Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

You are here: Home / 2018 / Archives for April 2018

Archives for April 2018

Third-parties abusing ‘Facebook Login’ to steal users’ data

by

Several third-party trackers are abusing Facebook Login, exfiltrating users’ data including name, email address, age range, gender, locale and profile photo, a new security research report has claimed.

The unintended exposure of Facebook data to third party JavaScript trackers is not owing to a bug in Facebook’s Login feature.

“Rather, it is due to the lack of security boundaries between the first-party and third-party scripts in today’s web,” said the report prepared by Steven Englehardt, Gunes Acar and Arvind Narayanan, researchers at Freedom to Tinker — a digital initiative by Princeton University’s Center for Information Technology Policy.

“We report yet another type of surreptitious data collection by third-party scripts that we discovered: the exfiltration of personal identifiers from websites through “login with Facebook” and other such social login APIs,” the trio wrote.

Meanwhile, Facebook told the technology website Tech Crunch that they were investigating into the security research report.

The researchers found two types of vulnerabilities: Seven third parties abusing websites’ access to Facebook user data and one third party using its own Facebook “application” to track users around the web.

British political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica was found misusing users’ data collected by a Facebook quiz app which used the “Login with Facebook” feature.

“We’ve uncovered an additional risk: when a user grants a website access to their social media profile, they are not only trusting that website but also third parties embedded on that site,” the report noted.

The researchers found seven scripts collecting Facebook user data using the first party’s Facebook access.

“These scripts are embedded on a total of 434 of the top 1 million sites, including fiverr.com, bhphotovideo.com, and mongodb.com,” they wrote.

The user ID collected through the Facebook API is specific to the website (or the “application” in Facebook’s terminology), which would limit the potential for cross-site tracking.

“But these app-scoped user IDs can be used to retrieve the global Facebook ID, user’s profile photo, and other public profile information, which can be used to identify and track users across websites and devices,” the researchers warned.

“While we can’t say how these trackers use the information they collect, we can examine their marketing material to understand how it may be used,” they noted.

OnAudience, Tealium AudienceStream, Lytics, and ProPS all offer some form of “customer data platform”, which collect data to help publishers to better monetise their users.

Forter offers “identity-based fraud prevention” for e-commerce sites while Augur offers cross-device tracking and consumer recognition services.

Hidden third-party trackers can also use “Facebook Login to deanonymise users for targeted advertising”.

“This is a privacy violation, as it is unexpected and users are unaware of it,” the researchers said.

There are steps Facebook and other social login providers can still take to prevent abuse.

“API use can be audited to review how, where, and which parties are accessing social login data. Facebook could also disallow the lookup of profile picture and global Facebook IDs by app-scoped user IDs,” the report emphasised.

“It might also be the right time to make Anonymous Login with Facebook available following its announcement four years ago,” the researchers added.

(IANS)

SC dismisses plea for SIT probe in Judge Loya case

by

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea for a Special Investigation Team probe into the alleged mysterious death of special CBI Judge B.H. Loya.

Loya allegedly died of a cardiac arrest while in Nagpur in Maharashtra on December 1, 2014 when he was attending a wedding there.

(IANS)

Truth, torture, Trump and more: James Comey’s eventful career

by

Title: A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership; Author: James Comey; Publisher: Pan Macmillan; Pages: 305; Price: Rs 799

As an Assistant US Attorney in New York in the early 1990s, James Comey was part of the anti-mafia campaign and became well versed about how its top bosses perceived themselves, the people who worked for them and the world. As FBI chief a quarter of century later, he saw the same worldview — in newly-elected President Donald Trump.

Recounting a meeting where he seemed to have angered Trump by contradicting him, Comey tells us that the encounter had left him “shaken” for he had “never seen anything like it in the Oval Office” under the previous two presidents he had served.

“As I found myself thrust into the Trump orbit, I once again was having flashbacks to my earlier career as a prosecutor against the Mob. The silent circle of assent. The boss in complete control. The loyalty oaths. The us-versus-them worldview. The lying about all things, large and small, in service to some code of loyalty that put the organisation above morality and above the truth,” he writes in his autobiography.

And as we go on to find out in the book, this is another aspect of the significant role that Comey would play in the 2016 US Presidential Election, apart from his decisions on “the matter” (the word is significant, as we learn) of Hillary Clinton’s email server being perceived as having damaged her campaign.

