tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363074094858837732012-01-08T09:34:46.573+05:30Aims to empower Indians to make informed political choices and to play an active part in the democracy which is "of the people, for the people, by the people"...Empowering Indiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10222729895964888768noreply@blogger.comBlogger1401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-30539953112748336402011-08-23T15:08:00.000+05:302011-09-11T15:15:45.791+05:30

The current campaign against corruption provides a golden opportunity to Dr Manmohan Singh to lead from the front. There is an urgent need for speeding up the process of economic, administrative and judicial reforms, not only to push the economy to a higher growth path, but also to help reduce the scope for corruption. Being the Prime Minister of India, he must spell out the

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-62893566135744101082011-08-20T15:10:00.000+05:302011-09-11T15:11:10.146+05:30

Many of today’s anti-corruption protestors believe that they are participating in the second freedom struggle from misrule. Ambedkar had warned against extra-constitutional means of protests. But today, in the name of Gandhi, many believe that constitutional processes are expendable. Actually, It is good that Gandhi is back in the public memory. If this provides an opportunity to try

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-34411220378438522962011-08-17T15:12:00.000+05:302011-09-11T15:16:05.993+05:30

In the past few months, the debate over black money and corruption has been raging across the country. Some social activists and the government have been at loggerheads over the scope and structure of a new anti-corruption authority being proposed. There have been claims ranging from tens of billions of dollars to over a trillion dollar, money that may have been illegally acquired or

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-21417111163694253612011-02-08T11:17:00.002+05:302011-02-09T11:52:12.307+05:30

The Rajya Sabha shows the way in the manner in which it handled the Prevention of Torture Bill, 2010.It is true that some of our Parliamentarians are indeed opportunist, corrupt and lazy. However, such notions are selective. The Rajya Sabha committee's work deserves commendation. Indeed, the formula stipulated by the committee should not be restricted to torture alone, writes Tarunabh Khaitan in

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-17471389195163667452011-02-07T11:15:00.000+05:302011-02-09T11:17:20.439+05:30

When we Indians decry the state of our Parliament, we mostly focus on the symptoms, not the underlying causes. The undesirability of disruptions and the repeated adjournments of Parliament are obvious. It is important to shift the discussion to the root causes and possible solutions if we are to see any improvements. The first category of disruptions, involving smaller groups of MPs, will require

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-31729989082680825962011-01-14T17:14:00.004+05:302011-09-11T15:17:40.824+05:30

India FNF Alumni Network (IFAN) in partnership with Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit Invites you to a discussion on "Winning Strategies for Liberal Politics: Learning from South Africa" on Thursday, 20 January 2011, New Delhi. Speaker: Ms. Katja M. Egger, FNF South Africa Moderator: Barun Mitra, Liberty Institute Registration: 1530 hrs onwards Hi-Tea: 1530 hrs - 1600 hrs

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-83300573855043541212011-01-13T14:32:00.001+05:302011-01-17T14:49:51.221+05:30

The Election Commission of India announced that by-elections to fill up six Assembly seats in five States will be held. In Kharsawan, by-elections will be held on on February 10, the notification being issues on January 17th and counting of votes on February 17th. In Chhattisgarh , Gujarat , Manipur and Madhya Pradesh, the election is scheduled for February 14 and the notification will be issued

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-41432025403928391302011-01-12T14:46:00.000+05:302011-01-17T14:47:24.789+05:30

The Election Commission of India is examining a proposal to reduce the minimum age of voting right to 16 years from the present age of 18. Chief Election Commissioner Y S Quraishi said "We may recommend to the government to reduce the minimum voting age to 16 years, if more youths, particularly new voters, participate in the electoral process," in a meeting organized by Youth United for Voter

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-16469430533706399812011-01-10T11:33:00.001+05:302011-01-12T11:36:19.033+05:30

India is a democracy, but without flaws. Disclosure of information could be not just of public servants, but of corporate sector or educational institutions and media. It need not be coercive. It can even be voluntary. Because of Election Commission affidavits, we know 543 MPs in the 15th Lok Sabha have a combined wealth of Rs 3,075 crore, Namma Nageswara Rao leading the field with Rs 174 crore.

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-71109305548055082792010-12-27T18:08:00.000+05:302011-01-03T18:13:28.245+05:30

The Union cabinet cleared the proposal for public funding of elections around this time in 2005.Everyone wants India to initiate a thorough reform of its election processes. The Election Commission is the place to begin that process. Urban India often forgets that the panchayat election is the most contested of all elections and has more money spent per voter than in any other. Public

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-80416923784094871872010-12-22T11:58:00.000+05:302010-12-22T12:00:10.826+05:30

You are cordially invited to a "Symposium on Land Rights & Development" Organised by Liberty Institute, New Delhi, in association with Forum for Good Governance, HyderabadVenue: Hyderabad Study Circle, Near Indira Park `X’ Roads, Domalguda, HydOn December 26, 2010, Sunday, from 10.30 AM to 4.30 PMInaugural SessionLaunch of International Property Rights Index 2010 by Dr Y Shivaji, Ex MPChief

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-90010664481888218222010-12-19T01:51:00.000+05:302010-12-29T01:55:30.141+05:30

The Radia tapes have exposed the business-politics-media nexus. There are scandals in loans for real estate companies in which PSU banks are implicated, housing allocation, and IPL. One reason for corruption is that there are economic goods—contracts, land deals, permits—available at an administered price that understates their true value. The agent in charge of allocating such goods is in

