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Displaying 1 - 378 of 378

Uttarakhand Assembly concludes 2-day session; 13 Bills introduced and passed

Tanvi Vipra - Dec 6, 2022
The Uttarakhand Assembly concluded a two-day session on November 30, 2022.  The session was scheduled to be held over five days.  In this post we look at the legislative business that was carried out in the Assembly, and the state of state legislatures.  13 Bills were int...
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Inflation targets not met – MPC to examine today

Tanvi Vipra - Nov 3, 2022
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to conduct an off-cycle meeting today to discuss the failure to meet the inflation target under Section 45ZN of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. As per the Reserve Bank of India Act (RBI), 1934, MPC is required to meet at least four times...
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How long can the central government take to frame Rules?

Saket Surya - Oct 21, 2022
On October 18, it was reported in the news that the central government has been given more time for framing rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.  The President had given assent to this Act in December 2019 and the Act came into force in January 2020.  ...
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Lok Sabha passes a Bill to regulate doping in sports

Omir Kumar - Aug 3, 2022
The National Anti-Doping Bill, 2021 is listed for passage in Rajya Sabha today.  It was passed by Lok Sabha last week.  The Bill creates a regulatory framework for anti-doping rule violations in sports.  It was examined by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Sports, and some ...
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Explained: Role of Governor in Public Universities

Rajat Asthana - June 13, 2022
On June 13, 2022, the West Bengal government passed a Bill to replace the Governor with the Chief Minister, as the Chancellor of 31 state public universities (such as Calcutta University, Jadavpur University).  As per the All India Survey on Higher Education (2019-20), state publ...
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Explained: Draft amendments to the IT Rules 2021

Omir Kumar - June 9, 2022
On June 6, 2022, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology released the draft amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021) for public feedback.  The IT Rules were notified on February 25, 202...
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How India will elect its next President

Itika Singh , Mridhula Raghavan - June 7, 2022
Mr. Ramnath Kovind completes his tenure as President in July.  With the Election Commission of India expected to notify the election dates this week, we look at how India will elect its next President.   As the Head of the State, the President is a key part of Parliament.  The...
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CAG Observations on Uttar Pradesh Finances in 2020-21

Tushar Chakrabarty - June 3, 2022
Early this week, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India tabled a report on the finances of Uttar Pradesh for the financial year 2020-21.  A few days prior to that, on May 26, the budget for Uttar Pradesh for 2022-23 was presented, along with which the final audited expendi...
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Explained: Karnataka’s Ordinance on religious conversion

Rajat Asthana , Tanvi Vipra - May 18, 2022
Yesterday, the Governor of Karnataka promulgated the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Ordinance, 2022.  The Ordinance prohibits forced religious conversions.  A Bill with the same provisions as the Ordinance was passed by the Karnataka Legislative Assembl...
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State of the Civil Aviation Sector in India

Tanvi Vipra - March 21, 2022
India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world.  Its domestic traffic makes up 69% of the total airline traffic in South Asia.  India’s airport capacity is expected to handle 1 billion trips annually by 2023. The Ministry of Civil Aviation is responsible ...
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Rajya Sabha discusses the working of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region

Omir Kumar - March 17, 2022
On March 14, 2022 Rajya Sabha discussed the working of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).  During the discussion, several issues around budgetary allocation, implementation of schemes and connectivity with the North Eastern Region were discussed.  The Ministry of ...
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Understanding vacancies in the Indian judiciary

Omir Kumar , Shubham Dutt - November 18, 2021
Recently, the Supreme Court collegium reiterated its recommendations for the appointment of 11 judges to certain High Courts.  It had first recommended these names earlier this year and in August last year, but these appointments were not made.  The Indian judiciary faces high vacancies ac...
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Petrol and Diesel Prices

Shashank Srivastava - October 21, 2021
In the past few months, retail prices of petrol and diesel have consistently increased to all-time high levels.  On October 16, 2021, the retail price of petrol in Delhi was Rs 105.5 per litre, and that of diesel was Rs 94.2 per litre.  In Mumbai, these prices were even higher at Rs 111.7 ...
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Seven years of Swachh Bharat Mission

Payoja Ahluwalia - October 2, 2021
On October 2, 2021, Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) celebrates its seventh anniversary.  It was launched on October 2, 2014 to fulfil the vision of a cleaner India by October 2, 2019.  The objective of the Mission was to eliminate open defecation, eradicate manual scavenging, and promote ...
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The Tribunal Rules, 2021 contradict the Supreme Court rulings

Aditya Kumar - September 20, 2021
Tribunals function as a parallel mechanism to the traditional court system.  Tribunals were established for two main reasons - allowing for specialised subject knowledge in disputes on technical matters and reducing the burden on the court system.  In India, some tribunals are at the level...
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Impact of COVID-19 on employment in urban areas

Omir Kumar , Shashank Srivastava - September 17, 2021
In April 2020, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimated that nearly 2.5 crore jobs could be lost worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.  Further, it observed that more than 40 crore informal workers in India may get pushed into deeper poverty due to the pandemic.  I...
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Banking on Co-operatives

Tushar Chakrabarty - September 10, 2021
Last month, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the report of the Expert Committee on Urban Co-operative Banks (Chair: Mr. N. S. Vishwanathan).  In this blog, we discuss some broader issues with the functioning and regulation of urban co-operative banks (UCBs), and some of the sugg...
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Assam’s new cattle preservation law

Shubham Dutt - August 20, 2021
Last week, the Assam Legislative Assembly passed the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021.  The Bill seeks to regulate the slaughter and transportation of cattle and the sale of beef.   It replaces the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 1950, which only provided for restrictions on c...
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Challenges emanating from the AERA (Amendment) Bill, 2021

Aditya Kumar - August 6, 2021
The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed by Parliament on August 4, 2021.  It amends the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act, 2008.  This Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha during the budget session this year in March 202...
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The Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2021, in the context of the recent Supreme Court judgement

Aditya Kumar - August 2, 2021
The Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2021 was introduced in Lok Sabha today.  It seeks to dissolve certain existing appellate bodies and transfer their functions (such as adjudication of appeals) to existing judicial bodies (mainly high courts) (see Table 1).  It also amends&nbs...
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Examining the Model Tenancy Act, 2021 and regulation of rental property in India

Shruti Gupta - June 10, 2021
The Union Cabinet approved the Model Tenancy Act, 2021 on June 2, 2021, for adoption by state and union territory governments.  The Model Act has three primary objectives.   First, it aims to regulate renting of residential and commercial premises by establishing condi...
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Examining urban local governance in India through the case of Bengaluru

Prachi Kaur , Shruti Gupta - December 24, 2020
Recently, the Karnataka legislature passed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Bill, 2020.  BBMP is the municipal corporation of the Greater Bengaluru metropolitan area.  The BBMP Act, 2020 seeks to improve decentralisation, ensure public participation, and address certain a...
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Anti-Conversion Legislation: Comparison of the UP Ordinances with other state laws

Anoop Ramakrishnan - December 17, 2020
This blog has been updated on Jan 19, 2021 to also cover the Madhya Pradesh Ordinance which was promulgated earlier in the month. The comparison table has also been revised accordingly. On November 27, 2020, the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance...
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MSP and Public Procurement

Suyash Tiwari - December 9, 2020
Minimum Support Price (MSP) is the assured price at which foodgrains are procured from farmers by the central and state governments and their agencies, for the central pool of foodgrains.  The central pool is used for providing foodgrains under the Public Distribution System (PDS) and othe...
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Comparison of the 2020 central farm laws with the amendments proposed by states

Prachi Kaur , Suyash Tiwari - December 7, 2020
A few weeks ago, in response to the initial protests by farmers against the new central farm laws, three state assemblies – Chhattisgarh, Punjab, and Rajasthan – passed Bills to address farmers’ concerns.  While these Bills await the respective Governors’ assent, protest...
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Monsoon Session of Parliament: What did the MPs ask the government?

Anurag Vaishnav , Mridhula Raghavan - September 19, 2020
Between the last time Parliament met in March 2020 and the ongoing Monsoon session (a period of nearly six months), the government issued 941 notifications across sectors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  It also announced a Rs 20 lakh crore economic package to improve the state ...
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Cost of GST compensation

Suyash Tiwari - August 25, 2020
Later this week, the GST Council will meet to discuss the issue of GST compensation to states.  The central government is required to compensate states for any loss of revenue they incur due to GST.  The Centre must pay this compensation on a bi-monthly basis, but over the past one year th...
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National Education Policy : Recommendations and the current scenario

Anurag Vaishnav - August 4, 2020
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was released on July 30, 2020.  It will replace the National Policy on Education, 1986.  Key recommendations of the NEP include: (i) redesigning the structure of school curriculum to incorporate early childhood care and education, (ii) cur...
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Migration in India and the impact of the lockdown on migrants

Madhunika Iyer - June 10, 2020
India has been in lockdown since March 25, 2020.  During this time, activities not contributing to the production and supply of essential goods and services were completely or partially suspended.  Passenger trains and flights were halted.  The lockdown h...
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Definition of MSMEs

Anurag Vaishnav , Saket Surya - June 8, 2020
On June 1, 2020, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved a revision in the definition of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).[1]  In this blog, we discuss the change in the definition as approved by the Cabinet, and examine some of the common criteria used for classification ...
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Central government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (May 23 - May 29, 2020)

Anurag Vaishnav - May 29, 2020
As of May 29, 2020, there are 1,65,799 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India.  47,352 new cases have been registered in the last week (since May 22).  Out of the confirmed cases so far, 71,106 patients have been cured/discharged and 4,706 have died.  Most cases are in the state of Maha...
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Central government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (May 11 – May 22, 2020)

Aditya Kumar - May 22, 2020
As of May 22, 2020, there are 1,18,447 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India, which is 76% higher than the cases on May 11, 2020 (67,152). Out of total confirmed cases, there are 66,330 active cases, 48,354 patients have been cured/discharged and 3,583 have died (Figure 1). As the spread of COVID-19 ...
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Changes in Agricultural Marketing laws across states

Prachi Kaur - May 19, 2020
Since March, 2020, there has been a consistent rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in India.  As of May 18, 2020, there were 96,169 confirmed cases of the infectious disease, of which 3,029 persons died.  To contain the spread of COVID-19 in India, the central government imposed a&nb...
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Relaxation of labour laws across states

Anya Bharat Ram - May 12, 2020
To contain the spread of COVID-19 in India, the central government imposed a nation-wide lockdown on March 24, 2020.  Under the lockdown most economic activities, other than those classified as essential activities, were suspended.  States have noted that this loss of economic ac...
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Central government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (May 4 – May 11, 2020)

Anya Bharat Ram - May 11, 2020
As of May 11, 2020, there are 67,152 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India.   Since May 4, 24,619 new cases have been registered.  Out of the confirmed cases so far, 20,917 patients have been cured/discharged and 2,206 have died.  As the spread of COVID-19 has increased across the coun...
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Assam Government’s Response to COVID-19

Akhil N.R. - May 6, 2020
As of May 5, Assam has 43 confirmed cases of COVID-19.  Of these, 32 have been cured, and 1 person has died.  In this blog, we summarise some key decisions taken by the Government of Assam until May 5 for containing the spread of the pandemic in the state. Movement Restrictions F...
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Central government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Apr 27 – May 4, 2020)

Anya Bharat Ram - May 4, 2020
As of May 4, 2020, there are 42,533 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India.   Since April 27, 14,641 new cases have been registered.  Out of the confirmed cases so far, 11,707 patients have been cured/discharged and 1,373 have died.   As the spread of COVID-19 has increased across India...
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Gujarat Government’s Response to COVID-19

Anoop Ramakrishnan - May 2, 2020
On March 19, Gujarat reported its first two cases of COVID-19. Since then, the number of cases have risen steadily. As of May 2, Gujarat has 4,721 confirmed cases (second highest in the country, after Maharashtra) of COVID-19. Of this 3,750 are active cases and 236 have died. The...
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Telangana Government’s Response to COVID-19

Akhil N.R. - May 1, 2020
As of April 30, Telangana has 1,012 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (9th highest in the country).  Of these, 367 have been cured, and 26 have died.  In this blog, we summarise some of the key decisions taken by the Government of Telangana for containing the spread of COVID-19 in the state and ...
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Odisha Government’s Response to COVID-19

Akhil N.R. - April 29, 2020
As of April 28, Odisha has 118 cases of COVID-19.  Of these, 37 have been cured, and 1 person has died.  In this blog, we summarise some of the key decisions taken by the Government of Odisha until April 28 for containing the spread of COVID-19 in the state.   Before the lockdow...
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Protection of healthcare service personnel

Anya Bharat Ram - April 29, 2020
Amidst news reports of violence against healthcare workers during the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 was promulgated on April 22, 2020.  The Ordinance amends the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.  The Act provides for the prevention ...
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Tamil Nadu Government’s Response to COVID-19

Anoop Ramakrishnan - April 29, 2020
On January 17, 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare acknowledged the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic that was spreading across China.  Tamil Nadu reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 7, 2020.   As of April 28, the state has 1,937 confirm...
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Central Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Apr 20-27, 2020)

Anya Bharat Ram - April 27, 2020
As of April 27, 2020, there are 27,892 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India.  Since April 20, 10,627 new cases have been registered.  Out of the confirmed cases so far, 6,185 patients have been cured/discharged and 872 have died.  As the spread of COVID-19 has increased across India, ...
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Rajasthan Government’s Response to COVID-19 (till April 26)

Anoop Ramakrishnan - April 26, 2020
As of April 26, Rajasthan has 2,083 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (fifth highest in the country), of which 493 have recovered and 33 have died.  On March 18, the Rajasthan government had declared a state-wide curfew till March 31, to check the spread of the disease.  A nation-wide lockd...
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Delhi Government’s Response to COVID-19 (till April 23, 2020)

Akhil N.R. - April 24, 2020
As of April 23, Delhi has 2,248 cases of COVID-19.  After Maharashtra and Gujarat, Delhi has the highest number of cases in the country.  On March 22, when the number of cases rose to 29, the Delhi government announced lockdown in the state until March 31, to contain the spread of COVID-19...
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Impact of COVID-19 on the Power Sector

Saket Surya - April 23, 2020
The central government has enforced a nation-wide lockdown between March 25 and May 3 as part of its measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.  During the lockdown, several restrictions have been placed on the movement of individuals and economic activities have come to a halt barri...
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UP Government’s Response to COVID-19 (till April 22)

