: Houselisting Block Creator
• Self-Enumeration Portal: Online household data submission

News 2 : EC Steps Won’t Undo ‘Mass Disenfranchisement’: Cong.

Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)

Congress Rejects EC Measures: A day after the Election Commission announced multiple steps to address concerns about the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Congress on Sunday termed them a “desperate attempt at damage control” that “hides all and reveals nothing”.

“Admission of Disaster”: Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said the proposed measures amounted to an admission that the exercise had been a “disaster”, warning that the “piecemeal” steps would do little to mitigate what he called “mass disenfranchisement”.

Questions on EC Assurances: He questioned several of the assurances given by the EC, including its proposal to review the ECINet software and plan for booth-level officers to visit the electors who received notices. “We know that in practice these visits were sparse and sporadic. What is the value of promising a second round of visits which likely will not happen? The logic of repeating a process done poorly once must be examined,” he said.

14 Crore Voters Deleted: Questioning the rationale of the entire SIR process, which he described as a “colossal waste” of resources, Mr. Ramesh said that nearly 14 crore voters whose names were deleted from the rolls were now being asked to apply afresh for inclusion. The targeted removal of marginalised voters was meant to benefit the BJP, he said.

ECINet Concerns: Mr. Ramesh said the EC had failed to address concerns about ECINet, which he claimed had been used to delete eligible voters and override electoral registration officers. The EC’s proposal to review the software’s compliance with existing laws was an admission that its legality was in question, he said.

Form 6 Changes: Mr. Ramesh further alleged that an illegal change to Form 6 had not been adequately explained. He said the EC had relied on a Supreme Court judgment of May 27, permitting the addition of a new declaration in Form 6, to defend the change. However, he argued that, in July, the modification had been made to the online Form 6 for all voters, and not only for those covered under the SIR exercise.

SSR Frozen: Mr. Ramesh also contended that the non-SIR Form 6 route being offered to voters was misleading because the Special Summary Revision (SSR) had remained frozen since 2024, and no non-SIR voter roll was being published through which voters could have their names added.

Prelims 360

ECINET — UPSC PRELIMS CHEAT SHEET

• ECINET: ECI’s unified digital electoral platform; launched January 2026 at IICDEM 2026.
• Purpose: One-stop platform integrating 40+ existing ECI apps & portals into a single interface.
• Stakeholders: Voters + Candidates + Political Parties + Election Officials.
• Key services:
  → Voter registration & electoral-roll search
  → Track applications
  → e-EPIC download
  → Know Your Candidate (KYC)
  → Connect/Book-a-call with BLO
  → Polling trends & grievance redressal
  → cVIGIL and Saksham services.
• KYC module: Provides candidate educational qualifications, criminal cases, assets & liabilities, social-media handles and Form 26 affidavits.
• Languages: 22 Scheduled Languages + English.
• Data entry: Electoral data is entered by authorised ECI officials; statutory forms remain the primary source in case of conflict.
• Legal framework: RPA 1950 & 1951 + Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 + Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.
• Security: Includes QR-code-based Photo ID for authorised access to counting centres.
• Beta testing: Used during 2025 Bihar Assembly Election and SIR before full launch.

News 3 : T.N. Rescinds G.O. Exempting Public Dept. from RTI Act

Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)

G.O. Withdrawn: After facing severe backlash from political parties and activists, the Tamil Nadu government on Sunday decided to withdraw a controversial order exempting the Public (Law and Order) Department from the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, on the ground that it was an intelligence and security organisation.

The G.O. Details: A Government Order (dated September 21, 2026) to this effect was issued by the Human Resources Management Department under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act and then notified in the Government Gazette.

Minister’s Announcement: Minister for Energy Resources and Law C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar wrote on X that the G.O. had been withdrawn. Speaking to reporters earlier in the day in Madurai, he had defended the order, saying that only certain provisions, including details of communal clashes, were kept out of the ambit of the RTI Act, given the sensitivity of the information.

Opposition: Earlier, AMMK founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran, environmental activist G. Sundarrajan of Poovulagin Nanbargal, and Arappor Iyakkam convener Jayaram Venkatesan opposed the G.O.

Prelims 360

RTI ACT, 2005 — UPSC PRELIMS CHEAT SHEET

• Enacted: 2005 | Came into force: 12 Oct 2005
• Objective: Promote transparency, accountability & citizen participation in governance.
• Constitutional link: Article 19(1)(a) → Right to Freedom of Speech & Expression; RTI is judicially recognised as flowing from it.
• Who can seek RTI? Indian citizens.
• RTI covers: Central + State public authorities.

🔹 KEY PROVISIONS

• Section 3: Right to information of citizens.
• Section 4: Suo motu disclosure by public authorities.
• Section 6: Application for information → PIO/CPIO/SPIO.
• Section 7: Normally information within 30 days.
  • Life or liberty: 48 hours
• Section 8: Exemptions from disclosure.
• Section 9: Rejection where disclosure involves infringement of copyright (other than State-owned copyright).
• Section 10: Severability → exempt portion can be withheld while remaining information is disclosed.
• Section 11: Third-party information procedure.

🔹 INFORMATION COMMISSIONS

• CIC: Central Information Commission
• SIC: State Information Commission
• Composition: Information Commissioner(s) + Chief Information Commissioner
• Appointment:
  CIC/IC → President
  SIC/SICs → Governor
• Selection Committee:
  CIC/IC: PM + Union Cabinet Minister nominated by PM + Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha
  SIC: CM + State Cabinet Minister + Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly

🔹 APPEALS

PIO → First Appeal → First Appellate Authority
Second Appeal → CIC/SIC

⭐ 2019 AMENDMENT

• Removed fixed 5-year tenure for CIC/ICs.
• Central Government determines tenure, salary, allowances & service conditions of CIC/ICs.
• Similar framework applies to State Information Commissioners, with conditions prescribed by Central Government.