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Love Jihad : Truth or Propaganda
Love Jihad

Traditionally, the Indian society has not been very tolerant towards inter-caste or inter-religious marriage. While some sections have shown tacit resistance, others have gone to the extent of justifying ‘honour killing.’ Of late, a new term ‘Love Jihad’ has disturbed the social harmony. An alleged activity wherein Muslim youth feign love and use emotional appeals to entice non-Muslim girls into conversion. ‘Love Jihad’ is sought to be projected as an Islamist conspiracy to expand the community. History & Development of Love Jihad The allegation of ‘Love Jihad’ first surfaced in September 2009 when incidents of forceful conversion [...]Read more

Meaning of Model Code of Conduct
Model Code of Conduct - meaning

The concept of free and fair elections is enshrined in Indian Constitution. Over the years, different provisions have been incorporated in the Constitution to empower voters and provide a level playing field for the political parties. The Model Code of Conduct is one such provision aimed at ensuring peace and order before and during the elections. The Meaning of Model Code of Conduct The Model Code of Conduct is issued by the Election Commission (EC) as a set of guidelines for the political parties and candidates to follow during elections. The guidelines mainly elucidate norms pertaining to [...]Read more

Universal Adult Suffrage
Universal Adult Suffrage

India has a democratic set up with all citizens having equal rights. This could have been farther from truth if the concept of universal adult suffrage was not adopted. As a promoter of political equality, India managed to do away with the restrictions on the exercise of the vote for adults. However, the journey wasn’t easy. What does Universal Adult Suffrage mean? The Article 326 of the Indian Constitution grants universal adult suffrage, according to which, every adult citizen is entitled to cast his/her vote in all state elections unless that citizen is “convicted of certain criminal [...]Read more

What is Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) ?
What is VVPAT

Bringing transparency in electoral process and preventing malpractices is one of the formidable challenges that India has been trying to tackle for years. Even after the transformation from ballot paper system to electronic voting machines, not much headway could be made to rule out manipulation of poll results. As experts and individuals from the political fraternity started raising concerns about the vulnerability of EVMs, the government felt the need to further delve into the issue and introduce a more viable option. About VVPAT Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) is a method of providing feedback to voters. It’s [...]Read more

EVMs : Securing Fair and Free Elections
EVMs Securing Fair and Free Elections

As a facilitator of smooth and secured elections, the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have contributed a lot. From introducing convenience in the electoral process to ensuring flawless counting of votes, EVMs have proven to be a far better replacement for the old paper ballot system. Although machines have transformed the way Indians vote, their introduction has also brought with it a host of challenges, which question their effectiveness. History of EVMs The EVMs owe their origin to the collaborative effort of Election Commission, state-run Bharat Electronics Ltd (BHEL), and Bangalore and Electronic Corporation of India Ltd. The [...]Read more

Election Commission of India
Election Commission of India

The Election Commission of India is a permanent body which has been vested with the responsibility of directing and controlling the entire process of conducting elections. The commission is known for upholding the principle of free and fair elections as mentioned in the Constitution. History & Development of Election Commission The Election Commission was established on 25th January 1950 with an objective of supervising all elections to the Parliament of India, state legislatures and to the office of the President and the Vice-President of India. In the first few decades of its existence, the commission was led [...]Read more

Eligibility Criteria to become an MLA
Eligibility Criteria to become an MLA

Legislative Assembly or the lower house of state legislature is the main law-making body at the state level. The Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are democratically elected representative of the electorates. For every Lok Sabha MP from the state, there are between four and nine MLAs. An individual must fulfill a certain set of criteria to become eligible for holding the position of an MLA. Eligibility Criteria to become an MLA The qualifications needed to become an MLA are almost similar to the eligibility criteria for an MP.  Besides being a citizen of India, the individual should [...]Read more

Hate Speech Laws in India
laws prohibiting hate speech

The right to freedom of expression doesn’t include the freedom to insult someone or disrespect a community on the basis of caste, religion, race, place of birth, and language. The Indian Constitution forbids anyone from making hate speeches that disturb the harmonious co-existence. In recent times, political discourse has created much discord among the electorates. Anti-hate speech laws have long been established to tackle these aberrations. Definition of Hate Speech The Law Commission of India is now working towards its immediate goal – suggest laws to tackle hate speeches and decide whether the Election Commission can be [...]Read more

Article 32 of the Indian Constitution
Article 32 of the Indian Constitution

The Constitution of India has granted us several Fundamental Rights as well as safeguards against their violations. The citizens get to exercise these rights with an option of taking the help of judiciary in case their rights are violated. Since enlistment of rights (no matter how meticulously they are explained in the Constitution) is not always enough, the Right to Constitutional Remedies ensures that these they are respected and valued. Article 32 of the Indian Constitution – The Concept & Purpose According to Article 32, when an individual feels that he has been “unduly deprived” of his [...]Read more

Types and Provisions of Emergencies in Indian constitution
Types and Provisions of Emergencies in Indian constitution

There have been occasions in the history of Indian polity wherein the country or any state had to adopt an “altered constitutional setup.” The Indo-China war in the 60s and the Indo-Pakistan war in the 70s saw a state of emergency on a national level. Delhi is the latest example of state emergency where President’s Rule was imposed under Article 356 of the Constitution of India, which contains emergency provisions in case of the failure of constitutional machinery in states. What are the different types of emergencies that can be imposed in India and under what circumstances? The Indian Constitution [...]Read more

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