Suyash Tiwari - April 23, 2020
As of April 22, Uttar Pradesh has seen 1,449 cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and accounts for 6.8% of the total cases in India.  Of the 1,449 persons infected of the disease, 173 have recovered and 21 have died (3.1% of the total deaths in India due to the disease).  Thes...
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Sikkim Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (till April 22, 2020)

Prachi Kaur - April 22, 2020
As of April 22, 2020, Sikkim does not have any confirmed cases of COVID-19.  As of April 21, 2020, 87 samples have been sent for testing from Sikkim.  Of these, 80 have tested negative for COVID-19, and the results of seven samples are awaited.  The state has ...
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Kerala Government’s Response to COVID-19 (January 30, 2020 - April 22, 2020)

Anoop Ramakrishnan - April 22, 2020
On January 17, 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare acknowledged the emergence of COVID-19 that was spreading across China. On January 30, 2020, the country’s first COVID-19 positive case was reported in Kerala.  By March 11, 2020, the World Health Organisat...
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Government of Chhattisgarh’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Anurag Vaishnav - April 21, 2020
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the central and state governments have implemented several measures to reduce the spread of the disease and provide relief for those affected by the it.  In this blog, we look at some of the key measures taken by the Government of Chhattisgarh with regard t...
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Maharashtra Government’s Response to COVID-19 (till April 20, 2020)

Akhil N.R. - April 21, 2020
With 4,203 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Maharashtra has the highest number of cases in the country as of April 20, 2020.  Of these, 507 have been cured, and 223 have died.  In this blog, we summarise some of the key decisions taken by the Government of Maharashtra for containing the spread...
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Central government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Apr 13-20, 2020)

Anya Bharat Ram - April 20, 2020
As of April 20, 2020, there are 17,265 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India.  Since April 13, 8,113 new cases have been registered.  Out of the confirmed cases so far, 2,547 patients have been cured/discharged and 543 have died.  As the spread of COVID-19 has increased across India, t...
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Impact of Lockdown on Government Revenue

Suyash Tiwari - April 19, 2020
To mitigate the spread of coronavirus in India, the central government imposed a nation-wide lockdown on March 25, 2020.  The lockdown necessitated the suspension of all economic activities, except the ones classified as ‘essential’ from time to time, and the ones that can be carrie...
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Government of Bihar’s response to COVID-19 (till Apr 19, 2020)

Saket Surya - April 19, 2020
On March 22, Bihar registered its first two cases of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), one of whom died the same day.  Since then, the number of cases has increased steadily. As of April 19, Bihar has 86 confirmed cases of COVID-19, of which 47 are active cases and 37 have recovered. ...
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Government of West Bengal’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (till April 18, 2020)

Roshni Sinha - April 19, 2020
With the spread of COVID-19, along with the central government, state governments have also announced several policy decisions to contain and prevent the spread of the virus.  In this blog post, we summarise some of the key measures taken by the government of West Bengal in this regard as of Ap...
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Madhya Pradesh Government’s Response to COVID-19 (January 2020- April 17, 2020)

Madhunika Iyer - April 18, 2020
As of April 17, Madhya Pradesh has 1,120 confirmed cases of COVID-19 - the fifth-highest among all states in India.  The Government of Madhya Pradesh issued one of its initial COVID-19 related orders around January 28, 2020, advising healthcare workers to use appropriate pro...
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Uttarakhand Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 - April 15, 2020)

Prachi Kaur - April 16, 2020
With the spread of COVID-19, along with the central government, the state governments have also announced several policy decisions to contain and prevent the spread of the virus.   In this blog post, we summarise some of the key measures taken by the Uttarakhand Government in this regard as of ...
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Government of Karnataka’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Feb 2020–April 14, 2020)

Prachi Kaur - April 15, 2020
As of April 13, 2020, there have been 260 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Karnataka.  Of these, 70 have been discharged and 10 have died.[1]  In order to contain the spread of the disease, both, the Central and State governments have come up with a series of policy responses.  In this ...
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Central government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Apr 7-13, 2020)

Anya Bharat Ram - April 13, 2020
As of April 13, 2020, there are 9,152 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India.  Of these, 857 patients have been cured/discharged and 308 have died.  As the spread of COVID-19 has increased across India, the central government has continued to announce several policy decisions to contain...
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Central government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Apr 7-13, 2020)

Anya Bharat Ram - April 13, 2020
As of April 13, 2020, there are 9,152 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India.  Of these, 857 patients have been cured/discharged and 308 have died.  As the spread of COVID-19 has increased across India, the central government has continued to announce several policy decisions to contain...
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Impact of COVID-19 on Railway’s finances

Prachee Mishra - April 11, 2020
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, all passenger trains were suspended till April 14, 2020.  However, goods services have been continuing with trains carrying essential commodities to various parts of the country.   Railways has also made railway parcel vans&n...
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Does changing MP salaries and MPLAD entitlements raise resources to fight COVID-19?

Mandira Kala , Roshni Sinha - April 10, 2020
This week, the centre issued two Ordinances to amend: (i) the Salary, Allowances, and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954 to reduce the salaries of MPs by 30% for a period of one year, and (ii) the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers Act, 1952, to reduce the sumptuary allowance of Ministers ...
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Central government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Jan 2020 - Apr 7, 2020)

Anya Bharat Ram - April 8, 2020
On January 17, 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare acknowledged the emergence of a new coronavirus (COVID-19) that was spreading across China.[1]  On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organisation declared the COVID-19 disease to be a global pandemic. As of April 7, 2020, there are 4...
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Recent rise in LPG prices

Anurag Vaishnav - February 20, 2020
Last week, oil-marketing companies (or OMCs, such as Indian Oil Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited) raised the price of domestic LPG in the country. [1]  The price of a domestic cylinder (14.2kg) has increased from Rs 714 in January 2020 to Rs 858.5 in February...
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Union Budget 2020-21: Are the fiscal targets realistic?

Gayatri Mann , Suyash Tiwari - February 6, 2020
Today, a general discussion on the Union Budget 2020-21 is being held in both Houses of Parliament.  In the budget, the government presented the estimates of the money it expects to spend on various ministries, and how much money will be raised from different sources such as levy of taxes and...
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Recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission for 2020-21

Rohin Garg - February 3, 2020
The Finance Commission is a constitutional body formed by the President of India to give suggestions on centre-state financial relations.  The 15th Finance Commission is required to submit two reports.  The  first report will consist of recommendations for the financial year 202...
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President’s Address 2014-2018: A Status Report

Zarka Shabir - January 31, 2019
The budget session of Parliament every year starts with the President’s Address to both Houses.  In this speech, the President highlights the government’s achievements and legislative activities in the last year, and announces its agenda for the upcoming year.   The addres...
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The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019: How it differs from the draft Bill

Anurag Vaishnav - December 27, 2019
The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 was recently introduced in Parliament.  The Bill has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for detailed examination, and the Committee is expected to submit its report by the last week of Budget Session, 2020.  The Bill see...
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Explainer: Mechanisms to investigate charges against a Supreme Court judge

Roshni Sinha - April 25, 2019
This week, an in-house inquiry committee was constituted to consider a complaint against the current Chief Justice of India.  Over the years, three mechanisms have evolved to investigate cases of misconduct, including cases of sexual harassment, misbehaviour or incapacity against judges.  ...
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The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019: All you need to know

Anurag Vaishnav - December 23, 2019
Recently, the  Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 was introduced in Parliament.  The Bill has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for detailed examination, and the report is expected by the Budget Session, 2020.  The Bill seeks to provide for protect...
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Explainer: The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019

Roshni Sinha - December 9, 2019
The Minister of Home Affairs introduced the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 today in Lok Sabha.   It is scheduled to be taken up for discussion and passing by the House later today.  The Bill amends the Citizenship Act, 1955, and seeks to make foreign illegal migrants of certain r...
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Understanding recent amendments to the Arms Act, 1959

Rohin Garg - December 5, 2019
The  Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha recently and is scheduled to be passed in this Winter Session.  The Bill amends the Arms Act, 1959 which deals with the regulation of arms in India.  The Act defines arms to include firearms, swords, and anti-airc...
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Tenure and salaries of CIC and ICs under the Right to Information Rules, 2019

Anya Bharat Ram - October 29, 2019
The Right to Information (Amendment) Act, 2019 amended the Right to Information Act, 2005.  The RTI Act, 2005 specified the tenure, terms of service and salaries of the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and Information Commissioners (ICs) at the central and state levels, in the parent ...
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More Privatisation on the cards?

M R Madhavan , Prachee Mishra - October 22, 2019
The core group of secretaries on disinvestment has recently  approved the disinvestment of five public sector undertakings (PSUs).  This includes the entire shareholding of the government in four PSUs: Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), Nor...
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Explaining the recent ban on e-cigarettes

Gayatri Mann - September 19, 2019
On Wednesday, the government promulgated an Ordinance to ban electronic cigarettes in India.  In this context, we look at what are electronic cigarettes, what are the current regulations in place, and what the Ordinance seeks to do. What are electronic cigarettes? The Ordinance def...
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The Importance of Parliamentary Committees

Sanat Kanwar - September 19, 2019
Last week, the Departmentally Related Standing Committees were reconstituted for the first year of the 17th Lok Sabha.  In this context, we discuss the functioning and role of Standing Committees. The visible part of Parliament’s work takes place on the floor of the House. ...
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Ban on cryptocurrencies: Understanding the proposed legislation

Anurag Vaishnav - September 5, 2019
In July, a Committee set up by the Ministry of Finance to study issues related to virtual currencies, submitted its report.  The Committee recommended that all private cryptocurrencies should be banned in India.  Correspondingly, the Committee proposed a draft Bill banning cryptocurr...
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Explaining the draft Bill on violence against healthcare professionals and clinical establishments

Gayatri Mann - September 3, 2019
Yesterday, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released a draft Bill to address incidences of violence against healthcare professionals and damage to the property of clinical establishments.  Public comments on the draft Bill are invited till the end of September.  In this cont...
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Explaining the draft Bill on violence against healthcare professionals and clinical establishments

Gayatri Mann - Sept 3, 2019
Yesterday, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released a draft Bill to address incidences of violence against healthcare professionals and damage to the property of clinical establishments.  Public comments on the draft Bill are invited till the end of September.  In this context,...
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Examining pendency of cases in the Judiciary

Roshni Sinha - August 8, 2019
Yesterday, Parliament passed a Bill to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court from 30 to 33 (excluding the Chief Justice of India).  The Bill was introduced in view of increasing pendency of cases in the Supreme Court.  In 2012, the Supreme Court approved the Scheme of Nation...
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Understanding the National Medical Commission Bill, 2019

Gayatri Mann - July 29, 2019
Today, the National Medical Commission Bill, 2019 was passed by Lok Sabha.  It seeks to regulate medical education and practice in India.  In 2017, a similar Bill had been introduced in Lok Sabha.  It was examined by the Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, which...
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Understanding the AERA (Amendment) Bill, 2019

Prachee Mishra - July 19, 2019
Earlier this week, Rajya Sabha passed the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2019, and the Bill is now pending in Lok Sabha.  The Bill amends the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act, 2008.  The Act established the Airports Economic Regulatory ...
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Explainer: The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019

Roshni Sinha - July 19, 2019
The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 that amends the Right to Information Act, 2005 was introduced in Lok Sabha today. What does the RTI Act do?   Under the RTI Act, 2005, Public Authorities are required to make disclosures on various aspects of their structure and fu...
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Explaining the difference between the government finances reported in the Economic Survey and the Union Budget 2019-20

Suyash Tiwari - July 10, 2019
The Finance Minister, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, presented the Union Budget for the financial year 2019-20 in Parliament on July 5, 2019.  In the 2019-20 budget, the government presented the estimates of its expenditure and receipts for the year 2019-20.  The budget also gave an account of ho...
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Explainer: The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Bill, 2019

Anya Bharat Ram , Gayatri Mann - July 3, 2019
Explainer:  The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Bill, 2019 The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament today.  It replaces an Ordinance that was promulgated in February 2019. ...
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How votes are counted in Indian elections?

Manish Kanadje - May 22, 2019
The counting of votes for General Election 2019, which concluded on Sunday, will begin tomorrow, i.e., 23rd May at 8 AM.  The election was conducted in 7 phases for 543 constituencies of Lok Sabha.  The Election Commission of India (ECI) uses Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) to conduct ele...
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First session of 17th Lok Sabha: What to expect

Ankita Nanda , Anurag Vaishnav - May 29, 2019
The results of General Election 2019 were declared last week concluding the process for electing the 17th Lok Sabha.  Immediately after the results, the previous Lok Sabha was dissolved.  The next couple of days will witness several key events such as swearing-in ceremony of the Prime Mini...
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Analysis of the contesting candidates in General Election 2019

Ankita Nanda , Manish Kanadje - May 13, 2019
The nominations for all phases of the General Election have been submitted.  We examine highlights from data on candidates who are participating in the ongoing elections.  There are 8,039 candidates contesting for 542 Parliamentary constituency seats.   On average...
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Context to the Supreme Court Order on stressed assets of banks

Gayatri Mann , Roshni Sinha - April 3, 2019
The increasing Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) in the Indian banking sector has recently been the subject of much discussion and scrutiny.  Yesterday, the Supreme Court struck down a circular dated February 12, 2018 issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).  The RBI circular laid down a revi...
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Model Code of Conduct and the 2019 General Elections

Roshni Sinha - March 11, 2019
Yesterday, the Election Commission announced the dates for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.  The voting will take place in seven phases between April 11, 2019 to May 19, 2019.  With this announcement, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has comes into force.  In this blog, we outline the key...
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Examining the anti-trafficking Bill, 2018

Roshni Sinha - February 13, 2019
The Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018 is listed for passage in Rajya Sabha today.  Earlier this year, the Bill was introduced and passed in Lok Sabha.  It provides for the prevention, rescue, and rehabilitation of trafficked persons.  If the...
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Winter Session 2018: What's happened so far

Prachee Mishra , Roshni Sinha - December 26, 2018
So far, both Houses of Parliament have been witnessing disruptions.  At the beginning of the session, 23 Bills were listed for passage, and 20 were listed for introduction.  Two weeks in, one Bill has been passed by both Houses, and three others by Lok Sabha.  These include Bills deal...
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Indian Railways rationalises freight fares

