Friday, February 7, 2025

Kerala Announces ₹750 Crore Relief Package for Wayanad Landslide Survivors: Finance Minister

The Kerala government has earmarked ₹750 crore for the rehabilitation of Wayanad landslide survivors, state finance minister KN Balagopal announced while presenting the annual budget for the 2025-26 financial year in the Assembly on Friday.

Punjab Woman Deported from US After Paying ₹1 Crore to Agent, Recounts 25-Day ‘Dunki’ Ordeal: ‘We Were Shackled’

Lovepreet Kaur, a 30-year-old woman from Bholath in Punjab's Kapurthala district, endured a harrowing 25-day ordeal before being deported from the United States. She and her 10-year-old son were among the 104 Indian illegal immigrants sent back as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented migrants.

SC Rules Husband Must Pay Maintenance to Wife Despite Her Previous Marriage Being Legally Valid

In a significant judgment reinforcing the humanitarian objective of maintenance laws, the Supreme Court has directed a man to pay maintenance to his estranged wife, even though her previous marriage was legally subsisting. The ruling, delivered by a bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma, underscores that strict legal interpretations should not defeat the social welfare purpose of Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which aims to prevent women from destitution.

“Panel Headed by Former President Ram Nath Kovind to Examine ‘One Nation, One Election’ Proposal in India”

Latest news"Panel Headed by Former President Ram Nath Kovind to Examine 'One Nation, One Election' Proposal in India"
Committee Led by Former President Ram Nath Kovind to Explore "One Nation, One Election" Concept

A committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind has been established to explore the feasibility of implementing a “one nation, one election” system in India. This significant development signals a step forward in a long-debated proposal that has been a topic of discussion in multiple panels over the years.

The announcement of this committee comes shortly after the central government declared a special session of parliament scheduled from September 18 to 22, without specifying the agenda. While there is speculation that a bill related to “one nation, one election” might be presented during this session, no official confirmation has been provided by the government.

“One nation, one election” involves the simultaneous conduct of Lok Sabha (national) and state assembly elections across the country, a practice that was the norm during the initial rounds of elections in India. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed support for this concept on several occasions, including in the BJP’s 2014 Lok Sabha election manifesto.

Historically, elections were held simultaneously in India until 1967, with four such elections taking place. However, this practice was interrupted when some state assemblies were dissolved prematurely in 1968-69. The Lok Sabha was also dissolved ahead of schedule for the first time in 1970, leading to mid-term elections in 1971.

In its 2014 Lok Sabha Election Manifesto, the BJP pledged to work on electoral reforms to eliminate criminal influences. Additionally, it promised to explore a method for conducting assembly and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously. This approach was seen as a way to reduce election expenses for political parties and the government while providing greater stability to state governments.

Prime Minister Modi has raised the issue of simultaneous elections multiple times, citing the burden they place on the nation’s resources and the disruption they cause to governance.

Experts suggest that turning the “one nation, one election” proposal into reality would require a constitutional amendment and the support of two-thirds of the members in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. With assembly elections scheduled in five states in the coming months and Lok Sabha elections expected around May next year, this topic remains a subject of debate and discussion in Indian politics.

In response to the formation of the committee, D Raja, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India, commented that the BJP has exhibited an obsession with various “one nation” concepts, highlighting their focus on centralization and uniformity in various aspects of governance.

The committee’s deliberations will shed light on whether India will transition to a “one nation, one election” system, which could have far-reaching implications for the country’s political landscape and electoral processes.

Sources By Agencies

Check out our other content

Check out other tags:

Most Popular Articles