April 20, 2024

Good morning. Every Saturday, we publish the results of polls from feature stories that were published the past week. We also give a brief overview of the topics that were discussed.

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🗳️ POLL RESULTS – Week 171

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🗓️ THE WEEK THAT WAS

Is the Congress manifesto good?

Daily | 15 April 2024

The Congress has released its manifesto, focussed on the “five pillars of justice.” It included what most people would expect – employment opportunities, cash transfers to women, a caste census, etc. According to some political experts, the party already faces an uphill climb against the BJP. Is the manifesto good enough to make a difference? Read more on this here.

Is the UN Cybercrime Convention a threat to human rights?

Daily | 16 April 2024

While countries will have their own measures to thwart cybercrime, there’s room for a more coordinated global response mechanism. That’s precisely what the UN cybercrime treaty is, or rather, will be. Countries have come together to try and form a comprehensive framework to combat cybercrime. They recognise the need for strong mitigation and offensive measures. However, questions have been raised about how far-reaching it should be. We discuss it here.

Should there be 100% verification of VVPAT slips?

Daily | 17 April 2024

India’s election system has come a long way, from paper ballots to electronic voting. That doesn’t mean people’s doubts have disappeared. In fact, in some ways, they’ve only increased with a certain amount of distrust of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). The Opposition has demanded a 100% VVPAT audit to ensure there’s no funny business. Should this be necessary, or is it overkill? We unpack this here.

Should the government regulate domestic airfares?

Daily | 18 April 2024

If you’ve ever planned to travel by flight, you most likely booked as early as possible to get the cheapest possible options. Airfares fluctuate since they’re market-dependent. Over the past couple of years, airfares have soared. In fact, India has seen the largest jump in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East. Should the government not then intervene on behalf of consumers, or should they stay out of it completely? Find the debate here.

Will the BJP manifesto make a difference?

Daily | 19 April 2024

Broadly, the manifesto argues for the continuation of a strong and stable government to steer India through global economic and geopolitical uncertainties. The specifics include implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and women’s reservations. Is the manifesto good, and will it make a difference? More on this story here.