Declain in Food Production in India

Subject: Impacts of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) - Decline in Food Crop Production – Emergency refinement required to balance the Food Production and Rural Employment…

Introduction:

The World Bank says that more than 30 per cent of the Indian population lives on less than $1 a day, but Indian economists believe that the figure of poor could be much more than the estimate. Successive governments tried various means to fight poverty with little success. The UPA government feels that the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act can solve that problem. They feel that this in one hand can reduce the poverty of rural and on another hand can reap the rich human resources available in rural India to develop the most essential infrastructural facilities and stop the migration of rural people to cities.

Foolproof Election System

A) Subject: Foolproof Voting - Action against fraudulent Voting system in India to regain the people’s faith in Our Election System…




We are proud to be a citizen of world’s largest democratic nation. We broke the tentacles of autocratic monarch ruling and established the democratic ruling in India. In democracy the citizen of the nation we ourselves rule us and we have the responsibility of electing Member of Legislative Assembly and Member of Parliament from our respective constitutions. We use our right of voting through ballot papers in earlier elections and now through the Electronic Voting Machines. Through this we provide our vote to the candidates whom we want to elect from the list of candidates. The entire process is being controlled and managed by the autonomous body called the Election Commission of India.



The entire mess begins here. The political parties and the ruling parties are gambling with the voting rights of the people and does election fixation. Many representatives are being elected through this sort of fixation and still celebrate it as the victory for the democracy, which is a great comedy in the real democracy. This is how the democracy is killed in the Republic country and the dynasty ruling without crown is established in democratic covers in which the same family members rule the state / country by generations. This is very much visible in the country and also in many states like Tamil Nadu. The only way to establish a real democratic rule is to make the election system a foolproof and tamper free.



Today’s election system has many flaws in it and it raises many doubts in its results. We need to find a solution for this messy election system to ensure the highest security and the reliability to ensure real democracy in at least future.



B) Reason: Election Department had forgotten to ensure the security in reliability of the election result with existing voting system.



Earlier Paper Ballot Box System: In the earlier elections, we were using the Paper Ballot Box system. The paper ballot system employs uniform official ballots on which the names of all candidates and their symbols are printed. Voters record their choices, in private, by marking the symbols next to the candidate and drop the voted ballot in a sealed ballot box. These sealed ballot boxes from various booths are brought to central counting booths, where the ballot boxes will be opened and manually counted in presence of the contesting candidates representatives.



Present Electronic Voting Machine System: Now, we are using Electronic Voting Machines (EVM’s) instead of the old paper ballot box. This EVM’s does not solve many of the problems since it is the same old wine in the new bottle. This is nothing but Direct Recording Electronic voting machine, which eliminates Paper Ballot Voting system.



The EVM is a set of two devices running on batteries. One device is Voting Unit, used by the Voter and another device is Control Unit, operated by the Electoral Officer. Both units are connected by a 5 meter cable. The Voting unit has a Blue Button for every candidate, the unit can hold 16 candidates, but up to 4 units can be chained, to accommodate 64 candidates. The Control Units has three buttons on the surface, first button to release a single vote, second button to see the total number of vote cast till now and the third button to close the election process. The result button is hidden and sealed.

Here the eligible voters are manually verified by the Polling Officers in the Polling station. Eligible voters are checked for their identity using their Voters Identity Card / Passport / Ration Card / PAN Card and they are allowed for voting. Voter will be called by name as usual to put his signature on Voting Register. Electoral Officer will put special ink on his finger and hand over a slip containing voter’s serial number as shown in the Voter Register. Voter will hand over the slip to Presiding Officer and he will satisfy himself about the genuineness of the particulars of the voter. After all these formalities, voter will be asked to reach at Electronic Voting Machine kept in a corner covered from sides to maintain secrecy of the vote. The voters directly enters their choices in the Electronic Voting Machine by pressing the concerned push button near the respective candidate’s symbol and their vote is cast and stored directly in the internal memory. Red light will appear on pressing push button and beep sound will be heard which will indicate that the ballot has been caste.

