While data can empower communities, it reinforces identities, making local politics more caste-centric, with decisions increasingly contested on the grounds of representation.
Such dynamics could lead to shifting alliances and, in the worst case, local governance getting paralysed as each group demands proportional power-sharing, explain Amitabh Kundu and Mehebub Rahaman.
"More voters were added in Maharashtra in five months between the Lok Sabha and assembly polls than in five years," the former Congress president said.
The Indian government is planning to repeal a 65-year-old law that disqualifies MPs for holding office of profit and introduce a new one aligned with current needs. The draft bill proposes to simplify the existing law, remove the negative list of offices that cause disqualification, and address conflicts with other statutes. It also seeks to empower the central government to amend the schedule of offices by issuing a notification, replacing the existing provision for temporary suspension of disqualification.
Nivedita Mookerji goes in search of the elusive war room to track and respond to the coronavirus threat.
The Bill seeks to give Sebi sweeping powers like attachment of properties and launch of recovery proceedings.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said he is "more than happy" to take responsibility for everything wrong the party did in its history, including the 1984 Sikh riots. He acknowledged that the party made "a lot of mistakes" when he was not there, but said he has publicly stated that what happened in the 80s was "wrong." The remarks were made during an interaction at Brown University in the US. The video of the interaction was uploaded on the YouTube channel of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs on Saturday. The BJP has criticized Gandhi for his remarks, accusing him of "ridiculing" the beliefs of Hindus and Sikhs.
Sonia Gandhi, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chief, mourned the death of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, calling him a "friend, philosopher and guide." She described him as the epitome of wisdom, nobility and humility, whose contributions to India's progress and development are immeasurable. She also said that Singh's passing is a deeply personal loss and he was loved by the people of India for his pure heart and fine mind.
The Supreme Court of India began hearing a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The bench, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, asked both sides to address whether the court should entertain the petitions or relegate them to the high court. The hearing is underway with senior advocate Kapil Sibal arguing for the petitioners. The act, which was passed by Parliament following heated debates, has been challenged by various parties including AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), and Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind.
Sports budget raised by over Rs 350 crore, Khelo India gets biggest share
World Boxing, launched in 2023, has 55 members and is looking to fill the void left by the IBA.
They've proposed a sub-committee under the proposed GST Council or the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers to resolve any disputes in the tax's implementation.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Monday exuded confidence that the centre will be able to sort out the issues concerning implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) shortly.
With the dissolution of former chief statistician Pronab Sen-led Standing Committee on Statistics (SCoS) by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the National Statistical Commission (NSC) has regained prominence as the primary statistical body to address issues regarding results, methodology and questionnaire, among others. A MoSPI official in an email informed the 16-member SCoS about the decision to dissolve it, citing that its work was "overlapping" with that of the Steering Committee for National Sample Surveys (NSS), which was set up in June this year.
Kerala on Tuesday said it is ready for joint control with Tamil Nadu and the Centre, if a new dam is built in place of the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar reservoir, over which the two states are locked in a dispute.
The GST reform has virtually come to a standstill.
The Empowered Committee of state finance ministers is meeting under the chairmanship of West Bengal finance minister Asim Dasgupta to work out agreements on various aspects of the GST.
After the 1962 War with China, there was a demand to forge greater defence cooperation between India and the West. One such voice was that of Sudhir Ghosh, a distinguished MP, to tie up strategic cooperation with the USA immediately after the Chinese attack on India, recalls Rup Narayan Das.
After failing to convince states to keep petroleum products within the ambit of the proposed goods and services tax (GST), the Centre has finally relented. It has agreed to the proposal of the empowered committee of state finance ministers to keep petroleum products like crude, motor spirit, aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and high-speed diesel out of GST.
Recently, Sebi has revised the Code of Corporate Governance for listed companies significantly. Most revisions are in sync with the provisions in the Companies Act 2013, though some norms are stricter than those in the Companies Act 2013.
Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies has been picked as India's official entry for Oscars 2025.
Businesses with more than Rs 10 lakh turnover may end up paying the central goods and services tax, with the Centre not agreeing to states' suggestion of keeping the threshold at Rs 1.5 crore.
The central government, in its revised draft of the constitution amendment bill, had proposed that fuel and liquor should be brought under the ambit of GST.
It appears that things will crystallise on several aspects of the GST only by end 2008. This means that the country will only have a period of 15 months, from beginning 2009 to March 2010, to ensure that all the constitutional policy and legislative changes take place. It does seem increasingly a big challenge, says S Madhavan.
Uttam Prakash Agarwal alleged that Citax and Braich offers were incomplete and did not include firm commitment as to the price, size, timings, confirmation from the banks about availability of the funds.
Sushil Kumar Modi, who ceased to be Bihar Finance Minister following the JD (U)-BJP split, on Monday resigned as Chairman of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers looking into the implementation of the proposed new indirect tax regime - Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Ambani won unanimously with 100 per cent of vote at the 142nd IOC session in Paris.
The Meerut Conspiracy Case was aimed at curbing communist influence in India. However, it fueled nationwide sympathy, shaping the course of leftist politics in the country.
Terming it a "very sorry state of affairs", the apex court said the state was just trying to find some excuse or the other.
Almost five years later, the three services have still not fully understood that joint/theatre commands are not a discussion point; they are the prime minister's diktat on a military reform measure that is in line with what armed forces around the world have implemented, points out Ajai Shukla.
'This is the Bengal story, where businesses are nurtured, dreams are realised, and legacies are built.'
All textile items, currently exempted from value added tax, will attract 4 per cent VAT from the next fiscal, the empowered committee said on Thursday.
"My son used to say that there is a lot of corruption but he will fight as he is on the path of truth. He was broken from inside, though he didn't tell anyone anything," Subhash's father Pawan Kumar told ANI.
Empowered committee of state finance ministers on value-added tax has sought to allay fears of traders that the new tax system will lead to increase in prices, stating that the worldwide experience did not support this apprehension.
The empowered committee on value added tax will meet on Saturday to take up the issues arising after three months of implementation of the new tax system by 21 states, including compensation formula for any losses incurred by states due to VAT.
The Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers has been asked to sort out some of the contentious issues on the value-added tax including the refunds on credit and exemption for exports.
