Constitution for Mains

Context: Supreme Court issued a notice to the Centre and states to respond to a petition to enforce the Fundamental Duties of citizens, including patriotism and unity of the nation, through comprehensive, well-defined laws. What are Fundamental Duties? The idea of Fundamental Duties is inspired by the Constitution of Russia (erstwhile Soviet Union). These were incorporated in Part IV-A of the …

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Context: The Supreme Court has held that authorities can pass an order of externment against a person only under extraordinary circumstances. What is the Order of Externment? A system of preventing people from entering into a particular place for a certain period, due to their ability to affect that place’s conditions by criminal activity, as …

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What is the relationship between rights and duties? The evolution of democratic society is centred on the expansion of individual and group rights. Duties are important for reinforcement of those rights. Thus, Duties and rights complement each other. Any notion of rights and duties being opposite or hierarchical(superior/inferior) is incorrect. The Indian Constitution enshrines equality …

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Challenges faced by the Indian Constitution: The USA has made only 27 amendments to its constitution. India has witnessed 105 amendments in the last 72 years. In India, one can easily witness people talking to the streets and dictating framing and repeal of laws. There is an imbalance of power between various organs of the …

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Understanding the Basic Structure doctrine Basic Structure and essential features doctrine was expounded in the Kesavananda Bharati case. In the case, the validity of the 29th amendment which immunized, in the Ninth Schedule, Kerala’s takeover of the religious mutt’s property was challenged. Basic structure is the power of judicial review and essential features are what …

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Kesavananda Bharati (80), the sole unwitting petitioner in the historic Fundamental Rights case which prevented the nation from slipping into a totalitarian regime has passed away Who was Kesavananda Bharati? Kesavananda Bharati was the head seer of the Edneer Mutt in Kasaragod district of Kerala since 1961. He left his signature in one of the …

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The revival of the demand for two autonomous councils has made political parties and community-based groups call for bringing the entire Arunachal Pradesh under the ambit of the Sixth Schedule or Article 371 (A) of the Constitution. What is the Sixth Schedule? The Sixth Schedule consists of provisions for the administration of tribal areas in …

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Features of constitutional secularism in India Constitutional secularism is marked by at least two features. First, critical respect for all religions. Unlike some secularisms, ours is not blindly anti-religious but respects religion. It respects not one but all religions. Second, intervene whenever religious groups promote communal disharmony. Thus, it has to constantly decide when to …

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As authorities worldwide grapple with demonstrations over issues like political rights and racial justice, a UN committee has reaffirmed that protesting peacefully, online or in person, is a fundamental human right. What is the news? The independent experts on the Human Rights Committee published a fresh interpretation of the right of peaceful assembly. The committee …

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