Prachee Mishra - November 14, 2018
Recently, the Indian Railways announced rationalisation of freight fares.  This rationalisation will result in an 8.75% increase in freight rates for major commodities such as coal, iron and steel, iron ore, and raw materials for steel plants. The freight rates were rationalised to ensure addit...
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Central Police Forces: Overview and Issues

Vinayak Krishnan - November 2, 2018
Recently, there have been multiple Naxal attacks on CRPF personnel in Chhattisgarh.  Parliamentary Committees have previously examined the working of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).  In this context, we examine issues related to functioning of these Forces and ...
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Explained: The recent rise in petroleum prices

Suyash Tiwari - September 27, 2018
In the past few months, retail prices of petrol and diesel have consistently increased and have reached all-time high levels.  On September 24, 2018, the retail price of petrol in Delhi was Rs 82.72/litre, and that of diesel was Rs 74.02/litre.  In Mumbai, these prices were even ...
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Examining the rise of Non-Performing Assets in India

Ahita Paul - September 13, 2018
The issue of Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) in the Indian banking sector has become the subject of much discussion and scrutiny. The Standing Committee on Finance recently released a report on the banking sector in India, where it observed that banks’ capacity to lend has been severely...
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Examining the Consumer Protection Bill, 2018

Roopal Suhag - August 10, 2018
The Consumer Protection Bill, 2018 was introduced in Lok Sabha in January 2018. The Bill replaces the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. Previously in 2015, a Bill had been introduced to replace the 1986 Act. The 2015 Bill acknowledged that the rapid change in consumer markets, introduction of practices...
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Amendments to the IBC: Implications for real estate allottees

Prachee Mishra - July 26, 2018
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 was enacted to provide a time-bound process to resolve insolvency among companies and individuals.  Insolvency is a situation where an individual or company is unable to repay their outstanding debt.  Last month, the government promulgated the ...
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Monsoon Session 2018: What to Expect

Sanat Kanwar - July 17, 2018
The Monsoon Session of Parliament begins tomorrow and will continue till August 10, 2018.  It is scheduled to have 18 sittings during this period.  This post outlines what is in store in the upcoming session. The session has a packed legislative agenda.  Presently, there are 6...
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Explained: Recent changes in MSPs

Suyash Tiwari - July 16, 2018
Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved an increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for Kharif crops for the 2018-19 marketing season.  Subsequently, the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) released its price policy report for Kharif...
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Food Processing Infrastructure in India

Sai Priya Kodidala - May 16, 2018
Recently, there have been reports of price crashes and distress sales in case of farm produce, such as tomatoes, mangoes, and garlic.  In some cases, farmers have dumped their produce on roads.  Produce such as fruits and vegetables are perishable and the...
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Examining the National Medical Commission Bill, 2017

Nivedita Rao - May 3, 2018
The National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, 2017 was introduced in Lok Sabha in December, 2017.  It was examined by the Standing Committee on Health, which submitted its report during Budget Session 2018.  The Bill seeks to regulate medical education and practice i...
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What impacts petroleum prices?

Vatsal Khullar - April 25, 2018
Over the last few days, the retail prices of petrol and diesel have touched an all-time high.  In Delhi, petrol was selling at 74.6/litre on April 25, 2018, while diesel was at 66/litre. Petroleum products are used as raw materials in various sectors and industries such as tra...
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Explainer: Removal of Judges from Office

Roshni Sinha - April 20, 2018
Today, some Members of Parliament initiated proceedings for the removal of the current Chief Justice of India by submitting a notice to the Chairman of Rajya Sabha.  A judge may be removed from office through a motion adopted by Parliament on grounds of ‘proven misbehaviour or incapacity&...
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Central Transfers to States: Role of the Finance Commission

Gayatri Mann - April 11, 2018
In November 2017, the 15th Finance Commission (Chair: Mr N. K. Singh) was constituted to give recommendations on the transfer of resources from the centre to states for the five year period between 2020-25.  In recent times, there has been some discussion around the role and mand...
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Healthcare Financing: Who is paying?

Nivedita Rao - April 6, 2018
The Union Cabinet recently approved the launch of the National Health Protection Mission which was announced during Budget 2018-19.   The Mission aims to provide a cover of five lakh rupees per family per year to about 10.7 crore families belonging to poor and vulnerabl...
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Status of Drinking Water and Sanitation in rural India

Roopal Suhag - April 2, 2018
In Budget Session 2018, Rajya Sabha has planned to examine the working of four ministries.  The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation is one of the ministries listed for discussion.  In this post, we look at the key schemes being implemented by the Ministry and their status. What ar...
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Internal Security: Examining the Working of the Home Ministry

Vinayak Krishnan - March 20, 2018
Each year during the Budget Session, Rajya Sabha examines the working of certain ministries.  This year it has identified four ministries for discussion, which includes the Ministry of Home Affairs.  In light of this, we analyse some key functions of the Ministry and the challenges in carr...
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Indian Railways: Analysing the Budget

Prachee Mishra - March 12, 2018
Finances of the Railways were presented along with the Union Budget on February 1, 2018 (the Railways Budget was merged with the Union Budget last year).  In the current Budget Session, Lok Sabha is scheduled to discuss the allocation to the Ministry of Railways.  In light of this, we disc...
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Explained: Law on holding an ‘Office of Profit’

Vibhor Relhan - February 22, 2018
Following the recommendation of the Election Commission (EC), the President disqualified 20 MLAs of the Delhi Legislative Assembly last month for holding an ‘office of profit’. The legislators in question were appointed as parliamentary secretaries to various ministries in the Delhi gove...
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Making Smart Cities

Prachee Mishra - January 23, 2018
In the last decade, the government has implemented several schemes to address issues related to urbanisation and aid the process of urban development.  One of the schemes is the Smart Cities Mission, which intends to take advantage of the developments in information technology in developing the...
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Explained: The draft Model Contract Farming Act, 2018

Sai Priya Kodidala - January 8, 2018
Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture released a draft Model Contract Farming Act, 2018.  The draft Model Act seeks to create a regulatory and policy framework for contract farming.  Based on this draft Model Act, legislatures of states can enact a law on contract farming as contracts...
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Explained: The National Medical Commission Bill, 2017

Nivedita Rao - January 2, 2018
The National Medical Commission Bill, 2017 was introduced in Lok Sabha recently and is listed for consideration and passage today.[1]  The Bill seeks to regulate medical education and practice in India.  To meet this objective, the Bill repeals the Indian Medical Council Act...
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Explained: The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016

Nivedita Rao - December 15, 2017
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016 has been listed for passage during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.  This Bill was introduced in the Monsoon Session last year and referred to the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, which tabled its repor...
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The FRDI Bill: Bail-In provisions explained

Vatsal Khullar - December 7, 2017
The Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017 was introduced in Lok Sabha during Monsoon Session 2017.  The Bill is currently being examined by a Joint Committee of the two Houses of Parliament.  It seeks to establish a Resolution Corporation which will monitor the ri...
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The Anti-Defection Law Explained

Vibhor Relhan - December 6, 2017
On Monday, December 4, the Chairman of Rajya Sabha disqualified two Members of Parliament (MPs) from the House under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution (better known as the anti-defection law) for having defected from their party.[1] These members were elected on a Janata Dal (United) ticke...
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Decoding the Code on Wages

Vinayak Krishnan - November 27, 2017
Presently, there are around 40 state and central laws regulating different aspects of labour, such as resolution of industrial disputes, working conditions in factories, and wage and bonus payments.  Over the years, some experts have recommended that these laws should be consolidated for easier...
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Role of Parliament in holding the government accountable

Vatsal Khullar - November 22, 2017
Parliament sessions are usually held thrice a year: once in February for the Budget Session, once around July or August for the Monsoon Session, and once in November for the Winter Session.  This year, the government is yet to announce the dates for the Winter Session.  While there has bee...
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Doing Business in India

Vatsal Khullar - November 1, 2017
‘Ease of doing business’ refers to the regulatory environment in a country to set up and operate a business.  Every year, the World Bank compares the business environment in 190 countries in its Ease of Doing Business Report.  In its report released yesterday, India’s ran...
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Committees in state legislatures

Abhijit Banare - October 31, 2017
The Governor of Rajasthan promulgated two Ordinances amending the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and Indian Penal Code, 1860 applicable in Rajasthan on September 7. The Ordinances restrain any investigation to be conducted against a judge, magistrate or public servant without prior sanction o...
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Food Security in India

Vatsal Khullar - October 16, 2017
The United Nations celebrates October 16 as the World Food Day every year, with an aim to spread awareness about eradicating hunger and ensuring food security for all.[1]  In this context, we examine the status of food and public distribution in India, and some challenges in ensuring food secur...
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Resolving failure of financial firms: The FRDI Bill explained

Gayatri Mann - October 12, 2017
The Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017 was introduced in Parliament during Monsoon Session 2017.[1]   The Bill proposes to create a framework for monitoring financial firms such as banks, insurance companies, and stock exchanges; pre-empt risk to their financial position...
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Electrification in India: ‘Saubhagya’ scheme

Prachee Mishra - October 5, 2017
Recently, the central government launched the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (or Saubhagya).[i],[ii]  The scheme seeks to ensure universal household electrification (in both rural and urban areas) by providing last mile connectivity.  The scheme is expected to cover three crore...
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Modernisation of Police Forces

Vinayak Krishnan - October 3, 2017
In India, police and law and order come under the purview of state governments.[1]  Accordingly, each state has its own police force for maintaining law and order and investigating crimes.  However, due to financial and other constraints, states have critical gaps in their policing infrast...
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Rethinking the No Detention Policy

Nivedita Rao - September 19, 2017
In India, children in the age group of 6-14 years have the right to free and compulsory elementary education in a neighbourhood school under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.  This covers primary (classes 1-5) and upper primary (classes 6-8) levels, which c...
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Malnutrition in India: The National Nutrition Strategy explained

Nivedita Rao - September 8, 2017
In the recent past, there has been a renewed discussion around nutrition in India.  A few months ago, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had released the National Health Policy, 2017.[1]  It highlighted the negative impact of malnutrition on the population’s productivity, and ...
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Safety in Indian Railways

Prachee Mishra - August 24, 2017
Safety has been one of the biggest concerns in the Indian Railways system.  While the number of accidents have gone down over the last few years, the number still remains over 100 accidents a year.  In light of the recent train accidents in Uttar Pradesh (UP), we present some details aroun...
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Following the elections of the Vice President of India

Vibhor Relhan - August 5, 2017
The elections for the next Vice-President of India are underway today.  The current Vice President Dr. Hamid Ansari will complete his second five-year term on August 10, which is in a few days.  While the BJP-led NDA’s candidate is Mr. Venkaiah Naidu, Dr. Gopalkrishna Gandhi is ...
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Financing urban development

Prachee Mishra - June 30, 2017
India’s urban population has grown by 32% from 2001 to 2011 as compared to 18% growth in total population of the country.[1]  As per Census 2011, 31% of the country’s population (377 million people) live in cities, and contribute to 63% of the country’s GDP.[2]  The urban...
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Road to Raisina: How the President of India will be elected

Trina Roy - June 20, 2017
Yesterday, the BJP announced its candidate for the upcoming election of the President, which is scheduled to be held on July 17.  In light of this, we take a look at the manner in which the election to the office of the President is conducted, given his role and relevance in the Constitutional ...
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Overview of the Legal Issues around Aadhaar

Anviti Chaturvedi - June 10, 2017
Yesterday, the Supreme Court delivered its first verdict in a series of legal challenges that have been made against the Aadhaar project.[1]  In the present matter, the court was examining whether a provision of the Finance Act, 2017 that made Aadhaar mandatory for filing of income tax returns ...
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The financial health of Air India

Prachee Mishra - May 31, 2017
Recently there have been news reports about the NITI Aayog submitting its recommendations on improving the financial health of Air India to the Ministry of Finance.[1],[2]  The Civil Aviation Ministers have also mentioned that the Ministry will soon propose a roadmap for the rejuvenation of the...
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GST rates and anti-profiteering

Vatsal Khullar - May 24, 2017
Over the last two months, the centre and over 15 states have passed laws to levy the Goods and Services Tax (GST).  Under these laws, tax rates recommended by the GST Council will be notified by the government.  The Council met in Srinagar last week to approve rates for various items. ...
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Non-tax proposals in the Finance Bill, 2017

Tanvi Deshpande - March 22, 2017
The Finance Bill, 2017 is being discussed in Lok Sabha today.  Generally, the Finance Bill is passed as a Money Bill since it gives effect to tax changes proposed in the Union Budget.  A Money Bill is defined in Article 110 of the Constitution as one which only contains provision...
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Demonetisation of old notes: The proposed law explained

Vatsal Khullar - February 7, 2017
The Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Bill, 2017 is being discussed in Parliament today.[1]  The Bill replaces an Ordinance promulgated on December 30, 2016 to remove the Reserve Bank of India’s  (RBI) liability and central government’s guarantee to honour the old...
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President’s Address 2014 to 2017: Plan vs. Performance

Roopal Suhag - February 6, 2017
Budget Session 2017 commenced with the President, Pranab Mukherjee, addressing a joint sitting of Parliament on January 31, 2017.  This address by the President highlights the legislative and policy activities and achievements of the government in the previous year.  In addition, it gives ...
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Rethinking education: The draft NEP 2016

Roopal Suhag - October 3, 2016
The Ministry of Human Resource Development released the draft National Education Policy, 2016 in July this year.[1]  The Ministry was receiving comments on the draft policy until the end of September 2016.  In this context, we provide an overview of the proposed framework in the draft Poli...
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Financial health of the Indian Railways

Prachee Mishra - September 21, 2016
Earlier today, the Union Cabinet announced the merger of the Railways Budget with the Union Budget.  All proposals under the Railways Budget will now be a part of the Union Budget.  However, to ensure detailed scrutiny, the Ministry’s expenditure will be discussed in Parliament. ...
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Maternity leave in India and other countries

Prianka Rao - August 11, 2016
Earlier today, a Bill to raise maternity benefits was introduced and passed in Rajya Sabha.  The Bill amends the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.  The Act regulates the employment of women during the period of child birth, and provides maternity benefits.  The Act applies to factory, mine...
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Debt recovery in India : The 2016 Bill and what it seeks to do

Vatsal Khullar - August 4, 2016
  The Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Bill, 2016 is listed for discussion in Rajya Sabha today.[i]  The Bill aims to expeditiously resolve cases of debt recovery by making amendments to four laws, including the (i) Recove...
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Key amendments proposed to the Constitution Amendment Bill on GST

