ELECTORAL SOP
ECI issues verification SOP for EVM memory
The Election Commission of India has issued a protocol allowing the first two losers to seek verification of burnt memory in EVM microcontroller after June 4. Candidates can seek verification for alleged tampering as per SOP issued following Supreme Court directions on April 26.
"Intellectual property of the bank": SBI once again refuses to disclose SOPs on sale, redemption of electoral bonds
In response to a Right to Information Act appeal, State Bank of India (SBI) has again refused to disclose the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the sale and redemption of electoral bonds. SBI justified the denial by stating that the information is held in "commercial confidence," constitutes the bank's "intellectual property," and is intended solely for internal staff use.
SBI refuses to disclose SOP for sale, redemption of electoral bonds in RTI reply
In its landmark verdict on February 15, the court scrapped the Centre's electoral bonds scheme that allowed anonymous political funding, calling it "unconstitutional", and ordered disclosure by the EC of the donors, the amounts donated by them and the recipients by March 13.
Finally, emperor's new clothes exposed
The Supreme Court ruled the electoral bonds (EB) scheme unconstitutional, emphasizing the importance of transparency in electoral funding. It directed the State Bank of India (SBI) to disclose details of bonds encashed by political parties by March 6, highlighting the lack of transparency in the scheme.
CWC lays stress on fighting elections unitedly; Congress announces sops to woo Telangana voters
Congress’ pre-poll guarantees for Telangana included ‘Karnataka-like’ special monetary incentives for women and ‘Rajasthan-like’ cheaper LPG cylinders, financial assistance for students, the homeless, farmers and the elderly and ‘AAP-inspired’ free electricity. “Financial assistance of Rs 2,500 per month will be given to women in Telangana under the Mahalakshmi scheme. Gas cylinders will be made available at Rs 500.
MP CM announces several sops for women ahead of Assembly polls; Congress says BJP trying to save sinking ship
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday cited the holy month of 'Sawan' underway and raised the financial aid given to women in the Ladli Behna scheme from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,250 per month and also announced 35 per cent reservation for them in government jobs. He also said cooking gas cylinders will be provided to women at Rs 450 in August to mark 'Sawan'.
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Congress plans sops, 'charge sheet' to take on rivals in Gujarat
Most of the 60-odd sitting Congress MLAs are in the reckoning for renomination, as per people aware of the matter. The party's central election committee is slated to hold a meeting on Friday. Congress is also exploring limited alliances with parties such as NCP and BTP.
It's raining pre-poll promises in Gujarat; will BJP join 'sop opera' or take different way to woo voters?
According to political analysts, parties are making big promises because they are not giving anything from their own pockets and these measures are eventually funded from taxpayers' money.
Freebies at cost of taxpayers' money may push state towards "imminent bankruptcy": SC
Observing that issues raised before it require an "extensive" hearing, the top court said though all promises cannot be equated with freebies as they relate to welfare schemes or measures for the public good, fiscal responsibility cannot be dispensed with under the guise of electoral promises.
Parties should be free to make electoral promises, but detail how a scheme will be financed
The fear of one party gaining by promising freebies forces all parties to do it. Solution: institutional strengthening, limiting the temptation to make such offers.
A fundamental problem of democracies: What constitutes good and bad freebies?
Democracy helps countries choose the right priorities. But it can also spur myopic competition in freebies that destroys economies, as in Sri Lanka. Former EC president Jean-Claude Juncker put it pithily, ‘We all know what is to be done. What we don’t know is how to get reelected after doing it.’
How GoI, BJP and non-BJP states are recklessly competing on freebies
State governments cannot spend beyond a limit. They have not controlled deficits by cutting down non-merit subsidies. Rather, they keep announcing more subsidies without providing adequate funding. Many states have delayed or simply stopped payments to suppliers, notable power distribution companies facing overdues of 12 months.
Bengal Budget: FM expands cash transfer, provides tax sops to tea sector and electric vehicles
The budget also seeks to provide relief to the tea sector and its workers, and incentivized investments in battery operated two-wheeler and four-wheeler vehicles. Tax relief has also been offered to reduce carbon emission.
View: India’s electoral infrastructure can be tweaked as a strategy for Covid vaccine delivery
For the movement of inventory (cold chain, in particular), we have the Amul model. Are there possible lessons the electoral model can provide in isolation, or as a supplement to these other options? The answer may lie in understanding the elements that go into the successful delivery of the electoral process.
Pre-poll sops: Centre & states offer quotas to appease all
In January, the Centre announced a 10% reservation for the economically weaker sections (EWS).
Karnataka among top 3 states in poll sop seizures
Twenty-one states have gone to polls since the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and Karnataka — the 22nd — is already among the top three states where money power in polls is at full display.
Eye on votes, ticket aspirants offer sops to migrant communities, slum-dwellers
Once the dates are announced, the model code of conduct will kick in and candidates need to stick to the Rs 27 lakh-expenditure cap set by the Election Commission.
Karnataka budget: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah doles out sops for women
Besides women empowerment Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah also made a strong effort to woo farmers, who largely support the Janata Dal (S).
From smartphones to Wi-Fi, it's raining sops like never before in poll season
In Goa, the Congress promises, among other things, petrol; the BJP offers 1 GB data; and the AAP health checkups for women and old people — all for a vote.
Amarinder Singh alleges Parkash Singh Badal pushing polls sops, asks EC to stop it
Amarinder described as unfortunate Punjab Governor's decision to allow the special assembly session after having refused to sign the ordinances citing irregularities.
Smartphone sop likely to cost Punjab Congress Rs 2,000 crore
A phone with specifications cited by Congress would cost Rs 5,000 upwards. Plus, the party has offered free voice calls and data for a year.
End of minority tokenism: Narendra Modi offers modernization, and not sops, to the Muslims
The PM in his utterances till date has made it very clear that a “new deal” for the most significant minority in India is what he is looking at.
Bhupender Hooda begins assembly campaign with range of sops
The ruling Congress in Haryana unleashed another round of sops in its bid for a third consecutive term in the state overtly mindful of its near rout in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.
Tamil Nadu government comes up with 'Amma' pharmacies; sops galore in Budget
Tamil Nadu government today announced opening of 100 subsidised 'Amma' pharmacies in budget 2014-15, which estimates a surplus of Rs 289.36 crore sans new taxes.
Arvind Kejriwal promises hike in fares, other sops for autodrivers
On April 1 every year, government will revise auto fares, he said addressing a meeting of thousands of auto drivers at Burari.
Muzaffarnagar riots: Hindu-Muslim violence organised to rake in electoral benefits
The BJP's objective was to wrest Jat votes from the RLD to challenge the SP or the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 26 Lok Sabha seats in western UP.
AAP giveaways like power and water sops are fiscally retrograde
Plan for nil water charges for up to 667 litres per day, and a sharp rise in rates thereafter, would be an incentive for meter tampering and exaggerated leakage claims.
Laptops without power: Why Supreme Court is wrong on sops
The voter in Tamil Nadu has free TVs and grinders, but no power to use them. The state is reeling under 16-hour power cuts.
Mamata Banerjee announces more sops for Muslims
The announcement comes days after she declared a monthly honorarium and housing subsidy for imams in the state.
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