Real Voter Magazine February 1-15, 2019

Lok Sabha Election News and Views

REAL VOTER News Magazine on Politics in India February 1-15, 2019

Chief Election Commissioner of India Sunil Arora. Photo: PIB

An Editorial Initiative of Raman Media Network

News | Events | Opinion | Voter Education | Trends

Main Stories in This Issue

Protests

Campaigns

Demand for Elections on Ballot Papers EVM Frauds: UN Must Supervise Election

BJP Launched Drum Campaign in Delhi Election Workshop for Radio Jockeys

Trends

Developments

New Paper Ballot Election Technology Criminal Cases of Indian Lawmakers Crowdsourcing to Stop Fake News in Politics

Minimum Income Guarantee Promise New System of Governance in India Domain Expertise for Politician

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Election Chief Says ‘Yes’ to EVMs, ‘No’ to Ballot Papers Major political parties in India have been complaining about the vulnerability of EVMs. The Chief Election Commissioner of India, Sunil Arora, has categorically rejected the demand from a slew of political parties who want to hold elections on traditional ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Arora denounced the targeting of the EVMs, saying these machines have been in use for the past two decades, and since 2014 the machines have given different results in different elections. He was attending an international conference on January 24 in Delhi on ‘Making our Elections Inclusive and Accessible.’

Major political parties in India have been complaining about the vulnerability of ​EVMs​. They allege that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party BJP tampers with EVMs to change the results in its favor.

Of late, the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah said that the EVM used in Indian elections is a ​chor (thief) machine which can be manipulated to change the outcome of elections. Abdullah, 81, ​demanded that the EVMs should be replaced with ballot papers to ensure transparency in elections – particularly the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

However, Arora retorts by saying that the Election Commission is not going to be intimidated, coerced, or pressurized into going back to ballot paper days.

“The position has been consistently maintained by successive Commissions and the same will be maintained in the future,” he asserted. “In ballot paper era there used to be innumerable ​REAL VOTER News Magazine on Politics in India

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complaints about impersonation and booth capturing by anti-social elements, besides the inordinate delays in declaring results which sometimes spread from three to four days.”

The Chief Election Commissioner, Sunil Arora, at a Conference organised by the Election Commission of India in New Delhi on January 24, 2019. Photo: PIB He added that the Election Commission has kept a robust technical and administrative mechanism to safeguard the integrity of EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (​VVPAT​) has further enhanced the transparency of votes for the voters.

Meanwhile, the youth wing of Congress party held a ​protest on January 24 in front of Election Commission’s office. They demanded that the EVMs should be replaced with ballot papers.

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Although Congress recently defeated BJP in three state ​elections​, it is said that BJP allowed Congress to win in small elections so that Congress should not complain against EVMs in the countrywide Lok Sabha ​election​ in which Modi will be contesting.

In the context of recent aspersions cast on EVMs used in elections, Arora mentioned that even in the recent elections in the five states, out of a total of 176,000 Polling Booths where EVMs were used, there were six incidents of violation of Standard Operating Procedure; that too in the reserved EVMs not used in the actual elections.

EVM Frauds in India: UN Must Supervise Lok Sabha Election It will be worthwhile for the UN to constitute a team of digital experts who can supervise the Lok Sabha election.

While there are multiple complaints of tampering with electronic voting machines (​EVMs​) in India, a US-based digital expert claimed on January 21 that EVMs can be hacked to change the election results fraudulently.

Syed Shuja, who claimed to be a member of the team that designed EVMs in India, has alleged that the 2014 Lok Sabha election that was won by PM Narendra Modi’s party BJP was completely rigged.

Reports suggest that Shuja demonstrated the EVM hacking through a video conference in an event organized by the Indian Journalists' Association (Europe) in London.

The ethical hacker added that BJP manipulated EVMs to win Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat. Although Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (​AAP​) ​REAL VOTER News Magazine on Politics in India

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repeatedly complains about the vulnerability of EVMs, the expert asserted that even AAP hacked EVMs to win Delhi election.

