More often than not the middle class or the elite in developing societies have started to shun politics as the only space left for 'speaking out' involves violent street protests or self inflicted torture(satyagraha: also recognized by state actors as an act of war against them) The full power of the state/entrenched interests is out to crush the legitimate voice of people against mis-governance or autocratic behavior of the governments in power.
In India marketers from big media houses and these days even consumer goods industry have exploited this sullen disquiet of relatively well-off and educated middle class against the present political system. The present political system of lack of state funding for elections and relatively little pay for politicians ensures that only the crooked-corrupted or the very rich are able to afford to run for elections. Lack of honest popular leaders ensures that political space is occupied by politicians with vested interests in robbing others for their votebanks. Politicians are seen to divide the small pie as it exists today quite arbitrarily on linguistic/caste basis amongst their votebanks or to the highest renter(forcible land acquisition from property owners mostly farmers to favor the industrialists/businesses of their choice).

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Assembling and programming any form of communication content like signs, signals, writing, pictures, images and sounds, and placing it in electronic form on electro-magnetic waves on specified frequencies and transmitting it through space or cables to make it continuously available on the carrier waves, so as to be accessible to single or multiple users through receiving devices either directly or indirectly.
- Definition of broadcasting in the draft Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill, 2007
FREE SPEECH activists fear this definition can be used to extend the Bill to cover the Internet. “Of course, they will censor the Net using this Bill,” says technology commentator Arun Mehta. “In any case, the Internet can also be used for broadcasting.” That means not only video or TV broadcasting over the Net, or Internet Protocol TV, would be covered, but just about any online activity. The fourth draft in 10 years and the Union information and broadcasting ministry has still not been able to so much as introduce the Broadcast Bill in Parliament, due to massive media opposition. It’s expected to be tabled in Parliament in the winter session. But so far only television news has been the subject of debate on the “draconian” law.
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Read the full story written by Shivam Vij on Tehelka

Indian government chooses Chinese style control over freedom of thought while allowing permitting limited financial freedom. Though it seems that the economists are also getting worried about the meddlesome behavior of the government in recent times.

The current income tax return forms suck. The NIC maintaining the government's sites is doing an amazingly bad job. Compared to US where not only are the income tax returns simple enough to fill up but also come with an additional detailed instruction set. Online filing of tax returns and paying taxes online actually works for the US. However comparing that to the extremely shabby job done by Income Tax department, the finance ministry and the NIC is really embarrassing. India may have grown richer but life for an ordinary citizen still sucks and there are reasons enough for brain drain to better managed countries.

Forbes on the USD 900m underground predictive markets on Indian monsoons. The goal of the government in India should be to abandon moralistic stance and think business. Whether it is wagering on sports or betting on economic variables, or trading in Rupee/forex futures.