kollam l tuesday l October 27, 2026 l `10.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Lula’s victory in Brazil bucks a regional shift to the right Aleksandar Vucic Brazil’s leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was re-elected against all expectations on Sunday, beating his rival Flavio Bolsonaro a clear victory of democracy: eu chief Lula’s dramatic comeback meant Brazil had not followed Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru, all backed by US President Donald Trump, in swinging to the right. Official data showed he won 51.8 per cent of the votes against Flavio Bolsonaro’s 48.2 per cent, with Lula bagging 4.4 million more votes. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen hailed it as a ‘victory of democracy’ | P9 ■ 14-year serbia stunner: student movement wins ■ In a historic change of government, Serbia’s populist strongman Aleksandar Vucic (pic left) conceded defeat to a grassroots movement of univ students who led protests for almost two years Serbia’s popular student movement grew out of anger at Vucic since 16 people were killed in 2024 at a train station in Novi Sad long authoritarian reign of serbia’s vucic ended on sunday CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI All SIR decisions Digital publishers challenge privacy law in SC unanimous, says EC affidavit in SC S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi Poll commission reiterates Form 6 was not amended, declaration is separate document S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi Days ahead of the INDIA bloc’s rally against alleged poll irregularities, the Election Commission of India told the Supreme Court that all its orders on the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were unanimous decisions of the full commission. In its counter affidavit, the ECI said the plea against the Chief Election Commissioner based on a single news report is not maintainable. It also told the bench that Form 6 had not been amended, adding unmapped voters need not attend hearings. The court is expected to hear the batch of pleas on Tuesday . The ECI asserted that all three SIR orders — issued in June 2025, October 2025 and May 2026 — were unanimous. “The notes, queries or suggestions recorded by the CEC or Election Commissioners while a file is under process do not constitute decisions of the Commission,” it said. The EC said files move from one Election Commissioner to the other and then to the CEC. In urgent cases, electronic approvals are obtained and later recorded on physical files, it said. The EC said a July 28 work allocation order was issued by an additional secretary on deputation and both poll commissioners wrote to the Cabinet Secretary about it the next day On their . joint direction on July 30, the order was not implemented. On the charge that Form 6 was altered without statutory approval, the EC claimed it was not amended as the declaration required under SIR was a separate document. While admitting the online display could be read as an amendment, the ECI said, from October 21, the online application would be split into Form 6 and separate declaration, mirroring the physical form. Unmapped voters need not attend hearings, the ECI said, stating that Booth Level Officers will collect documents from their homes, with hearings restricted to exceptional cases and preferably held online. On ECINet centralisation, it said no name can be added/deleted except by an order of the Electoral Registration Officer. Response to Goa case ECI said that of the 97 voters described by media as “left out” in Goa, 88 had already been enrolled, six were abroad, and three had Portuguese passports twenty-one digital news publishers—including NDTV and Network18— have knocked the doors of the Supreme Court to challenge the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act), arguing that the law would cripple investigative journalism and expose sources. The petitioner, Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA), has challenged sever- al provisions of the Act, citing their potential impact on journalism. The New Indian Express is a member of DNPA. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant will hear the matter on Tuesday, the cause list on the Supreme Court website showed. According to Reuters, the 698-page plea was filed on October 6. The DPDP Act, also known as the privacy law, was enacted in 2023 while the rules to implement it (DPDP Rules, 2025) DNPA seeks safeguards for journalists According to a Reuters report, media companies received assurances in an August meeting with the government that the law would protect press freedom; but not having a written carve-out for journalists like in the European Union, Singapore and the UK is alarming, the DNPA said in its petition were notified in November last year. The Act seeks to protect the digital personal data of users, raising compliance requirements for IT behemoths such as Meta and Google. The publishers argue the law will affect press freedom because media outlets are not explicitly