Number of these EVM’s from various polling booths are sealed and transferred to the central Counting Booth where the votes are counted. Normally, an EVM displays results on the display panel of the control unit. But a printout option is available with the use of a Download Adaptor Unit (DAU). The DAU has to be connected to the control unit and any standard printer.

Even these current EVM’s fail to address the core issues of democratic election system. They fail to ensure the foolproof voting system to prevent fraudulent voting in the democratic election.





1) It raises many doubts in the Identity verification system since it is being manually checked. The polling officers who are all government officials / employs are under the state government and it is very much possible for the ruling party to influence them in favor. They may allow anyone for voting without checking the identity which paves way for fraudulent voting.

2) EVM Tampering is very much possible in the proprietary model that too in the digitally advanced world.

3) The software and circuits embedded in the EVM’s very well contain numerous flaws for tampering

4) EVM’s are manufactured in the two major public sector companies owned by Government of India which is under the influence of the ruling party raises many doubts of pre-program in favor of the ruling party.

5) Since the source code of the EVM is proprietary and kept undisclosed, the genuineness of the system is in doubt.



The EVM’s have many problems and still it has lot of flaws for fraudulent voting. To overcome these issues and to ensure foolproof and secured voting we can opt for better technology as explained bellow.



C) Solution: Hence we should find a way for foolproof and secured election system. We hope Biometric Online Digital Voting will provide foolproof and reliable election system…



BACKGROUND:

Electronic Voting Machines are used to record votes cast during an election so that election results can be available in a matter of a few hours instead of the several hours or days that were once necessary. Voting machines have eliminated some voting irregularities, such as the problem of stuffing ballot boxes that existed with paper ballots. But still the EVM’s doesn’t have any Voter verification to permit only the eligible voter to cast his vote and only his vote. While electronic voting machines speed-up the voting & counting process, problems still exist.

One major problem is to ensure the person voting is actually the registered eligible person entitled to vote and not a fake. Voter’s identification is manually checked by polling officers, sometimes not checked at the polling station and possibility for partiality is not ruled out. Also identification is verified by comparing a Voter's Identification Card, Vehicle Driver's License or Passport against the registered voter list and it does not guard against a forged Voter’s Identification Card, Driver's License or Passport or etc,. Hence, it is the need of the hour to think about definitive and foolproof identification for voting.



Digital National Identity Card (DNIC): Digital National Identity Card should be a multi purpose smart card. The task of computerized data generation & maintenance shall be done by an autonomous body under Home Ministry, which shall be shared between Election Department, Police Department, Census Department (RGI) and any other if required. Also it should be ensured for highest level of accuracy, secrecy and security for the data’s. The first step is to build a complete computerized record of all citizens above the age of 18.

The Digital National Identity Card should poses the mandatory personal data’s stored on the micro-chips embedded in the card and it will be accessible only to authorized users, like officials of Election Department, Police Department. The DNIC should contain the personal data’s like photo, age, address and Common Unique National Identity number including Biometric fingerprints to make it foolproof.

Utilization of DNIC for Voter Verification: Now the voters list shall be generated from the common computerized records maintained under home ministry for the purpose of DNIC. The voters list shall be displayed in every voting booth to check if their name is in the specific booth. Once they confirm their name availability, they can enter booth and can insert the DNIC in the slot provided in the Online Digital Voting Machine. Once the DNIC is inserted the Online Digital Voting Machine will verify the Data from the DNIC with the data available in the central data storage sever in online through internet connection. First it will verify general data for the authenticity of the card. Then the authentication of the person holding the card will be checked in biometric system by scanning his/her fingerprint and comparing it with the fingerprint stored and maintained in the central data storage server. The Biometric system of verification is believed to the most dependable system of verification and is being used in many high security areas. Once the authenticity of the voter is verified and ensured, he/she will be allowed to cast his/her vote.

