The 21 May meeting is being viewed as a damage-control exercise after some political parties questioned the credibility and independence of the Election Commission.
While global corporations setting up GCCs in India continue to express confidence in availability of skilled AI engineers, the panel argued that India’s real challenge lies elsewhere.
Speaking to ThePrint, Salman Akram urges dignity in tragedy, recalling the loss of his brother, Wing Commander Nauman Akram, in similar crash & the mockery his family faced after.
It is a brilliant, reasonably priced, and mostly homemade aircraft with a stellar safety record; only two crashes in 24 years since its first flight. But its crash is a moment of introspection.
Neutral playground is important. Cong has reaped advantage of money, muscle and media power but cries when other party gets better of it. Even now regional parties have more resource than national parties which have to spread their resources thin. For instance in TN, DMK & ADMK has more money to be spent only in TN. DMK has media also same z the case with TDP and YSR in Andhra or communists in Kerala. Media is very crucial than money and muscle as it can and is playing a huge role in shaping public opinion. BJP is at a disadvantage as it does not own media. Let us first delink all media aligned directly or indirectly to parties. Same parties who are complaining abt stretched election schedule did not complain in 2014 when duration was same but would have found some reason to day BJP has got unfair advantage if nationwide elections were conducted in single day.
Why all such views are surfacing up now because BJP is winning second time in a row. What problem do you have when people of this country give their mandate in favour of BJP?? You have casted your vote according to your choice and let the people do so.
Election Commission is the best institution to decide how it wishes to organise the elections, given its constitutional mandate. Voters have made up their mind whom to vote much before electioneering begins and most of the campaigning is more of festivities for the people. I don’t believe that parties can take around star campaigners and influence voters. In days of electronic media, watching Modi speak is not a rarity for any one. In old days, one would certainly like to go and listen Vajpayee or Advani speak but no more. Again, summer time is not the best time for elections. In fact, Election Commission should think of online voting, using Aadhar and Bank account linkages in a phased manner. This would increase voter participation and lead to smooth conduct of elections. This can be tried in Municipal or state elections as an experiment and gradually extended to national elections. Of course, there would be many obstacles n caveats for this but baby steps are required to start now in this direction. MCC should be either abolished or converted into a legally binding code with a separate judicial body for enforcing it. This should free EC from getting bogged into code violation issues. Money power should be curtailed. One candidate should be allowed only one public meet and no road shows! But use of electronic media for campaign and door to door meetings should be encouraged. In short, asymmetrical advantage to BJP over its rivals due to its excellent finances should be neutralized. There are other reform required too. Those parties not fighting elections should be deregistered. Political parties cannot be started for converting black money into white. A levy of say 10 percent on all the donations should be levied for conduct of elections on the registered parties and no cash donation should be accepted.
Wow…..when the BJP had proposed state and assembly elections should be held simultaneously there was a howl of protest from pseuds like this author. Now these worthies are scraping the barrel to look for excuses to explain defeat of non-BJP parties.
When writer says “parties like BJP”…witb their star campaigners…(there is a one and only one). Alas, “pappu” the author concedes is not a star campaigner!
Neutral playground is important. Cong has reaped advantage of money, muscle and media power but cries when other party gets better of it. Even now regional parties have more resource than national parties which have to spread their resources thin. For instance in TN, DMK & ADMK has more money to be spent only in TN. DMK has media also same z the case with TDP and YSR in Andhra or communists in Kerala. Media is very crucial than money and muscle as it can and is playing a huge role in shaping public opinion. BJP is at a disadvantage as it does not own media. Let us first delink all media aligned directly or indirectly to parties. Same parties who are complaining abt stretched election schedule did not complain in 2014 when duration was same but would have found some reason to day BJP has got unfair advantage if nationwide elections were conducted in single day.
But for West Bengal, the election could have been held in three phases!
Why all such views are surfacing up now because BJP is winning second time in a row. What problem do you have when people of this country give their mandate in favour of BJP?? You have casted your vote according to your choice and let the people do so.
Baseless thinking.
Very true I totally agree with Mr Nitin Pai
Election Commission is the best institution to decide how it wishes to organise the elections, given its constitutional mandate. Voters have made up their mind whom to vote much before electioneering begins and most of the campaigning is more of festivities for the people. I don’t believe that parties can take around star campaigners and influence voters. In days of electronic media, watching Modi speak is not a rarity for any one. In old days, one would certainly like to go and listen Vajpayee or Advani speak but no more. Again, summer time is not the best time for elections. In fact, Election Commission should think of online voting, using Aadhar and Bank account linkages in a phased manner. This would increase voter participation and lead to smooth conduct of elections. This can be tried in Municipal or state elections as an experiment and gradually extended to national elections. Of course, there would be many obstacles n caveats for this but baby steps are required to start now in this direction. MCC should be either abolished or converted into a legally binding code with a separate judicial body for enforcing it. This should free EC from getting bogged into code violation issues. Money power should be curtailed. One candidate should be allowed only one public meet and no road shows! But use of electronic media for campaign and door to door meetings should be encouraged. In short, asymmetrical advantage to BJP over its rivals due to its excellent finances should be neutralized. There are other reform required too. Those parties not fighting elections should be deregistered. Political parties cannot be started for converting black money into white. A levy of say 10 percent on all the donations should be levied for conduct of elections on the registered parties and no cash donation should be accepted.
Wow…..when the BJP had proposed state and assembly elections should be held simultaneously there was a howl of protest from pseuds like this author. Now these worthies are scraping the barrel to look for excuses to explain defeat of non-BJP parties.
When writer says “parties like BJP”…witb their star campaigners…(there is a one and only one). Alas, “pappu” the author concedes is not a star campaigner!