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-13955999366279147222010-12-08T15:02:00.000+05:302011-09-11T15:03:42.519+05:30

The verdict, in the recent assembly election in the state of Bihar, has attracted a lot of interest across India. The ruling coalition of JD(U) and BJP won a record 206 seats in a house of 243. Did this huge margin of victory, signify a major shift in Indian politics? What does this election really tell us about the future political direction in India? In this the second half, the aim is to

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-49373520754055445282010-12-01T20:36:00.000+05:302010-12-01T20:37:51.295+05:30

Stalling of Parliament is a manifestation of growing intolerance in the country. The UPA has behaved in a disgraceful way and the opposition has a point. However, they don't allows the Government to function properly. The ruling Congress, at the same time blames the Opposition for not letting Parliament function. It gives out the impression that cheap stunts matter than performance, writes Ravi

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-90936188119835242532010-11-29T01:48:00.001+05:302010-12-29T01:50:32.599+05:30

Parliament has not been functioning for many days, which leads to severe costs and loss of reputation. The fight against corruption is not rhetorical matter.For decades, India has winked at corruption. The political order has fostered it and financed itself out of corruption. We are caught in a vicious circle where the private sector has to bribe ministers and civil servants if they are to

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-76136044457503171872010-11-20T18:12:00.000+05:302010-11-20T18:14:18.985+05:30

The wind is blowing in favour of the ruling coalition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly when the last phase of the Bihar Legislative Assembly polls is drawing to a close. The assets of the JD (U)’s MLA candidates’ average have seen a three fold spike. It could even be that new and richer individuals are being put forward as candidates. Being rich is not a factor of importance in predicting

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-79635788986974951962010-11-17T12:48:00.002+05:302010-11-17T12:51:29.919+05:30

India's effort to break free of it's socialist past of threatened by its failure to create and enforce private property rights. It started with the Adarsh Housing Society in the mid-90's. It recieved 3,800 square meters of land at 15 % of the market price on the claim that it would provide low cost housing to soldiers and families who made sacrifices for the country. The society includes defense

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-2657394042191320322010-09-23T18:03:00.000+05:302010-09-24T18:05:24.606+05:30

The Ayodhya verdict is scheduled to be delivered on Friday, unless last-minute interventions come through. The Union government has appealed for calm and banned the transmission of bulk SMS and MMS to avert the spread of mischievous rumours. TAPAS CHAKRABORTY portrays the three judges – and their life away from the bench and law books — who are on the threshold of delivering the judgment, in The

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-39097612946551222492010-09-14T18:31:00.001+05:302010-09-14T18:33:26.020+05:30

The Indian National Congress is going to fund itself by building a corpus, which is the largest one among the Indian political parties. Congress had generated funds through selling coupons when other political parties relied on voluntary donations. Other major sources of income for the parties analysed for last two years were "Levy" for CPM and receipt from sale of coupons for NCP, reports The

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-79128005180932239682010-09-01T18:25:00.001+05:302010-09-01T18:26:49.467+05:30

The Rajya Sabha cleared the bill raising the salaries of MP's to Rs. 50,000 a month frm Rs. 16,000. The constituency and office expenses allowance was dooubled to Rs. 40,000 a month. The bill was passed by the Lok sabha recently. CPIM members walked out of the hall protesting against this, reports The Hindu. Read the whole article:NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed the Bill raising the

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-47101623949552555902010-09-01T17:56:00.001+05:302010-09-01T18:25:08.976+05:30

The Election Commission of India seeks the help of the Press Council of India in monitoring paid news during election time.Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi said in a press conference‘paid news' “has assumed serious proportions and is more pronounced in some States.". The candidate's expenditure monitoring cell will be tightened by the commission, reports The Hindu.Read the whole article

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-63440729092179168392010-08-31T20:01:00.001+05:302010-08-31T20:02:58.760+05:30

Chief election commissioner of India SY Quraishi said that the commission cannot control paid news during the elections."Our role comes in picture only when the candidate exceeds the expenditure ceiling. We cannot question the media, our powers extend only to candidates," he said. He added that a special body should be formed covering all media, reports Daily News And Analysis.Read the whole

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-7327940280790398342010-08-29T20:20:00.001+05:302010-08-31T20:22:49.977+05:30

A conference of electoral officers and administrative officials to be held in Goa will discuss monitoring of election-related expenditure and working out effective means to tackle excessive use of money power during the polls.'The conference will deliberate on various election-related issues. The aim of the conference will be to put together a comprehensive document on best electoral practices in

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-7886556021889323022010-08-29T02:22:00.001+05:302010-08-30T07:26:07.984+05:30

Hari Prasad, a technocrat who was arrested recently for stealing electronic voting machines and released yesterday, will present a controversial paper on how EVMs used in Indian elections can be tampered with at a conference on computer and communication safety.The conference in Chicago in October will be co-sponsored by IT majors like Google and Microsoft, reports Hindustan Times.Read the whole

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-45768219467814652182010-08-29T01:42:00.000+05:302010-08-30T01:43:49.267+05:30

A Right to Information activist who was in the forefront in exposing corruption in Public Distribution System, foodgrain and fuel distribution in the Marathwada region was found dead in Nanded. He was a local Shiv Sena leader. The circumstances are mysterious.Preliminary post mortem report revealed excess alcohol in his body, police said, reports The Times Of India.Read the whole article:MUMBAI:

