Pragya Dwivedi, Author at Digital India Technologies™ Digital India Technologies Poll Survey Data Mobile App Elections Made Easy with Data & Software Wed, 15 May 2024 04:48:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://smartneta.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/cropped-Logo-3-32x32.png Pragya Dwivedi, Author at Digital India Technologies™ Digital India Technologies Poll Survey Data Mobile App 32 32 ONE NATION, ONE ELECTION https://smartneta.com/one-nation-one-election/ https://smartneta.com/one-nation-one-election/#respond Sat, 05 Jun 2021 09:36:25 +0000 http://smartneta.com/?p=2806 Concept of One Nation, One Election The concept of ‘One Nation, one election’ was proposed by Prime Minister Modi, in 2014 when he first came to power. The concept was pitched by him again recently during the concluding session of the “80th All India Presiding Officers Conference, 2020”. The PM Read more…

The post ONE NATION, ONE ELECTION appeared first on Digital India Technologies™ Digital India Technologies Poll Survey Data Mobile App.

]]>
one nation one election

Concept of One Nation, One Election

The concept of ‘One Nation, one election’ was proposed by Prime Minister Modi, in 2014 when he first came to power. The concept was pitched by him again recently during the concluding session of the “80th All India Presiding Officers Conference, 2020”. The PM said, “Elections are held at different places every few months and the impact it has on development works is known to all. Therefore, it is a must to have a deep study and deliberation on “one nation, one election”. The BJP Government also planned and organized a set of 25 webinars to explain and spread awareness about the concept and issues concerning it. The webinars are said to be scheduled over a span of one month and would be attended by party workers, senior leaders, members of academia and legal fraternity.

To break down the concept into simpler terms, the policy implies that elections to all the three tiers of the government would take place together in a synchronized manner. A voter would cast his vote for the electing members of the Parliament, assembly, village panchayats and urban local bodies at the same time in a single day. Due to frequent advocations by Narendra Modi for the conduct of ‘simultaneous elections’, in 2016, Niti Ayog presented a discussion paper titled, “Analysis of simultaneous elections: the ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘how’”.

According to the paper, the pitfalls that can be avoided if this policy comes into force are:

  • Suspension of development programmes and welfare activities due to frequent imposition of the Model Code of Conduct, leading to suboptimal governance adversely impacting the design and delivery of public policies and developmental measures
  • Huge expenditure by the government and various stakeholders on frequent elections
  • Influence of black money
  • Engagement of government personnel and security forces for long periods
  • Perpetuation of caste, religion and communal issues, etc.

The Government has repeatedly argued that the concept proposed is not new, the lok sabha and state elections took place together from 1951 to 1967 but, due to the dissolution of some state assemblies the cycle was disrupted and came to an end.  The concept would not only help India in getting out of the “permanent election mode” but, also bring about a much needed structural change in the mindset that would essentially provide the government with space to implement long-term transformational measures without worrying about the impending elections. It would save time and money, ensure smooth functioning of the government machinery and speedy development work.

On the other hand, opposition parties like Congress and AIADMK have totally opposed the concept and deemed it to be impractical. Opposition leaders not only skipped the all-party meet but also raised concerns of hacking of the EVMs, voter manipulations and called it as a threat to the spirit of cooperative federalism. The demerits are as follows:

  • The primary demerit is that such a concept would lead to the destruction of the spirit of cooperative federalism and prove to be a harbinger of a unitary state.
  • Local issues will lose momentum and gradually fade out as regional parties will be overshadowed by the national parties in raising their respective concerns.
  • It will lead to a delay in the election result simply due to the fact that everything would be happening at once and a significant amount of time would be spent.
  • Different elections keep the ministers and executives in power, on their toes and if all elections are conducted together it would decrease the government’s accountability towards the people.
  • It would be almost impossible to manage the movement of men, women, material, also in terms of requisitioning.

The Law Commission in its report suggested certain key recommendations for One Nation One Election:

  • The leader of the majority party can be elected as the PM or CM by the entire house which in turn would maintain the stability
  • In case any government falls midterm, the term of the new government would only be for the remaining period.
  • Every no-confidence motion against the Government must be followed by a confidence motion.

