Democratic Elections

Democratic Elections
Lok Sabha elections are round the corner and in the country like India this opportunity is generated at the regular interval of usual five years and citizen get a chance show and express their attitude and accountability towards the building of geographical land as the nation India.
This is time, the usual democratic elections are meaning a lot more as recently we had seen the anger expression of Indians generated from the terrorist attack on Mumbai and still this threat is withholding the government to grant permission for the IPL in tandem of elections.
Will this time, we the citizens of India, be able to deliver something notable towards our contribution for the development of nation? Will our choice fulfill the standards of selecting a proper representative? After the election will we have the satisfaction of fulfilling our responsibility, laid down on us by our constitution? These are the some of the questions which are bound to get an answer by these elections.
It is often said that elections are the acid test for the politicians, but if we look with wider vision and true sense, eventually democratic elections are the biggest obligation and acid test of wisdom of common citizens, because this one minute individual action is bound to play all important role for the future and contributes very significantly towards the building of nation. The most important question waiting for a reply from this election, is the Indian citizens, during these over fifty years of democracy, does the Indian voters had gained enough maturity and learned art of unbiased voting?
Before we get answer for this on 16 May 2009, this will be beneficial to learn how we had voted in the past, because it is past which gives birth to future on the surface of present. Till today we Indian have voted on the lines of
1] Political Party: At the dawn of democracy in the country, Indians were under the influence of political parties and since recent past not much considerable change is visible as for as this influence is concerned. We are voting on party lines without bothering or even thinking about the ability, social background, educational level, life ideology and many more things related with the individual candidate.
2] Cast: In this line of voting also we ignore all the demerits and shortcomings of individual candidate and vote on solitary line of cast to which we and candidate belongs to.
3] Personal Relation: More than 20% of the people, who comes out for voting are slave of this criteria of voting. We often vote for a candidate only because we have good social relations with candidate or with the friends and relatives of the candidate.
4]Influenced voting: This is yet another significant pattern of voting and very distinctly visible in the rural and areas with low educational levels, where under the influence of threat, greed or short term economic gains, people comes out to vote for a particular candidate.
5] Aggressive Publicity Voting: We had reached to status of living in the market so how can the elections be remaining unaffected from this. Today elections are the reason of economic boost and occasion of huge flow of money. Unfortunately more than 50% people of urban areas, coming out to exercise voting rights are falling pray to this aggressive publicity. The amazing things that most of this educated lot know that, what the candidate is promising and publicizing is not more than seasonal rain of elections and bound to get evaporate as soon as the sun of reality starts to shine in the sky of normal life.
Next in series
Democratic Elections Selecting Candidate

India: 60 Years: 60 Words: [16] Electronic Voting Machines

India: 60 Years: 60 Words: [16] Electronic Voting Machines

[India has competed 60 years of independence and to mark this, I am presenting this series of Articles, about the words, that are meaning a lot for the progress of the country. If you feel I missed some thing [For listing of words see the first article “India: 60 Years: 60 Words”] do inform me at premputar@gmail.com I will try to include that at the end of series]


After the independence we have opted for the democratic setup of ruling and in this elections are bound to reappear at regular intervals. Traditionally ballot papers were used by the people to indicate their choice of candidate. This was a time consuming process especially when it comes to counting of the votes, I can recall still the days when after the general election, Doordarshan [official television channel of the country] was telecasting Hindi movies back to back for more than 48 hours during the process of counting of votes for these elections, so that people can know the results as and when they are available.

Considering the time consumed in counting of votes, election commission of India thought of electronic alternative for the ballot papers to speed up the counting process and with the help of Bharat Electronics Ltd., Bangalore and Electronic Corporation of India Ltd., Hyderabad [both are from public sector undertakings] succeeded in designing a voting machines called “EVM” in the year 1989-1990.

Electronic Voting Machine [EVM] is composed of two units namely controlling unit and balloting unit. The polling officer at polling booth activates the machine with the help of controlling unit, which is connected with balloting unit through a cable and voter press the button given in balloting unit for their choice of candidate. An EVM can record vote’s maximum to 3840 votes and in our country polling booths are designed in such manner that at most of the booths number of voters remains around 1500 hence for a single polling booth, single EVM prove sufficient.

