THIS WEEK IN EXPLAINERS: HOW MUCH DOES IT COST INDIA TO HOLD THE WORLD’S LARGEST ELECTION?

Hello and welcome to the great Indian election – the largest in the world. The first of the seven phases was held on Friday. There are six more to go. It’s going to be complex yet colourful and we will be around to explain it all to you.

The elections come as tensions in West Asia escalate. New Delhi has strategic ties with both Iran and Israel, who are loggerheads. India cannot take sides and once again has to walk the diplomatic tightrope.

Meanwhile, India continues to consolidate its position as a defence exporter. The first batch of the BrahMos missiles reached the Philippines on Friday. We tell you all about it.

Here's our weekly roundup of explainers, where we don’t rush through the news but help you understand it better.

1. Let’s start with the Indian election. It’s a mammoth exercise involving nearly 96.8 crore voters, 1.5 crore polling officials and security staff, and 2,600 political parties. India’s first election in 1951-52 cost Rs 10.5 crore. That expenditure rose to a whopping Rs 3,870 crore in 2014 and an estimated Rs 50,000 crore in 2019. That number is expected to escalate this year. So, how much will it cost? We explain.

2. The electoral process is complex. Voters in Phase 1 of the Lok Sabha elections cast their ballot on Friday, 19 April. However, their votes will not be counted until almost a month and a half later – that is on 4 June. So what happens next? How does the Election Commission secure the EVMs? We tell you in our story.

3. Did you come across a video of Bollywood stars Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh endorsing a political party? Don’t fall for it. It is manipulated. While fake news continues to spread this election, deepfakes have also reared their ugly head. Here’s a guide to shielding yourself from misinformation and disinformation this poll season.

4. India’s pledge for the Atmanirbhar defence is going strong. Not only is it making defence equipment in India, it is also exporting it. On Friday, India delivered the first batch of BrahMos supersonic to the Philippines.

In January 2022, India and the Philippines signed a $375 million deal. What was the pact about and why is the export is significant to India? Find out here.

5. Now let’s talk about our extended neighbourhood in West Asia. It has been on the boil for months and now matters have escalated. Last weekend, Iran attacked Israel with missiles and drones, which it claimed was a retaliatory strike. On Friday, Israel responded – it carried out a military strike on Iran. There are fears of a full-blown war.

But where does India stand? New Delhi has ties with both Tehran and Jerusalem; it has larger interests in the region. Here’s why a wider conflict is not good news for India.

6. War is plaguing the world and so is climate change. We are seeing extreme weather conditions all around us. The usually dry Dubai was submerged earlier this week. And Mumbai was gripped by a severe heatwave. Temperatures were touching nearly 40, an unexpected surge in mid-April.

On Tuesday, 16, April the city recorded the hottest day in the month in 14 years. As the heatwave persists, we take a look at what caused it.

That’s all from us this week. Happy reading.

If you like how we explain the news, come back for more.

2024-04-20T06:04:50Z dg43tfdfdgfd