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Samarth Bansal

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

Data from PRS legislative research shows that business in the Rajya Sabha collapsed thrice this year due to lack of quorum on a Friday forcing adjournment for the day.(PTI)
Published on Aug 19, 2017 09:30 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByJatin 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.

For all its ambition, the programme is undercut by a difficult reality: infrastructure alone doesn’t translate into energisation or access to electricity.(Indranil Bhoumik/MInt)
Updated on Aug 19, 2017 10:29 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Sitapur/Bahraich (Uttar Pradesh) | By

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.

Woman applying for Aadhaar card.(File Photo)
Updated on Aug 17, 2017 07:36 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAman 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.

A file photo taken on August 14, 2017 shows a child at the encephalitis ward of the Baba Raghav Das Hospital in Gorakhpur, where 70 children died last week.(AFP)
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

A man leaves a hospital ward with the lifeless body of his one-month-old nephew at Baba Raghav Das Medical College Hospital in Gorakhpur where at least 60 children died in the last week. The deaths coincided with a shortage of oxygen mid-week, after supply from a private firm was cut off due to pending dues.(AP photo)
Updated on Aug 13, 2017 05:00 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By

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.

Students at IIT Delhi campus in New Delhi, India, on Friday, September 12, 2014. (Photo by Saumya Khandelwal/ Hindustan Times)(Hindustan Times)
Updated on Aug 08, 2017 06:41 PM IST
Hindustan Times | By

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 | BySamarth 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.

The goods and services tax (GST), billed as India’s biggest tax reform since Independence, will be introduced in a June 30 midnight function that will be attended by former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda.(Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Updated on Jun 21, 2017 01:23 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | BySuchetana 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.

HT Image(Raj K Raj/ HT file photo)
Updated on Jul 19, 2017 11:06 AM IST
New Delhi, Hindustan Times | ByAman 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.

Students of class 12 attending exam during the first day of the CBSE exam at a centre.(Sanjeev Verma/ Hindustan Times)
Updated on Jun 03, 2017 11:34 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | BySamarth 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.

Representative photo.(AP FIle)
Updated on May 27, 2017 07:33 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By

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

Uttar Pradesh home secretary Mani Prasad Mishra interacts with villagers in Shabeerpur on Wednesday.(HT file photo)
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

WhatsApp offers private medium of communication, but the same feature is used to spread dangerous rumours.(Shutterstock)
Updated on May 19, 2017 02:51 PM IST
Hindustan Times | By, 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

A gathering of Maoists during the CPI (Maoist)'s Ninth Congress in an undisclosed place in Chhattisgarh state on Thursday. PTI Photo(PTI Photo)
Updated on May 10, 2017 10:48 AM IST
New Delhi | BySamarth 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.

Women in Rasjasthan showing their respective Aadhaar cards.(PTI File Photo)
Updated on Apr 29, 2017 06:31 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi/ Ranchi | ByAman 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.

Cyber security analysts warn of vulnerabilities that could lead to hacking of identity details of individuals.(PTI)
Updated on Apr 24, 2017 07:54 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi/Ranchi | ByAman 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.

HT Image(HT File Photo)
Updated on Jul 19, 2017 11:04 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi and Ranchi | ByAman 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.

Government says the March 31 deadline for Aadhaar enrolment has already been extended for another six months.(Sikander Singh Chopra/HT File Photo)
Updated on Jul 19, 2017 12:44 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By

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.

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.(LiveMint File Photo/Representative image)
Updated on May 18, 2017 01:41 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Gurgaon/New Delhi | BySnigdha 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.

India will switch to BS IV emission norms for vehicles from April 1. The switch is expected to significantly bring down vehicular pollution in the country.(HT Photo)
Updated on May 11, 2017 05:11 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByMalavika 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.

The field operations division of the NSSO, which is responsible for collecting primary data, has around 24% of positions vacant for the posts of junior and senior statistical officers.(Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Updated on Mar 30, 2017 12:20 AM IST
New Delhi, Hindustan Times | By

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.

In the wake of BJP’s landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh, party president Amit Shah said there were no “Hindu or Muslim voters”.(PTI)
Updated on Apr 06, 2017 11:40 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By

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

MISS THE CUT: Children carry a cutout of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal at one of his road shows in Patiala for the Punjab assembly polls.(PTI file photo)
Updated on Mar 12, 2017 08:48 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByJatin 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.

Christian population in Arunachal Pradesh rose from less than 1% in 1971 to more than 30% in 2011 while Manipur saw a rise from 19% in 1961 to more than 41% in 2011.(AFP Photo)
Updated on Mar 09, 2017 12:35 PM IST
New Delhi, Hindustan Times | BySamarth 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 | BySuchetana 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.

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said the government is making progress on its education spending goals, but the budget documents say otherwise.(PTI File)
Updated on Feb 07, 2017 12:26 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By

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?

The budget is about policy while the budget speech is about politics. How did finance minister Arun Jaitley measure up?(PTI)
Updated on Feb 02, 2017 01:46 AM IST
New Delhi, Hindustan Times | By
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