This paper studies as to how far the NOTA option, in its present form impacts in strengthening the true spirit of democracy. True democracy envisions public participation in the electoral process and citizen's power to choose their candidates as their Representatives. In the present form, NOTA is a mere right to register a dissent rather than the right to reject. It acts as a mirror for the candidates to evaluate their shortcomings and also a good tool to change the mind-set of the people about democracy. Studies reveal that the voters turnout, post- NOTA has increased though not significantly1. And the right to choose has no meaning as candidates are elected, keeping aside the number of NOTA votes. In fact the Representative is imposed upon the public. NOTA in its present form has no effect on the result of the election. NOTA option can be a potential game-changer in the electoral process provided more value is given to the NOTA votes. With some changes in the present form of NOTA and change in the attitude of the political parties in understanding the true value of NOTA, we can achieve the real goals of democracy.
The agenda for reforming the political process is a long and fragmentary one. Our Constitution visualizes a representative democracy. Corruption, threats of muscle power and coercion in elections have receded over the years. Challenges like money power, transparency of finances, inner party democracy and influence of the media, including social media, have emerged recently. The Election Commission alone cannot force this electoral and political reforms agenda. Commission’s mandate is limited only to the conduct of free and fair elections. Such crisis situations have been handled by the Supreme Court of India. Being a welfare state, it is difficult for India to demarcate the dual components of Political-Economy. Any major change in one sphere has significant implications in the other. The series of current structural reforms like Demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) have been claimed by the government to be worthy of putting the Indian economy on a stronger track. These are likely to be described as the two game changers of the Indian Economy. India demonetised large currency notes on November 8th 2016. It was an initiative to root-out black money and fake currency in the system. However, it was noticed later that the move couldn't achieve the desired result. Fake currencies were still running. The government succeeded in profiling the people by digitalisation and getting to know the differences between actual flow of money and the undeclared money. Social security benefits are assured by the Central government under various flagship programmes. Further several key initiatives such as 'Make in and Start-up India' have been undertaken in order to enhance job creation. This paper attempts a critical analysis of the current political and economic reforms in India and its huge impact on the human life.
India is said to be a largest democratic country in the world. The last Lokasabha election measurements demonstrates that there will be just 66.38% of voting is done in the country. On the off chance that 34% peoples are not voted, at that point how it will be an extraordinary thing in saying that it is democratic country. The explanations behind these non-voters might be a direct result of uneducated, absence of enthusiasm, far from voting place and so forth. The electoral commission and a few people groups are inspiring the general population for voting, yet it is less successful. So this paper is predominantly centered on the strategies or solution to increase the voting percentage by adopting latest technology into the electoral method i.e e- voting. The voter can vote any wherein India to his voting constituency through any electoral booth. This can be accomplished by connecting the aadhar number and through biometric framework. E-Voting will helps for many workers and Army peoples to vote. By awarenessing / teaching the people will definitely make E- Voting as a perfect electoral method.
Criminalization of politics is a vital topic to be discussed in any democratic platform. This issue is on focus every now and then. The Government and the governance system’s credibility is questioned. Sometimes the government loses its legitimacy and authenticity due to the involvement of persons with criminal backgrounds. The frequency with which alleged or convicted criminals manage to gain public office threatens the ideals and the functioning of the Indian democracy. The members of the legislature are expected and directed to represent vicariously the aspirations and concerns of the people whom they represent. Hence it is important for the legislature of a representative democracy to be a true reflection of the aspirations and dreams of the people and also to be fair, honest and accountable to the people they represent. But nowadays India is witnessing a crisis of empathy, quality, fairness, equality etc. amongst all the chosen MPs or MLAs. Not only is there a serious question of propriety lying over the fairness of electoral procedure followed, an even greater concern lies in the kind of people who are entering the polity of India. India stands witness to an alarmingly high number of people with criminal background who have polluted Indian polity. Though it has been almost 6 decades since India’s first ever General Elections, the existing electoral laws have failed in more ways than one to prevent the menace of criminalization in Indian politics. In order to restore the faith of people in democracy, there is an urgent need for electoral reforms. Numerous electoral reforms have been introduced by Election Commission from time to time but still there is lot to be achieved. Among the much needed core reforms in the electoral system, decriminalization of politics deserves a central position. Criminalization of politics in India is today a sad reality. Several government-appointed Commissions have already made clear recommendations for electoral reforms, but the political will to implement these recommendations in letter and spirit is lacking. We have allowed criminalisation inpolitics to go completely unchecked. The numbers are appalling. In the Lok Sabha, 76 of the 543 members elected in 2009 had been charged with serious criminal offences such as murder, rape and dacoity. This paper discusses about the meaning of criminalisation of politics, reasons for criminalisation, consequences of criminalisation and the role of legislations and judiciary in decriminalisation of politics in India.