Youth Congress workers holding a protest against the use of EVMs in front of Election Commission’s office in Delhi on January 24, 2019. Photo: Congress However, referring to the London event on EVM hacking demonstration, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has refuted allegations of EVM manipulations. In a statement issued on January 21, ECI said it firmly stands by the empirical facts about foolproof nature of ECI EVMs deployed in elections in India.

While there are repeated claims and counterclaims about the digital security of EVMs, it will be worthwhile for the United Nations (UN) to constitute a team of digital experts who can supervise the Lok Sabha election to ensure the fairness in the election. ​REAL VOTER News Magazine on Politics in India

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Election Commission Holds Workshop for Radio Jockeys The workshop was organized to familiarize the RJs with the election process so that they can help in the dissemination of information to their listeners.

The Election Commission of India (​ECI​) said that it organized a workshop for Radio Jockeys (RJs) of leading FM channels including All India Radio and various private FM channels.

Total 19 RJs from major FM channels including Big FM, Red FM, Fever 104 FM, Radio Nasha, Ishq FM, and Radio City attended the 2-hour interactive session, where they participated in activities for dissemination of voter education.

The session began with introduction to the workshop by A. K. Pathak, Secretary, ECI. The participants were provided information on the various initiatives of voter education taken by the Commission with special focus on ​EVM and VVPAT awareness and ‘Verify Your Details on Electoral Roll’ campaign ahead of the Lok Sabha election 2019.

According to ECI, FM radio is an important medium, which connects the voters with the election machinery. The workshop was organized to familiarize the RJs with the election process so that they can help in the dissemination of information to their listeners. P ​ hoto: PIB Download and Read RMN Publications TechWise Today

The Integrity Bulletin

Clean Climate

Legal Directions

Young Learner

Real Voter

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Need for a New System of Governance in India Now there is a need to create a new system of governance that can usher in an egalitarian society.

As India continues to be an underdeveloped country, the politicians of all political parties deceive the voters and win elections by promising basic amenities such as drinking water, electricity, and cooking gas which are scarce across the country.

A poor, homeless man sleeping on a road in Delhi. Political and bureaucratic corruption is the main cause of poverty, pollution, sickness, and hunger in India. Photo: RMN News Service

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The victory in an Indian election is based on a politician’s capacity to tell lies and hoodwink the voters most of whom are uneducated and belong to the underprivileged sections of the society.

As a result, illiterate politicians or those with serious criminal records (history-sheeters) get elected and behave as dictators with ordinary citizens. These politicians are supported by a gang of dishonest, unskilled bureaucrats. People of India are almost dying under the misrule of such politicians and bureaucrats.

These are among the findings of a ​consultative paper which argues that in its current deformed form, the democracy in India has taken the shape of parliamentary dictatorship, and now there is a need to create a new system of governance that can usher in an egalitarian society. [ ​Download the Consultative Paper: Need to Transform the Political System in India​ ]

Thinkable Thoughts ● In today’s increasingly specialized and cut-throat world, a person needs in-depth knowledge and extensive domain expertise to handle a particular department even in a small company. But it is highly unfortunate that people with no qualification or expertise become Presidents, Governors, Prime Ministers, ministers, and bureaucrats in India to manage highly complex domains of governance. That’s why India continues to be a poor, underdeveloped country.

● An election manifesto in India is a kind of cheat sheet to make false promises and hoodwink the gullible voters.

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Special Courts to Handle Criminal Cases of Indian Lawmakers The data reveals that 440 cases involving life sentence are pending against sitting and former lawmakers.

The Supreme Court of India has ordered the setting up of special courts to expedite the trial of criminal cases against Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs).

