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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.”

The Law Behind Electoral Rolls

Part 3: Who Can Be Registered as a Voter? Understanding Sections 19 and 20 of the RPA, 1950

In Part 1 of this series, we traced the constitutional foundations of India’s election system, focusing on the powers of the Election Commission under Articles 324–329 and the safeguards built to ensure its independence. Part 2 then moved to the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which sets out how electoral rolls are prepared and maintained.


In Part 3, we turn to a crucial question: who can be registered as a voter? Sections 19 and 20 of the Act spell out the conditions for voter registration, particularly the meaning of being an ordinary resident of a constituency. This concept is central to determining where a citizen’s name is entered on the electoral roll, and it has been clarified both through legislation and landmark Supreme Court judgments. 


So, what do these sections actually say? The name of any citizen of India who has attained the age of 18 may be entered on the electoral roll. But the question arises: on which electoral roll? Since each Assembly constituency has its own roll, in which constituency should that person’s name appear? The answer lies in Section 20 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. This provision makes it clear that an individual’s name will be entered on the roll of the constituency where he or she is ordinarily resident. Before turning to Section 20, however, it is worth first examining what Section 19 of the same act states.


Section 19 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, states that a person can be registered as a voter if they are at least 18 years old and are an ordinary resident of the constituency. Section 20 explains the concept of an ordinary resident in detail, and understanding this is essential.


To qualify as an ordinary resident under Section 20, a person does not need to own or permanently stay in a house in the constituency, nor reside there all year. The focus is on their intent and current residence at the time of electoral registration; temporary absences for work do not disqualify them as ordinary residents.


Even if a government official, Defence personnel, officer in the Defence, or police officer has a house in a village and they are living in another city of the state on account of the work, they remain an ordinary resident of the constituency in which their name is registered as a voter. If they live in another city or state on account of work and do not reside in their native place, then their name cannot be removed from the relevant electoral roll. Similarly, if a mentally ill person is undergoing treatment in a hospital, or if a person is in jail due to a sentence passed by a competent court, or a case is pending against them, it does not mean that he has ceased to be an ordinary resident of their constituency. Detailed provisions in this regard have been made in the sub-sections of this section. If there is any objection to the ordinary residence of a person, then the Central Government should decide based on rules framed by the Central Government in consultation with the Election Commission of India, taking into account all the facts of the case.


Jyoti Basu vs Debi Ghosal

This is an important case in the history of Indian elections. In this case, the Supreme Court has given a detailed explanation on whether the right to vote is a fundamental right or a right granted by law. In it, the Supreme Court has said that it is a completely statutory right. This right can be exercised only as per the provisions of the statute. It means this right is not unlimited. This right can be exercised by the voters only as per the provisions made in the Representation of the People Act, and this law will control it. When an election petition can be filed, in which court the case will be tried, and what will be the time limit for filing the case – all these will be applicable only as per the relevant law. The Supreme Court has said that this is a special type of provision.


To be continued…


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

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