With elections around the corner, everyone, the general mass to the political parties, everyone is eagerly waiting for the results. This result takes some time to come out, and before they do, the media houses and newspapers conduct exit polls to get a better idea of who the voter actually voted. Just like before the election, an opinion poll is held, where the voters are asked whom they are going to vote for, exit polls are done after the voter has voted. To understand the perks of an exit poll you first need to know what are exit polls and also how accurate they are. In other words, the voter is asked whom they have actually voted for. It is conducted to gain an early indication as to how an election has turned out.

What are exit polls used for?

Just like any other poll conducted, exit polls to have various purposes, and that is to collect demographic data about the voters and to find out why they voted as they did. Since the actual votes are cast anonymously In secret, this is the only way of collecting information like this. After the information has been obtained, it is used as a check against, roughly indicating the degree of election fraud, if any. They are also used to see if a particular political campaign was successful enough or not. Exit polls have a lot of advantages like they can help estimate how the national voting pattern has changed, and also how the distribution of votes have changed in a particular constituency by comparing the result with previous exit polls. In spite of such these significant advantages, exit polls have some disadvantages or problems which cannot be unseen.

When you think as to what are exit polls unpopular for? You should know a few essential things. Like all opinion polls, exit polls by nature have a margin of error. Apart from the inadequate choice of demographic data and poor choice of sampling, exit polls miss out people who voted through postal ballot or any other form of absentee voting. The result might see a different fate when the absentee voting comes into play. Since exit polls are just obtained from people physically appearing to vote, the absentee vote might reveal a different verdict altogether, and exit polls are seen to be inaccurate then. Exit polls might sound easy to conduct, but a lot of things have to be kept in mind before conducting one. The distribution of voters is not even across different polling stations and also varies at different times during the day. As a result, a single exit poll might produce an imperfect analogy of the national vote. 

Exit polls also prove to influence elections since when the exit poll results have appeared, it has provided a basis for projecting winners before the real polls have closed. Some countries, including the United Kingdom and Germany, have made it a criminal offence to release exit poll figures before all polling stations have been closed, and some others like Singapore, have banned exit poll reveals altogether.

Since we discussed how exit poll results have shown bias and changed a verdict because of its influence on voters, for political parties, exit poll result can have both good and bad implications. If the result is in their favour, that might just help their chances to win; otherwise, it might have the opposite effect and help their opponent win. Keeping that aside, exit poll results should only be revealed, if they have to be revealed, only after the election is over, that way the election is fair and has no bias making the decision truly anonymous without any influence on it.

A political campaign is an organized effort, put together to influence the decision-making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, by which representatives are chosen.

A campaign team can comprise of as less as just one inspired individual or a heavily resourced group of professionals. One essential purpose of a campaign team is that they much know how to communicate the message of the election campaign, raise money and recruit volunteers. There are various ways to advertise a political campaign, borrowing techniques from commercial advertising and propaganda. These techniques are bundled up into a formal strategy known as the campaign plan. The plan takes into account the campaign's goal, message, resources available and the target audience.

Across the world, the environment around political campaigns is changing at an astonishing rate. With the introduction of online media and various other modes of political advertising and promotion, the change is no surprise at all.

Given below are a few recent trends in political campaigning- 

• The ever-increasing volatility of the electorate- With the introduction of many new candidates, who are popular with the ‘new-age’ voters, election campaigns can no longer as reliably count on the support of loyal, regular voters. A party, therefore, has to continually re-invent itself, innovate and win the support of voters every day anew. It also makes the development of a coherent and timely message even more important: A campaign has to give its target voters a reason why they should vote for their candidate or their party, and not one of the competing ones. This is also a challenge for new parties, which sometimes are very successful at the outset, but then find it challenging to sustain that success. 

• New challenges for public opinion research- Related to the development of an appealing and timely message is the importance of public opinion research. The recent years have seen a good deal of talk in the last few years, about the challenges faced by survey research professionals. However, the polling industry is facing new and old challenges. The new ones have a lot to do with the changing lifestyles of voters, the old ones with the hesitation to spend on solid research designs and the incompetence of many with respect to the interpretation of the data. Now more than ever, good public opinion research has a lot to do with listening to voters. In that respect, focus group discussions remain one of the great tools political professionals have to really understand the concerns of voters.

• Authenticity wins elections - Since everyone sees political candidates say something in their campaigns and not keep their word when they are elected. This is why voters have been craving for the real deal these days. They are ready to forget and forgive a lot of their candidate’s character flaws and other shortcomings as long as they are getting the real deal shown in campaigns.

• Digitalization is changing political campaigns- The influence of social media alone on election campaigns has been huge these past few years. The fact that everyone is becoming dependent on their phones for a variety of things and not just for communication purposes, from getting daily news to checking the time, everything is being done digitally. In the past couple of years, politics has found its way in too. Advertises and questionnaires, online polls have started appearing on the web, due to increased use of the internet, which has become a valuable fundraising tool. Apart from that, there are phone calls, SMS, emails sent, reminding everyone to vote. Nowadays, basically everybody is online, and an increasing number of people are more or less permanently online. This has significant consequences regarding the speed of our communication and the diversity of the channels and tools we use. Social media allows citizens to call their leaders out immediately, and to share quotes and footage, which clearly demonstrate that digitalization is changing campaigns.

• Experience is less important- The world is changing so fast that younger leaders may be better positioned to understand current challenges. Indeed, there are several leaders who fit the category of the so-called slim fit politicians. This doesn’t mean the experience has become unimportant for voters, but rather that we are no longer in a situation where more experience is always better, meaning that a candidate needs to convince voters that he or she is able to do the job. Once a candidate can make that case and can pass that threshold, other criteria become more critical, and comparatively, young age can even be an advantage. One might say, instead of a lot of experience with not much credibility, a voter in today's day age will look for a signature accomplishment and a political offer that was appealing to many voters.

The five trends mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to political campaign trends that have come out in these recent years. There are many new trends which have already shown significant influence on how an election campaign is marketed these days and many more which are yet to make an impact. All trends are going to be essential and useful for campaigning as long as the message of the campaign is shared with the voters in a proper manner, and these trends have such a broad reach. Since more people get to know about these campaigns with the trends in the recent days, these trends are found to be useful to not only the candidate but the voters as they get to know a lot more about the political party and their candidate. The candidates because they get to know about what the voters desire and need in a much easier way.

Most political parties even hire political consultants in India to carry out the political rallies for them. As a result, the parties will not have to look into all the small aspects of the rally, and it will still be conducted in a better way. You can avail the services of the Leadtech firm which is a top political consulting firm in the country. You can organize a rally, but there are a few things that you will need to consider and follow for the better rally and results of the rally. Here are some of the tips for a healthy rally:

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-          Ensure that the rally is perfect for you and your party

-          Plan the various details from the location to the sound and others

-          Market the rally event

-          Don’t miss out on the grassroots

These are the various things that you should keep in mind while you are organizing a rally. The political consultants in India will be able to organize a robust rally for your party. This is a beneficial aspect and can help your political campaigning scene in multifaceted ways. You can benefit a lot from proper organizing of the rally before an election.

Benefits of a Rally before an Election

There are many various benefits that you can avail from the rally before an election, and that is a great benefit for you. This is a function that the top political consultants in India avail to you and you can avail the services of the top-notch companies like Leadtech. Here are the various benefits of the rally before the elections.

