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It has been recognized the world over that good governance is essential for sustainable development, both economic and social. The three essential aspects emphasized in good governance are transparency, accountability and responsiveness of the administration. The “Citizen’s Charter initiative” is a response to the quest for solving the problems which a citizen encounters, day-in and day-out, while dealing with organisations providing public services.  The concept of Citizen’s Charter enshrines the trust between the service provider and its users. The concept was first articulated and implemented in the United Kingdom by the Conservative Government of John Major in 1991 as a national programme with a simple aim: to continuously improve the quality of public services for the people of the country so that these services respond to the needs and wishes of the users.  Principles: The basic objective of the Citizen’s Charter is to empower the citizen in relation to public service d...

Morality as we know is individual’s sense of right and wrong. Hence, constitutional morality is broadly a metric of what the constitution deems to be right or wrong. The values of any country’s constitution depends upon its tradition, its social and cultural movements, the vision of its founding fathers, etc. In case of India, the national freedom movement, socio-cultural reform movements, traditions of thousand years, the progressive radical outlook of constituent assembly went into defining what our constitutional morality would be.  Very briefly, our constitution believes that inequality is not right (Article 14), injustice is wrong (Preamble), deprivation of human dignity is not right (Article 21), etc. It doesn’t deem right deprivation of some fundamental rights of individuals in the name of culture (Article 14). It doesn’t allow state to intervene into cultural practices, if they don’t infringe upon basic rights (Article 29/30). So, these are some ideals our constitution give...

India’s GDP is estimated to have increased 7.2 per cent in 2017-18 and 7 per cent in 2018-19. Its performance has been quite stable in last 6-7 years after recovery from impact of global financial recession. Similarly, the Indian economy has witnessed a gradual transition from a period of high and variable inflation to a more stable and low level of inflation in the past five years, according to the Economic Survey. The current phase of low inflation is marked by a reduction in both urban and rural inflation. Based on this the survey argued that amidst the gloomy landscape of unusual volatility in the international economic environment, India stands as a haven of stability and an outpost of opportunity.  Importance of Macro-economic stability  •Investors like macro-economic stability. If the economy is not well-managed, financial markets react negatively, at times even disproportionately, making economic management a lot more difficult, which can lead to a full-blown crisis....

The 73rd Amendment along with 74th is called a silent revolution. The most revolutionary provision is said to be the reservation of one-third of the seats for women in local bodies (including the number of seats reserved for women belonging to the SCs and STs). Further not less than one-third of the total number of offices of chairpersons in the panchayats at each level shall be reserved for women.  Impact of amendment on patriarchal character of Indian political process:  • But has it really made a considerable impact towards improving the status of women is debatable. In spite of progressive nature of the constitution, traditional social structures that restricted women’s social participation were reinforced in which men hold primary power and pre-dominate roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege.  • The reservation of seats in the panchayati raj institutions has enabled women to contest and win elections but lot of structural and procedural chal...

The Representation of the People Act, 1951 is an act of Parliament of India to provide for the conduct of election to the Houses of Parliament and to the House or Houses of the Legislature of each State, the qualifications and disqualifications for membership of those Houses, the corrupt practices and other offences at or in connection with such elections and the decision of doubts and disputes arising out of or in connection with such elections.  Grounds for Disqualification  • On conviction for certain election offences and corrupt practices in the election.  • Conviction for an offence punishable under certain acts of Indian Penal Code, Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967, Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, Prevention of Terrorism Act 2002 etc.  • Conviction for any offence resulting in imprisonment for not less than two years such legislator shall be disqualified from the date of such conviction and shall continue t...

Secularism is the constitutional principle of separation of the state from religious institutions. Secularism forms the core element of the basic structure of the Indian constitution. And even France is an indivisible, secular democratic social Republic guaranteeing that all their citizens regardless of their origin, race or religion are treated as equals before the law and respecting all religious beliefs.  The ideal of secularism envisaged in India is different from that of France:  • The paradigms of republicanism , as practiced in France, or multiculturalism as implemented in a number of Western democracies, such as the UK and the US, or indeed employment-based integration models of Sweden or Germany, are all in crisis.  • This can be seen in the banning of Islamic clothing, kosher or halal meals and “burkinis” in France .  • France was a largely homogeneous Catholic country, where the clergy had an unduly high degree of influence over the state’s apparatus....

