Samarth Bansal is a data journalist based in New Delhi, with a keen interest in politics and public policy.
Articles by Samarth Bansal
MPs take Fridays casually, choose political engagements over legislation
Actual attendance figures for the second half of the day could be far lower because many MPs do not sit through the entire day’s business
Published on Aug 19, 2017 09:30 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Jatin Gandhi and Samarth Bansal
‘Only when bill arrives, we know there’s power’: What ails India’s rural electrification scheme?
India’s rural electrification scheme guzzles thousands of crores of rupees annually but does not guarantee that power reaches the people.
Updated on Aug 19, 2017 10:29 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Sitapur/Bahraich (Uttar Pradesh) | Samarth Bansal
Latest Aadhaar leak exposes security flaws in app developed by NIC
In recent months, websites maintained by NIC have inadvertently published the Aadhaar numbers and financial details of millions of citizens.
Updated on Aug 17, 2017 07:36 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Aman Sethi and Samarth Bansal
All eyes on Gorakhpur, but these 5 maps show that it isn’t even close to how bad healthcare is in UP
HT’s analysis of NFHS data for Uttar Pradesh shows that many other districts fare worse than Gorakhpur.
Updated on Aug 17, 2017 08:44 AM IST
Gorakhpur tragedy a reminder of all that ails India’s public funds management
For years, red tape has meant that departments have failed to secure and utilise all of their funding, which has often led to critical work being affected
Updated on Aug 13, 2017 05:00 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Samarth Bansal
IITs must not scrap departments that have low traction in the job market
While students’ placement is important — and perhaps the most crucial aspect for the majority of students — it can’t be the primary objective of the country’s premier technical institutions.
Updated on Aug 08, 2017 06:41 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Bansal
Why target GSTN, private companies already have all tax data: Navin Kumar
Just 10 days are left for the nationwide roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) , but there are still question marks about the GST Network (GSTN) -- the IT backbone of India’s most ambitious indirect tax regime.
Updated on Jun 21, 2017 11:46 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Samarth Bansal and Suchetana Ray
GST rollout: Govt says tech ready but developers say not yet
GST Suvidha Providers are companies chosen by GST Network to develop user friendly software, based on the government provided tech interface or APIs for GST payment, documentation and compliance.
Updated on Jun 21, 2017 01:23 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Suchetana Ray and Samarth Bansal
Aadhaar gets new security features, but this is why your data still may not be safe
The government is pushing for the unique identity, to register everything from infant children to bank accounts, but the biometrics of millions of people are not foolproof.
Updated on Jul 19, 2017 11:06 AM IST
New Delhi, Hindustan Times | Aman Sethi and Samarth Bansal
HT Analysis: Girls outperform boys in every major subject in CBSE Class 12
For instance, 55% of all the boys who appeared in the 2015 exam took mathematics as a subject, compared to just 36% girls. Biology was opted by 22% girls and 12% boys.
Updated on Jun 03, 2017 11:34 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Samarth Bansal and Manas Sharma
3 yrs of Modi govt: Question of jobs a major challenge confronting Centre
Three years after Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister and promised jobs, it is difficult to say whether he has delivered because of a lack of credible figures and surveys.
Updated on May 27, 2017 07:33 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Samarth Bansal
Saharanpur Dalit-Thakur violence: Here’s why UP blocked WhatsApp, social media
Last week, seven people in Jharkhand were lynched in 24 hours over rumours circulated on WhatsApp spooking villagers into believing their children may be targeted by abduction gangs
Updated on Jun 13, 2017 09:46 AM IST
Faking it on WhatsApp: How India's favourite messaging app is turning into a rumour mill
Spreading fast and wild on WhatsApp fake news about riots, ‘miracle’ currency
Updated on May 19, 2017 02:51 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Bansal, New Delhi
12-year data shows Maoist-related violence on the decline
The average number of deaths across all categories – civilians, soldiers and militants – in 2011-17 was less than half the number in 2005-10
Updated on May 10, 2017 10:48 AM IST
New Delhi | Samarth Bansal and Piyush Aggarwal
Days after Jharkhand breach, govt websites continue to bleed Aadhaar data
Digital identities of more than a million citizens had been compromised by a programming error on a website maintained by the Jharkhand Directorate of Social Security.