These interactions with Trump, where Comey’s “loyalty” was sought in the wake of the probe into Russian support/links against his campaign team and he was even purportedly told to drop the case against a recently-resigned aide (National Security Adviser Michael Flynn), could have far-reaching consequences — for the new President.

While Comey was unceremoniously fired, his claims would lead to a Special Counsel investigation that has reached uncomfortably close to Trump — Luke Harding’s “Collusion — How Russia Helped Trump Win the White House” shows how.

But while around half of Comey’s book is devoted to his decisions and experiences in the Clinton and Trump episodes, it has much more than these two major issues, and is certainly not an explosive, tell-all account — he is too principled and conscientious a lawyer and public servant to reveal what is the court’s domain to the public.

But it does clarify his position in the Clinton matter, where he seeks to explain what the issue was all about, and what lay behind him telling Congress in October 2016 — a few days prior to the election — that the probe was being reopened.

As he reveals, the decision hinged on whether to inform Congress — which could influence the election — or conceal it — which could have been as problematic for the FBI if evidence of prosecutable criminal activity emerged later. “Put that way, the choice between a ‘really bad option’ and a ‘catastrophic option’ was not that hard a call,” he argues.

This is Comey’s memoir with the parts on Clinton and Trump the highlights, but the good lawyer he is, he builds up to them, showing why he acted the way he did by detailing his formative influences and his career.

These include the childhood experience when a criminal burst into his home and threatened him and his brother, a wise boss at the department store where he worked part-time, bullies at school, and encounters with the Mafia bosses and killers as US Attorney.

Then, as Deputy Attorney General in the George W. Bush Presidency, there was the “Stellar Wind” surveillance — where he had to forestall two senior administration officials trying to obtain a hospitalised Attorney General’s concurrence — and torture of terrorists and terrorist suspects by the CIA, and being appointed FBI chief by Barack Obama in 2013.

While the comparison of the three Presidents — and their cabinet colleagues — is well brought out and extensive (say, their political styles to sense of humour — or lack thereof), the main point is their attitude to justice, or rather to those tasked with ensuring it. As we learn from history, and increasingly from the news, there is no doubt what the rankings will be.

This, along with Comey’s observations on the ethics of leadership and the pursuit of justice free from any political considerations, is what makes this book more than a political memoir.

(IANS)

Rajasthan setting up largest start-up incubation hub in the country

by

Move over Bengaluru and Pune. Udaipur in Rajasthan is aiming to set up the biggest start-up hub in the country with a capacity to accommodate 700 newcomers.
he state plans to create a strong start-up ecosystem, taking a leap to match the top tech cities in the country. The incubation centre, coming up in Udaipur, will give start-ups and entrepreneurs space, internet connections and other infrastructure facilities — all free. It will also throw in government funding.

“The incubation centre will not charge any kind of fee from start-ups as well as entrepreneurs and shall provide free facilities unlike T-Hub in Hyderabad which charges a fee for different facilities. It will be bigger than the biggest T-Hubs operational in India,” Akhil Arora, Principal Secretary, IT and Communication Department of Rajasthan, told IANS.

Arora said some of the best incubators were being invited for the hub and the management would be handled by professionals. Mentoring for start-ups would be provided by top corporates. “We will evaluate the performance of start-ups every three months to ensure that they do not turn complacent,” he said, adding that entrepreneurs can use the facilities for a maximum of two years.

An incubation centre in Jaipur is already running with 45 operating start-ups. The Udaipur one was recently inaugurated — to be operational from next month — and had already drawn “exciting response” from the start-up community, he said.

“We want to spread wings across the state to provide equal opportunity to all. Incubation Centres would be set up in Kota and Jodhpur for which work had already started,” he said.

According to Arora, the start-up ecosystem has the potential to germinate new ideas as this is being extended to even students coming out of college, who will be mentored. “We will help them to take their ideas forward, at a time when they lack sufficient capital structure,” he added.

To take care of funding needs, Bhamashah Technofund was introduced which provides seed capital without any collateral or without detailed evaluation. This was an investment decision taken by the government without expecting big returns, Arora said.

Under Technofund, seven start-ups, based on their Q-Ranking — which blends quality rating and curation — were funded. While six were given Rs 20 lakh each, the seventh one got Rs 15 lakh. The seven were chosen from over 700 applications.

