Exploring Online Elections

India has certainly risen to the occasion and perhaps, even to the pole position in adopting the digital age. Since the launch of ‘Digital India’ and due to the continued focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on using technology to solve mammoth problems, India has been able to achieve some remarkable feats. More than 1 billion secured and useful identity provider, Aadhar Card, UPI transactions (record 3,874 crore transactions in 2021), more than 150 crore COVID vaccine doses administered using COWIN platform, showcase India’s prowess in digital and online world. This is, perhaps, a natural extension of this would be an online voting system in the world’s biggest democracy which is also endowed with a very young population.

Since the onset of Covid pandemic, the need to think of ways to hold activities that involve mass gathering differently is of paramount importance. Online polling, which has for so long just been talked about and possibilities of the right conduction of which have been discussed in pre-COVID time only too vaguely, has attained all the relevance and priority in the new-normal era. One encouraging example of success of experimenting online voting is the country of Estonia which held its and world’s first national Internet election, back in 2007, when a total of 30,275 citizens used the Internet to cast their vote. The popularity of online voting has gained a lot of momentum in Estonia, as in its 2019 parliamentary elections too, 43.75% of all participating voters voted via the Internet.

A country as densely populated and as largely diversified as India, could run the world’s largest vaccination drive with inspirational efficiency. This ability betokens India’s converged technological, cyber and digital furtherance. Additionally, the way the Aadhar project has been finished and being administratively maintained in the country, shows that with the right planning, the country can undertake tedious manual projects. Technologically, thus, India now seems to have reached a level where it can take a lead and think of developing a world-class Online Voting setup.

India has been one of the fortunate nations, where landline telephones have had a fleeting existence due to their direct leap to mobile phones, saving it a great deal of infrastructure cost, time and cutting the technological lag. Mobile adoption has aggressively contributed to the country’s digital progress. So much so that in 2019, over 73% of India’s total web traffic is said to have come from mobile phones. Internet penetration rate in India went up to nearly around 45 percent in 2021, from just about four percent in 2007. This advancement combined with Blockchain technology may become a global solution, unlocking a door to not just online elections, but also for creating secured global virtual fora, networking channels, cyber collaborations, and other unlimited spaces. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora had recently affirmed that the Election Commission of India is working with IIT-Madras on using Blockchain Technology for remote voting and considerable development in that direction is expected by 2024 General Elections.

Given India’s rich history of being among the first nations to adopt major democratic shifts, whether it was the concept of universal adult franchise or introduction of EVMs, India may want to thus start experimenting in the domain of online voting too. It may start with letting Army staff and Election officers on duty itself to go online. Another set of testing may be performed during by-elections which are less tangled.

With digital voting, the existence of postal ballots may meet the same fate as landlines. With the success of the COWIN app that has been able to manage massive registrations (96,77,24,432 as on 10th January, 2022), record-keeping and rolling out the vaccination drive in the country, India has cracked a code for development, implementation and sustainability of technology. A similar technological platform for online voting may cater to not just voters within India, especially the working population, but also come as a cherished solution for NRI voters.

 

Courage and Strength for Freedom

What a fantastic day to remind us that Freedom is the most cherished thing. In the celebrations of the return of Mahatma Gandhi or Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Parkash Parab on the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and also on the occasion of Ramana Maharshi Jayanti, we are continuously reminded of the immense struggle to achieve freedom.

Martin Luther King Jr has said that “Freedom has always been an expensive thing . History is fit testimony to the fact that freedom is rarely gained without sacrifice and self-denial.” Young Indians need to dwell on his remarks that “There is nothing more majestic than the determined courage of individuals willing to suffer and sacrifice for their freedom and dignity.”

While celebrating the Pravasi Bharatiya divas, it is worth noting that India is among the very few countries which has an extensive and evolving policy framework for engagement with diaspora. Youth, both from India as well as the diaspora community, have made a remarkable journey in innovation, technology and creativity and PM Modi‘s priority is to build everlasting links with the Indian diaspora the world over. India’s capabilities always benefit humanity and it has been at the forefront of mitigation of global challenges specially against colonialism and terrorism which gave strength to the world to face these menaces.

One must always remember Ramana Maharishi’s message of absolute freedom coming out of self-inquiry where he demonstrated a life of absolute consciousness. People across the world are struggling with hectic ambition and stressful loneliness and one sure way of total freedom is delving upon “Who am I?” and following the teachings of Bhagwan. He has said that “…Freedom is not somewhere else…The real freedom is only knowing the Self,within yourself. Concentrate, and you will get it.”

