THE government has reopened the debate on the need to introduce simultaneous elections to both the State assemblies and the Parliament. Proponents of One Nation, One Election (ONOE) assume that this will offer substantial economies of scale and scope that will help economise the administrative costs of holding elections, which include expenses on training and deployment of personnel, awareness campaigns, transporting electronic voting machines (EVMs) and deployment of security forces.
But are the potential savings all that substantial? The government has not shared any estimates about this so far. Extrapolating the figures provided by the Election Commission (EC) during an earlier iteration of this debate, it can be said that Parliamentary elections cost about 5,000 crores and assembly elections in a large state cost about 500 crores. Even if the cost of purchasing more EVMs for simultaneous elections is ignored, the savings are unlikely to exceed Rs 50 per citizen over a period of five years.
Denne historien er fra 01 Oct 2023-utgaven av Outlook.
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Denne historien er fra 01 Oct 2023-utgaven av Outlook.
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Layers Of Lear
Director Rajat Kapoor and actor Vinay Pathak's ode to Shakespeare is an experience to behold
Loss and Longing
Memories can be painful, but they also make life more meaningful
Suprabhatham Sub Judice
M.S. Subbulakshmi decided the fate of her memorials a long time ago
Fortress of Desire
A performance titled 'A Streetcart Named Desire', featuring Indian and international artists and performers, explored different desires through an unusual act on a full moon night at the Gwalior Fort
Of Hope and Hopelessness
The body appears as light in Payal Kapadia's film
Ruptured Lives
A visit to Bangladesh in 2010 shaped the author's novel, a sensitively sketched tale of migrants' struggles
The Big Book
The Big Book of Odia Literature is a groundbreaking work that provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the rich and varied literary traditions of Odisha
How to Refuse the Generous Thief
The poet uses all the available arsenal in English to write the most anti-colonial poetry
The Freedom Compartment
#traindiaries is a photo journal shot in the ladies coaches of Mumbai locals. It explores how women engage and familiarise themselves with spaces by building relationships with complete strangers
Love, Up in the Clouds
Manikbabur Megh is an unusual love story about a man falling for a cloud. Amborish Roychoudhury discusses the process of Manikbabu's creation with actor Chandan Sen and director Abhinandan Banerjee
