Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR)

Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR)

1. How to Choose a Good Political Leader (Association for Democratic Reforms) Vote Smart

2. How to Choose a Good Political Leader

3. How to Choose a Good Political Leader Are you finding it hard to choose? Too many political parties? Confused? It is important to work out what is good for you, your family and your community, and to stand up for what you believe in. That's why it's very important to vote for your kind of leader. As the old saying goes, "Vote for policies, not personalities".

4. How to Choose a Good Political Leader

5. Vote for policies, not personalities

6. Vote for policies, not personalities

7. How to Choose a Good Political Leader Know your Candidates Know who they are and what party they are representing. Visit their offices in their electorates, ridings, zones, areas, etc. Ask to meet with your local representative. Go to "meet the candidate" events hosted in your area. This will give you the opportunity to meet them and to listen to their policies. Follow their Twitter and Facebook accounts.

8. Know your Candidates

9. Meet the Candidate

10. How to Choose a Good Political Leader Watch them in action in the legislature, lower/upper house, council chamber, parliament, or wherever they appear. Some countries, states, and provinces have televised debates or parliamentary/legislative sessions. Some have select committee sessions open to viewing (you can visit in person or watch online or on TV). Some provide YouTube clips or their own viewing portals. Contact your local representative to find out what is available for you in terms of direct viewing.

11. Watch them in action in the legislature, lower/upper house, council chamber, parliament, or wherever they appear

12. How to Choose a Good Political Leader Research the Candidates Look up what they want to provide for you and others. Make sure you know what they're talking about. Also do a bit of research on them, such as their educational background and any criminal records.

13. Research the Candidates

14. How to Choose a Good Political Leader Be direct––write letters with your questions to the relevant persons and expect a reply. If you don't get a reply, follow up on it; they will know you are serious about learning more. Find out how they are viewed within their party, not just by outsiders; remember that everyone remains an individual, even when toeing the party line.

15. Be direct––write letters with your questions to the relevant persons and expect a reply

16. How to Choose a Good Political Leader Keep an open mind ––politics is an area where reform can occur, so if someone does have a criminal past, see how they have absolved themselves and whether or not you consider their current work sufficient to overcome that and whether their experience is being put to good use.

17. How to Choose a Good Political Leader

18. Swachh Neta

19. How to Choose a Good Political Leader Don't vote for someone just because they're a part of a certain party. There have been many great leaders from the main parties, and their greatness has been based on their abilities/skills, their knowledge, their experience and their intellectual prowess. Don't let their title or party membership sway you. Look for someone who is capable, competent and responsible, who is willing to put people before power .

20. Vote for the best candidate, not the party

21. Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) is an Indian non-partisan, non-governmental organization which works in the area of electoral and political reforms.

22. Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) Along with National Election Watch (NEW) , ADR is striving to bring transparency and accountability in Indian politics and reducing the influence of money and muscle power in elections.

23. National Election Watch (NEW)

24. History ADR came into existence in 1999 when a group of Professors from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad and Bangalore filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) with the Delhi High Court regarding the disclosure of the criminal, financial and educational background of the candidates contesting elections.

25. Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR)

26. History The PIL was upheld by the Delhi High Court in 2000 but the Government of India appealed to the Supreme Court of India against the High Court judgement.

27. History However, in 2002 and subsequently in 2003, the Supreme Court made it mandatory for all the candidates contesting elections to disclose their criminal, financial and educational background prior to the polls by filing an affidavit with the Election Commission of India.

28. Supreme Court made it mandatory for all the candidates contesting elections to disclose their criminal, financial and educational background prior to the polls

29. History The process led to greater awareness among voters of criminal cases against politicians.

30. Objective The objective of ADR is to improve governance and strengthen democracy by continuous work in the area of Electoral and Political Reforms. The ambit and scope of work in this field is enormous, hence, ADR has chosen to concentrate its efforts in the following areas pertaining to the political system of the country

31. The objective of ADR is to improve governance and strengthen democracy by continuous work in the area of Electoral and Political Reforms

32. Objective Corruption and Criminalization in the Political Process Empowerment of the electorate through greater dissemination of information relating to the candidates and the parties, for a better and informed choice Need for greater accountability of Indian Political Parties Need for inner-party democracy and transparency in party-functioning

33. Empowerment of the electorate through greater dissemination of information relating to the candidates and the parties

34. Function & Research Areas Election Watch or Analysis of Affidavits Election Watch is the flagship programme of ADR. Since 2002, National Election Watch (NEW) and ADR have been conducting Election Watches across the country.

