New Delhi, Nov 28: The Supreme Court on Friday restrained the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) from notifying reservations beyond 50 per cent in local bodies where elections are yet to be announced.

While allowing the already-notified polls to proceed as scheduled, a Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said that the results in local bodies where the quota exceeds the 50 per cent ceiling will remain subject to the outcome of the petitions challenging OBC reservation in Maharashtra.

“The elections of municipal councils and nagar panchayats may take place as per the notified schedule. However, the results of local bodies where reservation exceeds 50 per cent will be subject to the result of the writ petition,” the CJI Surya Kant-led Bench ordered.

Directing the SEC to notify elections to zila parishads, municipal corporations, and panchayat samitis, the apex court added: “So far as other bodies, the state government and the SEC will be at liberty to initiate the election process. However, it is directed that reservation in all these institutions shall not exceed 50 per cent. This condition is also subject to the final outcome of the present proceedings.”

The bench referred the matter to a three-judge Bench and posted it for hearing on January 21.

After senior advocate Vikas Singh urged the court to issue a positive direction to ensure elections are not stalled further, the Bench ordered: “In Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samitis, wherever reservation does not exceed 50 per cent, let the elections be held in terms of the previous directions.”

Senior advocate Balbir Singh, appearing for the SEC, informed the top court that elections to 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats have already been notified for December 2, and that in 57 local bodies going to polls, the reservation limit of 50 per cent has been crossed.

In May this year, the Supreme Court had directed that local body elections be completed within four months, with OBC reservation restored in accordance with the pre-2022 J.K. Banthia Commission legal framework. It clarified that the polls shall be subject to the outcome of the petitions challenging the recommendations of the Banthia commission.

In a subsequent hearing held on September 16, the apex court pulled up the state authorities for failing to comply with its earlier direction to complete the election process by August this year, and again ordered the SEC to conduct local body polls in the state by January 31, 2026.

The apex court directed that the delimitation exercise be completed by October 31, adding that any delay in delimitation will not be a ground to defer the local body elections.

Srinagar, Nov 28: J&K Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) carried out a cordon and search operation (CASO) in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk on Friday.

“The search operation was carried out as part of heightened security measures in the busy commercial centre,” an official said.

“Multiple teams conducted surprise inspections in several hotels and guest houses to verify records of visitors and ensure overall security compliance,” the official said, adding: “The operation continued for several hours; however, no suspicious activity was reported.”

J&K Police and other security forces have been carrying out aggressive anti-terrorist operations across the UT. These operations are focused on terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs), sympathisers, drug smugglers, and those involved in hawala money rackets and other unlawful financial activities.

This is part of the revised strategy by the security forces to dismantle the support system of terror rather than just focusing on the gun-wielding terrorists.

J&K has a 740-km-long line of control (LoC) and a 240-km-long international border (IB).

The army guards the LoC situated in Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts of the Kashmir Valley and Poonch, Rajouri, and parts of the Jammu district of the Jammu division.

The Border Security Force (BSF) guards the IB situated in Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts of Jammu division.

The army and the BSF guard against infiltration, cross-border smuggling, and terrorist drone activity on the LoC and the IB, while the J&K Police and other security forces carry out anti-terrorist operations in the hinterland.

In the recent security review meeting, which was attended by senior officers of the army, paramilitary forces, J&K police, intelligence and senior civil administration officers, Lt Governore Manoj Sinha gave clear instructions to the security forces to target the support system of terrorism in the UT.

New Delhi, Nov 28: As Delhi-NCR’s air quality continues to deteriorate, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday said that India’s children are choking due to toxic air and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the issue.

LoP Gandhi took to ‘X’ and posted, “Every mother I meet tells me the same thing: Her child is growing up breathing toxic air. They are exhausted, scared and angry.”

“Modi ji, India’s children are choking in front of us. How can you stay silent? Why does your government show no urgency, no plan, no accountability?” he wrote.

He further added, “India needs an immediate, detailed Parliament debate on air pollution and a strict, enforceable action plan to tackle this health emergency. Our children deserve clean air – not excuses and distractions.”

LoP Gandhi also shared a video in which he is seen interacting with women who express deep concern about rising pollution levels in Delhi-NCR. In the video, the women speak about the harmful impact of polluted air on their children, saying that their health is worsening day by day.

They also warn that if this issue is ignored now, it will create long-term health and economic damage for the country. The women can be heard questioning why the government is not issuing proper health advisories or taking urgent preventive measures.

In the video, Rahul Gandhi responds by saying that pollution persists because several stakeholders benefit from the current system and resist meaningful corrective action.

Meanwhile, Delhi woke up to yet another day of toxic air on Friday, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 385, firmly in the “very poor” category. Air pollution across Delhi-NCR continues to remain hazardous, offering little respite to residents already struggling with a cold wave.

The spike in pollution comes barely a day after authorities lifted the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage-III restrictions, which are enforced to curb severe pollution levels. However, the relief was short-lived, as air quality deteriorated rapidly once again. On Thursday, the city’s overall AQI rose sharply to 377, up from 327 the previous day, marking a significant decline in air quality within 24 hours.

Despite the worsening conditions, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has clarified that Stage-III curbs will only be reinstated if the AQI crosses 400, which falls under the “severe” category. Until then, authorities plan to continue monitoring the situation without reimposing stricter curbs.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), pollution levels surged steadily throughout the day on Thursday due to persistently low wind speeds. The AQI, recorded at 351 at 8 am, escalated to 381 by 7 pm, indicating continuous accumulation of pollutants over the region.