Electoral Reforms Through Backdoor ?

Electoral  Reforms  Through  Backdoor  ?

While refusing to entertain a PIL of eminent citizens seeking direction to Election Commission to verify details of persons contesting polls , the Supreme Court remarked :

"  It was for Parliament to act, as the court cannot ask the Election Commission to undertake this exercise

How do you expect the Election Commission to go on verifying details of thousands and thousands of candidates ? The task of verifying details including assets of candidates is cumbersome

The election reforms are long awaited . Only they ( legislature ) can make law , but we know that they will not do this

Persuade them ( Election Commission ) , outside the court . Let us see how they respond "

I get a feeling that Shri Arun Jaitleyji and the Income Tax Department overheard the honorable judges of the Supreme Court !

For 2016-17 assessment year, the tax department has unveiled new income tax return form

For persons with income above Rs 50 lakhs, it requires submission of following details ( with cost of each item ) :

*  All immovable assets ( such as land / buildings etc )

*  All movable assets ( such as Cash, Jewellery , Vehicles , Yachts etc )

*  All liabilities ( such as loans )

Here is what the Election Commission should do next :

*  Insist that each and every contestant files along with his / her nomination

    affidavit , copies of his / her income tax returns for past 3 years

That still leaves the question of " Verification "

Answer :

Alternative # 1 :

Using " Sampling Technique ", randomly select 10 % of the contestants and ask Income Tax authorities to verify their assets / liabilities

Alternative # 2 :

Select ( for verification ) those contestants , whose incomes have grown by more than 25 % over the past 3 returns

Electoral Reforms is merely a question of necessary " Will " on part of the Administrative wing

But even there , do not expect much when bureaucrats and ministers themselves , fail to submit their Assets Declarations to PM every year !

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www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

04  April  2016

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One day Polling is Possible

DNA ( 31 March 2016 ) reports :

"  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mooted a proposal to hold simultaneous elections to Panchayats , State Assemblies and Parliament across the country

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel , Public Grievances , Law and Justice had in December , recommended holding simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha elections to reduce expenditure and frequent disruption of normal life  "

Not only it is possible to do this ( in ONE DAY ) but it has the potential to bring about Electoral Reforms of far reaching beneficial impact

Following is the suggestion that I sent to Shri Narendra Modiji on 06 Nov 2014 :

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VotesApp

( from my blog dated  18 Dec 2012 )

*  An Android app which can be downloaded from Google Play / Android Zoom / GetJar and the official web site of Election Commission of India

*  It will be pre-loaded on 220 million Aakash tablets  which Govt of India plans to distribute to students

*  It will also be pre-loaded on those Smart phones ( to be called, “ Dharati “ ? ), which Govt of India plans to distribute free to 400 million “ poor “ Indians , before 2014 National elections

*  All tablet / smart phone manufacturers will be encouraged to pre-load VotesApp

*  Using this app , a voter can register at Election Commission web site, where he will enter the same data which he has submitted for his Aadhar card, including Aadhar card number (Unique Identification No)

*  All of these details will be verified by Aadhar database

*  Obviously , those who have not obtained their Aadhar card , will not be able to use VotesApp . They will need to visit nearest polling booth

*  Upon correct verification , Aadhar Database will permanently link the person’s Aadhar number with the mobile number from which  registration is done, and issue a Password

*  An under aged person will not be allowed to register

*  A person will be able to vote only from that mobile number

*  After login on first screen, user will be asked to select one option from,

    #   Panchayat  Election

    #   Municipal  Election

    #   State Assembly  Election

    #   Lok-Sabha  Election

*  Upon selection, user will be presented with the list of candidates contesting , from which , he can select only one by ticking a check-box. 

  

    There will be also a choice , labeled “ None “ ( NOTA )

*  A long press on a candidate’s name will display details of his declared assets as also his criminal record

*  After ticking / selecting a candidate, voter will click on  “ VOTE “ button, whereupon his vote gets registered and VotesApp gets de-activated

*  Once a voter registers on Election Commission web site , he cannot go to a polling booth and vote physically

*  In less than one year , Govt of India will recover the cost of 220 million Aakash tablets and 400 million” Dharati “ smart phones , through this customized / personalized / shrinking of EVMs ( Electronic Voting Machines ) to a hand-held device.

    And imagine the millions of man-hours saved !

*  And the beauty is , no one can capture this booth , or conduct exit polls !

   What will “ experts “ discuss on TV channels ?

*  What next ? Election Commission “licensing “ this App to other countries ?

HOW  WILL  IT  HELP  ?

*  No need for 930,000 polling booths / EVMs / Ink / Papers etc

    Every voter's own mobile becomes a miniature EVM  !

    Any registered Voter can vote from anywhere in the World  !

*  Nor any need to deploy 1,100,000 people to conduct the polls

*  No need for millions of Police / Military personnel

*  No need for months of advance preparations, across entire country

*  Voting can be completed in just ONE day - instead of over 6 weeks -
    and results can be declared next day  !

*  Voting could be 95 % or more  !

*  No worry for booth-capture

*  No  bogus voting ( Bio-metric ID from built-in camera )

*  No duplicate voting ( Self-destruct after single usage )

*  No worry for any terrorist attacks

*  Enormous saving of time for Voters

*  No need to declare a public holiday - costing thousands of crores
     worth of production

*  Central Government will save, at least , Rs 2,000 Crores .

*     For the Central Government , a potential  to earn Rs 20,000 crores , by

       enabling 15 million Indian businesses to advertise to 814 million voters

       thru this mobile VotesApp , sharply targeting by Gender / Age / Marital

       Status / City / Street / Education / Income Tax paid / Employed or

       Jobless ..etc

       

*   No need for Central Government to stop taking even routine decisions 

    ( due to Model Code of Conduct )

If a tiny country like Estonia ( population 1.6 million ) can elect its Members of Parliament thru a VotesApp type mobile App , why can't we  ?

Already 900+ million Indians have mobiles - all of which , will soon become Smart Phones

As far as designing / developing of  VotesApp  is concerned , it is NOT a Rocket Science

Any IT / E-Comm Start Up , should be able to develop  VotesApp  in 3 months

Can you think of a better way for " E-delivery of Service " ?

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www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

01  April  2016

 

hemen  parekh

www.hemenparekh.in>Blogs

Marol , Mumbai , India

hcp@RecruitGuru.com

( M ) +91 - 98,67,55,08,08