Session on legislative think tanks, social empowerment organized at Mangalore University
Mangaluru: The Centre for Future of Democracy, in collaboration with Yes We Can and NSWS, conducted an insightful session at Mangalore University. The event, held recently, was focused on Legislative Think Tanks and Social Empowerment in alignment with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The session was aimed at providing insights and experiences to political science advocates and students from the Department of MSW.
Guests, Stephen Anurag, a Clinton Global Fellow and NISG Project Officer for the Government of Meghalaya, and Shaun Dsouza, a Clinton Global Fellow of 2023 and Director of Myriad Corp, were featured speakers at the event.
Both speakers engaged with the students, sharing their perspectives and encouraging discussions on the impact and scope of social work and political empowerment for the future.
Faculty members from the Department of MSW set the stage for the discussion, emphasizing the importance of exploring ideas rooted in social work to contribute to the achievement of sustainable goals. Stephen Anurag took the opportunity to extend internship opportunities for MSW students in the Centre for Future of Democracy, providing them with practical exposure to real-world scenarios.
The collaborative effort between the Centre for Future of Democracy, Yes We Can, and NSWS aimed to empower the younger generation to participate in shaping the future of democracy and contribute to the accomplishment of the SDGs.
The event, hosted at Mangalore University, emphasized the crucial role of social work in legislative processes, social advocacy, indirect participation of youth in politics, social entrepreneurship, and political advocacy.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
