Polity & Governance (Features Of Indian Polity & Constitution (Mains))
Subjects
- Indian Polity And Governance (Prelims)
- Features Of Indian Polity & Constitution (Mains)
- Executive, Judiciary, Legislature (Mains)
- Governance (Mains)
- Contemporary Issues: Features of Indian Polity & Constitution (Mains)
- Contemporary Issues: (Executive, Judiciary, Legislature) (Mains)
- Constitutional/Non-Constitutional Bodies
- Contemporary Issues: Governance (Mains)
UPSC Syllabus
- Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure
- Separation of powers Fundamental Rights, Preamble, DPSP, Fundamental Duties, etc.
- Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries
- Salient features of RP Act.
Historical Underpinning
- Constitution: Why and How?
- Historical Background
Evolution
- Constituent Assembly and its vision of future
- Making of the Constitution
- Constitution as a living document
- Democracy and diversity
- Outcomes of democracy
- Crisis of Democratic order
- National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution
- Comparison of the Indian Constitutional scheme with that of other countries
Features
- Sources of the Constitution
- Salient features of the Constitution
- The Philosophy of the Constitution
- System of Government: Parliamentary & Presidential System
- Role of Convention under the Constitution
- Comparison between Judicial Review and Parliamentary Supremacy
Amendments
- The Constitution Amendment of the Constitution
- Keshvananda and Bharti Case Judgement
- 42nd and 44th Amendment to the Constitution
- The Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act, 2019 (124th Constitution Amendment Bill) to provide 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions to the economically weaker sections (EWS)
- (125th Amendment) Bill, 2019
Significant Provisions
- Preamble of the Constitution
- Debate : Is Preamble part of the Constitution and its amendment
- Citizenship
- National Register of Citizens
- Fundamental Rights
- Rule of Law
- Procedure Established by Law vs Due Process of Law
- Exceptions to Fundamental Rights
- Amenability of Fundamental Rights
- Rights following from other provision of the Constitution
- Major Debates/ Issues around Fundamental Rights:
- Limitations upon the Freedom
- Freedom of Press and Censorship
- Free Speech: Rights & Limits and Hate speech
- Data protection: Privacy Vs. Innovation
- RTI amendments
- Sedition-Law- Comprehensive public discussion regarding Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code 1860
- Right To Information Act 2005.
- Defamation-Should it be decriminialised
- ‘Living wills’/ Euthanasia
- Restriction on the entry of women in places of worship
- Reservation in India – Explained in Layman’s Terms
- Reservation in promotion
- Aadhaar and Privacy issues
- Constitutionality of article 35A
- Directive Principles of the State Policy
- Scope of DPSP: Economic and Social Democracy
- Implementation of Directives
- Conflict between Fundamental Rights and role of judiciary in harmonizing them
- Challenge of implementing Uniform civil code
- Fundamental Duties
- Union Territories
- Chief Minister Vs Lieutenant Governor: Rules, Rights and Responsibilities
- Special Status of Jammu and Kashmir
- Kashmir Unrest
- Special Provisions for some States
- Scheduled and Tribal areas
- Official Language
- Reasons for the 58th Amendment
Major Doctrines
- Doctrine of Basic Structure of the Constitution
- Doctrine of Harmonious Construction
- Doctrine of Eclipse
- Doctrine of Pith and Substance
- Doctrine of Incidental or Ancillary Powers
- Doctrine of Colourable Legislation
- Doctrine of Severability
- Doctrine of Territorial Nexus
- Doctrine of Laches
Pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity
- Pressure Groups
- Popular Struggles and Movements
- Rise of Popular movements
Election & The Representatives of People’s Act
- Political Parties
- Criminalisation of politics
- Freebies Politics in India
- Issues Related to the Working of Political Parties
- Inner Party Democracy
- Significance of Strong Opposition in Democracy
- Elections
- Role of Civil Society in Free and Fair Election
- What is Tactical Voting and Proportional Representation?
- What is Absentee Ballot?
- Voting Behaviour
- Election Laws
- Representation of People (Amendment) Bill 2010- Voting rights to NRI
- Introduction of NOTA
- Bill on Right to Recall Legislators
- Electoral reforms
- Demand For A Hybrid Electoral System
- Simultaneous Elections
- About Paper Trail units
- Election Funding (Electoral bonds) Corporate funding laws
- State Funding in elections
- Women voices in elections
- Law Commission Report on Electoral Reforms
- Anti-Defection Law
- Anti-Defection Law: Is it time for reconsideration?
Development Processes and the Development Industry
- The role of NGOs
- NGOs and Development/ Crackdown on NGOs
- Accountability and transparency in NGOs
- SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders
Major Issues
- Dalit assertion and Politics of reservation
- Should India spend more on science or Social welfare?
- Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005
- Agrarian crisis: Issues in farmer economy
- Issues related to Social Media
- Media freedom and Responsible reporting
- Marital rape
- Section 377: Constitutionality Vs Morality
- Legalising Sports Betting In India
Mechanism, laws, Institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections
- Special Provisions relating to Certain Classes
- Muslim Personal law: Polygamy/ Triple talaq
- Scheduled and Tribal Areas
- SC/ST Act judgment: Protecting the innocent or diluting the Protection?
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