Key insights

• ⚖️ Supreme Court declares anonymous electoral Bond scheme unconstitutional
• 💸 Electoral bonds aim to bring transparency and address unfair practices in political funding
• 💳 Introduction of electoral bonds to legitimize digital transactions for political funding
• 🔍 Supreme Court's ruling against electoral bonds, Violation of right to information and donor privacy
• 🔎 Investigation into electoral bond purchases and potential money laundering probes
• ⚠️ Concerns about lack of transparency and potential for influence by foreign companies
• 🏛️ Corporate donations violating free and fair elections due to potential for misuse and influence
• 💰 Anonymity in donations through electoral bonds making it easier to donate large amounts of money in exchange for favors

Q&A

• Why did the Supreme Court rule against electoral bonds?

  The Supreme Court ruled against electoral bonds due to concerns about lack of transparency, potential influence by foreign companies, favoring bigger powers over smaller ones, and the potential for misuse and influence in free and fair elections.

• What concerns were raised about the purchase of electoral bonds by various companies?

  Concerns were raised about the correlation between donations and potential legal issues, as well as the financial capacity of some companies to make significant donations, hinting at possible backing from larger companies.

• What are the denominations in which electoral bonds can be bought, and who can redeem them?

  Electoral bonds can be bought in multiples of 1000, 10,000, 1 lakh, and 1 crore rupees, and they can only be redeemed by political parties with a minimum of 1% votes.

• What issues were electoral bonds supposed to address?

  Electoral bonds were introduced to address the issues of black money and unfair practices in political funding, replacing untraceable cash donations with digital transactions.

• Why were electoral bonds introduced in India?

  Electoral bonds were introduced in India to bring transparency to the historically opaque transactions between businesses and political parties, aimed at influencing policies.

• Why is there controversy over political funding in India?

  There is controversy over political funding in India due to the introduction of the Electoral Bond scheme, which is considered both a safe instrument of political donation and the biggest scam in Democratic India.

• What did the Supreme Court declare regarding the anonymous electoral bond scheme in India?

  The Supreme Court declared the anonymous electoral bond scheme in India unconstitutional, sparking controversy.

• 00:01 The Supreme Court declared the anonymous electoral Bond scheme in India unconstitutional, sparking controversy. The Electoral Bond scheme is considered both a safe instrument of political donation and the biggest scam in Democratic India. The scheme was introduced by the NDA government, believed to curb black money transactions but is now considered a threat to democracy.
• 02:50 Political parties in India have a history of receiving donations from businesses, and electoral bonds were introduced to bring transparency to these transactions. Businesses donate to political parties to influence policies that affect their operations and profitability. The introduction of electoral bonds aims to address the issues of black money and unfair practices in political funding.
• 05:51 Businesses donate to political parties in untraceable cash leading to black money circulation, affecting the economy. Electoral bonds were introduced to legitimize digital transactions for political funding. Bonds can be bought by anyone, in multiples of th000, 10,000, 1 lakh, and 1 CR rupees, and only redeemed by parties with a minimum of 1% votes. Reports show a significant value of electoral bonds sold between 2018-2024.
• 08:52 The BJP emerged as the top beneficiary of electoral bonds, followed by TMC and Congress. The Supreme Court ruled the bonds unconstitutional for violating right to information, donor privacy, and free and fair elections. The bonds could lead to unfair favors and potential misuse.
• 11:34 The investigation into the purchase of electoral bonds by various companies raises questions about the correlation between donations and potential legal issues. Critics suggest that some companies may not have the financial capacity to make such significant donations, hinting at possible backing from larger companies. However, there is currently no definitive evidence linking the donations to any legal outcomes.
• 14:08 The Supreme Court ruled against Electoral bonds due to concerns about lack of transparency, potential for influence by foreign companies, and favoring bigger powers over smaller ones. Corporate donations violate free and fair elections due to potential for misuse and influence. Anonymity in donations through electoral bonds makes it easier to donate large amounts of money in exchange for favors.