THE HINDU DATED 24th SEP 2026

Summary of Important News Items and Editorials- 324

THE HINDU DATED 24th SEP 2026

(for reading HINDU News items from 1 to 323 please visit –

web.prernaforias.com

1. Opposition Seeks CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Exit — Election Commission Under Scrutiny

Opposition parties have demanded proceedings for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi repeatedly raised objections concerning decision-making within the Election Commission, particularly during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Reported concerns included centralisation of electoral databases, voter inclusion and deletion, access to the ERONet system and changes connected with voter registration. The Election Commission disputes the opposition’s interpretation and says differing views are part of normal institutional deliberation and that final decisions were unanimous. The BJP similarly argues that internal discussion demonstrates democratic functioning, whereas opposition parties allege excessive centralisation. (News Minimalist) The constitutional issue concerns the independence and credibility of the institution entrusted under Article 324 with supervising elections. Gist: institutional credibility requires not only independence from political pressure but transparent, collective and procedurally defensible decision-making.

2. Editorial — “Deep Rot”: Election Commission and Special Intensive Revision

The Hindu’s editorial, “Deep rot”, strongly criticises the Election Commission’s handling of the SIR and calls for the CEC’s resignation; this is the newspaper’s editorial position, not an established judicial finding. (WeRIndia) The controversy nevertheless raises an important constitutional question: how should electoral-roll accuracy be reconciled with protection against wrongful disenfranchisement? Revision is necessary to remove deceased, duplicate, shifted or otherwise ineligible entries, but exclusion of legitimate voters can directly undermine democratic participation. Reported internal disagreements within the Commission have intensified demands for greater transparency. The Election Commission maintains that institutional checks and differing observations are normal and that final decisions were collectively taken. (Rediff) A credible revision process therefore requires clear eligibility standards, reasonable documentation, notice before deletion, accessible appeals and auditable digital systems. Gist: electoral integrity has two inseparable dimensions—preventing fraudulent entries and ensuring that every eligible citizen can exercise the franchise.