In the formation of a government, there exist two types of political party system. It is either two or three party system or multiparty system. In many western countries they follow two party systems which give the citizens to vote either of them and bring them to power. But in India we have adopted multi-party system which has its own merits and demerits. The author in this article has attempted to chalk out the pros and cons of both the system and has concluded with a remark as to which system is better.
Corruption is a complex issue that is embedded in bureaucratic rigidity and issues of economic access and political power, in this sense the state is the main promoter of corruption it cannot be reduced to a question of morality alone and the existing devices for check on elected and administrative officials have not been effective, as growing instances of corruption cases suggest, and existing CVC- central vigilance commission is designed to inquire into allegations of corruption and the CBI ,the premier investigation agency of the country functions under the supervision of the ministry of personnel public grievances (under the prime minister) and it is therefore not immune from political pressure during investigation indeed the lack of independence and professionalism of CBI often has been castigated by the supreme court in recent times all these have necessitated the creation of Lokpal with its own investigating team in earliest possible occasion. There is revolution in india ,an anti-corruption wave is growing within Indian civil society, in recent years people from all have said: enough is enough and each in their own way doing something about it some are taking to the street as we had seen the Jan Lokpal movement in the leadership of Anna Hazaare and his team has really awakened the whole nation about administrative lawlessness and they demanded their suggestions to be incorporated in Lokpal bill and their endeavor to have democratic way of life has received nationwide support, there are others who are combating with this by using the courts, others have turned to the media, but still we need specific measures to control mounting corruption in all sector, strong and stringent laws need to be given tooth and power which gives no room for the guilty to escape firm and strong steps are needed in implementation of LOKPAL.
According to Shri. Subhash C. Kashyap, Former Secretary General of Lok Sabha, between the Fourth and Fifth General Electioneer in 1967 and 1972, There were nearly 2000 cases of defections and counter defections1. Many scholars may be surprised to learn that parliamentary members who switch parties during the session may be expelled from parliament because they violate the law in the country. This paper studies such “anti-defection Law in India. It investigates the extent of such legislation; why and how often legislators switch parties: why some scholars favour banning party switching; why politicians have legislated against party defections. In order to combat political defections, the Tenth Schedule was inserted into the Constitution of India in 1985. The Tenth Schedule introduced the anti-defection law in India by laying down that legislators who voluntarily give up membership of the party they belong to and legislators who disobey the whip issued by the party with regard to voting, shall incur disqualification. The intention of this law is to ensure political stability and prevent legislators from being bribed to defect and indulge in floor crossing. While the law was introduced at a time when defections were rampant and needed stringent measures to prevent it, it has imposed an unreasonable restriction on dissent, debate and freedom to vote. The individual identify of legislators has diminished and has led to the rise of political parties as extra constitutional authorities. This article critically analyses the anti-defection law with regard to its effect an parliamentary dissent. Despite the issue being highlighted by the Supreme Court in Kihoto-Hollahan Vs. Zachillhu.
