Electoral bond is a form of donation to a political party by Indian citizens or companies in India. They take the form of promissory notes and are I ssued only by the State Bank of India. Brought in as a ...
Project Cheetah, initiated in India to reintroduce cheetahs into the wild, has shown promising early results but faces mixed success. Launched in 2022, the project aimed to reestablish cheetah populations in India, where they had been extinct for decades. The initiative involved translocating cheetaRead more
Project Cheetah, initiated in India to reintroduce cheetahs into the wild, has shown promising early results but faces mixed success. Launched in 2022, the project aimed to reestablish cheetah populations in India, where they had been extinct for decades. The initiative involved translocating cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa to suitable habitats in India.
Initial reports indicated that the cheetahs adapted well to their new environment, exhibiting natural behaviors and forming social bonds. The project also garnered significant attention and support for wildlife conservation.
However, challenges persist. The cheetahs have faced health issues and some have died, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the translocation and the adequacy of the protected areas. Long-term success depends on continuous monitoring, habitat management, and ensuring that the cheetahs can thrive and reproduce in the wild.
In summary, while Project Cheetah has made a positive start and sparked enthusiasm for wildlife conservation, its ultimate success will be judged by its long-term outcomes and the sustainability of the reintroduced population.
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The Electoral Bond scheme and its impact on the existing transparency within Indian politics based on the information present here and your additional comments. Electoral Bonds: A Contested Reform Electoral Bond Scheme was brought in the light of reducing black money in the funding of political partRead more
The Electoral Bond scheme and its impact on the existing transparency within Indian politics based on the information present here and your additional comments.
Electoral Bonds: A Contested Reform
Electoral Bond Scheme was brought in the light of reducing black money in the funding of political parties. Despite the above benefits it still raises controversy in relation to the effect in the area of transparency and accountability.
Advantages:
-Replacement of Cash Contribution: In theory, this is done by replacing cash contributions with instrument based dues, which can be presumed that other unidentified cash inflows into political funding.
-Anonymity of the Donor: The program allegedly safeguard the donors from possible harassment as well as intimidation.
-Immunity of Taxes: Donations relating to electoral bonds are exempt from taxes and this may extend more individuals and firms in giving.
-Opacity in Funding Sources: It remains quite questionable simply because the source of funds for electoral bonds has not been disclosed at all. It can accept without revealing the identities of the donors or their sources may be local or even foreign.
-Influence of Corporate Interests: The scheme can permit huge amount of corporate donations and has been criticized as allowing large corporate interests to buy influence over the parties.
-Asymmetric Information: This is so because the ruling party has information over the opposition parties in regards to the buying of bonds.
-Potential for Misuse: The major problem that may arise from the current situation is the misusing and corruption which is caused by the absence of transparency and no upper limit of donation amount.
To increase the transparency and accountability in political funding, the following measures can be considered:
-Company-level Donation Cap: Place a check on the amount that a corporation can contribute through electoral bonds.
-Disclosure Threshold: Call for disclosure of all monand donations that exceed a specified limit with a view of achieving this goal.
-Independent Review Mechanism: An autonomous entity that is involved in the matters of transactions that involve electoral bonds or any other dispute regarding the same.
Public Awareness Campaigns: Voter awareness of the undisclosed sources of funds and the necessity of effectiveness of political financing.
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