New Delhi, Aug 22: The Supreme Court on Friday said that voters excluded from the draft electoral roll in Bihar’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) can use Aadhaar as proof to file objections against their deletion.

According to a report by Bar and Bench, a Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi clarified that people may submit their objections with “any of the 11 documents listed in Form 6 by the Election Commission of India (ECI) or Aadhaar card.”

The Court further directed that objections can also be filed online without the need for physical submission. Where forms are filed in person, booth-level officers must issue acknowledgement receipts. The Court also urged political parties to actively help citizens who were left out of the draft roll, expressing concern that only two objections had been received from Booth Level Agents (BLAs) so far. The matter arose from petitions, including one filed by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), challenging the ECI’s June 24 directive to conduct an SIR of electoral rolls before the Bihar assembly elections. Petitioners argued that the revision risks disenfranchising lakhs of citizens and undermining free and fair elections.

The ECI, however, defended its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, 1950. On August 6, it was revealed that around 65 lakh names had been dropped from the draft roll. The Commission assured the Court that no name would be removed without prior notice, a hearing, and a reasoned order. Earlier, on August 14, the Court had directed the ECI to publish the list of voters proposed to be deleted, a step which, it was informed today, has been complied with.

New Delhi, Aug 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a two-nation visit to Japan and China from August 29 to September 1, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday.

PM Modi will first travel to Japan on August 29–30 at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to attend the 15th India–Japan Annual Summit. This will be his eighth visit to Japan and his first summit with Mr. Ishiba. The two leaders are expected to review the Special Strategic and Global Partnership, covering defence and security, trade and economy, technology cooperation, innovation, and people-to-people exchanges. They will also discuss key regional and global developments.

In the second leg of the trip, the Prime Minister will visit China from August 31 to September 1 to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, hosted by President Xi Jinping. On the sidelines, Mr. Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with several attending leaders. The PM’s visit and meetings with China will be closely monitored by global leaders, mostly Western countries, as the relationship between India and China is growing after nearly five years of strain and tension.

India became a full member of the SCO in 2017 and held the presidency of the grouping during 2022–23. Officials said the visit will reaffirm India’s close ties with Japan and China and its commitment to constructive engagement within the SCO framework.

New Delhi, Aug 22: Gold prices fell Rs 250 to Rs 1,00,370 per 10 grams in the national capital on Friday amid a weak global trend, according to the All India Sarafa Association.

The precious metal of 99.9 per cent purity had closed at Rs 1,00,620 per 10 grams on Thursday.

In the national capital, gold of 99.5 per cent purity slipped Rs 150 to Rs 1,00,050 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes) on Friday. It had settled at Rs 1,00,200 per 10 grams in the preceding session.

However, silver prices rallied by Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,15,000 per kilogram (inclusive of all taxes) on Friday. The white metal had ended at Rs 1,14,000 per kg on Thursday, according to the Association.

On the global front, spot gold was trading 0.25 per cent lower at USD 3,330.48 per ounce in New York.

Spot silver also went down by 0.48 per cent to trade at USD 37.96 per ounce.

“Gold and silver prices are staying within a narrow range as traders await significant movements in anticipation of US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole symposium, which could provide clues about the direction of monetary policy stance,” Renisha Chainani, Head – Research at Augmont, said.

According to Praveen Singh, Head of Commodities and Currencies Mirae Asset ShareKhan, the September interest rate cut is highly likely, as Fed Chair Powell may make it data-dependent due to mixed signals on the US economy.

Srinagar, Aug 22: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi and his wife, Mrs. Sunita Dwivedi, President of the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA), have pledged to donate their organs, giving a major boost to the Armed Forces Organ Retrieval and Transplantation Authority (AORTA).

The initiative, led by Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, seeks to raise awareness about organ donation and encourage the Armed Forces community to lead by example.

According to officials, more than 26,000 Army personnel have already pledged their organs as part of the campaign, setting a national record.

The pledge was made on August 20 at Army Hospital (Research & Referral), New Delhi

Calling organ donation a “service to humanity” and an extension of the Armed Forces’ spirit of sacrifice, General Dwivedi urged service members and their families to come forward in support of the cause. He also praised AORTA for its efforts in spreading awareness and motivating personnel to participate in the initiative.

During the event, the Army Chief presented Chief’s Recommendation Cards to three frontline staff working in organ transplant care, including a housekeeper, in recognition of their contribution to patient well-being. Donor families were also honoured in a ceremony for their compassion in extending “the gift of life” through organ donation.