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.
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
The biog
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Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
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The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
TEST SQUADS
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner AF Nashrah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Mutaqadim, Riccardo Iacopini, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
6pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Jose Santiago, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner AF Almomayaz, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Dalil Al Carrere, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Jayide Al Boraq, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