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-25125862133527579312010-08-27T22:23:00.001+05:302010-08-31T22:27:11.099+05:30

Recently, Hari Prasad,managing director of Hyderabad-based Net India Private Limited stole an Electronic Voting Machine to prove that the system is vulnerable.He has done a great service to the nation. These Electronic Voting machines need to be tested for any possible security flaws — that is a standard operating procedure which is carried out by the world’s biggest technical conglomerates to

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-28494721459153721362010-08-25T21:46:00.001+05:302010-08-25T21:49:32.820+05:30

Hari Shankar Brahma, a retired senior bureaucrat hailing from Assam, assumed charge as Election Commissioner on Wednesday. He is a 1975 IAS officer,and was the Union Power Secretary. His appointment was following the one of Quraishi as the Chief Election Commissioner, reports The Economic Times.Read the whole article:NEW DELHI:Hari Shankar Brahma, a retired senior bureaucrat hailing from Assam,

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-34515407179781868122010-08-25T20:00:00.002+05:302010-08-25T20:05:29.751+05:30

The left was given massive mandates for seven successive terms in west Bengal.But, In the recent Municipal elections, the Left managed to win only 18 of the state's 81 municipal councils.The left got much public support through the agrarian reforms of the 70's.But, the benefits of the much famed land reforms weared off and they lost the support they had gained. Even sympathizers of the left find

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-90146060559369324252010-08-23T00:21:00.000+05:302010-08-24T00:24:01.446+05:30

The Government on Monday agreed to further hike their monthly allowances by Rs 10,000.The Union Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided to increase the office and constituency allowances of MPs by Rs 5000 each per month, reports The Indian Express.Read the whole article:In a bid to placate MPs demanding higher pay packages, Government on Monday agreed

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-27418162756807726252010-08-22T19:33:00.001+05:302010-08-22T19:35:16.215+05:30

A 300 percent salary hike for Members of parliament was cleared, and their perks were doubled. But, The MP's are dissatisfied as they sought Rs 80,001 salary per month as recommended by a parliamentary committee. Politics is all about money in India.The average worth of assets of an MP in the Lower House has increased from Rs 1.86 crore to Rs 5.33 crore in the last five years, reports Zee

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-9260941788071141912010-08-22T00:11:00.000+05:302010-08-24T00:14:26.579+05:30

The pay hike of Members of Parliament are gathering anger.India's Economy has grown by 8.5 per cent in the last 5 years.The per capita income Indians stand at 2,795 Rs per month. The salary of MP's are being tripled. If Rs. 50,000 is an insult, as Lalu Prasad Yadav said, what would you call Rs. 2,795, an abomination? The trade union like activities of MPs create a huge divide between them and the

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-92082425956655042332010-08-21T19:24:00.000+05:302010-08-22T19:27:49.629+05:30

When the status of a 15 year old case in the Bombay High Court was checked, it was found that they haven't still listed a date. A source gave some critical information on the condition that the information will be used only in public interest.In India `truth' is still no defence in contempt proceedings. The source found judges in a huddle on Karan Thapar's defence of Capitalism. Karan Thapar

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-75112775912478959462010-08-20T21:37:00.000+05:302010-08-22T21:40:45.000+05:30

India's achievements in the first decade of the 21st century leaves a warm after-glow. However, many Indians are prone to playing the blame game. Politicians, bureaucrats, corporate biggies and acedemics including others are good at the blame game. The media targets people who can't hit back.Instead of blaming others and system, all well-meaning citizens should become a part of the electoral

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-18063042893485263352010-08-20T21:10:00.000+05:302010-08-22T21:13:30.524+05:30

The Gujarat court directs mock e-voting before the actual poll. It is to ensure that the process of online voting is 100 per cent full-proof.The Congress leaders have claimed in their PIL that e-voting system to be implemented through recent amendments in the BPMC Act is in violation of fundamental rights granted by the Constitution, reports The Times Of India.Read the whole article:AHMEDABAD: In

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-54296020964733651532010-08-20T21:03:00.001+05:302010-08-22T21:04:56.948+05:30

The bill to regulate foreign money received by religious and nongovernmental organisation got clearance when when Rajya Sabha passed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Bill, 2006, on Thursday.The bill prohibits certain categories of individuals and organisations from accepting foreign funds and hospitality without prior government permission, reports Daily News And Analysis.Read the whole article:

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-38739409035508216482010-08-20T19:40:00.000+05:302010-08-22T19:43:28.264+05:30

The MPs of the country are not satisfied with the three-fold salary hike.After the union cabinet approved the hike, MPs other than those from the Congress, BJP and the demanded a salary not less than that of a secretary to the government of India, which is Rs. 80,000 a month. Many commented that such demands were not justified, reports Hindustan Times.Read the whole article:Hours after the union

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-3629886303509892452010-08-20T19:24:00.000+05:302010-08-21T19:25:59.552+05:30

The Cabinet approved a three fold hike of the salaries of MP's. The basic salary of the MPs will be hiked from Rs 16,000 to Rs 50,000 per month. The salary hike is lower than the figure of 80,001, which was recommended by the parliamentary committee, reports Yahoo News.Read the whole article:New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) Salaries of MPs will be hiked by more than three times with the Union Cabinet

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-77635901457696176452010-08-20T06:11:00.000+05:302010-08-22T06:14:12.885+05:30

The MP's of India are dissatisfied by their pay hike. The Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Janata Dal stalled proceedings in the Lok Sabha on August 20. MPs argue that their present salary is lower than that of a secretary level government employee, reports Times Now.Read the whole article:A 300% hike is not enough for our Members of Parliament; now they want it to be 500%.

