Engineering and medicine are at the forefront as career choices in the country. Inspite of harbouring the brightest brains, somewhere that multitude of entrance exams is burdened on them and in this process a lot of potentiality may be lost.
Recently govt of India is envisaging centralization and streamlining all tests into one common entrance test. This will help allay the division of resources and smoothen the admission process lying in disarray.
When we talk about governance in the corridors of power here, the vastness attributed to our democracy has imbibed in a lot of complexity. Just like multiple entrance exams have somewhere subdued the whole system of medicine and engineering recruitment process, likewise elections (assembly and Loksabha and even local bodies) all scattered being held at different intervals of time has a bearing on the overall conditioning with respect to governance as a whole notwithstanding policies and development.
As a sustainable long term solution, the Union government has recently sought opinion for debate and deliberations on its mygov website to propose holding simultaneous elections. (state and central).
In the wake of much criticism on them for a wholly of stupefying issues (read Dadri), this step seemingly is one of the brightest reforms that may change the way we perceive elections now a days.
In a recently held teachers day function, President Mukherjee has even endorsed it. And the stiffening silence attached to this proposal of simultaneous elections is appalling.
Should not this be debated on the floor of the house in the parliament or television studios which are catering to all sensationalising insignificant issues?
BJP right now has a full majority and ended the mathematical coalition dominance that was prevalent before. Critics can argue that pushing for simultaneous polls may have been strategized to be advantageous to the ruling dispensation.
Fair enough, even if a subtleness of it might naturally be true, the overall meritorious effect it will bring in the system is unquestionable. Simultaneous polls is not a brain child of this govt but it has taken a step to bring it out from cold storage ,opening it for discussions and purview. Simultaneous polls were in the glare of law commission of India then in 1999 who had put forward certain recommendations.
The idea of having simultaneous polls is in fact a reality. The first four polls in India (52,57,62,67)were held in that fashion and continued smoothly before two events somehow derailed the sanctity of the event held at regular intervals.
Primarily Indira Gandhis era of emergency and her attempts to dislodge the Janata party govt then was the first dent. Late 1980s and the 1990s saw weak unstable central govts followed by the same pattern at the state level was the second deadly strike which made this synchronization more wayward.
How will conducting simultaneous polls help in expediting the process of good governance?
Expenditure visa vis the tax payers would play a central role as it would considerably reduce. Provisional estimated money spent in 2014 polls is in tune of 3500 crores and subsequently held Maharashtra assembly polls ( October 2014) were multiple hundred crores and the recently concluded Bihar assembly elections stood at a whooping 300 crores.
A simple clubbing of Maharashtra assembly into Lok Sabha would have sufficed instead of separating them just months apart. However exorbitant spending on elections is increasing and simultaneous polls may not end or stop but atleast considerably check or curb the amount of it.
When elections are diversified, so are the people overbearingly utilised who conduct them as well as the resources. A crucially burdened manpower also has to be the onus. Government workers get engaged as some election or the other will be doing the rounds every year.
Simultaneous polls held even in phases and advent of few months will allot that time frame for personnel and help them dedicate rest of the time for real issues and work. Even politicians as a matter of fact may be ministers availing key portfolios.
Majority of them have to devout their time campaigning and with elections due every year, a lot of precious time is diverted or consummated for respective party work rather than government activities and this impedes effective functioning.
Prime Minister Modi has to address a lot of rallies in the midst of elections , simultaneous polls would help him concentrate more on governance as it would cut down party work to streamline all campaigning at a certain fixed point of time.
Imposition of model poll of conduct during election time necessitates policy paralysis and has an impact on delivery of essential services. Initiating new welfare schemes passing developemental projects may come to a standstill. This is according to the guidelines of the election commission and is in effect for a limited period of time.
However when we see the larger macroscopic picture of having too many elections and that too many yearly, it somehow increases advent of impositions, cobbling together a larger web which hampers and hinders smooth functioning and jeopardies state central relationship.
One very important argument that is put forward is will ‘ one nation, one election ’ dismantle federalism and make India a unitary power?
Its preposterous to say in the sense the unanimity of holding the elections is the life blood of this provision and not taking away the power from the states or undermining or influencing them. On the contrary we have seen the other way around.
State govts through its hijacking numbers has controlled policies of coalition central governments but that time the issue of federalism never sprouted out. Elections in Bihar which were a stand alone assembly polls mostly hammered upon local issues and demand for a special status which hogged into limelight.
In case of it being simultaneous held with other state and Lok Sabha polls, such issues may have diluted in the realm of national issues and of more importance. Perhaps if held now, together say with general elections, the strike in POK would have had an impact along with other issues of Bihar which offers a reasonable view to voters.
Real Federalism may prevail over pseudo federalism or if I term it ‘favouritism’ where the latter fosters cherry picking of issues rather than a broad based vision.
Stand alone elections now in Gujarat and Rajasthan or Maharashtra would make reservation agitations in them as the centrepiece of campaigns. A simultaneous poll will still have these issues on the platter but it will be diluted and mixed with other important issues too at the central level. In any case both the systems are not independent and have to co habitate with each other and simultaneous polls will promote that at its best.
How will it be implemented?
The standing committee of the Lok sabha held deliberations and submitted their recommendations in 2015.
For practicality they proposed simultaneous pattern can be implemented in two phases. Elections to legislative assemblies could be divided with some during mid term of Lok Sabha and few along with Lok Sabha polls.
The Committee proposed first phase of Assembly elections could be held in November 2016. Elections to all state assemblies whose terms end within six months to one year before or after appointed election date can be brought in together. Likewise, the second phase of elections can be held in 2019 with the General elections to Lok Sabha.
November 2016 deadline appears to be a fantasy. But if efforts are put in lieu with those recommendations right away, May 2019 deadline can be a realistic opportunity.
As an electoral reform however it’s supposed implementation will need much more efforts on the ground.As seen with respect to GST a tremendous bickering and slugfest was observed to build a consensus and an all party nod over this will require a lot of back room dealing, placating the opposition and erasing all those sticky points that may sabotage it or put it back in a cold storage again.
The second part lies in convincing people in propagating the benefits of it. As people have seen the advantages of a majority govt, it would be imperative for the govt to educate people via several platforms.
Media or social media can be used as a medium to highlight how it will benefit polity.
Finally constitutional amendments in some articles to streamline (83,172,85,174) would be required and with the govt soft pedalling over weak Rajya Sabha numbers, an all party consensus in this regard would be the biggest stonewalling criteria and difficult to over ride.
A simultaneous poll scenario would be better than current state of multiplication of elections. As Modi Govt is lambasted for intolerance widely cutting across party lines, its sad that a vision for reform like these do not get that light and voice to be channelized to people.
Television studios howling over what Kejrwal said in movie reviews should discuss both the pros and even any disadvantages of such reforms that may be associated with it. A robust reform like a disciplined diet plan is ready to cut down and make governance more healthy. Unfortunately more time is devoted to those who pour more sensationalism into unhealthy issues.
On a lighter note at least owing to simultaneous polls , we would get to see political hoardings all over less often and may be just once or twice in five years.