In his life of 42 years, when an ordinary youth is bogged down with issues of settling in life, Guru Govind Singh ji sacrificed his entire family to save the dignity and heritage of the Motherland. Wielding the mighty power of his Kripan, not to terrorise, but to defend against the oppressive and brutal Mughals. A true democrat, he established the seat of the Panj Payaras, an order that had place for all, beyond the barriers of religion, caste, creed or gender. Prime Minister Modi has shared that starting this year, 26th December shall be marked as “Veer Baal Diwas” as a tribute to the courage of the Sahibzades and their quest for justice.

Some of the enemies in today’s times are different and one urgent fight for youth today is against substance abuse. COVID-19 has exaggerated the problem and reportedly more people are using drugs due to the economic downturn. Recently, the chief Justice of India NV Ramana has also expressed serious concerns over youth getting addicted to drugs. He said, “I am alarmed at the reports of an increased number of youth falling prey to intoxicants. I urge them to disassociate themselvesFrom substance abuse. Your mental and physical health is in your hands.” The fight to freedom is indeed manyfold and challenging but perhaps the most important thing to do in life.

Together, India fights back – 150 crore milestone

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going” song of Billy Ocean, British singer-songwriter seems to have been characterised by India’s fight against Covid. Within a year of its launch, India has achieved a remarkable record of administering more than 150 Crore covid vaccines and is going strong. Many of the developed nations are yet to reach their entire population, and still in the name of Reality Check some of the foreign media is targeting India for missing 100% vaccination. They had been doing doomsday predictions in the past too that India’s vaccination drive was going horribly wrong. India on the other hand has also been helping many needy nations in the form of Vaccine- maitri.

On behalf of the indebted nation, Prime Minister Modi thanked doctors, scientists, innovators and the health care workers and said “A remarkable day on the vaccination front! Congratulations to our fellow citizens on crossing the 150 crore milestone. Our vaccination drive has ensured that many lives are saved. At the same time, let us also keep following all COVID-19 related protocols.” He had steered the domestic vaccine research and development programme from the front and ensured that the Indian vaccine manufacturers got a conducive environment for accelerated vaccine research, development and manufacture in the spirit of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.

On 18th September 2,50,10,390 covid vaccines were administered. This is 10,42,100 per hour or 17,368 per minute or 289 doses per second. This is an unprecedented scale of implementation by any standards. None of the developed nations have been able to come anywhere close to this scale and is a testimony of transforming the Public Health Care system in the system under Ayushman Bharat.

This transformation is qualitative too. In 2014 there were only 6 AIIMS in the country, today there are 22. Even for the primary healthcare system, more than 50 thousand Jan Aushadhi Kendra are distributing affordable drugs. Among these, around 50 cancer related medicines are also available at affordable prices which is transformational as India’s poor and middle class has long been victims of financial havoc created due to such disease. To make the care and treatment more accessible and affordable in the eastern India, PM Modi inaugurated Cancer Hospital yesterday.

Harnessing the Sun in India

Importance of Sun cannot be emphasised enough in ancient India and unlike many other lost traditions & beliefs, practices related to Sun continue to exist till modern times. Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s call to declare international Yoga Day and its wider acceptance across the globe has enhanced India’s soft power manifold. Surya Namaskar is the unifying yogic posture system for good health and has now been adopted globally. Ayush Ministry is targeting 75 lakh simultaneous participants globally in Surya Nmaskar practice on 14th January, Makar Sankranti.

There are many lost treasures of ancient India. The non-rusting iron pillars as old as 2500 years ago to architecture Marvels of Ajanta, Ellora, Konark to the massive amount of wealth looted and universities, in-situ independent villages and Panchayat system etc destroyed by invaders. Konark Sun Temple is perhaps the most important of all Sun worship places in the country. The destruction of the main temple has many theories starting from the Mogul destroyers to the Portuguese removing big magnet from the top to perhaps an earthquake causing the shift in the course of nearby river – whatever may be the cause but the remains do tell the magnificent history of this land.

The importance of chanting of Gayatri mantra for mental well-being is well documented by modern science too. Lab tests have revealed that the narration of the Gayatri Mantra generates a frequency of 1,10,000 Hz. Chanting the mantra aids in increasing blood supply to the brain cells and has a profound positive impact on spatial and verbal memory. Chanting it with precision and in the right diction emanates a vibration that affects the heart and ensues into its better functioning and also develop balanced breathing.

The solar alliance as proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and speed at which it is becoming popular showcases India’s revered ownership of responsibilities towards sustainable development. Not long ago, in November 2021, US had become the 101st member to have signed the framework agreement of the ISA. Just yesterday the governments of Antigua and Barbuda joined India-led alliance. In December 2021, the United Nations accorded ‘Observer’ status to the grouping. This in turn will further the cause of bringing equitable energy solutions to the entire world and is a shining example of India taking the leadership role on the ethos of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and Sun is going to be the source of the shared global development and growth.

