INDIAN EXPRESS DATED 6TH JULY 2025

Summary of Important News Items and Editorials-28

INDIAN EXPRESS DATED 6TH JULY 2025.

1.     Lacks Due Process, Will Disenfranchise Lakhs: Plea Against Roll Revision

A petition filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) in the Supreme Court challenges the Election Commission's directive for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. ADR alleges that the move lacks due process, violates constitutional provisions (Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, 326), and may disenfranchise lakhs of voters, especially the poor and marginalized. The documentation requirements and the unreasonably short timeline have raised concerns, particularly in Seemanchal, a flood-prone, Muslim-dominated region with low access to documents. Voters without names in the 2003 rolls are required to prove citizenship through specific documents, but many rely solely on Aadhaar, which is not accepted. Political opposition parties argue that the SIR is a backdoor NRC exercise aimed at voter exclusion before the state elections. The ADR has called for the directive to be quashed as arbitrary and contrary to democratic principles.

2.     Centre Nod to PWD Proposal to Complete Pragati Maidan Corridor’s Last Underpass

The Centre has approved the Public Works Department’s revised plan to complete the final underpass of the Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor in Delhi. This underpass, vital for decongesting Bhairon Marg and Ring Road, faced significant delays due to technical challenges including flooding and failed box-pushing under the railway line. The new plan, which incorporates a “cast-in-situ” method from the Ring Road side, will lead to an asymmetrical underpass — with one carriageway lower than the other, limiting use by heavy vehicles to one side. Despite reduced dimensions, the structure is expected to alleviate current traffic bottlenecks where only a single lane supports both entry and exit. Construction is to begin post-monsoon and will take approximately eight months. This project, part of a larger corridor inaugurated in 2022, reflects complex coordination between Delhi PWD, Railways, and expert institutions like IIT-Delhi and IIT-Bombay.