35. Function & Research Areas As part of this programme, affidavits of candidates contesting elections are minutely examined and citizens are provided with the information about their background details to help them make an informed choice.

36. Function & Research Areas The Election Watch has so far collated data of about 1,82,108 candidates which can be accessed easily on www.myneta.info

37. Election Watch or Analysis of Affidavits

38. Function & Research Areas Election Expenses of MPs and MLAs: ADR also analyses the election expenses declared by elected representatives and the data is released to the media/citizens. Register of Members’

39. Function & Research Areas Interest of Rajya Sabha : ADR also analyses Register of Members’ interest of the Rajya Sabha , which was brought into public domain in June 2011 after ADR’s two-year-long RTI battle

40. The purpose of the Register of Members ' Interests is to place on the public record Members ' interests which may conflict, or may be seen to conflict, with their public duty.

41. Function & Research Areas Political Party Watch (PPW): ADR’s PPW program is aimed at bringing more transparency and accountability in the functioning of political parties.

42. Function & Research Areas In 2008, based on an appeal filed by ADR, the Central Information Commission (CIC) declared that the Income Tax Returns of political parties should be made available in the public domain by the IT Department.

43. Central Information Commission (CIC)

44. Function & Research Areas Since then, ADR has analysed the IT returns of all National and Regional parties of India whose ITR details are available in public domain.

45. Function & Research Areas An analysis of their Income Tax returns and donations statements filed with the Election Commission of India (ECI) shows that the sources remain largely unknown. ADR analyses the sources of funding of National and Regional political parties.

46. ADR analyses the sources of funding of National and Regional political parties .

47. Function & Research Areas Contribution Reports of Political Parties : Under this programme, the contributions reports of political parties containing information about receipt of donations by corporate houses and individuals above Rs 20,000, are analysed.

48. Contribution Reports of Political Parties

49. Function & Research Areas Contribution Reports of Electoral Trusts : Apart from individuals and companies, there are electoral trusts which contribute the most to National parties and a few Regional parties. The details of contributions received by the Electoral Trusts and the details of donations given by the Trust to political parties are analyzed.

50. Contribution Reports of Electoral Trusts

51. Function & Research Areas Election Expenditure of Political Parties : ADR, through this programme, analyses the details of expenditure declared by various political parties after Lok Sabha and Assembly Elections. Till date, expenditure reports for 91 Assembly Elections and 3 Lok Sabha Elections have been analyzed.

52. Election Expenditure of Political Parties

53. Function & Research Areas Legal Advocacy: ADR also resorts to legal advocacy for Political and Electoral Reforms. Time to time ADR takes up various issues in the light of good governance by filing relevant complaints/appeals and PILs/writs with Central Information Commission, Supreme Court/ High Court as well as other Central and State agencies.

54. Legal Advocacy

55. Function & Research Areas ADR also attends various consultations/round-tables with bodies like Law Commission of India, Election Commission of India, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariat.

56. Function & Research Areas

57. ADR Youth Outreach Programmes Hum Badlenge Apna Bharat The programme aims to educate senior school children of the challenges faced by Indian Democracy today via workshops. The workshop trainers use videos, audios, quiz papers and other interactive materials to engage with the youth .

58. ADR Youth Outreach Programmes

59. ADR Youth Outreach Programmes ADR Campus Ambassadors The programme aims to engage with college youth in issues related to Indian democracy and involve them proactively in organizing events. The selected Campus Ambassadors are apprised about the issues ADR is working on and their roles and responsibilities as ADR campus representative. All the activities are approved, sponsored, assisted & supervised by the ADR Team.