Prianka Rao - August 2, 2016
Yesterday, the government circulated certain official amendments to the Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014 on GST.  The Bill is currently pending in Rajya Sabha.  The Bill was introduced and passed in Lok Sabha in May 2015.  It was then referred to a Select Committee of Rajya S...
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The Bihar Prohibition and Excise Bill, 2016: An analysis

Vatsal Khullar - August 1, 2016
The Bihar Prohibition and Excise Bill, 2016 was introduced and debated in the Bihar Legislative Assembly today.  The Bill creates a framework for the levy of excise duty and imposes a prohibition on alcohol in Bihar.  In this context, we examine key provisions and some issues related to&nb...
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Declaration of assets under the Lokpal Act explained

Prianka Rao - July 28, 2016
A Bill to amend the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 was introduced and passed in Lok Sabha yesterday.  The Bill makes amendments in relation to the declaration of assets of public servants, and will apply retrospectively. Declaration of assets under the Lokpal Act, 2013 The Lokpal Act, 2013 pro...
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7th Pay Commission's review of central government salaries

Vatsal Khullar - June 30, 2016
The Union Cabinet approved the implementation of Seventh Pay Commission recommendations yesterday.  The Commission was tasked with reviewing and proposing changes to the pay, pension and efficiency of government employees. These recommendations will apply to 33 lakh central government empl...
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The rise of Non Performing Assets in India

Vatsal Khullar - May 11, 2016
At noon today, the Finance Minister introduced a Bill in Parliament to address the issue of delayed debt recovery.  The Bill  amends four laws including the SARFAESI Act and the DRT Act, which are primarily used for recovery of outstanding loans.  In this context, we examine the ...
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The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code: All you need to know

Aravind Gayam - May 10, 2016
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 is listed for passage in Rajya Sabha today.  Last week, Lok Sabha passed the Code with changes recommended by the Joint Parliamentary Committee that examined the Code.[1],[2]  We present answers to some of the frequently asked questions in rela...
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The status of ground water: Extraction exceeds recharge

Roopal Suhag - May 6, 2016
Yesterday, Members of Parliament in Lok Sabha discussed the situation of drought and drinking water crisis in many states.  During the course of the discussion, some MPs also raised the issue of ground water depletion.  Last month, the Bombay High Court passed an order to shift I...
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Money Bills vs. Other Bills

Prianka Rao - December 22, 2015
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2015 was introduced in Lok Sabha yesterday, as a Money Bill [Clarification: This is as per news reports.*  The text of the Bill does not indicate that it is a Money Bill].  In this context, we briefly outline the various types of Bills in Parliament, and...
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The Juvenile Justice Bill, 2015: All you need to know

Apoorva - December 18, 2015
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2015 is currently pending in Rajya Sabha and was listed for passage in the current Winter session of Parliament.  The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha after incorporating certain amendments, in May 2015.  Here is all you need to know...
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Rethinking judicial appointments: Collegium vs. Commission

Prianka Rao - October 16, 2015
Earlier today, the Supreme Court struck down the two Acts that created an independent body for the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary. One of the Acts amended the Constitution to replace the method of appointment of judges by a collegium system with that of an independent commission, call...
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Cabinet clears four Bills piloted by the Ministry of HRD

Kaushiki - May 15, 2012
According to news reports (see here and here), the Cabinet approved four Bills for discussion in Parliament.  The Bills cleared for consideration and passing are: the Copyright (Amendment) Bill, 2010; the National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill, 2010...
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A background to Section 66A of the IT Act, 2000

Apoorva - March 24, 2015
A few minutes ago, the Supreme Court delivered a  judgement striking down Section 66 A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.  This was in response to a PIL that challenged the constitutionality of this provision.  In light of this, we present a background to Section 66 A and the re...
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Land Acquisition: An overview of proposed amendments to the law

Joyita - March 16, 2015
On March 10, Lok Sabha passed a Bill to amend the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.  The Bill is now pending in Rajya Sabha.  This blog briefly outlines the context and the major legislative changes to the land acqui...
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Coal Block Allocations and the 2015 Bill

Prachee Mishra - March 7, 2015
Earlier this week, Lok Sabha passed the Bill that provides for the allocation of coal mines that were cancelled by the Supreme Court last year.  In light of this development, this post looks at the issues surrounding coal block allocations and what the 2015 Bill seeks to achieve. In Septembe...
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Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin)

Joyita - January 2, 2015
Earlier this month, guidelines for the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) were released by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.  Key features of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), as outlined in the guidelines, are detailed below.  In addition, a brief overview of sanitation levels ...
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Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin)

Joyita - January 2, 2015
Earlier this month, guidelines for the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) were released by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.  Key features of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), as outlined in the guidelines, are detailed below.  In addition, a brief overview of sanitation levels ...
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Compulsory voting in India

Prianka Rao - November 17, 2014
Compulsory voting at elections to local bodies in Gujarat Last week, the Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2009 received the Governor’s assent.  The Act introduces an ‘obligation to vote’ at the municipal corporation, municipality and Panchayat levels in the stat...
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Strengthening Democracy: The Need For Recorded Voting

Prianka Rao - November 14, 2014
On 12th November, 2014, the Chief Minister of the newly formed government in Maharashtra won a confidence vote in the Maharashtra State Assembly. This trust vote was done by a voice vote, the outcome of which was contested by opposition parties. In this context, M.R. Madhavan discusses the need for ...
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Rajya Sabha extends sitting hours, changes timing of Question Hour

Trina Roy - November 14, 2014
Recently the Chairman of Rajya Sabha issued a direction to extend the sitting hours and change the timing of Question Hour in the Upper House. Beginning with the Winter Session, which starts on November 24, Rajya Sabha will meet from 11 am to 6 pm, an hour more than its typical sitting hours. Questi...
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Rajya Sabha extends sitting hours, changes timing of Question Hour

Trina Roy - November 14, 2014
Recently the Chairman of Rajya Sabha issued a direction to extend the sitting hours and change the timing of Question Hour in the Upper House. Beginning with the Winter Session, which starts on November 24, Rajya Sabha will meet from 11 am to 6 pm, an hour more than its typical sitting hours. Questi...
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Key highlights of the recently launched Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana

Joyita - October 17, 2014
The Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana was launched last week, for the development of model villages.  Under the Yojana, Members of Parliament (MPs) will be responsible for developing the socio-economic and physical infrastructure of three villages each by 2019, and a total of eight villages each by 20...
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Removal of Governors: What does the law say?

Anviti Chaturvedi - June 19, 2014
In the last few weeks, after the 16th Lok Sabha election, there has been some debate around powers of the central government to remove Governors.  News reports have suggested that the central government is seeking resignations of Governors, who were appointed by the previous central g...
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Legislative performance of State Assemblies

Anil - May 27, 2014
As the dust settles around the 16th Lok Sabha, attention must now shift to the state assemblies, some of which have been newly constituted like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and the few that will go into elections in the next few months like Maharashtra and Har...
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Brief overview of the performance of the 12th Haryana Legislative Assembly

Anil - May 7, 2014
The term of the 12th Haryana Legislative Assembly ends in October this year.  We look at the work done by the 12th Haryana Assembly during its term from 2009 to 2014 to assess its performance on metrics such as the number of sittings, members’ attendance, and legislative business. Perform...
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EU bans imports of Alphonso mangoes: Is India's biosecurity mechanism rigorous enough?

Sakshi - April 29, 2014
Recent news reports indicate that the European Union (EU) has banned imports of Alphonso mangoes and four vegetables from India due to the presence of harmful pests and a lack of certification before export.  The ban will be effective between May 1, 2014 and December 2015.  It has been sug...
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Ordinances promulgated during different Lok Sabhas

Shreya - April 21, 2014
Recently, the President repromulgated the Securities Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014, which expands the Securities and Exchange Board Act’s (SEBI) powers related to search and seizure and permits SEBI to enter into consent settlements.  The President also promulgated the Scheduled Castes...
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Ordinance making powers of the Executive in India

Joyita - September 27, 2013
In light of the decision of the union cabinet to promulgate an Ordinance to uphold provisions of the Representation of People Act, 1951, this blog examines the Ordinance making power of the Executive in India.  The Ordinance allows legislators (Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative A...
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Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act: Review of implementation

Joyita - September 23, 2013
In the recently concluded Monsoon Session of Parliament , the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development released a report on the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Development Act, 2005 (MGNREGA).  This blog provides a brief introduction to the key provisions of MGN...
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Case not closed - Appointment of judges

M R Madhavan - September 5, 2013
Parliament is considering a proposal to change the process of appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts.  A Constitutional Amendment Bill has been introduced in Rajya Sabha that enables the formation of a Judicial Appointments Committee (JAC), and states that the composition an...
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Enhancing SEBI’s Powers

Nithin - September 4, 2013
Recently, there have been instances of certain collective investment schemes (CISs) attempting to circumvent regulatory oversight.  In addition, some market participants have not complied with Securities and Exchange Board of India's (SEBI) orders of payment of...
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A balancing Act- The Land Acquisition Bill

M R Madhavan - August 29, 2013
The Land Acquisition Bill is slated to be taken up for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha today. The government had circulated an amendment list in the last session of Parliament. In a column in the Financial Express, MR Madhavan discusses the major features of the Land Acquisition Bill...
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Does the financing of “Rights” laws impinge on the rights of states

M R Madhavan - August 20, 2013
In the last decade, some schemes have been recast as statutory entitlements – right to employment, right to education and right to food.  Whereas schemes were dependent on annual budgetary allocations, there rights are now justiciable, and it would be obligatory for Parliament to allocate...
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Status of Legislation in the 15th Lok Sabha

Shreya - August 19, 2013
The ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament is being widely viewed as the 'make or break' session for passing legislation before the end of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014. Hanging in balance are numerous important Bills, which will lapse if not passed before the upcoming 2014 national electio...
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Outlawing corruption

admin_2 - August 15, 2013
In an Indian express editorial, Mandira Kala discusses the Bills, addressing corruption and good governance, pending in Parliament.  She discusses what their fate may be given that the Monsoon session is widely being viewed as a make or break session  for the government to get its legislat...
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Poverty estimation in India

Joyita - August 5, 2013
The percentage of the population living below the poverty line in India decreased to 22% in 2011-12 from 37% in 2004-05, according to data released by the Planning Commission in July 2013.  This blog presents data on recent poverty estimates and goes on to provide a brief history of poverty est...
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The Mid Day Meal Scheme

Joyita - July 23, 2013
In light of recent debates surrounding the implementation of the Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) in certain states, it is useful to understand the basic features of the scheme. The MDMS is the world’s largest school meal programme and reaches an estimated 12 crore children across 12 lakh ...
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Reason and ordinance: The National Food Security Bill

admin_2 - July 5, 2013
Sakshi of PRS Legislative Research discusses the government's ordinance-making power in the context of the National Food Security Ordinance in an Indian Express opinion editorial. On Wednesday, the Union cabinet approved the food security ordinance. The government has already introduce...
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Cabinet Reshuffles since 2009

Chakshu Roy - June 18, 2013
Source: www.pib.nic.in   Yesterday the Prime Minister reshuffled his Cabinet and inducted four cabinet ministers and four ministers of state.  Since the beginning of the UPA II government, there have been three major Cabinet reshuffles and a number of minor readjustments i...
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Paid News in the spotlight

Alok - June 3, 2013
The issue of paid news has been debated for a long time, most recently during the 2012 Gujarat assembly elections, the Jindal Steel-Zee News dispute and disqualification of a sitting UP MLA by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in October 2011.  The Standing Committee on Informati...
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Chit funds: Q & A

Vishnu - May 23, 2013
These are challenging times for chit fund operators. A scam involving the Saradha group allegedly conning customers under the guise of a chit fund, has raised serious questions for the industry. With a reported 10,000 chit funds in the country handling over Rs 30,000 cr...
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The law and short of it

Chakshu Roy - May 23, 2013
In today's Opinion piece, in the Indian Express, we discuss how enacting hasty new legislation in response to public events may not be the answer.  The recent spot fixing controversy in the Indian Premier League has brought the issue of betting in sports back into the limelight. As a result...
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More food for thought - the Food Security Bill

Sakshi - May 9, 2013
The 15th Lok Sabha is close to the end of its tenure. A key legislation that proposes major reforms in food security was listed for discussion in Parliament. The National Food Security Bill, 2011 has been scrutinised by a Standing Committee. In January, we compared the Standing Committee's recom...
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House of Lost Opportunities

admin_2 - May 2, 2013
The last few days have seen repeated disruptions in Parliament. In an Opinion Editorial published in the Indian Express, Chakshu Roy of PRS Legislative Research discusses the impact of the current disruptions on Parliament. His analysis points to how disruptions are an opportunity lost &nb...
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Karnataka: Election trends and Assembly performance

Priya - April 26, 2013
Elections to the 14th Legislative Assembly of Karnataka are scheduled to be held on May 5, 2013. Of the 224 assembly constituencies that will go into polls, 36 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 15 for Scheduled Tribes. Voting will take place in 50,446 polling stations across Karnataka [1.  ...
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Special Category status and centre-state finances

Vishnu - April 12, 2013
"No one can ignore Odisha's demand. It deserves special category status. It is a genuine right," said Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, earlier this month. The Odisha State assembly has passed a resolution requesting special category status and their demands follow Bihar...
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The Budget: What happens next and some stats on what happened before

Vishnu - March 14, 2013
Authored by Vishnu Padmanabhan and Priya Soman The Budget speech may have already been scrutinised and the numbers analysed but the Budget process is far from complete.  The Constitution requires expenditure from the government’s Consolidated Fund of India to be approved by the Lok S...
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The President's speech: Charting out reform

Jhalak - March 7, 2013
Yesterday the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha engaged in a debate on the President's speech, known as the Motion of Thanks. The President's speech is a statement of the legislative and policy achievements of the government during the preceding year and gives a broad indication of the agenda for th...
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An overview of the Sexual Harassment Bill passed by Parliament

Kaushiki - March 6, 2013
Recently, the Parliament passed a law that addresses the issue of sexual harassment in the work place.  The Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 7, 2010, drew on the 1997 judgment of the Supreme Court (known as the Vishaka judgment) to codify measures that employers need to take to add...
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President's address 2013 and the status of past promises

