NEWS @ April 14, 2016
Showing posts with label April 2016. Show all posts
Showing posts with label April 2016. Show all posts
Apr 30, 2016
Apr 29, 2016
[CA/Culture] Project Mausam
Project Mausam
The
Government has identified 39 countries to bring on board for trans-national
nomination for World Heritage under Project “Mausam”. The disciplines involved
in the project are those of archaeology, history, sociology, ethnography, marine
archaeology, oceanography, geography, economics, satellite imagery technology,
numismatics, art and architecture.
Project
‘Mausam’ is a Ministry of Culture project with Archaeological Society of India
(ASI), New Delhi as the nodal agency and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the
Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi as its Research Unit. As an initial idea, the project
was proposed by Mr. Ravindra Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Culture and now has
been taken up as a prelude to its nomination as a transnational inscription on
the World Heritage List of UNESCO.
‘Mausam’
or Arabic ‘Mawsim’ refers to the season when ships could sail safely. This
distinctive wind-system of the Indian Ocean region follows a regular pattern:
southwest from May to September; and northeast from November to March. The
English term ‘Monsoon’ came from Portuguese ‘Monção’, ostensibly from Arabic
‘Mawsim’. The etymology of this word signifies the importance of this season to
a variety of seafarers. This intertwining of natural phenomena such as monsoon
winds and the ways in which these were harnessed historically to create
cultural networks form the building blocks of Project ‘Mausam’.
The
endeavour of Project ‘Mausam’ is to position itself at two levels:
1)
At the macro
level it aims to re-connect and re-establish communications between countries
of the Indian Ocean world, which would lead to an enhanced understanding of
cultural values and concerns;
2)
At the micro
level the focus is on understanding national cultures in their regional
maritime milieu.
The
central themes that hold Project ‘Mausam’ together are those of cultural routes
and maritime landscapes that not only linked different parts of the Indian
Ocean littoral, but also connected the coastal centres to their hinterlands.
More importantly shared knowledge systems and ideas spread along these routes
and impacted both coastal centres, and also large parts of the environs.
Project
‘Mausam’ is an exciting, multi-disciplinary project that rekindles long-lost
ties across nations of the Indian Ocean ‘world’ and forges new avenues of cooperation
and exchange. The project, launched by India in partnership with member states,
will enable a significant step in recording and celebrating this important
phase of world history from the African, Arab and Asian-world perspectives.
Themes to be explored:
|
Centres of Learning and Knowledge Networks
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Transformations from the third millennium BCE to the colonial period.
|
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Oral Traditions and Literary Writings
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Conceptualizing the Indian Ocean.
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Movable Heritage and Artefacts
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Inscriptions, memorial stones, archaeological objects.
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Pilgrimage and Religious Travel across the Indian Ocean
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Spices and cultural products linked to it
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Rites, Rituals and Cuisine.
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Objectives:
The
project will have two major units:
(i)
Project Research Unit and
(ii)
World Heritage Nomination Unit.
The
main objective of the project is transnational nomination of Maritime Cultural
Routes, creation of a comprehensive database and UNESCO web platform on
Maritime Cultural Landscapes and Routes and; linking other UNESCO cultural
conventions with the World Heritage convention through this theme. A Research
unit is being set up at IGNCA under the Project ‘Mausam’.
Goals:
|
Reviving lost linkages with nations
|
Countries along the Indian Ocean have shared links with each other
for millennia. Project ‘Mausam’ seeks to transcend present-day national and
ethnic boundaries, documenting and celebrating the common cultural values and
economic ties of the Indian Ocean ‘world’. This will not only strengthen
current ties between countries across the Ocean, but also set a precedent for
new bridges of co-operation and continued relations and interactions.
|
|
Creating links to existing World Heritage sites
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Providing a platform to connect discrete Cultural and Natural World
Heritage sites across the Indian Ocean ‘world’ by providing a cross-cultural,
transnational narrative.
|
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Redefining ‘Cultural Landscapes’
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Identifying gaps in listing of sites and filling in lacuna by
providing a holistic, multi-layered perspective and drawing relationships
between the existing categories of ‘Natural’ and ‘Cultural’ Heritage. This
would redefine the concept of ‘Cultural Landscapes,’ and allow for a fresh,
multi-faceted approach to understanding past and present-day relationships.
|
|
Achieving transnational nomination under World Heritage
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Advocating for ‘Indian Ocean Maritime Routes’ to attain transnational
nomination under World Heritage, increasing scope for visibility, research,
sustainable tourism, heritage development and promoting other Cultural
Conventions across the Indian Ocean region.
