An Indian government-appointed committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind has recommended the country should hold simultaneous national and regional elections to increase transparency, reduce costs and improve governance.
The world’s largest democracy of 1.4 billion people has a federal structure in which elections for parliament and for the legislatures of its 28 states are held separately. Both have five-year terms.
At least five state elections take place every year.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government has long championed “one nation, one election”, claiming that it would cut costs.
Mr Kovind submitted the committee's report to President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday.
“Based on suggestions from parties, experts and other stakeholders, the committee was of the unanimous view that simultaneous elections will bring fundamental transformation in the electoral process and overall governance,” the committee said in the report.
“Asynchronous elections cause uncertainty and instability, thwarting supply chains, business investments and economic growth.”
Indian elections are among world's costliest and need enormous logistical support from the administration in a country where millions of people are still living in poverty.
In the 2019 general election, the state, political parties and candidates spent a combined 550 billion rupees ($8 billion), according to the Centre for Media Studies in New Delhi.
The centre, a nonprofit think tank that tracks poll expenditure, estimated that the total poll-related spending for the general election due to be held in coming months would amount to $14 billion.
Besides the polling process, India's elections involve extravagant rallies and other public events, social media campaigns and widespread advertising.
Simultaneous state and parliamentary polls were the norm after India gained independence in 1947.
However, this ended when some legislative assemblies were dissolved prematurely in 1968 and 1969 and the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, was dissolved in 1970, one year before its term expired, prompting fresh elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government formed the “One Nation, One Election” committee in September last year to look into the feasibility of holding simultaneous national and regional elections.
Home Minister Amit Shah, other parliamentarians and opposition leaders are part of the nine-member committee.
Its report said it consulted 47 political parties, economists and the Election Commission of India.
At least 32 political parties supported the idea, whereas 15 others, including the main opposition Indian National Congress, opposed it, the report said.
Opposition parties argue that if national and state elections are held simultaneously, regional parties would lose to the bigger parties because of their greater influence and financial resources.
The panel has suggested that while polls for parliament’s lower house and state assemblies could be held together, elections for local bodies could be held 100 days later.
The report will not affect the upcoming election, which is expected to be held in May.
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Key facilities
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Our legal columnist
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Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
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Alwyn Stephen says much of his success is a result of taking an educated chance on business decisions.
His advice to anyone starting out in business is to have no fear as life is about taking on challenges.
“If you have the ambition and dream of something, follow that dream, be positive, determined and set goals.
"Nothing and no-one can stop you from succeeding with the right work application, and a little bit of luck along the way.”
Mr Stephen sells his luxury fragrances at selected perfumeries around the UAE, including the House of Niche Boutique in Al Seef.
He relaxes by spending time with his family at home, and enjoying his wife’s India cooking.
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All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
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How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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Six large-scale objects on show
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To the theme tune of the famous zany British comedy TV show, SpaceX has shown exactly what can go wrong when you try to land a rocket.
The two minute video posted on YouTube is a compilation of crashes and explosion as the company, created by billionaire Elon Musk, refined the technique of reusable space flight.
SpaceX is able to land its rockets on land once they have completed the first stage of their mission, and is able to resuse them multiple times - a first for space flight.
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
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- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
