WINDS OF CHANGE

Be it 'one nation, one poll' or reservation for women in legislatures, new political initiatives are finding wider acceptance even as social mores change, albeit slowly

- AMARNATH K. MENON

Political and governance reforms have a wider appeal as they promise to bring in economic efficiency while those aimed at dismantling old social structures and traditions take time to gain traction. This is a stark finding of the INDIA TODAY Mood of the Nation (MOTN) February 2024 poll. The idea of 'one nation, one poll' (ONOP), for instance, is finding greater acceptance. Frequent elections, besides being expensive, can disrupt policy-making processes and lead to uncertainty, especially among businesses and investors. The latest MOTN poll shows a significant majority-65.9 per cent - favouring ONOP, considering how conducting parliamentary and assembly elections simultaneously can cut costs and minimise disruptions. However, there's a section that feels any such move could negate federalism, as evident from the 21.3 per cent of the respondents not in its favour and 12.8 per cent who remain undecided.

Along with ONOP, another initiative finding acceptance is the caste census, with 59.2 per cent in favour as against 27.8 per cent who are opposed to it. With the Union government repeatedly postponing the decennial census - the national head count was last published in 2011. Several states are willing to make the caste census the basis for extending a slew of welfare schemes and recalibrating reservations. But a clear majority-59 per cent - thinks that reservations should be based solely on a person's economic status and not the caste, up from 57.3 per cent a year ago. Simultaneously, there's a perceptible fall in the percentage of those wanting both criteria to be considered from 32.3 to 27.9.