-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Is corruption really an issue in elections? Some surveys claim that people worry more about the economy than corruption. Poll data for 2004 and 2009 general elections show that not only do political parties continue to repeatedly field candidates facing corruption charges, people even vote for them. Analysis of affidavits filed by Lok Sabha candidates shows that in 2004 general elections, a total of 12 candidates...
More »SEARCH RESULT
30% of MPs spent half of expense limit in 2009 polls
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The government's move to give parliamentarians a Rs 30 lakh hike in election expenses appears as misplaced generosity with 30% MPs spending less than half of their funds. Election expense declarations, analyzed by Association for Democratic Reforms, reveals that the average amount of money spent by 437 MPs in the Lok Sabha elections 2009 is only about Rs 14.62 lakh or 59% of the expense limit....
More »2014 Lok Sabha polls will see most first-time voters-Rukmini S
-The Hindu Election Commission data show that 2.3 crore people in the 18-19 age bracket have been enrolled to vote, out of a total electorate of 81.5 crore This Lok Sabha election is likely to reflect the peak of India's electoral demographic dividend with 10% of voters likely to be first-time voters, a combination of electoral and demographic data shows. As fertility begins to decline - faster in the south than in...
More »The promise of regularisation -Shahana Sheikh and Subhadra Banda
-The Hindu There is little transparency in the regularisation of unauthorised colonies in Delhi Earlier this week, acting on behalf of the Delhi government, the Chief Minister wrote a letter to the President asking for a probe against the former Chief Minister, reportedly for "alleged irregularities in the regularisation of unauthorised colonies in Delhi". This follows the Delhi Lokayukta's finding in November 2013 that the "issuance of the PRC [provisional regularisation certificates]...
More »Scent of a send-off in cabbage carnival -Jaideep Hardikar
-The Telegraph Nagpur: The cabbage and cauliflower came to fruition today; the sunflower, the chrysanthemum, the mustard and the coriander flowered through last week, one by one. It was timed that way - to mark a revival and, possibly, a retirement. When India's biggest carnival of farmers was opened today after a gap of over half a century, there was also a feeling that perhaps a spectacular farewell was being given to Sharad...
More »