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<ul><li>India's Silicon Valley is headed to the polls today and unemployment is one of their main concerns. </li><li>It's not only the IT industry but also the small enterprises that have been hit by demonetisation and India's revamp of its tax system. </li><li>Bengaluru's transformation to an industrial hub hasn't been without its cost with the city's burgeoning environment pollution problem.</li></ul>Bengaluru, known as India’s Silicon Valley and home to two of the biggest IT companies in India — Infosys and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/wipro-phishing-attack-computer-system-hacked/articleshow/68918449.cms">Wipro</a> — goes to the polls today representing 17% of Karnataka’s population. Amid the rapid changes in technology and the United States <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/us-immigration-denial-of-h1-b-visas-raises-legal-questions/articleshow/68844794.cms">tightening</a> immigration laws, the sheen from India’s IT hub has dulled. Between 2016 and 2018, at least five million people lost their jobs in India according to a <a href="https://in.reuters.com/article/india-election-jobs/five-million-lost-jobs-in-india-between-2016-and-2018-report-idINKCN1RT1I3">report</a> by the Azim Premji University reporting unemployment increase in the formal and informal sectors of the economy. India is already looking at the highest unemployment rate in 45 years according to <a href="http://v">reports</a> and its effect is not lost on Bengaluru even with the <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/here-are-jobs-hiring-rises-by-15-bangalore-tops-check-where-delhi-mumbai-stand/1487202/">highest</a> hiring rate in the country. <a href="https://www.teamleasegroup.com/resources/reports/19">According</a> to TeamLease’s Employment Outlook, Bengaluru has been categorised as an employment ‘laggard’ with its employment outlook falling two percentage points in 2018. Waning job growth after demonetisation and the implementation of the General Goods and Services Tax (GST), Bengaluru is far from the day when it saw job spurts across the board for technical and blue-collar positions — starting from state run companies like India Telephone Industries Limited (ITI), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronic Limited (BHEL), and Bhart Earth Movers Limited (BEML). 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="One must remember that a significant number of voters come from outside Karnataka. In the IT sector, at best 65% of the people are locals and 35% are from outside. So it is quite possible that they cannot go back to their places to vote, while some may have gone back to vote. So I would not worry too much about voter turnout being only 55%." auname="Indian IT industrialist and co-founder of Infosys, NR Narayana Murthy"></div>

 Changes in technology As technology gets more complex with the rapid implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), so does the <a href="https://www.nasscom.in/system/files/secure-pdf/the-future-of-me_0.PDF">gap</a> of technical and non-technical skill requirements required for the sector. So, it's not that the jobs don’t exist in Bengaluru — there’s actually an increasing demand for highly skilled technical management jobs that offer <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/bengaluru-pays-the-highest-salaries-in-india-study/articleshow/66743965.cms">high</a> salaries — but more, that people aren’t equipped with the correct skill sets for employment. The bigger issue boils down to the quality and content of educational institutions where the <a href="https://www.facilities.aicte-india.org/dashboard/pages/dashboardaicte.php">placement rate</a> of engineering and management schools was its highest at 30% between 2012 to 2018, according to AICTE’s online data dashboard. It’s not just Bengaluru that has jobs on its mind. It’s the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019-pew-research-report-on-key-election-issues/articleshow/68572903.cms">number one</a> issue for Indian voters as they participate in the world’s largest democratic exercise according to a report by the Pew Research Center (PRC). Lingering effects of demonetisation Demonetisation has been particularly hard for the citizens in Peenya, one of the biggest industrial areas in Asia located in northwest Bengaluru — and primary depends on cash for its transactions. It’s home to more than 6,000 small businesses, employing over 800,000 people and generation ₹120 billion ($1.72 billion) in revenue, according to Peenya Industries Association. Even Bengaluru’s realty market is only just <a href="https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/realty-market-rises-from-demonetisations-ashes/articleshow/63523111.cms">starting</a> to recover from the effects of demonetisation where property <a href="https://news.housebolo.com/demonetisation-impact-bangalores-property-markets-takes-a-hit/">registrations</a> dipped from 1,800 per day to 200 per day. Startups <a href="https://inc42.com/features/indian-startup-shutdowns-2017/">came</a> under the gun as well, especially the e-commerce segment. Bigger startups like Flipkart and Zomato, both based out of Bengaluru, had to <a href="http://v">figure out</a> how to make up for the fact that 60 to 70% of their orders were cash-on-delivery transactions. Choking on industrial waste While industries in Bengaluru have thrived over the past couple of years, it has not been without its cost. The city’s Bellandur Lake and Vrishabhavathi River have been in the news for all the wrong reasons. The Bellandur Lake was seen spewing a 10-feet high wall of toxic foam that seeped on to the roads and bridges. 
	
 
 
 <div type="image" title="d7bc57be0e0a6a0fb56b45acb0836c51" msid="68930987" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The 10 feet of foam on Bellandur Lake in Bengaluru in 2016&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>









 Rashmi Mandanna, a south Indian actor, even did an underwater photoshoot at the lake to draw awareness the increasing problem of water pollution. 
	
	
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="iamRashmika" handlename="Rashmika Mandanna" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1048058166737608704/hcxNROBl_normal.jpg" favoritecount="12895" retweetcount="2839" status="This was a photoshoot regarding awareness for the water pollution by this wonderful team Creative Director :… https://t.co/CiRvenS0Ua" createdat="1544704656000" id="1073195228603928577"></div>









 The Peenya Industrial Belt, with more than 7,500 industries — including the Peenya, Yeshwanthpura, Rajajinagar, Jalahalli, Goraguntepalya and Dasarahalli industrial areas — has also been called into question for polluting the Vrishabhavathi River and the lakes within its catchment area. One of lakes, Nelagadaranahalli Lake, is even <a href="https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/how-bengaluru-s-peenya-industrial-area-has-choked-and-killed-its-surrounding-lakes-90116">speculated</a> to be more toxic than Bellandur Lake. The problem seems to be on the rise despite corporates facing penalties <a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/pollution/ngt-makes-polluters-pay-nearly-double-so-far-this-year-than-whole-of-2018-63927">amounting</a> to ₹750 million ($10.8 million) within the first quarter of 2019 for water pollution in Karnataka from National Green Tribunal (NGT). The issue of the city’s lakes being polluted also fuels the resultant water crisis in the city. Citizens <a href="http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2019/mar/26/water-and-traffic-issues-bog-down-it-showcase-of-bengaluru-1955879.html">claim</a> that the water was crystal clear and used for drinking and agricultural activities. But despite these issues, the biggest <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/india/decoded-the-concerns-and-aspirations-of-the-urban-electorate-in-seven-indian-cities/articleshow/68868018.cms">challenge</a> is going to be getting voters to come out and participate in a city that has consistently recorded a low voter turnout. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP already paid the price for some of these issues by losing its opportunity to win during the Karnataka’s State Assembly Elections in 2018. But, the Janata Dal (Secular) and Congress alliance that replaced the government has been <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/politics/dissidence-in-some-lok-sabha-seats-over-jds-alliance-says-congress-2078551.html">facing dissidence</a> in certain constituencies, hampering their prospects. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019-pew-research-report-on-key-election-issues/articleshow/68572903.cms">5 charts that tell you what India cares about ahead of 2019 elections</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-election-2019-second-phase-political-strategy-for-reserved-seats/articleshow/68925204.cms">Nearly a quarter of the seats in the Lok Sabha are “reserved” and they matter a lot in this election</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019-second-phase-of-polling-in-tamil-nadu-voters-issues/articleshow/68930595.cms">Tamil Nadu’s angry voters have a small oil field, a big highway, a medical entrance test, and a police shootout in mind</a>

Job losses will haunt Bengaluru, India’s Silicon Valley, as it goes to polls today

