Sayani Chakraborty, Author at Alive

The results of byelections held in six states reinforce certain long-standing political trends: Telangana is looking like a TRS vs. BJP battle; Bihar's gathbandhan presents challenges for BJP; and Congress's overreliance on Jats isn't working in Haryana. The challenging victory for TRS in Munugode serves as a clear indication of how competitive the assembly elections would be in 2019. Between 2014 and 2019, CM K Chandrashekar Rao continuously engineered defections from Congress, which resulted in a void in the opposition. He now contends with a far more fearsome foe. The BJP has courted disillusioned leaders in both parties by cultivating social segments that feel disempowered by the rise of TRS and fall of Congress. The BJP placed a large wager on Congress import K Rajgopal Redd...

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Workers In Federal Government Would Like ‘Original’ Pension Plan Reinstated; Read Story!

Sayani ChakrabortyNovember 7, 20220

Unions representing Group B and Group C workers have complained to the cabinet secretary that the National Pension Scheme is a nightmare for retirees. The Old Pension Scheme (OPS) has been requested to be reinstated by a federation of unions representing Union government employees in a letter to the cabinet secretary. According to The Hindu, they said that the National Pension System (NPS) is a catastrophe for retirees. NPS workers contribute 10% of their pay per month for their whole service, yet their pension is far lower than OPS workers'. "The pension under NPS stays unchanged and there is no Dearness Relief to replace the price rise /inflation as offered in the OPS," states the letter signed by the Joint Consultative Machinery, an umbrella union for Group B and Group C worke...

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When It Comes To Power Politics, Words Play A Significant Role

Sayani ChakrabortyNovember 7, 20220

When morally and ethically damaging phrases are used by political leaders and activists, it is clear that there is a pressing need to examine the semantic role that words play in the public political realm. It's inevitable that the goal of verbal abuse is to disentangle words from concepts. Words are summaries of ideas, and ideas may be either good or bad. Socio-religious obscurantism, for instance, is often expressed through the use of terms that have been created in a group setting. They represent a chilling intolerance of difference and variety. On the other hand, terms like "inequality" and "injustice" draw attention to the need for their opposites. The words have no positive connotation because of the prejudice, hostility, and enmity they inspire. Communal and casteist insults,...

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The Need For Transforming Educational System From Grassroot Level To Make New India

Sayani ChakrabortyNovember 5, 20220

The limitations of our society made the idea of a world where every student, no matter where they live, has access to education seem utopian. Technology has brought us closer to this possibility, and now, with digital learning tools and devices at our disposal, it may actually come to pass. There is baggage associated with this option. Over 29 million youngsters in India still don't have access to technology, according to a report released by the Union Education Ministry. Those students were the ones that suffered the most from the outbreak. As someone who believes education should be available to everyone and can make a world of difference, I wholeheartedly support this cause. The necessity of the hour is to lay the groundwork for a brighter future by removing obstacles, encour

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MCD, BMC Elections: Lives Of Citizens At Stake Amid Political Fight In Local Bodies

Sayani ChakrabortyNovember 5, 20220

Local elections are coming up in both Delhi and Mumbai, and the stakes in the political arena have never been higher. In Delhi's assembly elections, BJP and AAP campaigned for MCD in 2017 by projecting images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, respectively; nonetheless, Delhi voters favoured the BJP. With ties between the Delhi L-G and the AAP administration plummeting, a far more bitter struggle now beckons. As the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) expands its national reach to include Gujarat, the state of Delhi holds its election under a cloud of uncertainty. The BJP has a great chance to take control of BMC as well, which is being run by the Thackeray family for decades. Shiv Sena faced an existential threat from the BJP in the BMC elections of 2017. In 2022...

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Centre Enacts New Regulations In An Effort To Reduce Air Pollution

Sayani ChakrabortyNovember 4, 20220

The Union government has implemented the fourth stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to combat the pollution, with the air quality in Delhi continuing in the "severe" category and climatic conditions anticipated to worsen it further in the coming days. SAFAR reports that on November 3rd, 34% of the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels in Delhi were caused by stubble fires. PM2.5 is an atmospheric pollutant released during construction and fossil fuel burning. This is the highest level we've seen all year. However, that's not the end of the bad news; the forecast for the following few days is bleak as well. The government's air quality warning systems have issued a "serious" alert, and it's expected to last until November 5. Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) remained...

