Articles by News Desk

Election commission announces dates for Lok Sabha polls On March 10th, the Election Commission announced the schedule for the poll to elect the 17th Lok Sabha. The exercise is to be conducted across all states in seven phases. The polls will be held between April 11 and May 19. The current schedule makes this election cycle the longest so far, at 38 days. The results for all constituencies are to be announced on May 23rd. Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) will be used in all polling stations for the elections to verify the integrity of the Electronic Voting Machines…

Camps for differently abled voters in city Chennai Corporation has set up camps to assist differently abled voters to include their names in the voters' list. As a move to ensure that they do not face any challenges, the civic body has also introduced helplines to make sure that they can cast their vote without any hassle. People can call 9445477699 to request for assistance. The corporation has set up 3,754 polling booths in 913 locations with facilities such as wheelchair, stretchers, Braille and other required features to assist the specially abled people to cast their vote. Source: The Times…

HC asks govt to halt elevated corridor project Karnataka High Court has asked the state government to halt work on the elevated corridor project until it decides on a case related to the Bengaluru Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC). MPC, the statutory body responsible for city planning and approving major projects like the elevated corridor, has been almost dysfunctional. A few citizen activists from the Namma Bengaluru Foundation and Citizen’s Action Forum had filed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) after government hurriedly called tenders for the elevated corridor project, without public consultations. A bench headed by the Acting Chief Justice Narayana Swamy…

There are perhaps not too many surprises in the results of the Swachh Survekshan 2019 survey, conducted between January 4th and 31st this year, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Ambikapur in Chattisgarh, and Mysuru in Karnataka have bagged the top three ranks for the cleanest cities. Madhya Pradesh seems to have cracked the cleanliness conundrum in several pockets. While Indore has done a hat trick, the capital city of Bhopal is acclaimed as the cleanest capital, while another city in MP, Ujjain, also bagged the "cleanest city" award in the 3 lakh…

With the announcement of the schedule for the imminent Lok Sabha polls, the entire nation is gripped by election fever. However, apart from the dates and clarifications over electoral procedure, the Election Commission in its communique has also spelt out the provision of some online/mobile facilities for the voter. For effective conduct of elections, the ECI has integrated use of telecommunications and smart technology in various processes of elections. Here are a few helplines and apps that will be useful as you get ready to cast your vote in the mammoth democratic exercise coming up in a few weeks from…

The term of the present Lok Sabha will come to an end on June 3rd (04-06-2014 to 03-06-2019). Hence the Election Commission of India has announced schedule of elections to the coming Lok Sabha elections 2019. With the announcement of elections, the model code of conduct will be applicable with immediate effect. There are 28 parliamentary constituencies in Karnataka overall. Election will be conducted in two phases. Constituencies Notification Last date for submission Scrutiny Last day for withdrawal Poll  day Counting day 2nd Phase 14 19th March 26th March 27th March 29th March 18th April 23rd May 3rd Phase 14…

The much awaited schedule for elections to the Lok Sabha, the current term of which ends in June 2019, has been announced. The mammoth electoral exercise, which has been hailed as 'the festival of democracy' by the Prime Minister himself, will be conducted in seven rounds: on April 11, April 19, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. Results will be announced on May 23rd. According to Census 2011, India has 53 urban agglomerations or cities with a population of 10 lakh (1 million) or more. The top 10 among these are Greater Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata,…

Unauthorized colonies to be legalised in Delhi On March 7th, the central government gave its nod to the constitution of a panel to look into the process of transfer of rights or ownership to the residents of Delhi's unauthorized colonies. The move will be applicable to around 1790 unauthorized colonies in the city that is home to a largely migrant population who moved in search of employment. The committee is to be headed by lieutenant governor Anil Baijal. The committee is expected to submit a feasibility report within the next three months. The committee comprises ten members and is expected…

City up in Swachh Survekshan, Smart City rankings Bengaluru was ranked 194 out of 425 cities in Swachh Survekshan 2019, with a score of 2351.81 out of a total of 5000. This was a marginal improvement over the city's ranking of 216 in 2018, and 210 in 2017. BBMP had reclaimed black spots, overhauled transfer stations and organised compost santhes in an effort to improve the city's ranking this year. But factors like the lack of new garbage tenders and of ODF (Open Defecation Free) certification worked against the city. Many citizens had also given negative feedback during the survey,…

Write an Open Letter to your MLA A contest for all citizens of Bengaluru. Write an article on how your MLA performed in the last 5 years. How has he/she delivered / achieved as against what was promised during the 2013 state elections. What do you expect in the next term? What we expect: Your letter should make one think, substantiate them with context and data. Write in a simple and lucid style. Your write-up should be based on an understanding of the role of an MLA and the authority vested in him/her. Do not mix up MLA’s roles with other…