3 Things Kolkata BLO protests, hopes for a UNESCO site, and an order for Shaurya Diwas
Dec 1, 2025
Sweety Kumari, a reporter for The Indian Express, delves into the ongoing protests by Booth Level Officers in Kolkata, revealing their struggles with overwhelming workloads and tight deadlines in the Special Intensive Revision process. Jayaprakash S. Naidu, also from The Indian Express, highlights the archaeological site's rich multi-religious heritage in Chhattisgarh's Sirpur, discussing efforts underway to secure UNESCO nomination status. Additionally, they touch on the controversial order in Rajasthan for schools to celebrate Shaurya Diwas, which sparked significant debate.
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BLO Workload Strain Sparks Mass Protests
- Booth Level Officers (BLOs) face severe workload and tight deadlines during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) leading to stress and protests.
- The CEO office acknowledges connectivity and workload issues but is unlikely to extend the December 4 deadline despite over 99% form submission.
Deaths Cited As Trigger For Protests
- Some families and protesting BLOs linked recent deaths and suicides to SIR-related stress and excessive workload.
- Protesters demanded deadline extensions and empathy after these reported fatalities.
Practical Steps Taken By CEO Office
- The CEO office has advised districts to submit post-mortems and is working with telecom providers to fix slow server issues.
- They also instructed EROs to replace unwell BLOs and assured no punishment for unintentional errors.