Jhalak - February 28, 2013
The Budget session 2013 commenced with the President, Pranab Mukherjee, addressing Parliament on February 21, 2013.  The address is a statement of the policy of the government.  Yesterday a Motion of Thanks was moved in the Lok Sabha and a detailed discussion took place on the President&rs...
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Verma Committee on the Sexual Harassment Bill

admin_2 - February 28, 2013
The Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha yesterday.  Prior to this, no legislation specifically addressed the issue of sexual harassment at the workplace.  In 1997, the Supreme Court issued directions in Vishakha vs. State of Rajasthan to deal with t...
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RTE Act's ban on screening of students not applicable to nursery admission: Delhi High Court

Kaushiki - February 26, 2013
Latest in the string of litigations filed after the enactment of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act), the Delhi High Court ruled that the Act shall not apply to nursery admissions in unaided private schools for the unreserved category of students.  The dec...
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The LAMP Fellowship: a unique insight into Indian policy-making

Priya - February 19, 2013
In 2010, the Legislative Assistants to Members of Parliament (LAMP) Fellowship was conceptualised by PRS Legislative Research, creating a unique platform for young Indians to engage with policy making at the national level. The Fellowship, a first of its kind in India, provides an opportunity for yo...
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Reviewing regulations in the sugar sector

Sakshi - February 6, 2013
There have been some recent developments in the sugar sector, which pertain to the pricing of sugarcane and deregulation of the sector.  On January 31, the Cabinet approved the fair and remunerative price (FRP) of sugarcane for the 2013-14 season at Rs 210 per quintal, a 23.5% increase from las...
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All you want to know about the President's power of ordinance making

Jhalak - February 5, 2013
The President issued the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance on February 3, 2013. This ordinance amends the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and the Indian Evidence Act. Here we explain what an ordinance is, how it is made and with what frequency it is used. This article was first published...
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Lokpal Bill: Cabinet accepts key suggestions of the Select Committee

Kaushiki - February 5, 2013
In the run up to the Budget session of Parliament, the Cabinet has decided to accept some of the key recommendations of the Select Committee on the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011.  The Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha in December 2011, was referred to a Select Committee by the Rajya Sabha. ...
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Food security: some food for thought

Sakshi - January 23, 2013
The right to food and food security have been widely discussed in the media.  The National Food Security Bill, 2011, which makes the right to food a legal right, is currently pending in Parliament.  The Bill seeks to deliver food security by providing specific entitlements to certain group...
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An Overview of Fast Track Courts

Pallavi - December 31, 2012
Recently, Delhi witnessed large scale protests by various groups demanding stricter punishment and speedier trial in cases of sexual assault against women.  In light of the protests, the central government has constituted a Commission (headed by Justice Verma) to suggest possible amendment...
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Can Aadhaar-enabled cash transfer schemes deliver?

Kaushiki - December 20, 2012
Recently, the government announced that it plans to transfer benefits under various schemes directly into the bank accounts of individual beneficiaries.  Benefits can be the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) wages, scholarships, pensions and health benefits. &nb...
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Brief overview of the performance of the 12th Gujarat Legislative Assembly

Anil - December 13, 2012
Elections to the 13th Legislative Assembly of Gujarat are scheduled to be held in two phases on the 13th and 17th of December.  The BJP has been the dominant majority party in the Assembly since 1995.  The 2002 elections saw the largest victory for the party, winning 127 seats. The Congres...
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Status of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission

Pallavi - December 7, 2012
On November 28, 2012, the Comptroller and Auditor General submitted its report on the implementation of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).  According to the report most of the projects initiated under JNNURM have not been completed.  For instance with respect to ...
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National Green Tribunal on Appeal of Forest Clearances

Jhalak - December 6, 2012
In recent news reports there have been deliberations on whether there is a possibility of appealing a central government decision on forest clearances.  In this context, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed states to comply with the statutory requirement of passing an order notif...
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Arguments regarding FDI in retail

Vishnu - December 4, 2012
After months of discussion,  the issue of FDI in retail is being deliberated in the Lok Sabha today.  In September 2012, the Cabinet had approved 51% of FDI in multi-brand retail (stores selling more than one brand).  Under these regulations, foreign retail giants like Walmart an...
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Shortage of doctors may hit rural healthcare delivery

Kaushiki - November 26, 2012
Recently, the Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare submitted its report to the Parliament on the National Commission for Human Resource for Health Bill, 2011.  The objective of the Bill is to “ensure adequate availability of human resources in the health sector in all states&rd...
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Some Important Anti-Corruption Bills in Parliament

Madhukar - November 23, 2012
Listed below are some key Bills pending in Parliament that are expected to address various aspects of corruption in India. These Bills need to be scrutinized carefully by both lawmakers and citizens alike, so as the strengthen them. Citizen groups can engage in a variety of ways to get their views h...
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Possible Parliamentary Rules and their implications for FDI debate

M R Madhavan - November 22, 2012
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have seen disruptions this morning on the issue of FDI in multi-brand retail.  The issue may be discussed in Parliament under various procedures.  We have explained these in an Op-Ed in today’s Indian Express.  The summary is given below. In sum...
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De-allocation of coal blocks

Jhalak - November 22, 2012
Recently, the government issued letters de-allocating coal blocks of various companies, based on the recommendations of the  Inter Ministerial Group (IMG).  This post discusses the history behind the de-allocations, the parameters the IMG used while examining the progress of vari...
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Ministry of Consumer Affairs launches National Transparency Portal on PDS

Sakshi - November 2, 2012
A recent news report has discussed the methods by which states such as Chattisgarh have attempted to reform the Public Distribution System (PDS).  Chattisgarh has computerised its PDS supply chain and introduced smart cards as part of a slew of measures to plug pilferage and weed out corruption...
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Will the changes to the Contract Labour Act benefit workers?

Kaushiki - October 26, 2012
A change in the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 may be in the pipeline.  According to news reports, the government may amend the 1970 Act to safeguard the interest of contract workers.  The proposal is to bring parity between permanent and contractual workers in wages ...
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FAQ on Civil Aviation

Pallavi - October 22, 2012
According to a press release, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is considering abolishing the development fee being levied at the Delhi and Mumbai airports.  The Ministry has already asked the Kolkata and Chennai airports not to levy a development fee.  According to the Ministry, this is bein...
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Are we closer to a law on privacy?

Simran - October 19, 2012
On October 16, the Group of Experts on Privacy, Chaired by Mr. A. P. Shah, submitted its Report to the Planning Commission.  The Expert Group was appointed to set out the principles that Indian privacy law should abide by.   Even though privacy has been held to be a fundamental right ...
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N(I)AB-ing that environmental clearance

Jhalak - October 18, 2012
There has been much discussion about bringing the GDP growth on track and the need for expediting infrastructure projects in this regard. At the Planning Commission Meeting to approve the Twelfth Five Year Plan, last month, there were concerns about the  implementation of such  p...
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Kelkar Fiscal Report - Highlights

Vishnu - October 17, 2012
Recently, the Kelkar Committee published a roadmap for fiscal consolidation.  The report stresses the need and urgency to address India’s fiscal deficit.  A high fiscal deficit – the excess of government expenditure over receipts – can be problematic for many reasons. &nb...
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Are genetically modified crops safe enough?

Sakshi - October 15, 2012
A recent news report stated that the Planning Commission has advocated putting in place a “proper regulatory mechanism” before permitting the use of genetic modification in Indian crops.  A recent Standing Committee report on genetically modified (GM) crops found shortcomings in the...
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Explaining FDI in Broadcasting

Simran - Sept 20, 2012
On September 14, 2012 the government announced a new FDI policy for the broadcasting sector.  Under the policy, FDI up to 74% has been allowed in broadcasting infrastructure services.  Previously the maximum level of FDI permitted in most infrastructure services in the sector was 49% throu...
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Clear signal for FDI in Civil Aviation

Pallavi - September 19, 2012
On September 14, 2012, the central government announced that foreign airlines would now be allowed to invest up to 49% in domestic airlines.  Under the policy announced by the government, the ceiling of 49% foreign investment includes foreign direct investment and foreign institutiona...
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Supreme Court stays Calcutta High Court judgement on Singur Act

Sakshi - September 17, 2012
According to news reports, the Supreme Court stayed a Calcutta High Court judgement on the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011 [Singur Act] on August 24, 2012. The apex court also issued a notice to Tata Motors seeking its response within four weeks, on the West Bengal government...
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Bill to amend regulation of chemical weapons passed by Parliament

Jhalak - September 3, 2012
The Chemical Weapons Convention (Amendment) Bill, 2010 (the Bill) was recently passed by the Lok Sabha without any amendment.  The Chemical Weapons Convention Act, 2000 (the Act) was enacted to give effect to the United Nations Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stock...
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Implementation hiccups in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Kaushiki - August 28, 2012
The implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 has run into rough weather.  The Act consolidates eight laws[1] governing the food sector and establishes the Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSA) as the regulator.  It requires all food business operators (including small...
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Maharashtra passes Bill to regulate property transactions

admin_2 - August 22, 2012
(Authored by Anil Nair) The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly recently passed the Maharashtra Housing (Regulation and Development) Bill.  This is the first such Bill to be passed by any state, which sets up a housing regulator to regulate property transactions.  The Bill seeks to set up a H...
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CAG Performance Audit on the Allocation of Coal Blocks

Karan - August 17, 2012
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) released a Performance Audit of Allocation of Coal Blocks and Augmentation of Coal Production, on August 17, 2012.  Some of the main findings and recommendations of the report are highlighted below: There were no criteria for allocating coal block...
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Constitutionality of Parliamentary Secretaries

admin_2 - August 9, 2012
(Authored by Anil Nair) Many states in the Indian Union have instituted the post of Parliamentary Secretary.  A Parliament Secretary often holds the rank of Minister of State and has the same entitlements and is assigned to a government department.  Manipur, HP, Mizoram, Assam, Rajasthan, ...
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New guidelines for the registration of the Pension Fund Managers under the NPS

Sana - August 7, 2012
Last month, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) issued revised guidelines for the registration of the Pension Fund Managers (PFMs).  These guidelines are for the PFMs to manage the National Pension System (NPS) in the non-governmental and private sector.  See here...
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Cabinet approves Bill to amend law on rape

Simran - August 2, 2012
According to a recent press release, the Cabinet has approved a proposal to introduce a Bill in Parliament to amend the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC).  While the draft Bill is currently not available, its highlights are specified in the press release.  As per the press release, the Bill ai...
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Right to Education: the story so far

Kaushiki - August 1, 2012
In India, children between the age group of 6 and 14 years have the fundamental right to free and compulsory education.  This right is implemented through the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act).  The Act is applicable to all categories of schools (govern...
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Alternate proposal to the National Food Security Bill

Sakshi - July 31, 2012
According to news reports, the Prime Minister recently chaired a meeting with ministers to discuss an alternative plan (“Plan B”) for the National Food Security Bill, 2011 (hereinafter “Bill”).  The Bill is currently pending with the Standing Committee of Food, Consumer ...
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Debt restructuring plan for power distribution companies

Karan - July 27, 2012
Reports suggest that a debt restructuring plan is being prepared for power distribution companies (discoms) in seven states - Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.  According to some estimates, the combined outstanding debt for discoms is Rs 2...
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National Telecom Policy 2012

admin_2 - July 2, 2012
The National Telecom Policy was adopted by the cabinet on May 31, 2012.  It was released in public domain later in June.  Among other things, the policy aims to provide a single licence framework, un-bundle spectrum from licences, and liberalise spectrum. Previously, the central government...
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Presidential elections: The race heats up!

Rohit - June 14, 2012
The Election Commission has announced the schedule for the election of the President of India.  The last date for nominations is June 30, elections will be held on July 19, and counting will take place on July 22.  The BJD and AIADMK have proposed the name of Mr. P.A. Sangma.  The Sam...
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Law prohibiting sexual offences against children sparks controversy over age of consent

Kaushiki - June 13, 2012
The Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act, 2012 was passed by both Houses of Parliament on May 22.  The legislation defines various types of sexual offences against children and provides penalties for such acts. According to a report commissioned by the Ministry of Women and Child ...
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Lapses in the process of drug approval in India

Sakshi - May 29, 2012
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare tabled a Report in Parliament on May 8, 2012, on the functioning of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).  CDSCO is the agency mandated with the regulation of drugs and cosmetics in India.  The Report cove...
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Report of the Group of Interlocutors for Jammu and Kashmir

Pallavi - May 25, 2012
The central government appointed the J&K Interlocutors Group on October 13, 2010.  The Group submitted the Report to the Home Ministry earlier this year.  The Report was made public by the Home Ministry on May 24, 2012. It may be noted that under Article 370 of the Constitution sp...
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Petrol price hiked by over Rs 7 per litre

Karan - May 24, 2012
Government owned Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) raised the price of petrol by Rs 6.28 per litre on May 23, 2012.  After the inclusion of local taxes, this price hike amounts to an increase of Rs 7.54 per litre in Delhi.  India met 76 per cent of its total petroleum requirement in 2011...
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Power producers refuse to sign supply agreements with Coal India

Karan - May 22, 2012
There has been no resolution so far to the issue of assured fuel supply from Coal India Limited (CIL) to power producers.  According to reports, while CIL released a model supply agreement in April 2012, so far only around 13 Fuel Supply Agreements (FSAs) have been signed.  Originally arou...
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Changes recommended by the Standing Committee on Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011

Sana - May 18, 2012
(Co-authored by Sana Gangwani and Pallavi Bedi) The Standing Committee Report on the Land Acquisition and R&R Bill, 2011 was tabled in the Lok Sabha on May 17, 2012. The major changes to the Bill recommended by the Committee include: Land may not be acquired for use by private companies an...
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General Anti Avoidance Rule (GAAR)

Vishnu - May 17, 2012
The issue of the General Anti Avoidance Rule (GAAR) has dominated the news recently and there are fears that GAAR will discourage foreign investment in India.  However, tax avoidance can hinder public finance objectives and it is in this context GAAR was introduced in this y...
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Rules on blocking of content on the internet to be discussed

Simran - May 11, 2012
In April last year the government had notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2011  (IT Rules) under the Information Technology Act, 2000.  The IT Rules are listed for discussion in Rajya Sabha today in pursuance of a motion moved by Mr.  P. Rajeeve [CPI(M...
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Vacancy in police forces

Rohit - May 9, 2012
Parliament voted on the Demands for Grants for the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 02, 2012. During the debate, MPs expressed concern over the status of police forces in different States of the country.  They emphasised  the need to augment the capability of police forces. Though &lsq...
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Is prior sanction always required to prosecute army officers under AFSPA?

