Info Digest

  WHAT It is a type of court proceeding in which a judge reviews the lawfulness of a decision or action made by a public body. In other words, judicial reviews are a challenge to the way in which a decision has been made , rather than the rights and wrongs of the conclusion reached. It is the power exerted by the courts of a country to examine the actions of the legislatures, executive and administrative arms of government and to ensure that such actions conform to the provisions of the nation’s Constitution. WHY Judicial review has two important functions, like, of legitimizing government action and the protection of the constitution against any undue encroachment by the gov­ernment. Judicial review is considered a basic structure of the constitution ( Indira Gandhi vs Raj Narain Case 1975) . Judicial review is also called the interpretational and observer roles of the Indian judiciary. Suo Moto cases and the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) , with the discontinuation of the p...

WHAT Generally, in a typical federation along with the distribution of legislative and administrative powers, the financial resources of the country are also distributed to ensure the financial independence of the units. However, the Indian Constitution does not make a clear cut distribution of the financial resources and leaves much to be decided by the Central Government from time to time. The financial resources which have been placed at the disposal of the state are so meager that they have to look up to the Union Government for subsidies and contributions.  HOW Taxes Exclusively Assigned to the Union Income from certain subjects like customs and export duties, income tax, excise duty on tobacco, jute,’ cotton, etc.,  Corporation tax, taxes on the capital value of assets of individuals and companies  Estate duty and succession duty in respect of the property and other than agricultural land   Income from the earning departments like the railways and postal d...

  WHAT Central Vista is a 3.2 kilometre stretch in Delhi which houses Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament House, North and South Block, India Gate, National Archives among others. All these iconic buildings were constructed before 1931, the year in which the new capital was inaugurated. The Central Vista Redevelopment Project is a government’s plan for the construction of a new parliament building which will be close to the existing one. Why in the News? Recently, many former bureaucrats have opposed the Central Vista redevelopment project. WHO, WHERE & WHEN Currently, the Central Vista of New Delhi houses Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament House, North and South Block, India Gate, National Archives among others. In December, 1911, King George V made an announcement in Delhi Durbar (a grand assembly) to shift the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi. Delhi Durbar was hosted to mark the coronation of King George V. The task of constructing a new city was given to Edwin Lutyens, known...

What is the basic difference between a State and a Union Territory? A state is a division under Indian constitution, which has a separate government, whereas, a Union Territory is ruled directly by the Central Government by a Lieutenant Governor as an administrator, who is the representative of the President of India and appointed by the Central government. How are Union Territories different from States? During independence and due to the constitutional provisions, Union Territories were created either because they were too small in area to be called a state or were not entirely a part of the country. Thus, they were named Union Territories depending upon the Union Government. Who is the administrator of the States and Union Territories? In terms of administrator, there is a difference between states and the union territories. States are headed by a Chief Minister and Union Territories by Lieutenant Governor. Why is India divided into States and Union Territories? For better administr...

  What is a Unicameral Legislature? It is a form of legislature where only one house (one central unit) exists to make and implement laws for the state/country. To understand it clearly, let’s categorize it into two parts: Unicameral National Legislature In the case of the Unicameral Union Parliament, the first example can be given of the country China where the National People’s Congress is the national legislature and is the highest organ of the nation. There is no other organ in China which administers laws for the country. A few other examples of the nations that have Unicameral National Legislatures are: Iran Norway Sweden Hungary   Unicameral State Legislature In the case of the unicameral state legislature, Indian states are the best examples to understand. Aspirants might know that in India, a few states’ parliaments are unicameral in nature i.e. they have only one house to make a law. In states, these are called ‘ legislative assemblies .’ Out of 28 Indian States, the...