|
List of 39 Indian Ocean countries identified under
Project Mausam:
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Bahrain
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Bangladesh
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Cambodia
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China
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Comoros
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Egypt
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Eritrea
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Reunion
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Indonesia
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Iraq
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Iran
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Jordan
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Kuwait
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Kenya
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Lebanon
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Madagascar
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Malaysia
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Maldives
|
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Mauritius
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Mozambique
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Myanmar
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Oman
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Pakistan
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Philippines
|
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Qatar
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Singapore
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Sri Lanka
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Saudi Arabia
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Seychelles
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Somalia
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South Africa
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Sudan
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Syria
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Tanzania
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Thailand
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Turkey
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United Arab Emirates
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Vietnam
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Yemen
|
Apr 28, 2016
[CA] Heart of Asia Conference at Delhi
Heart of Asia Conference –
2016
Venue: New Delhi
Theme: “Addressing Challenges, Achieving Prosperity”
The
Heart of Asia (HoA) conference has begun in New Delhi with the objective of
bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan and speeding up its reconstruction
with a focus on enhancing investment and connectivity to the country. The
conference was attended by officials of a number of countries including
Pakistan.
The
conference was attended by officials of a number of countries including
Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, who deliberated on a host of
issues like combating challenge of extremism and terrorism.
The
key elements of HoA process have been to devise a sustained, incremental
approach to implementation of the confidence building measures (CBM) in
Afghanistan and the officials are set to deliberate on them during the
conference.
Energy,
infrastructure and investment deals to shore up economic growth of Afghanistan
may figure in the talks.
India
hosted the senior officials meeting of the Istanbul process in January 2014 in
New Delhi and is set to host the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the HoA
Process in the last quarter of this year.
Here is the
following speech made by Foreign Secretary, Mr. S. Jaishankar:
·
The theme of this
year’s Heart of Asia process is "Addressing
Challenges, Achieving Prosperity”. As participating countries of the Heart
of Asia Process, the countries in the region are aware that the situation in
Afghanistan, owing to its location at the Heart of Asia, has enormous bearing
on regional peace, security and economic growth. The challenges that
Afghanistan and the Heart of Asia region face are similar. For our stable and
prosperous region, a strong, peaceful, prosperous and democratic Afghanistan is
an imperative. Such an Afghanistan will be a bridge of connectivity between
East and West, and Central and South Asia. That is what Afghanistan was, as
history tells us, and therein lies our future.
·
To achieve
progress and prosperity together, we need to address challenges together. This
is not only in Afghanistan’s interest, but in the interest of the whole of the
Heart of Asia region. It is our collective and individual responsibility to
help and support Afghanistan in combating the challenges it faces to its
stability and security.
·
Democracy has
taken roots in Afghanistan not merely as an institution but as the country’s
way of life. We acknowledge the role of the country’s leadership in steering
Afghanistan through a difficult and challenging phase of witnessing multiple
transitions. These challenges are made all the more daunting amidst violence
unleashed on the Afghan people. We are confident that the efforts of the
leaders and the people of the Afghanistan will ensure peaceful, democratic and
inclusive governance for the whole of the country. Whole-hearted support of the
region in this endeavour, I trust, is available to Afghanistan for building a
glorious future. Excellencies,
·
India feels
honoured to be an active participant in the Heart of Asia Process and also to
be the lead country for the Trade, Commerce and Investment Opportunities CBM of
the Heart of Asia process. This CBM is aimed at more regional economic
interaction and cooperation. The objective is to create conducive conditions
for Afghanistan to thrive on trade and not depend on aid. Creating more
employment opportunities is also important to wean youth lured to narcotics,
extremism, terrorism and other criminal activities. More jobs and economic
avenues in Afghanistan and would create the conducive conditions for Afghans to
stay and contribute to its development. Excellencies,
·
At Islamabad
Ministerial last December, the External Affairs Minister of India had stressed
the importance of connectivity of Afghanistan to regional markets such as
India. She had said that if arteries remain clogged, ‘Heart cannot function
properly’.