Rohit - May 4, 2012
The Supreme Court passed its  judgment in General Officer Commanding (Army) vs. CBI on May 01, 2012.  The case addressed the issue of need for sanction to prosecute Army officers under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). The case dealt with two instances of alleged fake ...
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B.Tech students from new IITs may not get their degrees on time

Kaushiki - April 29, 2012
The first batch of B.Tech students will pass out in the next couple of months from six new IITs but they will not get their degrees unless Parliament passes an Amendment Bill.  M.Tech students who completed their course in IIT Hyderabad last year have not yet been awarded their degrees. The Ins...
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TRAI's recommendations on auction of spectrum

Simran - April 27, 2012
TRAI released its recommendations on auction of spectrum on April 23, 2012.   The recommendations are in pursuance of the Supreme Court order cancelling 122 telecom licences.  The cancellation was ordered on grounds of procedural irregularities and arbitrariness in the ...
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The Piracy Bill, 2012

Rohit - April 27, 2012
The Piracy Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on April 24, 2012.  According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, there has been a significant increase in attacks by pirates, particularly in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia.  This has affected security of maritime t...
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Supreme Court upholds 25% reservation in private schools

Kaushiki - April 14, 2012
In a landmark judgment on April 12, 2012, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the provision in the Right to Education Act, 2009 that makes it mandatory for all schools (government and private) except private, unaided minority schools to reserve 25% of their seats for children bel...
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Can States levy entry tax?

Rohit - April 4, 2012
The government of West Bengal has recently imposed a tax on the entry of goods into the local areas of the State.  According to the Finance Minister, this will help meet 'cost for facilitating trade and industry in the State'. Many States impose entry tax on goods coming into their...
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The Budget - What's in store for the Railways this year?

Rohit - March 15, 2012
The Minister of Railways, Dinesh Trivedi, presented the Railways Budget 2012 to Parliament on 14th March.  While commenting on the financial position of Railways, the Minister said that 'the Indian Railways are passing through a difficult phase'. The Operating Ratio for the closing year...
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President’s Addresses to Parliament since the beginning of UPA II

Karan - March 12, 2012
The President addressed the Parliament after the 2009 Lok Sabha Elections on 4th June 2009.  She also addressed Parliament on 22nd February 2010, as well as on 21st February 2011.  The tables below highlight some items from the agenda of the central government as outlined in these speeches...
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Summary of the President's Address to Parliament, 2012

Karan - March 12, 2012
The President addressed the Parliament on 12 March 2012.  Below are some items from the agenda of the central government as outlined in the speech. Legislation A Bill to eliminate manual scavenging and insanitary latrines shall be introduced in Parliament. New legislation is being consi...
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Scenarios for upcoming Rajya Sabha, Presidential and VP elections

Rohit - March 7, 2012
Several Rajya Sabha seats go to elections this year. The President and the Vice-President are also due to be elected by August. We analyse the impact of the recent State Assembly elections on the composition of the Rajya Sabha and the outcome of the Presidential polls. Rajya Sabha - How will its com...
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The Arms Act - Mandatory death penalty declared unconstitutional

Rohit - February 8, 2012
The Arms Act, 1959 governs matters related to acquisition, possession, manufacture, sale, transportation, import and export of arms and ammunition. It defines a specific class of ‘prohibited’ arms and ammunitions, restricts their use and prescribes penalties for contravention of its prov...
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Requirement of Sanction

Simran - February 1, 2012
Criminal laws in India by way of “sanctions” allow for protective discrimination in favour of public officials.[1]  Under various laws, sanctions are required to investigate and prosecute public officials.  Over the past 15 years these provisions of law have been revisited by t...
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Assembly elections 2012 - Trends of the last 25 years

Rohit - January 24, 2012
Over the next few weeks, Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in five States – Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa.  As parties prepare for the upcoming elections, we take a look at the electoral trends in these states over the past 25 years. We see that electoral f...
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Two Law Commission Notes on Khap and Dowry Cases

Pallavi - January 24, 2012
Report on Khap Panchayats The Law Commission has drafted a consultation paper on caste panchayats.    A draft legislation titled “The Prohibition of Unlawful Assembly (Interference with the Freedom of Matrimonial Alliances) Bill, 2011” has been attached to the consultation...
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The Lokpal debate: How the numbers stack up in Rajya Sabha...

Rohit - December 28, 2011
The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011 was passed by Lok Sabha yesterday. The Bill will be discussed next by Rajya Sabha. Unlike the Lok Sabha, where the UPA government holds a majority in the House, the composition is different in Rajya Sabha. As on 28th December 2011, the total strength of Rajya Sab...
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Lessons from MLAs

admin_2 - December 20, 2011
Authored by Anil Nair and CV Madhukar PRS just concluded a workshop for MLAs from 50+ from more than a dozen states.  What an AMAZING experience this was, even though this is the sixth such workshop we have held in this past year! This three day workshop on 'Mastering the Budget' w...
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Lok Pal Bill: The Standing Committee's Views

Kaushiki - December 18, 2011
There are indications that the Lok Pal Bill, 2011 is likely to be taken up for consideration and passing during the current Winter session of Parliament.  The Bill was introduced on Aug 4, 2011 in the Lok Sabha after a prolonged agitation led by Anna Hazare (see PRS analysis of the Bill). ...
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Creation of New States

Sachin - November 29, 2011
The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly recently passed a resolution calling for the division of Uttar Pradesh [U.P] into four States. But the procedure for formation of new States laid down in Article 3 of the Constitution provides that a State has no say over the formation of new States beyond comm...
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Regulation of media in India - A brief overview

Simran - November 16, 2011
Media in India is mostly self-regulated.  The existing bodies for regulation of media such as the Press Council of India which is a statutory body and the News Broadcasting Standards Authority, a self-regulatory organization, issue standards which are more in the nature of guidelines.  Rec...
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Anatomy of a Central Scheme: Understanding Accountability in MNREGA

Vivake - November 9, 2011
Over the last couple of weeks, MNREGA is back in the spotlight. The Union Minister for Rural Development wrote to certain states regarding potential misuse of funds, and it was announced that rural development schemes are open to CAG audit.  In large schemes like MNREGA, officials at all levels...
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RTI rejections

Sachin - November 1, 2011
The Right to Information Act, 2005, contains several exemptions which enable public authorities to deny requests for information. RTI Annual Return Reports for 2005-2010 give detailed information on use of these exemptions to reject RTI requests. Exemptions to requests for information under the Act ...
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Draft Policies on Telecom, Electronics and Information Technology: Some Issues

Simran - October 25, 2011
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology released three draft policies on telecommunications, information technology and electronics.  The Ministry has invited comments on the draft policies, which may be sent to epolicy2011@mit.gov.in. These policies have the common ...
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The Gujarat Lokayukta case

Sachin - October 11, 2011
The Gujarat High Court is hearing an important case related to the appointment of the Lokayukta in Gujarat.  The issue is whether the Governor can appoint the Lokayukta at his discretion or whether appointment can be made only upon obtaining the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers led by...
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Legislature versus Judiciary

Simran - October 4, 2011
The doctrine of separation of powers implies that each pillar of democracy – the executive, legislature and the judiciary – perform separate functions and act as separate entities.  The executive is vested with the power to make policy decisions and implement laws.  The legisla...
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Parliament and the Lok Pal Agitiation

admin_2 - September 26, 2011
The following piece by C V Madhukar appeared in the September,2011 issue of Governance Now magazine. The debate in Parliament in response to the recent Anna Hazare led agitation demanding a strong Lok Pal Bill was a fine hour for the institution of Parliament.  What was even more important abou...
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How is the poverty line measured?

Vivake - September 26, 2011
Last week, the Planning Commission filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court updating the official poverty line to Rs 965 per month in urban areas and Rs 781 in rural areas. This works out to Rs 32 and and Rs 26 per day, respectively. The perceived inadequacy of these figures has led to widespread dis...
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How is the poverty line measured?

Vivake - September 26, 2011
Last week, the Planning Commission filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court updating the official poverty line to Rs 965 per month in urban areas and Rs 781 in rural areas. This works out to Rs 32 and and Rs 26 per day, respectively. The perceived inadequacy of these figures has led to widespread dis...
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Parliament and the Lok Pal Agitiation

admin_2 - September 26, 2011
The following piece by C V Madhukar appeared in the September,2011 issue of Governance Now magazine. The debate in Parliament in response to the recent Anna Hazare led agitation demanding a strong Lok Pal Bill was a fine hour for the institution of Parliament.  What was even more important abou...
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Parliamentary Privilege FAQs

Sana - September 1, 2011
We wrote an FAQ on Parliamentary Privilege for IBN Live. See http://ibnlive.in.com/news/what-puri-bedi-are-guilty-of-parl-privilege-faqs/179977-37.html The full text is reproduced below. Several MPs have given breach of privilege notices against actor Om Puri and ex-policewoman Kiran Bedi for using ...
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Parliamentary Privilege FAQs

Sana - September 1, 2011
We wrote an FAQ on Parliamentary Privilege for IBN Live. See http://ibnlive.in.com/news/what-puri-bedi-are-guilty-of-parl-privilege-faqs/179977-37.html The full text is reproduced below. Several MPs have given breach of privilege notices against actor Om Puri and ex-policewoman Kiran Bedi for using ...
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FAQs on the Lok Pal Bill Standing Committee

Devika - August 23, 2011
We wrote an FAQ on the Lok Pal Bill for Rediff.  http://www.rediff.com/news/special/special-parliamentary-committee-cannot-study-lokpal-bill-in-10-days/20110822.htm The Lok Pal Bill has been referred to the Standing Committee of Parliament on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice. ...
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Major differences between Lok Pal Bill, 2011 and Jan Lok Pal Bill (Anna version)

M R Madhavan - August 20, 2011
We wrote a piece for ibnlive.com on the major differences between the government’s Lok Pal Bill, 2011 and the Jan Lok Pal Bill drafted by Anna Hazare’s group.  The note is reproduced below.   The streets are witnessing a demand that the government’s Lok Pal Bill be replac...
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FAQ on the process of impeachment of judges

admin_2 - August 17, 2011
Parliament is expected to take up a motion for impeaching Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court.  We wrote an FAQ on the process of impeachment and the facts of this case for Rediff. See: http://www.rediff.com/news/report/faq-on-impeachment-of-judges/20110816....
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FAQ on Lok Pal Bill

M R Madhavan - August 11, 2011
We wrote an FAQ on the Lok Pal Bill for Rediff.  See http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-all-you-wanted-to-know-about-the-lokpal-bill/20110808.htm The full text is reproduced below. What is the purpose of the Lok Pal Bill? The Bill seeks to establish an institution that will...
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N-power in India. How safe are our plants?

Anirudh - July 8, 2011
In the aftermath of the nuclear leaks in Japan, there have been concerns regarding the safety of nuclear power plants around the world. There are some proposals to change the regulatory framework in India to ensure the safety of these plants. We examine some of the issues in the current structure. &...
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The Draft Land Titling Bill, 2011

Vivake - June 23, 2011
The Department of Land Resources in the Ministry of Rural Development has released a draft version of The Land Titling Bill, 2011 on its website. This draft is a major revision of the original draft Bill released in 2010. Public comments on this draft are invited before June 24, 2011. A copy of the ...
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NATGRID: Should Parliament have a role?

Anirudh - June 20, 2011
The Union government’s Cabinet Committee on Security recently gave clearance to the Home Ministry’s NATGRID project.  The project aims to allow investigation and law enforcement agencies to access real-time information from data stored with agencies such as the Income Tax Department...
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Standing Committee's recommendations on the Whistleblower's Bill

Kaushiki - June 17, 2011
The government is considering a number of measures to tackle corruption such as the formation of the office of the Lokpal or Ombudsman to investigate corruption cases, the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, 2010 that requires judges to declare their assets, lays down enforceable standards o...
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NAC's Draft Food Security Bill: A Hit or Miss?

Kaushiki - June 13, 2011
On June 3, 2011, the National Advisory Council (NAC) posted the draft of the National Food Security Bill on its website and has asked for public feed back on the Bill by June 12, 2011. Key Features of the Draft National Food Security Bill, 2011 -         ...
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The NAC Communal Violence Bill: Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence

Anirudh - June 9, 2011
The National Advisory Committee has recently come out with a Communal Violence Bill.  The Bill is intended to prevent acts of violence, or incitement to violence directed at people by virtue of their membership to any “group”.  An existing Bill titled the “Communal Violen...
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FAQ: Why is land acquisition so controversial?

M R Madhavan - June 1, 2011
The government's acquisition of land for projects has been facing protests across the country, the violence in Uttar Pradesh being only the latest. What is Land Acquisition? Land acquisition is the process by which the government forcibly acquires private property for public purpose with...
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The Recent Assembly Polls - Implications for Rajya Sabha and Presidential elections

Rohit - May 30, 2011
By Rohit and Jhalak Some Rajya Sabha seats will be contested over the next year.  The Presidential elections are also scheduled to be held in 2012.  The recent assembly elections has implications for both these elections.  The Presidential elections will depend on the s...
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Declaration of Assets: New rules for bureaucrats

Rohit - May 20, 2011
By Rohit and Aakanksha In February this year, Bihar made it mandatory for its employees to declare their assets.  The new guidelines prescribe that departmental proceedings would be initiated against those who fail to submit these details.  Information filed by employees is now being displ...
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Govt. gives itself the master key to access sensitive personal information

Chakshu Roy - May 9, 2011
The government has given itself the “master key” to access major consumer databases maintained by companies in different sectors. Under new regulations made under the Information Technology Act, government can ask companies to share sensitive personal information about their customers. S...
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Should bribe giving be legalized?

Simran - April 21, 2011
 The last few months saw a number of allegations of corruption in issues such as contracts for the Commonwealth Games, allocation of  2G Spectrum, and the building of the Adarsh housing society.  Professor Kaushik Basu, the Chief Economic Adviser to the Minist...
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Does the judiciary “make laws”?

