India First

This is terrific. A partnership between Ministry for Rural Development and Indian Space Research Organisation will reduce corruption, increase transparency on various aspect and reduce over all costs. Robust technology infrastructure, complimented by wel-designed processes, can be a strong control against challenges such as dishonesty and inefficiency, posed by human nature. :-) https://swarajyamag.com/economy/bye-bye-mnrega-leakages-one-crore-assets-successfully-geotagged

It’s not EVMs that are tampered, it’s the exclusive club that’s under threat Perhaps because of its stunning diversity across the country’s length and breadth, India’s electorate tends to surprise many of us fairly often, with its collective decision. The unprecedented mandate given to the Congress in the Lok Sabha election of 1984 comes to mind. Another one was the shock defeat of BJP and NDA in the 2004 election. The clear majority it awarded BJP in 2014 too was entirely unexpected. The near clean sweep by AAP in the most recent Delhi assembly election was nothing short of shocking. The BJP too probably performed better collectively in the recently concluded assembly elections that most observers expected. There have been unconvincing protests by losing parties in the past on the unreliability of using electronic voting machines. BJP too has raised this issue a few years ago, which barely received publicity. However, what we have witnessed in the last few weeks after BJ

Income Tax Act in the Finance Bill for 2017 has some unexpected changes. One of those is that officials of Income Tax Department can search an assessee’s property without disclosing the reason for doing so. This is not just unexpected, it brings memories of the dreaded Emergency of 1975. The unholy nexus between corporates and politicians has existed since long. It’s also probably inevitable in a democracy. How else would political parties contest elections and even maintain offices and staff? Still, there should be limits to and transparency in all political donations. Reforms that limit corporate funding and ensure transparency about donors are the way to go. But one proposal in the Finance Bill removes the existing requirement for corporate donors to declare which party they have donated to. Why has transparency been thrown out the window on such an important matter? Even a party as opaque as the Congress has questioned this move. What an embarrassment for the NDA and BJP!

Technology - The Double-Edged Sword The pervasiveness of technology in our lives is greater than it ever has been. Over the last century, technology has transformed our lives irreversibly. Be it simple comforts like refrigerators or modern transport, to formidable computer computer power, lives of much of the human race are literally impossible without technology. In the last several years technology seems to be progressing by leaps and bounds. It already has reduced the requirement for some low-skilled professions. But what does artificial intelligence have in store for us? It'll impact highly skilled and well-regarded professions like legal and medical ones. What can we expect from such terrific advances? For sure it'll make lives simpler. As this report suggests, it'll be of medical assistance, offering speed and accuracy skilled medical professionals will not be able to match. Day to day life will be come easier in some respects. But what will be the side effe