1.13 Constitutional Reform Commissions
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1.13 Constitutional Reform a three member commission headed by the Commissions former Chief Justice of India M.M.Punchchi was set up by the then Government to take a The National Commission to Review the fresh look at relative roles and responsibilities Working of the Constitution was set up by a of various levels of Government and their resolution of the Government of India in 2000 inter-relations. headed by M.N.Venkatachaliah. In April 2007, Recap The Constitution of India was framed by a Constituent Assembly set up under the Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946. The Preamble of our Constitution states that India is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic. The word ‘Citizen’ is derived from the Latin term ‘Civis’. It means resident of a City State. According to Dr. Ambedkar, Article 32 is “the heart and soul of the whole Constitution”. The Fundamental Duties in the Indian Constitution are inspired by the Constitution of former USSR. In 2004, the Government of India decided to create new category of languages called as “classical languages”. Article 368 of the Constitution in Part XX, deals with the powers of Parliament to amend the Constitution and its procedure. GLOSSARY Preamble the introduction to the constitution of India 믁கꯍꯁரை Secular state A state which protects all religions equally சமய母 சார㞪ற㞱 அை毁 Discrimination unfair treatment of a person or group 㞪ா埁㞪ா翁 Writ written command of court நீதிꯍ்㞪ைாரை Sovereignty supreme power or authority இர㞱யாணரம Heritage something handed down from one’s ancestors 㞪ாைம㞪쎿யம Autonomy independence in one’s thoughts or actions தன்ாடசி Imminent coming up உட்羿 Proclamation an announcement 㞪ிைகட்ம EVALUATION (a) Republic, democratic, secular, socialist, sovereign I Choose the (b) Sovereign, socialist, secular, Correct republic, democratic Answer. (c) Sovereign, republic, secular, 1. Which of the socialist, democratic following sequences (d) Sovereign, socialist, secular, in right regarding the democratic, republic Preamble? 177 Indian Constitution Unit I - INDIAN CONSTITUTION.indd 177 10-04-2019 09:56:28 2. How many times has the Preamble to the 8. Which one of the following rights was Constitution of India amended? described by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as the (a) Once (b) Twice heart and soul of the Constitution? (c) Thrice (d) Never (a) Right to freedom of religion 3. The Indian Constitution gives to its (b) Right to equality citizens (c) Right to Constitutional remedies (a) Double Citizenship (d) Right to property (b) Single Citizenship 9. How can the Fundamental Rights be (c) Single Citizenship in some States and suspended? double in others (a) If the Supreme Court so desires (d) None of the above (b) If the Prime Minister orders to this 4. A foreigner can acquire Indian effect citizenship through (c) If the President orders it during the (a) Descent national emergency (b) Registration (d) All of the above (c) Naturalisation 10. We borrowed the Fundamental Duties (d) All of the above from the 5. Find the odd one out. (a) American Constitution (a) Right to Equality (b) Canadian Constitution (b) Right against Exploitation (c) Russian Constitution (c) Right to Property (d) Irish Constitution (d)Cultural and Educational Rights 11. The Directive Principles can be classified 6. One of the following is not an instance into of an exercise of a fundamental right? (a) Liberal and Communist principles (a) Workers from Karnataka go to Kerala (b) Socialist and Communist principles to work on the farms (c) Liberal, Gandhian and Communist (b) Christian missions set up a chain of principles missionary schools (d) Socialist, Gandhian and Liberal (c) Men and Women government principles employees got the same salary. 12. Under which Article financial emergency (d) Parents property is inherited by their children can be proclaimed? (a) Article 352 (b) Article 356 7. If the fundamental rights of Indian (c) Article 360 (d) Article 368 citizen are violated, they possess the right to have an access to 13. The procedure for the amendment of the (a) The Parliament Indian Constitution is given in (b) The Attorney General (a) Article 352 (b) Article 356 (c) The President of India (c) Article 360 (d) Article 368 (d) The Supreme court of India Indian Constitution 178 Unit I - INDIAN CONSTITUTION.indd 178 10-04-2019 09:56:28 14. Which of the following committees/ 5. What are the classical languages in commissions made recommendations India? about the Centre-State Relations? 6. What is national emergency? 1. Sarkaria Commission 7. List out the three heads of the relations 2. Rajamannar Committee between the Centre and the States. 3. M.N.Venkatachaliah Commission V Answer in Detail. Select the correct answer from the codes given below 1. Explain the salient features of the Constitution of India. (a) 1, 2 & 3 (b) 1 & 2 2. Point out the Fundamental Rights. (c) 1 & 3 (d) 2 & 3 3. Write briefly on the Right to II Fill in the Blanks. Constitutional Remedies. 