Anirudh - April 20, 2011
A recent case before the Supreme Court has once again highlighted the issue of judicial decisions potentially replacing/ amending legislation enacted by Parliament.  The case importantly pertains to the judiciary’s interpretation of existing law concerning itself.  The eventual outco...
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The Lok Pal story

Kaushiki - April 18, 2011
This article was published in the Indian Express on April 8, 2011 Dodging the Drafts By Kaushiki Sanyal and C.V. Madhukar Social activist, Anna Hazare’s fast unto death for the enactment of a strong Lok Pal Bill has provided an impetus to examine not only the Bill proposed by civil soci...
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FAQ: What is Lok Pal Bill? Why the ruckus over it?

Kaushiki - April 7, 2011
The Lok Pal (anti-corruption body) Bill has generated widespread interest in the past few days. The Bill is an attempt by the government, under massive pressure due to corruption charges, to gain some of its lost ground. However, civil rights activists, including Anna Hazare, Swami Agnivesh, Kira...
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Indian Railways - where is it headed?

Rohit - March 14, 2011
The general discussion on the Railway Budget concluded in Parliament this week. During the discussion, several MPs made a reference to two important documents tabled by the Railway Minister in 2009 - the ‘White Paper' on Indian Railways and the 2020 Vision document. The documents provide g...
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Do we need the MPLAD Scheme

Kaushiki - March 9, 2011
Bihar became the first state to scrap the MLA Local Area Development Fund scheme (MLALAD).  According to news reports, Nitish Kumar, Bihar’s Chief Minister, is planning to replace it with the CM Area Development Programme, which would be implemented at the District level.  The scheme...
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Can compensation be paid for crimes against the state?

Anirudh - March 4, 2011
In a recent judgement (Judgement on Feb 23 - Baldev Singh and Ors. V. State of Punjab), the Supreme Court reduced the sentence of three persons convicted of rape from 10 years to 3 and a half years, and also asked the three convicts to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 each to the victim.   In reducing t...
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Politics of defection

Rohit - March 1, 2011
In a recent judgement, the Karnataka High Court upheld the disqualification of five independent MLAs from the Assembly. These MLAs, who had previously served as Ministers in the Yeddyurappa government, were disqualified along with 11 others after they withdrew their support to the government. The di...
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PRS workshop for engaging MLAs across India

Madhukar - January 28, 2011
There are a little over 4000 MLAs across all states in India.  For the citizen, a law passed by his state legislature is as relevant and important as one passed by Parliament.  And MLAs also have no research support available to them to understand and reflect on policy issues bef...
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How well does Parliament examine rules framed under various laws?

Anirudh - January 10, 2011
Recently the government released draft rules under the Right to Information Act for consultation before it finalised them.  This process of public consultation on draft rules is a welcome step which is not often followed. Many Acts passed by Parliament 'delegate' the power to make rules...
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Lokpal - A 'toothless' tiger?

Rohit - January 10, 2011
The union government is reportedly considering a legislation to create anti-corruption units both at the centre and the states. Such institutions were first conceptualized by the Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) headed by Morarji Desai in its report published in 1966. It recommended the creat...
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Telangana - Recommendations of a previous Commission

Rohit - December 30, 2010
The Justice  Srikrishna Committee, which is looking into the feasibility of a separate Telangana State, is expected to submit its report by tomorrow.  It might be useful at this point in time to revisit the recommendations of the 1953 States Reorganization Commission (SRC) &ndash...
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Mechanism of voting and recording of votes in Parliament

Esha - December 24, 2010
The convention for passing Bills in the Parliament is by orally communicating agreement or disagreement with the proposed motion (whether a Bill should be passed or not, for example). When a motion is put to vote the speaker says, 'Those in the favour of the motion say Aye and those opposin...
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Legislation referred to parliamentary committees for scrutiny and report

Mandira Kala - December 23, 2010
In the recently concluded Winter Session of Parliament, nine Bills were introduced. Of the Bills introduced, 4 bills have been referred to the relevant Standing Committee for examining the Bill. The Standing Committees have been given three months to scrutinize the bills, hold consultations and pres...
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PAC seeks comment on 2G and 3G spectrum allocation

Chakshu Roy - December 23, 2010
The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has invited suggestions on "Recent Developments in the Telecom Sector including allocation of 2G and 3G Spectrum". Comments are invited from experts, associations, individuals, organisations and institutions interested in the matter. Comments hav...
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Can the Supreme Court ask the government to frame a law?

Anirudh - December 23, 2010
In a recent case, the Supreme Court directed the appropriate government to enact a law by June 2011.  The case, Gainda Ram & Ors. V. MCD and Ors.[1], concerned the legal framework for regulating hawking in Delhi.  The judgement lays out the background to this case by stating that the r...
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State Funding of Elections

Vivake - December 22, 2010
In the recently concluded Congress plenary, Congress President Sonia Gandhi suggested state financing of elections as a measure against corruption in the electoral process. State funding of elections has been suggested in the past in response to the high cost of elections. A few government reports h...
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Mandate of Committee examining issue of 2G-licenses and allocation of spectrum

Mandira Kala - December 21, 2010
A Committee has been set up to examine appropriateness of procedures followed by the Department of Telecommunications in issuance of licences and allocation of spectrum during the period 2001-2009.  The Committee will be chaired by retired Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice (Retd.) Shri Shivra...
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Can Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) summon ministers?

Esha - December 21, 2010
One of our earlier posts (read here) tackled the question of whether the Public Accounts Committee could summon ministers or not. According to a direction of the speaker, a Minister cannot be summoned by a financial committee. There are no specific procedures for the Joint Parliamentary Committees m...
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Transparency of Committees: International Comparison

Vivake - December 21, 2010
In the aftermath of the 2G scam, there has been a great deal of discussion on how Parliamentary Committees can be used for scrutinising the functioning of the government.  Committee Reports are generally put in the public domain, but how transparent are the internal workings of the Committees t...
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Are measures to minimize conflict of interest of MPs adequate?

Kaushiki - December 21, 2010
In India, one of the common threads that run through many of the corruption scandals is the issue of conflict of interest i.e. public officials taking policy decisions based on their personal interest.  For example, Shashi Tharoor in the IPL controversy or Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh Housing Soc...
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Assets and Liabilities of MPs after election

Chakshu Roy - December 20, 2010
It is common knowledge that individuals contesting elections have to file an affidavit, declaring (i) their criminal records (if any), (ii) assets & liabilities and (iii) educational qualification.  What is not widely known is that after getting elected, Members of Parliament are required t...
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Parliament's scrutiny over government finances

Anirudh - December 20, 2010
The recent 2G-controversy and the related debate over the role of the PAC as opposed to the JPC also raises a broader Issue regarding the general scrutiny of government finances by Parliament.  Oversight of the government’s finances involves the scrutiny of the government’s financia...
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What information do we have on the functioning of state legislatures?

Madhukar - December 20, 2010
Most legislative assemblies make Parliament look like a paragon of virtue A COUPLE of days ago, an MLA from Orissa made news for climbing on to the speaker's table in the assembly. Not so long ago, television screens beamed images of Karnataka MLAs snacking and sleeping all night in the assembly...
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The India Leadership Workshop: An initiative by PRS Legislative Research and Indian School of Business

Anil - December 20, 2010
Parliament passes an average of 60 Bills a year.  Each state legislature also passes a similar volume of legislation addressing an array of complex issues.  Bills cover subjects ranging from microfinance, land acquisition, and honour killings to the impact of pesticides on health.  Le...
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From the states: Data on functioning of state legislatures

Anil - December 20, 2010
Apropos Madhukar’s post on available information on the functioning of state legislatures, data on the number of days State Assemblies shows a mixed trend over the 2000 to 2010 period. However, most states uniformly under perform when it comes to number of days of sitting. (Spreadsheet with re...
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How many reports has PAC tabled since 1952?

Esha - December 20, 2010
Around 1400 reports have been tabled by the PAC since the first Lok Sabha till end of 14th Lok Sabha. In terms of absolute numbers, the largest number of reports were tabled during the 5th Lok Sabha (1971-77).  However, in terms of the average number of reports presented in the duration...
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Pre-legislative scrutiny: How can citizens be more actively involved?

Tonusree - December 18, 2010
In recent public discourse over lobbying, two issues that have underscored the debate are: Greater transparency in the policymaking process, and Equality of access for all stakeholders in engaging with the process. There is a need to build linkages between citizens and the policy making...
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Issues related to Paid News: Send in your comments

Chakshu Roy - December 18, 2010
The Departmentally Related Standing Committee on Information Technology has invited comments on the subject of "Isssues related to Paid News". Comments/Suggestions/Opinion/Views to be sent to: Additional Director (IT) Lok Sabha Secretariat, Room No. 156, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi ...
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Will judges have to declare assets under the new Bill on judicial accountability?

Anirudh - December 17, 2010
The issue of judges declaring their assets assumes importance in light of recent allegations and inquiries into allegations of wrongdoing by judges (read our post on the report of the Committee set up to examine allegations of wrongdoing by Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court).  The...
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Important committee meetings

Chakshu Roy - December 17, 2010
The winter session has come to an end, but parliamentary committees continue to meet to discuss important issues.  Some of them are: Lok Sabha Committee on Ethics | 21 Dec 2010 | Agenda: Adding to procedure of Lok Sabha,  rules to incorporate a committee on ethics, specify its functi...
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Previous attempts to abolish Rajya Sabha

Chakshu Roy - December 16, 2010
The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister recently remarked that the Rajya Sabha should be abolished.  This is not a new thought.  In 1954 and 1973, resolutions were moved in the Lok Sabha seeking to abolish the Rajya Sabha.  Both these resolutions were unsuccessful.  Attempts to abolish...
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Andhra Pradesh Micro Finance Institutions (Regulation of Moneylending) Act, 2010

Sana - December 16, 2010
The Andhra Pradesh government issued an Ordinance on October 15, 2010, which stipulated conditions for the microfinance activities in the State. This Ordinance was ratified two months later on December 15, 2010 by the lower house of the Andhra Pradesh assembly. The key features of the Bill are: &bul...
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Can Ministers be summoned by Public Accounts Committee?

Esha - December 16, 2010
The Public Accounts Committee  examines how the Government spends public money. It examines the amount granted by the Parliament and the amount actually spent. A Speaker in the past, has passed a direction which specifies clearly that a Minister cannot be summoned by the Financial Committees. &...
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From the states: Andhra Pradesh State Assembly OKs microfinance bill

Anil - December 16, 2010
Reuters news agency has reported that the Andhra Pradesh State Assembly has approved legislation to regulate the microfinance sector. The Assembly ratified an earlier ordinance curbing operations by MFI lenders. The ordinance took effect in October in response to news reports on suicides among borro...
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MP Transparency: India and South Africa

Vivake - December 16, 2010
The following is a comparison of the rules regarding the transparency of MPs' private interests in India and South Africa. In India, conflict of interest amongst MPs has been debated extensively in the recent past. The primary check on preventing potential conflicts is that all MPs must declare ...
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The right to petition Parliament

Rohit - December 15, 2010
What is petitioning? Petitioning is a formal process that involves sending a written appeal to Parliament. The public can petition Parliament to make MPs aware of their opinion and/ or to request action. Who petitions and how? Anyone can petition Parliament. The only requirement is that petitions be...
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From the states: Bihar govt to scrap fund allocation for MLAs, MLCs

Anil - December 15, 2010
News agencies have reported that the newly elected NDA Government has decided in its cabinet meeting to scrap the existing allocation of funds for Local Area Development scheme for Bihar MLAs and MLCs. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nitish-govt-to-scrap-fund-allocation-for-mlas-mlcs/723368/ ...
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Bill on accountability of Judges

Anirudh - December 15, 2010
The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, 2010 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 1, 2010. The Bill was introduced by the Shri M. Veerappa Moily, the Minister of Law and Justice. The Bill seeks to (a) lay down judicial standards, (b) provide for the accountability of judges, and (c) e...
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How many times has the PAC met since 2002?

Esha - December 15, 2010
Between 2002-06 the average number of sitting per year (May - April) was around 19 but since 2006 the average has dipped to around 11 sittings per year. The average number of committee sittings is around 15 per year from 2002-10. The committee met 22 times in 2002-03 while it only met 5 times in 200...
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Allegations against Justice Soumitra Sen: Inquiry Committee Report

Sana - December 10, 2010
On December 1, 2010, the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha.  The Bill revamps the present system of inquiry into complaints against judges.  The case of Justice Sen was the one of the more recent instances where the integrity of judges has been call...
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JPC vs PAC

admin_2 - December 2, 2010
By Chakshu Rai and Anirudh Burman What is the difference between a JPC and a PAC? A structured committee system was introduced in 1993 to provide for greater scrutiny of government functioning by Parliament. Most committees of Parliament include MPs from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. A Joint P...
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CWG Investigations: What is being done?

Vivake - November 19, 2010
The 2010 Commonwealth Games may have ended on October 14th, but the controversy surrounding the organising of the games is far from over. In Parliament, the Opposition has called for a Joint-Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to be formed to investigate suspected financial irregularities in the organisin...
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The Companies Bill, 2009

M R Madhavan - November 16, 2010
All companies are currently governed by the Companies Act, 1956. The Act has been amended 24 times since then. Three committees were formed in the last ten years, chaired by Justice V B Eradi (2001), Naresh Chandra (2002) and J J Irani (2005) to look into various aspects of corporate governance and ...
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'Jack of all trades: How can MPs fulfil all their roles?'

Anil - October 25, 2010
At an event organised by the Hansard Society, a UK based political research and education charity, MPs spoke about what their role entails and the challenges the face in fulfilling their role.  It is striking to note the similarity between what our Parliamentarians have to share about...
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Three questions from Bangalore

admin_2 - October 15, 2010
The trust vote drama in Karnataka has hit the national headlines. The incumbent chief minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa appears to have won the first round. It remains to be seen how the BJP responds to the governor’s direction that a second trust vote be held by the 14th of this month. In the 225-me...
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What we have Learned about our MPs and Parliament

admin_2 - October 10, 2010
This month, PRS Legislative Research is 5 years old! The objective when we started out was to make the legislative process in India better informed, more transparent and participatory.  From what started off as an idea, we believe we have made some progress towards our obj...
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NGOs and the legislative process

Madhukar - September 23, 2010
All stakeholders, including citizens, NGOs, etc. have an important role in the law making process. But for many stakeholders, the process is not obvious or easily explained. In PRS, we often receive a number of requests from NGOs about how it is that they can get Parliament to make changes in legisl...
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Land Acquisition: Public realm, private gain

Kaushiki - September 8, 2010
One of the most politically contentious issues in recent times has been the government’s right to acquire land for ‘public purpose’.  Increasingly, farmers are refusing to part with their land without adequate compensation, the most recent example being the agitation in Uttar ...
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An Analysis of the Deferred Educational Tribunals Bill, 2010

Kaushiki - September 7, 2010
Given India’s anti-defection laws, the Educational Tribunals Bill, 2010 should have sailed through smoothly in the Rajya Sabha.  The Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on August 26 in spite of opposition from many MPs who raised a number of pertinent issues. However, in a surprising turn of...
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Digging on the right side of the law

admin_2 - September 3, 2010
The recent order of the ministry of environment and forests (MoE&F) rejecting the application for grant of forest clearance to the Orissa Mining Company (the Vedanta project) has raised a number of important questions. The order cited the company’s non-compliance with a number of laws. But...
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MPs' salary hike: Do they have a case?

admin_2 - August 31, 2010
The Lok Sabha has passed the bill to revise the salary of members of parliament. Much of the debate in the media has been on the wealth of current MPs and the lack of accountability. It is important to focus as well on structural issues related to remunerating legislators. Under the bill, the base s...
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Parliament’s Recommendations on the Nuclear Liability Bill – Why the “and”?