The apex court also asked the Sessions Courts in the states to try on a priority basis the criminal cases pending against former and incumbent MPs and MLAs. Reports suggest that a staggering 4,122 criminal cases are pending against MPs and MLAs. The data received from states and High Courts shows that there are 2,324 cases out of 4,122 pending against incumbent MPs and MLAs. Similarly, 1,675 cases are pending against former MPs and MLAs. The data also reveals that in 264 cases, trial has been stayed by High Courts. Moreover, 440 cases involving life sentence are pending against sitting and former lawmakers.

New Paper Ballot Technology to Ensure Reliable Elections Verity Print is an on-demand ballot printing solution that saves on the guesswork and waste of pre-printing ballots.

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The Verity Voting system from Hart InterCivic is certified for elections in New Jersey, having passed rigorous testing at the state and federal levels. By certifying Verity, according to the company, the New Jersey Department of State allows local jurisdictions to choose the most up-to-date election technology available in the United States.

“Verity brings choice to New Jersey,” said Phillip Braithwaite, president and CEO of Hart InterCivic, an Austin-based company. “When counties choose Verity to replace outdated equipment, they can expect the most modern system available and the most reliable customer support in the industry.”

Federally certified in 2015, Verity is an integrated suite of software and a combination of U.S.-assembled, purpose-built devices and enterprise-grade commercial hardware, designed to make the election process easier and more secure for voters and administrators. The system supports paper ballots, and it is fully accessible to all voters, including those with disabilities.

Voters mark their ballots by hand or with the user-friendly Verity Touch Writer, an ADA-compliant paper ballot marking device that provides seamless accessibility at the polling place. Verity Scan allows voters to feed their marked ballots directly into the tabulation device and verify their cast votes.

Verity Print is an on-demand ballot printing solution that saves on the guesswork and waste of pre-printing ballots. The menu-driven device is designed specifically to be easy to learn and easy to use for poll workers. Verity Print does not impose per-click charges.

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Austin-based ​Hart InterCivic is a full-service election solutions provider, partnering with state and local governments to deliver secure, accurate, and reliable elections.

BJP Launches Drum Campaign: Kejriwal Bhagao Delhi Bachao Most people believe that in 4 years, Kejriwal and AAP have caused such a damage to Delhi that now it will take it almost 40 years to recover from the ruins.

As the Delhi Government headed by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has brought extreme disaster for the people of Delhi, major opposition parties including Bharatiya Janata Party (​BJP​) and Congress are running aggressive political campaigns to defeat Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The Delhi unit of BJP launched a drum campaign in Delhi on January 27 to expose the irregularities in the ​AAP government. The slogan of the campaign is “​Kejriwal Bhagao, Delhi Bachao​” or “Defeat Kejriwal, Save Delhi.” The objective is to defeat Kejriwal’s AAP in the Lok Sabha election scheduled to happen after a few months.

“Launched a mass movement with a deep and powerful beat of drums and slogan ​Kejriwal Bhagao, Delhi Bachao​,” BJP stated.

Recently, Sheila Dikshit​, president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, said that she plans to defeat BJP as well as AAP to win all the 7 Delhi Lok Sabha seats, which are currently held by BJP.

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Congress also has released a booklet to highlight Kejriwal government’s failures. Released with the hashtag #AAPFailedDelhi, the booklet explains AAP’s failures in all the areas of governance including healthcare, transport, education, and environment.

BJP launched drum campaign: Kejriwal Bhagao, Delhi Bachao in Delhi on January 27, 2019.

Photo: BJP Most people believe that in 4 years, Kejriwal and AAP have caused such a damage to Delhi that now it will take it almost 40 years to recover from the ruins.

Today, Delhi is among the most polluted and the dirtiest cities of the world, corruption is rampant​ in every street of Delhi while Kejriwal government never tried to control it. ​REAL VOTER News Magazine on Politics in India

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Similarly, the education standards – particularly in ​Delhi schools – are going from bad to worse while Kejriwal has no interest in improving the quality of education. Rather, Kejriwal and his party colleagues are making false claims about Delhi school education.