4. Mention the differences between 1. The concept of constitution first Fundamental Rights and Directive originated in ________. Principles of State Policy. 2. ________was elected as the temporary President of the Constituent Assembly. VI Project and activity. 3. The Constitution of India was adopted 1. Collect information about the various on________. members of the Constituent Assembly 4. ________ writs are mentioned in Article and their social background. 32. 2. Collect the pictures of the Members of 5. Fundamental duties have been the Drafting Committee and their social given to the citizen of India under background. Article________. VII Life Skill. III Match the Following. 1. Prepare a chart containing the Rights and Duties of citizens and display it in 1. Citizenship Act - Jawaharlal Nehru your class room. 2. The Preamble - 42nd Amendment 3. The mini - 1955 REFERENCE BOOKS Constitution 1. D.D. Basu - Introduction of the 4. Classical - 1962 Constitution of India, S.C. Sarkar & language Sons (Private) Ltd, 1982. 5 National - Tamil 2. PM Bakshi - The Constitution of India, Emergency Universal Law Publishing - an imprint of LexisNexis, 2018. IV Give short Answers. 1. What is a Constitution? INTERNET RESOURCES 2. What is meant by citizenship? 3. How many types of fundamental rights https://www.india.org/ are listed by the Indian Constitution? T https://www.constitution.org/cons/ 4. What is a Writ? india/p03.html 179 Indian Constitution Unit I - INDIAN CONSTITUTION.indd 179 10-04-2019 09:56:29 Unit - 2 Central Government Learning Objectives To know the powers of the President and Vice President To Know the about the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers To understand the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha To know about Supreme Court Introduction Indian constitution, by giving due recognition to the vastness and plural character of our The Central Government is the supreme nation, have provided a federal arrangement government in our country. The head for her governance. The Central Government quarter of the Central Government is at New consists of three organs, namely, Union Delhi. Articles 52 to 78 in part V of Indian Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. The Constitution deals with the Union Executive. Union Executive consists of the President of Our Constitution provides for a democratic India, the Vice-President, and the Council of form of government. The makers of the Ministers headed by the Prime Minister, and Central Government Executive Legislature Judiciary President of India Parliament Supreme Court of India Vice-President Chief Justice of India Rajya Sabha Lok Sabha Prime Minister Other Judges 27 238 Elected 12 Nominated by the State Assemblies by the President Council of Ministers 543 Elected by the people 2 Nominated by the President Central Government 180 Unit 2 -Central Government(06.03.2019).indd 180 10-04-2019 09:58:36 the Attorney General of India. The Legislature 2.1.1 Qualification for the is known as the Parliament. It consists of two election as President houses, namely the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. The Union Judiciary consists of the The constitution lays down qualifications Supreme Court of India. for a Presidential candidate. He should be a citizen of India. 2.1 The President of India He must have completed the age of thirty- five years. In the scheme of parliamentary He must not hold any office of profit under system of the Union, State or local Government. government He should have the other qualifications provided by the required to become a member of the Lok constitution, Sabha. the President His or her name should be proposed is the nominal by at least ten electors and seconded executive by another ten electors of the Electoral authority. The College which elects the President. chief executive of DR. RAJENDRA PRASAD (First President of India) The President cannot be a Member of the Indian union Parliament or of a State Legislature; if he is is the President. He is designated as the First a member of any legislature, his seat will be citizen of India. He is the supreme commander deemed to have been vacated on the date he / of the armed forces. The President is also the she assumes the office of President. Constitutional head of the Union Executive. He is also responsible for constituting the 2.1.2 Election of the President judiciary. According to Article 53 of the The President is elected by an electoral constitution, the executive power of the college in accordance with the system of Union shall be vested in the President which proportional representation by means shall be exercised by him directly or through of single transferable vote. The Electoral officers subordinate to him in accordance with College consists of the elected members of Constitution. both houses of Parliament and the elected It is a well known fact that members of the states and elected members the President of India resides of National Capital Territory of Delhi and at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Puducherry.