Anirudh - August 20, 2010
In law, the addition or deletion a single punctuation or a single word can have a major impact on the effect of that law.  One such example can be seen from the recommended changes in the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, 2010 by Parliament’s Standing Committee. The Civil Liability...
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Issues related to MCI - how to regulate medical colleges and doctors?

Rohit - August 17, 2010
The Medical Council of India (MCI) has seen a few major controversies over the past decade. In the latest incident, MCI President, Dr. Ketan Desai was arrested by the CBI on charges of accepting a bribe for granting recognition to Gyan Sagar Medical College in Punjab. Following this incident, the ce...
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The Prevention of Torture Bill, 2010

Anirudh - August 12, 2010
The Prevention of Torture Bill, 2010 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on April 26, 2010, and was passed by the Lok Sabha on May 6 (See Bill Summary here).  The Bill was not referred to a Standing Committee of Parliament.  The Bill has been introduced to allow India to ratify the United Nati...
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Population Stabilization

Rohit - August 4, 2010
This post is pursuant to the discussion on population stabilization being held in Parliament currently. India is the second most populous country in the world, sustaining 16.7% of the world's population on 2.4% of the world's surface area. The population of the country has increased from 238...
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PRS ANALYSIS 2010: Competition on Legislative Analysis

admin_2 - August 2, 2010
To facilitate greater awareness generation and engagement of the youth, PRS conceptualised a legislative analysis competition - ANALYSIS. Being organized for the fourth year in succession, ANALYSIS is a national-level competition that encourages students to reflect on issues of national importance b...
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Renaming of States

Anil - July 20, 2010
The Chief Minister of Kerala has made a statement in the Assembly this week agreeing to look into the demand to change the name of the state to Keralam to make it conform to the state's name as pronounced in Malayalam.  A few major cities in Kerala have already been renamed in the recent pa...
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Amendments Proposed to Draft Direct Taxes Code

Avinash - July 15, 2010
The draft Direct Taxes Code Bill seeks to consolidate and amend the law relating to all direct taxes and will replace the Income Tax Act, 1961.  The draft Bill, along with a discussion paper, was released for public comments in August 2009.[1] Following inputs received, the government proposed ...
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Honour Killings: Are we prepared to tackle the problem?

Kaushiki - July 13, 2010
The issue of honour killing grabbed headlines with the death of Nirupama Pathak, a Delhi-based journalist, who was alleged to have been killed by her family because she was pregnant and was planning to marry a person outside her caste.  This was followed by two more cases of suspected honour ki...
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Parliamentary oversight of intelligence agencies

Anirudh - July 8, 2010
"Parliamentary approval of the creation, mandate and powers of security agencies is a necessary but not sufficient condition for upholding the rule of law. A legal foundation increases the legitimacy both of the existence of these agencies and the (often exceptional) powers that they possess.&q...
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Petroleum pricing reform

Rohit - June 30, 2010
Petroleum Secretary S Sundareshan, while addressing a press Conference on Friday, announced the government’s decision to deregulate prices of petrol. Petrol prices shall now be subject to periodic revisions based on fluctuations in market prices. An immediate hike of Rs. 3.50 per litre has alr...
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Are laws covered by copyright?

Avinash - June 29, 2010
The simple answer is yes. Under the Copyright Act, 1957, the government, and the government alone, can print its laws and issue copies of them.  If, for instance, a person, takes a copy of an Act, and puts it up on their website for others to download, it's technically a violation of copyri...
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No Political parties in UP urban-local bodies

admin_2 - June 25, 2010
Indian Express published an article by PRS on the proposed Rules to disallow participation by political parties in urban local bodies (such as municipalities). Click here for the article ...
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Upcoming Committee Meetings in Parliament

admin_2 - June 23, 2010
Rajya Sabha June 23 and 24, 2010: Committee on Science & Technology, Environment & Forests Agenda - The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, 2010 June 29, 2010: Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture Agenda - Duties, Responsibilities and Functions of Directorate General of Civil Avi...
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Civil Nuclear Liability and International Principles

Anirudh - June 21, 2010
The Civil Damage for Nuclear Liability Bill, 2010 has been criticised on many grounds (Also click here), including (a) capping liability for the operator, (b) fixing a low cap on the amount of liability of the operator, and (c) making the operator solely liable.  We summarise the main principle...
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Legislative vacuum and the Bhopal Gas tragedy

Rohit - June 10, 2010
Our Constitution provides protection against laws imposing criminal liability for actions committed prior to the enactment of the law. Article 20 (1) under the Part III (Fundamental Rights), reads: 20. (1) No person shall be convicted of any offence except for violation of a law in force at the...
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Summary: Civil Liability for Nuclear damage Bill, 2010

Anirudh - May 25, 2010
The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, 2010 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on may 7, 2010.  The following is PRS’s summary of the Bill (The Bill summary and the Bill along with related media articles can also be accessed on the PRS Website): The main features of the Bill ar...
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Legislative debate: Influencing amendments to the Green Tribunal Bill, 2010

Anirudh - May 4, 2010
One of the main tasks of the Parliament is to frame laws through debate and discussion on the floor of the House.  However, there have been repeated instances where Bills introduced by the government have been passed without substantive discussion (For news reports, click here and&nbs...
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Revamping India's Higher Education System

Kaushiki - April 29, 2010
The shortage of skilled man-power is a cause for concern in most sectors in India.  Experts acknowledge that the present higher education system in India is not equipped to address this problem without some changes in the basic structure.  Official records show that the gross enrollment ra...
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FAQs on Telephone Tapping

Chakshu Roy - April 27, 2010
1.  Is the government empowered to intercept communication between two individuals? Answer: Yes. The Central and the State government can intercept communication.  Letters, telephone (mobiles and landlines) and internet communication (e mails, chats etc.) can be intercepted by the governm...
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Seeds Bill Update

M R Madhavan - April 26, 2010
The Seeds Bill was introduced in 2004, and is listed for discussion in Rajya Sabha this week. We had flagged some issues in our Legislative Brief. The Standing Committee had also made some recommendations (summary available here). These included the following: Farmers selling seeds had to meet the s...
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Re-starting the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council

Anirudh - April 19, 2010
Anirudh and Chakshu Friday's issue of Indian Express carried an op-ed article by the Director of PRS on the issue of the re-establishment of the Legislative Council (upper house) in Tamil Nadu. The article (a) traces the history of the legislature in Tamil Nadu, (b) the efficacy of having upper...
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Modernization of Police Forces in Indian states

admin_2 - April 8, 2010
By Rohit & Anirudh A modified 'Modernization of State Police Forces' scheme was started by the central government in 2000-01. One of the objectives was to help police forces in meeting the emerging challenges to internal security in the form of terrorism, naxalism etc. The scheme aims to...
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Guesstimating Access to Food Security

Mandira Kala - April 7, 2010
The empowered group of ministers (EGoM) met recently to review the draft food security bill. Two issues have been reported to have gained prominence in their discussions – the exact number of poor families that are likely to be beneficiaries under the Food Security Act and reforming of the tar...
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PRS seeks inputs on increasing outreach

Madhukar - April 1, 2010
We need your ideas and inputs.  Ideas on how we can inform many more people who are interested in policy about what they can access on the PRS website. The mission of PRS is to strengthen the legislative process by making it better informed, more transparent and participatory. The sta...
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India commences Census 2011

Kaushiki - April 1, 2010
Census 2011 or the 15th National Census, a gigantic exercise to capture the socio-economic and cultural profile of India’s population, began on April 1, 2010.  India undertakes this exercise every 10 years through the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner in the Ministry...
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Control over Budget: Effectiveness of Parliament

Anirudh - March 25, 2010
During the recess, the Departmentally Related Standing Committees of Parliament examine the Demand for Grants submitted by various Ministries.  The Demand for Grants are detailed explanations of that Ministry's annual budget which form part of the total budget of the government.  These...
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Discussion on budgets and functioning of Ministries

Avinash - March 18, 2010
Parliament has announced the ministries whose Demands for Grants will be discussed in detail in the Lok Sabha (after April 12 when Parliament reconvenes).  They are: Defence Rural Development Tribal Affairs Water Resources External Affairs Road Transport and Highways Togeth...
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One-third of 545 is…er… 192.

M R Madhavan - March 17, 2010
Well, that is the number of seats to be reserved for women in Lok Sabha in the first round if the women’s reservation bill is passed.  The rules for determining number of seats to be reserved are as follows. The Bill does not reserve one-third of seats on an All-India basis.  I...
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How is a law enacted in Parliament?

Avinash - March 17, 2010
Because of the interest in the Women’s Reservation Bill and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, we’ve received a number of queries about the process by which a bill becomes an Act. We have a more comprehensive primer on the subject, but here’s the process in brief: •T...
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Parliamentary performance this session

Tonusree - March 15, 2010
The Lok Sabha  adjourns today for a three-week recess.  The Rajya Sabha is scheduled to adjourned on March 18.  Here’s a brief look at the activity of Parliament this session (data till March 15): Productive Hours: The session has witnessed more than its fair share of disruption...
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Ratifying Reservation

Anirudh - March 10, 2010
There have been articles in the media on the future passage of the Women's Reservation Bill stating that the Bill will have to be ratified by state legislatures before it is signed into law by the President.  Our analysis indicates that ratification by state legislatures is not required.&nb...
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Disruptions in Parliament

Rohit - March 9, 2010
Indiscipline and disruptions in Parliament are much talked about issues.  Not only are disruptions a waste of Parliament's valuable time, these significantly taint the image of this esteemed institution.  Commotion in Rajya Sabha over the introduction of Women's Reservation Bill an...
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Parliament: What happens during the recess

Avinash - March 16, 2010
Parliament is set to go into recess this week and will convene again on April 12th.  Before going into recess, both houses will have completed general discussions on the budget. Once the recess begins, it’s time to go beyond the big budget numbers and into greater detail.   The ...
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Budgetary History: Evolution of legislative "power of the purse"

Anirudh - March 4, 2010
The presentation of the Annual Budget before the parliament is one of the mechanisms available to any legislature to scrutinise and authorise revenues and expenditures of the country.   In this post I quote and summarise from two sources (Rick Stapenhurst, "The legislature and th...
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The Union Budget

Madhukar - March 1, 2010
The budget process is covered by live TV and extensively by most newspapers each year.  Most large companies have their own analysis of the budget.  Increasingly, there is an effort by civil society groups to analyse the budget to decipher the allocations to the social sector.  All of...
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A CRS Report on Parliamentary Questions

Avinash - February 12, 2010
Unlike the Parliamentary system, the concept of 'question hour' or 'question time' doesn't really exist in the American legislature.  Here's an interesting report done by the Congressional Research Service on the possibility of a question time in the US. From our po...
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To eat or not to eat: Bt Brinjal

Kaushiki - February 11, 2010
The row over Bt Brinjal, a genetically modified version of the plant, provoked the government into imposing a moratorium on the commercial cultivation of the plant in India.  The debate has revolved around issues of economic efficacy, human health, consumer choice and farmers’ rights. Jai...
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Update on the Women’s Reservation Bill

M R Madhavan - February 9, 2010
Speaker Meira Kumar has urged political parties to arrive at a consensus on the women’s reservation bill.  The 2008 Bill has the following main features.  1. It reserves one-third of all seats in Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies within each state for women.  2. There is quot...
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Defections in Parliament

Anirudh - February 8, 2010
In the late 1960s and 70s, defections (elected legislators changing parties after the election) in Parliament and State Legislatures became very frequent, so frequent in fact, that the epithet "Aaya Ram Gaya Ram" was coined to describe the same.  To curb this problem which created ins...
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Welcome to The PRS Blog!

Madhukar - February 6, 2010
The objective of this blog is to supplement the information provided on the PRS website, with more analysis, information, that might be useful for readers.  We expect to discuss issues about legislation and policy on some occasions and about the functioning of Parliament at other times.  I...
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The Net Neutrality Debate in India

Apoorva - February 9, 2016
Yesterday, the Telecom and Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released the Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services Regulations, 2016.  These regulations prohibit Telecom Service Providers from charging different tariffs from consumers for accessing different services online.&n...
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The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016: All you need to know

Mandira Kala - November 23, 2016
The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016 was introduced in Lok Sabha on November 21, 2016 and is listed for passage this week.  The Bill regulates altruistic surrogacy and prohibits commercial surrogacy.  We present a brief overview of the Bill and some issues that may need to be considered: ...
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Are there enough regulatory safeguards against nuclear power?

Simran - October 30, 2012
The protests against the nuclear power plant at Kudankulam have intensified over the recent weeks.  The Kudankulam plant is expected to provide 2 GW of electricity annually.  However, activists concerned about the risks of nuclear energy are demanding that the plant be shut down.  The...
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Power situation in Tamil Nadu and other states

Vishnu - November 1, 2012
Reports suggest that the first reactor of the Kudankulam power plant is close to operational. With state discoms struggling, advocates of nuclear power see Kudankulam as a necessary boost to India’s struggling power sector.  The Kudankulam power plant will have two reactors.  At full...
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Presidential Reference in the 2G case

Simran -
As per news reports, the union government has filed a Presidential Reference in relation to the 2G judgment.  In this judgment the Supreme Court had cancelled 122 2G licences granting access to spectrum and had ordered their re-allocation by means of an auction.  It also held that use of f...
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