Grounds of Declaration The Constitution empowers the President to declare a National Emergency if the security of India (whole or part) is threatened by: 👉 Important point: The President can declare even before the actual event—if there is an imminent danger. For example, if intelligence agencies report an attack is about to happen, Emergency can…
The framers of our Constitution knew one thing very well: normal rules cannot always solve abnormal situations.That is why they inserted a special set of rules in Part XVIII (Articles 352–360) called the Emergency Provisions. 👉 The basic idea is protection of the nation—its sovereignty, unity, integrity, security, democracy, and Constitution. Now, think logically: in…
First, understand the broader idea.Our Constitution created a federal system, meaning there is a division of powers between the Centre and the States. But remember: for a federation to succeed, cooperation is required not only between Centre and States, but also among States themselves. So, the Constitution has laid down some provisions to maintain what…
Introduction India’s federal system has always faced tension between Centre’s supremacy and States’ autonomy. This tension became sharper after the late 1960s when the political scenario changed. Political Backdrop Major Areas of Tension The States often complained about: 👉 Clearly, the problem was excessive centralisation vs. demand for autonomy. Efforts & Demands for Reforms Administrative…
Introduction First, let us recall the basic point:India is a federal country in terms of structure because powers are divided between the Centre and the States. This division of powers is the foundation of federalism. 👉 But there’s a twist—India is not a classical federation like the USA or Switzerland. Our Constitution has its own…
Introduction Political scientists divide governments broadly into two models depending on how power is shared: 1. Unitary Government Think of it like a teacher-student relationship where the teacher (central govt.) gives work to students (regional govts.), but the teacher can also take it back anytime. 2. Federal Government This is like a partnership firm where…
👉 The Indian Constitution clearly adopts a Parliamentary form of government at both: This means both Union and States function under a system where the Executive is accountable to the Legislature. Parliamentary vs. Presidential: The Key Distinction 👉 So, the basis of classification = Relationship between Executive and Legislature. Different Names of Parliamentary System Role…
Concept of State and Government First, let us begin with the most basic foundation: 👉 What is the State? A State is not just a piece of land or a government office. It is a political institution. To qualify as a “State,” four essential elements must exist: In simple words, a State = People +…
The Background: Rights Without Duties When the Constitution of India was originally framed, it included Fundamental Rights, but not Fundamental Duties. Now, let’s pause and think logically — why would the framers of the Constitution include only rights and not duties?The reason was this: India had just gained independence after centuries of colonial rule. So,…
Implementation of Directive Principles The Directive Principles were never meant to be merely ornamental. Since 1950 successive Central and State governments have translated many DPSPs into laws, institutions and programmes. Implementation has been piecemeal, pragmatic and driven by political will, resources and administrative capacity. Below I group the major measures, say why each maps to…