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-45261786399742410132010-08-19T00:07:00.000+05:302010-08-23T00:11:23.269+05:30

People look at the five fold salary hike of MPs with cynicism. They find it unjust that MPs are placing themselves over the civil service. But, if you look at it objectively, you will find that the decision makes sense. An MP has several expenses, which many meet from their own pockets. Low salaries would only lead to more incentives for corruption. If we want to attract better talent to politics

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-46349896036969646672010-08-18T19:21:00.000+05:302010-08-21T19:23:36.555+05:30

The Right to Information (RTI) has disclosed that all political parties are in excellent financial health.The political parties have disclosed the details of assets and liabilities following orders from the Central Information Commission Congress is the richest party, and BSP shows the biggest rise in assets. The regional parties are not far behind, reports The Times Of India.Read the whole

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-57797335744740243362010-08-18T19:16:00.000+05:302010-08-21T19:20:35.743+05:30

Elections for the 126 civic bodies, would be held in the Jaipur state on Wednesday. More than 35,000 EVM's(Electronic Voting Machines) will be used in the poll. The votes will be counted on August 20th, reports The Times Of India.Read the whole article here:JAIPUR: Elections for the 126 civic bodies, including a municipal corporation and two municipal councils, would be held in the state on

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-4115665811596805312010-08-18T00:49:00.000+05:302010-08-23T00:54:35.705+05:30

The primary role of the MP's is to legislate, though it is much forgotten by the Voters. Yet, Government exclusively draft new laws and pass them in the parliament. Any MP can introduce bills in the parliament as private members' bills, but it is bound to fail. Yet, many MP's do so for various reasons, including to prove their competence in coming up with the right solutions.MP's can do much to

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-9647151554488745472010-08-14T16:12:00.000+05:302010-08-15T16:14:23.248+05:30

The state Election Commission has extended the date for registration of online voters in six municipal corporations of the state from August 16, to August 21. The poor response from people led to this decision. The response was not up to the expectations, reports The Indian Express.Read the article on Miracle Of Democracy.The state Election Commission (SEC) has extended the date for registration

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-19345605163429034672010-08-14T13:47:00.000+05:302010-08-15T13:50:14.642+05:30

On-line voter registration will become a reality from November onwards in Goa, says the state electoral authority.A nationwide project to network offices of the various state electoral authorities and the Election Commission of India is on the way, said the assistant chief electoral officer Arvind Bugde, reports The Times of India.Read the article on Miracle Of Democracy.Although its promise

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-9680102554642185402010-08-14T13:23:00.001+05:302010-08-15T13:28:04.720+05:30

Political Independence was gained by India in 1947, but it took a long time for India to gain many other freedoms.In 1950, India turned a republic and in 1951, land reforms were initiated. Ambedkar reformed Hindu personal laws.1n 1973, judged were superseded in the appointment of CJI.The emergency took off our freedoms.The constitution abolished untouchability and the Narasimha Rao Government

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-37742370071236301232010-08-13T19:27:00.004+05:302010-08-16T08:34:59.383+05:30

Madhavrao Sindhia used to recount a story of man pounced upon by commuters on a train when he threw away a ticket on the platform. Such a spirit was rare in India after August 9, 1942.Words like hartal, gherao, bandh, andolan, sanghatan and satyagraha entered our everyday speech after that day. Chakravarti Rajagopalachari once said that Gandhiji wouldn;t have approved of the Quit India violence

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-48852305545550386722010-08-13T16:37:00.000+05:302010-08-15T16:38:12.546+05:30

The government on Friday expressed its inability to enforce compulsory voting in India.Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily said in the Lok Sabha that people can't be forced to Vote. Moily said that he was not against compulsory voting, but added that he is against enforcing the idea through a stand alone law, reports The Hindu.Read the article on Miracle Of Democracy.Observing that people cannot be

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-62565717908821872452010-08-11T18:12:00.000+05:302010-08-11T18:14:02.969+05:30

SC should not make law in place of parliament. Supreme court is not an interim parliament, said Justice Markandeya Katju. He added that Supreme Court judges should do their jobs and not become a Parliament and make laws. The comment was made during the hearing of an inter-country adoption case, reports The Indian Express.Read the whole article on Miracle Of Democracy.Justice Markandeya Katju, a

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-54684651540731096312010-08-11T08:38:00.001+05:302010-08-12T08:45:21.346+05:30

A representative of the Election Commission of India, Alok Shukla and an American university professor, Alex Halderman clashed publicly over contradictory claims regarding the machines at an industry conference on Electronic Voting Machines. Halderman said that Electronic Voting Machines are vulnerable to tampering, when Alok Shukla denied it, reports The Hindu.Read the whole article on Miracle

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-69896432295790294002010-08-10T09:10:00.000+05:302010-08-12T09:13:22.341+05:30

The Election Commission of India has invited citizens to a programme called ‘Verifiability, Transparency & Accountability in Elections', to see a demonstration by NetIndia which has claimed that the electronic voting machines can be tampered with. NetIndia was asked to prove their claims, reports The Times of India.Read the whole article on Miracle Of Democracy.The Election Commission of India (

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-76171419097603160792010-08-09T23:48:00.000+05:302010-08-09T23:50:17.269+05:30