• Better Awareness to the Voters – Through a rally, you can better aware the voters. This is one of the conventional means of campaigning. This is a great way for you to enhance the working process of the party's campaign. Through a better awareness of the voters, the party will have better publicity.
  
  
• The portrayal of the Unity and Agenda – Through a rally a party can portray their agenda in short bits, and even the unity can be shown. This is where the party members and the supporters come together for a better understanding of each other.
  
  
• Enhanced Brand Value and Reputation – Through a rally, a party can better their value and reputation in a significant manner. The rally will help bring a great and beneficial array of features of reputation to your party.
  
  
• Force Advertisement – The rallies can have an intimidating factor for the oppositions, and this can also play at a mental level. This rally when organized and executed correctly and successfully it has the capacity to intimidate a few of the oppositions.
  
  
• Include Voters in the Rally - Through a rally, you can better involve the voters and supporter into the party. You can ensure their votes through the rally. This is a beneficial aspect and when the rally is done in a proper way you can have better security of the number of voters.
  
  
• Connect with the Voters – Through the connection that you or your party has with the voters you can better understand the public opinion, and this is the best form of feedback for your campaign. Based on this you can proceed with the other aspects of your campaign.
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These are the various benefits of the rally before an election, and through them, you and your party can benefit in multiple ways. These benefits can be a great boon for the party and the fact that rallies are held and organized before an election is that the people or the potential voters remember the reputation.

Thirty-eight, Ashoka Road, in the heart of Lutyens' Delhi, is as good a place as any to start a political campaign. There are sentries at the gate; an office staff that knows exactly whom to usher into which waiting room; a driveway that can accommodate multiple flag-staffed cars; and a name plate out front that bears the legend: 'Rajnath Singh'. But it's not the BJP president alone whose campaign is being planned from this bungalow in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. A number of constituencies are being surveyed for his son Pankaj Singh, 34, a kurta-pyjama wearing general secretary in BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit. Chandauli, near Varanasi, currently held by Ramkishun Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, has so far emerged as the front-runner. "The final decision," Pankaj says, of course, "will be taken by the party."

Barely three kilometres away, Gaurav Gogoi has converted a corner table at Khan Market's Latitude cafe into a makeshift office. Answering emails on his laptop, he looks up every once in a while to order fresh lime with mint leaves thrown in. Gaurav, 31, son of Assam's three-time Congress Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, has views on a variety of subjects-agriculture, poverty alleviation, information technology. He has a degree in public administration from New York University and has worked as a farm hand in a ranch in Arkansas. He runs two non-profits in Guwahati. With next year's General Elections looming, Gaurav is eager for a ticket. "I can't say I am a candidate," he says. "That call," of course, "depends on the party."

Pankaj and Gaurav are two of at least 28 beta-beti politicians who are preparing to claim what they believe is their birthright-an opportunity to carry forward the family legacy in 2014. They come from almost every political party: Congress to BJP, Samajwadi Party to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Trinamool Congress to National Conference, Telugu Desam to DMK, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). And they hail from all corners of India: Tamil Nadu to Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan to Assam, and the heartland of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. "Forget dynasty," says sociologist Shiv Visvanathan, professor at the O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonepat, and senior fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi. "We have now entered the era of oligarchy."

This oligarchy, where power is centred within a few families of which every son considers himself an heir apparent and every daughter and sometimes daughter-in-law a queen-in- waiting, is today India's fastest growing political organism. One hundred and fifty-six members of the 545-member Lok Sabha are currently from political families. That's 29 per cent, as Patrick French noted in his 2011 book India: A Portrait. What's more damaging is that the percentages rise dramatically as the MPs get younger. French discovered that every member of Parliament under the age of 30 had inherited a seat. That 65 per cent between the ages of 31 and 40, and 36.8 per cent between the ages of 41 and 50 were from political families, and that the nepotism vs age graph rose in a perfect, linear trend. If the trend continues, it is possible that most members would be in Parliament by heredity alone. India would be back where it began from-ruled by a hereditary monarch and assorted princelings.

In Shyamla Hills, Bhopal's elite neighbourhood-by-the-lake, Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh's son Jaivardhan is looking sharp in his black Jawahar jacket. A product of The Doon School, Dehradun, and Columbia University, New York, the 27-year-old is polite to a fault. He addresses everyone he meets as "Sir" or "Ma'am" and waits until they've sipped their tea before taking a sip from his own cup. Tipped to contest his first election from the Raghogarh Assembly constituency, where his father had first won in 1977, Jaivardhan talks about "development experiments" that will make his native town a model for the rest of India to follow. "Every five years, you face a test," he says, trying to play down the advantages of being a dynast. "If you fail, you stand vanquished."

Security Blanket

Fifteen years Jaivardhan's senior, Salman Anees Soz is another new Congress entrant. Son of the party's Jammu & Kashmir unit chief Saifuddin Soz, Salman gave up his job with the World Bank in 2012 to move back from the US after 18 years.

An MBA from Yale University who dresses in well-cut suits to break the monotony of the garden variety khadi-clad leader, Salman says he has never felt the need to "don a mask".

His entry into politics, he insists, is not as the legatee of his ageing father's 30-year political career. "Being part of a dynasty is not a big deal in today's world.

I'm bringing with me a whole lot in terms of training and experience," he says. But Salman's sudden foray into the Kashmir political spectrum highlights how easy it was for him to step from capital loans to netagiri.

A bit like how Tejaswi Yadav gave up dreams of playing cricket for India, added some meat to his cheeks, covered it with a fuzzy beard, replaced his flannels with khadi, and assumed his place by the side of his former chief minister parents Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi.

Tejaswi, only 24, famous for never playing a match for ipl's Delhi Daredevils during his five-year association with them, is helping modernise his father's rustic rjd. A commerce graduate, he now waxes eloquent on the "sorry state of education in Bihar".

Tejaswi shies away from conversations about his political future but the word on the street is that rjd is waiting for him to come of age. Politics is a convenient security blanket for all our young dynasts.

Transferred Charisma

The first of many problems with this passing on of political legacy is that it reduces the celebrated search for "worthy candidates" into a farce. Parties rely on transferred charisma rather than democratically choosing a new representative who might best serve the needs of the constituency. It renders local talent pools meaningless, throwing up pretenders with limited credentials who have the opportunity, the money, the knowhow and the wherewithal to run a successful campaign with the might of their party behind them. Take Chirag Paswan for instance. For a man who believed he was born to be a film star, the 30-year-old Chirag's rushed entry into his father Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP after his debut film Miley Naa Miley Hum (2011) sank without a trace, surprised almost no one. Film career floundering? So what, there is always politics to fall back on. One year into the field, Chirag's Bollywood looks and confident public speaking are being seen by his partymen as tools that can revitalise the struggling ljp. On his part, Chiraj says he's realised, even if belatedly, that "politics is in my blood".

"The direction of change," says social commentator Santosh Desai, "is of the political family as a business house that is trying to best leverage its assets. The leader owns a constituency that he has created, and believes that he has a right to pass it on to whomever he pleases." But unlike a lawyer passing on his practice, or a doctor willing his clinic, this asset being transferred is intangible and presumptive in nature. Young politicians don't have to pass the bar or a medical entrance exam to get in. They can be a former cricketer like Tejaswi; a former actor like Chirag; a 29-year-old international economics graduate like jailed former Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna's daughter Divya; or a 25-year-old llb like BSP leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui's son Afzal. The argument these aspirants offer in defence of their credentials is that they still need to win elections. But the great advantage, once elected, is that their performance is not measured in terms of how many cases they lose, how many patients they're unable to save, or how many of their films flop.

