Why money speaks at the ballot | Asia Society Skip to main content

Unsupported Browser Detected.
It seems the web browser you're using doesn't support some of the features of this site. For the best experience, we recommend using a modern browser that supports the features of this website. We recommend Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge

  • About
    • About Asia Society
    • Our Board
    • Committees and Advisors
    • Our People
    • Careers
    • Other Information
    • Volunteer
    • Contact Us
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Past Events
  • Exhibitions
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Upcoming Exhibitions
    • Past Exhibitions
  • Asia Arts Game Changer Awards
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
  • Asia 21 South Asia
    • Samavāya: Conversations with Asia 21 Leaders
    • Meet our Asia 21 Fellows
    • Reunion 2021
    • Asia 21 Bulletin
    • Hangouts
  • Gen A
    • Batch of 2022
    • Batch of 2023
  • ASPI
  • Blog
    • All Posts
    • Event Recaps
  • Support
    • Become a Member
    • Corporate Members
India
Search
India
  • About
    • About Asia Society
    • Our Board
    • Committees and Advisors
    • Our People
    • Careers
    • Other Information
    • Volunteer
    • Contact Us
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Past Events
  • Exhibitions
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Upcoming Exhibitions
    • Past Exhibitions
  • Asia Arts Game Changer Awards
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
  • Asia 21 South Asia
    • Samavāya: Conversations with Asia 21 Leaders
    • Meet our Asia 21 Fellows
    • Reunion 2021
    • Asia 21 Bulletin
    • Hangouts
  • Gen A
    • Batch of 2022
    • Batch of 2023
  • ASPI
  • Blog
    • All Posts
    • Event Recaps
  • Support
    • Become a Member
    • Corporate Members

Breadcrumb

  • India
  • Upcoming Events
  • Why money speaks at the ballot

Why money speaks at the ballot

VIEW EVENT DETAILS  
L-R MILAN VAISHNAV AND NIRANJAN RAJADHYAKSHA

In his book, When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian Politics, Milan Vaishnav takes readers deep into the intersections of crime and politics in India. 34% of 543 MPs who were elected faced criminal charges, up from 30% in 2009 and 24% in 2004. Individuals with serious criminal records consistently doing well at the ballot is discouraging for the worlds largest democracy. There is a gap between what the people of the state demand and what the state has been able to deliver mainly because of inadequacies in governance. This invokes a short term need to increase voter awareness and fast track jurisdiction regarding the issue and a long term stratagem to ameliorate governance. The state needs to function not merely punitively but also perform an empowering role for the citizenry. Drawing on fieldwork from the campaign trail, large surveys, and unprecedented data on politicians’ criminal records, Vaishnav will discuss his findings on the inner-workings of the India democracy’s underbelly. Joining him in the discussion will be Niranjan Rajadhyaksha, Executive Editor, Mint.

Milan Vaishnav is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC, where his primary research focus is the political economy of India. He is the author of When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian Politics (HarperCollins India, 2017) and co-editor (with Devesh Kapur and Pratap Bhanu Mehta) of Rethinking Public Institutions in India (Oxford University Press, forthcoming). He was previously a fellow at the Center for Global Development and has taught at Columbia, George Washington, and Georgetown Universities. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University.

Niranjan Rajadhyaksha is the executive editor of Mint. He writes the popular Cafe Economics column that has won several national and international awards. He is also a member of the academic board of the Meghnad Desai Academy of Economics and a member of the board of the Takshashila Institution. Mr Rajadhyaksha authored the book 'The Rise of India: Its Journey from Poverty to Prosperity' which was published worldwide by John Wiley and Sons. He was previously the deputy editor of Business World magazine. He is currently completing his PhD in economics from Mumbai University.

 

In partnership with:

 

Event Details

Wed 15 Feb 2017
6 - 8 p.m.
Hall of Harmony Nehru Centre, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli, Mumbai 400018
Click for directions
If you bought tickets or plan to watch the webcast tell your friends on Facebook!
Join the Facebook Event »
  • Upcoming Events
  • Past Events
About
  • Mission & History
  • Our People
  • Become a Member
  • Career Opportunities
  • Corporate Involvement
visit us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
global network
  • Australia
  • France
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Seattle
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, D.C.
resources
  • Arts
  • Asia Society Magazine
  • ChinaFile
  • Education
  • Policy
  • Video
shop
  • AsiaStore
initiatives
  • Arts & Museum Summit
  • Asia 21 Next Generation Fellows
  • Asia Arts Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Society Museum: The Asia Arts & Museum Network
  • Asia Society Policy Institute
  • Asian Women Empowered
  • Center on U.S.-China Relations
  • Coal + Ice
  • Creative Voices of Muslim Asia
  • Global Cities Education Network
  • Global Talent Initiatives
  • U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit
  • U.S.-China Dialogue
  • U.S.-China Museum Summit
Connect
Email Signup For the media
Asia Society logo
©2023 Asia Society | Privacy Statement | Accessibility | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Contact

Asia Society takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government.
The views expressed by Asia Society staff, fellows, experts, report authors, program speakers, board members, and other affiliates are solely their own. Learn more.

 

 

  • Visit Us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
  • Global Network
  • Australia
  • France
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Seattle
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, DC