Track your constituency

Home » Political-Corner  » 2014  »  October
Role and Functions of Chief Electoral Officer
functions performed by CEO in indian states

The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) is the nodal officer who is in charge of ensuring implementation of all the provisions of electoral laws in the state. He functions under the direction and supervision of the Election Commission of India (ECI) as outlined in the Representation of the People Act, 1950 & 1951. Besides overseeing the conduct of state elections, he has other multi-faceted roles to play. Pre-Election Responsibilities of CEO From the time, the dates of the elections are announced, the CEO gets into the task of ensuring compliance of some vital activities including meeting with political [...]Read more

Registration of a Political Party – How is it done ?
Registration of a Political Party - How is it done

The first step towards being recognized as a political party is to get registered with the Election Commission of India. Registration is mandatory for a party, following which it can avail the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Presently, India has over 1,600 registered political parties and 400 of them were formed within the last five years.   Application Process for registration of a political party Within thirty days of its formation the party should submit an application for registration to the Secretary to the Election Commission of India, Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road, New [...]Read more

Jammu and Kashmir : Structure of the Government
Structure of Government in Jammu and Kashmir

To begin with, Jammu & Kashmir has been receiving special and differential treatment ever since Article 370 came into effect. The fact that J&K was accorded special status under the same Article leaves its governance mainly to the state-specific laws which were framed under the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. Unlike the other states, not all the provisions of Indian Constitution are applicable to J&K. Limited Powers of Union Government Since the state doesn’t come under complete purview of the Central Government, the union legislature has very limited jurisdiction in J&K as compared to other states. According [...]Read more

Imposition of President’s Rule – How and Why ?
Imposition of President’s Rule - How and Why

Every time a state loses its ability to function as per the Constitution, it comes under the direct control of the central government, which is referred as the President’s rule. On the ground level, the responsibility of the state administration is shifted to the Governor. The President’s rule, which is also known as the state emergency, had been imposed time and again in different states for varied reasons. Maharashtra has been the latest example. When is President’s Rule Imposed? The Article 365 of the Indian Constitution clearly states that the President has the right to gauge a [...]Read more

Major Challenges Confronting India
Major Challenges Confronting India

India is grappling with some of the fundamental challenges that should be taken up on a priority basis. The basis indicators of growth are not at par with the aspirations of the common people and a genuine willingness to set things straight is still missing. The national issues that continue to hold India back from achieving its development goals have not emerged recently. From corruption to unemployment and lack of healthcare services to infrastructure gap, the problematic issues had been eating into the holistic health of the country for long. Lack of Quality Education Radical reforms in [...]Read more

Books on Indian Politics
Books on Indian Politics

Indian politics is one stimulating subject that has motivated authors to delve deep into the past, chronicle the events of yesterday and pen down the revelations based on years of research. Be it the pre-independence era or the post-colonial politics, some exceptionally well-documented and insightful books have created an enduring place in the readers’ heart. Books on Post-Independent Indian Politics Tumult, frequent change of leadership and political pandemonium pretty much sum up the first few decades of Indian independence. There are a handful of books that aptly captured the mood and the discourse of the period. “Jinnah: [...]Read more

Counting of Votes : Elaborate Procedure
Counting of Votes

The election process doesn’t get over till the results are declared. After the polling comes to an end, the next major responsibility for the Election Commission (EC) is to supervise the process of counting votes and ensure that no foul play could mar the true spirit of elections. Laws Guiding the Process of Counting Votes The Election Commission of India adheres to the Representation of People Act, 1951, which provides for the conduct of Parliamentary elections and also elections to the state legislatures. It enlists the steps to be taken under different circumstances arising in connection with [...]Read more

The Decline of Political Discourse in India
The political language of India

The political rhetoric in India has been leveraged to serve a purpose – garnering support of the people at the cost of tarnishing the image of opponents in poor light. One problem that has grown manifold in recent years is the emergence of different political narratives for different occasions. Be it BJP’s ‘religious nationalism’ or Congress party’s seemingly progressive liberal image, it hasn’t been easy for the common people and political analysts to comprehend the actual motive behind their words, promises and allegations.  The Language of Opportunism In a bid to stand out from the opponents, the [...]Read more

Convicted Politicians : VIP Inmates of Prisons
Convicted Politicians

What happens when the high-profile politicians find themselves on the wrong side of the law? As the law mandates, they are convicted and put behind the bars. But does it actually seem like a great leveler for the tainted MPs and ministers? Not really. Unlike the common man, the politicians’ journey from home to prison doesn’t look like an ordeal. Even inside the prison, nothing substantially changes for the VIP inmate in terms of material comforts and other amenities. Politicians Who Have Been the Privileged Prisoners The recent arrest of ex-Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa is a case [...]Read more

Do we have adequate laws to enforce ‘Swachh Bharat’ Mission?
environmental laws in India

With the launch of the Clean India or ‘Swachh Bharat’ mission, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put the onus back on the 1.25 billion people to free the country from filth. As a nation, India has been subjected to much criticism for the lack of sanitation in its cities, towns and villages. As state governments chart out their course of action and spread awareness about this nationwide sanitation drive, let’s have an understanding of the environmental laws we have in India that prohibit littering. Environment Protection Act 1986 Environment Protection Act, 1986 was enacted as an [...]Read more

<