Mudit Jain, founder of Qriyo, and one of the beneficiaries of the funding in Jaipur, said: “Rajasthan’s start-up ecosystem is growing and we are receiving constant support from the government. For the first time, we have seen a government expediting the processes at a fast pace.”

Arora said that for the funding process they had roped in creditable agencies empanelled with the government. “When they grant funding, we match the funds up to Rs 25 lakh, sanctioning them in five days,” he said, adding that the government had earmarked Rs 500 crore to meet the funding requirement of start-ups.

Also, the government gives a grant of Rs 2 lakh to help them try out their ideas. For those looking for expansion, equity capital and interest-free loans are provided after proposals are evaluated by an external jury.

“We are confident that entrepreneurs and start-ups will get their best in Rajasthan as we provide quality lifestyle too, which is missing in Bengaluru, Pune and other similar cities due to modern-day challenges such as traffic and pollution,” Arora said.

(IANS)

Trump ‘will walk out’ if North Korea talks not fruitful

by

US President Donald Trump has said that if his planned talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are not fruitful he will “walk out”, media reported.

He said this during a joint news conference with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the BBC reported.

Trump said if he did not think the meeting would be successful he would not go, and if the meeting went ahead but was not productive, he would walk out.

“Our campaign of maximum pressure will continue until North Korea denuclearises,” he added.

Abe is at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for talks.

Earlier, Trump had confirmed that CIA Director Mike Pompeo had made a secret trip to North Korea to meet Kim over the easter weekend.

He said Pompeo had forged a “good relationship” with Kim — whom he called the “little rocket man” in 2017. Trump said the Pompeo-Kim meeting had gone off “very smoothly”.

The visit marked the highest-level contact between the US and North Korea since 2000.

Modi’s Long Silence as Women in India Are Attacked

by

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India tweets frequently and considers himself a talented orator. Yet he loses his voice when it comes to speaking out about the dangers faced by women and minorities who are frequent targets of the nationalist and communal forces that are part of the base of his Bharatiya Janata Party.

Indians took to the streets during the weekend to protest their government’s callous response to the horrifying rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in January in which supporters of his political party have been implicated. Mr. Modi, though, has barely spoken about this crime and other cases involving his supporters.

Until last week, he declined to address the attack on the girl, in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, by men who wanted to frighten and drive away her nomadic Muslim community, the Bakarwals, from an area that is dominated by Hindus. To read about what happened to the girl, who was held and abused at a Hindu temple, over several days is to plumb the depths of human depravity.

As Mr. Modi remained quiet as public outrage built up for weeks, state lawmakers from his party, which is part of a coalition that governs Jammu and Kashmir, attended a rally in support of a man who had been arrested for the crime and joined in demands by locals that the investigation be taken away from state officials, some of whom are Muslim, and be turned over to federal authorities. After a mob of Hindu lawyers temporarily prevented the authorities from registering charges in court, officials have formally accused eight men, including policemen and a retired government employee.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India tweets frequently and considers himself a talented orator. Yet he loses his voice when it comes to speaking out about the dangers faced by women and minorities who are frequent targets of the nationalist and communal forces that are part of the base of his Bharatiya Janata Party.

Indians took to the streets during the weekend to protest their government’s callous response to the horrifying rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in January in which supporters of his political party have been implicated. Mr. Modi, though, has barely spoken about this crime and other cases involving his supporters.

Until last week, he declined to address the attack on the girl, in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, by men who wanted to frighten and drive away her nomadic Muslim community, the Bakarwals, from an area that is dominated by Hindus. To read about what happened to the girl, who was held and abused at a Hindu temple, over several days is to plumb the depths of human depravity.

As Mr. Modi remained quiet as public outrage built up for weeks, state lawmakers from his party, which is part of a coalition that governs Jammu and Kashmir, attended a rally in support of a man who had been arrested for the crime and joined in demands by locals that the investigation be taken away from state officials, some of whom are Muslim, and be turned over to federal authorities. After a mob of Hindu lawyers temporarily prevented the authorities from registering charges in court, officials have formally accused eight men, including policemen and a retired government employee.

Mr. Modi has also been reluctant to talk about a rape accusation against a state lawmaker from his party in India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, which is governed by the B.J.P. A teenage girl says the lawmaker raped her last summer, but until recently the police have dragged their feet in bringing charges against him. He and his brother are also accused of conspiring to kill the girl’s father, who was found dead in police custody.