The election commission is said to be in favour of the concept. Backing PM’s pitch, the Chief Election Commissioner said that all political parties must discuss and deliberate on the concept by weighing out the pros and cons. For the implementation of such a policy, it is essential for all the parties to be on the same page and bring about the necessary amendments. The country does suffer from the dents of multiple elections but one also cannot deny that such a move would lead to decreased accountability.

The post ONE NATION, ONE ELECTION appeared first on Digital India Technologies™ Digital India Technologies Poll Survey Data Mobile App.

]]>
https://smartneta.com/one-nation-one-election/feed/ 0
HOW TO OVERCOME CHALLENGES FOR WOMEN IN POLITICS https://smartneta.com/how-to-overcome-challenges-for-women-in-politics/ https://smartneta.com/how-to-overcome-challenges-for-women-in-politics/#respond Mon, 08 Mar 2021 07:08:57 +0000 http://smartneta.com/?p=2746 It has always been difficult for women to create their own space professionally and work without being subjugated. There is no surprise element in the fact that in almost all professional cultures men dominate the leadership posts and this is due to the prevalence of gender bias. Women are not Read more…

The post HOW TO OVERCOME CHALLENGES FOR WOMEN IN POLITICS appeared first on Digital India Technologies™ Digital India Technologies Poll Survey Data Mobile App.

]]>
Protesting women fighting for rights. Group of female activists and protesters holding and raising banners and placards. Can be used for girl power, empowerment, feminists concepts

It has always been difficult for women to create their own space professionally and work without being subjugated. There is no surprise element in the fact that in almost all professional cultures men dominate the leadership posts and this is due to the prevalence of gender bias. Women are not only perceived to be weak physically as compared to men but also mentally, to be able to take complex decisions. They are assumed to be guided by their emotions and are seen as inferior to men.

In the 21st century, women are no longer confined within the walls of the house. They have taken control of their rights and openly demand the freedom to exercise them. To strengthen their position in the society, digital technology can be used as a tool to empower women. It can be used to increase women participation in their roles as citizens, voters, political leaders, activists and elected officials. Digital technology acts a level playing field, providing equal access to information to both men and women, while also attacking the existing ‘Digital Gender Gap”.

It is essential for political parties to reserve leadership positions for women and push for equal participation in decision making structures. Political parties are the direct vehicle for candidates to gain access and participate in the policy making process. Thus, appointing women as elected party officials would not only empower them but, also inspire the women of the country. Local government leadership positions must be strengthened and efforts must be made to increase women’s participation at the grassroots level itself.

traditionrolex.com

Current forms of communication technology such as mobile phones, internet and social media platforms have proved to be useful for women voters to start dialogues online and seek greater representation for the issues that concern them. Similarly, elected women officials in the parliament can use various communication tools and crowd sourcing techniques that information and technology (ICT) platforms offer, to implement political campaign strategies.

Women often suffer discrimination on traditional media and have realized the importance of technological platforms that help them mobilize support and allow them to be “the news makers”. Political activism has shot up through podcasts, blogs, twitter, Facebook, and Instagram which serve as an equalizer for women activists and politicians. It enables women to interact and gain support of the voters thus, breaking their dependency on mainstream media. Social networks can be used create online petitions and online platforms can be used to organize personalised events to not only disseminate information but, also facilitate communication between citizens and the government

Technology has the power to increase women’s visibility in the affairs concerning the country. The “Women’s Reservation Bill” has been sitting on the table for eight years in the Lok Shaba. The bill is focused on uplifting the position of women in Indian politics by providing 33% reservation in the lower house of the parliament, Lok Sabha, and in all state legislative assemblies.

Women’s participation can be measured in three dimensions: as a voter, elected representative and in the actual decision-making process. All three dimensions must encourage greater women participation. Women’s participation in politics is necessary as their views and opinions on social and political issues are different from men and thus, need to be incorporated into governance. Women’s interests if included in the decision-making process will lead to gender sensitive policies. 