The negotiation of discussion on the price rise has stalled the parliament for a week. There were debates on the issue in the recent past too. The MP's don't subscribe to the view of Milton Friedman that inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon.Subsidy cuts, public distribution, hoarders and black-marketeers were blamed for the price rise, when monetary policy wasn't, writes M R

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-18242014575037868432010-08-09T09:20:00.000+05:302010-08-12T09:21:58.183+05:30

The cost of 268 of 578 projects overruns to the tune of Rs 50,295 crore, the Government admitted. The details of the timeframe for implementation weren't disclosed. The reasons for cost include delay in procurement of equipment, law and order problems, inadequate infrastructure and rise in input cost, reports Business Standard.Read the whole article on Miracle Of Democracy.The government today

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-85896674485974528182010-08-08T01:08:00.000+05:302010-08-10T01:09:17.447+05:30

Neeraj Patel is the first Kannadiga to become a mayor in the UK. He is a doctor who was born in a politically active family and bred in a small town."Winning an election is like winning a war. And every thing is fair in this love and war. Politics is war without bloodshed and politics without power is a waste of time." , said he, reports Daily News And Analysis.Read the whole article here.Dr

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-50891697763809720372010-08-07T20:43:00.001+05:302010-08-07T20:45:11.647+05:30

Speaker Meira Kumar's logic for rejection of adjournment motion makes the task of the Opposition tougher. She said that the adjournment motion was admitted on the failure of government to discharge "the duties which are enjoined upon it by the Constitution and the law", reports The Times Of India.Read the whole article on Miracle Of Democracy.Speaker Meira Kumar's decision to disallow adjournment

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-53805591321067779252010-08-07T00:14:00.000+05:302010-08-10T00:17:16.636+05:30

Shekhar Gupta wrote in his piece "The power to one", that a hero will be a person with no past and no greed for the future. He cited the cases of TN Seshan and JM Lyngdoh as election commissioners. However, their past records were not that good. They used their powers creatively. Manmohan Singh is a man without a past and no greed for the future. He is not able to work the way he would like to,

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-32219191891423206162010-08-06T01:02:00.000+05:302010-08-10T01:03:17.943+05:30

Surat Citizens are not eager to sign up for e-voting. Only 30 voters came forward to fill forms to register themselves for e-voting at city civic centres of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) in last five days.The State Election Commission (SEC) will go ahead with its plan for e-voting during the municipal corporation elections, reports The Times Of India.Read the whole article here.It seems there

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-10533416779721397522010-08-04T20:29:00.000+05:302010-08-05T20:30:39.956+05:30

The Election commission of India asked Jharkhand Government to file an FIR in the cash for vote allegations. The sting operation was carried out by a telivision channel. The ECI discussed the ramifications of the telivision report. The guilty could be punished with imprisonment up to five years, reports The Hindu.The Election Commission on Tuesday directed the Jharkhand government to file a First

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-31710788167975724322010-08-03T22:14:00.001+05:302010-08-03T22:16:46.794+05:30

A joint sting operation conducted by CNN-IBN and Cobrapost exposed the sale of votes for an amount as little as 50 Lakhs. The Congress has issues notice to all the MLA's who were caught in the camera. Political parties have demanded strong action against all the MLA's who were exposed.This article was published in IBN politics on August 3rd 2010.A day after a joint sting operation conducted by

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-67392534553483387942010-08-03T22:04:00.001+05:302010-08-03T22:06:42.808+05:30

The parliament will discuss price rise under rule 342.BJP opposed a debate not followed by voting. “If the government is still unrelenting, we’ll rather forego any discussion on price rise,” they added. Both sides claimed victory.This article was published in The Economic Times on 3rd August 2010.The weeklong impasse in Parliament over the nature of discussion on price rise ended on Monday, with

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-63334156510142623012010-08-03T20:53:00.000+05:302010-08-05T20:55:04.849+05:30

Citizen's forum claims to have exposed malpractices by Goa election officers. The election officers were found to adopt procedures different from guidelines issued by Election Commission Of India. PCF had pointed to such malpractices in the past too, like enrolling foreigners in the election rolls, reports Daily News And Analysis.Goa-based Citizens' Forum today claimed to have exposed

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-38073578008887211062010-08-03T00:51:00.001+05:302010-08-10T00:56:03.821+05:30

One comrade had said that Manmohan Singh will get up when we ask him to get up, he must sit down when we ask him to. There is no generation gap in CPM.But they have their own ideas about their own importance, about their thinking or their inevitably being right, says Somnath Chatterjee to Shekhar Gupta.Read the whole article here.Excerpts:Shekhar Gupta: My guest this week is a titan of Indian

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-57873911588850991842010-08-02T17:50:00.001+05:302010-08-02T17:52:39.406+05:30

Who can say how the people of India and their political parties will behave? A bad constitution can work well, if the people involved are good, and a good constitution will turn out to be bad if the people working on it are bad. An excerpt of the concluding speech B R Ambedkar delivered as Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee on the floor of the Constituent Assembly on November 26,

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-80154848565085906322010-08-02T17:07:00.001+05:302010-08-02T17:09:39.414+05:30

Political ideologies are simple tools by which people decide on the general direction they think society ought to take. In a true democracy, different political ideals have to compete to win the support of the people. The authors of the Indian Constitution had specifically debated and rejected the idea of binding the country to socialism. Yet, the Preamble to the Constitution was amended in 1976,

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-85460552503200205152010-08-01T20:45:00.000+05:302010-08-02T20:46:58.742+05:30

