But what our Gen-X really believes about our robust election system consuming lot of working days, manpower and money in the process. Recently, I interacted with some of the young students of Delhi University and JNU, mostly first time voters in the recent assembly elections. Students of these universities are known as representative sample of whole country as they come from various parts of the country including North-East. They praised the way elections are conducted in the states but at the same time they said that there were a lot of communication gap between voters and electoral process during the elections. Voters are aware of the political parties, their agenda and manifesto, their past and present through various mode of communication including media. But they do not aware about the candidates to whom they have to choose or elect for their own representation.

They have to rely on media, run by corporate houses or supported by politicians or political parties for the information in this regard. But matter of the fact is that voters do not exact and impartial information about their candidates. Though, these are very simple information like age, qualification, earlier jobs, criminal records, cases against him in the court, assets etc and can be obtained through a simple RTI. But filing an RTI to get information and disseminate it among the voters, without any involvement in politics, is again a tedious process. In such a situation ill-informed voters have to vote on the basis of little information and suggestions given by politicos or their local agents or simply to the political parties.

According to them, the Election Commission of India can bridge the gap easily by taking some simple steps. Conventionally, it used to display name of the candidate and his/her symbol of political parties at polling booths. But a little change can bring big change if go by the young voters. The ECI must display details of all the candidates at the entry gates of the polling booths. This will certainly use little bit more paper and add some extra burden on the Commission but voters will be well informed about their potential representatives, their criminal records, education, assets and other simple but important and impartial information. This way they can choose their representative in a better way without indulging the whole nation in agitation mode or complex process of amendments in the People’s Representation Act. No need to say that collective representation will certainly be better and free from several illness of our society, if it starts from the bottom. A simple step can bring big change. Is our Election Commission is ready for change?

A public meeting was conducted on “Assault by Corporate Capital on Higher Education and Our Alternative” on 5th February. Apart from representatives of AIRSO, RYFI and SAMB, the speakers included Prof. H. S. Yadav (Deptt. of Regional Development & Economic Growth, Barkatullah University, Bhopal); Ms. Nusrat Bano Ruhi, the octogenarian college teacher in social science and former President of National Federation of Indian Women and Prof. Ramesh Dave.

The meeting concluded with a signature campaign on a 9’x4’ banner with five demands to be sent to the President of India along with our Memorandum. At the end of the 12-day campaign of public education and protests, we may end up with five such banners will be folded and sent to the President in a parcel. Sadgopal says that we must all know and feel that none of are alone in raising our democratic voice against the WTO-GATS agenda being ruthlessly pushed through the Parliament Bills on higher education.

Sahara had been sponsoring Indian Cricket team and tournaments for over 11 years. According to Sahara Chief Subrata Roy it will now support other games of the country by setting up a Sahara Welfare Foundation for them. The Foundation will be run by the eminent people of the respective fields and Rs. 500 crore has immediately been allocated for the purpose. The fund will support cricket too but in a different way.

This the biggest shooting team for Olympics in the last three decades. Nine shooters form India participated in Beijing Olympics, 2008.

According to the Ministry of Sports 14.40 crore has been spent on shooters training and their exposure for London Olympics.

Creation of new jobs, schools in all villages and support to the small industries and self help groups are some of the important features of the Congress manifesto, released on Tuesday.

The party has also projected a dream for 10-15% annual growth in the state if it comes into power and promised 25% procurement from the firms owned by SC, ST and minorities. It has also promised sub quota for extremely backward class reservation, 20 lakh new jobs in next five years including one lakh jobs in education sector, intermediate college among every 2500 families, world class road connectivity and transportation and women police stations.

In an attempt to lure agricultural sectors it has also said that reorganisation of mandi and computerization of land records. The manifesto, heavily based on ‘Vision 2020 for UP’, prepared by Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders, has been released today simultaneously from 10 cities in UP including Lucknow. Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Advisor to Prime Minister, Sam Pitroda released the manifesto in Lucknow.

Despite severe cold in many parts voters, including a large number of first timers, came out to exercise their democratic right in Punjab and Uttarakhand today. Over 77 percent votes were cast in Punjab while Uttarakhand witnessed 70 percent polling.

Earlier polling was started today for 187 assembly seats in Uttarakhand and Punjab amid tight security. Over 1.5 crore voters exercised their biggest democratic power through their votes in these states and sealed the fate of leaders like B C Khanduri, Captain Amrinder Singh, Prakash Singh Badal, Ramesh Pokhriyal, Sukhbir Badal and many big leaders.

A total of 1866 candidates are contesting elections in both the states. These include 156 women candidates. Uttarakhand and Punjab have 70 seats and 117 seats respectively in their respective assemblies.

Children of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya presented Kodiyancha Karvan at Rajpath. Tableau of Ministry of HRD, emerged as the 1st prize winner among the tableaux presented at Rajpath. Tableaux of Goa and Karnataka won second and third prizes respectively.

Indian Air Force (IAF) and Border Security Force (BSF) have been selected as best marching contingents among the three services and para-military forces respectively.

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* Ye jo Dilli hai

High percentage of voters’ turnout has been register in Manipur for assembly elections on Saturday. 82% voters participated in the polling in the north-eastern state. Young voters of the state, facing threats from the extremist organizations, came out to vote to join and support the mainstream politics of the country.

The elections were conducted for 60 assembly seats in the state. Over 14 lakh voters participated to elect their representatives. Tough 350 companies of para-military forces have been deputed for the security but seven persons including girls too were died in election related violence in the state.

Several functions were organised in the hostels of Hindu College, Kirori Mal College, Ramjas College and PG hostels and hostels at South Campus. Teachers too participated in the function with full zeal.

Basant Panchmi is known as end of Winter season and arrival of Spring season in North India. Students and teachers, artists and others who have been associated with intellectual works offer prayer to Mother Saraswati on the day and celebrate the day as the festival.

Ravi Tripathi and Pramod Kumar Singh, organisers of the Sarswati Puja at Lodhi Colony Central Market said that the full day programme included various competition like drawing, painting, music and dance competitions for students. An evening of poems too was orgnised on the occassion, they added.