Pankaj Singh.

Pankaj Singh

Son of BJP President Rajnath Singh

Education MBA from Amity University, Noida

He was first exposed to politics in 2000, when he campaigned for his father in the Assembly polls. General secretary of BJP in Uttar Pradesh and observer for Purvanchal region, Pankaj is likely to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Chandauli.

"My father told me that I should join politics only when I am serious about serving people." - Rajnath Singh

Jaivardhan Singh.

Jaivardhan Singh

Son of Digvijaya Singh, AICC general secretary and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister

Education Has a postgraduate degree from Columbia University, US

Set to contest Assembly polls from his father's pocket borough Raghogarh.

"Dynastic politics exists in a small form across party lines." - Jaivardhan Singh

Gaurav Gogoi.

Gaurav Gogoi

Son of Tarun Gogoi, Assam chief minister

Education Postgraduate in Public Administration from New York University

He is being spoken of as a possible candidate for Kaliabor Lok Sabha seat, currently held by uncle Dip Gogoi.

"Coming from a political family doesn't guarantee a victory in the elections. It's about performance." - Tarun Gogoi

Tejaswi Yadav.

Tejaswi Yadav

"Mera Beta toh lantern (RJD election symbol) hi uthayega na." - Lalu Yadav

Chirag Paswan.

Chirag Paswan

Son of LJP President Ram Vilas Paswan Education BTech in Computer Applications

Entered politics early this year after his 2011 Bollywood debut Miley Naa Miley Hum sank without a trace. Partymen hope his public speaking skills will shore up LJP's fortunes after a dismal show in the 2009 Lok Sabha and 2010 Assembly elections.

"Being my son, Chirag may have had an easy start. But he needs to surmount bigger challenges to prove himself." - Ram Vilas Paswan

Akshay Yadav.

Akshay Yadav

Son of Samajwadi Party General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav

Education MBA from Amity University, Noida

Cousin of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Akshay is set to take on Congress MP and filmstar Raj Babbar in Firozabad Lok Sabha constituency in the 2014 polls. Earlier he was in charge of several election campaigns including those of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh. His target: "To take Samajwadi Party to its peak."

"Politics is in his blood though I did not think he would join politics. It was his decision." - Ram Gopal Yadav

Afzal Siddiqui.

Afzal Siddiqui

Son of BSP National General Secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui

Education Indian Public School, Dehradun, and

BA and LLB from Amity University, Noida

He was in charge of nearly 50 rallies Mayawati addressed across Uttar Pradesh during the 2011 Assembly polls.The BSP chief announced him as the party's Lok Sabha candidate for Fatehpur in 2014 even before he turned 25.

"Afzal is a loyal BSP worker. After seeing his hard work, Behenji (Mayawati) decided to give him a ticket." - Naseemuddin Siddiqui

Saifuddin Soz with son Salman.

Salman Anees Soz

Son of Saifuddin Soz, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress

Education Delhi Public School, RK Puram, and Burn Hall in Srinagar; graduation from St Stephen's College, Delhi; MBA from Yale and a postgraduate in economics from Northeastern University, US

In 2012, he gave up a rewarding career at the World Bank to move back from the US after 18 years and join politics.

"I don't think Salman will ever need me to climb any ladder. He is highly competent and a man of great integrity." - Saifuddin Soz

Chandrababu Naidu with son Lokesh.

Nara Lokesh

Son of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu

Education Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Public School, Hyderabad; graduation from Carnegie Mellon University and MBA from Stanford University, US

Joined TDP in May and now heads the youth wing. Mostly confines himself to his father's native Chittoor district. Is always armed with an iPad and hyperactive on Twitter.

"It is for him to decide what kind of role he wants to play in politics." - N. Chandrababu Naidu

Dushyant Chautala.

Dushyant Chautala

Son of Ajay Singh Chautala and grandson of ex-Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala

Education The Lawrence School, Sanawar; graduation from California State University

With both father and grandfather in jail after conviction in a corruption case, Dushyant may contest Lok Sabha polls if they are held after he turns 25 or the Assembly polls for sure later in 2014.

"I have been around my father and grandfather for years and I can tell you that winning peoples' hearts is a very hard job." - Om Prakash Chautala

Parvesh Verma

Son of Sahib Singh Verma, former Delhi chief minister

Education DPS, RK Puram; graduation from Kirori Mal College, Delhi; MBA from Fore School of Management, Delhi

He was not included in the new team of Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel but an outcry in the Jat community, that he belongs to, forced BJP President Rajnath Singh to include him in the national executive. Parvesh is eyeing his father's constituency, Shalimar Bagh, for the Assembly elections.

"It's the people of Delhi, especially from the villages, who wanted me after my fathers death." - Sahib Singh Verma

Amit Jogi

Son of Ajit Jogi, former chief minister of Chhattisgarh

Education Modern School, Barakhamba Road, Delhi; postgraduation from JNU and LLB from SKTD Law College, Raipur

He joined politics "to reach out to the people's court after being "falsely implicated in a murder case in 2005. Wants to contest Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh this year-end."

"In six out of 10 cases globally, sons take father's profession. But no father can win the mandate for the son." - Ajit Jogi

K. Kavitha

Daughter of Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao

Education BTech from Vignana Jyothi Engineering College, Hyderabad; MSc in computer sciences from University of Southern Mississippi, US

She heads Telangana Jagruthi, the cultural vanguard of TRS launched in 2008, and specialises in mobilising women for party protest programmes.

"I respect her individual decision to launch Telangana Jagruthi and making it a driving force." - K. Chandrasekhara Rao

Akash Vijayvargiya

Son of Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya

Education Postgraduation from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, US

Senior Vijayvargiya is expected to contest Lok Sabha polls next year, leaving his Assembly constituency, Mhow, for Akash.

"I have joined politics as it is a very big platform to serve my country and religion." - Kailash Vijayvargiya

Big Words, Little Action

Over the last few months, leaders of both the premier political parties, Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi, have spoken out against politics becoming a family business. Rahul had first raised the issue in 2008, when he'd said in Rampur, Uttarakhand: "I would not have been here if I was not from a political family... If you do not have money, a family or friends, you cannot enter politics. I want to change this." In his speech to the Confederation of Indian Industry on April 4, he spoke of how the answer to the country's problems was political parties encouraging rural Indians to rise through its ranks. Rahul attempted to democratise the Youth Congress and the National Students' Union of India by framing new eligibility rules in 2008, which has resulted in several new faces coming forward. Forty-five-year-old Girish Chodankar, the son of a vegetable vendor who started as a booth-level worker, rose to become president of the Goa Youth Congress and then a secretary in the All India Congress Committee.

But someone who inherently derives power from the family he's born into talking about the flaws of dynasty is a contradiction in terms. This is perhaps why Rahul Gandhi's party remains the most susceptible to 'hereditary' candidates. Of the 28 first-time aspirants featured in this story, 13 are from Congress alone.

