SIX YEARS ON LOKPAL IS A NONSTARTER
The massive public campaign in 2011 demanding an independent anti-corruption ombudsman resulted in the passage of the Lokpal law. The preambular statement of The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 notes that the law has been enacted to ensure prompt and fair investigation and prosecution in cases of corruption against public servants. The Lokpal was envisioned […]
RESERVATION AS RIGHT : ON SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT
Why in news? Recent Supreme Court judgment, that there is no fundamental right to claim reservation in promotions, has caused some political alarm. The state is not bound to provide reservations, but if it does so, it must be in favour of sections that are backward and inadequately represented in the services based on quantifiable data. […]
VICTIM JUSTICE IS TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK
In 1996, the 154th Law Commission Report suggested a paradigm shift in India’s criminal justice system towards a victim-centric notion of justice. The Code of Criminal Procedure(Amendment) Act, 2009 partially accepted this suggestion and granted some rights to the victims of crime. The Act introduced victims’ right to a private counsel under Section 24(8). International […]
COURSE CORRECTION FOR THE SPEAKER’S OFFICE
Why in news? Recently, the Supreme Court of India while adjudicating upon the matter relating to the disqualification of MLAs in the Manipur Legislative Assembly under the Tenth Schedule made a significant suggestion. It recommended that Parliament should rethink as to whether disqualification petitions ought to be entrusted to a Speaker as a quasi-judicial authority when […]
NEED OF THE HOUR: PROTEST AND CAA
Why in news? As protests continue to ripple in many parts of the country against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, or the CAA, the National Population Register (NPR) and allied issues, their nature, content and direction have drawn critical attention The discriminatory CAA targets Muslims, but the protests were driven by the wider civil society at […]
THE NEED FOR A SECOND CHAMBER: BICAMERAL LEGISLATURE
Introduction The Rajya Sabha came into being on April 3, 1952, and had undergone severe prenatal scrutiny in the Constituent Assembly. History of Formation of Bicameral Structure in India The central legislature that came into being under the Government of India Act, 1919 was bicameral with a Council of States and a Legislative Assembly. The membership and […]
DO NUMBERS MATTER IN RAJYA SABHA?
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha: Cooperation in Divergent Composition The Indian Constitution provides for parity of powers between the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in law, making an exception in some cases. The Money Bill or Finance Bills can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha which only can approve the Demands for Grants. The Rajya Sabha […]
Constitutional position of President of India for UPSC Exam
As per question asking the constitutional position of the President ,the constitution of India says. Article 52 said that there shall be a President of India and he will be the first citizen of India. Article 53 said that all the executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President and he is the supreme power […]
SHRI SURESH N. PATEL TAKES OATH AS VIGILANCE COMMISSIONER
Why in news? Shri Suresh N. Patel took oath as Vigilance Commissioner on 29th April 2020. Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is an apex Indian governmental body created in 1964 to address governmental corruption. The CVC became a Statutory Body with the enactment of CVC Act, 2003. The CVC is an independent body, free of control from […]
FLOOR TEST IS GOVERNOR’S DISCRETION
Why in news? A Governor can call for a floor test any time he objectively feels a government in power has lost the confidence of the House and is on shaky ground, the Supreme Court held in its judgement on 13th March 2020. Highlights of the Judgement A Governor can call for a trust vote […]