Election Commission gets slapped down in the Supreme Court. Its plea to expunge the remarks of Madras HC that its officers should be held responsible for loss of many lives was rejected. Its other plea, that court proceedings should not be reported in public, was also shot down.
The second part is more important. I don't think the EC has any self-respect; it has allowed its image to drop quite badly anyway. The first plea was only a cover for the second one, which would have had implications for many other important cases in the higher courts.
The court not only blew that away, the judges also set the bar higher for anyone else in the future who wants to put curbs on media coverage of courts. The EC is like many other gross under-performers in our governance; it cannot even do the bad things efficiently.
It is early days, but I'm optimistic about a few judges in the SC - Chandrachud, Bhat, Ramana himself in a quiet way, and some others could push to restore greater balance between the judiciary and the executive in the coming months. We need that !!

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More from @ashwinmahesh

7 May
The lock-down will not work. It cannot UNLESS it is accompanied by food security measures. Too many people have no choice but to leave their homes if they want to eat. And if they have to choose between the risk of dying by hunger or by covid, they'll choose covid.
The millions of people on the streets during every (even partial) lockdown should tell us that much. We are not yet at economic levels of stock-and-consume for the majority of the population. For most people, therefore, defying the lockdown is a necessity.
The 18-item food kit that Kerala provided is a good thing to copy, for any state that wants to implement a lockdown. It's the only fair and ethical way to do it. And it might have some impact in slowing the spread of the virus. Anything else is activity without achievement.
Read 4 tweets
7 May
Phrases like cryogenic tankers, 'concetrators, ICU beds, cylinders, and things like that, are swirling about. Most of which I'd not heard of until recently. But some picture of the problem is emerging, and the various flows of money and equipment are starting to become visible.
There is a list of 250 hospitals in the state, around which I think the major interventions have to focus. I would like to know exactly where they are. It could be legwork online, or local knowledge - but district wise, this is needed.
@sagargubbi Do you know where this one is - City Central Hospital in Davangere district?
Read 4 tweets
7 May
Why have state governments conceded so much space to the Centre that they are now more or less just being dragged along by any policy that New Delhi comes up with, even on state matters? There are three reasons - indifference, party hierarchy, and money.
For most of the state governments, 'Centre-State' relations and governance are not top of their agenda. They are in 'power' and they pursue something else. In this scenario, it does not matter whose policy is being advanced, and what it does to the structure of government.
Even if some of them were to occasionally think about all this, they are so hard-wired into the notion that the Centre is 'superior' to them that they don't question it. Especially elected reps from 'national' parties are very careful in avoiding 'state versus centre' issues.
Read 4 tweets
5 May
50,000+ new covid cases in Karnataka, and still rising from day to day. And the Centre now says we must prepare for a third wave. We the people are trying to prepare as best as we can. How about you, the people in the governments?
4 lakh cases again nationwide, and record deaths. 100+ deaths even in several of the smaller states. And these are just the recorded numbers. Those who don't get admitted at all die unseen by the system, but their families' tragedies are no less severe.
Active cases in Bengaluru now at 3.1 lakhs - six times higher than Mumbai, and three times the number in Delhi. Absolutely caught in a 'deer in the headlights' moment with no clue how to even organise a defense against the virus.
Read 4 tweets
5 May
As anticipated by the Constitutional Conduct Group, the recently retired Chief Election Commissioner is now the Governor of Goa. Elections coming up there too. He can do dual duty !!
'Revolving door' rules should apply to people in statutory and constitutional bodies as well, barring them from holding public offices for some years after they retire.
Julio Ribeiro's article on this - "The Election Commission was a proudly independent institution. It celebrated the reign of democracy in our ancient land. Alas, not anymore. Our own colleagues have ensured its slow death."
tribuneindia.com/news/comment/t…
Read 4 tweets
4 May
Data. Once the Delhi High Court started looking at the data on tankers, oxygen, etc. it became obvious who is doing what, and who is not. Issued show-cause notices to Central govt, threatening contempt action. Senior officials of Industries Dept summoned to court tomorrow.
Delhi’s 'Oxygen Bulletin' - 3rd May 2021:
- Demand: 976 MT
- Supply: 433 MT

Meanwhile, the first of the 21 oxygen plants being imported by the State government from France installed at CWG village.
Delhi and Mumbai will get over the hump sooner than other places, although they are hit hard. They have their own funds (in MH, thanks to decentralisation to BMC) which allows faster local action. Large states have to deal with a much larger problem in the hinterland districts.
Read 4 tweets

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