EVM’s were used first time during the election of Legislative Assemblies held in November, 1998, in 16 Assembly Constituencies in the States of Madhya Pradesh (5), Rajasthan (5) and NCT of Delhi (6) on the experimental basis. The results have prompted the election commission to go for the use of EVM’s in all elections and traditional ballot papers just because
1. It saves time.
2. There is considerable ease for the counting of votes as by pressing a single button votes for every candidate are displayed.
3. A single EVM can accommodate votes for 16 candidates and to a single controlling unit four balloting units can be connected making the number of candidate equal to 64, which is much higher than normal maximum number of candidates for a constituency.
4. As the EVM can record only 5 Votes in a minute and the facility of “Close” button in the controlling unit are working against the booth capturing.
5. An EVM is priced higher than Rs. 5,000 but when we consider the printing, transportation of ballot papers and ballot boxes along with the requirement of more staff during counting and remuneration paid to them, EVM’s falls in the circle of affordability.
6. EVM can insure one man one vote, beside that there are no individual votes as there is no provision to know which voter has pressed button for which candidate.
7. EVM is computerized programmed machine which runs on the battery provided with hence there is no need of supply of external electric power and being sealed it is not possible to change the code and use for behavior in a specific way.
8. It is so easy to use that even large illiterate population of the country is able to use it.

India: 60 Years: 60 Words

India: 60 Years: 60 Words

Golden pages of history are indicative of the Indian dominance over the whole world in the past. In all aspects of life from spirituality to wealth India was looked upon as the leaders by the rest of the world. Social, Political, Regional and Religious situations of the land went under some drastic changes and India was no more world leader in many aspects of life, though a few sectors like spirituality and moral human behavior were still there in which Indian leadership was still unchallenged even after these drastic changes.

In the year 1947, India got freedom from the ruling of centuries by the Mugal Dynasties and British Rule in the form of East India Company. It is fact country was forced to see and suffer the pains of partition and baring a few areas, Land named as Pakistan; majority of population was still with Hinduism or Indian life style and opted for the democratic set up of ruling the country.

15th August 2007, saw the completion of 60 years of post independence era for the country. All these years witnesses the firm footed progress of India towards regaining of status of world leadership, the historic and prestigious holding of the country in the past. Journey towards the gaining the dominating status and vigorous growth race of the country is more visible and versatile specially during or since last 2-3 decades, though still a long distance has to be covered for reaching to destination goal of becoming super power in the human ocean but the positive growth signs are showing that progress is in the right direction and the journey is on the cleverly chosen success roads.

In this series of article “India: 60 Years: 60 Words”, I am going to enlist 60 words which had not only influenced the life style of Indians during all these 60 years [A few are since the pre independence era] but also can be taken as the mile stones of progress of the country towards the designated goal of regaining the status of being world leader in various aspects of life.

Chronologists might under go feeling of un satisfaction because these 60 dominating words will not be going to be covered in the chronological order of happening but will be covered in alphabetical order. In this series, I will try to cover the impacts of these 60 words on the life style of Indians according to my own vision and attitude towards the life. At some place my vision may not be matching with some one hence I am leaving the space of being disagreed open for all. Listed sixty dominating words are inclusive off:

Aasam Unrest
Air travel
Art & Culture
Auryavedic & Yoga
Bureaucracy
Caste Balance
Communism
Co-operative Streams and Movement
Corporate Agriculture
Cricket
D T H
Digiutal Revolution
Divide & Rule
Drinking Water
Economic Reforms
EVM's
Family Car
Family life
Fashion Industry
Fast Food
Green Revolution
Health Consciouness
Hinduism
Hoteling
I I T & I I M
Information Technology
Jamu & Kashmir
Judicial Activism
Khalistan Moment
Land reforms
Literacy
Media Revolution
Mobile
Modeling & Beauty
Movies
Mutual Funds / Micro Finance
N G O's
N R I
Narmada Aandolan
National Language
Naxolite Movement
Non Agreement
Plastic Money Power / Banking
Political Will - Indira Gandhi
Population Control
Rail & Roads
Regional Politics
Religious Up lift and Freedom
Retail and Real estate Boom
Sachet
Satyagrah
Sensex
Shopping Malls
Social Networking
Space Science
Status Symbol
Television
Tourism
Vote Banks
Women Lideration