·
Connectivity in the region has to be the centrepiece
of all our efforts to enhance trade, commerce and investment among regional
countries. Better connectivity can enable more investment and private sector
participation. It can help fully harness Afghanistan’s trade and transit
potential. It will also serve to tap Afghanistan’s vast natural and human
resources. Afghanistan can emerge as a hub of regional trade and energy
arteries. Afghanistan, Iran and India are waiting to develop trilateral transit
through Chahbahar in Iran. India is also willing to avail of other regional and
trans-regional connectivity initiatives such as the North – South Transport
Corridor and the Ashgabat Agreement.
·
Better regional
economic connectivity will bring growth and prosperity to millions of people in
the region. Better connectivity means more prosperity and more peace and
stability. I request this meeting of Senior Officials of the Heart of Asia
process to examine these aspects and come up with specific suggestions to
enhance connectivity and shared prosperity.
·
I wish that the
Senior Officials Meeting will have a stimulating and productive interaction. I
do hope to see you in India for the Sixth Ministerial Conference later this
year.
About the conference:
·
The Heart of
Asia-Istanbul Process presents a new vision of cooperation and confidence
building for the region with Afghanistan at its centre.
·
The Heart of
Asia-Istanbul Process articulates a set of principles, such as respect for
sovereignty and territorial integrity, and promoting cooperation in the areas
of common challenges and shared interests in the region.
·
It provides a
platform for discussing key regional issues among participating states.
·
Since its
inception in 2011, the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process has been lead by two
co-chairs: Afghanistan as a permanent co-chair, and one of the Heart of Asia
countries hosting the annual ministerial meeting as the co-chair.
·
As permanent
co-chair of this regional process, Afghanistan has been recognized as the main
focal point/ coordinator of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process.
The 14 participating countries in HoA process
are|
Afghanistan
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Azerbaijan
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China
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India
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Iran
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Kazakhstan
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Kyrgyzstan
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Pakistan
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Russia
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Saudi Arabia
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Tajikistan
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Turkey
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Turkmenistan
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UAE
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Supporting Countries
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Australia
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Canada
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Denmark
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Egypt
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Finland
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France
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Germany
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Italy
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Iraq
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Japan
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Norway
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Poland
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Spain
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Sweden
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UK
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US
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European Union
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Apr 26, 2016
[CA] Important Points @ Glance - Part 2
IMPORTANT POINTS @ GLANCE –
PART 2
v
President Pranab
Mukherjee recently inaugurated the war monument at Khongjom in Manipur on the
occasion of the 125th anniversary of the last battle of independence of the
Manipuris against the British army.
v
A huge 9,300 sq
km coral reef
system has been found below the muddy waters off the mouth of the
river Amazon. The 600-mile-long (nearly 966 kilometer) reef ranges from about
30-120 m deep and stretches from French Guiana to Brazil’s Maranhao state.
v
National Panchayati Raj Day (National Local Self-Government day) was celebrated
across the country on 24 April annually. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has
been celebrating the National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD) on 24 April since 2010, as on this day, the 73rd
Constitutional Amendment came into force in 1993.
v
The Indian
Olympic Association (IOA) has declared Salman Khan as the first Bollywood celebrity to be
the goodwill
ambassador for the Indian contingent at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics scheduled
to start on August 5, 2016. Sport veteran Milka Singh and Wrestler Yogeshwar
Dutt criticized for appointing cine star as goodwill ambassador for the much
coveted sporting event.
v
As many as 175 countries,
including India, China and the US, signed the Paris Agreement on climate change
at the UN headquarters in New York on 22nd April, to coincide with
‘International Mother Earth Day’. [That such a large number of countries signed
the agreement in a single day is significant. The previous record for the most
countries to sign an international agreement on one day was set in 1982, when
119 countries signed the 'Law of the Sea Convention'.]
v
China’s President
Xi Jinping has taken on a new military title, in his latest move to exert
greater control over the armed forces. Mr. Xi is now Commander-in-Chief of the Joint Battle Command of
the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
v
The commerce and
industry ministry has launched a ‘Twitter Seva’ to address queries and grievances on
matters relating to the ministry. Through this Twitter Seva, queries on matters
relating to Department of Commerce (DoC) and Department of Industrial Policy
and Promotion (DIPP) will be answered.
v
The Union Cabinet
has given its approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
between India
and Bhutan on technical cooperation in the field of capacity building,
benchmarking and bilateral exchange in infrastructure engineering.
The MoU will provide an Umbrella for educational, scientific & technical
research and environment protection which are also stated aim of the
India-Bhutan foundation established in August 2003.
v
The Union Cabinet
has given its approval for operationalisation of new Indian Institute of
Science Education and Research (IISER) at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
v
Europe has become the world’s first region
to wipe out malaria, with zero cases
reported last year. The number of indigenous malaria cases dropped to zero in
2015 from 90,712 in 1995, and the last cases were reported in Tajikistan in
2014.
Apr 25, 2016
[CA] Measures taken by EC for Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, 2016
Election Commission Measures for 2016 TN Elections
Measures
taken by the Commission for control of illegal money during General Elections
to the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu- 2016
Ø
With a view to
curb use of black money and likely inducement of Voters in the Assembly
Election, 2016 comprehensive instructions have been issued by the Commission,
which include formation of flying squads, static surveillance teams, video
surveillance teams etc. with involvement of Police and other agencies such as
Investigation Directorates of Income Tax Department, Customs etc. State Excise Departments and Police
authorities have been asked to monitor production, distribution, sale and
storage of liquor and other intoxicants during the election process.
Ø
702 flying squads
have been deployed in the state from the date of announcement of the elections
i.e. 4th March 2016. 712 Static
surveillance teams have also been deployed in all constituencies. Complaints
relating to transportation of illegal cash, liquor, narcotics are being monitored
round the clock.
Ø
The notification
for General Elections to Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly was issued on 22nd
April 2016, and to prevent abuse of money power, the Election Commission of
India has taken several proactive steps and has involved different enforcement
agencies, including the Investigation Wing of the Income tax Dept., which have
made elaborate arrangements across the state for taking prompt action including
conduct of search and seizure operations.
Ø
As per report
received from the Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu, on 22nd April 2016, the
Income Tax Investigation Wing in Tamil Nadu carried out search and seizure
operations in and around Chennai. The search based on intelligence developed by
the Investigation Wing has resulted in seizure of Rs. 5.2 crore cash
(approximately). The money seized was not related to normal business activity
of the group and major part of it is suspected to be linked with hawala
operations and was likely to be used in the upcoming election of Tamil Nadu.
Ø
On the same day,
i.e. 22nd April 2016, based on a tip-off, the Investigation Wing also conducted
a search at Karur District in Tamil Nadu and recovered Rs. 4.77 crore in cash.
Goods worth over one crore rupees in the form of dhotis and sarees etc,
suspected to be used for inducement of voters, were found in the premise and
the same has been placed under restraint.
Ø
In addition, the
Flying Squad in Coimbatore South Assembly Constituency seized an amount of
Rupees 1.35 crore in the morning of 22nd April 2016 from two passengers
travelling by an interstate bus, who were carrying the cash without any
supporting advance.
Ø
Prior to this an
amount of Rupees 35.66 Crore had been seized in Tamil Nadu by various
expenditure monitoring teams after announcement of elections in March 2016. The
Commission has directed vigilance and monitoring to be stepped up across the
state in the run up to the elections and number of such search and seizure
actions will be further intensified to curb any such unaccounted money gaining
access to the electoral process. Movement of cash, liquor and gift items will
be strictly monitored. Strict action will be taken against persons attempting
to induce voters by bribing. The Commission has directed all enforcement
agencies in unequivocal terms that they should come down heavily on the offenders
in all such cases. Prejudiced conduct of
any member of election expenditure monitoring team will also be viewed very
seriously and strict action will be taken against such erring personnel.
Ø
The Commission
has further strengthened its strategy for dealing with the misuse of money in
the elections. This, inter alia, involve increase in the number of Flying
Squads and SSTs, inclusion of officials from the Central Govt and Central PSUs
in the Flying Squad Teams, deployment of Central Police Forces personnel
including in the Flying Squads etc. Teams of Special Observers have been
deployed in the state to review the preparedness. Further, the number of
Expenditure Observers has been increased several times. Probationary Officers
of the Indian Police Service will also be deployed in each district to actively
participate in Expenditure Monitoring and operation of the Flying Squads.
Ø
The Commission
has also directed to mount the campaign for ethical voting and encourage
members of political parties, candidates and voters at large to take pledge for
ethical voting.
Election Commission has roped Twitter and
Facebook to create awareness on the importance of voting.|
TAMIL NADU: Legislative Assembly Elections 2016
|
|
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Total Assembly
Seats
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234
|
|
For SCs
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44
|
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For ST2
|
2
|
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VVPAT
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17
|
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Filing Nomination
|
April 22, 2016
|
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End of Nomination
|
April 29, 2016
|
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Date of Poll
|
May 16, 2016
|
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Result
|
May 19, 2016
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