Democracy being the basic feature of our constitutional set up, only free and fair elections guarantees the growth of a healthy democracy in the country. Universal adult suffrage conferred on the citizens of India by the Constitution which made it possible for the millions of individual voters to go to the polls and thus participate in the governance of our country. For democracy to survive, it is essential that the best available men should be chosen as people’s representatives for proper governance of the country and the same can be achieved through men of high moral and ethical values, who win the elections on a positive vote. But these days almost all candidates standing in elections are not up to the expectations of people. Hence; the Supreme Court in a recent Writ Petition directed to provide a ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option i.e. right to reject on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and ballot papers so that the electors who do not want to vote for any of the candidates can exercise their option in secrecy. Thus by casting this protest vote people can show their dissent and disapproval to these candidates and indeed compel the political parties to nominate a sound candidate. Three years, one Lok Sabha election and four rounds of Assembly elections have passed since the introduction of NOTA option in the Indian electoral system, in this paper an effort has been made to analyse positive and negative impacts of introduction of NOTA on the Indian Electoral system. The early trends of NOTA need to be investigated further with more elaborate, statistical and ethnographic analysis. This electoral option will become a meaningful means of negative voting only if it becomes a ‘right to reject’ rather than being a symbolic instrument to express resentment as it is now.
“Good governance is the bedrock of democratic form of government” .Corruption is global phenomenon and now it is rampant in our society. India being developing country has been always in the clutches and the diabolical jaws of the virus called corruption. Corruption is the misuse of public goods by public officials for private purpose. Corruption in India is the main cause of it’s every failure. Many of the development projects are being over shadowed by this social evil called corruption. It has penetrated in to the grass roots of the society and has grown as a banyan tree in all branches of public administration. Corruption hinders social and economic development of the country. It weakens education and health system and also undermines democracy by distorting electoral process which can lead to political instability. There is no doubt that corruption has destroyed the moral foundation of the county. Therefore to bring transparency in all the fields, to enhance accountability of public servant and to put check on corruption the Government of India has enacted various Anti-Corruption Laws. The Prevention of corruption Act 1988 is India’s Principal legislation against corruption. Its main thrust is to prohibit public servant from accepting or soliciting illegal gratification in the discharge of their official function. This Act was intended to make effective provisions for Prevention of bribery and corruption amongst the public servant. It is a social legislation which has enacted to curb illegal activity of the public servant. In spite of enactment of Prevention of corruption Act 1988 it is evident from various reports and research findings that, the corruption is continuously and consistently increasing in India. In this context the present paper intended to explore the dimensions of prevention of corruption Act and steps to be taken in order to strengthen good governance of country.
India is biggest democratic country in the world and to give reality and content to the democratic ideals propounded in the Preamble the constitution establishes parliamentary of government both at the centre and the states. In any democratic system of government political parties occupy a distinct and unique place. It is through them that the generality of people attempt to voice and ventilate their grievance. It is true that till recently the constitution did not expressly refer to the existence of political parties. But their existence in implicit in the nature of democratic form of Government which over country has adopted, the political parties has to be there if the present system of government is to succeed. In the Parliamentary form of government there is a popularly elected body enjoying the confidence of people on the basis an “election manifesto” which contains policies and programmes of the Political parties taking election manifesto into consideration the people vote in favour of the party. After returning the power every effect has to be made by Political executive. Election Manifesto is a assurance of Political parties. It belongs social justice, economic justice and Political justice to the public, the responsibility of political parties is that, they have to execute policies as said in election manifesto. Political parties has responsibility that election manifesto has to be in reality and not gives any fake promises by parties to the public at large for example some parties says in their election manifesto that they give 1 Kg Rice for 1 Rupees, and Indian black Money take back into the India from Swiss Bank, like this election manifesto builds fake dreams in the public. Political parties are going to making government of their parties and they have to responsible to give justice to public as they take confidence by election manifesto. Election manifesto can be play important role in the election, but the responsibilities of Political parties towards election manifesto became nil, but no laws says about responsibility towards election manifesto of political parties, but it is necessary in biggest democratic and parliamentary form of the Government Country like India. There has to be a law says about how election manifesto is to be there, Rules and Regulations towards election manifesto followed by the Political parties and how can be they responsible in law towards election manifesto. How the changes are made by election commission from ballot papers to electronic voting machines like that changes has to be made also in election manifesto.