On July 14, at a public rally in Pune, Modi said: "The dynastic politics followed by the Congress in the last 60 years has completely crushed the hopes and aspirations of the common man." This was in line with his earlier comments, where he said the Congress's hereditary model was breeding "termites" that were eating the country from within. These statements suggested his party was free from this system of passing the baton. But the ground reality is that while not on the same scale as the Congress, BJP too has its fair share of local dynasts, with many others waiting in the wings. These include Pankaj Singh, former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma's 35-year-old son Parvesh, bjp MLA Mangal Prabat Lodha's son Abhinandan, 32, and Akash, 28, the son of BJP's Madhya Pradesh leader Kailash Vijayvargiya.

Another such leader is former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khurana's son Harish. Fondly called "2G", or second generation, by the party's Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and "Junior" by the party's Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, the 39-year-old Harish is the media chief for the Delhi BJP. "I have seen it all during my father's career-the highs and the lows. That's why power doesn't fascinate me," he says. Eyeing the Moti Nagar Assembly constituency in the forthcoming polls, he insists his style of politics is different from his father's. "He did politics with heart and emotions. Today, you need to be smart and aggressive instead."

We Are Family

Among all the young dynasts, Gaurav Gogoi is the only one who agrees that "there are too many families in politics". "This," he adds hastily, "is symptomatic of how we are as a people. Family is important for us. The political landscape is simply a representation of a country where children often do what their parents had done before them. Politics can't be the only area where change happens."

Experts see the invasion of political children as leaders simply cloning themselves to fortify their empires. It's not to say that the political sons and daughters don't modernise. They often go to better schools than their parents, and get exposed to new ideas at younger ages. In fact, it's hard to find fault with a number of individual cases. Only when they stack up do the figures reveal the true nature of the beast (see map).

Ironically, the rise in second- and third-generation politicians is in contrast with the data of the last two decades, which shows that traditional Indian families are shrinking. Census numbers show that 44 per cent urban and 53 per cent rural households have more than four family members, as opposed to about 50 per cent and 60 per cent ten years ago. But while our families are becoming more nuclear, political clans are sprouting, aligning and realigning in a post-Mandal-Mandir polity that has given rise to regional parties.

Today's political legatees are getting younger, hungrier, more organised. Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Ajay Chautala's son, Dushyant, for example, hit the campaign trail for the first time when he was eight years old with his great-grandfather Devi Lal in Rohtak in 1996. Now, at 24, he's hoping the General Elections will be held in the second half of next year so that he is eligible to contest. "I connect with the youth easily. I help them with jobs in both the government and private sector. But let me tell you," he warns, "winning peoples' hearts is not easy. It's a very, very hard job."

Supporters say he would win hands down in his father's Assembly constituency, Dabwali, or in any other inld rural stronghold.

So as the numbers grow, as the faces get younger, and as these families get intertwined over time through personal and professional alliances, there is a danger that they will lead to two clear divisions: The blue-blooded ruling class and the rest. An insidious overlap of Page 1 and Page 3 in which no outsider will have a chance of breaking in.

source:http://indiatoday.intoday.in

Election Commission directs all State district collectors to set up district level panels to monitor paid news
3rd July

In the wake of increasing incidence of paid news and upcoming Rajasthan Assembly polls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed all State district collectors to set up district-level Media Certification and Monitoring Committee. ECI has also recommended an amendment to the Representation of People’s Act, 1951, to include paid news as a corrupt practice.

What will be the role of the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee?

The Media Certification and Monitoring Committee is part of a three-tier apparatus — at the District, State and Central level. The Committee will be engaged in suo motu as well as complaint-based monitoring of paid news. If it is established that a candidate has paid for news, the amount paid will be included in his/her election expenditure and he/she will have to furnish this expenditure to the returning officer within 30 days of the elections.

India-Russia talks cut no ice on nuclear liability

No progress could be made b/w India and Russia on the issue of nuclear liability. The talks were held b/w Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chief R.K. Sinha and Russia’s nuclear corporation Rosatom head, Sergei Kiriyenko.

What is the issue?

Russia is building nuclear reactors in India at Kudankulam. India wants Russia to place the new reactors under its Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages Act, 2010, which holds the operator wholly liable in the event of an accident, gives it a right of recourse against suppliers if the accident is caused by defective equipment. Whereas, Russians refer to the Indo-Russia inter-government agreement of 2008, which makes the operator alone liable for possible damages at Units 3-6 to be built at Kudankulam. This issue has stalled signing of contract for the construction of Units 3 and 4 at the Kudankulam nuclear power project.

India to host 2016 World T20 and 2023 ODI World Cup
3rd July

As per the announcement made by the International Cricket Council (ICC), India will host the World T20 in 2016 and the 50-over World Cup in 2023.

The Champions Trophy, the last edition of which was won by India recently has been replaced with World Test Championship,the first edition of which will be held in England and Wales in June-July 2017. India will host its 2nd edition in February-March 2021.

ICC agreed on the following:

    Full members of the ICC will play a minimum of 16 tests over a four-year period.
    In order to ensure that all ODIs player over the four-year cycle b/w World Cups count towards a team’s ranking, the ODIs ranking period will be changed from three years to four years.
    In order to bring consistency, the calculations of the T20 ranking will be changed to cover the same period.
    The date of the annual ICC Rankings update will be changed to May 1 rather than August 1.

Najeeb Jung appointed as new Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi
3rd July

President Pranab Mukherjee appointed Najeeb Jung (62), former Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, as the new Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi. He will replace Tejendra Khanna.

Mr. Jung had joined the Indian Administrative Services in 1973 and served at various positions at the Centre and Madhya Pradesh. He had quit IAS after serving as Joint Secretary (Exploration) in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Other Key Appointments:

    Former Delhi Police commissioner K K Paul appointed as Meghalaya governor replacing Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary.
    Punjab Congress chief Virendra Kataria has been appointed as LG of Puducherry succeeding Iqbal Singh.
    Lt Gen (retired) A K Singh replaced Lt Gen (retired) Bhopinder Singh as LG of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

U.N. peacekeeping forces to take over from French troops in Mali
3rd July

United Nations peacekeeping force will take over from African troops in conflict-scarred Mali. A 12,600-strong force will take over security duties from French troops who entered Mali in January 2013. France had sent troops to the country to recapture two key towns from al-Qaeda linked Islamists holding Mali’s north. The move was backed by the UN.

The majority of his soldiers will be Africans already stationed in Mali but China has offered to supply more than 500 troops, its biggest contribution to U.N. peacekeeping. Other nations including Sweden, Bangladesh and Norway will also contribute their troops in the UN forces. The U.N. mission is due to play a significant role in presidential polls announced for July 28, 2013.

Supreme Court: If a cheque from joint a/c bounces, liability is on person signing cheque

3rd July

The Supreme Court has held that in case of issuance of cheque from joint accounts, only the person who signs the cheque can be prosecuted in a cheque bouncing case under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The other joint account members cannot be held culpable unless the cheque has been signed by them also. As per the apex court, the proceedings filed under Section 138 cannot be used as an arm twisting tactics to recover the amount allegedly due from the appellant.

The court clarified that the culpability attached to dishonour of a cheque can, in no case except in case of Section 141 of the N.I. Act (offences by companies), be extended to those on whose behalf the cheque is issued. This Court reiterates that it is only the drawer of the cheque who can be made an accused in any proceeding under Section 138 of the Act.

Distinguishing Individual and Company:

The court distinguished b/w individuals and companies and held that Section 141 of the N.I. Act is an instance of specific provision that in case an offence under Section 138 is committed by a company, the criminal liability for dishonor of a cheque will extend to the officers of the company. In case of the company, the officers of the company, who are accountable for the acts done in the name of the company, can be made accused for the acts which result in criminal action being taken against the company.

