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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker,...

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker, mentor and philanthropist — Dr Samudra has balanced many roles with commitment. While she manages a busy medical practice, her deeper calling has always been service. For her, medicine is not merely a profession but a responsibility towards the people who depend on her guidance. Nagpur to Panvel Born and raised in Nagpur, Dr Samudra completed her medical education there before moving to Mumbai in search of better opportunities. The early years were challenging. With determination, she and her husband Girish Samudra, an entrepreneur involved in underwater pipeline projects, chose to build their life in Panvel. At a time when the town was still developing and healthcare awareness was limited, she decided to make it both her workplace and home. What began with modest resources gradually grew into a trusted medical practice built on long-standing relationships with patients. Fighting Diabetes Recognising the growing threat of diabetes, Dr Samudra dedicated her career to treating and educating patients about the disease. Over the years, she has registered nearly 30,000 patients from Panvel and nearby areas. Yet she believes treatment alone is not enough. “Diabetes is a lifelong disease. Medicines are important, but patient education is equally critical. If people understand the condition, they can manage it better and prevent complications,” she says. For more than 27 years, she has organised an Annual Patients’ Education Programme, offering diagnostic tests at concessional rates and sessions on lifestyle management. Family, Practice With her husband frequently travelling for business, much of the responsibility of raising their two children fell on Dr Samudra. Instead of expanding her practice aggressively, she kept it close to home and adjusted her OPD timings around her children’s schedules. “It was not easy,” she recalls, “but I wanted to fulfil my responsibilities as a mother while continuing to serve my patients.” Beyond Medicine Today, Dr Samudra also devotes time to social initiatives through the Bharat Vikas Parishad, where she serves as Regional Head. Her projects include  Plastic Mukta Vasundhara , which promotes reduced use of single-use plastic, and  Sainik Ho Tumchyasathi , an initiative that sends Diwali  faral  (snack hamper) to Indian soldiers posted at the borders. Last year alone, 15,000 boxes were sent to troops. Despite decades of service, she measures success not in wealth but in goodwill. “I may not have earned huge money,” she says, “but I have earned immense love and respect from my patients. That is something I will always be grateful for.”

Elections and the Constitution: A Voter’s Guide

Part 2: Two Different Acts and Detailed Provisions

The part 1 of this series traced the constitutional foundations of India’s election system, outlining the powers of the Election Commission under Articles 324–329. It explained how electoral rolls are mandated, how commissioners are appointed and protected, and why independence of the Commission is central to free and fair elections.


Part 2 focuses on the Representation of the People Acts of 1950 and 1951, arguing that understanding the specific legal provisions governing voter registration and electoral rolls is crucial to grasping how India’s electoral process functions in practice.


The Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Representation of the People Act, 1951, are different. The provisions that are not in the 1950 Act are found in the 1951 Act. The detailed explanation regarding elections is in the 1951 Act. Whereas, all the information regarding voter registration and electoral rolls is found in the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The provisions regarding electoral rolls are found in Parts 2(B) and 3 of the same Act. As per the provision of Section 13 (D), it is clear that there will be no separate electoral roll for the Lok Sabha elections. This provision states that the latest electoral roll for the assembly constituencies falling under the respective Lok Sabha constituency will be deemed to be the electoral roll for the Lok Sabha constituency.


As per Section 15, an electoral roll will be prepared for each assembly constituency. It states that this electoral roll will be prepared under the supervision of the Election Commission of India in accordance with the provisions of this Act. This Act has given all powers to the Election Commission of India regarding the electoral roll.


Section 16 provides a detailed explanation of who is disqualified from being registered as a voter. If the person concerned is not a citizen of India, has been declared by a competent court to be of unsound mind, and has been disqualified under law for having committed an illegal act or other offence in the election, he shall be disqualified as a voter, and his name shall be removed from the electoral roll. If the competent court later decides that he cannot be disqualified, his name shall be restored to the relevant electoral roll, as is also stated in the same section.


It is clear from this that there are only two prerequisites for registration in the electoral roll. One of them is that the person concerned must be a citizen of India and must have attained the age of 18 years. If these two conditions are fulfilled, then that person can be registered as a voter.


According to Section 17, any voter can register as a voter in only one constituency. This means that each voter can vote only once in each election. For this reason, since the 1960s, ink has been applied to the left index finger of a voter who goes to vote.


Indrajit Barua vs. Central Election Commission

This case is considered to be an important case in the history of the Central Election Commission. In this case, the petitioners had challenged the 1979 electoral rolls in Assam in the Supreme Court. The petitioners had claimed that the names of many non-citizens of India were included in the electoral rolls. In this judgement, the Supreme Court laid down three things in total.


One – The provisions of the law should be strictly followed while including anyone’s name in the electoral roll.


Two – If any voter objects to the inclusion of another voter’s name in the electoral roll, he should prove it before the competent authorities. For example, if a voter objects to the inclusion of another voter’s name in the electoral roll and says that the other voter is not a citizen of India, therefore his name should be excluded from the electoral roll; in such a case, the person who has objected should prove that the other voter is not a citizen of India. This is what is called ‘burden of proof’.


Three – Objections to the inclusion of names in the electoral roll should be decided by the competent authority. While making this selection, the concerned authority should take sufficient care so that only the names of persons who are Indian citizens are included in the electoral roll.


More in the next instalment.


(The writer is an author and digital journalism teacher. Views personal.)

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