Category Archives: Numbers don’t lie

Numbers don’t lie (usually)

Let’s celebrate AAP’s criminal MLAs!

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AAP's recent electoral victory in Delhi was seen as a win for democracy. The Ballot beat the Bullet. Secularism beat Fascism. Development beat Divisiveness etc. etc. But AAP's electoral victory was also validation for another critical component of our democracy - backing of winnable candidates by political parties(often those with pending criminal cases), at any cost.  Arvind Kejriwal is the Delhi Chief Minister and National Convener/ Master and Read more [...]

Worst MPs of the outgoing Lok Sabha

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Our parliament is made up of 543+ MPs who directly represent us and influence laws that rule our lives. Yet, during Lok Sabha elections, we stay obsessed with national political leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi. The reality is that there is no single political leader who can magically transform the country. If we keep electing MPs and MLAs who are incompetent and corrupt, the system will stay broken. So before you vote for your favourite Read more [...]

Nirav Modi Scam – How much money is Rs. 11,380 crore?

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The top 1% of India's population own nearly 60% of the country's total wealth. And our financial systems seem to have been fine-tuned to function best for this economic elite. If an extremely poor villager wants to buy a goat worth Rs 5,000,  micro-finance institutes would happily charge interest rates of over 30%. Meanwhile it seems to have become a trend for our ultra rich to dupe public financial institutions of massive amounts of money and then Read more [...]

The Jay Amit Shah Story (told the correct way)

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The Wire has dared to malign Jay Amit Shah by questioning the business practices of this financial prodigy. In reality, Jay Amit Shah is a genius who needs to be recognized & celebrated. Thankfully, The Wire is being sued for Rs. 100 crore for defaming an honest, hard-working businessman. Why can’t more Indians be like Jay Amit Shah? Instead of complaining about the economy and government policies, this chai wala’s right hand man’s Read more [...]

Assaulted, Abducted or Raped a Woman? Please be my MLA.

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India has always been a world leader at electing those with pending criminal cases. Our political parties have forever provided us with a steady pipeline of criminally tainted candidates . And as electors, we always deliver by continuing to elect legislators who are accused of every crime under the sun from petty thefts to kidnappings and murders. We currently have the most criminalized Lok Sabha in history. #AccheDin. All data is courtesy Association Read more [...]

Quiz: How well do you know the ‘other’ India?

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India is poised to be an economic super-power (at least that's what we've been told) and is expected to become the third largest economy by 2030. For decades, we have been obsessed with GDP and economic growth. What we don't seem to track and measure as diligently, is basic human development. How does India perform at indicators that look at stuff like access to healthcare, education, nutrition etc? Most of us in urban bubbles couldn't care less Read more [...]

A crash course in India’s Farmer Crisis

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Jan 2021: India's farming crisis has been on for decades and what we are seeing right now is just the tipping point of systemic issues that have existed forever. It is completely reasonable to hold the government of the day accountable irrespective of which political party is in power. Here's a post from 2017 explaining the various components of this crisis. India's leading rural journalist (and unfortunately one of our only ones), P. Sainath, recently Read more [...]

The ‘Criminal’ Quota in Indian Politics

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Issues related to the criminalization of Indian politics are well known. Political parties are obsessed with winning elections, and have always provided tickets to candidates who are most likely to win - irrespective of a candidate's ability to be a competent legislator.  All data is courtesy Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). To better understand the magnitude of this problem, we looked at what our nationally recognized political parties Read more [...]

Lok Sabha Honours List 2017 – Our most useless MPs

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We know that our MPs hate attending parliament and being productive - but some are worse than others. There is an official record maintained of the activity of all MPs in parliament including attendance, questions raised and debates participated in. It's been three years since we elected our Lok Sabha. We look at some of our most illustrious parliamentarians who are least bothered to show up or participate in the Lok Sabha. PRS Legislative Research, Read more [...]

Why are we passing bills to make corruption easier for political parties?

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Lack of financial transparency in the political system has always been one of our key challenges as a democracy. Recently, the government passed a bill in the Lok Sabha that will potentially lead to an increase in anonymous corporate donations to political parties as well as remove previous limits on how much corporations can donate to political parties. Here's a look at some of the key factors in play. Status Quo Currently, political parties Read more [...]

The absurdity of Mayawati & Kejriwal’s EVM claims

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Two of our most prolific leaders from recent times, Behenji Mayawati and Arvind Kejriwal, have decided to have grave concerns regarding the electoral system - one that has allowed them to be Chief Ministers, a combined six times. In a BSP letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on March 11th 2017, National General Secretary Satish Chandra Mishra provided reasons for his parties skepticism about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Most of Read more [...]

India’s Infant Mortality Rates are worse than Uganda, Bangladesh, Iraq….