Peacekeeping, Maritime Security & Counter-terrorism

The world order has experienced a tectonic shift in last two years. COVID-19 pandemic has already shaken the global disposition. Exacerbated situations and political unrest in nations like Myanmar, Afghanistan, Israel, Sudan, Ethiopia, Lebanon, and many others lately, have left the world to realize there is a need to strengthen and restructure multilateral institutions across the globe. India has long been of the view that the structure of the United Nations Security Council fails to fit into the actualities of the 21st century and is in need of an immediate reform.

This very concern of India makes its present two-year tenure at the security council even more crucial, a year of which has already gone by. India’s entry into the Security Council as non-permanent member (from 2021) happened in a post-covid era, and coincided with systemic uncertainty, political polarization, absence of global leadership, and climacteric environmental concerns. In such a scenario, picking the three domains of peacekeeping, maritime security, and counter-terrorism as agenda items, can be considered a good start. But New Delhi, which has for so long been seeking acquirement of a permanent seat at the high table, also had to demonstrate its capability of bringing an unprecedented and effective global change. This got manifested with the rollout of India’s ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative under which it has supplied 1154.17 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccines around the world (commercial + COVAX).

India’s sitting at the council is also significant as far as Beijing is concerned as the membership stays as a key with India to keep a check on further Chinese incursions along the LAC. China, one of the five permanent nation at UNSC, had opposed India’s candidature to chair the 2022 Counter-Terrorism Committee. Despite, Beijing’s disagreement, India is chairing the Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee today (effective for one year, starting January 01, 2022). “As the chair for CTC for 2022, India will make determined efforts to further enhance the role of CTC in strengthening the multilateral response to counter-terrorism, and more importantly, ensuring that the global response to the threat of terrorism remains unambiguous, undivided and effective,” stated India in its explanation of its vote.

On 31st August, 2021, India had completed its ‘critical’ one-month-long rotating presidency of UNSC, which kept New Delhi busy throughout the month. All the focus had gone into countering the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan & Taliban’s rapid military advance to power. “The UN Security Council passed a resolution on Monday that calls for the Taliban to facilitate safe passage for people wanting to leave Afghanistan, allow humanitarians to access the country, and uphold human rights, including for women and children,” read the August 30 resolution on Afghanistan, that was passed by the council under India’s presidency.

As India begins the 2nd year of its tenure at UNSC, and as a potential third wave awaits the attention of the government within the country, carrying out both national and international discretions is going to be a tough row to hoe.

Indian Science : CoVID and Beyond

Pandemic has brought world’s attention to India’s capabilities in R&D as well as gigantic implementations. India seems to be on an inventing spree. Not just CoVID vaccines but many more scientific collaborations and discoveries are taking place in research departments, and various scientific institutions across the country. The splendid pace at which the work is carried out, combined with the unicity of ideas and innovations, is making India shine globally as a scientific exploration marvel.

In a bid to inculcate new technology in the ecosystem and to make India – aatmanirbhar – a self-reliant nation in power transistor technology, Indian scientists and researchers very recently developed a device which will be useful in space and defense applications requiring high voltage and high-frequency switching. The device, which is made from Aluminium gallium nitride, is called High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs). In yet another recent discovery, a new exoplanet i.e. a planet outside our solar system was discovered by Indian Space scientists. The study, carried out at Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, found the exoplanet’s mass to be 70% and size about 1.4 times that of Jupiter. This exoplanet is orbiting too close to an evolved or ageing star with a mass of 1.5 times that of the Sun and is located 725 light-years away. According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the detection of such a system contributes in enhancing the present understanding of various scientific mechanisms.

India is even embarking on space diplomacy like never before. ISRO is set to launch a Bhutanese satellite, which has been built by Bhutanese engineers that were trained by ISRO. “This is India’s gift to Bhutan as part of the space diplomacy initiatives put in place by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We’re helping their personnel to build the nano satellite which will be used for imaging purposes. It will be launched on the PSLV carrying EOS-6. The mission will also launch the Pixxel satellite, ” ISRO Chief K Sivan had remarked. Similarly, at COP 26 (held at Glasgow, Scotland), Prime Minster Narendra Modi announced a special data window for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to be built by ISRO. With this, SIDS will continue to receive timely information about cyclones, coral-reef monitoring, coastline monitoring, etc. via satellite. “No one has remained untouched by the wrath of climate change,” PM Modi had said while launching the initiative.