Fact Box: IRNSS-1A
3rd July

ISRO successfully launches IRNSS-1A: India’s first navigation satellite

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully launched IRNSS-1A on PSLV C 22 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. It was for the first time ISRO has launched an India satellite at almost midnight taking into account the orbit and inclination at which the satellite will be injected into the space and the season of launch. Total seven satellites of the IRNSS constellation will be launched and the full constellation will be up during 2014 timeframe. The entire IRNSS satellite constellation will compromise of three satellites geostationary orbits and four in inclined geosynchronous orbits, of which IRNSS-1A is the first one.

Factbox: IRNSS-1A

    IRNSS expands to Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System.
    India’s first dedicated Indian Navigation Satellite System and has a life span of around 10 years.
    Placed in an inclined geosynchronous orbit at 55 degree East longitude with an inclined orbit of 29 degrees with respect to the equator.
    Positioned at 36,000 Kms altitude.
    It is intended to provide terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation services and help in disaster and fleet management.
    To provide accurate position information service for terrestrial (cars, goods transport, buses) aerial (flights) and maritime (shipping) navigation for users in India as well as neighbouring regions extending up to 1,500 km from India’s borders/boundaries, which will be its primary service area.

It will provide two types of services:

    Standard Positioning Service (SPS) for all users
    Restricted Service (RS), an encrypted service provided only to authorized users.

Applications of IRNSS:
Terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management, integration with mobile phones, precise timing, mapping and geodetic data capture, terrestrial navigation aid for hikers and travelers, and visual and voice navigation for drivers.

Fact Box: INS Trikand (F51)

Indian Navy inducts INS Trikand (F51)

3rd July

Indian Navy has further expanded it arsenal by inducting Russian built guided-missile stealth frigate INS Trikand. It is the last of the six stealth frigates ordered from Russia. The Navy had earlier inducted three 4,000-tonne Talwar-class stealth frigates ( Talwar, Trishul and Tabar) from Russia in 2003-2004. India went on to buy another three (Teg, Tarkash and Trikand) under a $1.15 billion contract inked in 2006.

       INS Trikand (F51) is a Talwar class frigate of the Indian Navy.
       The Talwar class – A class of frigates designed and built by Russia for the Indian Navy.
     Equipped with state-of-the-art combat suite: Supersonic 290-km BrahMos missile system, Shtil advanced surface-to-air missiles, upgraded A-190 medium range gun, electro-optical 30-mm close-in weapon system and anti-submarine weapons such as torpedoes and rockets and advanced electronic warfare system.

‘Trebovanie-M‘:

    A combat management system which integrates weapons and sensors to enable the ship to simultaneously neutralize multiple surface, sub-surface and air threats.
    Innovative features to reduce its radar, magnetic and acoustic “signatures” to ensure it is relatively difficult to detect by enemy radars.
    Capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots

 Note: India is also building its own stealth frigates. Three Shivalik-class frigates, built at Mazagon Docks (MDL), have already been inducted by the Navy. There is a programme called Project-17A of over Rs 50,000 crore which is under consideration which plans to construct seven advanced stealth frigates, with all weapon and missile systems under the hull for a lower radar “signature”. The project will be shared b/w MDL at Mumbai and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) at Kolkata.

India imposes ban on testing of cosmetics on animals

3rd July

In a remarkable decision intended to prevent cruelty to animals, India has decided to ban the testing of cosmetics and its ingredients on animals. This has made India the first country in South Asia to impose such a ban.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Cosmetics Sectional Committee, chaired by the Drugs Controller General of India and is in line with the European Union’s stand. The step follows appeals from various quarters, including that from the National Advisory Council Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and campaigner for animal rights Maneka Gandhi and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), to prevent cruelty to animals.

What is the ban?

Any cosmetic product which performs animal testing will face action as per provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Animal Cruelty Act. Infringement of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act by any person or corporate manager or owner is liable for punishment for a term which may extend from 3-10 years and shall also be liable to fine which could be Rs.500 to Rs.10,000, or with both.

The law also makes it mandatory to use modern non-animal alternative tests, replacing invasive tests on animals. It implies that any manufacturer interested in testing new cosmetic ingredients or finished products must first get the approval from India’s regulator Central Drug Standards Control Organization. A manufacturer will be given approval to test only after complying with the BIS non-animal standards.

Animal Testing Status:

Companies around the world are switching to effective, modern non-animal tests and more than 1,200 companies have already given up animal-testing methods. But many still are carrying out with the same old procedures of subjecting animals to painful tests.

Railway launches SMS facility for ticket booking
2nd July

Indian Railway has launched a new pilot service which makes it possible for the 80% of the population that owns mobile phones. The service doesn’t even involves any use of Internet by the customer.

IRCTC has INTRODUCED a number of options to buy tickets without having to access the Internet. Besides the short code 5676714, one can even send an SMS to 139 or the Airtel Money system *400# or the system powered by Pyro where one needs to have a BSNL SIM card enabled with Java computer language.

It will not be necessary to carry a hard copy of the ticket while travelling — the SMS confirmation will be valid proof. The facility allows for ticket cancellation as well. To make use of any of these options, you have to get your mobile number registered with IRCTC. Each SMS will cost Rs. 3 and as the project is being launched on a pilot basis, mobile service providers have dispensed with agent charges for now. These charges as and when imposed would be the same one pays to other agents, including online charges.

The new technology will also ease the pressure on Internet ticketing as 45% of tickets are booked through Internet.  It would also put an end to fleecing by touts.

Government to set up 51 low-cost airports
July 2nd, 2013

The Union government has decided to construct 51 new low-cost airports to provide fillip to civil aviation sector and enhance air connectivity to Tier-II and Tier-III cities. Apart from the low-cost airports, the government has decided grant new international airport status to Bhubaneswar and Imphal at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore.

The 51 cities which have been chosen for the project are:

Andhra Pradesh: Vijayawada, Nellore, Kurnool, Kadapa, Nizamabad, Tirupati, Anantapur and Karimnagar

    Jharkhand: Dhanbad, Bokaro and Hazaribagh
    Bihar: Muzaffarpur, Chapra and Sasaram
    Punjab: Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Firozpur
    Uttar Pradesh: Agra, Allahabad, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Meerut, Aligarh, Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar and Azamgarh
    Arunachal Pradesh: Tezu, Bomdila and Along
    Assam: Silchar, Jorhat and Tezpur
    Madhya Pradesh: Gwalior, Singrauli, Burhanpur, Khandwa, Jabalpur, Sidhi and Shahdol
    Rajasthan: Ajmer, Kota, Bhilwada and Alwar
    Maharashtra: Kolhapur, Nasik, Jalgaon, Solapur and Amarawati
    Odisha: Brahmpur, Rourkela and Kendujhar

Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS): NASA launches satellite to study Sun’s atmosphere
July 2nd, 2013

The U.S. space agency NASA launched a satellite to uncover the secrets of the Sun’s lower atmosphere. NASA’s Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) was launched aboard an Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket off the California coast.

About IRIS mission:

Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) is a $182 million mission which will continue for two years.

It aims to observe the movement of solar material. It will try to know how it gathers energy and heats up as it makes its way through a mysterious region in the sun’s lower atmosphere. IRIS will help in knowing not only the causes the ejection of solar material, including solar wind, but also solar eruptions that can disrupt human technology.

