Shweta Punj

In this episode on Election 360 we are taking you to Muzzafarnagar. We are answering some key questions here, "How well is the BJP-RLD alliance working? Is the BJP subaltern Hindutva umbrella under which it combined all non-dominant most backward classes still intact? How will the infighting in BJP impact their electoral prospects? What do voters have to say about absence of a Muslim candidate on a seat where they are the numerically strongest group." Do watch. https://lnkd.in/gpnc_RhC

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MHA/RGI centralised registration of deaths and births last year. For past 4 months, revamped portal has been facing glitches, States flag multiple issues to RGI. The portal dats will be used to update NPR,electoral rolls etc. The Hindu has accessed an August 5, 2024 letter by the Chief Registrar (Birth and Death), Bihar government, addressed to the Registrar General of India (RGI) flagging the issues faced by district authorities while registering births and deaths. Bihar migrated to the new portal on June 10. “Due to the revamped CRS portal being extremely slow, the OTPs (one-time password) not being generated in time and continuous display of error message on the page, there has been a huge backlog in all the registration units in the State. As a result, the Registrars are forced to face the ire of the people and public representatives. The glitches are leading to disruption of the entire system,” said the letter in Hindi. An official in Nagaland said sometimes they were not able to issue certificates for three days in a row. A district official in Chhattisgarh said ever since the State started using the new portal in March this year there “appears to be teething problems” with the system. The system often freezes up for hours while registering a birth or death and sometimes it might even take a day for the system to resume working, the official said. https://t.co/gaSLxdr2kc

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Watch Senior award-winning journalist Nozia Sayyed in the first episode on healthcare challenges and how the corporatisation of hospitals is affecting one and all with Dr Rajan Sancheti, president, Indian Medical Association, Pune chapter and Dr Abhijit More, senior Health Rights Activist Watch, share, and suggest more issues which we can take up with you all. https://lnkd.in/dtpgscF5

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Financial Action Task Force mutual #evaluation report for #India flags six theatres for India. Four of these areas are getting #funds from abroad. One of these six theatres is #LeftWingExtremism. The LWE is seeking to overthrow Indian #Government. Read on to know more about #terrorfinancing . #TheHitavada #Nagpur Left-Wing extremists seeking to overthrow Govt with overseas funding: FATF on India https://lnkd.in/dRPWVCdi

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India stands to make a 16-times economic gain by introducing the HPV vaccine to adolescent girls even though the investment will be over a billion dollars, the World Health Organisation says in a new report that highlights adolescent health intervention strategies to the government. The report, released by top officials of the Union Health and Education Ministries, says it will be a girls-only vaccination for nine years old with a catch-up for girls aged 10-14, and twice-lifetime cervical cancer screening at ages 35 and 45. The Human Papillomavirus vaccination is a part of the WHO strategy to reduce the global burden of cervical cancer, the second commonest cancer among women. #HPV #CervicalCancer #Women #India #Cancer #Vaccine #WHO

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Here's a full fledged interactive on election results in India in the past two Lok Sabha elections (held in 2014 and 2019) along with up-to-date phases and turnout data for the ongoing elections in 2024. There are filters to choose to drill the data down further; State/UT dropdown to zoom into States for results data; an urban-cluster dropdown because urban constituencies are highly populous but geographically small and you can see all this in a map based view or a simple list. The interactive was done entirely using d3.js and some python programming, while the underlying data was taken from the Election Commission of India, Trivedi Centre for Political Learning's LokDhaba and the SHRUG database (that provided the building blocks for constructing urban/rural classifications for parliamentary constituencies). The fun part - I used the help of GPT-4's "Code Assistant" extensively to get the visualisations done. Gen-AI, again, has truly revolutionised coding and product development. Please see the interactive here - https://lnkd.in/g4_ApwHR .. and share this with others. We are hoping to use this to display- and parse live data on election results day as well. Fingers crossed.

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Spotlight on UGC-NET Exam since 1989-90, successfully switched to Computer Based Test (CBT) in 2018 In 2024, ‘baffling’ shift to paper-pen mode again lands it in leak fiasco @ETPolitics https://lnkd.in/dmHHixxy

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Breaking the chains of legacy: In Maharashtra, grassroots leaders from non-political backgrounds are challenging the dynastic strongholds that have defined the state’s politics for decades. As young professionals, social activists, and civic-minded youth enter the fray, they bring fresh perspectives and a focus on ground-level issues, pushing Maharashtra toward a new era of inclusive governance. Read on at: https://lnkd.in/dpgcW8Nf

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Summarizing our exclusive series on Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Bharat Ka Bhavishya with The CSR Journal team. This is Just The Beginning! Do watch our special episode.