As the second phase of the <keyword id="43573" type="EVENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="General-Election">general election</keyword> takes off in India, voters in 11 states and 1 union territory— West Bengal, Odisha, <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Manipur and Puducherry — were up early queuing up at the election booths. Nearly 5 million people are eligible to vote in the state of West Bengal with a nearly equal distribution between men and women, albeit there are only 87 registered third-gender voters in the three constituencies going to vote in the state today today. And Puducherry, while being a union territory, is home to nearly one million voters who have been facing <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/india/puducherry-congress-tries-to-win-back-sole-mp-seat/articleshow/68899027.cms">increasing</a> debt and a fall in social initiatives due to lower devolution of taxes from the central government. A lot of voters and politicians are wondering if the second phase of polling will be marred with problems of EVM malfunctions and poll booth violence like evidenced during the first phase of the general election in India. Two incidents of poll booth violence have already been reported in West Bengal. In Uttar Pradesh, four of the contesting politicians — Samajwadi Party’s Azam Khan, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Bahujan Samaj Party’s Mayawati — have been <a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/top-story/up-election-2019-after-yogi-mayawati-ec-bans-azam-maneka-from-campaigning/story/337566.html">banned</a> from campaigning by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for issuing controversial comments. For Tamil Nadu, the days leading up to the election were a little chaotic after the Income Tax (IT) department seized over 1,350 kilograms of gold and nearly ₹14.8 million which was allegedly stashed to bribe voters. Elections in Vellore, one of Tamil Nadu’s most-watched constituencies, were cancelled altogether after ₹1.05 million was found at Durai Murugan’s house, the father of Kathir Anand — a DMK candidate in the district. Another ₹115.3 was also found at Poonjolai Srinivasan’s cement godown, a known associate of Murugan. Even Maharashtra hasn’t had an easy go of it with over 15,000 cases of alleged Model Code of Conduct violations <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/lok-sabha-elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019-over-15-000-code-of-conduct-cases-filed-in-maharashtra/story-luAZtetS7fq6EUDRsYztmI.html">registered</a> since March 10.The Additional Chief Electoral Officer, Dilip Shinde, has stated that over 700,000 officers and employees of the states are involved in keeping elections in Maharashtra peaceful and efficient for the 10 seats of the state going to the polls today. <div type="ExtQuote" text="The enforcing departments (Income Tax and Police) also lodged total 15,095 FIRs against the offenders for violating the model code of conduct, with most of the cases pertaining to storage and distribution of illicit liquor, followed by possession of firearms." auname="Additional Chief Electoral Officer Dilip Shinde"></div>

 If voters aren’t being bribed, then they’re being threatened. Kawasi Lakhma, a Congress minister from Chhattisgarh, has been <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/general-elections-2019-chhattisgarh-congress-mla-kawasi-lakhma-threatens-voters-with-electric-shocks-2024279">telling</a> voters that they vote against his party, the EVM machine will deliver an electric shock. While Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu struggle with voter bribery issues, Bihar and Karnataka are more concerned with voter turnout. The city of Bengaluru — the Silicon Valley of India — in particular, has issues of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/election-2019-gold-confiscated-in-tamil-nadu-ahead-of-second-phase/articleshow/68933494.cms">voter turnout</a> while Bihar’s <a href="https://www.livemint.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections/bihar-elections-2019-patna-is-missing-a-whole-generation-of-millennials-1555350536677.html">brain drain</a> means that a lot of its eligible millennial voters don’t actually live in the state anymore. As Manipur goes to polls again, the Returning Officer (RO)The Returning Officer (RO) of the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency, Haobam Rosita, has <a href="https://www.newsclick.in/returning-officer-recommends-re-poll-19-polling-stations-manipur">recommended</a> that re-polling needs to take place at 19 of the polling stations from the first phase of the general elections in the state. Among the many reasons that Rosita cites for repolling, the most disturbing is probably one of the constituencies showed that voter turnout in excess of 100% and that the polling booth for the Najang Village was put up at a non-designated location. In order to keep disruptive elements from affecting the polls similarly, the west Indian states of West Bengal and Assam are <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/2nd-phase-tight-security-in-five-election-bound-districts/articleshow/68868180.cms">increasing</a> security in constituencies along the border — especially in districts classified as ‘vulnerable’ and ‘critical’. And unfortunately, for Jammu and Kashmir, none of the contesting political parties are talking about the environmental issues which have a heavy bearing on the state’s water supply as well as its tourism industry, which has been suffering as more and more of the state’s green capital is being destroyed. The third phase of the general election will kick off on April 23 covering 14 states — Assam, Goa, Karnataka, Odisha, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Bihar, Gujarat, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Daman and Diu, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and West Bengal. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/election-2019-gold-confiscated-in-tamil-nadu-ahead-of-second-phase/articleshow/68933494.cms">Over a ton of gold seized a day ahead of polls shows the depth of the rot in Tamil Nadu</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/job-losses-will-haunt-bengaluru-indias-silicon-valley-as-it-goes-to-polls-today/articleshow/68930893.cms">Job losses will haunt Bengaluru, India’s Silicon Valley, as it goes to polls today</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019-second-phase-of-polling-in-tamil-nadu-voters-issues/articleshow/68930595.cms">Tamil Nadu’s angry voters have a small oil field, a big highway, a medical entrance test, and a police shootout in mind</a>

Here’s what the second phase of the Indian general election has in store for the 11 states polling today

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Job losses will haunt Bengaluru, India’s Silicon Valley, as it goes to polls today

Prabhjote Gill

Here’s what the second phase of the Indian general election has in store for the 11 states polling today

Prabhjote Gill

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