The passage of the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 by both houses of Parliament is a very significant event. It has implications for several critical areas of governance in the country. It can be interpreted in the following ways: It is (a) a struggle of power between the Executive and the Legislature, […]
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सूचना कानून पर मंडराता खतरा: आम लोगों को सशक्त बनाने वाला कानून को कमजोर करने की कोशिश
[ जगदीप एस छोकर ]: सूचना अधिकार कानून यानी आरटीआइ में संशोधन का एक और प्रयास शुरू हो गया है। यह प्रयास पहले किए गए प्रयासों से कुछ हटकर है। अब तक किए गए प्रयासों में संशोधन प्रस्ताव का मसौदा बनाकर विभिन्न वर्गों और जनता के बीच चर्चा के लिए रखा जाता था। वर्तमान संशोधन प्रस्ताव […]
Following a Trail of Digital Breadcrumbs – Are the 2019 Elections Truly Safe?
The Neta app, which sprung up last year and allows users to rate their leaders, has some murky connections to media houses, political analysts and big businesses, raising red flags on the possible misuse of data. The front page of The Tribune on March 21, 2019, carried the following full-page advertisement: It promises people to help them […]
Why independents fail to make a mark in elections
The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two […]
Even in May, no demand for Electoral Bonds worth Rs 1000 and Rs 10000
There was an intense debate around the introduction of electoral bonds by the government. Data obtained from SBI reveals that there is hardly any demand for electoral bonds of lower denomination even in the month of May. Not a single bond in the denomination Rs 1000 & Rs 10000 was purchased in May, while 99.7% […]
A question of election funding
Illustration by Tanmoy Chakraborty The Election Commission of Indias reported response, to a Right to Information (RTI) application, stating that political parties are not within the purview of the RTI created quite a stir. To quote the ECI: [The] requisite information is not available [with] the Commission. This is related to political parties and […]
Know your leaders: 24% of newly-elected Karnataka MLAs face serious criminal charges
By Maj. Gen. Anil Verma (Retd) The results are in for Karnataka but the jury is out as to who will provide a stable government due to the hung verdict of the electorate. The next two weeks will be full of political action and drama with the Governor, Opposition, BJP and the Supreme Court […]
Need to change electoral system to serve people – By Prof. Trilochan Sastry
Even a T-20 match could not have been more exciting. But the stakes in elections are far higher than in a cricket match. Right up to the end, the BJP was moving towards a decisive win and there were celebrations about it forming a government on its own. At the last moment, the results […]
No demand for Electoral Bonds of smaller denomination
There was an intense debate around the introduction of electoral bonds by the government. Data obtained from SBI reveals that there is hardly any demand for electoral bonds of smaller denomination while 99.9% of bonds sold in terms of amount are of Rs 10 lakh & Rs 1 crore denomination. The Electoral Bonds were first […]
Know your candidate: 15% Karnataka poll hopefuls face criminal charges
The Karnataka state polls are scheduled for May 12. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. By Anil Verma With only a few days remaining before the Karnataka state polls scheduled for May 12, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) analysed the affidavits of about 96% of the candidates. The study revealed some shocking facts about gender disparity, as well as the […]