-The Telegraph Protest over alleged 'procrastination, silence and inaction' of the poll panel during Lok Sabha elections New Delhi: Over 145 retired civil service officers, military veterans and renowned academics have come together to question the “procrastination, silence and inaction” that characterised the Election Commission’s response to issues thrown up during the recent general election. “The 2019 General Elections appear to have been one of the least free and fair elections that the...

-The Telegraph Familiar election-time promise of waivers had prompted many not to clear their dues in the hope that the relief would cover them Lucknow: Some 170 Bundelkhand farmers face the threat of auctioning of their properties and possible arrest over unpaid cooperative bank loans, under a rare move by the Uttar Pradesh government that the farmers said would destroy families. Conversations with farmers and officials suggest the familiar election-time promise of waivers...

-The Telegraph The merger of two statistics bodies would bring such data more directly under the control of the government During the last five years, there have been a number of controversies over economic data presented by the government and by relatively autonomous bodies like the National Sample Survey Office. The controversies have been quite sharp, leading to two senior members of the National Statistical Commission resigning earlier this year. These controversies,...

-The Telegraph Figures in May take the total amount of money invested in this opaque source of funding since January to Rs 4,794 crore Electoral bonds accounting for the maximum amount of political donations in India in May were sold in Calcutta, according to information accessed by a citizen through the Right to Information route. Of the bonds worth Rs 822 crore that were sold in select outlets of the State Bank of...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: With parties gearing up to enter ‘election mode’ for assembly elections, politicians are not leaving any stone unturned to woo voters. The BJP-led south corporation has cleared the proposal to make the process of issuance of birth and death certificates free of cost. According to the proposal, the certificates will be available via websites and through zonal offices without paying any charges. The move, if implemented,...