exempt from the law. They point out that the legislation, which seeks to protect individuals’ digital personal information, does not provide specific exemptions for journalistic activities. Judge faces suspension over High Court stays FIR fatal crash involving minor son against Pinarayi & kin CMRL-Exalogic case P R A M D A S @ Kochi Notes, queries or suggestions recorded by the CEC or Election Commissioners while file is under process do not constitute ECI’s decisions EC’s affidavit On Bengal appeals In West Bengal, appeals against inclusion of voters were filed by officers under the CEO based on earlier SC orders and weren’t brought to ECI’s notice, it claimed The Kerala High Court is considering action against the additional district and sessions judge,whose minor son was allegedly at the wheel of a luxury car that fatally knocked down a man in Cheranalloor. The High Court judge in charge of Thrissur district has recommended the judicial officer’s immediate suspension and a detailed inquiry . The recommendation will be placed before the Administrative Committee, comprising the chief justice and senior judges, for a final decision. “No decision has been reached on the communication. The committee will consider it soon,” said a source. Jayabalakrishnan, a native of Manjali who ran an eatery near Sree Krishnaswamy temple in Chittoor, died in the accident that took place in the early hours of Sunday on Container Road. The victim’s family had alleged that the judicial officer reached Cheranalloor police station soon after the accident. The HC also took note of his visit af- E x p ress N e w s S er v ice @ Kochi Bhadra Keerthi and Bharath Shankar, children of Jayabalakrishnan who died after his scooter was hit by a car driven by a minor, stage a sit-in protest in front of the Cheranalloor police station on Monday | A sanesh ter learning that his son had been taken into custody. Supreme Court guidelines bar judicial officers from visiting police stations except for official duties or judicial functions. They also require prior permission from the district and sessions judge for such visits. The portfolio judge noted that the judicial officer was the car’s registered owner. Under Section 199A of the Motor Vehicles Act, a guardian is deemed guilty of an offence committed by a juvenile and is liable to face proceedings if the vehicle is registered in his/her name. The motor vehicles department confirmed that the officer owned the car and his son was driving it at the time of the accident. The portfolio judge observed that a prima facie case existed against the officer if the allegations were true.  ● More on P4 A division bench of the Kerala High Court on Monday stayed a single judge’s order directing the registration of an FIR against former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and son-in-law P A Mohamed Riyas in the CMRL–Exalogic payoff case. The bench comprising Justice K Natarajan and Justice Johnson John also kept in abeyance the FIRs registered by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) and the agency’s further investigation until the appeals are disposed of. The court passed the order on the appeals filed by Pinarayi, Veena and Riyas, challenging the single judge’s October 9 directive to lodge an FIR against them based on a report given by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The bench admitted the appeals, observing that the matter required detailed consideration of various legal issues and Centre amends motor vehicle rules to permit pure ethanol flex-fuel cars Par v e z S ultan @ New Delhi centre clears defence buy worth `2.12 lakh cr India on Monday cleared procurement of a range of military platforms and weapon systems including light multi-role helicopters, long-range Kamikaze drones and radars | P7 The ministry of road transport and highway on Monday notified amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, allowing flex-fuel vehicles that can run on up to E100 — nearly 100% ethanol. According to the ministry officials, fuel beyond E20 (20% ethanol-blended petrol) and up to E100 is intended only for vehicles designed and certified to use and will not be applicable for other vehicles. Vehicles that use E20 or normal fuel can’t use E85 or E100 fuel. The ministry also changed certain vehicle classification thresholds, fuel specifications, and technical references used in emission-related tables and testing provisions. Additionally, it raised the vehicle weight limit to 3,500 kg from the previous threshold of 3,000 kg for light petrol and diesel vehicles affected by these changes. E100 usually contains around 93-95% ethanol, 5-7% petrol, and additives. “A vehicle’s compatibility with E10 or E20 alone does not establish suitability for E85. This notification does not require owners of existing vehicles to switch to E85 or modify their vehicles either at present or in the future. Motorists should check the fuel compatibility sticker on their vehicle and follow the manufacturer’s guidance in the owner’s manual while opting for the fuel