The brand Dhoni was successful in pushing up the voter turnout in Jharkhand. The Election commission of India has plans to come up with other ambitious plans involving celebrities.‘Pappu pass ho gaya’ campaign worked really well in Delhi.Quraishi aid that not voting is a fashion statement in big cities.This report was published in Hindu on August 1 2010:After the success of brand M. S. Dhoni in

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-83646497007074221342010-07-31T23:02:00.002+05:302010-07-31T23:05:32.517+05:30

Election Commission derecognised Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal party along with five other parties. His rival party JD(U) too was derecognised. The party will lose facilities like utilising public broadcasters All India Radio and Doordarshan for poll-eve broadcasts and free copies of electoral rolls.Read the whole article on Miracle Of DemocracyExcerpts:It was a shortlived status for Lalu

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-28352635690941541002010-07-31T22:44:00.001+05:302010-07-31T22:47:21.645+05:30

TRS won in the eleven of twelve assembly constituencies in Telangana, in the bye-elections. BJP retained its seat only in Nizamabad. 10 MLA's from TRS and one from TDP and BJP quit their posts in support of separate Telangana demand.This necessitated the by-elections.Read the whole article on Miracle Of Democracy.Excerpts:TRS candidates emerged victorious in eleven of the twelve assembly

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-81018256809648002152010-07-31T21:56:00.003+05:302010-07-31T22:02:11.998+05:30

The Government introduced a Bill to establish an academy for advancement of learning and prosecution of research in the field of science and technology in association with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research on Monday.Read the whole article on Miracle Of DemocracyExcerpts:The government on Friday introduced a Bill to establish an academy for advancement of learning and

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-20714131659136746042010-07-31T00:30:00.000+05:302010-08-01T01:47:42.300+05:30

Justice Verma said that an institution can rise to its strength only if it is run by who has no past and no greed for anything in the future. It is tough to find such people.We can feel proud of the Election Commission and Supreme court. Those are the two institutions which we can really be proud of, because of some remarkable people. At the same time CBI and CVC had made news through rotten

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-9601235541694860772010-07-30T22:09:00.002+05:302010-08-06T22:25:18.771+05:30

The Press Council Of India recommended and amendment to election laws today, to declare any payment for publication of news as a corrupt practice.One recommendation was to make The directions of the Press Council Of India Act binding on all newspapers. The council added that self regulation is the best thing, reports Daily News And Analysis.Read the whole article on Miracle Of Democracy.Excerpts:

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-59536182558148277752010-07-30T21:37:00.000+05:302010-08-06T21:40:35.612+05:30

Dr. S.Y. Quraishi assumed the charge as the 17th Chief Election Commissioner of India. He will be succeeding Shri Navin B. Chawla. Quraishi said that he will take over the office wioth a sense of deep honour and pride. Enhancing voter-ship and bringing down the role of money power, he said, is a big problem facing Indian democracy, says a press release of Press Information Bureau.Read the

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-17353269605814805142010-07-30T20:24:00.001+05:302010-08-07T20:32:49.541+05:30

The Parliament was disrupted for the third day in a row with a determined Opposition demanding a discussion on price rise under Rule 184 that entails voting. Sharad Yadav appealed that the opposition should be heard, and the Government didn't comply, reports The Hindu.Read the whole article on Miracle Of Democracy.Proceedings in both Houses of Parliament were disrupted for the third day on

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-18269959879351382262010-07-29T00:06:00.000+05:302010-08-02T00:09:42.150+05:30

CE designate SY Quraishi said that non voting should be an embarrassment.He said that the health of the electoral roll shows the health of democracy. quraishi wants the work of issuing photo-ID cards to be expedited. Pappu campaign in Delhi worked well, he said.This article titled "Non-voting should be an embarrassment, says new CEC, S Y Qureshi" was published in The Times of India on July 29th

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-35093799488167050782010-07-27T22:04:00.000+05:302010-08-06T22:07:11.719+05:30

S Y Quraishi was appointed as the Chief Election Commissioner, succeeding Navin Chawla. Quraishi will conduct assembly elections in Bihar this year. Quraishi is a 1971-batch IAS officer. He said that Indian elections are known for its scale and credibility reports The Times of India.Read the whole article on Miracle Of Democracy.Excerpts:S Y Quraishi, Election Commissioner, was on Tuesday

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-30032171866414700592010-07-27T11:49:00.000+05:302010-07-28T11:50:19.811+05:30

Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh was declared not eligible to contest as an MP by the Kerala High Court.His school record showed that he belongs to an OBC community, Cheramar Christian. Suresh was unable to justify his case. Many of the documents he produced were contradictory, reports The Indian Express.The Kerala High Court on Monday declared null and void the election of Congress MP Kodikunnil

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-53403074562990239312010-07-26T11:17:00.000+05:302010-07-28T11:23:30.052+05:30

Though Indian politicians talk a lot about reform, they are good at spending tax payers money, mostly because they are socialists. Every political party in India should swear allegiance to socialism, according to the 42nd amendment to constitution.There are around 50 parties represented in the parliament, but people of India do not have much of a choice as there is no liberal political party. The

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-71073051966389424602010-07-24T14:24:00.001+05:302010-07-28T15:01:04.804+05:30

The Monsoon session of the parliament will be held from July26th to August 27th. The Government failed to meet its legislative targets in the last sessions. The UPA Government intended to introduce several bills, including the ones on Judicial accountability, four bills on university education, women's reservation and biotechnology regulator.UPA failed to fully utilize these sessions, writes MR

