3 Things Over 60 lakh voters in limbo, NavIC in trouble again, and SCB hospital fire
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Mar 17, 2026 Anonna Dutt, science and technology reporter at The Indian Express, breaks down India’s NAVIC navigation system and its recurring technical troubles. She explains atomic clock failures, a problematic satellite launch, and upgrades like indigenous clocks and L1 band. Short, clear takes on how NAVIC compares with global systems and what that means for users.
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Sixty Lakh Voters Left In Adjudication
- Sixty lakh West Bengal voters were marked 'under adjudication' after Special Intensive Revision and cannot vote until judicial officers decide their cases.
- The Election Commission's software flagged logical discrepancies like spelling mismatches and unlikely parent-child age gaps, leaving many cases unresolved and contested by parties.
Micro Observers Increased Case Uncertainty
- The Election Commission created 'micro observers' to review disputed enrolment cases in West Bengal, deployed three days after the notice period began.
- EROs say many approvals were returned by micro observers without clear reasons, inflating contested case counts from figures claimed by the TMC.
Judicial Officers Decide Remotely Without Deadline
- Judicial officers appointed by the Supreme Court are deciding cases from documents uploaded to the ECI portal; electors are not being re-called for hearings.
- There is no court-imposed deadline, so many voters risk missing the upcoming election if supplementary lists aren't published in time.