Page 4 - Indian Democracy

EAM Jaishankar slams Western media, says 'games being played with us'

"Now I read that article and I wanted to say listen, in that heat my lowest turnout is higher than your highest turnout in the best run," Jaishankar said

Lok Sabha polls: Can India hold elections when it is too hot to vote?

The world's largest democracy is only going to struggle more with this as the planet warms. It will have to overhaul its hulking electoral machinery to keep up.

India, US regularly consult on democracy, human rights issues: Official

India and the United States regularly consult at the highest levels on democracy and human rights issues, a senior US State Department official said on Monday, after an official report claimed that there were significant human rights abuses in Manipur last year. "The US and India regularly consult at the highest levels on democracy and human rights issues," Robert S Gilchrist, senior official from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, told reporters after the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices was release by Secretary of State Tony Blinken. "We strongly encourage, urge India to uphold its human rights obligations and commitments. We also regularly meet with civil society representatives both in the US and India to hear their perspectives, and those sorts of perspectives inform the human rights report, and we encourage the government of India to consult and meet regularly with civil society organisations representing a diversity of people," Gilchrist ...

Country believes new journey into future will begin from polls: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India is now projecting with self-confidence the mantras of truth and non-violence globally as a solution to the problems facing the world and its cultural image is playing a big role in it as well. Addressing the 2,550th Bhagwan Mahaveer Nirvan Mahotsav here, Modi said his government put emphasis on promoting heritage as well as material development when it came to power in 2014 at a time when the country was engulfed in despair, a swipe at the previous UPA dispensation. Referring to the Lok Sabha polls, he said a big festival of democracy is happening "and, the country believes from here a new journey into future will also begin". He cited his government's promotion of Indian heritage like yoga and Ayurveda, asserting that the country's new generation now believes that self-pride is its identity. The country is now projecting the mantras of truth and non-violence globally as a solution to problems facing the world with ...

Fight to protect our Constitution, democracy begins today, says Kharge

As the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls began on Friday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged voters to cast their ballots carefully and asserted that a new era of economic empowerment and equal opportunities beckons them. "The fight to protect our Constitution and Democracy begins today," he said in a post on 'X'. "My dear citizens, from 21 States and UTs who are voting in the First Phase of the Lok Sabha elections, I request you to carefully cast your vote. A future where NYAY (justice) awaits you. A new era of Economic Empowerment and Equal Opportunities beckons you," the Congress chief said. "I am sure you will vote for the 'jobs revolution' through YUVA NYAY, rather than a continuation of the past 10 years of record unemployment," Kharge said. He exuded confidence that people would vote for the guarantees of 'NAARI NYAY' which takes concrete measures for the financial independence of women and against the continuation of the backbreaking price rise that has reduced th

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Tracking voter pulse, one station at a time

Each train carriage became a microcosm of democracy, echoing with the voices of passengers from all walks of life - and trains of thought

Trust in elections

Faith in EVMs should be restored and maintained

There is another way

Strong, decisive rule is not the only way to effectiveness. Our experience since 1991 shows diffused economic and political power can deliver the goods even better

PM Narendra Modi tore apart country's dignity, hurt democracy: Sonia Gandhi

Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of tearing apart the country's dignity and democracy and claimed that various tactics were being used to force opposition leaders to join the BJP. Addressing an election event of the party here, the former Congress chief claimed that for the last 10 years, the country has been in the hands of a government that left no stone unturned to promote unemployment, inflation, economic crisis and inequality. "Today our country's democracy is in danger. Democratic institutions are being destroyed and a conspiracy is being hatched to change our Constitution," she alleged, adding, "This is a dictatorship and we all will give a reply to this." "Considering himself great, Modi ji is tearing apart the dignity of the country and its democracy," Sonia Gandhi said. Addressing the event earlier, the party's national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra referred to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former ..

Democracy, autocracy, or both?

Most democracies, or autocracies, fall in a category of one. Why then are we trying to judge all of them in the same way?

Why Indian democracy is thriving

A book on the movements aimed at upholding democracy since the BJP came to power argues that the mere existence of these alliances makes it difficult to claim that democracy is under attack in India

Nationalism and democracy

In a thriving democracy, free and fair elections are vital, but so is strengthening constitutionally empowered institutions

General Election 2024: Here's what it will take to elect 18th Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha polls: To conduct the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, 1.048 million polling booths will be set up, and 5.5 million electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used

Lok Sabha elections 2024 Phase 7: Voting on June 1; check details here

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Elections for the seventh will be held on June 1 in 57 constituencies. The seventh phase will cover 8 States and Union Territories

Lok Sabha elections 2024 Phase 6: Voting on May 25; check details here

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Elections for the sixth will be held on May 25 in 57 constituencies. The sixth phase will cover 7 States and Union territories

Lok Sabha elections 2024 Phase 5: Voting on May 20; check details here

Lok Sabha polls 2024: 49 constituencies across 8 states and union territories will go for polls on May 20

A non-binary worldview

The Western paradigm of 'my way or the highway' is no longer workable. It is time to accept complexity and contradictions as the norm

Media failed to defend democracy, Constitution, truth: Ex-SC judge Joseph

Former Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph came down hard on media on Saturday, saying it has failed to defend democracy, the Constitution and truth. Justice (retd) Joseph said one does not find any fearless and truthful version of the facts coming out and the greatest blow to democracy is that the fourth pillar has failed the country. "Before the conference, we discussed quite a few things but all those things which we discussed, do we read in any media, do we see in any electronic media, except a couple of private media in the digital side," he said, while speaking at a seminar organised by the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR) here. He also made a spirited call for protecting whistle-blowers, whom he termed as the "fifth pillar". "We don't find any fearless, truthful version of the facts coming out. The greatest blow to democracy is that the fourth pillar has failed the country. Forget about the first three pillars. The fourth pillar is the media and they hav

Cong appeals to judiciary to 'save' multi-party system, calls for agitation

"That is why, I have said that there won't be any elections in the future. We appeal to the Judiciary to save the multi-party system in this country and protect India's Democracy," Congress chief said

Crowdsourcing: A sign of digital democracy in action

With crowdsourcing of campaign and relief contributions through micropayments, the digitalisation of Indian democracy has added another dimension