Biometric Online Digital Voting:



System Configuration: At polling station it consists of:

1. A Computer system with required software

2. A touch screen

3. Biometric Fingerprint Scanner

4. Smart Card (DNIC) Reader

5. Internet Connection



System Description:

The proposed Biometric Online Voting System(BDOV) is a solution to overcome almost all the problems in the present voting system. The Biometric Digital Online Voting system comprises of Centralized Digital Data Computer Server, which stores and maintains all the data of the citizen. This Centralized Data Server is connected to the Polling Station Computers in online through internet for accessing the data from the Central Data Server and verifies it with the data in the DNIC.

Description of Voting System:

When the voter enters the polling station, he/she will be verified manually for his eligibility through visual inspection of the DNIC with the specific voters list. After ensuring the availability of voter name in the list, the polling officer will allow the voter into the polling station. Once the eligible voter enters the polling booth, he/she should insert the DNIC into the reader attached to the Voting Computer for Electronic & Biometric Verification. The computer in polling booth will access the online data from the Central Data Server through internet.

Once the general data from the DNIC of the voter is verified with the data of the Central Data Server, he/she will be asked to scan his/her fingerprint in the fingerprint scanner attached to the computer in the polling station. The live scanned fingerprint will be verified with the stored fingerprint in the Central Data Server for authentication.

Once the validity of the voter is confirmed, the voting computer will allow only that person alone to access the voting system. The touch screen of the computer will display the list of candidates along with their symbols. The voter can select his/her choice of candidate by touching respective symbol of the candidates. Once the voter touches his/her choice of symbol, the respective symbol will be displayed to the full screen and ask his/her confirmation for whether he/she wishes to vote for the selected symbol with YES or NO question displayed in the touch screen. If he/she touches YES, the vote will be cast and accepted. If he/she touches NO, again the touch screen will display the list of candidates to enable to voter to choose the correct candidate.

The voting information is recorded at the computer of the voting station and transmitted immediately online for storage at the computer of the Central Data Server and simultaneously makes the voter's database inaccessible throughout the voting system to prevent duplicate voting. At the same time the Central Data Server connected online will display the count of votes for each candidate, the total votes cast instantaneously and the details are stored online. The results shall be known immediately after completion of voting time.

Advantages of the Biometric Digital Online Voting:

1. Only authorized or valid person only can vote.

2. Highly foolproof because of Biometric Fingerprint verification.

3. Counting happens online simultaneously and it does not require separate counting, which ensures reliable results.

4. Prevents duplicate / multiple voting, since it makes the data inaccessible immediately after first vote casting.

5. Prevents unregistered / unauthorized persons from voting.

6. Tampering of voting system is impossible since the entire system is digitally secured.

7. Flexibility of voting from any polling station of the region or state or country.

8. Influence of Election Officers in favor of someone is totally ruled out.

9. Fraudulent voting is totally ruled out.

Kachcha Theevu Issue & Plight of Tamil Nadu Fishermen

A) Subject: Action against Srilanka for killings of hundreds of Indian Tamil fishermen and compensation sought for lives lost in genocide beyond borders, and the redrawing of the maritime borders to protect the fishing rights of Indians regarding...

Every day our Tamil Nadu fishermen are being attacked and killed by the Brutal Srilankan Navy over years for no reasons just because of their ethnicity. These Indian citizens are neither terrorists nor freedom fighters. For thousands of years they have been fishing in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean just for their daily breads. Srilanka which tries to escape its Tamil genocide hiding behind India can neither justify its killings of Indian Tamils nor can Indian Government too hide the truths for long. Silence of our Indian government is not understandable. The double standard of our Indian government for the Indians attack in Australia and the Indian Fishermen attacks by Srilankan Navy in our own maritime boundary raises many doubts. Even after hundreds of our Indian fishermen killing by Srilankan, we don’t understand the Indian government policies in favor of Srilankan Government.