Moreover, continuous efforts have also been made to develop and enhance scientific temper among students, scholars and young researchers. The recent launch of the first-of-its-kind Virtual Science Lab for children under the CSIR Jigyasa program exemplifies this. The initiative will connect students with scientists across the country.

 

LIC : Most awaited IPO

As we look towards the most important budget of PM Narendra Modi’s second term, target of double digit growth rate is essential for generating sufficient jobs, quickly recovering from pandemic induced slowdown and achieving bigger goal of prosperity for all. One of the most important requirements for this is significant increase in the investment rate as measured by gross fixed capital formation (GFCF). In these COVID times, this increase has to be led from front by the Government in the form of public investment. Government savings have to move into positive territory. This need of sharp increase in investment-to-GDP ratio will require significantly higher resource mobilization efforts.

Even though government’s disinvestment plans for Air India, BPCL and Concor kept on getting pushed ahead due to COVID, for LIC, the recent appointments of Edelweiss Financial Services Limited and Deloitte as pre-IPO advisors, the process has started to pick up some speed. This is one of the most awaited IPOs in 2022. The LIC IPO is likely to cover more than a third of the government’s budgeted disinvestment target of ₹2.10 lakh crores this fiscal year.

With around 70% market share of Life Insurance business in the country, LIC is way ahead to any other of 23 players in the Industry. IRDA has reported significant increase in the premium collection by LIC which is nearing ₹1.8 lakh crores. Presently, government holds 95% stake in LIC whose total assets are worth ₹34 lakh crores. Regarding the IPO, since the DRHP (draft red herring prospectus) hasn’t been filed till now, the price band for the IPO is not known as yet. But the issue price is generally announced around a week before the shares are open for subscription by the public.

PM Modi has talked about wealth creation as the area of focus of sabka prayas and this IPO will help retail investors while bringing transparency in the management of LIC. As sale is of less than 10% stake, which allows control with the government itself, hence allaying any chances of adverse impact of IPO on existing stakeholders in general and especially all policyholders. Further, this will bolster the confidence of BFSI sector in post-covid world, which is essential for capital formation and credit flow in the country.

Reviving the might of Meerut

The earliest mentions about Meerut can be traced in Ramayana, where the land used to be known as “Maya Rashtra”, or the capital of May danav, the King of the demons. His daughter Mandodari became the queen consort of Ravana of Lanka. Close to Meerut’s Northeast, is a place where the remains were found of the ancient city of Hastinapur, the capital of Pandavas of Mahabharata, which was washed away by Ganges floods. The city also contained a Harappan settlement known as Alamgirpur, which was believed to be the easternmost settlement of the Indus valley civilisation. The land had been a centre of Buddhism too, during the reign of the Mauryan Dynasty. Having been at the center point location of northern India, it has also witnessed muslim conquests between 11th-17th century AD incessantly. Finally, during the British Raj, it is from here that the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British East India Company, was started. This first war for Independence gifted an immortal fame for the city. But the damage this land witnessed for decades because of the frequent riots later on, left the city dry and dreaded.

This disturbed perspective about the city started to change after 2014, when the present government saw the potential of Meerut to become the super-district of UP. The city is on the wheels of unprecedented development since then, with mega projects like Rapid Rail, expressways, IT HUBs, sports facilities being inaugurated and planned. The construction of the ambitious Delhi-Meerut Rapid Rail Transit System is being done with a power-pace across the district.

The Ganga Expressway (594 km in length) project is also in the pipeline, which will directly connect Meerut (Western UP) to Prayagraj (Eastern UP). Work is also underway for the establishment of an IT Park in the city, land (~2.5 Acre) for which has already been provided by the Meerut Development Authority. All these projects are not only going to give a boost to employment, but will also strengthen connectivity.

The foundation-laying ceremony of the ‘Major Dhyan Chand Sports University’ in Meerut, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, is an example of this. After almost three decades, the city had the privilege of welcoming India’s Prime Minister (fourth time) on its soil. The first PM to visit the city was Jawahar Lal Nehru, followed by Indira Gandhi and later, Chandrashekar Singh in 1990-91.

Meerut, already popular as the world’s manufacturing hub for top quality cricket goods, had provided the shot puts and javelins that Swapna Barman (heptathlon), Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put) and Neeraj Chopra (javelin throw) used to win their gold medals in 2018 Asian Games. With the opening of this sports university, Meerut will have all the tools to not just cater to sports industry and businesses, but also provide a strong, accessible platform to many sports enthusiasts in the region. The sports goods export share of the city already closes to one-third of the total figure. In addition to this, a combination of world-class sports equipments and intense all-sports training environment at the new university, holds a potential to change the sports landscape of not just the city, not just the region, but of the entire country.

