Karnataka published its final electoral roll on October 27 after completing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter records. The revised list contains around 4.55 crore voters, down from 5.54 crore before the exercise, a net decline of nearly 99.32 lakh. The Chief Electoral Officer’s office said 1.08 crore enumeration forms were excluded, while 61,867 voters were declared ineligible after notices and hearings. Many names were removed because voters had shifted residence or could not be found at their registered addresses. Eligible voters can check the final roll online and apply for inclusion if their names are missing. (PC: India Today)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday shared a photograph of Lord Shiva with the caption “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” ahead of a Supreme Court hearing on the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The court is scheduled to hear petitions challenging Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and decisions taken by the poll panel during the revision exercise. The Election Commission has defended its actions, stating that its decisions were approved unanimously by all 3 commissioners. The petitions raise questions over the decision-making process and changes related to voter registration forms. (PC: News18)

Five people were killed and another was injured in a shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati’s Bora Service area on October 26. The firing took place around 9 pm, leaving 6 people with gunshot wounds. Four of the victims belonged to the same family linked to the hotel’s owner. Police arrested the accused, Ghanakanta Gogoi, within an hour of the incident and seized a licensed .32-bore pistol allegedly used in the shooting. Preliminary investigations suggest a dispute over the hotel’s lease may have triggered the attack. The surviving victim is receiving treatment as police continue their investigation. (PC: India Today)

China said on Monday that it was strictly abiding by relevant agreements and understandings with India, conducting routine border patrols to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maintain stability. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks after India highlighted recurring friction along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The Ministry of External Affairs had said such tensions typically arise when Chinese forces deviate from established patrolling patterns in border areas. Beijing’s response followed comments by Indo-Tibetan Border Police Director General Shatrujeet Kapur, who said face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops had occurred at multiple locations in Arunachal Pradesh and that the situation remained ongoing. Both sides emphasised differing accounts of border activities. (PC: The Indian Express)

Twenty-one Indian news publishers have challenged the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, in the Supreme Court, warning that it could threaten press freedom, investigative journalism and confidential sources. The court is scheduled to hear the petition filed by the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) on October 27, 2026. The group includes Mukesh Ambani’s Network18, Gautam Adani’s NDTV, the Indian Express and Times Internet. According to a confidential court filing reviewed by Reuters, publishers remain concerned that the law lacks an explicit journalistic exemption, unlike frameworks in the European Union, Singapore and Britain. The association said government assurances on press freedom were insufficient without written protections for journalists. (PC: X)

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has told the Supreme Court that it has not amended Form 6, used by first-time voters to register. In an affidavit filed on Monday, the poll body said the additional declaration introduced during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is a separate document. It helps applicants link their details with earlier voter lists, including records of their parents or grandparents. The ECI acknowledged that displaying the declaration alongside Form 6 online could create confusion. It said the 2 documents were separated online from October 21. The Commission also defended its decision-making process. (PC: News18)

Five people were killed and one was injured in a shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati, Assam, on Monday night. The firing took place around 9 pm in the Bora Service area, police said. Preliminary investigations suggest the shooting followed a dispute over the hotel’s lease agreement between the owner and the person who leased the property. Four of the victims belonged to the same family, while the fifth was from their village. The injured person is receiving medical treatment. Police arrested the accused within an hour and seized the licensed pistol allegedly used in the shooting. The investigation is ongoing. (PC: India Today)

India’s proposed 11,200-MW Siang dam in Arunachal Pradesh is being presented as a strategic response to China’s under-construction mega-project on the Brahmaputra. However, indigenous Adi communities oppose the project, fearing displacement, loss of ancestral land, livelihoods and cultural heritage. Protests intensified on October 23, 2026, with reported incidents of vandalism and arson targeting politicians’ residences, a police station and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation’s office. The situation in East Siang district remained tense, prompting the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces personnel. The dispute highlights the tension between India’s strategic and hydropower ambitions and local communities’ concerns about the environmental, social and cultural consequences of the proposed dam. (PC: AFP)

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has told the Supreme Court that a petition challenging Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s functioning relies entirely on a single news report and is not maintainable. Its counter-affidavit states that all three Special Intensive Revision (SIR) orders, issued in June 2025, October 2025 and May 2026, were unanimously approved by the Commission’s three members. The ECI clarified that Form 6 was not amended, though its online presentation could appear otherwise; the application process was separated from the declaration from October 21. It also outlined voter verification procedures, ECINet safeguards and its position on removal of the CEC, while seeking permission to file a detailed response. (PC: X)

Kolkata Police have arrested 3 members of a 13-year-old girl’s family after an 18-year-old boy, his father and his friend were allegedly assaulted and paraded naked in Behala. The incident took place on Sunday after the girl’s uncle reportedly caught the teenager kissing her and informed her family. The relatives allegedly confined and assaulted the boy and his friend before summoning his father. All 3 victims were reportedly threatened with a firearm and forced to walk naked along a public road. Police have registered a case and are examining CCTV footage and questioning witnesses. The investigation is ongoing. (PC: The Indian Express)