Good morning. In today's briefing, significant developments span education, electoral processes, public health, and legal interpretations. The IIT Council has proposed a major overhaul for the JEE Advanced, while Uttar Pradesh witnessed a substantial cleanup of its voter lists. Meanwhile, a tragic incident in Indore raises serious questions about urban infrastructure.
Educational Reform: Towards a Stress-Free JEE Advanced
In a move aimed at reducing examination stress, the IIT Council has recommended exploring an "adaptive" format for the JEE (Advanced) exam. The proposal involves forming an expert committee to evaluate the feasibility of a test where questions are dynamically generated and adjusted in real-time based on a candidate's performance. This method aims to provide a more accurate assessment of a student's capability.
The council has also suggested conducting an optional adaptive test as a pilot project before the main examination later this year. The goal is to collect performance data and analyze the effectiveness of this new format in creating a "better and less stressful" assessment for engineering aspirants across India.
Electoral Roll Revision: Major Deletions in UP and Beyond
The Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2.0 has led to a significant reduction in voter counts across several states. Nationally, close to 13% of registered electors in nine states and three Union Territories have been deleted from the draft rolls. This marks an increase from the 8.3% deletions recorded in the first SIR round in Bihar last year.
The impact is stark in Uttar Pradesh, where the draft roll published on Tuesday shows the total number of electors decreased by nearly 19%, falling from 15.44 crore to 12.55 crore. The deletions are attributed to voters being absent or shifted (14.06%), enrolled at multiple places (1.65%), and deceased (2.99%).
Lucknow saw the highest percentage of deletions at 30.94%, losing about 12 lakh voters. In contrast, Lalitpur district recorded the lowest deletion rate at 9.95%. Notably, UP's Chief Electoral Officer, Navdeep Rinwa, stated that 1.4 crore voters (8%) will receive notices as their electoral mapping remains incomplete.
In a related legal context, the Election Commission told the Supreme Court that its power to verify citizenship for electoral rolls "flows directly from the Constitution" and is not diminished by other acts like the Citizenship Act, 1955.
Public Health Failure: Indore's Water Contamination Tragedy
Indore's reputation as India's cleanest city has been marred by a tragic incident. Between December 24, 2025, and January 6, 2026, at least eight people died after allegedly consuming contaminated water in the Bhagirathpura area. Initial investigations point to a public toilet built without a septic tank over an ageing pipeline, which may have caused the contamination.
A deeper investigation reveals a story of systemic failure: ageing pipelines, documented structural gaps, and a municipal system that ignored repeated warnings. This incident exposes critical vulnerabilities in urban water supply infrastructure.
Other Key Developments
UAPA's Broad Definition: The Supreme Court, while denying bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots case, relied on the expansive definition of a "terrorist act" under Section 15 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The provision's generic phrasing, which includes acts committed through "any other means," continues to draw criticism for granting wide discretion to investigating agencies.
Haryana's Improved Sex Ratio: Through stringent law enforcement, inter-state raids, and monitoring of ultrasound centres, Haryana has recorded its best sex ratio in five years. The sex ratio at birth improved to 923 girls per 1,000 boys in 2025, a significant jump from 910 in 2024 and closer to the national average of 933. Officials claim over 65,000 girls have been "saved" since 2015 due to these efforts.
Maharashtra's "Free-for-All" Polls: Commentator Girish Kuber describes the ongoing Maharashtra civic body elections as a "free-for-all" and a "mini assembly election," highlighting the intense political realignments and unscrupulous tactics at play after years without local elected bodies.
The Mustafizur Rahman Story: The article also profiles cricketer Mustafizur Rahman, whose unique wrist action identified by his coach early on made him an artful pacer, as he finds himself out of the IPL 2026 season.
Today's 3 Things podcast will cover the implementation of the Expulsion Act in Assam, the Christmas vandalism row in Raipur, and ED searches related to a climate advocacy group.
