Karnataka Parliament
Karnataka + Election Bill + Get to Know People You Don't Know
Hello, hope you had a great week. This week we talk about the Karnataka Parliament debacle, how digital technology will reshape the electoral scenario of India & how getting to know strangers can impact your life.
Karnataka Parliament Debacle
Time and again, the leaders have made comments which have not gotten well with the people. Recently, Karnataka MLA and the Karnataka Assembly speaker made a controversial remark in the ongoing state assembly session in Belagavi, a city in Karnataka for a crime like Rape.
How did the conversation go?
The MLA said to the Speaker, “There’s a saying… when rape is inevitable, lie down and enjoy it. That’s exactly the position into which you are.” and the Karnataka Assembly speaker laughed in response.
Reaction:
Ms Sarangi, Lok Sabha member from Odisha exclaimed “What is sad is that the Speaker said nothing after such objectionable comments were made and even laughed”.
Mr Chandrasekhar accused the MLA of trivializing crimes against women.
The response:
The current statistics for crimes against women in India:
India saw a rise of 46 per cent in complaints of crimes against women in the first eight months of 2021 as per the National Commission for Women (NCW).
As per the latest National Family Health Survey (2019-’21), nearly 1.5% of young women in India within the 18-29 years of age have experienced sexual violence.
As per the NFHS- 5 married women, between the ages of 18-49, who have ever experienced spousal violence, have more than doubled from 20.6 in 2014-15 to 44.5%.
Nearly 1,168 rape cases have been reported across various police station limits in Karnataka, from January 2019 to May 2021.
(Sources: Indian Express, Scroll, The Hindu, Hindustan Times)
Reshaping Electoral Scenario of India
Technological interventions have made it easier for almost all the sectors to work efficiently but on the flip side have blurred the lines between privacy and accessibility of the data. Recently, the Government of India passed the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which seeks to link electoral rolls with the Aadhaar ecosystem to curb multiple registrations.
What changes are made in the acts?
Linking electoral roll with Aadhaar:
The 1950 Act: directs a person to apply for electoral registration for their name to be included in the electoral roll of a constituency and if the officer is satisfied with the provided information, the name will be directed to be included in the roll.
The bill: added the requirement of the Aadhaar number for establishing the identity of a person. If the person who isn't able to provide Aadhaar details will have to furnish other documents as directed by the Central Government.
The qualifying date for enrolment:
The 1950 Act: The qualifying date(when a person turns 18) for enrolment in the electoral roll is January 1 of the year in which such roll is being prepared or revised.
The Bill: provides four qualifying dates in a calendar year, which will be January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.
Requisitioning of premises for election purposes:
The 1950 Act: The State Governments request for the premises needed for being used as polling stations and storing after the conduction of elections.
The bill: expands the purposes for the premises which include: counting votes, storing machines. and poll-related material, and accommodation of security forces and polling personnel.
Gender-neutral provisions:
The 1950 Act: permits certain persons who hold a service qualification, such as members of the armed forces or central government employees posted outside India. The wives of such persons are also deemed to be ordinarily residing in the same constituency.
The 1951 Act: enables the wife of a person holding a service qualification to vote either in person or by postal ballot.
The Bill: replaces the term ‘wife’ with ‘spouse’ in both Acts.
What is the opposition saying?
Manish Tewari of Congress stated that linking of voter IDs and Aadhaar violates the fundamental right to privacy as defined by the Supreme Court in the judgment.
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said if the Bill becomes an Act, the government would be able to use voter identity details for “disenfranchising some people and profile the citizens and this bill is outside the legislative competence of this House.”
What is the Government saying?
The government says linking Aadhaar with electoral rolls will solve the problem of multiple enrolments of the same person at different places.
Kiren Rijiju stated that the present legal provisions have some disparity and some shortcomings, and to remove the same, the government with the Election Commission has brought these amendments.
(Sources: PRS, Indian Express)
Get To Know People You Don’t Know
In the pre-pandemic times, most people encountered strangers during their daily commute or at the supermarket, or while sitting in a park or cafe, but many of us didn’t feel comfortable while interacting with strangers. If you were forced to interact with strangers?
Here, Paula Davis, a contributor at Forbes, talks about the experiments that were conducted by the behavioural science researchers at the University of Chicago to test the same.
One of the three conditions were assigned to the hundreds of bus and train commuters conditions:
interact with a stranger
remain disconnected
commute normally
There was a separate group of participants who were asked to predict which condition will lead to a fulfilling experience. The participants reported a more positive experience when they connected with strangers.
Extended Study:
Nicholas Epley, professor of Behavioural Science, and his team extended this study with a group of participants commuting in and out of London, had the same positive experience
Inferences:
The study found various assumptions made by participants:
Starting conversations would be more difficult.
Only a small percentage of people would be willing to talk
Had uncertainty about others’ willingness to engage in conversation.
These assumptions created a fear of being rejected or being perceived as impolite; yet, the study participants discovered the exact opposite in all three respects.
Impact on Paula Davis’s life-
Talking to strangers has made Paula Davis’s life better in many ways. She gave one example of how she interacted with two cab drivers, and how they taught through their experiences about the relationships and the unpredictability of life.
She emphasizes how we are in the middle of the pandemic and how strangers have become family as we all experienced love, grief, relationship struggles. This holiday season, strike a conversation with a stranger keeping in mind the general pandemic rules. You never know where it might lead.
(Source: Forbes)
