Many worry that recent successes by antinuclear activists in India will be fleeting, especially in light of the Indian government’s plan to plow ahead with building new nuclear reactors.
Strong room at SVNIT in Surat
Surat: This year the voter turnout for the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) was higher at 45.51% compared to around 40% in the last election. But going by the population numbers, only 22% of the city’s population voted on Sunday. Considering the city’s estimated population of around 70 lakh less than half 32.88 lakh are registered voters and of them, 15.50 lakh have exercised their franchise.
In 2015, 26.54 lakh voters were registered of which 10.60 lakh had voted. Though there is a rise in numbers of registered voters and total polling, experts say that an entire section of society is being kept out of the democratic process. The voice of a larger part of the population is not being heard in the electoral process. “The estimated population of the city is nearly 70 lakh and it is growing fast. At this juncture with just 22% of the population voting, it becomes a serious issue,” said Kiran Desai, director of Centre for Social Studies (CSS).
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SURAT: At least 10% of candidates out of the total 484 contesting election for the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) have criminal cases registered against them. Opposition Congress has fielded the highest 17% candidates with criminal cases against them followed by Aam Aadmi Party (8%) and BJP (6%).
This was revealed following an analysis of the declarations submitted by the candidates by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
On the other hand, the ruling BJP has the highest number of crorepati candidates, 50 (44%). “The three richest candidates in this years election are from the BJP,” said city-based RTI activist Krishnakant Chauhan, who along with Ajay Jangid analysed the data for ADR.
SURAT: Centre for Social Studies (CSS) will be coming out with a fact-finding report on the tragic accident on January 19 near Kim crossroad where 15 migrants were crushed by a truck in their sleep.
CSS has formed a fact-finding committee of nine members to identify the reasons that caused the accident and what can be done to prevent such incidents in the future. The committee will make its first report public after preliminary study.
The committee includes Kiran Desai, director of CSS; Hemant Shah, economist; Vipul Pandya, of Bandhkam Mazdoor Sangathan; Krishnakant Chauhan, a social worker; Kirti Patel, retired labour department official; Uttam Parmar, activist; Shantilal Mina and Denis Macwan, both from Prayas Centre for Labour Research and Action; and Sanjay Patel of Aajeevika Bureau.
Surat: Multiple municipal schools run by the Nagar Prathmik Shikshan Samiti (NPSS) of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) are operating from same buildings in the city, revealed an analysis of data collected through a series of Right to Information (RTI) applications.
The report on analysis of the RTI pleas by Surat-based NGO Navchetana Trust, a collective of 28 women self-help groups also stated that against the requirement of 4,288 teachers, there was a shortfall of 479 educators in these municipal school.
However, NPSS officials claimed that the schools were operating in two shifts from large premises. Officials also claimed that there was enough seating capacity for students.