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At 7.3% GDP growth, India is set to be 2016's fastest growing large economy. However, as of today, a child born in Bangladesh, has a better chance of living then one born in India. India has far surpassed Bangladesh when it comes to economic indicators, but many of our social indicators continue to be inferior to those of Bangladesh. And you can add the likes of Uganda, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Suriname, North Korea, Algeria, Bhutan, Nepal, Namibia and Read more [...]

Women’s Empowerment in Indian Politics is here to stay (just kidding) !

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We heard them loud and clear last year as they screamed hoarse about the need for empowering women in India. In the lead up to Lok Sabha 2014, all political parties told us how they plan to tackle gender equality. And boy did they perform, when it came to taking action during the elections, i.e. giving tickets to women. Overall, only (8%) of candidates in Lok Sabha 2014 were women and currently just 11% of the parliament is female. Among the major Read more [...]

7 stats on the 2014 Lok Sabha elections that will blow your mind into many pieces

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Here are some heartwarming stats from last year's mega elections that may restore your faith in humanity and/or blow your mind.  1) 73% of voters in Vadodra or 8.45 lakh people voted for Narendra Modi  It’s no surprise that some of the most impressive victories in the election were seen in the state of Gujarat by BJP candidates. Narendra Modi’s victory in Vadodara was arguably the most comprehensive one across India. Modi and C.R. Patil Read more [...]

List of Gundas contesting Delhi Assembly elections

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Hello Delhi, To make voting easier for you, we have created a list of candidates that you must vote into power. In last year's Lok Sabha elections, we voted in 186 MPs with pending criminal cases (36% of the Lok Sabha) - an all time record. Let's see if you can do better in #DelhiFightClub #DelhiShowdown #DelhiIsIndia #IndiaIsDelhi #NothingElseMatters. Please make sure that these candidates who have been given tickets by our political parties come Read more [...]

Who is India Searching for on Google ? (द्वितीय)

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Last year, we did an analysis to compare which politicians are searched for the most on Google by Indians. To put it into context, we added the names of a cricketer and a Bollywood to see what happens to the results. Sunny Leone, the Bollywood starlet was the undisputed winner. The last 12 months have been extremely dynamic in Indian politics, so we thought we should repeat the process. The Google Trend analyzer is more sophisticated now and combines Read more [...]

Lok Sabha Electoral Malpractice Awards for States 2014

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The recent Lok Sabha elections were historic in many ways from record voter turnouts to landslide victories. Equally enthralling was the battle to see which states come out on top in terms of committing most electoral malpractice. As per the Compendium of Instructions on Election Expenditure Monitoring published by the Election Commission in January 2014, we have created six award categories: 1)      खुले आम रिश्वत Read more [...]

Gunda-Raj continues with Lok Sabha 2014 – Well done India!

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Over the last month, we shattered voting records. An all time high of 66.4% of the national electorate voted. And the result is that we have resoundingly selected the most criminal parliament ever. For the last three years, we've been out on the streets protesting on empty stomachs and our fingers have gone numb sharing and liking status updates. But at the end of the day, it's been all worth it. We have proudly selected 186 parliamentarians (36% Read more [...]

Dear Indian Voter, why are you still voting for Criminals?

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Dear Indian Voter, You have spent the last 3 years expressing your frustration with the Indian political system. You protested in the streets, went on hunger strikes and ranted on social media. You said you were fed up with corruption and the quality of parliamentarians. This time around, you are supposed to get into action, walk to the booth and vote for change. You must understand that change is not a silver-bullet. It will not be miraculously Read more [...]

State Scan 2014 – Dying Children and Economic Prosperity

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This year is beginning with multiple new state governments all promising better 'governance'. This post attempts to analyze a couple of key criteria which can be viewed as outcomes of good governance.  Here are the two criteria: 1) State GDP per capita - The market value of all officially recognized goods and services produced within each state per person in that state. This has been used as a benchmark of economic development in a state. 2) Read more [...]

A Baby born in Bangladesh is more likely to survive than one born in India!

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The reputation of Bangladesh is not the strongest in India. Despite our own issues, most Indians associate Bangladesh with various negative images ranging from extreme poverty and a never ending stream of refugees to a test cricket team that is a joke. There is no question that by most economic parameters, India has outshone Bangladesh with ease. For instance, in terms of GDP per capita (market value of all officially recognized goods and services Read more [...]

BJP vs Congress – Distribution of tickets to Muslims

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The BJP compromises on needs of the Indian Muslim in order to come to power. The Congress is looking to appease minorities at any cost as long as it stays in power. Such statements have become common occurrences specially after the elevation of the status of Narendra Modi within the BJP. Almost any debate in the country these days seems to be linked back to religion and our two leading political parties. One factor in assessing the attitude of BJP Read more [...]

Who is India Searching for on Google ?