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New work: How successive BJP and Congress governments in Rajasthan violated the landmark Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. RTI data shows that Rajasthan's SC/ST Vigilance Committee, mandated to meet twice a year under the Atrocities Act, met only twice in 13 years(!). Rajasthan has consistently led the charts on crimes against SCs and STs. Chaired by the CM, the Committee is responsible for reviewing the implementation of the Prevention of Atrocities Act. Ideally, it should have held 59 meetings so far since the notification of the rules of the SC/ST Act in 1995 — as opposed to the two times it actually met. Read:

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Are elections under siege? Read this blog as I explore the issue of alleged manipulations by global powers in India’s 2024 General Elections, all through the lens of international relations theories. https://lnkd.in/gtkVcb-b

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My analysis of SC verdict on Section 6A https://lnkd.in/gtXRHKwp

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#BeamMeUp, Scotty - the iconic #StarTrek line may well symbolise #satcom's potential to connect India's under-served, remote, and data-dark terrains. On Friday, #TRAI open house turned into a virtual battleground where titans clashed - Jio, airtel verbally duelled with satellite biggies -- like #ElonMusk's #Starlink and Amazon (Amazon Project Kuiper is Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite broadband network) -- who are eyeing India's lucrative satcom market. Under the watchful gaze of the regulator, the marathon discussions stretched for over six hours as terrestrial operators made spirited pitch for level-playing-field among the "competing" "substitutable services" and the leading satcom companies argued that justification for administrative assignment of radiowaves is "techno-economic". The open house discussion was punctuated with frequent interjections and counter-arguments, and, at times, emotional outbursts, as opposing camps made their submissions on issues such as pricing, period of assignment of satcom spectrum, frequency bands, roll out obligations, and other nuances. Read my #PTI wire stories here: Clash of titans: TRAI open house sees Jio, Airtel spar with Starlink, Amazon over satcom spectrum norms https://lnkd.in/gHKQ5J2v Starlink disputes predatory pricing allegations at Trai open house https://lnkd.in/gb3GehiF

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Broadcasting Policy Must Exclude OTT: Stakeholders Urge Trai The media and entertainment industry in India is closely monitoring the formulation of the National Broadcasting Policy (NBP). Recently, stakeholders, including the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF) and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), have raised concerns about the scope of Trai's recommendations. Background: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has been tasked with shaping the NBP, which will guide regulatory aspects and policy measures related to broadcasting, over-the-top (OTT) platforms, film, music, and online gaming. However, stakeholders are urging Trai to focus solely on broadcasting issues and exclude non-broadcasting areas. Why Exclude OTT? 1. Beyond Remit: Stakeholders argue that Trai has overstepped its jurisdiction by including topics like OTT, online gaming, film, and music. The MIB's reference letter primarily addressed broadcasting sector concerns. 2. Equal Opportunities: Trai's role should be to ensure equal opportunities for all players without discrimination. By narrowing the focus to broadcasting, the policy can address sector-specific challenges effectively. Timeline: Trai's consultation paper, titled "Inputs for the Formulation of National Broadcasting Policy-2024," sought feedback from stakeholders. Trai Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti announced that NBP recommendations would be issued by the end of May. Key Issues in NBP (as per stakeholders): 1. Definition of Broadcasting in the OTT Age: Clarifying the boundaries between traditional broadcasting and OTT services. 2. Framework for Public Broadcasting: Establishing guidelines for public broadcasting. 3. Audience Measurement: Enhancing accuracy in measuring viewership. 4. Promotion of Local Content: Encouraging content creation within India. 5. Infrastructure Sharing: Addressing infrastructure challenges. While Trai's efforts are commendable, stakeholders emphasize that the NBP should stay true to its broadcasting focus. By doing so, it can effectively address sector-specific challenges and promote a vibrant media landscape. #Media #Entertainment #NationalBroadcastingPolicy #NBPIndia #TelecomRegulatoryAuthorityofIndia #TRAI #MIB #MinistryofInformationandBroadcasting #OTT #OverTheTop #OnlineGaming #Regulation

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