Exam Topper

On 14 August 1991, the government of India constituted a nine member committee under the chairmanship of Mr. M Narasimhan a retired RBI Governor for making recommendations on existing financial system and to give suggestions for improving the existing structure. Some of the recommendations are as below:  • Recommend a stronger banking system in the country especially in the content of capital account convertibility (CAC) which would involve large inflows and outflows of capital and consequent complications for exchange role management and domestic liquidity. For this purpose committee recommended the merger of strong banks which will have a multiplier effect on industry.  • The setting up of small local banks.  • Branch licensing system for opening new bank branches should be abolished. • The setting up of an Asset Reconstruction Fund (ARF) to take over the bad debts of the banks. • Bank should be given more autonomy and the directed credit should be abolished.  • Th...

India’s Public Distribution System (PDS) is the largest distribution network of its kind in the world. PDS was introduced around World War II as a war-time rationing measure. The Public Distribution System (PDS), till 1992, was a general entitlement scheme for all consumers without any specific target. The Revamped Public Distribution System (RPDS) was launched in June 1992. Subsequently, in 1997, the government launched the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), with a focus on the poor. TPDS aims to provide subsidized food and fuel to the poor through a network of ration shops. Food grains, such as rice and wheat that are provided under TPDS are procured from farmers, allocated to states and delivered to the ration shop, where the beneficiary buys his entitlement.  • In September 2013, Parliament enacted the National Food Security Act, 2013. The Act relies largely on the existing TPDS to deliver food grains as legal entitlements to poor households. This marks a shift by mak...

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...

The period from 1920 to 1947 has been described as the Gandhian Era in Indian politics. During this period, Gandhiji had the final say behalf of the Indian National Congress in negotiating with the British Government for constitutional reforms, and for chalking out a programme for the national movement. Mahatma Gandhi led the national freedom struggle against the British rule and it also gave space and voice to many other voices which further strengthened the movement.  Voices that strengthened and enriched nationalist movement are as follow:  Socialist Voice  • The emergence of socialism in Congress during 1920s and 1930s imparted a new orientation to anti-British struggle because the socialist vision of national movement was quite different from that of Gandhiji and other nationalists.  • Anti-British struggle got radicalism greatly because socialists wanted that the idea of non-violence should be followed by congress in a pragmatic manner for the mistakes of one o...

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...