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Delhi Should Have Only One Power Centre, Read Here To Know Reasons

Sayani ChakrabortyNovember 3, 20220

To avoid wasting the billions of rupees that are now being spent on maintaining two administrative structures and their duplicating efforts in some situations like health and education, it is imperative that all agencies in India's capital come together under one roof. Schools in Delhi are jointly operated by the state government and the city's municipal authority, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Neither is worthy of India's capital city. The majority of Delhi's population has no idea who oversees various government organisations including the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Jal Board, and Public Works Department (PWD). Workers at MCDs have reportedly gone on strike because the state government is late in making payroll payments. Garbage piles have accumulated in sev...

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The Rate Of Poverty In Rural India Is Four Times That Of Cities: Survey

Sayani ChakrabortyNovember 2, 20220

Three recent agency reports revealed national poverty shortcomings. Due to the pandemic, poverty levels in India have climbed again and progress has halted. India's GHI ranking has dropped further due to massive economic destruction. Rural poverty is four times higher than urban poor, worsening the problem. Ignoring such a severe situation is risky for a government. The pandemic and Ukraine conflict have added 70 million people to extreme poverty, according to the World Bank's "Poverty and Shared Prosperity" study. India was hardest hit, losing roughly 25% of its GDP. Early estimates show 56 million more poor in 2020. This shows that government welfare programmes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee and free food have not offset the significant loss of livelih...

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Quota In Universities: In Contrast To US, Affirmative Action Has Become An Overused Political Instrument

Sayani ChakrabortyOctober 31, 20220

This morning, the Supreme Court of the United States will hear oral arguments on the question of whether or not race can be used as a consideration in college admissions. The challengers argue that this hurts Asian and white students while the defenders point to the educational benefits of a more diverse student body. In 1978, the court had already determined that racial quotas were illegal, but it had approved measures of "affirmative action" to admit more people from underrepresented groups. This instance demonstrates how several marginalised groups may pursue divergent goals. It's also fascinating since it'll be considered by the most diverse US Supreme Court ever, with the two black justices having opposing opinions. Serious statistical, philosophical, and policy disputes...

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Does Kejriwal Oppose Hinduism Or Is He A Financial Genius In Modi’s Mould?

Sayani ChakrabortyOctober 27, 20220

In 2016, Modi intended to withdraw 80% of the currency notes in circulation, which was the last time India experienced a ridiculous proposal concerning money. With his completely cynical and strange claim that the Indian economy can be made to grow if the pictures of Laxmi and Ganesh are put to bank notes, Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party has sunk to a new low in the race to the bottom that increasingly appears to characterise Indian politics. BJP spokespeople have told the public that Kejriwal is truly "anti-Hindu" because this nonsensical assertion, given in the shape of a proposal, is designed to upset and humiliate the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which feels it alone has the right to flaunt "Hindu" credentials. The arguments put out in support of this claim are very c...

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Governor-State Disputes Are Most Detrimental To Institutions; Read Here

Sayani ChakrabortyOctober 27, 20220

In order to resolve the dispute between the Kerala government and governor Arif Mohammed Khan, the Kerala high court had to step in and block Khan's effort to fire the vice-chancellors of nine state institutions. Khan has yet to sign a law that would limit the governor's authority as chancellor of public colleges. The legislatures of Bengal and TN have already enacted laws that would have made chief ministers, rather than governors, the official chancellors of their respective states. Political interference in academic institutions is central to the problem. When a compliant governor is in charge, there are no issues. This spoils system has been thrown off by aggressive governors appointed by opposing parties, such as Jagdeep Dhankhar in Bengal, RN Ravi in Tamil Nadu, and Khan in Ke...

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Are Political Parties In Maharashtra Treating Voters Fairly?

Sayani ChakrabortyOctober 19, 20220

The BJP has pulled their candidate from the upcoming by-election in Andheri, Maharashtra. It's the first major election in the state since the MVA administration fell because to infighting within the Shiv Sena. As a result of the BJP's vote, the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena's nominee, Rutuja Latke, is virtually certain of victory. Ramesh Latke, the victor of the last election, has passed away, necessitating a by-election. BJP withdrew their candidate after being publicly lobbied by rival political parties to do so. The reason for this is that it is the political custom in Maharashtra to provide uncontested victories to the surviving relatives of candidates who have passed away. There is a catch here. Among the lawmakers that asked the BJP to withdraw its candidate was Sh...