The time for every Indian to ask Indian Government, why did you tolerate the killings of our own citizens for decades? If Indians are attacked in Australia, our government shows serious concerns and expresses strong condemnation to Australian Government. Even for issue of Sikh’s Turban in France, Indian Prime Minister personally involves himself. If it is Mumbai blasts, Indian Government gathers momentum. But why is it not happening when Indian (Tamil Nadu) Fishermen are brutally killed in Indian maritime boundary itself by the Srilankan Navy that too with our own weapons and boats supplied by Indian government.

The doubts on Indian governments Diplomatic, Financial and military supports for the Eezham Tamils Genocide is itself not yet answered. Now again the silence of Indian government over the killing and attacks on Tamil Nadu Fishermen by Srilankan Navy raises many doubts. Every world community raises the doubts about Indian Governments support to Srilanka is limited to Eezham Tamil Genocide or Tamil Genocide in general.

Does any sovereign nation in the world permit other countries to kill their own citizens that too at their own territory? Does any sovereign nation protect any other nation which keeps on killing their own citizens? Does any sovereign nation funds those nation which keeps on killing their own citizens? Does any sovereign nation supplies weapons to the nations which kill their own citizens? Does any sovereign nation trains other nations which kill their own citizens?

1. Why is it happening in India only?

2. Can’t we do anything to change this?

3. Can’t we protect the Tamil Nadu Fishermen?

4. Can’t we raise this as a national issue without limiting it to Tamil Nadu alone, since the affected are Indian citizens?

5. Can’t we make the affected people to feel that we Indians are there to safeguard them?

6. Can’t we raise a national level warning and condemnation to the Srilankan Government?

7. Can’t we make the Indian Government to show serious concern to the Tamil Nadu Fishermen attacks?

8. Can’t we stop all the financial & diplomatic aids to Srilankan Government?

9. Can’t we stop all the military aids to Srilankan Government?

10. Can’t we make our government to retaliate the Srilankan Navy to safeguard our Fishermen?

B) Reason: India had forgotten to restrain Srilanka from its unprovoked killing of hundreds of Indian Tamil fishermen, in view of the ambiguity over territorial waters.

Kachcha Theevu is 17 kilometers from Indian town of Rameswaram. It comes under our territory even if 12 nautical miles is accepted as territorial waters from the coast. But Kachcha Theevu had been an Indian Territory for centuries. It was one among the 8 islands belonging to the Tamil Kingdom of Ramnad. As per the copper plate inscriptions unearthed as archaeological findings of 1531 it was in the possession of Sethupathy Kings who ruled Indian state of Ramnad. The Sea between India and Srilanka is even today known as Sethu Samudram, which means the Seas of Sethupathy kings. The East India Company of the Britain had obtained this Kachcha Theevu Island on lease in 1822 from the Sethupathy King. In 1880 one Abdul Kader of Kilakkarai, a village in Tamilnadu state of India had obtained on lease Kachcha Theevu, Kuthukaal Theevu, and Mannali Theevu from the District Collector of Ramnad, under Madras Presidency of India. In 1913 The Government of Madras Presidency had obtained lease of Kachcha Theevu from the King Sethupathy of the Princely State of Ramnad, and had given fishing rights to fishermen of Madras Presidency. In 1947 one Mr. Mohammed had taken lease of the island of Kachcha Theevu which was registered in the Sub-Registrar’s office of Indian town of Rameswaram (Ref: Reg.No. 278/1948).

After India attained independence the Indian State of Madras by way of Government Order No: 2093 dated 11.8.1949 declared that Kachcha Theevu as barren land under Rameswaram revenue village Survey Number: 1250 in an area of 285 acres and 20 cents. Thus for centuries Kachcha Theevu was under the Princely state of Ramnad in British India, and under Government of Madras in Independent India.