60. ADR Campus Ambassadors

61. Achievements May 2002 and March 2003: ADR's petitions resulted in a landmark judgment by the Supreme Court of India by making it mandatory for the  candidates contesting elections to Parliament and State Assemblies to file self sworn affidavits (Form 26) declaring full information regarding their criminal, financial and educational background.

62. ADR's petitions resulted in a landmark judgment by the Supreme Court of India

63. Achievements April 2008: ADR obtained a landmark ruling from the Central Information Commission (CIC) stating that Income Tax Returns of Political Parties would now be available in the public domain along with the assessment orders.

64. Achievements June 2011: After a two year long RTI battle, crucial information on the 'Registers of Members' Interest' was finally mandated by CIC to be available in the public domain in June 2011.

65. Achievements June 2013: The Central Information Commission (CIC) in an effort towards making political parties transparent as well as accountable in their functioning, declared the six national parties BJP, INC, BSP, CPI, CPI(M) and NCP as public authorities . All the six parties refused to comply with CIC's order.  In 2015, a petition was filed by ADR in the Supreme Court to implement CIC's order by bringing them under the preview of  Right to Information Act, 2005.

66. In 2015, a petition was filed by ADR in the Supreme Court to implement CIC's order by bringing them under the preview of  Right to Information Act, 2005

67. Achievements July 2013: Supreme Court delivered a Judgment on a petition filed by Lily Thomas and Lok Prahari NGO , (ADR Intervened) setting aside clause 8(4) of the Representation of the People Act. As a result of which sitting MPs and MLAs were barred from holding office on being Convicted in a Court of Law .

68. Lok Prahari , NGO

69. Sitting MPs And MLAs Were Barred From Holding Office On Being Convicted In A Court Of Law

70. Achievements September 2013: ADR had also intervened in the petition filed by Common Cause for having a separate button on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) with the option of ‘None of the Above (NOTA).’ The Supreme Court gave a favourable ruling on 27 September 2013 and the NOTA button was inserted in the EVM machines for the Lok Sabha elections in 2014.

71. NOTA button was inserted in the EVM machines for the Lok Sabha elections in 2014

72. Achievements May 2014: The Delhi High Court issued notices to the Government of India and the Election Commission on a petition filed by ADR to monitor election expenditure of political parties.

73. Achievements August 2016: Prof. Trilochan Sastry , Chairman ADR, represented ADR at the 3rd Asian Electoral Stakeholder Forum (AESF III) conference in Bali, Indonesia. February 2018: On a petition of Lok Prahari regarding disproportionate asset increase of the MPs & MLAs, Supreme Court made it mandatory for candidates to declare sources of income of spouse & dependents in Form 26 of affidavits. ADR had intervened in the matter & also provided all the necessary data.

74. Supreme Court made it mandatory for candidates to declare sources of income of spouse & dependents in Form 26 of affidavits

75. Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) ADR has become the single data point for information/analysis of background details (criminal, financial and others) of politicians and of financial information of political parties. In the last few years, based on ADR’s report and data, a huge number of coverage was received in print and online media

76. Making Democracy Meaningful

77. Terminology Civil Society Civil society refers to the space for collective action around shared interests, purposes and values, generally distinct from government and commercial for-profit actors. Civil society includes charities, development NGOs, community groups, women's organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, trade unions, social movements, coalitions and advocacy groups.

78. Civil Society

79. Vote Smart Vote Smart , formerly called Project Vote Smart , is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States. It covers candidates and elected officials in six basic areas: background information, issue positions (Political Courage Test), voting records, campaign finances, interest group ratings, and speeches and public statements. This information is distributed via their web site, a toll-free phone number, and print publications.

80. Vote Smart

81. Democracy A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. Democracy is a system of government where most or all people have rights to equal legislative participation. In a direct democracy, the citizens as a whole form a governing body and deliberate and vote directly on each issue. In a representative democracy the citizens elect representatives from among themselves.

82. Democracy

83. Republic A republic is a form of government in which the country is considered a "public matter", not the private concern or property of the rulers. The primary positions of power within a republic are attained through democracy. A state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.

84. Republic

85. Four Pillars of Democracy Democracy involves people participation and for that, we have four pillars of democracy Legislative Legislative pillar basically is responsible for making laws that will govern a state . These laws are either formed directly by people (Direct democracy) or through representatives elected by people(Indirect democracy).

86. Four Pillars of Democracy

87. Four Pillars of Democracy Executive This pillar of democracy is responsible for implementing the laws formed by Legislative section , and issue orders for their proper implementation. Executive section is selected on the basis of election system, spoil system or merit system or a mixture of above.

88. Four Pillars of Democracy Judiciary It is again very important pillar of democracy and it keeps a check on laws (given by legislative) and orders (issued by executive) and ensures that these laws and orders do not curtail the fundamental rights of citizens of a country.

89. Four Pillars of Democracy Press/Newspaper This pillar of democracy ensures tut all people living in far off areas of country are aware of what's happening in rest part of it . It ensures the transparency in the working of all the above three systems.

90. Press/Newspaper

91. My Neta My Neta http://www.myneta.info/ Toll Free Helpline Toll-free No .: 1-800-110-440 Missed Call No . : 08010445555 Day/Hours of operation : Mon-Fri (10am – 6pm) Information given : Criminal records, Assets, Liabilities and Education Qualifications. Source of Information : Candidate information given in affidavits. Initially the information based on earlier affidavits only will be provided. New information based on current affidavits will also be provided as and when it becomes available

92. Association for Democratic Reforms Association for Democratic Reforms https://adrindia.org/

93. Links to Candidate Affidavits – Election Commission of India https://eci.gov.in/candidate-political-parties/link-to-candidate-affidavits/

94. Vote Smart Project Vote Smart https://votesmart.org/ Project Vote Smart https://youtu.be/XkIxnsvSVOo

95. Criminalization of Politics - satyamevjayate.in Episode 05 : Criminalization Of Politics https://youtu.be/WUNTc8uedNU

96. Civic Anti-corruption Organisations A variety of organisations have been created in India to actively fight against corrupt government and business practices.

97. Bharat Swabhiman Trust Bharat Swabhiman Trust was founded by yoga guru Baba Ramdev . The stated aims of this trust are to make India corruption-free, to promote indigenous industry, and to make India yoga oriented http://bharatswabhimantrust.org/

98. 5th Pillar 5th Pillar – Empowering Citizens to Tackle Corruption 5th Pillar is a non-profit citizens’ coalition formed with the mission to Encourage, Enable and Empower Every Citizen of India to Eliminate Corruption at All Levels of Society. 5th Pillar released and distributed in large numbers the Zero Rupee Note(ZRN), a awareness tool that resembles a fifty rupee currency, with the number and words ZERO RUPEES on it, and the pledge “I will neither accept nor give bribe”.

99. Zero Rupee Notes by 5th Pillar Help Fight Corruption

100. Transparency International India (TII) http://transparencyindia.org Transparency International India (TII) is a leading non political, independent, non-governmental anti-corruption organization of India. TII has extensive expertise and understanding of issues of corruption in India. From villages in rural India to the corridors of power in National Capital, TII gives voice to the victims and witnesses of corruption.

101. Transparency International India (TII)

102. Vote for Policies Vote for Policies is a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers in UK, Vote for Policies has been used 2 million times giving people more confidence to vote by knowing what they are voting for https://voteforpolicies.org.uk/

103. Swachh Neta ‘ Swachh Neta ’ campaign which aims to put the candidates through the ‘ swachhta ’ test to ensure that Indian voters get honest politicians https://www.swachhneta.com/

104. NOTA NOTA means "None of the Above" option which enables the voter to officially register a vote of rejection for all candidates who are contesting. If a voter chooses to press NOTA it indicates that the voter has not chosen to vote for any of the party.

105. Central Information Commission The Central Information Commission has been constituted with effect from 12-10-2005 under the Right to Information Act, 2005. The jurisdiction of the Commission extends over all Central Public Authorities https://cic.gov.in/

106. DemocracyOS - Change the Tool DemocracyOS is an online space for deliberation and voting on political proposals. It is a platform for a more open and participatory government

107. Thanks…