What is this mysterious region?

This is a region b/w the sun’s photosphere and corona where most of the sun’s ultraviolet emission is generated, which impact the near-Earth space environment and Earth’s climate.

British Government gives go ahead to ‘three-parent baby’
July 2nd, 2013

The UK government has given approval to the controversial IVF technique that would lead to the creation of babies with three parents. If the proposal is passed by its parliament then Britain would become first country to allow this technique. The decision has invited criticism from different calling it unethical, unnecessary and unsafe.

What is a ‘Three-Parent Baby?

It is a baby born with the genetic contribution (DNA) from three people. It is done through IVF technique which involves taking the nucleus of one egg (first female) and inserting it into the cytoplasm of another egg (second female) which has had its nucleus removed, but still contains mitochondrial DNA, and then fertilizing the hybrid egg with a sperm (third person). The purpose of the procedure is to remove a nucleus from a cell with defective mitochondria and place it in a donor cell with healthy mitochondria, which after fertilisation will contain a nucleus with genetic material from only the two parents.

How would this technique help?

As per experts, this method will give a choice to women with mitochondria disorders to bear children free from such diseases. These are caused by mutated mitochondria — tiny structures that supply power to human cells — and are passed from a mother, through the egg, to her child. It is said to affect one in every 6,500 babies. The technique will help combat genetic problems that can cause rare and debilitating conditions affecting the heart, muscles and brain.

Multidrug-resistant TB stock declines to alarming level
July 2nd, 2013

Even as the government is trying to tackle the stock-out situation for anti-tuberculosis paediatric drugs, a new problem has surfaced. Stocks of second-line medicines like Kanamycin, an injectible drug used for treating multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB have dipped alarmingly. Currently, there is stock only for two and a half months. India is among the few countries with a high burden of MDR TB.

The Prime Minister’s Office has asked the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) for clarification on the availability of drugs.

The Central TB Division (CTD) called an emergency meeting to find the way forward to extenuate the crisis. Manufacturers of paediatric drugs, prolongation pouches and streptomycin have been identified and the ministry is hopeful of getting supplies to states by the end of July. States with a lower disease burden have been asked to transfer drugs to those with a higher burden facing extreme shortage of drugs.

Why this lapse?

The shortage of drugs was due to procurement failures and delays at the level of the government of India. It also confirmed stock-out of paediatric doses, Rifampicin (the key drug to treat TB), streptomycin injection as well as diminishing stockpiles of Kanamycin injections and other first line drugs. The emergency procurement of paediatric drugs was delayed by six months and the orders had just been placed.

As for Kanamycin, emergency procurement of over 400,000 vials, done with the support of the Geneva-based Global Drug Facility (GDF) through WHO’s intervention had not reached the country because of delays in processing orders, payments and the ministry not issuing the necessary customs duty clearance on time.

Surge in the cases of Leptospirosis
July 2nd, 2013

A rise in the number of cases of leptospirosis has been reported in Thiruananthapuram even as the district is focusing its efforts on curbing the dengue fever. Dengue has eclipsed the fact that the incidence of leptospirosis has been on the rise in all districts of the state after the rain began.

What is Leptospirosis?

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease caused by bacteria Leptospira that affects both humans and animals. Humans become infected through direct contact with the urine of infected animals or with a urine-contaminated environment. The bacteria enter the body through cuts or abrasions on the skin, or through the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and eyes. Person-to-person transmission is rare. The disease has also been known to trigger abortions in cattle.

How does the transmission take place?

Leptospirosis is transmitted by the urine of an infected animal and is contagious as long as it is still moist. Although rats, mice, and moles are important primary hosts, a wide range of other mammals including dogs, deer, rabbits, hedgehogs, cows, sheep, raccoons, opossums, skunks, and certain marine mammals are able to carry and transmit the disease as secondary hosts.

What are the symptoms?

In the early stages of the disease, symptoms include high fever, severe headache, muscle pain, chills, redness of the eyes, abdominal pain, jaundice, haemorrhages in the skin and mucous membranes, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash.

Who are most vulnerable?

Although the disease can occur to anyone who comes in contact with the urine of infected with Leptospira, its prevalence is seen in cleaning workers, manual labourers and farm workers are most vulnerable. The number of infection increases in rainy season as people wade through waters contaminated with garbage and animal excreta which contain the bacteria.

How is it controlled?

To counter leptospirosis vulnerable sections are put on Doxycycline prophylactic treatment. Care is taken to distinguish the disease from other diseases like Malaria and Dengue as these too show similar symptoms and spread in the same season.

EU agrees talk to Serbia for open membership
July 2nd, 2013

The leaders of the European Union have agreed to open membership negotiations with Serbia by January at the latest, in acknowledgment of its efforts to improve ties with seceded Kosovo. The step indicates EU inclination toward embracing once-troubled countries in the Balkans.

Presidents and Prime Ministers from the 27 EU nations also welcomed Croatia’s upcoming accession as the bloc’s 28th member. In the two-day summit held in Brussels the EU agreed on seven-year, €960-billion budget. The EU leaders also announced negotiations for closer relations with Kosovo, a possible step on the way to membership talks.

Serbia and Kosovo:

Kosovo, a former province of Serbia, declared independence in 2008. Serbia has never recognized the sovereignty of Kosovo, which is considered by Serbia’s nationalists to be the cradle of the country’s medieval statehood and religion. However, Kosovo has been recognised by over 90 countries including the U.S. and 22 of the EU’s 27 members. In April 2013 a vital agreement was reached b/w Serbia and Kosovo when they decided to normalize relations and end years of acrimony.

Croatia enters European Union
July 2nd, 2013

Croatia was added into the European Union (EU) on July 1, 2013 making the total number of member states in the EU to 28. Croatia is the second country from the once war-torn former Yugoslavia to enter the bloc. It negotiated with the EU for more than 6 years after the bloc agreed to embrace it.

Croatia which is struggling with its economic woes has joined the EU amid concerns whether the country is fully prepared to face the fierce competition of the open market. The economy has been battered by the ongoing financial crisis and owing to structural weaknesses that yet need to be addressed by reforms.

From this event Croatia is hopeful that it will help to lift many people out of poverty and modernzse the economy. Croatia will also receive funds from the EU to build roads, clean up the environment and increase research and development.

However, there are concerns that tough EU competition will shut down or buy out parts of the national economy. There is concern about whether EU membership will lure immigrants seeking work, which could put the reeling labour market under even more pressure.

India-UK decide to develop Economic Corridor together
July 2nd, 2013

India and United Kingdom have decided to collaborate to develop the Bangalore-Mumbai Economic Corridor (BMEC)project in close association with private companies from Britain.

Both sides have agreed to examine and evolve the modalities and content of this project through mutual discussions and work out a roadmap for a possible partnership in this area.

In addition to this, India has also offered to UK, investment or partnership opportunities in the National Manufacturing and Investment Zones (NIMZs). . NIMZs are proposed to be developed as green field industrial townships and benchmarked against the best manufacturing hubs in the world.

The new National Manufacturing Policy aims to create 100 million jobs and increase the share of manufacturing in India’s Gross Domestic Product from 16% now to 25% by 2022.

source:http://currentaffairs.gktoday.in

• Sanjay never attended college. Instead, he took up an apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce in Crewe, England.

• He was very interested in sports cars, and also obtained a pilot's license.

• Even while he was keen on building a career as an airline pilot apart from being a politician, Sanjay remained extremely attached to his mother, Indira Gandhi. In pic: Sanjay with his mother just before death in a plane crash in Delhi.

• Maruti Udyog, today India's premier automobile manufacturing corporation, was founded by Sanjay Gandhi, but the company did not produce any vehicles during his lifetime. In pic: A young Sanjay with his dad Feroze Gandhi.

• Sanjay Gandhi escaped an assassination attempt in March 1977 when unknown assailants fired at his car during an election campaign near New Delhi. In pic: A picture of Sanjay taken during a meeting in Avril in 1976 in front of the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi and of his mother Indira Gandhi.

• Even if we leave Emergency apart, Sanjay remained a controversial person. Former PM I.K. Gujral once resigned from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, apparently because he did not like receiving orders from Sanjay, who was an unelected person.

• It is also alleged that legendary singer Kishore Kumar’s songs were banned on All India Radio by Sanjay after the singer refused to attend a function of the Indian Youth Congress. In pic: Sanjay poses with his family members.

• Sanjay Gandhi married Maneka Anand (now Gandhi) when the latter was just 18 years old, in 1974. In pic: Indira Gandhi with her two sons Rajiv (L) and Sanjay in New Delhi on March 21, 1977.

• Sanjay was appointed the Secretary General of the Congress in May 1980. Just a month later, he died in an air crash. In pic: Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi after Sanjay died in a plane crash.

ANDHRA PRADESH

1 Srikakulam

2 Parvathipuram (ST)

3 Bobbili

4 Visakhapatnam

5 Bhadrachalam (ST)

6 Anakapalli

7 Kakinada

8 Rajahmundry

9 Amalapuram (SC)

10 Narasapur

11 Eluru

12 Machilipatnam

13 Vijayawada

14 Tenali

15 Guntur

16 Bapatla

17 Narasaraopet

18 Ongole

19 Nellore (SC)

20 Tirupathi (SC)

21 Chittoor

22 Rajampet

23 Cuddapah

24 Hindupur

25 Anantapur

26 Kurnool

27 Nandyal

28 Nagarkurnool (SC)

29 Mahabubnagar

30 Hyderabad

31 Secunderabad

32 Siddipet (SC)

33 Medak

34 Nizamabad

35 Adilabad

36 Peddapalli (SC)

37 Karimnagar

38 Hanamkonda

39 Warangal

40 Khammam

41 Nalgonda

42 Miryalguda

ARUNACHAL PRADESH

1 Arunachal West

2 Arunachal East

ASSAM

1 Karimganj (SC)

2 Silchar

3 Autonomous District (ST)

4 Dhubri

5 Kokrajhar (ST)

6 Barpeta

7 Gauhati

8 Mangaldoi

9 Tezpur

10 Nowgong

11 Kaliabor

12 Jorhat

13 Dibrugarh

14 Lakhimpur

BIHAR

1 Bagaha (SC)

2 Bettiah

3 Motihari

4 Gopalganj

5 Siwan

6 Maharajganj

7 Chapra

8 Hajipur (SC)

9 Vaishali

10 Muzaffarpur

11 Sitamarhi

12 Sheohar

13 Madhubani

14 Jhanjharpur

15 Darbhanga

16 Rosera (SC)

17 Samastipur

18 Barh

19 Balia

20 Saharsa

21 Madhepura

22 Araria (SC)

23 Kishanganj

24 Purnea

25 Katihar

26 Banka

27 Bhagalpur

28 Khagaria

29 Monghyr

30 Begusarai

31 Nalanda

32 Patna

33 Arrah

34 Buxar

35 Sasaram (SC)

36 Bikramganj

37 Aurangabad

38 Jahanabad

39 Nawada (SC)

40 Gaya (SC)

GOA

1 North Goa

2 South Goa

GUJARAT

1 Kutch

2 Surendranagar

3 Jamnagar

4 Rajkot

5 Porbandar

6 Junagadh

7 Amreli

8 Bhavnagar

9 Dhandhuka (SC)

10 Ahmedabad

11 Gandhinagar

12 Mehsana

13 Patan (SC)

14 Banaskantha

15 Sabarkantha

16 Kapadvanj

17 Dohad (ST)

18 Godhra

19 Kaira

20 Anand

21 Chhota Udaipur (ST)

22 Baroda

23 Broach

24 Surat

25 Mandvi (ST)

26 Bulsar (ST)

HARYANA

1 Ambala (SC)

2 Kurukshetra

3 Karnal

4 Sonepat

5 Rohtak

6 Faridabad

7 Mahendragarh

8 Bhiwani

9 Hissar

10 Sirsa (SC)

HIMACHAL PRADESH

1 Simla (SC)

2 Mandi

3 Kangra

4 Hamirpur

Page 4 of 16

JAMMU & KASHMIR

1 Baramulla

2 Srinagar

3 Anantnag

4 Ladakh

5 Udhampur

6 Jammu

KARNATAKA

1 Bidar (SC)

2 Gulbarga

3 Raichur

4 Koppal

5 Bellary

6 Davangere

7 Chitradurga

8 Tumkur

9 Chikballapur

10 Kolar (SC)

11 Kanakapura

12 Bangalore North

13 Bangalore South

14 Mandya

15 Chamarajanagar (SC)

16 Mysore

17 Mangalore

18 Udupi

19 Hassan

20 Chikmagalur

21 Shimoga

22 Kanara

23 Dharwad South

24 Dharwad North

25 Belgaum

26 Chikkodi (SC)

27 Bagalkot

28 Bijapur

KERALA

1 Kasaragod

2 Cannanore

3 Badagara

4 Calicut

5 Manjeri

6 Ponnani

7 Palghat

8 Ottapalam (SC)

9 Trichur

10 Mukundapuram

11 Ernakulam

12 Muvattupuzha

13 Kottayam

14 Idukki

15 Alleppey

16 Mavelikara

17 Adoor (SC)

18 Quilon

19 Chirayinkil

20 Trivandrum

MADHYA PRADESH

1 Morena (SC)

2 Bhind

3 Gwalior

4 Guna

5 Sagar (SC)

6 Khajuraho

7 Damoh

8 Satna

9 Rewa

10 Sidhi (ST)

11 Shahdol (ST)

12 Balaghat

13 Mandla (ST)

14 Jabalpur

15 Seoni

16 Chhindwara

17 Betul

18 Hoshangabad

19 Bhopal

20 Vidisha

21 Rajgarh

22 Shajapur (SC)

23 Khandwa

24 Khargone

25 Dhar (ST)

26 Indore

27 Ujjain (SC)

28 Jhabua (ST)

29 Mandsaur

MAHARASHTRA

1 Nandurbar(ST)

2 Dhule

3 Jalgaon

4 Raver

5 Buldhana

6 Akola

7 Amravati(SC)

8 Wardha

9 Ramtek (SC)

10 Nagpur

11 Bhandara-Gondiya

12 Gadchiroli-Chimur(ST)

13 Chandrapur

14 Yavatmal-Washim

15 Hingoli

16 Nanded

17 Parbhani

18 Jalna

19 Aurangabad

20 Dindori (ST)

21 Nashik

22 Palghar (ST)

23 Bhiwandi

24 Kalyan

25 Thane

26 Mumbai North

27 Mumbai North-West

28 Mumbai North-East

29 Mumbai North-Central

30 Mumbai South-Central

31 Mumbai South

32 Raigad

33 Maval

34 Pune

35 Baramati

36 Shirur

37 Ahmednagar

38 Shirdi (SC)

39 Beed

40 Osmanabad

41 Latur (SC)

42 Solapur (SC)

43 Madha

44 Sangli

45 Satara

46 Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg

47 Kolhapur

48 Hatkanangle

MANIPUR

1 Inner Manipur

2 Outer Manipur (ST)

MEGHALAYA

1 Shillong

2 Tura

MIZORAM

1 Mizoram (ST)

NAGALAND

1 Nagaland

ORISSA

1 Mayurbhanj (ST)

2 Balasore

3 Bhadrak (SC)

4 Jajpur (SC)

5 Kendrapara

6 Cuttack

7 Jagatsinghpur

8 Puri

9 Bhubaneswar

10 Aska

11 Berhampur

12 Koraput (ST)

13 Nowrangpur (ST)

14 Kalahandi

15 Phulbani (SC)

16 Bolangir

17 Sambalpur

18 Deogarh

19 Dhenkanal

20 Sundargarh (ST)

21 Keonjhar (ST)

PUNJAB

1 Gurdaspur

2 Amritsar

3 Tarn Taran

4 Jullundur

5 Phillaur (SC)

6 Hoshiarpur

7 Ropar (SC)

8 Patiala

9 Ludhiana

10 Sangrur

11 Bhatinda (SC)

12 Faridkot

13 Ferozepur

RAJASTHAN

1 Ganganagar (SC)

2 Bikaner

3 Churu

4 Jhunjhunu

5 Sikar

6 Jaipur

7 Dausa

8 Alwar

9 Bharatpur

10 Bayana (SC)

11 Sawai Madhopur (ST)

12 Ajmer

13 Tonk (SC)

14 Kota

15 Jhalawar

16 Banswara (ST)

17 Salumber (ST)

18 Udaipur

19 Chittorgarh

20 Bhilwara

21 Pali

22 Jalore (SC)

23 Barmer

24 Jodhpur

25 Nagaur

SIKKIM

1 Sikkim

TAMIL NADU

1 Madras North

2 Madras Central

3 Madras South

4 Sriperumbudur (SC)

5 Chengalpattu

6 Arakkonam

7 Vellore

8 Tiruppattur

9 Vandavasi

10 Tindivanam

11 Cuddalore

12 Chidambaram (SC)

13 Dharmapuri

14 Krishnagiri

15 Rasipuram (SC)

16 Salem

17 Tiruchengode

18 Nilgiris

19 Gobichettipalayam

20 Coimbatore

21 Pollachi (SC)

22 Palani

23 Dindigul

24 Madurai

25 Periyakulam

26 Karur

27 Tiruchirappalli

28 Perambalur (SC)

29 Mayiladuturai

30 Nagapattinam (SC)

31 Thanjavur

32 Pudukkottai

33 Sivaganga

34 Ramanathapuram

35 Sivakasi

36 Tirunelveli

37 Tenkasi (SC)

38 Tiruchendur

39 Nagercoil

TRIPURA

1 Tripura West

2 Tripura East (ST)

UTTAR PRADESH

1 Bijnor (SC)

2 Amroha

3 Moradabad

4 Rampur

5 Sambhal

6 Budaun

7 Aonla

8 Bareilly

9 Pilibhit

10 Shahjahanpur

11 Kheri

12 Shahabad

13 Sitapur

14 Misrikh (SC)

15 Hardoi (SC)

16 Lucknow

17 Mohanlalganj (SC)

18 Unnao

19 Rae Bareli

20 Pratapgarh

21 Amethi

22 Sultanpur

23 Akbarpur (SC)

24 Faizabad

25 Bara Banki (SC)

26 Kaiserganj

27 Bahraich

28 Balrampur

29 Gonda

30 Basti (SC)

31 Domariaganj

32 Khalilabad

33 Bansgaon (SC)

34 Gorakhpur

35 Maharajganj

36 Padrauna

37 Deoria

38 Salempur

39 Ballia

40 Ghosi

41 Azamgarh

42 Lalganj (SC)

43 Machhlishahr

44 Jaunpur

45 Saidpur (SC)

46 Ghazipur

47 Chandauli

48 Varanasi

49 Robertsganj (SC)

50 Mirzapur

51 Phulpur

52 Allahabad

53 Chail (SC)

54 Fatehpur

55 Banda

56 Hamirpur

57 Jhansi

58 Jalaun (SC)

59 Ghatampur (SC)

60 Bilhaur

61 Kanpur

62 Etawah

63 Kannauj

64 Farrukhabad

65 Mainpuri

66 Jalesar

67 Etah

68 Firozabad (SC)

69 Agra

70 Mathura

71 Hathras (SC)

72 Aligarh

73 Khurja (SC)

74 Bulandshahr

75 Hapur

76 Meerut

77 Baghpat

78 Muzaffarnagar

79 Kairana

80 Saharanpur

WEST BENGAL

1 Cooch Behar (SC)

2 Alipurduars (ST)

3 Jalpaiguri

4 Darjeeling

5 Raiganj

6 Balurghat (SC)

7 Malda

8 Jangipur

9 Murshidabad

10 Berhampore

11 Krishnagar

12 Nabadwip (SC)

13 Barasat

14 Basirhat

15 Joynagar (SC)

16 Mathurapur (SC)

17 Diamond Harbour

18 Jadavpur

19 Barrackpore

20 Dum Dum

21 Calcutta North West

22 Calcutta North East

23 Calcutta South

24 Howrah

25 Uluberia

26 Serampore

27 Hooghly

28 Arambagh

29 Panskura

30 Tamluk

31 Contai

32 Midnapore

33 Jhargram (ST)

34 Purulia

35 Bankura

36 Vishnupur (SC)

37 Durgapur (SC)

38 Asansol

39 Burdwan

40 Katwa

41 Bolpur

42 Birbhum (SC)

CHHATTISGARH

1 Surguja (ST)

2 Raigarh (ST)

3 Janjgir

4 Bilaspur (SC)

5 Sarangarh (SC)

6 Raipur

7 Mahasamund

8 Kanker (ST)

9 Bastar (ST)

10 Durg

11 Rajnandgaon

JHARKHAND

1 Rajmahal (ST)

2 Dumka (ST)

3 Godda

4 Chatra

5 Kodarma

6 Giridih

7 Dhanbad

8 Ranchi

9 Jamshedpur

10 Singhbhum (ST)

11 Khunti (ST)

12 Lohardaga (ST)

13 Palamu (SC)

14 Hazaribagh

UTTARANCHAL

1 Tehri Garhwal

2 Garhwal

3 Almora

4 Nainital

5 Hardwar (SC)

ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS

1 Andaman & Nicobar Islands

CHANDIGARH

1 Chandigarh

DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI

1 Dadra & Nagar Haveli (ST)

DAMAN & DIU

1 Daman And Diu

NATIONAL CAPITAL TERRITORY OF DELHI

1 New Delhi

2 South Delhi

3 Outer Delhi

4 East Delhi

5 Chandni Chowk

6 Delhi Sadar

7 Karol Bagh (SC)

LAKSHADWEEP

1 Lakshadweep (ST)

PONDICHERRY

1 Pondicherry