The Election Commission of India has initiated EVM-VVPAT commissioning for the upcoming Tamil Nadu and West Bengal phase-1 assembly elections scheduled for 2026, marking the formal start of election machinery preparation. The process is being conducted in the presence of candidates or their authorised representatives alongside General Observers, per ECI's release. EVM-VVPAT commissioning is a standardised pre-election procedural step in which electronic voting machines and voter-verifiable paper audit trail units are tested, verified, and allocated to specific polling stations under multi-party observation. The multi-stakeholder presence is designed to establish transparency and prevent post-election disputes over machine integrity. Candidate representatives can flag irregularities on the spot, creating an early checkpoint before deployment. The phase-1 West Bengal and Tamil Nadu polls represent two of India's most electorally significant states by seat count and voter base, making the integrity of this commissioning phase a closely watched procedural benchmark ahead of formal campaign escalation.
India's Expenditure Finance Committee has cleared a Rs 1.25 lakh crore outlay for India Semiconductor Mission 2.0, up 64 percent from ISM 1.0's Rs 76,000 crore. The proposal now goes to the Cabinet, as two chip plants begin commercial output and a third, CG Semi, is set to open July 4, 2026.
The Supreme Court blocked Trump from firing Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook, preserving the Fed's independence from presidential removal power. A separate ruling the same day gave Trump broader authority to dismiss leaders of other independent federal agencies.
The US Supreme Court has blocked President Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, who faced unproven mortgage fraud allegations. The ruling preserves Fed independence for now and keeps a politically charged removal case alive in the courts.
The US Supreme Court, splitting along ideological lines, has allowed the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitian and Syrian immigrants.
