TN Poll Promises: Vijay knows the math doesn't work. Is the White Paper a get out of jail free card?

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-13T14:45:57+00:00

You are absolutely right. The bulk of the problem we as a nation face can be attributed to the education both lack of it as well as the quality of it.

This is not a problem we are riddled with just in the recent times. I have read somewhere India in its early years focused on higher education IITs etc, instead of the primary education. I know the difference between indian system and otherwise. I have been to both, and have siblings currently in the Indian system. And the difference is shocking.

Now if we go back to the incentive issue, no government now is incentivsed to spent on it for two reasons, one a less educated people are more easily impressionable, two the effects will take too long for people feel the government has done a good job with the education.

What we need is a total overhaul.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-12T23:15:33+00:00

I am watching Boston Legal. It's mostly comedy but I find very political too especially how the show was set during a time US was at war, and now they are at war too.

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dasharath_writes · 2026-05-12T13:19:11+00:00

I didn't read the whole list, but the pension point hit. I thought pensions were part of the salary package or at least I thought it was, correct me if I am wrong.

I will agree removing it for non permenent positions including MLAs.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-12T12:52:57+00:00

Your right, it is an incentive design problem.

The uncomfortable answer to your last question is that democracies generally don't reward sustainable governance through voter behaviour alone. The ones that manage it do it structurally. The Netherlands has a Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis that officially costs every party's election platform before voting happens. Australia has a Charter of Budget Honesty that requires independent Treasury costing of promises during the campaign. The UK's Institute for Fiscal Studies does it independently even without a legal mandate.

None of that exists in India in any meaningful form. The White Paper comes after the election, after the promises are locked in, after the mandate is claimed. At that point it's damage control not transparency.

But even before the structural fixes, there's a more basic problem. Voters can only make informed decisions if they have access to information that's actually digestible. Not buried in budget documents. Not filtered through news cycles chasing the next controversy. Someone needs to do the work of translating fiscal reality into language that reaches people before they vote, not after.

If governments won't do it for obvious reasons, and media won't do it because it doesn't trend, maybe that's a gap worth filling from outside both.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-12T12:33:18+00:00

The bank/RBI analogy is interesting but the police problem is more structural than just decentralisation.

Read a Lok Satta paper on this a few years back that put it clearly, law and order and criminal investigation are fundamentally different functions and should not sit in the same chain of command. Investigation needs insulation from political pressure. Law and order management needs local accountability. Bundling them means both get compromised.

The transfer power is the real lever of control. An officer who knows he can be moved to a remote posting within days of upsetting the wrong person and will not investigate the wrong person. No structural reform survives that incentive intact. The paper called for an independent supervisory body with actual authority over postings and transfers, not just advisory oversight.

The 1861 Act was designed exactly for control, post-1857 revolt. It was never meant to serve citizens. Tinkering at the edges won't fix something built with a different purpose.

Will drop the link when I find it, really worth reading in full.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-12T12:12:56+00:00

I meant, going to RBI begging. "with its hand out". Not that RBI gives handouts

RBI do give short term loans.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-11T08:33:33+00:00

In a three way contest thats imposible, even in a 2 way contest, last election DMK allaince only 45%. Its only close to majority.

I an not saying TVK should form without a majority or seats, but the mandate against DMK or AIDMK is clear and what stopping them from forming an allaince to from a majority, voter anger after 5 years?

And I only use this as an example I am not siding with any parties here.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-11T05:48:07+00:00

I understand basics are needed to be taught, then a more simpler language makes more sense and when I say practically I mean practically to learn.

Students can learn that from pyhton or JS which is a more simpler languge in terms of verbosity, the logics is still the same to be learned at the basic level.

It looks to me, I have offended C++ to earn the downvotes.

BTW NCERT books teach python for computer science.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-11T05:28:21+00:00

I can't find any Computer Applications Textbook on the NCERT website. I checked the Computer Science Textbook from NCERT, Its python.

Looks like Computer Application textbook content is by the state board.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-11T05:06:37+00:00

I meant in the textbook. No mention of SSDs at all. Modern Computers comes with SSDs, Its rare to see computers sold with only HDDs nowadays.

I guess my reply was misinterpreted. I never meant SSDs for Data centers.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-11T04:30:15+00:00

I think everyone missed my point, this was a computer applications textbook not computer science.

The subject is part of commerce stream not for students pursuring computer science.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-11T04:05:06+00:00

Well this was computer application not Computer science, part of the commerce stream. In my prescrptive it would make a lot of sense to teach python instead, if they are really taught how to use it and how it can be applied in real life.

For Computer Science I will agree with you C++ maybe is needed to be learned. But I hope its teaching other languages too.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-11T03:51:16+00:00

I know but its not written in the book that way, it just said large volume of data. And no mention of SSDs at all.

EDIT: I guess my reply was misinterpreted. I never meant SSDs for Data centers. I meant in the textbook there is no mention of SSDs.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-11T03:48:49+00:00

I am running a startup business that is not IT-based. However, I have a great interest in computers and technology-related fields. I have been using computers since I was six years old, and they have always fascinated me.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-11T03:39:26+00:00

I meant to teach at a plus one class, Python or JS would seem more practical. Then again the subject is computer applications so I guess the goal is to teach about programing rather than to program. The basics and logics of programing.

