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Anisha Dutta

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31 Aug, 9 tweets, 4 min read

@TheEIU

EXCLUSIVE: EIU declined India's offer to use Govt data & research for its Democracy Index ranking after Govt made several attempts to establish contact with them. The Govt instructed officials to conduct “discreet” enquiries regarding the @TheEIU, according to documents accessed.

The Govt sought details on the sample size taken in India in ranking the Democracy Index; the methodology and details of agencies/authors or contributors and their contributions used or utilised in preparing the Democracy Index, in India. hindustantimes.com/india-news/eiu…

Previously reported the Govt asked to disallow another Parliament ques on 'Indian position in the Democracy Index' saying it was "very sensitive," in a doc accessed. The Indian Govt contacted EIU after ranked India as "flawed democracy."

https://twitter.com/A2D2_/status/1427118348236509184?s=19

The Govt said the methodology adopted by EIU to deduce the rankings was not shared and noted that the rankings were arrived without consulting any government agencies. “The said agency is not willing to divulge the required information," it said.

https://twitter.com/A2D2_/status/1427118348236509184?s=19

@TheEIU

Chronology: Jan 20' Govt decides to begin monitoring global indices including the @TheEIU Democracy Index to improve performance.
* July 20' Niti Aayog called a workshop with central ministries and depts to seek inputs.
* Niti Aayog plans to set up a dashboard to monitor indices

*Multiple reminders are sent through the year by the Cab Sec to the concerned ministries to give inputs. For the Democracy Index the law ministry was designated the nodal agency for inter-ministerial coordination. ⬇️

* Sept 20' after multiple attempts to contact EIU's London Headquarters govt finally hears back from their Principal Economist.
* Finally a Zoom call is arranged with the EIU's Economist and Govt officials in London.
Govt wanted details of methodology, respondents/agencies etc.

Finally the EIU Economist tells Govt things including political opposition to certain new laws..the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, and the state-backed blackout of the internet in Jammu & Kashmir were among the reasons that may have led to a downgrade of India's rankings ⬇️

https://twitter.com/A2D2_/status/1383251672592310276?s=19

Details of why the government started monitoring the global indices including Democracy Index. A reminder was also sent to the MHA seeking inputs for Global Peace Index rankings. My report from April ⬇️

https://twitter.com/A2D2_/status/1383251672592310276?s=19

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Anisha Dutta

@A2D2_

16 Aug

@TheEIU

EXCLUSIVE: Govt asked to disallow another Parliament ques on 'Indian position in the Democracy Index' as it was "very sensitive," in a doc accessed by us. The Indian Govt contacted @TheEIU after ranking India as "flawed democracy" it said they refused to give details to the Govt.

Govt admitted it contacted Economist Intelligence Unit over its 'Democracy Index' ranking of India that attributed the primary cause of the "democratic regression" on "erosion of civil liberties and the authorities handling of the corona virus pandemic in the country."

Read 7 tweets

Anisha Dutta

@A2D2_

23 May 20

https://twitter.com/A2D2_/status/1264144567655256065

80% Shramik special trains have been sent to UP and Bihar.

https://twitter.com/A2D2_/status/1264144567655256065

@RailMinIndia

Over the next 10 days @RailMinIndia has formed a schedule to run trains to ferry 36 lakh migrants in 2600 Shramik Trains. Here's the list of the originating and destination states.

@RailMinIndia

Nearly 1000 ticket counters have been allowed to open across stations: @RailMinIndia railway board chairman

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Anisha Dutta

@A2D2_

10 May 20

BREAKING: Indian Railways to gradually restart passenger train operations from 12th May, 2020, initially with 15 pairs of trains (30 return journeys). #Lockdown3

These trains will be run as special trains from New Delhi Station connecting Dibrugarh, Agartala, Howrah, Patna, Bilaspur, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Madgaon, Mumbai Central, Ahmedabad and Jammu Tawi.

@RailMinIndia

Thereafter, Indian Railways shall start more special services on new routes, based on the available coaches. @RailMinIndia

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Anisha Dutta

@A2D2_

29 Mar 20

Thread 👇#Lockdown
India is on the brink of another humanitarian crisis even as it is grappling with the mass exodus of migrant workers. Lakhs of truck drivers are stuck in limbo, stranded on the roads in abysmal conditions without food or shelter as no movement is being allowed.

More than 6 lakh registered trucks are stranded across the country, actual numbers maybe even more. I visit the largest transport hub in Asia—Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar. These drivers have been stranded for more than 10 days now with nowhere to go. Listen to what they say

Swamped in close quarters with no permission to move, the drivers are living with an eminent fear of either contracting the virus or dying of hunger. "Corona chodhho banda bhook se hi mar jayega," one driver says. #LockdownWithoutPlan #COVID2019

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Anisha Dutta

@A2D2_

5 Nov 19

Firms that didn't win the project had proposed extending the Central Vista up to the banks of Yamuna, converting North and South Blocks into archival spaces, the Parliament building into a museum and erecting a new obelisk akin to the Washington Monument overlooking the Rajpath.

This firm CP Kukreja Architects had proposed that the Central Vista would run from the Yamuna in the east to the Delhi Ridge. It also proposed the creation of a pair of “semi-public” streets that would run between the buildings with a new underground Metro route connecting CV.

New Delhi based Sikka Associates Architects had also proposed a mono rail loop around central vista, public plazas with underground traffic interchange, new Sandad Bhawan next to a new office building for PMO and a 'garden of peace' among others.