The term ‘separation of powers’ was coined by Montesquieu in his book “Spirit of Laws”. Separation of powers, refers to the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another. The intent is to prevent the concentration of power and provide for checks and balances.  According to Wade and Philips, the concept of separation of power means three different things:  •Same person should not form part of more than one of the three organs of the government. Example: Ministers should not be made to sit in the Parliament.  •One organ of the government should not control or interfere with the exercise of its functions by another organ. Example: Judiciary should be independent or the Ministers should not be made responsible to the Parliament.  •One organ of the government should not exercise the functions of another. Example: Ministers not to have legislative powers.  Democratic government is c...

Secularism in India is different from western concept. It stands for mutual respect, understanding and tolerance for all the religions, major or minor and accepting difference of opinion. Cultural practices are the living ways of life of people, individual or collective, in the political, economic, social spheres.  Various challenges faced by the cultural practices in the name of secularism:  • Intolerance and Violence: This leads to lack of tolerance and respect for each other. Deaths and violence in the name of cow protection are examples of this.  • Majoritarianism: This reflects upon use of religion for political mobilization of the people and spreading hatred against the minorities may be it Muslims, like case of Muzaffarnagar, Sikhs as in 1984, Christians as in Kandhamal.  • Radicalization: The people are taken into believing ideologies which are extreme and may harm unity and integrity of the country. Security situations can be faced by the expansion of terr...

It shall be the duty of every citizen of India— (a) to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem; (b) to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom; (c) to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India; (d) to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so; (e) to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women; (f) to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture; (g) to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures; (h) to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform; (i) to safeguard public property and to abjure violence; (j) to s...

In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires, “the State” includes the Government and Parliament of India and the Government and the Legislature of each of the States and all local or other authorities within the territory of India or under the control of the Government of India.  All laws in force in the territory of India immediately before the commencement of this Constitution, in so far as they are inconsistent with the provisions of this Part, shall, to the extent of such inconsistency, be void. The State shall not make any law which takes away or abridges the rights conferred by this Part and any law made in contravention of this clause shall, to the extent of the contravention, be void. Nothing in this article shall apply to any amendment of this Constitution made under article 368. Right to Equality 14. Equality before law. 15. Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. 16. Equality of opportunity in matters of public em...

36. Definition. —In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires, “the State” has the same meaning as in Part III.  37. Application of the principles contained in this Part .—The provisions contained in this Part shall not be enforceable by any court, but the principles therein laid down are nevertheless fundamental in the governance of the country and it shall be the duty of the State to apply these principles in making laws. 38. State to secure a social order for the promotion of welfare of the people. (1) The State shall strive to promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting as effectively as it may a social order in which justice, social, economic and political, shall inform all the institutions of the national life. (2) The State shall, in particular, strive to minimise the inequalities in income, and endeavour to eliminate inequalities in status, facilities and opportunities, not only amongst individuals but also amongst groups of people residing in differ...

I. Indian Society, Structure, Issues and Social Movements  1. Indian Society: Salient features, Unity in Diversity; Family, Marriage, Kinship, Caste, Tribe, Religion, Language; Rural – Urban continuum; Multi-culturalism.  2. Social Exclusion and Vulnerable Groups: Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, Minorities, Women, Children, Aged and Disabled.  3. Social Issues: Poverty; Unemployment, Child Labour, Violence against Women; Regionalism; Communalism and Secularism; Corruption; Caste Conflicts, Problems of Agricultural Labour; Urbanization; Development and Displacement; Environmental Degradation; Sustainable Development; Population Explosion; Agrarian Distress; Migration.  4. (a)Social Issues in Telangana: Vetti; Jogini and Devadasi System; Girl Child; Flourosis; Child Labour; Migrant Labour; Child Marriages.       (b) Social Movements in Telangana.  5. Social Policies and Programmes in India and Telangana: Policies for Women...