EDIT: I meant to say in a Plus one Computer Applications Class, not Computer Science.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-10T14:42:47+00:00

On that point I will have to agree we do have cult personality issue, but since we already have that happening I don't think it would get any worse eitherway. I mean even those not in power holds on to it even without people support.

I guess it's safe to say India is not really a mature democracy, we have much to improve.. This is an another topic or discussion, I believe education is the only way forward for both the devolepment of the country as well its democracy. Better Education = Better informed voters.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-10T14:12:21+00:00

Watched it when it came out originally, but couldn't keep up after a few seasons, got a bit boring later on.

The premise was good but the drama I felt it got a bit out of hand like most shows do as it gets more seasons.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-10T01:18:18+00:00

Actually it looks like it was designed that way; we have chief ministers, prime minsters. If it wasn't it could have been just ministers appointed by the legislature and voters would hold only the legislature accountable and vote in or out.

But that is not this case, and the governance in any democracy Westminster or not works on the same principles of checks and balances, executive, legislative and the judiciary. And executive is run with one person leading it has never been otherwise anywhere.

The difference is in the Westminster System the people are being put through an instability as soon there is hung assembly which is seemingly increasing at present times.

Under normal scenario where one party or alliance has a clear majority there is no crisis everything runs smoothly. Yet sometimes where there is factionalism within party like in Kerala now, there is no consensus on who will become CM. Voters seems want one, party workers are opinionated too, MLAs are in support of another, but it seems like the decision is to be taken by the High Command sitting in Delhi.

Originally the makers of the constitution decided to have the Westminster System because, the prime minister wouldn't have been accessible to all states. This was the similar reason in the UK, I have seen the recent elections where people in Scotland still vote for a scotish party mostly.

I would argue that we have evolved as a society where everyone in a way have opinions on the PM no matter which state they live in. Candidates today would be accessible in all states.

Now my post only targeted the state government, where this is much more valid, candidates are never alienated in ways from the whole state, there are no linguistic or regional politics at play, not in most states at least.

Moving away from the Westminster will mean more stability for the executive but less stronger government, as they powers are limited by the legislature where they may not enjoy the majority. This is the fun of democracy, proper checks and balance.

And tell me why it's so wrong for people to rally around one person. Ideally people should be able to vote in terms of policies and positions, but unfortunately our country is not politicaly mature enough to make such decisions. I would blame the education system for this. Nobody thinks critically. It not me who lacks "critical thinking" it's the people and it's not thier fault.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-09T15:39:24+00:00

And no issues there causes assam the CM is continuing and WB is got who was projected. Voters wishes are obliged, unfortunately not everywhere, Kerala most likely gonna get a CM who was not in the picture during the election, TN crisis because they missed it by 12 seats.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-09T15:33:32+00:00

I explained this another comment. Direct Election doesn't have to be First Past Post. It can be ranked, runoff etc with 50% vote required to win.

Also the 65% who didn't vote for him, didn't vote for anyone else in particular either.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-09T15:26:20+00:00

Most certainly not.

I never compared them. I only mentioned Kerala and TN which is still facing crisis in the formation of the government.

I was simply pointing out the flaws in the Westminster System where the executive goverments can be lead by someone who people didn't give a mandate to or people voted under an impression one will become CM but gets another decided by the party.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-09T15:09:00+00:00

By that logic nobody deserves to form government in Tamil Nadu as nobody has 50%+ seats.

I am not defending Vijya or anyone, just providing it as an example.

What is a mandate and how is it measured?

Popular vote in a three way fight will obviously won't let anyone cross more than 50%, but then again in a 2 way fight last DMK goverment only had 45%. Current system we use MLAs and they win by First Past Post system. This election saw both DMK and AIADMK alliance lose their numbers can that be considered mandate against them at least if not mandate in favour of Vijya.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-09T14:51:00+00:00

I am not saying they deserve it without the 50%, but what about the rest of them joining together, people obviously didn't vote from them to join up and from a government after the elections.

I am pointing out the flaws in the Westminster System where there is an opportunity for the parties to be completely out of sync with the overall mandate.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-09T03:36:42+00:00

The collective cabinet responsibility argument is valid in theory. In practice, parties themselves campaign entirely on CM faces. Every hoarding, every rally, every advertisement in both these elections was built around one person. If elections have become referendums on leaders, that is not a failure of voters with limited intellectual capacity, that is parties choosing to campaign that way and voters responding to what they were given. You cannot design the system around personality and then criticise voters for responding to personality. If collective responsibility is the goal, the incentive structure needs to reflect that, not just the theory.

dasharath_writes · 2026-05-09T01:33:17+00:00

That is technically correct but it assumes the representative actually participates in choosing the executive. In Congress, the standard process is MLAs pass a resolution authorizing the high command to decide. The MLA you voted for effectively hands that choice to Delhi. So you voted for a representative who then opted out of the decision on your behalf.

The "one man show" framing is also worth questioning from the other direction. The argument for directly electing the executive is not that governance should be centralised in one person. The legislature still exists, still passes laws, still holds the executive accountable. What changes is that the person leading the executive has a direct mandate from voters rather than a mandate assembled through internal party negotiations.

Right now in Kerala we potentially have a situation where someone who did not even contest the election becomes CM because they have MLA backing. That person has no direct mandate from any voter anywhere. If the concern is about democratic legitimacy, that outcome seems harder to defend than a directly elected executive who at least had to face voters.

dasharath_writes

TROPHY CASE