On Friday, Mr. Modi said that these cases had brought shame on the country and that “our daughters will definitely get justice.” But his remarks ring hollow because he waited so long to talk about the cases and spoke in broad generalities — describing the crimes as “incidents being discussed since past two days.” He has taken a similar approach in the past when addressing cases in which vigilante groups affiliated with his political movement have attacked and killed Muslims and Dalits — members of India’s lowest caste — who they falsely accused of killing cows, which are sacred to Hindus.

Mr. Modi’s silence is as perplexing as it is distressing. He seems to have failed to learn the lesson of his predecessors who did not forcefully respond to protests in late 2012 and early 2013 after a young woman was raped and killed on a public bus in New Delhi. That government, which was led by the Congress party, paid a heavy political price for its heartlessness in the 2014 parliamentary elections; the B.J.P. won the elections in large part because Mr. Modi promised to make the government more responsive to the needs of Indians who were left behind by a government dogged by corruption scandals and widely considered rudderless.

Instead, he has exhibited a pattern of silence and deflection that is deeply worrying to anybody who cares about the health of the world’s largest democracy.

Mr. Modi cannot be expected to discuss every crime committed by someone who supports him. But these cases are not isolated or random examples of violence. They are part of an organized and systematic campaign by nationalist forces that want to terrorize women, Muslims, Dalits and other underprivileged citizens.

The prime minister has a duty to safeguard and fight for all of the people of India, not just those who are allied with him politically.

ANIL KAPOOR & MADHURI DIXIT ALL SET TO SHAKE A LEG FOR ‘TOTAL DHAMAAL’

by

The dynamic on-screen Jodi of Anil Kapoor & Madhuri Dixit are all set to come back together after 18 years for Indra Kumar’s Total Dhamaal. The duo has started shooting for the adventure-comedy, by grooving to the title track. Director Indra Kumar shares, “All three of us are shooting together 26 years after Beta and I’m excited about reuniting with my blockbuster jodi. They play husband & wife in the film and have been prepping for a while but I can’t reveal any details except that Anil goes by the name of Avinash and all of us call him Avi,” Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Jaaved Jaaferi, Riteish Deshmukh, Sanjay Mishra & Pitobash will join the duo for the song soon. Anil & Madhuri will be shooting for the film for the next 15 days. Indra Kumar adds, “It’s like a Beta reunion. I remember a week before the film’s release, we picturised “Dhak Dhak”. We’d already received the censor certificate by then so we had to add another supplement to the certificate for the song which was incorporated later. It was a last-minute addition & created history. We were all blown away when we saw it for the 1st time ever.”

OFFICIAL POSTER OF ‘KHAJOOR PE ATKE’ HINTS AT A QUIRKY FAMILY ENTERTAINER

Actor Harsh Chhaya makes his directorial debut with wholesome family entertainer Khajoor Pe Atke and the official poster of the film, hints at a quirky laughter ride. Featuring an ensemble star cast of comedy stalwarts such as Manoj Pahwa, Vinay Pathak, Seema Pahwa, Dolly Ahluwalia, Sanah Kapoor and others, the poster of the film shows members of a family standing outside the ICU unit of a hospital with expressions ranging from shock to curiosity to amusement to indifference, which pretty much hints that the film will revolve around an “Item Family”. Khajoor Pe Atke is a funny take at how the news about a person’s imminent death affects the members of his family in various ways. Produced by Welcome Friends Production, Khajoor Pe Atke is slated to release on 18th May, 2018.

SHONA URVASHI CONFERRED WITH TOP FRENCH AWARD

Filmmaker & artist Shona Urvashi has been conferred with the prestigious “Chevalier De l’Ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres”, France’s highest cultural award for her contribution to bringing the new wave of independent cinema in India and improving the ease for foreign films & talent to work in & with India. The Consul General of France, Yves Perrin, bestowed the honour on the Indo-Canadian filmmaker at his residence recently. Shona’s work as a filmmaker spans across countries where she has curated & executed many cross-platform projects & ad campaigns. Perhaps her most impactful, yet least publicized contribution to the film industry has been her passion for helping independent filmmakers network with national & international film communities, and in promoting foreign projects to film in India while striving towards more collaborative efforts using homegrown talent. Shona Urvashi reminisced her connection with France to, when her grandfather Parmanand Anand traveled the fair land, distributing Indian films. “I believe that through our collaboration with each other, there are more dynamic conversations to be had, many exciting projects we must do together and so many new people on both sides just waiting to discover the other for better opportunity for all,” feels Shona.

POOJA HEGDE TAKES ADVANCE TRAINING IN AERIAL YOGA!

Though with a svelte & delicate body, Pooja Hegde has trained hard in a special workout to supplement strength to it. If one takes a good look at her workout videos on social media platforms, it can be gauged that the ravishing beauty is a pro at aerial silk yoga, which involves performing a series of acrobatic movements in a hammock-like apparatus, while being suspended from a silk rope. Now, the gorgeous actress has decided to take her obsession with the workout to another level that would require her to challenge herself further more. It is learnt that Pooja, who is currently shooting for a Telugu film in the USA, is enrolling in an advance form of the yoga. Despite a tight schedule, she is unwilling to compromise on fitness and is practicing aerial silk yoga in between shoots. Inspired by pop singer, Pink, Pooja took to the workout and has been hooked to it ever since. Apart from staying in shape and improving agility by routinely striking insane poses looking elegant & graceful at the same time, the stunner has also overcome acrophobia (fear of heights). Regardless of the time constraints that arise from shooting back – to – back, travelling & working around the clock, Pooja makes sure to never miss her airborne workout.

ALIA TO WIN HEARTS & AWARDS WITH ‘RAAZI’

The trailer of Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi, has taken the internet by storm within just a few days of it being released. The film features Alia Bhatt in the role of Sehmat, an Indian girl who is sent to Pakistan on a mission to spy for her country. Based on the novel, Calling Sehmat, by Harinder Sikka, the story is inspired by true events. The film also features Vicky Kaushal in the role of a Pakistani officer who is married to Alia’s character. Alia is turning out to be one of the best talents in Bollywood, and she will definitely walk away with all the glory for the film. Vicky Kaushal also looks promising in Raazi. Trailers & posters are a film’s 1st ever communication with audiences, and if you connect well here, then half of your battle is won. The trailer of Raazi is one such example. After watching this, we know that this one is going to be a powerful film. Alia is sure going to win hearts & awards alike.

KRITI KHARBANDA DOES “SEVA AT LANGAR” AT THE GOLDEN TEMPLE!

Kriti Kharbanda has an interesting line up of films releasing this year including her forthcoming family entertainer, Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se featuring the Deols, and an extended cameo opposite Dulquer Salmaan in Karwaan. While shooting for the 3rd part of the successful franchise, Yamla Pagla Deewana – Phir Se in Amritsar recently, the gorgeous actress took some time out to visit the popular Golden Temple along with her movie co-star, Bobby Deol. It was indeed a memorable & divine experience at the Gurudwara where Kriti managed to do some “seva at the langar” by serving the people food & prasad. The actress feels blessed to visit the holy place as it filled her heart with gratitude, peace & positivity. Says Kriti, “This year has been so blissful. The last time that I went to Golden Temple, I was bound to a tight schedule and couldn’t make time for langar seva. At my 2nd visit to the temple, I was determined to make time for it. I am grateful for all the opportunities & love that has come by. I hope to have more chances to express my thanks to God – The Almighty.”

KRITI KHARBANDA PREPS FOR ‘YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA: PHIR SE’!

Not afraid to go the extra mile, Kriti Kharbanda stops at nothing when it comes to portraying the characters assigned to her. The dedicated actress is learning Gujarati and more specifically looking to master popular catchphrases of the language, as she essays the role of a Gujarati girl in Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se, sharing screen time with the Deols. Kriti is training to perfect the Gujarati accent under the guidance of a diction coach. The girl-next-door is all-in as far as disciplined is concerned and is practicing the language off the sets of the film too!

KANIKA KAPOOR CHAMPIONS THE CAUSE OF THE ELEPHANTS!

Kanika Kapoor is an ardent animal lover and also supports various animal welfare activities. The large-hearted singer has been recently invited for the special “Elephant Family Charity Dinner”, an initiative by Elephant Family NGO that works for the welfare of elephants across the country. “Elephant Family – protecting Asian elephants and their habitat”, is a small dynamic NGO started by Mark Shand, a British travel writer who was actively involved in the conservation of the Asian elephant & co-founded a charity called Elephant Family. Post his death, his sister Camilla, also wife of Prince Charles took over the charitable cause to save a forgotten species from extinction. Kanika, who has been an ambassador for the British Asian Trust, feels privileged to get associated with the noble cause. The NGO has also given the large-hearted singer an elephant to design which will be auctioned in London. Interestingly, Kanika recently performed at the Buckingham Palace in the presence of Prince Charles & Cornwall Camilla. Kanika says, “I’m most intrigued by the outpouring of support for the elephants and I am especially going as it’s such a noble gesture for a great cause.”

ADITI RAO HYDARI TO ATTEND THE TEACH FOR CHANGE ANNUAL FUNDRAISER IN HYDERABAD!

Aditi Rao Hydari has been invited to her hometown, Hyderabad for an initiative called “Teach For Change” an annual fundraiser, held at Falaknuma Palace, in the capacity of a Chief Guest. The gorgeous actress, who has always championed the cause of education, will lend her voice & strength to the initiative that aims to improve the overall standards of literacy at Government Schools in the city. Aditi’s royal roots in the city and the recent resounding success of Mani Ratnam’s Kaatru Veliyidai have led to a huge rise in her popularity down south. In addition to that, her contribution to literacy & education made the stunner a perfect choice for the cause that is currently active in over a 100 Government Schools in Hyderabad. The evening of the fundraiser will begin with Aditi walking into the grand 101 Dining Hall of the palace. Following which, the actress will address the guests & attendees and launch the “Teach For Change Academic Year – 2018”. Talking about the initiative Aditi says, “Public education solves every problem that plagues our country. Only a solid education system can break the vicious circle of illiteracy, unemployment & poverty. I am honoured to be associated with such a noble cause. I will do everything I can for this revolutionary initiative.”

PRIYANKA CHOPRA’S PURPLE PEBBLE PICTURES LAUNCHES ITS WEBSITE!

Priyanka Chopra’s home banner, Purple Pebble Pictures that completed 3 years this March has an online presence now as its official website was launched recently. The production house was founded with the endeavor to create quality regional cinema, refine storytelling through films and support new talent. 3 years since its inception, the banner has stood its ground by not only providing regional films a solid platform but also backing talents who specialize in areas of filmmaking. Chopra’s home banner has churned out films with unique story lines and won accolades up to 3 National Awards for one of their Marathi films, Ventilator. Regional cinema bankrolled by Purple Pebble Pictures has travelled to international film festivals and earned praise from celebrated filmmakers the world over. With such growth in a span of just 3 years, having a website seemed a natural progression.

Preliminary Analysis of Candidates Announced by BJP, INC and JD(S) for Karnataka 2018 Assembly Elections

by

by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR India)

The National Parties, BJP, INC and Karnataka’s Regional Party, JD(S) announced the list of candidates for Karnataka Assembly Elections, 2018 recently.

A total of 154 candidates have been announced by BJP in their two lists released so far. First list for Karnataka was released on 8th April and second list on 16th April, 2018. Out of these, 111 candidates had contested (including the 44 re-contesting MLAs) assembly elections in 2013.

A first list of 218 candidates was announced by INC for Karnataka. Out of these, 148 candidates had contested (including the 112 re-contesting MLAs) assembly elections in 2013.

A first list of 126 candidates was announced by JD(S) for Karnataka. Out of these, 58 candidates had contested (including the 27 re-contesting MLAs) assembly elections in 2013. Association for Democratic Reforms and Karnataka Election Watch analyzed the affidavits of these candidates submitted by them during elections to Karnataka State Assembly and any subsequent bye-elections later. The latest information regarding assets as well as criminal charges if any, would be available once the candidates file their affidavits for 2018 Karnataka Assembly Elections.

Please visit https://adrindia.org/content/preliminary-analysis-candidates-announced-bjp-inc-and-jds-karnataka-2018-assembly-elections for full report.

For complete information related to upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections, 2018, please visit:  https://adrindia.org/content/assembly-election-karnataka-2018

Candidates Announced by INC, BJP and JD(S)

Party No. of Candidates Announced in the First List No. of Candidates Announced in the Second List Total Candidates Announced
BJP 72 82 154
INC 218 – 218
JD(S) 126 – 126

Analysis of candidates announced by BJP, INC and JD(S) as on 18th April 2018

​

Party No. of Candidates Announced (Total) No. of re-contesting candidates No of re-contesting Candidates with Criminal Cases No. of re-contesting Candidates with Serious Criminal Cases % of re-contesting Candidates with Criminal Cases % of re-contesting Candidates with Serious Criminal Cases No of re-contesting Crorepati Candidates % of re-contesting Crorepati Candidates Average Assets of re-contesting candidates (in Rs.)
BJP 154 111 30 19 27% 17% 97 87% 8,92,67,255
8 Crore+
INC 218 148 48 23 32% 16% 134 91% 28,23,51,893

28 Crore+
JD(S) 126 58 17 9 29% 16% 46 79% 14,91,14,815

14 Crore+

​

​

​

Recommendations

The current analysis of the candidates fielded by the major party shows that political parties continue to give tickets to candidates with serious criminal cases. The Association for Democratic Reforms recommends that political parties should refrain from giving tickets to candidates with a serious criminal background. The political parties should take a stand against misuse of money power, bribing of voters and distribution of freebies. Further, the political parties should move towards transparency and disclose the criteria for selection of candidates during elections.

Castro era to end in Cuba as Raul set to step down

by

The Castro family has ruled the socialist nation since a revolution ushered in the rule of Fidel Castro in 1959 [AP]

by Al Jazeera

Cuba will open a session of its National Assembly on Wednesday that will mark the end of an era in the socialist nation.

President Raul Castro, 86, is expected to step down after two five-year terms during the assembly, marking the completion of Castro rule on the socialist nation.

First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel is expected to assume the position of Cuba’s president as the handpicked successor after a party vote on Thursday.

The Castro family has ruled the socialist nation since a revolution ushered in the rule of Fidel Castro in 1959.

The expected transfer of power comes at a precarious time in Cuba’s history. Cuban allies in Latin America have been voted out of government positions across the region in recent years.

A detente between the US and Cuba, longtime adversaries, has slowed after right-wing Donald Trump became president in 2017.

Cuba is also facing economic difficulties after Castro initiated market-style reforms that were agreed to in 2011. Though the reforms caused a boom in the Cuban economy, they have since slowed.

“Despite the errors and insufficiencies recognised in this plenary, the situation is more favourable than a few years ago,” Castro, 86, was quoted as saying by party newspaper Granma.

Political campaigning is outlawed in Cuba, so little is known about Diaz-Canel’s plans to navigate these challenges.

However, there is reason to believe the presumed president will continue with liberalising social policies, given his past support for LGBT rights, expanded internet access and loosening government controls on media.

Still, Diaz-Canel is not known to support changing Cuba’s government from the one-party system in place since the revolution, a demand from ant-Castro politicians in Washington.

According to Ted Piccone, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, the Trump administration will most likely “double down” on its “embrace of punitive regime change” in Cuba after Diaz-Canel assumes power.

Castro will remain the head of the ruling Communist Party until 2021 and is expected to continue to play a big role in policy decisions.

People struggle to pay Taxes, Because of Officials on poll duty,

by

Many taxpayers at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) offices or BangaloreOne centres are unable to pay up since most officials are deputed on election duty.
April 30 is the last date to avail the rebate.
A senior BBMP official said, “Almost 80% of revenue officers are deputed on election duty and this has become a problem.”

Ashok M R, an assistant revenue officer of Murugeshpalya ward in Konena Agrahara said, “We are managing. Our electoral roll work will be over by Wednesday evening and things should be fine after this.”

“We understand people take time off from work to pay taxes. We are trying to ensure that they are not turned away,” said M N Narasimha Murthy, BBMP area tax inspector from Gandhinagar.

Naveen Raju, a resident MICO Layout in Arakere on Bannerghatta Road has been struggling to the pay property tax as the officers have been sending him back every time.

“For the last three days, I have been going to the BBMP office and officers there are telling me “Naale Banni” (come tomorrow), citing election duty. They must either extend the last date or make proper arrangements,” he tweeted.

People in Gandhinagar have to reach the office early to be able to pay the tax. “We handle the property tax work by 12.30 pm so that we can take up election work. We do entertain taxpayers in the second half of the day too, but the first half of the day is preferable,” said a senior BBMP officer. The Gandhinagar office is managing with just two officers. Every day, around 150-200 people turn up to pay property taxes in every ward office.

Since most BBMP officers are deputed on election duty, ward offices are managing with only one or two officers to handle both property taxes and voter enrolment.

BBMP commissioner N Manjunath Prasad said, “We have provided the online facility to ease the process and are also ensuring that people have no trouble paying the tax.”

KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives