Author: StoryTailors

As e-bikes surge in popularity, here’s a look at the top electric vehicles in India

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently rode an e-scooter to protest against the rising fuel prices. Although a political move, it has passed on a larger message that e-vehicles are the future.

With fossil fuel reserves running out and pollution increasing, an alternative to combustion engines is the need of the hour, which electric vehicles can very well be, as they produce zero emissions.

As far as electric motorbikes and scooters are concerned, at least 20 options are available in India starting from Rs 39,990 going up to Rs 1.5 lakh.

The top brands that manufacture electric motorcycles and scooters are Revolt, Bajaj, Hero Electric, Ather, and TVS. Revolt RV400 (Rs 1.03 lakh), Bajaj Chetak (Rs 1 lakh) and Hero Electric Optima LA (Rs 44,990) top the charts in terms of sales.

But the biggest problem faced by electric two-wheelers are range and availability of charging points.

Let’s have a look at some of the top e-bikes:

Revolt RV400: It is the first Artificial-Intelligence (AI)-enabled electric motorcycle in Indian market. The Revolt RV 400 motorcycle comes in two variants: standard and premium. It has a maximum 150 km range on a single charge.

Ather 450: It is also an AI-enabled electric scooter with sleek and aerodynamic profile. It has internet connectivity, smartphone pairing, seven-inch touchscreen instrument display, navigation, and over-the-air software updates among a hoard of modern features. The Ather 450 is powered by a detachable lithium-ion 2.4kWh battery. The scooter offers a maximum range of 75 km on a single charge. The Ather 450 takes two hours to charge from 0 to 80 per cent.

Hero Electric Dash: The electric scooter, priced at Rs 62,000 onwards, features LED headlamps and DRLs, remote boot opening, a large seat, and a 145 mm ground clearance. It is powered by a 48V 28Ah lithium-ion battery, paired with a 250W motor, offering a range of 60 km on a single charge. The Dash has fast-charging technology, requiring just four hours for a full charge.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Govt may cut excise duty on auto fuels, decision likely by mid-March

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

The government is considering a cut in excise duty on auto fuels with a decision likely by mid-March. Fiscal math leaves room for excise cut of Rs 8.5 per litre. At present, the net marketing margin on auto fuels is at Rs 1.28 per litre, and it may be at Rs 1.06 to 1.46 per litre on March 16, 2021, and April 1, 2021, unless price is hiked or excise duty is cut, stated a report by ICICI Securities.

The report also estimated that if the excise duty is not cut by the end of March 2022, it will be at Rs 4.35 trillion as compared to the Budget estimate of Rs 3.2 trillion. So, according to the report, there is room for excise cut of Rs 8.5 per litre. It said even if excise duty is cut by Rs 8.5 per litre on or before April 1, 2021, it can be in line with the Budget estimate.

ICICI Securities stated that it was optimistic of excise duty cut, given the recovery in demand — auto fuel consumption in February 2021 is almost back to pre-lockdown level —, privatisation plans and inflation concerns but expects it to be more modest than Rs 8.5 per litre.

The report added that the optimism about excise duty cut also depended on net marketing margins recovering to Rs 2.5 per litre by the end of March 2022 — which may be the key for the government realising high price for stake sale in the ongoing privatisation.

During the first four years of the current government, the net marketing margin was Rs 0.96 to Rs 1.07 per litre. However, in the next two years, it was up to Rs 1.83 to Rs 2.22 per litre, stated the report, adding that the net margin was likely to be around Rs 3.14 per litre at the end of the 2021 fiscal to make up for very weak GRMs.

Price hikes were made to keep net margins at a reasonable level even when Brent surged and the rupee weakened to Rs 75 in October 2018. “Given this government’s track record, we are optimistic of net marketing margin being around Rs 2.5 per litre at the end of 2022 fiscal, which will require either price hikes and/or excise duty cuts that are not passed on,” the report said.

Excise duty was raised by Rs 13 to Rs 16 per litre on petrol and diesel through price hikes in March 2020 and May 2020.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Chennai architect impresses Anand Mahindra with ‘mobile home’; gets an offer

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

This is not the first time Arun Prabhu NG, a Chennai-based architect who built a mobile home with basic amenities on an autorickshaw, is in the news and being feted on social media. But there is something different this time. Arun’s brilliant and cost-effective design has caught the attention of leading industry captain Anand Mahindra.

Sharing the pictures of “mobile home”, Twitter user Massimo Canducci wrote: “Arun Prabhu of Chennai built this “Solo 0.1″ house with 1 lac rupees and an auto.” Canducci tagged Anand in his tweet.

The Chairman of the Mahindra Group then quote-tweeted Canducci and said the design could lead to a larger trend: “a potential post-pandemic wanderlust & desire to be ‘always mobile’.”

Anand then asked if Arun would like to work on an even more ambitious space atop Mahindra’s Bolero pickup. “Can someone connect us?” he further wrote.

After Anand’s tweet, many twitter users once again lauded the effort that went into building the “mobile house” and appreciated Mahindra’s gesture.

Incredible. Really great job. Awesome invention. Really love it.

— Alka Trivedi (@sweetu_alka789) February 28, 2021

Salute to both the Architect and Anand sir for recognition of his art

— Vinod bagal (@Vinodbagal8) March 1, 2021

This one is awesome… India should have this concept with larger perspectives… Think on it… Build on it👍

— Sumeet Jain (@SumeetJain111) February 28, 2021

Arun, who graduated in 2019, has been promoting awareness about small-scale architecture with better utilisation of space. Speaking to The Better Indian in February 2020, he said that his research on slum housing made him realise that small spaces could be improved significantly “by instituting a proper design, to create toilets, bedrooms, etc. and make the house more habitable.”

Besides the investment on an autorickshaw, Arun spent Rs 1 lakh to build what is a 36sqft structure on wheels and named it “SOLO.01”. According to him, the mobile home was enough for two adults.

His aim, he says is to demonstrate to people what can be achieved within tiny spaces. This, he believes he could do by using small-scale architecture.

“Also, portable housing can inspire better temporary housing for construction labourers and emergency housing during natural calamities,” he told The Better India.

The structure is fixed to an autorickshaw with six bolts and makes efficient use of space with proper ventilation. Arun says the structure can be easily detached from the vehicle and attached to any other vehicle, adding it can be utilised for construction labourers as well as emergency housing during natural disasters.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Riding high on SUVs, Kia Motors becomes India’s 4th largest carmaker in February

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Carmakers are slowly leaving the pandemic woes behind. February 2021 has been a fruitful month if you compare it with last year, when the COVID-19 outbreak was yet to happen in India. This February, around 3,08,593 passenger vehicles were sold, 23.1 percent higher than the sales figure of February 2020.

While Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India and Tata Motors retained the top three spots with a total sales of 1,44,761, 51,600 and 27,224 units respectively this February, Kia Motors India, with less than three years of operations here, has become the fourth-largest passenger vehicle manufacturer in the country.

The South Korean carmaker retailed 16,702 units, as compared to 15,644 cars it sold in February 2020. It left behind Mahindra and Mahindra, which managed to sell 15,380 units, and Toyota Kirloskar Motor, which sold 14,069 cars. Kia took the lead over Mahindra with a margin of 1,058 units. Toyota Kirloskar’s figures dipped as low as its August 2018 numbers.

Also read: Bajaj Auto launches electric-start version of Platina 100 motorcycle for Rs 53,920

As far as SUVs are concerned, Kia, along with Hundai dominated the space as early as January. Kia currently has three products in its India portfolio — Seltos, Sonet and Carnival. Sonet, Kia’s latest offering launched last September, has emerged as a bestseller with its sporty profile and some of the latest and segment-best features.

Meanwhile, Renault and Honda Cars India were at seventh and eighth spots with total sales of 11,043 and 9,324 units respectively. Ford India witnessed a sales decline of 17.7 percent. The American carmaker retailed 5,775 units last month compared to 7,019 in February 2020.

MG Motor India, a wholly-owned arm of China’s SAIC Motor Corp, despite being at the ninth spot, recorded its highest monthly sales of 4,329 units in February 2021.

Also read: Hyundai unveils crossover Bayon for European market

Nissan India also registered a significant jump with wholesale of 4,244 units against 1,028 in February 2020. The newly launched Magnite emerged as a volume generator for the Japanese carmaker. The company said it delivered over 6,500 units of the Nissan Magnite since its launch. According to the company, the subcompact SUV has gathered over 40,000 bookings so far.

Nissan India is followed by Volkswagen, FCA and Skoda, which sold 2,186, 1,103 and 853 units respectively. The German carmakers, Volkswagen and Skoda, are all set to foray into the sub-four metre SUV space with Taigun and Kushaq in the coming months.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Tesla can get more sops for operations in India, but there is a condition

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently said that India can offer incentives to ensure that Tesla’s cost of production in the country would be less than what it was in China. On its part, the electric car maker should commit to making the entire product in India by sourcing from local vendors, and not just assembling the cars over here, Gadkari said.

In January this year,  Tesla registered a company in India as a precursor to setting up operations. According to sources, Tesla aspires to start by importing and selling its Model 3 electric sedan in India.

India is pressing hard to promote local manufacturing of electric vehicles (EVs), batteries, and other components to reduce expensive imports and control pollution in its major cities. Last year, India’s new EV market accounted for just 5,000 out of an overall 2.4 million cars sold in the country. This is primarily due to negligible charging infrastructure and the high cost of EVs discouraged buyers.

As compared to this, China sold 1.25 million new energy passenger vehicles, including EVs, in 2020 out of total sales of 20 million. It accounted for over a third of Tesla’s international sales. China is the world’s biggest auto market. Like China, India doesn’t have a comprehensive EV policy like China.

China has a policy for companies, according to which, they need to invest in the sector. Gadkari stated that India has to potential to emerge as an export hub, more so with almost 80% of components for lithium-ion batteries being made locally now. For auto and auto component makers, India is drawing up a production-linked incentive scheme. Apart from this, it is also establishing modern battery manufacturing units.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Hyundai unveils crossover Bayon for European market

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Hyundai Motors has unveiled a fresh entry-level sports utility vehicle (SUV), “Bayon”, which will largely be sold in the international market, particularly in Europe. The crossover, even though based on the i20 platform, has very little in common with the premium hatchback when it comes to exteriors. Its ground clearance is also higher than that of i20’s and it sits just below Creta.

The car borrows its exteriors from the recently updated Kona, Hyundai’s electric car. In the front, Bayon features the trademark Hyundai grill, now seen on models across segments. The car carries thin DRLs and arrow-shaped headlamps, very similar to Kona. At the back, however, the car looks a bit identical to i20, following the same arrow-shaped theme and black plastic on the tailgate with the Hyundai logo on it.

With Bayon, Hyundai looks forward to entering the crossover-SUV segment in the international market, which already has Volkswagen T-Cross, Nissan Juke and Ford Puma. Interestingly the name is pronounced as “Bye-Onn”, and the car remains a front-wheel-drive, just like the i20. Even though the sturdy exteriors and roof rails land the car the SUV look, the sporty interiors have been heavily lifted from the premium hatchback.

The all-black dashboard, switchgear, steering wheel, even the 10.25-inch display, and AC vents have been borrowed from i20. The South Korean automaker has also said Bayon is an “Urban-focused vehicle” and it has a 2,580mm wheelbase—similar to i20’s—allowing front-seat passengers 1,072mm of legroom.

The car will be available in two engine options—a 1.2-litre petrol engine producing 84hp and the second a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with mild-hybrid tech that is available in two states of tune, a 100hp or a 120hp, reported Autocar. Depending on the engine, the gearbox options will include a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed iMT.

Is Bayon coming to India?

Hyundai has no plans to launch Bayon in India since it already has a sub-compact SUV, Venue, here. However, the South Korean automaker is preparing the i20 N-line for India, which could be launched sometime this year. Hyundai is also working on another micro-SUV to a position just below Venue and lock horns with Tata HBX (Timero).

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Haryana approves bill reserving 75% jobs in private sector for locals: What we know so far

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Haryana Governor Satyadev Narayan Arya has given his approval to the bill that reserves 75 percent of the private sector jobs with gross salary up to Rs 50,000 per month for the natives of Haryana, said Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala.

Last year, the Haryana state assembly had passed the legislation. Chautala stated that the youth of the state will now get 75 percent reservation in private sector jobs. Further, he said that they would get a reservation in every company, society, and trust. Chautala’s Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) had formed the government in the state in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party after winning 10 of the 90 seats. His party’s main election promise was a reservation in the private sector for locals.

What do we know so far?

Last year, Chautala had tabled the bill in the Haryana assembly making it compulsory for the private sector firms to reserve 75 percent of jobs with a salary up to Rs 50,000 per month for the locals. The bill also consists of a clause that can be invoked by companies in case appropriate local candidates cannot be found. In such cases, they have to inform the government of such a step before hiring someone from outside.

What are the implications?

The government has said that firms have to register details of all employees getting up to Rs 50,000 per month. It added that companies failing to do so within three months of the bill becoming law will attract penalties. According to the Haryana government, the reservation will be “socially, economically and environmentally desirable”.

Apart from this, Haryana is going through a phase of turmoil due to farmers’ protests against the Centre’s three new agriculture laws. And not everything seems to be going well within the BJP-JJP alliance. There have been rumours of tension within the alliance over the farmers’ protest.

What does the Constitution say?

According to Article 16 of the Constitution, every citizen of India has been guaranteed equal treatment under law in matters of public employment. The article forbids the state from discriminating on grounds of place of birth or residence.

Harayana is not the first where job reservation is being undertaken. Several states have tried to tackle the job crisis in their respective states by reserving jobs. Here is a list:

• 85 percent reservation for locals in Gujarat – not enforced
• 50 percent reservation for locals in Tamil Nadu – not implemented
• 100 percent reservation for blue-collared jobs in Karnataka – not introduced
• 80 percent reservation for locals in Maharashtra – not implemented

Apart from this, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand also worked on reserving jobs but nothing much happened so far.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Serum Institute to send 10 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to UK

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

As per a UK government statement, India will send 1 crore AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses made by the Serum Institute of India (SII). By volume, SII is the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer. Developed with Oxford University, AstraZeneca is being mass produced for many poor and middle-income countries.

According to the UK government spokesperson, the UK has ordered 10 crore doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. Out of this, 1 crore doses will come from the SII. In February, Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) was assessing the manufacturing procedures at SII to pave the way for the AstraZeneca vaccine to be shipped from there to the UK.

However, the decision is expected to stir apprehensions that wealthy Western countries are acquiring vaccine doses at the expense of poor countries. From Bangladesh to Brazil, a whole lot of low-and middle-income countries are reliant on SII’s AstraZeneca vaccine, branded COVISHIELD. However, demand has been growing from Western countries. Supported by the World Health Organization and GAVI vaccine alliance, it is also offering doses to the COVAX programme. Going by the UK government, the pact follows assurances from the SII that offering doses to the UK would not affect its vow to offer vaccines to poorer countries.

According to official data, Britain has been ahead at immunising people, with almost 2.5 crore residents getting the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine so far. Apart from this, the European Union’s drug supervisor is reviewing the manufacturing site of SII. AstraZeneca has vowed to providing 18 crore doses in the second quarter to the EU.

As of now, India has sent shipments of anti-coronavirus vaccine doses as aids to nations such as Bhutan, the Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Afghanistan, Barbados and Dominica. Moreover, India has sent vaccines on commercial basis to many countries including Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, Kuwait, Brazil, Morocco, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the UAE.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

When will OnePlus 9 series launch In India? Co-founder Pete Lau asks fans to ‘stay tuned to March 8’

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

OnePlus has set up a dedicated webpage on its India website titled “Moonshot” that teases the Shenzhen-headquartered company could announce “something new” on March 8. Many speculate that the tech giant could announce the launch of its OnePlus 9 series.

There’s hardly any information on the Moonshot webpage, but OnePlus co-founder Pete Lau said in a tweet: “Stay tuned for March 8”, possibly suggesting that the launch date of the OnePlus 9 series could be announced next week.

Stay tuned for March 8.https://t.co/mprr4v8UbS pic.twitter.com/CQSop6Fg85

— Pete Lau (@PeteLau) March 1, 2021

The availability of the smartphone seems to be confirmed on Amazon, wherein the same image of the Earth can be seen. Interestingly, the image was captured by Nasa in association with Hasselblad.

However, it could also infer that Chinese smartphone maker may announce the launch date of the forthcoming series on March 8. As per earlier reports, the smartphones are likely to be launched on March 23 or by mid-March.

Moreover, the webpage has an option to get notifications regarding news, promotions and recommendations about OnePlus products. But there is no information about the upcoming OnePlus 9 series or OnePlus Watch that is likely to unveil later this month.

Specifications

The OnePlus 9 series is likely to consist of three models – the vanilla OnePlus 9, the high-end OnePlus 9 Pro and an affordable model that could be named OnePlus 9R.

Reports had previously suggested that the OnePlus 9R was called OnePlus 9E or 9 Lite. It’s likely to be an affordable mid-range smartphone and would come in 8GB RAM and 128GB in-built storage. These apart, the smartphone may have a 6.5-inch 90Hz display, 64MP primary camera, 5,000mAh battery with 30W fast charging support.

The other two models — OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro — are likely to have high-end specs. While vanilla may have an FHD+ resolution, Pro is likely to have QHD+. Both devices are also expected to have the latest 65W fast charging support from OnePlus.

Based on leaked images, Pro may have Hasselblad-branded cameras.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Samsung Galaxy A32 4G India price leaked days before launch

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Days prior to its planned launch, the price of Samsung Galaxy A32 4G in India has been leaked. Last week, the phone was launched in Russia and its specifications are already in public domain.

On March 5, the Samsung Galaxy A32 4G will launch in India. Powered by the MediaTek Helio G80 SoC, the phone has quad camera setup at the back with a 64-megapixel primary sensor. Apart from this, it features a 90Hz display refresh rate and comes with a 5,000mAh battery.

Samsung Galaxy A32 4G expected price in India

The phone is likely to come with a price tag of Rs 21,999 for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage model. Though the phone is likely to launch in 4GB RAM and 8GB RAM options as well, prices of these models are not known yet.

In Russia, the the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant has been priced at RUB 19,990 (about Rs 19,600). For the 4GB RAM + 128GB storage option, the phone is priced RUB 21,990 (about Rs 21,500).

Talking about colour options, the phone in India is likely to launch in Awesome Blue, Awesome Violet, Awesome Black, and Awesome White colour options.

Samsung Galaxy A32 4G specifications

The phone comes with a 6.4-inch full-HD + Super AMOLED display with Infinity-U notch and a 90Hz refresh rate. When it comes to the processor, it is powered by the MediaTek Helio G80 SoC.

The Samsung Galaxy A32 4G comes with a quad camera setup with a 64-megapixel primary camera (f/1.8 aperture), a 5-megapixel macro sensor (f/2.4 aperture), an 8-megapixel camera with an ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.2 aperture), and a 2-megapixel depth sensor (f/2.4 aperture).

Apart from this, it has a 20-megapixel selfie camera with an f/2.2 aperture. Moreover, the Samsung Galaxy A32 4G has an under-screen fingerprint scanner. Coming to its battery performance, it comes with a 5,000mAh battery with 15W fast charging

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow