Governance

This article is part of our special series on Delhi Elections 2020 Unlike other recent state elections, much of the discussion in the Delhi assembly poll campaign has centred around the successful delivery of  civic amenities and public fund utilisation. This campaign tone was set by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, whose claims have been in sharp contrast to the  BJP’s political agenda. In the run up to polls, both the ruling AAP and the BJP were seen firing on all cylinders, with the Congress proving to be a lazy bystander. But despite Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s carpet bombing with the…

This article is part of our special series on Delhi Elections 2020 Elections to Delhi's legislative assembly are just around the corner with voting scheduled to take place on February 8th. Results will be announced on February 11th. The highly charged elections are a three-way contest between the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC). The assembly has 70 seats in total. If you are preparing to case your vote this Saturday, the 8th, here is a quick guide for you that will answer most of the questions that you may be…

This article is part of our special series on Delhi Elections 2020 It was a dark December night, when Balvinder Singh, a 36-year old insurance advisor, returned from work and emptied his trouser pockets as usual only to find that his wallet was missing! There was not much money lost, but a credit card and a debit card, which he blocked immediately. But what annoyed him most was that his driving licence and car registration certificate were lost. Getting duplicates was a hassle he was not looking forward to. His wife suggested he call 1076. The couple live with Balvinder’s senior citizen…

A compilation of articles that critically examine the performance of the incumbent Delhi government and expectations from the government-to-be New Delhi will see a three way fight between the BJP, Congress and AAP. Pic: Bruno Corpet/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY:SA 2.0) In one of the most closely watched contests in recent times, elections will be held on February 8 2020, to elect 70 members of the Delhi Legislative Assembly. As the national capital prepares to vote, here's our special series that takes an incisive look at the performance of the incumbent government on issues most closely linked to the quality of…

This article is part of our special series on Delhi Elections 2020   2014 AAP manifesto promise Will ensure quality power supply and reduce citizens’ electricity dues by 50 per cent Delhi to be made a solar city CAG audit of discoms Adequate street lighting Delhi to have its own power station At 80 plus, Raj Rani Bhalla who lives with her working daughter in a four-bedroom apartment in East Delhi, manages every aspect of her household. The matriarch reads all the news relevant to her, and keeps an eye on all the discounts of food essentials in the stores in…

Enough and more has been said on the subject of stifling dissent and readers must be wondering as to whether yet another article on the subject is at all warranted. But even if we were to wish away what is happening elsewhere in the country, and we certainly cannot do that, the recent occurrences in Chennai have taken us by surprise and it is time we feel necessary to speak out on what the city stands for. But for those who are not aware, a brief recap is necessary. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 is the current subject of discussion…

With inputs from G S Radhakrishna Within six months of assuming power, Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has undone many things started by his predecessor Chandrababu Naidu. The most contentious being Amaravati, Naidu’s dream capital. The last nail in the Amaravati coffin was hammered by the report of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) on January 3rd. Unmindful of the protests across the state, the Jagan government moved quickly to get the three-capital proposal endorsed by the state assembly, where he enjoys a brute majority. The assembly, on January 20th, passed the bill proposing creation of Amravati, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool…

Last November, the cybercrime police station (CCPS) in Bengaluru, the only one in the city at the time, had to suspend operations because of an unusual problem. The number of FIRs (First Information Reports) registered in 2019 were on the verge of crossing 10,000. The software used by the police allowed for registration of FIRs with only four-digit serial numbers, and hence the software could not register any more cases.  Due to this, the station had to be shut on November 23, and was reopened only on December 10 after the software was upgraded to allow entry of five-digit FIR…

This article is part of a special series: Safety of women in Indian cities Every time a gruesome rape incident shakes the foundations of our belief in humanity, a few standard arguments make an appearance. Maybe I am being cynical, but my take is that the comments that follow a headline-grabbing rape seem like the script of a 70’s Hindi movie - standard, repetitive, predictable and, at the risk of sounding extremely insensitive, almost entertaining. “Make every rape punishable by capital punishment.” “We cannot ask the state to commit murder. It is barbaric and a violation of human rights.” “Justice…

This article is part of a special series: Safety of women in Indian cities In any criminal act in which a woman is the target, the police is almost always in the best position to offer help, safety and reassurance to the aggrieved, besides investigating the crime and bringing the assailant to book. Clearly, this calls for a certain level of competence and professionalism, and a degree of empathy, patience and sensitivity towards women. Such qualities on the part of law-enforcers would be the criminal justice system’s most significant contribution towards empowering women and upholding their equal status.  Sadly however,…