FB, Google ads’ share less than 1% of overall poll campaign outlay in India

India falls way behind US and UK, whose allocations to the two tech giants are 6.5% and 10.5%, respectively.

Business Standard : Indian political parties may have spent less than one per cent of their overall spending on Facebook and Google advertisements.

This is in contrast to elections elsewhere in the world. The United States of America saw allocations of around 6.5 per cent to the two tech giants. The United Kingdom saw around 10.5 per cent.

The analysis is based on Facebook and Google disclosures on electoral advertisements, and estimates from studies looking at political spending in various countries.

Indian political parties spent Rs 27.8 crore on Facebook advertisements during 2019. Google advertisements saw spends of Rs 27.4 crore, showed data as of May 22, the day before results were declared. New Delhi’s Centre for Media Studies estimated that Indian political parties’ 2019 election spends reached $8.7 billion (or around Rs 60,000 crore). This would mean allocations to the digital media works out to under one per cent in spends.

In comparison, the general election in the United Kingdom in 2017 saw around Rs 27 crore spent on Facebook. Google mopped up about Rs 8 crore. However, the UK elections saw significantly lower overall spending than India. The UK general elections had expenditure of only around 40 million pounds (around Rs 333 crore) across parties in the snap polls. This would mean that the two tech giants accounted for a tenth of spends.

A comparable figure to India’s spends may be the recently concluded midterm polls in America. The American midterms cost $5.7 billion (Rs 40,000 crore), according to the Centre for Responsive Politics, an organization which tracks political spending data in the US.

The total expenditure during the 2018 mid-term elections was Rs 1,976 crore on Facebook. Google spends were another Rs 626 crore. The sum works out to little over six per cent of overall spends.

The UK numbers are based on media reports and data released by that country’s Electoral Commission. The US mid-term data is as of November 2018, based on a report by Tech For Campaigns, a group of volunteer technology workers who help the Americans’ Democratic campaign. The conversion into rupees for easier comparison are based on then prevalent exchange rates.

Pulwama: Amit Shah urges rivals to rise above politics on national security

The Congress had attacked the Modi government, saying incidents of terror attacks have gone unabated under its rule.

BJP President Amit Shah Friday appealed to political parties to rise above politics and come together on the issue of national security, saying these are times when “we must strengthen our resolve to make India stronger and safer”.

Shah’s appeal came in the wake of one of the deadliest terror attacks on security forces in Kashmir that left 37 CRPF personnel dead on Thursday.

ALSO READ: Pulwama attack live updates: India withdraws MFN status given to Pakistan

The Congress had attacked the Modi government, saying incidents of terror attacks have gone unabated under its rule.

(Business Standard)

“These are times when we all must come together and strengthen our resolve to make India stronger and safer. I appeal to the political class- let us rise above politics and show that we are together when it comes to matters of national security. Nothing matters above India!” Shah said in a series of tweets.

The horrific attack in Pulwama has saddened the entire nation, he said, condemning the barbaric mentality that speeds such kind of hate and violence.

“PM Narendra Modi assured the nation that the sacrifices of our martyrs shall not go in vain.130 crore Indians stand in complete solidarity with the families of the courageous heroes who devoted their life in service of the nation. Generations to come will remember their valour. We pray the injured get well soon,” the BJP president said.

More than 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Valley, were travelling in the convoy of 78 vehicles when they were ambushed on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway in Awantipora in South Kashmir on Thursday.

The Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

251 sedition cases filed in Assam since BJP came to power in 2016

Two sedition cases were slapped on RTI activist-cum- peasant leader Akihil Gogoi in Dibrugarh district and Guwahati city.

Assam government has registered a total of 251 sedition cases since the BJP-led alliance came to power in the state in 2016, the Assembly was informed on Monday.

In a written reply, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said 251 sedition cases were filed against various individuals and banned organisations since May 26, 2016 when the present coalition government took charge.

Article Source BS

Replying to the query by Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia of the Congress, Patowary said sedition cases have been filed against militant groups such as ULFA(I), NDFB (S), NDFB(B), KLO, NSLA, NSLA(AT), UPLFS, DHD, DHNA, NSCN(IM), ZUF and ATF among others.

Such cases were also registered against several individuals, Patowary said on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal who also holds the Home portfolio.

Two sedition cases were slapped on RTI activist-cum- peasant leader Akihil Gogoi in Dibrugarh district and Guwahati city.

Along with Gogoi, sedition cases were registered last month against eminent intellectual and Sahitya Akademi awardee Hiren Gohain and journalist Manjit Mahanta for their comments on the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

The Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslims who fled religious persecution from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and entered India before December 31, 2014.

Where are the jobs, asks Shiv Sena after Parliament passes 10% quota bill

The Parliament had on Wednesday approved amending the Constitution to provide 10% reservation to general category poor in government jobs and education.

A day after Parliament approved 10 per cent reservationto general category poor, the Shiv Sena Thursday wondered where will the jobs come from and warned that if it is an election-driven move, then it will prove costly.

The Maratha community has been given reservation in Maharashtra, but the question still remains that where are the jobs, the Sena said.

The Parliament had on Wednesday approved amending the Constitution to provide 10 per cent reservation to general category poor in government jobs and education.

“When those in power fail on the twin fronts of employment and poverty, they have to play the reservation card,” the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

“If this decision has been taken for votes, it will prove costly. After 10 per cent reservation, what about employment? Where will you get the jobs from?” it asked.

ALSO READ: Parliament clears 10% quota bill, Prez nod to make it a law: Top highlights

In India, the population of those over 15 years of age is increasing by 13 lakh every month. Employing minors below the age of 18 years is a crime, but child labour continues unabated, said the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, which is an ally of the ruling BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

Around 80 to 90 lakh new job opportunities are needed every year to balance the employment rate in the country, but this calculation has been unstable for a while now, it noted.

“In the last two years, job opportunities have decreased instead of increasing and about 1.5 crore to two crore jobs have been lost due to decisions like demonetisation and GST implementation. There is a feeling of helplessness among youth,” the Marathi publication said.

In 2018, 2.8 crore people applied for 90 lakh jobs in Railways. Besides, for 1,137 positions in Mumbai Police, over four lakh people applied and many of the applicants had more educational qualifications than required, the Sena claimed.

“After the government’s 10 per cent reservation, will the eligible youth be able to gain anything? The prime minister, who had advised youth to fry ‘pakodas’ (snack), had to eventually give 10 per cent reservation to the economically backward classes,” it quipped.

Business Standard