Updated on Apr 29, 2017 06:31 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi/ Ranchi | Aman Sethi, Samarth Bansal and Saurav Roy
Aadhaar detail leak in Jharkhand sign of deep cyber security flaws: Experts
Cyber security analysts warn of vulnerabilities that could lead to hacking of identity details of individuals.
Updated on Apr 24, 2017 07:54 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi/Ranchi | Aman Sethi, Saurav Roy and Samarth Bansal
Details of over a million Aadhaar numbers published on Jharkhand govt website
Jharkhand has over 1.6 million pensioners, 1.4 million of whom have seeded their bank accounts with their Aadhaar numbers to avail of direct bank transfers for their monthly pensions. Their personal details are now freely available.
Updated on Jul 19, 2017 11:04 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi and Ranchi | Aman Sethi, Samarth Bansal and Saurav Roy, New Delhi And Ranchi
Aadhaar row: Activists say workers under rural scheme will be denied jobs, govt denies
The government and activists are on a warpath over allegations that more than half of all workers under the rural jobs scheme will be denied employment because the deadline for Aadhaar enrolment has passed.
Updated on Jul 19, 2017 12:44 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Samarth Bansal
Scare and sell: Here’s how an Indian call centre cheated foreign computer owners
A tech support scam begins by planting a pop-up message in the target user’s web browser that alerts them to a so-called virus infection, employees and experts say.
Updated on May 18, 2017 01:41 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Gurgaon/New Delhi | Snigdha Poonam and Samarth Bansal
Vehicular pollution: What is BS and why should you care?
New emissions for vehicles in India which come into effect on April 1, will mean costlier cars and fuel, but will eventually cut cost of health care because of pollution induced health problems will fall.
Updated on May 11, 2017 05:11 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Malavika Vyawahare, Gulshankumar Wankar and Samarth Bansal
India’s data collectors have a number problem as national survey office faces staff crunch
24% of positions vacant for the posts of junior and senior statistical officers at the National Sample Survey Office.
Updated on Mar 30, 2017 12:20 AM IST
New Delhi, Hindustan Times | Samarth Bansal
Do numbers bear out the theory of silent Muslim support for BJP in UP polls?
There is no definitive data to back claims that Muslims voted in favour of the BJP or against it.
Updated on Apr 06, 2017 11:40 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Samarth Bansal
Punjab election result: Congress gains as AAP chips off Akali votes
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) proved a spoiler for the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP combine in Punjab, unlike pre-poll perception that new entrant in the state’s politics will erode Congress votes
Updated on Mar 12, 2017 08:48 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Jatin Gandhi, Samarth Bansal and Gurman Bhatia
Christian population on the rise in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur
BJP blames conversion for upswing of community’s numbers in Arunachal and Manipur, experts cite migration.
Updated on Mar 09, 2017 12:35 PM IST
New Delhi, Hindustan Times | Samarth Bansal and Smriti Kak Ramachandran
Despite missing disinvestment targets for 7 years, govt raises it by 60%
Government Wednesday said it will raise Rs 72,500 crore through disinvestment of PSUs, including listing of three railway PSUs IRCTC, IRFC and IRCON, and proposed merger and consolidation to create globally competitive public sector units.
Updated on Feb 10, 2017 10:03 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Suchetana Ray and Samarth Bansal, New Delhi
Govt education spending falls short of HRD minister Prakash Javadekar’s mark
While the minister said the government spends 4.5% of GDP on education, budget documents show that figure is around 3% only.
Updated on Feb 07, 2017 12:26 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Samarth Bansal
Budget 2017: What finance minister Arun Jaitley said versus what the numbers show
Do finance minister Arun Jaitley’s budget pronouncements match up to what the numbers say?
Updated on Feb 02, 2017 01:46 AM IST
New Delhi, Hindustan Times | Samarth Bansal
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