Srilanka illicitly sent it troops to that uninhabited island in 1955, for training their naval personnel. There was uproar in Indian Parliament. But Srilanka went on claiming rights over that Indian Territory. In 1974 Indian Government under Ms. Indira Gandhi conceded that territory to Srilanka through an agreement against the interested of Tamil Nadu and Tamil Nadu Fishermen without even consulting the state government and not even bringing it to the notice of Honorable Members of Indian Parliament. Through the agreement which India claimed will protect the fishing rights of Indian Tamil fishermen and the right to worship the lone church that was built in 1939. Srilanka misinterpreted the agreement by saying the Indian Tamil fishermen have rights only to dry their nets in the island and Indian Tamil citizens have no right to fishing. Using this misinterpretation, Srilanka till date goes on killing spree of Indian Tamil fishermen.

The global efforts led to the Convention of the Law of the Sea which had been signed and ratified by India on 29th June 1995 and by Srilanka on 19th July 1994. After this milestone in international law, there arose a necessity to re-demarcate Indian territorial waters. Now it is necessary for us to redraw the maritime boundary and to retrieve Kachcha Theevu ceded to Srilanka.

It is very clear that the Katcha Theevu is part and parcel of India and in no way our government can justify the 1974 agreement. Only justification they can offer is that they want to maintain good and warm relationship with the neighboring countries.

1. We too accept, but at what cost?

2. Even after conceding the Katcha theevu do they maintain good and warm relationship?

3. Are they really a reliable neighbor?

4. Can we forget their support to China during our 1961 war, in which they have offered their air strips to Chinese Air Force? That too they have justified their support stating that both the countries are Buddhist country.

5. Can we forget their support to Pakistan during our 1972 war, in which they have again offered their air strips to our enemy? Now can they give any justification for their support? Eezham Tamils sat on the runway and strongly protested their government’s action. But though our fellow country men can forget the Eezham Tamils support to India, shall we Tamilians forget their support to our country?

6. Was our Katcha Theevu Island ceded to Srilanka as our thanks giving for their betrayal to our nation?

7. Can we forget their voting against India in UN General Secretary Election in 2006?

C) Action: Hence we Indian Tamils are urging our Government and the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea to redefine our territorial waters to protect the lives of Indian Tamil citizens of India.

Srilanka in its madness to ethnic cleanse Tamils of its soil indulges in cross border terrorism to annihilate Indian Tamil fishermen. We Indians can urge our country and the International Tribunal for:

1) Scrapping the Indo—Srilankan agreement and retrieval of Kachcha Theevu signed in 1974.

Justification:

a) Consent of the then Tamil Nadu Government was not obtained and hence the agreement can be challenged.

b) The Honorable Members of Parliament House was not taken into confidence.

c) Under no circumstances the Government has got any power under the Indian Constitution to cede even an inch of our country. All the Revenue records of Madras Government, a state of India, corroborate that Kachcha Theevu was part of former Ramnad zamindary and an integral part of this country.

d) Importance of the control of the seas and also the necessity to deny its use to the adversary.

e) The principles of equi-distance and median line, the fundamental principles of delimitation of maritime boundaries, was not adhered to in the case of Kachcha Theevu.

f) No treaty can override the Constitution of India, which is the supreme law of the land.



2) Re-demarcating the territorial waters of India, not only taking into account the landmass of the Southern mainland of India facing Bay of Bengal but also the baselines of the islands of India in the Palk Strait, more particularly in the Gulf of Mannar.

3) Defining the equal-distance not from mainland but various points from these 20 islands.

4) Ensuring the traditional and historical fishing rights of Indian Tamil fishermen in India’s territorial waters, contiguous areas, and right to enjoy the freedom of seas in international waters.

5) Directing the International Criminal Court of Justice to probe the thousand killings of Indian fisherman by Srilankan navy, and to punish the naval authorities and the Srilankan President Mahinda Rajapakshe for the genocide of Indians who were not demanding independent nation, but were in India for centuries enjoying the freedom of seas and pursuing fishing profession in peace.

6) Directing the Srilankan Government to pay damages and compensation to all lives killed by Srilankan navy since 1974 to 2009.