Elections: Give me the right to say “Anyone but not …”

A news item says that nearly one percent of voters in Tamilnadu exercised their right to say None of the Above in their ballot slips, presumably showing their disgust of the choice made available to them. 

Over 5.55 lakh Tamil Nadu voters opt for NOTA,
By IANS, Thursday, 19 May 2016

The NOTA option has earned more votes than at least four of the political parties in the fray. Further, the NOTA votes cast are probably more than 50% of the difference between the votes earned by the two major parties. If there had been no NOTA, the results could have been different. A simple idea has shown its teeth!

In the light of this, I have a suggestion for another step forward. We have politicians who exploit hatred and instigate violence. Many voters would like to ensure that such elements don’t get elected, leaving the field open to other candidates. The choice between Tweedledum and Tweedledee may not matter to them, as long as criminal or corrupt elements are kept out. I believe that we should get the right to say ABUT (Anyone but …)! If I vote against a candidate marking the ABUT box, it should reduce his/her vote count by one without affecting the vote count of other candidates. It will increase the chances of the ABUT candidate losing the deposit. Hate mongers, candidates put up to make mischief, etc., can be stopped easily by this process, making the election process a little better. For instance, it might make a party think twice before giving a seat to a known criminal or a corrupt politician.

What does it cost to recognize young talent in science and technology?

Science Talent Search (STS) in the US has been sponsored by Westinghouse from 1942 till Intel took over the responsibility in 1998. The organizing agency is the Society for Science. Visit https://www.societyforscience.org/intel-science-talent-search

Between 1942 and now, STS has recognized 3000 finalists, given away $13 Million in scholarships. Not surprisingly, twelve of the awardees went on to earn Nobel Prizes and two earned the prestigious Fields Medal in mathematics.

The question is whether countries like China and India should not set up such systems to identify and encourage young talent. Of course, they do have science fairs, science talent searches, etc. The question to be asked is if what they have is adequate.

Intel will serve as the exclusive sponsor for the Intel STS through 2017; what exactly will happen after that we have to see.

I do think that programs like the STS offer a great way to spend Corporate Social Responsibility funds. Big companies can run such programs, maintaining the highest standards, serving a great purpose. Funds available will decide the scale on which the program can be run; but, scale is not the most important factor. Respect for young talent and quality of program management will be the factors deciding the outcome.