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-53602647060092264732010-07-23T15:35:00.000+05:302010-07-24T15:37:51.797+05:30

The judges of the Indian Supreme court felt that the insertion of socialism in the constitution, though important is only an academic issue,and the petition challenging it, should be withdrawn. Only socialist parties can be registered with India's Election Commission.The Swatantra party of S V Raju failed to swear by Socialism they had no option but to take the issue to the court, writes Manuwant

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-62060237252957308862010-07-21T22:57:00.000+05:302010-07-22T22:59:36.907+05:30

67 MLA's in Bihar were suspended for unruly behaviour. Even a slipper was flung at the speaker. A woman member, Jyoti Kumari threw flower pots around.Several RJD MLA's weremarshalled out of the Assembly, reports DNA.Sixty seven opposition MLAs in Bihar were suspended for unruly behaviour and marshalled out as utter chaos prevailed inside and outside the Assembly today during which a slipper was

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-57186479774739776582010-07-19T20:32:00.002+05:302010-07-19T20:35:36.120+05:30

No one objects to socialism if it is about equity concerns. But, it makes sense to oppose it if it means public ownership of means of production. State and the public are not synonymous. Amending the constituion makes sense in certain circumstances, but not always. The insertion of the worsd Socialist is not an acasdemic question. Sharasd Joshi refused to register his political party as of the

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-19649001819680264902010-07-19T20:03:00.000+05:302010-07-19T20:05:12.836+05:30

India is experiencing a sudden mushrooming of self-styled keepers of public morality and traditions. They usually target the weaker sections of the society.The Government ignores such atrocities and anti-democratic procedures. Semu Bhatt writes on the atrocious diktats of traditional torch bearers – Khap Panchayats – in the latest issue of SouthAsia Magazine.Excerpts:"Khap is a geographical

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-26190789936952798532010-07-16T23:36:00.000+05:302010-07-17T23:38:57.718+05:30

Sanjiv Agarwal's article titled "A democracy can’t have a fixed ideology" was published in The Economic Times on 16th July 2010.Excerpts:The largest multi-party democracy in the world cannot have a fixed ideology of the state. That is the view taken by founding fathers of the Indian Constitution. There were debates in the constituent assembly on whether the word ‘socialist’ should be included in

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-85749022201443713932010-06-17T19:56:00.001+05:302010-06-18T09:04:40.809+05:30

The All india topper in civil services exam, Dr Shah Faisal attibuted his success to the equality guaranteed by the Indian constitution. "One should never forget the fact that he is an Indian irrespective of his religion. No body can stop you from achieving the goal, if you are capable", he said, reports Expressindia.All India topper at UPSC civil services exam Dr Shah Faisal has attributed his

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-3058920107936204992010-05-25T22:15:00.002+05:302010-05-26T18:21:54.627+05:30

Mayawati, the controversial queen of the Dalits, is in the news for all the wrong reasons ever since her crowning in 2007. Hers is the typical story of grit and determination to win against all odds. It is also the story of success of Indian democracy that opened the doors for an underclass woman to lead India's biggest state, Uttar Pradesh. Sadly, however, it is also the story of misusing public

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-90604191957273594082010-04-08T15:10:00.000+05:302010-04-08T15:11:55.003+05:30

The women’s reservation bill will disempower the voter, and reduce the incentive for the elected representative to be seriously concerned with the issues affecting the constituencies.Barun S MitraPragati: The Indian National Interest ReviewApril 2010http://pragati.nationalinterest.in/2010/04/the-political-fallout-of-the-battle-of-the-sexes/ Symbolism plays a very important role in politics. So

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-57099291415488921382009-09-21T23:29:00.004+05:302009-09-21T23:48:50.103+05:30

Members of Parliament: A very interesting view of how our MPs grew with time. This table begins with the Members of the Central Legislative Assembly under the British Rule in 1921.Whether our elected representatives deserve this growth? Whether they deserve more in order to attract the brightest and the best to the legislature? Or whether we should expect them to go back to the Gandhian

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-76866300334998182962009-09-21T22:55:00.006+05:302009-09-21T23:51:47.467+05:30

Given the austerity drive launched by the government, Mail Today newspaper, on 17 Sept 2009, provided a brief sketch of the salaries and benefits our Members of Parliament enjoy. The paper also compared those with legislators from the United States and the United Kingdom.India: Members of ParliamentBasic salary: Rs 1,92,000 per annumConstituency allowance: Rs 2,40,000 per annum (for Lok Sabha)

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-58745259758625355532009-09-07T10:09:00.004+05:302009-09-07T10:27:35.644+05:30

BODY {font-family="Arial"} TT {font-family="Courier New"} BLOCKQUOTE.CITE {padding-left:0.5em; margin-left:0; margin-right:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0; border-left:"solid 2";} Empowering India, an initiative of Liberty Institute, is aimed at encouraging active citizenship and empowering voters with information about their candidates and elected representatives. After Bangalore, Chennai,

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-33505401685819410112009-07-28T16:09:00.003+05:302009-07-28T16:35:55.650+05:30

It was not long ago that I drove down the much awaited sea-link in Mumbai. It was Saturday and one of the first 5 toll free days. I drove with my friends with Michael Jackson rocking the stereo and a munching a hot makka under the rained Mumbai. The link was packed and the traffic was jammed for kilometres before the link began. The rich and the poor had come to get the first glimpse of the much

Kirtimalininoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-46513137552878916052009-07-09T19:51:00.004+05:302009-09-21T22:55:40.114+05:30

IDL/ Liberty NewsLaw to Legitimacy: Shifting perception of propertyFor democracy to endure, majorities cannot be allowed to degenerate into mob rule and suppress dissent. The basic feature of democratic functioning is to protect the right of the minority to engage in the debate. The gay community, just like any other minority, need to move away from their sense of collective right as gays, and

Kirtimalininoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-19668757627922095692009-07-04T18:40:00.000+05:302009-07-09T18:45:48.035+05:30

Political front has surprised everyone with their reactions to the HC’s ruling of section 377. While laws need to stem from moral values, moral values do not necessarily become laws, writes Barun Mitra of the Liberty Institute. The Delhi High Court’s ruling decriminalising section 377 has not only sanctioned strange bedfellows to come out in to the open, but also has brought together people who

Kirtimalininoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-15920997190762245452009-07-02T15:34:00.000+05:302009-07-03T15:39:32.343+05:30

This Budget session of the parliament has an ambitious list of legislative business. Several important Bills which had lapsed due to the dissolution of Lok Sabha are being re-introduced. PRS Legislative Research has analysed many of the Bills that are expected to come up for consideration this session. Read below.The Budget session of Parliament started earlier today. This session has an

Kirtimalininoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-58408228403109499782009-07-01T18:16:00.004+05:302009-07-02T01:22:53.178+05:30

A petition filed against Union Minister for suppressing election expenses reports Samay.A petition has been filed in the Madhya Pradesh High Court challenging the election of Union Minister for Surface Transport Kamal Nath from Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency for allegedly suppressing actual expenditures incurred on helicopter rides during campaign.The petition filed by former Madhya Pradesh

Kirtimalininoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-33682235478173322792009-07-01T17:52:00.003+05:302009-07-01T18:15:49.687+05:30

A day after Nagarkurnool MP slapped a bank manager, criminal cases were booked against the minister for assaulting and intimidating a public servant, reports Express New Service.A day after Nagarkurnool MP Manda Jagannadham slapped a bank manager, criminal cases were booked against him for assaulting and intimidating a public servant and bank employees’ unions are gearing up to launch an

Kirtimalininoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-60298835678087311672009-07-01T17:20:00.004+05:302009-07-02T00:26:12.000+05:30

Congress MP from Nagarkurnool in Andhra Pradesh M Jagannath slaps a bank manager for not cooperating, reports Times of India.Congress MP from Nagarkurnool in Andhra Pradesh M Jagannath on Tuesday found himself in a spot after he allegedly slapped a bank manager in Mahabubnagar district, following which the bank union threatened to step up its protests.Jagannath allegedly slapped Ravinder Reddy,

Kirtimalininoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-29432779852906847662009-06-26T13:07:00.003+05:302009-06-26T13:14:29.476+05:30

Perhaps it is an Indian student's dream come true! The SSC board exams will be scrapped, reports The Hindu Business Line.June 25: The Minister of Human Resource Development, Mr Kapil Sibal, on Thursday, proposed the formation of an autonomous overarching regulatory and assessment authority for higher education which would subsume the University Grants Commission, the All-India Council of

Kirtimalininoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-79106765364690198202009-06-25T13:21:00.002+05:302009-06-25T13:25:42.358+05:30

Here is an article from the Times of India with interesting facts...Every year, lakhs of students burn the midnight oil for months to get into the hallowed Indian Institutes of Technology. But as admissions closed on Wednesday, one startling fact emerged — there weren't enough qualified candidates to fill up the reserved seats on offer for the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, or the

Kirtimalininoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-50846136636687270852009-06-10T13:38:00.004+05:302009-06-10T16:51:46.417+05:30

Liberty Institute In partnership with Friedrich Naumann–Stiftung für die FreiheitCordially invite you to theJulian L. Simon Memorial Lectureon Enduring Democracy and Limited GovernmentThe unbreakable partnershipby Dr Tom G. PalmerAtlas Economic Research Foundation, USA Venue: Conference Hall, ASSOCHAM House, 47 Prithviraj Road, New Delhi 110011Date: 13 June 2009Programme: 6 pm – Registration6.30

Kirtimalininoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-76620258885178862282009-06-07T17:56:00.000+05:302009-07-10T20:14:28.347+05:30

Indian democracy can either be grass-roots-representative or politically stable, but not both. The reason is that the individual legislator is legally powerless in front of the party “high command”. All decisions of party leaders are just rubber-stamped by Parliament. Any dissent, and the legislator is threatened with removal, writes Harsh Gupta in The Mint.Indian democracy has a unique problem:

Kirtimalininoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136307409485883773.post-84079579483866513862009-06-06T15:23:00.002+05:302009-06-06T15:26:17.945+05:30

The Centre has overriding powers to legislate on concurrent subjects and override almost any state legislation. Electricity is just one example, where both the Centre and the states have concurrent powers but centralising power will not improve effective implementation, writes SL Rao in the Deccan Herald. The government’s inability to plan and implement any programme efficiently in India is an

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Why was the south Mumbai turnout worse than in South Delhi, both areas populated by the elite chatterati? explores Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar in the Economic Times. Why did voters in south Mumbai have a pathetic turnout at 42% whereas other areas in India recorded up to 90%? Why was the south Mumbai turnout worse than in South Delhi, both areas populated by the elite chatterati? There was

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