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The country is going through a phase where the internet is fast becoming an integral part of political discourse. Here's a comparative analysis of some of the politicians whom we have searched for on Google over the last one year.  'Google Search Trends' allows anyone to analyze search terms entered by internet users of a country over a specific time period. Here are some of the country's top netas  that have been analyzed:  Of the lot, Read more [...]

Why do we elect rape-accused to parliament?

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Jaya Bachchan, a Rajya Sabha MP from the Samajwadi Party had an emotional breakdown earlier this week as she was shaken and shattered by the gruesome Delhi rape incident. Her teary-eyed speech in the Rajya Sabha and passionate statements thereafter got extensive media coverage. However, Bachchan’s Samajwadi Party currently leads the country in having MLAs who are accused of rape. Perhaps Mrs. Bachchan could start by reforming her own party by Read more [...]

Fasting Season Begins!

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India's ''total revolution'' and ''second freedom struggle'' continue this year with another 'indefinite' fast. It's Team Anna's 4th fast in 16 months. At the peak of their fasting prowess, Team Anna had bellowed itself hoarse screaming that ''Anna is India and India is Anna''. The crowds that thronged various hunger-strike venues were showcased to testify that Anna Hazare was truly representative of what India wants. The novelty of a helpless old Read more [...]

Invest in Lok Sabha MPs for Guaranteed Returns!

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The economy of India maybe going through troubled times right now. But one industry that is forever booming, is the Indian parliament. Our Lok Sabha MPs made fortunes even during the economic meltdown of 2008. Forget banks and the stock market. Just catch hold of your constituency’s MP and handover your assets to him for a guaranteed return. Candidates who contest elections in India, declare their financial assets on affidavits to the Election Read more [...]

Why should there be Women in Political Parties ???

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It’s no secret that women are under-represented in Indian politics. However strategically speaking does it make sense for political parties to back female politicians? The answer to that question is a resounding YES, and not because it’s the ‘’right’’ thing to do. REASON 1: WOMEN ACTUALLY HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF WINNING! In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections only 161 females received tickets from major* political parties. However, 36% of Read more [...]

Political Parties – Who is the Richest?

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How much money do political parties in India receive in one year? Here’s a look at the amounts collected by India’s political parties as ‘contributions’ in the year right after the last Lok Sabha election in 2009. Under sections 29B and 29C of the Representation of the People Act political parties are entitled to accept monetary contributions. These contributions are exempted from tax under section 13A of Income Tax Act. Details of these Read more [...]

Lok Sabha Honours List – Our most useless MPs

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Parliamentarians in the Lok Sabha are our nation's pride. Here's a look at ones who have gone out of their way to do something special. There is an official record maintained of the activity of all MPs in parliament including attendance, questions raised and debated participated in. The record is not maintained for ministers since they are not mandated to sign attendance registers and initiate debates. Honour List 1 - MPs with less than 50% attendance Read more [...]

Neta Profiling – Party Wise

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Are your favourite politicians Aam Aadmis or Ameer Gundas? Here is an analysis of current Lok Sabha MPs from various political parties based on criminal and financial backgrounds. This analysis is a follow-up to our state wise analysis which showed the importance of money power and muscle power in the parliament. All candidates who contest elections in India submit to the Election Commission, a self sworn affidavit with details of criminal records Read more [...]

Heads, I win. Tails, You Lose – Victory margins of Indian MLAs

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  Five states went to poll earlier this year. Elections were conducted in a total of 823 assembly constituencies across Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu & West Bengal. 364 out of 823 MLAs (i.e. 44%) had more people voting against them than for them. Despite this they won due to the nature of our electoral setup. Here is a break-up of MLAs sworn in earlier this year: The above graph shows a split of MLAs between those who managed Read more [...]

Baap Beta Pvt. Ltd. – India’s Political Dynasties

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India’s democracy can at times be looked at as a ‘family business’. For decades, tickets have been  distributed by political parties to the children of party stalwarts & Chief Ministerial berths have been randomly shared between spouses. Here is a closer look at this problem. Most of this data is courtesy the research of writer & historian, Patrick French. Lok Sabha Dynasty 156 out of 545* Lok Sabha members come from political Read more [...]

Neta Profiling – Aam Aadmi to Ameer Gunda

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Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha represent each one of us. However their financial assets & criminal backgrounds are a different story. Here we compare MPs from different states in the country and figure out whether they are Aam Aadmis or Ameer Gundas or a mixture of both. All candidates who contest elections in India submit to the Election Commission, a self sworn affidavit with details of criminal records & financial assets. These Read more [...]

Annanomics – An analysis of India’s Hunger Strike Industry

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  There is a lot of debate surrounding the support & reputation of India’s Civil Society which is starving itself these days to pressurize the Government of India. Here we compare  Civil Society with the Government through  various parameters. Some of them defy logic. But that’s just the world of hunger strikes for you. The entire debate started when a committee to draft the Jan Lokpal Bill was created. This committee has Read more [...]