While Kejriwal is going gaga over the hyped performance of his Mohalla Clinics​, people in Delhi complain about the futility of such a flawed health care concept. People told RMN News Service that mostly these so-called community health care centers are locked and when they open they fail to provide proper medical treatment.

While there are multiple complaints of corruption against AAP legislators, recently the party decided to defy the notice from Delhi’s anti-corruption body Lokayukta which has asked AAP MLAs to reveal the details of their assets.

While bureaucratic and political corruption is rampant in Delhi, new reports suggest that the office of Delhi’s Lokayukta has received 41 complaints of corruption against the AAP legislators. The complaints are against the AAP MLAs as well as ministers.

Like other politicians in India, AAP leaders also evade prosecution and imprisonment in cases of crime and ​corruption with the false pretexts that the complaints against them are politically motivated.

While AAP also expects to win all Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, it will be a defeat for the people of Delhi if they elected even one AAP politician in the election.

Congress Promises Minimum Income Guarantee Schemes like Minimum Income Guarantee cannot succeed in a poor, underdeveloped country like India where the tax systems are extremely strained. ​REAL VOTER News Magazine on Politics in India

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As the Lok Sabha election is approaching, political parties in India are making wild promises to woo the gullible voters.Congress, for example, said on January 28 that if it won the 2019 Lok Sabha election, it will implement a minimum income guarantee scheme for the poor.

Photo: Congress “We cannot build a new India while millions of our brothers and sisters suffer the scourge of poverty. If voted to power in 2019, the Congress is committed to a Minimum Income Guarantee for every poor person, to help eradicate poverty and hunger,” Congress president ​Rahul Gandhi said. “This is our vision and our promise.”

Minimum Income Guarantee or Guaranteed Minimum Income is part of a social welfare system to ensure that all citizens or families have an income sufficient for their subsistence. ​REAL VOTER News Magazine on Politics in India

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Governments use tax money to pay minimum income to citizens who reside at the bottom of the income pyramid.

This is a totally flawed system of governance because governments impose heavy taxes on the hardworking, affluent citizens to pay their money to the idle, illiterate, lethargic people.

Instead of empowering people with good education and skills, and encouraging them to earn their livelihood with dignity, governments use dole such as Minimum Income Guarantee to make a dependent society so that poor people could keep voting for them.

Unfortunately, no political party is promising to improve the quality of education and the Human Development Index (​HDI​) of India that totters at a poor rank of 130 in the world.

Published by the United Nations Development Programme, HDI indicates the level of skills in a country and lets you know if people in that country are able to achieve their goals. The education systems are so bad in India that even degree holders are not able to get low-level jobs.

Moreover, schemes like Guaranteed Minimum Income cannot succeed in a poor, underdeveloped country like India where the tax systems are extremely strained. India’s fiscal deficit was Rs 7.17 lakh crore ($101.93 billion) at the end of November 2018. This amounts to a whopping 114.8% of the budgeted target for the current fiscal year. A fiscal or budget deficit is experienced when a government spends more than it collects in taxes.

Then from where will the Congress party bring money to pay under the planned Minimum Income Guarantee scheme? Rahul Gandhi has not revealed.

These are reckless promises that are made by politicians to hoodwink the voters – most of whom are uneducated and ignorant.

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Crowdsourcing to Fight Spread of Fake News in Politics Crowdsourcing, if implemented correctly, is a promising approach to fighting the spread of misinformation and false news.

Fake news isn't a new problem, but it's becoming a greater concern because of social media, where it is easily created and rapidly distributed.

A recent study by MIT Sloan School of Management Prof. David Rand and Prof. Gordon Pennycook of the University of Regina finds there is a possible solution: crowdsourcing​.

As their research shows that laypeople trust reputable news outlets more than outlets that create misinformation, social media platforms could use trust ratings to inform how they promote content.