Another outcome of such a developmental expansion is the employement and encouragement among the youth, belonging not just to Meerut but to nearby villages, sister-towns and neighbouring districts.

It is rather interesting to see how the land of Meerut, that has held significance in the ‘Treta’ Yug, the ‘Dwapar Yug’, the Harappan era, and the colonial era, is shaping up in the New Modern India.

 

Decisive Decade of Growth

Atmanirbhar Bharat is shaping up as a mass movement in a similar manner to Namak Satyagraha. This clarion call from PM Narendra Modi backed by reformist attitude towards Governance has put India on a path of Decisive Decade of Growth in 2020s (DDG). Sabka Prayas is becoming the operative word towards employment and wealth generation by start-ups across the country. Achieving saturation i.e. covering 100% of population is the new mantra of the Government, which is also playing pivotal role for supporting start-up mindset. On 75th Independence Day, PM Modi had said, “Just as we have made electricity accessible to 100% households, and have made authentic efforts to construct toilets in 100% households …Now, we have to move even further. 100% villages should have roads, 100% households should have a bank account, 100% beneficiaries should have Ayushman Bharat card, 100% eligible persons should have gas connection under Ujjwala scheme and 100% beneficiaries should have Aawas…”

PM Modi had promised, “Our priority will be to ensure that the services reach the last person seamlessly. For the all-round development of the nation, it is essential to end the unnecessary interference of govt and government procedures in the lives of people.” In spite of continued hindrances to legislative work of Parliament, ease of doing business has remained key delivery domain of Modi government. Not less than 1500 old and obsolete laws have been repealed since 2014. Now, India has emerged as world’s 3rd largest start-up ecosystem with around 61,000 start-ups recognised by DPIIT. Though these are clustered around Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai, the spread is across 600+ districts of the country. Number of investors has grown 9 fold, total funding amount as well as available incubators have grown 7 fold. These are indeed exponential growth parameters.

Year 2022 of this Decisive Decade of Growth is all set to build upon the recent success. While China was slated to win growth story in 2021, India’s resilience is on display in combating devastating second wave and emerging as the fastest growing major economy globally in 2021. Building on the mantra of Atmanirbhar Bharat, India has added 44 unicorns in 2021 alone, bringing the total number to 81. This exponentially growing number of unicorns is not only backing innovative solutions but also large scale deployments.

 

VIVEK – New India: Modernity meets Tradition

Vivek or the ability to discriminate operates at two levels – between wrong-right and between temporary-permanent. Usual definition of Vivek is in the context of knowing what needs to be done and what doesn’t. When more and more members of a society do what is right then it’s a modern developed society. Yardstick to measure this is harmony among various interest groups of society.

In 2021 India has reached a level of self belief under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi where this poor country is not only achieving its emission targets before time but also showing the biggest polluters or so called advanced economies mirror at world stage. India has reached a level of self sufficiency or Atmanirbharta where this poor country has not only vaccinated a large population but also donated huge amount to other needy countries in the world. Knowing what needs to be done given the time, role And place is perhaps the best display of Vivek which is also called following one’s dharma in other words.

Then there is this ability to discriminate or Vivek in regards to the biggest question of life, who we are. What is permanent and what is temporary? Aatma or soul is the name given to the permanent aspect of us and Anaatma or Maya is the name given to the material or temporary aspect of us. Every living creatures experience of non-dying or tendency to ignore death all around and yet longing to be here permanently stems from the permanent aspect of its being.

The material aspect of every being is continuously changing. Millions of cells are dying and regenerating continuously, thoughts and emotions too are changing continuously. The ability to discriminate between the permanent and changing aspects of one’s life is true Vivek as defined by Aadi Shankaracharya in life changing book Vivekachudamani (crown jewel of Intellect). In November his 12-foot statue at Kedarnath was inaugurated by PM Modi who declared “India now aims high”. He said that Indian philosophy talks about human welfare, sees life in a holistic manner as projects worth ₹130Cr were also launched alongside.

There is a certain sense of hypocrisy when so called right-wing grossify and limit all pervading permanent aatma to only temples etc. Some of my friends on left wing are more honest though when they accept the hypocrisy of ignoring the experience of aatma altogether and of believing only in material truth. Year 2021 saw rise of New India where large scale implementation skills were demonstrated with Vivek of right or wrong. Year 2021 saw rise of New India where modernity meets traditional wisdom, Vivek of temporary and permanent. One key enabler of this New India is its current Prime Minister Narendra Modi.