India: Political and Electoral Reforms

We Indian are not just became habituated with the corruption by the politician but also had learned the art of living with it. Otherwise what else is preventing us for raising our voice against it? People says India has changed a lot, the days of dynasties are over, No dear nothing is changed if you think deeply, though on a visible change is that know people have choice of electing rulers of own choice, where as in the past it was destiny that who will be the ruler.If the present political environment which on run towards being worst with time remain in continuation surely India will be heading to face a dictatorship in very near future and what the bare thought freedom we are enjoying will become a thing of past. So dear friends this is right time for awaking, I am calling especially youth to come forward and work for the most needed political and electoral reforms which are the need of hour to keep intact our status of being citizen of a democratic set up.

Political Reforms:

Surely the our present political situations have reached to status of being liable for undergoing a renovation and to make the political sky of the country, pollution free and more worth for living following reforms must be implemented with immediate effect.

** Introduction of Law Council to look after, the review and reconstruction of the constitution of the country, define the duties and responsibilities of public representatives, beside fixing their salaries to appropriate and reasonable level and keep on working for rules and regulations that can meet with our changing social demands. This will leave government with the only implementation of laws. How ever every suggestion of this council will be under go a debate in both the existing houses by the elected public representative before being called law.

Construction of Law Council: There will be just 25 persons appointed by President by India for a term of three years with fix remuneration of Rs. 25,000/- per month to each. The sole and one eligibility criteria will be that these persons should not be related with any political party directly or indirectly and selected from various fields as fallows
4 High court retired Judges3 Supreme Court retired Judges3 Armed forces retired personals [Brigadier or equivalent]2 IAS retired officers 2 University Student representatives [preparing for Doctorate in Law and under age of 35 years] 3 Professional [having a practice of 10 or more years] [like Doctors, Engineers]3 Representatives from the corporate houses2 Supreme Court practicing lawyers [at least 10 years experience]2 University Vice Chancellors retired [Law background essential]1 President of India [Working as the Honorary Head of council]

** We are one of the biggest populated countries and if we take the problem of residential area and the unaffordable expenses made on the security of Ministers and other politicians my suggestion will look worth gold.I suggest construction of multistory buildings for the residence of Ministers and other political personalities as this will not only solve the problem of residential area but will also bring the security expenses to minimum.

** There must not be different set of laws for the people on the basis of religion or the area [as are there in present constitution]. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, whole land is one country India hence there must be a universal and same set of laws. Similarly we are being known as Indian to world so there is no need of different sets of laws which divide us into various religions.

** Politics is no more a social service. It has started journey on the roads of professionalism and like other professions started to run in heredity. In the laws of our land there is no provision of making expenses on the security of professionals, I suggest the same status for the politicians. There is high life risk is involved in the professions related with coal mines and armed forces and peoples are entering in these profession on their own risk. Why we wish to keep apart politic from these high risked professions?

** There should not be any type of reservation, as every candidate will compulsory submit plan of development for the area before the election [see electoral reforms] so it will make no difference who is representating which constituency? Imprisonment [for any reason] will be treated as a disqualification.

Electoral Reforms

** There must be a minimum level of education for being liable for contesting in elections. My suggestions are For Village level Bodies : At least 10 years of schoolingFor City Level Bodies : At least 12 years of schoolingFor State Level : At least Graduation For National Level : At least Post Graduation or a professional degree

** It will be mandatory for every candidate to submit year wise plan of development for the area, indicating year wise proposed details of expenses to be made from the discriminatory fund.

** An elected candidate must published year wise asset details of self and relatives in a comparable table format highlighting the additions at the bottom of table.

** All elected candidate must publicized the achievements regarding the development of the area on yearly basis with quoting commitments.

** During the membership no one will be allowed to hold any post in the co-operative institution or NGOs [even honorary].

** An elected candidate will compulsory will remain present in and available for meeting with public in the constituency.

** All the seating members have to vacant their government residence at least 15 days before the election and should submit such certificate issued by appropriate authorities before the electoral officer of area.

** An elected candidate will be liable for calling back if fails in Publishing year wise asset details of own and relatives. Completing less than 80% of the committed development. Being present in at least 24 public functions held in the constituency during the year.

** In the case of call back of elected candidate, one who was second in the election will be declared elected for the remaining period of term of house and will work according to submitted plan of development for that specific period.

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