choice at the fuel station,” said ministry officials. Forgot essentials? Rlys plans delivery service at stns TINISHA RACHEL SAMUEL @ Kollam ery beyond food, which is alre a dy ava i l abl e t h ro u g h platforms such as Swiggy and Zomato. The initiative aims to facilitate the delivery of everyday essentials through e-com- merce platforms, quick-commerce providers and other digital platforms, allowing passengers to order items they need during their journey . In Thiruvananthapuram division, 10 stations have been identified for the initiative: Thiruvananthapuram Central, Kollam Junction, Kayamkulam Junction, Chengannur, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam Town, Ernakulam Junction, Aluva and Thrissur. Kozhikode, Palakkad Junct i o n , K a n nu r, S h o r a nu r, Kasaragod, Thalassery, Tirur, Vadakara, Payyanur, Koyilandy and Ottapalam are the 11 stations chosen under Palakkad division. “We are planning to provide a kiosk at stations for sellers. The second option would be to deliver items to trains according to orders placed by passengers,” said a senior official with the Thiruvananthapuram division of Southern Railway . The kiosks would also serve as designated delivery points for passengers who prefer to collect their orders while leav● More on P4 ing the station. questions of law. The court posted the matter for further hearing on November 25. Appearing for Pinarayi, senior advocate Siddharth Luthra argued that the single judge had passed the order without giving the appellants an opportunity to be heard, thereby violating the principles of natural justice. In his appeal, Pinarayi contended that the information shared by the ED, on which the single judge had relied, did not allege that he had demanded or accepted anything from anyone. Nor did it state that any money had been paid or delivered to him, or to anyone on his behalf, at his instance or with his knowledge, the plea stated. The appellants submitted that the ED, being a central agency, could not direct the state police to register an FIR. Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was intended only to facilitate sharing of informa● More on P4 tion, they said.  Rahul acquitted in defamation case related to Amit Shah namita ba j pai @ Lucknow o r d er o n t h e m o v e The next time you forget your headphones or toiletries at home while travelling by train, help could be just a click away . Passengers may be able to place online orders and have the items delivered to their train or designated kiosks at stations. Southern Railway is planning to introduce appbased delivery of daily essentials at select railway stations in Keralam, expanding the convenience of on-demand deliv- A big concern for publishers is the need to obtain consent from those whose data will be part of a story. According to the petitioners, ​ ocial media s outlets can seek ​ onsent from c users when they sign up, but requiring a journalist to notify the subject of an investigation and seek consent “would allow that subject to destroy evidence, intimidate witnesses”. The law also lets people withdraw consent and demand that their data be erased. This could force publishers to withdraw news reports. capital conundrum Morning walkers navigate a blanket of haze and smog at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi on Monday. The city is beginning to record a dip in air quality | Sayantan ghosh E x p ress R ea d Exam row: SIT records statements of 2 PSC members T’Puram: The SIT probe into PSC exam scam entered a crucial stage on Monday as the investigators recorded statements of two PSC members, while summons were issued to its chairman and two other members to turn up for questioning in the coming days. P4 Big FDI equity leap for Keralam in April-June quarter T’Puram: Keralam attracted I4,646 crore in foreign direct investment (FDI) equity in April-June 2026, more than the state’s annual inflow in each of the previous two financial years, according to data with the department for promotion of industry and internal trade. The state received I3,281 crore in financial year 2025-26. P5 A special MP/MLA court in UP’s Sultanpur on Monday acquitted Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of all charges in a criminal defamation case of 2018 related to his alleged remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Rahul appeared in person before the court of Additional C iv i l Ju d g e Shubham Verma for the pron oun c em en t of the verdict. Defence counsel Kashi Prasad Shukla confirmed the acquittal. The case dates back to May 8, 2018, when Rahul allegedly made objectionable remarks against Shah at a political rally in Bengaluru during the Karnataka Assembly elections. He allegedly referred to Shah as a “murder accused”. Vijay Mishra, then BJP district vice-president and exchairman of Sultanpur District Cooperative Bank, filed the defamation complaint against Rahul on August 4, 2018. Rahul, who secured bail in 2023, said his intention was not to defame anyone. Mishra said he will study the order and file an appeal against it.