"There has been a lot of research examining fake news and how it spreads, but this study is among the first to suggest a potential long-term solution, which is cause for measured optimism. If we can decrease the amount of misinformation spreading on social media​, we can increase agreement on basic facts across political parties, which will hopefully lead to less political polarization and a greater ability to compromise on how to run the country," says Rand.

"It may also make it harder for individuals to win​ elections​ based on false claims."

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He notes that current solutions for fighting misinformation deployed by social media companies haven't been that effective. For example, partnering with fact-checkers isn't scalable because they can't keep up with the rapid creation of false stories. Further, putting warnings on ​content found to be false can be counterproductive, because it makes misleading stories that didn't get checked seem more accurate – the "implied truth" effect.

In their study​, Rand and Pennycook examined whether crowdsourcing could work as an effective tool in fighting the spread of misinformation. They asked laypeople to rate familiarity with and trust in news sources across three categories: mainstream media outlets, hyper-partisan websites, and websites that produce blatantly false content ("fake news").

The pool of people surveyed was nationally representative across age, gender, ethnicity, and political affiliations. They also asked professional fact-checkers the same questions to compare responses.

They found that laypeople trust reputable news outlets more than those that create misinformation and that the trust ratings of the laypeople surveyed closely matched the trust ratings of professional fact-checkers.

"Our results show that laypeople are much better than many would have expected at knowing which outlets to trust," says Rand. "Although there were clear partisan differences, with Republicans distrusting all mainstream outlets (except for Fox News) relative to Democrats​, there was a remarkable consensus regarding non-mainstream outlets being untrustworthy."

For example, the average Republican participant trusted mainstream ​outlets that are seen as left-leaning, such as ​CNN or MSNBC, more than right-leaning hyper-partisan sites such as Breitbart, he says. "Findings like these reveal that attitudes towards media sources are not as dominated by partisanship as one might have thought." ​REAL VOTER News Magazine on Politics in India

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These results suggest that a scalable approach to fighting misinformation is for social media platforms to survey their users about how much they trust various outlets, and then promote content​ from sites with high trust ratings.

An important caveat is that familiarity heavily impacts trust rankings. Rand explains, "If people are not familiar with an outlet, they overwhelmingly distrust it. If they are familiar with it, then their trust depends on what content the outlet produces. This will pose a problem for relatively new but high-quality sources, so social media platforms may need to provide samples of recent articles before asking if the outlet is trustworthy." Furthermore, it is also not clear how the study's results would generalize internationally beyond the U.S. "Crowdsourcing, if implemented correctly, is a promising approach to fighting the spread of misinformation and false news," concludes Rand.

Meet the Editor The editor of ​Real Voter news magazine ​Rakesh Raman is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. Besides working at senior editorial positions with leading media companies, he was writing an exclusive edit-page tech business column regularly for The Financial Express (a daily business newspaper of The Indian Express Group).

Nowadays, for the past about 8 years, he has been running his own global news services on different subjects. He also has formed a free Education and Career Counselling Center for deserving children at a poor J.J. Colony in Dwarka, New Delhi under his ​NGO – RMN Foundation.

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He runs an exclusive community-driven anti-corruption social service “​Clean House​” to help the suffering residents of Delhi raise their voice against the growing corruption and injustice.

He also creates and distributes a number of ​digital publications that cover areas such as technology, law, environment, education, corruption and transparency.

He has created a comprehensive online information service to educate the Indian voters for the upcoming L ​ ok Sabha election​ scheduled to happen in 2019.

Earlier, he had been associated with the United Nations (UN) through United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as a digital media expert to help businesses use technology for brand marketing and business development.

Contact

Rakesh Raman Raman Media Network (RMN) Company 463, DPS Apts., Plot No. 16, Sector 4, Dwarka, Phase I New Delhi 110 078, INDIA C ​ ontact by email

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