To help women overcome challenges of gender discrimination, adequate steps must be taken by the electoral management bodies. Electoral management bodies are often not aware of the impediments that women face, limiting their participation. In order to encourage women’s participation in elections, the electoral management bodies should ensure they have fair and equal opportunities to organise campaigns, are able to register and exercise their right to vote and are not subject to any form of gender discrimination. Electoral gender quotas are the best way to mitigate structural discrimination against women and allowing for greater diversity in the political sphere.

Social media platforms have real life effects on political participation, it stimulates both online as well as offline political participation. The proliferation of internet and social networking sites (SNS) has a positive impact on individuals especially women, as it eliminates barriers preventing their participation. It leads to sharing of opinions and discussing issues related to politics.

Lack of women participation is also a direct reflection of lack of inclusive policies and laws which lead to a collapse of the political structure of the country. Women who are otherwise politically disadvantaged, can use technology and social media platforms to facilitate online communication, create an online forum for political activities and for networking with other women. Technology has the potential to advance female participation and can be used as an effective strategy to garner votes and implement political strategies, thereby elevating the position of women in the society. It is important for a democratic country like India, to have adequate representation of women in politics.

The post HOW TO OVERCOME CHALLENGES FOR WOMEN IN POLITICS appeared first on Digital India Technologies™ Digital India Technologies Poll Survey Data Mobile App.

]]>
https://smartneta.com/how-to-overcome-challenges-for-women-in-politics/feed/ 0
ELECTION OF MUNICIPALITIES AND PRIs: DIFFERENCES, ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES https://smartneta.com/municipal-and-panchayats-elections-advantages-and-disadvantages/ https://smartneta.com/municipal-and-panchayats-elections-advantages-and-disadvantages/#respond Wed, 06 Jan 2021 03:14:28 +0000 http://smartneta.com/?p=2734 Federalism is a division of sovereign authority among levels of the government. In a true federalism, national and state governments have equal division of powers. On the other hand, decentralization is a process by which the activities of an organization such as planning and decision making, are delegated away from Read more…

The post ELECTION OF MUNICIPALITIES AND PRIs: DIFFERENCES, ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES appeared first on Digital India Technologies™ Digital India Technologies Poll Survey Data Mobile App.

]]>
ELECTION OF MUNICIPALITIES AND PRIs: DIFFERENCES, ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

Federalism is a division of sovereign authority among levels of the government. In a true federalism, national and state governments have equal division of powers. On the other hand, decentralization is a process by which the activities of an organization such as planning and decision making, are delegated away from the central authority. In the political context, decentralization is a policy choice wherein the government decides to share some of the responsibilities with the other levels of the government. Thus, a decentralized system can be within or without a federal system.

To strengthen the democratic roots the third tier was introduced by the 73rd and 74th Amendment to the Constitution of India, enhancing cooperative federalism. 73rd Amendment created The Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the rural areas whereas the  74th Amendment created the Municipalities (Municipal Corporation and Council) in the urban areas. The main motive behind the introduction of local self-governance was to bring economic development and social justice. Panchayats and Municipalities were empowered to create their own development (social and economic) plans which is consolidated by the District Planning Committee. Following the rooster method, seats are filled in a democratic way; vertical and horizontal reservations based on caste and sex. The constitution provides for specific provisions for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Areas.

A municipal corporation (Mahangar Palika) are state government formed departments that work for the betterment of metropolitan cities. It is a local governing body that provides services like healthcare centers, educational institutions, housing facilities, etc. Smaller district cities and towns are looked after by municipalities (Nagar Palika) which are also entrusted with similar duties and responsibilities. The city is divided into wards depending on the population and representatives are elected directly for each ward. A ward is the smallest unit of governance, has clearly defined boundaries and conducts committee meetings under a ward councilor. Ward committee meetings act as a link between the municipality and the interests of the community. City council (Nagar Panchayat) an urban political unit in India, which also follows a similar ward system.

A Panchayat is a body of five elected representatives elected directly by the local population who form the local government at village level in India. Panchayati Raj system empowers people to engage in their own management which appears at the community level. The Indian Constitution envisages a three-tier system of Panchayats, The Village Level Panchayat (Gram  Panchayat), The District Level Panchayat (Zila Parishad) and The Intermediate Level Panchayat (Panchayat Samiti).

State Finance Commissions lay down the principles on the basis of which adequate financial resources are ensured for panchayats and municipalities. They have own source revenue, share certain taxes with the State. The central government funds programmes and provides grants such as Union Finance Commission grants. A PRI has three types of revenues own source revenues i.e., tax and non-tax, assigned revenues and grants-in-aid/scheme related funds whereas major sources of income for urban local bodies also include the above-mentioned revenues in addition to borrowings undertaken by local authorities and other receipts of fees, fines, forfeitures, etc. Taxation has been centralized to a great extent with the introduction of GST.

Advantages:

  • PRIs:
  • Local problems require local solutions. Problems arising in rural areas can be best attended and solved by members of the Panchayats, encouraging local leadership.
  • The needs of rural areas such as construction and maintenance of roads, adequate water supply, improvement in agricultural activities, education facilities etc., all are taken care of by the local self-government. All such functions performed by them improves the standard of living of the local people, strengthening political leadership at the grass root levels.
  • The creation of the Panchayati Raj system has facilitated a decentralized decision making process which has led to the involvement of local people and has empowered the backward sections of the society. Having a local government has also relived the burden from the shoulders of the state and central governments.
  • Municipalities:
  • A key benefit of following a ward system is that not only are the ward councillors more closer to the people of their area but, also are sensitive to the issues concerning them and their wards.
  • A ward system leads to an efficient and effective leadership as the ward corporator is able to advocate for the needs of its wards through ward committee meetings.
  • People are able to take part in the election process and can vote for the ideal candidate while also holding them accountable for their actions. It leads to participatory democracy and allows for greater diversity in the council.

Disadvantages:

  • PRIs:
  • Panchayats are heavily dependent on the state and central government for the allocation of funds and grants which restricts local decision making process.
  • Political interference from the state and central governments in the local decision making process hampers the effectiveness of the local government.
  • Panchayati Raj bodies go through a lot of administrative problems which often leads to politicization of administrative work. They fail to secure participation of the people because of lack of coordination among the officials and the people.
  • Lack of incentives and promotion opportunities creates an apathetic attitude in the administrative personnel which leads to ignorance of development programmes.
  • Municipalities:
  • Irregularity of ward committee meetings hampers citizen participation.
  • Territorial disputes make it difficult for the council to reach a consensus.
  • It often leads to polarization of the community because of partisan politics.
  • Due to an increase in the number of elected officials, it leads to higher costs for salaries, benefits and administrative expenses.

The above mentioned disadvantages highlight the problem of lack of governance and absenteeism of citizen participation. Citizen participation must be promoted at all levels of the government through participatory democracy governance models. A sense of ownership can be created among the people through awareness drives, campaigns and workshops. Fiscal decentralization is extremely critical for the strengthening of the third tier with respect to their own revenue generation. The concept of e-governance is citizen oriented which leads to the formation of smart cities, smart villages and smart wards . It adopts new developments in technology, thereby creating a sustainable democratic governance model which solves the barriers to active citizens participation.

The post ELECTION OF MUNICIPALITIES AND PRIs: DIFFERENCES, ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES appeared first on Digital India Technologies™ Digital India Technologies Poll Survey Data Mobile App.

]]>
https://smartneta.com/municipal-and-panchayats-elections-advantages-and-disadvantages/feed/ 0
BEST AND SAFE ELECTION PRACTICES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC https://smartneta.com/best-and-safe-election-practices-during-covid-19/ https://smartneta.com/best-and-safe-election-practices-during-covid-19/#respond Mon, 14 Dec 2020 07:43:48 +0000 http://smartneta.com/?p=2699 Here we want to emphasise on Best and Safe Election Practices during Covid-19. Coronavirus has disrupted every aspect of public life, leaving us exposed to a plethora of new challenges. The onset of Covid 19 halted election activities across India. It has also highlighted a tradeoff between the right to Read more…

The post BEST AND SAFE ELECTION PRACTICES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC appeared first on Digital India Technologies™ Digital India Technologies Poll Survey Data Mobile App.

]]>
Elections during Covid-19 Pandemic

Here we want to emphasise on Best and Safe Election Practices during Covid-19. Coronavirus has disrupted every aspect of public life, leaving us exposed to a plethora of new challenges. The onset of Covid 19 halted election activities across India. It has also highlighted a tradeoff between the right to vote and health. In a democracy like India which has such a wide demographic composition of voters, it calls for a shift from the traditional voting practices to e-voting. With the surge in covid cases, the Election Commission of India issued guidelines on 21st August, 2020 for the conduct of elections. The guidelines laid down stringent compliance norms and safety protocols which are to be adhered to by the candidates, party officials and concerned authorities conducting the elections. The pandemic spilled out various challenges for the conduct of elections, whose very nature requires public interaction and mass communication. The government, in light of the prevailing situation has to now look beyond traditional methods of voting and adopt best election practices which positively impacts the voter turnout.

Election Voting softwares can prove to be useful for political parties to track real time clusters of voters and to implement campaign strategies at state and country level. Online voting systems provide means for direct public participation which amplifies community engagement. It requires voter’s identity verification, allowing citizens to cast their votes from any location or device. Elections to be held in the shadow of pandemic, calls for resource intensive digital advertising in place of traditional practices of distributing pamphlets and putting up posters on billboards. Audiences can be targeted using tools of digital advertising like pop up ads on social media platforms, personalized text messages or emails. PR driven and technology backed political campaigns help voters make informed choices.

A mix of virtual and physical campaigns during the pandemic period is the best strategy to stay connected with the voters. For the first-time candidates will be allowed to deposit security money online for contesting elections at the designated platform.  Rallies can be held physically with a limited audience maintaining social distancing and undertaking other safety measures enforced by the local authorities. Traditional door to door campaigns is also allowed with up to a team of five persons only and for roadshows, not more than 5 vehicles to be allowed.

The pandemic is unlikely to go away anytime soon due to which political parties will have to turn their offline campaign events into virtual ones to reach out to the masses. Holding e-rallies and live streaming speeches is an effective strategy to garner votes. Social media can be used to attract the attention of the voters and regular telecasts on such platforms will help them expand their voter base. To have an extensive social media outreach, parties must keep their followers updated about their stance on various social, economic, political and cultural issues.

India will have to focus on strengthening its “Digital India” initiative announced in 2015, in line with conducting elections. Introduction of technology-based methods of voting is essential to have an effective voter turnout in elections amidst a pandemic. This year the Election Commission also introduced a new category of ‘absentee voters’ who can opt for postal voting. This category includes voters who are unable to cast their votes due to their service conditions, voters who are Covid positive or Covid affected, differently abled citizens and senior citizens above the age of 65.

Such practices can be useful during times of unprecedented crisis, provided the authorities are able to fulfill the basic requirements of voting operations administration offices linked to each other by communication systems via phone, radio and that these offices are equipped with internet and voice communication facilities with voting stations under their control.

Citizens who feel comfortable casting their vote in person have the option to do so, provided they follow the safety protocols such as wearing masks, gloves will be provided to all voters to sign the voter register and press the EVM button to cast votes. Social distancing is of utmost importance and to ensure its enforcement, large halls must be identified and utilized.

With the world resuming all public activities and moving towards the “new normal”, India should also start looking towards technology driven election practices. This would be the best time to explore, research and introduce an online voting system in India which can strengthen the democratic process of running elections. People queuing up to vote and gathering for rallies is not an indication of democracy but, continuing election affairs in a responsible and transparent manner is its backbone.

The post BEST AND SAFE ELECTION PRACTICES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC appeared first on Digital India Technologies™ Digital India Technologies Poll Survey Data Mobile App.

]]>
https://smartneta.com/best-and-safe-election-practices-during-covid-19/feed/ 0